HIRANYAGARBHA

THE MEDITATION TEMPLE

H. H. Swami Shankarananda Giri

This Hiranyagarbha was a dream of Swami Sri Yukteswarjee Giri Maharaj, himself a pioneer of Cosmic Astrology and the great Kriya Yoga master which is materialised in a form. This Hirartyagarbha is contained within sixteen pillars, the symbol of shola (16) kalas. Half of sixteen is eight; and the eighth womb is the last womb, the womb of the golden egg (Hiranyagarbha). Sixteen petals are contained in the centre of Shabda Bramhan, the centre of sound, the ether element (akash tatwa) and the 5th chakra (Bisudha Chakra). This was all the design of Sri Yukteswarjee. He calculated exactly that if the meditation planetarium was built with sixteen petals then there would be an echo of sound that resounds sixteen times; this is the best for meditation.

The number sixteen is very symbolic. In Sanskrit sixteen is called shodasha or shodashi. The word shodashi is normally used after the mahasamadhi of a sannyasi. It means that it is not real death. It is mahaprayana, which means 'the great departure', when the pure prana or the life force enters into the golden womb, Hiranyagarbha inside the cranium. This prut is a very technical experience in meditation that I am trying to express, to give an understanding by words. Before I said existence of Hiranyagarbha isin the human body, inside the cranium. Now the question is what happens when the human body is destroyed? This question does not arise. A person who enters into:Hiranyagarbha means has specialisation on transmitting from one body to another body with the rhythm of its own inhalation ru1d exhalation. This means much before the body is destroyed sadhaka can leave the body with last exhalation and enter into another human body with the first inhalation. Here the tricky part is for old physical body this is the last exhalation and for new physical body this breath will be considered as first inhalation. Again this last breath comes out of Hiranyagarbha and enters straight away into the Hiranyagarbha of the new body with first breath. For him this is continuation of non interrupted prana, or non-interrupted Hiranyagarbha. There will be no death experience. Body is destroyed but sadhaka remains always un-manifested. The symbol of Hiranyagarbha is golden womb, never manifested, the ultimate, the final, the total.

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Any seeker who enters into the meditation temple automatically gets sound, both inner and outer. Sri Yukteswarjee predicted that when there is a square dome the energy cannot be centralised in infinity. The four corners would be an obstruction for the energy, because the movement of energy is always round, oval and in infinity (Bisarga).

The cosmic meditation temple cum planetarium, the dream of our Paramaguru Sri Yukteswarjee who used to the words time to time in a form of shloka that means, the existence of Hiranyagarbha is inside the cranium of each human being. If anybody would like to put it in a form of physical existence it is possible to be manifested in this manner such as:

l) Sixteen pillars called sixteen kalas which is the complete human body

2) The human body is holding the spine, spine consists of the twelve zodiac

3) Twelve zodiac are holding the constellation of twenty-seven stars

4) The stars are holding the planets

5) The movement of these planets is the time, date, weeks, months, ayanas, years, yugas (era) - ascending and descending, Kala, then the Mahakala, then the Sesha sandhya means the last darkness that is the end of one solar system

6) The next is one may pronounce Mahadeva, Maharudra means the end of all solar system. The solar systems can be 50,100, 1000, millions or trillions - innumerable no need to count. May not be possible to count.

When everything has ended then the whole thing enters to Himyagarbha that is the totality inside the golden egg, golden womb. It is only possible for human being to achieve that state not only to go one year or ten years or hundred years ahead, but completely end of one creation. Scripture says you may become God. You may become stars and planets. But human life is essence of all everything. This is the real body of the Iswara. So that is what in physical forrn of this Hiranyagarbha planetarium representing hours, days, weeks, etc arriving to ascending and descending order ofYugas then the speed of human life force run towards the future. Not with our speed, solar speed, light speed, sound speed, but with the speed of Yugas in each rhythm oflife.

There is no other way to explain here other than life. Of course the existence of life is not there anymore. It is just explanation through words and indications. As it is said by Sri Yukteswarjee do you want Hiranyagarbha or life and death? Everything is above beyond life and death. We all used to listen to this type of description from our Gurus, the linage of Kriya masters, Prabhujee, Paramahansa Hariharananda, Swami Satyananda, and Swami Sevananda during our early life in Karar Ashram.

