Swamiji guided a meditation using affirmations and imagery of ancient Indian rituals. The affirmations were meant to shape one's aura and belief system, which influences the situations one attracts. The imagery involved treating guests like gods, as in Indian culture. Rituals like offering water to idols help focus the imagination inward to feel one with the divine. Swamiji facilitated using imagined rituals to help people merge with the divine. The guru is seen as a conduit for divine wisdom and energy, not a physical body, and rituals like washing the guru's feet symbolize gaining access to this wisdom. The meditation left people feeling inner peace and realization.

1. Swamiji’s Meditation Guidance Summary July 5,2020.
Swamiji’sSpeechSummaryforJuly5withhisearlymorningmeditationguidance. Swamiji startedthe
firsthalf withaffirmationsandthenforthe secondhalf wentintoimageryguidingforancientIndian
rituals.The affirmationsare saidwiththe logicthataffirmationsfeedintoyourfaithorbelief system
whichthereinfeedsintoyouraura.Whateversituationsorcircumstancesyouattractinyour life are
believedtostemfromhowyouraura has become shapedfromthe setof belief systemsyouhave.The
imageryguidingwasborrowingfromacustomaryIndianpractice of treatingevena regularpersonwho
comesto visityoulike God. Thisisbecause inthe Indianculture the guestisGod.
Withthishospitality, whichisshowntopeople ingeneral,the guruperhapstakesona largerthan life
stature as the guru is reveredasa soul withgreatwisdomwhocan leadotherstothe ultimate point.
For manyHindus,suchpracticesalsoextendintotheirdailyritualsatthe shrine of theirhome where
people sprinkle wateronan idol asthoughtheyare bathingGod.Many of these ritualsare acts of
symbolismwhichhelpsthemplace theirgaze inwardsbecause these ritualsare toolsforthe imagination
to go inwards. Itoftenhelpsthemfeelasone withthe divine.
Sowhat we see inthe secondhalf isSwamiji facilitatingpeople’simaginationtohelpthemfeel merged
withthe divine throughthe use animaginedsetof rituals.InIndia,one will oftenhearpeople sayleave
it at the feetof the guru as opposedtoleave itat the handsof God.The feetthereinisasymbolicterm
whichsome mayactualize throughritualsbyhavingwoodenorsilvershapedfootprintsinhonorof a
Guru. The guru,inthiscase, isnot a bodybut rathera flow of divine energy.The guru,asthe
enlightenedone,isthe one whohasalignedhissoul withdivine will.Hence,he/she hasaccesstodivine
wisdomtopass onto others.
Swamiji himselfhastranscendedmanyworldlypracticesliketheseandoftenguidesustogoinwards
and that we don’tneedanythingbutourselvestodothis.Inthiscase, he ishonoringthe feelingsof
devotionandreverencethatsomany have towardshimthroughthis method.Thisishow theyrelate to
himas that is whattheyhave grownup seeing.Bynomeans,isthisan impositiononsomeone todo
whattheydon’tbelieve in. Thisisa cultural gesture thateveryone hasbeeninvitedtobe partof or
witness.GuruPoornimaisaday to honorthose whomwe regard as teacherswhetherit’saspiritual
guru,our parentsor our schoolteachers.

2. Affirmations Spoken in Sets of 3:
I am a pure soul.
I am merciful.
I am compassionate.
I exhibitcompassiontowardsothers.
I love everyone.
I have forgiveneveryone.
I am a worshipperof non-violence.(OrIampeace-loving)
I am experiencingcompletesatisfactioninmylife.
I have foundGod inmy life.
I am experiencingsoulful blissinmylife.
I am experiencinginnerhappinessinmylife.
I am experiencinginnerpeace inmylife.
I am experiencingtremendouspeace inmylife.
My soul’seye hasgone inwards.
I am experiencingGodfrominside me.
My questforGod has endedinlife.
In mylife,Ihave foundGod residingwithinme.
I experience God’spresence ateverymomentinmylife.
Witheverybreath,Ikeepgoingdeeperanddeeperinsidemyself.
I have become completelyinward.
I am experiencingsoulful blissfromwithin.
My self-confidence hasgreatlyincreased
The eye of mysoul is settledinwards.
I feel the lightfromthe eye of mysoul comingfromall four cornerssurroundingmybody.
My soul’seye hasbecome completelycleansed.
I can face anysituationeasily.
I can be happyinall kindsof circumstances.
I have full control overmyself.

