As we settled in the Meditation Hall at Taponagara, looking forward to a beautiful interactive session with Guruji, it struck me that half of the year had already rushed by and there was so much ground to cover. This is a common sentiment with most as time seems to fly. While waiting for Guruji to preside, there was a silence with the fullness of devotion, surrender and a muted excitement. If one could read minds then probably the re-wording on the prepared list of questions, hesitation in some and confidence in others, a deep urge to just be in his physical presence ensconced in his Light could be felt. But the different emotions seemed to melt into one overwhelming emotion – that of love for Guruji. As he entered the Hall the vibrations of the place changed, there was a strange opening up in everyone, and for a moment at least time seemed to stand still. This article presents the informal discussion which was organized in the month of June 2012.

Concern for others is a natural characteristic of a meditator. This is reflected in a question by one of the participants.

“Guruji, when meditators and non-meditators absorb the Divine White Light Energy, is their transformation the same?”

“Yes. It is. Isn’t that beautiful? All have equal opportunities. In fact, the Energies will be waiting, rather patiently, for a person to awaken. And when a person opens-up they naturally absorb these Divine vibrations.”

“Does this hold true for processes like activation of Chakras, etc?”

“We have entered a period of Time wherein once a person transforms into a positive being, or even intends to do so, the processes of Chakra activation automatically begins. The ambient Spiritual energies are different from the earlier times. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that we are now in advanced times and when we inform them they find it hard to accept.

“A person joined one of our Meditation centres and when we told him that we activate all the Chakras simultaneously and a one Chakra-at-a-time was not required at this time, he simply left the Path. The Rishis never insist that their teachings must be followed, they simply present an opportunity and they never impose their views. If anybody wants to retrograde and follow old Meditational practices they are free to do so.”

The Rishis who gave us the Vedas and Mantras are now teaching us that we are entering the Light Age; that we have stronger Divine Energies available for a faster transformation into beings of Light. In the earlier Yugas, they taught us the performance of Homas and Yagnas; later they taught that chanting the holy name of God or Divine Personalities was enough. When we live in different Yugas or periods of Time, the purity levels in our system and those in the environment are different. Corresponding appropriate Meditational techniques and approaches to the Divine are prescribed by the Spiritual Masters.

Guruji gave us more examples of how people prefer complicated methods when reaching out to God is very easy. “Communicating with God is easy; talk to Him as a child would to a parent, with lots of love and absolute faith. Listen to Him and you will receive His message. No one believes this, neither do they believe that there are seventy-two kinds of Kundalini, from the gross to the subtlest, and the finest Kundalini rises when we are pure. There is no need to practise complex painful techniques to raise the purest Kundalini in these times.”

Direct communication with God is possible. Encouraged by Guruji’s words, I tried and it worked. Once while trying to fall asleep I reached out to God and asked quite childishly, ‘Well, God, what are you doing right now; I mean, right at this very moment?’ And there was an answer – ‘Everything’.

As the Shift in human consciousness hastens and as more channel Light to the whole world, one often wonders about those who do not accept Light and what happens to all the channelled Light. Guruji explained that Light is from the supreme Intelligence, it knows, and in human terms, it waits patiently. Whenever the person is ready to receive he does, if not then it will be with some person or in the air, walls, etc. Light is never wasted.

Ms. Sudha Raman had a question in the same context. “When we receive Energies from you, Guruji, does it help us in Meditations only or does it help us in overcoming emotional perturbations and other such things?”

“The Energies do much more; if you are frustrated, it brings you patience, courage and it cheers you up. Let me say, it does everything; yes, everything is the word.”

Seldom do we realise that the Spiritual Masters help us in ways we are yet to understand.

Ms. Rashmi had a series of questions and, as usual, they were all good. She started with the trending topic of the Venus transit of 2012. She wanted to know that since Love is the need of the hour and Venus is the planet of love, is there any co-relation.

Guruji clarified that the transit augurs many positive developments on earth. There has been an increase in the number of natural calamities like earthquakes and the overall picture looks bleak. But Venus transit indicates great hope and it is a sign that we are entering the New Age.

Her next question was more a sign of her Spiritual growth – “Guruji, the sky looks so different these days, it is so amazing, it looks so beautiful….”

With his inimitable smile Guruji he said, “It depends on the one who is seeing the vastness of the sky. Many have seen flying birds, but when Ramakrishna Paramahamsa looked at them he entered Samadhi. Some reach states of ecstasy when they observe Nature in silence.” Pausing for a tiny moment, he continued, “There is a famous fable. When a scientist sees the full moon he describes it as a sphere of light but when a poet observes he sees much more. So it all depends on the observer.”

Probably when we experience the sky, and not just see it, we see its beauty. Long time ago Guruji had asked us to experience the vastness of the sky as a technique for expansion of awareness.

Somehow, Joseph Joubert’s quote comes to my mind – “Close your eyes and see.”

