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<p>Soul yatra offers a fresh perspective to life. The show is blend of new age spirituality, motivational talk and pearl
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            <h5>Episode 1</h5>
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Heartfulness

<p>Dear friends,</p>
<p>Two of the most important qualities that make us human are the ability to sympathize and empathize with others who
    are suffering, and the willingness to help them; in other words an attitude of caring for others. So why are we not
    helping each other all the time? And why do people speak of compassion fatigue?</p>
<p>Let’s take an analogy. Do the cells in your body say thanks to your heart for pumping blood to them? Does the heart
    say thanks to the lungs for bringing in oxygen? Do the lungs say thanks to the brain for maintaining the involuntary
    function of breathing? Imagine if each part of your body thought it was separate and had nothing to do with the rest
    of the body. After all, there is little apparent connection between the ear and the toe. This sounds ridiculous,
    right? Now compare that with the relationships we have as fellow human beings. Do we see ourselves as connected or
    separate? We often act with others as if we are the ear and they are the big toe having no connection with each
    other. It is the same apparent lack of connection that becomes the reason for us not going the extra mile to help
    others or show compassion towards a person who is suffering.</p>
<p>A compassionate heart puts others first and does not think about inconvenience or sacrifice, even with total
    strangers, because helping others is simply being true to its own nature. In fact it may be said that real Divinity
    already resides in such compassionate and loving hearts, and they need not wait to go to heaven, which is ever
    present around them. At a higher level of evolution, help is extended as if one is helping oneself rather than the
    ‘other’. When this awareness comes about on a large scale, we will see a quantum leap in the evolution of human
    consciousness.</p>
<p><img class="float-right m-5"
        src="https://daajiprod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/human_compassion_300x240_2fdaab863c.jpg?updated_at=2022-11-11T06:24:21.266Z"
        alt="" width="300" height="240">Compassion is all about feeling, resonating and responding to others. Even if we
    have not personally experienced the same pain, we can yet support someone who has fallen. At any time, we can always
    ask our heart, “If I were in this situation, what would I want?” We all have the natural capacity to “Do unto others
    as you would have them do unto you”. This capacity becomes diminished only when the voice of the heart goes unheard,
    overridden by the more self-centered considerations of the lower self, which may see itself as separate: “Oh, if I
    help that lady who has fallen down, I will be late for work. Then I will be in trouble with my boss. Also, maybe I
    will have to get involved in taking her home or to the hospital.” “If I spend time helping my junior colleagues,
    they will get the credit for the project and I will lose out on my own promotion.” “If I say sorry to my wife for
    making a mistake, she will have the upper hand!”This feeling of separateness becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,
    reinforcing loneliness and a lack of that essential thing – love.</p>
<p>But if we withdraw our senses and turn our focus inwards on ourselves, we look into our inner mirror. We can then
    adjust ourselves if something is not quite right. As we look into ourselves we become increasingly aware of our
    indifference, and the self-centered thoughts and emotions that otherwise go undetected. It becomes a potent moment
    where we come face-to-face with ourselves. It is here that change becomes possible.</p>
<p>It is through meditation alone that compassionate consciousness can be effected. As we increasingly connect with the
    heart, it guides us on questions of kindness and compassion, and many things beyond. When the hand slips into the
    pocket to reach for a few dollars to give the homeless person on the street, but the legs have already walked past,
    it is the heart that makes us turn back to help. It is also in the silence of the heart and mind that we come to
    acknowledge and make peace with our failings. Once we can do this with ourselves, we can easily become tolerant and
    understanding with our fellow beings.</p>
<p>Imagine reaching deep down into your consciousness, peeling away the layers of name, gender, ethnicity, background,
    qualifications, religion etc. Imagine that in deep relaxation you are able to go beyond the body and mind. What
    remains? There is still an awareness that you exist. At that level, how different are you from others?</p>
<p><img class="float-left m-5"
        src="https://daajiprod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/bird_compassion_300x240_0d904c8c21.jpg?updated_at=2022-11-11T06:24:21.247Z"
        alt="" width="300" height="240">Now, imagine a canvas on which various things are drawn: people, animals, an
    island, trees, mountains and the sun. Each object is separate, but they are all on that one canvas. Once the
    outlines of the individual objects are washed off, what remains is only the canvas. Our consciousness is like that
    canvas, only in our case it is so vast and the contours so invisible to the naked eye that we do not see how we are
    all connected with each other. This is not at all different from all the various parts of the body being connected
    to create a whole being. And with just a little imagination, we can surely understand that when one part of the body
    is sick, the rest cannot possibly remain healthy.</p>
<p>The personal experience of that inextricable connection with others brings about a consciousness that naturally
    empathizes. So compassion is no longer a conscious willed act, not even a necessity, but an intuitive reaction as
    natural as breathing. By awakening this consciousness, we become more aware. The greater the awareness, the better
    our human race becomes.</p>
<p>How to raise our consciousness to a level that is more fluid and flexible, ever ready to respond correctly with the
    right dosage? We develop it by diving deeper and deeper within our hearts so that we feel our connection with
    everything around us. Then compassion and kindness become natural and spontaneous, in every thought and act.
    Heartfulness Meditation with <em>pranahuti </em>helps us do just that, gradually removing the filters of excessive
    desire and ego that complicate the affairs of the heart and mind. We shift our attention from ‘me to we’. As we
    proceed further, consciousness expands to a still higher dimension, where the qualities of generosity of heart,
    humility, compassion and kindness reach their epitome. That is the Heartfulness way!</p>
<p>All the best,</p>
<p>Daaji</p>

