SHARAD NAVRATRA CELEBRATIONS at SHANTI MANDIR, NEW DELHI :
Sept. 26 - Oct. 4
by Shri Subramaium

By September 25, 2003, the hall at the Greenfields School in Delhi was once again colorfully decorated for the Sharad Navratra celebrations which were to begin the next day.

At sunset the sound of trumpets and Vedic mantras chanted by five learned pandits marked the arrival of Shri Gurudev who welcomed everyone then led the chanting of two bhajans that expressed the devotional feeling and spiritual understanding of those in the packed hall.

The first bhajan, a salute to the Guru by Saint Tulsidas, from the Ram Charitmanas, and the second bhajan, Jaya Gurudev Dayalu Tumsa Aur Kaun Kripalu, beautifully conveyed the appreciation that:
  • There is none kinder than the Guru who dispels the darkness of ignorance with the light of God.
  • The Guru showers his blessings in myriad ways on those who come to his feet.
  • The Guru returns to the right path those who have strayed.
  • The shortest way to liberation is to take refuge in the Guru.


As a natural reinforcement of the expressions of these bhajans, the evergreen dhun, Om Guru Om Guru Om Gurudev, flowed from Gurudev in full dedication and devotion, the power of the chanting developing tremendous momentum as everyone sang full-throated, in unison.

Afterwards, Gurudev’s discourse made the following points:
  • Everyone lives in a cage of their own mind, made of iron, steel, silver or gold, depending on which of the three gunas (universal tendencies) predominate and the resultant way of life.
  • An iron cage denotes the lowest, most gross level of life and values while gold represents the highest, most subtle level.
  • Human nature is such that each person feels secure in the comfort zone of their cage, protected from whatever they fear outside it.
  • It is important to come out of the cage of fear. That is what an Avadhoot does, thereby attaining mukti (liberation) and living in the state of anand, autonomous, eternal bliss.
  • The role of the Guru is to inspire and guide the seeker to move from one cage to the other so that when the gold cage is reached we are able to throw off the shackles of fear and emerge from it.
  • The Guru upholds the teaching of universal love and mutual respect; the path that all can relate to without fear.
  • People listen to what is said at Satsang but often leave the knowledge behind when they return home. Over time, they remain exactly where they were in terms of their way of life and sense of values. We can only move from one cage to the other, ultimately freeing ourselves completely, by integrating the teachings into our daily life. If we want beneficial change in our life we must give living expression to the knowledge we receive.
  • In that respect, Sharad Navratra has special significance for the Supreme Goddess is worshipped in her three different aspects, as Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, the three principal energies within us. As they become active, we shift.
  • With Mahakali’s grace our vices, blockages and negativities are removed. Then, worshipping Mahalakshmi, we are opened to spiritual wealth, abundance and prosperity. And finally, praying to Goddess Saraswati, the embodiment of Brahma Jnana (supreme knowledge), the light of true wisdom is bestowed


With this profound preamble, Shri Gurudev set the tone for the Navratra celebrations and everyone’s wholehearted participation.

 

September 26, 2003

This first day of Navratra, of Devi Sthapana (Worship of the Goddess), began at 9:00 am with the traditional invocation of Lord Ganesha, followed by the ancient Navagraha, Matripuja and Bhadra poojas.

The pandits then entered the hall ceremoniously carrying a beautifully decorated kalash with a perfectly pleated red sari, a classic representational form of the goddess. When they draped her with jewellery there was no doubting she was here to stay, blessing all who entered.

The first evening worship included chanting of Lalita Sahasranam with Archan. This recitation of the thousand names of the Goddess, in praise of the Devi - the Shakti or universal creative power, was chanted with much feeling by the devotees each and every evening.

No sooner had it finished that first evening than Gurudev began chanting Hey Amba Hey Amba Bol. One could sense the universal mother immediately respond to his call. Within seconds the hall was filled with the name and presence of the Mother, people enveloped by a blissful feeling, free of worldly anxieties and fears.

