Last night, here in Mani, we gathered around a fire with friends.

The end of the world never came, but looking at the fire I remembered

Swami Rama describing the ritual of Pancha-Agni in his book "The Himalayan Masters."

Dedicated yogis would sit between four intense fires, the fifth being the Sun.

It is a tapas ritual, an intense discipline that aims in purifying our karma.

Yogic masters of all times would sit and meditate intensely in an effort to wash off our world's violent history. 

Here in Mani it was almost midnight. December 21, 2012 was supposed to come to an end, but, alas, the world was still there as we had known it.  Burgi, Lena and I were the only ones now sitting by the fire, under the very cool stars.

Burgi suggested we meditate for the 9 minutes we had till midnight.

Sitting too close to the flames my knees were burning up, but I tried to not move.

I remembered the fire yogi Swami Rama was describing. At some point he was swallowed by huge flames,

but he was not even slightly burned. Afterwards, he told Swami Rama that fire too has spirit and in deep meditation one can communicate with the powerful intelligence of fire. Fire alone can transform our inner self and the entire world.

Paramahamsa Satyananda performed this ritual too. Tapas is synonymous to fire.  

Out of love for the world he would sit and pray, meditate for the purification of all our karmic deeds.

Swami Rama said that it is through the work of such saints that the world continues to exist as it does today.

And thus, the morning after Dec 21, we awaken to yet another day of life,

another opportunity to re-discover the miracle and beauty of life as it is unveiled through 

each one of us, in the here and in the now.  Alive, awake, conscious, curious and just so READY!

I bow to you, all sentient beings, my teachers, students, friends, kindred spirits, with love and devotion. VIVI.