Blissful Strilky Retreat

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So, Hum…. How to even attempt to put such a divine experience into words…. My main drawcard for making the journey to Strilky was to see Swamji for Gurupurnima as well as see Him in European context. When I greeted Swamiji on the day of Gurupurnima, He said to me “Yashoda, you will get Kriya here OK?" Profound gratitude and pure joy bubbled inside me! There was quite a procession of people who came to greet Swamiji, bearing gifts of varying compositions. While the intentions were almost identical, I could not help but notice the amount of plastic packaging. Plastic is alive and thriving in Europe.

I participated in the Kriya Anustan program which was quite intensive and a significant learning curve. It involved lots of sitting on our mats and breath techniques for many hours of the day. Day three was something like a breakthrough point and day four was easier on the knees. It was really a joy to be able to have the whole week to practice in the Strilky grounds. As well as walks and seminars with Swamiji, there were constant reminders of the goodness in outdoor life, abundant food, so many familiar faces and recognition of the sparkly eyes of others on the journey. Days were full and peaceful with perfect weather and extensive gardens to play in.

Although I did have the pleasure and privilege of the quietest space in Strilky to rest and gather my thoughts, thanks to the generous hospitality of Ram Puriji and Ron (the dog) who let me take over the lounge room in their cottage, there were still a plethora of interesting characters that found me to ask interesting questions about my unconventional life. I did manage to hide sometimes to really enjoy the quiet introspection and try, however feebly, to digest the new learning! There was also the pizza shop to check up on. Awesome project, transforming a run down pub into Ashram café ambiance. Somehow I found myself in a situation calling me to taste all the flavours of the icecream on offer. I certainly have good icecream karma!

Swamiji spent many hours every day on the grass under the trees in the immaculately maintained Strilky gardens inspiring us and sharing Mahaprabhuji’s light and wisdom:
Anyone can earn money, any way…. It’s not easy to achieve spirituality. You are the obstacle on your pathway. Every step is one history. Moon and Sun can change direction, the Guruvakya will not change. Becoming aware brings joy and happiness. Have a strong foundation, trust and continue, no compromise in quality. Search the opportunity where you can do the Seva. Everyone needs love.

Understand other’s situations. If someone makes what you consider a mistake, now it’s a test for you to understand and forgive. Dislike the action not the person. When the hard time comes, be happy God is paying attention to you. When you are happy, God is occupied! If you change your mind you are interrupting your development Every situation is a test in the life. Just be the witness, above happiness and unhappiness. Every day is not the same. Every day is golden. Festivals remind us to be happy. Forgive your misunderstandings, establish love, friendship and kindness so you are humble. Make Shankalpa, a resolve, a solid decision with self discipline

When fruit is very ripe it separates from the plant. When you take unripe fruit from the tree there is suffering. When ripe, that’s called Moksha; without suffering. May we become detached from our attachments. Living without pain and suffering. That’s a life. Limbs, words, thoughts, intellect; being in this world should be healthy.

Emptiness means completeness, purna, nirguna, formless. If something comes in it becomes loneliness. The entire Universe is empty. We are existing individually, part of the emptiness. How far you gaze is the border of your buddhi/intellect. Ignorance is creating the border. Remove the border and emptiness remains. Without emptiness, you can not expand. Emptiness is not easy to realise. When you remove ego, ignorance and dualities, you become nirguna/one.

When the plate is empty it is full of ego. When the tree has lots of fruits, its branches bend down to give to us. Your Atma can go through rock. Nothing becomes an obstacle. Purify your thoughts and your practice will become successful. We want everything but not to know about ourself. Don’t rely or depend on anyone. No one can breathe in and out for you. So do something that will go with you. Your good karma you do for others will go forever with you. Your bhajan, your meditation, spiritual light energy is yours forever. Break and join, that’s it. Break your attachments to this world and attach yourself to the God.

Make a list. Are you using or abusing? Do you need it or not? You need strength inside to digest your ego. One lady asked: “Swamiji I want to experience the real love”. “How many men did you have in this life? Were they real or wood?! So forget it! Only 1 real love and will never disappoint us and that is God’s love. But you must know how to fall in love with God. That’s Art!” How the little thing can destroy us. Like the small axe to cut down a whole forest. So, only one remedy: Renounce and Enjoy! See how you can help. Practice. Use it or lose it. Don’t be restless, let others rest! Talk to the trees, not others. Keep silent.

You can take the beauty out of anything. From a stone you can find God. It depends on you. Many things are here to remind us. Human should decide what you can give. Give. At that point, light will be coming to you.

Guruji used to play bhajans while meditating. Music has a deep influence on psychic. Sound will direct your concentration toward your aim. Peaceful music makes you feel calm. Storms with 30 metre waves, that is modern music! My blood pressure goes to Jupiter! No wonder the world is full of stress and don’t know how to reduce the agressivity. It’s big damage to your emotions. Aim of human life is to find eternal peace, not in the clouds of thunderstorms! Good things have good energy. If you understand the words, it uplifts you and means something. On the day you will find what you are searching you joy will be undescribable. Immediately you will have strength and energy.

As soon as you have a negative feeling then again you are in the jungle. If you create a curtain it means doubt. Don’t go under you ignorance, conflict, doubts. If you go to any cave, you can say to darkness “You are millions of years here. Please go away!" If you make a light, darkness immediately disappears. So, make a light. That time your heart comes to the light you are an ambassador of that light, of Moksha, of Atma Gyan. Param Anand, the supreme bliss. That is the content of liberation, light, love, peace, harmony. In that light there is enlightenment. Akhiya (eye); when the eye opens, you see that beauty and light.

It is very difficult to be the tree standing alone. So, don’t stand alone! Be the whole Universe!

One afternoon Swamiji has arranged for us to meet on a hill overlooking the fields above the Ashram and village, to have silent Satsung. Meditation on tree stumps and rocks; low air pressure, looking at a dark, stormy sky that reflected Swamiji’s late afternoon mood. As is cleared, Mahaprabhuji arranged everything. The sun disappeared behind the clouds and out of the black clouds the sun again appeared. Like a double sunset. Divine. Perfect for Tratak. Amazing. Something Beautiful.

Your next program is to practice every day, as much as you can. Not that you have, but that you practice. Now it depends on you how you will multiply. A Master can only give to you, to take is your duty. To practice development depends on you. Become the one that renounces everything.

Apart from the Kriya diksha and the many wonderful stories, the words Swamiji said that resonated with me most: “You can only give if there is someone willing to take/receive”

There were SO many wonderful people who shared my time in Europe. Such shining players! At the airport leaving Vienna, some middle eastern folk shared their lunch with me. I marvelled yet again at the intensity of a week with Swamiji, the kindness of strangers and how the sesame seeds were stuck so strongly to the breadsticks. I’m elevated. Immensely inspired. Floating above the clouds… pulled back to Earth by the immaculately shaped eyebrows of the hostesses, serving fruit juice, on a plane, going back to my boys... immense gratitude to all the people that helped me have the time in Strilky and to my beautiful photo benefactor Janka😊

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