European Tour, Part 4
Saturday, 16th of May 2015, Heartfulness Seminar, Lyon, France
Following the 7.30 a.m. satsang, the archival edition of Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Volume 5 was released to the gathering. Kamlesh bhai mentioned that it included material from old periodicals, informal conversations, and letters of Babuji Maharaj. He wished to share the significance of the archival edition, which was to enable the works of the Masters to be preserved for posterity, for hundreds of years.
The French edition of Designing Destiny, a book compiled from the talks of Kamlesh bhai given during the first youth seminar held in November 2014 in Manapakkam, was presented to all abhyasis. The translation had been done by the motivated young abhyasis of France and Belgium. The book, titled Créer Notre Destinée, was released as a limited edition, and even as most abhyasis reached the book counters all copies had been sold. The positive feedback of the book triggered a lot of motivation in the young abhyasis for further work.
The youth had separate sessions throughout the seminar, allowing them to reflect on topics and interact with one another. It was an opportunity for all to create bonds with each other and at the same time to develop spiritually by deepening their approach. They had various sessions, workshops and sharing moments during the seminar. One of the sessions was a workshop on ‘Suggestions’, by sister Elizabeth. The feedback was very positive, as it developed a higher understanding of the need for suggestions and the work that could be done using them. The feeling of participating in the work of the Mission arose, encouraging the youth to develop the use of the suggestions on a regular basis.
Heartfulness
There were two sessions open for the public to experience Heartfulness. Around 1,000 people from outside came to attend. This gathering was a wonderful opportunity for newcomers to be introduced to Heartfulness and also get a feel of the atmosphere that is created in the midst of so many joyful abhyasis resonating at the same frequency.
During the workshop, the concept of meditation was conveyed to the newcomers. The facilitator said, “Here we like to go beyond the mental level of experience, both during meditation and after. Through Heartfulness, a non-dogmatic way demanding no belief and no faith, we solely depend on our inner radar, our hearts. In this way our heart becomes our master, guiding us, and it is also our heart that obeys and follows, becoming a disciple itself. Thus, the heart is both the master and the disciple.”
Participants were later given a practical session of meditation, lasting forty minutes. The session ended with and invitation to interested participants to return the following day.
Fortunately the sun shone during the day, and the complex was swarming with abhyasis sitting outside in cafes and enjoying the warmth.
There was a public lecture at 2 p.m. on ‘The life of the heart’, following the previous day’s lecture on ‘The potential of the heart’. A large number of people attended, showing a great interest in learning about Heartfulness meditation and an eagerness to try as well. This lecture became a platform for the expansion of consciousness of the participants, as they became aware of information concerning the heart that triggered an understanding of the importance of it and the need for fine-tuning it.
Subtle bodies
After the 5.30 p.m. satsang, Kamlesh bhai discussed the content of a handout on the subtle bodies that had been circulated to all abhyasis the previous day.
He explained that at some point we realise that the purpose of this existence is human evolution. The grosser body takes millions of years to do so, and the soul cannot evolve because it is pure and immutable. Therefore it is the evolution of the subtle bodies which we must be concerned with – that is, the evolution of chit, manas, buddhi, and ahankar. Chit means consciousness, Manas is mind, Buddhi means intellect, and Ahankar is the ego.
Manas, mind:
“Now, I would like to come to what becomes of this manas, the mind, the thinking apparatus. What are we taught with Heartfulness meditation? We are taught to think repeatedly on one object – Divine Light present in our heart. Thinking it is present there. It is a function of the mind. A stage comes in life when slowly we start feeling things. From a temporary, momentary experience, we try to maintain these feelings for as long as we can. We get into this habit of graduating from this aspect of constant thinking through meditation to constant feeling – what we call constant remembrance.
