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DARSHAN – Birthday Bliss 2013

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    During the month of June, for the Birthday Bliss celebration, I visited the Siddha Yoga path website every day. It was not only to see the virtue of the day, but to receive darshan. The first day I watched this video, I experienced a deep feeling, like ecstasy. And day by day, I observed this feeling becoming deeper and deeper, bringing me a profound sense of freedom. I feel that I took another step in my sadhana.

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for your constant presence in my life. 

    Zürich, Switzerland

    I watched Gurumayi’s video while in my office surrounded by noise from the street and in the building. Even so, such a great feeling of peace came over me. I didn’t want to "leave" her and return to my work. My first thought was a desire to "hold on" to her, to that feeling. Then, I realized, of course, the experience is not on my computer. It is inside of me. 

    Thank you, Gurumayi.

    New York, USA

    Thank you for this incredible darshan!  

    Since it has been posted, I have watched it many times, and the fruit of it has been a great improvement in my practices of mantra japa and meditation.

    Thank you Gurumayi!

    Montequinto, Spain

    I have made it a daily practice to watch the DARSHAN video. This morning as I watched it, I was aware that when I receive the divine glance of the Guru toward the end of the video, my heart experiences bliss, and a warm glow pervades my heart as I become aware of the divine light within. I recall Gurumayi saying when we have darshan of our Guru, it is not just for our own benefit, it is for the benefit of everyone.

    As I go about my day, by remembering the Guru, the Guru’s divine glance, I reconnect with this warm glow in my heart and share the Guru’s love.

    Perth, Australia

    When I saw the letters of the mantra Om Namah Shivaya spiraling in the sky, it reminded me of one of my early experiences of Kundalini Shakti in meditation. During this meditation, I felt the mantra physically vibrating in my tongue. From there it moved to my throat, and I felt it vibrating there. Then it moved to my heart where, along with the vibration, I saw and felt the letters of Om Namah Shivaya circling and spiraling, just as it does in the video.

    After my meditation, I noticed that my heart was completely free of fear. This was an extraordinary state of freedom. I remember thinking, "This is what I want. I want to be in this state of total fearlessness all the time. This is my spiritual goal."

    Seeing the mantra circling in the video has inspired me to dive deep into my practice of mantra japa.

    California, USA

    Gurumayi’s words, "Be in nature. Listen." resonated with me. When I am in nature, I naturally become silent. Even the internal chatter disappears after a while.

    I become present and more in tune with my surroundings. I start to notice little things like butterflies and the sound of a light breeze. And then, when I am completely still, silent, and present—when I listen, I can hear the mantra going on inside me.

    Mantra japa!

    Thank you, Gurumayi!

    Hong Kong

    Every time I watch this video, I feel more and more love. My heart opens to my Guru’s all-embracing love. In the beginning, I didn’t really know what listening means. But more and more, I’ve come to know that one meaning is to become silent, to become immersed in the profound silence, and then to hear the sound of silence, the sound of love, the sound of the mantra, and to become filled with bliss.

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for giving us the darshan of the Truth and for guiding us so gently and lovingly along the way.

    Großkarolinenfeld, Germany

    Thank you for this beautiful presentation. This is the first time I have ever seen Gurumayi in person. What a great gift for her Birthday!

    Querétaro, México

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for this darshan. I noticed the small bird that comes into the frame and just sits on the branch and also listens. This really filled me with tenderness and love.

    North Carolina, USA

    This morning, I repeated the mantra and meditated, practicing being infused with the “extra glow” that Gurumayi speaks about in her talk “Millions of Blissful Moments." Then I opened the Siddha Yoga path website to receive DARSHAN. My whole being and surroundings were filled with deep peace and silence as I watched the video.
     
    After darshan, I picked up my japa mala and, with great care and love, I cleaned it, brushed every rudraksha bead, polished its silver thread and pearls, spread delicate gardenia fragrance on it, and put it back on my asana in its usual heart shape. Now, its glow is so attractive! I am already longing to use it again and become steeped in more extra glow and contentment.

    Annecy le Vieux, France

    This morning, in honor of the virtue of discipline, I opened Gurumayi’s book The Yoga of Discipline at random, and found myself in the chapter called, "What Enters Your Ears Goes Straight to Your Heart: Discipline in Listening I.” In this chapter, Gurumayi shares a beautiful poem by the poet-saint Lalleshwari. In her poem, Lalleshwari writes, “Open your ears and hear how the trees sway to Om Namah Shivaya.” Gurumayi then shares her own experience of listening to nature and hearing the mantra in the sounds of nature.
     
    When I later visited the Siddha Yoga path website and watched the DARSHAN video again, I was awed at how beautifully Gurumayi’s teachings on the discipline of listening were expressed through her Birthday Bliss guidance. It helped me watch and listen to the swaying of the trees with new eyes and ears. I look forward to listening with closer attention to the sounds of nature in my neighborhood.
     
