Celebration Days and after – April 2015
Tuesday, 28th of April 2015, Lucknow
Acceptance is a sign of wisdom
The morning started with heavy rains here at Lucknow, creating pleasant weather for the celebration.
At 8 a.m. Kamlesh bhai conducted satsang in the temporary meditation tent constructed for these celebrations for about forty-five minutes and solemnised five marriages. Afterwards, he spent almost three hours in the canteen area meeting with abhyasis and distributing coupons. At 6 p.m. he conducted satsang again.
Later in the evening, he shared his thoughts on acceptance and wisdom. The prayerful suggestion that “All sisters and brothers are developing right thinking, correct understanding and an honest approach to life” – is it not wisdom?
What are the qualities of a life full of wisdom? One who:
- seeks harmony,
- seeks moderation in life,
- constantly yearns to develop good qualities within,
- shuns the bad qualities and association at the physical, mental and emotional level, and
- has effective and practical usage of all faculties.
Who is a wise person?
One who goes on living a life avoiding those pitfalls that may lead to the formation of samskaras; a defensive lifestyle. Thus, a life full of wisdom is where one accepts and saves valuable time. Moreover it helps us to let go off struggles wherever they may exists and paves the way for furthering the quest for the Divine.
Wednesday, 29th of April 2015
“As long as the idea of ‘I’ exists, love is not real. It is showing off.”
Kamlesh bhai was up and ready in the early morning. He attended to email work and then went through all the books that were ready for release. He was very happy with the quality of work by the German printers who had produced Complete Works of Ram Chandra Volume V. One of our brothers was browsing through this book and read the title of a chapter, ‘Losing is Gaining’. Kamlesh bhai said, “Nobody likes to lose even though it is an impressive statement.”
At 6.30 a.m. he conducted satsang for one hour. Brother Vineet Chandra gave the welcome speech and brought the attention of one and all to a letter of Babuji Maharaj, which detailed how to conduct and participate in a celebration. He also mentioned that Kamlesh bhai had given the principle for the preparation work of the celebration: Unity, harmony, anonymity with sacred love.
The celebration environment had a very absorbing atmosphere and everything was flowing smoothly. One of our brothers remarked, “The mind is not working due to this charged atmosphere!”
Before the next satsang, Kamlesh bhai was going through the plans for future celebrations, discussing improvements. At 11 a.m. he conducted satsang, after which a group of children released many publications.
Kamlesh bhai gave a talk and said, “Such a happy occasion, such a joyful atmosphere. On top of it, it is divinely charged by our Masters with full force. We are eternally grateful for this.”
He talked about some fundamental aspects of Sahaj Marg. On prayer, he said, “In prayer, it is said, ‘O Master! Thou art the real goal of human life’. It is a fact. Human life. Then we say, “We are yet but slaves of wishes”, and “to bring us up” – we say it in plural, not singular. Still, when we pray, we think that it is only for ourselves. When we say ‘we’, how is it translated into ‘I’ in our minds? And when, by His grace, no more desires are left in our life, and we pray after that, then whom are we referring to as ‘we’? So in the beginning itself we have to start with the thought that ‘we’ means everyone.”
“When all brothers and sisters together, or at the same time, meditate on Sundays or Wednesdays, or in any group satsang, the effect created is called the ‘egregore effect’.”
He brought out a subtle aspect of the Ten Maxims and said, ”When we follow the Ten Maxims with our heart, then two kinds of states are created – purity and simplicity. They are automatically born inside. Only at the end of the last chapter of the Commentary on the Ten Maxims of Sahaj Marg, will you find the words ‘Om Shanti Shanti Shanti’, not in any other Mission book. Have we ever thought about it? It was a sankalpa made by Pujya Babuji Maharaj, Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. It means that whomsoever follows these Ten Maxims will surely find peace in their life. It is a blessing.”
Speaking about the spiritual condition, he said, “We have been told to sit quietly after meditation, for five to ten minutes or until we know what is the condition inside. Observe carefully what He has given, what we have received, and before getting up have the confidence to keep it in your heart, and never leave it. Master has given an example of concrete. When they lay it on the road, they leave it for twenty-four hours to settle, sprinkling water in between. They don’t use it immediately. If they do, footprints are formed on it and it will be spoilt. Our spiritual condition after meditation is even subtler than that. Our thought changes from this to that, and it is done.”
