In the morning, Yogeswari from the nursery presented Daaji with multiple flower stem cuttings upon her return to Kanha after a trip to Kerala with the Green team comprising Gowthaman, Suresh, and Saravana. Later in the morning, Daaji's office welcomed practitioners from various parts of the country. Around 11 am, Daaji conducted a meditation session for all present. &nbsp;

WhatsApp Image 2024-02-07 at 11.00.55.webp

Following dinner, where Maurice and Irene Bringuier were guests, Daaji prepared for an online Zoom interview with Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi (Rudy), a renowned neuroscientist. The interview provided unique insights into Daaji's personality, with Dr. Tanzi's passion for his work evident in his articulate discourse. Daaji initiated the interview by acknowledging the spiritual anatomy team and proceeded to engage in a dialogue akin to two individuals deeply enamored with a shared subject. Their conversation was so absorbing that they lost track of time altogether. It was fascinating to observe Daaji attentively listening for long periods as Dr. Tanzi described several neuroscience aspects of consciousness.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Screenshot 2024-03-06 at 11.13.46 AM.webp

Screenshot 2024-03-06 at 11.12.59 AM.webp

Daaji expressed his admiration for Dr. Tanzi's eloquent speech and the terms he employed, to the extent that one might wonder who was interviewing whom in the end! Later, Daaji mentioned in his Basant speech that he had been inspired to incorporate various new words and terminology from this interview into his message for Basant for the second batch, citing this interview as one that he had thoroughly enjoyed.&nbsp;This attention to detail, joy of learning, deep listening, and absolute focus and attention that Daaji confers on all who meet him is a life lesson for anyone seeking spiritual progress. Daaji does not just teach, but in moments like this, he demonstrates what empathy and generosity can be. &nbsp;

This attention to detail, joy of learning, deep listening, and absolute focus and attention that Daaji confers on all who meet him is a life lesson for anyone seeking spiritual progress. Daaji does not just teach, but in moments like this, he demonstrates what empathy and generosity can be.

large_Screenshot 2024-03-06 at 11.13.22 AM.webp

Screenshot 2024-03-06 at 11.13.22 AM.webp

thumbnail_Screenshot 2024-03-06 at 11.13.22 AM.webp

Following dinner, where Maurice and Irene Bringuier were guests, Daaji prepared for an online Zoom interview with Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi (Rudy), a renowned neuroscientist. 

