The Profoundness of the Guru’s Teachings

I recall my mother returning home one evening, beaming with excitement, after being away for the day. I had spent the day with my father and sister, and was eager to hear about where my mother had been. She explained to me that she had just participated in a Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive with Gurumayi, a Siddha Guru who was on a Teaching Visit in Mexico. As it was my bedtime—I was ten years old at the time—my mother did not want to keep me up. Therefore, she shared just a little about the Shaktipat Intensive, turned on a cassette tape of Gurumayi chanting the mantra Om Namah Shivaya, and gently told me to listen to the rhythm of my breath while Gurumayi sang me to sleep.
I knew nothing about Gurumayi or meditation. Yet as I lay there listening to her voice, I was captivated. There was something very familiar and truly special about it. I had such a deep feeling of love that my eyes filled with tears. As I lay in bed listening to Gurumayi chant and watching the movement of my breath, I had a vision of a garland of lights and each light shone with a different color. Within each light there were smaller, shimmering silver lights. These lights enveloped me in a peace that I had never experienced before in my life.
The following weekend, my mother started to take me regularly to satsangs at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Mexico City and I immediately fell in love with the practice of chanting. Then, in the summer of 1986—and for the next seven summers—my parents, my sister, and I visited Shree Muktananda Ashram. My parents offered seva and my sister and I participated in the Siddha Yoga activities for young people. Gurumayi always showered us children with love, and even though we were young, she taught us the importance of discipline and the necessity of developing regular spiritual practices at an early age.
In 1994, after graduating from high school, I offered seva as a full-time staff member in the Music Department at Shree Muktananda Ashram and I continued to do so until 2007. As I studied Gurumayi’s teachings and put them into practice in seva, I discovered that the love that I had felt for Gurumayi as a child and teenager had another profound dimension—in the form of her teachings. And I realized too, that with the gift of her love also came the gift and responsibility of studentship.
In her talks during satsangs, Gurumayi often emphasized the importance of the discipline of listening. One of the teachings Gurumayi gave us was that when we chant, we should listen to the group sound first, and then to our own sound. I remember the first time I tried applying this in a chant—I was surprised at just how hard it was to do! I was accustomed to closing my eyes and drawing my attention inside while chanting. But the more I practiced what Gurumayi had taught me, the more I discovered there was great power and deep joy when I held my attention steady on the group sound.
I started applying this practice of focused listening in my daily interactions with other people and also in my practice of self-inquiry. I discovered that by listening to others with keen interest, without interrupting them, I was able to interact with everyone around me in a more meaningful, genuine, and loving way. Most importantly, I began to understand the difference between the voice of truth inside my heart and the voice of my ego. The effects of speaking from either space were immediately evident to me. Therefore, I began to focus more and more on the voice of truth and to make this voice the foundation of my decision-making process and actions.
Although I am no longer serving on staff and am now a businessman living with my wife in Hong Kong, Gurumayi’s teaching on listening during the chant continues to guide me in both my personal life and professional life.
When I first moved to Hong Kong to start a new job, I made a concerted effort to approach my work with the same attitude I had applied while offering seva on staff and while traveling on Gurumayi’s Teaching Visits for so many years. My boss noticed that our clients enjoyed dealing with me directly—especially our clients in India!
During my first year with the company, our sales to India increased dramatically. As a result, the company appointed me head of business development in India and the Middle East. The active listening which I had learned from Gurumayi and practiced while chanting and offering seva had trained me to listen to my clients and connect with them in a way that made them feel comfortable and inspired to do business with our company.
On my first visit to the office of our partner in India, I met all the new young salesmen who had been hired as a result of the partnership with our company. I thought about how Gurumayi’s teachings had supported me to open this new opportunity; and as a result, jobs were created for ten young interns. This was the result of learning to listen to the voice of truth inside my heart: I have been able to make decisions in my life that uplift and benefit not only myself, but also everyone around me. I am grateful to Gurumayi for this—and so much more in my life.
Vitthal Ramiro began following the Siddha Yoga path in 1986 in Mexico City. He served on staff at Shree Muktananda Ashram from 1994 to 2007; in that time, he offered seva in the Siddha Yoga Music Department and as a mentor to children and young adults. Vitthal currently offers seva from home with the Finance Department of the SYDA Foundation. He lives in Hong Kong with his wife, Dallas, and works as an advisor to Chinese companies investing in Latin America. He holds a BA in Music from the State University of New York at New Paltz and an MBA from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

I recall my mother returning home one evening, beaming with excitement, after being away for the day. I had spent the day with my father and sister, and was eager to hear about where my mother had been. She explained to me that she had just participated in a Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive with Gurumayi, a Siddha Guru who was on a Teaching Visit in Mexico. As it was my bedtime—I was ten years old at the time—my mother did not want to keep me up. Therefore, she shared just a little about the Shaktipat Intensive, turned on a cassette tape of Gurumayi chanting the mantra Om Namah Shivaya, and gently told me to listen to the rhythm of my breath while Gurumayi sang me to sleep.
I knew nothing about Gurumayi or meditation. Yet as I lay there listening to her voice, I was captivated. There was something very familiar and truly special about it. I had such a deep feeling of love that my eyes filled with tears. As I lay in bed listening to Gurumayi chant and watching the movement of my breath, I had a vision of a garland of lights and each light shone with a different color. Within each light there were smaller, shimmering silver lights. These lights enveloped me in a peace that I had never experienced before in my life.
The following weekend, my mother started to take me regularly to satsangs at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Mexico City and I immediately fell in love with the practice of chanting. Then, in the summer of 1986—and for the next seven summers—my parents, my sister, and I visited Shree Muktananda Ashram. My parents offered seva and my sister and I participated in the Siddha Yoga activities for young people. Gurumayi always showered us children with love, and even though we were young, she taught us the importance of discipline and the necessity of developing regular spiritual practices at an early age.
In 1994, after graduating from high school, I offered seva as a full-time staff member in the Music Department at Shree Muktananda Ashram and I continued to do so until 2007. As I studied Gurumayi’s teachings and put them into practice in seva, I discovered that the love that I had felt for Gurumayi as a child and teenager had another profound dimension—in the form of her teachings. And I realized too, that with the gift of her love also came the gift and responsibility of studentship.
In her talks during satsangs, Gurumayi often emphasized the importance of the discipline of listening. One of the teachings Gurumayi gave us was that when we chant, we should listen to the group sound first, and then to our own sound. I remember the first time I tried applying this in a chant—I was surprised at just how hard it was to do! I was accustomed to closing my eyes and drawing my attention inside while chanting. But the more I practiced what Gurumayi had taught me, the more I discovered there was great power and deep joy when I held my attention steady on the group sound.
I started applying this practice of focused listening in my daily interactions with other people and also in my practice of self-inquiry. I discovered that by listening to others with keen interest, without interrupting them, I was able to interact with everyone around me in a more meaningful, genuine, and loving way. Most importantly, I began to understand the difference between the voice of truth inside my heart and the voice of my ego. The effects of speaking from either space were immediately evident to me. Therefore, I began to focus more and more on the voice of truth and to make this voice the foundation of my decision-making process and actions.
Although I am no longer serving on staff and am now a businessman living with my wife in Hong Kong, Gurumayi’s teaching on listening during the chant continues to guide me in both my personal life and professional life.
When I first moved to Hong Kong to start a new job, I made a concerted effort to approach my work with the same attitude I had applied while offering seva on staff and while traveling on Gurumayi’s Teaching Visits for so many years. My boss noticed that our clients enjoyed dealing with me directly—especially our clients in India!
During my first year with the company, our sales to India increased dramatically. As a result, the company appointed me head of business development in India and the Middle East. The active listening which I had learned from Gurumayi and practiced while chanting and offering seva had trained me to listen to my clients and connect with them in a way that made them feel comfortable and inspired to do business with our company.
On my first visit to the office of our partner in India, I met all the new young salesmen who had been hired as a result of the partnership with our company. I thought about how Gurumayi’s teachings had supported me to open this new opportunity; and as a result, jobs were created for ten young interns. This was the result of learning to listen to the voice of truth inside my heart: I have been able to make decisions in my life that uplift and benefit not only myself, but also everyone around me. I am grateful to Gurumayi for this—and so much more in my life.
Vitthal Ramiro began following the Siddha Yoga path in 1986 in Mexico City. He served on staff at Shree Muktananda Ashram from 1994 to 2007; in that time, he offered seva in the Siddha Yoga Music Department and as a mentor to children and young adults. Vitthal currently offers seva from home with the Finance Department of the SYDA Foundation. He lives in Hong Kong with his wife, Dallas, and works as an advisor to Chinese companies investing in Latin America. He holds a BA in Music from the State University of New York at New Paltz and an MBA from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Je me rappelle qu’un soir, ma mère est rentrée à la maison, radieuse et enthousiaste, après avoir passé la journée à l’extérieur. J’étais resté toute la journée avec mon père et ma sœur et j’étais curieux de savoir où s’était rendue ma mère. Elle m’a expliqué qu’elle venait de participer à une Intensive Shaktipat du Siddha Yoga avec Gurumayi, un Guru Siddha qui était en visite au Mexique pour donner ses enseignements. Comme c’était l’heure d’aller me coucher – j’avais dix ans à l’époque – ma mère ne voulut pas me retenir. Elle me raconta donc juste un peu de l’Intensive Shaktipat, mit une cassette du mantra Om Namah Shivaya chanté par Gurumayi, et me dit gentiment d’écouter le rythme de ma respiration tandis que Gurumayi chantait pour m’endormir.
Je ne savais rien sur Gurumayi ni sur la méditation. Pourtant, je suis resté allongé à écouter sa voix, captivé. Il y avait là quelque chose de très familier et de vraiment particulier. J’ai ressenti un élan d’amour si profond que mes yeux se sont remplis de larmes. Allongé dans mon lit tout en écoutant Gurumayi chanter et en observant le mouvement de ma respiration, j’ai eu la vision d’une guirlande de lumières dont chacune avait une couleur différente. À l’intérieur de chaque lumière, il y avait des lumières plus petites, d’un argent chatoyant. Ces lumières m’enveloppèrent d’une paix que je n’avais jamais ressentie de toute ma vie.
Le weekend suivant, ma mère a commencé à m’emmener régulièrement aux satsangs à l’ashram du Siddha Yoga de Mexico et je suis immédiatement tombé amoureux de la pratique du chant. Puis, au cours de l’été 1986 – et pendant les sept étés suivants – mes parents, ma sœur et moi sommes allés à Shree Muktananda Ashram. Mes parents offraient de la seva tandis que ma sœur et moi-même participions aux activités du Siddha Yoga prévues pour les jeunes. Gurumayi nous a toujours baignés d’amour, nous les enfants, et malgré notre jeunesse, elle nous enseignait l’importance de la discipline et la nécessité d’acquérir très tôt des pratiques spirituelles régulières.
