John said that when we are dealing with a complex text like the Gita, it can get overwhelming, so it helps to narrow it down into it's basic essence. Just like when we chant. We chant to remember that we are not separate, that we are part of something bigger, that our basic essence is goodness itself. So one way to distill the Gita is to retrieve it's basic essence, which was today's theme in three words: faith, devotion and grace.

We read key verses of the Gita and one helpful comment made by John was to look at the first word of a verse and to look at the last word of a verse. I was doing that on the lunch break and found it quite illuminating and poetic. It was like playing a game with Gita. And the answer always ends up being: Faith. Devotion. Grace.

Gosh, there were so many things said. Stories John shared from his guru, comments about the tattvas (the principles of existence), about yoga philosophy, discussions about the Gita... It really is hard to distill down. And when I try to distill it my mind wants to run toward some key verses of the Gita. I want to quote one, there's a part when Krishna says to Arjuna very simply: "You are so dear to me." That's it. "You are so dear to me." That just opens my heart. Can you imagine God saying that to you? Ram Dass on Wednesday said that when he was in India and first met  Maharaj ji, the way he looked at him it cracked his heart open. Ram Dass said that Maharaj ji looked at him with complete unconditional love. 

Maharaj ji was a devotee of Hanuman, the monkey God. 

Hanuman was servant to his beloved Rama. 

Rama was an avatar of Vishnu/God, just like Krishna was an avatar, and Hare. 

Ram Dass literally means servant of God. So Ram Dass is Hanuman. 

It all comes together so nicely doesn't it? 

And it's all about faith, devotion and grace.

I'm jumping around a bit like a monkey, but today was so full that my heart remembers moments more than a step by step play by play.

So here are some moments:

*John Friend to us teachers: "Always remind the students of their goodness."

*Quote from Baba Muktananda: "An asana is any time you remember the Divine. That's hatha yoga."

*(When we were doing asana) John Friend: "Soften the skin of your palms." "Make an offering with your pose."

*Paraphrasing Ram Dass: The stroke at first depressed me. But then I realized the stroke is grace. Because I had to speak slowly, the stroke was calming me down. And in my lectures people were calming down when they were listening to me...

*Ram Dass quoting Maharaj ji: "I love suffering. It brings me so close to God." (Following that quote Ram Dass would smile and go "yum, yum, yum." As if he was savoring every memory of his beloved guru.)

*Ram Dass: "My guru was a man but that wasn't what I loved. I loved the God in the man. And he mirrored the God in me."

*Ram Dass: "You don't find a guru. The guru finds you."

*When asked what his sadhana was today Ram Dass said that he practices repeating over and over: "I am loving awareness."

Lastly:

Ram Dass after two hours actually apologized for talking so much! We all were in heaven hearing his stories, his beautiful sharing.

He answered everyone's questions, he was so generous. John was seating next to him radiating so much love. It was such a tender picture. At the end of the session, John wrapped Ram Dass with a meditation shawl that was in John's puja and they hugged and Ram Dass kissed him and Ram Dass had tears in his eyes and I think we all had tears in our eyes. There they were John and Ram Dass in an embrace my mind will never forget.