The abhyasis of North America were overjoyed and deeply grateful for the opportunity to spend three days between the 23rd and 25th of January with Kamlesh bhai, in his new role as spiritual Master and president of Shri Ram Chandra Mission. It was an impromptu bhandara on the occasion of Basant Panchami in New Jersey.
On the afternoon of the 18th of January, after two weeks of personal work, Master reached out to local abhyasis with three possible meetings times. Cognisant of the distance and the cost of cross-country travel in the US, he initially thought of only meeting the abhyasis from the three states around the Monroe Ashram. But the eagerness of abhyasis was so palpable that in no time it turned into a North American gathering that stretched over three days and was attended by over 1100 abhyasis from across the continent. A core group of fifty volunteers connected to work together, and before we knew it the arrangements were in place.
The gathering took place in a hotel, which became an ashram for three days. Its large ballroom became a spacious and very aesthetic mediation hall, with a Basant banner, pictures of the Masters, flowers and a simple stage. Almost all outstation abhyasis stayed there, as did Kamlesh bhai.
On Friday evening, the gathering opened with a 5 p.m. satsangh, followed by a heartfelt talk by Kamlesh bhai on the call by his Master, Chariji, for the urgency of sincere practice. He mentioned that Chariji was very candid in his diaries and exhorted abhyasis to be absolutely honest, especially with themselves. At the close of the talk he invited all abhyasis to reassemble in the hall for the Friday night sitting at 9 p.m.
On Saturday morning, on the occasion of Basant Panchami, Master inaugurated the Toronto Ashram at 7.15 a.m. via Skype, addressing a gathering in Toronto of two hundred abhyasis from across Canada and the US, followed by a wonderful sitting.
After the 9 a.m. satsang and another short talk, Kamlesh bhai sat at the registration desk for several hours taking pre-registration orders for a new book to be released later this year on Lalaji’s life, and interacting with abhyasis with touching warmth, directness and humour. He later met with around 150 prefects from North America, where he mentioned some of the new changes the Hierarchy of Masters have permitted in the Mission, as have also been indicated in recent messages from the Brighter World.
He also mentioned that in keeping with the changing times there is a need to reach out to seekers in simple ways, and encourage them to meditate and experience the changes for themselves. He gave a sitting to all the prefects present. This was followed by his meeting with new abhyasis at 8 p.m. The day ended with satsangh at 9 p.m.
The true culmination of the three-day gathering was the question and answer session that Kamlesh bhai held with the entire gathering of abhyasis after the morning satsangh on Sunday. The call for listening to the simplicity and purity of the message of the heart spilled over into the question and answer session. It was momentous not only for the detail and substantive richness of the answers, but also for the heart to heart bonding between the new Master and his abhyasis. There was love, there was humour, there was patience, there was joy, there was commitment to a deeper practice and interiorisation, and to a constant connection with the Master through thought. Constant thinking develops into feeling for the Master. This eventually leads to Being and then Becoming. The final stage is Unbecoming. As the session progressed, many abhyasis saw in Kamlesh bhai a true reflection of Chariji, and many were so deeply touched and so moved that they were in tears as the session ended. As one abhyasi said, “I feel it in my heart. They are truly one.”
After leaving the venue, Kamlesh bhai visited Monroe ashram in New Jersey with the local volunteers. He gave them a sitting there and had lunch with them before leaving for his home.
We feel blessed and deeply grateful for the opportunity to spend three wonderful days in the company of Kamlesh bhai, our new Master and the successor of our beloved Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, as he begins his journey of taking the Mission and the work of the Masters forward.