“What happens when we don’t think properly? That is damage to my thinking faculty, manas. When do I lose this ability to think properly? There are many situations. Number one is anger. Another one is being obsessed with passion. And there are so many things like this. The basic root of all these things is desire. Because desire takes our attention from thinking on the right object to another object that we cherish the most at that moment – the object of our desire. And when the desires are not fulfilled, we start feeling some sort of restlessness. This restlessness disturbs us. Something heavier starts happening in the heart, and these vibrations are somehow evaporated or sublimated to the next level, or the next chakra. From the heart to the next chakra is the atma chakra and it affects the second point. This constant failure in satisfying the desires, resulting in constant restlessness then affects the next chakra, we call the third point, and the result of repeated restlessness is that you feel disgusted, you feel angry – those vibrations are settled on the third point. Per contra, when certain desires are fulfilled, it gives some level of contentment or satisfaction. Right or wrong, let us not go into that. But it gives us peace.
“When desires are gone, manas, your mind, functions properly. All of a sudden, you are able to think just perfectly when you have no desires.”
Buddhi, intellect:
“Similarly, what happens to this intellect? Intellect becomes wisdom.”
Chit, consciousness:
“What becomes of consciousness or chit? Whatever the consciousness we have – let us say the consciousness of a stone, to a plant, to an animal, to a human, to a saintly level – consciousness simply expands to the extent of becoming totally divinised.”
Ahankar, ego:
“Now what happens to ego? Ego becomes more and more refined.
“What to do with the ego, and how to refine it? The ego is such an ugly thing.”
“You cannot destroy the ego. The moment you cut it, its face pops up in some other direction. So we have to handle it very carefully. The only way, and also given as a solution in our prayer, is when we recognise that ‘Thou art the only God and power to bring us up to that stage.’ We are able to transfer the responsibility, the ‘doership’ –“I am doing it” or “I am capable of going there.” The ego is subdued in some fashion. When we give our responsibilities to our God, we will still be doing the same thing, but the credit goes to Him. Each time we do something, the credit is given to Him, even before we act. Then only can the ego become subdued. That is why in a Heartfulness system like ours, Sahaj Marg, so much importance is given to humility. Humility is the total opposite of that egoistic state. So, constantly cultivating this humility is the only prescription in subduing or taming the ego.”
“All the three prescriptions, morning meditation, evening cleaning and nighttime prayer, are perfectly designed to nurture these four subtle bodies.”
The day ended with dinner at 7 p.m. Food was provided at the venue, and the distribution was very well achieved. It was amazing to see that there was a great fluidity and practicality that enabled more than 1,000 people to eat at the same time without having long queues and disorder. The organisation of the seminar for such a number in Europe was exemplary, and it created a joyful response in all the abhyasis participating.
Sunday, 17th of May 2015
The day started with the 7.30 a.m. satsang, after which four weddings were solemnised after the satsang, one of which was a 20-year ‘confirmation’.
A public session took place on experiencing Heartfulness meditation, as on the previous days. A lot of people came, and the feedback was very positive. They enjoyed the peace and calmness that was created inside as a result of the session.
Before the 11.30 a.m.. satsang, there was a question and answer session with Kamlesh bhai. Out of three hundred questions in the box, a dozen or so were selected.
The first set of questions related to the previous day’s talk on subtle bodies, encouraging further discussion.
The second part had questions on points A and B. Kamlesh bhai advised the continued practice of meditating on point A and cleaning of point B, as it benefits all of us to a great extent. There were further questions on prayer and suggestions, as well as the spiritual entity and egregore.
Egregore and mutation
“When you enter the hospital, trying to see one of your loved ones who is hospitalised, you feel something there: a lot of concern, a lot of sadness, and a lot of anxiety. That is the atmosphere created there. It reminds you of your sick or aching loved one. The purpose of your visit determines what you feel in the heart. Suppose you fall in love with a beautiful nurse in the hospital, would you have the same feeling of anxiety and sadness? It is the same hospital you are visiting. When we visit the church, everyone has one purpose – to worship God. It creates a very special atmosphere. When we meditate together, that also creates a very special atmosphere. All this environmental effect is affecting us at a greater level.”
“The environment that we create affects the well-being of the foetus growing in the mother’s womb.”