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Compassionate Consciousness

Reflections – daaji’s blog

<h3><strong>October 2017, Kanha Shanti Vanam.</strong></h3>
<h3><em>Wednesday, 25 October, morning.</em></h3>

<hr>

<h3><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Maxim 5 cont.</span></strong></h3>

<hr>
<p>As the seminar continued, early mornings often found Daaji and the European abhyasis weeding the area around the lake
    behind the cottage area. This was followed by satsangh next to the lake in the open air, as the world woke up
    around. These were magical moments with Daaji.</p>
<p>On the Thursday morning, Daaji continued on with his series of talks on the Maxims after morning satsangh. He started
    by adding a couple more ideas about Maxim 5:</p>
<p>“Going back to the second paragraph in Babuji Maharaj’s commentary on Maxim 5, he briefly mentions that ‘The word
    Reality, as I have used it, does not also convey the true sense, as all feeling and perceptions end there.’ So when
    we focus on this, and try to understand that the field of Reality is where all the feelings end, it somehow relates
    to his statement in <em>Reality at Dawn</em> that where religion ends spirituality begins, and where spirituality
    ends Reality begins.</p>
<p>“Religion is all about beliefs and dogmas. When we transcend dogmas and beliefs, we enter the field of spirituality
    where we have some inkling, we start feeling the essence of Divinity. So now he reveals in Maxim 5 that when
    feelings end, when they have played their part, now we are in the field of Reality. This is just by the way for your
    broader understanding.</p>

<hr>

<h5>The choice is ours</h5>

<hr>
<p>“And the last two sentences in the commentary say, ‘They are really invaluable to us when they come as gifts (he is
    talking about miseries). Being overjoyed to have them, one is naturally inclined to express his feelings of
    gratitude for them.’ How to understand it? I tried a negative approach to understand this thing. If we treat them as
    gifts, great, but if we don’t treat them as gifts, let’s say we take them as curses, as punishment, then what
    happens? We are stressed out. Physiologically speaking cortisol goes through the roof, and cortisol elevation in the
    blood will create a lot of other havoc, like reducing our immunity, increasing heart rate, with so many stress
    factors, one thing leading to another. A simple thing: instead of taking it in positive way what happens when we
    take it in a negative way?”</p>

