A Mind is a Terrible Thing

Thought it might be a good idea to post this here, since a fair number of folks wander in who are students of Sri Kaleshwar Swami or who want to be or who are just curious.

Since returning to the U.S. at the end of March, my spouse and I have helped co-found a new Sai community organization in the greater Albuquerque NM area (including most of New Mexico) — called “Faith and Patience.”  (URL: http://www.faithandpatience.com)

In the last month, a new information ‘bulletin board’ site went online, and is the place to go if you want to know about upcoming events, classes, and weekly spiritual discussion get-togethers.

For those who observe it, may today bring you a joyous and peaceful Guru Purnima (7 July this year, the night of the Full Moon).  Remember to give thanks to the spiritual teachers in your life, and to ask for that most important boon you need for success, happiness, and enlightenment.

We just attended a long fire puja (ceremony) with a few of our new good friends here in the Albuquerque area.  Good fire, too.  I give great thanks to my own teacher, Sri Kaleshwar Swami, for the invaluable gifts he’s given me — most of all, a far happier life.

Namaste, friends,
Becca

There’s a fair number of folks whom I know are signed up for the Guru Purnima program this year at the Penukonda ashram.  If by some chance your Google/Bing/Yahoo searches have brought you this way, you might want to check out the archive and/or category section of this blog.  In particular, this section/category:

http://www.rebeccamorn.com/mind/?cat=15

And there’s another post I put up, about Enjoying an Ashram Stay, which I wrote last year.  It’s chock full of useful tips on what to bring and what to buy.

We ourselves — Stephanie and I — aren’t going to the Guru Purnima program this year, in large part because we just got back to the States after 3 years at the ashram.  Not only haven’t we completely moved in to our new house, we’re in the process yet of building a new spiritual community in New Mexico, with the blessings and encouragement of our teacher, Sri Kaleshwar.

This is for both students of Sri Kaleshwar, or anyone involved with meditation programs — I’ve affiliate status at a very good storefront website called “Health and Yoga.“  In addition to the fairly obvious ‘yoga’ products, they also have an excellent selection of malas in just about any type you might want.  My personal experience is theirs are generally of higher quality than most.

They also have a great stainless steel neti pot, and related supplies.  If you click through either of those links and decide to buy something, I get a small amount of money back at no cost to you.

(Note these are my own recommendations, and not from my Swami…)

…my Mom just reminded me that I haven’t posted in a while.  And by gum, she’s right — as mothers almost always are.

Been busy of late…but also some news to share:  We’re gonna be moving back to the States in about a month.  It truly has been great and an amazing adventure over here in India, but it’s also come time to recognize — with our Swami’s encouragements and blessings — that it’s time to start putting stuff into practice.  To get the work done.

So…I owe a post on the whys and wherefores and all that.

We’ve had a grand time in Albuquerque, even to the point of getting to put into direct practice some of the spiritual techniques we learned in India.  And back on Friday, Stephanie and I managed a brief hike at Placitas, roaming up the trails and arroyos…such peacefulness.

Today, we check out, go hang at the house of a dear, dear friend for a few hours.  After that, drop off the car, then it’s over to the Amtrak station where we’ll pick up the Southwest Chief bound to L.A.  It was a splurge, but we sprung for 1st class accommodations — full sleeper compartment — for both that leg and the one following (L.A. to San Jose) on the Coast Starlighter.

Should be fun, as it’ll be my first train trip ever.

Well, it’s time once more for another journey homeward, a trip that if it goes as scheduled, will see us traverse a 36 hour day.

Literally — the flight leaves at about 6am from Bangalore, connects through London, and ends at San Francisco.  On the clock, it’ll be around 4pm when we hit the ground, but actual flight time is 24 hours.  (Of course, we reverse this on the way back east, leaving on one day, arriving three later, with a sun-loss of that same half-day.)

We love India…but we also miss our other home, back in the States.  It was about this same time last year that we went back for about a month; this year, we’re going to stay 7 weeks.  And instead of sticking almost entirely to one place, we’ll be wandering a bit more.  A little time in Sunnyvale with some friends, then off to Albuquerque to visit family and other friends, then back to our favorite medium-term lodging place, Fern River Resort in Felton, CA.  Then back to Sunnyvale, and finally back once more to India to continue our extended education in spirituality, meditation, and Indian culture (both ancient and modern).

Had anyone suggested three years ago (Oct ‘05), that I would spend the bulk of my time between then and now in India, studying at an ashram, I’d have said they were nuts.  Sure, I’d always wanted to travel, see the world, experience new things — but for most of my adult life, stuff always got in the way.  When I had time, I had no money.  When I had money, I had no time.  I’ll also admit to a certain timidness, worried that I wouldn’t know how to handle myself in strange new places.

So far, we’ve done all right though.  Made a few mistakes; made more than enough friends to outweigh the lapses.  For instance, the hotel staff at the Ballal Residency Hotel where we’re staying right now (in transit) calls us “family”, and not only ask after our health and well-being, they really take care.

Still, when you’re away from what you know, your home culture, for long enough, you begin to crave things.  I want to be able to drive myself places (no way could I handle a car here — they drive like crazy people).  To go walking deep in forests, alone.  To eat familiar foods (for instance, I have a huge craving for a cheese omlette, maybe with tomatoes and/or mushrooms…Rocky’s Diner, here I come).

