When I heard Gurumayi say that the universe will make me happy, I decided to spend time with the universe by sitting by my window.
Where I live, I see many tall buildings, a busy highway, and a few shops. Initially, I was upset as I felt I had no access to the bounty of nature, especially in this lockdown. I still decided to sit by my window. Soon I realized I can see the sky, the moon, a few trees, some stars at night, and faint mountains in the distance. I started noticing the chirping of many birds in my surroundings. During our evening chant, we have begun keeping the windows open to see the sky and clouds.
Now I see Bade Baba in the mountains, Baba in the moon, and Gurumayi in the sky. I feel I am surrounded by the Siddha Gurus. I am so grateful to Gurumayi for inspiring me to strengthen my connection with nature.
Thane West, India
I understand now why Gurumayi ji gives so much importance to connecting to nature and being in the temple of our own heart.
One evening around 6:30 p.m. I took a short break from work to get some fresh air. When I went outside, I looked at the trees and sky. Because of the shelter-in-place order, there were not many sounds of traffic and honking; the atmosphere was very silent and serene. There was no sound other than the chirping of birds and the music of the trees and plants swaying in the breeze. The trees and plants looked so fresh since they had recently been bathed by rain. The birdsong was so beautiful and sweet. In the tranquil atmosphere, I was able to connect to the Heart. I tried to listen to what the birds and trees were communicating.
They were the same trees, the same air, and the same birds that are usually present. But when I was seeing them from the space of the Heart, my entire experience changed.
Chennai, India
When the chant
Samba Sadashiva began, my little three-year-old son was cuddling with me, given that it was his bedtime. Yet he was staring at the screen wide-eyed—something was happening! I could tell he was having a very strong emotion.
Ten minutes went by, and he was absolutely still. Every time Gurumayi would look at the camera, he would smile; however, those big eyes were still in awe. After a few more minutes, I heard him give a big sigh. Gurumayi was smiling at the camera, and he was smiling back and a tear was rolling down his cheek. He stopped smiling, closed his eyes, and instantly went to sleep—a very deep sleep until the next morning.
The following day I asked him what he had been feeling in the chant. He answered with a smile, "I felt exactly the way that I felt the day I met Gurumayi."
Mexico City, Mexico
I am grateful to Gurumayi for holding such a strong intention for the “Be in the Temple”
satsangs. I particularly appreciated her teaching in the “Be Attuned”
satsang about the importance of people listening to themselves. For too long I have not listened to myself because of fear of what others might think or say about me. I now intend to listen to my greatest Truth and to act upon it with an open heart.
Washington, United States
It was very meaningful for me to hear Gurumayi ji speaking about how we should be taking care of our children, how we should talk to them and understand them. How our Beloved knows what is happening to us!
Just two days before, I had scolded my child for using his cellphone for a long time. Due to my anger, my breath became rapid. But because Gurumayi ji had told us to “Be strong!” I tried to join the mantra
AUM with my breath. I sat quietly and took some time to control my anger. My son came to me and said he was sorry.
This was when I remembered Gurumayi ji’s teachings about connecting with our children.
Wai, India
When Gurumayi told us to feel the rhythm during the chant, I felt moved to stand up and march in place. As I continued marching, I felt more and more alive. I felt that I was becoming stronger and stronger. Grief that I had been experiencing about events in the world lifted, and I felt the presence of great spiritual power. When Gurumayi told us that the Siddhas had come during the chant, I felt confident that their power was and is present and protecting all of us.
New York, United States
I am a musician, and the "Be Attuned" live video stream
satsang was a deep teaching for me. I realized that I, too, am a living instrument, capable of
being tuned by Gurumayi.
When Gurumayi had the drum pause during the chant and directed us to feel the rhythm, she snapped her fingers again and again, establishing the rhythm inside me. Without the drum to lean on, I had to tune more subtly to the pulse inside. I felt as if Gurumayi's snapping fingers were driving the rhythm deeply into my own body.
As the chant went on, the reverberation of that pulse began arising from within. Afterwards in meditation, the energy of that inner pulsation was strong. I could easily feel and follow the drumbeat of my own heart. “Listen
," the pulse whispered to me. “Listen…it's right here, within, available, close.”
Rhode Island, United States
Reading Gurumayi’s teachings in "Be Attuned" again and again is so uplifting for me.
Her words, "Remember,
sadhana is not a bed of roses," inspire me in trying moments to continue doing my
sadhana with discipline and forbearance.
For me, Gurumayi’s words, "Feel the rhythm in your being’’ and "Be attuned," mean staying connected to her in any happenstance in life.
I am also very moved by Gurumayi’s teaching: "Remember, when you die, you’re on your own." It reminds me to use time with respect and not waste it.
I feel protected by the love and revered wisdom contained in Gurumayi’s teachings.
Bedford Gardens, South Africa
When I heard Gurumayi ask with urgency, "Udayan, where are you?" this question “Where are you?” began to resonate within me.
I started to reflect on where I am. Where am I in my
sadhana? Where am I in my study of Gurumayi’s Message? What urgency am I bringing to my practices? Where am I when I tune in to "Be in the Temple"? Am I present?
This self-evaluation has led to some discomfort, yet answering honestly is an opportunity to refresh my focus and resolution.
I am grateful to Gurumayi for asking this great question in the Universal Hall.
California, United States
The day before this
satsang, as I was going to my
puja to recite
Shri Guru Gita, I noticed Lord Surya Devata, the sun, coming in the window with his light and creating a heart shape on the floor. I smiled and took a photo to share with friends.
Then, in the
satsang, Gurumayi ji shared with us that when she was under a beautiful tree, she saw many beautiful shapes in the clouds—beautiful hearts, symbols of
AUM, a horse, a dog. When I heard this, my heart was touched. I was delighted by this synchronicity and felt that we are all connected with Gurumayi ji.
Allahabad, India
The day after this
satsang I was walking my dog in a lovely harbor-side reserve. I was appreciative of the beauty and peacefulness, and yet I had an underlying worry about a close relative who was experiencing stress during this COVID-19 lockdown. I looked up and watched a small plane write the last two letters of the word
happy in the bright blue sky. As I drove away from the reserve, I looked up again and saw written, "HAPPY SKY DAY." I started laughing. "Wow," I thought. "How can I be unhappy today when the Guru sends me such a direct message in the brilliant blue sky?"
Later that day, my relative sent me a radiantly cheerful selfie and a message saying that they were feeling much better after meditating and reciting
Shri Guru Gita. The Guru's grace and compassion are truly amazing.
Riverview, Australia
The many precious teachings in “Be Attuned” spoke to me as forcefully as Gurumayi’s hand resounding on the tambourine during the chant. I felt she was calling me, vigorously and insistently, to “be attuned” to staying in rhythm with the teachings, with the voice of my heart, with the needs and unity of all humanity. She was calling me to “be attuned” to “the experience of serenity” that is always available to me when I stay attuned to the guiding light of the Self.
Her experience at Lake Nityananda also taught me that even when clouds come across the blue sky of my world in great numbers, or when “the dark fog” moves in, I always have the option to see love, to feel loved, and to know that God’s “invisible hand” is at work. At these times, I can choose to make a U-turn away from worry and despair, and reconnect to “the radiance of the Self” within me, and all creation.
I am deeply grateful for this perfect road map into the future.
Illinois, United States
In this
satsang, Gurumayi’s teachings and her entire being have instilled in me a new understanding of the word “rhythm.”
A few hours before the
satsang I said to a friend: “I need to find a new rhythm to my days.” As I listened to Gurumayi speak about coming back to
AUM from her diverse experiences, and as she gave her teachings to us throughout the chant, I felt that I was shown how to move to a deeper beat.
