Kanha Shantivanam 25th October 2023

At around 10 a.m., Daaji made his way to the meditation hall to meet eager practitioners who were waiting for him. Inside the meditation hall office, he had an affectionate interaction with his second granddaughter, Laya, and spoke to her about Babuji.  

During this interaction, a practitioner offered him some apples and oranges. He accepted them gracefully, giving one back to the practitioner and passing the rest to Laya, who was observing the exchange with innocence and curiosity.

Soon after, Daaji greeted everyone in the meditation hall and conducted a meditation session from 10:17 a.m. to 10:51 a.m. Following the meditation, Daaji met a few guests in his office. Among them was a couple with two young daughters, one of whom was celebrating her birthday. Daaji offered Prasad. Noticing that the prasad was too hot for the young girl, he suggested that her mother wait for it to cool down, before giving it to her. Everyone present there could only help but gaze at him with affection, seeing his caring and loving nature towards all.

Daaji spoke with the younger girl and asked how old she was. She responded, "9 years." With a warm smile, Daaji playfully asked her if she ate properly as she appeared weak. He encouraged her to have a good diet, and be strong and asked if she participated in any sports. When he came to know that she was taking dance classes, he inquired whether it was classical dance or a more contemporary style, humorously referring to it as "monkey dance." He suggested avoiding teaching movie-style dances and recommended a focus on classical dance forms. He also suggested incorporating yoga asanas into her routine and even recommended that she teach her grandmother a new asana every week.

Daaji then offered the young boy a fruit, who was waiting at his office, seeking an audience. Daaji made sure to meet everyone waiting for him. In his infinite wisdom and love it felt as if, in those moments, his attention was totally focussed on each and every individual. 

A little while later, Shri Sheeshpal Rajput ji, Chairman, YogAyog Board, Govt. of Gujarat met Daaji. During the discussion Daaji gave his insights on the need for spirituality in today’s age and explained the various ways of offering spirituality.

Daaji said, “In today’s world as the materialism (Bhautikta) increases, we are forgetting our culture (Sanskriti). We must keep the flame of spirituality ignited in the hearts of children and youth. Where the culture is being forgotten we have to bring that culture back into our society. It’s my humble request to you that you can convey this message to your colleagues and other office bearers.”

When asked how to implement this, Daaji said, “We have to reach each and every individual. It is very difficult for our volunteers to travel everywhere. Somewhere it’s easy and takes less time to travel. However, some states have strategic geographical difficulties and it takes more time and effort for volunteers in such situations. So, to overcome this we need to build several centres of mediation all over. For example, in Gujarat we may have 5 centres - Kutch, Saurashtra, Ahmedabad, Central Gujarat and South Gujarat; likewise in other states, we need to build this well. For every 4 or 5 villages, there can be one Heartfulness centre. One Heartfulness centre can be about an acre. It doesn't have to be too large.  We can then have one place for yoga and meditation, a greenhouse, etc. As we know, the government is giving subsidies to villagers, they can also consider giving subsidies to such organisations. We may also teach ‘Brighter Minds’ in these centres. We train our trainers for this. Some revenue share can be discussed to support the trainers.”

“Every centre should run programs regularly about Patanjali’s yoga sutras and Heartfulness meditation. And if we want to advance further, we may make everyone aware of the secret of this yoga and meditation as explained in our Upanishad and Gita. If we would like to learn how to evolve our consciousness, we have to interconnect the practice and this wisdom.” 

Daaji gave examples of Sage Vasishta and Ashtavakra and spoke about how dialogues of consciousness are mentioned in the sacred text. Daaji said, “In that yuga, normal people were also discussing and understanding ideas and concepts related to consciousness. Today this is missing. Science tries to explain consciousness, but the common people do not seem to be much interested. So, we have to develop that interest in today’s world.”

After the discussion, Sheeshpal ji joined Daaji at his home. Daaji walked him through the woods in Gokul Point, explaining in intricate detail how the area was developed. Sheeshpal Ji was amazed to see the development and achievements of the Heartfulness team in such a short period. After a walk around the plantation site, he joined Daaji for lunch.  

Later in the evening, Daaji went for a test drive in an Audi car, and after a short walk, he joined a book discussion through Zoom on the topic ‘You are the Knot’ by Osho.

