As many of you know, one way that Gurumayi imparts her teachings is through the seemingly casual conversations she has with people and that people have with her. These conversations are often light, fun, and very sweet. Still, their import cannot be overstated. As I’ve heard many Siddha Yogis say, in Gurumayi’s presence, every moment is a teaching moment.
During the satsang on Makara Sankranti, Gurumayi shared about one such conversation that she’d had recently. Someone happened to tell Gurumayi that they were noticing how a lot of people were getting old. Gurumayi smiled as she recalled how interesting she found it that this person would tell her that. As Gurumayi said, she herself was born many decades ago!
The teaching that Gurumayi then imparted was very meaningful for me. She said, “Why should young people worry about old people? Why should old people worry that they are getting old?”
I find this teaching to be like a koan. On the one hand, what is the point of such worry? Is it warranted? On the other hand, young people do have the responsibility to care for those who are getting older. Simultaneously, the elder generations have a responsibility to share their wisdom with those who are younger. This mutual give-and-take is built into our human society, into the communities we have created. I believe that this is what Gurumayi was conveying with her teaching: that there is a cycle of care between generations that must be continually fostered.
Part of the reason I am convinced that this was Gurumayi’s meaning is that I’ve heard countless stories from Siddha Yogis about the efforts Gurumayi has made to encourage younger and older people to come together. To give just one example: at Gurumayi’s request, and with her guidance and direction, a set of ten “Intergenerational Sadhana Satsangs” was held in the summer of 1999 in Shree Muktananda Ashram. In these satsangs, participants shared their perspectives and experiences of Siddha Yoga sadhana. The young people had the opportunity to learn from the accumulated wisdom of their elders. The elders were inspired and energized by the enthusiasm and fresh ideas of the young people. It was a lot of fun for everyone involved—a real “win-win” situation!
As someone who is relatively young and who has benefited enormously from the knowledge passed on by older generations of Siddha Yogis, I also took Gurumayi’s words as an encouragement to acknowledge these elders. When Gurumayi said that she likes the philosophy “Old is gold”—and she mentioned how even the sun is very old—that definitely made me think. I said to myself, “Wow! The sun is roughly 4.57 billion years old! And for as long as life has existed on our planet, the light of the sun has been sustaining it.”
It’s a wonderful image to hold in mind as I reflect on all that the older generations have done. I’ve had the privilege to offer seva and do sadhana alongside people who are two, three, four, even five decades older than me. I find it humbling to consider the magnitude of their contributions to the Siddha Yoga mission. I am able to do what I do—to offer my skills in service of this incredible mission—because of the groundwork they have laid, because of their years of committed seva offered to Baba Muktananda and Gurumayi. And all the while, their sadhana has only matured. Their wisdom has only become more refined and valuable, and they have been generous enough to share that wisdom with me and with other younger Siddha Yogis.
It is my hope that the young people on the Siddha Yoga path see in their elders all the life they’ve lived, all their achievements, all that they have given to the world. And I believe that, for their part, these elders can continue inspiring young people to grow in their understanding. What the elders have to give, and have the responsibility to give, is priceless. No amount of intelligence, talent, or precociousness can replace time—years and years of lived experience on this earth.
On the topic of age—I also took to heart what Gurumayi said about doing sadhana vigorously while we have a young body. Gurumayi spoke about maintaining a strong awareness of how important our body is for sadhana. The supposed “out-of-body-consciousness” experiences we hear about from people might be captivating—but, as I wrote about earlier, it is only through this body of ours, this mind, this in-breath and out-breath, that we can make any lasting progress on the spiritual path. Gurumayi has said that the body will give us the best support for our sadhana, as long as we put in the effort to take care of it.
When we are younger, it can be easy to take for granted the fitness of our body and the agility of our mind. We can trick ourselves into thinking we will feel like this forever, simply because a different reality is outside of our current conception or experience. But why wait until we are confronted with a new reality? Right? The best thing we can do is to make use of our faculties as they are now. We can harness the energy and vitality we have, and put that toward our sadhana.
While Gurumayi did speak specifically about what to do when you have a young body, I do think that this teaching applies more widely. The fact is, no matter what our age is, we won’t ever be as young as we are now. We are only going to get older—and we don’t know how much older we’ll get, or what further changes in fortune or condition the subsequent years will bring. The ideal time to do sadhana, therefore, is always now.
Now. It’s such a simple word. So unassuming. Just three letters. Yet this three-letter word holds within its womb untold promise. It sparkles with potentiality, with the whisper of something great, something bright, something so divine that is yearning to come to pass. Whether it does come to pass depends on us—on whether we seize this moment, this now.
In her poem “Waiting for That Perfect Moment,” Gurumayi speaks about this very thing. You can revisit the poem here. Don’t you want to read it again?
There are so many thoughts that I have about “Old is gold”! I worked as an elder advocate for years and fell in love with the elders. I found them so courageous as they faced their physical challenges, and I revered them for their wisdom. So, why aren’t I doing the same for myself? I think aging is quite a surprising event!
I will continue to hold Gurumayi’s words in my heart and to approach every moment with gratitude and joy.
New Jersey, United States
When I was younger, the idea of immersing myself in sadhana felt like a distant destination, to be kept for later.
I could not have been more wrong in my procrastination! Sadhana is the biggest boon of this human life.
Through the years, as I experienced the world and my life, these experiences kept bringing me back to the Heart. Especially the difficult experiences—and honestly it did take a few tough moments to make me realize that this life has everything to do with sadhana, not to pursue sadhana as a part of life, but to realize it is my whole life.
