Arriving Where I Started

By Linda Sechrist

My days begin, before I even get out of bed, with a yoga nidra session, followed by Samaneri Jayasara reading the words of spiritual masters such as Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi, Papaji and others.

Among my favorite sessions are the words of Nisargadatta, taken from his dialogues with individuals who traveled to India seeking his wisdom. These dialogues were translated and published in I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj in 1973. Since then, the book has been reprinted 17 times, a testament to the enduring popularity of the wisdom it contains.

I have listened to several of Samaneri's recordings of Nisargadatta's words dozens of times—Grieve No More, There Is No Me, The Dawn of Wisdom and The Nature of Consciousness, to name a few. Never have I tired of hearing them; they are a balm to my soul.

At age 79—for at least four more days—I find it beyond fascinating that I have come full circle and can now fully understand what T.S. Eliot meant when he penned:

We shall not cease from exploration

And at the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

In 1993, I was living in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and studying yoga with a teacher who lived one town away in Hingham. He mentioned the Vedanta Center in Cohasset, three towns away. I attended several Sunday services and fell in love with the teachings, although I did not fully understand them. Something inside me, however, recognized the Truth and resonated deeply with what I heard.

The words spoken at the Center were like seeds being sown in fertile ground, much like the seeds that fell upon the rich, deep soil in Jesus' Parable of the Sower. I had no clue who or what had fertilized that soil or opened my heart. Perhaps I still don't.

I lived one more year in Weymouth after discovering the Vedanta Center. Before leaving Massachusetts for Ohio and, eventually, Florida, I bought a book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers by Swami Paramananda, who founded the center. The book was packed in a box and stored away for many years. Only recently did I find it again and realize, with some surprise, that this was where I had started.

The soil has now been continuously fertilized for more than 30 years through countless books, interviews with spiritual teachers, articles written for Natural Awakenings, prayers, podcasts and workshops. Today, I not only understand the foundations of Vedanta, but also embrace the non-dual teachings of Consciousness and I AM.

Truly, I never ceased seeking and exploring spirituality, although I took several breaks along the way to live, practice and embody what I had learned. From where I stand today, I recognize that I have come full circle—to know the place of Advaita Vedanta for the first time.

And it sure feels like HOME.