En 1994, après avoir obtenu mon diplôme de l’université, je suis allé offrir de la seva à temps plein au département de musique à Shree Muktananda Ashram et j’ai continué jusqu’en 2007. Tout en étudiant les enseignements de Gurumayi et en les mettant en pratique dans la seva, je découvrais que l’amour que j’avais ressenti pour Gurumayi lorsque j’étais enfant puis adolescent avait une autre dimension profonde – sous la forme de ses enseignements. Et je réalisais également qu’au don de son amour était associé aussi le don et la responsabilité de l’état d’étudiant.
Dans ses discours pendant les satsang, Gurumayi soulignait souvent l’importance de la discipline de l’écoute. L’un des enseignements que Gurumayi nous a donnés était que durant le chant, nous devions écouter d’abord le son émis par le groupe, puis notre propre son. Je me souviens que la première fois que j’ai essayé d’appliquer cela au cours d’un chant, je fus surpris de constater combien c’était difficile ! J’étais habitué à fermer les yeux et à tourner mon attention vers l’intérieur pendant le chant. Mais plus je mettais en pratique ce que Gurumayi m’avait enseigné, plus je découvrais une grande force et une joie profonde à maintenir une attention soutenue sur le son émis par le groupe.
J’ai commencé à appliquer cette pratique d’écoute attentive dans mes échanges quotidiens avec les autres et aussi dans ma pratique de l’introspection. J’ai découvert qu’en écoutant les autres avec un intérêt réel, sans les interrompre, je devenais capable d’échanger avec chaque personne de mon entourage de façon plus profonde, authentique et généreuse. Et plus important encore, j’ai commencé à comprendre la différence entre la voix de vérité que renfermait mon cœur et la voix de mon ego. Parler à partir de l’un ou l’autre de ces espaces avait des conséquences qui me paraissaient évidentes. Je me suis donc mis à me concentrer davantage sur la voix de vérité en faisant de cette voix la base de mon processus de prise de décision et de mes actions.
Bien que je n’offre plus de seva à plein temps – je travaille maintenant dans les affaires et j’habite avec mon épouse à Hong Kong – l’enseignement de Gurumayi sur l’écoute pendant le chant continue de me guider aussi bien dans ma vie personnelle que dans ma vie professionnelle.
Quand j’ai déménagé à Hong Kong pour commencer un nouveau travail, j’ai fait l’effort de l’appréhender avec la même attitude que lorsque j’offrais de la seva à plein temps et pendant toutes les années où j’accompagnais les tournées d’enseignement de Gurumayi. Mon patron a remarqué que les clients aimaient traiter avec moi directement – en particulier nos clients en Inde ! Avant mon entrée dans l’entreprise, celle-ci avait tenté pendant de nombreuses années de faire des affaires en Inde, sans succès. Au cours de ma première année dans l’entreprise, nos ventes en Inde augmentèrent radicalement. En conséquence, l’entreprise me nomma responsable du développement des affaires en Inde et au Moyen-Orient, où la plupart des affaires sont gérées par des Indiens. L’écoute attentive que j’avais apprise de Gurumayi et mise en pratique dans le chant ou la seva m’avait entraîné à écouter mes clients et à me relier à eux, si bien qu’ils se sentaient à l’aise et enclins à faire affaire avec notre entreprise.
Lors de ma première visite dans les bureaux de notre partenaire en Inde, j’ai rencontré tous les jeunes vendeurs qui avaient été recrutés suite au partenariat avec notre entreprise. J’ai songé à la façon dont les enseignements de Gurumayi m’avaient soutenu pour que cette nouvelle opportunité s’ouvre ; et le résultat, c’est que de nouveaux postes avaient été créés pour dix jeunes Indiens. C’était le résultat d’avoir appris à écouter la voix de vérité que renfermait mon cœur : je suis en mesure de prendre des décisions dans ma vie qui m’élèvent et qui me sont bénéfiques ainsi qu’à tout mon entourage. Je suis reconnaissant envers Gurumayi pour cela – et pour bien plus encore dans ma vie.
Vitthal Ramiro a commencé à suivre la voie du Siddha Yoga en 1986 à Mexico. Il servit dans les équipes de Shree Muktananda Ashram de 1994 à 2007 ; à l‘époque, il offrait de la seva dans le département de musique et comme référent pour les enfants et les jeunes adultes. Actuellement, Vitthal offre de la seva à domicile pour le département des finances de la SYDA Foundation. Il habite Hong Kong avec sa femme, Dallas, et travaille comme consultant pour des compagnies chinoises qui investissent en Amérique latine. Il a une licence de musique de l’Université de l’État de New York à New Paltz et un MBA de l’Université de science et technologie de Hong Kong.

Ich erinnere mich daran, wie meine Mutter eines Abends, nachdem sie den ganzen Tag lang weggewesen war, vor Begeisterung strahlend nach Hause kam. Ich hatte den Tag mit meinem Vater und meiner Schwester verbracht und war sehr neugierig darauf, wo meine Mutter gewesen war. Sie erklärte mir, dass sie gerade an einem Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive mit Gurumayi, einem Siddha Guru, die auf einer Vortragsreise in Mexiko war, teilgenommen hatte. Da es schon Schlafenszeit war—ich war damals zehn Jahre alt—wollte meine Mutter nicht, dass ich aufbleibe. Deshalb erzählte sie nur ein wenig über das Shaktipat Intensive, legte eine Kassette ein, auf der Gurumayi das Mantra Om Namah Shivaya sang, und sagte mit sanfter Stimme, dass ich dem Rhythmus meines Atems zuhören solle, während mich Gurumayi in den Schlaf singt.
