Report on the celebrations for the birth anniversary of Babuji Maharaj from the 29th April to the 1st May 2016, at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad
Friday, 29th of April 2016
At 6:30 a.m. Daaji conducted satsangh in the main meditation hall, and then again at 11:00 a.m. Following this he visited the bookstore. At 6:30 p.m. he once again conducted satsangh in the main meditation hall.
At 9:00 p.m. Daaji returned to the main meditation hall to address a large group of teachers who had been invited to hear about the new teacher training initiatives for school students and college students around the country. His talk was very inspiring and a real call to action.
Heartfulness is moving into the next level of expansion. There is an opportunity to collaborate with more than 300 universities and reach out to more than 30 million students. Daaji was saying that They are creating the opportunity to spread spiritual values throughout the world. Now, we have to utilize the opportunity.
How should we proceed with this enormous work?
He said, “We have to organize ourselves, execute efficiently and give it with a punch! We have to touch the hearts of all seekers in the first interaction itself.”
He kept working till late evening and finally went to rest.
Saturday, 30th of April 2016
Happy Heartfulness Day
Daaji was up very early in the morning, finished his work and then got ready by 4:30 a.m., after which he offered prasad and went for a walk.
This early morning started with a new greeting, “Happy Heartfulness Day!”
At 6:30 a.m. Daaji was in the meditation hall, conducted satsangh for about 45 minutes, and then gave a talk. He began his talk by saying, “Best wishes on the occasion of Pujya Babuji’s descent, and Happy Heartfulness Day.”
Interiorization of the Higher Essence
“Sahaj Marg is all about creating and recreating our newer and newer personality out of our past self. Hopefully a better and better individual will emerge out of us. This transformation has to be pushed from within. It works best when the inner inspiration guides us to transform ourselves and recreate our being, so that the newly recreated being rhymes or remains in resonance with our Maker.”
“Meditation is the way of achieving interiorization of the higher Essence.
“On this happy occasion, let us resolve to become lesser and lesser. Let there be more and more of less and less about ourselves. Less and less of ego so that we transform ourselves and only allow the manifestation of the Great Master with whom we have our own ties, with whom we have our deep relationship.
“How many times has Pujya Babuji Maharaj been saying from above, that it is the profound interiorization of that higher Essence that makes us grow higher and higher in spirituality. Not exteriorization, interiorization. Meditation on the heart is just a way of achieving that.
The significance of the heart
“Suppose you meditate on your shoulders or your thighs, or your forehead, you will feel only that. But while meditating on the heart, when transmission reaches there – the divine force, the divine energy, the divine essence – when it enters the heart and charges every atom of the blood, when it enriches every cell of our body, it is transporting divine energy.
“The heart is an organ, not just a pumping organ, but it is where we feel things. It is a genius stroke by Babuji Maharaj when he says that meditation on the heart is the most revolutionary way of meditating. We may begin with the thought, we may begin with thinking, but it results in feeling, it results in experiencing, and that is possible only in the heart. If you meditate on the Nabhi [navel] or any other point, you will miss out on spiritual experiences.
“The points of Trikuti and Sahasra Dal Kamal are not connected with all the points in the system, but the heart is connected not only with the cells but with every yogic chakra from the Muladhara Chakra up to the Centre itself. And it is not only in this body, but the heart is connected with our own subtle entity or spiritual entity, which exists in other worlds, in other dimensions.
“It is through the heart only that we can connect ourselves with our higher being. So, there is a tremendous amount of wisdom behind meditating on the heart. Our abhyasis, especially our Heartfulness volunteers and more so importantly our preceptors, must know all this and must be able to explain, ‘Why the heart?’
“You will come across something very profound in Lalaji’s Truth Eternal, where he says that often spiritual experiences go to waste without reading the literature of our system. Read after very meditation, even if it is one paragraph, and brood over it. It will also help you deepen the experience, and retain the experience instead of jumping into mundane activities. Then, slowly move on while retaining the spiritual essence that has been given to you.
“Let us move on with the firm resolution that, yes, we can transform ourselves, recreate ourselves so that our Masters can be proud of us.”
Kali Yug
Later, in an informal conversation, Daaji recalled a story that depicts the nature of the Kali Yug (our current era):
“One of the Pandava brothers asked Lord Krishna ‘What is the Kali Yug?’
Lord Krishna decided to give them a view into the future. He took a bow and four arrows, shot them in four directions, and asked four of the brothers to bring them back. The brothers went in the four different directions to search for the arrows.
“One of the brothers, when picking up the arrow, heard a very sweet voice. He turned back and saw a cuckoo singing bhajans in a very spellbinding voice, but was also eating the flesh of a live rabbit that was in great pain. This brother was very surprised to see such a gory act by such a divine bird. He left the place immediately.
“The second brother picked up an arrow from a place where five wells were situated, the four wells were surrounding a single well. The four wells were overflowing with very sweet water as if they were not able to hold water, but surprisingly the well in the middle of these four was completely empty. Bhima was puzzled at this sight.
“The third brother was returning after picking up the arrow, and stopped at a place where a cow was about to give birth. After giving birth the cow started licking the calf but continued to lick it even after the calf was clean and oozing blood from the skin. With great difficulty people were able to separate them and by that time the calf was injured badly. The third brother was puzzled by the behaviour of such a calm animal.
