Sahaj Marg, meaning “natural path” or “simple way,” is a system of practical training in spirituality. It is in essence the traditional practice of raja yoga (yoga of the mind), remodeled and simplified to help people achieve inner perfection, or God realisation. According to the teachings of this system, God is simple, and therefore the way to reach Him¹ must also be simple. Sahaj Marg offers a natural method of meditation by which the mind becomes regulated and refined into a capable instrument helping us to evolve to the highest possible spiritual condition.

It is in the context of family life that almost all human characteristics are perfected, and therefore the Sahaj Marg system is specially developed for the average householder. It teaches that every human faculty has its legitimate function and that the proper use of all our faculties leads to a balanced life. Thus there are no dogmas or rigid methods of austerity to be followed. Sahaj Marg does not recognize differences of race, sex, or indeed any other differences between individuals, and all are qualified to practise it, the sole criterion being willingness to participate. ....... Go Back

Our goal is explicitly spiritual: Oneness with God. The Sahaj Marg method rests on the precept that God is all-pervasive and therefore pervades every heart. So we meditate on the Divine presence in the heart in the form of light, allowing that presence to become a reality in our daily lives. At the same time, we live fully in the world, embracing the duties and responsibilities of family and community life. ....... Go Back

A unique feature of Sahaj Marg is the art of yogic transmission (also called pranahuti: prana=life-force; ahuti=offering). Transmission is defined as the utilization of divine energy for the transformation of a human being. This ancient technique was rediscovered by Shri Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh (Lalaji). This capacity was passed on to his disciple, Babuji, who in turn perfected it and passed it on to his successor and spiritual representative, Chariji.

When the transmission is directed into our hearts, we are filled with a force higher than ourselves. With our co-operation and sincere practice, spiritual progress is not only accelerated by the transmission, but it actually expands our own limited capacity for growth.

Another effect of transmission is that it clears away past impressions and complexities (samskaras) that have built up in our minds and hearts and which condition our behaviour. As these past impressions are erased, material life approaches a balanced existence.

Spiritual transmission can be felt by anyone who practices Sahaj Marg even for a brief period. It can be received directly from the Master, who is an adept in the art, or from preceptors who have been trained by the Master to do this work on his behalf. ....... Go Back

Fundamental to the philosophy of Sahaj Marg is the concept of cleaning away the impressions or samskaras which block our spiritual progress. These impressions exist in each one of us and manifest as action associated with past experiences or habits. They form the basis of our decision-making process directing our unique personal expression. Therefore, so long as they persist, action along certain lines is compulsive. The cleaning of the system is thus of paramount importance. ....... Go Back

To meditate means to think about or reflect upon one thing. Of course it is important that the object upon which we meditate is
consistent with our goal. Here we are involved in God realisation, or Self-realisation, so the object cannot have any name or form. But since it is impossible for most people to meditate on the abstract, the Masters of Sahaj Marg have given us the subtlest possible object of meditation: divine light in the heart.

Regarding the light in the heart, you are not meant to see, or try to see, an actual light. It is a mere suggestion that the light is there. Try to hold this idea, or thought, continuously for one hour. You will of course have other thoughts, but we are taught to ignore them. When we attend to a thought, it takes on a power of its own, becoming stronger and stronger. When we ignore the thought, we find it drops off! There may be other thoughts in its place, but they are treated in the same way. The Masters say, “Treat them as uninvited guests and they will go away.” If you do this systematically and with alertness you will find that in barely a few months time, it is possible to experience a state of thoughtlessness; it is of course necessary to remember that thoughtlessness is not our goal.

All these thoughts come from inside us, from the impressions or samskaras, which have built up over time. If we attend to the thoughts when they arise, they grow in intensity, adding to the store of samskaras that already exists. But when we do not attend to them, they are not empowered and the inner store of samskaras is quickly depleted. ....... Go Back

In Sahaj Marg, the Master acts as a guide to the aspirant in much the same way as an accomplished mountaineer is a guide to the
inexperienced climber. He knows the terrain of the journey first-hand and is able to lead us safely, surely and expeditiously to the goal. There is only one objective behind the Master’s relationship with us, and that is our spiritual welfare.

The term “Master” is another word for “Guru”, or spiritual guide. However, in Sahaj Marg, the concept of Master is more closely aligned to the idea of divinity or divine essence. Here, divinity is found in many forms, i.e. the ultimate Principle or God, the divine presence in a human being like a living Master, and also the divine center within each one of us that is referred to as our Self. Thus, in Sahaj Marg the Master represents the divine principle as manifest in all aspects of creation:

• as the Ultimate,
• as the spiritual guide, and
• as our inner divinity

For our purposes, the definition of a Master is also “one who has mastered himself.” That is to say, such a person is no longer a slave to the ego or to personal desires for worldly gains, and is consequently free to be of genuine service to others. The term in no way implies a relationship of servitude on our part. On the contrary, the Master in Sahaj Marg has the unique capacity to create equals, i.e. other Masters. He is always striving to lead us toward our highest potential, not to fulfill any need of his own, but solely for the sake of our Self-realisation.

It takes time to develop faith in the guide. The first step is the building of trust, through experience. During this process we are asked only to keep our hearts and minds open to the infinite possibilities of our inner relationship with the Master and to co-operate with his work by doing the practice as prescribed. In this way we avail ourselves fully of the spiritual assistance that is being offered.

In Sahaj Marg it is recognized that a living Master is indispensable to our spiritual progress. ....... Go Back

Someone who practises Sahaj Marg meditation is called an abhyasi. A preceptor is an abhyasi who has been prepared and permitted by the Master to introduce people to the Sahaj Marg system and conduct group meditation. Preceptors also give individual sittings, directing the transmission and cleaning the deeper impressions and impediments of the abhyasi. Just as the daily impressions may be cleaned by your own efforts, the deeper impressions can only be removed by a capable Master. The Master works through the preceptor to do this deeper cleaning. ....... Go Back

Shri Ram Chandra Mission was established in India in 1945 by Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur (Babuji) in loving memory of his
Master, Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh (Lalaji).

The Mission has been registered in many countries, with the
following objectives:

• To educate and disseminate amongst all people the art and science of Yoga, made to suit present day conditions and needs.
• To promote the feelings of mutual love and universal brotherhood, irrespective of any distinction of caste, creed, colour, sex, religion, nationality, etc.
• To conduct research in the field of Yoga and establish Research
  Institutes for that purpose.

Thanks to the loving care of the founder and his successor, Chariji, he Mission has grown far and wide over the years with centers now in Europe, the Americas, the former Soviet Union, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Middle and Far East, as well as several hundred centers in India. Spiritual training is offered by the Master and by more than a thousand preceptors, who are doing this work all over the world.

Shri Ram Chandra Mission is an organization of volunteers. There are no fees to begin the meditation practice or to attend weekly group and individual sittings. All are welcome. Abhyasis of the Mission are supported in their spiritual development by:

• The contact with a living Master who has himself achieved what we are striving for.
  
• The highly effective method of cleaning which we use to reduce the reservoir of samskaras within.
• The use of divine transmission (pranahuti) by the Master to further clean the aspirant’s heart.
• The ongoing encouragement and support by the preceptors, who are available in centers throughout the world to offer weekly group and individual sittings as well as introducing new entrants to the system. ....... Go Back

1. He/Him will be used when referring to God following common convention.