It is that time of the year: A Guru is coming to Town! Whether to Go or Not to Go (to see Him), that is the question?
[Aside: I use the pronoun Him because, it just so happens that my Guru is a He. Yours could well be a She. It changes nothing! And then there is the capitalization of the H. Some get tripped up here. Read it with a small case h if that suits you better. This also does not matter.]
Coming back to the question, why do I, a predominantly left brained ChE go to see a Guru when He is in town? The short answer is, magic.
Press enter or click to view image in full size A dancing cloud at the Art of Living Retreat Center, Boone, NCThere is a spring in the step of a cloud (Deewaana Hua Baadaal), there is a magical mist of well-being all around (Saavan ki Ghata Chaayi), seeing all this your own heart opens up (Ye Dekh ke Dil Jhooma) and LOVE happens (Li Pyaar ne Angadayi).
Deewaana Hua Baadal
Saavan ki Ghata Chaayi
Ye Dekh ki Dil Jhooma
Li Pyaar ne Angadayi
All this however, happens after you go to meet the Guru. Before, that is a different story. That story usually goes like this:
Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi, Shikwaa To Nahi
Our life is just fine! We’re muddling through our daily routines, our to-do lists, our chores, our family, dog, car, home, etc. etc.
….. Tere Bina Zindagi Bhi Lekin, Zindagi To Nahi!
When we do take a pause, we reflect, Is this all there is to Life?! This can’t be it, can it? It is when such questions come that we seek out answers that Google can’t give us which a Guru can. Repeatedly, again and again, getting into the Guru Field, brings a realization that there is much more to Life than what we have been living thus far!
Kaash Aisa Ho, Tere Kadmo Se, Chun Ke Manzil Chale, Aur Kahin Door Kahin,
….. Tum ‘Gar Saath Ho, Manzilon Ki Kami To Nahi!
There is then the freeing that happens just by walking alongside a Guru. Seriously, I had not thought that was possible till I experienced it at the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, NC.
Guruji, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, usually goes for a walk with many people struggling to keep up with Him. He does walk at a brisk pace! After resisting it for many years, I too decided to join the walk one day. Simply walking with Him brought so much lightness in the feet and freedom in the mind! Suddenly the possibilities became endless; the paths became multiple; unsticking happened: Manzilon ki Kami to Nahi. Quite literally, all the points in my “life” where I was stuck, I got unstuck. All by simply walking alongside a Guru.
And then there is the Moon!
Press enter or click to view image in full size A Guru Purnima Full Moon, Boone, NC, 2016Tum Jo Kehe Do To, Aaj Ki Raat, Chaand Doobega Nahi
…… Raat Ko Rok Lo!
It was a magical evening in 2016 at Boone, NC. We had just completed our training for facilitating Sahaj Samadhi Meditation. We had the supreme privilege to go on top of the Meditation Hall and just hang out with Guruji. He did not say a single word. It was as if even the Moon stood still in deference to the Guru! Tum Jo Kehe Do To Chaand Doobega Nahi.
What I have realized over the many years that I have been going to be in the physical presence of Guruji (HHSSRS) is that:
In the presence of a Guru, your innermost intentions/desires somehow crystalize into something concrete and actionably and the necessary motivation and resources for you to manifest them to reality are somehow put in front of you by the Universe!
Why would you not want this to happen? So, go! Drop everything else and go!
Go see the Guru when He is in Town.
PS: A Left Brained reason of why to go see a Guru is here. Some may need that!