As we all stood and prepared our bodies for the chant, Gurumayi asked the children, “What is your favorite chant?”
The children did not hesitate in responding to Gurumayi’s sweet request.
One young child exclaimed, “Fast Om Namah Shivaya.” Another excitedly shared, “Om Namo Bhagavate!”
Most children called out, “Jyota!” and “Arati!”
Gurumayi said, “Beautiful! They are also my favorites. So we will first chant
Om Namah Shivaya and then Om Namo Bhagavate Muktanandaya. And then we will be singing the Arati.”
Gurumayi asked the musicians to begin humming to prepare our voices for the nectar of chanting. We then chanted Om Namah Shivaya in the Yaman Kalyan raga and Om Namo Bhagavate Muktanandaya in the Bhakti raga.
Each child participated in the chant with complete focus and great exuberance.
Each adult participant was absorbed in the power of the Name. We saw tears of joy trickling down many of their glowing faces.
As the showers of rain blanketed the gardens of Shree Muktananda Ashram, chanting with Gurumayi gave us the experience of unity, of being held in God’s embrace.
Following the chant, we sang Jyota se Jyota Jagao, the children’s all-time favorite.
Everyone took their seats following the Arati. As always, this is the moment when participants experience profound stillness in their own beings and recognize their own divinity. Their hearts are full and they give themselves full permission to relish the sweetness of this love. We could experience the entire satsang hall pulsating as one heartbeat, in the silence of the atmosphere created by chanting with Gurumayi in her presence.
After a few moments of quiet, Gurumayi said, “Awesome. Extraordinary. Fantastic. Stupendous. Creative. Wunderbar. Beautiful. Did that cover everything Swami ji said?”