Kanha Shantivanam 7th February 2024

thumbnail_glimpses.png

glimpses.png

A live journal of blessed activities in and around Kanha with Daaji

13 JuneA significant highlight of Daaji’s travels in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh was the inauguration of the Bharatiya Gyan Parampara Kendra (Centre of Indian Knowledge Systems—CIKS) at Galgotias University situated in Greater Noida. CIKS is envisioned to blend India’s ancient knowledge systems and spiritual wisdom with contemporary science, innovation, and AI. In alignment with the Ministry of Education’s vision of embedding India’s intellectual heritage into higher education, this initiative marked a thoughtful step toward preserving tradition while preparing institutions for the future.Daaji’s arrival at the university was met with ceremonial fanfare. NCC cadets lined a red carpet, standing in formation. The university’s chairman, his son, and the family received him warmly. The welcome was formal, yet personal.The first stop was the inauguration of the Heartfulness Lounge—the first of its kind within a university in India. The lounge was designed as a dedicated space for students to learn and practice Heartfulness meditation. Fully air-conditioned and thoughtfully furnished, it featured instructional videos, a curated selection of Heartfulness literature, and weekly sessions led by certified trainers. Daaji offered prasad and formally opened the space.On stage, Daaji was felicitated by the university’s Chancellor, Shri Sunil Galgotia, and the CEO, Dr. Dhruv Galgotia, before the unveiling of the CIKS plaque. Soon after, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Heartfulness and Galgotias University, laying the foundation for collaborative research, educational programs, and outreach initiatives.In his inaugural address, Daaji highlighted how the essence of Indian knowledge lies not just in preservation but in integration—reviving the wisdom of the Vedas, Upanishads, and spiritual sciences while making them relevant to today’s students. He urged the younger generation to carry forward this legacy with scientific curiosity and experiential practice, particularly through meditation. His reflections beautifully emphasized that true knowledge must not remain confined to books but should transform minds, hearts, and ways of living—an echo of the very aim behind the new centre. Following the meditation session led by Daaji, a lively and engaging Q&amp;A unfolded. Here are a few excerpts from it.Q:&nbsp;My peers mock me, saying meditation is doing you no good, one can’t really focus during it, and tranquillity isn’t a real thing. I really want my loved ones to feel the peace I feel during meditation. How can I make them understand this? Daaji: Welcome to the world of struggles in life! If you try to convince others, it will always fail. Practice yourself; it’s for yourself. And once they start seeing change in you, the trajectory of your life, then they will be awed. My college mates in LM College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, also made fun of me back in 1976 when I started meditating, but soon enough, when my professors began to notice the change in us (a group of 25 who were meditating in college), they began to meditate—including my dean, who is now 99 years old. If one compares the students back then who weren’t meditating, and their families now versus the students who were meditating and their families now, you will notice a big difference.I recommend you read a book&nbsp;The Biology of Belief by Dr Bruce Lipton which teaches how our lifestyle impacts our inner environment, our genetic manifestations, and how life changes simply by thought. It is our ancient wisdom packaged in a new style!For example, Dr Lipton researched how the external environment changes the genetic manifestation of the embryo while in the mother’s womb. He noted that when an expectant mother lives under constant stress, her sympathetic nervous system activates, diverting blood from the abdomen, lungs, and brain to the limbs. The fetus experiences the same effect, leading to poor brain and digestive development. With reduced blood flow to the frontal cortex, thinking weakens while the primitive brain dominates, making the child reactive and prone to ADHD. In Indian tradition, pregnant women were often sent to their parents’ homes to stay happy and relaxed. This kept the parasympathetic system active, leading to calmer and more intelligent children.Q:&nbsp;How can Heartfulness app help us become mindful, emotionally resilient and socially attentive leaders in this modern world? Daaji: All three aspects of life you mentioned are to do with your awareness. When Lord Krishna says in the Bhagvad Gita, “yoga karmashu kaushalam,” i.e. if you take meditation seriously and attain a state of yoga, all your activities in that state of mind will attain perfection. Meditation and cleaning are the means, it is up to you how to use them.Q: Some scriptures highlight desires as good, some do the opposite. How do you align western philosophies of existentialism, nihilism with Indian philosophies? Daaji:&nbsp;Everyone says ‘don’t have desires.’ But how would you proceed in life then? If you wish to eat, you go to the canteen and eat. When you go home, and your mother has cooked something but you say you only want pizza, then something is wrong. Passion, which leads to desires, cannot ever be destroyed.&nbsp; You cannot have compassion without passion. Love, hate, likes, dislikes—all carry energy, and energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed. If a desire arises in the heart, what to do with it?—transform it, and make it better. So desires are not wrong; what matters is how and for what we use them. Similarly, the mind is not bad—we have to just train the mind, and the only mental gym we have is meditation. Ego too is not always negative. If it pushes you to improve, it is helpful; but if it makes you feel superior to others, it becomes arrogance. Ultimately, it depends on how we use our desires, mind, and ego—it’s about perspective.After the talk, Daaji joined the chairman’s family and a few visiting professors from Singapore for a private lunch. Later in the afternoon, Daaji traveled to the home of a long-time preceptor and abhyasi family in Noida. Later, though the schedule was originally set aside for writing and recovery, Daaji decided to visit the Noida Ashram, where a large group of abhyasis had gathered in the meditation hall. Daaji conducted a brief session there and spent time with the abhyasis before returning home.Dinner was followed by a few short meetings with dignitaries who had come to consult on upcoming projects. The day closed late, but on a note of progress—calm, deliberate, and forward-looking.

14 JuneThe morning began quietly. After some light refreshments, Daaji decided to head early to the meditation hall at the Noida Ashram. By the time he arrived, several hundred abhyasis (practitioners) were already seated, waiting in silence. He conducted meditation without delay. A short interaction with the abhyasis followed.Here are some excerpts:Q: Of late, I do not feel very connected to the Master. Earlier, there used to be a pull towards him, but now I do not feel it, and it worries me why I do not feel this closeness or nearness anymore? Daaji: (smiling) That is your problem! There are many obstacles that come on the way in the form of tests. You have to find your own solutions to surmount certain problems, and that is where the success lies. Think of a metaphor—what would happen if you don’t let the butterfly struggle to break out of its cocoon, or the bird hatch out its egg by itself, or if you forcefully open a flower bud before it blooms on its own? Similarly, don’t let any master forcefully open it for you—you have to allow your inner flower [to bloom] with the warmth of your love and devotion: that is your business. Q: Daaji, you have taken Heartfulness to such great heights with so much efficiency. Is it possible for an abhyasi, at a human level, to become like you? Daaji: This work can never be done without abhyasis. I believe Babuji Maharaj was unfortunate—he, as such a great personality was there, but you all were not there. So, without abhyasis, even the Masters cannot do anything. Even Lord Krishna, Lalaji Maharaj, and Swami Vivekanand would say that it is indeed very sad that in spite of there being so much power in him [Babuji Maharaj], people do not recognize him and benefit from his being there. So, you see, those who could spread his message are here, but were not there back then. So the credit goes to all our sisters and brothers. (…) Our job is to keep working for the mission, not for rewards: just keep working, that itself is the reward.

