Roam in the Temple of the Heart

Roam in the Temple of the Heart
by Shanti Harkness

Sat Chit Ananda Guru Ki Jay.

The theme of this year’s weeklong retreat was “Roam in the Temple of the Heart.” Kedarji began the retreat by reminding us of the importance of seeking the Bliss of the Self in everything, everyone, and every circumstance.

Kedarji repeated what the sages of steady wisdom of our lineage have said for ages: that when we are having a pleasant dream, we have no desire to wake up. Due to this, we get into the habit of dreaming more and more dreams, but the sages caution us to remember that whether they are joyful or painful, once we wake up, they no longer exist. It is futile for us to hope for the attainment of Joy through our dreams. Even the children’s nursery rhyme, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” tells us that “life is but a dream.”

Lessons were framed around the understanding that Freedom is Joy and Joy is Freedom. In Nityananda Shaktipat Yoga, all that we are taught is for the experience of Muktananda, the Bliss of Freedom, on a regular and then constant basis. After all, the Self is the stage on which it puts on its own Play. To understand this, we must embrace the fact that there is no outer world—that God alone exists.

The Joy of Intimacy with God

One of the staff teacher talks put it beautifully by referencing the subtlety in the mantras we use to describe our relationship “to” God and “with” God. She shared that “to” implies separateness, while “with” implies an intimacy and closeness. Another staff teacher reminded us that Kedarji instructs us to surrender TO Joy, that we already are that Joy, it’s not something we need to attain.

I experienced that intimacy and Joy during the morning meditation while contemplating that God alone exists. Inwardly, I saw this shimmering blue-gold band that extended from my navel to each person in the meditation Hall, showing me that we are indeed one and the same, that this is all just an appearance of differences and duality. Then this same band extended to every other object in the room, filling it with this shimmering blue light. In that moment, I experienced oneness with everything and everyone around me in an ocean of shimmering peace and Joy.

Kedarji went on to share steps for drowning in that Joy that we are, including performing all activities consciously, with full Witnessing Awareness of the Play of the Shakti as this world; giving thanks each and every day; welcoming our karmas and kriyas with great joy in order to surrender them; cultivating Love for God and our Guru; sacrificing all limiting desires and cravings, doubts, worries, happiness, sorrow, and false identity to that inner Joy; and dedicating all mundane activities, no matter how small or insignificant, to God and our Guru—making everything a Blessed Sacrament to God.

Obstacles to Joy

During group discussions, attendees shared experiences of how the ego conceals this Joy from themselves. One shared how much her ego cares about being part of a group and being accepted. Another realized how much poor outer company has an impact on that experience of Joy, while another shared that poor inner company has a negative effect on her experience of Joy. Another shared that our spiritual practices are resources that allow her to “shift the tracks” of the train she’s on and to more clearly see what company is useful and what company is not. Another shared having the awareness in meditation that his karmas conceal the Joy of his True Nature and that he was reminded to sacrifice and surrender everything at his Guru’s feet.

These group discussions are always so valuable in that they show us that we all face the same struggles and obstacles in Sadhana, that we’re not alone in what we’re going through. As Kedarji says, the ego is the same in everyone.

I always find it fascinating that Kedarji has been teaching us from the same sacred texts for years, and yet, with each wisdom utterance, I’ve observed that so many of us will often unfold new gems and realizations from the same utterances we’ve heard a hundred times before. That’s the power of Guru’s Grace constantly working on us. It’s like peeling back the layers of an onion as the Guru’s Kriya Shakti goes to work purifying our subtle body and burning our karmas.

The Sages of Love

Kedarji began the Miracle Intensive in honor of Shri Bhagawan Nityananda by sharing utterances on Love from Shri Narada, Rumi, and Paramahamsa Muktananda. There really is no shortage of utterances on Love from the sages of steady wisdom. The difference is, they speak of Supreme Love, Divine Love, rather than the bartering of wants and needs for satisfaction that our society tells us is Love. This Divine Love is beyond all of that.

This Supreme Love is beyond all desires and attachments, beyond the body, mind and senses, beyond attachments and expectations. Love is a spiritual state that is not dependent on anyone or anything. Kedarji tells us that this is how we know that it is Love.

The Love and Blessing of Shaktipat

This Supreme Love continued with the Blessing of Grace via Shaktipat. In sharing their Shaktipat experiences, one attendee shared that she felt like she was roaming in Bliss and Love and that everything was Infinite. Another felt more focused and present as waves of Shakti flooded her being with Joy. Another saw white light focused between his brows. Others shared experiences of mantras welling up from within, seeing sparks of light, pulsations in the body, and seeing images of various saints of our lineage, while others shared they relaxed into a state of calm and Joy with a quiet mind.

For me, I experienced a quiet mind and then an inner message from Kedarji reminding me: “Don’t forget that I (Kedarji) am the one who sees out of these eyes. I am the one who hears with these ears. I am the one who speaks with this mouth.” I understood this message to be a reminder to stop criticizing and fault-finding in others, something I find I have been doing more of lately. This reminded me of another utterance of Kedarji’s where he asked “Would you say or do this if your Guru was standing here next to you?” How different would my interactions and behavior be if I took the stance that my Guru was standing right next to me, or that my Guru is looking through my eyes, and speaking through my mouth?

Would I extend more Love and compassion to others and myself? Would I turn fault-finding into fact-finding to observe my own shortcomings so that I can extend Grace and compassion to myself and others?

The Guru’s Love is Unfathomable

In a recent public program, Kedarji uttered that “the Guru’s Love is unfathomable.” This utterance stunned me into silence and awe, and has stayed in my awareness since then. The sages don’t mince words—the mantras they use are deliberate. The Guru’s Love is unfathomable. Even when our egos tell us that we’re small and unworthy and not good enough, the Guru’s Love is unfathomable. Even when we’re stubborn in Sadhana and not following the Guru’s instructions and commands to the letter as instructed, the Guru’s Love is unfathomable. Even when we’re in the midst of kriyas and obstacles to experiencing the Joy of our True Nature, the Guru’s Love is unfathomable. Even with all of our perceived shortcomings, the Guru’s Love is unfathomable.

The Guru wants nothing but for us to experience and become established in the Joy, Peace, Bliss and Love that is our True Nature. And even when our ego tries its hardest to resist our intentions, the Guru is patient and compassionate, even when, at times, he needs to be firm like a parent correcting an unruly child. The Guru’s Love is unfathomable. Think about that as you Roam in the Temple of the Heart.

Om Guru Om!

Shanti Harkness volunteers as the Secretary of The Bhakta School of Transformation. She sits on our Board of Directors and also volunteers as a certified staff teacher and program leader for Nityananda Shaktipat Yoga. She works in the marketing field.