30 Years of the Yoga in Daily Life System in Croatia
The light of Sri Alakhpuriji Siddha Peeth Parampara – the spiritual lineage from which the system Yoga in Daily Life is derived – came to Europe in 1970 in the hands of the heir of the lineage, Vishwaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, our Swamiji. Since then Mahaprabhuji’s light has been brought to many countries throughout Europe and around the world; coming to Croatia in 1984 in those same hands that brought it to Europe.
Celebration of this anniversary began where it all started, in Zagreb, from where Yoga in Daily Life has spread to almost all major Croatian cities. In 30 years of existence, the Croatian association based in Zagreb has grown from just a few of Swamiji's disciples, who dedicated themselves with great love to foster the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of the citizens of Croatia, to several associations that can now proudly say that there are almost no Croats who do not know about Yoga in Daily Life.
In the yoga centre Sri Devpuriji Ashram in Zagreb, Yoga in Daily Life family gathered from Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Italy and Serbia, representatives of many centres from Croatia and abroad. Austria was represented by the President of the international YIDL organisation – the International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship.
The celebration satsang began with Swamiji via a live Skype video. Swamiji blessed all those present and congratulated everyone for the anniversary, wishing a successful planting of 400 trees in Kopački Rit Nature Park for the 'Plant the Trees' project, which also supports the project 'Save the Birds', protecting both the environment of nature and the wildlife living in it.
Mahamandaleshwar Swami Vivekpuri expressed his warm welcome to all participants and delegates from different countries and thanked them for their support spreading the science of yoga and spirituality.
It was decided that the alley of 400 trees, which is planted in honour of the anniversary, should bear Swamiji's name.
After remembering the very beginnings – the first seminar in Zagreb – Swami Vivekpuri pointed out that the guiding principle of all that has been done in 30 years has been the mantra: Naham Karata. He stated: “Behind us is only 30 years and I hope that in front of us are still many hundreds of years in which we will manage to preserve and spread Mahaprabhuji’s teachings in its original form as we have received it."
He then introduced Swamiji's projects ‘Plant the Trees’ and ‘Save the Birds’, that there will be 400 native fruit trees planted in the Nature Park, to celebrate this anniversary and to express gratitude to Swamiji.
The president of the YIDL Fellowship, Dr. Manfred Stepponat – Mansukram – and all representatives of foreign and domestic YIDL centres, shared their thoughts and addressed the audience.
Warmly welcoming all present in fluent Croatian, Mansukram remembered the founders of the Zagreb Association and thanked all devotees from each and every Croatian centre, on behalf of the Fellowship, for their dedicated and successful work, and he wished them a long future on board Gurudev’s boat.
Karoly Kovacs, Krishnanand, a long-time disciple of Swamiji and president of the Hungarian YIDL Association, was in Zagreb during the first Croatian seminar with Swamiji in 1984. On behalf of the Hungarian devotees he gave thanks for the invitation to participate in these celebrations and actions, and reminded all present about the creation of our yoga families in Europe, and the warmth and security that we feel anywhere we meet together, as a family under the umbrella of Yoga in Daily Life.
The president of the Slovenian YIDL Association Jože Sraka, Shankar Puri, addressed Croats with warm words and congratulations and recalled his first meeting with Swamiji that took place right here in Croatia, in Umag.
Then followed more loving words from representatives of the many centres, and satsang ended as it should - with Bhajans and prayer. At the end, all were invited to the tree planting at Kopački Rit the next day.
On the occasion of these celebrations, MM Swami Vivekpuri and Yoga in Daily Life were honoured by the Croatian President in an official letter.
Letter from the office of the President of Croatia.PDF