I just returned from a visit to the Satchidananda Ashram (AKA Yogaville) for the auspicious weekend of Guru Poornima, a special celebration honoring the GURU. In case you don’t know what the word guru means, it comes from the ancient Sanskrit, the classical language of India, and GU means darkness, and RU means the remover. So, my friend Deepa Lani says that the GURU is the one who removes the goo.

My personal Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda, used to say that the mother is the baby’s first guru. We’ve all had lots of special teachers in our lives who helped to reveal profound knowledge to us, whether it’s a spiritual teacher or perhaps a coach, a boy scout leader, or a humble piano teacher. But the real guru is the teacher that resides in our hearts, the one leading us to our own truth. And on Guru Poornima, we bow to the inner Guru, and the outer Guru and commit ourselves yet again to follow the profound teachings.

So blessings to you all from the heart of Yogaville.
May the entire creation be filled with peace and joy, love and light!
Jai Sri Satguru Maharajki, JAI!
(Victory to the spiritual master!)