Spiritual Journey - A Healing Experience Part 2
Spiritual Journey The trip to Mumbai, India was long and tedious. When I arrived at the airport, I proceeded to search for my suitcase without any success. I was told that it had not arrived, and they would keep me informed upon its arrival. I remained serene and undisturbed by the news. My main goal was to visit Shirdi with or without my suitcase. All I wanted was to go to my hotel room, sleep, wake up and prepare for my spiritual journey. Approximately 5 o'clock in the morning, the phone rang. It was an airport employee informing me that my suitcase had arrived and was ready for pickup. I got up quickly, dressed and asked the man at the front desk to get me a cab. The fear of being alone in a foreign country, in the early hours of the morning, and with a strange man never entered my mind. I was there on a spiritual journey, and nothing or no one was going to stop me. When I arrived from the airport, I went directly to my room and proceeded to get ready for my departure to Shirdi. I had hired a driver to take me to Shirdi. Although it was just the two of us, there was minimal communication. Since I was still mourning the loss of my mother, I was not in the mood to engage in any form of conversation. Instead, I welcomed the solitude, and opportunity to enjoy the picturesque view of the countryside. The trip by car took approximately eight hours. As we entered the village of Shirdi, I noticed that there were no traffic jams, skyscrapers, Wal-Marts, McDonalds, etc. Except for a few luxury hotels built to accommodate the vast amount of devotees who visit daily, Shirdi appeared to be a village untouched by the outside world. Indeed, it was a spiritual oasis. When l arrived to the Shraddha Inn, I was greeted by a warm and friendly staff. The place was attractive and immaculate. I was told that they had a meditation room for their guests' spiritual needs, which I found myself using often. When I got to my room, I quickly showered, dressed and headed to Sai Baba's Samadhi Mandir (Sai Baba's resting place) which was approximately a five minute walk from the hotel. When I arrived, I was flabbergasted by the enormous amount of people there. Many of them kept staring at me. I felt as though I was the only foreigner there invading their sacred place. I decided to ignore the stares, and proceed with my spiritual journey. The next day, I was awakened, at approximately 5 o'clock, by morning prayers. I got up and headed to Sai Baba's Samadhi Mandir. When I got there it was filled with devotees. I immediately got on line to see the shrine and idol of Sai Baba. The line was very long, but worth the wait. You could sense the spiritual energy in the air. It was intoxicating and healing. After saluting Sai Baba, I went to the meditation hall, in the same building, and meditated for awhile. After one hour or so, I noticed people gathering around the hall. A few minutes later, a security guard began speaking and directing the crowd. Although I did not verbally understand what he was saying, his gestures indicated that he wanted them to form a line. I got up and joined the group. Despite the fact that I did not know what I was about to do, I was a willing participant. After a few minutes, I was standing in front of a desk paying a man a small fee and receiving two tickets. I presented the tickets to another man, who gave me a tray which contained flower petals, rice, red and yellow powder, and a coconut. Next, we were instructed to sit on the floor. A few minutes later, two priests appeared with a large statue of Sai Baba. In front of the Sai Baba statue was a very small statue of Ganesh-the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, known by devotees as the Supreme God of wisdom, good fortune, prosperity and remover of obstacles-to read more and view a beautiful picture of Ganesh click on supernatural phenomena. The priest began to pour water, and what appeared to be a milky substance over the statue of Ganesh. Then, he proceeded to cleanse the statue of Sai Baba, and cover it with a piece of fabric.
During the ceremony, the second priest continued praying. On certain occasions, the audience would join in and repeat the words said by the priest. I did the same. Even though I did not know what I was saying, I joyously participated. Soon afterward, we were instructed to place some of the red powder around the third eye (located in the middle of the forehead between the two eyebrows and believed to be the energy and spiritual focal point), spread the rice and petals on top of the coconut, and continue to pray. The person next to me was very helpful in explaining the process. As we continued to pray, one of the priests began to sprinkle water over us. After a few more minutes of prayer, we were told to get up, go to the main altar- where Sai Baba's idol was situated, and throw some of the flower petals there. By the end of the ceremony, I was feeling like a new person.
Besides being an entrancing experience, my spiritual journey was extremely spiritual, healing and insightful. I felt as if my emotional pain had melted away; and the emptiness deep inside had been replenished. Even though I continued to miss my mother, I felt comfort knowing that her spirit was by my side. "Everyone dies, but no one is dead".......Tibetan saying "Dead we are when in the material body, and alive when we cast it off" (from Divaldo Franco's book Obsession). The days that I remained in Shirdi were quite healing for me. I participated in numerous ceremonies, visited various sacred places, received vibhuti (sacred ash believed to cure many illnesses), meditated, and received many beautiful visions- go to Sai Baba's Blessing- A Spiritual Gift for more details. By the end of my visit, I was walking barefooted, enjoying the delights and charms of Shirdi's customs and people, and establishing a strong connection to Sai Baba. On the day of my departure, I felt as if I was leaving a longtime friend. I was sad and, at the same time, grateful for the spiritual gift that I had received. The rest of the trip, I traveled around India enjoying its warmth and beauty-go to Ajanta Ellora Caves -A Spiritual Experience for more on India. I had become a different person. Although my spiritual journey had ended, the memories continued to live on. I believe that Sai Baba's spirit had dispersed my pain and replaced it with the thought that my mother was closer to me now than before. When I returned from my spiritual journey, my thoughts of Shirdi and Sai Baba were very vivid. Although I had purchased pictures of Sai Baba, I had a strong urge to paint a picture of him- go to Spiritual Artwork -Spiritual Paintings of Sai Baba, Yemaya, Jesus, Chango, Kuan Yin, Monk, and more to see my painting of Sai Baba. Despite the fact that I had assumed that my spiritual journey had ended, Sai Baba was letting me know that I needed to do one other thing- paint. I felt he was guiding me in that direction. With each brush stroke, I felt mentally and emotionally stronger. Even though I was feeling much better, the spiritual healing continued. I resumed the process of releasing the emotional waste that remained deep inside. The more I painted, the more I felt myself letting go. By the end, I had gone through a complete emotional detoxification. Furthermore, I had created a painting that appeared to be alive. Although I was the one who painted, it was Sai Baba's energy that guided me. Even though the painting is similar to the well known picture of Sai Baba, the facial expression is much different. Every time I see the painting, I feel protected, as though he is watching over me. My spiritual Journey was indeed miraculous. Spiritual Journey -Go to Sai Baba -A Spiritual Healer
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