“The fourth brother picked up his arrow near a mountain and saw a big boulder falling. The boulder was crushing the rocks and big trees on its way down, but the same boulder was stopped by a small plant. The brother was amazed at this sight.
“All brothers asked the meaning of these incidents from Krishna. Lord Krishna said, ‘In the Kali Yug, the priests will have very sweet voices and will also have great knowledge, but they will exploit devotees the same way the cuckoo did with the rabbit. In the Kali Yug, poor people will live among the rich. Those rich people will have enormous wealth, which will actually overflow, but they will not offer a single penny to the poor. This is like the four wells didn't add a single drop of water to the empty well. In the Kali Yug, parents will love their children so much that their love will actually spoil them and will destroy their lives, similar to the love shown by the cow to her newborn calf. In the Kali Yug, people will fall in terms of character like the boulder from the mountain, and they will not be stopped by anyone. At the end, only the name of God will be able to hold them from doom like the little plant held the boulder from further fall."
At around 10:00 a.m. Daaji distributed prasad and preceptor certificates to all the candidates who were permitted to work on this auspicious day. The celebrations proceeded smoothly, and the atmosphere was very absorbing and joyous. How does this magic happen?
The living Master is the source of this special atmosphere. His being is deeply connected to this atmosphere. Chariji Maharaj often used to quote Babuji, saying, “Keep the Master happy and see what he can do.” Many of us have noticed that the Master’s mood is reflected in the atmosphere around. The love, unity and harmony around them in some way allows the consciousness to soar higher and higher.
The flower and the honeybee
At 6:30 p.m. Daaji conducted evening satsangh at the main meditation hall. After this he gave another short talk in which he said:
“Even when a flower is hidden in crevices between stones, the honeybee will find where the flower is blooming. Abhyasis hearts are also like that. The ready heart, the well-prepared heart, the deserving heart, will attract grace, love and blessings without even asking for it. Be sure of it.
“So, the magic of Sahaj Marg is that, wherever you are, open your heart with dedication and it just happens. The magic happens. Please think over this very seriously. On this simple principle, we will expand our spiritual growth. … With this fundamental principle of the flower and the honeybee, you can understand the relationship between an abhyasi and the Master.
“Secondly, one abhyasi during his stay in Shahjahanpur ashram was there for almost a month from the US. He told Babuji Maharaj, ‘I would like to eat an omelette. Can I cook it in the kitchen, in the ashram kitchen?’ So Babuji said, ‘You will spoil the reputation of my Mission. If you like, you can cook it in your room, and when you eat it please don’t think about me.’ So, please think about what he is trying to say. I know most of you will understand it very well, but some of you will say, ‘Okay, chalo, kha lete hein, we will not think of Master.’ But is that what you want?”
This evening would turn out to be a special one, as nobody could possibly have imagined!
A wonderful surprise
Around 9:00 p.m. Daaji came to main meditation hall, where there was a session about Heartfulness initiatives going on. It was a small and welcome interruption for the session. On the large screen suddenly we could see Daaji in live video-conference with dear Mother, our Medium of the Whispers.
It was an overwhelming feeling. Thousands and thousands of abhyasis joined this nice little conversation, creating such a family meeting filled with love and joy. One could see that dear Mother was very happy and addressed Daaji as ‘Master Kamlesh’. She spoke about India and her wish to be here. This was the unexpected gift of this celebration!
Monday, 1st May 2016
An important announcement
The day started with morning satsangh at 6:30 a.m. after which Daaji spoke briefly, issuing an announcement:
“So one more satsangh to go and the celebration ends, but don’t let it end, let us continue with it.
“I have a very special announcement to make. Under the direct instruction of Pujya Babuji Maharaj, it is decided that all bhandaras until he instructs again, at least for two years, will be decentralized. Henceforth until then, celebrations will only be for one day in respective centres. Because of this, I think we will be able to do a lot of other things. They know best what is good for us. At times, we become emotional and say, ‘Oh, Babuji Maharaj instructed that these gatherings, especially these bhandaras of the Masters’ birthday celebrations will be grand festivals.’ So, we will ensure that, although they are decentralized, we will maintain the spirit and joy. And with this I would end my little announcement.”
Daaji conducted the Utsav’s concluding satsangh and gave the final talk at 11:00 a.m. Many new seekers had come to Kanha, including a large number of medical and nursing students who attended the last satsangh.
Daaji addressed and shared many insights with these participants, including some thought-provoking inputs for the new seekers. There are many philosophies that introduce the idea of God. We all learn and try to approach God through religion. Many seekers transcend and try to feel God by experience through meditation and the contemplative life, a spiritual life. Is there something beyond spiritual experience? Is there an approach beyond spirituality? It is a question to think about. Is it possible to transcend experience and directly perceive Reality? What is beyond Reality?
Later in the night, Daaji was mentioning that a true seeker should not stop at peace and the spiritual experiences of the bhandara. He said, “Many abhyasis have a spiritual experience, which is wonderful, but very rare are the ones who are able to attract the gaze of Master. How to attract the gaze of the Master, spiritually speaking? I would like you all to ponder over it?
