Bhubaneswar 1st September 2024

Daaji’s much awaited trip to Bhubaneswar to meet Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia ji, a world-renowned flute maestro, commenced on 1^st September. He arrived at the Bhubaneswar airport at around 1.30 pm where many practitioners were eagerly waiting to receive Daaji. Much to everyone’s pleasant surprise, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia ji, despite his age, had also arrived there to receive Daaji. This gesture was not only symbolic of Panditiji’s respect and affection for Daaji but also showed great humility on his part. As soon as Daaji reached the lounge where Panditji was waiting, Daaji held out his hands and greeted him with just as much respect and love, if not more. It was evident to all present that this exchange was more of a spiritual nature than of mere words and handshakes. Panditji accompanied Daaji to the Mayfair hotel where his stay was put up. 

Both Daaji and Panditji were welcomed with flowers and a tilak [a red vermillion mark applied to the forehead during an Indian welcome ceremony to symbolize blessings, respect, and goodwill] After lunch, before Panditji left, he invited Daaji to visit his gurukul late in the evening for a special musical program arranged by Panditji’s students.

Greater the receptivity of the heart, the greater the openness of the heart, and greater the perceptivity of the heart.

All the practitioners gathered at the venue for the evening meditation were waiting eagerly for a glimpse of Daaji. Daaji was welcomed affectionately by a group of little children with smiling faces. After a small Indian traditional welcome with a tilak, he took his place in the hall. Daaji, always respectful of people’s faith and sentiments, kept the tilak on during the entire proceedings of the evening session. Many questions were posed to Daaji after the meditation session.  

Q: I do not know how to imagine the divine Light inside my heart. I am confused, please guide.

Daaji: Many abhyasis even 10 years into their practice have this question. Meditation is about transcendence, going beyond thoughts, yet we begin with the thought of the divine Light is present in the heart: it’s an idea, a simple sankalpa [a sincere intention]. Pujya Babuji insists that we must not imagine its color or its form or quality, because that will limit our perception. If you imagine it’s blue, you will be limited to that blueness. So we have to let go of all our imaginations and instead have this feeling that ‘O Lord! Whatever it be, I am willing to experience it’; so no conditions. If you remain busy dissecting, analyzing, then it’s not meditation, it’s just mental jugglery.”

 Q: How can we adjust and manage in family life when our spouse does not support or actively opposes our spiritual practice? What to do when one spouse is meditating and the other opposes? 

 Daaji: Well, one can only pray for such individuals. There are categories of spouses: Some say, “You do what you want to do, just don’t force me to do the same. I have no objection.” In reality, they have so many objections. A psychological study was done by our sister abhyasi from M S University, Vadodara, on the comparative happiness quotient of various categories of couples: 1) couples that meditate together; 2) couples that don’t meditate; and 3) couples where one meditates and the other doesn’t. It was concluded that category 1 was the happiest, category 2 was reasonably happy, and the least happy was category 3. Hence I say I can only pray for such couples [category 3], I know it is difficult to manage in such situations.”

Just as the category 3 situation seemed like a lost cause, Daaji promptly gave the example of his first preceptor, Smt. Draupadi Agrawal from whom he took sittings when he was studying in Ahmedabad, and how she had managed just such a situation. 

“She used to struggle to meditate when she came to live with her in-laws after her marriage because they wouldn’t allow her to meditate. So she adapted to the situation and devised a way where she would not create cause for arguments with her new family. She would get up an hour earlier in the morning and lay in bed under her quilt pretending to be asleep but in actuality she would be meditating. In the evening, she would go to the washroom and throw some water around in pretense and do the Heartfulness Cleaning.

“So if you have a will you will find a way, but don’t escalate the issue unnecessarily. You may not be able to meditate with eyes closed but you can remain meditative. Don’t create quarrels in the family. No one can take your heart away once you like something.”

Daaji concluded the session and promised to take more questions the next day after meditation.

After the Q&A session, Daaji visited the music gurukul [school] of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasiaji who is a world-renowned flute maestro. This was a much-anticipated event since the stellar performance of Panditji at Kanha Shanti Vanam a few years ago, when Panditji had invited Revered Daaji to visit his Gurukul. Panditji had added that if Daaji could not make it, he would himself come to Kanha again. But out of his characteristic humility and respect for elders, Daaji did not want Panditji to be troubled by the difficulty of travel at his age, and so Daaji decided then that he would visit Panditji’s gurukul in Bhubaneswar. And that is how Bhubaneswar came to be on Daaji’s travel itinerary. 

A warm welcome later, the students of Panditji gave a splendid performance in honor of Daaji. Daaji has always cherished Indian classical music and often emphasizes the importance of introducing it to children, suggesting, "It would be wonderful if they could wake up to classical music each morning."

He then announced his vision regarding creating music gurukuls in the Heartfulness ashrams at various locations in India and the US. Speaking to the students who gave the performance, he encouraged them to take up leadership for these gurukuls.

“We already have ashrams, the structures and residential facilities are already there, we don’t have to build new ones. We are ready to roll! We have a presence in 160 countries under the auspices of Shri Ram Chandra Mission well known now as the Heartfulness way of meditation. I recommend the following places for you to consider—the Heartfulness ashrams of Raipur, Chhattisgarh; Hyderabad, Telangana; Panvel, Mumbai; Chennai; Delhi; Bengaluru; Kolkata; Lucknow; Varanasi; Indore; Jaipur; Ahmedabad; Vadodara; and 3 major ashrams in the US—Fremont, California; Richmond, Virginia; and Princeton, New Jersey. I am leaving this list with Panditji, so please confer with him. When you graduate, these places are waiting for you to take over. May God bless you.”

Daaji and Panditji then proceeded for a group photo with the entire team, before heading to dinner with the guests. Daaji then left for the Mayfair hotel for some much-needed rest.