September 1, 2016

Dear all,

As September begins, here in the northern hemisphere we start to feel crispness in the air, while in parts of the southern hemisphere the days are getting warmer. The equinox, on September 22, marks the point of the earth’s equipoise in relation to the sun, when the length of a day is the same (twelve hours) at all points on the earth’s surface. This is a time of transition, a threshold of change from one season to the next. For students of Siddha Yoga and seekers new to the path, it is a good time to review all we have learned through our study of Gurumayi’s Message.

Throughout the year, we have been studying each word of Gurumayi’s Message for 2016, month by month.

Gurumayi’s Message is

Move with steadfastness
toward becoming
anchored
in Supreme Joy

Our focus this month is on assimilating Gurumayi’s Message. When we assimilate the Siddha Yoga teachings, we take them into our being so that they become a part of us.

As we begin our assimilation of Gurumayi’s Message, we can invoke the blessings of Lord Ganesh, the lord of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles. A patron of the arts and sciences, Lord Ganesh is also honored as the embodiment of knowledge and discriminating intellect. This year, in many parts of India, the ten-day festival of Ganesh Utsava is celebrated from September 5 to September 15.

Each of you will have your own way of assimilating Gurumayi’s Message. We would like to share with you some of the ways we have done so.

Tim: I review my journal entries and reflect on how my understanding of Gurumayi’s Message is unfolding. Then I ask myself how I am bringing my new understanding into my life. Sherri and I love to walk along the San Francisco Bay trails near our house as we discuss our sadhana and what we are learning.

Another great support for assimilation is my sadhana circle. We have been meeting every week for over fifteen years. By listening to each other’s experiences and uncovering our collective wisdom about the Guru’s teachings, I see my understanding ripening.

By consistently and persistently giving my time and attention to the practices of meditation and reflection, and by allowing each word of Gurumayi’s Message to become part of me, I am becoming firmly rooted in the constant experience of the Self.

Sherri: As a means of assimilating Gurumayi’s Message, I have made it a regular practice to have darshan of Gurumayi’s Message Artwork for 2016. Sitting quietly and reverently, my mind stills, and I take the scope of the image into my being. When I close my eyes, I see it in the space of my heart. The elements are alive and in motion. When I open my eyes, my gaze has softened. I feel more receptive to what the Message Artwork has to teach me. The more I imbibe the image, new colors, textures, and details reveal themselves, in both the visual and the words of the Message. I begin to recognize metaphors for my day-to-day life.

For both of us, meditation is an indispensable practice that supports assimilation. There will be two live audio stream meditation sessions, on September 10 and 24, as part of the series, Pathways to the Madhya, the Source of Bliss. In these sessions we learn to connect with the source of bliss that is always present within us, and to let it suffuse our meditation practice and our daily life. After the live stream, these sessions will be available as webcasts.

Our assimilation of Gurumayi’s Message this month will also support us as we prepare for the Global Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive in honor of Baba Muktananda’s Mahasamadhi, titled The Dawning of Beatitude. The Shaktipat Intensive will be held in participating Siddha Yoga Ashrams, meditation centers, and chanting and meditation groups on October 22 and 23. The Preparation for the Shaktipat Intensive will guide you through the four wheels of the Intensive: posture, breath, mantra, and meditation.

As we begin this process of assimilation, may we all discover a deeper and more constant experience of our inner happiness.

Best regards,

Tim and Sherri Bensen
Siddha Yoga Students