I love how immersing yourself in the beauty of nature with good food, an inspiring book and a little daily yoga/meditation can be so rejuvenating. Although I don’t get to do all of these things together often enough, a few weeks ago I got a last minute surprise from the universe for exactly this.
I got to spend a few days in Turks and Caicos—OMG beautiful! If you haven’t been, and you love the water and appreciate a slower pace…it’s the perfect place. I couldn’t drink in the colors and beauty of the natural landscape fast enough. I almost felt like I was in the middle of a National Geographic cover, where the colors and landscape are so rich and alive….and often surreal.
One of my favorite parts of my vacation was diving deep into an “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramhansa Yogananda. It’s definitely being added to my top 10 list of best spiritual books out there. It’s so beautifully written; I’m amazed at how he captured the essence and magnificence of the guru (teacher) disciple (student) relationship.
It made me miss my guru, Shri Anandi Ma so much. The relationship between a guru and disciple and is so special, no words can really describe the beauty of it. The beauty of real master is that they are there to guide you life after life until you’re able to see your true essence.
One of my favorite passages was from page 344, where Swami Yogananda tells the story of when his teacher’s teacher, Lahiri Mahasaya meets his Guru, Babaji. Although in previous lifetimes Lahiri Mahasaya was a pious yogi, who lived in the Himalayas and devoted his life in search of God, there was a moment where maya (material illusions + desires) pulled him back to the householder life.
Bapaji says to Lahiri Mahasaya:
“I have waited for you to return to me….You slipped away and disappeared into the tumultuous waves of life beyond death. The magic wand of your karma touched you, and you were gone! Though you lost sight of me, never did I lose sight of you!….Through gloom, storm, upheaval, and light I followed you, like a mother bird guarding her young. As you lived out your human term of womb life, and emerged a babe, my eye was ever on you…I was invisibly present….patiently, month after month, waiting for this perfect day. Now you are here with me!…”
Every time I read that passage, it’s hard not to get choked up with a heart full of gratitude and love for what Yogananda calls, “deathless” love. The guru disciple relationship is such a deep and eternal bond….one that I am so grateful to have with my teacher because I know that she is and always has been watching over me, guiding me and protecting me through life after life. All words in the world put together could not fully describe how fortunate I feel.
Do you have a teacher? Have you ever experienced that kind of “deathless” love, that’s beyond life and words :)!
With lots of gratitude,
Kajal
p.s. I’ve started dabbling into watercolor….and I love it! What do you think of these pieces?