“One must create a permanent condition in the heart; a condition of love, like a canvas of love, always towards Master. Then whatever condition you get, absorb it and see how he paints the canvas. For it to happen, strict discipline is necessary. As Master used to tell, not even one day shall pass and the sun rises without my meditation, the sun sets without my cleaning and I sleep without my prayer.”
Later sometime, Kamlesh bhai shared an important insight about the spiritual entity and its process:
“The delivery of the disciple in the Brighter World, after seven months of gestation period in the mental womb of the Guru, is a significant process in Sahaj Marg. The delay occurs due to multiple channels created by the disciple in his own mind, due to multiple multifarious thoughts and desires. Heart of the disciple must not become a caravanserai. The single-pointed attention of the disciple must be as a result of love and not out of enforced discipline. There is some level of ego associated with the idea of discipline. With love in the forefront, everything else is created as a byproduct including acceptance, surrender, unity and all these in turn give rise to many other Divine qualities in the disciple. All this again is born out of simple interest in the Goal cultivated through the dedicated practice of Sahaj Marg.”
So the discipline of maintaining a single focus is for our own evolution and not for Master’s happiness.
“Mergence of the atman at the moment of death with one’s corresponding Spiritual Entity (SE) is mahasamadhi.”
At 5.30 p.m. Kamlesh bhai conducted satsang followed by a short talk in which he gave an insight into the nature of Love:
“As long as the idea of ‘I’ exists, love is not real. It is showing off.
“Love for the Master is so sacred that its mention is forbidden. It has to be cherished as a treasure in your heart. Once Master said that whom we love is different from the love itself. In this there is love, lover and beloved. When we say that we have realised Master in our heart, who is saying this? Because the one who has realised anyway has his individual identity dissolved, so how can he say such a thing? This is stupidity. You may say that I love my Master a lot but while this ‘I’ exists, it is not true love, it is only showing off.
“Once Master was asking why these love marriages fail when there is so much love that we are ready to abandon our homes and near and dear ones and then the same love betrays us. Why? Because the peculiar nature of love is that the one who loves has to go beyond individual identity. If the lover says that I love but I am not ready to forgo myself, then it doesn’t work. In our Upanishads and Vedas it is said neti, neti, neti – not this, not this, not this. Love can never be totally described. Even in Sahaj Marg, while we move forward with experiences, the lesser the ego, the higher our journey upwards. Along with our samskaras we also carry a burden of ego on our soul.”
At 7.30 p.m. the Complete Works of Ram Chandra Volume V special edition was distributed to abhyasis by Kamlesh bhai. This session went on till 9.15 p.m. Abhyasis were happy to meet and personally receive the book from him.
In the late evening, he was mentioning that guilt and regrets are heavy impressions. What is the remedy for this?
A very full day ended by 11 p.m.
Thursday, 30th of April 2015
“In true love, only love exists, with the lover and beloved dissolved in it.”
Kamlesh bhai was up very early in the morning and meditated. By 5 a.m. he was attending to emails. He offered prasad and sat for some time. There was a short discussion about love. In love, there are three things – love, the lover and the beloved. He said, “In true love, only love exists, the lover and the beloved are dissolved in it.” He remembered Babuji’s reference to a couplet:
Hum bhi chup, wo be chup raat bhi chup chaand bhi chup
Sabhi kuchh gum hua bus ek hee paimaane mai
I am silent, he is silent, night is silent, moon is silent.
Everything was merged in one single measure called silence.
If there is an idea of ‘I’ in love, then can that be true love?
If a seeker says, “I have realised God,” that means in that state the idea of ‘I’ exists. Is it a true state of Realisation?
Without sacrifice, can love exist? Chariji Maharaj used to say that sacrifice means not thinking about oneself under any circumstance.
At 6.30 a.m. Kamlesh bhai conducted satsang for one hour. The atmosphere was merged in silence and smooth flow. He prepared and permitted thirteen preceptors.