From the young age when I came to realise little bit of these saying from the lineage of the masters one great desire was sleeping inside me in one corner to build such a meditation temple. It was exactly in the year 2000 Per H. Wibe, whom I always used to say that you are like Lahiri Baba, worldly man with ancient Rishi quality proposed to build just a simple meditation temple. It was a little like a dream. Then immediately I got the idea why not to start little by little.J.t took a long time but maybe it is possible to complete.' "

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In May 2003 after my Europe tour I came directly from Delhi Airport to RishikeshAshram to start the construction of Hiranyagarbha Meditation Temple. Nobody was aware of my plan. During my Europe tour I had got enough indications for this from the Gurus. I had a vision of Babaji Maharaj with other masters visiting our Rishikesh ashram land from North of Himalayas. In our ashram land there was a big Peepal tree (Aswastha Briskhal Bodhi Tree). In my vision Sriyukteswarjee came three times and he was performing sacred fire ceremony all the time under that tree. Now we have the statues of the masters established exactly at the place where fire ceremony was being conducted by Sriyukteswarjee in my vision. Then I had the vision of Prabhujee seven times during my Europe tour. He was giving me specific instructions to go to Rishikesh and to start the construction of the meditation

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temple. Since one year Swamijee (Swami Satyarnitrananda) and Nityananda Baba were staying at Rishikesh Ashram and meditating, leading an isolated life. Of course they were not teaching or initiating people into Kriya Yoga. In my vision Prabhujee told me, 'Two of your saint disciples are meditating there. Then other seekers are coming for initiation into Kriya Yoga and are returning from that place. Now you should go to Rishikesh and - concentrate there.' I had not told anyone about my vision. According to the earlier programme I was to go to Bhubaneswar Ashram but from the Delhi Airport I came straight away to Rishikesh.

After I stayed there for two days I had to go to Mumbai. Everyone in the Ashram thought that, like previous stays, after two or three days I would go to Bhubaneswar. Then I said to them that I would return in four days and would stay here. After I returned back we discussed about constructing a meditation temple and measured the land. Then one night as usual Nityananda Baba came to my room and very reluctantly wanted to ask me something and getting anod from me he said, "Baba, from June 2002 here in this ashram during my meditation I had some visions. I see many great saints of past days corning here. Though I read that at a stage of meditation Gods, siddhas, saints and Guru gf the sadhaka visit him to bless and encourage, but I always used to reject these as projections of my subconscious mind or as hallucinations emerging from meditation like those of dreams during sleep. But one vision is always striking me. I never meditated on the photo of Sriyukteswarjee. But from 25th January 2003 to 29th January 2003 in my night meditation at about 2a.m.continuously for five nights it was Sriyukteswarjee. 1 could not do any Kriya or technique just after few minutes 1 sat for meditation. In front of me there was only Sriyukteswarjee in meditating posture, body made up of bright golden light and that very strong golden light was spreading from his body and the entire room is lighted. 1 could not describe that feeling. He was not speaking anything and his blissful presence was felt for a considerable period on each time. What is this?" I replied, "This is Sriyukeswarjee. This is real, no hallucination, 1 knew it. Let me tell you why this time I am here and 1 told him about my visions on the just concluded Europe tour. This place will be an international centre of teaching and learning of Kriya Yoga." Then Nityananda Baba had narrated me about his vision of sacred fire (Yajna agni) about four to five times in this ashram on different days during his early morning meditation and I explained to him, "This had two meanings. One is that Sriyukteswarjee wants initiation to be done here in traditional way as it was done in Karar Ashram with fire ceremony. I had also got this indication again and again. Second is that here in this place many people will perform their inner fire ceremony, giving ahuti of their breath at the yajna kunda of sahasrara chakra."

The foundation of the temple Hiranyagarbha was dug exactly by sixteen persons including myself on 16th May 2003. It was Friday, the day of Budhha Purnima. The Budhha Purnima falls when Sun is at the end of Aries or beginning of Taurus and the Moon will be either in the end of Libra or Beginning of Scorpio. In this case 1 incidentally selected the time to begin with when the Moon is at the end of Libra (Tufa Rasi). It makes us more enthusiastic to know that Sri Yukteswarjee's rasi was also Tula. On the other hand I did not like that this work to begin with moon in Scorpio (Brischika Rasi) because we consider this as low moon. To avoid that low effect we decided on the previous night to begin exactly at seven'o clock in the morning because almost around at seven thirty in th( morning moon was transiting from Libra to Scorpio. From that day the work of the temple has taken its

own way and shape automatically. :

Per had given some money for the construction of the meditation temple which had been spent with digging a part of the foundation. Then one of our disciples, Mr. Allan Nelson (I call him Sky Walker - Akash Panthi), wanted to lend some money to continue the job. When Per came to know that the money had been borrowed he decided to pay back that money. As they are Kriyaban brothers he sent the money to Allan. I had also some money with me which I used to get as Dakhina for my programme and preaching injust concluded European tour. I spent the money to continue the job.