After the session, Daaji left the ashram to visit a nearby apartment complex where many of the Noida abhyasis reside. Over the years, this residential cluster had become a close-knit spiritual community, with nearly every flat occupied by practitioners. One apartment had been prepared for Daaji’s visit. He was welcomed warmly by the abhyasi sisters who had prepared a home-cooked breakfast. Over the meal, the conversation moved across a range of topics—personal, spiritual, and practical. Soon, more abhyasis came in, one by one, hoping for a few moments with Daaji. He listened patiently, offered guidance where needed, and made time for as many as he could.Before beginning this journey, Daaji had mentioned something simple and clear:&nbsp;“On this trip, I want to meet abhyasis, as many as possible. This time is for them—to listen, to meditate together, and to simply be present with one another.” That’s exactly how the day unfolded.From there, Daaji left for an interview for the Speaking Tree (Times of India Group), a special section (both in print and online), which is dedicated to spirituality, philosophy, and self-development. On YouTube, this interview was one of their “Connect with Antaha-Karan” [Connect with Inner Instrument] series.The Speaking tree team was eagerly waiting to meet Daaji. They had a very interesting interaction right before the interview began. One of the team members mentioned that she had a meditative practice.Daaji asked her, “How do you meditate?”She replied, “With Shiv mantra, Devi mantras, visualization, guided meditation; I am a Shiv bhakt (devotee).”Daaji continued, “So, let’s talk a little bit: what is meditation?”She answered, “Anything that has your concentration is meditation, according to me.”Daaji questioned again, “What is its Sanskrit word?”She said, “Dhyaan.”Daaji elaborated, “How do you split this word?After a short pause, Daaji continued, “Dhy + yaan. Dhy [pronounced as ‘dhee’] is repeated twice in the Gayatri mantra. What is this ‘dhy?’ Divine wisdom, Ultimate wisdom. Yaan means vehicle. So the vehicle which transports you to divine wisdom is dhyaan (meditation). When we chant, the mind is busy, it is occupied; it cannot be transported. A busy mind can never be transported, whether you are meditating on Krishna or Shiva or your boyfriend. So in order to transport the mind, we have to use this vehicle, and you also need to fuel this vehicle. So how do you fuel this vehicle? Any vehicle needs to be fueled, right? So here, the fuel for transporting the consciousness has to be subtler than what you are propelling. Whatever fuel needs to push the consciousness has to be subtler than the consciousness, or else it will be a shock. Anything that sustains us has to be subtler than what you want to sustain. For example, if you want to go to sleep. So what is more refined, subtler than the consciousness? It is the subtle energy we call ‘prana.’ Prana is what supports our consciousness. In the Kena Upanishad, the sage says that all the koshas need nourishment; so what can support your soul?”She replied, “Soul food.”Daaji explained, “And what is that soul food? It is called ‘pranasya prana’ and that is the invention of Heartfulness where the Guru, with his grace transmits this pranasya prana or pranahuti [yogic transmission], and that works as the fuel for the vehicle to transport your consciousness. And your awareness suddenly shifts as if from the third gear to the fifth.”Another team member posed a question to Daaji: So, for receiving this pranahuti, is ‘patrata’ (eligibility, worthiness) necessary?Daaji replied, “Not necessary: if it was, you would never evolve.’She asked again, “But nowadays, why do gurus insist on it, that if you are not worthy, then the ‘shaktipata’ (energy transfer from guru to disciple) will not happen?”Daaji’s reply was crystal clear. Even before she finished her question, he replied, “To escape the responsibility. You see, to escape this responsibility you can blame anyone at any time—‘you don’t deserve it’ or ‘you didn’t do what I told you to do’ or ‘you didn’t follow the protocol.’ It makes you feel guilty and with this guilt and heaviness, you can never progress. A Guru’s job should be to not to add to what is already existing in the form of heaviness. She asked, “What is pranahuti [yogic transmission] like?” Daaji smiled and said, “Experience it. Shall we begin meditation?Daaji then led the meditation for them, and a short discussion later, the interview began.It was one of the most amazing interviews where Daaji talked about his life experiences, whilst shedding light on many spiritual concepts. Daaji was very happy with the way the interview happened. Daaji asked all the team to come to Kanha so that more interviews could be planned. In the late evening, Daaji left for Mathura by road—a two-hour drive from Noida. The destination was significant: the ashram located near Krishna Janmabhoomi, [the birthplace of Lord Krishna].Stay tuned for more events from Daaji’s travels in Mathura and Iglas.

