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some testimonies

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"gurudev’s final talk was brief: 'friends, whatsoever begins must come to an end... a seeker is one who searches for that which does not begin and does not end. i hope you will continue your journey after you leave... when you return home, you will find all that you have gained here will keep growing. you will go on becoming more peaceful, more joyous, more silent. please take two flowers from the meditation hall with you to remember these days…' -- there were no tears in my eyes: for me, it was not the end of swami chaitanya bharti’s 40-day meditation intensive; for me, it was the beginning of a new journey with gurudev." -sw dhyandev, aalif surti

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"i had missed nothing in silence and gained priceless glimpses of eternity. my company, which had been reluctant to grant me leave, had deposited a sizeable incentive in my bank account! i don’t know how this works but trust me, it does." -sw dhyandev, aalif surti

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"did anything happen at all? as one sits here, silently watching the ocean on the last day of the retreat, it is hard to believe that one has actually been here for 40 days. did they happen at all? did anything happen at all? or was it just a dream we saw with open eyes... the memories are all flimsy and vague. all incidents, all events that seemed so intense and profound for a few moments, have dissolved back into nothingness. the only thing that remains is a more soft, a more purified… a more transparent sense-of-being." -unsigned letter of participant

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"after returning from the retreat, the after effect of the power dose called gurudev is still present. there is no struggle to be, to do… things are just happening and i am sitting here at my desk still reveling in His presence, in His silence. the silence is spread all over - in my driving, in my writing, in my working and most of all in my talking. there is just no effort. it’s like a feeling to just do nothing… but at the same time, still the activity is taking place with an intense feeling of just being, one might say, with ‘one’s-self.’ (...) the 21 days of silence that then followed these first 10 days were the greatest; it was as though there was only silence and nothing else." -sw jaidev (ajay jain)

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"in His presence, one just is. and that is the gift of a Master. he nourishes the self by simply allowing the body-mind mechanism the freedom to Just Be." -ma devopam (anupama shenoy)

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"gurudev always had sufficient time to help us and guide us through the various levels of understanding. in his illuminating company, i found myself weeping with gratitude and love. throughout my sojourn, i felt his words echoing in silence, answering my naïve questions as if prodding me further and further, deeper and deeper in my quest." -ritesh singh

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"...from gurudev’s vast wisdom, the mirror received help to stay shiny, to let the passing dust slide over more easily, to not get stuck as it passed by… the window cleaner of ‘i-am-not-the-body’, the soft cloth of ‘patience,’ the squeezy mop of ‘non-seriousness.’ these helping hands, if remembered, slowly helped the mirror to remember who it was." -tanmayo

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"a master is a mysterious and multidimensional function that envelopes the seekers entire life. sometimes he functions as a friend - sharing a drink with you; allowing you to be yourself and participating in your laughter and tears. sometimes he functions as a father - holding your hand as you walk through the ‘disneyland’ of life; gently and patiently guiding you through the madness and the chaos; helping you to be at ease - even on the most terrifying rides. sometimes he functions as a mother - letting you cry on her shoulder when life gets rough and ugly; gently caressing your head, whispering words of love and comfort. sometimes he functions as a stern traffic policeman - telling you when to stop and when to move; also warning you about the no entry zones you may be tempted to enter. sometimes he functions as a teacher - a guide filled to the brim with existential wisdom; giving you as much as you are capable of receiving. but all the time, all the time - he is god in a human body; and his main function amidst all these roles is to help you realize that you are the same." -sw gyandev (sahil surti)

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"it's a total miracle and the greatest of grace, good luck and blessing, that life would be so generous to put one across a Being like gurudev." -vanesa

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