<hr>

<h3><strong><span style="color: #008000;">Maxim 6</span></strong></h3>

<hr>
<p>“Now we move on to Maxim 6: ‘Know all people as thy brethren and treat them as such.’”</p>
<p>Then Daaji read out the full commentary on Maxim 6, following which he shared some thoughts:</p>
<p>“So our success here in spirituality depends on how well we dissolve our individual network, and that depends on how
    united we are, and that depends on brotherhood. I have some more thoughts on this idea to shed some more light on
    it.</p>
<p>“Looking at all these trees, we realise that the branches, the leaves, the flowers and the fruits are all nourished
    by the root system. Similarly, we are all nourished by God. If the branches, leaves, flowers and fruits had their
    individual consciousness perhaps they would fight for their individual enrichment and existence. The fruits would
    say, ‘I need more,’ the flowers would claim, ‘I need more,’ and the trunk would say, ‘I need more.’ The main branch
    would say, ‘I am supporting the rest of these branches, so I need more.’ So there would be chaos and that is what is
    happening with all of us. The main thing is forgotten and all these manifested branches fight and look different.
</p>
<p>“Another example that comes to mind is seen in the many millions and millions of waves rising and falling in the
    rivers, oceans, ponds and lakes. Imagine they also start thinking, ‘We are all individual,’ whereas without the
    water underneath the waves are nothing. Water is one of the main things on this planet that exists in three forms.
    Who knows, there may be fourth and fifth forms also which we don’t realise. The main one is the water that we drink.
    Another one is ice. A third is water vapour. Snow is another form. Deep down, when we analyse any of these, it is
    only hydrogen and oxygen manifesting in different forms. Two elements manifesting in multiple forms.</p>
<p>“Then why not infinite Divinity? Infinity of God manifesting in infinity of forms, yet the essence of all is the
    same!</p>

<hr>

<h5>Always see others as greater</h5>

<hr>
<p>“Unfortunately, belief systems and dogmas, even systems like Sahaj Marg, at times can create fanatics amongst us.
    Even in such a small assembly, many of us think, “He is so good I have not reached there as yet.” But this in turn
    creates a class system. It separates us. Some of us may be entertaining the idea we are far better off than people
    who are not meditating. Sometimes we laugh at our relatives, friends and family members who are not practising Sahaj
    Marg. I think we have to re-look at our understanding and ourselves. There are many other beautiful systems. Let
    others follow what they feel like following. Respect and honour that. Let’s not become judgemental and critical,
    although we may say, ‘Oh! I would like you to also enjoy what I am enjoying.’</p>
<p>“But don’t they see what you are doing? They know it, but pursuing it with fanaticism will only distance others. The
    distance will increase between family members, friends and office workers. So if you like you can practise quietly,
    while at the same time magnifying your lifestyle to such a great order that you don’t have to say, “I am meditating,
    that’s why I am like this.” They have got to see why we are the way we are without us speaking about it. Let our
    actions speak. Let our lifestyle speak.</p>
<p>“So brotherhood can be created only when we respect others and trust others. When we look down upon others it creates
    problems. That is why Babuji gave such very beautiful advice: <strong><em>there is nothing wrong thinking yourself
            to be great, go ahead, have fun with your greatness, but always think the other person is
            greater.</em></strong> That will create a lot of harmony. To look down at others as insignificant and
    useless also creates this sort of problem.</p>
<p>“So I think that trying to carry out individualized existence, in a separatist manner, trying to be different,
    creates some sort of discord and destroys the harmony. I think that is why many systems somehow embrace external
    principles, such as external dresses for example. All brothers will wear red clothes or all sisters will wear red
    saris and all those who are wearing red are brothers and sisters. That is only external and it is too superficial,
    although all that redness does create some level of sameness in the energy field. But deep down we are trying to
    hide the differences. There is nothing wrong in having differences either, as long as we respect each other’s
    differences. And it is good to have differences. Differences enrich the entire system.</p>

