The air was laced with the sweet fragrance of incense and camphor as the sounds of the bells, conch shells, and melodious chanting seemed to transmute it into something almost tangible. With my eyes closed, just these two senses were enough to transcend me into a realm of otherworldly serenity and bliss. The cool sensation of the river gently lapping at my feet seemed to be the only tether I had to the mortal plane. I felt an overwhelming surge of a warm sensation emanating from my heart; and by the time it reached my eyes, it had transformed into warm tears rolling down my cheeks. I opened my eyes to the blazing fire of the Ganga Maha Aarti, and it took me a while to discern whether I was on the physical plane or some mystical realm.
This took place almost a decade ago, but I can still visualise the experience as though it had happened only recently. For a young professional fresh out of college, a spiritual ashram was not the ideal destination for a sojourn but, call it providence if you may, there I was.
A divine design
A dear colleague of mine had shared with me about a spiritual master who was conducting a session in Rishikesh, and he wanted me to come along. I finally conceded to his persistent pestering and decided to try it out. At the very least, I thought, it would be worthwhile to travel to a new place for the weekend.
There are moments in your life, where your path leads you to a most wondrous experience, after which your life is never the same. There are moments in your life when you discover yourself; you may not even realise it, but it might have been a journey spanning countless lifetimes. My first meeting with Maitreya
Dadashreeji in a two-day spiritual retreat of sorts was that culmination point.
This story is from the September 2022 edition of Life Positive.
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This story is from the September 2022 edition of Life Positive.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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