Not noticing the compliment hidden in Guruji’s answer, Rashmi presented her next question. “Sometimes we have something on our minds and when we are about to share it with another person, somehow it is forgotten. When we trace back our mental steps to the place where we got the thought, instantly we remember; so is it that the vibration of the thought was left there?”

With his smile still intact, he guided her with a hint, “Maybe you forgot because you are not meant to convey; think about it…”

Switching mode from questions to sharing her views she said, “You have given such a beautiful point that Maya is a gift. All these days, we thought that Maya is an illusion, but now we understand that Maya is a gift which enables us in seeing things as they are. And Vairagya is not detaching, it is attaching to a higher realm. As I was pondering on the wisdom of these points a thought struck me - only a real Master can speak like this.”

An epitome of humility, Guruji responded, “Remember, these points are taught by the Rishis, my Guru used to speak about such matters, I only elaborate and repeat, of course, that’s what a teacher does. These are very important points.

“Few years back if someone joined Meditations then the family members would be worried that he will leave them and become a Sanyasi. Now we understand the real meaning of the Sanskrit word Sanyasa which is ‘Sa’ + ‘Nyasa’; the second part means a perfect circle and the first means with, so the composite meaning is – the one who is perfect like a circle, perfect in every aspect, and his life revolves around God who is at the centre of his being. A Spiritual person is the one who loves life and experiences it to the maximum. We need not totally cut-off from life and relationships; although a sensible distance is wise.”

Guruji’s most famous quote is – “Celebrating life is celebrating God’s Presence on earth.”

He re-visited the point of Vairagya. “Vairagya means detachment, not negating life.” Peeling back layers of meanings contained by the most misunderstood word, he added, “Detachment can also be understood as prioritizing. It does not mean giving up on material comforts or riches; it means being detached from all that we possess. Amara was a very rich man yet he was a real Vairagi and a Sanyasi in every detail. Once when he had got a new house constructed, we were invited to see it; Amara was also looking at the house as if he was doing so for the first time.

“Detachment applies to emotions as well. When we really love, we let go; love seems to reduce the distance. Contemplate on this point. It is always nice to be with those we love but when we elevate the love, I may not even meet the person. When I think of my mother, I feel her. I feel like my love for her is the greatest, but then everyone’s love is the like that. She passed over many years ago.

“Anyway, do not try to possess, detachment happens when you have great love.”

Rashmi shared two very beautiful experiences. “In my garden there is a small Tulsi plant which had dried up, I thought of a replacement. Something stirred in me and I requested the plant to spring back to life. I sent my love and Light, I even told it that I loved it; it worked, in just three days I saw tiny leaflets birthing forth from the dried bark.” She then turned sombre and asked a very deep question, “Guruji, is it possible for a plant or a person to start from wherever it has stopped?”

“Let me narrate a similar incident,” Guruji said, “a lady had a plant which had stopped flowering for a long time, hurt by someone’s comment that she should discard the plant, she spoke to it mentally and requested for flowers to bloom. In a few days it happened. You see, there can always be beginnings, this can happen every moment, every day, with everyone and everything. In God’s Creation anything is possible with love.”

These simple words are a source of encouragement and strength to many. Guruji has always emphasized on moving on, let me quote his words – “Start from wherever you are; even if you have stagnated or deviated. Never give up on your growth.”

Rashmi had instantly become vibrant with Guruji’s reassuring words; she shared her three-year-old son’s faith in Light. “Guruji, when you said anything is possible with love, I feel I have to share how my son managed to manifest this reality. He has been channelling Light since he was just two, whenever he gets hurt while playing he closes his eyes and says that Devi is sending him Light and so he has no pain. One evening we were sitting outside our house, mosquitoes started feasting on us, so I told him that we should get inside. He said if we send Light to mosquitoes then they won’t bite!”

“It is possible. I have tried successfully.”

“It is amazing how the children know such things….”

“That is simply because they are advanced souls. They understand more than we do. As we grow-up, we become what is called – civilized, but they are innocent, so they are aware. One incident comes to my mind. I was a tenant in Bangalore around 1990; I think it was in Basavanagudi. One day I saw a line of ants, using the middle of my small room as their highway; I had to be over-cautious not to step on them. One day, I just closed my eyes and spoke to the ants requesting them to change their path and then I forgot all about it. The very next morning they had heeded my request and were now using the roof. This is the power of Love, as I have said many times before, with Love anything is possible.”

There were some questions by Ms. Vidya Virkar, which in turn triggered a few others.

“Is there a subtle difference between negativities and darkness? Do they run into one another? Are they different?”

Guruji gave us a very clear understanding, “They are different. Darkness is, let me use the word, pure evil. However, negativity is a part of us; it is an aspect of being human getting angry, jealous, etc. It is exactly opposite to goodness. We should try to get over our negativities and become completely pure. Yet, strangely even negativities help us sometimes. It tests us, keeps us from the right choices, it shows us the other side of being good and positive; it challenges us to choose the right thing. On the other hand, darkness pushes away from God. It works like a block to our Spiritual progress.”