Today, we’ve been taking it relatively easy.  Taking care of a few loose ends, such as getting luggage tags & straps.  On a lark, we also bought a dozen premium donuts to bring back for the Ballal hotel reception staff, just to say thanks.  (They’ve already helped us out in so many ways, the most recent of which being to get prints-outs of our BA boarding passes.)

This time tomorrow, we’ll be somewhere in the vicinity of London, approaching it, I think.  A half an experienced day after that, we’ll be touching down in America.  Even though we were last there in November of last year, it’s still going to feel strange, I’m sure.

Okay… It certainly has been an interesting few months here at the ashram.  ‘Few’?  Hmm…actually, the interesting times date all the way back to Shiva Rathri (the Hindu new moon holiday dedicated to Shiva, back in early March).

To recap:  My partner of 10 years (Stephanie) and I first visited Sri Kaleshwar’s ashram in Penukonda for about 4 weeks back at Shiva Rathri 2006.  It was then we decided to go ahead and get an apartment, and to sign up for the inaugural year of the ‘Soul University‘ program, which ran from Guru Purnima (July, roughly) 2006 to Guru Purnima 2007.  Although we’d gotten quite a lot of instruction on Sri Kaleshwar’s teachings from two of his senior students, Alx and Jonathan, back in the States, the first year was some repetition on that for us, but also quite a bit more that was new.  Plus, we went much further in formal meditation programs (sometimes called ‘processes’) than before.

For our second year (again GP to GP 08), Stephanie and I opted to take the new 2nd year Sadhana (meditation) program — only those who’d completed the 1st year or had equivalent experience qualified for it.  We found the experience interesting, but not quite what we’d expected.  Plus, we’d both gotten involved with rather more ashram project work (seva) than apparently was expected of sadhana program participants.  (More after the break…) (more…)

(Posted with permission), reader M.C. from India writes:

Dear Rebecca

 

I saw your noting on moonology.com about Guru Poornima where you mentioned that Guru is a "revered teacher". You are close.

 

"Acharya" is the literal translation for teacher. "Guru" is mentor.

 

In each village, there were a few Gurus (less than five) and each family selected one of them as their Guru and sought his wisdom as and when required. Gurus keep tab on their wards just as a father would but without meddling until asked for and gave unbiased and the best possible guidance according to religious books. By and large, these Gurus were Brahmins.

 

In Hindus, we used a barter system until 1950s. No money was ever transacted. So, for people who are in specialized professions, we earmarked a day in the year when we go to those persons and pay whatever little tribute we can and show our respect and gratitude.

 

Guru Poornima is such a day when we are supposed to go to our mentors and pay our respects and tributes.

 

Of course, now a days, the barter system is gone and we pay fee for every transaction. Also, nobody goes to a Guru and we do not have any real Gurus.

 

What is happening in the name of Guru Poornima today, is a sham.

 

You ask me how do I know all this – well, I come from one of those Brahmin-Guru families, – my dad’s elder brother was such a Guru.

Best wishes for your success & happiness

(…)  I would add though that although in a historical sense, you are absolutely correct about the GP holiday having been turned into something else in most places — but in my spiritual studies at the Shiva Sai Mandir ashram in Penukonda, the date retains the heart of its original purpose: To give thanks to my spiritual mentor, and through him to our divine lineage.  No money is involved as such, but rather promises to do my dharma to the very best of my ability.

(Many thanks to M.C. for his thoughtful and informative letter.  My only point of disagreement is that there are no ‘real’ Gurus in the world anymore.  I feel there are still ‘gurus’, although perhaps their role has changed somewhat, as has that of their students and devotees.  The respect and gratitude is still there, as is the spiritual mentoring on the part of the teacher.)

I’m not sure what the appropriate salutation is for Guru Purnima.  ‘Happy GP’ just doesn’t seem to cut it.

Instead, I’ll just say a little about what Guru Purnima is:

It is the Full Moon of the Guru, and happens each year roughly in July (depending on the lunar cycles), and is a day (and night) on which we thank our spiritual teachers (after all, ‘guru’ means ‘revered teacher’) for everything they’ve given us.  It’s also considered to be the most auspicious time to connect to the Divine, and to strengthen the bond between guru and student, and helps foster growth and enlightenment.

My own guru, Sri Kaleshwar, gives thanks to his guru, Shirdi Sai Baba, on this day.  With my personal observances of this sacred day, I also connect through Sri Kaleshwar to Baba — and to all the divine masters in the lineage I’ve been called by my heart to follow.  (My favorite, besides SK?  Vivekananda.)

I’ll not proselytize though…but rather just humbly suggest that if you happened to stumble onto this post (whoever you are), that you just take a few moments to give thanks to all those in your life who have guided you onto the right paths.

For those curious about events here at the Penukonda ashram…well, it’s been an amazing, huge, and exceedingly busy program.  Hundreds of students from all over the world are visiting, and it’s been a time of both crazy-busyness and big experiences.

I’ve had a really good time, but I’m also looking forward to when things get quiet around here again.

cheers,
Becca