Shubh Bade Baba’s Golden Punyatithi.
Welcome to all of you who arrived the day before yesterday, yesterday, and today. I see a lot of new faces. Though I already know you, I say “new faces,” because for this visit you are new. That’s actually a good attitude to always cultivate. Every time you come to the Ashram, you experience yourself as becoming new. In this way, the wonderment that you are born with remains alive. You always appreciate the new you—that you always are in every moment.
How many of you saw the golden light this morning? It was gorgeous—an unusual golden color. So we are celebratingsvarnim din—the golden day.
I woke up this morning with a bhajan singing in my head. I thought it was beautiful and that it would fade away as the morning light got brighter. However, this bhajan, by the poet-saint Ravidas, kept going on in my head. “Prabhuji! Tum chandan ham pani…”
Your fragrance permeates my entire being.
O my Lord, you are the cloud and I am the peacock;
Seeing you, my heart begins to dance.
And I gaze at you, as the chakora bird gazes at the moon.
O my Lord, you are the lamp and I am the wick;
Your light shines forth from my being day and night.
O my Lord, you are the pearl and I am the string.
You are the solvent and I am the gold dissolving in you.
O my Lord, you are the Master and I am your servant.
Such is the bliss of devotion that Ravidas experiences.
To experience this bliss of devotion, we celebrate Bade Baba’s Golden Punyatithi. And because of this bliss of devotion, we celebrate Bade Baba’s Golden Punyatithi.
The other day I was saying hello to a family by the lake. They had just arrived to offer seva in Shree Muktananda Ashram and attend the celebration. It was wonderful meeting with them. They were all so happy and eager to offer seva.
As I was walking back to Anugraha, I realized my face was still beaming, and
I could feel the joy of the family in my heart. As I focused on that joy,
I experienced it as Bade Baba’s joy. Over the years I’ve noticed that there’s something unique about Siddha Yoga devotees—when one is with devotees who love the Guru, one’s whole being just smiles. When something like this happens, you can tell that someone genuinely loves you. And suddenly you realize, “I’m happy. I’m really happy.” As we celebrate Bade Baba’s Golden Punyatithi, we can say that Bade Baba’s celebration has the power to induce such bliss in all our hearts.
Recently a Siddha Yogi wrote me a letter and said that she has named the summer of 2012, the “Shri Guru Gita Summer.” I was so happy when I read that, because that was my intention—for Siddha Yogis to refresh their practice of Shri Guru Gita recitation and understand its potency. That is why I requested the SYDA Foundation Website Department to post the
Shri Guru Gita recitation for Birthday Bliss and for Gurupurnima.
And today will be the third time this summer for the global sangham to see and understand that Shree Muktananda Ashram is still open, and the
Siddha Yoga practices are thriving. They can see that all the work that is being done in the SYDA Foundation is for the purpose of the Siddha Yoga legacy.
It is for the nanhe-mune, as Indians would say, for the children, and their children’s children, to practice the Siddha Yoga teachings and to understand that God dwells within. It is for the experience of the Truth— as above, so below; within the Temple and outside the Temple. It is to know that one’s own heart is the Temple of God.
This is a blessed day. A very auspicious day. A great day.
Physically, everybody cannot be in all places at once to celebrate Bade Baba’s Golden Punyatithi: but heart-wise we can be.
Heart-wise we can be sitting in the Temple in Shree Muktananda Ashram.
Heart-wise we can be reciting Shri Guru Gita in the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Tokyo.
Heart-wise we can be pranaming in Bade Baba’s Samadhi Shrine in Ganeshpuri.
Heart-wise we can be sitting on the rim of the Haleakala Crater on Maui reciting Shri Rudram.
Heart-wise, we can be contemplating on a beach in the Caribbean Islands, or meditating in a cave in the Himalayas.
Heart-wise we can travel anywhere. We can be anywhere even before the mind recognizes we got there!
So as you chant, as you recite Shri Guru Gita, know that the blessings go not only within; they also go out to the rest of the world. Every syllable contains great shakti. As you chant, engage with the power of each syllable that you will utter, that you will sing, that you will recite. And experience the same power in every movement of the breath coming in and the breath going out.
How many of you read Swami Shantananda’s letter on the Siddha Yoga path website? If you have not read it, you must read it. Swami Shantananda said he had a lot of fun thinking about the letter and contributing it to the
Siddha Yoga path website. It’s a beautiful letter. And how many of you have done the dharana? If you have not done it, then you should.
Now we will be reciting Shri Guru Gita.
On this golden day, refresh your posture.
On this golden day, become aware of your breath flowing within and caressing the world outside as you breathe out.
On this golden day, offer your gratitude to the Great One because of whom we experience God within.
On this golden day, become aware of your intention, your own intention for your own life.
Om Namo Bhagavate Nityanandaya, and meditation]
Nityanandam charanam sharanam
Shubh Bade Baba’s Golden Punyatithi.
Bade Baba’s grace, Bade Baba’s blessings, Bade Baba’s wisdom support our lives.
We honor and adore Bade Baba’s being, Bade Baba’s shakti, Bade Baba.
All of you chanted with all your heart and all your might. Hold this experience and recall this experience—especially when you wonder whether God loves you. When the heart is completely open, there are no doubts. However, during difficult times, people can easily doubt. During those times, recall your experience of Bade Baba’s sweetness and Bade Baba’s greatness, and remember God loves you.
Devotion keeps the heart moist. When the heart is moist, your life is in service to God. Not letting your heart become dry and brittle is true service to God. Keep your temple always clean, always filled with light. Each one of you is a custodian of your own temple, your own heart. How you care for your own heart is something only you know.
And this morning, we cared for our hearts, and the Heart, through the
Siddha Yoga practices—the recitation of Shri Guru Gita, chanting, and meditation. We offer our gratitude to Bade Baba for his grace and for his golden light.
Thank you all for celebrating Bade Baba’s Golden Punyatithi on this day, as the golden light from the heavens showers its blessings—this morning, this evening, this night, always.
These words are for viewing on the Siddha Yoga path website only.
Do share the web address, www.siddhayoga.org, with family and friends.