April 1, 2019
Dear readers,
With the advent of April, the season of spring sweeps over the Northern Hemisphere. Our sadhana has been enriched and filled with fresh energy as we have immersed ourselves in the study of Gurumayi’s Message this year.
In Sweet Surprise 2019, Gurumayi refers to the benefits of a positive mind. In this month, I invite you to look for fresh ways in which your mind can recognize, embrace, and touch its own effulgent nature. When you approach each moment with this awareness, you will recognize the grace of a positive mind. It may be a moment when inexplicable joy arises within you, or you feel an upsurge of pure love in your heart, or you feel enveloped with peace and goodwill toward others.
The gems this month on the Siddha Yoga path website shine with wisdom to help you uncover the mind’s luminous nature. As you navigate the website throughout this month, you will find:
- The Meditation Session for this month, which is entitled Shepherd the Mind toward Its Own Light. It will be available first as a live audio stream and then via webcast.
- “Sadhana and the Refined Intellect”— an exposition by Swami Akhandananda, which shows ways for the mind to be better attuned to the light of the Self.
- New “Stories on Gurumayi’s Message for 2019” written by Eesha Sardesai
- A collection of bhajans, abhangas, and dohe (couplets) by the poet-saints of India, expounding the significance of the sacred mantra So’ham
- Worksheets 10-13 in the Workbook on Gurumayi’s Message. Exploring the questions from Gurumayi in these worksheets is a powerful way to understand the workings of your own mind and to learn ways to guide the mind back to its own splendor.
On the Siddha Yoga path, celebrations become potent reminders of the presence of the Truth in our lives. The month of April also presents many occasions for us to celebrate. There are two holidays that I wish to speak to you about.
In India, April 6 marks the beginning of Chaitra, the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar. This New Year’s Day is celebrated as Gudhi Padva in the state of Maharashtra. Festivities abound, with street processions, sumptuous feasts, and homes decorated with bright and colorful rangolis. Another New Year’s Day, another auspicious occasion for us to renew our commitment to sadhana.
Additionally, Earth Day, on April 22, is dedicated to honoring and appreciating the bounty of our glorious planet Earth.
When I behold the tall, shady trees or the majestic mountains or the flowing rivers, when I perceive this exquisite beauty, a delicious stillness descends upon my mind. I become aware of my mind’s radiance. I wrote this couplet as a way to express what this moment is like for me, and I wish to share these lines with you.
कुदरत के हर नज़ारे में देखा है जब-जब इशारा तेरा
तेरी नेमतों से ज़िन्दगी गुलज़ार नज़र आती है
When I glimpse your glory in every spectacle of nature,
I see my life abloom with your gifts.
Respectfully,
Garima Borwankar
P.S. Click here to see the transliteration and meaning of Hindi-Urdu words in this letter.