3. I have full control overmythoughts.
I am alwaysina thought-free state.
I can do any taskveryeasily.
I have nothinglefttogaininlife.
AfterfindingGod,Igot everything.
I am neverable tocommita misdeed.
I alwayssurrendermygooddeedstothe powersthatbe (orGod).
I feel blissful whenIdogurukaryaor communityservice asperdivine will.
I feel the presence of the guruenergieswhenIdosuchservice.
I feel veryblissful inthe presence of the guruenergies.
Performingcommunity serviceasperdivine willhasbecome mylife’sgoal.
Withinthe realmof gurukarya,I feel the hiddenpresence of the divine guru element.
I have nowbecome myownguru.
I am gainingall the knowledgeof the worldfromwithinme.
My sense of physicalityhascompletelydiminished.
My bodyiscompletelyruledbymysoul.
I am feelingcontentfromdeepwithin.
I am veryhappytoday.
I feel myGuru hassteppedinside myhome.
There’sa complete airof contentmentinmyhome.
I have expressedadesire toperformritualsforGurudev’sfeet.
Today Gurudevhasgivenme permissiontoperformthe ritualsforthe feet.
I am doingthese ritualsforGurudev’sfeetwithmyfamily.
I have placedGurudev’sfeetonabig plate.
I am washingGurudev’sfeetbysprinklingwater.
NowI have removedthisplate.
NowI am washingbothfeetwithatowel.
NowI have placedGurudev’sfeetontoabiggerplate.
NowI am washingthese feetwithmilk.

4. I am washingthese feetwithsugar.
I am washingthese feetwithyogurt.
I am washingthese feetwithhoney.
I am nowwashingthese feetwithmilk.
I am nowwashingthese feetwithwater.
Slowly,Ihave removedthesefeetfromthe plate.
I am nowwipingthese feetwithatowel.
As I wipe the feet,Ifeel suchcontentment.
My mindfeelsasthoughitisthroughthese feetthathundredsof thousandsof soulsare sweptaway.
Today these very feetare inmyhands.
How fortunate amI.
I have placeda dot onGurudev.
I have put a garlandon Gurudev.
I have placeda shawl onGurudev.
I have placeda crown onGurudev.
I have wavedincense onGurudev.
I am feelingsomuchjoyas I wave thisincense.
Because todayGurudevhascome intomyhome.
There isnothingbutcosmic vibrationsreverberatingaroundthe home.
Smell of sandalwoodpermeate throughoutthe home.
The home is filledwithcosmicenergy.
The wavingof incense forthisGuru Poornimawas different.
Innerpeace befell me.
Innersatisfaction befellme.
It wasn’tjustme butmy whole family thatpartook of the blissemanatingfromguruPoornima.
The despondencywhichfilledthe environmentwhichhadbeenaroundforsomany days was all gone
fromhere in one day.
By comingto my home,youmade myhome holy.
I am grateful toGurudevfromthe heart.

5. Upon wavingincense andflames,the experience Ifeltfrommeditatingwasmemorable.
Today,my soul’seye feltinwardsafterthe ritual of wavingincenseandflames.IfeltGodwasinside me.
Aftera lifetime of searching,IfoundGodwithinme.
All mylife’squestsended.
I am experiencingtremendousinnerpeace.
My life todayfeelseversoprosperous.
Today I realizedwhatmylife’s purpose is.
I realizedtodaywhoIam.
I realizedtodaywhere Icame from.
I realizedtodaywhere Ineedtogo.
Everythingisappearingverycleartoday.
I am gainingall thiswisdomfromwithin.
I knowfromthe intellectthatGurudevisanordinarypersonlike me.
God isuniversal consciousness.
The conduitby whichI founduniversal consciousnessisthe one whomIconsidertobe God.
I am not able togaze uponGurudevtoday.
The gaze frommy soul’seye issettledonhisfeet.
As I have settledmysoul’s eye’sgaze onthese feet,Iamgainingaccessto all sorts of wisdom.
I realize anextraordinary soul residesinGurudev’sordinarybodyfromwhich agreatcollectivity of
hundredsof thousands isconnected.
I feel the connectionwiththese hundredsof thousandsof souls.
ThisGuru Poornimaof 2020 has become memorable forthisreason forme.
I bowin deep salutations toGurudevforthis.