"Arjuna, offer to Me whatever you do, eat, give or accept.  Also offer to Me your austerities."  
Bhagavad Gita, Verse 365
365 days per year

qWhat could be more beautiful than the opportunity to practice sadhana?  Perhaps one might answer, to reach the goal.  Maybe.  However this is about the journey, not the result; there is no result motive; let not fruit be the motive for the action.

qFor years when we lived in the mountains, skiing every day, I was constantly honing my technique.  Each day I would focus on a specific component of the activity and try to perfect that aspect, while continually and quite actively partaking in the entire sport.  Progress was constant, and as skill grew, the mental and physical tasks integrated more and more and became thoughtless natural fluid harmony.  Gravity on snow equalled unity.  Spirit on Matter equals Bliss. Sat on Chit equals Ananda.

qBhagavan has recommended daily practice of swadhaya. the self-study of basic scripture, to drive away the tamas in the system. Read a verse of Gita each day and contemplate on it. I have practiced this for two or three weeks, choosing a verse or two from that morning's chapter, or opening the Gita to any page and selecting a verse. then memorizing the verse and carrying it all day. Perhaps writing it down during the day. When I go to work, I am constantly contemplating upon: "He who sees Me and loves Me as one in every being, without discrimination, it is always present in me, whatever may be his mode of life".

qOr: "Mind is by nature fickle, it wanders away and wavers; therefore one should always bring the mind to the Self alone."


qOr: "The sage who has brought his senses, mind and intellect under control, from whom desire, fear and anger have vanished, is liberated while living."

My Experiences While Visiting India

qI arrived in Madras with Scot and Janice Barbour around 10:00 p.m. on January 21st, where we were greeted by a few people from the ashram. There was a brief delay in the airport but soon we were on our way. We used the ashram bus which had a TV in it to watch Bhagavan's videos and to hear His tapes. Since it is an almost four hour bus ride to the ashram, we stopped for snacks and a short moment of communion with the Indian outdoor plant life, since bathrooms are not easy to find.

qArriving at the ashram put us in perfect timing for morning chanting in the old meditation hall. We were shown to our rooms by Tulsi and then we quickly headed down to chant. Bhagavan was present and did a brief interaction afterwards. By 6:30, we returned to our rooms to unpack and prepare for breakfast. The daily schedule begins at 4:30 with a rising bell, and ends after farewell chanting, about 9 pm. After chanting the 1,000 names of Vishnu, a verse of Gita is chanted and read, and if Bhagavan is there, He might do an interaction.

qA few days after our arrival, we left by train for Orissa in the North for the other ashram. It was a most natural setting and beautifully placed at the foot of the Divine Mother rock foundation and temple. The twenty hour journey passed quickly. Traveling with Bhagavan is a rare privilege. After arriving in Bhubaneswar, we were taken in cars to the ashram where we were greeted by Subash, who is the manager there. He has one of the purest Hearts for Divine I have ever witnessed. The ashram was all decorated for Bhagavan's arrival and for the Foundation Day celebration. We were all assigned our rooms, where there were dirt floors and sheets over the doors. We slept with mosquito nets for obvious reasons. Meals were eaten in the dining area on the floor with the food spread on banana leaves. We ate Indian fashion, with fingers, not utensils. We had one day of rain, which made for damp conditions in our rooms. Men came in with a long stick to push the rain off the cloth tops so it would not drip onto our bedding.

qOne of the days there, they performed puja, which lasted for four hours. On the Foundation Day, there was a big ceremony. Subash spoke, Boumaa (Bhagavan’s wife) spoke, Maa spoke and Bhagavan spoke. Many people from the village came, including men, women and children, who sat in different places around the area. After the ceremony, all the people were fed a meal. Approximately 2,000 people came, including school children. Giant pots were used to make the rice and the people all sat outside the ashram gate to eat.

qThe story of this ashram is wonderful. Apparently, there were a few boys in the village who would not behave. The parents all became worried and someone contacted Bhagavan. They were willing to offer Him the property of the ashram, who some believe was cursed, if He would do something to turn these boys around. Bhagavan taught them how to chant and how to serve. The boys turned around and now continue to work at His ashram and the village was very happy to see the change in the boys.