Ich wusste nichts über Gurumayi oder Meditation. Aber als ich da lag und ihrer Stimme zuhörte, war ich fasziniert. Es hatte etwas sehr Vertrautes und wirklich sehr Besonderes an sich. Ich erlebte ein solch tiefes Gefühl von Liebe, dass sich meine Augen mit Tränen füllten. Als ich da im Bett lag, Gurumayi singen hörte und auf die Bewegung meines Atmens achtete, hatte ich die Vision einer Girlande aus Lichtern und jedes Licht leuchtete in einer anderen Farbe. In jedem dieser Lichter waren noch kleinere, silbern schimmernde Lichter. Diese Lichter hüllten mich ein in einen Frieden, den ich nie zuvor in meinem Leben erfahren hatte.
Vom folgenden Wochenende an nahm mich meine Mutter regelmäßig zu den Satsangs im Siddha Yoga Ashram in Mexico City mit, und ich verliebte mich sofort in die Übung des Singens. Schließlich besuchten meine Eltern, meine Schwester und ich im Sommer 1986—und in den folgenden sieben Sommern—den Shree Muktananda Ashram. Meine Eltern boten Seva an und meine Schwester und ich nahmen an den Siddha Yoga Veranstaltungen für Jugendliche teil. Gurumayi überschüttete uns Kinder immer mit Liebe und lehrte uns, obwohl wir noch sehr jung waren, wie wichtig Disziplin ist und dass es notwendig ist, auch im jungen Alter regelmäßige spirituelle Übungen zu entwickeln.
Seit dem Highschool-Abschluss im Jahr 1994 bot ich durchgehend bis zum Jahr 2007 Seva als Vollzeit-Mitarbeiter im Music Department im Shree Muktananda Ashram an. Während ich Gurumayis Lehren studierte und sie bei der Seva umsetzte, entdeckte ich, dass die Liebe, die ich als Kind und als Jugendlicher für Gurumayi empfunden hatte, auch noch eine andere tiefgreifende Dimension hat—in Gestalt ihrer Lehren. Und ich erkannte ebenfalls, dass mit dem Geschenk ihrer Liebe auch das Geschenk und die Verantwortung des Schülerseins einhergehen.
Gurumayi hat in ihren Vorträgen in Satsangs oft betont, wie wichtig die Disziplin des Zuhörens ist. Eine der Lehren von Gurumayi ist die, dass wir beim Singen zunächst auf den Klang der Gruppe und dann erst auf den Klang unserer eigene Stimme hören sollen. Ich erinnere mich noch daran, wie ich das zum ersten Mal bei einem Chant anzuwenden versuchte – ich war überrascht, wie schwer das war! Ich war es gewohnt, beim Singen die Augen zu schließen und meine Aufmerksamkeit nach innen zu richten. Aber je mehr ich das, was Gurumayi mich gelehrt hatte, anwendete, desto mehr entdeckte ich, dass große Kraft und große Freude darin liegen, wenn ich meine Aufmerksamkeit beständig auf den Klang der Gruppe gerichtet halte.
Ich wandte diese Übung des konzentrierten Zuhörens sowohl bei meinen alltäglichen Begegnungen mit anderen als auch bei meiner Übung der Selbsterforschung an. Ich entdeckte, dass ich, wenn ich anderen sehr interessiert zuhörte und sie nicht unterbrach, in der Lage war, mit jedem in meiner Umgebung in einer sinnvolleren, aufrichtigeren und liebevolleren Weise umzugehen. Am wichtigsten aber war, dass ich anfing, den Unterschied zwischen der Stimme der Wahrheit in meinem Herzen und der Stimme meines Egos zu verstehen. Die Auswirkung davon, von welchem Ort aus ich sprach, wurden mir sofort klar. Deswegen begann ich mich mehr und mehr auf die Stimme der Wahrheit zu konzentrieren und diese Stimme zur Grundlage meiner Entscheidungen und meines Handelns zu machen.
Obwohl ich nun als Geschäftsmann mit meiner Frau in Hongkong lebe und nicht mehr Mitarbeiter im Ashram bin, leitet mich das, was Gurumayi mich über das Zuhören während des Singens gelehrt hat, sowohl in meinem privaten als auch beruflichen Leben weiterhin an.
Als ich wegen meiner neuen Arbeitsstelle nach Hongkong umzog, habe ich mich sehr darum bemüht, an meine Arbeit mit der gleichen Einstellung heranzugehen, wie ich es über viele Jahre bei der Seva als Mitarbeiter und auf Vortragsreisen mit Gurumayis getan hatte. Meinem Chef war aufgefallen, dass unsere Kunden gerne mit mir direkt Kontakt haben wollten—besonders unsere Kunden in Indien! Bevor ich dort angefangen hatte, hatte unsere Firma viele Jahre lang erfolglos versucht, in Indien ins Geschäft zu kommen. In meinem ersten Jahr in der Firma nahmen unsere Verkäufe in Indien drastisch zu. Infolgedessen ernannte mich die Firma zum Leiter der Geschäftsentwicklung für Indien und den Nahen Osten, wo die meisten Geschäfte von Indern geführt werden. Das aktive Zuhören, das ich von Gurumayi gelernt und beim Singen und Anbieten von Seva geübt hatte, hatte mich geschult, meinen Kunden zuzuhören und so Kontakt zu ihnen herzustellen, dass sie sich wohl fühlten und gerne mit unserer Firma Geschäfte abschlossen.
