Gurumayi shared a story during the satsang about a seven-year-old child. This child was visiting Shree Muktananda Ashram with her parents, who had come to offer seva. She promptly asked them, “Have you booked darshan with Gurumayi?”
We all laughed with Gurumayi when she recounted this story. Gurumayi said, “I liked hearing that one too. We are definitely in a new, new world.”
And then she said: “Why not, right? Just book it. Darshan may happen at any time. Why not book it?”
As can often happen to me when I’m in satsang with Gurumayi, I had several thoughts come up at once. Several feelings, and colors, and images. I was touched by the little girl’s wish to receive darshan. I was amused by her manner of expressing it. Most of all, I was moved by Gurumayi’s response—“Why not?”
What the child said was, yes, funny and sweet and endearing. At the same time, I felt that Gurumayi was responding to this child with total understanding. I felt that she was recognizing the child’s longing, and she was treating that longing with the utmost care and seriousness.
It is worth noting that this child is seven years old. Her entire life has taken place within the context of a highly digitized world, one that places a premium on efficiency and convenience. “A new, new world,” as Gurumayi described it. A world in which we can come into possession of most things we want with just a few taps of our fingers. Viewed with this lens, the little girl’s choice of words was entirely logical. She was using the vocabulary she was familiar with—the language she had heard from the adults in her life—to articulate and obtain what it was she wanted.
This, however, brings up an intriguing question. What was it that she wanted? A few days after Mahashivaratri, I was speaking with Gurumayi, and I shared with her how delightful I’d found this particular moment of the satsang to be. Gurumayi told me that, at the time this child had expressed her wish, she had yet to receive Gurumayi’s darshan in person. It was not an experience that she’d had before. While she may have heard about in-person darshan from her parents, she herself did not have any reference for being in the physical presence of the Guru.
Yet somehow, she knew that she wanted darshan. So what did darshan mean to her? Why was receiving Gurumayi’s darshan so important to her? What did she envision darshan would be like? How did she imagine it would feel to be with Gurumayi, to talk to Gurumayi? What did she grasp, even subconsciously, about the transformative power of being in the Guru’s presence? She’d had seven years—for her, a whole lifetime—to build up her longing. What intuitive understanding of darshan did she already have?
I have heard Gurumayi speak before about how young children, especially, are close to God. I have understood this to mean that they are not yet so removed from the source that they, and that we all, have come from. Perhaps, in this little girl’s longing for darshan—for an experience that was, on one level, unknown to her—there was an innate recognition. The kind of recognition we might have, for example, when we are standing before a great and majestic mountain, or beholding the silver-blue rush of a waterfall. The recognition that is sparked by the dance of a flame, or flung open in our hearts by the vast expanse of ocean and sky. It is a recognition of oneness, of coming home, of encountering that to which we have always belonged.
Both words that this child used—booked and darshan—are fascinating to consider, especially given this backstory. Of course, I was laughing along with everyone else at her truly adorable choice to put these words together. What a concept, right? That we can “book” darshan just as we might book any other, more mundane thing? That we can receive something as precious, as exalted as darshan “on demand”?
As I mentioned before, however, Gurumayi responded by saying, “Why not?” She gave such credence to this little girl’s idea. That made me pause. And then I asked myself the same question: “Why not? Why can’t we make it a point to receive darshan when we wish to?”
Now, we may not be able to “book” darshan of Gurumayi in person. Being in the physical presence of the Guru does not work like that. But darshan itself, darshan as a spiritual practice, can work like that. It does work like that. Gurumayi teaches us that darshan takes place in the heart. We can experience the presence of the Guru in all its resplendence right here, right now. We don’t need to go anywhere to access this experience.
There’s a beautiful bhajan by the poet-saint Kabir that Gurumayi has sung many times in satsang. It is about this very subject. In the bhajan, Kabir Sahib speaks from the perspective of God and the Guru. He says:
O my dear one, where is it that you are searching for me? I am with you. I am close to you. I reside in your heart.1
The poet-saint elaborates on the point later in the bhajan, explaining that “he” does not truly live in a temple, in a mosque, in a holy city, or on a sacred mountain. He does not live in places of pilgrimage. Rather, he is to be encountered in one’s faith and in one’s own heart.
During the satsang on Mahashivaratri, I felt that we were practicing this wisdom. I wrote previously about how the mantra Om Namah Shivaya is a form of Lord Shiva. By chanting the mantra, we were, in fact, receiving the Lord’s darshan. We were in the presence of Mahadeva, the great Lord. We had come before the Adi Guru, the primordial Guru. And we were opening ourselves to the experience of God, the Guru, and the Self being one.
