Nurari

Nurari - Manager of Service-Heart-Joy cafe. "As a child my goal was to save the world! I had a maroon pair of tights and a fantastic gold cloak with gold circles on it. In this attire I would spend many hours jumping off bridges to save coach loads of drowning people and so forth. Sadly, as I grew up I began to see my real capacity." "Much disillusioned I became depressed and physically ill. I was fortunate enough to meet people who encouraged me to find a spiritual path and to look to meditation as a way to cope with life and increase my capacity to love and serve others. Even while looking for a path I still clasped to myself large remnants of my belief in my prowess as a super-heroine! Since I met Sri Chinmoy and became his student he has managed to successfully transform a large part of my ego! I do not like to think what may be left unconsciously hidden in the folds of my personality but I am grateful for what he has managed so far!"

"What I am beginning to realise is that until I accept myself it is impossible for any self-transformation to take place. That also applies to world transformation - the world has to be accepted first. My field of action is London, where I practice meditation, run, sing devotional songs and work in a cafe on a daily basis. One of my favourite activities is acting. A talented director who is in our meditation group has included me in a number of plays based on stories written by Sri Chinmoy. Each part offers the opportunity to uncover another part of myself - higher or lower - and weave it into a character. Self-acceptance is very satisfying!"

"A recent production was based on a Hindu story where the Cosmic Gods abused their powers and freedom and were thrown out of heaven by the Asuras (the hostile cosmic beings) and how the Gods reclaimed heaven. I was given the part of a fallen Cosmic God indulging in headbanging to rock music! Having been particularly prudish as regards to heavy music it took some ego demolition to stand up before Sri Chinmoy and a thousand spiritual seekers and head-bash for several minutes! That vital energy is inside myself (why pretend otherwise?) but the goal is to use the energy for a more illuming activity - like running."

"I have always been naturally drawn to sport and Sri Chinmoy encourages us to keep fit and healthy. I run regularly and have found that meditation has taken away my competitive edge and replaced it with joy in dynamism and a feeling of oneness with other runners."

"My work in the cafe Service-Heart-Joy offers opportunities for self-transcendence, particularly in patience, tolerance, determination, cheerfulness and oneness. There are many, many opportunities for Sri Chinmoy to continue my ego transformation! I feel my piece de resistance was when I placed the plastic shelf of the till in the oven for safe keeping and completely melted it the next day - money and all - as I had forgotten all about it!"

"When younger I had no inclination towards cooking as it seemed a girly thing to do which did not fit with my super-heroine image! However, I am very grateful as it has helped me to accept the softer side of myself. I feel that softness, sweetness, self-giving and sensitivity are qualities women can be proud of having. Accepting these qualities does not mean accepting being dominated, it just means accepting these qualities inside my heart."

"One more quality from meditation I must mention and that is protection. The longer I practice meditation, the more protected I feel. I pray for protection for myself, for my friends, for the cafe often and it gives me a tremendous feeling of security and gratitude."

P.S. No longer fear while crossing bridges in coaches - there is SOMEONE TO SAVE YOU - well, I'm working on it!

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