<hr>

<h5>Value the experience of each and every abhyasi</h5>

<hr>
<p>“The experience of one individual at the third point may not be exactly the same as someone else. Yet another person
    may not feel anything on the third point, and that is also okay. Experiences will vary, opinions will vary; that too
    we must respect.</p>
<p>“As preceptors, when we give a sitting to four abhyasis who are seated in front of us, after the sitting we generally
    ask, ‘How did you feel?’ Each one will have a different answer. Sometimes the last one says, ‘I felt the same as the
    first abhyasi, and also that, and my dear sister what you felt, I also felt.’ You can understand why he is being so
    political. His intention is good but he is not being authentic and truthful. It is good to have different
    experiences. Somebody might say, ‘I felt cleaning happening at such and such a point.’ Another person says, ‘I
    received transmission at such and such a point.’ Someone else says, ‘I felt that during the first half of the
    sitting there was lot of transmission. In the second half there was lot of cleaning.’ Another person says, ‘Oh! I
    thought the preceptor went to sleep. He did nothing.’ Sometimes there might be placebo sittings. You never know.</p>
<p>“So all the opinions and ideas and observations that we receive from abhyasis are all perfect, all great, all
    correct. We are asking for their observation. When I spray water on different types of ground, each one will respond
    differently. You spray water on green marble, you spray water on red marble, and it will have a different response.
    We all carry different <em>samskaras</em>. We all will have different experiences in response to the same
    transmission and to the same cleaning. In such matters, sometimes a person feels, ‘That fellow is feeling so good, I
    am not feeling so good.’ We should not compare. That is why Babuji used to discourage abhyasis from discussing their
    experiences amongst themselves. If you understand only this much, that his or her experience can be different from
    mine, then it is perfectly fine. Somebody says, ‘I felt something on the thirteenth point and I felt the presence of
    Lord Krishna today touching my forehead with his feather.’ All right you are blessed but all throughout my sitting I
    was watching the movie, <em>Titanic</em>. It can happen and there is nothing wrong in expressing what exactly you
    feel.</p>
<p>“Now, experience does not make anyone great or small. Some people hallucinate: ‘I had communication with Meera.’
    Great! I wouldn’t say anything further and need not also. People who really communicate will never talk or boast.
    They will be quiet. They are so humble and that’s why to such humble souls great souls visit. If you broadcast, you
    are only broadcasting your ignorance and foolishness.</p>
<p>Now am I attacking another brother or sister? No, I am not doing that, I am just cautioning. Let’s not commit such
    mistakes and start belittling ourselves, ‘Oh! I am not feeling this.’ No one is feeling that. So we should not
    create a hierarchy within our group. We already have so many differences between Canadians, Danish, Germans. The
    differences are superficial, so let them remain superficial differences. Likewise with experiential differences, and
    likewise somebody is staying in the dormitory, somebody is staying in a tent, and somebody is staying in an
    apartment; these are all too superficial to worry about.</p>