Q:&nbsp;How can Heartfulness app help us become mindful, emotionally resilient and socially attentive leaders in this modern world? Daaji: All three aspects of life you mentioned are to do with your awareness. When Lord Krishna says in the Bhagvad Gita, “yoga karmashu kaushalam,” i.e. if you take meditation seriously and attain a state of yoga, all your activities in that state of mind will attain perfection. Meditation and cleaning are the means, it is up to you how to use them.

20250614_AJY_2644.webp

The significant highlights of Daaji’s travels in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh were the inauguration of the Bharatiya Gyan Parampara Kendra (Centre of Indian Knowledge Systems—CIKS) at Galgotias University situated in Greater Noida and his visit to Noida Ashram.

Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 13th and 14th June 2025

11 JuneDaaji arrived at the Delhi airport in the afternoon where a group of abhyasis were waiting inside the terminal to receive him. Daaji then drove to the Gurugram Ashram, where many abhyasis had lined up to welcome him. Upon reaching the cottage, Daaji offered prasad to Babuji Maharaj and asked someone to call all the children to collect prasad from him.After a short while he had a quiet lunch and took rest. By 5:30 p.m., despite the punishing Delhi heat, over 3,000 abhyasis had gathered in the hall awaiting Daaji to conduct satsangh. A short Q&amp;A session followed thereafter.&nbsp;Q:&nbsp;What defines success in life? Is it the satisfaction of thoughts and fulfilment of desires? &nbsp;Daaji: Success to me is a relative thing. It keeps changing its meaning at every stage of our life. As a child, when you were four years old, what did you understand about success? Lots of trophies, chocolates and toy cars! As we grow, our goals change.And because of this changing of goals, and depending upon how fast you attain those goals, whether they are academic or professional goals, you feel either that you are successful or that you are not successful. So in every little field there is some goal established but it keeps transcending; it keeps on evading us. Always, we either wish to maintain our position or achieve higher targets—there is no limit to this.Spiritual success is something else—the more you lose, the better you become. The more you lose, the greater the success within you. It’s a paradoxical understanding. So, we must be able to integrate the material world (where we seek more and more of ‘more and more’) and the spiritual realm (where we seek less and less of ‘less and less’ or we seek more and more of ‘less and less’).And when you are able to integrate these, only then you can confidently say when you're breathing your last, that ‘now I am able to leave this world contentedly.’ Because, when you are successful in the material world while you're alive, you will feel happy, but when that final moment [of death] comes, you will say ‘Sigh! I have not been able to do anything all my life.’So, success lies in integrating the spiritual and material life. Even though you may not be successful in the material life as much, and if the idea comes to your heart that ‘enough is enough,’ at that time, consider that you have succeeded to some extent.Q:&nbsp;Daaji, I have just got married. What is the best way to move ahead happily into this new phase of life? Daaji:&nbsp;Both of you must respect each other’s parents—you have to respect her parents and she must respect your parents. Let it be a competition! If even the idea of ‘parayaapan’ [that these are not ‘my parents,’ they are my spouse’s parents] creeps in, life will be a disaster. Don’t think that you have come to live at ‘someone else’s house.’ Babuji used to say that women do not respect men; they already fester the habit of ‘ghrina’ [strong dislike, hatred, aversion] hidden away in their hearts—they are not able to love their husbands, for whatever reasons. I would recommend you to read&nbsp;The Wisdom Bridge. Master it.Q: Daaji, when we practise intensely, a craving for higher levels of experience creeps in, rather unknowingly. This is also a form of desire, and I am unable to overcome it. Daaji: It’s good you have that awareness. My attitude while meditating must be: “God, I have no expectations. Whatever wish to bestow, bestow, if not, also ok—I am sitting to meditate with love in my heart.” That’s all. No expectation even from God—then see how it changes your meditation. And once this idea sinks into your heart in an authentic manner, your progress will accelerate.

