Supplicating the Heavens

Over the last several months, what seemed like isolated bushfires here and there in Australia have become massive conflagrations endangering the region’s people, plants, and wildlife. These fires have been compounded by long-standing drought.

It is natural, when confronted with such tragedy—and especially one that is at so great a scale—for people to wonder what they can do; how they can help; what ability they have to ameliorate the situation. On the Siddha Yoga path, Gurumayi teaches that one thing we can all do—regardless of where we are in the world or what resources we may or may not have at our disposal—is pray. We can offer our prayers, and we can send our blessings. There is untold power in satsang, and in doing the Siddha Yoga practices for the benefit of this planet and its inhabitants. Many people have, individually, been sending their prayers and blessings; still, there is nothing quite like the power of collective intention. This is why Gurumayi asked that everyone join forces.

At Gurumayi’s request, the satsang on January 3 resounded with music composed in the Megh Malhar raga. This is a raga that makes the clouds gather naturally and shower pure, clean water on the land below.

Gurumayi sang the bhajan Jhari Lagai Mahaliya Gagana Gheheray, and as she did, participants listened intently and joined in singing. This bhajan, which was written by the poet-saint Dharmadas, draws upon the imagery of rain-clouds pouring down nectar in the inner sky. Gurumayi created the music for this bhajan in Sydney in 1997, during her Teachings Visit to Australia. She composed the melody in the Megh Malhar raga.

Following the bhajan, Gurumayi gave everyone the guidance to visualize the gentle rain sparkling as it cascaded down; to visualize this rain soothing the burning earth; to visualize every spark of fire transmuting into water and glistening with moisture. Gurumayi led everyone in singing AUM, and as the primordial sound pulsed all around, participants walked around the satsang hall playing rainmaker instruments.

It was so evident in that moment: people’s intentions and visualizations, combined with the power of the sound AUM arising from the very universe itself, were indeed traveling toward Australia and New Zealand. The experience was beautiful, indescribably so. It was as though the satsang participants were representative of everyone in the world who had been so fervently wishing for Australia to be relieved of its anguish.

Swami Akhandananda guided everyone into meditation with a dharana of gentle rain falling in abundance upon the earth of Australia. This dharana was inspired and accompanied by sounds in the Megh Malhar raga.

Then came chanting of Om Namah Shivaya—the mantra of the Siddha Yoga lineage, the mantra of protection, the mantra that Siddha Yogis sing to offer prayers and send blessings. The raga was the same: Megh Malhar. With each repetition of the mantra, the rasas of this raga—its qualities of strength and deep happiness, its evocation of rain—became even more palpable. The swells of music ebbed and flowed under everyone’s voices; participants continued to hold in their awareness the image of rain falling down on the affected land; the chant and the satsang as a whole became remarkable illustrations of the power of collective intention.

And now, some of the elements from this satsang are available on the Siddha Yoga path website, so that everyone in the global sangham may continue to join in sending prayers and blessings to Australia.

Remember: We are one humanity. We are interconnected. We must come together in times of harmony and in times of tragedy. We must galvanize our awareness of our own unity.

Remember: We must help one another. We must lay down our defenses and set aside our differences. We must move forward with the readiness to respond to the needs of others, and to give support, in ways large and small, without reservation.

Remember: We are one earth. So if one part of this earth is hurting, then it should matter. We should all feel it. We should all find a way to extend the goodness of our hearts.

May our hands always spread compassion. May our hands grant protection to others. May our hands always uphold the greatness of this planet.