Day Two of Durga

A little bit later start today, 8:00 am. One of the side benefits of an early start is how cool and quiet the city is to walk through. Yesterday, Gurudev sat in lotus position on the "stage" for over three hours while "the opening ceremonies" were performed. Today, the men dressed in red performed more rituals and chanting first, and then Gurudev joined them at a certain point in the ceremony, (he had been meditating in his chair.) Fresh flower garlands replaced the old ones.

What a bonus this morning, I was able to sit in the presence of Gurudev while he was deep in his morning meditation. Usually, he meditates in his room until 11:00 or so. Unbelievable, to observe a saint in meditation. I have had so many questions about meditation and how to keep the body organized during certain aspects of depth and losing sensation of the body while sitting in an exteriorly unsupported position. From a novice's point of view, I compromise the depth to keep the form (or some awareness of my body.) When I am sitting supported, I feel like I can free fall into the depth, since I am not maintaining the body at the same level. Interesting to observe an enlightened being meditating: his form shifts sometimes--probably the downside of having a body. The more amazing part was that I got the next lesson in my journey...

Major lesson today: getting a sense of how we are all one and a divine source at the same time. I have been hearing and reading this concept for awhile, but today I "felt" it. I had a big shift two days ago from having my heart feel like it was going to rip a hole in my chest (a week or so of that feeling...) to a vast/limitless space where my heart is. It feels vast without feeling the usual negative thought of empty as negative, so I will use the idea of hollow. The hollowness has created a peaceful state of allowing/being. The limitless allowing has created a humble sense of being an unlimited container for whatever shows up. At the beginning of the trip, I experience a lot of events that transitioned me from understanding the concept of "God" to believing there is a divine source. Now, I am experiencing the integration of many of the teaching that I have read about, but only experienced as concepts instead of truths. (Patience while I try to explain what is happening on a personal level. Any or all may or may not make sense.)