The glory of life
When preparing for the retreat, a chela remembered Ma’s verse for the year 2024 and wrote to Ma:
I am calling you, asking you to come to the retreat! Please show us the glory of life in which you live and show us how to get there, because that is what I long for. I am looking forward to the retreat and to being in your presence.
And Ma takes up this request, showing us to give up all waiting for external changes in order to turn to the here and now: “There is nothing more to come”, Ma says, “everything is here already!”
And so Ma takes us with her during these three days of retreat, guiding us deeper into experiencing the present moment.
In the evening, Ma is with us at the dhuni, the sacred fireplace under a pavilion in the ashram garden. This is where we hold the fire ceremony - two pujari call out the 108 names of the Divine Mother and everyone responds with “Svaha”, with some offering rice, flowers and incense into the fire, which in India is worshipped as the Divine Mother.
Then, with only the crackling of the fire to be heard, this magical silence arises, vibrating and alive - the blessing of Ma’s very presence.
On the final evening, Ma asks us to sing kirtan - devotional singing to and about God - and when two chela start singing, Ma joins in with a loud and clear voice. How wonderfully the singing rises in the night.
At the end of the kirtan, a chela expresses her wish to read out a poem on the Divine Mother to Ma. It shows the view of a person filled with devotion who sees the Divine Mother in all things:
All experiences are granting always the same Experience –
THE DIVINE MOTHERIn all circumstances there is only one Circumstance –
THE DIVINE MOTHERThe darkness of the night or of the closed eyes,
and the day-light or any light, is showing always the same one Light –
THE DIVINE MOTHER
