Where are your complaints?  They’re in your mind, usually in the forefront of your mind.  Repeating over and over, your mind loops around on them. So you look in the space where your complaints usually are, right here, in the forefront of your mind…

—  Gurudevi Nirmalananda

From Gurudevi’s full discourse “What is Love“

Knowing about your own Self is not the same as experiencing your own Self.  I can talk about your Divine Essence all day, and you may love the theory.  But even a moment of experiential knowing stops you, settles you, fills you from the inside out. 

—  Gurudevi Nirmalananda

From Gurudevi’s full discourse “Unlearning“

By Gurudevi Nirmalananda

Shining in the dark, the moon reflects the light of the sun. It is cooling, luminous light showing your way through the mounded shapes in the night.

Your mind shines with the reflected light of your own Self, your Divine Essence, found within. When your mind is clear, the light is cooling and luminous.

But the dark you are trying to find your way through is created by the mounds and masses in your mind. They block the very light that you need so greatly.

The Guru’s mind has been cleared, so their light shines through. Yet their purpose is not to merely shine light on your pathway, but to illumine you from the inside out. July’s full moon is dedicated to the Guru — Guru Purnima.

The ancient sages dedicated each purnima to a different purpose. Some of them are seasonal, like the fall moon dedicated to the Goddess Lakshmi. She is the giver of earthly blessings including an abundant harvest. Dattatreya and Hanuman have their full moons, along with other deities.

On Vata Purnima, falling in May-June, married women do practices to insure the health and longevity of their husbands. One is to tie a string around the trunk of a banyan tree, in honor of Savitri, the wife who saved her husband by confronting the Lord of Death. Personally, I have seen many banyan trees circled with hundreds of strings, as I have often traveled to India for the July Purnima.

Perhaps this is why the ancients dedicated the moon to the Guru, since a true Guru is hard to find and even harder to follow.

Yet dedication does pay off. Every time I waited for the clouds to clear on Guru Purnima, my heart’s wish was fulfilled.

My Guru explained there are many false Gurus. Some of them lead you into worldliness. This is clearly described in today’s terminology: investment guru, fashion guru, advertising Guru and there is even a basement guru in my local area.

Other types of false gurus give spiritual teachings but without the depth of tradition that supports them and you. Baba said that zircons only exist because there are diamonds. In your spiritual search, you must find a diamond.

How can you tell? You measure the value of a Guru by the change in you. Do what the Guru recommends for six months and see if you like the changes in yourself. If so, plan on another six months. I did this with my Guru for six years, reevaluating twice a year, until I realized I was in the right place.

On Guru Purnima, the disciple makes every effort to spend time with their Guru. Traditionally, this is the day they give gifts to support the Guru and their mission. For me, back in the day, having time with my Guru on this auspicious day involved a trip to India. It is easier these days with internet programs zooming through.

If you cannot be with your Guru and are not able to zoom in, then do some extra practices on this day. For those studying with me, you can watch a discourse video, read a book or blog, or one of my monthly Teachings Article.

Chant the mantra, using one of my recordings. Do arati, the candle flame ceremony, to honor the Guru, including my Guru and his Guru.

And get darshan of the full moon, even a glimpse. In 2025, it is on July 10, peaking at 4:37 pm EDT, while it appears to be full on the nights before and after.

What’s so special about the Guru that they get a full moon? The book J~nanasindhu describes the Goddess Parvati telling her son:

Kartikeya, the Guru is without beginning or end, even though you can see him in a physical form.

While we can get caught up in appreciating the Guru’s physical presence as well as their unique qualities, it is their deeper essence that matters. As I described above, Divine light shines through their mind without obstruction, giving them the radiance that is so captivating.

I was definitely captivated by my Baba. I loved to watch him. Even now I watch videos of his discourses online, many English translations. I love to watch his expressions, his hand gestures, his eyes and his smile.

You can liken it to sunlight shining through a window in your home. While the same light shines through every window, you may have a favorite. You and the cat love to bask in the sun in that special spot.

In this way, you get to appreciate the unique qualities of your own Guru, while recognizing that it’s the Divine light shining through that matters.

