A Temple Without Form
~ Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Design Concept by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
Read by Isabelle Anderson, Kunti Fanjul, Luke Janaka Dunk, Manisha Huedepohl, Alexander Denniston,
Manasi Jain, Jivan Panchapakesan, Pedro Sá Moraes, Rishabh Dedhia, and Saroj del Duca.
Designer: Karan Singh Bhullar
Two years ago, I spent a month offering seva at Gurudev Siddha Peeth. It was my first time there during August—the month of Bade Baba’s punyatithi—and the experience was profound. During my stay, I often felt drawn to visit Bade Baba’s Temple in the village of Ganeshpuri.
One day, I bought a flower garland as an offering. When it was placed around Bade Baba’s murti by the priest, I experienced Bade Baba’s powerful presence and felt that he accepted my offering as devotion. That moment left me speechless. I realized how blessed I have been to walk the Siddha Yoga path, to be there in the Temple, and to experience Bade Baba’s presence so vividly. I sat, soaking in the connection and the sacred atmosphere.
Now, reading Gurumayi’s poem, I am reminded of this special darshan and of Bade Baba’s presence everywhere—in the sun, the fields, the trees. In such moments, his divine presence fills my heart with light and brings deep reassurance that everything is perfect as it is.
Gottmadingen, Germany
Breathe in, breathe out, the fragrance of the wet grass.
Golden rays perform gracious dances in exquisite choreographies throughout the warm atmosphere.
Steady and content as a tree, I stand here
in “A Temple Without Form.”
Here is where I stand, admire, and feel.
Blessed by the sound of nature, I embrace grace.
Rome, Italy
Many years ago, when I was about to embark on my first hatha-yoga teacher training, I was blessed with a weeklong immersion in the Self through Bade Baba’s grace.
I was living across the road from the ocean, surrounded by a beautiful, lush tropical forest. I saw Bade Baba everywhere! His face was in the clouds and sky; his legs were the tree trunks; he would whisper to me through the sound of the leaves blowing in the wind. I felt I could understand what the birds were singing about and why. Every living being I came across had its own vibration that I could both feel and see. I saw absolute beauty in everything.
I was given this incredible experience, filled with God’s glory, all while living my daily life. On occasion, Bade Baba would say to me, “Look up.” Years later when I revisited Gurudev Siddha Peeth, upon walking into the courtyard, I was immediately greeted by the great statue of Bhagavan Nityananda with his finger pointing upwards, as if saying, “Look up!”
Perth, Australia
It was just the other day that I was contemplating Bade Baba’s teaching “Be calm. I am everywhere.” Then this morning as I listened to Gurumayi’s poem “A Temple Without Form,” it immediately reconnected me with my experience of Bade Baba’s teaching. As I listened and visualized each element in nature that Gurumayi mentions, I could feel Bade Baba’s breath pulsating within each description.
I have never experienced such calmness within, as though I were in a different space or time. Holding on to this experience, I felt reassured that Bade Baba is always with me, no matter what!
Nairobi, Kenya
What an ecstatic morning I’ve had! I was visualizing myself in Bhagavan Nityananda’s Temple as Gurumayi was offering puja to him. The experience was so loving and so beautiful. My heart was on fire—and then I came to the Siddha Yoga path website and read Gurumayi’s poem. To me, the Siddha Yoga path is truly exceptional; it is filled with the Guru’s prasad!
Arizona, United States
A gentle, steady rain fell this morning as I walked in an enhanced state of being. A sense of aliveness, beauty, wonder, reverence, and grace permeated me and the space all around me. I offered an inner pranam to Bade Baba, recognizing that what I experienced as nature is Bade Baba.
Bellbrae, Australia
On the day before Bade Bada’s Solar Punyatithi, I woke up to the melodious sound of three Australian magpies singing as they sat in a tree right in front of my bedroom window. As I was listening to their beautiful song, I experienced a stream of golden light emanating from my heart. This light engulfed my whole being and my room, and I felt a deep sense of bliss.
Soon after this experience, I sat in my meditation room and read Gurumayi’s poem “A Temple Without Form.” I then recognized that I had indeed received Bade Baba’s darshan and, as Gurumayi teaches in her poem, I had had an “experience of the Heart energy” through “the beauty of nature.”
I plan to keep returning to this experience so that I may go deeper inside the temple of the Heart.
Coburg, Victoria, Australia
I was out for a walk by myself today and wanted to offer a prayer in memory of my mother. My mind went to Bade Baba ji, and I remembered Gurumayi’s poem that teaches “The universe is his Temple.”
Right away I opened the Shri Avadhuta Stotram on the Siddha Yoga path website, and started chanting it in my mind. Then, as I was walking, I offered my pranam to the leaves on the trees and saw Bade Baba ji’s smile in the sun. It was a beautiful walk honoring my mother.
I felt deep contentment and so much gratitude to Gurumayi ji.
New Jersey, United States
I love Gurumayi’s poem. It reflects the way I primarily connect with Bade Baba and with God.