<hr>

<h5>Be open and supportive rather than judgemental</h5>

<hr>
<p><img class="float-right m-5"
        src="https://daajiprod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/daaji_Euroseminar10c_6506b30377.jpg?updated_at=2022-11-21T10:10:47.400Z"
        alt="" width="400" height="434">“Now I would like to touch upon something very important. You all know that our
    Mission has undertaken a spiritual movement all throughout the globe. All our sisters and brothers are so active,
    and some of the volunteers are really making a big difference with our Sahaj Marg Spiritual Movement. When the
    activities are happening with so much of intensity, newcomers come, newcomers go, old rookies come and old rookies
    disappear, and while we work there will always be differences in our approach.</p>
<p>“Also, when you say Heartfulness is offering, or Sahaj Marg is offering, or Shri Ram Chandra Mission is offering
    meditation, it’s perfectly fine. We use these terminologies – Shri Ram Chandra Mission, Heartfulness or Sahaj Marg –
    depending upon the country, the city, the psyche of the people and their overall circumstances. Is there any
    difference? In reality, no. It is like you wear appropriate attire to match with the society, that’s all.</p>
<p>“I have shared this example when in an orthodox Indian state in a very liberal city, we had conducted an Open House.
    ‘Shri Ram Chandra Mission invites …’ and banners were placed all over the suburban area. These guys were waiting to
    beat up our volunteers. They said, ‘We will not allow you to conduct meetings in this place.’ So our volunteers
    asked, ‘What is the matter with you?’ And the conversation led to this one word – Mission. ‘You guys are spreading
    Christianity here.’</p>
<p>“So you may not expect such ignorance or problems in India. Some colleges think we are Hindu because it is Shri Ram
    Chandra, who they associate with Lord Rama of Ayodhya. So in order to avoid some level of controversy we use
    Heartfulness. Is there any difference? There is no difference at all. When we speak, when we do our spiritual work,
    it is transmission. Is there anything different here? Not at all. Yet some functionaries still have this
    misunderstanding that Heartfulness is different, Shri Ram Chandra Mission is different. We are only re-presenting
    our essence.</p>
<p>“Some people say Sahaj Marg now does not believe in giving three sittings. If you guys knew the history, Babuji would
    give one sitting, that too long distance, and say, ‘You are done. You can start practising from tomorrow.’ He would
    sometimes give sittings to twenty persons and he allowed a lot of preceptors to do this work remotely as well.
    Danish abhyasis will recall how sister Kasturi and some other preceptors used to directly take care of them.
    Somewhere in between it had to be stopped because of some issues, like abhyasis making pre-arrangements with
    preceptor and saying, “Every Friday at 10 a.m. I would like to have a sitting from you.’ So they would make a
    pre-arrangement, and what would happen? Sometimes the abhyasi would forget or the preceptor would forget and the
    sitting would go on, sometimes with both not sitting. Master was quite upset and he stopped this process. Nowadays
    it is enough to make a phone call and as long as someone is giving you a sitting and you are receiving it, it is
    perfectly fine. Making use of new technology, we are not doing anything wrong. We are not changing the system.</p>
<p>“Nevertheless when remote sittings were encouraged during Babuji’s time there were many reasons. There were not many
    preceptors in overseas countries, so to facilitate this process he allowed remote sittings. Now unfortunately remote
    sittings are taken advantage of by both lazy preceptors and abhyasis who are not very sincere about the whole thing.
    It may sound very humorous – in one apartment building on the twelfth floor a preceptor calls another preceptor who
    is on the tenth floor, “Please give me a sitting.” This is what I call abuse. The best sittings are always
    person-to-person, face-to-face, physically present. The rest is for convenience, so we compromise.</p>

<hr>

<h5>Nurturing the future</h5>

<hr>
<p>“Now, on the administrative side, I would like to make a request to all functionaries in Europe to find your
    successors. Recommend and prepare young ones so that there can be some sort of a different approach. It is not that
    what we have been doing and what we are doing is wrong. No. We need to create a new generation of administrators. It
    is not that you will get retirement either. In spirituality there is no retirement! When we are relieved of
    administrative work as a functionary we will be able to do more spiritual work. Look at it from that perspective. So
    functionaries should not think that they are being demoted or humiliated. No, not at all. You will have a higher
    responsibility of doing spiritual work. Instead of giving sittings for half hour or doing Nature’s work for half
    hour, now you will have plenty of time. At the same time we are establishing some sort of continuity, new blood, new
    spirit, new dynamism.</p>
<p>“Now should you recommend all these things today? No. Take your time. When your heart feels that you should recommend
    a person, recommend. That does not mean we will okay it, but your recommendation will be appreciated.”</p>

<em>To be continued …</em>

Soul Yatra

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

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