The Jayanti Tour Arrives in Mexico

Prabodha Cohen joined In the Footsteps of Bliss Tour in Cancun with his wife Madhuvati and son, Josh

We have gone on vacation, to a foreign city or beach resort, but something is always missing.  We eat fancy food in good restaurants, sleep in clean first class hotel rooms, bathe in the sun, swim in the ocean, get a massage, but by the end of the day, something is missing.....Shakti!

Thursday, July 19

Delia Amezquita and her crew of spiritual seekers spent countless hours of planning to organize a short but action packed visit of Gurudev and a small group of "pilgrims," as she liked to call us, to Cancun.  The Cancun crew of Liff Sabah, Grace and Raymundo had never met Gurudev, but through their own experience of yoga and meditation and their prior experiences of selfless service, organizing their spiritual teacher Amma's previous trip to Cancun, they intuitively sensed there was a special benefit and joy to be had in serving Gurudev and his devotees on their trip to Cancun.

After a day at the beach at the Omni Hotel, we were picked up by the local Cancun crew and driven to our first organized event. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at La Casa de las Margaritas Restaurant.  This authentic Mexican restaurant, which is managed by one of the Cancun crew organizers; Liff Sabah, is a must if you ever have the pleasure of visiting Cancun. After years of living in California, it was delightful to visit a Mexican restaurant that was the real thing! After a short wait, Gurudev arrived at the restaurant with a big smile. A large table was set for 30 people in the shape of a rectangle. The Cancun planners were quite joyous to find Gurudev sitting at the head of the table, the beginning of their adventure of long hours of seva and devotion.  From the beautiful decor, to the wonderful services and the delicious food - we felt we were really in Mexico! Once the meal was finished, we were off in our assigned cars to the beginning of our adventure.

The next stop was our visit to the Narayana Yoga Meditation Center, where the local crew had been chanting the Guru Gita on Sunday mornings over the past months, in preparation for Gurudev's arrival. Driving from the hotel strip of what seemed like hundreds of hotels, to the Center, we passed hotel after hotel, restaurants, bars and advertisements on huge billboards for all of the sensual worldly pleasures imaginable; bikini clad models, Senior Frogs bar, late night dancing and more restaurants.  Leaving this luxurious tourist area, we rode down many side streets, into less "polished" areas and into the Cancun where the natives lived, never seen by the typical Cancun tourist.  We arrived at a small house with a Yoga sign out front, right next to another house where four young men stood outside, blasting rap music.  I wondered how we would find any space for the quiet I thought we needed for Satsang.  Walking into the small, but immaculately clean Yoga Center, I knew immediately, that Fabiola, the leader of the center and her practitioners knew the meaning of devotion.  They knew the advantage of an uncluttered space filled with positive vibrations, resulting from their spiritual practices.  Gurudev spoke of all forms of yoga; hatha, bhakti, jnana, etc. and how the purpose of the practices is to discover the answer to the question: "Who am I?"  He also spoke of how the Latin American people express a lot of bhakti.  He said, "Everyone wants to see miracles; magic.  Baba said to look around the world and see the miracles God performs every day."

Friday, July 20

Got out of bed early and went for a swim in the warm turquoise ocean.  Then it was off to start another busy day, beginning with another pilgrimage into a Cancun residential area.   It was such a treat to be able to see more than the usual commercial tourist area of a resort community.  In a caravan of cars, we again drove past the hotels, and twisting and turning until we found Fabiola's small, simple, pure home.  Once again we were humbled by the care to detail, the cleanliness, and the loving seat set up for Gurudev's arrival - and the welcome to all of us with love and respect. Her loving heart was apparent as she offered Arati to Gurudev, accompanied by the chanting of Lavarji and Naveen and the small band of pilgrims from abroad. Some more chanting allowed us all to bask in the inner joy that spontaneously arises, sitting in a clean devotional space with Gurudev, Brahmin priests and devotees, leaving their worldly cares behind. 

