Diary of a CT Disciple in the Early 70’s. Monday Dec. 11 1972 By Richard Navroth

Every Monday evening was the Connecticut Centre’s meeting when Guru and Alo would come down from New York. I was so fortunate to live right next door to the Centre. This night always filled me with anticipation and inner thrill. One never knew what Guru would do when he arrived, so all we could do is take our seat in the basement and “strap in and get ready for the ride”. The best plan was to settle in your seat, calm down and allow yourself to become as quiet as possible, outwardly and most important – inwardly with no movement of thought. We would know when Guru arrived because Akuti, the President of the CT Centre, would rise to greet Guru, and then we would all stand with hands folded … the follwing occured as written in my diary:

Guru and Alo came in, Alo behind Guru, Guru’s eyes moving rapidly as he enters blessing all while they proceed to the front of the dais. Short standing meditation. All are seated.

Guru asked all those to stand up who feel they need sincerity.
I thought to myself, “shall I? That is one thing I believe I have. Well, others stand. Yes, but there is no limit to any quality’s abundance. Yes, I shall stand up.” I stood firm in my sincerity. As I concentrated on Guru his face and figure became most of the time lost in the mist of blue waves of Light, glowing, deep, filling the room as he looks around. “OMMMM” he chants. We all bow and sit.

Guru asks all to stand who need purity. I thought, “Yes, here is a blessing of blessings. He will give. I have faith. My sincerity is blessed. I DO want to free from impurity. I have faith. I am free and through with it all.” I stand and concentrate on Guru. I felt surrender, opening in my vital. “OMMMM”. We bow and sit. I look at Alo. I felt a slight irk in the back of my being. Oh, I don’t care, nothing shall hide in me! I am opening my entire being to them, this is the opportunity!

Guru asks for all those who wish to conquer jealousy. I think “yes, I want to be free, truly. Glad. I stand up firm in my determination. I love my brothers. Jealousy is so stupid! We all meditate with Guru in silence, feeling ourselves open wide to His cleansing Consciousness-Light. “Ommmm”.

Then Guru asks for all those who either doubt their own aspiration or who doubt their love and ooncern for us. Alo repeats, “those who doubt our love, care and concern.”
I felt hesitation, a wave of anxiety. “Well, yes, I do. I must stand, it is for illumination, i must root it out.” I stand.
Guru looks back and forth at the disciples, doesn’t stop at me outwardly at least. I humanly wish he would. But that is the doubt itself arising. Perhaps here is the opportunity to realise his inner concern! I feel rushes of heart-gratitude. “Ommmm.”

Guru says this will be the last. “All rise who feel they can realise the Supreme in this lifetime.”

Many stand. Slight hesitation in me, but no, “I will”! My thought explodes. “I’ll be the Supreme’s victory from depths to heights! With Him I can! I stand, very determined.
He powerfully looks about, stopped, generally at me. I meditated as though he was on me. No thought, occasional thought, but not clinging. My faith and serious sincerity was very deep. He again returned to me, I was pretty sure he was right on me. (I was only 10 feet from him, my seat was in the front row.) He stayed on me as though he saw I was really open and in trance-surrender. I felt a few vain attempts, weak attempts by my physical mind or body to move, but it was on the surface and it passed in a second as I didn’t care for it at all. But my entire being was rapt in sincerity because he was really focused on me, and I was motionless, one-pointed sincerity, open-wide motionless, He and I! “Ommmm”.

We all bow and sit. Then Guru said for us all, one by one, to go up to Alo to recieve a blessing-gift: a United Nations calendar. A little fear tries to get in me, does a bit, but I say to myself: “I don’t care, I’m going up to her and will stay firm in my sincerity. I will not give in to unconscious fear. No!
My turn, quickly I step up and look immediately into her right eye, she leans, I remain open, Her love goes deep, a small surge of fear way deep inside me, but not bothering me, I don’t care. She smiles, I smile. Happy! She entered me, I received Her! Lelihan snapped the photo. I sit happy. So glad.

Richard Navroth

6 Comments

  • kate
    February 8, 2010 | Permalink |

    Wonderful! This one made me laugh! Rich, you stand up for everything! ha ha!

  • rich Navroth
    February 8, 2010 | Permalink |

    Well, I can take a laugh at me! For me, standing up was more sincere than to sit in my seat and pretend that I was perfect perfection incarnate. I wanted to receive the transforming Light and Force of Guru’s Consciousness, and so did dozens of others along with me.

  • kate
    February 8, 2010 | Permalink |

    Rich, you were very blessed.

  • Eamon
    February 8, 2010 | Permalink |

    It is interesting that many people rose when asked if they believed they could realize God in this incarnation. I seriously doubt you could count with one hand people in the centre who belive they could realize God in this lifetime.

  • Rich Navroth
    February 8, 2010 | Permalink |

    You have to understand that the atmosphere was very different in the early 70’s. The intensity of unwavering faith in Guru and His Mission was charged with newness and complete abandon. Young Guru Chinmoy inspired complete dedication and devotion from his college grad disciples. We witnessed a powerful Yogi radiating ethereal Lights; we believed that this Surperman could bring us to Realisation.

  • kate
    February 9, 2010 | Permalink |

    And perhaps he still can. This giant of a man, a god on earth, can still bring us to realization in our lifetime, by the Grace of God and the intermediary power of a guru of the highest calibre. Stand up!

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