12 JuneDaaji’s day began early with satsangh at 7:30 a.m. The meditation hall was already full when he entered. Daaji walked in quietly, took his seat, and the meditation began without announcement. The room settled even deeper.&nbsp; After the meditation, he returned to his residence where breakfast was served, and many abhyasis gathered around him. Also present among them were several dignitaries, including Dr Himanshu Gupta (IAS, Director CBSE); the Director of AIIMS Delhi; Dr Rahul Malhotra with the Heartfulness Research team; and a delegation from IIT Delhi.Over breakfast, the conversation focused on education, research, and well-being. Dr Malhotra shared findings on how Heartfulness meditation affects heart rate variability. The discussion moved toward introducing such practices to children early on — not just to support academic growth, but to build emotional strength and mental clarity. Daaji emphasized the importance of early inner development to help children grow into balanced and responsible individuals.In the evening, Daaji conducted satsangh at 5:30 p.m. Afterwards, he responded to a few questions and engaged briefly with those present before returning for dinner.Q: You have mentioned that anyone can change our destiny because of free will. Today also a plane crashed causing many casualties. What about such scenarios? &nbsp;Daaji: A family who lost their dear one in a car accident asked a similar question. This afternoon a flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed: among the casualties was a preceptor couple who lost their lives. And naturally, questions do arise—whose fault was it? Who decides such a destiny? Was it in our karma? Not everything is in our individual karmas. Sometimes, others can also influence our karmas—it’s a perpetual thing. Destiny is closely related to cause and effect. Our limited understanding says ‘I am the only one causing an effect on my life.’ But anyone can change your destiny.&nbsp; So we have to be very careful how we prepare our trajectory and that’s where meditation comes into the picture. Many times our heart says things as per our own destiny, but sometimes you decide against it, out of greed, perhaps. If we follow the heart, one life should be enough for liberation.At dinner, Daaji met with representatives from Galgotias University, as well as several officers from the Indian government. They had come to discuss how Heartfulness could be brought into higher education. The conversation went beyond theory — touching on implementation, student wellbeing, and values-based learning. Daaji shared his view that true education must cultivate ethics, purpose, and self-awareness — not just academic output.

13 JuneDaaji conducted morning satsang with the abhyasis at the Gurgaon Ashram and after breakfast he left for the Galgotias University, located about two hours away in Greater Noida.

Daaji said, “Spiritual success is something else—the more you lose, the better you become. The more you lose, the greater the success within you. It’s a paradoxical understanding. So, we must be able to integrate the material world (where we seek more and more of ‘more and more’) and the spiritual realm (where we seek less and less of ‘less and less’ or we seek more and more of ‘less and less’).And when you are able to integrate these, only then you can confidently say when you're breathing your last, that ‘now I am able to leave this world contentedly.’ Because, when you are successful in the material world while you're alive, you will feel happy, but when that final moment [of death] comes, you will say ‘Sigh! I have not been able to do anything all my life.”

20250611_AJY_2376.webp

Daaji’s Gurugram visit will be remembered as a beautiful opportunity where abhyasis could see him guide meditation sessions and share his pearls of wisdom. 

Gurugram, Haryana, 11th to 13th June 2025

20 AprilDaaji reached the Raipur ashram early in the evening. He conducted meditation at 6 pm, after which he retired for the day.

21 AprilIt is a short walk from the cottage in the ashram to the meditation hall, and as Daaji made his way to the hall to conduct the morning meditation, he was greeted by many abhyasis. After the meditation Daaji left for breakfast, and by the time he finished his meal, many abhyasis trickled in and the dining hall was soon filled with people.One sister asked Daaji what one should do when there is no support from the family and it becomes difficult to practise. In response, Daaji gave the example of his preceptor, Draupadi Devi Agarwal, from whom he had taken his very first sitting. He explained how she would pretend to be asleep early in the morning and meditate while lying under the quilt, and in the evening, under the pretext of going to the toilet, she would do her evening cleaning there. Daaji said matter-of-factly, “Jisko karna hai, usko kaun rokega? (If someone truly wants to do it, who can stop them?).”A young girl talked with Daaji about her studies abroad. Daaji asked her her age and if she was married. She responded by saying that she was only 26 and wanted to wait for some more time before she got married. Daaji smiled and said, “Tujhe jaldi nahi hai, lekin Nature ko jaldi hai! (You are not in a hurry, but Nature is.)”Daaji then asked all the members of the kitchen team for a group photo. After meeting with a few more abhyasis, Daaji left. In the evening he conducted meditation at 6 pm.