Bei meinem ersten Besuch im Büro unseres Partners in Indien traf ich mich mit all den neuen jungen Verkäufern, die aufgrund der Partnerschaft mit unserer Firma eingestellt worden waren. Ich dachte darüber nach, wie Gurumayis Lehre mir geholfen hat, diese neue Chance zu eröffnen, wodurch auch zehn neue Arbeitsstellen für junge Inder entstanden waren. Das war das Ergebnis davon, dass ich gelernt hatte, auf die Stimme der Wahrheit in meinem Herzen zu hören: Ich kann Entscheidungen in meinem Leben treffen, die nicht nur mich weiter bringen und mir nützen, sondern auch allen, mit denen ich zu tun habe. Ich bin Gurumayi so dankbar dafür – und für so vieles mehr in meinem Leben.
Vitthal Ramiro begann 1986 in Mexico City den Siddha Yoga Weg zu gehen. Von 1994 bis 2007 diente er als Mitarbeiter im Shree Muktananda Ashram. In dieser Zeit bot er Seva im Musik Department an und war Mentor für Kinder und Jugendliche. Vitthal bietet zurzeit von zuhause aus Seva im Finance Department der SYDA Foundation an. Er lebt mit seiner Frau Dallas in Hongkong und arbeitet als Berater für chinesische Firmen, die in Lateinamerika investieren. Er hat einen Hochschulabschluss in Musik von der State University von New York in New Paltz und in Betriebswirtschaft von der Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Recuerdo que mi madre regresaba a casa una noche, radiante de emoción, después de haber estado fuera todo el día. Yo había pasado ese día con mi padre y mi hermana, y estaba ansioso de oír adonde había ido mi madre. Me explicó que acababa de participar en un Intensivo de Shaktipat de Siddha Yoga con Gurumayi, una Siddha Guru que estaba en una visita de enseñanza en México. Como ya era tiempo de ir a dormir– yo tenía 10 años entonces – mi madre no quiso que yo siguiera despierto. Por tanto, solo compartió un poco sobre el Intensivo de Shaktipat, puso una grabación en casete de Gurumayi cantando el mantra Om Namah Shivaya, y suavemente me dijo que escuchara el ritmo de mi respiración mientras Gurumayi me cantaba para dormir.
Yo no sabía nada sobre Gurumayi ni la meditación. Pero al estar allí escuchando su voz, quedé cautivado. Había en ella algo muy familiar y verdaderamente especial. Tuve un sentimiento de amor tan profundo que los ojos se me llenaron de lágrimas. Al estar en la cama escuchando a Gurumayi cantar y al observar mi respiración, tuve la visión de una guirnalda de luces y cada luz brillaba con diferente color. Dentro de cada luz había luces más pequeñas, fulgurando con destellos plateados. Estas luces me envolvieron en una paz que nunca antes había sentido en mi vida.
Desde el siguiente fin de semana, mi madre comenzó a llevarme de manera regular a los satsangs en el Áshram de Siddha Yoga en la Ciudad de México y de inmediato me enamoré de la práctica del canto. Luego, en el verano de 1986 – y durante los siguientes siete veranos – mis padres, mi hermana y yo visitamos el Shree Muktananda Ashram. Mis padres ofrecían seva y mi hermana y yo participábamos en las actividades de SiddhaYoga para niños. Gurumayi siempre a los niños nos colmaba de amor, y aunque éramos muy jóvenes, nos enseñó la importancia de la disciplina y la necesidad de desarrollar prácticas espirituales regulares desde una edad temprana.
En 1994, después de graduarme del bachillerato, ofrecí seva de tiempo completo como miembro del staff en el Departamento de Música en el Shree Muktananda Ashram y continué haciéndolo hasta 2007. A medida que estudiaba las enseñanzas de Gurumayi y las ponía en práctica en la seva, descubrí que el amor que había sentido por Gurumayi de niño y adolescente tenía otra dimensión profunda, en la forma de sus enseñanzas. Y me di cuenta también, de que con el regalo de su amor venía igualmente el regalo y la responsabilidad del estudio.
En sus charlas durante los satsangs, Gurumayi a menudo subrayaba la importancia de la disciplina de escuchar. Una de las enseñanzas que Gurumayi nos dio fue que cuando cantáramos, debíamos escuchar primero el sonido del grupo, y luego nuestro propio sonido. Recuerdo que la primera vez que traté de aplicar esto en el canto, me sorprendió lo difícil que era hacerlo. Estaba acostumbrado a cerrar los ojos y llevar la atención hacia adentro mientras cantaba. Pero mientras más practicaba lo que Gurumayi me había enseñado, más descubría que había un gran poder y una alegría profunda cuando mantenía mi atención firme en el sonido del grupo.
Comencé a aplicar esta práctica de escuchar con atención en mis interacciones diarias con otra gente y también en mi práctica de auto indagación. Descubrí que al escuchar a los demás con interés concentrado, sin interrumpirlos, podía interactuar con todos los que me rodeaban de manera más significativa, genuina y amorosa. Y lo más importante: empecé a comprender la diferencia entre la voz de la verdad dentro de mi corazón y la voz de mi ego. Los efectos de hablar desde cualquiera de estos espacios de inmediato me resultaron evidentes. Por eso comencé a enfocarme cada vez más en la voz de la verdad y a hacer de esta voz la base en mi proceso de toma de decisiones y acciones.
Aunque ya no sirvo más en el staff y ahora soy un hombre de negocios y vivo con mi esposa en Hong Kong, la enseñanza de Gurumayi sobre escuchar durante el canto continúa guiándome tanto en mi vida personal como en mi vida profesional.