qWe left the Orissa ashram but stayed in Bhubaneswar a few more days. Several of us stayed in the guest house, which is near the office where they print the Orissa journal and near Boumaa’s house, where we went for our meals. One day, Bhagavan's daughter, Mikey, took some of us to town for lunch and shopping. She is 17 so we were treated to teen girl enthusiasm. We also spent a day at the Sun God Temple, which is not far away, and we went to Puri, which is on the coast. The beaches in India are not like the California coast but still the water is beautiful. There were many items for sale right on the sand, including camel rides.

qWhen we left Orissa, we traveled farther south to a school that Maa's sister runs. Bhagavan had not been there for 12 years. Everyone was very happy to see him and many people from the community came to hear him speak. Children performed dances, there was music and more speeches. It was very well received. We stayed there three days. It was another long train ride to Madras but it did pass quickly. Arriving back at the ashram was wonderful but we were weary travelers.

qA trip was planned for Pondicherry a few days later. I had heard a great deal about Pondicherry from others, but until I saw that beautiful color of the water in the Bay of Bengal, I didn't know how charming Pondicherry would be! The Seaside Guest House is on the water's edge. It has air conditioning, a nice restaurant area and a balcony overlooking the sea. Maa took us to the samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It was a transforming place. People were in silence and a beautiful and powerful presence of the two spiritual masters was felt. The area is beautifully maintained and organized. They have lovely gardens inside where the bodies are buried. People lay their hands and their heads on the flowers and pray or meditate there. To just sit in the area is remarkable.

qThe Mother's room can only be entered on her birthday, February 21st and on her death day in November, but Maa was able to get us in to Sri Aurobindo's room. We walked up the stairs and sat in his room for a time with other people. We saw his famous chair and his bed. It is apparently just as he left it. You could feel the energy, power and force of Him and it was most uplifting. Maa also took us one evening to the playground where the Mother would reinforce the need for physical activity through sports. Groups of people have a set time there where they work out in a line. There is a leader with a microphone and they do what they are instructed to do. After they are finished, everyone on the sides fill in close with blankets to sit on and meditate on the sand. Over the loud speaker, a voice like the Mother's reads from the Mother Book. It was quite a moving experience! We also had time to do our own things, which took me by the water to sit and contemplate life and the Mother's work. So powerful is Her presence there! We headed back after we finished our time at their ashram and returned in time for dinner back at our ashram.On another trip to Pondicherry we saw an elephant giving blessings if you put a coin in its trunk for the trainer. If the elephant liked your energy, he gave you a blessing by patting your head with his trunk!

qThe time flew by and soon I was down to my last two days. Many things all happened at once and before I knew it, people were repacking my things after stuffing 100 of the new books into my luggage to bring back to the US. There was barely time to complete all the packing and then Bhagavan did a farewell ceremony for me in the meditation hall with chanting and a Gita reading. I was given a picture of Shiva and once the ceremony ended it seemed like I was gone in a shot! Soon the ashram disappeared from sight with everyone wearing white and waving goodbye! Quite the flashing image!

qNow the luggage is put away, the Indian clothes are all in one place and the remaining rupees are ready for the next trip. The spiritual value of the five weeks has yet to be fully processed, understood or comprehended. All I honestly know is the depth and purpose of this mission is the most beautiful, important, life changing event one could hope to be a part of to offer TRUTH, LIGHT and MEANING to one's life and ultimately, through greater surrender to the universal soul within, to Humanity. Bhagavan is remarkable on all levels that He functions on and what He is manifesting is truly amazing.

qWhat a true and blessed gift this glorious trip was and how grateful I was that He invited me to go to India, just four days after I graduated from UNR in January. The timing, the awareness, His Grace and presence and the opportunity to see Him in that context changed everything. I will always be grateful to Bhagavan and His glorious movement for Manifesting Divine on Earth. It was truly worth each moment!