My first conversation with Guru

Before I came down to Los Angeles (to see Sri Chinmoy for the first time), I got the idea that I needed to bring Guru a gift. So at the time, I was living in a house with a friend who was like a hippie. Because I couldn't make up my mind what to get Guru, he took me to a place to make a necklace. What you do is you get this necklace string and you put different beads and things on the necklace yourself. I got the idea to use little birds and letters that spelled out part of a poem that Guru had written.

At this point, Nayak mentioned to Guru that I had come down from Seattle just to meet him for the first time. He replied, “Oh, really?”

Nayak had told Guru that I had a gift to give him. So I pulled the necklace out of my pocket and handed it to Guru. Guru immediately said, “Oh, it says something. What does it say?”

Everyone was listening at this point. I said, Guru, “It says, ‘My soul-bird wants to fly in Infinity's sky with you.’”

Some people laughed a little bit and some girls kind of smiled. After I told Guru what the necklace said, “Really? Well, how old are you?”

I said, “Twenty-two.”

Guru smiled and said, “No problem.”

So everyone laughed with joy, and it was a beautiful moment.

What can I give to God
In return for His precious Gifts:
Compassion and Forgiveness?
I can give Him
My aspiration-life
And my gratitude-heart.

Sri Chinmoy 1

• 1. Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 97, Agni Press, 1984