22 April 2025Around 10.30 am, Daaji met a few members of the Tukdoji Maharaj spiritual organization. Daaji spoke to them for a while and then conducted a meditation session.The evening program featured a visit by the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, and an interview with Tarang Khurana, National Chairman of Young Indians (Yi)—an integral part of the Confederation of Indian Industry, established in 2002 as a pan-India platform to empower the youth in realizing the vision of a developed nation.Daaji welcomed the Chief Minister, and after a warm exchange of felicitations, they sat down for a tête-à-tête. Also present there was a group of Yi members. Daaji spoke about the various Heartfulness initiatives, followed by a Brighter Minds demonstration. Later, Daaji accompanied him to the meditation hall, where, before conducting meditation, he gave a brief explanation of how to meditate the Heartfulness way.After the meditation, Daaji presented books and gifts to the Chief Minister. The CM then took his leave from the meditation hall. Daaji remained there to continue with the scheduled interview with Tarang Khurana from Young Indians.Here are some excerpts from the interview.Q: Keeping in mind the awareness for climate consciousness and the need to take action toward it, what suggestions do you have for our youth to bring about these changes in their daily lives so we can leave a better world for our future progeny? &nbsp;Daaji: It is a great feeling to have the youth being exposed to Heartfulness which is a way of life guided by the heart. And whenever we are guided by the heart, we become extra sensitive to our conscience—should I do this or that? Should I invest money here or not? Whom to marry? Whenever you follow the mind, it tricks you into fulfilling your own selfish desires. Whenever you have gone against the heart and followed the mind, observe the consequences. To get clearer and clearer solutions from your heart, the lens of your heart must be clear too. The main thing we have to understand is ‘how do I get the right message from the heart?’ So firstly, create purity in the heart. We can sail through complicated situations in life, only when we follow the heart.There are no guide books to help navigate us through life. Osho’s story about a thief describes this very well. (Watch Daaji narrate the story in the link below)A presence of mind is required in every situation. And every situation in life throws a different kind of curve ball at us. Just like in cricket, if you are used to batting against only a certain kind of bowling, it would have been easy. But now and then there will be a different kind of bowling—with a different speed, with a spin, full toss and so on.&nbsp; So life throws different curve balls at us, but a meditative mind picks up the problems often before they arise. Meditation to me thus, is like vaccinating the mind against many situations.Q: Young people say, ‘Our time is now. Time for meditation will come later.’ How do we, as young people, come sooner to this side of spirituality and why is it important that we do this? &nbsp;Daaji:&nbsp;According to me, the spiritual journey should begin at the very moment of conception. Imagine for a moment that you are retired, 60 or 70 years old. Would you be able to meditate? Would you be able to sit—at already such a young age you have taken up chairs. Imagine yourself at 60+. Would you be able to sit properly, even in the chair, with your back erect? When you cannot even remember things, how will you remember the continuity of your spiritual experiences which are so refined? So I would not recommend you to postpone the most essential thing. Think about it in a scientific manner: a genetically pre-exposed spiritual man or spiritual woman and their respective progeny. If you become spiritualized at the age of 70, how can you transfer your genetic pre-exposure to your next generation? If you want to transmit your spiritual bent of mind to the future generation, you better be spiritual even before you get married.

23 AprilOn the day of his departure from Raipur, Daaji conducted meditation early in the morning and after breakfast he met with many abhyasis in his room, one group at a time. Amidst many fond farewells, each group had a photo taken with Daaji. He then left Raipur for Kanha at around 10 am.

One sister asked Daaji what one should do when there is no support from the family and it becomes difficult to practise. In response, Daaji gave the example of his preceptor, Draupadi Devi Agarwal, from whom he had taken his very first sitting. He explained how she would pretend to be asleep early in the morning and meditate while lying under the quilt, and in the evening, under the pretext of going to the toilet, she would do her evening cleaning there. Daaji said matter-of-factly, “Jisko karna hai, usko kaun rokega? (If someone truly wants to do it, who can stop them?).”

20250421_ADV_0100.webp

In April 2025, Daaji visited the Raipur Ashram in Chhattisgarh and shared his profound philosophies with the abhyasis present there. 

Raipur, Chhattisgarh, 20th to 23rd April, 2025

&nbsp;29 MarchAfter his Delhi trip, Daaji arrived at Indore early in the morning. After a warm welcome at the airport Daaji went to the Marriott Hotel. Sadly, Daaji was very tired and developed severe back pain and was unable to be physically present to conduct the meditation for the abhyasis gathered in Indore. After some much needed rest Daaji left for Ujjain in the afternoon and arrived at the Ratnapriya Hotel and Resort. Daaji wanted to come for the evening meditation but could not come due to the back pain. Daaji spent the day resting due to the severity of his backache.

