North India Travels – April 2015
13th & 14th April 2015, Delhi
Live wisely and keep improving self for the better, all the time.
Respected Kamlesh bhai left Hyderabad for Delhi on the 12th evening. He was in Delhi for two days. On the 14th, he conducted satsangs at the Gurgaon ashram and gave a talk after the 9 p.m. satsang in the evening. Here are some excerpts:
“I think from our very early childhood, we have been looking for something better and better all the time, starting with toys, pens and books, colouring books, crayons, so many things. We want something better each time. But that is only in the external world. We don’t seem to be paying much attention to our inner betterment.”
“The single most blamed entity in the universe is perhaps God. Everybody blames him for every little thing that happens.”
“In any relationship, when I adjust my life according to my beloved’s wish, there is joy, there is happiness, and there is harmony. If I push back and say, ‘No, you better do it this way, or else!’ Then what do you call that?”
“The only thing that is required for pilgrims on this way to brahmavidya is a strong desire, a very keen desire, a desperation to change oneself, once and for all for the better.”
“Sahaj Marg teaches us, ‘Forget your past, there is nothing you can do about it.’ Even if you did something just two minutes ago, you can change nothing from that past. But we need to make a determined resolution that, ‘Okay, my Lord, I made all these mistakes; please forgive me. Henceforth, I will not do it. Please help me. I am willing to be changed, I will analyse myself, and I will introspect every moment and take the right step.’ Guidance is always there, you see. Our heart always guides us.”
“Live wisely and go on changing yourself for the better all the time.”
“Sahaj Marg is here to help us all without judging our past actions. It is only telling us, ‘Please forget your past and build a future.’ Our Master’s help is always there.”
Wednesday, 15th of April 2015, Lucknow
Kamlesh bhai left Delhi early in the morning and arrived at Amausi airport, Lucknow at 7.30 a.m. Though very few abhyasis were present at the airport, the atmosphere was light, all felt immense joy in their hearts, and he was well received.
Kamlesh bhai proceeded straight to the ashram where he arrived at 8.15 a.m. After breakfast and a brief rest, he examined the site map of the venue for the birthday celebration of revered Babuji Maharaj and gave suggestions for improvements. Then he went around the entire venue by car. He first visited the site for the Sukh Nivas comfort dormitories. Then he visited the kitchen, the general accommodation, the canteen, the bookstalls, the medical centre, the children centre and various other units being set up. He was happy to oversee the progress of preparations for the bhandara.
Later he conducted satsang in the meditation hall from 6 to 7 p.m. and followed it with a short talk to the abhyasis, especially those living in the residential colony adjacent to the ashram. Everyone was enthused and felt gratitude to Kamlesh bhai for his love, blessings and guidance during his visit to Lucknow ashram before the bhandara. After dinner, he discussed administrative matters and checked his emails.
Thursday, 16th of April 2015, Shahjahanpur
As planned, Kamlesh bhai left Lucknow ashram at 6.15 a.m. for Shahjahanpur ashram and arrived there at 9 a.m. A few loving and enthusiastic abhyasis waited on the road at the Shahjahanpur border to welcome him with garlands and loving hearts.
On arriving at the ashram, he went to the mahasamadhi of Babuji Maharaj and offered flowers. This was followed by a short meditation for five minutes. Then he went to the meditation hall and conducted satsang from 10.30 to 11.30 a.m.
After satsang, Kamlesh bhai went around the ashram premises and especially viewed the construction of the new kitchen and dining block. He suggested many improvements to be incorporated in the subsequent planning of renovations and new construction. He then checked his email and discussed administrative matters.
Some abhyasis from Delhi visited the ashram and met him. During the interaction, one of them said that after the mahasamadhi of Babuji Maharaj, he has been attached to Shahjahanpur only. Master beautifully explained the issue by giving an example from Mahabharata where Bhishma Pitamaha is supposed to have been attached to Hastinapur and every one knows what happened to Hastinapur as well as to Bhishma Pitamaha.
