Book Review
"Smile, Smile, Smile!!
Poems by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
(S. Fallsburg, NY:SYDA Foundation, 1999)

Reviewed by Jennifer Rose

This book of spiritual poems by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, a spiritual teacher in the ancient yogic tradition of India, offers the teachings of Siddha yoga in contemplative poetry to help seekers awaken to the supreme truth within their self and to the divinity inherent within the universe of nature.
"Smile, Smile, Smile!" will amaze and delight readers with poems about time (when I become aware of time), nature (truly, nature arounds with miracles), and Goddess spirituality (The nature of the Goddess surpasses the mind). Here's just a sample of wonderful verses on Nature:
"Just because the trees don't talk back when they are mercilessly hacked to pieces, just because birds cannot cry for our help, do human beings have the right to act recklessly?"

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In describing the Nature of the Goddess, we are encouraged:
"Only if the mind can follow her to the very end will it find itself
in a scintillating, enchanted garden, the heavenly garden where divine light absorbs every atom and regenerates consciousness out of its own being."

Towards the end of the book, we find "Refresh your resolution. Smile at your destiny" (New Year's Message 1998) in which Gurumayi gives a talk responding directly to questions and requests of seekers and students, discussing renewal and refreshing of life, peoples' resolutions, and our collective and for individual destiny.

"Nature is a master at this renewal. She knows just exactly how to refresh herself, how to rejuvenate her seeds, and revamp her paradise. She refreshes herself through storms; torrents of rain, floods, bushfires,

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volcanoes and earthquakes."

We are also taught about a central aspect of Siddha Yoga, the Goddess Shakti which Gurumayi tells us:
Therefore, the Shri Sukta describes the awesome power of the Devi, Shakti, God's own energy, saying:
"The nature of the Goddess surpasses the mind and lies beyond words of mortal speech. Her face is lit with a beautiful smile; her body is radiant with golden light. She is compassionate and generous."

These could equally describe the Guru Herself! As every photo of Gurumayi i've seen has always shown a beautiful, benevolent, gentle, and joyous smile!
"Smile, Smile, Smile!" has a "Glossary" at the end with specific words from Sanskrit on Siddha Yoga terms, defined and a brief bio 'About Gurumayi Chidvilasananda", which tells the story of how she followed in the footsteps of her spiritual master Swami Muktananda, who brought the Siddha Yoga to the West in the 1970s in "a meditation revolution."

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and before he passed away in 1982, he selected Gurumayi as his successor and ordained her as a swami, a monk in the Saraswati order.
Gurumayi's work encompasses a charitable organization, The PRASAD Project, that assists people in need around the world with medical dental, and self help projects, she's also the author of several other books.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Siddha Yoga meditation teachings and practices should contact:
SYDA Foundation
PO Box 600, 371 Brickman Rd.
South Fallsburg, NY 12779-0600
Tel: 914-434-2000
Or visit the website at: www.siddhayoga.org.

Siddha Yoga publishes a free monthly correspondence course on meditation for inmates. For information write to:
SYDA Foundation
Prison Project
PO Box 99140
Emeryville, CA 94662