    As I finished typing this, a lone bird sang his song outside my window.
     
    Thank you, Gurumayi, for your myriad gifts of Birthday Bliss.

    California, USA

    When Gurumayi said, “Listen,” all my senses became alert and completely focused. I felt an absolute sense of peace and calmness inside, no matter what was happening outside. I could feel Gurumayi’s presence everywhere.

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for the amazing darshan.

    Aurangabad, India

    This video is an amazing experience for me with Gurumayi’s very special gift of mantra japa. Although Gurumayi is physically far away, when I close my eyes and begin mantra japa, I feel her always with me.  

    I wish you a very happy birthday, Gurumayiji.

    Ujjain, India

    What a magnificent gift Gurumayi has given us with her DARSHAN—Birthday Bliss 2013. As I watched the video this morning, I felt as though I was actually present with Gurumayi in the garden. The birds outside my window chirped in song, and the fresh tropical breezes of the Caribbean were blowing a sweet wind around me as I listened to her voice softly repeating the words mantra japa. I reveled in the swaying of the cherry-colored blossoms on the trees, and I felt deeply moved when Gurumayi turned and looked straight into my eyes.

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for giving this DARSHAN to all of us around the globe. We are honored to share in the celebration of the anniversary of your birth.

    North Side, Anguilla

    This beautiful tree is called shidare-sakura in Japan. When I first watched the video, I thought Gurumayi was in Japan! As I watched it, I felt serene and became silent inside.

    Happy Birthday, Gurumayi.
     

    Tokyo, Japan

    What an incredibly blessed gift to receive Gurumayi’s darshan! I love the visual of the mantra spiraling from its center out into the universe. To me, this is a beautiful visual representation of my experience of the mantra as I practice mantra japa: the core of who I am is the core that manifests as the entire universe.

    Thank you, Gurumayi. Thank you for teaching us in so many ways how to return to our core, to the Heart, through the practice of mantra japa. The benefits that unfold from this practice bless us as well as the universe around us.

    a Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher

    What prasad to have Gurumayi’s darshan! I meditated for a few minutes after watching the video, and I had a vision of the Blue Pearl. I now feel very calm and serene.

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for your beautiful heart and your love. 

    Exeter – Devon, United Kingdom

    While watching the beautiful branches of pink flowers in full bloom moving blissfully in the wind, I felt Gurumayi’s love and presence. I also experienced the immense beauty and light of Shree Muktananda Ashram. 

    I loved the image of the japa malas suspended on the branch of blooms. It showed me that the relationship between nature and mantra japa is everywhere: in every breath, every chirp, every leaf, every flower, and every seed. Everything is an extension of mantra japa.

    With love from a devotee who is ever grateful for the grace of having you, Gurumayi, as my Guru.

    Makati City, Philippines

    Today is a blissful day for me because I received Gurumayi’s darshan!

    In the video, the space between the branches caught my glance. I saw it was heart-shaped, and watching the trees sway gave me a feeling of bliss within. I realized that by repeating mantra japa, we can enter the heart, which is luminous inside and illumines the outside also.

    Gurumayi’s love-filled glance gave me the confidence that she is always with me.

    Thank you, Gurumayi!

    Hyderabad, India

    Every detail of the DARSHAN video not only offers the joy of the Guru’s darshan, but continues to reinforce and illumine this year’s Message, Mantra Japa. When the mantra Om Namah Shivaya was shown, in both devanagari and roman letters, spiraling out and into the heavens, I was immediately reminded of the spiral form given to Baba’s words, "Go there and find it," in the image that illustrated the Teaching on Mantra Japa for Day Two.

    Baba’s instruction is for us to go into our heart to find "that perfect joy," that "love like nectar"—and lo and behold, there was a heart formed by the branches of those exquisitely and abundantly flowering trees. So once again, I receive the precious teaching: it is mantra japa that leads me back to the heart, and to the sacred stillness embodied so perfectly in the video. 

    Thank you, Gurumayi, with all my heart! And thank you to all the devoted, creative sevites who offer so much talent in illuminating the Guru’s magnificent teachings. We are all greatly blessed.

    Illinois, USA

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for gracing us with your presence. My heart felt great love and gratitude. Though my practices may wax and wane, Gurumayi never leaves the home in my heart.

    Adelaide, Australia

    Thank you for the opportunity to have such an amazing experience of darshan. Hearing the guidance from Gurumayi to listen immediately sent my awareness inward. I was able to just listen, simply and with ease, to my inner state that had amazingly settled into the present moment. Just being present: here, now.

    A tender feeling of joy and gratitude unfolded as I repeated the mantra, watching my beloved Guru doing mantra japa. I felt so connected.

    Lismore Heights, Australia

    I just walked to a lake near where I live and sat on a bench. I had my mala with me and repeated the mantra. This led to the experience of my own stillness, my own presence, and my own silence as I watched the sun glisten on the lake water and listened to the red-winged blackbirds and other birds sing.