At 10.30 a.m. he met the new preceptors and handed over their certificates of permission to work.
At 11 a.m. Kamlesh bhai conducted satsang after which many new publications were released by children. Brother P. R. Krishna gave a touching talk about Master and released the special edition of Whispers from the Brighter World containing messages that were addressed to Chariji Maharaj from Babuji Maharaj, Lalaji Maharaj, Master’s mother Janaki, his brother Kothand and his wife Sulochana. Krishna said, “It is our duty to respect, serve and love our Guru.” While recalling Master’s life, he said that Master lived a life fully devoted to his Master Babuji Maharaj, setting an example of a perfect disciple.
At 4.40 p.m. Kamlesh bhai inaugurated the meditation centres at Richmond and Dayton, USA, via videoconference. He gave a short talk expressing his happiness over the completion of these projects and congratulated the abhyasis. He said, “There are no laws in the field of spirituality. A seeker has to accept, obey and follow Master. Seekers can test Master once, twice and even ten times and from then onwards the seeker must follow the Master with courage.”
At 5.30 p.m. Kamlesh bhai conducted satsang in the celebration meditation tent and gave a talk. Some excerpts are given here:
Remain Drowned in Him
“Feel and experience Master and make it permanent through meditation.”
“Be connected with Him through a firm sankalpa that I am with you always.”
“Progression moves from continuous thinking to experience and then to what next? Into a state of being. We start becoming like Master.”
“A child is immersed in playing with toys. A grown up man is immersed in material pursuits. There is no difference in their state of mind.”
“Be drowned in Him, not out of compulsion but out of love.”
What is real darshan?
“Darshan is not just with our eyes but from the core of our hearts. On meeting our eyes with those of Master, our eyes should bow down and our heart should bow down and we should try to retain the condition developed in us.”
“If we remain absorbed in constant remembrance, we start developing an inner condition similar to that of Master and we start becoming like him.”
How to keep Master happy?
“Babuji Maharaj says in one of the messages, ‘When you obey us, you make us happy.’ There is a corollary to it: when we don’t obey what happens then? Sadness?”
He talked about the attitude that is necessary for our spiritual progress and said, “Serve others and criticise none for their weakness. The Sahaj Marg Mission is like a big family. Criticising each other destroys peace in the family. We should stop criticising others, and instead of complaining and cribbing about things we should volunteer to improve them by working for the Mission.”
“We should always strive to maintain the condition developed after each meditation. If we allow unnecessary thoughts to disturb us then it is similar to rats destroying the seeds sown and crop grown in the fields. To avoid this, we have to shun two things – carelessness and criticising others.”
In the evening, he distributed the special edition of Complete Works of Ram Chandra Volume V and the special edition of Whispers from the Brighter World to abhyasis.
Later in the evening, he was mentioning that criticising arises out of an attitude that “My point of view is better.” It is also a manifestation of ego.
Friday, 1st of May 2015
“Anonymity with sacred love.”
Kamlesh bhai was up and ready in the early morning.
At 5.50 a.m. he laid the foundation stone for a community centre in the colony next to the Lucknow ashram. He was very happy that the group was quick in implementing the idea of ‘living together’. He remembered Chariji Maharaj’s advice that families that eat together stay together in unity. The same principle is being extended here for the community.
At 6.30 a.m. he conducted satsang in the main meditation tent and gave a talk, saying:
“This bhandara can never end. We have to carry the condition with us. Years later, we should be able to recall a particular condition at will. Sit in a corner and think what you have received here and how it is going to change your life. I am very glad to announce that Master’s 88th birth anniversary will be celebrated at Tiruvallur.”
“Attending every bhandara may not be possible for everyone. But be prepared and make up your mind. I must be ready to attend any bhandara that is going to happen in the next few years. If you cannot go, cancel, but you must be prepared to go from your side. If you restrict your thought, if you limit the mind, then you will not be able to do it.”
“Stubbornness leads to formation of samskaras.”