One of the many reasons I love reading your comments on the Siddha Yoga path website is that you often share about how you perceive the presence of the Guru, wherever it is that you are in the world. Recently, a Siddha Yogi from Konolfingen, Switzerland, shared this upon reading my introduction to this set of “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words”:
Days after the Mahashivaratri satsang with Gurumayi, I was overcome by a growing sense of longing to be with the outer form of the Guru, and I imagined how wonderful it must be to be in Gurumayi’s physical presence. Today, after reciting Shri Guru Gita.... I realized that Gurumayi dwells in my heart—in unity with God and my own highest Self. There is no way she could be closer to me than this!
It is an inspired, and inspiring, understanding that this Siddha Yogi has shared. I also find it to be empowering. It prompts me to ask, “What am I—what are we—going to do with this understanding, with this catalyzing knowledge that we can always experience Gurumayi’s presence in our hearts?”
I go back to what the seven-year-old child said, the unwitting wisdom couched in her memorable expression. She spoke of “booking darshan”—that is to say, scheduling it, making an appointment of sorts with the Divine. To book something requires intentionality. It requires forethought and planning. It is true (and certainly it has been my experience) that on the Siddha Yoga path, we can happen upon the Guru’s presence in our hearts without necessarily expecting it. The air around us is suddenly tinged with light; it rustles with a song we hear inside.
But we can also make a more conscious, and regular, choice to experience darshan. We do not have to wait for the proverbial light of the heavens to shine upon us. We can take the initiative. We can choose to set aside time each day to be with our Guru, to receive the Guru’s darshan in our hearts. We can make a regular appointment for it! Just think of all the appointments and events we fill our calendars with. Why not make darshan one of them? Why not make darshan the most special, and essential, appointment of all?
Last year, we examined how the nature of our lives—and their trajectory too—are determined by how we use our time. We all have our daily duties to attend to, our personal and professional obligations. We can also make decisions about our time that allow us to magnify auspiciousness, even within the existing routines of our lives.
Having said all this, I want to turn it over to you.
When you think of receiving Gurumayi’s darshan, and you are wishing to “book darshan” for yourself, what does darshan mean to you? Do you expect darshan to bear specific fruit? Or do you let the magic of darshan manifest as it will?
I want to express my gratitude for Eesha’s “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words” as the installments encourage and support me in diving deeper into the profound wisdom of Gurumayi’s words. I am familiar with the teaching that the Guru’s words are chaitanya—alive with Consciousness—and Eesha’s installments help me in accessing the Consciousness that radiates from Gurumayi’s words.
My favorite part of these installments is the questions with which each one concludes. When I make an effort to respond to these questions, I feel I travel from enjoying Eesha’s experiences and insights to recognizing my own wisdom about Shri Guru’s teachings. In this way these installments—and the questions posed in them—act as a bridge to connect me with my own inner consciousness.
New York, United States
Recently, I sat upright in order to rest because I was unwell and couldn’t sleep lying down. This happened during the Mahashivaratri holiday, and I was steeped in the mantra. I found that if I adjusted my posture, focused on the breath, and repeated the mantra, I could feel the mantra inside me, and it would take me to a place of supreme peace where my mind was still, my body was relaxed, and I could experience divine rest. I sat this way for long periods of time.
Now that I am feeling better, I still do the same practice. The change since Mahashivaratri is that I prepare for this meditative rest with more intention. With intentional preparation and focusing on Gurumayi’s love as I meditate, I come to a place inside me where I experience stillness and warmth. The feeling of love is so tangible; I know that I am receiving darshan.
Vermont, United States
Eesha’s two questions about darshan gave me pause. I never thought of myself as having expectations of darshan. I have had many experiences over the years of the magic of darshan with Gurumayi—the laughter, the surprise, the revelations.
However, I realize now that I have had expectations of darshan. I used to believe that my Guru would make my life perfect, and on my terms! I saw spiritual life as most important and the rest of my life as secondary, so I expected it to be taken care of for me.
What I learned was that the way to a whole life, a holy life, is to treat all aspects of life with reverence and consideration. Gurumayi helped me mature. Her divine glance stayed with me through times in my life when I had setbacks and challenges. Because of her grace, I made it through.
Now, with Gurumayi’s teaching about “booking darshan,” I feel she has given me permission to fully enter this new work of preparing myself to become one with Lord Shiva by finding his presence within!
