Letters to the Guru
Premies occasionally sent letters to their guru requesting advice as Durga Ji Rawat spoke about at length in at least one of her "satsangs".
Since I've been with Maharaj Ji, I've had the grace to read a lot of the letters that come in to Maharaj Ji. These letters are so beautiful, I could never tell you how beautiful they really are. At this time when premies are writing letters to Maharaj Ji, they're pure love letters. It's a time when premies are the closest to Maharaj Ji; they're really, really connected to Maharaj Ji. And what is coming forth is really Guru Maharaj Ji on that paper. These letters are so, so pure.
But the problem is that our family is really, really growing now. It's so huge. And what's happening is that thousands of letters are coming to Maharaj Ji, and because of the busy schedule that Maharaj Ji has and that I am having with him, it's becoming impossible to read all these letters. Yet they are so precious.
It is highly unlikely that Maharaji ever read and answered any but a token letter or two but this "service" was delegated to trusted premies. In the 1970's Sally Reeder and Dot Proctor were given this service. The letter below was a reply to a premie in the Washington D.C. community from June 1977. The writer is Sally Reeder a premie with a long and dedicated career in Rawatism as a writer on the Divine Times, Light Reading and In View.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
June 1977
Dear
Jai Satchitanand! Guru Maharaj Ji received your letter and has asked me to respond on His behalf. I deeply appreciate this opportunity to serve Him in sharing satsang with you.
It is so beautiful that you have recognized the preciousness of this Knowledge and at the same time, how much it is requiring of us. We all really need that sincerity and determination to keep on truckin' yet it will never be by our efforts alone that Guru Maharaj Ji's love will unfold within our hearts. Let us never forget that wonderful factor of Guru Maharaj Ji's grace!
At the recent program in Munich, He was describing how bumpy things can be for us when we forget that grace, and then He said,
… if the road you travel on is not smooth, it is because you are not utilizing that grace that can be provided to you which can make your whole journey as smooth as possible."
And the same evening He said,
… there is a tranquillity, there is a harmony, there is a peace, there is something very gracious, very beautiful, always within inside of us, and when we get tuned to that, for the rest of our lives, Knowledge is very smooth."
As we place ourselves in line with His grace, through the disciplines of satsang, service and meditation, we are merely indicating our sincerity to our Lord. 'Then everything is in His loving hands, and our realization will unfold according to His perfect timing.
So please relax, enjoy the journey, and allow Guru Maharaj Ji's grace to guide you every day, every breath.
Enclosed is a copy of one of Guru Maharaj Ji's recent satsangs and a small picture for you. His blessings are always with you.
Your sister,
Sally Reeder
This "letter" sent to a friend in need was not even signed though there was a pretty impressive Hans logo embossed on the paper.
Jai sat chit anand.
Guru Maharaj Ji has asked for your expression of love to be answered with the precious gift of satsang.
That's what it was about and that's what we have to come to to really surrender to Guru Maharaj Ji, just to have that experience that Guru Maharaj Ji wants us to have. And no if's, and's, but's, listen, Zook, but, "you know, I don't know about that one." None of those things. To have that complete faith, to have that complete surrender.
And then there really can be a fulfillment. Because for a devotee - like for that one devotee. It wasn't, "O Guru Maharaj Ji, but…please let me eat, will you?" To him, that's not even an issue. That's not even to be talked about. It's like, "Don't even ask me if I can hear you. Don't even repeat your agya again to make sure I heard it. Let me be at a point where no pains, no trouble, nothing has to be taken by you. Give me that agya however you can so I can fulfill it to the best - above and beyond my capacity." Not to become this shining star, "Oh look, Guru Maharaj Ji! I ain't eating this…
But never a question. Never a moment of "But what…?" Never. Ever. And just to be. And going through all that. To us, what would that be? What would that amount to? That would be torturous. We couldn't even take it. And yet to him, after all that, he was having an experience of Guru Maharaj Ji. He was having an experience of Guru Maharaj Ji's grace manifesting for him right till the last minute. To him it didn't matter. This world wasn't an object. His desires, his concepts, his understandings, his myths, his mysteries weren't an object. It was only Guru Maharaj Ji. And that's the only thing that mattered in his life. There was only one thing. Guru Maharaj Ji's agya - whichever way, whatever way - whatever Guru Maharaj Ji was going to say he was going to do.
And it wasn't a matter of sitting there and saying, "Okay, Guru Maharaj Ji has said this so now I should do this." No. It was so built into him. Because his object was not, "Here, Guru Maharaj Ji!" Not like a salesman. "Here Guru Maharaj Ji. Here I am. Give me my ticket so I can go sit and watch the show." But his object from the very beginning was to surrender to Guru Maharaj Ji, just to completely let go to Guru Maharaj Ji. That's where his object was.
Guru Maharaj Ji
September 2, 1979
Kissimmee, Florida