I am deeply moved by this teaching, which is new for me. I am gradually accepting the fact that now I won’t expect people to be sincere to me. Before I received this teaching, I lived many years of my life having the wrong expectation. Recently I experienced a lack of love in my life as I was expecting to receive love from others, and expecting others to be sincere toward me. I have felt many times that I can understand others’ perspectives and express love toward people, but there was nobody to understand me. I made up my mind to visit Ganeshpuri for the day to deeply connect with the love of my Guru. I satisfied my longing for love, and this supports me in remaining on the path of love toward others.
Dombivli, India
Gurumayi’s glorious teaching that “the way of humans” was “coded into the sinews of creation long before creation manifested” set in motion within me a revolution of understanding.
When I was just three years old, my mother passed away from polio. I have always felt a yearning for explanation and an understanding of the consequences of this loss, which has resulted for me in layers of self-imposed limitations. To finally realize this truth about “the way of humans” and that I possess all I need to move forward on my own “journey toward love” has shed the brightest light ever on a limitation I can finally overcome. I begin to feel “that slender, silken rill” of joy.
Florida, United States
Through my sadhana and my journey of self-inquiry, I have come to understand that one of the forms love takes is to allow others to be who they are, just as they are. This precious teaching from Gurumayi in “Toward Love…” reminds me of this truth. And it strengthens my commitment to practicing compassion and discipline, and to taking responsibility for the way I interact with others—and with myself too.
Coburg, Australia
This teaching inspired me to look back over my seven decades of this life and see how much unnecessary, intense pain I’ve caused myself by expecting others to be loyal to me, “to be true,” and “admit when they are not being real.” And then I fall down into reacting inside my mind and forgetting my heart completely.
Now I see my true “full power” is taking the responsibility to remain focused on the truth beyond the outer situations of life. I often remind myself to turn my mind toward the reality of love in all of life’s predicaments. So when someone behaves in a negative way, I think to myself, “I forgive the personality; I bless the soul. Beyond all this appearance we are all beautiful and we love each other.” This dissolves my original reaction, allows for a healing, softens me back into my higher Self, and gives me peace.
It is such a blessing not to be just a football in the hands of life!
Washington, United States
I have been relishing these teachings from Gurumayi that point us, lead us, carry us “toward love.” In particular, I have been fascinated by the various images that her words and metaphors have evoked in my mind’s eye. Today Gurumayi’s phrase, “coded into the sinews of creation,” has captured my attention. It has been comforting to think that the human race has not gone astray per se—because “the crevices of the universe” hold the blueprint for the human condition.
One additional dimension to this teaching, for me, has been the beautiful pan flute music which seemed to complement Gurumayi’s words so perfectly—triggering in me a sense of sorrow but also of resilience and resoluteness. It helped to land Gurumayi’s teaching deeper inside my heart.
Guildford, United Kingdom
Today I was so amazed by this teaching that I spent many hours writing about it for myself. I was astonished to read Gurumayi’s words about “the way of humans,” and even more surprised that it has existed since “long before creation manifested.”
I thought about what “sinews” and “crevices” could mean in this context. I tried to imagine how Gurumayi sees this world, the universe, humans in general, and the humans who read her teachings. I then imagined the whole universe as one organism that should return to God, step by step. Not all is going smoothly, as the ego interferes. And right now I belong to those whose turn it is to “march toward love,” as Gurumayi put it in the first teaching—which for me means to return to God.
Hindelang, Germany
This teaching from Gurumayi is so powerful for me, so true and direct. I have experienced its truth myself in learning to be less defensive in my life, to trust, and to open my heart to be more understanding and loving to others who are initially difficult to love. I also realize that others are forgiving me all the time too for my own neglect or disrespect.
What I noticed in doing a dharana with this teaching is that when I return to my inner focus, there is such love there; it holds me sweetly. And as I take this to my outer focus, I can see the humanness in others as this love. This is very humbling and very sweet. It dissolves the hurt and defensiveness, and allows me to open my heart.