Cuando acababa de mudarme a Hong Kong para comenzar un nuevo trabajo, hice un esfuerzo sistemático para abordar mi trabajo con la misma actitud que había aplicado, durante tantos años, cuando ofrecía seva en el staff y mientras viajaba en las visitas de enseñanza de Gurumayi. Mi jefe notó que nuestros clientes disfrutaban tratar conmigo directamente; ¡especialmente nuestros clientes en la India! Antes de incorporarme a la compañía habían intentado hacer negocios en la India durante muchos años, sin lograrlo. Durante mi primer año en la compañía, nuestras ventas en la India se incrementaron espectacularmente. Como resultado, la compañía me nombró coordinador de desarrollo comercial en la India y el Medio Oriente, donde la mayoría de los negocios son manejados por indios. La escucha activa que había aprendido de Gurumayi y que practicaba mientas cantaba y ofrecía seva, me entrenó para escuchar a mis clientes y conectarme con ellos de una manera que los hacía sentirse cómodos y los inspiraba a hacer negocios con nuestra compañía.
En mi primera visita a la oficina de nuestro socio en la India, conocí a todos los nuevos vendedores jóvenes que habían sido contratados como resultado de la asociación con nuestra compañía. Pensé en cómo las enseñanzas de Gurumayi me habían apoyado para abrir esta nueva oportunidad; y como resultado, se habían creado empleos para diez jóvenes de India. Esto fue consecuencia de aprender a escuchar la voz de la verdad dentro de mi corazón: he podido tomar decisiones en mi vida que no solo me enaltecen y benefician a mí, sino también a todos los que me rodean. Estoy agradecido con Gurumayi por esto — y por mucho más en mi vida.
Vitthal Ramiro comenzó a seguir el sendero de Siddha Yoga en 1986 en la Ciudad de México. Sirvió en el staff en Shree Muktananda Ashram de 1994 a 2007; en ese tiempo, ofreció seva en el Departamento de Música y como asesor de niños y jóvenes. Actualmente, Vitthal ofrece seva desde su casa para el Departamento de Finanzas de la SYDA Foundation. Vive en Hong Kong con su esposa, Dallas, y trabaja como consejero de compañías chinas que invierten en América Latina. Tiene una licenciatura en música por la State University of New York en New Paltz y una maestría en administración de empresas por la Universidad de Ciencia y Tecnología de Hong Kong.

Ricordo che una sera mia madre tornò a casa raggiante e piena di eccitazione dopo aver trascorso una giornata fuori. Io ero rimasto a casa con mio padre e mia sorella, e non vedevo l’ora di sapere dov'era stata la mamma. Mia madre mi spiegò di aver partecipato a un Intensivo Shaktipat Siddha Yoga con Gurumayi, un Guru Siddha in visita in Messico per insegnare. Per me, che allora avevo dieci anni, era l’ora di andare a letto e dunque mia madre, che non voleva tenermi alzato, mi raccontò pochissimo dell’Intensivo Shaktipat. Mise una cassetta con la registrazione della voce di Gurumayi che cantava il mantra Om Namah Shivaya, e dolcemente mi disse di ascoltare il ritmo del mio respiro mentre il canto di Gurumayi mi avrebbe accompagnato nel sonno.
Io non sapevo nulla di meditazione o di Gurumayi, ma la sua voce, che ascoltavo lì disteso nel letto, m'incantava. C’era qualcosa di molto familiare e speciale in quella voce. Provai un sentimento d’amore così profondo che gli occhi mi si riempirono di lacrime. Ho continuato ad ascoltare il canto di Gurumayi e a osservare i movimenti del mio respiro e ho avuto una visione: una ghirlanda di luci in cui ciascuna luce brillava di un colore differente e dentro ogni luce c’erano luci più piccole che brillavano d’argento. Queste luci mi avvolsero in una pace che non avevo mai provato in vita mia.
A partire dal fine settimana successivo, mia madre cominciò a portarmi regolarmente ai satsang nell’ashram di Siddha Yoga di Città del Messico e io m’innamorai subito della pratica del canto. Poi, nell’estate del 1986 e per le successive sette estati, i miei genitori, mia sorella e io ci siamo recati in visita allo Shree Muktananda Ashram. I miei genitori offrivano seva mentre mia sorella e io partecipavamo alle attività Siddha Yoga per i giovani. Gurumayi riversava continuamente il suo amore su di noi bambini e, malgrado la nostra giovane età, ci insegnava che la disciplina è importante e che è necessario portare avanti con regolarità le pratiche spirituali, fin da giovanissimi.
Nel 1994, dopo aver conseguito il diploma di scuola superiore, ho offerto seva come membro a tempo pieno nel dipartimento di musica presso lo Shree Muktananda Ashram e ho continuato fino al 2007. Mentre studiavo gli insegnamenti di Gurumayi e li mettevo in pratica nella seva, scoprivo che l’amore che avevo provato per Gurumayi da bambino e da adolescente aveva anche una nuova dimensione profonda, nella forma dei suoi insegnamenti. E ho anche capito che quando ricevi il dono del suo amore, arriva anche in dono la responsabilità di studiare.
Nei suoi discorsi durante i satsang, Gurumayi insisteva spesso sull’importanza della disciplina dell’ascolto. Quando cantiamo, dovremmo prima ascoltare il suono del gruppo e poi il suono che produciamo noi stessi: questo fu uno degli insegnamenti di Gurumayi. Mi ricordo della prima volta in cui ho cercato di metterlo in pratica durante un canto: non mi capacitavo di quanto fosse difficile! Ero abituato a chiudere gli occhi e a portare l’attenzione all’interno mentre cantavo. Ma più praticavo ciò che Gurumayi mi aveva insegnato, più scoprivo che c’era un grande potere e una profonda gioia nel riuscire a mantenere l’attenzione ferma sul suono del gruppo.
