A Holiday Gift for You
Celebrating Christmas 2016 with Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Christmas Day, December 25
Christmas Day, December 24
On the morning of Saturday, December 24, Christmas Eve, much to the delight of the children in Shree Muktananda Ashram, Gurumayi walked through the Lower Lobby in Atma Nidhi, exactly where they were all having satsang. They were seated in front of the beautiful Christmas tree, which they had decorated the previous evening. All the adults who were present experienced the Christmas spirit as their beloved Gurumayi and the young Siddha Yoga generation greeted one another with so much love and respect.
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It was a love fest from beginning to end, as the children showed Gurumayi the ornaments on the tree, and as they all walked together from the lobby to the Annapurna Kitchen, and then to Baal Kunj, the spacious play area where many children spend much time having fun. Gurumayi, the children, and everyone else who was nearby chanted “Kali Durge Namo Namah.” It was exquisite.
Then Gurumayi said, “I have an idea. Why don’t we all wish Merry Christmas to the global Siddha Yoga sangham, by chanting “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” by the Christmas Tree in the Annapurna Dining Hall?”
The children immediately jumped to their feet and said, “Let’s do it!”
It was totally divine to be bathed in the sounds of the chant and be in the ever-growing Christmas spirit, as Gurumayi, the children, and a few adults chanted and chanted.
At the conclusion of the chant, two fourteen-year-old youngsters, who had traveled to Shree Muktananda Ashram from Australia to offer seva, asked Gurumayi if they could offer their songs to her. Gurumayi said, “Certainly.” They sang “Happy Together,” “Silent Night,” and “Hallelujah”—as well as a special song that they wrote just for Gurumayi, set to the melody of “Phantom of the Opera.”
When they finished singing all their songs, Rudra Sharp, one of the managers for the Siddha Yoga Chanting Tour: Australia 2014—Satyam Shivam Sundaram, was just picking up his lunch tray, when his eyes met Gurumayi’s. Gurumayi said, “Rudra, did you hear them sing?”
Rudra quickly came over to the two youngsters and showered compliments on them. He shared with everyone about how they had offered an amazing amount of seva as lead chanters for the Chanting Tour.
Then Gurumayi asked all the young people sitting next to her, “What is your takeaway from what Rudra just shared?”
One of them said, “If you practice and practice, you can reach your goals.”
Another young person said, “I too can do it.”
Another child said, “Their music is amazing.”
Finally, one of the children said, “I realized that I too can go on a Chanting Tour and offer seva.”
Everyone squealed with delight, and Gurumayi said, “You got it! I am so happy to hear that. Yes! You can spread Siddha Yoga music and make this world happy.”
The whole morning was indeed a happy Christmas Eve.
May everyone experience Gurumayi’s Christmas greeting through this video and these images and shares.
