Yesterday devotees around the world celebrated the anniversary of the mahasamadhi of Paramhansa Yogananda. Peter Goering gave the talk at Sunday Service and read God’s Boatman from Whisper’s from Eternity, by Paramhansa Yogananda. An excerpt from that poem is on the photo of the stars at the end of this post. I am always deeply moved when I hear or read that poem. To imagine a love so great that the guru would return for us if need be a trillion times…
The day was lovely here. We have been having alot of rain and a little snow. But, it was sunny so walking across the meadow to and from The Expanding Light was a real treat. The meadow is green and the light was very pleasing and warm. Peter’s talk focused on the life of Yogananda, but he began with the story of the miracles that surrounded Master’s conscious exit from his body. There were stories of his meeting with his first disciple in America, Dr. Lewis, and of his mission to bring the practical and timeless teachings of the East to the West. The whole talk was delightful and I hope you can listen to it.
After service there was an Indian Banquet hosted by The Expanding Light and created by Julius Dass and Jyoti Spearin. They were assisted by some very happy helpers. And the food? Amazing!! I want the recipe. Everyone seemed to completely enjoy visiting and lingering over the satisfying meal.
Later in the evening, again at The Expanding Light, we prayed and chanted: Sri Guru Deva Aum, Sri Guru Deva Amen. The chant has been in my head the whole day.
Swami Kriyananda’s play, Jewel in the Lotus, was performed and the temple walls seemed to melt away as we were transported to the future. The play is set 200 years from now at the time Master said he would return to the Himalayas and gather up his disciples to meditate and find liberation in the mountains. I was not alone in wiping away tears as the actors brought their roles to life and were transformed by the main character, The Storyteller. Swamiji wrote this play with a perfect blend of humor, timeless wisdom and depth and made the journey we are all on toward liberation seem so real. The vibration of the room at the end of the play is always so high – I am pretty sure everyone there was ready to leave everything to go live on Lotus Mountain with the Master.
When I got home, I noticed that the stars were so brilliant in the sky. I set up my camera to take a photo. I had to leave the shutter open for about a minute or two to get the stars to register, and even in that amount of time you can see that the “stars moved” and appeared as little streaks. It was very quiet while I waited and I thought back over the day.
Peter talked about the yugas. And I tried to feel that even in the amount of time it took me to take my star picture the earth was rotating very steadily toward a new dawn, and also within our solar system the earth is moving steadily toward the center of the universe and a higher age. Yogananda’s life coincided with the transition of a lower age toward a higher age. And guess what? We are all a part of this steady progression toward higher consciousness and light. It is not always easy. But, we have the great good fortune to have a God Realized guru to lead the way, and he will never give up on us. He will come back for us a trillion times, but we have been blessed with teachings that will help us to quicken our journey. We have the great good fortune to be here and part of this great adventure that will take us toward liberation.
Jai Guru! May the Master Bless us all. I am posting a teeny video with an excerpt from one of my favorite songs, O Master. It was sung at Sunday Service.
