Another Sojourn..

Yet another time, and still quest for more. Had a thrilling 5 days at the Bangalore ashram this June. This time of the year all kinds of emotions, feelings, sensations belch out. And this time it was even more.

Approaching the Kanakpura road, the ashram, was as inciting as it was when I visited it the first time. It still seemed as if it was the way to heaven. Those smiling faces, those judgment free minds, those ready-to-comfort you eyes are a perfect way to welcome someone to a dreamland. So full of love is everything that one instantly becomes one of them. Coming back to your nature becomes easy. I don’t understand how my heart allows me to come back from there.

I got my housing card made and quickened to the yagnshala for Guru darshan. The voice so cloying and the vibes so strong, that I realized the discourse is going in Kannada only after a few minutes, and also that I was sitting just next to B&D. Immediately after the satsang I had a close darshan of Guru g just outside the satsang arena. My day was already more than made. Met the Chandigarh Yes plus gang sooner and was lucky enough to have a much needed long kriya break in the BadriVaishala, was good enough to connect me more to that beautiful present and make it look even more fulfilling. The gang grew bigger and interesting with new people catching up every here and there in the ashram- the vivacious Ankita (ankiteshwari), the cheerful Meenaaaksi, the ever elegant Vinayshree, the cutie Shreshta, the newly weds, Amitesh bhaiya and Tanu di were all around. Slept off with a contended breathe just to wake up eagerly to the early morning chants of Rudra Abhishek with Gurudev.

Annapurna was a big dorm and I had an interesting neighborhood to my bed- a girl from Kolkota, working with Accenture in Bangalore who was flashing a broad smile throughout. She was my partner for the next day Saadhna in VM. A one and half hours long Rudra pooja seemed to last for only 5 minutes- so powerfully it took us all present there into its magnanimity. Where the day starts like that, you have nothing more left to desire from the day that remains. But a lot more was awaiting. It was Vinay’s birthday, his devotion in its full capacity and he made us stand the entire noon in front of the Ganga Kutir path to wait for Guru g’s arrival. The devotion was so loud that it was impossible for Guru g to disappoint him. Soon Sri Sri followed and gifted him a red rose, the most befitting birthday gift he could have asked for. All those hungry souls were soon invited inside the VM to attend another 1 hour journey with the almighty himself. A soothing 50 minute meditation bound us more to ourselves, making us more free birds, stretching the length of those smiles even more. Mehak joined me that evening in the ashram and in true sense was a soulful mate for the rest of the stay. We utilized our chance to be allowed to communicate that evening with a long chat session, deserving enough pre-silence ;) So fulfilling and contended can exchange of words make you feel sometimes. It is interesting to see how you always want an assurance of certain things and that is what a true mate does- at the end, I believe, both of us could discriminate better and faster.

With 900 people meditating together, you feel altogether on a different planet indeed. The next four days were into the course, into that oneness, into that love. And as Gurudev said in one of the talks, being in love is not sufficient. You want to continue it forever, for lifetime, till your last breathe. That love with everything around is what is special and binds one, yet making you feel so free…!

Some things stay a little more and so will this sojourn.

PS: Wrote this 2 months back. Just posted now.

PPS: To Vinay, Lots more to come. Stay tuned :p

PPPS: Congrats to our lovely Amitesh bhaiya and Tanu di..I got hold of a beautiful pic of them..Have a look !

Lot of love

Jai Gurudev !

Bhanu

Navratri 2009

I remember my sankalpa at last year Navratri festival in Ashram, which was to come back for next Navratri. I realized it happen only when I entered the Art of Living International Ashram for Navratri 2009 and was welcomed into the Ashram by Dinesh da himself. He said, "so you have come!!!! Take your accommodation and come back in the evening for Satsang."

Navratri was fresh and fulsome, making me boast of having experienced the larger than life stuff for the first time again. Guru g was so differently mesmerizing and yet with that resembling serenity and smile. It is the best time of the year when you get to spend so much time with him and listen to him through that silence. You understand why religion has its importance. You know that why your mom used to make your visit to the temple so compulsory. Performing rituals is perfect when done with devotion. It is a method to show devotion and also, to increase it.


Meenakshi made a perfect debut in my life. She is one of her type- my companion for Navratri Puja’s this year. She was not a VIP, but yes, self-designated (!) and I had the privilege to enjoy those benefits in her company. "The Secret" very rightly talks about the law of attraction- the kind of thoughts you entertain more, the similar starts happening to you. There was only one thing on her mind- to be as near to Guru g in person which included sitting in the front row and following his car closely. It really did not matter if we entered early or late inside the yagnashala. We were always in the front row. If early, we gave credit it to our commitment, skill and in case late, it was Guru grace and will. And when the later made a hustle bustle around, everyone was made to understand these reasons. As a result, we were partner in the “goal bliss, push rest” crime :D I am one kind of a person who would relish Guru g even from a distance. My mind didn't ever gave me a chance to think of these other possibilities. Thanks to Meenakshi, I got a direct experience. Being in the first row, watching the Puja's so closely was so ecstatic and made it a better happening.

This time, we got accommodation in Chattravas, 2-3 minutes to the Sumeru Mantap, and neighbouring to the Shakti Kutir. And unlike when in Khodays, we could now reach the Yagnshala well before time and leave as late as possible (listening to those late night Guru stories ). Not forgetting to mention the fun in Dormitory where all the 50 ladies added more to the fun and devotion. I must say, aunties are aunties. There is only one type and Ekta Kapoor rightly shows that :D We also tried hands at Dandiya, which is a very different and not so easy dance form. Also, we did some interesting Natya Yoga. It re-kindled the creativity within. I re-realized what I am missing in life. I wanted to be innocent immediately. I wanted to go back, learn classical music, guitar and also do a Sri Sri Yoga TTC. All this excitement and life in me was coz of the teacher, Ganga g's last day performance! Artists are so much more closer to life and living it so clearly with there hearts. Indeed.


The more you know, you come to know that "you do not know"
The more you know that "you do not know", the more you come to know !

PS: I was to club 3-4 posts to 1. But writing about Navratri brought my emotions out. So the rest in next posts. I will try to be emotional in them and make them big :D
PS: To the fans of my blog :D, sorry for delay