Ho cominciato a mettere in atto la pratica di essere focalizzato nell'ascolto nelle mie interazioni quotidiane e anche nei miei esercizi di introspezione. Ho scoperto così che ascoltando gli altri con vivo interesse e senza interromperli, ero in grado di interagire con ognuno di loro in una maniera più significativa, autentica e amorevole. E, cosa ancora più importante, cominciavo a comprendere la differenza fra la voce della verità dentro il mio cuore e la voce del mio ego. Le conseguenze diverse del parlare dall'uno o dall'altro spazio mi diventarono immediatamente evidenti. Perciò, cominciai a focalizzarmi sempre più sulla voce della verità e a fare di questa voce il fondamento per ogni decisione da prendere e per ogni azione da compiere.
Attualmente vivo a Hong Kong con mia moglie e non servo più nello staff, ma l’insegnamento di Gurumayi sull'ascolto durante il canto continua a guidarmi, sia nella vita personale che in quella professionale.
Quando mi sono trasferito a Hong Kong per iniziare un nuovo lavoro, ho compiuto uno sforzo deciso con l'intento di avere nei confronti del mio lavoro lo stesso atteggiamento che avevo mentre offrivo seva, quando per molti anni ero stato un membro dello staff e avevo viaggiato con Gurumayi nelle sue visite di insegnamento. Il mio capo aveva notato che ai nostri clienti piaceva trattare con me direttamente, specialmente i clienti che venivano dall’India!
Durante il mio primo anno di lavoro in quell'azienda, le nostre vendite in India erano sensibilmente aumentate. Grazie a questo risultato, sono stato nominato capo dello sviluppo commerciale per l'India e il Medio Oriente. L’ascolto attivo che avevo imparato da Gurumayi e praticato quando cantavo e mentre offrivo seva, era stato un allenamento che mi aveva portato a saper ascoltare i miei clienti e ad avere con loro un approccio che li metteva a loro agio rendendoli ben disposti a concludere affari con la nostra azienda.
Durante la mia prima visita nella sede dei nostri soci in India, ho incontrato tutti i giovani venditori che erano stati assunti in seguito agli accordi societari stipulati con la nostra azienda. Ho pensato a come gli insegnamenti di Gurumayi mi avevano sostenuto nel creare questa nuova opportunità: alla fine erano stati creati impieghi per dieci giovani indiani. Aver imparato ad ascoltare la voce della verità dentro il mio cuore aveva portato a questo risultato: sono stato capace di prendere decisioni nella mia vita che hanno elevato e portato beneficio non solo a me stesso ma anche a quanti mi circondano. Sono grato a Gurumayi per questo, e per molto altro che è accaduto nella mia vita.
Vitthal Ramiro ha cominciato a seguire il sentiero Siddha Yoga nel 1986 a Città del Messico. Dal 1994 fino al 2007 ha prestato il suo servizio come membro dello staff dello Shree Muktananda Ashram; in quel periodo, offriva seva nel dipartimento della musica e come mentore di bambini e giovani. Attualmente Vitthal offre seva da casa per il dipartimento delle finanze della SYDA Foundation. Vive a Hong Kong con sua moglie Dallas e lavora come consulente per le società cinesi che desiderano investire in America Latina. Ha conseguito un diploma in musica presso la State University di New York e un master in gestione d’impresa presso la facoltà di scienze e tecnologia dell’Università di Hong Kong .

Lembro-me de minha mãe voltando para casa uma noite, radiante com entusiasmo, depois de ter passado o dia fora. Eu tinha ficado o dia todo com meu pai e minha irmã e estava ansioso para saber onde minha mãe tinha estado. Ela me explicou que tinha acabado de participar de um Intensivo de Shaktipat Siddha Yoga com Gurumayi, um Siddha Guru que estava visitando o México. Como estava na hora de eu ir para cama—eu tinha 10 anos naquela época—minha mãe não quis me manter acordado. Então, ela me contou só um pouco sobre o Intensivo Shaktipat, colocou uma gravação em fita cassete de Gurumayi cantando o mantra Om Namah Shivaya, e docemente me disse para ouvir o ritmo da minha respiração enquanto Gurumayi cantava para eu dormir.
Eu não sabia nada sobre Gurumayi ou meditação. Ainda assim, enquanto eu estava lá deitado ouvindo a sua voz, fui cativado. Tinha algo muito familiar e realmente especial naquilo. Eu senti um amor tão profundo que meus olhos se encheram de lágrimas. Enquanto eu estava deitado ouvindo o canto de Gurumayi e observando o movimento da minha respiração, tive uma visão de uma guirlanda de luzes, e cada luz brilhava com uma cor diferente. Dentro de cada luz havia luzes menores, brilhando prateadas. Estas luzes me envolveram numa paz que eu nunca tinha sentido antes na minha vida.
No fim de semana seguinte, minha mãe começou a me levar regularmente aos satsangs no Ashram Siddha Yoga da Cidade do México e eu imediatamente me apaixonei pela prática do canto. Então, no verão de 1986—e nos sete verões seguintes—meus pais, minha irmã e eu visitamos o Ashram Shree Muktananda. Meus pais ofereciam seva e minha irmã e eu participávamos nas atividades Siddha Yoga para jovens. Gurumayi sempre nos cobria, a nós crianças, com amor, e apesar de sermos jovens, ela nos ensinava sobre a importância da disciplina e sobre a necessidade de desenvolvermos práticas espirituais regulares em idade precoce.