30 March Speech in Ujjain:&nbsp;Role of Attention in Maintaining our Spiritual Condition&nbsp;&nbsp;Daaji was not feeling well but he wanted to come and conduct the meditation. Apart from conducting the morning meditation at 9am, he also solemnised two weddings. He addressed the audience afterwards, saying that he was grateful for everyone’s prayers for his recovery and that he had recovered enough to finish the task at hand that day.He shared that that morning he was wondering about how his illness (vertigo) came about so suddenly. He said he had been advised not to make sudden movements with his neck while looking up, down or to the left and right, but due to just a little carelessness, he moved his neck sharply and the vertigo came back. “It was my mistake,” he said with great humility. Here are a few choice excerpts from his talk.Daaji continued, “But when I think about this from a spiritual angle, I remember what Babuji Maharaj told Chariji once. Babuji said that as one progresses on the spiritual path, one has to be just as careful and cautious while living life. Even the slightest carelessness, slightest slip, and we fall from whatever heights we have achieved. And we have to start all over again. For example, when we are walking, we have the freedom to walk anywhere; on a cycle, we can only ride on some terrain, we have slightly less freedom; in a car, we have even less freedom—we can only drive in certain lanes and we can’t drive on the wrong side of the road, etc. But in India, everything goes—they misuse the freedom and then cause accidents, harming not only themselves but other people as well.&nbsp;“Babuji further gave an example of a rocket heading into space—there is no scope for freedom of movement there at all. Even the astronauts have such limited movement in the spaceship. They cannot even stand up, drink, or eat as they wish. Everything is controlled—even the amount of their food and water intake!“Similarly, in spirituality, so much is revealed to us, but carelessness in our behaviour, our thinking, our attitude has a strong impact upon our inner condition. So we might think we have not done harm to anyone, stolen, or lied, then why does our spiritual condition get spoilt? Because we haven’t kept our condition in check.“Our carelessness at a physical, mental, and spiritual level is directly related to our freedom to act in a precise, correct way.”

Later in the day Daaji left for Vikram University of Ujjain where he had been invited as the Guest of Honour for their 29th Convocation Ceremony. Many dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Mohan Yadav, and the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Mangubhai C Patel were present at the ceremony. They met with Daaji before the ceremony began.Following the opening ceremony, Ph.D. and D.Litt. (Doctor of Letters) graduates were awarded their degree certificates and gold medals, receiving congratulations from the dignitaries on stage. This was followed by the formal exchange of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Shri Ram Chandra Mission and Vikram University. Daaji was then invited to address the gathering.

The day continued with more events, and later in the evening Daaji visited a factory where a small gathering had been organised. There he conducted meditation and answered a few questions from the audience.Q: Should we work on [getting rid of] our tendencies which pose as hindrances to our progress, or is this dependant on the grace of the Master? &nbsp;Daaji: You should do it. You only have to do it. In Babuji’s words, “There is a great difference between samskaras [impressions] and tendencies. When impressions are deepened by repeated actions it is akin to water dropping on earth and forming a stream and then into a river. Even if the river dries up, the river bed remains and if water falls again, the river come to life. So the river bed is like your tendencies. Babuji said, ‘Become like the living dead.’ Just like you wash and dress a corpse before burial or cremation: it will not resist you. It doesn’t mean you should be dead inside—you should be a witness to what’s happening. So you witness, but you do not react. If your wife or husband abuses you, it's okay, be happy—it is they who will get angry, why should you get irritated?It is this reaction that creates problems.

31 MarchDaaji joined all the abhyasis for breakfast on the open lawns of the hotel. He conducted meditation at 9 a.m. after which he left for Indore airport to take a flight back to Hyderabad.

Daaji said, “But when I think about this from a spiritual angle, I remember what Babuji Maharaj told Chariji once. Babuji said that as one progresses on the spiritual path, one has to be just as careful and cautious while living life. Even the slightest carelessness, slightest slip, and we fall from whatever heights we have achieved. And we have to start all over again. For example, when we are walking, we have the freedom to walk anywhere; on a cycle, we can only ride on some terrain, we have slightly less freedom; in a car, we have even less freedom—we can only drive in certain lanes and we can’t drive on the wrong side of the road, etc. But in India, everything goes—they misuse the freedom and then cause accidents, harming not only themselves but other people as well.

20250330_AJY_0537.webp

Daaji’s Ujjain visit was a remarkable opportunity for all the abhyasis to get a glimpse of his profoundness in person and be a part of meditation sessions conducted by him. 

