The glowing participants from the heavenly satsang were entering the Amrit Café and receiving Gurumayi’s prasad with great delight. We were overjoyed to see that Gurumayi was sitting on one of the three benches by the windows that overlook the courtyard. Gurumayi called to me and asked me to invite Tarun bhai and Manju didi to join her, because they had traveled all the way from Gurudev Siddha Peeth to celebrate Gurumayi’s Birthday and convey the love and gratitude of her devotees in India.
I greeted the two Trustees at the entrance to the Amrit Café and extended Gurumayi’s loving invitation. Looking as if they were on cloud nine, they quickened their pace to be with Gurumayi. They then followed Gurumayi’s direction to take their seats on another bench.
My heart was so touched to watch how they approached Gurumayi and expressed their love and joy at seeing their Guru again. For me, experiencing their profound respect and devotion for Gurumayi was like reading a living scripture. I felt there was so much for me to learn from these two amazing people, who are well established in their own professional lives, yet make time to serve their Guru in leadership roles. They had accepted the auspicious responsibility to carry the longing, prayers, and good wishes of countless devotees in India to offer at Gurumayi’s feet. Tremendous gratitude welled up inside me for the Siddha Yoga path and for sevites like Manju didi and Tarun bhai. Since I have had the good fortune of offering seva in Gurudev Siddha Peeth, in that moment I felt as if I were sitting in Guru Chowk watching Gurumayi giving darshan to all her devotees in that sacred abode.
Manju didi and Tarun bhai did not need any more prompting—they immediately pulled out their cellphones. Tarun bhai reached Anand Parikh, a Trustee of Gurudev Siddha Peeth. Tarun bhai shared with Anand bhai that we were with Gurumayi and asked him if he was in the Yajna Mandap. He said, “I am walking towards the Mandap and I’ll be there in a few moments.” Once Anand bhai entered the Yajna Mandap, Tarun bhai asked him to place his cellphone on speakerphone so that all the sevites in the Mandap could hear Gurumayi’s voice.
Gurumayi said, “Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay! ” Everyone in the Mandap responded with a jubilant “Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay! ” Hearing their outburst of elation and love, Gurumayi and all of us in the Amrit Café laughed joyfully. I could only imagine what it was like in the Mandap when the Gurukula students and visiting sevites heard Gurumayi’s voice and realized they had this golden opportunity to converse with their beloved Guru. I felt so blessed to be part of this Guru-disciple connection that was taking place through space and time, even as it transcended both. Most definitely, for me, Gurumayi looked even more ecstatic (if I can say that!)—her love was filling the hearts of these sevites who had been offering a great amount of seva preparing for Gurumayi’s Birthday Celebration.
One of the sevites said, “Gurumayi, we all remember you a lot!”
Gurumayi said, “I think of you too, all the time. Please do convey lots and lots and lots of love from me to everyone you see.”
Everyone in the Mandap cheered. We could hear in their voices that they were over the moon to be invited to share Gurumayi’s message of love to all those who were not physically present in the Mandap.
Gurumayi also said, “Manju didi told me that she brought many birthday gifts from all of you.”
Everyone in the Mandap replied, “Yes!” and applauded heartily.
Sevites from different departments in Gurudev Siddha Peeth shared with Gurumayi about the plans for the Birthday Celebration and the beauty of the Ashram during monsoon season.
As the conversation began to conclude, the Gurukula students and visiting sevites in Gurudev Siddha Peeth called out together, “Happy birthday, Gurumayi! Janmadin mubarak, Gurumayi ji! Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay! ”
This “connection phone call” concluded with a reverberating “Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay! ” from Gurumayi and everyone in the Amrit Café.
After the call with Gurudev Siddha Peeth, Gurumayi stood up and walked toward the Lower Lobby. A few of us followed. Gurumayi asked us, “Is the moon out yet?”
One of the sevites went outside to check, and returned to report that indeed the moon was visible. Gurumayi walked out the front entrance of the Anugraha building to have the darshan of the moon. We all joined Gurumayi outside to behold the beauty of the moon. The night air was balmy, with the fresh scent of the earth, which had been bathed by the summer showers. There above the Ashram the exquisite bright white half-moon shimmered among the stars.
Having darshan of the radiant moon with Gurumayi on this day of days was nectarean. All evening we were fortunate to breathe in the same scintillating air with Gurumayi. What a blessed celebration, in step with the heavenly beat! The heavenly bodies were illumining Shree Muktananda Ashram, Gurudev Siddha Peeth, and the global Siddha Yoga sangham, just as Gurumayi’s love illumines the hearts of all her devotees. I felt that the love blazing in the hearts of all Gurumayi’s devotees must surely be lighting up the entire world.
The night felt so divinely young—and my moist heart spontaneously began to hum the melody of a song written by a Siddha Yogi, “Oh My Gurumayi”: 
What can you say, what can you say
But blessed, blessed am I.
Om Guru,
Oh my Guru,
Oh my Gurumayi.
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