Em 1994, depois de terminar o ensino secundário, ofereci seva em período integral como membro da equipe do Departamento de Música no Ashram Shree Muktananda e continuei a fazê-lo até 2007. Ao estudar os ensinamentos de Gurumayi e pô-los em prática no seva, descobri que o amor que senti por Gurumayi enquanto criança e adolescente tinha uma outra profunda dimensão—na forma dos seus ensinamentos. E também me dei conta que , juntamente com o presente do seu amor, recebi o presente da responsabilidade de estudante.
Nas suas palestras durante satsangs, Gurumayi frequentemente enfatizava a importância da disciplina do ouvir. Um dos ensinamentos que Gurumayi nos deu foi que, quando cantamos, deveríamos ouvir o grupo de canto antes, e então o nosso próprio som. Lembro-me da primeira vez em que tentei aplicar esta técnica num canto—fiquei surpreso em ver como era difícil fazê-lo! Eu estava acostumado em fechar meus olhos e levar minha atenção para dentro enquanto cantava. Mas quanto mais praticava o que Gurumayi me ensinou, mais eu descobria que havia grande poder e profunda alegria em levar minha atenção firmemente ao grupo de canto.
Comecei a aplicar esta prática de escuta focada nas minhas interações diárias com outras pessoas e também na minha prática de auto-indagação. Descobri que ao ouvir os outros com grande interesse, sem interrompê-los, eu podia interagir com todos ao meu redor de maneira mais significativa, genuína e amorosa. E mais importante ainda, comecei a entender a diferença entre a voz da verdade dentro do meu coração e a voz do meu ego. Os efeitos da fala a partir de cada um destes espaços foram imediatamente evidentes para mim. Portanto, comecei a focar cada vez mais na voz da verdade e a fazer desta voz o fundamento de cada processo de decisão e ação.
Apesar de hoje não servir mais naquela equipe e ser um homem de negócios, morando com minha esposa em Hong Kong, os ensinamentos de Gurumayi sobre a escuta durante o canto continuam a guiar-me em minha vida pessoal e profissional.
Quando me mudei para Hong Kong para começar em meu novo emprego, fiz um intenso esforço para abordar meu trabalho com a mesma atitude que tinha ao oferecer seva na equipe e durante as viagens de Visitas de Ensinamento de Gurumayi, durante tantos anos. Meu chefe percebeu que nossos clientes apreciavam ter contato direto comigo—especialmente nossos clientes na Índia! Antes da minha chegada, nossa companhia esteve tentando fazer negócios na Índia por vários anos, sem sucesso. Durante meu primeiro ano na companhia, nossas vendas para a Índia cresceram dramaticamente. Em consequência, a companhia me nomeou chefe de desenvolvimento de negócios para a Índia e Oriente Médio, onde a maioria das atividades comerciais são dirigidas por indianos. A escuta ativa que aprendi com Gurumayi e pratiquei durante o canto e o seva me treinaram a ouvir meus clientes e a conectar-me com eles de um modo que os faz ficarem confortáveis e inspirados a realizarem negócios com minha companhia.
Na minha primeira visita ao escritório do nosso parceiro na Índia, encontrei-me com todos os jovens vendedores recém contratados devido à parceria com a nossa companhia. Pensei em como os ensinamentos de Gurumayi tinham me apoiado a abrir esta oportunidade; e, consequentemente, foram criados empregos para dez jovens indianos. Isto foi o resultado do aprendizado em ouvir a voz da verdade dentro do meu coração: pude tomar decisões na minha vida que elevaram e beneficiaram não só a mim, mas também a todos ao meu redor. Tenho gratidão a Gurumayi por isto—e por tanto mais em minha vida.
Vitthal Ramiro começou a trilhar o caminho de Siddha Yoga em 1986, na Cidade do México. Serviu na equipe do Shree Muktananda Ashram de 1994 a 2007; neste período, ofereceu seva no Departamento de Música e como mentor para adultos e jovens adultos. Atualmente, Vitthal oferece seva em casa juntamente ao Departamento Financeiro da Fundação SYDA. Vive em Hong Kong com sua esposa, Dallas, e trabalha como conselheiro para empresas chinesas que investem na América Latina. Possui graduação em música pela Universidade Estadual de Nova Iorque, em New Paltz e MBA pela Universidade de Ciência e Tecnologia de Hong Kong.



I offer seva for the Siddha Yoga Prison Project. On June 1, another sevite and I went to conduct a satsang at the San Quentin prison. The satsang was to celebrate the month of Gurumayi’s Birthday.
Usually, an incarcerated student offers audio seva for the programs. This time he was not able to attend, so we had no music for the namasankirtana. We decided to chant a cappella. I don’t consider myself a great singer. But that day in the prison, I knew I had to chant as if I were in a hall with Gurumayi—with that same love and devotion. I remembered her joy and how she always listens and gives herself to the chant. All the incarcerated students chanted with that same devotion. We all listened to each other and became one melodious voice.
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I also think about my own children and how inspired they were by chanting with Gurumayi and by listening to her speak. How fortunate they were to have been a young person in her company. How fortunate are we as parents, and as a sangham, to have young adults as open as you to reflect the teachings to us.
Vitthal’s writing also puts me more clearly in touch with something I’ve been contemplating lately—listening. The Reflection reminds me to listen with an open heart and open mind, to patiently and kindly wait for people to complete their communication, and to listen closely inside for guidance and support.
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