“Babuji Maharaj has given an example: as the river flows with water, our life moves on with samskaras. Even if you take out water from the river, it will be filled again when it rains. So destroy the riverbed of the river, so that neither samskaras can stay nor can they be created. Babuji has given a term, ‘living dead’, which can be created even when we are alive by totally surrendering to Him. This condition can be achieved through meditation.”
He advised all to make a sankalpa: “Make one or two things your own. Fix your meditation time and practise with heart.”
He concluded the talk by saying, “Hope to see you in full strength at Tiruvallur.”
At 10.30 a.m. he was busy with a meeting for the Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation followed by the Working Committee meeting of SRCM.
“Inspire them or challenge them.”
During lunch there was an interesting discussion about conducting open houses. One sister said that if seekers approach us for meditation then it is easy to connect and introduce Sahaj Marg. There is an openness to accept and try it out. If it is a group that is not ready, reluctant or forced to attend the session, then receptivity is poor. Now, how to go about this situation? Kamlesh bhai gave an interesting and practical insight. He said, “Inspire them or challenge them. Either way you will get them interested!” If the group is willing and looking for it, then inspire them. In the case of reluctant ones, challenge them to experiment with the Self and experience.
Around 6 p.m. Kamlesh bhai conducted satsang in the cottage. He spent time with Babuji Maharaj’s granddaughter and her husband. They were very lovingly recalling many memories. It was like being transported back in time to be with Babuji Maharaj.
Saturday, 2nd of May 2015, Lucknow and Unnao
Work never seems to end for the Masters. Chariji Maharaj used to say, “A change of work is my rest.”
Another morning began for Kamlesh bhai with the preparation of five preceptors. He said, “This work of preceptors requires humility. I don’t need to say much.” Soon after the sittings he explained to new preceptors about the spiritual work. He had breakfast and resumed his work on administrative matters.
Around 10.30 a.m. he went to the abhyasis’ colony and addressed the abhyasis. During the talk he recalled that it was Master’s vision to create ashrams and co-located colonies of abhyasis to provide a greater and greater spiritual atmosphere for growth. He said, “The responsibility of advancing this spiritual atmosphere is with all of you.” He emphasised the need to take interest in the practice.
Kamlesh bhai decided to visit the Unnao centre. He left around 11 a.m. and reached Unnao by 12.30 p.m. (70 kilometres from Lucknow). He conducted satsang in the meditation hall.
He was invited to give a two-word talk! He looked visibly happy about the condition of the gathering. He started, “Namaste, that is one word!” There was a lot of laughter. He continued and said, “The sitting was excellent, I do not want to talk.” He gave a short talk, mainly addressing the question: how to become like the Master?
“Become like Him by imbibing his qualities.”
How to imbibe the qualities of the Master?
“Babuji Maharaj has given a method. I am hesitant to share this. One who wishes to imbibe the qualities of Master should sit for meditation for fifteen to twenty minutes any time between 12 midnight to 2 a.m. and make a prayerful sankalpa that ‘All qualities of Master are coming into my heart’.” He also said, “Please do not feel guilty if you are not able to do it. Babuji did not want to share this method. Abhyasis are already burdened with many aspects of practice. One more meditation!”
He had lunch and rested for sometime. Then it was back to Lucknow ashram by 5.45 p.m. In the evening he was busy again with work.
Sunday, 3rd of May 2015, Lucknow and Sitapur
“Don’t belittle yourself by criticising others. You will be hurting and poisoning yourself.”
Kamlesh bhai was up and working by 4.45 a.m.
Around 5.40 a.m. he left Lucknow and reached Sitapur by 7.30 a.m. On the way, he was saying that relaxation has to be an active and conscious effort. He said, “Unless you are physically relaxed, your mind will not settle. In many talks Master says first you should relax comfortably and sit comfortably. But this very first word we ignore, trying to jump straight into meditation. But consciously the body must relax. That is why we go through the entire body and see every part of the body relaxed and then slowly bring our attention towards the heart. That's it. Then you are settled there.”
Sahaj Marg is expanding with more and more seekers starting meditation. Savita Medical College in Chennai has introduced meditation as a course. The first batch of one hundred students went through a series meditation sessions. A total of one hundred and fifty students will complete these sessions by mid-May.
