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Daaji's Travel Diaries - London, May 19 to 22, 2024, part 2

2024.40 - Friday, 5 July 2024

Dear sisters and brothers,

May 19, 2024—the Final Day of the Seminar

Daaji conducted group meditation at 9 a.m. and officiated at three weddings. Afterward, he answered a few questions from the audience, including a question about guiding children to their full potential and learning to manage their emotions. Daaji then handed out signed copies of his latest release, Spiritual Anatomy, before returning to his room for lunch and rest.

Daaji London Travel

In the evening, to conclude such a memorable seminar, a special event for the youth was hosted by Heartfulness with NISAU (National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK). First, trainer Caroline Ravenall introduced the participants to Heartfulness, followed by guided Relaxation and Meditation. Then, Sanam Arora, Founder and Chairperson of NISAU, conducted a fireside chat with Daaji, asking questions about the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of Heartfulness and how meditation can help young people create and maintain success.

On educating and guiding children to their full potential, Daaji said, “Meditate over it and you'll get more ideas. We have to encourage them to experiment. For example, when we are sitting here, how many of us can say which direction is North, without using an iPhone? Did you enter the hall or the building from the East or West side? Don't look around. What's the color of the ceiling? We need to help them become more observant. When you go to a friend's place or restaurant, ask them, 'My dear child, what did you see? Which side did you enter from?' At least at home, help them understand that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, so they will have the concept of direction. They’ll also develop interest in planets and stars with this little exercise.

“When they wake in the morning, help them to become more observant and aware: ‘Do you hear any birds?’ ‘Do you see the raindrops falling?’ ‘The chair that you sat in, what color is it?’ They will go more and more in-depth with the sensations coming from outside. Then, as they grow a little older, you can ask them, ‘What dreams did you see?’ Pray with them morning and evening and before taking meals.

“Do many things of that sort. Have a walk in the garden and talk about flowers and colors. There's no end to such inquiries. Then, later on, you can make it more internal—not just dreams but the kinds of thoughts and feelings they have in their hearts. When they meet people, ask them, ‘What do you think about this person?’ Analyze it, but don't give them feedback that, ‘He's not a nice guy.’ You just listen to them, that's all.

“They will be externally more aware, and from inside they will be more cognizant. I think that’s the beginning of it. Later on, you can develop various methodologies to strengthen their emotions, and then they go to kindergarten. There will be competitiveness over certain toys and they will really get aggravated. Sometimes they will come home crying, ‘They didn't give me this toy,’ and if this is not settled as they grow up, they will remain competitive in nature.

“So the sooner we settle the score, the better it is. Otherwise, baggage keeps on adding up. Parents should aim to be the ideal examples. You cannot say, ‘Our relationship is not working out, so I’m sorry you have to suffer for us. You have to make a choice.’ That’s why this theme, ‘Neither this nor that.’ Let us have a complete and conclusive approach to life. You can't leave it halfway.”

Daaji responded to a question about whether our practice can change our DNA with, “It’s the main purpose of our practice. I clearly remember April 30, 1978, when Babuji was in Bangalore, celebrating his birthday. He gave a message, and in the initial part he was saying: the temperature outside can go up or down, and become really hot, but when you have an air- conditioned room set at 23 degrees C, it doesn’t change much; it is set. Then he extended this philosophy and said, ‘You have to air-condition your heart.’

“So let the emotional temperature go up and down, but maintain it, and that’s why we have this idea of constant remembrance. Now, you can’t fake it! Just by remembering someone, you are not able to change your inner landscape. You have to remain meditative. Having meditated for a few minutes in the morning, the meditative state has to extend as much as possible, ideally, 24/7. That is the idea behind the entire practice. When you remain meditative, you are victorious over your emotions. It’s not that you don’t enjoy, or you don’t become sad—difficulties will be there, happiness will also be there—but the inner radar chooses not to respond and become miserable. Pain is there but it is at a physical level. What affects most human beings is at an emotional level. And by disturbing your own heart, you disturb others. The only way to solve this is meditation.