Vermont, United States
Each morning when I drive my children, ages six and seven, to school, I play a few minutes of “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words” read by Eesha. In this way, we start our day listening to Gurumayi’s teachings to center us. I find this morning time particularly special as the kids are fresh and buzzing with excitement. As soon as I start the recording, they settle into the present moment and listen intently.
The drive to our school bus stop is only eight minutes from our home, so we listen for five minutes at a time. Sometimes we take the last few moments of the drive to share one thing we learned or understood.
One day, we finished the installment “Booking Darshan.” The kids said they would be making plans to “book darshan” in their hearts.
The following day, we received the incredible invitation to receive Gurumayi’s darshan in honor of my older son’s birthday the very next day! When I shared the great news with him, he exclaimed in surprise, “I booked it in my heart, and now it’s really happening.” He smiled and jumped for joy!
New York, United States
I “book darshan” when I make space to recognize my own divinity, to come into contact with my heart’s power, and to remember it and feel it.
I experience darshan in countless ways, all of which involve the intentionality of being present—from engaging with the Siddha Yoga practices, to having dreams of Gurumayi, to reflecting on the power of my past experiences, to being in nature and allowing myself to open to its stillness and vitalizing power, to connecting with others in moments of shared presence.
In such moments, my thoughts become transparent or fade away completely. A subtle yet powerful light and aliveness suffuse my perception. It’s a return home to experiencing this foundational light. I feel like I am seeing through the Guru’s eyes. Time stands still, and the purest love I know comes to the forefront. I experience this love as the core of my existence and of everything. I remember why I am alive, what I always want to experience, and what I hope to share with others.
Pennsylvania, United States
When I heard Gurumayi speaking about “booking darshan,” I thought, “What a novel approach!” I also thought, “Well, I do have darshan throughout the day, beginning in the morning when I offer puja to Gurumayi. I love to remember her throughout the day, and in those moments I feel she is with me.”
Yet, at the Siddha Yoga meditation center yesterday, when I stood in the darshan line preparing to approach the puja, I became aware of another more focused and heightened energy. I remembered all the darshans with Gurumayi I had received when she was physically present, and I became aware of my intentionality in those moments—of my deep yearning to receive her darshan.
I realized that I want to “book” future darshans with Gurumayi with the same intention and clarity, creating a more conscious approach to receiving the Guru’s darshan in my home, to honor and uphold this sacred tradition.
Washington, United States
Eesha’s installment became a powerful catalyst of awakening for me. Today when I sat with her questions, suddenly I realized that my soul had “booked” this entire lifetime for the sole (or soul) purpose of experiencing darshan!
My heart exploded with intense love as all my experiences with the Guru flooded my being. I met Gurumayi on July 4, 1991, and the first words she spoke to me were: “You just arrived?”
A casual question, wrapped in so many layers of meaning.
I’ve contemplated these words many times, and to me, they have illuminated my soul’s journey. One meaning I’ve felt deeply is that the Guru had been waiting for the right time—maybe lifetimes—for me to be ready and willing to transform.
So, what does darshan mean to me? It is a blessed point in time when the soul’s readiness meets grace. And my experience is that to fully receive the gifts imparted in darshan, I must work with it, contemplate it, and recall the experience often. Then I am never far from grace, as it inspires me to keep walking the path it shows me.
New York, United States
Recently, before I had heard the story of the child who wanted to “book darshan” with Gurumayi, I bowed one morning at my puja altar, and imagined Gurumayi touching me with her peacock feathers. I also imagined bowing to Bade Baba in the Temple and to Baba in the Samadhi Shrine in Gurudev Siddha Peeth.
After reading the shares, I realized I have been creating other little moments throughout the day when I “book darshan.” These come when I chant or meditate in the morning, when I repeat the mantra as I wash dishes or during my work, when I look at Gurumayi’s picture and have the knowledge that she is listening to me, when I talk to her before I start my day and ask her to guide me to see God in every person I meet, and when I thank her at night for her guidance and protection before I go to sleep.
Willemstad, Curaçao
This Mahashivratri, my seven-year-old niece visited Gurudev Siddha Peeth for the first time. After two days spent soaking in the transformative shakti of the Ashram, she offered a prayer stick to the sacred fire there. She wrote, “Dear Gurumayi, I really want to meet you because you love children, are kind and funny, and never give up.”
The specific words she used amazed and moved me. How did she know, after just two days, that Gurumayi never gives up on us, ever?