Around 7 a.m. he stopped for a brief break. Kamlesh bhai has been continuously travelling for more than a month. On being reminded of this, he smiled and said, “My life is travel.” His days are filled with work. Even visiting his own home has become part of his travel.
He reached Sitapur ashram by around 7.30 a.m. and conducted satsang. After this he planted trees and went around the ashram. He stopped at the dining area and served breakfast to the abhyasis.
By 9 a.m. he left Sitapur for Lucknow. On the way back, he was talking about many things. He said, “When somebody loving Master approaches him, he just opens up. It happens on its own. It is not that he is trying to open up. It just happens. Babuji and Master have been saying, ‘Make your Master happy and see what he can do.’ Right? Per contra, you think of the opposite statement: when you make him unhappy, see how he constricts himself. Master cannot tolerate criticism of others. He can never tolerate it, even if it is justified. To him, all are his children. It hurts him. Even for simple things like trying to make improvements, make the improvements but don’t criticise what went wrong. Instead of criticising, come up with a positive plan and implement it. Harmony is important. Please do not bring long list of things to the Master. Never. You will see him shrink. His consciousness is all pervading, and you are bringing him down to your level.”
Is it necessary to repeatedly update Master about one’s work?
He said, ”An update is always the ego fulfilment of the person who is speaking. I did this and that. Many people don't send reports but the work goes on and he is happy.
“Master says do things with love. You should feel that in your heart before you do it. When you have that feeling of love in the heart with intensity, how can you be negative about anything in the world?
“Don’t belittle yourself by criticising. You will be hurting yourself only. The man you are criticising is not here and nothing happens to him, but you are poisoning yourself. What happens to the love that was expanding, with this hatred and dislike? It is not about them, you have unbecome.”
He reached Lucknow by 10.20 a.m. It was a short and nice trip.
At 2 p.m. Kamlesh bhai met all the volunteers gathered in the front portico of the cottage. There was light conversation and laughter. The session ended with a group photo with him.
At 6 p.m. he conducted satsang in the main meditation hall.
Monday, 4th of May 2015, Delhi
"Be contagious with calmness, peace and a joyful state within."
Kamlesh bhai left Lucknow ashram for the airport in the morning and reached Delhi by 10.00 a.m. As soon as he settled in he started working on an ashram project and reviewed various design proposals.
At around 5.30 p.m. he reached Gurgaon ashram and continued the meetings. At 6.00 p.m. he conducted satsang in the meditation hall. The hall was full and he looked very happy with the gathering and the satsang. He gave a short talk after satsang, saying, “Our beloved Master had a very simple formula for expansion of our Mission, Shri Ram Chandra Mission. He made a clarion call to one and all that if every abhyasi brings one new abhyasi every year, you can imagine the growth of the Mission will be surprising.”
He further said, “Our Mission is up to something. It is on the verge of a tipping point, as we call it. We are facing that moment. There will be growth despite us. It will be wonderful if we can participate in some fashion, so that we can tell our Master when we meet him, “Yes, I did contribute, Master, a little bit towards the expansion of the Mission.”
He explored the aspect of how we can attract new seekers to meditate, saying, “Start with our own daily practice, which is paramount. We must become contagious, with our calmness within, with peace within, the joyful state within, and with that wealth that we have in our hearts, when we perform our daily activities, so that when we talk to someone our thoughts are reaching them. It is almost like touching a person with so much affection. Our thoughts are very powerful. When we practice, and hold on to that loving state inside, and work with that, when we touch something, when we look at someone, when we hear something, we must be transmitting the same love-filled condition. Try it consciously. When talking, try to transmit your love consciously.”
“It has been the wish of Swami Vivekananda telling Babuji Maharaj that it really does not matter whether people continue with our system or not, but every family must know that we exist. Sahaj Marg is there when they need us. We are always available.”
Kamlesh bhai ended the talk with a call to one and all, “Just one abhyasi bringing in one new abhyasi every year. So please try it. I won’t say anything further. Be contagious. Thank you.”
Late night at 11.30 p.m. he left for Delhi International Airport to start the next journey in Europe.