Daaji also spoke about surrender, referring to his own message of April 30, 2024. “It is at the culmination of surrender that one opens the door of negation that Lalaji Maharaj calls the state of baqa-e-baqa. I’ll explain, because if you understand what this negation is all about, then you understand surrender. Surrender is a product, not an act. It’s the fruit of our exercise.

Live cast

“So I have put the whole sequence in the form of questions:
Is negation possible without surrender?
Is surrender possible without proper love for the object to whom you are surrendering?
Is love possible without admiration and appreciation?
Is that also possible without some positive experiences?
Are these experiences possible without practice?

Now you can connect the dots. When we look at the beauty of surrender, it is not a defeatist attitude. In fact, surrender is not the right translation from its original Sanskrit, the word saranagati, meaning to take refuge at the feet of the Lord, lovingly.

“Our ego will never be dissolved completely; we need to refine it. That’s what is called fana-e-fana, in the language Lalaji used to Babuji. And when even the self is somehow transcended, then it is called baqa-e-baqa. Interestingly, I would like to share an episode about this.

“Once, I was in Shahjahanpur with Babuji. We were alone, and sometime around four o’clock he asked me, ‘Can you please bring me the book?’
I said, ‘Babuji, which book?’
‘Truth Eternal.’
So I went and grabbed the book from the office.

“He went straight to the letter written by Lalaji to him, where these two conditions were mentioned. Lalaji wrote to him that, ‘You have crossed the stages of fana-e-fana, and with the grace of God now you're about to enter the state of baqa-e-baqa. From the same Source, you'll be granted this condition.’ Then Babuji put down the book and started laughing actually. It was very childlike laughter.

He asked me, ‘Where can you get a certificate like this? I’ve been given a certificate to say that I have crossed fana-e-fana and the state of baqa-e-baqa will be granted from above..’

“These are very lofty conditions and they unfold not because of our planning or strategies, but by practicing day in and day out, and seeing how slowly everything opens up. We have to stay put with our practice.”

May 20, 2024—the House of Lords

Daaji’s agenda for the day included an afternoon trip to the House of Lords. In 2023, he was awarded the UK-India Triumph Award by C.B. Patel, Editor-in-Chief of Gujarat Samachar and the Asian Voice. This time, Daaji was hosted by Lord Raj Loomba and C.B. Patel for a special fireside chat at the House of Lords, which was conducted by Her Excellency, The Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Commonwealth Secretary-General. Daaji spoke about the importance of the Brighter Minds program, introducing Kapil Sharma to present Brighter Minds to a very impressed audience. Daaji was then interviewed by the Secretary-General, who spoke about her own experience of visiting Kanha Shanti Vanam and asked him about meditation, Brighter Minds, and more.

Daaji London Travel

May 21, 2024—Freedom of the City of London Award

Daaji started the day with group meditation, followed by a visit to Guildhall, where he received the Freedom of the City of London award. This special award is given to individuals who have achieved success, recognition, or celebrity in their chosen fields, for example, the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, Morgan Freeman, and Florence Nightingale.

Daaji was awarded the honor by a judge at Guildhall, who then shared the history of the award, and what it now means to be a Freeman of the City of London, which includes the right to own sheep and allow them to cross any of London’s bridges! Daaji presented both the award sponsor, Rehana Paul, and the judge with signed copies of the book, Spiritual Anatomy, and had several photos taken with the award.

Daaji Dubai Travel - 3

May 22, 2024—Onward Journey

London woke to a rainy morning, mirroring how all the abhyasis in London were feeling, thinking about Daaji’s departure from London. After finishing the morning’s group meditation and interactions, he spent some time resting and preparing for his flight.

As Daaji left for the airport, abhyasis lined the hallways, the lobby, and the parking area outside the hotel to get a last glimpse of him before he departed. As he stepped outside, Daaji said his pranams to all the crowd. Someone asked if he would return to London, and he responded, “If the temptation is there.”

In the next travel bulletin, we will start with Daaji’s visit to the USA.

For a day-to-day glimpse into Daaji’s life and travel, visit - www.daaji.org/glimpses