Her next question was, “I have noticed that there are two types of people - those who get repelled by our good energies and those who get attracted. Everyone hasn’t evolved to such an extent. We are specially guided and we make special efforts to purify. So, we are obviously on a path of Spirituality. Talking of those who are not consciously on it, there are two types of people, those who gravitate towards us, though they carry negativities and those who actively keep away. They stay for a minute or two and then they are compelled to leave us. They don’t want to stay around us. That’s why the question arose in my mind. Some of those people carry so much darkness that they are unable to withstand the positivity of our presence.”

“There are souls which are dark. They are created to be like that, the souls from the lower worlds are dark. And they are not expected to be positive. In theory they can change, but in practice they cannot.”

“As we positivise and fill ourselves up with positive energies, we will be able to negate some of the negativity around us. When we fill ourselves with Light, we will be able to increase the positivity and push out negativity. Am I right?”

“Yes, we can do that.”

“It is like a balance. So, if a negative person comes to us and talks, we feel the pulling down, we feel the lack of energy, some tiredness; it comes out in many forms. But the point is, we can fill ourselves up with Light to make up for this and meditate in order to make up for this. We have to find our own balance, isn’t it Guruji? Because there are certain times when you find that it is too overwhelming. So, these sorts of people, we should stay away from. Am I right?”

“At no time should you feel as if you are overtaken or overshadowed. You must feel strong. Light is always stronger than anything else. Presuming a negative person comes to us, you feel as you said, a kind of energy loss, just send them Light, carry Light. Not only can you impact the other person but you can make him feel positive, you can build up an atmosphere around you. I think we must become aware of the enormous strength of Light. When we carry Light we are always stronger. One person can influence and elevate an entire locality, not just a person.”

“Yes. Actually, I am sure we have all felt it. I was talking to a couple of people and they were saying that people in their own little communities or their families consider them a sort of a Guru at their level. So, they do sense the energies that we have carried, that which you are sending us. Well, you are the energy I think that we all carry in part. Am I right, Guruji?”

“Yes. When you carry Light and Love, you don’t have to make any effort to spread it around, just being is enough. Light works. It is a very strong Divine Energy and has its own intelligence, it will spread by itself. If we have several negative people around us, then this Light will work on them; it influences, impacts and helps them in realizing that they have to become positive. All this happens automatically, you don’t have to do anything, just be good, that’s enough.”

Taking the understanding forward another participant asked a very interesting question. “If an evil person’s organs are donated after his death, will not the person who receives get those negative energies, and will it not influence them?”

“Yes, it influences. Our emotions, attitudes, thoughts, etc seep into our body as well. A bad person’s negative vibrations will be in his body as well. After a transplant when the receiver’s body rejects the organ, usually it is understood in clinical terms only; however there is a Spiritual reason as well. You see, the physical body has its own innate intelligence which does not like the energy vibrations of the donated organ. It simply repels the organ.”

“People donate their bodies after death, what about that?”

“That is fine. It is for studies in medical colleges. The organs don’t live.”

Euthanasia has been a hugely debated issue all over the world. Is it humane, is it escapism, what about hope? One of the participants wanted to have the last word from Guruji on this, in a very straight forward manner he asked, “Guruji, is mercy killing okay?”

Without a moment's loss Guruji clearly stated, “It is okay, but there are consequences. A person has a right to choose to live or end his misery. There are many who endlessly suffer diseases with no hope for cure. If the sufferer consciously chooses, with the understanding that his Karmas which caused him pain will not end with this life, but will resurface in the next, then it cannot be judged as escapism.

“Such matters are highly subjective and cannot be generalized in a one-liner. It is the decision to be made after a lot of thought. By the Law of Freewill given by God, the sufferer can end his misery.”

“Guruji, should the medical professional feel guilty about assisting euthanasia?”

“As a human being he will feel bad, since he is doing a job he should not; and if he does feel guilty then he should not carry out the procedure.”

For those who do not know, let me state that Guruji is a great supporter of life and he has a perennial source of life-force in him. He has also helped us experience that by holding Divine Light we gain the strength to face life. His autobiography – Doorways to Light – details how he survived life’s most stringent tests.

There were some other questions asked in this informal discussion session. Like, the colour usually associated with the energy in the Spiritual Body is golden, so what about the colours of the energies in our Mind and Intellect body. Guruji’s answer – there are specific colours; however, we need not get too obsessed with them. We have enough knowledge and techniques to use the subtle energies in us.

Having re-read the Descent of Soul, Mr. Nikhil Gandhi wanted to know about Deities. “Guruji, we understand that from the Ocean of Light came the Ocean of Consciousness; from here Adi Shakti emerged and then three fields of Energy were created for destruction, sustenance and creation. Each of these force fields have a core, which are represented by the Divine Personalities – Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. So, what about Lord Ganesh and other deities?”