“Imagine the spiritual atmosphere which is created in our meditation halls, or when parents meditate together in their own homes early in the morning before the children wake up. It creates a profound atmosphere in which the children will wake up in the morning. It affects this particular spiritual environment, and that we call ‘charged’. Sometimes we enter the meditation hall and we feel it is charged. According to Babuji Maharaj, when this vibratory pattern will reach a certain level, mutation will start.”
“This change, this mutation at a genetic level – we can accelerate that process by creating that spiritual condition, that spiritual joy and harmony, within ourselves.”
As on the previous days, all were invited to participate in satsang; hence a large number of the people who had experienced Heartfulness in the morning joined the satsang. There was a great feeling of openness to all, beyond just Sahaj Marg and the abhyasis. It was for one and all, and the intense feeling of brotherhood extended to each one of the participants of the meditation and beyond, throughout the city.
Heartfulness
Kamlesh bhai was interviewed about Heartfulness the previous day. This interview revealed explicitly how anyone can be introduced to meditation, allowing more flexibility in the approach so that any new seeker can go at their own pace. The simplicity and accessibility of Heartfulness is what makes it so captivating and reachable for all, and hence it is best to emphasise it.
Kamlesh bhai explained that Heartfulness meditation “is all about feelings. Our entire life is led by feelings and inspirations, and that is the role of the heart. And when we manage to listen to the feelings and capture the inspiration that comes from within, I think we can master our life by listening to the heart again and again. And the whole exercise of fine-tuning the heart with the mind is through this meditation on the heart.”
About setting the goal, he said “If you want peace of mind, you set your goal so that you feel peace all the time – that is your goal. Some people say, ‘I would like to have much more than that. I would like to feel liberated from within.’ That is that person's goal. Another person will say, ‘I would like to achieve and feel universal consciousness.’ That is that person's goal. So I think the goal is individually driven. Even if someone says, ‘Let this be your goal,’ it is still a futile establishment. I must have my own goal, based on my heart's signals.”
Kamlesh bhai clearly described the process of Heartfulness meditation. “We recommend the method first, and it goes like this:
Gently sit and relax, with your eyes very softly closed. Think of the presence of the Source of Light within the heart. That is all. Stay on this one idea and go ahead with this one idea for as long as you can sit.
“After a few days of practice like this on your own, if you would like to meditate with a companion or a preceptor or a guide, or if you would like to meditate with the help of transmission, you can make a request. Now you will be able to see the difference between the meditation done without transmission and meditation with transmission. You compare and you decide which is good for you.”
Finally, relating to the Lyon seminar and emphasising Heartfulness meditation, Kamlesh bhai spoke about this mediation in France:
“Heartfulness meditation has been going on in France since the late sixties, and the number keeps growing every year. Currently, we may be close to four or five thousand members in France, and they are all family people leading a happy family life, raising children, which is a rare thing in Europe these days. They are not extreme, in the sense that they don't go into the material world so much that their spiritual world suffers, and they don't go into the spiritual world so much that their material existence suffers. The family life advocated with Heartfulness meditation is a balanced existence that we try to seek: balance within, balance in my surroundings, balance in my society. We kind of breathe peace in and we exhale peace out.”
Those beautiful words ended the interview. With those words, a feeling of peace emerges from inside, as well as a desire and need to try it out.
The end of the seminar
After the satsang, the sun was shining and everyone was eager for one last walk by the lake, but alas, it would have to wait till next time. Some of the abhyasis left before the picnic with their lunch boxes, while others stayed and enjoyed one last meal together. Kamlesh bhai, accompanied by a few abhyasis, went to the airport, departing on another journey to Eastern European countries.
Back in Lyon, the ripple effects of this seminar have made real waves, as perceived by so many, even beyond its conclusion. Abhyasis have reported that they’ve been receiving a great number of calls from people interested in Heartfulness, and after returning to the Lyon meditation centre, abhyasis have realised that it is too small for the incoming group. There have been many introductory sittings, not only in Lyon but throughout France.
Abhyasis from Lyon have reported that the atmosphere of the entire city seems to have changed, including the behaviour of people. There was a new warmth and openness that hadn't been seen before in the city, and that has instilled joy in the hearts of all.
