Ram Darbar Lilas

Learning to Serve, Learning to Love

´My name is Kabirdasananda. I met Guruji in 2017, when He came to Turkey to give Darshan. I instantly felt connected to Him and asked how I can serve Him. The first instruction I received was to learn about His teachings and sadhana, so I spent the first few months learning and strictly practicing sādhana and watching His satsangs online.

My first visit to Shree Peetha Nilaya was during Country Week, around Ram Navami. Before Ram Navami, I had my first interview with Guruji. During the interview He mentioned my connection with Ram and at the end, He told me not to be afraid to become a devotee.

On the day of Ram Navami, in the mandir of Sirdi Sai Baba – who was a great bhakta of Ram, I was initiated as a devotee and named Kabirdas, after another great bhakta of Ram. I remember Guruji passing by and checking as Swami Kurunandha initiated me.

Later that year, I returned to do sevā at the Just Love Festival. Seeing the life in the Ashram, in such a peaceful place, awakened me to new possibilities in life. I had been living in Istanbul for ten years, surrounded by crowds, pollution, noise, and a busy life, far from nature, and during the festival after practicing Atma Kriya Yoga next to the rose garden, I made the decision to move back to my hometown to live a more peaceful life and connect more with nature.

Before leaving, I wanted to say goodbye to Guruji. He seemed sad about it, asked why I was leaving, and invited me to join Him for lunch. I was going to miss my flight yet decided to stay with Him as long as He allowed. During that lunch, without any prior thought, a very clear voice inside me said: “I can live here”. After everyone left it was only me and Guruji there. He made a gesture inviting me to speak, and I just asked Him if I could stay. He laughed and said “yes, but you have to study.” I said “Ok.” And He added “be careful it might be forever.” I replied, “That’s even better!”

After a few weeks, I returned to Istanbul, closed my life there, spent some quality time with my parents, and came back to the āśrama. Later, as soon as I had a chance, I became a brahmacārī.´

One day, without knowing why, he felt drawn to go into the temple. The pūjārīs were there, and Guruji was present. It was a pūjārīs gathering but somehow Kabir could join as Guruji asked each pūjārī to sing.

When it was Kabir’s turn, Guruji asked him to sing a Rām Bhajan. He sang what he knew, and he made a few mistakes. Guruji gently joked, “Need to be careful with these Rām bhaktas.”

At that moment, something opened inside Kabir. Speaking honestly from his heart, he said that it was unfortunate that there was no deity of Rām in the temple, no way for Rām bhaktas to worship Him and connect more.

Guruji suddenly became quiet and gentle. Then He said, “Actually, we will have them.” After that, He asked someone close to Him to collect the funds and get the deities.

´He also told me that I would contribute too. I replied that I was happy to give everything I had, even though it was not much. ´

That same year, the money was collected and within one year, the deities arrived at the āśrama.

´Then we had the Ram Darbar inauguration, together with Sarasvatī-devī. When the deities arrived, they were the most beautiful I had ever seen, without any doubt.

I somehow knew I would serve them. It felt natural, like it was meant to be.

Eventually it was announced by Swami Keshava. Jaitraya would lead the team, and Rajivalochana would be in too. And that is how we began.

By that time, I was already doing pūjā to my own deity. It had taken about one and a half years before I felt something real through the ritual. In the beginning, I served mainly out of devotion to Guruji, doing whatever I could.

As I began serving at the temple, I was instantly focused and immersed in the deities, yet I was just starting to discover our relationship. As I continued the regular service, I opened more and began to share everything with them—ups and downs, good and not so good moods…. and everything in between. Sometimes complaining with annoyance, sometimes sharing my joy and happiness…

As I grew closer, I became more curious to understand, clearly, and more specifically my relationship with Them.´

After more than a year, his personal role in this relationship, his bhava was revealed to him by the grace of Guruji and Rām. It felt simple and natural. Once this understanding was there, everything became easy and natural.

From then on, his feelings were steady and clear, and the bond kept growing stronger with time.

Through this relationship, Kabir also received many tangible teachings. Rāma, through His dharma, became a living teacher, guiding him to grow and become better in all parts of life. Sītā reminded him of unconditional love. Lakṣmaṇa showed him strength that comes from love and selfless service.

Hanumān inspired him without effort. Just being near Hanumān filled Kabir with energy and the motivation to serve.

Now he feels deeply blessed by Guruji to experience all of this. He is grateful to live, learn, and grow through his service to the Ram Darbar.

´Living in the āśrama, I realized that what is special about being here in this spiritual abundance isn’t about knowing more or having more—it’s about doing things in the right mindset.

This is also true for rituals. Doing them daily creates a steady rhythm. Over time, the practical details become automated, and a deeper layer of the activities reveals itself. The real depth, the “magic,” of the practice, becomes available to experience. Each day, the connection grows.

My journey began with no feeling at all. I did rituals because Guruji asked me to. But by trusting the sādhana and practicing regularly, mistakes and formalities fade, and the practice becomes natural.

With Guruji, I first needed direct guidance, but over time I learned to take responsibility for my own progress. From a pūjārī, He expects focus, responsibility, and commitment, and serving at the Ram Darbar has helped me develop that autonomy.

Serving the deity deepens my connection with the satguru, and learning from the satguru enriches my service to the deity. The satguru gives the iṣṭadeva, and the iṣṭadeva leads to God—they work together. Intellectually, I know they are one, even if I haven’t fully realized it yet. This journey is beautiful, filled with inner joy and bliss.´