Every moment is a fresh new dawn of awakening

It was a cold, misty morning in Rishi Chaitanya Ashram, where seekers and devotees gathered to have darshan and hear beloved master Anandmurti Gurumaa’s enlightening words of wisdom on New Year’s day. Many came straight from the just-concluded Rishikesh winter retreat by Gurumaa, a double cause for celebration! Gurumaa began the talk by reading through a greeting presented to her by a child. It depicted a tree and engraved on its bark and fruits were the initials GM, standing for ‘Gurumaa’. Next to the tree was written a beautiful prayer – “May the fruits of this tree enter the hearts of the people and make them spiritual, kind, loving, peaceful and truthful, and remove all kinds of pollutants of anger, ego, etc from their polluted minds”. Pointing this out in her inimitable, straight-forward way, Gurumaa said that even the child has understood but thick-headed adults still do not understand that the Guru is always showering the fruits in the form of grace. If your receptivity is missing and if your vessels (minds) are impure, you cannot contain this ever-present flow.

Gurumaa also read out another letter from a young girl who has been going through a lot of negative thinking and tension. Answering her query, the master simply suggested her not to take tension at the first place as the girl had mentioned in the letter – “I take tension to an extent that I start to vomit”. And that she should have the courage to say, “No matter what, I will do what I need to do and I will succeed in reaching my goal”.

Further stressing on the need to be vigilant of our senses which can be overpowering at times, Gurumaa quoted the story of Sant Lakshman Das Maharaj who drank the bitter brew of neem leaves after his mind encountered a mere thought of jalebi, a famous Indian sweet. Now, people may think this as a total suppression of desires but actually this is not suppression – this is challenging our mind, challenging our thoughts to such an extent that the very thought of sensual pleasures dare not arise in the first place itself.

Taking the talk further, Gurumaa quoted that “contrary to a seeker, a follower’s energy is spent merely in trying to impress the master and in trying to hide his faults and negativities from the master”. To be a seeker, it is therefore of the utmost importance that without hiding his faults and negativities, he must remain honest with the master.

Referring to the importance of this human body in this era, Gurumaa further said that sat yuga was the golden age where the lifespan of this human body was of 1 lakh years, which got reduced to 10,000 in treta and further to 1000 in dwapar yuga. But in this kal yuga, it is merely 120 years. And these days, with unhealthy lifestyles this lifespan has become even shorter. When the majority of our time is spent in pursuing an education, in sleep and in sensual pleasures, there is hardly any time left for spiritual progress. Therefore, it is imperative that an aspirant should be very serious and concerned about his spiritual journey.

Stating an analogy, Gurumaa said that a student spends almost fifteen years to earn even a basic education. Now compare this to getting a spiritual education, where we fail to put in even one hour sincerely each day. Obviously, this much can never be enough – we need to completely devote ourselves to the spiritual path if we wish to grow. There is no other way out, and there is no easy way out – this is a hard-hitting fact we need to realise.

Gurumaa then outlined what it really means to be a seeker. For a seeker, each moment should be lived with celebration and awareness. It is no big thing, indeed, it can be called somewhat childish to just celebrate the first day of the calendar year and then spend the rest of the year fighting and sulking. Each moment of each day is priceless, is a cause of celebration, contemplation and evolution and therefore should be approached joyously and reverently.

In the end, Gurumaa once again emphasised the need to be fully aware at all times and not just for the one hour that we sit in meditation or mantra japa. A well needs to be dug before one even starts to feel thirsty – similarly, it will be possible to be aware in times of crisis only when one is aware otherwise as well. And thus, blessing the seekers with wisdom, love and guidance, Gurumaa concluded the talk.

The day progressed with seekers doing their best to ‘walk the talk’, and contemplate on the wisdom shower they received. A surprise was in store for all as during the evening aarti, a very special guest, the venerable saint, Sant Ram Kripalu Maharaj arrived. With his long, matted locks (jata), high wooden sandals and wearing a cotton dhoti and wrap, Sant Ram Kripalu Maharaj looked every inch the typical himalayan sage he actually is, having resided in the coldest reaches of these magnificent mountains for years in sub-zero temperatures, dressed only in a thin cotton garment.

Gurumaa escorted him to the Shiv Mandir, where he bowed down before the beautiful black granite statue of Shiva, magnificent in meditative repose, resplendently bedecked and garlanded. As two highly honourable, venerable, loving shining lights of God, Gurumaa and Sant Ram Kripalu Maharaj, walked down the temple steps together, all present received the shower of the immense love and grace pouring out from them. No words were needed, and hearts were full of thanksgiving for this tremendous benevolence, a very auspicious beginning indeed!

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