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, 29th to 31st March 2025

The following day began with Daaji offering yet another beautiful meditation session in the early morning. After a profound Heartfulness meditation session that was telecast live on the Heartfulness channel, Daaji invited Mr. Linguswamy to give a talk. His talk revolved around his experiences with the Heartfulness meditation practice and its transformative effect. He expressed his gratitude to Daaji referring to him as a ‘real hero.’&nbsp;This was followed by a heartwarming Q&amp;A session with Daaji. His words resonated deeply with the eager practitioners, leaving everyone inspired and deeply moved.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Later that evening, Daaji welcomed a group of practitioners from the Baduga tribal community of Ooty, a beautiful hill station nestled in the Nilgiri mountain range. Their hearts were deeply touched as Daaji interacted with them personally. His gentle words and affectionate demeanor created an unforgettable experience for the community members. He ended the meeting with a promise saying, “I will come soon to Ooty,” filling their hearts with even more joy! He then posed for a group photo with them.&nbsp;Many dignitaries had come to meet Daaji in Tiruppur: Mr. V. Sundararajan, Chairman of Sky Group of Companies and the Founder Secretary of Vanam Foundation, Palladam, Tiruppur District; the Founder Director of the Coconut Farmers Producer Company; and Mr. K. R. Nagarajan who is the Chairman of the Ramraj Cotton Group of Companies and Vice President of the World Community Service Center.&nbsp;Daaji met with Padma Shri Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman, Poppy's Group of Companies and Honorary, Founder President, Tiruppur Exporters Association (TEA); the President of Federation of Indian Exporters Organizations (FIEO); and Mr. N. Thirukkumaran Managing Director, Ess Tee Group of Companies and General Secretary, Tiruppur Exporters Association (TEA). Daaji also met with Mr. Kumar Duraiswamy who is the Managing Director, Eastern Global Clothings, the Joint Secretary of Tiruppur Exporters Association (TEA), and also the Project Director, 'Vanathukkul Tiruppur' - Initiatives of Green Tiruppur; and the Convenor, Tiruppur Stakeholders Forum (TSF).&nbsp;&nbsp;After a brief discussion with them on varied initiatives Daaji then asked for the Brighter Minds demonstration to be presented to all the guests.&nbsp; Later they all joined Daaji for the evening Heartfulness meditation session, after which he gave a talk that touched every heart present in the audience. Daaji expressed his joy saying, “My stay here at DJ Park has been very productive and I admire your sacrifice for coming here despite so many inconveniences. Returning home you will notice even greater changes that will unfold in your day-to-day lives because of these three meditation sessions. Tomorrow I will be returning back home but my heart will always remain here and I intend to come back hopefully on the 11th November.”&nbsp;Touching upon the topic of peace, Daaji reminisced about Babuji Maharaj’s letter to the United Nations dated July&nbsp;8, 1957 where Babuji emphasized that world peace cannot be possible until individual peace is granted. Daaji said, “And who can grant this individual peace? No one, but yourself. It’s an individual attitude: a person under turbulence can remain unshaken and a person without any sort of problems remains stressful and anxious. Our path, the Heartfulness way is a direct gift from the Divine because through this&nbsp;pranahuti or transmission all willing practitioners are able to experience a minimum level of peace.”Daaji threw light on the intricacies of how attaining liberation during this lifetime can take us to that state of non-duality whose inherent quality is peace. He also differentiated the peace that one attains before liberation at the Atma chakra [2nd point in the heart region] and the peace experienced beyond the 9th point.&nbsp; He said, “There is no solution in asking or praying for peace. Liberation is in our hands: no God or Guru can grant it if we are not deserving. So our only job is to become deserving individuals.”Daaji also gave simple solutions as to how one can become deserving individuals. He then went on to reveal, “something that most people have not understood in the very first chapter of&nbsp;Reality at Dawn.” Daaji divulged the true interpretation of Babuji Maharaj’s very profound statement –&nbsp;Where religion ends, spirituality begins; where spirituality ends, reality begins; where reality ends, bliss begins.&nbsp;By linking the intricate concepts of God, divine experiences, desires and transcendence, Daaji clarified the meaning of this statement.

Daaji threw light on the intricacies of how attaining liberation during this lifetime can take us to that state of non-duality whose inherent quality is peace. He also differentiated the peace that one attains before liberation at the Atma chakra [2nd point in the heart region] and the peace experienced beyond the 9th point.&nbsp; He said, “There is no solution in asking or praying for peace. Liberation is in our hands: no God or Guru can grant it if we are not deserving. So our only job is to become deserving individuals.”

20241021_AJY_1867.webp

Daaji spent the day at Tiruppur, conducting meditation and question and answer sessions and meeting dignitaries. 

Archive

Last 5 entries

Kanha Shantivanam 7^th February 2024

Comments

LEAVE A COMMENT