My recent wonderful trip to India....
why go to meditation seminars/celebrations and how does one benefit?
I have recently returned from a short trip to India, one week in all, to celebrate the birth anniversary of my wonderful guide Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari. He passed away in December last year and this is the first time we have celebrated without his physical presence.... well it was something special, 60,000 meditators all meditating in the Sahaj Marg practice, in the same place at the same time was amazing! Lead by our new guide, Kamlesh Patel, the meditation sessions were really 'out of this world' and I found myself at the end of each one, wondering where I was and taking some time to work it out!
The joy on everyone's faces told the story...this was a time we could set aside, go inside and find the quiet and peace within, the inner divinity we are all craving...such a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of everyday life ... our challenge is how to maintain the wonderful condition we acquired there!
The next celebration, the birthday of our new and dear, current guide/teacher Kamlesh Patel is being held in Tirrupur India 28th September and although I am not able to make it to India I will be celebrating at a seminar in Perth for this purpose with fellow seekers. There will we celebrations in all our centres so if you would like to come and join us please feel free to do so.
Monday, 31 August 2015
Friday, 17 July 2015
Travelling with our Guide to Hyderabad
After my first night in Chennai I understood Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari was travelling to Hyderabad with many of those staying in the ashram and that too was my intent. Parthasarthi is the President of the Sri Ram Chandra Mission and our meditation guide. (I baulked at the need for a guide initially but later realized that just as in any field where we are looking to perfect a skill, meditation requires someone to lead us on that journey. )
We all travelled to the airport in the little bus in which I had arrived on the previous night and our journey had begun! At the airport we had some time to wait for the plane so all crowded around Parasarathi and carefully listened to fascinating stories, always with heaps of meaning and words of wisdom that he very lovingly and casually shared with us.
On arrival in Hyderabad we went straight to the Sahaj Marg ashram where our first meditation began virtually immediately. There were hundreds of meditators present and I found myself sitting on the floor with no back rest, a very uncomfortable situation for me normally however somehow it was OK and following the meditation there were a number of talks given by people who had been practising the system for many years. Although the talks were interesting I found myself 'dozing' off constantly and infact that whole visit passed in rather a haze, a haze of wonder, contentment and somehow a total surrender to all that was happening.
The small, very inexpensive hotel in which I was staying with a number of the others was a long distance from the ashram and I have no sense of direction and no command of the local languages. Frequently I set out to go back to the hotel in an auto-rickshaw, was unable to direct the driver but somehow we always arrived safely! A mystery I only fully contemplated some time after this visit.
We all travelled to the airport in the little bus in which I had arrived on the previous night and our journey had begun! At the airport we had some time to wait for the plane so all crowded around Parasarathi and carefully listened to fascinating stories, always with heaps of meaning and words of wisdom that he very lovingly and casually shared with us.
On arrival in Hyderabad we went straight to the Sahaj Marg ashram where our first meditation began virtually immediately. There were hundreds of meditators present and I found myself sitting on the floor with no back rest, a very uncomfortable situation for me normally however somehow it was OK and following the meditation there were a number of talks given by people who had been practising the system for many years. Although the talks were interesting I found myself 'dozing' off constantly and infact that whole visit passed in rather a haze, a haze of wonder, contentment and somehow a total surrender to all that was happening.
The small, very inexpensive hotel in which I was staying with a number of the others was a long distance from the ashram and I have no sense of direction and no command of the local languages. Frequently I set out to go back to the hotel in an auto-rickshaw, was unable to direct the driver but somehow we always arrived safely! A mystery I only fully contemplated some time after this visit.
Saturday, 6 June 2015
My first visit to India for Meditation:
I began my journey in 1994 and really was hooked immediately...I felt like I had come home and waited eagerly to do my own practice and also to share time with the meditation group on sundays and wednesday nights.