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In this juncture I ad a ve strange experience once in my dream in the month of July 2003 after the Car Festival ofPuri, that Babaji Maharaj was coming from the North direction of our Rishikesh s 'am and, coming down

from high mountains holding somebody's hand, stepping slowly and landed near the tempk.I was standing on The other side and he told me; take this man who shall complete this work. The day I dieamt 1 was confidently teJJ:iiig everybody; I am sure this temple wtll be completed. Do not worry for money. Why I said this because our Swamijee- Swami Satyamitrananda and Swami Nityananda always hang around me and the very word Swamijee used to say, "Baba first you deposit minimum ten lakh rupees in bank, rest part I will do it." And Nityanandajee used to say, "Baba, you always make great plans. The plan is bigger and bigger, but we have no money." I used to reply all the time, "This is not my plan. The masters give me the vision in every step of the construction. Ijust tell you, the temple will be made. You need not worry. I have told everybody about the dream."

Of course they are always anxious, always in trouble. Nityanandajee never stops saying, "Baba, you always go out and Swamijee in every evening asked me to pay money to this man, to this laborers' group, to this supplier, and I managed not to speak before the people that we don't have the money. I say I give tomorrow or day after tomorrow, now it is meditation time. To manage this way is very difficult. So it is necessary first money and plan." Then Sudha Maa was there she said, "Don't worry when Baba says this just go ahead. Throughout his life what he has already made in our Ashram, Baba used to plan and project first, money second. Here you people are suffering and there in Orissa we face the same situation. So now we got habituated with it." In their discussions, arguments, losing and giving confidence what ever it may be all the time I was very confident, because I knew this plan and project is not mine. It is the plan of the Masters who are guiding us. And time to time the future plan of the temple came in my dream in a way of my vision.

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We had made a plan to attend Kumbha Mela at Nasik (August- September 2003) in which all my European Children were attending. The programme settled and people arrived. Our first pilgrimage was to Badrinath and back to Rishikesh. Everybody was very happy to see day to day progress in the work of Hiranyagarbha. The day after we returned from Badrinath, with the whole group headed towards Nasik by road. On our way, one of our Yogacharyas, Shri Suresh Gohil from Leicester, U.K who was with me in the same car, asked reluctantly about the Hiranyagarbha. What was the plan and financial condition, how much money did we need to complete the temple. Then I did not want to say how much because I was ashamed as it would be a huge amount. With much hesitation I replied that with three lakh rupees this will be completed. Then he said, "Baba if you do not mind I want to tell you that I would like to donate this amount for Hiranyagarbha," When he returned back after Kumbha

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Mela he sent this amount on which the work progressively continued up to lintel level.

In the Kumbha Mela it was planned with Suresh that he will have to come back to India to offer last rites of his ancestors (Shradha Kriya) at Gaya. Gaya is the main pilgrimage of the Hindus where they offer their Shradh Kriyas to their ancestors. I promised to accompany him for this Shradha Kriya. Then he answered; "Baba, is it possible. Oh! I am really glorified. Maybe I was waiting for this glorious event. I was trying to do that for many years, but for some reasons it was not possible. Now I feel very positive as the things will be done with your presence." He returned back for the sacred ceremony and before he went to Gaya, he came and saw the progress at the temple. Then he felt and said immediately, "Baba this is not the work of three lakhs, but may be of thirty lakhs. How is it possible that you could say me this little amount?" Then I answered, "I know very well the temple will be completed. How money will come, from where it will come my Father knows better. I know not. Why should I put an emotional burden to one person?" then he said, "Baba this is not an emotional burden. This is a great responsibility for us. Since Masters are closely with you, you have to put their wishes in words. You do not worry, now I know everything and will do my duty." When he returned back to Leicester he paid the whole amount including the cost of the statues.

