Summer Solstice ‘96 Remembered
SS Hari Nam Singh Khalsa
Portland, Oregon, USA
Even after 20 years of attending Solstice, it never ceases to amaze me that each succeeding Solstice brings something entirely new, unexpected, and miraculous into my life.
As I once again drive up the gravel road to our beloved Ram Das Puri, I feel something in my gut that I have not quite felt before - a sense that I had never really left the year before - that this is ‘home’ and the blessed souls I am to spend the next week with are truly my ‘family’. I am here for one purpose and one purpose alone: to meet my maker and to have my destiny written. I know that God, Guru, and the Siri Singh Sahib will come through for me, as it has been my experience that they always do.
The People: At Solstice so many new members have joined our family! I can feel your joy, anticipation, and longing in every atom of my being. Many of you who are new to this lifestyle may think you’re just on the receiving end of things, but I want to let you know how much richer you’ve made my life just being in your presence. You have brought a huge infusion of enthusiasm and talent into this family and I leave Solstice with a deep sense of satisfaction, knowing that ‘the future is now’.
I’ve spent virtually my entire adult life in the Dharma. I’ve seen many come, and many go. But I will say this ... there are those among us who have had the faith, strength, and grace to live up to their commitment over the test of time. And these great souls have emerged before our very eyes. Looking around myself at the Solstice site, I have to pinch myself to make sure that this has become the reality of my life: to know personally, and in some cases to have become close friends, with some of the most remarkable men and women who walk this planet.
Siri Singh Sahib: Well, I must have done something right in some lifetime for this being to have walked into my life! A role model, a hero, a saint, a real man. I remember sitting at the Master’s feet, right at this exact spot under the ‘tantric shelter’, sixteen summers ago. The message is the same, but now I understand it better. The message is Truth. Understanding it better and living it to the best of my ability has turned my life into a piece of beauty. And most significantly, he led me to the door of my Guru. How could I ever repay for what he has given me.
Tantric.: A microcosm of life itself. I’ll get as much out of it as I’m willing to put into it. This Solstice, by the grace of God, I am willing to be 100% invested. Blessed with a partner whose consciousness is as vast as the cosmos, I spontaneously find myself floating on a perfectly seamless lake, spreading millions of miles in every direction. What more could one ask for in life?
A Mature Love: I become a little jealous seeing all you new students falling in love with yoga and dharma for the first time. On the other hand, Solstice gives me the constant opportunity to savor a relationship that has had time to grow and mature. There is a deep peace and sense of fulfillment with it all, yet without complacency. Standing on our hallowed land, watching the sun set over the gorgeous distant mountains, a wave of "cherdi kala" floods my being, knowing that I have everything I’ve ever wanted right in this moment.
Guru: Sadhana is over. The door opens to the Gurdwara. The Adi Shakti and the Guru are before me in all their glory. In one, electric, spellbound moment, it is all so clear: the entire truth of my life is all right there. This is not merely what I believe in, it is not merely the path I choose to walk, it is my entire existence. My heart explodes with joy and I make no effort to hold back the overflowing bliss that has burst the dam of self-limitation and selfconciousness. Unbridled ecstasy; limitless strength and courage. I have met my Creator. The daily hukam is read. The very vibration of its words bring forth a thousand sweet tears. The truth is so exquisite. Thank you, God.