Meeting The Masters

Sri Ravi Shankar Berlin, Germany. January 2013. A former student in an international school we taught in, in India, was so kind to want to meet up with us at Checkpoint Charlie, outside the holocaust museum. After a chat and some shawarma he recommended, we thought of parting ways, until he told us his plans that evening. He said his mother wanted him to meet her guru who is currently in Berlin, and it was for free or he got us passes, something like that. Simple and easy. All our meetings with gurus are usually preceded with intense burning of all sorts. The "chance" meeting with Amritanandamayi ma in Chennai, was similarly simple. I meet someone, she is on the way somewhere, and invites me to join her have a darshan. Seemingly plain and simple, until I press the rewind button. Only then, the adventure truly begins. Many years ago, Sri Ravi Shankar visited Manila, Philippines. My mother somehow happened to be there. As he was walking down the aisle greeting...

Swamigal. The very thought of him could bring tears in my eyes. His humility is beyond compare. He asked a very dear friend that she bring me - to him. Now that is the first, and the last. His eyes literally met mine on our very first meeting. He sat in front of me, pointed his finger between his eyebrows and said "Look into it." Nothing. I was sad, feeling I disappointed him though he showed no signs of feeling so. "Look here (pointing to his forehead), then." patiently he instructed. He believed I could see. The rest is an unimaginable and heart melting journey of patience, kindness and loving guidance of a father, a guru, a friend. I have no words to capture his essence. In over four decades in this lifetime, I have never met a Life Force so incredibly powerful in how he touches my life, and who is beyond capable in making me feel like he has full faith and trust in me. Yes, the nothing me. The me who does not even have full faith or tru...

Muniraji and Haidhakan 2003 - 2009 photo from net Around 2003, one afternoon, I saw this book lying on our coffee table in the Philippines. "I Am Harmony" was boldly printed on the cover with a sweet smiling painting of a chubby person on the cover. Intrigued by the title, I started flipping through the pages and started online researching more about the person on the cover. "It can't be.. " I thought. "Oh and he paints too?" I instantly felt connected with this expression of himself. Three long years and no sign of India in my life. I stared deeply on the cover painting and whispered : "Bring us there. I want to visit your ashram and let my daughter crawl into your cave." Then, I dropped the thought and forgot all about it and went about my life, running a school and teaching in a university during evenings while holding summer art and martial arts workshops in the summer. Life was busy. Life was normal. The next thing I kn...

Have you ever met somebody who,  like  the great Sun , could make you melt, and at the same time allow you to relax back into your comfortable self, like the moon blowing a cool breeze over the top of your head? My husband kept looking at me when I was finally sitting right in front of Mohanji. He turned to me like I was a child who was in Disneyland for the first time and said with a sheepish teasing smile: “Look, that’s your Mohanji finally right in front of you! ” S ince the top of my head felt like a hundred yarn threads were being pulled up,  I couldn’t reply in a giggle even if I wanted to.  I thought,  “He’s on it, working on me now.”. My husband could perceive every atom of my body smiling in a simultaneous sun and starstruck state. I felt my husband’s joy for me, as he had witnessed the days, nights and in-betweens that I was glued watching Mohanji’s videos online. Many times, I would fall asleep still with the earphones playing, in my ears, h...

Avadhoot Nadananda Never in my life have I thought that this day will come. Or that it is even remotely possible. I don't know when or how did it exactly happen. One day, I just woke up and I could hardly recognise myself. Many things have disappeared within me. Some, emerged and were awakened, as well.   And with great ease, it all happened. There was no obvious effort on my side for these changes, except the "trying" for years and failed at a few attempts to meet him. Sometimes, I even wonder if that effort was all on me.   There was a time I dragged my somewhat willing family to travel for hours by car and by bus overnight to catch a glimpse of him in another city, only to miss him again over some emergency he needs to run to. My daughter burnt in fever and was vomiting from the strenuous sleepless uncomfortable travel, while my spine was in paralysing deep pain. Months later, It was followed by travelling with my family for a few nights by train to reach h...