Guruji explained, “Other energy fields were created much later; Lord Ganesh is one of them. He is from the Kailasa Loka.”

Ms. Sudha Raman wanted to know if forgetting a hurt is a sign of forgiveness, especially if we meet the person who had caused us pain.

Guidance in this matter has been sought before. It would be hard to find a soul which has not been hurt at one time or the other. Managing emotions is a very important aspect of gaining maturity. Guruji’s guidance – “Memories remain; you cannot just erase them at will. When you meet those who hurt you, quite naturally you will remember all that happened. But the way you manage that situation shows your growth. How much love can you manifest? Can you at least manage not to be bitter? You should vibrate with positivity that’s all. If you cannot forget, it does not mean that you have not forgiven.”

Sudha referred to a point mentioned in the book - Guruji Speaks – Volume 2, wherein a mind cleaning technique has been mentioned. It was taught during an Orientation Class many years ago. Since she was not a student in those days, she wanted to receive the technique now.

Guruji’s answer was similar to the one for the very first question. “We have progressed in Time; we have now given advanced techniques. With the latest one, you can thoroughly cleanse the body, mind and intellect at once. Also, fill every cell of your entire system with Love. That itself will purify you.”

The Spiritual Masters have many evolved Meditational techniques; they wait for us to grow Spiritually first. They have answers to all that we can ever seek. As we open up more to the new Divine Energies and grow in wisdom with each interactive session with Guruji, one day suddenly we will find ourselves at the threshold of the Light Age. May all that we have learnt from him help us to qualify for the golden era of humanity.

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.” These are the famous words of Albert Einstein.

There is an Intelligence from which the entire Creation came forth; it runs every detail of this Manifestation. There are Energy fields, Divine Personalities and advanced beings who monitor and administer Creation under the guidance of God. A lot can be learnt about everything if we could tune up to God with our intuition and not get limited by our rational mind. To guide the trillions upon trillions of souls, many Light Masters take birth amongst them, live with but unlike them, setting an example of how the Divine can be manifested in the human.

“The only real valuable thing is intuition.” This one’s from Albert Einstein again.

“It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition we discover” says Henri Poincare.

Using intuition we have received enormous Knowledge from the Light Masters or Rishis through Guruji. He continues to guide us with this direct perception of Truth and channelled messages from the great Spiritual Masters. Here’s a compilation of questions from students during various interactive sessions with Guruji and channelled answers from the Masters. We have to use our intuition to comprehend the answers.

On behalf of his wife Sunita, Mr. Jayant Deshpande asked a question – “Guruji, if a person meditates and clears the Karmas then will his lifespan be reduced? Also, if he acquires new Karmas then will his life be increased?”

“Lifespan is fixed. Even if a person clears all Karmas he will continue to live until his time to pass over arrives; newly acquired Karmas are passed on to the next life. This is a general principle. In cases of accidents and other extenuating reasons lifespan can be changed. My Guru’s life was cut short by about seventeen years.”

In case of Spiritual Masters such changes happen because they work on very large Universal projects. Amaraji had to urgently leave for Andromeda Galaxy. With a smile connoting detachment Guruji said, “I was supposed to have left this body on 2nd January 1998. But here I am; should the Light Masters call me I will follow them in a heartbeat.”

Mr. Roland had been reading Dolores Cannon’s book – The Convoluted Universe. Based on which he wanted to know if the advanced beings from the subterranean civilizations will unite with the surface race in the Light Age.

Guruji explained, “These beings will come to the surface and interact with the human race but they will continue to live in their subterranean locations. People from our world will also visit theirs after the dawn of the New Age…..”

Unable to contain his excitement, Roland blurted, “…very thrilling.”

“…..it will take time,” Guruji contained his joy, “although some of them are already living amongst us as human beings. Some will when we reach the end of 2012. In their race they have Masters as well as ordinary people. The Masters want to help us.”

There is a Light City near Taponagara. For more information please read the Chapter – The Light City in the book series - iGuruji Volume 4.

Mr. Gururaj Kanade had a question regarding the management processes followed by the Light Masters at different levels of operation. “Guruji, the Hierarchy – the Saptarishis – look after all the earths belonging to our plane of existence, that is the Bhooloka class of earths which are spread over many galaxies. Now each galaxy has a Galactic Council which looks after the affairs of their domain. So how do they co-ordinate and decide on different matters like the current transition, etc?”

“All the Light Masters have enormous and unimaginable powers. The entire network works in absolute harmony even when hundreds are involved. They discuss to contribute and there is no voting; they unanimously come to a conclusion. They are not just powerful and extra-ordinarily intelligent but they are also wise, they are perfect Masters. They always have dynamic plans and back-up plan A, then B and so on. There is no scope for confusion; this is because there are no conflicting attitudes or interests.

"We cannot compare them to human beings. We can never gauge the Intelligence that works behind all these things. They can monitor millions of earths simultaneously.”

