Celebrating Baba Muktananda's Lunar Birthday
An Account by Swami Ishwarananda
Shree Muktananda Ashram
Happy Baba Muktananda’s Lunar Birthday!
Baba was born in May 1908, on the day of the full moon.
On the Siddha Yoga path, Baba’s Birthday is a time of utmost joy and gratitude; it is an occasion for remembering and honoring the treasure-house of grace and teachings Baba has given to this world.
Because of Baba Muktananda, generations of seekers around the world have been able to study and practice the Siddha Yoga teachings.
Thank you, Baba, for the Siddha Yoga path—the path of liberation.
Today in Shree Muktananda Ashram we have been honoring Baba through puja. This morning, after the recitation of Shri Guru Gita, Gurumayi told us that this is the way to celebrate Baba’s Birthday—through puja.
Puja is a Sanskrit word that means “to honor, revere, and respect.” Puja is also an act of worship. It denotes both the outer rituals a devotee performs—such as waving lights, offering flowers, and singing aratis—as well as the subtle, inner state of worship—manasa puja. It is the internal stance of love and gratitude, respect and humility.
We began offering puja to Baba this morning by reciting Shri Guru Gita and singing Sadguru ki Arati with Gurumayi in Shri Nilaya. Gurumayi then invited us to dance and chant Baba’s name, Om Namo Bhagavate Muktanandaya. The dancing saptah concluded with thearatiJyota se Jyota Jagao, and singing Happy Birthday to Baba.
Gurumayi invited us to come close to her chair and we all gathered around her. With great joy, we listened as Gurumayi spoke to us. I will now read Gurumayi’s words to you.
Gurumayi said:
Happy Birthday, Baba. Happy Birthday to you!
Baba loved his Guru, Bhagavan Nityananda. What would Baba want to do on his Birthday? He would love to recite Shri Guru Gita.
My intention for Baba’s Lunar Birthday has been puja.
So today, from morning to evening, as you go about offering seva, experiencing bliss—perform puja to Baba all day; visualize you are honoring Baba, you are doing puja to his shakti, the divine energy that he has awakened in all of us.
Today is Baba’s Birthday. We live for this day. We could be sleeping all the time; however, we need to be awake for the auspicious moment, because that’s when the magic happens—in that auspicious moment.
Today is also a lunar eclipse. So it’s a very powerful day—Baba’s Birthday. It’s a very powerful day—a lunar eclipse.
Happy Birthday, Baba. We live for this day, we live for this moment when we can worship our Guru—our Guru, who awakens Kundalini Shakti within; our Guru, who gives us a blessed life—a life that we can cherish, a life that we can adore.
Your life is beautiful; your life is filled with blessings because Baba’s shakti, Baba’s energy, Baba’s love is… Yes, I want you to finish that thought. What does the Guru’s love, the Guru’s shakti, the Guru’s grace mean to you?
Puja. Puja to Baba all day. That is the intention. That is the duty.
Three devotees who are video editors arrived from Mexico yesterday. They traveled all day, and after they arrived, they worked all night to post the video that went up on the Siddha Yoga path website this morning.
This is what happens on Teachings Visits. Devotees from all over the world arrive at the right time, on time. They offer seva, offer their expertise. This is why we have the Siddha Yoga path that is very much alive—this is why the SYDA Foundation is able to facilitate the dissemination of Baba’s teachings, of Gurumayi’s teachings—the Siddha Yoga teachings.
And now, because of those three devotees, we have this video on the Siddha Yoga path website, and the global Siddha Yoga sangham will receive Baba’s laughter, Baba’s love.
What is the intention for this day of celebration? Puja. Puja takes place out of love, out of gratitude. So, the entire day will be filled with love and gratitude.
Beautiful. Let’s celebrate.
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Thank you, Gurumayi, for teaching us how to offer puja, how to offer our gratitude and worship.
In the satsang this morning we all viewed the beautiful video posted on the Siddha Yoga path website in honor of Baba’s Lunar Birthday. Through this video we offered puja in the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple, which Baba built to worship his beloved Shri Gurudev.
Gurumayi then invited everyone to celebrate Baba’s Birthday in the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple that evening, continuing to offer puja to Baba Muktananda.
Happy Birthday, Baba! Thank you, Baba! Thank you, Bhagavan Nityananda!
Thank you, Gurumayi!
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Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay!
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