After being offered some sweets to eat, we were off again in a caravan of cars.  This time we were headed to visit Alma's Meditation Center.  Another ride of twist and turns, laughing and story telling and we arrived at the end of a dead end street, where in the small park at the end our hosts were preparing a lunch for all the visitors.  Rows of houses spread out around us, in the Cancun heat, all with the huge black water tanks on the roofs.  We climbed up to the top floor – and enjoyed views opening out in all four directions.  Alma had in the past opened this space to a variety of yoga and spiritual groups and was glad to have Gurudev as her special guest.  In the past she has also accepted people in need of temporary housing, in their quest for spirituality. The lavender walls and ceiling and the heart shaped rod iron window decorations, created a warm and spiritual feeling. About 25 of us sat with Gurudev and chanted.

After some time passed, Gurudev asked the group if anyone had any questions. For the first 10 minutes the conversation focused on the hot weather and hurricanes.  One smart devotee Raymundo, tiring of the small talk, asked a question about how to connect meditation with our fast paced daily life.  Gurudev spoke of the importance of a daily meditation practice and of japa.  It was interesting to see Gurudev's speech change, reflecting the mind of the crowd.  If all everyone wanted to talk about was the weather, he was willing to oblige.  But with this question, the mood changed to contemplation of the Inner Self.

Another person, Gopi, asked Gurudev “how we can quiet our minds?".  Once again, listening to these questions, we were made aware of how people's concerns are more similar than different, no matter where we live in this world.  Other seekers followed with questions, and Gurudev followed with inspiration, as a heavy peace and stillness embraced the room.  Once finished, we descended the stairs to a lunch served outside.

We went back to the hotel for another swim in the ocean before satsang that evening. It was a great joy to have Satsang right at the Omni Hotel, where we were staying.  Imagine swimming, showering, getting dressed and then taking the elevator down from your hotel room, where Satsang with Gurudev was waiting. Off the main lobby, in a convention corporate meeting hall, we were greeted with the walls covered with Shanti Mandir banners, a large projection screen, set up so that we could all watch a DVD which explains Shanti Mandir's mission and the basics of Baba's teachings, which Gurudev was to share with the crowd.  The cool air-conditioned hall was a relief from the heat and humidity of Cancun, as was entering the hall, which was relief from the grind of our usual daily responsibilities.  Anyone entering the hall knew that they were entering into a different space, far different from their daily routine.  Here, there were no news reports, no television blasting, no gossip, no politics and, of course, no shoes!  We were in a clean, quiet space to hear of the charitable works of Shanti Mandir and then to delve into Baba's teachings through Gurudev's presentation. I was moved by his welcoming the crowd with great love and respect, as Baba did years before.  The experience of chanting, words of high wisdom, mantra - On Namah Shivaya, Darshan, all of it brought me back to evenings with Baba in the late 1970's; sattvic-pure-stillness-wisdom - the lasting impressions.

Saturday, July 21

A long, long day for the young at heart - fancy buffet breakfast at the hotel, where each morning you have the pleasure of dining at different tables with different devotees, from around the world, who seem magically to appear from nowhere. Vinaya Tarrago and her daughters from Barcelona had just arrived and we were able to share our morning breakfast and enjoy the company of old friends, realizing that they too were vibrating from their hearts.  A quick morning swim in the vibrant light blue ocean, and then into the cars and vans for a two hour drive along the straight roads leading out of Cancun, to the Tulum pyramid ruins, an ancient Mayan historical site of cultural and religious significance right on the edge of the ocean. While waiting for Gurudev's car to arrive, many of us chat, under a small sun shower, sipping cool drinks under the café umbrellas. Gurudev arrives and 25 of us getting into a tram for the ride to the ruins.  Wandering among the ruins there is a beauty to the small groups of 3-5 people that form; separate in other groups and reform with others, as words of wisdom are shared among friends and fellow seekers, as we witness this ancient sacred space.  One minute you are in a group with Gurudev, chatting about the beauty of the ocean or - of the Mayan ruins, a few minutes later you are chatting with some of the Cancun hosts about their experiences. The blazing hot Mexican sun causes us to seek some shade, while some walk down to the ocean and wade in the ocean waves, where 5,000 years ago, the ancient Mayan civilization must have done the same.

