Winter Retreat – ‘Aatm Bodh’
Rohini Wig,
NCR Study Circle,
Faridabad.
Hari Aum
Prostrations at the Holy Feet of Guru Maa!
Since March 2020, we have been in home quarantine, however our yearning to meet Maa and Manish ji was always there. We would wonder until when this long duration of the covid period and our incapability of coming out of closed environment would last. It was not long when the call came and our NCR group was meeting for a study circle class on a Sunday. With such happiness and joy within, I found difficult to control my pent up inner emotions comparable to that of a child when reuniting with the mother.
With all precautions and care to maintaining social distancing, our classes were conducted in Brahma Udyan at SISS. During that time the nature spread it’s fragrance all around with colourful flowers in full bloom, trees giving fresh juicy fruits of the season, and the crops yielding vegetables full of taste and sweetness. We were fortunate to take that complete nourishment as Prasad from Maa. Our duration of hours spent in the Ashram also increased with time. We performed Puja’s, celebrated festivals, Birthdays and also enjoyed playing Table Tennis with Manishji. This period also tested our culinary skills with Manishji inspiring us with his talent of preparing food with exquisite tastes, and every time I found myself to be learning something positively new even from these leisure activities.
As covid scare settled a bit with time, Maa took the text on the Prakran Granth ‘Aatm bodh’, on 6th December 2020. It was a cold winter month. The two sessions from 7:00 to 8:30 am and 9:30 to 11:00 am were being held every Sunday with an hour of breakfast break. The first session began by welcoming Maa with the Purnakumbh followed by Gurudev’s Arati and prostrations at The Holy feet of Sree Guru Parampara. Maa began chanting the verses from the text and we repeated joyfully. It gave us a retreat like feeling.
Aatm bodh gives us the terminology of the Supreme Brahman used in the shastras. Each verse explained by a simile and enumerating examples. The goal of the seeker is the liberation from the world of objects, and knowledge is the only direct means for the seeker seeking liberation. There is diversity in nature, therefore the Aatman appears to be diverse because of various Upaadhis. By the process of negation of these Upaadhis the Aatman has to be realized within. Entertaining our desires and doing what one likes to do is not meant by freedom. It is infact bondage as we get more entangled into the world of objects, thoughts and emotions. The four Mahavakyas given by Sree Adi Shankaracharya ji helps the seeker to realize his true nature which is Sat- Chit- Anand. While living in the world, performing activities given for that particular Ashram without attachment only can one think of progressing towards attaining the Highest Knowledge.
Without sacrifice nothing can be achieved. So to become a fit student Sree Adi Shankaracharya ji has given some qualifications important for the seeker seeking for liberation to walk the Spiritual path.
We were fortunate to attend discourses on Aatm Bodh taken by Maa inspite of sometimes unfavourable weather and the prevailing conditions. We also look forward to audio recording of Aatm Bodh by The Holy Grace.
We pray to the Almighty to bless us in our effort to be able to diligently pursue our spiritual learning under the guidance of Guru Maa, overcoming all our hindrances.
Hari Aum