Love Manifesto for Gabriola
I am a Gabriolan, and I live by love, with love, and in love.
I give birth to love each moment of my day, with patient presence and intentional openness to all who reflect my diversity.
I am the stillness of kindness that pervades the pulses of turmoil with grace, humility, compassion.
I choose love freely, without conditions, wrapping you’ness and me’ness in an ancient embrace of one’ness.
I love without fear, compassionately accepting the is’ness of all, while passionately supporting the change that we are both yearning for.
I am the living expression of purity, the manifestation of innocence, and my love flows unfettered by the past into the full potential of the present moment.
I see all that I hold to be true and eternal and all that others hold to be true and eternal and I rejoice, eternally.
When I fall, love is my resurrection; I rise without despair in the light grace.
Created by the energy that is love, sustained by the consciousness that is love, and returning the infinite that is love, I endure.
There are three things: faith, hope and love.
The greatest of these is love.
Seventeen seekers gathered at the marvellously welcoming Net Loft, bedecked with spring blossoms on the eve of the Spring Equinox, to share in spiritual inspiration and deepening with Pandit Tejomaya. Once a long-time Gabriola resident, Panditji is now fulfilling his spiritual vows elsewhere, and his return visit to our community sparked many joyful reunions.
Del McCarthy set the tone of the afternoon with her heartfelt welcome on behalf of the Gabriola Ecumenical Society, together with reminiscences of the lively ways in which Tejomaya has celebrated spiritual growth in our island community over the years. We particularly enjoyed hearing fond memories of Panditji’s 2016 co-facilitation with Shelagh Houston of a co-creative community process that resulted in his composition of the Love Manifesto for Gabriola, which Del recited to an appreciative audience (a transcript of the manifesto follows this account). Soon we were immersed together in meditation, interspersed with extended chanting of the sacred syllable “Om” accompanied by Panditji’s uplifting playing of the polytanpura, a unique instrument handcrafted with love by a good friend from the Czech Republic. The strings of the polytanpura produce long-sustained vibrations ideally suited to enhancing meditation. The profound stillness and silence that followed intervals of gentle group chanting bore testament to our collective settling into inner peace.
The potluck following the meditation was delicious (as ever!) — and the spiritual companionship even more so. GES is now in discussion with Panditji to make this combination of meditation and fellowship an ongoing occasional opportunity; we will keep you posted as details unfold. We extend our heart gratitude and abiding affection to Pandit Tejomaya, and our sincere appreciation to all who contributed their time, energy, and love to this event.