In the shade, under some small trees, Lavarji starts singing mantras and a small group of us stop and listen and tune into the strong vibrations of his chanting. Slowly all of us meet together and get ready to depart, after sharing some snacks. Then back to the tram to exit the park, and off in our cars, backtracking now for 30 minutes towards the direction of the hotels, until we arrive at Puerto Aventuras Resort to swim with the dolphins. We all abandon our clothes in small lockers and make our way in groups of 10 in bathing suits and life jackets only towards the dolphins. First our group of 10 must divide into groups of 2 or 3, with our arms out in front of us as the trainers, call the dolphins to lay in our arms so we can gently pet their bellies.  Quite thrilling, the dolphins are calm and cooperative. It was quite a sight to see Gurudev, Naveen and Vinay standing with a dolphin, silent and motionless in their arms.

The trainer then calls us to make a big circle in the pool.  We are a very diverse group making a circle: Gurudev, Naveen, a Brahmin visiting from India, visitors from New York and New Jersey, Delia and Devayani all dressed in life vests and swim suits in the middle of a large dolphin training pool under the hot Mexican sun, as thunder threatens in the distant sky.  The trainer says we should raise our hands and sing, snapping our fingers. This would be a sign to the dolphins to "sing" in their own voices.  As the dolphins swim around in a circular pattern inside our large circle, Devayani immediately responds to the call for singing by chanting "Jai Jai Vitthal."   The entire group ecstatically joins in.  We are all in the water, fingers snapping, dolphins swimming and singing in the middle of us, as we sing mantras. What an unusual and special moment, a true moment of Chitshakti Vilas - the Play of Consciousness.

With a momentary sadness, we leave the dolphins, and after quick shower, rush into the Resort for another lavish meal with our patiently waiting Mexican hosts. The food has kept remarkable well during our 2 hour delay.  I found that just like traditional Jewish, Italian and Indian families, the Mexican's also share and express their love by offering large well prepared meals. 

The entire trip turned out to be even more wonderful than we had imagined.  The joy of being with Gurudev and witnessing his untiring service to bring Baba's teachings to people all over the world was not to be missed.  We watched the joy of "old timers" in hosting Gurudev.  For those new to these teachings, it seems the world today is even more in need of this message than during Baba's time. We will always be grateful to Gurudev for embarking on this journey so that all of us could share in this joy and services to others.

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Sandy Bonham joined the In the Footsteps of Bliss Tour in Mexico. She has recorded many wonderful details of the wisdom from Gurudev’s talks:

Everywhere in Mexico, devotion to the goddess was strongly visible. Little shrines to the Mother, the Virgin Mary, appeared everywhere, in nooks and apertures - in neighborhoods and shops, often lit at night, reminding one of the divine love and recalling one back to the divine presence.  In the quiet unassuming demeanor of the people, with their warmth and hospitality, in the homes where the influence and love of the mother’s care was pervasive, this feminine presence was palpable.

Tuesday, July 24

This was the first evening program at the Institute of Musical Therapy. At every program and visit Baba Muktananda’s sandals were carried, assigned a place of honor and worshipped.  This evening the program began appropriately with Lavarji and Naveenji chanting mantras in honor of the Goddess. Outside thunder rumbled and rolled over the sky and during the program it rained heavily, a blessing which let up when the program was over; a blessing which left the earth and evening air smelling clean and refreshed just as we felt renewed after attending satsang our minds having been concentrated on the truth in our hearts.

Gurudev at Satsang – Institute Of Musical Therapy

After the mantras we chanted a rousing Om Bhagavan, Om Bhagavan Muktananda Bhagavan. The topic of Gurudev’s talk was karma.  He said that the sages say that to lead a complete human life three things are necessary -- karma, which we do whether we want to or not, bhakti, and jnana.

Most people simply live life.  Gurudev gave an example or metaphor.  In the kitchen are two kinds of knives—dull and sharp.  A dull knife cuts but poorly, a sharp knife in the hands of an expert cuts well and expertly.  The knife is like the mind and most people live life with a dull knife, we don’t think about our action.

 The beginning of the philosophy of karma is to become aware of what we are doing in our life.  Simply blaming karma is a way to get out of what we have done in our life.  What we do today creates our tomorrow; if we don’t know what we want tomorrow how will we get it?  