Anyway the inner part of the Hiranyagarbha has been completed with much effort, incidents and coincidences. Each part of these events was really historical like fairy tales. I know it sounds a bit childish especially to me but without mentioning all these dramatic experiences it is impossible to digest all by my self. It was a wonderful experience how masters can whisper in a form of inner voice, dreams and indications. One really can not imagine such a massive construction have been always dependent only with present instructions and guidance, just one after another and never there was long plan even for one or two weeks which was always every day plan. Nobody really knew how the construction will continue for tomorrow. Just imagine there were no such drawings or architectural plan before any part of the temple had been constructed. It was of course very difficult for the masons, blacksmiths, carpenters even for workers and all our other monks supervising the work. Time to time they were really fed up and used words of grief, 'Baba how it is possible, the work will progress without any plan and project and estimated budget.' Each time answer, 'This I really do not know any of these you asked for. Please believe me, the temple plan comes to me every day only in my meditation, about the budget always in my dream and the whole project is completely unknown to me'. The way I was being guided, my feelings were only we could know, when project would be completed. In such type of experiences, the way I was continuing to guide each part of the progress, it was totally unknown, unseen, how it will be. When work had come to some form of existence, then our disciples, engineers, architects and even the general public from India & abroad were struck with wonder when they came to know that the work was going on without any paper plan or project. Some of our dearest people requested me, 'Baba please, request one architect who should make one drawing even up to now which have been already constructed. Of course I went to many great architect engineers who have made many temples, meditation halls and shrines in different parts of India like Mr. Som Sharma of Delhi, the great Engineer Professor Mr. Anand Prakash & Mr. Vipul Prakash and some of their master students like Mr. Bishrut Langde, Mr. Sachin Pore and others, and ~ engineer disciples Mr. Manas Das, Mr. Aparti Sahoo and others. Some of them tried to make the plan, what had already been constructed and for future constructions they always imagine & figure it out, but by that time the constructions goes ahead and when they come for their next visit the whole construction went in different direction. When it happened like that for two three times they said, 'Baba this is not under our control and beyond imagination and we do not know how things are going on. So it is true definitely, we are compelled to believe that this plan is definitely not yours, is coming from Sriyukteswarjee and Babaji.

Just recently Bramha Kamal, the lotus of the temple has been installed, such a massive lotus of the height of three meters has been pulled up to the altitude of the temple on the day of Devsnana Purnima (on the full moon day,

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scripture says when all Gods and Goddesses take bath in the rain) and eventfully at the moment we pull up the lotus, there was shower coming over which wash the golden lotus and people those who were actively engaged to bring the lotus up all bathed in rain. Then the most wonderful thing happened, specially it was for me, the word of appreciation by our swamijee (Swami Satyamitrananda) who always has apprehension in each step of our construction process, while everyone was full of divine tear in their eyes, he uttered the words, 'Baba now I really feel, this is definitely the blessings and guidance of our Gurus, though we really did not understand before. In spite of all our apprehensions and resistances, still the work has come to this point today, I am really happy'. At the same time the telephone rang from Bhubaneswar, Rairakhol and many different parts of world because the message spread immediately everywhere. People of the area were standing and watching. Immediately Ladu and Halua as Prasad were distributed joyfully.

However to put all day to day experiences in words is not possible. Here it is necessary to go back a little bit to year 2004 when formally we inaugurated our meditation temple and a seminar on Cosmic Astrology was held from I 6th August 2004 to 25th August 2004. Why we use here the formal word because the Kriya Yoga initiation and meditation was simultaneously going on even under the tree, the day we entered into the land. Everyday there was demand for initiation from different parts of the world. That is why formal inauguration was badly necessary for that time. Then we all felt for Kriya Yoga meditation we need extemal calmness and soundless place. Then it has been decided by all our European disciples that we shall build living yogic rooms around this Hirartyagarbha meditation temple and cosmic planetarium. Then our yogacharyas, Suresh Gohil, Carole Pauly, Serge Vallade, Alain Gaigne, Mauro and all others decided why not to announce here that each yogacharyas and disciples can sponsor for each room, so that rooms can be constructed. For each step of this type of request I myself was reluctant, objected and stepped back. Anyway that has determinately been announced by Shri Suresh Gohil just after our evening meditation inside Hiraniyagarbha temple, 'Anybody wants to sponsor for such a thing .. .', the words even not finished from the mouth of Suresh, all our real stars of the planetarium have raised hands and come forward to sponsor which has brought this project to a near completion.

Today is 24th of July 2007, yet so much of work is demanding our physical, mental and financial energy and time is very limited for the 10th August 2007, only sixteen days remaining. Everyone is very busy; some European disciples are helping hand to hand. The cleaning and beautification is going all around. I pray humbly God and Gurus as the temple work has been completed up to now without any problems and accidents with great hope and blessings of our Gurus let this inauguration ceremony be completed. Let this servant remain in folded hands, ever salutation and prostration to Thee.

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