28th Dec, 2016 – India
Land of our Spiritual birth
This is a place where Our Mother first invited us, a land of our spiritual birth, the place where many of us where married and our children came to be spend their formative years. India has been the stage where so many of our most important and significant events of our life took place. To India, we returned and on this occasion to offer something back to the Yogis of India who have given us so much. We came to help where we may to help spread the message of our Mother, to follow Her will, to do Her work and to live the dream of Yogis from the four corners of world meeting on the shores of Bharat to do God’s work.
Yogis from all quarters of India, and abroad came together
The work for the Tour began long ago, how long we may never know but it felt this was long planned event and coming together. Yogis from all quarters of India, and abroad came together, in the planning a great Tour that would eventually span a five states and twelve cities over three weeks. Yogis from the most senior through all levels of work volunteering to contribute to this great task. The enthusiasm from the collectives of India was at the most heartfelt level and inspired all the work. The support of all the Trusts of India is acknowledged and we offer our humble thanks without which there would be no Tour. And to all those who worked tirelessly to put the arrangements in place we have no words other than to say in your work we see the hand of Our Mother.
Jaipur
The pink city was to be first of the major programs on Tour. We were housed and looked after as great guests of a most generous Yogi who owns a great Hotel in the city. The grounds were spacious and our accommodation was amazing. The first night of our stay, a Kiwali singer came and joined with us as we sang and enjoyed our first night in Rajasthan. The next day, following morning meditation, there was sightseeing to the famous fort and the attractions of the city. The second night the major collective Public Program was hosted. The venue was an attractive function center close to where we were staying. The program was promoted as a program for seekers but also large numbers of Yogis from the region also attended filling the hall to capacity.
The program was started with a number of bhajans interspersed with introductory speeches by senior Yogis of the region, video presentations of Shri Mataji’s life and work were also presented. Then followed Self Realization to close to 1000 who attended that night. The vibrations were very strong and to celebrate the great event the much began in earnest. After a short time, everyone was on their feet and dancing, new people and established Yogis, locals and foreigners, ladies one side, men the on other all enjoyed the moment when the children of Shri Mataji had returned to India to sing the praises of the Goddess.
Gwalior
We arose and departed early then next morning for Gwalior, a road journey of around nine hours. A long day home the road, our lunch packed on the bus to help save time. A brief stop for chai and rest but it was one of those long days traveling looking out of the windows of our bus as the beautiful countryside of India rolls past. We must say new air conditioned coaches does make the road trip much easier than our old red rattlers but we are much older now than those days of our youth.
We arrived at Gwalior in the late afternoon, many of the Yogis had gathered to welcome us lining the entrance to the apartment block were we would be staying. As we entered the building, the pathway was lined with young Yuvas offering flower petals, sweets and a bindi. Their faces beaming happiness and welcome. To come to Gwalior is to feel the genuine love of a host to an honored and welcomed guest, of a long lost family member returned home to a loving embrace. There was a sweetness and feeling of true welcome that only comes from the purest and simplest of hearts, and coming from the west the sincerity and purity of the Yogis touched us all deeply.
This was to be current and prevailing theme of our time in Gwalior the royal dignity of the right nabhi, of an auspicious host to friends who have come home to visit. For many of us we just felt the pull of their love deeply and their sincerity deeply moving.
Over 3,000 people attended
That night, the main public program was held and what an event it was over 3,000 people attended in an open venue, being winter and in the north of India there was a winter chill and coolness in the air. But the real coolness began after Self Realization with an audience of seekers of such a grand scale the vibrations were immense soon after Self Realization, music began and the audience rushed to the front to dance and celebrate. The local Yogis were overjoyed that their efforts to promote the program had resulted in such an overwhelming response. Faces were illuminated with the joy of Mother for Yogis and seekers alike. It is times such as this that we Tour when everything comes together in such a meeting and of such outcomes that we dream of.
The next day we took some much appreciated rest in the morning spending time with the local collective before taking our leave from the local collective who had become so dear to us.
Come and join us in God’s family
Sitting on a bus from Gwalior on the road to Delhi, a Chinese sister called from the window to the children staring up at all foreigners in our bus…
“Come … come join us… come and be one in this great family and in the deep joy we are feeling … come and join us in God’s family” she cries, the children wave back running along the road with our bus crying out to us.
Guitars are playing, Yogis singing, other carry the beat striking the luggage cases with open hands, hot blue skies, sun beating down on green fields of canola, potatoes, rice paddies, cattle and sheep crazing. Sun glistening upon the waters of mighty rivers, ancient forts look down upon their vantage points on high mountains. Everywhere, the good people of the land work and till the earth. There is laughter on our buses, much animated conversation, stories shared and good times enjoyed again and again. We are bouncing down the road, there is much singing and playing.
Glorious early days of our youth
It is great to be on India tour again with our brother and sisters, it’s like the years have rolled back and we are back in the glorious early days of our youth.
Just waiting to see what new experiences and joys await on the road before us, but we know that it is more of the joy of Mother just around the next bend in the road.
Jai Shri Mataji!
Sincerely, Chris
2016/17 India Tour