Amid all this activity, Daaji observed some burns on the cook's arm and inquired about what had occurred, expressing genuine concern as he examined the blisters. Advising the cook to be more cautious in the future, Daaji's empathy for others' pain was evident. We recall similar instances where such empathy shines through. Once, a young man in his office bore a bruise on the bridge of his nose, yet none of us took notice or inquired about its cause. Daaji, engrossed in his work and conversations, happened to pass by the young man's table, pausing abruptly to inquire about the injury. The boy, taken aback, explained how he had acquired the bruise while exiting his car that morning. Though the bruise was faint and scarcely noticeable from a distance, Daaji promptly arranged for his attendant, Kannan, to fetch a particular ointment from his room and provide it to the boy.
The tranquility of the morning was swiftly replaced by the bustling energy of a Telegu channel interview for V6 conducted amidst the picturesque backdrop of the courtyard of Daaji’s residence. The young anchor, bedecked in traditional attire, spoke with vivacity, orchestrating unconventional shots for the interview, including a stroll through Daaji's verdant garden.
Following the departure of the interview crew, Daaji retreated to his swing, embracing a moment of repose. He had a few visitors, including Harpreet Bhan, who introduced two young practitioners, one of whom had recently found a job in Germany. The palpable presence of Daaji evoked profound serenity, leaving an indelible impression on the young aspirants seated in front of him.
During their interaction, Daaji expressed disappointment over recent governmental regulations concerning the marriageable age of girls, advocating for an earlier threshold as elucidated in his seminal work, "The Wisdom Bridge." Stirred by Daaji's perspective, the young man expressed his willingness to get married to the girl Daaji would find for him, prompting Daaji to explore potential matches through the Sahaj Marg marriage registry.
The registry proposed a photograph of an Abhyasi girl of marriageable age looking suitable for the boy seated there. Daaji showed the photograph of the girl and proposed the match to the young man. Daaji advocated a dialogue between the prospective partners to gauge mutual compatibility. He always does that to ensure that there is comfort in the match before taking on a serious engagement of any sort.
Daaji entrusted Harpreet Bhan with facilitating Adizes management skill development sessions for select teams in Kanha. Reflecting on hierarchical structures within organizations, Daaji reaffirmed his commitment to fostering inclusivity and unity within the Sahaj Marg fraternity. He said it would be sad if one day our mission had this kind of differentiation where certain people would be considered important or authorities of any sort in the mission. His innate fairness and just and kind outlook have been experienced by those who have come into contact with him, even when they knew him as a disciple of his master.
Later, amidst a flurry of updates from Sanjay Sehgal, Daaji agreed, after some reflection, to personally receive that day’s well-known guest, Sunil Gavaskar, one of India's cricketing legends. Accompanied by Lufti Hasan, Sunil Gavaskar was first taken on a comprehensive tour of Kanha by the Kanha team, culminating in a heartfelt exchange with Daaji over lunch. When the Brighter Minds demo was presented to him, he was astonished and became very fascinated with it.
Later, Daaji took Sunil Gavaskar on a tour of his meticulously curated garden cum rain forest after lunch, elucidating the symbolic significance of Lord Ganesha's image and imparting timeless wisdom on spiritual transformation. After looking up Sunil Gavaskar’s birth chart, it was decided that he would be planting a jackfruit plant in the grove behind the meditation hall, as indicated by the alignment of his nakshatra. Daaji then bid him farewell, and Sunil Gavaskar went to do the plantation.
In the evening, Daaji came to the meditation hall office, accompanied by Marg and little Laaya. Meena Sai, director of the Heartfulness Inner Peace Museum, presented a beautiful painting donated by Mahirwan Mamtani, an Indian artist based in Germany, to our museum. His work is often based on constructivism, influenced by Rudolph Steiner, Joseph Beuys, and as far back as William Blake, the famous mystic and poet. The painting is called “Travelling to the Unknown.”
Trilochan Chawla from Chattisgarh welcomed Daaji with a flower bouquet and shared his recent experiences of Heartfulness practice in serene gratitude. A little later, one of the cooks from our ashram kitchen presented his newborn son to Daaji, who named the baby boy ‘Gauranga’ after the great saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s other name. He lovingly took the baby in his arms.
Amid all this activity, Daaji observed some burns on the cook's arm and inquired about what had occurred, expressing genuine concern as he examined the blisters. Advising the cook to be more cautious in the future, Daaji's empathy for others' pain was evident. We recall similar instances where such empathy shines through. Once, a young man in his office bore a bruise on the bridge of his nose, yet none of us took notice or inquired about its cause. Daaji, engrossed in his work and conversations, happened to pass by the young man's table, pausing abruptly to inquire about the injury. The boy, taken aback, explained how he had acquired the bruise while exiting his car that morning. Though the bruise was faint and scarcely noticeable from a distance, Daaji promptly arranged for his attendant, Kannan, to fetch a particular ointment from his room and provide it to the boy. Daaji's acute perception extends not only to physical injuries but also to emotional pain and unspoken needs. His generosity is inexhaustible, as he discreetly attends to individuals from all walks of life, a remarkable trait that inspires humility and reassurance in those around him.
Daaji was about to start the meditation when one of the sisters updated Daaji about the passing away of the center coordinator from Ireland. Ivor was one of our devoted practitioners from Ireland. He and his wife, June, had been actively involved in the mission’s work in Ireland for several years. Daaji thanked her for informing him and requested everyone to pray for Ivor during the meditation, which was from 6.50 p.m. to 7.19 p.m.
Before leaving, he had a short discussion on the Inner Peace Museum with Meena Sai, who approved of certain artwork she presented to him. On the way to his car, he met all those waiting for him outside. He asked Trilochan Chawla and his friend to sit with him in the car and went home with them. Following a quiet dinner, the guests were driven back to their rooms at the Pearl by Kannan.