Around eight years ago I had asked something on similar lines. Since there are many ways of solving a problem how would the Saptarishis arrive at a single approach if they had seven different solutions? Guruji taught a very important lesson in teamwork while answering – “The seven Masters listen and follow the voice of God when they want to arrive at a single solution out of many. But they never are in a state of disagreement; consensus and mutual respect is inherent in their approach.”

There was another question from Gururaj. “One of the things we understand Guruji is that the human bodies get perfected and they reach the peak of perfection in the middle of Golden Age. So can we say that as we explore and experience this plane, perfecting the human body is also a mandate for us?”

“It’s natural. We are not here to perfect the body. We are here to experience. That’s all. As we go on experiencing, we enter different bodies in different Ages. It’s not our mandate; it’s a natural process.”

The road to the threshold of the Golden Age is not easy. To qualify for the New Age we have to be full of Love and Light, we should have no emotional baggage, we should be able to forgive and heal ourselves to a state of peace. Guruji has told us repeatedly that we have to choose Light at the level of the soul and all the help required to manifest Light will come our way. Try all you want, loving everyone unconditionally is a huge challenge we all face. One of the meditators sought guidance on how to manage this struggle. "How can we have genuine unconditional love towards everyone? It is so difficult. We may not have non-love towards anyone; we may pray for the welfare of the entire world and yet there are a few we do not really love. And even if we care, that cannot be a hundred percent."

“It takes time,” Guruji said with absolute empathy and without any judgement. “When we begin to understand and accept that people are different, people are imperfect we can begin to love them. This world is imperfect and so are we, you have to accept this reality. You may not love everyone. It’s not easy. I have gone through this experience; it is very difficult to love some people. Every one of us has experienced this. At least what we can do is that we accommodate, accept and don’t complain. As you very nicely said, we should not have non-love. It is not easy to not have non-love! Then as people change, we begin to accept that as well.

“If you want to love everyone, send love to everyone; you must try to see the Divine aspect in the other individual. Everyone is essentially a soul. So love every soul. If you want to send love to every human being on this earth, don’t try to see them as bodies, as individuals as they are now. You have to see them as souls, specks of Light. You can send love to everyone.

“What you are feeling is a natural thing. It is not that there is something wrong with you because you can’t love everyone. People are difficult and impossible sometimes. That’s why, at the human level, we have likes and dislikes. In our own system, we also have a Divine aspect which always accepts and loves.”

This piece of guidance is one of the most important ones for preparing for the Shift.

Before we move further here’s an interesting quote from Albert Einstein - “The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you and you don’t know why or how.”

And Seymour R. Cray says - “I’m supposed to be a scientific person but I use intuition more than logic in making basic decisions.”

While discussing the practice of experiencing the Ocean of Light, Guruji gave us a new insight. “When we experience the Ocean of Light, some of the karmas also get cleared. So experience more; do this whenever it is possible, as long as and as often as it is possible.”

Once after finishing Meditations I lied down on my bed to just be; there was a huge smile on my lips, but the state of my mind was not aligned to what my body was expressing. The prevalent thoughts could not have resulted in a smile, and especially such a big one. This went on for about 3-4 minutes and I kept on observing. I asked Guruji about this. He gave a very detailed understanding.

“Each of our bodies – physical body, mind or psychic body and our intellect body – has its own intelligence. The collective intelligence of our body, mind and intellect is called the ego; which as we know can have a good or a bad attitude. The body can feel and express its joy or discomfort independently; it can have its own will and views. Every energy field or entity has its own inherent awareness and hence intelligence. Of course, the degrees vary. In our system, the soul’s will is supreme. That is why before Meditations, I recommend that you request your body, mind and intellect to go into silence and co-operate in the process of expansion of your soul’s awareness.”

A student shared his conundrum. “Namaste Guruji. As long as I can remember I have prayed to God that I want Mukti and merge back into the Source. Under your tutelage I have learnt that great Masters and many other souls keep their Mukti on hold, though they have achieved it, and chose to stay in this Creation to work for God. Since I wasn’t sure what is best for me I surrendered myself to God and left Him to decide for me; whether I should work towards Mukti or work for Him. Now, I am a bit curious as to what would happen.”

Guruji smiled, because the answer was in the question already. “When you have surrendered why are you worried?” he answered with a question. “We surrender when we love wholeheartedly, which means there is absolute trust. You are in safe hands. When you enter a train, you don’t worry over which route the driver will take.

“When you love a person wholeheartedly then you accept them as they are.”

Mr. Nedu Durai had a question regarding the most important decisions, we as individuals, have to make. “This is regarding our entering into the New Age. I was wondering whether people on this earth will be entering the New Age based on the spiritual status as compared to those who are one hundred percent pure?”

“As I have been explaining often, choosing Love and Light is enough. To manifest Love in all the details of life with everyone is still a challenge, which the Rishis understand. In due course it will become possible. You don’t have to become Light a hundred percent. But choose from the level of the soul completely, wholly, truly. Choose the Light Age, choose God, choose Love. That is enough.