    I’m grateful for you, Gurumayi. And I am thankful for our sangham and the blessing of this technology that brings your glance into our homes and hearts.

    Colorado, USA

    When Gurumayi turned and looked right into my eyes, my whole body shivered and I knew something very special was happening. 

    Thank you.

    Florida, USA

    I loved the little bird who showed up toward the end of the video, and the malas on the branches. I also felt great wonder at the flowering tree and all the natural colors. I want to look at the video again and again.

    I love the peace evoked by Gurumayi’s mantra repetition with her mala. It feels very special to receive darshan in this way.

    Thank you, Gurumayi.

    Lafat, France

    Beyond the exquisite beauty of this DARSHAN video, each time I watch it I feel a familiar quietude and gentle bliss that I have felt so many times in Gurumayi’s physical presence. The last time, as I watched it with my husband, it brought waves of recognition and love. Mantra japa and its fruit came effortlessly while watching Gurumayi slowly turn the beads of the japa mala in her hand. Waves of bliss are still moving through me as I write these words. 

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for your abundant grace in this month of Birthday Bliss and always.

    Illinois, USA

    The gentle sway of the trees, the steady hand of the Master, and the stillness in time—

    Happy Birthday, Gurumayi!

    New York, USA

    I would like to express my gratitude from the bottom of my heart. When I watched the video, my whole body and mind immediately rested in a very calm place in my being. I could feel my Guru’s presence so strongly.

    I am so grateful for all this abundance.

    Annecy, France

    What a very beautiful way to begin the month of Birthday Bliss, to celebrate the love and the life and the gift of Gurumayi.  Thank you for sitting with me today, Gurumayi, for practicing mantra japa with me in nature.  In Miami, where I live, I sit every morning in my garden in a red chair, and I watch the trees and the light and the little lizards running across the grasses, and I meditate.  I think of Gurumayi and Baba and Bade Baba, and I am grateful.

    Sometimes I list all my blessings (the ones that I can think of) and I am grateful for each and every one of them. This path is the greatest blessing of all. 

    Gurumayi, my heart is full of love for you, for this path, and for all that lives. 

    I wish you Happy Birthday. 

    Florida, USA

    This morning I was up early as usual and practiced japa and meditation. Then I went for a walk and got some groceries. The weather was warm, but a beautiful breeze was blowing. After my chores, I sat down and opened the website. I was delighted to hear Gurumayi’s voice and to be able to sit and enjoy Nature with her. I am very thankful for the teaching in the video, and that I was able to do japa with her and to enjoy the bliss which will be with me all day.
     
    Thank you so much, Gurumayi. It is a blessing to have your darshan and teaching within my own living room!

    Montreal, Canada

    I watched this video and am in bliss! Gurumayi is giving us absolutely everything. How could we not attain That? How could we not realize So’ham?

    More than ever, I feel mergence with the Supreme Self is totally attainable.

    Thank you, Gurumayi!

    New York, USA

    I had confidence that I could "get there," and with this darshan, my confidence level is now soaring!

    Happiest Birthday, beloved Shri Gurumayi.

    New York, USA

    The click of the mala beads, the swaying of the trees, and my breath—all were one. Silence struck deeply with Gurumayi’s glance.

    Thank you, forever, thank you.

    Geelong, Australia

    Watching the video and having Gurumayi’s darshan, I could feel a burst of energy and bliss at the top of my head, and I could also feel a profound silence.

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for this connection through the Siddha Yoga path website.

    Iowa, USA

    What a beautiful video! What a great gift!

    Meditation happens spontaneously through grace. Yes, it does! Just being with Gurumayi, practicing mantra japa in silence, I feel the power of the mantra vibrating in my whole being. I am light. I am Om Namah Shivaya. I am full of bliss. I am complete and serene, in harmony with nature, as Gurumayi teaches us so preciously.

    Thank you, thank you, always.

    Madrid, Spain

    This morning I awoke out of a deep sleep, and I found myself restless for no apparent reason. I started to do mantra japa and slowly started to repeat the mantra on my inhalation and my exhalation. Then something in me told me to go to the website to see what was there. As I opened the link to the DARSHAN video and sat and watched it, I was drawn deeply into my own heart. As I sat with Gurumayi doing japa, deep inside arose the knowledge that this is what I’ve been yearning for—for a long time. I feel so much love deep within. What a beautiful boon! Repeating the mantra with Gurumayi and experiencing the love in my own heart.

    Wisconsin, USA

    This morning my husband and I opened the Siddha Yoga path website as soon as possible, and we found this beautiful DARSHAN video!

    Thank you, Gurumayi, for being present in our lives.  Thank you, Gurumayi, for your sweet and loving gaze that helps us to recognize the Truth over and over again! Thank you, Gurumayi, for your infinite grace.

    Rome, Italy