Receiving my spiritual name

I was coming back from one of my trips to Germany with Guru. At some point I was talking to the stewardess about spirituality and I saw that Guru was standing there, but I wasn’t sure why Guru was there, so I just continued my conversation with the stewardess. Then, when I finished, Guru came over to me with a piece of paper in his hand. He put the piece of paper on my heart and meditated very deeply with me. Receiving my name from Guru that day was by far one of the most profound meditative experiences of my life. Then Guru showed me my spiritual name and went back to his seat.

Meanwhile, I learned that Utthal had taken a map to the pilot and asked the pilot to indicate where in the air we were at the time that Guru gave me my name. Utthal then took the map to Guru, and I think he asked Guru to sign it. Guru asked Utthal to give me another piece of paper, on which Guru elaborated the meaning of my name. Guru’s new meaning was:

"Trishakash: vastness splendour sky-thirst of your aspiration-heart is pleasing and will please the Lord Beloved Supreme in His own Way."

There the story does not yet finish, because after we exited the plane and Guru was walking down the ramp in the airport, Guru saw me. He told me something very special about the meditation that we two had had together on the plane. I have never forgotten those words.

My Trishakash

One time Guru was talking about people who asked him for advice, sometimes about the most minute aspects of daily living. Guru said that the only person who had never asked him for anything was Trishakash. I never asked Guru for anything because I always felt that Guru was my dear friend and that, as a dear friend, he would know what I needed. I never expected anything from Guru, specifically, but whenever Guru said anything about me or to me, I valued it as a treasure. Even to this day, I have all the words that Guru said to me written down and I read and recite these words often and I let them grow with gratitude in my heart. I also read what Guru has said to me to other people whenever I get the chance, because I am so proud to have known Guru as intimately as I have.

On one of my birthdays, which was celebrated at the Aspiration-Ground after the Christmas Trip, Guru said to me, "My Trishakash." These words have always remained as a mantra to remind me of my close relationship with my Master. Even when people sometimes criticized me for not being spiritual in everyone else’s way, I would remember Guru’s words, "My Trishakash" and I would feel that Guru was happy with me just the way I was.

In Malaysia on the Christmas Trip in 2006, on my birthday, Guru composed a song in my honor. In the song were the words, Ami Trishakash ("I am Trishakash" in the Bengali language), recalling the words that I had been chanting all those years. How grateful I am for the everlasting relationship with Guru, my Master, which far transcends the outer spoken words.