From the very beginning of the “Be in the Temple” satsangs in March 2020 and long past the final satsang some five months later, Siddha Yoga parents around the world have been sending to the SYDA Foundation wonderful stories of how their children were able to engage with Gurumayi and with the Siddha Yoga practices in these satsangs. There have been shares as well from teenagers and young adults who offered seva in these historical live stream video satsangs from the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in Shree Muktananda Ashram—and who often did so by connecting via live video stream from their homes in locations all over the world.
This precious learning by young Siddha Yogis—the very formation of the Siddha Yoga legacy—is conveyed in the pages of “Be in the Temple IV” as a way for you to experience how significant these satsangs truly were. These satsangs were an amazing opportunity for the children and young people to be in the sacred environment of the Universal Hall and to engage in sadhana, making exponential gains in their experience and understanding. Gurumayi has said that what we learn as children, we remember all our lives.
In the “Be in the Temple” satsangs, young children were relating to Gurumayi and to Bade Baba—whose murti was a hallmark of every satsang—and they were also hearing the Siddha Yoga teachings. Children, teens, and young adults were learning how to recite sacred texts, to chant namasankirtanas, to make offerings of their skills and talents, to perform arati, to pray.
“Be in the Temple IV” includes some of the musical performances by young Siddha Yogis in the satsangs as well as clips from the satsangs of young people speaking about their offerings of seva.
The learning circle that happens between the younger and older generations of Siddha Yogis has always fascinated me. We all learn from each other. In my experience with my own children, I have found deep wisdom in the simplicity of their observations.
Many times after the “Be in the Temple” satsangs, I would ask my sons—six-year-old Jīvan and three-year-old Leonardo—“What is your experience?” Usually, they would speak about things they’d observed that I hadn’t even noticed. Like the beautiful forms engraved in the watermelons and the amazing mangoes and vividly colored fruit juices, all sitting around the Bade Baba murti as offerings. Like the various lamps waved during Jyota se Jyota Jagao—lamps with three, nine, or eleven burning wicks on them. (While we were singing, the boys were counting the flames.)
The boys’ observations brought into focus for me the beauty and dedication to detail that is involved in worship, in puja—and they reminded me how in each moment of my own life I want to be offering to the world my best and most beautiful Self.
Seeing through the eyes of my children also refreshed my own experience of the satsangs. I found delight in hearing about the details I had missed—and it reminded me to keep my mind in the present moment so that I am better able to participate fully in life.
I became aware that the experiences my sons were having by participating in the “Be in the Temple” satsangs were forming more than just a collection of memories. This is how my children are learning to walk the Siddha Yoga path. With every chant, every share, each practice, they are building their sadhana.
In one satsang during the arati, my son Jīvan recalled something I’d once shared with him about when I offered music seva and played the big drum in the prelude to the arati in Shree Muktananda Ashram. I had told him that as a music sevite, I was taught to repeat the phrase “My… mind… is… Shiva” while playing the big drum, in order to keep the drumbeat accurate and precise. When Jīvan heard the arati for the first time in this particular “Be in the Temple” satsang, he was thrilled to hear that the drumbeat perfectly matched the words “My… mind… is… Shiva.” Right away he started to repeat the phrase and play the beat on his own chest as if he himself were drumming in the Temple for Bade Baba. And for him, he was.
I invite you to explore the stories and shares in “Be in the Temple IV” and to thereby witness the joy of wide-eyed discovery. By experiencing these extraordinary satsangs through the eyes of children and young people, you can gain greater enthusiasm for your own sadhana—and take heart that the future will be in good hands.