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The Guru’s Love

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As I was thinking of Paramhansa Yogananda today, the 69th anniversary of his Mahasamadhi, I was reminded of this poem. As far as I could find out, it was written sometime in the 1950’s by “a Western devotee.” I first encountered it when I was very new on the path and the message of it rocked my soul. It still does.

The Guru’s Love
You may come to him for a few seconds then go away
and do whatever you will. 
His love is unchanging.
You may deny him to yourself
and then curse him to any who will listen.
His love is unchanging.
You may become the most despised creatures
and then return to him.
His love is unchanging.
You may become the enemy of God, Himself,
and then return to him.
His love is unchanging.
Go where you will and do what you will,
stay however long you will
and come back to him.
His love is unchanging.
Abuse others, abuse yourself, abuse him
and then come back to him.
His love is unchanging.
He will never criticize you;
he will never minimize you;
he will never desert you
because to him you are everything
and he, himself, is nothing.
He will never deceive you;
he will never ridicule you;
he will never fail you because
to him you are God Nature to be served
and he is your servant.
No matter what befalls;
no matter what you become he awaits you always. 
He knows you; he serves you; he loves you.
His love for you in the changing world is unchanging.
His love, my beloved, is unchanging.

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Celebration & chat, on a global scale

What an amazing new paradigm we’re experiencing when it comes to our Ananda events. The necessity for doing everything online is leading to expansive breakthroughs in so many ways!

Tonight we celebrated Yogananda’s Mahasamadhi a day early (from a USA perspective) in order to be able to collaborate with Ananda India in putting on the event. So monks from the India monastery started off with chanting; then Jaya, Jyotish, and Devi spoke from the Temple of Light at Ananda Village; and then it was back to India, with Dhyana closing the event with healing prayers.

But things weren’t over yet! Everyone was invited to a virtual “meet & greet” on Airmeet afterwards. It was great fun to see so many friends from India (Vineet, Varun, Priti, Hari, Rajesh, Priya, Lakshmi, Dhyana!), but it was equally a treat to greet devotees from here in America that we hadn’t seen in ages (Jeanne, Tarini, and even the Viscogliosi’s!).

This is definitely a beautiful aspect of technology.

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Long week, uncooperative internet

This not a great combination this late in the day on a Friday. So, I think I’ll call it quits and go for a twilight walk instead.

The internet won’t even let me download a picture (you know it’s bad when even Task Manager says “not responding”)!

What the heck — have a great weekend everyone!

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Of anchors and rudders

I was driving home from the office last night and I had a flash of insight as to why it’s been so hard to find my bearings lately. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say I’ve been feeling completely at sea.

Well, what I realized is that I’ve been sailing (to stick with the nautical metaphor) without a rudder for much of this past year. As a church musician for the past twenty-plus years, there are always weekly, quarterly, and annual events that anchor my musical year.

This was entirely on an unconscious level, of course, but whether it was weekly choir rehearsals or months of meetings to work out event details, I had regular activities that helped me know where I was, in a very real sense.

But in this strangest of years, the events are still happening, but virtually. So there’s no rehearsing, no in-person, hands-on details for a music minister to wrap their mind around.

Most of our time now is spent finding videos of past performances that are appropriate for sharing during Sunday service. In fact, it’s early March and I find myself surprised that in a few days it will be Yogananda’s Mahasamadhi. That could never have happened when we were actually meeting as a choir and singing.

So, yeah.

No anchors and rudderless, I’ve lost my bearings, and feel completely at sea.

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Brain shifts

It’s rather amazing, but my brain seems to have suddenly shifted into high gear!

Wow.

I just accomplished more in the past hour and a half than I was able to do in all of yesterday. And I’m only stopping because I’ve been doing so well at going to bed early that I don’t want to work any later than 7:30pm.

But this feels really good. Really, really good. 😊

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Indeed, I am the fortunate one!

Today is Ramesha’s birthday and here he is with his present: a beautiful painting — titled “O Holy Night” — created in Pune, India by our friend Shamini. It arrived with a few days to spare — just enough time for me to select the frame!

I think I’ve already shared that my spiritual name means “the fortunate one.” Well, I definitely feel fortunate — and extremely grateful — that this great soul decided to incarnate and that he’s sharing his life with me.💘

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Kind hearts unite

I had planned to send special birthday greetings to a dear friend that we haven’t seen for a few years, but my weekend was slightly discombobulated…and I forgot. 😕

Since it popped into my mind as I sat down to write my post, I decided that I would feature my Kind Heart friend in today’s blog!

Yes, he and his beautiful wife are two of the greatest, most joyfully creative, kindest souls I know. And their creative offerings are available at their Etsy store: Kind Hearts Studio.

Happy birthday, R! 💗

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A Black Mother Talks to God

“A Black Mother Talks to God” is the title of the book my mother, Louise, self-published in 1988. And this is the photo from a few days ago that inspired me to search out the book, because it brought to mind this poem.

THE SUNSET
The sunset beautiful touches my soul
As I view archangels rise from the throne
Spread out their wings, dip their fingers in gold
And flood o’er the world to watch o’er God’s own.

The sun retires in its bed the Pacific.
The tinted sky reflects the peace of the sea.
O may my life set with rays that explicitly
Show the peace that God bestowed on me.

I’ll be at peace when I take my rest.
I’ll look back on the path I have trod.
Though my life will be gone, I will be blessed
For that path carried me upward to God.

O what a blessedness abides in the heart
Of her who sees her God in all, not part.
–by Rev. Louise Stroud

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Apples of Gold

This evening I was looking for the book of prayers and poems that my mother self-published many years ago; I didn’t find it, though it’s got to be here somewhere. I’ll keep looking tomorrow.

However, in the process I happened to see a book that I’ve had since high school (maybe even junior high): “Apples of Gold” by Jo Petty.

It’s a book of quotes and aphorisms sorted into categories such as love, joy, faith, peace, etc. I remember loving it in my teens and twenties, marking quotes and passages that especially resonated with me. I even dipped into it in my thirties (I can tell because I marked a particular quote with the date!), but I don’t believe I’ve opened it even once in the past thirty years.

And yet, I always took it with me everywhere I moved, which has been a lot of places in the past thirty years! Here are a few of the quotes that I loved then and still appreciate now…

Let us realize that what happens round us
is largely outside our control, but that the way
we choose to react to it is inside our control.

Do you spend more than you make on things you
don’t need to impress people you don’t like?

Some folks just don’t seem to realize when
they’re moaning about not getting prayers
answered, that NO is the answer

Do you pray, and then believing,
Grab your boots and parasol;
Scrub the barrel and get ready
For the rain you asked to fall?

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Getting things moving again

“An object that is at rest will tend to remain at rest.
An object that is in motion will tend to remain in motion.”
— Isaac Newton

Yep, the good old “Law of Inertia” rides again!

It takes a lot of work/energy to get things moving, so once they’re in motion, the important thing is not to stop. I’ve learned this over and over and over in my life; here’s hoping this is the time it sticks.