A few excerpts from the discussion are as follows:

• The mind is not our enemy; it can be our best friend too. It is through the mind that we share Pranahuti or Yogic Transmission.
• Talking about miseries, Daaji said, “Every religion and many great saints talk about how miserable this life is. Even the message that Babuji gave in 1981, in Hindi says, देहधारी को तकलीफ ही तकलीफ है। And it is incorrectly translated in English as ‘miseries’. Babuji is trying to say that difficulties are there for all embodied ones. But it depends on us how to translate these difficulties, either to translate them in our mind, react to them as a misery, or consider them as a challenge. People who consider them as a challenge, become stronger. Then these miseries are no longer difficulties. Everyone including the great saints has been criticising this world as a misery, but it is not so.”
• Once you become a nirgranti (one without knots or samskaras), where is the problem? And what if everyone becomes nirgranti? Will it be possible? I think large numbers of human beings can become that, and I think this is the offering of Sahaj Marg, which is trying to achieve that state wherein most of us become nirgranti. Without the projections of our mind, where our mind interferes with our existence, we can become a nirgranti. We can have a harmonious existence, both within and outside. That harmonious existence radiates outside also. So, whenever I see some of our Abhyasis quarrelling amongst each other, ‘This person did not do this or this person did that’ – I feel sad. It hits you like a rocket because you don't expect this from our lot. It's like a disease has invaded some of our people, even after so many years, but it's okay, we live with it and work on it.”
• A lot of people who are experts in Sankara philosophy, which says that Brahman is Reality, and the world is an Illusion, have been asking me if this world is a Maya or an illusion. I replied with a simple question: who is asking this? If this world is an illusion, who is asking this? So you are also an illusion then, aren't you? But since you are asking and it has deliberately arisen in your heart this world is not an illusion.
• Babuji refers to the Pralaya and the Mahapralaya. Mahapralaya happens only at that moment of final dissolution. But individual pralaya is our choice. We can bring about that, collapse into that singularity. Only through meditation, at the peak of Samadhi, does it happen. So whenever we sit for meditation we have to drop everything and have this idea of surrender.  
• In Sahaj Marg, we speak about cognitive memory and emotional memory. Cognitive memory is protected. The emotional memory can be removed by cleaning, and thus the state of nirgranti be achieved.
• The reality is that the mind is not our enemy. When we transcend the mind, we awaken the heart.
• Heartfulness trainers while giving sittings, can have positive intentions or positive suggestions and based on the field of vibrations of the practitioners, they pick up these vibrations, easily. If the heart is not open, whatever we send as intentions will not work. 
• So Babuji’s idea of surrender is very profound. Unless that happens, work cannot be effective. 
• If we understand things, we don't have to do cleaning also. Understanding is like a light that finds the path. Understanding removes the darkness and removes the ignorance. Samskaras are like ignorance.
• In our lives when we receive the first meditation, just a little bit of samskaras are removed from the heart. How wonderful we felt in the first sitting. Imagine when all the chakras are cleaned up, all the koshas are gone, and all the knots are unknotted, how would you feel? At times we begin to cry too. We feel ecstatic, isn’t it?
• Talking about miseries and acceptance, Daaji said, “Babuji in one of the Whispers from the Brighter World’s messages says, ‘If you don’t accept, what will happen to misery? Will it go away? So, the key is to accept and understand what this difficulty is all about. Some solutions will emerge and misery will be dissolved. But acceptance cannot happen without you understanding the misery itself. As the disciple was saying here (in the book) the way to dissolve the knot is to understand how they were formed in the first place and how to unknot it. Many times in life we don't understand the source of misery, or how it was formed when we talk of past lives. So, with a blanket statement, you say take all miseries whether you understand them or not. Sometimes we can say ‘Oh it is because I am feeling miserable’ and you may be 100% right but there are many situations where we don't understand why we feel like that. It has some roots somewhere. Many situations are there where we don't know why things happen. There are many things we cannot solve. Even we understand some things. It is so cosmic.”
• So spirituality is at an individual level. Trying to change the world is not going to happen.
• Talking about impressions Daaji said, “Let us lead a life in such a way that we don't create impressions on others. When we do our cleaning, magical things happen. Others who are in our thinking orbit, also get cleaned up. When one becomes nirgranti, or even partially nirgranti, that person creates that impact. Some light will be shared in such a way that the other person gets influenced and affected and this also changes the vibratory pattern of the other person whether that person meditates or not.”
• Meditators can change the landscape of society.

The discussion lasted for about two hours, after which Daaji expressed his fatigue. He had dinner and then busied himself with reading and reports. Later, he retired for the day.