“Most have chosen Light, at the level of the intellect, which is good but it is not enough. When we choose Light we will see the quality of our emotions and thoughts positivise drastically.

“There is no luxury of time. Choose Light quickly. There will be great changes as new Energies will be released. For those who have not chosen yet will undergo a phase of turbulence. This will push us and corner us into re-thinking our choices. The new Energies will also give us the wisdom to introspect and decide.

"Turbulence will cause confusion and problems at many levels; it is not caused to punish but to expedite the process of churning so that the best within us surfaces. Vishwamitra Maharshi had stated some time back – ‘Choose or perish’. If we continue with non-positivity we will be shifted to an earth where circumstances are available for our growth.”

“My next question is a sequel, Guruji. Based on how people choose, is it possible that on the same earth one person can live in the New Age and another in Pralaya period?”

“It is possible for some time,” Guruji explained, “but when we enter the New Age completely there will be no choice. If a person using his freewill chooses Kaliyuga then he will be shifted to the earth where Kaliyuga still prevails.”

He added emphasis to his tone and said, “In Kaliyuga, one can choose to live in the Satya Age. But when you are in Satya Yuga, you can’t choose to live in Kaliyuga.” This point, though simple, needs some contemplation.

All the Knowledge, Energies and Wisdom received by Guruji Krishnananda is from the Spiritual Masters and by his direct perception of Truth. More will be received in the times to come.

Let me close with another interesting quote from Albert Einstein - “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”

“Recently, I connected with the Ocean of Light, suddenly, I became blank. Though I was consciously observing my surroundings I was totally thoughtless. This lasted for about five to ten minutes. When I came back to normalcy, I felt very pleasant and peaceful. More than anything else I experienced deep contentment; I felt that I did not want anything.”

Having read this narration I request Readers to visualize the person who shared this mystical experience. Now, read the next one.

“Whenever I sit for Meditation, the moment I close my eyes, I feel that I cannot locate where I am; I feel I am everywhere.”

This state is achieved when soul’s awareness expands. Visualize the narrator again.

“During Shambala Meditation, something beautiful moved from my chest, very slowly as it made its journey upwards. It was absolutely soothing; I have no words to express the comfort and confidence it brought. My awareness rose higher, I felt highly evolved energy beings all around me. After Meditation, I rested for few minutes and suddenly, I started going deeper and deeper within myself, vibrating at different higher levels, until finally I got near my core! The intensity was such that I felt that I was in a twister! At this point, I saw that entrance to the core was left to my choice. I was not in fear at all, in fact the only remembrance I had at that point was of you Guruji, and the Rishis. I surrendered, instantly I was in the core. It’s an intensified field, the journey continued, I was vibrating at a very high level and it took over my entire being, for almost half an hour. When I came out, I wondered whether this was a journey into consciousness, was it indeed within my own core.”

Guruji later explained that this core was God Himself!

Visualized yet? These exalted mystical experiences are not from any hermit in a cave; neither from an austere monk in a monastery nor from a full-time meditator living in a serene Himalayan ashram cut-off from human engagements. The first narrator – Ms. Kiranmayi - is a housewife and mother to an eleven-year-old boy. The second – Ms. Rashmi G. - is an educator and a mother to a lovely three-year-old, and the last one – Ms. Vidya Vishwamitra - is a hyper-busy homemaker and a mother of two. These meditators herald the Light Age when nobody will have to become a recluse in order to experience God. They prove one of Guruji’s most revolutionary teachings – that there need not be any gap between our Spiritual and Material lives.

During the March 2012 Residents’ Meet, Kiranmayi had recounted another unusual occurrence – “Guruji, a few days back, for about a month, an inexplicable fear would surface from within me whenever I sat for Meditation. I could not attribute it to anything in my routine life; I was calm and comfortable in doing everything else. I did not feel like meditating, I struggled. Though I am fine now, kindly tell me what was happening?”

Acknowledging it as a very rare experience Guruji explained, “When we meditate some of our Karmas, which are also energies, are cleared. Sometimes, they surface like this. In your case there is another contributing factor, which is, as we progress in Time towards the New Age, everything on earth – nature, animals, people – is being integrated into Oneness. This is happening at different levels. Oneness will be an operating principle during the New Age. Due to this whenever there is a tragedy like earthquakes, accidents, any form of suffering, every one of us partakes a little bit. Sometimes it surfaces as fear. However, let me quickly add, that each case is different and has to be studied independently. Every time someone feels fear, like you did, does not have the same underlying reasons.”

Around February this year Guruji had mentioned to some of us about the importance of experiencing the Unmanifest aspect of God. We carry some of this Unmanifest Energy within us. Since Guruji was still in the process of receiving more knowledge about this from the Higher Realms, he had not spoken about this in the Sunday Lectures. We were amazed that Ms. Archana V. had experienced firsthand the Unmanifest in her, even before it was spoken about!

