With Guru on my birthday

I had some other experiences with Guru—twice for my birthday. Guru used to celebrate birthdays, mainly for the close disciples, the inner circle of people very close to him—usually not for people like me. I was not well known on the path.

The first time was during the New York City Marathon. Guru was friends with Fred Lebow, one of the founders of the New York City Marathon. We ran this marathon until the year 2000. Disciples used to meet in New York in November for this race. This is also the time of my birthday. I was born on the 6th of November.

There was a kind of celebration at this time and Guru was teaching some songs in the morning. I was seated in the benches beside another French disciple. Guru called the good singers to go down to start learning the songs. I am a good singer, but when Guru teaches songs, you have to write down the words, and sometimes it is difficult to catch the words and then to memorise them. I didn't want to go down. I hesitated to go down and stayed in my seat. But my friend beside me said, "No, no, it is your birthday today. You have to go down. You have to go down and at least participate."

Finally, I went down and joined the group of boys and girls. I was in the middle of the group. We started to write down the song that Guru was teaching us. At one point Guru stopped the practice and asked people to divide themselves, to move to each side. I stayed alone in the middle. He called me to go near him, and I knew that he wanted to meditate on me for my birthday. I don't know how he knew that it was my birthday. It is true that he has a link with everybody's soul. Usually he doesn't call people like me just for the birthday.

During the meditation, I saw some light around Guru's head like an aura, a blue aura. It was the first and only time I saw this blue light around Guru, only around his head. He gave me this experience.

Every time you meditate alone in front of Guru, you really feel his love. You cannot express this love. Nobody can love you like him. It's so strong!

The second time was also for my birthday in November, and I was there again for the New York City Marathon. There was a function in the evening, and because it was my birthday, I offered Guru a bouquet of flowers from Kanan's shop, along with a small card. In the card, I said a few words like, “I am all yours.”

During the intermission, a guard asked me to go to Guru. I was surprised. When I went up to Guru, he gave me back the small card that I had given him with the bouquet. The bouquet was on the small table beside him. He gave me back the card but he didn't release it. I kept holding the card too, as he was meditating on me. This was my best experience of feeling Guru's love— so deep, and so much compassion. In the small card, he added his own words, words like blessing, love, joy. He gave me back the small card but he had added his own words... It was a special gift.

My aspiration-heart
Is indeed a gift from God.
My dedication-life
Is indeed my gift to God.

Sri Chinmoy 1

• 1. Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 128, Agni Press, 1990