Further, one of the abhyasis said that Shahjahanpur ashram is charged for ten thousand years. Master explained to him by asking: “Is the ‘charge’ lasting for 10,000 years better or one who charges the sanctuaries or buildings? Even if the ‘charge’ lasts for a million years or until the final day, is it any less important to obey His wishes?”
In the evening, he conducted satsang from 5.30 to 6.20 p.m. Thereafter he visited the house of a loving and devoted abhyasi in Shahjahanpur.
Here are some snippets from his talks:
“Master’s remembrance and Master’s memories are two different things. Thinking about him is not constant remembrance. ‘Master used to do this, or do that, or he used to smoke the hookah’ - all these are just memories of the past, which we keep thinking about in the present. This cannot be called constant remembrance.”
“Lalaji Maharaj used to say that we must practise in such a fashion that our progress should reflect in our behaviour. Others should be able to say, ‘Yes, he is a Sahaj Marg abhyasi.’ We must lead our lives so that we are immersed in His remembrance and the need for evening cleaning doesn’t arise. That is the ultimate achievement.”
Kamlesh bhai was also attending to work in coastal Andhra. A brother from a small village there called. He was excited and said, “Today, around 800 people took their first sitting in our village.” Kamlesh bhai conducted the remote introductory sittings for this large group. Surely, spiritual waves have been sweeping coastal Andhra!
Friday, 17th of April 2015
Sahaj Marg is a path of love
Kamlesh bhai conducted satsang in the meditation hall from 6.30 to 7.20 a.m. After breakfast, he visited the home of Babuji Maharaj and conducted satsang for about forty minutes in the same room where Babuji used to live and work.
He left Shahjahanpur at 9.30 a.m. for Fatehgarh.
Fatehgarh
Kamlesh bhai arrived in Fatehgarh at 11.30 a.m. He went straight to the ashram where he conducted satsang from 12 to 1 p.m. He also conducted satsang in the ashram from 5.30 to 6.30 p.m. After satsang, he went around the ashram again and suggested many improvements for the development of the ashram premises.
During his talks, Kamlesh bhai said, “The Hierarchy wants to convey that the time has come for the Mission to grow rapidly. For this reason, they have widened the process for transmission. Master used to say that if every abhyasi brings one abhyasi every year, let us say we have a hundred abhyasis here, then next year it will be two hundred, and the third year four hundred, and the fourth year eight hundred. We have to try.
“What should be our Guru Dakshina? He does not ask us for money. Our Guru Dakshina is to spread his message to the people. Whether new seekers continue the practice or not is their wish. But they should know about Sahaj Marg meditation. We have to assure them that whenever they want it, our doors are open for them. Do not criticise them. Sahaj Marg is a path of love.”
All the abhyasis were drowned in love and gratitude when they saw their loving Master distributing food for dinner. Kamlesh bhai decided to stay back in the ashram for the night.
Saturday, 18th of April 2015, Lucknow
Kamlesh bhai left Fatehgarh ashram at 6 p.m. On the way, a short break in the journey was planned at the PWD Inspection House at Hardoi. He reached the inspection house at 7.30 p.m. and saw some abhyasis and the local preceptor there. Seeing the loving attitude and soothing atmosphere, Kamlesh bhai suddenly decided to conduct satsang. The news of his arrival spread like wildfire and about sixty abhyasis of the centre assembled there in no time. He conducted satsang from 8.15 to 9.00 p.m. Tears of joy and gratitude were visible in the eyes of the abhyasis. This visit was a clear bonus for the local abhyasis in addition to the ensuing celebrations at the Lucknow ashram.
Kamlesh bhai reached Lucknow ashram at 11.00 a.m the next day. After a brief stay in the cottage, he conducted satsang in the meditation hall and then took a much-needed rest. Later, he went around the celebration site to oversee the arrangements.
In the evening, Kamlesh bhai met the abhyasis residing near the ashram and discussed many ideas to promote unity through sharing and togetherness – a common kitchen, a library, an AV area and a Whispers study group. He recalled Master Chariji’s advice for growing the Mission – “Every abhyasi brings one new abhyasi every year.”
Sunday, 19th of April 2015
Designing destiny
Kamlesh bhai arose early and was ready for the day. He checked emails and then conducted satsang in the meditation hall from 7.30 to 8.30 a.m. After satsang he delivered a speech in which he emphasised the importance of meticulous practice. With intense love and remembrance of the Master by the abhyasi, a condition is created when the Master himself starts loving the abhyasi and constantly keeps him in his mind, like a baby is kept in the womb of his mother. Like the newborn baby, the spiritual entity of the abhyasi is delivered by the Master at the higher level into the Brighter World. But all depends on the abhyasi himself to retain this state, which is possible only by eliminating desires and keeping constancy in thought on one Goal. He expressed the need for discipline and emphasised that the same is for the benefit of the abhyasi himself.
Silence, practice, non-judgmental attitude, and a joyful heart are not for others; they are meant for personal growth. Discipline is not to make the Master happy, but because in discipline one obeys and through this obedience one attracts the gaze of the Great Master.
Kamlesh bhai had lunch with all the volunteers of the cottage. In the evening he came to the meditation hall and conducted satsang from 6 to 7 p.m. After satsang he delivered a short speech, which was a continuation of the morning speech. He clarified that the possibility is there for all abhyasis to have their spiritual entity delivered into the Brighter World. He said that liberation is the minimum achievement in Sahaj Marg, but that it is not correct that liberation is granted after two and a half circles. In fact it is the condition of liberation that is created after two and a half circles.
The levels of achievement are liberation, realisation and mergence, and the delivery of the spiritual entity by the Master into the Brighter World is higher than all these levels of achievement. Even after the delivery of the spiritual entity, the learning process and the work continues. There is no end to the expansion of the spiritual entity and work is continuously allotted to it. The spiritual entity grows in proportion to our individual growth here. The growth of the spiritual entity suffers if we divert our focus from the main thing.
One cannot enter into the Central Region even if one wish remains. He further clarified that if there is even a little bitterness in the heart transmission is reflected back, as it cannot enter into a heart holding bitterness.
“Just as a mother nurtures her baby in her womb, our Master nurtures an abhyasi doing his sadhana sincerely, and a spiritual entity comes into being in Master's manas. As an abhyasi makes progress in his sadhana this S.E. progresses, and if the abhyasi falters and has a downfall, the S.E. is aborted from the Master’s manas due to the abhyasi's own doing.
“So stop wishing for things, start accepting them the way they are, and do it joyfully. We have to accept sufferings and that, too, joyfully to be able to learn from them. A bitter, angry, cold heart deflects the grace of the Master, whereas one who is always happy and grateful under all circumstances receives grace automatically, and such a person progresses fast. So stop questioning the Master about sufferings in life. Rather, always be happy and grateful to him for everything, as he gives only that much pain one can bear, no more.
“We should use our anger by directing it towards ourselves and not towards others, to bring about change in our behaviour. For spiritual progress, we have to change our lifestyle, our behaviour and our very thinking, so that it resonates with gratitude towards the guru's grace that is pouring on us through transmission. We have to develop love towards one and all. This means that not only do we need to show tolerance towards people and situations, but also accept everyone and everything with happiness, leading to a simple, contented and relaxed life, making our spiritual growth easier and faster.
“We should resolve to ourselves that we will do our sadhana with devotion and discipline, and realise that by doing so we are making our destiny, in which Master's ready help and grace is ever present.”
Kamlesh bhai had dinner with all the volunteers in the dining hall, to their delight.
Monday, 20th of April 2015
Kamlesh bhai conducted satsang and left the ashram at 9 a.m. for Amausi airport to board the flight for New Delhi and from there to Ahmedabad.
