Journey to Enlightenment Part 01

Author(s): Chitrabhanu, Chetana Catherine Florida, Nirmala Hanke, Raksha Penni Helsene
Publisher: Create Space

Page 22

September 1993: Forgiveness Festival
As over 30 million Jains around the world celebrated the Festival of Forgiveness this year, members of the Lighthouse were especially blessed because Gurudev Chitrabhanu made a decision to be with the Jain community in the greater Detroit area. He was in Detroit for eight days and he came to do a weekend seminar with the Lighthouse members. My personal blessing was that I was able to be around Gurudev for 11 days straight. In the past, Gurudev went to many places that were difficult or costly to go for the Forgiveness Festival. The Festival goes on in all Jain communities whether or not a Guru can be present with them. So to have Gurudev leading and guiding the Forgiveness Festival in Detroit was truly a special blessing for all, and especially for all who attended any or all of the Festival.
I have learned many, many things in my years of being around Gurudev. One thing that has really stuck in my mind is to just be able to open up to experience life fully from moment to moment. To be with the moment with my full beingness. This has translated itself to me during the course of time as living more and more of life without expectations, or attachments to any preconceived ideas of what should or should not happen during any point in time.
So with this in mind I attended the Forgiveness Festival with various other students. With each day each meeting came, bringing new vision and understanding to me. If I'd had certain expectations or attachments about what should or should not happen in the meeting, I would have blocked the blossoming of the full flower of knowledge as it developed during the Festival. Each day of the Festival brought new information, understanding and opening for me. I felt lighter and lighter as the week progressed. I kept feeling the empowerments of Love and Light from Gurudev as the week progressed. A "high experience" for me came on Friday night when we sat and did a specific forgiveness meditation for 1-2 hours with more than 300 people. There are no words to describe this experience, which I felt and still become aware of as waves in my consciousness, of the total experience of the Festival.
I would like to give a big "Thank You" to the Jain community of Detroit for opening their hearts, homes and space for Lighthouse members to be able to join in this enlightening experience. I give our and my special love and thanks to Gurudev for being there and for continuously guiding us along the pathway to enlightenment.
Namaste,
Chetana
On the Wings of Light and Love - 23