BLESSED IN SILENCE

After I did my Yes!+ course in March 2011, I was waiting to do an Advance course. I got the opportunity to do the course in December 2011 in Mumbai. I thought it would be nearly impossible to stay in silence for those 2-3 days. Plus, I was suffering from a knee injury so sitting for meditation all day long seemed like a task. However, the course was perfect and Guruji made sure that I faced no problems. The course transformed me completely.
I did my second advance course in May 2012 in the Bangalore Ashram. The whole trip was a miracle in itself! I had gone three days prior to my course, on Monday, with a few friends with the intention of spending more time with Guruji. However, a day before we were to leave we found out Guruji was leaving the Ashram on the day we were to reach. I was disheartened but happy that at least I will be in the Ashram. When we reached and unpacked, we immediately went next to his kutir with the hopes that he had not left. Within a few minutes, Guruji came in the car from outside and we got to take his blessings just before he left. He satisfied us totally by meeting us, even if it was just for a few seconds. He did not return to the Ashram till Friday and our course had begun on Thursday.
A day before the course, we went to Sumeru Mantap to do our kriya. Now, I am very scared of dogs and there was one there, chasing after a parrot. Trying to forget about it, I started doing my Kriya. I was still doing the pranayam when I felt something fluttering on my lap and I couldn’t help but open my eyes. The same parrot that the dog was chasing was now seated on me! Fearing that the dog would follow suit, I yelped a little and got up. Two of my friends heard me and obviously opened their eyes too. We sat there for a while and just as we were to start our Kriya again, the parrot showed up and sat next to my friend. We decided to simply do our kriya somewhere else in the ashram at some other time that day.

On Saturday, we were in silence and we came to know Guruji would be taking a meditation session with us in the Yagnashala. After he took the meditation, he was speaking to all the course participants and he said, ‘Nothing, not even dogs or birds can stop you from doing your kriya. It is all a state of your mind.’ This left me in shock! It is truly unbelievable how HE knows about everything that is happening to you. Along with this, there were several instances that took place during that one week in Bangalore that reassured my faith in him and how he is always there to take care of everyone and get us on the right path.

-Saloni Gajjar