Devaki's story

I came to Sri Chinmoy when I was only 19 years old, but even at the young age, I was consciously searching for a deeper meaning to my life. I was aware of Sri Chinmoy both from my aunt and my mother who had know of him for a long time. My mother and I actually started seriously meditating at the same time. We were both reading his writings and asking a lot of questions about the meaning of life.

It was after meeting one of Sri Chinmoy's students when I was still living in Toronto, that I felt I wanted what this lovely woman had, poise, peace and an inner beauty I had never seen in anyone before. Meeting her made me change my whole course in life and instead of moving to the Middle East with my father, I decided to follow my mother to Canada's capital city, Ottawa, where she was going to join the Sri Chinmoy Centre. I decided to write to him and ask him if I could be his student too. Soon after I got a call from Sri Chinmoy himself (!) asking me to go to New York to visit him.

Before I knew it, a ride was arranged and 8 hours later I was there without a clue as to what I was getting into. I attended an early morning meditation and quietly prayed he would not call on me. Naturally, I then heard my name. Oh God—I was so shy, but what could I do? I went before him and he meditated on me for quite awhile and then told me that he was initiating me and that I would be his spiritual daughter for all eternity. I couldn't really focus at the time, but later when someone kindly gave me the transcript, I was amazed at how much he had said! My soul felt like it was going to explode with joy!

I got to know some of the New York members and soon it was time to go home. I went home a new person in more ways than one. Meditation became my daily practice and spiritual service became my daily joy. I was a full-time university student studying English literature and an active member of the Ottawa Centre.

There I met my husband and due his being a French Canadian and the Montreal Centre needing a new leader, Sri Chinmoy asked us to go there and run a Centre.

Thirty-one years later we are still here and still running the Centre to the best of our ability. I am a full time lecturer at McGill University where I teach English as a second language to foreign students during the day and French-Canadian business people some evenings. We hold two meditations a week at our Centre and offer ongoing classes.

My students at McGill often beg me to teach them to meditate and last summer I held a special meditation class for students and staff at lunch time. I hope to do the same this summer.

While Sri Chinmoy is no longer in his physical body, his spiritual presence is with me constantly. As a matter of fact, I often forget that he is no longer on earth as his presence is so strong and real. I feel his guidance constantly and my meditations are as strong as ever.

I do miss his physical presence in many ways , and miss seeing him at least once a month as I did for 35 years. I miss his outer advice, but feel he gives it to me inwardly when I really need it. I miss his sweet smile and they way he could make everyone feel so happy just by being near him. His loving kindness to me and my family is something I think I will never experience from any human being again in this lifetime, but it is a treasure that lives deep inside my soul and something for which I will be forever grateful.