In January 1995 I decided to go to India to the headquarters of the organisation and to meet and travel with the President, Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari. I flew alone to Chennai, rather a daunting experience although I had been prepared for it when a couple years earlier a friend and I had travelled to a therapy conference in Kerala, South India and had travelled via Chennai on that occasion. I caught a pre-paid taxi from the airport and after travelling for sometime the driver stopped in what appeared to be a paddock in the middle of nowhere...the driver spoke no English and my hand signals combined with a few English words were not getting me anywhere..by now it was two o'clock in the morning ...suddenly out of the dark appeared a figure and said in perfect English 'can I help?' I was blown away. All I could say was "what are you doing here at this time of night? " to which the reply "waiting for sand to be delivered" hmmm, two o'clock in the morning, this is India! Dear Jonathon took care of the taxi, booked it for our journey the next day to the airport and then showed me the bathrooms and dormitories... there was a bed with mosquito net all set up, "just sleep there" said he as "no one seems to be using it"... and away he went. I now realize how blessed I was on that occasion and how beautifully I was looked after. In the morning when I and the other occupants awoke, there were no questions except to check who was going to Hyderabad that morning... I was totally accepted as part of the group even though I had not met anyone of these folk before...I belonged!
I began my journey in 1994 and really was hooked immediately...I felt like I had come home and waited eagerly to do my own practice and also to share time with the meditation group on sundays and wednesday nights.
In January 1995 I decided to go to India to the headquarters of the organisation and to meet and travel with the President, Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari. I flew alone to Chennai, rather a daunting experience although I had been prepared for it when a couple years earlier a friend and I had travelled to a therapy conference in Kerala, South India and had travelled via Chennai on that occasion. I caught a pre-paid taxi from the airport and after travelling for sometime the driver stopped in what appeared to be a paddock in the middle of nowhere...the driver spoke no English and my hand signals combined with a few English words were not getting me anywhere..by now it was two o'clock in the morning ...suddenly out of the dark appeared a figure and said in perfect English 'can I help?' I was blown away. All I could say was "what are you doing here at this time of night? " to which the reply "waiting for sand to be delivered" hmmm, two o'clock in the morning, this is India! Dear Jonathon took care of the taxi, booked it for our journey the next day to the airport and then showed me the bathrooms and dormitories... there was a bed with mosquito net all set up, "just sleep there" said he as "no one seems to be using it"... and away he went. I now realize how blessed I was on that occasion and how beautifully I was looked after. In the morning when I and the other occupants awoke, there were no questions except to check who was going to Hyderabad that morning... I was totally accepted as part of the group even though I had not met anyone of these folk before...I belonged!
Monday, 25 May 2015
On that first day, the first time I meditated with John I found it amazing...I had been meditating on and off for years in an ad hoc manner but this was something else! I remember thinking, "it is coming to an end, he is going to say 'that's all" now", and he did! the feeling afterwards wasI like I had come home, I was in the right place, where I belong. I can't say I understood why this was so in that all I was looking for was a group to meditate with! Anyway we arranged to meet to meditate together on the two following days and then John explained how I could meditate at home as well as join the local Sahaj Marg (The Natural Path) meditation group. I immediately began meditating at home both morning and evening. John had given me a few brochures to read...I couldn't get enough information..I read and reread all I was given! I was fascinated!
Thursday, 14 May 2015
How I started my meditation journey
I had been meditating for some years on my own in an ad hoc way, not expecting much and accordingly not getting a great deal out of it apart from feeling a little calmer and more at peace when I did do it. However I had a yen to meditate with a group for some reason which I could not define. At this time I went to a party and as I came into the house the host introduced me to John who he said had just returned from India "where he goes to meditate". I took note of this and asked John what sort of meditation he is doing, mentioning I was already doing some practice. He told me he had also meditated in that way and was now doing something different, called The Natural Path, or Sahaj Marg, to give it its Sanskrit name. I asked him to convince me about why that was better.."ah not better" he said "however I have found it to be effective"..."Ok sell it to me" I said! he replied that like eating a mango, he could tell me all he could about how it tastes but I would never know unless I actually tried it! we discussed for a while and then he left to talk with others, returning to give me a card with his phone number and invited me to join the group if I wished...well I didn't wish initially! however for 10 days the thought played on my mind... I could always leave if I found it not to my liking so why not give it a go?
So I did. I phoned John, organised a time and went over to his home. We sat and drank tea as I asked many enquiring questions ...all very normal, I was thinking! He then asked if I would like to try the meditation, I agreed and thus began the most exciting journey of my life...20 years ago now!
So I did. I phoned John, organised a time and went over to his home. We sat and drank tea as I asked many enquiring questions ...all very normal, I was thinking! He then asked if I would like to try the meditation, I agreed and thus began the most exciting journey of my life...20 years ago now!
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