Today, I have completely changed how I live. Each action, breath, and moment is immersed in sadhana. I have never experienced so much peace, contentment, and connection within. I believe that surrendering and living a life of sadhana has brought me closer to the Guru.
I am grateful for each and every experience of life that has guided me to immerse myself in sadhana completely.
Cambridge, United Kingdom
A few years ago, someone showed me a beautiful old fruit tree in their garden, whose branches were bending down under the weight of many ripe fruits. I was allowed to pick the ripe fruits, and I could feel how happy and relieved the tree was.
Since that experience, I have been inspired to share the fruits of my sadhana on the Siddha Yoga path website. Whenever I share an experience or insight, I feel relieved. I always hope that somewhere in the world, someone will benefit from the fruits of my sadhana and my sharing.
Konolfingen, Switzerland
When I first came to the Siddha Yoga path, I was a young woman of thirty- two. Gurumayi spoke of the people who had been around in Baba’s days as “great-timers” and not “old-timers”! I recall my yearning curiosity about what it was like to have been around in those early days and relished the stories that great-timers were kind enough to share with me.
Now, thirty-five years later, I find myself with my own wisdom and wonderful stories to share that come with so many years as a Siddha Yogi. I relish sharing my experiences with those eager to hear them. So now the situation is reversed, and I am so grateful to have had experiences I can now gift to other eager ears!
New Mexico, United States
I am seventy-three years young, a “golden oldie,” and have been on this miraculous Siddha Yoga journey since 1980. The first time I heard of Baba Muktananda, my friend told me about him, “My Guru says God lives in your heart,” and I received shaktipat in that moment! I was enveloped in sublime peace—that peace beyond all understanding—and most astonishing, I knew I was that peace. I burst out sobbing with relief and wonder.
Since then, Shri Guru’s grace and teachings have guided my sadhana and upheld me everywhere in my life and during challenging times—the greater the challenge, the greater the grace. Words cannot express my heart’s gratitude for Gurumayi’s ever-abundant, compassionate, loving support. The recent wealth of satsangs and teachings on the Siddha Yoga path website have re-ignited for me that original wonder and astonishment at discovering my inner divinity.
New York, United States
Eesha speaks movingly of her experience in learning from people much older than she is as they advance along the Siddha Yoga path. As one of those “much older” people, I want to acknowledge the younger pillars of the Siddha Yoga path, such as Eesha and others of her age or even younger. I have no children of my own, but in my decades of sadhana I have had the joy of mentoring more than a dozen children growing up in Siddha Yoga families. They are all young adults now, and I see with great delight and admiration how they are making the world a more beautiful place.
Eesha also speaks appreciatively of “the groundwork” my generation has established for later generations to build on. I for one feel deeply grateful to realize how many young people have already been building on that “groundwork” to further the Siddha Yoga mission and to extend its blessings to their own generation and those yet to come. I am honored to share this path with these promising young yogis!
Illinois, United States
I resonated a lot with the theme of age, as I am over eighty. I know all too well the increasing need to “harness the energy and vitality we have” since I can no longer “take for granted” my body’s well-being. One way that I implement the Siddha Yoga teaching that our body is a temple of God, to be cared for with reverence and devotion, is by swimming three times a week, each time for fifty minutes.
Whenever I go to the nearby pool, I experience deep gratitude for having this facility available to me and for still being strong enough to use it effectively. Fifty minutes provides a lot of time for idle thoughts, so I have developed a practice I call “swimming japa.”Especially in doing the backstroke, I repeat Om Namah ShivayaOm in time with my arm movements. Not only does this steady rhythm energize my swimming, it keeps me in the radiant company of the mantra of the Siddha Yoga lineage. And for that I also experience deep gratitude!
Oregon, United States
Eesha’s sparkling reflection on Gurumayi’s words lit a fire of contemplation in my mind. How is it possible that “old is gold“?
Some months ago, I was walking around my village when three proud teenagers were doing acrobatic maneuvers with their bikes. I immediately saw everyone’s abilities and started to encourage them to take their performance to the next level. To my astonishment, I saw them progress with enthusiasm and vigor. I told myself, “Now you can share the fruits of your long biking experience!“
Another time, during a concert, the choir leader turned to the audience to repeat the chorus of a song about a mountain. I felt the lyrics vibrate strongly in my chest. When the choir leader turned toward me, smiling, I felt the mountain singing inside me.
At Christmastime, I was offered a wrapped chocolate. Inside the wrapper I read: “If youth is the most beautiful of flowers, old age is the most tasty fruit.“ So yes, “Old is gold“—a ripe, golden fruit!
Rodez, France
Having been on the Siddha Yoga path for many years, I really appreciated these heartfelt words from Eesha.
I keep finding myself surprised when the younger Siddha Yogis I interact with respond with gratitude to stories and teachings I share with them from the past. I forget how lucky I am to have this storehouse of refined learning that supports me every day.
I also feel tender compassion when I see younger people in my life struggle with challenges arising in the outer and inner worlds. I want to help, but some of them don’t see me as a potential resource for help, or they see my advice as outdated or ill-informed. Although that may be true in some cases, in others I think they are missing out on what this elder can offer them.
At the same time, I love hanging out with young people, taking in their enthusiasm and energy and joyfulness, learning about their music and art and their view of the world. It keeps me young as well.
