Student Notebook

As I said, I had no idea what to expect, but it wasn’t long before my niece, Jamie, and I fell right into the ranks. We were greeted like long lost kinfolk returning home. Funny how people of different climes and upbringings who share a common bond feel right at home with one another… I’d found a very warm and caring atmosphere, a stark contrast to something I’d read years ago, which was one author’s account, written in a short story, about her experience on a Vedanta retreat. She complained about the “dryness” and described most of the people as “dispassionate.”  My experience was anything but dry and, while passion is not a word we like to use too much in Vedanta, everyone seemed to be happy and eager to start the retreat and appeared to be passionate in their resolve. 

After getting settled in and meeting my brothers and sisters, I took a short stroll around the grounds. The air was fresh and smelled of evergreen — reminding me of my own Carolina foothills — further lending to that “right at home” atmosphere. It was very quiet and, except for the occasional bird or squirrel rousting round for a meal, all was still — a perfect place for meditation and absorption of the teachings we were about to receive. 

The house was spacious, with a large deck running round the back and halfway up one side where many of the brothers and sisters chose to unpack and roll out their sleeping bags to sleep right under the stars. Since I am in the construction business I have a habit of inspecting the craftsmanship and uniqueness of custom homes when I’m at one for more than a few minutes. One of the things that caught my eye, besides the fine quality of the home, was the wrought iron rails around the deck. They were custom made and each 10 foot section had its own AUM symbol made right into it — Bhavatarini Ma’s own special order, and I loved it! 

Our first classes each day were after breakfast and before lunch. Three hours of sublime teachings from Babaji, spilling out in a steady, unbroken transmission in such a manner that I felt Shankara or Lord Krishna were speaking right through Him. In rapt attention I hung onto every word that Guruji spoke, as if the very next one would be the very one which would awaken this slothful mind. 

The food was delicious! I am neither a vegetarian nor vegan, but the food was so good and plentiful that the change in diet never really occurred to me. Sandra did such a wonderful job; preparing 3 meals a day for up to 18 people could be no small task. But she endured with such grace and humility, smiling all the while. We all got the chance to do a little kitchen seva and could fill our names in on a signup sheet that worked splendidly! One night, Babaji and Loke Ma made “clear mind soup.”  It was quite tasty, put together with the greatest care and love. Prasad from the Guru — doesn’t get much purer than that! I learned, among other things, that the kitchen should not be a noisy, confusing area. The kitchen is where nourishment for the body is put together. Like other things that can be absorbed; odors, tastes, etc. the food can absorb confusion and the like and pass those vibrations onto us, or, at least that was the way that I understood it, so the food should be put together in a quiet and mindful way. This helps keep the food as pure as possible. We were told all of this at the beginning of the retreat, and also asked to please stay out of the kitchen unless it was your turn to help. But by the time it was my turn for seva I’d forgotten and was just talkin’ away when, by gentle but firm reminder from Babaji, He made it crystal clear that I needed to quiet down; “Practice your mantra,” He said. The Guru has a way of cutting straight to the point, making it hard to forget the next time the urge hits or an old habit like that creeps back in. 

I will never forget our times at the river. It was so beautiful and pristine. Hard to believe that there are still places where the water is so clear and clean. I understand that this river is hailed as “The Ganges of the West.” The first time I saw the river from above it looked like a ribbon of liquid emerald winding its way through the valley floor. One would never believe, until you walked right up to it and jumped in, that it was 12-15 feet deep in some places and that the water was so clean and clear you could see every rock, every pebble strewn about the bottom. We had a blast swimming and diving off rocks! During the still times I took the opportunity to get to know my brothers and sisters a little better. Even though we weren’t at the retreat center we carried the atmosphere of purity with us on our excursions so the conversations rarely deviated from things of a spiritual nature. I am thankful for the time that I got to spend with each and every one of them. At those times it was also possible to get some one-on-one time with Babaji and share things with him or ask questions that one might feel more comfortable asking in private. As I said, I’ll never forget those times on the river, sharing experiences, swimming and eating watermelon with my brothers and sisters, and look forward to doing it again. 

Morning meditations started at 5am, the call bell rang at 4:40am and everyone made their way to the classroom where we sat blissfully for an hour. After we were all seated, Babaji would come in and take his seat. He would then recite from the Bhagavad Gita, a chapter each day, first in Sanskrit, then in English. It was so very powerful and set the tone for not only the meditation period, but the rest of the day as well. For me, this was one of the most transforming periods of the retreat, so much so that I am still following that routine in my daily sadhana (‘cept I can’t read Sanskrit… yet). 

I felt so fortunate to be with the sangha during observance of Swami Vivekananda’s Mahasamadhi. Again, having experienced my very first satsang, arati, or puja only three days prior, this was a very moving experience for me. It was new but still somehow familiar. Afterwards we all had chocolate ice cream, Swamiji’s favorite. Babaji told us a story about how when Swamiji would visit people they figured out how to make him stay longer at the table than he’d intended. He was very busy and had an arduous schedule, so didn’t have a lot of time for chitchat and such. One host once noticed that he loved chocolate ice cream, so when he was about ready to leave the table, and in order to keep the guest of honor seated, they would ask him if he cared for some. He would promptly sit down again. I can certainly understand how it feels to want every precious moment that one can get with their Guru. 

All in all the 2012 River Retreat left an indelible impression on this mind and heart. I suppose that if I have to live with samskaras for a while it would be these types that I would want. The experience with the Guru, the Sangha, and listening to the Dharmic teachings has stayed with me since. I really hate clichés, but this was one of those life-changing things that happen rarely. Scarce are the positive influences that are so powerful that one can’t imagine living life any other way. I can’t wait until next year! Until then: