Gurumayi’s words have inspired me to reflect on some of the ways that my concepts and habits block my experience of the Truth. As I have contemplated this excerpt, I have seen that I have a habit of worrying, especially about my children. I tend to have a certain concept of what their lives should be like, rather than accepting that they have their own destinies and their own perfect paths, quite apart from my concepts.
Reflecting on the Guru’s words in this excerpt has helped me to recognize this habit of my mind and begin to let it go. As I do this, the peace of the Self comes flooding in.
Massachusetts, United States
This excerpt is timely for me and resonates with a breakthrough I recently had.
A number of years ago I disconnected from a person in my family due to a “concept” I had about him. Sometimes doubt about the matter would surface in my mind, but I would immediately brush it off, saying to myself, “I am right. He is wrong.” A few days ago I realized my doubt had become so heavy on my heart that it was “devastating”
me. I decided to let go of my concept and initiated communication. We were able to listen to and hear each other’s truth. It was deeply healing for both of us. I felt so much freedom afterwards! The burden had been lifted from my heart, I became lighter, and I was able to breathe better.
California, United States
Recently, I have been working hard on what Gurumayi describes. I have often felt low self-esteem and have traced it back to a specific time when I started secondary school. I wasn’t achieving. The teachers gave us homework, but no one guided me on how to learn. One day the headmistress told me I wasn’t as clever as my sister, which upset me. I decided to go over and over my homework to see if this helped. I started to achieve and eventually went to teacher training college and became a teacher. This experience taught me to believe in my power, and I made a lovely life for myself.
Now when I feel low self-esteem, I remind myself of the truth. Gradually I’m letting go of this conditioning.
Havant, United Kingdom
As I contemplated this excerpt, I realized how often I’ve been holding on to my old habits and behaviors. Yet I also recognized the positive changes in myself since receiving
shaktipat initiation and starting to practice the teachings of Siddha Yoga. These changes occur when I hear the Truth and choose to live by the Truth.
One such change is my ability to pause before reacting to a situation and choose the words and tone of voice I will use.
It is so liberating to let go of my old habits and behaviors! The more I practice making such choices, the more I experience a soothing energy guiding me from within toward the bliss of my own inner Self.
Nairobi, Kenya
Reading Gurumayi’s words, I feel that she knows me so very well. No matter how I delude myself, I cannot hide from her gaze, which goes deep into my heart. I have been wrestling with some entrenched patterns that are troublesome to me at the present time. But I feel blessed and comforted to know that Gurumayi will always point me in the right direction, until I am free at last from my delusions and live in the light of the great Self.
California, United States
A few weeks ago, I created a sankalpa, an intention, to offer guruseva and to follow the Ashram Daily Schedule. It became clear that I needed to be more one-pointed. While there are many causes and projects that I consider highly worthwhile, I have realized that trying to do too many things at once is preventing me from constantly listening to the ethereal sound within. In the ensuing weeks, I have noticed how hard it is to simplify my life and stay one-pointed. The teaching in this excerpt helps me understand why.
It also persuades me that it is time for me to live in the experience of the Self always, to give my all to serving my Guru, and to make regular engagement in the Siddha Yoga practices a sweet, loving offering to humanity.
Washington, United States
After reading this excerpt, I understood that concepts, habits, traditions, possessions, and other kinds of attachments may be okay as long as I keep wandering back and forth between realms of darkness and light, between untruth and Truth, between realms of decay and eternity.
But the moment I decide to be on God’s side one hundred percent and to stop wandering, I realize that I will have to give them all up—because they do not belong to God’s realm. That will mean that I am not attached, that I don’t mind if I lose them, and that I know that they would give shelter to the body but not to the Self. And I see that what is truly “I” can find shelter only in God.
The chant Shri Gurudeva Sharanam, “I take refuge in my beloved Shri Guru,” helps me remember this. It strengthens my yearning to return to my true home.
Hindelang, Germany
This afternoon, I was praying to Gurumayi to help me to get rid of some bad habits and patterns which are obvious obstacles to going forward in my sadhana. Despite my recent “commitment” and true desire to change, I find myself keeping my old ways day after day and postponing taking action to tomorrow.
Today I knew my heartfelt prayer had been heard! So reading Excerpt 20 really touched me. Gurumayi has given me everything precious and sacred in my life. And to truly honor this endless flow of divine love and grace, it is now so obvious that I must let go of those old patterns and clear the way “to hear the Truth” and “to know the Self.”
I offer this prayer to my Guru’s feet. With her grace, may my self-efforts be constant and sincere, freeing me from those bad habits and clearing the way on my sacred path, allowing me to go always deeper in my
sadhana.
Quebec, Canada
Reading Excerpt 20, I am reminded that I have to renounce many obstacles if I want “to hear the Truth, to see the Truth, to know the Truth, and to live the Truth.” It’s almost as if every morning I should try to begin anew with the dawn, to give myself permission to start my day without burdens and with a fresh outlook. This also reminded me of the Vedantic approach of using
neti, neti, “not this, not this,” for understanding the Self, which can guide me in focusing only on what is beneficial for my connection with my inner Self—supported always by the Guru's grace.
New York, United States
Reflecting on this excerpt, I have discovered my possessiveness for tangible things, relationships, the professional work I do, and even the seva I offer. This possessiveness becomes the cause of my limited conceptions of being the owner, the doer, the enjoyer of these things, and then expecting others to act in a way that suits me.
This approach creates a veil between me and the supreme Self abiding in the other person. This veil is an obstruction that keeps me from listening to, knowing, and living with the Truth. In working to overcome these old false conceptions and familiar patterns, I practice the virtue of easefulness by letting go of my expectations, emphasizing my love more than the final outcome of any action, and aspiring to become an embodiment of love. This helps me to surrender and enables me to treat others with respect and love.
Sydney, Australia
O my mind
you are adept
at binding my eyes
to your concept
of biased and deluded views
of stern and narrow leads
and musts and wants and needs
Please be so kind
replace the “bi” in biased by “e”
Be deeply eased
and release me
set me free
let me see
divinity
light love bliss
eternity
Hindelang, Germany
I see it as my task and my dharma to strive for a good state so that I may “know the Self.” Whenever I am unhappy and suffering in some way, I realize that I need to change something, to let something go. At these moments I ask Gurumayi for her grace and help.
Gurumayi’s grace and help come to me in different forms—sometimes through a spontaneous encounter, an honest conversation with a friend, a talk with a therapist, or a sudden insight. As soon as I know what my issue is, I try everything to bring about a change so that my soul can breathe freely again and be happy. This constant work on myself and the loving support of my Guru makes me freer and lighter. It also helps me to be a valuable support for others.
Unterlangenegg, Switzerland
Reading this excerpt on the web was very inspiring for me. Although I had read the chapter on anger that it comes from many times before, seeing this teaching in this form has allowed me to focus on the excerpt, and the chapter as a whole, more attentively.
I had never previously thought of scrutinizing the many sources of anger, as Gurumayi does in this chapter. Doing so now, I must admit that I am so surprised. But at the same time I am so grateful that all these many sources have been named for me to contemplate.
Garges-lès-Gonesse, France