Swami Chidvilasananda is the spiritual heir to Indian guru Swami Muktananda (1908-1982), who believed that practice is the goal of life. In this collection of talks given in the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and Europe, she reflects upon grace, the way God speaks to us through our lives, mystical experience, and discipleship.
Swami Chidvilasananda begins each talk with the words: "With great respect and love, I welcome you all with all my heart." That is a blend of hospitality and reverence for the divine that resides in everyone. Again and again, she points to the importance of repeating the mantra "Om Namah Shivaya," which means "I bow to the Lord within." For those on the Siddha yoga path, these syllables are "infused with the divine energy of the great sages; they are charged with the love of God."
Swami Chidvilasananda quotes from the saints and scriptures of many traditions as she exhorts listeners to cast aside the ego, to offer your work to God ("your duty becomes the deity"), and to use meditation to steady the unsteady mind.