When I am in nature, the trees, the leaves, the sun, the water, and the mountains all connect me to my heart. I can see the movement of the shakti in the leaves, in the birds and rabbits, in shrubs. In this way, nature speaks to me and draws me deep within my being. I always come home feeling so peaceful and content.
This poem shows me that I am following the Siddha Yoga path in the way I live my life. This awareness is supportive and comforting. I truly love trees. I love the water and the mountains. I love nature as much as I love people. It’s all the body of God for me. I feel so grateful.
Washington, United States
In that sacred space, my mind spontaneously turned inward. I felt as though countless karmic impressions in my subconscious were being washed away, leaving behind a sense of profound peace and an abundance of love. This experience remains etched in my memory, a testament to the transformative power of divine grace. Gurumayi’s poem serves as a beautiful reminder of that experience and the lasting impact of Bade Baba’s presence in my life.
Yamuna Nagar, India
When the storm subsided, a magical silence descended. There was no wind and no rain; everything seemed to stand still. I gazed into the freshly washed forest and experienced the radiant and lush nectar of peace.
Later, when I read Gurumayi’s poem, “A Temple Without Form,” I felt like I was opening a treasure trove of beauty. It confirmed for me that I really had had the darshan of Bade Baba earlier.
Konolfingen, Switzerland
From that day on, I began to have inner visions of Bade Baba. For example, a familiar photo of him would appear during my meditation—except that Bade Baba was fully alive in that picture, as if I’d been there when it was taken. Sometimes a large murti of him, made of the purest gold, would emerge in my inner vision, or I would simply see one of his hands or his long, bare legs and feet.
He would also visit my dreams from time to time. In one of those dreams, he graciously offered me a great recommendation, which became a strong support for my sadhana. He simply told me, with great love: “Have faith!”
Laval, Canada
Vapi, India
California, United States
I’ve never had the still, small voice within communicate so clearly with me as it did tonight. I heard: “Nature is an interconnected ecosystem. Every plant and animal has its function within that system, and that describes our Heart. We are all connected and each of us has our role to play.”
And thanks to our Gurus’ grace, we can fulfill our role in the highest way, reveling in the bliss of the Heart.
Oregon, United States
This lasted for a very long time and I felt that I was part of my surroundings, like a jigsaw puzzle when all the pieces fit together. Previously, I had sometimes felt alienated from the world which I inhabited, but after this experience this sense of dislocation was gone—never to return.
Illinois, United States
The first three of these lines recall for me my experience of how fullness of the heart brings me fulfillment in contentment, and the fourth line calls forth my experience of gratitude in befriending the mind, which helps me to regain equanimity and experience the Self.
No matter how many times Gurumayi guides me with utmost patience, I am always awed by the immensity of her gifts.
California, United States
I ended this day in great contentment by having Bade Baba’s darshan in a brilliant, glowing moon.
Warrnambool, Australia
I especially noticed the word untrammeled. The initial feeling of expansiveness that this word gave me, thanks to its basic meaning of “unhindered” or “unlimited,” impelled me to look it up in my dictionary. I learned that the English word is derived from a Late Latin word tremaculum, referring to a net composed of three layers, used to catch fish (by hindering or constraining them). That etymology reminded me of something being beyond three spots—because there is no spot where God is not—and beyond the limitations we experience from the three gunas, or fundamental qualities of nature: tamas, rajas, and sattva.
So when Gurumayi writes, “Know the untrammeled terrain of the Heart,” her words give me great joy, carrying me to a feeling of ecstasy from the Guru’s infinite love—always there, always protecting me, always guiding me.
I am so grateful.
California, United States
Rosendahl, Germany
Plasencia, Spain
Suddenly it rose into a clearing, the clouds scattered, and the full, golden moon was revealed. It seemed as if it had stopped moving and was just shining its full light—on me!
I was basking in gratitude to be receiving the moon’s light when I realized I was also having the Guru’s darshan! Reflecting on this experience in light of this beautiful poem, I feel that the moon was the Guru blessing me over and over again in the night.
Massachusetts, United States
Today, Gurumayi’s poem inviting us to “Enter his Temple in nature” was prasad for me.
I feel thankful and open to continue receiving auspicious blessings and love as I move forward in my life with gratitude and delight.
Hawaii, United States
When I arrived at the Temple’s main entrance, there were so many flower vendors that I went looking for another entrance. But when I tried to enter, I was stopped by a strange and invisible force!
This strong presence took form of a huge letter “A,” while an inner voice told me, “I am the A of amitié, of friendship.” I knew then that Bade Baba was talking directly to my Self! Simultaneously, I was overwhelmed by this beautiful feeling of oneness and love, as if I’d finally been invited to meet with a very old friend I hadn’t visited for ages! What a strange, marvelous, and awesome feeling this was! As I sat for Bade Baba’s darshan, I felt I was merging into a sea of love.
As I read Gurumayi’s beautiful and profound poem, each word rang a bell in my heart, and will surely guide me further in my sadhana.
Pau, France
As I continued to hold onto the knowledge of Bade Baba’s presence in nature, I increasingly experienced divine Consciousness connecting me with all of nature, and making its own presence felt powerfully in my heart.
