My Master’s Present

Jai Gurudev,

It’s been quite a while since I wanted to write about my experiences with the Art-of-Living, but I was waiting for that one great miracle to mention over here. I have been reading the experiences of other devotees as well, and it fills my heart with immense joy to know that they too share quite similar, yet completely unique miracles, of our beloved Guruji. Few months back when I lost my wallet in the bus and then somehow got it back due to Gurudev’s grace, I was filled with so much gratitude and love, and I thought that this one would be worth sharing. But then I found that something on the same lines had been shared by another devotee. So I kept waiting for another big miracle to happen. And then I realized something, something very beautiful. But before that, let me start from the beginning.
My journey with the Art of Living started in October 2009. Being the only child, I was having great difficulties in opening up to people and making new friends. Somewhere, I always felt lonely. I did not feel happiness and joy. And I wanted things to change.
I had been really attracted to the wisdom and knowledge shared by Guruji through books and talks since a very long while, but at that time, I thought that Art of Living just happens in Bangalore. And that it was far beyond my reach. Then a friend told me about a course which was to happen very close to my place.

The very first Satsang that I attended was at Kalpana ji’s (my teacher) place; and I wondered as to how the people there could be this happy? I did not seem to understand the reason for their happiness. I was curious to know their secret. And just within a month, I experienced my first Sudarshan Kriya. And it was like a miracle. Since then, I did not feel lonely. I stopped feeling out of place. I felt comfortable in talking to almost everyone. I felt happy, that too without any reason, as true happiness needs no reason. Now it’s been over five years with the organisation, and to be very honest, life didn’t completely cease to be challenging, but my outlook towards it changed. And that’s all that really matters. We need to change the way we look at tough situations in life, and trust me, then nothing seems tough. I have gained immense strength from this course, which has not only helped me survive through rough phases, but has truly made me a more evolved person. I have hit various lows in my life, but somehow, Guruji’s grace didn’t let those situations break me.
Miracles happen every day in my life. I pray to Guruji for the silliest of things like “Gurudev, please help me get the bus on time”, and the moment I think He is way too busy for my stupid requests, I see my bus right there. But now I have realised something much bigger than all this, the truth of my life.
Today I realized – the very presence of Guruji in my life is the biggest miracle ever. And allthe other small miracles are just subsets of it. Many things in life are yet to be sorted, but I am sureabout one thing, and even you should be, – that as long as Guruji is there, I have nothing to worry about.

Jai Gurudev,

Shrija R.