In her own words – “It was a pleasant evening Guruji, my son and I were having tea. He was walking around and appreciated the drink; I, on the other hand, felt like I was having bland hot water! I was not at peace and did not like anything around me because I was feeling helpless about a life situation. My body rejected my request to calm down. I went deep into my own mind and felt it was in an emotional turmoil. I went deeper into my intellect and found it blocked. A little deeper I found a gush of happiness for about a second. I wanted to talk to my soul and found the connection with my Self. The soul said – ‘Wow, what an experience of helplessness.’ It was not only witnessing the experience of helplessness but was also absorbing and enjoying. For a moment I forgot about everything outside and around me. When I came back to my body consciousness I did not like that my soul enjoyed my helplessness. Please help me understand what really happened Guruji.”

Guruji’s sense of duty to guide overtook his joy that one of his students had, though unknowingly, touched the Unmanifest within. “We all carry some part of the Unmanifest God in us which observes the human drama without emoting and participating. It merely witnesses. Enjoying is not the right expression. Every human life situation whether joy or sorrow, helplessness in your case, is important. We took birth to experience the variations in human incarnation. I am glad you noticed this in yourself.”

After answering Archana, Guruji looked at the rest of us and taught something new. He said we need to strengthen the experience of the Unmanifest within. This will help us maintain emotional equilibrium and a stoic maturity in the face of Pralaya linked events like mass deaths, natural calamities, etc. If we find our loved ones undergoing trying times due to their life-choices, we should not get washed away by our helplessness. No matter how painful, we have to witness, help if we can and in any case move on in life.

Giving his own example, with a tinge of sadness, he said, “I see people around me, and humanity in general, struggling when they can be happy and peaceful. Those who are blessed with prosperity are not content. I see things from the Higher Realms as well; I see people hesitating to choose Light. I wonder why. The spiritual condition of people amazes me.”

Withdrawing himself from the concern he has for many, he summarized. “So when you bring out more of the Unmanifest energy, in that state, you will observe without judging or emoting. This detached state is the highest one we can reach.”

It is important to understand that we will not become inactive and spiritless, but will become emotionally balanced and mature. On a later date Guruji cautioned us that we should not overdo the Unmanifest practice, otherwise, we could lose interest in the routine matters of life.

Vairagya is a heavily misunderstood word in the Indian socio-spiritual culture. It is believed to mean that one has no interest in any aspect of life, and this has translated into a moral virtue of negating laughter, fun, pleasures, adventure, etc. It is also assumed that Vairagya needs many years of life to master. Fortunately Guruji has given us the correct meaning of this term – Vairagya means detachment. We can have all the material pleasures we want, albeit with a sense of detachment and a mature balanced approach. Archana, a young mother, exemplifies the real essence of Vairagya.

With a tone of a child seeking solace in a parent she said, “I lost my watch, Guruji, it was gifted to me” and quickly clarified that it wasn’t attributable to her carelessness with the stance of a kid standing with folded hands in front of an adult, “I usually keep my things very properly, but somehow I lost it.” The innocence in her being made me pray to the Universe to bring her watch back to her at the earliest possible.

“I searched but could not find it anywhere,” she continued. “Knowing that I will not be able to trace it, I finally sent my love and Light to it. I mentally spoke to it, I said if it feels like coming back to me then that will be great, otherwise let it be happy wherever it is.”

That’s real Vairagya. Again, this is not from an aged senior person with decades of life experience behind her, but it is from a Professor in her thirties.

Archana found her watch within 24 hours of losing it! Or the watch worked its way back to her, pulled by her affection. The Universe does not wait for prayer requests, it responds to goodness by its own volition.

Upon hearing this Guruji’s happiness seemed much more than that of his student. “It’s a very, very beautiful experience,” he said, “Your attitude was perfect, you lost an object you treasured and you were sad but you also had dispassion and accepted the loss. Your equilibrium, your mental balance was not shaken. Perhaps, God rewarded you by helping you find your watch. We all should strengthen this attitude of Vairagya, of mature acceptance.”

Ms. Rashmi had an assortment of questions. “Guruji, when God appears to us, sometimes we might see Him in our dreams or in a meditational experience. So, is He the same to all the life in the entire Universe? Or does He appear just the way He is or does it depend on the way we imagine Him?”

“What is God?” Guruji asked in response, “God is Presence. Remember this, He has no form. So, we perceive Him in the way we would like to, maybe, in a particular form like Krishna or a Goddess.”

“Amara Maharshi has taken birth somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy. What does he look like I wonder; does he have a different form?”

“He looks entirely different. They are very handsome and very strong with fourteen feet tall bodies!”

‘Hmmmm…..’ I thought to myself, ‘Guruji said – ‘they’ not ‘he’ – and that too with the quickness like he had been there just yesterday…’ Guruji never speaks about his Astral or soul travels. But I think I can safely deduce that he has been to Amaraji’s current planet.

