Satsang Letter - July 9th, 2025
In future, we would like to inform you in a post every two weeks about the events and activities at ashram Brindavon and Sri Neem Karoli Baba Mandir, and also share experiences from us chela on our spiritual path at the feet of our Guruji Durgamayi Ma.
just stay simple and true to what really is.
do not try to create spiritual experiences.
that is exactly what prevents
any possible spiritual experiences.
A chela wrote to Ma with the following question:
A few days ago, a few of us were puzzling over the meaning of your words on the calendar page for June—”…do not try to create spiritual experiences,” because by doing so, we prevent any spiritual experience from emerging. What does it mean to “create experiences”?
namaste
creating spiritual experiences means: instead of sitting, for example during a meditation, and openly being aware of what is – you expect something very specific to happen and then imagine that what you expected actually happened.
by expecting something specific, all awareness is lost.
with love, ramram MA
Once a year, the annual general meeting of the Friends Association is held. Its purpose is to make Ma’s words and blessings accessible to anybody interested. In addition to mandatory formalities, we discussed how we can share seva (selfless service) for the care of both ashrams among more people. Many small and large tasks are necessary to keep the ashrams as beautiful and well-maintained as they are. Anyone who would like to participate in seva can register at [email protected].
You can find the minutes of this meeting as well as further information at “Association > Association of Friends” on this website.
This year, the traditional Open House Day at Brindavon Ashram, which has been held since 1999, took place on June 15, for the second time in a summer month. All proceeds go to the “Aktion 100.000” a charity campaign, which is organized by the local newspaper “Südwest Presse”.
On the first floor, delicious Indian dishes were on offer; downstairs in the courtyard in the “café” there was a choice of many different homemade cream cakes and tarts, and in the parking lot a tent was put up with a flea market offering beautiful clothes for young and old as well as unusual interior decorating items.
Right at the entrance to the courtyard, the children could marvel at all the lovely toys. In the temple, there was kirtan singing and meditation, and visitors could listen to a recording of a darshan – spoken words – by Durgamayi Ma, which was a highlight for many visitors.
Many people came and participated with joy and interest in all the activities on offer, and although a thunderstorm with a heavy downpour passed through twice, it didn’t dampen the mood. All areas were well covered with tarpaulins and we simply moved a little closer together and continued our conversations and shopping.
The day ended at 6 p.m. with the daily aarti (ritual offering a holy flame) in the temple, for which many visitors stayed and watched with interest or took part in. For us chela of Durgamayi Ma, this day is also a great event that we look forward to already during the preparations of setting up tents, cooking, and baking. It is a special opportunity to be able to talk with people about our path, to give them a beautiful, perhaps even unforgettable experience by living what our Ma teaches us: give our best and renounce the fruits of our own actions. Seva, practiced in this consciousness, leads to great inner fulfillment! In the evening, we are tired — but happy.
Karishma
On the last weekend in June, a Bhakti Weekend took place at the Sri Neem Karoli Baba Mandir, during which Ma was not at the ashram. We sang a lot of kirtan, meditated, and listened to the darshan “What is the Use of the Living Master”, which Durgamayi Ma gave many years ago in her former ashram Ayodhya in Berlin.
Two chela sent in these contributions:
Darshan without Ma?
On Saturday morning and afternoon, we sang kirtan. I felt how the singing slowly lifted me out of my everyday consciousness. When the lead singer began the kirtan to Shiva and sang with increasing vigor and intensity, the drums and everyone’s singing formed a unity, an indescribable energy arose, and I felt the closeness of Ma, the closeness of the Divine! I felt like I was taking off on a flying carpet! In the evening, we listened to Ma’s darshan “What is the Use of the Living Master?” For me, the essence was that Ma loves me as I am, WITH my faults. And that on the spiritual path, what matters is showing yourself to Ma as you are. Ma was present!
Nataraj
It feels like an eternity since I last met Ma. There is a longing in my heart to be with our master. There is also this other voice that says if Ma is not there why not stay at home. Nevertheless, or precisely because of this, I attended this Bhakti weekend. I sang kirtan with everyone, meditated, and talked with gurubhai and visitors about my life and my spiritual path. We listened to a darshan, “What is the Use of the Living Master,” in which Ma speaks about “the love that never fades.” I absorbed everything, happy and grateful that the inner voice that would rather stay home did not win. During kirtan, I experienced again and again how, little by little, my mind and the thoughts become calmer, and at some point only the melody remains, the singing to God in this space. Everything else has “no place in this moment”—as Ma often tells us when she guides us in meditation. The richness of the sound, the sounds that fill everything. What a respite from everyday consciousness.
Parvati
For us chela of a spiritual master, Gurupurnima celebrations are something very special. They give us an opportunity to honor our satguru Sri Neem Karoli Baba and to offer all our love and gratitude to our guru, to Ma— remembering and making ourselves aware of what a blessing it is to have met a living master in this life. Why we set out on our search, some of us many years ago, how unhappy we may have been at the time, and what joy our very first encounter with Ma sparked in us. And even though the spiritual path has not met any of our expectations in any way and is, therefore, marked by ups and downs, we are constantly inspired by Ma’s masterly presence - and this is what inspires us to keep going on this path.
Gurupurnima celebrations will take place at Sri Neem Karoli Baba Mandir from July 11 to 13.