Dear Sibling in Spirit, the fellow ray of light,
Spirituality applied to life is called service. That is our hospital, our RDI, all that we can give.
Pure spirituality is prayer, meditation, silence. That is Tarakeshwar Bhagwan. That is the Swami Rama Centre. That is our Ashram by the flowing Ganga of Inspirations. That is our meditation centres throughout the world.
Both are celebrations of the sacred.
Without the regular drink of the sacred, life becomes a dry desert. So we are often reminded that in the middle of the desert there exist flourishing oases, the special days for the celebration of the sacred urges in us.
Twenty-sixth October has become our conventional celebration of the birthday of our founder, Gurudeva, Swami Rama of the Himalayas. I personally believe that it is like the official Queen's Birthday in England. It could be any other day, because the Masters are never born, nor do they die, but we need a day for remembering the birth of the sacred within us. So, let us celebrate.
Eleventh November this year is the day of the Master's change of form: the day he chose to doff his physical form, to dwell only as a subtle being of light.
I say, eleventh November, that is by the traditional Indian lunar tithi which alone the spiritual traditions recognise. It is a time to merge the two celebrations, that of the applied spirituality and pure spirituality.
Most centres throughout the four continents celebrate these days with at least 24 hours of akhanda japa. Or, the individuals may choose to spend the hours remembering the sacred within, even while carrying out the worldly duties. Let these be occasions for replenishing, re-filling.
May the blessing of Gurudeva continue to shower us from within. May he continue to appear to us within ourselves, and may we continue to develop the interior silence in which alone we can hear, and listen to, the message of our eternal parampara, the Guru Lineage.
Always blessings and prayers,
To the fellow hearts wherein the Guru's lotus feet are worshipped,
Namo Narayanaya. Salutations to the Divinity within you. Greetings to the Guru-sparks within you.
This is not an occasion for a commemoration, but a communion, a tuning in with the rhythms of a Sun who walked on the earth with us as a physical being, and now walks only as a being of Vibration.
This is not a commemoration. For, memory implies as being that of a past. What is present is pratyaksha, not to be commemorated, only to be celebrated. We celebrate the Master's presence among us.
Masters do not die. One who dies is not a Master. Those who have read our Swami Rama's SACRED JOURNEY will understand. Those who have been initiated by him into the mysteries of eternity will avow to the same. They will confirm our Master's real being, as a being of light, jyotirmaya purusha. Such beings change physical bodies at will. Those who have read LIVING WITH HIMALAYAN MASTERS will not wonder about this fact.
To such beings, having or not having a physical body is not relevant. Their bodies of Light are their instruments with which they continue to guide the work for which others at the physical forefront may take credit.
Quite rightly, therefore, my Guru-brother Swami Hariharanandaji (the walking Tarakeshwar Bhagwan) has said that he will not celebrate the mahasamadhi but will celebrate only the Master's birthday.
When Swamiji commanded his disciples to compile the SACRED JOURNEY, none of us could imagine that he was writing about his own forthcoming sacred journey. In this book he has revealed the secret of a Master's so-called death which is no death at all. He has also answered the often asked question: 'Now that our Guru is no longer visible to us, how are we to be guided?' Do read, and read again. He has answered us, reassured us. Has taught us the art of living and dying.
His presence will continue to guide us so long as we can keep our aham-kara under reasonable control. A little of our little "I" does inevitably creep in. It is for us to charm this serpent and keep it in a tightly lidded basket. Then our undertakings for the Guru's mission will continue to be lit by his presence, and success will be the fruit we surrender at his feet. Our "I", and the fruits of our actions for his mission are our best offerings at this celebration of the presence of his light among us.
May we never cease to be worthy of his guidance.
May the gathering together of all your hearts in devotion give us inspiration enough to last till next year at this time.
Yours in service of Gurudeva
Swami Veda Bharati
Serving at His Holy Feet
November 11, 1999
