Books Day 10

Letters was published in February of 2017.  Yogi Amrit Desai moved to the United States and his guru, Swami Kripalvanandji, remained in India.  They stayed in touch by writing frequent letters.

While there is a wealth of things to learn from these letters, two stand out to me.  The first is from January 11, 1969.  This is the letter that Chandrakant so often quotes from.

Asanas and mudras happen automatically.  This secret was known well to all the ancient yogacharyas.  No acharya has revealed it openly, and have kept it secret.  But this secret was revealed by me to you at only age 15 when I was deeply inspired.  That was a mistake.  Even in this mistake, God must have some reason for this.  Otherwise, it would not have happened.

The kriya of chitta and prana is the highest experience of yoga.  Even the ancient yogacharyas have kept this experience very secret.  They used to teach this kriya only to a deserving disciple with the instruction to keep it secret. . . .  This kriya I had shown you is for yourself so that your love for yoga will grow and that you would have direct experience of yoga

After Swami Shri Vivekananda’s travels in the Western countries, the propagation of yoga has been growing progressively everyday.  Many branches of his organization have been established.  I have shown you this kriya so that among these organizations, yours may attain a unique position.  My primary intention was for you; the secondary was for your organization.

The second is from March 8, 1971.

After receiving your letter, I’ve been thinking of you again and again.  You write that you have not had any spiritual experiences since the one in 1970.  It is not possible.  Perhaps it will come later.  After shaktipat, all the kriyas happen automatically and guide your sadhana.  That is the path.

The first letter hints that there is something special in this lineage of yoga.  My life and the lives of many of my students are proof of that.

The second letter shows that this guru, Yogi Amrit Desai, had doubts and human just like the rest of us.