Divine Eaglet (Jennifer): Namastey!
Today is a good day to check the status of your wings. Are your feathers growing? Are the muscles needed to keep you in flight (Yama, Niyama, Abhyasa, Iccha Shakti, etc.) being used and built up? Is your beak pointed up or down? Have you forgotten your mother eaglet and the nest as you battle the treacherous wind currents of the world, or do you keep a golden Sutra (tread-link) between yourself and the guru-nest? If you fall too far, that golden link could snap so be careful -always keep yourself within striking distance - a letter here, a letter there, a card - a post card - an email (I am alive) will keep the connecting wire intact, so the Guru-Shakti can flow (it needs some medium over which to move). Do you, at least once a day, remember the Guru - his teachings - and the teachings of all the Rishis who have gone before him - with gratitude and respect? Without that grateful remembrance, all the teachings will evaporate in the hot, desert sun of self-absorbed egotism. Be careful, full of care, both inwardly and outwardly. Remember to remember what you have been taught. That is why I have always said “Teach if you want to learn” teaching will remind you of what you know, what you should be doing. It will help you to remain on the path in the air, flying high, and will also pull you up if you get dangerously close to the rocks. It is your safety wire as you walk the tight rope of your existence, this link to the guru. It is not easy, but is is not impossible. Don’t take the guru spirit for granted. The Christian God in the old Bible said, “God will not forever wrestle with the soul of man” even Guru will let go of the student who forgets to remember. Remember Yoga. Remember Union. Remember the Higher Life. Remember your Sadhana. At least say AUM with sincerity once a day. Don’t Sink. Swim. As Lord Krishna says “By his own Self, is the man lifted up” and again, “One’s own self is one’s best friend; one’s own self is one’s worst enemy”. Seek Satsangha. Company of the good. If you cannot find it in living people, get it from books. The Gita, the Yoga Sutra, the Upanishad, in spiritual literature. Don’t become a spiritual thrill seeker, running from here to there. You should stay in one spot, within your own inner self, and dig deep. Don’t worry. Be happy. Be in touch with us. Don’t get so far away that you fall out of touch. Try to return to the Ashram whenever you can. There will always be something going on the first three weeks of February, like the Yantra Course. You can always drop in at any part in the six-month course. You can attend the Yoga Festival January 4th to 7th. Find any excuse to come back. It is in coming back that your roots will be nourished. It is not so difficult anymore in these days of cheap flights. If you want to, you can. If you don’t want to, you won’t. That is the 108th Law of Spiritual Thermo-Dynamics. Have you discovered it yet? Any excuse is good enough if you don’t want to do it. Most of the batch are in good contact. A few are apparently flapping their wings so furiously, they are not able to put quill (feather) to ink. Some are in excellent contact and I feel their presence intensely (they are here psychically). Some have fallen a bit away and I feel their absence. Each and every one of you hand crafted souls is dear to me - to the Guru spirit. Swamiji’s teaching was never of the assembly-line, mass production variety. Each and every student was hand made. So be careful with yourself, someone cares for you and has profound interest in your spiritual growth.
Your six months here was indeed an initiation. Initiation basically comes from the word ignite Ignite means to start (not o finish) to get going, to set on fire. Now, whether once started, you keep going is entirely dependent on you - I set you on fire. Now, you must keep it going - you must - feed it - watch it - don’t let it go out! We have shown you the path, you must walk it. We have pointed our finger at the moon and shown you where it is. Now you must look at it (not at the finger). We have led you to water but you must drink it. You nave been chosen by the Guru, but you must choose the Guru. Every moment, every day, you choose the guru by thought, work and deed. You choose the higher or the lower life. Even by 9am each morning, you have already lived several life times. Be aware! Beware! All that said, we are happy and busy. A ten-day course with five students is going on led by Nalini-Devasana is in last ‘count down to delivery’ about first week of September. Dhivya Priya’s presence is so strong, sometimes it is frightening. Construction is going on at City Centre. We are building a new meditation Kutir-Mandapam in back garden. The Big Book is nearly completed. We prepare for 37th Annual Yoga Teacher Training Course on October 2nd with 15 students from USA, Canada, Holland, UK, Australia, Taiwan, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Alaska (Yes!).
