Prayer and Meditation In The Secret Lagoons in America’s Most Beautiful and Sacred Wild River
The Eel River flows through 200 miles of wilderness, with many secret sacred lagoons ideal for deep prayer, meditation and God communion.
THE DAWNING LIGHT # 56 Wednesday March 15, 2023
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
ANOTHER LONG NIGHT OF HEAVY RAIN
It is another morning of ceaseless rain on Still Mountain.
It’s been raining all through the night with tremendous intensity, as if this little house had been moved directly under Niagara Falls.
I am grateful for the roof which easily shed all of that water, with only minor leaks inside the house.
The ground outside my tiny window looks like a lake getting ever deeper, with raindrops exploding into its surface and waves being pushed by the rising wind.
I went out for a brief walk to take pictures and check on the water level in the creek, which though full of water flowing down it at high speed still has a few feet of rising to do before it overflows and floods the fields of the cattle ranches around us.
I returned from that walk drenched and trembling from the cold rain and wind, grateful for the safety and warmth this little house provides.
I am also grateful for the rain, even though we have now gotten much more than we need to stave off the drought.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
THIS VALLEY IS PROTECTED FROM FLOODING BY A VAST NATURAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM
I am grateful that, unlike many places at lower elevations all around California that are flooded and causing widespread destruction, this valley is well drained by several large creeks that cross it from the higher south end of the valley for several miles to the lower northern end.
There all the creeks converge into a very large creek, called Outlet Creek, which is bigger, wider and deeper than most of the rivers in the West.
Even so, there is too much water coming from throughout the valley for Outlet Creek to drain quickly, so it backs up to form a large lake that covers at least a hundred acres.
This lake remains through the heart of the winter, attracting ducks, egrets and cranes to live there until it gradually disappears in spring, becoming dry land again.
Outlet Creek receives all the water that flows down into our wide, long valley from the mountains that surround us on three sides and then runs for miles through a series of canyons to the north of us before joining itself to the Eel River.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND SACRED WILD RIVER IN AMERICA
The Eel River is, in my experience, one of the most beautiful and sacred wild rivers in America.
We have been making the 45 minute journey from Still Mountain, going north and then east into the Eel River canyon, for many years during the summer.
There is a ribbon of road that curves, and rises and falls on a shoulder of that huge canyon for fifty miles back into pure wilderness, running above or next to the Eel.
In winter, the roar of the water flowing down it is so intense and loud that you would not be able to hear someone shouting into your ear. It is a thrilling sight.
THE EEL RIVER BRIDGE
Sometimes we like to drive out on a rutted dirt road that winds through the mountains to the east and comes out at a place where a small town once thrived back in pioneer days, but which has disappeared now, just to stand on the old sturdy iron bridge that spans the river there.
It is always a rush just to stand in the middle of the bridge, suspended over the roaring river and just watch the powerful whitewater flow over the rocks below and inhale the mist and positive ions rising from it.
INTO THE EEL RIVER CANYON AND ITS SECRET WILD RIVER LAGOONS
In summer, especially now that every summer sets new daily heat records, we love to drive through the Eel River canyon… where we know there are several very special large and deep secret lagoons of cool sweet water.
Most are reached by climbing steep trails down to the river’s edge.
It is always cool in early mornings, and we can swim for a few hours in perfect solitude.
These places are drenched in shakti, or divine energy, which makes them perfect for prayer and meditation.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
THE WILD RIVER’S SACRED PLACES ARE PERFECT FOR PRAYER AND MEDITATION
I have had many high sacred experiences while swimming or diving into the depths of the crystal clear waters or simply standing neck deep as the current gently pushed against my body as I prayed and opened my heart to feel the living presence of God.
It is always easy for me to connect with the divine there, in the silence of the canyon, while eagles soar on thermals overhead, in the sanctuary of those glittering present moments so far from any town.
For me, it has always been much easier to tune in to the divine when I am in pure, natural flowing water.
I bow my head in prayer and focus my mind unwaveringly on God, and then I start to sing devotional songs (which are mostly bhajans, mantras or spontaneously created songs to God) with a full and happy heart.
As my voice rises, the songs begin to echo back to me from the surrounding canyon walls, multiplying the effect as I move into direct sweet communion with my own indwelling Beloved.
When we go to the canyon, we both see it as not just a swimming trip but a pilgrimage to a sacred place.
We observe silence all the way up in the car and while we are there beside the surging river…in this way, we support each other in achieving divine communion in our individual way.
I am grateful for Ani, who is as absolutely devoted to her path as I am to mine, and who does her own practices as we support each other without a word being needed.
GOD WANTS US TO HAVE ACTIVE CONTACT
This level of alignment is very important to us both, for nothing is more important or sweeter or even more pleasurable than what we call Active God Contact or AGC, for short hand.
A beautiful thing to understand is that God wants us to have connection and communion and in fact, is always calling us in our hearts to focus in on the divine with intention and fervor.
God will help us to the same degree that we are making the effort to practice.
In fact, there has never been anyone who attained Realization strictly from their own efforts. They finally attained Realization through grace and God’s direct help.
Photo Credit: Chinmayn
YOU CAN ACHIEVE DIRECT GOD COMMUNION THROUGH PRAYER AND PRACTICES
When we do, especially after getting through the initial resistance that our ego minds mount to stop us, there will come a point in your practice when you can achieve AGC reliably and ongoingly just by consciously focusing your mind on God and praying to be brought into God’s living presence.
It will take sustained inner work on your part, through prayer and meditation, but as long as you persevere in daily practice, I guarantee you can and will accomplish it.
It is not easy, especially if you are just beginning your spiritual path, and will take the time it takes for you to gain control over your mind, but it is absolutely necessary.
Once you have achieved AGC the first time, you will know that you can reliably achieve it from now on, as long as you are willing to do the inner work.
Remember, the purpose of the spiritual path is to achieve God communion, become free from all suffering and the sources of suffering, and then help as many people as possible achieve the same state of enlightenment and awakening as possible.
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