#chyk

So I had made this really cool GIF for my dA account, but the DAMN FILE IS TOO LARGE AND I CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO FIX IT ASDFGHJHDSDFGFDS.

So because dA is a butt, I'm giving this lovely thing to tumblr.

Gurudev's padukas (like, actual ones!).

I'm gonna make this very easy for you to understand, and I'm only saying it ONCE. 

This here's an ask blog. You can go and ask any of Mae's characters whatever the hell it is on your tiny little mind. I'm told you'll even get pretty pictures with your answers.

Try and keep things civil-like, and I'll make sure they do the same. As of now, I'm in charge.

So line up or shut up, cause the rides about to start.

I have heard quite a few stories about Swami Chinmayananda (“Gurudev”), the inspiration behind Chinmaya Mission. While each story has been glowing with praise, I never “got” it. Even at the CHYK camp where we talked about guru dakshina in great detail, I couldn’t feel what some of my peers did. But now I think I’m starting to understand.

Two days ago, I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Didi, the formidable force behind CORD, talk about her experiences with Gurudev. Chinmaya Mission was neither something she grew up with, nor were gurus something she truly believed in. Finally coaxed by some of her friends to attend a talk, she very reluctantly went to one of Gurudev’s talks. Rather than the skepticism she felt, Dr. Didi described how she “drawn like a magnet” to Gurudev’s side. Gurudev asked her, “Are you attached?” Thinking he was talking about a husband or a hospital, she replied, “No!” And Gurudev laughed and laughed.

She shared many other stories with us volunteers, conveying Gurudev’s humorous but disciplinarian demeanor with sheer words. Dr. Didi talked about how he could almost (well, did) read the thoughts of the individuals around him. More than anything, though, Gurudev just loved and loved and loved everyone around him. Later in the day, we had the opportunity for satsang with Swamini Gurupriyananda at the Sandeepany Ashram, where the Hindi Vedanta course takes place. Sitting in her immaculate, simple, and beautiful room, she shared her own experiences with Gurudev.

As an interior designer in Delhi, she was active in decorating and holding musical programs and concerts for Gurudev, who loved music. Swaminiji met Gurudev in her forties, after she and her husband (who was in the military) settled down in Delhi. Her husband, too, had great love for Gurudev. Like Kshama Didi, Swaminiji talked about how Gurudev could sense everyone’s thoughts and shared his love freely. Even after mahasamadhi, she said, his presence is there. Both Swamini Gurupriyananda and Kshama Didi shared numerous, beautiful stories with us. I don’t know what it was about what they said, but this was one of the first times that I felt like I understood why people feel such a connection to Gurudev. Maybe it’s the normalcy of their lives… Swaminiji was a well-to-do interior designer, with children and now grandkids! Swamini mentioned that she wasn’t as familiar with the rituals and chants associated with things, but still it was okay. (I guess I felt immensely reassured by that!) Kshama Didi was just a doctor, doing her thing, until meeting Swami Chinmayananda. I don’t know. I was especially moved by their words.

But wow, Swamini Gurupriyananda is just a beautiful person. Sitting at her feet, I just felt so at peace with myself in her presence. She has an immensely kind face that reminded me a lot of my late grandmother. She spoke English with a British accent and she also spoke very deliberately. Addressing all of us youth, Swamini reminded us how important CHYKs were important to Gurudev and one of his last camps – when his heart was only functioning at 15% -- was with CHYKs. When one of the aunties asked her what Gurudev would say to us, she said, “Don’t forget culture.” (I don’t know if I remembered that correctly.) Meaning, so many Indians in the U.S. are neither fully “American” but neither fully “Indian.” Even living in India for a couple months, like some of us are doing, gives us a sense of the important traditions here and can help root our sense of identity. (I’m sure there was more, but I can’t recall it all.)

After satsang, we went to Gurudev’s kutia. It’s so pretty and well kept! After a little exploring, some of us sat down to meditate. Man, that was some of the best meditation I’ve ever had. It was the good vibrations of the place, not to mention Swaminiji’s own peaceful presence. Kshama Didi talked earlier in the day about meditating with a guru – you’re literally carried along. It was really, really nice. Afterward, it was time for aarati with the Vedanta course students and other guests.