Consequently, I am listening within, relishing the moments where joy is surging, praying to Baba when I find myself tangled in my to-do list, and offering thanks that I have the good fortune to be working at this time.
I continue to explore ways of listening and moving with the divine pulse of my being. This causes me to be aware of Shri Guru’s presence in myself so immediately, so sweetly.
I wish for all beings to experience this blessing, this nourishment.
Hampton, Australia
At some point during the chant in this "Be in the Temple"
satsang, Gurumayi asked the drummer to stop playing, and we continued to chant for a while without the drum.
I contemplated how this relates to my
sadhana.
I saw that like the drum that keeps the rhythm and steadiness of the chant, Guru's grace helps me to keep steady in my
sadhana. But it is my responsibility to also offer my own efforts to be steady, to draw on my own inner strength, my inner rhythm.
Russian Federation
Like the plane that made a U-turn in the sky, which Gurumayi told us about, I experience her teachings making me do a U-turn in my life.
Like the "U" that starts high, goes down, and then back up again, I feel Gurumayi healing me from ancient diseases and making me go back high again.
I am so grateful for these
satsangs that accelerate my
sadhana.
Rome, Italy
The
“Be Attuned”
satsang touched a lot of chords in me. Every moment of it was delicious, and I can recapture its essence even while being busy.
Today, as I was sewing a scrubs wash-bag (a bag to put the scrubs in and throw straight into the washing machine) for my friend who is a nurse, I was humming
Samba Sadashiva with the gentle whirring of my sewing machine. I could hear the birds singing outside and felt the same warmth in my heart as I felt during the “Be Attuned”
satsang.
Each of these
satsangs has brought me a nourishment that lasts.
London, United Kingdom
The afternoon following the amazing
Sambha Sadashiva chant with Gurumayi, I was resting after lunch. As my breath moved gently in and out, I began to notice a subtle rhythm pulsing through my entire body, and my fingers began tapping to the beat. Then a simple circular and repetitive melody with these words arose to that beat.
Dear one, I can see the surface
It’s throwing ripples through my mind
And I am following, following the current
Of the rhythm,
Rhythm of the world,
Rhythm of the world
Rhythm of the world
Showers, showers of blessings,
Are flowing, flowing to the world
And I am following, following the current
Of the rhythm,
Rhythm of the world.
Rhythm of the world
Rhythm of the world
Live like light, light upon the water
Sunlit days and peaceful nights
Living light, living laughter
Dancing the rhythm of the world
The rhythm of the world
The rhythm of the world
The rhythm of the world.
With this sweet lullaby repeating, I fell asleep.
New York, United States
I experienced Gurumayi as a divine physician guiding me into a state of freedom from which to offer service to the life around me.
I feel a deep yearning to be free of the layers obscuring my true Self: to be absorbed in
AUM; to be ever awake in the temple inside myself; to listen and be attuned to the universal rhythm.
Remembering this powerful
satsang with gratitude and love, I will regularly chant
Sambha Sadashiva with the CD to experience its liberating qualities.
Colorado, United States
I was longing to participate in the "Be in the Temple"
satsang, but I missed it. And yet, when I read Gurumayi’s teachings in “Be Attuned,” I realized I had not “missed” it at all.
The day before, after watching the “Golden Tale” video on the Siddha Yoga path website, the song “Krishna, Krishna” kept playing inside me. Feeling indrawn, I lay down in my garden, and when I opened my eyes, all I saw was blue. For the rest of the day I saw the blue sky shimmering with love, and I felt as if I were one of the
gopis seeing the Lord everywhere.
So when I read that the first time Gurumayi saw Baba, he appeared blue to her, and that when she sat by the lake at Shree Muktananda Ashram, she felt the blue sky was Baba’s gift to her, I realized that I had received the gift of the "Be in the Temple"
satsang!
New Mexico, United States