Today, when I finished reading Gurumayi’s words, “Your heart / Will be / Content,” I realized with deep gratitude that this has become my reality. My heart is indeed filled with contentment and love—and deep gratitude for the Guru’s bountiful, powerful, loving grace that has made this my reality.
Maryland, United States
And yet I sometimes get distracted by another sweet flower and flit away from that nectar. Still, whenever I return to drink again of his deep eternal sweetness, his heart is always there—always loving, always welcoming, always forgiving.
This is what I yearn for. And yet it can be hard for me to stay and realize that this wonderful Heart is my own Self. So I will flit, but each time I will return to stay a little longer—until I dissolve into the loveliness of this open-hearted love.
Kingscliff, Australia
In August, with its golden sunshine, I feel Bade Baba’s presence reflected in everything. He is always there in every month, but I experience his presence even more strongly in this golden month.
Hampton Hill, United Kingdom
Indeed, that is exactly what happened. I had only recently discovered the Siddha Yoga path, and this path did become the foundation of my life. I now live in gratitude.
Connecticut, United States
I have always loved this poem, and over these days it has been my companion. The breathtaking beauty of a leaf, or the way the sunlight pierces the canopy of trees and dances on the surface of a river are in themselves a song of pure joy. Instructed by Gurumayi’s words, I have known these moments and all the many other instances to be something even more divine.
I know that I have entered Bade Baba’s Temple. I am receiving darshan of the great Heart. What a profound blessing this true knowledge is!
Cairns, Australia
This morning, listening to the poem being read with different voices, each bringing a unique rasa, my being again experienced silence and a quiet joy. What a sublime gift! What an exquisite way to enter the Heart! I am grateful to Gurumayi for guiding me ever more fully into that space.
Maryborough, Australia
Nairobi, Kenya
Gurumayi says, “To immerse yourself in Bade Baba’s darshan / through the beauty of nature / is to meditate with the eyes open / This meditation gives you the darshan of the Heart.” These words, too, feel like prasad, and they express exactly what I have been feeling.
Minnesota, United States
That terrain may seem like a faraway land from this worldly life, from my uncertain shore. But now, my perception has cleared up completely and I can see my Guru’s mahaprasad, her great gift, offering me liberation with such openhanded, incredible generosity! In every teaching, in every bit of remembrance of my Guru abides the bridge to liberation.
Milan, Italy
Once a week I go swimming in the ocean even though it is winter here and the water is cold. Immersing myself in the sea and focusing on the sensations of nature—waves, wetness, sun, sky, birds, thunderclouds—this is so blissful that it feels life-changing. I experience being face-to-face with God, as though Gurumayi, Baba, and Bade Baba are all around me. It is blissful, peaceful, and invigorating; it is love.
I am grateful for this beautiful poem and for the opportunity to experience God in nature.
Melbourne, Australia
The Houghton, South Africa
As I read Gurumayi’s poem, I was brought back to that beautiful experience. I realized once again that Bade Baba is indeed in me. And, as Gurumayi says here, I feel that he speaks to me through every “speck” of nature.
California, United States
When I look at a picture of Bade Baba, or when I think about him, my heart is filled with love. Love is the one thing that my heart wants to experience: true love, pure love, everlasting love, divine love—the Guru’s love.
I experience that my own true nature is love. My heart is content because the Guru is opening the door to my own true nature.
Thun, Switzerland
These last days, Europe has been plagued with a wave of heat and there had not been a drop of rain. Eventually, yesterday evening we had thunder and flashes of lightning carrying on all evening and all night.
When a flash of thunder lit my room like daylight, I then understood Gurumayi’s poem. I had had an argument with my parents and became aware of the essence of our problem and how to sort it out. I felt that Bade Baba, in the form of thunder and lightning, had shown me a previously hidden and crucial element of our relationship.
I offer my thanks to Bade Baba for watching over me. And I offer my thanks for showing me the way.
Paris, France
During these thirty years, Bhagavan Nityananda and the precious Temple that Gurumayi has tended with her own infinite love and devotion have remained alive in my heart and provided me with an inner space of profound refuge. Indeed, when I go to my heart and “roam,” I find the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple there and a stream of profound experiences that I look forward to when I meditate.
I am grateful to Bhagavan Nityananda for his generous darshan and for teaching me how to make my world into a temple.
Illinois, United States
Sydney, Australia
I experience that A Temple without Form is a cascade of Gurumayi’s and Bade Baba’s blessings for all beings on this earth and for the entire universe.
New York, United States
I felt chills run through my body as I read this. I resonated with Bade Baba’s words:
I understood that nature is a manifestation of this most sacred place. This is what I experience when I look at the natural world through “the eye of the heart.”
I am grateful to Gurumayi for her teachings and constant reminders of the Truth. We are blessed indeed by her grace!
North Carolina, United States
Indore, India
The phrase that always touches my heart is “Despite human ignorance, Nature endures.”
It touches me at the core of my being, reminding me that humans can connect with nature and with God, and that we can realize who we truly are.
New Mexico, United States
Arizona, United States
Texas, United States