After reading Eesha’s reflection on “Booking Darshan,” I applied some of her questions to my niece’s prayer. Why did she really want Gurumayi’s darshan? What did she imagine being in Gurumayi’s presence would feel like?
Now that I think about it, her prayer held great clarity. She knew what she wanted and why—and a clear prayer is an answer in itself. She had already experienced Gurumayi’s darshan and her inner qualities by being in the Ashram and participating in the Ashram Daily Schedule. How else did these words and this sweet, delightful longing rise up?
London, United Kingdom
When I heard Gurumayi’s words in satsang on Mahashivaratri, I thought, “Of course, darshan can happen at any time!” I didn’t have any other thoughts about it. However, this installment on “Booking Darshan” kindled within me a huge contemplation, as did the shares from other Siddha Yogis.
First, on that morning, before I had any knowledge of Eesha’s installment, as I was contemplating my day ahead, I had the thought, “Today, I will be careful to stay in my heart.” So I was surprised and delighted to see and read the installment. For me, this was another vivid proof that Gurumayi’s shakti had been working within me, even though I didn’t consciously think about it.
Second, the fruit of my reading has so far been this understanding: “The goal of Siddha Yoga sadhana is to be one with my own Self. And that would mean to have darshan at any time, wouldn’t it? Isn’t that a kind of ‘booking darshan’?”
I am deeply grateful to Eesha for her installment. For me, this one is a sign from Gurumayi to pay attention to my heart, and one encouraging me to stay there.
Garges-lès-Gonesse, France
I have been thinking about darshan a lot since the satsang in honor of Mahashivaratri because of this delightful story that Gurumayi told. Where I live, it is easy to walk everywhere, so I spend a lot of time walking. Lately, I have been thinking of my walks as an opportunity to take a walk with Gurumayi, and this awareness of darshan has uplifted my experience of walking to one of “magnified auspiciousness.” I realized that I can invite Gurumayi to be with me at any time, in any moment, and while doing anything, and that, when I do this, I will feel a palpable shift in my awareness and a lightness of being. All I need to do is remember to “book” that experience.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
I truly love the story of the little girl who wanted to “book darshan” with Gurumayi. Young children are such beautiful teachers. Recently I have “booked darshan” with Gurumayi first thing every morning by writing and reading and repeating her Message for 2026. Memorizing is always a challenge for me, but because of my daily darshan with Gurumayi, it is becoming easier for me to remember the words of the Message. And now I experience how alive and active the Message is in my everyday life.
The little girl was right. “Booking darshan” is a necessity in sadhana.
California, United States
I am grateful for this wonderful conversation of discovery on the Siddha Yoga path website, inspired by Gurumayi’s teachings on Mahashivaratri regarding the incredible practice of the Guru’s darshan. My daily practice of darshan changed dramatically when my family was blessed with a murti of Bhagavan Nityananda. Offering Bade Baba food, flowers, lights, and fragrant baths is so very sweet and nurturing for me. It has brought our meditation room alive with grace. At times it feels like a portal has opened into the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in Shree Muktananda Ashram—Bade Baba and Gurumayi’s love, wisdom, guidance, and blessings flow so freely. We are truly blessed.
California, United States
When I am with my fellow Siddha Yogis, I often hear intriguing stories about Gurumayi. It seems that most of the people I know who practice Siddha Yoga have been with Gurumayi in person at one point or other, and I have not. At first, I felt deprived of this divine experience. However, soon I realized that, as I listen with rapt attention to the experiences of my fellow Siddha Yogis, I am able see their experiences unfold in minute detail, as if these events were taking place before my very eyes. And that is when I realized that I am receiving the Guru’s blessed darshan. I feel that Gurumayi heard my deep wish and is giving me darshan through these stories.
I also experience that I am receiving Gurumayi’s darshan through her teachings and through seeing the different ways she relates to people and circumstances. I am grateful for Gurumayi’s benevolence in giving me darshan in different ways.
Indore, India
For many years my husband and I have developed the practice of pausing on the landing of our stairs, where a very large photo of Baba is mounted in a golden frame. We gaze into Baba’s very alive eyes, let go of everything as we chant Om, and listen to the vibration. I feel Baba’s power throughout my being and feel that my state becomes one with his. My mind is “reset” and I experience a feeling that I’ve come home once again. This practice is delicious and intoxicating for me! Over time, various locations in our home have become dedicated “reset” locations. My dream is to hold this state every minute of the day and night!
After reading Eesha’s lovely commentary, I realized that, yes, I’ve been “booking darshan”!
