The Path

Kind of interesting to live all of this and then read about it. Living in western culture, I have always done a lot of reading. Yesterday while sitting with Gurudev and the others, he asked if I would like to turn the fan on and I replied that I hadn't noticed the heat and that I was just being in what was present in the moment without desiring something different. He commented that is the true practice of a yogi (and some other words that I couldn't quite catch.) It inspired me to do a word search to better understand.

1. 
   

   Yogini -

   

I like Bhavani's description better:

The only thing I would say is that yogini in Wikipedia is very different from yogini in my understanding. Yogini as I understand it is a woman whose focus is on learning the tools that will enable her to find unity with the divine...yoking herself to that arrow and keeping it pointed on the goal at all times. These tools include yoga postures (asanas), and sacred music and devotional practices, meditation and concentration etc etc. There are many "limbs" of yoga. The yogini finds those that take her the deepest most swiftly and works with them, adding one or another of the limbs as her growth progresses.

Nothing about demons! It is the path to spiritual liberation, self realization, true freedom and autonomy, and pure divine love.

xo

Bhavani

After reading the descriptions, a person could create a label for the 'koolaid' that it appears that I am drinking. It is not my interest. My time here now and in the future is to explore the spiritual pathway. As humans living in physical matter, we identify, categorize, and organize most aspects of life. The mystical pathway is moving towards the formless. My subjective orientation is hanging onto these energetic experiences with visuals and feelings to help identify, categorize, and organize. The deeper you go on the path, the more you let go of the subjective orientation. The authentic Guru has connected to the highest level of formlessness while still living as a human. His presence and teachings help you find the gateway (a gateway that is always present, but we have all of our "stuff" piled in the way--lint on the lint screen, mud on the mud hut, whatever you want to call it.) He isn't a sorcerer that waves a wand and does the work for you: it is all part of a personalized journey. As any good teacher, he is in a position to help as one who experiences and lives the path at the highest human level.

Not all of the gurus are teachers for us monkeys who are trying to climb up. Some gurus live in caves, mountain tops, or other places as realized beings, but not as teachers. Narayana and Gurudev have both agreed to teach after becoming realized. Narayana is orienting himself towards focused humans and Gurudev is serving all levels of humanity. Gurudev is older and has more experience as a teaching guru, (and now considered a saint.) Plus, he is supported by the spiritual presence of India, past spiritual lineage and the ashram environment (an oasis in the hell of India.) Narayana is younger but as an American, he can connect with our culture easier. He has his work cut out for him too, since he is often introducing the ideas without the country's holding environment. For myself as a devout sceptic, I couldn't have accepted the ashram, saint in an orange robe, etc. without him as a bridge. Both beings are realized and give everything humbly to the process of their students. No sign up fee, control, threats... only donations and what you feel from your heart.

As many of you have noticed, this blog is my living diary for this unfoldment. Thank you for taking the time and interest to share in my process. I have only asked Gurudev one question: "Should I be doing something else while experiencing all of what is showing up?" He suggested writing if it helped me to feel at peace, so the blogging started in South Africa has been perfect.