Yet this is true of you as well. The same Divine light is full and intact within you, shining from deeper within than where you usually look. Yet your ability to access these deeper dimensions is limited until the Guru unlocks the door. Jaya Gurudev! Hail to the Divine Guru.

Your attachments define you.  They limit you. They take hold of you, defining who you are and what you can do. Thus, yoga’s goal is freedom.  Freedom from limitation.  Freedom from compulsion.  Freedom from being driven.  You gain yogic freedom by an internal redefinition of…

 —  Gurudevi Nirmalananda

From Gurudevi’s full discourse “Clinging“

By Gurudevi Nirmalananda

We love the moon’s silvery-white light, a cooling light. Its soft glow illumines the darkness, soothing and calming your mind.

Yet the moon is not the source of its light. It merely reflects the light of the sun.

Similarly, the light of Consciousness shines through your mind. The source is within, your own Divine Essence.

If your mind were clear and spacious, your mind’s light would be cool, soothing and comforting. This is why spending time with your Guru is so valuable — the Divine light shining through their mind cools, soothes and comforts you.

Lokanandah samadhi-sukham. — Shiva Sutras 1.16

Such a yogi experiences the bliss of Consciousness in every situation, and it is transmitted to those in contact with him.

The Guru’s influence is unerring. Like sitting under a shade tree, you cool down. As you cool down, you settle into yourself. By Grace, your settling inward goes deeper — into your own Self.

You blossom like night-blooming jasmine in moonlight. I use this metaphor because my Baba had a row of these shrubs in his India Ashram. I walked by them on my way to the hillside meditation hall every morning at 3 am. Their fragrance was intoxicating! Now I know that it was not only the shrubs that were blooming. It was me, too.

However, if your mind is full of limiting notions, Consciousness first has to burn them away. I know how it works because my Baba gave me this — the fire of yoga burning away everything that held me back. Shaktipat initiates this inner process which leads to moksha, liberation.

The process is called purification. You are burning away the inner impurities. It can get hot, especially if you try to keep yourself limited and small. The alternative is clinging to your feeling of being incomplete. You already know this is painful.

Your yogic future is described in the Shiva Sutras…

While the Guru is one who dispenses God’s Grace, don’t confuse the Guru with a particular personality or physical form. Yes, I loved spending time with my Guru.  I love his photos, to see these images of his physical form.  Yet, I know it’s the Divine Reality in him that made him lovable…

 —  Gurudevi Nirmalananda

From Gurudevi’s full discourse “You Need a Guru“

Of course, you can have a breakthrough on a vision quest in nature, or in a dream.  Maybe not a piece of chocolate.  But anything, potentially anything can stop your mind and let your inherent Divinity peek through.  How great it is.  Or rather, how great it was…  

—  Gurudevi Nirmalananda

From Gurudevi’s full discourse “Guru’s Grace“

Attending Gurudevi’s satsangs, you get her profound teachings, delicious opportunities to chant and guidance to easily slip into meditation.  

Her meditation programs are Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. You deepen inward, enjoy a rich experience and learn how to understand it.

Wednesday July 9^th is a unique opportunity to dive especially deep. We will be celebrating Guru Purnima. This holy day occurs on the biggest full moon of the year, and is dedicated to honoring your spiritual teacher. 

As a Meditation Master, Gurudevi Nirmalananda makes herself available as Grace Personified.  She gives us a way to tap into our own svaroopa most easily.  On Sunday, July 13, her teachings and chants will focus on honoring and celebrating her own Guru.

The Ashram’s Vowed Order will be on retreat during with this celebration. You’ll be joining these deeply committed yogis, whether you come in person or online. They’ve travelled from near and far to sit and bow at the feet of their Guru. You will feel the amped up power of Guru Purnima!  

Inspired to learn more about our Vowed Order? Sign up for Gurudevi’s free Vows Info Call to ask all your questions!

You know, in the beginning most people use mantra to calm themselves when they’re upset.  How great that it works for you.  You can calm yourself.  You can get centered again when you’ve been thrown off center.  Yes, use mantra for this.  But consider, what if you did mantra when you didn’t “need” it?  If it will give you your Self when…

— Gurudevi Nirmalananda

From Gurudevi’s full discourse “I Got It!“