Jai Bhagwan!

Yesterday was our graduation ceremony.  It is somewhat of a misnomer as we are not yet graduated but it was the end of the current training session.  The ceremony was steeped in Indian tradition with chanting, offering respect to and receiving a blessing from Gurudev, everyone dressed in white or celebration colors.  Looking at some of the photos, it would be easy to arch an eyebrow and ask, Did they all drink the kool-aid?  On the one hand, yes, we all drank the kool-aid—we swam in it actually—and on the other hand, we most definitely did not.  I say that we did drink the kool-aid because the people who arrived 11 days ago are not the same people who left yesterday and today.  In many ways, we were a mess of caterpillars that came together and left as butterflies.  Some still need to let their wings dry a bit more before taking flight and others are soaring high but there was definitely not a single caterpillar left.  Because of that transformation, we all have a very deep and abiding love for Gurudev and the marvelous staff at AYI.  When I get home, I will post some pictures from the graduation.  You’ll see pictures of people with looks serene joy on their faces, pictures of students kneeling at Gurudev’s feet and others of him giving his blessing to each student.  Please don’t mistake these images as worshipping Gurudev but recognize the absolute enjoyment of the moment and the great love and respect being shown by students to their teacher and to each other.

There is only one other place I have ever felt such incredible love and harmony among strangers and friends, only one other place have I had such clarity of purpose and communion with God and that one other place is in a temple Celestial Room.  During this time, I have gained a much better understanding of the nature of God, a clearer view of how all these other people walking around this planet with me are and how I can help bring peace to the world one person at a time.

Tomorrow I will write a summary of what I have experienced, learned and discovered.  I will share what has changed as a result of this training and how I hope to incorporate my training into my current classes and into future classes.  Until then, Jai Bhagwan!

Door of my heart,
Open wide I keep for thee.
Door of my heart,
Open wide I keep for thee.

Wilt thou come, wilt thou come,
Wilt thou come unto me?
Wilt thou come, wilt thou come,
Wilt thou come unto me?

Will my days fly away
Without seeing thee my lord?
Will my days fly away
Without seeing thee my lord?

Night and day, night and day,
I look for thee night and day.
Night and day, night and day,
I look for thee night and day.

Jai Gurudev!