May 1, 2019
Dear readers,
On the Siddha Yoga path, May is Baba’s Month. Shri Gurumayi has dedicated it to her beloved Guru, Baba Muktananda, who traveled the world imparting the teachings of Siddha Yoga.
In this month of Baba’s birthday, as we celebrate his life, Gurumayi encourages us to watch for signs of Baba—in nature, in our meditation experiences, and in thoughts, feelings, or inspirations that unexpectedly come to us during the day. I invite you to hold this awareness during the month and see what unfolds for you. Discovering signs of Baba is a way to connect with and experience his benevolent, constant presence. Such signs inspire us to pursue our sadhana with enthusiasm.
In her Message, Gurumayi gives us specific means to avidly pursue and further our sadhana. During Sweet Surprise 2019, she emphasizes the import of “right effort“ and repeated practice in gently coaxing the mind to turn toward its own light. Gurumayi elucidates for us what right effort is in sadhana and teaches us that through our steady practice, by continuing to make the right kind of effort, we come to experience the luster of our own mind.
So this month, return to Gurumayi’s Message and refresh your memory of how Gurumayi teaches about “right effort.” Then, as you go about your day, at various moments you can ask yourself, “What is the right effort I can make at this time?”
In 2019, we have been engaging with Gurumayi’s Message repeatedly through the enriching posts on the Siddha Yoga path website. Along with the new Stories on Gurumayi’s Message and the Multiple Participation Packages for Sweet Surprise 2019, this month the website will also feature:
- Siddha Yoga Audio Satsang in Celebration of Baba Muktananda’s Birthday: The Mind. Each May we celebrate Baba Muktananda’s birthday with a Siddha Yoga Audio Satsang. This satsang will be available from May 1 until May 31 via webcast. It is also available on selected dates in May in Siddha Yoga Ashrams and meditation centers around the globe.
- Fiftieth anniversary of the day Baba started writing his spiritual autobiography, Play of Consciousness. Out of his enormous generosity and compassion, on May 12, 1969, Baba ji began to write this account of his own sadhana, which continues to transform the lives of thousands of seekers around the world.
- Worksheets 14-17 in the Workbook on Gurumayi’s Message.
- Scriptural texts will enhance your study of Gurumayi’s Message. Among these you will find verses from Shri Bhagavad Gita. Gurumayi quotes from this scripture in her Message talk and has designated it as the scripture for our study in 2019.
- Meditation Session V, entitled: The Breath Is the Pathfinder. Gurumayi has specifically chosen the title for each of these meditation sessions. They give us a means to revitalize our efforts in sadhana.
Baba’s lunar birthday falls on May 18 this year, the day of the full moon in the Hindu lunar month of Vaishakha. Each year in Baba’s month we follow the waxing moon as it reaches its fullness in different parts of the world. Read the invitation to send your photos of Baba’s moon from wherever you are!
Mother’s Day will be observed in many parts of the world on Sunday, May 12. It is a day to honor mothers who are the nurturing force in our lives, and to celebrate the infinite love, patience, and perseverance that they show in caring for their children. In her Message Gurumayi teaches us that these are the same qualities we can bring to bear on our sadhana.
How delightful it is to continue our sadhana through our active engagement with Gurumayi’s Message!
Through the ages, poet-saints have generously shared their wisdom, encouraging us to follow the path of sadhana to know God. I leave you with one such inspiring doha, or couplet, from the sixteenth-century poet-saint Rahim in Mughal India.
एकै साधे सब सधै, सब साधे सब जाय ।
रहिमन मूलहिं सींचिबो, फूलै-फलै अघाय ॥
Rahim says,
With one-pointed focus, when you tend to one task then all other tasks surely will bear fruit.
When you water the roots of a tree, it flourishes and sprouts leaves, bearing a bounty of blossoms and fruits.
Respectfully,
Garima Borwankar
P.S. Click here to see the transliteration and meaning of the Hindi couplet in this letter.