Travels with Daaji in Europe, 29 January to 4 February 2017
New York to Milan
Sunday, 29 January 2017
With a small group of abhyasis, Daaji flew from New York to Milan on Saturday evening. After enduring severe discomfort from vertigo during the flight, he was relieved to be back on solid ground in Milan after landing around midday. He was received with joy at the airport by abhyasis from all over Europe, and welcomed at the Milan Heartfulness Centre where he enjoyed lunch with local abhyasis, followed by satsangh and then a much-needed afternoon rest.
In the evening, he conducted satsangh and gave a talk about the effects of digital vibrations on our physical, mental and spiritual condition. He narrated how he had realized that he had something of an allergy to tech gadgets – to such a point that his hand starts to burn when holding an iPhone for 15 seconds or so. Babuji has spoken a lot about electromagnetic radiation, and says that we are not capable of holding onto these things without being affected at some level. Everything from Wi-Fi signals to Bluetooth can cause a reaction, and for Daaji the impact is so strong that it manifests physically, but it surely does affect us all on a subtler level whether or not we are aware of it.
He also spoke of awareness and observation while receiving transmission during meditation or when we are so absorbed internally: does it come from above, or straight to the heart? He mentioned the importance of making a note of these differences and experiences.
Milan to Nice (Valbonne)
Monday, 30 January 2017
After morning satsangh at 7:00 a.m., Daaji ate a quick breakfast and set out for Nice at around 8:30. In the car, listening to his personal playlist of classical Hindi music from Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh Kumar, Jagjit Singh and the like, he spoke of how in his early days of practice these songs full of love would remind him of Babuji.
Speaking about transcendence, he mentioned that no matter the emotion (happiness or sorrow), transcending is important. It is purity alone which weaves the destiny of the being with the Ultimate. Only when you transcend opposites, then you develop purity. It is this purity that will decide your destiny. If you are stuck only in happiness or anger or sorrow, then you are bound by it. Even being stuck in an emotion like happiness can become a rut; it is easy to get too lost in it. It is a passing state – we must just pass through it and move on.
How can one transcend the dwandwas or opposites? What sort of a heart is needed? One that can accept these opposites with generosity of the heart. A generous heart plays a great role in transcending the opposites prevailing in the Pind Pradesh to further move into the Cosmic Region. So in a way to attain a state of liberation and, most importantly, to continue to thrive in the liberated state, demands a high level of generosity of the heart.
Daaji arrived at Alain Desvigne’s home in time for a late lunch with the family, and enjoyed the idyllic views of Valbonne, a small, picturesque town near Nice in the south of France. Daaji spent the rest of the evening in relative quiet, giving a sitting to the small group present before winding down for the day.
Nice to Montpellier
Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Daaji set out after breakfast for the road journey to Montpellier. On the road, he spoke about becoming fully absorbed in experiences. Not appreciating what you have in a certain moment and expecting more in the future is ingratitude for what you have been given. There is no room for absorbency if one is completely full of oneself. For absorbency to prevail, one has to lose oneself.
That means humility has to be cultivated, and it should be authentic. How can an expectant heart that craves for more and more experiences, like a greedy man all the time salivating for money, make strides in the spiritual realms with such greed? Gratitude is the way to appreciate what is given as well as the Giver.
Upon arrival at the Montpellier ashram, he remarked on the beautiful atmosphere and how much it had transformed since his last visit. The hall was filled with eager hearts, all of whom joined in a lunch that was eaten in collective harmony. After a brief rest, Daaji went for a private visit to the medium Hélène, or ‘Momma’ as he refers to her affectionately. He arrived back at the ashram around dusk, spent from the efforts of the day and the brief spell of vertigo he endured once again.
Montpellier
Wednesday, 1 February 2017
Before the satsangh for Basant, Daaji rose early and offered prasad. On this morning, he was met with a request for help. There was an abhyasi present in his room who sought his advice on how to calm the mind and sleep peacefully. Daaji provided the young man with a music clip that he himself had utilized on occasion to rest easier, and explained that in order for one to be at ease and put internal noise to rest, it is also very important to meditate with a positive mindset and keep the right company – company that is conducive to oneself and one’s goals, rather than having a negative influence.
Satsangh was conducted in an external hall for the large gathering that assembled. Daaji had planned a presentation to share with the group, but was unable to give it due to technical difficulties. Once the technical issue was resolved, after the evening satsangh he managed to present his work on the theme ‘March to Freedom’, which outlined the scientific approach to understanding knots, circles, regions and koshas. He explained the interplay and linkage between the four and the various spiritual landmarks in a 3-dimensional manner. He closed with a suggestion that after meditation it is important not only to observe the experience we have during the sitting but also to determine why and how we feel different things each time. This could include lifestyle changes, habits, or other external factors that occur during the day that can have an impact on our meditation. It is important to make note of these things so that we can understand what affects our experience each time we sit for meditation.
Montpellier to Nice
Thursday, 2 February 2017
On his last day in Montpellier, Daaji said goodbye to Hélène at her home, and to everyone in the Montpellier ashram in the afternoon before heading back to Nice.
In the car, he spoke about our human framework and how each system is supported by the others. Consciousness supports ego, ego supports intellect, intellect supports the mind. All this in turn supports the body. The body cannot be the foundation for the soul. The soul takes precedence, then the entire subtle body system, and then the nervous system. The muscular system can do nothing without the nervous system.
After stopping a few time to rest on the way, he reached Alain Desvigne’s house around 9:00 p.m., just in time for a late dinner before turning in after a long day.
Nice to Milan
Friday, 3 February 2017
After a recharging breakfast in the morning, Daaji decided to take a few rounds of the property, enjoying the brisk morning air and the hilltop views of the surrounding area. With another road trip ahead, the group packed up and set out for Milan once again.
Taking these car trips as an opportunity to reflect, Daaji expressed that it is preferable for people to seek out a preceptor for a sitting, contrary to what he had observed recently. Distance sittings are also possible, but at least once or twice it is important to try to meet in person. The practice of remote sittings should not be overused or abused. Remote sittings were started to ease exceptional situations like the inability to travel due to various reasons.
He also spoke about the formation of grossness and the best way to rid ourselves of it. The way we form grossness is from subtle ideas. When we want to remove grossness, we have to use the same method that formed it. The moment we decide to remove something, we are also reinforcing it without awareness. Daaji gave an example of a lovelorn man who tells himself, “I must get this girl out of my mind.” And if he keeps holding onto that thought, he is reinforcing it. To really abandon something, don’t remind yourself that you are removing it – just drop it. Even the dropping has to be effortless, which in itself is an art. He mentioned that when Babuji talks about subtle suggestions, the subtlest is when we are unaware that we have made any suggestion. Nevertheless it is there somehow, so you capture something that is grossness – don’t entertain it and fixate on it. Just let it go without a second thought.
Milan
Saturday, 4 February 2017
Daaji conducted satsangh at 9:00 a.m. Then he ate breakfast and met with some children from the centre who were active participants of Brighter Minds. It gave him joy and a sense of pride to see such young hearts so eagerly involved. There was one young boy who told Daaji that he was able to successfully impart relaxation therapy on his friends at school. Daaji declared that he would become a fine preceptor one day. With a small contingent travelling forward with him to India, Daaji left for the airport at around 11:00 a.m., saying goodbye to all with the hope to see them again in the month of May.
