The Inner Crisis-A Way Out

There are times when many of us wonder about the great miracles of life and the great mystery of death. What is life? Am I just a collection of atoms and molecules and cells, just a giant chemical factory headed by a giant computer called the brain? Or, am I the "soul," a consciousness which existed before this body was born and which will continue to live long after this body dies and goes away?

Similar questions must have interested our ancient forefathers. But each one of us has to find the answers for oneself. Knowledge of someone else's solution is neither useful nor satisfying to us. Also, this is a question about our very existence and we do not know how much time each one of us has before death faces us. Now, we prepare a lot even for some trips we have to make; yet, we very rarely think of the inevitable "Last Journey" called death for which we need the greatest preparation! We have seen that when a person loses one limb or organ, he feels terribly weak and impotent and almost incapacitated. But on this last journey, we lose the entire body which is the most important physical possession we have in the material world! We do not know how to cope with that day! So we cannot honestly say, "this is not important" or "I do not have time." After all, some of our ancestors like the Buddha sacrificed everything-even their families and their health-to go out and find answers to such basic questions.

Yet most of us cannot bring ourselves to make such sacrifices. We cannot even brood over such questions too long in today's busy society. The pulls of our jobs and families, entertainments and friendships, are too strong. So we ask, "Is there a way for the common man to solve the problem of life?'

Yes, there is a simple and natural way, according to Shri Ram Chandraji, President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission, Shahjahanpur, U.P. He offers to the world a method of meditation called "Sahaj Marg" or "The Natural Path". He himself practiced the path of meditation and attained the goal under the guidance of his own Guru, Shri Ram Chandraji of Fatehgarh while still leading a family life and working in a job.

The spiritual practices offered by Shri Ram Chandraji involve neither rigid austerities and penance, nor the other extreme of an undisciplined and wayward life (with scant regard to the morals and rules of the society). It is a simple and natural method of meditation which can be easily practiced in one's own home, by devoting half-an-hour every morning and evening. The technique followed is meditation on the Divine Light in the heart. Among all the points of meditation (yogic chakras) the heart is the middle point; it is the point of human feelings and the place to balance them. When we meditate on the idea of Divine Light or purity in the heart, the thought power affects the blood that flows through the heart to all parts of the body, by our suggestion of purity. The entire system gets influenced by the thought particles or thought waves that are infused into the heart.

Anyone can start the meditation practice by having three mediation sittings with the Guru or with any one of the preceptors trained by the Guru. During the sittings, the Master transmits his own spiritual power or divine grace into the heart of the meditator (sadhaka). This is called "Pranahuti" or Transmission by the Master and it is claimed to be a special feature of the system. This transmission is not an isolated act but a continuous flow of Prana or 'Life Energy' from the Highest level-from the Universal or Divine Source. Even though this source is deep inside each one of us, there are inner obstacles and impurities which block the flow and blind out inner vision. Such impurities can obstacles can be removed by the Guru, who has become free from all such limitations and merged in the highest consciousness.

Apart from purifying the abhyasis (meditators), the Master teaches a method of cleaning or self-purification process which is practiced every evening by the meditators. Due to this practice, every day's impurities can be removed that day itself. Sometimes, even long-standing bad habits lose their grip on the meditators. Also, the meditators are taught to live a life of purity, in their own old environment so that they do not form fresh impressions or impurities in the heart. As a consequence, it becomes possible to attain rapid spiritual progress. As the mind becomes free from ripples, waves and impurities, and as our attention turns more and more inwards, we see (or rather "feel") the "Inner Being"-the inside of our own being! We experience at first an inner consciousness which is free from body consciousness which is not dependent on the consciousness of the body at all. Further on, deeper regions of consciousness open before us of progressively increasing freedom, lightness and purity.

In astronomy, the mind is focussed through a telescope on distant stars. In biology, the mind is focussed through a microscope through a microscope on some minute cells or organisms. Here, in the spiritual practice, the mind is focussed back on itself, to study the mind itself. Perhaps even this is too superficial or incorrect - rather, it is the "source of the mind" that studies itself. It is totally a new skill that we are taught.

The purpose of this meditation is not just peace of mind or good health, but something far more basic and important. We want to achieve a total self-transformation.

Even though the essential feature of this method was known in ancient India, it was subsequent forgotten. Shri Ram Chandraji of Fatehgarh revived the ancient method and simplified it to suit the modern age. His successor and representative Shri Ram Chandraji of Shahjahanpur, U.P., practiced this method under the guidance of his Guru and attained perfection. Subsequently, he started a Mission in the memory of his Guru.

Today Shri Ram Chandra Mission has more than 100 meditation training centers all over India, Europe, North America, Africa and South East Asia. At these Centers, the Preceptors trained and authorised by the Master (Shri Ram Chandraji) offer meditation sittings and guidance to all sincere seekers. There are no fees collected for meditation sittings and instructions.

In the gathering darkness of today, when the forces of anarchy and injustice appear strong, perhaps such Divine lights alone can guide, sustain and more importantly, transform us. As all the ills of man originate in his mind, it is in the mind only that we must start the cure for these ills. So, only turning to the "God within" can lead us to self-transformation, sense of balance, inner strength and courage needed to survive.