Releasing Healing Intentions into the Universe
One fully bloomed, heavily scented red rose; two water lilies, one yellow, the other white; one shy marigold, still opening her orange-colored petals; and one splendid lotus, a vivid pink: I remember carrying these five flowers in my flower basket to River Sarayu accompanied by my guru Baba; I was almost twenty-four by then. It was the last autumn my teacher spent with me in his Earth body.
It was almost morning. A majestic October sun was about to rise and sprinkle its golden radiance on us. First we meditated next to the river as usual and then sat beside it silently, as if in communion with all of Nature and the hidden spiritual reality that expresses itself through all of us. Then I released the flowers, one by one, into the flowing river as Baba watched me silently with his compassionate, all-knowing eyes. Baba’s body was older now, he was almost ninety, and I was the physically stronger one, taller than him, my legs withstanding the strong waves as I entered the river. Yet, my guru’s presence was ageless.
River Sarayu seemed to simply grab the flowers with her immense armlike waves, as if she were waiting for them, and then equally suddenly, they disappeared into her watery deluge of eternity. After monsoons, the river appeared no less than a mighty ocean; her depth was incomprehensible, her intentions indiscernible, and her power immeasurable.
After I had released the flowers into the river, we chanted together, master and disciple, in one voice, an ancient mantra for the health and providence of all beings. We wanted our blessing to reach all beings in all types of bodies, visible and invisible to our human eyes, dwelling in all realms of existence.
OM Sarveshaam Svastir-Bhavatu
Sarveshaam Shaantir-Bhavatu
Sarveshaam Purnnam-Bhavatu
Sarveshaam Manggalam-Bhavatu
OM Shanti Shanti Shanti
May all beings have health and well-being;
May all beings enjoy peace and serenity;
May all beings experience fulfilment and contentment;
May all beings know divine auspiciousness;
OM peace, peace, peace.
The chant had ended, but it seemed to be echoed by the sky, the river, and the rising sun. My heart, body, and mind embraced complete stillness because I knew intuitively that today, after many days of silence, my teacher would reveal to me yet one more gem of wisdom that would change my life forever.
Baba spoke, very quietly, and I had to strain to hear him above the crashing waves of the river. He said, “Shunya, now these flowers will always be with you. Always. When we open our hearts and offer to the universe our noblest and purest of intentions for all beings, then these thoughts, magnified by the power of cosmic sound, gain an infinite momentum. They travel everywhere in this ever-expanding conscious universe and yet will somehow circle back to you and bless you again and again, ad infinitum.”
That day, my guru Baba evoked my higher order of thinking to connect to a grand, interconnected reality of existence that I may not immediately perceive with my physical eyes but can conceive of under instruction of my guru.
Baba spoke as if directly to my soul this time, “Imagine your being, many decades hence, blessed by these flowers. They will come back to you in the form of true grace, knowledge, wisdom, a helping hand, or a kind eye in times of distress and uncertainty. These flowers shall set you free from your suffering, of body, mind, and soul. When you set into the universe blessing for all beings, the blessings shall come back to you many times more. 
Perhaps you, too, would like to set an intention at the conclusion of this book along with me. Whatever you set into universal motion, with compassion in your heart, will come back to you exponentially because spiritual oneness is the underlying reality of our physical existence.
May Ayurveda’s lifestyle wisdom bless all beings with ever-increasing health, well-being, peace, fulfillment, and joy.
With infinite love,
Shunya