Guru Brahma…
Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah;

Namaste, as Gurudev would say, “I salute the divinity that is within you.”

A sincere Welcome and Greetings to One and All; and please receive the blessings of these saints and distinguished guests, who have gifted us with their presence.

All of us have journeyed to this sanctuary, to this sacred place of beauty and peace, with sentiments–bhava, of respect, shraddha-faith, and joy.

When devotion has matured in the fires of tapas, in our sadhana, a gem is formed. A pure heart is the gem of the saintly world; a loving mind, the gold of the saintly alchemists. This aspiration, this sankalpa for a life well-lived are the gifts we bring today.

We gather as a celebration on this first anniversary of our beloved Swami Veda’s samadhi. Here, we are not adoring the physical body which was placed in this space one year ago; we are present to embrace the subtlety of his example, the beauty of his teaching, and faith in his mandate — “share with the world the pure form of meditation and only initiate into the same.”

We gather to give witness — that our relationship with the Yoga Meditation Tradition, a Living Lineage, should be absolutely pure and selfless, and carry the Guru-Shakti of self-transformation and spiritual awakening.

This is expressed in performing our duties selflessly and with mindfulness of: “Let Each Person Feel Loved.” This fulfills our debt to our beloved Swamiji and assures a wholesome and holy life.

May I present these distinguished guests — these living saints as examples of gems in the world today. They live with the constant awareness of divinity and always mindful of their duty. May their words and their silence encourage you, inspire you, and guide you to that inner source of Light and Love.

NOW for a moment of Silence…

Om; shreem gurudev namah;

Editor’s Note:

“Mahasamadhi Address” by Swami Ritavan Bharati was published in the July 2016 edition of the AHYMSIN Newsletter.