Washington, United States
Throughout every day and into each night, I am aware of Gurumayi’s presence. I love to silently converse with her—thanking her, pointing out a beautiful moment in nature, or repeating the mantra.
I was curious about the concept of “booking darshan.” How would that be different for me? I decided to choose a time for this when, for a short while, I am usually alone. This morning, I had my first darshan appointment. It did feel different. I entered a space where Gurumayi was seated. We were surrounded by light, and the feelings I experienced were love and clarity. It seemed to be a timeless space, and it filled my heart. I emerged energized and happy. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s “booking.”
Hampton, Australia
I too felt touched by the innocence and purity reflected in the story of the seven-year-old girl who asked her parents whether darshan had already been “booked,” and by Gurumayi’s intriguing question, “Why not?”
After reading Eesha’s exposition on it, I realized that in a very specific way, I have been receiving Gurumayi’s darshan every day. I have even “booked” it on my calendar. Each morning at 7:00 a.m., my calendar entry reads: “Kundalini Stavaha.” At that time, I play and recite the beautiful recording of this sacred text, which is available through the Siddha Yoga Bookstore and as a digital recording. There are four tracks: first, Gurumayi sings the exquisite invocation and exaltation of Shri Kundalini; then an audio translation; then an accompaniment track with piano and flute when it is my turn to chant; and finally, an assimilation track for silent self-reflection.
Through this daily practice of studying, chanting, and reflecting on the experience provided by Kundalini Stavaha, I plan for and have darshan of the Guru’s unwavering presence in my heart, and her blessings, every day.
New York, United States
I recently had an experience of making a conscious effort to “magnify auspiciousness,” which led to an experience of darshan of the Lord. My husband and I hiked to the top of a beautiful hill upon which stood a majestic, old oak tree. We spent some time enjoying the sweeping views and then were planning to hike back down.
But I felt a longing to experience something more. So I suggested we pause and connect more deeply. I nestled myself in the fold of some low branches of the oak tree. The sun was setting, and we began to recite the Surya Gayatri mantra. As we recited, I truly felt I was having darshan of the Lord. It seemed like there was a beam of light from the sun shining directly onto me.
I realized that because I had paused and made this effort to have darshan, God’s presence had become so palpable, as though it were directly reaching toward me and I was experiencing it within my being. As I reflected on the experience, I felt “This is ‘magnifying auspiciousness’!”
California, United States
My “appointment” for darshan comes each morning as I enter meditation. I mentally ask Gurumayi what my focus for meditation should be for that day, and I hear Gurumayi’s voice inwardly guiding me to a particular focus. As I follow Gurumayi’s guidance and begin to focus on the mantra, the breath, the inner column of light, or another focus, I begin to feel that I am merging with Gurumayi, that we are one loving consciousness. Often, I am so filled with gratitude that I mentally place my head at the Guru’s feet. It feels like I am having Gurumayi’s physical darshan.
Massachusetts, United States
For me, darshan is to be in the presence of the divine and to experience the divinity, love, grace, and compassion of my Shri Gurumayi.
It is so beautiful to schedule darshan every day and have personal time with my sweet Guru. I can offer her garlands, delicious meals, fruits, sweets, dakshina. I can also offer puja and arati, offer pranam and sit at her feet, and listen to what she wants to tell me for the day.
After receiving her blessings, I can carry on my day with joy and happiness, approaching what is presented before me with enthusiasm and fresh energy. At the end of the day, expressing my heartfelt gratitude and wishing Gurumayi a good night bring a smile to my being.
Oakville, Canada
Like that seven-year-old girl, I too have never had Gurumayi ji’s physical darshan; I only heard stories about it from my father. For a long time, I believed that having the physical presence of the Guru in one’s life was very important. Because of that belief, a thought often arose within me: Why am I unable to receive the darshan of Gurumayi?
This question had been swirling in my mind for a few days. Then today when I opened the website, I read “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words: Booking Darshan,” and somehow it felt as if Gurumayi ji knew exactly what I had been thinking and what was going on in my mind—and she answered my question.
I had never imagined looking at darshan from this perspective: to find the Guru’s presence within the heart. At that moment, something within me opened to a new dimension. I realized that this very darshan, which I once believed could only mean the physical presence of the Guru, can also be experienced within the heart at every moment.
Wardha, India
For a long time now, I have made it a habit to think of God and the Guru before falling asleep in the warm, dark silence of my bedroom. It is my intention and my goal to feel and experience the presence of my Guru and God. In the broadest sense, I could say that I “book” a regular appointment.
