It is the first of the three-day celebrations of Chariji’s 95th birth anniversary at Kanha. The overcast sky is no dampener to the joy and festivity ringing in the air!

Between 6.30 a.m. and 7.10 a.m., Daaji conducted meditation for all those who had gathered in the meditation all. The morning session recorded an assembly of around 11,700 seekers, with the number rising every minute as seekers from all over the world poured into Kanha. 

Daaji privately shared some of his revelations during meditation:

Deciphering sacred symbols

“AUM is considered a holy symbol, and precisely so for it carries many secret messages. It is a secret for those who don’t understand, while for those who understand the value of the symbol, it is no longer a secret.”

Daaji then drew the symbol, explaining that the curves stood for the three Gunas, or attributes, sat, rajas and tamas. When we transcend and go beyond these three Gunas, we enter the state of zero, nothingness, and are liberated. Instead, if we go the other way there is no transcendence, no liberation. As long as we remain within these attributes, the cycle of birth and death continues.”

Daaji stated that there were many such significant symbols created by the sages of yore. AUM was one of them, and another was the symbol of Sat-Chit-Anand. He said he would explain that some other time.

The work goes on

After meditation, Daaji gave a short talk expressing his joy at the spiritual condition of the practitioners gathered in the hall. He suggested every practitioner take a sitting between 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 pm and instructed every preceptor [trainer] to be available for 4-5 sittings that morning.

Daaji appealed to every preceptor to give daily sittings and groom at least five practitioners after they returned home so that they become intense practitioners and ambassadors of Heartfulness. He insisted on brother preceptors attending to brother practitioners, and sister preceptors to sister practitioners.

Daaji encouraged preceptors to become beacons of light and create an atmosphere of unity in their centers. He stated that in the future the virtual meditation sessions on Sunday would come to a halt, and encouraged everyone to attend group meditation sessions in person in their centers.

After breakfast, the trio sat in Daaji’s office, chatting and reminiscing the olden days with Babuji. There was a short discussion on the Sahaj Marg emblem and idol worship.

Where were the temples before the Vedic period?

“The sages of the pre-Vedic period did not meditate. They were able to perceive things directly, so they did not need to meditate. And when there was no need for meditation, how could there be a need for temples?”

Daaji had a phone call with Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, Minister of Agriculture, Co-operation and Marketing of Telangana, and Dr. Varaprasad Reddy, founder of Shantha Biotechnics. He invited both of them to Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasiaji’s live concert scheduled on the 24th evening at Kanha Shanti Vanam.  

Soon thereafter, Jai Sabari and Makarand Pande’s family from the USA paid a visit. Makarand had brought a few items, including new neck support that Daaji found very comfortable.

At 11.45 am, Daaji left for the admin office to attend a meeting of the regional facilitators. He discussed several initiatives, and gave a short talk:

Centers of unity

Daaji directed the regional facilitators to encourage all members within a particular zone to partake in the Heartfulness activities of that region. He guided them to establish unity across their centers, without taking any sides.

He nudged the facilitators to develop a culture of request rather than order, a culture of serving rather than being served.

Daaji, urging all of them to read the chapter written by Babuji on Lalaji Saheb in Truth Eternal, mentioned that time and again, it would be a reminder of an ideal lifestyle.

He had an e-mail read out on how to prepare practitioners to make the best of each Bhandara, and shared his reflections:

The art of being receptive

“Each of these exercises should start with a heartfelt prayer to Babuji Maharaj, that may such a condition emerge. That should be the beginning of our activities. Increased receptivity is a direct result of removing obstacles in the form of samskaras and prejudice.

“Holding this condition is possible when you appreciate what has been given. And that is a direct result of devotion – that you care about the Giver and value whatever comes from Him. This is a product of devotion, bhakti. So we try to work on this aspect of removing obstacles, samskaras and creating bhakti.

“If there is no bhakti in us, it will not pour out. So first we have to create bhakti in ourselves. And when you work with that state of the heart, it becomes easier. Otherwise, it is artificial. It will be like rain in the desert: one moment it rains, and the next second it has dried up. Nothing grows.”

Daaji returned home, observing the activities in full swing across the Kanha premises. He went for a walk in his garden, picking up dry leaves with his stick and piling them near the plants by the wayside. He gave a few suggestions to the concerned team regarding the health and care of plants.

The first half of the day came to a close. Daaji had his lunch and rested for a while.

He arrived in the meditation hall around 5.25 p.m. for the evening session and was very happy to see Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia waiting to meditate with him. There were around 21,800 seekers present in the hall. Daaji conducted meditation for all, thereby kickstarting the official three-day celebrations.

Daaji gave a short talk after meditation, paying a heart-touching tribute to Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and his musical legacy. He recollected Chariji’s deep liking for Panditji’s flute and went on to describe the vibratory effect of various genres of music. He encouraged children to learn Indian classical music and urged one and all to keep this ancient form of art alive through the miasmas of time.

The vibratory impact of music

“Our beloved Master was very fond of Hariprasadji’s flute. Whenever he was happy, he would play it. Whenever he was sad and disgusted, or could not sleep, he would play it. My children and grandchildren, also, wake up and sleep with Hariprasadji’s flute music.”

“I highly recommend that children should wake up to such a satvik atmosphere, and sleep in a satvik atmosphere. Of course, we pray, we meditate, but sometimes certain external means accelerate the shift in our moods. The vibration of this kind of music prepares our hearts and minds and opens them up. It brings us to a level of consciousness that is more receptive to godly vibrations.” 

Panditji spent some time with Daaji in his office. After a tour of Yatra Garden and the children’s play area, Daaji dropped him at Pearl and returned home.  

Later in the night, Daaji asked a seeker to share his reflections on the Bhandara message. The seeker replied that he had not read the message as it was yet to be released. Daaji was not happy with this information and was upset at the lack of proper communication between the concerned team members.

With this, Daaji brought the day to a close and went to bed.