श्रीगुरु-उपासना
Veneration of Shri Guru
Audio recording by Ami Bansal
I deeply enjoyed the practice of shri guru upasana through daily contemplation in this month of July. On this concluding day, the phrase guru deva atman aikyam arrived like a loving breeze, bringing a unique sense of belonging and oneness with God, the Guru, and my inner Self. I feel as though all three are present in a vast sphere—this universe. Through Shri Guru’s divine grace, the boat toward Self-realization has arrived once more to take me across the worldly ocean.
After listening to Ami’s powerful voice as she pronounced the phrase, I meditated, repeating it several times. I observed a profound shift—I felt worthy of my true Self in a way I never have felt before. I am filled with enthusiasm to observe this oneness and experience great joy as my being merges into this infinite, eternal existence. My fear of death and rebirth has dissolved, for I know that ultimately, I am already in union with the Supreme.
Dombivli, India
I experienced the truth of this statement when I received shaktipat-diksha after attending a program called “An Introduction to Siddha Yoga Meditation” and seeing a video of Gurumayi for the first time.
A perfect circle of blazing white light opened up within myself, through which I could see that God is light, everything is this light, and the destination of my sadhana is this light. The light was conscious. I understood that it was the Guru who was showing me this light.
Whenever I see the full moon of Gurupurnima, it is as if it is saying to me, “Remember?” Yes, I remember! I could never forget. I thank Shri Guru from the bottom of my heart.
New York, United States
Earlier this week when I sat down to meditate in contemplation of Shri Guru, I had a sudden image of Lord Shiva Nataraj, dancing in cosmic space in my mind. His skin was blue, and he had my own face and form! This vision lasted only an instant, yet afterward I felt a strong energy in my being, like the reverberations of thunder.
Today, when I read, “God, the Guru, and the Self are one,” I remembered this meditation. To me this is how Shri Guru sees us—as her own Self, as God. With this thought, I felt a gratitude that seems to be beyond what I can fathom—that seems boundless. I wonder if this gratitude is itself a form of God.
I am grateful for my understanding, for this month with “Veneration of Shri Guru,” and for the mystery and presence of this gratitude.
Canberra, Australia
Today’s phrase “God, the Guru, and the Self are one” is especially connected for me with “Shri Guru’s love,” the phrase for yesterday. For me it is simply perfect to culminate these thirty-one days with the truth of divine union.
The moment I saw Gurumayi for the first time, I had the experience of seeing supreme silence and of knowing that this silence was love. I had never really thought about silence before or experienced it as love.
Weeks later, I participated in my first Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive and received initiation from Gurumayi. When I walked out of the Intensive, I could see that everybody and everything are made of the same divine cloth of luminous Consciousness. And the greatest mystery of all was that it was love—God’s love, Shri Guru’s love, the love that is me!
I am incredibly grateful to be awake!
New York, United States