Hariharan and Patrizia will be married on September 6. We will have three married couples with us this year (Hurrah) Hariharan and Nalini will assist with the course this year. Yoga Festival will be January 4h to 7th - Yantra Course from February 4th to 17th. Ananda is working in Auroville as doctor of their Village Health Project (part time four days a week, half days). See small report in the September YOGA LIFE. He sees 40 patients each half day so is gathering good clinical experience. We will be giving the annual dance drama on August 13 - celebration of 99th Jayanthi of Swamiji - this year it is Dasavathara, the Ten Incarnations of the Lord. Once the October course begins I give my attention and strength for the new chicks-eaglets so the summer flurry of letters to all the old eaglets may subside. But, I will not forget you, never forget you, cannot forget you, each and every one. You may forget me (The Guru Spirit), but the Guru can never, shall never, will never forget.
Today August 4th, 2005, was Amavasya, or new Moon Day, in Adi Masam in the Tamil calendar which is particularly sacred to Shakti (Devi). This also happens to be the Samadhi Day Aardhana, day on which a saintly person leaves his / her body for two of the Gurus of the Paramparai of the Sri Kambliswamy Madam lineage. Ananda and I and a small band of devotees of the Madam performed the traditional Guru Puja for Shri Ambalavana Swamigal, the second Guru after Sri Kambliswamy and indeed, the Guru who founded the Samadhi site by first installing a Lingam over the grave of Sri Kambliswamy more than 130 years ago. Sri Ambalavana Swamigal himself is also placed in Samadhi, right under the small Nandi in front of the Lingam of Sri Kambliswamy, thus waiting in attendance eternally for his Master. The second Swami who also left his body on this day in the mid 1960’s was Shri Subramanya Swamiji, whose Samadhi was constructed by Swami Gitananda in the shape of the yellow square of Muladhara Chakra. Shri Subramanya Swami is the one who built the Mantapam over the Shrine to Shri Kambliswamy. Ananda and I had a very sweet and sensitive time offering all the sacred materials to these important personages in our lives - cleansing materials, fruits, curd, milk, honey, jaggery, dates, banana, sandal paste, rose water, coconut water, and at last, the great symbol of the essence of all material manifestation- Vibhuthi (which literally means Siddhi - power - shining beauty) which is holy ash - the great sacred substance which remains when desire is burned out when the third eye of Shiva - Shiva Netra - is activated!
For students who have joined us for the summer ten-day course, two from Australia, one from Israel, one from India and of course Dr. Nalini Devi who is here now with us also participating along with two French ladies taking the special ten-day lesson with Lalitha from the City Center. About 50 persons witnessed the ceremony in a quiet joy, along with the two old Swamiji’s - Ramaswamy and Ganesh Swami - who sang the Thevaram (traditional Tamil Shaivite hymns) during the ceremonies.
But the best part of the morning which started with preparatory Puja at 7am, and went on to the Abhisheham 9am to 12:30pm, followed by a community lunch, was the planting of three new peepal trees under the 400 year old sacred tree on the east side of the Madam. The old tree has died to about 3/4 quarter of its strength, so to give it life again after some of its branches crashed down - we broke the Mandala and put fresh, nourished soil around it. Into that fresh soil, we planted three young baby trees in appropriate corners - The young giving strength to the old. How happy I felt, for this is the natural order of things, the young support and nourish the old and reinforce their work. When we finished, all muddy and happy I spontaneously declared, “The earth now has three more trees.” Somehow, the thought felt deeply significant. I could not contain it and had to express it.
I have been contemplating a lot the precarious state of our lovely planet for several years. Last year that took form as our Dance Drama on the Pancha Maha Bhutas. The five Great Elements of Nature - earth, air, fire, water and ether) three months later our south eastern coast was stuck by the tsunami. I like to feel, though it may not be true, that our Dance Drama which was in essence a prayer to the great elements pacified mother Earth’s anger somewhat and saved us from damage.
Recently I have decided not to use plastic bags or bottles anymore, at least, not to accept any new ones. I take my own cotton bag shopping and try to buy items only in glass bottles - this is difficult as plastic is so insidiously convenient and ubiquitous but at least it is a small gesture.
And now today, we have planted three new trees, which may live at least 400 years. It does gladden my heart. They will grow with Dhivya Priya and her little brother and I hope will protect them and the lovely planet on which they have chosen to incarnate in such dangerous times.
Be well! Be happy! Don’t worry! Be conscious! Grow and glow! We wish you all our very best for Yogic illumination every moment of your life.
Affectionately yours in Yoga,
AMMA
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