Kingscliff, Australia
Reflecting on Gurumayi’s teaching for this day, I understand that this is how human beings are. Throughout my life I have interacted with this human quality—lack of honesty, lack of authenticity—both in my close relationships and in myself. The Siddha Yoga practices have made this perception easier for me, and over time I have been able to change it in myself.
Contemplation as a means of self-inquiry—
atma vichara—has allowed me to know myself, to find authenticity in myself, and to be honest with myself. By doing so, I no longer need to “place the expectation on someone else” to be authentic with me. As a result, my “journey toward love,” and the inner focus and outer focus that Gurumayi speaks of, have taken on a new quality—respect.
Mexico City, Mexico
If I am on a sailboat and moving off course even by a few degrees, the further I sail, the further off from reaching my goal I will be. Similarly, if in daily life I follow something in the world that has some inherent untruth or insincerity, the longer I journey, the further off from my goal of sadhana, of Self-realization, I will be.
Fortunately, I have the words of Gurumayi and the Siddhas, the scriptures, and the Siddha Yoga practices to help align me with the Truth. I also have the inner voice of the soul and the heart to guide me. With these supports, I progress along this magnificent and mysterious “journey toward love.”
California, United States
What divine timing this teaching held for me! I was just beginning to fume about someone “not being real with me.” So I went to the Siddha Yoga path website to redirect my thoughts. As I was reading shares from the previous day, suddenly this seventh teaching appeared. It really amazed me and gave me such comfort to know that this human attribute of insincerity has always existed. So this was nothing new, nothing out of the ordinary, and even nothing personally directed at me.
With that understanding, I was able to get into a witness state, allowing that other person to just be as they are and allowing myself to “remain connected to my divinity.” Then the very next morning, right at sunrise, a different person extended great love and kindness to me. My thoughts resonated with appreciation of all the great souls whose generous acts of kindness more than make up for the insincerity in this world!
New York, United States
A Vessel of Love
Yesterday my
beloved
was young and free
and beautiful
Today my
beloved
is ravaged by
pain and disease
Tomorrow my
beloved
will merge into
the still, silent emptiness
Time cannot
break, bend,
or destroy
my love
It lives on and on....
Fitzroy North, Australia
Through Gurumayi’s grace, I have discovered the heart to be the compass installed by God within me that points to true north. So if I get lost in the outer world, I have forgotten my essential mission of taking birth to know the Self, the Truth. When I trust my heart, I can follow the path of the heart toward love. This focus on love frees me from the “stickiness” of the world’s illusions and guides me to merge with my divine nature.
I find the most easeful way to do this is through gurubhav, identification with the Guru, and gurubhakti, devotion to the Guru. Here my love is met and merges into the big love, the Heart. When I have this experience of being immersed in love, being love, being the Guru’s love, then the outer world becomes a play of love.
California, United States
As I continue on the path of love with this seventh teaching of Gurumayi’s, I notice that love goes hand in hand with discipline. When I perform my daily activities carefully and welcome the people I meet with greetings and gratitude, I let love flow. I don’t waste time but I take time.
This morning, I was shocked by the attitude of a person who did not respond to the greetings of a cashier and did not say a few warm words before leaving. When my turn came, I greeted the cashier with awareness. When I left, after wishing him a good day, I felt that he had left his role for a split second to enter his inner space.
What good is a human life if it is not reflecting its divine nature?
Rodez, France
This teaching from Gurumayi really hits home for me. It is a true challenge to “remain connected” to my divine state when so many negative distractions exist around me. So I am very grateful that Gurumayi is teaching me how to “remain connected to your divinity”—no matter what!
I had just this experience yesterday, when a coworker met me with a slew of negative remarks first thing in the morning. Amazingly, I was smiling and laughing as she said all that. And even afterward, I remained calm instead of having my more usual emotional reaction! It didn’t shake me one bit out of my tranquil state.
St. Laurent, Canada