Later, answering questions about the Guru-disciple relationship, Gurudev clarified that it is the disciple who finds the Guru and that once that has happened there is no need to worry about the Guru’s acceptance of them. He reminded us that the true seeker will gladly endure even years of physical discomfort and adversity, just as Baba had his quest to find his Guru. Such is the true disciple’s hunger for God, for the experience of what is real, lasting.

Gurudev then held a question and answer session that included the following exchanges:

 

Q: Where am I? Where did I come from and where am I going?

Gurudev:
We come from God and go back to God.

Our names and personal identity, our attachment to our parents, relatives and others are not real. Why not? Because there is no permanency; none of it lasts. What is real lasts forever.

Truly, the only lasting reality is our essential nature which is divine. Paramatma (God) is where we have come from, where we are and where we go to. This experience, this awareness, arises through sadhana, continuous spiritual practice.

Q: I am not able to get rid of ahamkar (the ego). Anyway, I am not sure whether it is worthwhile leaving the “I” behind for if I remove it, nothing of me is left.

Gurudev:
The ego has been nurtured by each individual since time immemorial. It is not just a recent phenomenon, merely a product of this life.

Instead of toying with the idea of letting go of the “I”, why don’t you try dropping it straight away and see what happens.

Of course, trapped in the cage of our mind, we are unable to give up ahamkar because of the fear that nothing of us will be left. But that is the ego; that is what makes us gloat in the fool’s paradise of false security, even craving that others live like us. It is why we raise children and put them on the same path of mundane living that we have gone through. That is how the habit of living in a cage is passed from generation to generation.

Q: Is there a special mantra which is more effective than others?

Gurudev:
Mantras are of two types – chaithanya and jad.

A chaithanya mantra is one that has been passed on by a fully Self-realized Master to his disciple. It is a living mantra, enlivened with the energy of the true Guru, pulsating with that supreme consciousness.

Of course, such a Guru has already received that mantra from his Guru, as diksha (initiation). It is a mantra that has been tested over the ages, and that the Guru has imbibed fully.

On the other hand, a jad (lifeless) mantra is something merely picked up from some book or casually referred to in some conversation. It is not enlivened. Though it may even comprise the same letters, without being enlivened, it lacks the power.

One should strive to get a chaithanya mantra from one’s Guru, and then constantly repeat it.

Q: What is the role of dharma and discourse?

Gurudev:
Dharma has existed since time immemorial. Over the many ages, the concept has not changed, its basis firmly rooted in the Upanishads. However, the way people perceive dharma has changed.

The utility of a discourse depends on the attitude of the speaker and the listener. If the speaker is sincere and enjoys his role, and the listener experiences joy, then, of course, the discourse is justified.

However, often, discourses are delivered and heard mechanically without a deeper involvement, imbued with the attitude “You are accustomed to listen and I am accustomed to speak”. Such superficial discourse, and listening, is no help in spiritual life.

If we make a conscious effort to improve our listening skills and implement the teachings in our daily life, this dharma (natural way) leads to better understanding among people and, finally, among nations.


September 30

As September 30 was Gurudev’s birthday according to the Hindu calendar, following a melodious chanting of the dhun, Parvati Vallabha Namah Shivaya, Gurudev was greeted by a group of children who performed aarti, offered flowers and chanted shlokas. The bhajan rendered by the children, Tu Dhanya Hai Gurudev, was very touching.

After acknowledging everyone’s desire to offer felicitations on his birthday, Gurudev made the following points:
  • Some people come to the Guru for a solution but are unhappy with what the Guru offers, preferring their own solution. But the surest way to get out of our difficulties is to change our way of perceiving and thinking, because the Guru’s solution will not change.
  • Gathering together at the time of the Guru’s visit is not enough. And physical proximity of the disciple to the Guru is not what really counts, for a true disciple will feel the Guru’s presence within their heart in a relationship that transcends barriers of space, time and matter.
  • The smooth functioning of the ashram does not depend only on the funds that people so graciously offer but also on the willingness of people - men and women equally - to offer their services. Love and devotion is not something only to be held in the heart, it must be expressed in the actions we perform.
  • When our thoughts, deeds and inner feeling for the divine are one, we are truly offering the Guru the greatest gift of all. When we make the effort to render loving service, with devoted and humble, with that true feeling, the reward is instant.