  Humans are like the tail of a dog.  A dog has a curved tail.  A person might thing he can straighten the tail by putting it in a pipe. But when he takes the pipe off, the tails springs back, curved again.  We too listen and apply for a while but begin to waver. As seekers we must understand how our actions affect our life.  I am not who I am by chance or accident.  I have created it. If I am joyous, I have made myself that way.  If I am not joyous, I have made myself that way, etc.  We cannot blame God.

  The philosophy of karma understood---I can make of myself whatever I like.

   We come into life with a percentage of accrued karma; as we experience this karma, we act or react.  Yoga teaches us to become wise, so that we do not instinctively react but act from discrimination and wisdom. A question might arise, does a sage get angry?  A sage uses his anger to his benefit; an unwise person is consumed by anger.

 Explaining what is action and what is inaction is difficult. We must become aware when to perform action and when to be still, when to put forth effort, and consider when effort will bear fruit.  Sometimes we need to be still and that will bear fruit also. We need to learn balance.  We must not act from ignorance but learn to act from discrimination and wisdom.

  Life is the outcome - the fruit of action that we have performed in the past. It is not a judgment.  We experience the outcome based on what we have done; it is the outcome of thoughts, speech, and action.  Through our thought we send vibrations, one of the strongest ways we create karma.  What we think, we say, and then act on.  That also becomes karma.

  How can I become humble, loving, compassionate, kind, joyous?  The shift must come in our mental state.  Compassion means being real and true to the situation and then performing the action necessary in that situation. What I speak, think, and do affect not only me, but those around me, and in turn those who they affect.

After the talk we chanted Om Namah Shivaya and experienced the sweetness and stillness of meditation. The program concluded with darshan where everyone had an opportunity to experience that moment of fullness and completeness where the mind stands in abeyance to the love that resides in the heart.

Wednesday, July 25 

The morning begins with the Guru Gita, followed by Krishna Govinda, and darshan.  It is announced to our delight that we would have a practice session of the Haripath at Nicole’s house which was the first house we were to visit that day.

  The visits to the devotees are a mixture of formality and informality. On this day we chanted Jai Jai Vittal; informal when enjoying a snack, asking questions or conversing, light-hearted when posing for pictures with Gurudev and more especially so when he becomes the photographer himself.

  After visiting Nicole’s home, we arrive at Mauricio’s place where Lavarji and Naveen were conducting a puja for the blessing of his betrothal. After the puja, Mauricio welcomed Gurudev with heartfelt love and pleasure; his sincerity and simplicity was touching. We had a wonderful lunch.

    That evening we had the second program at the Institute. The topic this evening was devotion—bhakti.  It began early with a delightful surprise - bhajans sung by Devayani with Gurudev drumming! What a fitting way to start a talk on bhakti, by giving us an experience of bhakti, itself.

  The evening chant was again in honor of Baba Muktananda and again a cloudburst!  It was as if all the clouds surrounding the city had suddenly opened their bounty in a torrential downpour. And one could not escape being saturated with the joy of the heart—Bhakti.

Some highlights from the talk that evening –

  In clarifying the practice of arati, with which we begin each evening program, Gurudev said, “The sage closes his eyes and finds light while we experience darkness.  So we pray that we too may experience light.   We pray that this light may be awakened.  It is a prayer to awaken ourself to our Self.”

  In talking about bhakti, the topic for the evening, He said, “Bhakti is devotion. Our bhakti is to things outside ourselves but the bhakti a sage talks about is to our inner self.  According to Narada, bhakti is love of the highest kind. Love for an object outside is transitory because it is external.  Bhakti does not depend on something outside but arises from within.  Usually we experience it in a place of worship but we should be able to experience it everywhere at all times. Krishna says in the Bhagwad Gita, “Those in this world, who fix their mind upon me, worship me, ever steadfast, and endowed with supreme faith, is my devotee.”

