Bulletin No: 2015.123 – Monday November 16, 2015

Kanha Shantivanam visit, Hyderabad

3rd to 7th of November 2015

Beloved Kamlesh bhai made a visit to Kanha from the 3rd to the 7th of November. He started his days early with a walk around the grounds. These walks usually lasted between forty-five minutes to an hour. A couple of volunteers accompanied him and periods of quiet were interspersed with discussions on the project activities.

Kamlesh bhai conducted three satsanghs during his stay there. On Friday morning, it was announced that he would conduct satsangh, and the handful of abhyasis present were given 15 minutes notice. All assembled inside in preparation for the sitting.

His arrival to the hall was delayed. Some abhyasis were deeply absorbed in preparation while others waited for him to arrive. A few minutes passed by and when Kamlesh bhai arrived he simply continued the sitting. It was a valuable hint for all present to be sensitive and alert about when a sitting starts, as he had started the work at the announced time.

When the weather permitted, he spent time outside with abhyasis.

During the evenings he took long walks and returned back to the cottage well after dark. He did not approve of abhyasis waiting to receive him from his walks and lovingly chided some of us to make ourselves more useful with work at the ashram.

The time at breakfast, lunch and dinner was spent with volunteers and visitors. Kamlesh bhai also had dinner with some of the children one evening.

Here are some excerpts from the visit:

Television Interview

On Friday afternoon a local TV crew arrived at the ashram to interview Kamlesh bhai. This session was a lesson for all present on hospitality and attention to detail. He spent almost an hour chatting with the crew and made them feel very comfortable, sitting outside the cottage on the half parapet wall chatting while the crew sat in chairs.

Kamlesh bhai was very relaxed and humble, so all the images that the crew had of a spiritual master were totally reshaped. During the chat, he said, “Why don’t you experience the meditation and depending on the change you feel within you can ask me questions?” The crew readily agreed so Kamlesh bhai spent time with them inside. We could see the masterly disciple paying all the attention needed to ensure he represented his Master in the very best fashion.

The seating arrangement for the interview was outside under a neem tree near the cottage. There was a gentle breeze and the weather was beautiful. Kamlesh bhai spoke for about thirty-five minutes. What ensued was a symphony of knowledge, grace and wisdom. Kamlesh bhai started the conversation with a clarion call to everyone to “have a system of belief based on personal experience.” He touched upon the role of religion, the nature of the service offered by Heartfulness and the benefits of the system.

Everyone in the audience was swept away in the current of transmission throughout the interview.

Table tales

There were a few informal chats with abhyasis at the dinner table. During one such conversation, Kamlesh bhai told a brother, “Next time you are with your father, meditate with him. I don’t mean take a sitting from your father, I mean sit right next to him, side by side, and meditate along with him. This is the greatest gift you can offer to your father.”

The Letters of the Masters

During another dinner conversation, an abhyasi remarked at the treasure trove of letters we have from Babuji Maharaj. The conversation veered to the poetic couplets Babuji used. Kamlesh bhai said, “It is said that Babuji knew 45,000 couplets. Can you imagine?”

Speaking further, he said, “Once on a nice winter’s morning in Shahjahanpur, Babuji was sitting outside, soaking up the morning sun, with his hookah. He was relaxing, you know, and there arrived a poet at his doorstep. This gentleman had the quintessential look of a poet of that time – the beard, the poetic flair, and he entered Babuji’s house in style. Right at the doorstep he recited a couplet in praise of the Great Master.

“No sooner did he finish the line than Babuji replied with another couplet. What ensued was poetry in motion, and this went on for hours. It was beautiful.” As Kamlesh bhai described this incident, the audience at the table had goose bumps. It was as if he took us to that moment in time so that we could be witnesses. And then he said, “I was there but did not have these gadgets!”

Talking further, he said, “Lalaji Saheb’s letters are being translated. His works are in a different league. Some of them will take a lifetime to absorb and one will still fall way short of the mark.”

Referring to one such letter Kamlesh bhai said, “Lalaji wrote in one of his letters that we offer our prayers to God when we have problems, but if God responds to them isn’t he also steeped in duality? Our understanding is that God is above duality, then why offer him such prayers?” He urged us to think about this and spend time understanding the true nature of God. He repeated this message from Lalaji again during his address in Chennai on the 7th of November.

Genuine Relationships

Talking further on our relationship with God, Kamlesh bhai said, “Have genuine relationships. Even if it is with your servant or even a tree, it should be genuine. You cannot say I have a genuine relationship with Master or my preceptor or my wife. That is very limited. Once you have a genuine relationship, you have made it! You become genuine.” Master paused for a few seconds and said, “As they say, when you have perfected meditation that will be your last meditation.”

Merger

The conversation veered to merger with the Master.

Q: When I take myself out and only He remains, is that merger?

KDP: Well, that is not merger. Only He remains.

Q: Master, isn’t that the Oneness that we seek? I am not there anymore.

KDP: That is true, but who is there to even entertain that? Who is speaking?

Saying this, Kamlesh bhai burst into laughter, and then came a beautiful talk about merger.

He said, “This trinity is always a problem: ‘lover, Beloved and love’. You can also say, ‘knower, known and knowledge’. You can also say, ‘devotee, deity and devotion’. When the lover is there and the Beloved is also there, then there is duality. When they become one, who is there to talk about love? You see, if you have to exist to express the state of merger, it isn’t merger anymore. That is why in the Vedas and Upanishads they say, ‘Neti, Neti, Neti.’ Keep negating. You can never say it is this. The moment you say it, you still exist and it is wrong. You will never know.”

Speaking further, Kamlesh bhai said, “Then what exactly merges? It is not the body, nor is it the soul. It is all of your subtle bodies: all four of them (manas, chit, buddhi and ahankar). Have you heard that song Taal se Taal mila? Learn something from that song. It is a beautiful song. Now you are resonating with the Master (Taal se Taal, Chaal se Chaal, Haal se Haal) from the physical, emotional and mental levels. When this happens, part of the job is done. Then he has to resonate with you. Compel him!”

Childlike Qualities

Talking about growth, Kamlesh bhai said, “Look at children. Their growth is their mother’s headache. The child happily grows up, but even to act or make an effort to become like a child spoils the whole thing. You are trying to become like a child, but you are somebody else. Develop childlike qualities, like innocence.”

Kamlesh bhai left for Chennai on the afternoon of Saturday the 7th of November.