Bali Guru story continues....

The other incident was on the last day. Last year in Bali, in the last session,Guruji had guided us through a lying-down meditation, which was one of my deepest meditations. My expectations was ready and waiting for a similarexperience this year. The last session started with a CD-guided meditation, oneI had never done before. Somehow the meditation did not click with me - there were too many thoughts, impatience etc. After the meditation ended Guruji came into the hall and the first question he asked, "How many of you did not have agood meditation?" I wanted to put my hand up but had this concept - I've done a few advanced courses, how can I say I didn't have a good meditation; maybe Iate too much, maybe this, that...., the mind came up with many reasons not toput my hand up. Then I noticed Austin, the experienced teacher from LA puttingher hand up. Not only that, Guruji said, "All those who didn't have a good experience, come up, come sit in the front." And a few more veteran meditators went up. Then Guruji said, "Okay, now all of you just sit - don't do anything,don't meditate. I'll meditate for you." My mind went into a downward spiral, "I should have put my hand up, now I won't have a good second meditation also,waah, waah, waah." And in the second meditation, conducted entirely in silence,I didn't have much of a deep experience either. When we came out of meditation,Guruji asked, "hmm....better, no?" I was by now amused at my own mind andopened my eyes looking at him. He was looking around the room and then heclosed his eyes, a blissful smile on his face and slowly rotated his neck. My eyes seemed to close on their own and the next few minutes were full of bubbling bliss.

Another couple of useful lessons:
Lesson 1. Drop your concepts in front of the Master.Be natural.
Lesson 2. Even if you don't, the Master will still take care of you.Afterward when we were sharing experiences - I realized, each person on the course had received a personalized, signature package of joy from Guruji during the course. So many people and yet each one really did their own course.Now, if you want your own personal packet of bliss with your name written on itwith Guruji's hand-writing, go and do a part 2 course with him. I think the gift is better if you travel a bit to get to him. (At least we don't have to climb a mountains to meet our Guru, right?) And if you're one of the lucky(may I say smart :) ) ones who do the part 2 course during Guru Purnima(us.artofliving.org/gp2008), you also get a very special gift of your choicefrom the Master on the day of Guru Purnima. The rest you have to find out for yourself.
By an ardent devotee

Jai Gurudev!