  People think it is easy.  Have pictures, sing, offer flowers, light a lamp and think they are finished. Gurudev related the story of a man who worshipped Krishna for many years but did not get what he wanted.  So he thought, ’I’m done. I’ll worship Rama instead.’ One day while worshipping Rama, he noticed that the smoke of the incense was going toward Krishna. Angered to think that Krishna, who had not responded to him, would enjoy the worship being offered to Rama, the man plugged the nose of Krishna with cotton.  As soon as he did this, Krishna stood in front of him and asked what he wanted.  The man asks, “Why do you appear now when I am worshipping Rama, and after I have worshipped you unsuccessfully for so many years?”   Krishna answered. “Only now has your worship become true.  The moment your worship became true, I appeared.”

  Thought is the subtle body.  Devotion is not to just wander around with the thought but to penetrate that thought and become one with that thought.   When we think of something, our thought takes on the glow and radiance of that object; and the devotee becomes suffused with that love.  He gives up thoughts of duality and becomes one with the object of worship.  We do actions so that the mind can become absorbed and free of separation.

  “He who fixes his thought upon me all the time, he in fact worships me.”  Self-control is necessary. Though doing worship, the mind is easily distracted.  The mind by its nature wants to run wild.  The art of keeping the mind concentrated on the object of worship is self-control.

  The eye and ear are attracted by what the mind directs.  Most minds are scattered.  Minds create a fantasy to get rid of troubles and then get caught in the fantasy. It is important then to keep the mind still and controlled.

  Worship is complete attunement with the highest principle so we become identified with it, so separation dissolves and we merge.

  For this to happen we need supreme faith. We need faith without question; without question about the existence of the object of worship. I believe in something that I do not know, so that I may come to know that which I believe in.  Because of faith, as daily practice is performed, a seeker comes to know that which was the cause and object of his practice.

  
To be successful in what you seek, get rid of doubt and develop conviction. A doubting soul perishes. As one develops faith in one’s Self and gets rid of doubt, what is left is love.

He by whom the world is not disturbed and whom the world does not disturb is fulfilled within himself.  A man who has become fulfilled within himself does not agitate the world; he experiences fullness and allows it to spread around him.  People go to such a being for darshan.

  A sage, established in the self, does not allow himself to be affected by what is going on around him.  He is free.  He gives up desires for object, becomes free of envy and fear.

This is truly what we experienced in the company of Gurudev on our pilgrimage.

Friday, July 27

The routine continues.  The same activities, time, place---Guru Gita, chant, meditation, darshan, breakfast, but each day is new and different. 

After breakfast we depart for Malinalco.  We drive through the congestion and pollution of the city into the Mexican country side.  We move among greenery, mountains, fresh air, and flowers.  After several hours, we drive up a dirt road, cross a wash, and arrive at the house of our hosts for lunch.  Again a sincere, heart-felt welcome as we are serenaded with native Mexican music. The scenery, the setting is so spectacular, the mountains are so dramatic!

  We are ushered through a space enclosed by panes of blue and white glass which pulsate with light; it is a soaring space that almost demands silent contemplation, onto a terrace, where the breath and mind are stilled. In all directions are mountains, and clouds and greenery. Surrounded thus by the presence of spirit one is moved to silence, reverence, delight. The clouds move around the mountains in silent devotion.  Eagles soar among the peaks.

Maria Luisa’s at Malinalco

We share a delicious lunch made more so by the love and gratitude that is so pervasive. A gift of chanting Vedic mantras is a blessing for this sacred place.

After lunch we continue to Tonalli, which Gurudev has promised is beautiful too.  Our arrival is met by mountains and greenery, and clouds.  Everywhere fresh green and flowers sparkle.  After room assignments, we meet to chant arati and the Shiva Mahimnah.

Saturday, July 28

This is the day of the intensive. The mountains are spread out like the reclining figure of Bhagwan Nityananda.  The clouds flow down and around them as in Malinalco, a play of the divine with the divine. Quiet, peace, light-heartedness arise and flow like the clouds around the central point of presence which is still, unmoving, complete.  The intensive mirrored this.  It was a still quietness; flowing into the deep recesses of consciousness from which we surfaced, refreshed and at peace.

 The intensive was followed by an extensive question and answer session.  The questions had a wide range from the practical to the personal.  Each was answered in detail and depth, all the nuances examined at length with patience, respect, and kindness.  A theme that seemed to be reiterated in the answers was that where ever you go, you go.  You take your mind, your thought impressions, and impose them on your reality; your experience follows accordingly. Therefore, there is need to be careful and have awareness of your thoughts.

