Loving and Divine Soul,

Let the choicest blessings of God and the masters be upon you all. I take the opportunity to pray for you as we celebrate the 108th birth anniversary of our beloved Gurudev. While I think about writing you on this occasion, thoughts of Gurudev are vibrant in my mind. His love and compassion, his teachings and guidance flash through my mind.

Although time is a flow and his physical presence is no longer possible, his life and message are a good guide for sincere seekers. In reality, the masters are eternally present.

When I reflect upon him, a verse from the Guru Gita (334) comes to my mind:

 shrigurum paramanandam vande hyananda vigraham
 yasya sannidhi matrena chidanandaya te namah

"I bow to the guru-preceptor who is supreme bliss and the personification of joy; in his presence alone, does the mind assume the form of pure consciousness and bliss."

I had the chance to spend a lot of time over two decades with Gurudev. During those days, the above verse was quite true. The physical presence of great masters elevates us to the soul. It is good fortune to spend time with living masters. Often people spend time in worldly activities instead of focusing on inner transformation. It is a great loss for them.

The master or guru-preceptor should not be considered a person or a personality, but a principle and precept. Gurudev often emphasized that our breath is the real guru. We should be conscious of every breath with deep love and devotion. We should be active, not reactive. We should be calmly active and actively calm. Calmness and activity can co-exist, but many seekers forget to practice. They run only toward the physical presence and forget the spiritual goal.

On this special occasion I sincerely request that you don't waste precious time in procrastination. Be useful during every breath and every moment. Time will not wait for anyone.

Let us meditate more and more, and let us work to better this beautiful world by minimizing our needs and helping others live joyful lives serving others.

Please be more conscious of your divine nature and the transitory nature of the world.

Let the blessings of the masters be upon all of us.

With Love,
Prajnanananda