My Purna Narayan - मेरे पूर्ण नारायण !

During Shanta Dadi's visit we went to Hanuman temple, Mount Madonna in Watsonville. We started early morning around 6 and after about an hour and a half drive from San Jose, found ourselves in serene setting of Mount Madonna. Nestled within was a Hanuman temple, sitting on top. We climbed the steps to enter into a large open area complete with arrangements for havan and the step benches on both sides . Lots of bells , small and big were hanging from the ceiling. We did pooja and got tilak and prashad. The priest of the temple is not from India and yet very fluent in chanting shlokas in Sanskrit. He told us about the revered Guru Baba Hari Dass, founder of Hanuman fellowship in Mount Madonna. He also told us that Babaji would be available that day in the retreat which is rare as he travels a lot. We could not believe our luck. Avi and Neev loved spending few minutes doing ding-dong on the bells and running around before going on a short hike and then returning back for Babaji's darshan. Babaji loves little children and as Shanta Dadi rightly put it , 'we had our passports with us'. Sure enough Avi and Neev were the youngest in the crowd of devotees and it only took us a minute before Avi and Neev were called out to get 'candies' from Babaji. Babaji has maintained a continual vow of silence since 1952 and communicates by writing. I don't know what came over me but I did muster the courage to request him if he would bless us in form of giving Avi and Neev special names. He looked at them and then asked for their date of birth. In his own hand writing, he handed me a piece of paper and there was my blessing. My Purna Narayan ! He named Neev 'Purna' (पूर्ण), a complete, perfect being and Avi 'Narayan' (नारायण), a name of Lord Vishnu. Yes, they will always be Neev and Avi but every now and then I call them by these names and offer my gratitude to Babaji for his blessings.

You know how you have a feeling of calm and tranquil when you go to a religious place , whether or not you are religious OR you know when sometimes you go to a religious place looking for solace but you don't get that rest of heart . I am not sure what it was in the temple -lull of falling waters and balmy lavendar, vista of mountains and view of valley below, the energy & fervor from the devotees, feeling of revereance towards Babaji and his work, ........it captivated me ! I carried the feeling back with my Purna and Narayana and a few lavendar leaves.