40-Day Meditation Retreat

During this retreat we are going to explore once again the inner journey. But this time we will look at the Guiding Principle that is there in the Universe and which we need to work with if we are to achieve that state of enlightenment or liberation.

Broad Perspective of Guidance
Is there a power in the Universe that guides us? And what is this guiding principle, this guiding power in our Universe all about? You see how people gravitate to teachers. How we become attached to teachers. How we become narrow-minded sometimes when we think that our teacher is the best and we can learn only from that teacher and nobody else. We neglect to see that the Universe is a teacher, and that person who may be guiding you is only one aspect of the Guiding Principle of the Universe.

In this series of the talks, therefore, I want to focus on every aspect of guidance in our Universe. I am going to choose the knowledge that is there in ancient wisdom that allows us to see this. I want to begin by creating a perspective that is vast, so that you can see this subject in a larger perspective. I began my journey looking at life in this way. Whenever I do anything, I want to know what the greatest perspective is. I want to know how I can view this in the greatest possible way.

The Seeker’s Question
Today, I want to take one question that comes from Guru Gita which means Song of the Guide. It is an ancient scripture that deals with the subject of “Guru”. And what is marvellous about this scripture is that it sees the guru not as a person but as a principle in the Universe. I want to take one verse from the scripture today to begin our retreat and it begins with a question. In fact, seeking begins with a question. We become a seeker by asking a question, desiring an answer, looking for a solution. So the Guru Gita begins with this very important question that initiates the whole song - the Gita. The question is asked to the enlightened one. In Sanskrit it says:

The meaning is: By which path can an embodied soul become one with the Absolute? The one who is asking the question says, “Be compassionate to me. I honour you as the great teacher.” The question asks, how can the embodied soul become one with the Absolute? So we are embodied souls. And what do we embody? If it says that the embodied soul can become one with the Absolute, it means that we embody the Absolute. So that is the important question that initiates this retreat: How can the embodied soul become one with the Absolute?

Cosmic Processes at Work
I want to go to a philosophy that has touched me very deeply. This is the Shaiva philosophy of India. It says that the Universe has five cosmic processes at work. That absolute power in the Universe has five processes in working in the Universe. It is important to understand because this gives us the big and expansive vision. If you look in the Universe you can see different processes at work.

Creation: In the Universe you see creation. This physical body is a created being and you see creation taking place all the time. But in this philosophy it sees creation as something that is projected out of the Absolute. So whatever is created is already inside there. If you think of a tree and a seed, was the tree created in some way? Or was it inside the seed and unfolded from inside the seed? Therefore, creation in this sense is about this Universe being projected out of that absolute being. So that is one of the cosmic processes that we see in the Universe.

Maintenance: The Universe is maintained. After things are created or projected they are maintained so this is a cosmic process in the Universe. It is in the life cycle of things when they are created and come into being.

Dissolution: This is the aspect that some call destruction, but in this philosophy it is called dissolution, or reabsorbtion. First it was projected and then it goes back. So things disintegrate and go back to that place from where they emerged so it is reabsorbtion. That is a cosmic process. You see that after a while things everywhere begin to disintegrate, to age, deteriorate, dismantle and go back.

Concealment: There are two interesting processes that make up the rest of the cosmic process, one of which is concealment. It says that divinity becomes concealed in the embodiment. So in all the embodiments created it becomes concealed or hidden inside. So concealment is a cosmic process. In other words its Spirit becomes involved in matter. Spirit becomes concealed in matter. Think about this very carefully. We can refer to it as a process of involution – that inside of us there is the Absolute.

Grace: The last of the cosmic process is Grace. That which is concealed is liberated. So it is a cosmic process to liberate that which is concealed. It is a cosmic process for the Absolute that is embodied inside to evolve. And how does this happen? How does that which is hidden come into manifestation? That’s grace. It is called Anugraha. So it is said that the Guru Principle in the Universe is the power of grace; that the Universe carries the power of grace. Throughout the Universe grace exists, and that is the power to liberate us.

How can we tap into Grace?
The excitement about this is that in the Universe there is a power at work constantly involved in evolution, involved in support, involved in grace. Hence the reason for the question: How can the embodied soul become one, once again with the Absolute? How can that which is hidden become manifested? The whole idea is how can we recognize the grace in the Universe, because it is a cosmic process that is available. How can we begin to tap into the grace that exists in the Universe?

When we cry in suffering it is because of ignorance. We are unable to see the grace that surrounds us. The question therefore is “If this grace exists in the Universe why do we stay in ignorance? Then why are we not seeking? Why are we not seeking that grace that we may become liberated from this limitation, this suffering?”

Recognize the guiding power of the Universe
That begins the question of the Guru Gita, and it seeks out that guidance. Please tell me about guidance. How can I be guided? In ignorance when we begin to search and question the Universe: How can I come out of this? And when we ask this question to the Universe, when we become the seeker, the Universe is going to respond.

It is marvellous how the Universe responds. Through a series of situations, through a number of things the Universe can respond to you because in the heart of the whole Universe is the same absolute power. Everything that is embodied in the Universe carries this absolute power at different levels of manifestation or consciousness or awareness. So our Universe is a responsive Universe. And the great joy in this journey is when you begin to recognize that. Then you see the guiding power of the Universe not just as a human being, but in everything in the Universe that guides you towards finding that inner Self that leads us back to the Absolute .

In my own journey I began the search through the agony of not being able to control my mind; through the agony of not being able to feel love. Through the agony of not understanding who I really was, I began that search. And I knew that there was some great power in the Universe and that power has led me through a wonderful, wonderful journey which I will share in these 40 Days, that enabled me to see this power, this liberating power, not just through a person but through everything in the Universe. So the Supreme Teacher or Supreme Guru in the Universe is really that Absolute. And the challenge in the journey which makes it the adventure is to be able to recognize this Guru Principle everywhere.

Today I will end with that question, and the broad perspective of being able to see that inherent in the whole Universe is this process of liberation at work, taking us from concealment into manifestation. This power exists in the Universe. It is the power of grace. It is a power that is there to support us. We need only to recognize this power. So we begin our first day with this question.

I leave you today with this query or question: How can I see my Universe supporting me in the journey to be liberated? How can I see it? How can I see in every moment on this day, the Universe working towards helping me to become more aware of who I am? How can I see that grace in every situation of my day, no matter how challenging it may be or how rewarding it may be? How can I see the power of grace in my Universe as it moves to take me away from ignorance and lead me into the awareness of my true existence?

I hope on this day you will embrace this question and you will begin to look for all the ways in which the Universe is working towards supporting you in your quest to become liberated from ignorance and to become one, once more with that Absolute Reality that is within you. In this we have to use the intellect or the intelligence. This is a very important faculty in our search.

Have a wonderful and blessed day. Our first day begins with this query with this awareness. We look forward to those unfolding days when we explore this journey to experience grace in the form of the Guide in our Universe.