The Golden Temple Meditation-A Solstice Workshop

[Guest guest]

The Golden Temple Meditation workshop is comprised of true stories,

following which we effortlessly enter meditative journeys of our own:

 

Excerpts from Memoirs of a Yogini:

 

On a Sunday morning before Gurdwara in January of 1996, I received a

long distance phone call from Lisa, a dear friend, asking me to pray

for her. Lisa had been unable to work for three months because of

acute bronchitis and heart pains and said she had tried herbs,

acupuncture, healers and doctors all to no avail.

 

I said the best time to pray would be during Gurdwara and told her I

would be leaving in an hour.

 

I entered Sunday Gurdwara while the miracle Shabad, " Dhan, Dhan Ram

Das Gur " was being sung, and chose to sit beneath a painting showing a

black bird flying into the Pool of Nectar and emerging pure white.

 

Going into my heart, I found myself standing with Lisa on the Golden

Temple's marble walkway. It felt natural, real. A voice told me to

take Lisa into the tank and submerge her in the nectar waters.

 

Lisa walked in with me up to her shoulders. I was told Lisa must put

her head under, but she refused! I had to place my hand behind Lisa's

neck and force her head down against great resistance, and hold her

down until she relaxed and enjoyed breathing the water into her lungs.

 

She became sublimely joyful. I released my hand and let her calmly rise.

 

Once again I was sitting in Gurdwara in the House of Guru Ram Das.

 

I called Lisa the following day to see how she was doing. She said, " I

feel great! My lungs are totally clear and the heart pains are gone.

What kind of prayer did you do? "

 

I told her and she laughed saying, " I have always been afraid to put

my head under water! "

 

 

During the years I worked in Los Angeles I used to attend Guru Singh's

yoga classes at Yoga West. He had evolved from being a harsh teacher

in the seventies to become a radiant, inspiring storyteller and guide,

effortlessly getting my classmates and I to laugh during seemingly

impossible kriyas.

 

We often had the profound pleasure of listening to him play his Pieste

Gong during the meditations. One day the gong felt intensely powerful,

blocking out all other sensations. The meditation was simple; we were

to reach up with both hands and pull from the heavens whatever quality

we wished to bring to ourselves.

 

I thought, " I will bring the radiant tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh to

me! " As I tensed my arms and slowly pulled him down toward my crown,

it was no longer Guru Gobind Singh, but the Golden Temple in my hands.

As I brought the Golden Temple over me, encompassing my head with its

gold and marble walls, universal currents from the gong vibrated every

cell in my being.

 

After class I went up and asked Guru Singh how he played the gong to

evoke such a wondrous experience. He replied, I did not play the gong

tonight. "

 

So, that is what the Golden Temple sounds like!

 

I took my father to the Golden Temple when he passed away. He bravely,

repeatedly tried to stand. Finally, Guru suggested he remain standing

and let his body fall away like old clothes.

 

I watched my father's spirit rise from his falling body like a comet,

and fly into the Nectar Tank to splash our family with Amrit water.

He then flew and perched on the Parkarma tree where sparrows roost

after circling the Golden Temple, rejoicing in songs of Divine, and

infused his spirit into the tree. By morning my father had disappeared

with the sparrows. Yogiji claimed these sparrows leave the Golden

Temple for their final resting place.

 

The Golden Temple Meditation will be presented on Friday, June 20th in

the Fire Tent from 2:00 to 3:25 PM.

 

For those who wish to offer Golden Temple Meditations in their

communities, Golden Temple Meditation manuals will be available both

at the workshop and at the Healing Ardas booth in Solstice Bazaar.

 

Loving Blessings,

Guru Prem Kaur Khalsa

Memoirs of a Yogini

SGG--Path of Life to Light