  The questions allowed those who have a limited opportunity to have personal contact with satsang and with Gurudev to interface. The session clarified, opened up, shed light on areas that needed light and healing.  Perhaps the most meaningful experience was observing Gurudev’s patience, tact, love, centeredness, compassion and thoroughness in accepting each question, facing it honestly, examining it thoroughly and drawing from his deep recesses of wisdom to satisfy each person’s heart.  There was total acceptance, no irritation, no haste, no judgment.

Sunday, July 29 – Guru Poornima

 In the quiet of the morning amidst clouds and mountains and greenery, we assembled to chant Guru Gita after which Lavarji conducted a pooja to Gurudev.  After breakfast we met again to participate in a resounding chanting of the Haripath and a chant in honor of Baba Muktananda.  Chanting, always a sublime experience and more so on this special day, in the personal presence of the Guru.  We basked in the blessedness; the Guru’s grace.

Guru Poornima … Lavarji conducting pooja to Gurudev in the morning

Several talks were given, one by a Mexican devotee, Juan Chancelot, who had met Baba. He spoke with great passion of how meeting Baba had changed his life for the good and about the importance of doing the practices, how the practices had helped him through crisis and brought him to a space of love, joy, and contentment.

Another devotee, Janine Sagert, whose profession is in managerial training, spoke about her experiences.  She had never had personal contact with Baba other than the darshan line. Her only experiences came through the practices.  She enjoyed chanting the Guru Gita and did so each day.  After chanting it, she would go to the supermarket and everything she saw was glowing with divine radiance, even the most mundane things like toilet paper. She said that in her profession which is to help business executives develop more compassion and empathy, she came across studies done on coherence.  Coherence occurs when your breathing, heart rate, and brain waves are in unison.  It can be tested with an apparatus.  She had a try at it.  She thought loving thoughts and the gauge did not move. She tried compassionate thoughts and still no success.  Then she thought of the experience that makes her most ecstatic and chanted the Guru Gita, the gauge went past the zone.  A person in coherence can affect another person’s attitude 5 feet away. She urged us to keep doing the practices: chanting, meditation, japa, so that we would be able to hold that energy and radiate to others thus helping to uplift the world.

In Gurudev’s talk this morning, he told the story of the Mango Orchard.  One day a year the mango orchard was open to all comers.  The manager admitted everyone and they could eat as many mangos as they wished; but they could not take any with them and had to leave at 4:00.  Two men came; one spent his whole day examining, classifying, studying mangos. When 4:00 came the manager told him it was time to leave.  He said, “But I haven’t tasted any mangos, give me another minute or so.”  The manager was adamant, he must leave.  He left without having the taste of a single mango.  The other man spent his time eating mangos, he was surfeit with mangos.  He had had his full.  When the manager notified him it was 4:00, he was ready to leave. He had received what he came for, he had eaten mangos, he had tasted mangos, and he had experienced the sweetness of mangos.

Gurudev said that those who come, who are too intellectual, and want to understand things before they get involved, lose the opportunity to experience that bliss.  Beings in that state only want to help others experience it.  Throughout the Mexican visit, he reiterated that what the Guru wants for us is to experience love and joy, and share it with each other.  The best gift to give him is to share that love and joy with each other.

That evening the clouds thinned to allow a full moon to grace the sky.  I watched it float upward and shed its light so naturally and beautifully on the heavens and the earth; serene, still, magical in its presence, impersonal.  Is this not how the Guru moves through our lives? 

The Mexican pilgrimage lifted one from mundane consciousness into an experience of a siddha’s state.  That state is so blissful and full, but so natural, so ordinary that you thought of it as your own ordinary state.  We have been pilgrims.  We have carried within us what we have visited—the sacred places in our hearts that are filled with light, love, and joy. We have rejoiced in that meeting of the Self meeting the Self.  We are full with the ‘mangos’ of that divine experience.

The sandals of Muktananda, the Guru’s sandals that Gurudev has carried and honored in all the places he has visited are a reminder, an outward indication of this inner meeting.

SADGURUNATH MAHARAJ KI JAI
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