Retreat Reflection
The topic of the fall retreat in Seattle was “The Profound Teachings and Secrets of the Divine Mother Path.” One of the profound secrets Babaji revealed to us is that there are seven Upanisads to the Mother. He chose the shortest, the Devi Upanishad, to uncover during the retreat. As each profound verse was offered he connected it to a teaching and used the charts to expound upon it. The scripture itself was like a shining thread running through the retreat on which pearls of great wisdom were strung. At each pearl we stopped and dove deeply. For example, when the gods said, “On your fullness do we meditate,” we studied the chart on how to meditate on the Goddess that details the Devi Gita teaching from the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam. “She is Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas…” gave us teachings on the three gunas. “She is primordial time…” launched us into exploring time, lokas and samsara.
As this rhythm continued on and on it was hard not to be stunned by the vastness of Mother’s wisdom. Surrounding ourselves in it and diving so deeply into it created an atmosphere of heightened spirituality unmatched anywhere, or by anything else. I find that I have to be on retreat to finally reach these heights and moods. On the first day of the retreat I felt the encrustations of worldly life start to fall away. I emerged from the mire and let go of worry and distraction. On the second day I got fully into the pace and routine of the retreat, set my intention, and intensified my effort. By the third day, all I wanted was Mother. I found myself weeping at Ramprasad’s poems and the musical offerings, and love for God started pouring out of me.
Because the opportunity to be on retreat with my brothers and sisters is so rare, and therefore it is so important to soak up as many beneficial experiences as possible, I appreciate the silence and consideration that everyone maintains. We are instructed to be silent and only speak about the teachings, or our study of scripture, so that our thoughts can stay on the highest possible level. It is one of the greatest services we can offer to buoy each other up and not fall back into small talk and worldly chatter.
And once the retreat is over, and we find our way back home again, it is critical that we reflect on all that we learned and always remember to implore:
Beyond Her is nothing.
Renowned is She as being difficult to approach.
I bow to the inaccessible One, bulwark against all sins.
Oh Pilot of my soul, steer me across the sea of worldly life.
— Kanyakali