Watching the sunset on the Pacific Ocean is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. Recently while in Pacific Grove, California, we enjoyed this experience — seeing the sun change its color from golden to pink to orange before slipping below the horizon. Gazing out at the ocean, I remembered another sunset I’d witnessed some years before — one that left a deep impression on me.
It was at Master’s Retreat Center in Encinitas, California, where I’d been taking seclusion for a week. One evening before returning to my room to meditate, I went out for a walk along the bluffs overlooking the ocean. The scene was as beautiful as anything I’d seen during my stay. The light of the sun was almost gone, but the ocean and sky were still bathed in soft hues of blue, rose, and lavender.
I become entranced by the scene before me: it seemed as though Divine Mother was revealing Herself in beautiful evening attire through this sunset. The misty sky was Her shawl of translucent chiffon in shades of silver and rose, and the sea was Her gown in shimmering turquoise and blue satin. Time seemed to stop as I quietly absorbed the beauty of Divine Mother’s presence before me.
Then a bit of movement on the sea caught my eye: two tiny specks were moving toward the shore. I watched with curiosity as the specks grew larger and finally became visible as two surfers riding the last waves of the day before nightfall. Without realizing what I was doing, my attention shifted from the scene of ethereal beauty to the little surfers. Would they be able to ride that big wave to shore? Which one of them would arrive first?
Then suddenly I stopped and laughed. “This is what it must be like when we’re enjoying the astral world, then suddenly get caught up in a little drama on earth and reincarnate,” I thought. We look down from the heights and see people we’ve known before and think, “Oh, she would make a nice mother, and he’d be a good big brother.” Before we know what’s happening, we find ourselves caught in the confines of another incarnation.
In the few moments that I had watched the surfers, the radiance of the sunset passed, and Divine Mother’s lovely gown was gone. As I walked back to my room to meditate, I was both amused and a little sobered by the experience. “Please,” I prayed to God, “keep me engrossed in Divine Mother’s beauty, so that I won’t get caught in the drama of one more incarnation.” This is the deeper message the sunset always carries for me.
With joy in God,
Nayaswami Devi
19 Comments
Thank you for sharing, Devi :) What a beautiful prayer to share with Divine Mother.
Thank you for the note Devi. It is very helpful. I had a dream last night. In it, Swami and I were in a hallway next to a door that went back into the astral world. As he was just about to leave he kept reminding me he was always with me.
Thank you Dave for commenting on Devi’s Article! I too was struck by the visual reality it
seemed to have.
Your dream is very, very powerful!
He is always with you and all of us…..”those who think him near, he will be near!
Now that he isn’t in the little body anymore….I think he really enjoys flying about and
visiting us. Love is everything! It is the guiding force behind all healing!
Love, Brindey
Thank you Devi for sharing your experience at Encinitas. As with you, I have very much been overcome with the beauty and soul presence there. The initial image presented me upon reading this, is of the two surfers, one Ananda, one SRF, basked in beauty on the Sea of Love, plunging the depths of Master’s /God’s unity.
Dear Nayaswami Devi,
Wonderful , thank you for sharing :-)
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful joy. Your words reminds me the joy of geting engrossed with divine mothers beauty. When i see big mountains, i think it is somebody from god showing us how big they are and how far can we see if we go so up! The mountain where our pune community is, looks like swamiji’s hat.
Small gust of cool beeze soothes our mind just like somebody telling, don’t worry i am with you.
Om
This was such a beautiful and inspiring letter that I read from you today, Devi. When you wrote about looking out over the ocean, then spotting two specks on the surface of the water, I was Immediately reminded of Paramhansa Yogananda’s words from his poem “Samadhi”:
“Samadhi but extends my realm of consciousness
Beyond the limits of my mortal frame
To the boundaries of eternity,
Where I, the Cosmic Sea,
Watch the little ego floating in Me.”
Master’s poem is so profound. I have never read anything that has moved me or impacted me as much as his poem has, on many different inner levels of awareness and consciousness.
But similar to Master’s poem, there emanated such a perceptible and magnetic energy from your letter that it pulled my consciousness immediately to Master’s words, a reminder from you and Master, both, of where our mental perspective should be at all times along the spiritual Path. Just as you expressed it when you said:
“Please,” I prayed to God, “keep me engrossed in Divine Mother’s beauty, so that I won’t get caught in the drama of one more incarnation.”
Your letter and “Samadhi” are just that, a reminder to all seekers of our true, spiritual goal of achieving that Godly state, as our egos are bombarded with the pull of desires and sense pleasures from all around us in this Earthly environment.
Your letter this week and Jyotish’s recent letter were so moving and inspiring in this sense. I love reading them, there is so much that comes through them; wonderful reminders of why each of us are on this spiritual journey.
By the way, I used to live in Pacific Grove/Monterey. I miss it, it’s just so beautiful and the energy is very calming and spiritual. I miss the smell of the ocean, the sound of the fog horn at night, the sound of seagulls and seals, and especially the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the otters! Such a perfect place to vacation in and to recharge!
Thank you for this very inspiring message, Devi. Blessings to you and Jyotish, and all at Ananda.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful thought provoking experience Devi.
I heard you mention this moment, watching the surfers, in one of your on-line
talks, but you had not gone into as much detail. My husband is a surfer so it
certainly had my attention. We live on the ocean in Florida, practice yoga and
are relatively new on the spiritual path, we both feel that Yogananda is our Guru.
We Love receiving A Touch of Light letters.
Thank you so much,
In Love and Light,
Susan and Jeff Klugel
Thank you again, Devi! This reminds me of something I read yesterday on Facebook–a quote attributed to Milarepa…
“When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick: every time a stick is thrown, you run after it. Instead, be like a lion who, rather than chasing after the stick, turns to face the thrower. One only throws a stick at a lion once.”
Absolutely stupendous.
The sun rising, shining, setting always fill me with wonder, calmness, tranquility and beauty. Your words so capture that ambience.
Thank you Devi.
Beautiful, simply beautiful!
Beautiful!!
Thank you Devi, for the great advice as always. Such a deep, open heart you have for God & Master. Z & I have had the same feeling, while sitting & ” open eye” meditating on the cliffs at the hermitage in Encinitas. It is very easy to get caught up in the beauty & majesty of the views, the empty pool (?) & the nature that is present there. We can see why Master & Rajarsi J. loved it so much there.
Blessings & thank you for your Touch of Light to us all !
Russell
Dearest Devi,
You write like Sri Jyotish paints! It is difficult to know who is writing. Your vibration between you both seems to have merged! I thought it was Jyotish writing until I saw your picture at the end of the article!
Such a powerful reminder of what the two forces are all about!
Thank you again for expressing Truth in such a simple and beautiful way!
Love, sister brindey
your letter is encouraging and arousing spirituality.thank you.
Devi, Thank You.
This is the prayer of us all.
Mother keep us ever near and engrossed in thee.
~~~Peace, Josette
Thank you so much for sharing.Guru save us from getting caught in the drama of our daily life.
Thanks you Devi
That’s just what I needed today.
Many thanks and God Bless
John
Yet another beautiful message, expressed through beautiful and inspiring word pictures. I also love reading the comments and feeling connected with so many like-minded souls from all around the world. It doesn’t matter that we don’t “know” one another; we’re all one in seeking God. I am so grateful that you and Jyotish are sharing in this way. Love, B