Shanti Mai

First, happy Republic Day to all Indians!

Next, Shanti Mai. I went to my second satsang (gathering of people to listen to a guru) on Tuesday, the 24th. My first, with Prem Baba, was on the Sunday, and I needed a couple days to recover emotionally. Shanti Mai is an American, easier to relate to, and seemingly more down to earth. Well, relatively. Again, we were in a large sunny room, with a few less people than at Prem Baba (a little under a hundred, I'd say). The process was similar: seated chanting, rise when she enters, second chant with her, listen to her speak, chant to close the gathering, rise as she leaves. She is a beautiful, lively, animated woman, 61 years of age, who speaks mostly about the immense potential that exists within each and every one of us. It was of course a very inspirational, motivational and empowering talk. Less heavy than Prem Baba's. But again, "coincidentally", she spoke about things that really hit home for me. People like her and Prem Baba have the incredible ability to read multiple (or even all) the energies present in the room, and everyone, at one point, will feel that the speaker is addressing them personally. Early in her talk, she spoke about what an incredible opportunity it is to have one's ashes put into the Ganges. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have some of my beautiful grand-maman's ashes with me here in India. She had asked that her ashes be spread in oceans around the world, because of how much she loved water. While I will certainly respect this wish, I now also feel a strong desire to put some of her ashes into the magical Ganga (which, of course, flows into the ocean). Later in her talk, Shanti Mai spoke about the loss of one's mother. While my emotions had been under control during most of the lecture, they broke free at this point. Tears began to flow quite strongly as she explained that we never really lose the people we lose. A couple days earlier, my mother's dear friend, Joanne, sent me this reminder in an e-mail: "I don't think you'll have to look far to find Joy--she's right inside you!" With Shanti Mai and Joanne in mind, I have been able to sense my mother's presence within me more strongly than ever before. Thank you Joanne, thank you Shanti Mai. (http://mindbook.ws/profile/ShantiMai?xg_source=activity)
Last night, the daily Trika lecture was on Karma Yoga. Oufff! What a topic. It would take much too long to address it properly in this post, but I greatly look forward to discussing it in depth with those I will see when I return to Canada. A little anecdote in relation to it... Almost every day since my arrival in Rishikesh, I've walked into "downtown" to use internet. On my way, I always encountered a hunchbacked, skinny-legged, cane-holding beggar who would point at, and sometimes lightly grab onto, a wooly, orange, Tibetan shawl I bought on my second or third day here to keep warm. I've had it wrapped around me almost constantly every day. This man was different from some of the other beggars. He would smile as he approached, rather than act sternly or aggressively. After a few days of walking past him, returning the smile, but shaking my head as I continued on my way, I thought, "If I understand this man's actions correctly, and he really does want or need a shawl, maybe I should lead him to the stall where I bought mine, ask him what color he likes (by pointing, of course, because  of the language barrier - which I'm slowly working on) and buy him one." Then, a day or two later, a lecture at Trika was given on one of the niyamas: aparigraha (non-attachment). So I started thinking about why I wanted to buy the man a new blanket instead of simply giving him the one I had. Well, because I really liked the one I had chosen; it had been on me for a week straight, it was part of my experience here, and, I was attached to it. Last night was the lecture on Karma Yoga, and today, having the aparigraha and karma  lectures in mind, as I was on my way to town for internet and saw the man, as I knew I would, he walked towards me, smiled, pointed at and touched my shawl, and this time, with love and compassion, I handed the shawl to him. His smile widened into an ear-to-ear grin, his eyes became blurry, and he reached up and rested his hand on my shoulder. Wow, what an incredible and indescribable sensation. Then I put my hand on his shoulder, smiled warmly, and walked on.
I decided to share this story today, not because I want praise or recognition for my action, but because I want to encourage all those who are reading this blog to perform one random act of kindness today. It doesn't matter what it is, how big or how small, just something. And try, if you can, to do it not because I'm asking you to or because it will give you gratification, but simply because you feel in your heart that it is the right thing to do. Wait for the right moment, you will know when it's time...
With that, I will head back out into the streets to see the parades and festivities in celebration of India's constitution and independence :)
I would like to end with something that Cindy (my wonderful yoga teacher for the past three years) would often end the class by sharing with us, and which I think fits beautifully with what Shanti Mai had to say:
I honor the place in you where the entire universe dwells; I honor the place in you which is of love, and light, and truth, and peace; and when you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are all one.