Shree Gurudev 

Jai Gurudev!

We had a very joyous three-day celebration of 3 very significant events with Gurudev in Walden on the occasion of Babaji’s 98^th birth anniversary!

On Friday, we celebrated the 11^th anniversary of Gurudev being ordained a Mahamandaleshwar by the Sadhu Samaj (Community of Sages) of India. That evening we saw a video recording of the ceremony. Hearing the talks of all the great beings that graced the occasion was a reminder not only of the significance of the title but the enormous responsibility it placed upon Gurudev. It was a pleasure to see how confident the elders were that Gurudev would carry out the responsibility despite being the youngest Sage to have received that title. And of course, they were right!  Gurudev said in his acceptance speech that he hoped the Samaj would accept him as an insider. 

How quickly Gurudev redeemed their confidence was evident in 2002 during Babaji’s 20^th Mahasamadhi Anniversary celebrations which were attended by many of the senior most and most respected heads of the Samaj, who stayed for 3 days.  A big compliment from the elders to the youngest sage!

On Saturday, we celebrated Babaji’s Birthday - the day that marks the fulfillment of the promise made by the GURU in these mantras:

Muktanandaya Gurave, sisya-samsara-harine

Bhakta-karyaika-dehaya, namaste cit-sad-atmane

Salutations to Muktananda, the Guru, who rescues his disciples from the cycle of birth and death, who has assumed this human body to meet the needs of his devotees, and whose nature is consciousness and being.

98 years ago on this full moon in May, the Supreme Guru took the human form of our dearest Babaji.  And, 24 years ago on this very day Babaji renewed and fulfilled the promise once again when he performed the Pattabhishek ceremony of Shree Gurudev and officially passed on, in his words, “ALL his powers to both of them” as he handed over our charge to Gurudev.

What a joyous day it is and what a profound day it is! It is the tangible, visible evidence of the Guru’s unending, limitless, fathomless compassion.  It was on this day he took human birth, it is on this day he formally kept the promise of “Jyot se Jyot”– lighting a lamp with his own so we who are still walking on the path will have constant, unbroken light so we don’t lose our way, fall or stumble for lack of light!

Last year on Babaji’s birthday celebration in Haridwar, Gurudev said, “He is the source of all blessings”, the single most and biggest blessing for us being Gurudev himself.

Noting this quality of the GURU, the great sage Goswami Tulsidas says in the Hanuman Chalisa:

“Jai Jai Jai Hanuman Gosain, Kripa karo Gurudev ki nayi”

“O Lord bestow compassion on us like the Guru”

Isn’t it interesting that the Lord himself is being held to the Guru’s standard of Grace & Compassion!

Saturday, May 13, this most auspicious day started with Shiva Arati and Vishnu Sahasranaam. After breakfast and seva the celebrations started at 10 a.m. with Guru Gita. Following the Guru Gita we chanted Hare Rama Hare Krishna until 2 p.m. followed by Om Namo Bhagavate Muktanandaya, Muktanand Mahan, Sacchidanand Guru, Shivaya Namah Om and Jai Jai Vithale. The chanting was rich and full of joy. The treat was that Gurudev drummed for most of the day! The day long chanting concluded with Jyot se Jyot and arati to Babaji.

Gurudev then spoke about Babaji very lovingly. Thanking Babaji for his efforts for everything in his life, Gurudev said that it is like a mother carrying a child. She does not have to do anything but nourish and nurture the body and the child grows. Likewise what the Guru plants within us will grow and bear fruit we just have to nourish and nurture it through sadhana. As always, when he talks about Babaji he gives us a direct experience of the ideal Guru-Disciple relationship. His entire being radiates love and devotion to Baba. Tears of love and gratitude fill his eyes and voice. Even though everyone gets pulled into the flow of tears with him, a stillness descends and there is only the sound of Gurudev’s beautiful, soft voice and a presence of Baba, which he invokes so strongly.  For me these talks are more powerful than a day long intensive!

In a lilting and halting voice Gurudev said, “We are fortunate to have met Him, we are fortunate to have spent time with Him, we are fortunate to have had a relationship with Him and we are fortunate that we knew Him”

I thought to myself - We are fortunate to have met Babaji & Gurudev, we are fortunate have spent time with Them, we are fortunate that we have a relationship with Them and wouldn’t it be the ultimate good fortune if we could get to know Them as Gurudev knows Babaji.

After a lavish and delicious feast of Gujarati food we had Babaji’s darshans through a video recording of the July 1981 Guru Poornima at South Fallsburg when Babaji announced Gurudev as his successor.  After the arati and darshan Gurudev sat relaxed on the swing as a small group enjoyed a relaxed, unhurried darshan. Gurudev shared more stories of Babaji and people around him. With such ease he flowed in and out of various languages – Gujarati, Hindi, English, German and Spanish as he included and pulled everyone into conversation. The evening wore on slowly, sweetly and as gently as his swing went back and forth as lightly as his toes wiggled…it was a soft and sweet close to a very beautiful celebration…

Sunday, May 14 was the concluding day of the celebrations. After Guru Gita we chanted “Om Bhagawan, Om Bhagawan, Om Bhagawan Muktanand Bhagawan” The chant was very powerful. Gurudev’s voice was strong and clear in the lead and the rest of us merged into one voice, which followed Gurudev’s in a resounding chant. My experience was that of unity…a short but deep meditation followed. A brief session of ‘atma vichaar’ with Dana followed wherein he shared his understanding on a sutra from the Vivek Chudamani.

And then we awaited Gurudev’s talk. Gurudev invited Ashok Balwalli to lead us in the chanting of a beautiful chant in the praise of the Sachidanand Guru. Following the chant Gurudev said we would offer the last verse of Hari Paath, written by the sage Tukaram, to Baba. We were all delighted as we have not chanted the Hari Paath this season so far and this verse is the absolute cherry on the icing on the cake! It was a special treat when Gurudev sitting on his swing, pulled up one tabla, placed it on his feet, which he rested lightly (with one toe) on the table and effortlessly provided the beat as he led us in this offering to Babaji. He then explained the meaning of the verse and focused on the phrase ‘those who have incessant love for you…’ and within this phrase on the word ‘incessant’ which means continuous, unbroken, unwavering faith or shraddha. Steady faith, devotion and love for God and Guru. A place where there is place for only ONE not ‘God and I’ not ‘Guru and I’ only Guru or I. He said categorically, “its all or none” cannot be a little of this and a little of that…

The following verse from Amir Khusro was visible in Gurudev:

Khusro dariya prem ka, ulti wa ki dhaar

Jo utara so dooba, jo dooba so paar!

‘O Khusro, the river of love runs in strange directions.

One who jumps into it drowns, and one who drowns gets across.’

If only we would have the faith to take the plunge.

We concluded with Dhanya Dhanya and Jyot se Jyot. The afternoon continued on with good food, hanging out with Gurudev as everyone sat around him completing a seva project of stuffing invitations for his California yatra into envelopes, addressing, stamping and sealing them. All this under his watchful eyes and amongst a lot of chattering, laughing and cups of hot chai, as it rained outside. The most mundane jobs, the greyest afternoons become special in his company. Reluctantly people took leave as the sun began to set and a memorable weekend came to a close…

My prayer, hope and wish to Babaji on this beautiful weekend is:

Om Saha navavatu, Sah nau bhunaktu, Saha viryam Karavavahai

Tejasvi navadhitam astu, Ma vidvisavahai

Om! May we, Guru & disciple, be protected together.

May we enjoy the fruits of our actions together.

May we achieve strength together.

May our knowledge be full of light.

May we never have enmity for one another.

Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jai!!!