I have always loved celebrating birthdays. This past week was a very special time for me, because I got to honor the births of two very high beings. On Monday, September 27^th, at the Radiance Rising Circle I led a celebration of my Guru Ammachi’s 57^th birthday. I put some curly ribbons on a framed photo of her, and we chanted along with a CD of Amma singing a bhajan (devotional song) called “Gopi Gopala.” I read some of her teachings, and then we shared the prasad of Fig Newman cookies. 

Then, on Saturday, October 2^nd, it was Gandhi-ji’s birthday, so I put the curly ribbons on his photo and took him along with me to a fire circle gathering that evening. During the opening circle, I said “THIS is how I want to live on this planet: under the sky and trees, in a sacred circle, dancing by the fire with live drumming.” Then I shared that I had brought my harmonium and would love to lead a chant to Sita-Ram, in honor of Mahatma Gandhi.

After dancing around the fire for a while, I set up the harmonium on a blanket in front of the drums. Before the chant, I explained that in Hindu cosmology, Lord Vishnu promises that any time humans are in trouble he will incarnate to help restore Dharma, Beauty, and Truth. Thousands of years ago he took birth as the beautiful, glistening blue being, Lord Rama, and Sita (Goddess Lakshmi) came to be his wife. Sita and Ram are the Eternal Union of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine, and they can also be viewed as the individual soul (Sita) in union with the Cosmic Soul (Rama).

Anytime we chant (sing) to a Hindu deity, we call in the energies that are associated with that deity. These actual energy states arise in our beings and also in the space around us. So chanting to Sita-Ram helps each of us to experience the Union with our deepest selves.

This was the first time that I had led a chant away from the Radiance Rising Circles, and it was fun, but also a bit challenging, because I had smoke in my lungs from dancing by the fire, and because there were so many drums! It was actually an amazing experience to be carried along so fast with that much drumming! It was definitely a new edge for me. In the playfulness of the moment, I changed the words to “Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram,” and instead chanted Gandhi-ji’s famous quote: “Be the change you wanna see, Jai Jai Ram."

That night when “we” got home, I was filled with incredible Gratitude as I snapped the photo of Gandhi and me. I thought of MC Yogi’s lyrics: “The word Mahatma, it means Great Soul, and it’s inside of us just waiting to unfold. If you follow your heart, and act real bold, next time it’ll be YOUR story that’s told.”

Last night I brought Gandhi-ji to the Radiance Rising Circle, so I could celebrate his birthday just one more time. We noted that a few years ago the United Nations declared his birthday, October 2^nd, to be the International Day of Non-violence. During one of the chants, I sang “Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Jai Sri Rama, Jai Sri Rama.” At the “Jai Sri Rama” part of the chant, I got blissfully lost in bhakti bhav, the mood or state of devotion, during which I felt an intense longing to merge with the Divine. And then, after reading some from Gandhi’s Book of Prayers, we shared prasad of fresh figs, and I was filled with Gratitude for yet another sweet circle.

May all beings everywhere have food, clothing, shelter, and peaceful sleep each night.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Gandhi-ji and Teja by Teja Shankara.