GURU SMARAN SAPTAH-Day 6
Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda's 105th Jayanti
Sevika: Darshana Kadakia
Class: Saturday / Chinmaya Nursery, Kemps Corner – now on Zoom
Attendees: Sevika + 5 attendees
Highlights:
On the occasion of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda’s 105th Jayanti, we began the class with the invocation and the Guru Stotram, chanted by all members. The members shared their learnings over the years from personal experiences, books and the classes. A quick recap
• Member Ketan Upadhyay shared about personal darshan with Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, an awe-inspiring experience. Having been on the Char Dham Yatra many times, Gurudev’s descriptives resonated with him. Quoting ‘Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya’ (the Brahman alone is real and this jagat is mithyä, and the jiva is non-different from Brahman), from the 20th verse of 'Vivekachoodamani ' written by Sri Shankaracharya, constant vigilance of the mind is his biggest learning.
• Member Rekha Shroff, reading excerpts from Pujya Gurudev’s, “My Trek through Uttarakhand” related his experience with her personal journeys through the Himalayas and her pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar. In these journeys, one attempts to move beyond the ego and limited self, to embrace inner silence and the feeling on oneness.
• Member Shital Mehta spoke about her observations from Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda’s Ageless guru: The inspirational life of Swami Chinmayananda, of how he brought the obscure philosophy of the scriptures to millions of people with all their truth and in simplicity. This realization came to him in the Himalayas, to gently tread the path as a Jnana Yogi and the basis of the mission’s Jnana Yagnas. “Mother Ganga in her incessant hurry seemed to tell me, ‘Son, don’t you see Me? Born here in Himalayas, I rush down to the plains taking with me both life and nourishment. Fulfilment of any possession, is in sharing it with others.”
• Member Neeti Mehra recounted Pujya Gurudev’s quote as solace during these difficult times for the country, “To do your job even if circumstances are not conducive, it is our gift to him-who is the sole lord of all circumstances.” “My Trek through Uttarakhand” reflects that we all are yatris on the journey of an imperfect life that throws many challenges. We are on the path to rediscover that the infinite is lying deep within us, and nowhere else. Ultimately, the goal is to realize, in Gurudev’s own words our own true self, Satchitananda or existence, knowledge and bliss.
Sevika Darshana Kadakia spoke about Pujya Gurudev’s perseverance in trying circumstances. Even as a young sadhak, he encompassed all the qualities of a true yogi: Viveka (discrimination), Vairagya (dispassion), Shatsampatti (aggregate of six virtues Sama, Dama, Titiksha, Uparati, Shraddha and Samadhana), and Mumukshutvam (desire for liberation). If we too walk this righteous path to inner peace, going beyond the body, mind and intellect, it will lead us to realization.
Guest speaker Rekha Mehra ended with a poem dedicated to Pujya Gurudev, Zindagi ki Gehrayi Mein.
The class concluded with Sri Chinmaya Aarti at the beautiful altar made by the Sevika and by reciting the pledge and closing prayers.