I often begin by expressing my gratitude. Sometimes I begin by offering flowers, or I simply remember a moment when I met Gurumayi in person. But I always open my heart and let it breathe. It is a very sacred time for me, which I look forward to every evening and prepare for through prior meditation to purify and calm my mind.
Konolfingen, Switzerland
Eesha’s invitation to contemplate “booking darshan” connects me to my deepest longings. I came to my first Shaktipat Intensive with one wish, “To see the beauty of my own soul.” I have no idea where this phrase arose from, but even as I write it now, tears spring to my eyes.
I arrived at Shree Muktananda Ashram late at night and, after registering, I went outside to catch the shuttle, all the while repeating inwardly, “I just want to see the beauty of my own soul.”
The August air was humid and warm as I stepped out into the night, and right then, Gurumayi rounded the corner driving a golf cart and looked right at me. Her gaze pierced me, and that was all I needed.
Off she sped, and I stood there, tears streaming down my cheeks, full of my own beauty, full of God, full of the Guru. With that one glance, everything happened. I was home. When I consider it now, the tears of recognition are the same—darshan in my own heart.
Massachusetts, United States
I loved this piece about “booking darshan” and its questions at the end. On reflection, I realized I sometimes “book darshan” unconsciously. This happened recently as I kept dipping into Gurumayi’s books, searching for a teaching to bring into the satsang on her Message for 2026 that we are planning to hold in the Siddha Yoga meditation center. The search kept me reading more and more deeply, saturating myself in the Guru’s words.
That night I had a dream in which I was experiencing darshan with Gurumayi. I was sitting in a grassy place in her presence. We were still, and I felt bathed in her love and a feeling of acceptance.
A dream like this is a rare gift, and a great blessing. Suddenly I realized I had “booked” it through my immersion in Gurumayi’s teachings. This enabled me to answer the question about what darshan means to me—it is coming so close to my Guru that I become one with her. This was the gift of my offering of seva, and it brought a feeling of deep peace and contentment.
Auckland, New Zealand
Listening to Eesha’s words, I found myself feeling open and tender as I recognized the truth in what she was speaking about.
Over the past nine months, my experience of darshan has changed since it was pointed out to me that we come before the Guru to “receive” the Guru’s darshan. There was something about the word receive that opened me to a whole new experience of darshan.
I now go before my puja altar, or Gurumayi’s chair in the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Sydney, with no expectation other than an unwavering knowing that I am receiving Gurumayi’s darshan in my heart. My experience has been that I am filled with qualities such as peace, light, divine confidence, love, warmth, or bliss. I have noticed that the gift of darshan blesses my day as I am able to share my state with others as I go about my day.
I look forward to setting aside additional times during the day to receive the Guru’s darshan. Reading and listening to “Booking Darshan” has kindled my longing to deepen my practice of receiving darshan.
Sydney, Australia
When Gurumayi told this story, I remembered an experience from the first time I visited Gurudev Siddha Peeth in 1983. At this time, you could actually “book” a darshan with Gurumayi! There was a little notebook in the office where you could write your name under a particular day.
I waited at the back of Baba’s house after lunch with five other people. One by one we were called in to Baba’s house to have darshan with Gurumayi. I was so nervous, but Gurumayi showered me with love.
She asked me, “Do you love yourself?” I said, “Sometimes, Gurumayi.” She said “Love yourself all the time… and don’t worry.” I gazed into her eyes—they seemed to go on into infinity, and I felt the same space expand within me. I felt so full.
Whenever I recall this darshan, I receive the experience of it again. It feels like part of me. So, when I think of “booking darshan” with Gurumayi, I know that my longing will be heard and answered.
Leichhardt, Australia
I experienced a feeling of melting into Gurumayi’s heart-presence while listening to this loving “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words” tonight. In this melting, there seemed to be one powerful and loving inner awareness—and the magic of darshan was able to manifest.
I also absolutely love the freedom to “book” darshan and make darshan a practice! What a great freedom this is, and I plan to explore it!
Florida, United States
The child inquiring about a darshan booking was very sweet, and I, like others, laughed. Later it occurred to me that we all had a booking to be in the presence of beloved Gurumayi in the Siddha Yoga Universal Hall, and we have another wonderful booking coming in April. “Why not?” indeed!
Woollamia, Australia
Knowing I can “book” darshan with Gurumayi any time I go within, I wish to embrace this knowledge by making time for meditation, and to approach all the Siddha Yoga practices with the exuberance and innocence of the seven-year-old girl whom Eesha writes of in her “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words.”
