In 1999, I had the great fortune to receive
darshan of our beloved Gurumayi ji. While I was waiting in the
darshan line, like Gopi I was wishing for Gurumayi ji to smile at me and acknowledge my presence.
When I came before her, she turned her head to face another direction. I was disappointed and decided to join the
darshan line once again. The second time I came before Gurumayi, the same thing happened. She turned her head away from me, but this time, she held up two fingers, as if she was telling me that she knew this was my second time coming up for her
darshan!
Tears of joy started flowing. At that very moment, I accepted Gurumayi as my Guru, as someone who knows me deeply. Over the past twenty-one years, I have witnessed a great transformation in myself.
Reading Gopi’s experience, I am filled with love knowing that the same transforming love and guidance that was there in 1980 with Baba was there for me with Gurumayi ji.
Pune, India
This honest and humble sharing is a revelation for me about self-worth. It has helped me, in the midst of struggles around my own self-esteem, to realize that I'm all right as I am. I don't need to feel inadequate, nor do I need to impress others. To paraphrase Baba, “God dwells within me as
me!”—just as I am.
New Malden, United Kingdom
What a beautiful way to start my day, reading this story that expresses so clearly how the wisdom Gopi received from Baba forty years ago continues to support and guide her today!
Baba's guidance to Gopi, "Please yourself first. Then everyone will be pleased with you," is such a helpful reminder for me to continue to make the Siddha Yoga teachings my own, as Gurumayi always encourages us to do. By doing so, I live with integrity and I can keep things simple and true.
It is wonderful to read how Gopi has valued the Guru's precious words and, by doing so, is able to share Baba's teaching with all of us forty years later.
South Yarra, Australia
This is a great experience that I can totally relate to. Every time I am pulled by an expectation of any kind toward others or the Guru, such as wanting to be acknowledged for something I have done, my expectation wouldn't be fulfilled. Then I could start seeing the mental tendency that was pulling me away from the truth of the moment.
The moment I can actually recognize this teaching in such a situation, so much grace comes to me, and with that grace come understanding and surrender.
Milan, Italy
This story holds so many treasures for me! I am inspired by the way Gopi followed her feelings of disquiet to arrive at a clear vision of the truth, and by the way she embraced that inner revelation.
And, most significantly, I feel blessed now—as she was then—to receive Baba’s assurance that when I please myself, everyone is pleased.
Hampton, Australia
I am grateful for this beautiful share of Gopi’s
darshan with Baba and the golden teaching he gave her. I recognize in it my own tendency to want to impress or please others. I have been contemplating a recent experience with a friend where I wanted to embellish my childhood experiences. Therefore, I especially appreciated receiving this teaching from Baba. I plan to let it guide me in those times when my go-to tendency to want to please others comes up.
Colorado, United States
This story is what I needed to hear today! I've been puzzled by a personal and professional question, and this beautiful sharing helped me to find the way to solve the question. Listening carefully to Gopi’s words opened up a world of love inside me and melted my heart.
I am grateful to Baba for reaching out to us nowadays with his timeless teachings.
Rome, Italy
I am grateful to Gopi for her courage and forthright sharing of her experience.
I had a similar need to please others for many years. I had the mistaken understanding that pleasing others made me worthy.
This caused me much confusion and turmoil. Finally, during a visit to the Ashram, I got the courage to submit a question about this problem to Baba to answer during a question-and-answer
satsang. I was offering
seva in the dining hall during the
satsang, and there was a TV monitor set up. When I heard my question posed, I looked intently at the screen. Immediately, the camera zoomed in on Baba’s face, and through his glasses, I saw him looking right at me! He said, very matter-of-factly, “Do not worry about others; please yourself.” And as if to say, “Are you listening?” Baba tapped his microphone for emphasis!
Baba's words profoundly affected me. A shift took place within me that day. A deep feeling of worthiness established itself in me that is still with me.
Colorado, United States
Baba gave me his most unforgettable
darshan on the day of his
mahasamadhi. When I got the call that Baba had taken
mahasamadhi, I felt orphaned. I could only think of offering flowers to his picture on my
puja, so I rushed out to get a bouquet. As I ran back in to offer the flowers, Baba’s incomparable belly laugh-chuckle resounded in the room, and he entered my heart in a flash of light. I felt he was saying that he had not gone away, but had come even closer. His presence has been so strong these last few days; the experience feels like that unforgettable
darshan all over again.
Massachusetts, United States
I am grateful for this lovely experience which contains tender insight and connects me to the light and love the Guru brings to our
sadhana.
Ravenna, Italy
This story resonated with me so deeply! Reading it, I recalled times in my life when I did things in order to please someone else, be it a teacher in school or a boss at work. Now I know that the next time I find myself doing something in order to please someone else, I will remember Gopi's share and Baba’s words to her: “Please yourself first. Then everyone will be pleased with you.”
Ghazibad, India