I am writing to you from the incredible India. We are at the moment staying in Udaipur, a city of bloodshed and riches. If you are interested in the history or the most exquisite artwork and the spectacular palace we are staying in, read my posts on The Path of Divine Love.
India is a country that is steeped in religion as well as esoteric and occult spirituality and mysticism. It is also absolutely chaotic and seemingly random and has none of the concepts of western thinking. It reminds me of the mind’s inner reality – impossible to make sense of anything and the sooner the mind realizes this, the sooner awakening can take place. Maybe it is exactly because of the nature of the Eastern mind and its created reality, that so many spiritual traditions developed here.
Sacred places and places of pilgrimage definitely is saturated with high energy and I find that here in India, the energy is much higher than anywhere else that I have been. Even as I stepped out into busy Bombay at one in the morning, my organic cells answered in bliss to the vibration. I hardly slept the first few nights as the energy is so powerful. It would seem that every inch of the earth here are glowing with Light. To my clear-seeing eyes I am at times suffused and awash once again with the tremendous Absolute – the Light in the poverty; the beauty in the dirt; the worship in the cows eating garbage; the holy in the shrines on every street corner; the paradoxes abound! These highlight the inability of the mind to ever grasp the Absolute Love which is us and the reality behind the veil!
The word Radical Acceptance came to me. Through radical acceptance one can step into the Illumined Mind – actually you don’t have to do any stepping into as She will step into you. Like the lotus born from the muddy roots, the Illumined Mind is born from radical acceptance of the polarity. The Light of Maa rises in you as the glowing blossom pushes through the outer leaves – indeed the lingam rises up into the Light of the Sun, Surya and Vishnu the Cosmic Christ.
Yesterday we visited the main temple in Udaipur, the Jagdish Mandir, dedicated to Vishnu. We had a wonderful impromptu session of bhajans, drumming the tabla and dancing in the temple as a small circle of local women invited me to join them. Soon we attracted a crowd with the clapping and singing and the temple was full!! It was a beautiful experience of such love, acceptance and joy; the simplicity of it all struck me! And that is the core of what everyone is craving for and seeking! The only thing that stands between you and this intimacy is fear. The best way that I know to overcome fear is by applying that which you believe to be true.
Do you believe that Love is your true nature? Then start to live being loving. Love is an action. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Forgive seven times seven. Let go of self-centered selfish fears of loss of power. I can continue for pages and pages, but you have heard it all already.
Spirituality has become a commodity and that is also true here in India. Everywhere are ads for gurus and visiting healers. But that is not where you will find the Light of Love, of Prema. You can see it in all the many tiny shrines that is visited before work, during lunch time and after work. You will see it in the thank offerings to the gods’ image, the water given to a thirsty cow, free meals every day at the many seva temples and so on. The homage that the disciples here show to their gurus in the ashram, is but a small gesture of their personal dedication to Spirit. Their daily adornment of their bodies with bangles, paste and perfume is a symbol of the adornment of the Soul.
This lifestyle is a daily symbol and metaphor for the sacred ordinary life!!
As above so below – that which you think you will create in the physical. That which you create in the physical, feeds and nurtures the soul.
Adorn your mind with forgiveness and practice radical acceptance – over and over. No sadhana will bring you peace and love other than meditation on the inner self, in the body, in the moment. The deeper you go into yourself, into the adorned soul clothed by the radiant bodies, the wider the intimacy.
It really is very simple. And you are born with everything that you need within yourself. Instead of trying to figure things out or trying to get more power in whatever form, go within in every moment; practice radical acceptance of every feeling, every thought, every action (without judgement) and see what arises
With blessings
Hettienne Bhakty Maji
