An exploration of how being present for ourselves and others is the most precious gift we can give.
Understanding Love: I See You
Standing in Tadasana (the Mountain pose) this morning, the words ‘gift of presence’ come to mind. I notice my body and mind relaxing into the experience of standing still, being present and observing what comes.
There is a sense of curiosity—where did these words come from? I recognize a playfulness behind them. I wonder—how can ‘presence’ be a gift?
Engaging with these questions and the reflective process leads me on a journey of discovery. I realize that being present is a gift I can give to myself and others. In many ways it is probably the best and most precious gift I can give.
Being Present and the Senses
I’ve learned through my yoga practice that being present—in the moment—is not actually an easy thing to do. My thoughts jump around like a monkey at times, from one thing to another—especially when there’s a lot on my mind to think about. Bringing awareness to the rhythm of the breath, repeating a mantra, or visualizing light are some ways that bring me back to the present moment.
In the teachings of yoga the mind is sometimes compared to a wild horse that needs to be reined in and guided. In the Katha Upanishad the senses are called the horses which take us down many different roads. When we are able to control our sense perceptions, we have the capacity to make wise choices.
One of the senses I am turning my attention to right now is my sense of sight and the power it has to create my current reality. As I turn the spotlight on this sense, an experience which happened before the new temple at the Ashram was built comes to mind. It took place after the Ashram’s original temple burned and the re-building began…
A traditional Ktunaxa storyteller is visiting the Ashram. It is one of those magical, sun-warmed evenings on the shore of Kootenay Lake. He invites us into the Ktunaxa creation story, an opening to a different perspective—one that weaves together the land, the history and the stories that have been passed down through the generations.
At sunrise the next morning, we form a large circle on the Temple foundation. Each of us is greeted individually with a Ktunaxa prayer and the words “It’s good to see you”—looking directly into each others’ eyes, touching hands.
In that moment there was a recognition of an essential part of ourselves—the part that goes beyond race, gender, culture, age—everything that separates us. It was an opening to presence, a different way of seeing. A different understanding of what Love is.
A Different Kind of Love
The first time I met Swami Radha, I experienced this kind of love. It was a ‘wake up’ moment, challenging and unsettling. I didn’t understand what was happening because I had a lot of illusions about myself and my life that I was hanging onto.
Meeting Swami Radha was actually my first experience of being truly seen for who I am. She was able to see past all the layers I’d built around myself, to be able to survive in the world. She knew that if I kept going, facing the challenges, letting go of the layers—I would open to experiencing this different kind of love—and to eventually find the source of it within myself.
She described this love as a transcending power, one that has the potential to flow through us—to be a unitive force rather than a divisive one. She called on us to “rescue love from the muddy waters of romance and uncultivated imagination.”
Swami Radha never wavered from offering this kind of transcendent and at the same time grounded love to anyone who was able to open to it, who could be in the presence of it. Her guru, Swami Sivananda, gave her the name Radha—Cosmic Love, beloved of Krishna. He told her to ‘love all who come in contact with you. Be a spiritual mother to all.”
“‘The greatest gift Swami Sivananda gave me was my name.’ It is the name that leads her to her purpose, the power that connects her to her love.” (Glimpses of a Mystical Affair)
She said—‘we cannot truly love all, but we can be considerate of each other”. Her focus on care and consideration is the heart of her teachings—putting awareness and quality into everything we do—bringing in the intention of offering and devotion, opening to love.
An Act of Love
Through this reflection on the ‘gift of presence’ I’ve realized that being present for ourselves and for each other is one of the greatest acts of love we can give. For me it means being present to what is happening, being willing to really see myself and others. It means opening to the current of love that is always there, underneath everything that is happening in my life.
I know from experience that when we are present for each other, without imposing our own ideas or agendas, something bigger begins to happen. There’s a sense of entering into a field of possibility—the possibility of creating a world of harmony, respect and deeper caring for each other.
As I reflect about the journey of discovery I’ve been on with this reflection, I come back to the Mountain and the questions I asked at the beginning—where did the words ‘gift of presence’ come from in my morning practice? What is the source of playfulness behind the words?
Standing in the stillness of the mountain—my heart opens to the presence of the Beloved.
A Practice for Opening the Gift of Presence
Sitting in a meditation posture, aware of your spine and focused on the space between your eyebrows, bring your breath to an even rhythm. Use your imagination to see a brilliant white light showering around you and the Light flowing into your body through the top of your head. Concentrate on feeling the warm glow of Light suffuse your entire body, outside as well as inside.
Affirm: I am created by Divine Light. I am sustained by Divine Light. I am protected by Divine Light. I am surrounded by Divine Light. I am ever growing into Divine Light.
Acknowledge: Every cell of this, my physical body, is filled with Divine Light. Every level of consciousness is illumined with Divine Light. Divine Light penetrates every single cell of my being, every level of consciousness. I am one with the Light.
When you are meeting with friends, family or co-workers, mentally do this visualization and see them surrounded by brilliant white light, and keep the Light flowing around each person. (Living the Practice)
Resources:
Living the Practice, Swami Radhananda page 137.
Glimpses of a Mystical Affair, Swami Lalitananda page 63.
By Swami Satyananda