On November 20, 2012 I travelled to Naitauba for a two-week meditation retreat. One of my prayers in going on this retreat to Naitauba, was to allow Adi Da Samraj to further deepen my recognition-response to Him and I really feel that Adi Da graced me with that from the moment I was on the Turunga Dau Loloma. The currents were a bit rough, and so I stayed inside the boat's cabin and immersed myself in Adi Da's wisdom teaching both with recitations and music performed by other devotees that I was listening to with my mp3 player. When we were about an hour from reaching His Island, I stood on one of the sides of the boat and spontaneously started to sing out loud as I gazed at Naitauba from a distance, feeling Him very strongly throughout the journey. I was able to feel how much Naitauba is truly a divine place and how ecstatic I was to be arriving to His Island.

In the days leading to His Mahasamadhi celebration and the three day vigil, I felt the fullness of Adi Da's regard everywhere. I was able to fall into a very contemplative state in communion with Him. I was naturally moved to spend time with Him in the Meditation Halls and surrounded myself with His Darshan, His Teaching Word, devotional chants, and the company of His devotees there. The opportunity to serve at one of His holy Temples prior to the vigil was such a treat for me because I love that temple very much. 

Being at one of His empowered sites for the duration of the vigil, was such a gift. I truly felt like a "gopi" that could not stay away from His Presence. I felt pulled to being at this sacred site everyday during the vigil, so I was there for long periods of time receiving His Darshan, doing some "service" and allowing His Presence to infill my body-mind. I got to look at the water from time to time and just lost myself in Him. He is so attractive, it was hard to leave when I felt the need to get some rest, but my heart was always able to find Him as I felt asleep in bed, as though I was still receiving His Darshan at His sacred Temple. 

At the end of the vigil, there was an occasion that completes the three-day vigil. This occasion was truly sweet - there was a deep stillness and quiet reception of Adi Da as we all walked from the sacred site where the vigil took place to a site outside the secluded Temple, which Avatar Adi Da established in 1993 as His burial place.

Later that afternoon when we all came back to the site outside of the secluded Temple Adi Da established and where He is interred, that stillness I felt before was still there throughout a fire puja occasion. A puja is a ritualistic form of worship that has been used in many temples of India for thousands of years. The word “puja” comes from two Sanskrit words which together translate as “to create purification of the mind and to acquire virtuous qualities while removing bad qualities or karma.”  A fire puja is a fire ceremony with fire used to represent the concept of the Divine. Traditionally, various metals and other substances are tossed into the fire as an offering to the Divine. This includes offerings of flowers by devotees as well. This ceremony is a very purifying event and one I have only been able to truly understand because of my growing heart devotional recognition of Adi Da.

At the end of the fire puja we all received prasad - traditionally a "prasad" is created by "a process of giving and receiving between a human devotee and the divine god". One of the prasad items we were gifted with was a beautiful coin blessed with holy water which had been kept in one of Adi Da's sacred temples for a year - I felt His Love so profoundly and how His Presence can be felt in so many ways - the Fire at a Fire Puja and even in His Prasad.

I then noticed, how after this celebration of Adi Da's Divine Mahasamadhi I was able to remain in communion with Him during meditation, recitations or chanting occasions. This time no matter where I was in His Island, I was able to more deeply turn to Him and more readily felt His Presence everywhere. 

I am completely grateful for the opportunity to have been at Naitauba for Adi Da's 4th anniversary of His Divine Mahasamadhi and for being able to further recognize Him and devotionally respond to Him.