“Sometimes we grow Spiritually and at others we might not to the level that is expected. But still we have the intention to be with the Rishis in all our future lifetimes, in any and every form possible. Does it help, Guruji?” Rashmi applied for a place under Guruji’s shelter forever, and, luckily for her, it seemed like it was granted.

“It helps. Intent is the most important thing. I have said many times that it is enough if you have the intent to transform. As we progress in Time, towards the Light Age, transformation occurs naturally. Even if you haven’t grown Spiritually as you should, your pure intent brings you to the Light Masters.”

Guruji sealed Rashmi’s application with his inimitable smile leaving just about enough leeway for her Freewill to choose otherwise, “We will be with the Rishis in, perhaps, all the lifetimes.”

“I could relate Kiranmayi’s experience, Guruji, I also struggle a lot. Sometimes Light takes over and at other times we seem to fail…”

Holding his student back from even a notion of failure the over-protective Guru said, “…..this fluctuation happens, it is a process as we evolve. Positivisation is a journey, good you observed….” And again with a smile concealing a chuckle he encouraged her to ask the next question.

“If I want Light to always be with me, without any fluctuations, how do I make it happen? I do keep a thought now and then…but…”

“….intend, request Light to be with you always, even when you are busy with work. Light will honour your request.”

With her anxieties allayed, Rashmi’s tone relaxed into near philosophical. “Recently, Guruji, I tried to experience Oneness with my maid. I felt guilty that she was doing manual labour for me….” She did not finish the words in her question; her expressive face did the rest.

“Once we understand life we accept this as well. Our head is above and feet below, both a part of me, it is just a role. Your role as an employer and hers as an employee is a role taken on for livelihood; accept it. As in Archana’s case, let a bit of the Unmanifest Energy surface.”

Guruji has often emphasized the importance of keeping the human side alive in us; he reiterated this extremely invaluable lesson. “The sight of beggars at a traffic junction makes us sad, at a human level we should feel this way. We should not rigidly ignore them thinking their plight is a result of their bad Karmas. We have to keep the human part in us alive. I have been saying this from 1988, when you feel like crying, just cry; when you feel like jumping with joy, jump. A little bit of jealousy and anger is perfectly fine; it is a part of the human experience. Don’t overdo it, that’s all.”

There is a spark in Guruji’s eyes which glints extra-specially when he talks about enjoying Nature’s splendour as a unique part of the human experience on this planet. “Observe the vastness of the sky, enjoy sunsets, moonrises, feel the breeze on your skin…..” If only we could see Guruji’s aura while he was saying this, it would have glowed with glorious magnificence. We could feel his expandedness.

Rashmi had gone deeper in her self-analysis, oblivious to the sheer number of people around her. When we engage in a one-to-one discussion with Guruji this happens, I have seen it umpteen times. Talking to a Light Master is always intense; he passes on Divine Energies and enormous cathartic unconditional Love with his answers. He sees through us and we open up like fully-bloomed flowers to the bright sun. She asked, “Guruji, when crucial incidents happen in our life, do we understand them as our choice or destiny?”

“That is a good question. Check up with your intuition. If you have any doubts anywhere, refer that incident or that experience to me. I will try to help you understand.”

“Guruji, when we associate with some people in our life, it alters our life-track and impacts us forever. How do we know if these relationships were our choice or were they destined?”

“Such things will not be revealed,” Guruji gave his all-knowing smile. “It is a Law; every question will not be answered, it could interrupt the flow of our life. We need not understand everything. I have more questions than all of you; to some I know the answers, others I can find out. I don’t want to, truth is not always pleasant. Not knowing is also a part of our life experience.”

Pausing for a moment Guruji tried to recall the wisdom words of an English poet. “There was a poet, I vaguely remember … I think his name was Oliver Goldsmith. I am not very sure, but anyway, a great poet once said that if you drink wine, just enjoy it, don’t try to analyze. Whether people enter our lives by destiny or by our choice, they are a reality of our life, accept it and deal with what you cannot change. Acceptance is important.”

“I am happy that, at least, I got to meet the Rishis and you….”

“That is a good approach….. Be happy, that’s all. Don’t try to understand everything.”

She then spoke about contrasts in people. “Guruji, I teach a group of foreign students. They do not accept Spiritual realities like Divine Light even though it is Universal and not religion or culture specific. However, they are very generous and good. On the contrary I have seen some Indians who are devout but are not charitable and considerate.”

“Yes, this is a reality the world over. People are like packages; you have to accept the whole deal that comes with them. Each individual or group will have good and bad characteristics. Life is also a package; it has a medley of likable and avoidable things, people and incidents. Some relationships are bad some are nourishing. Accept the package of life in its entirety. Resistance will add to the discomfort. When there is no choice in the matter, accept. Make the most of what you have, be peaceful and happy.”

Dwelling on this point a little more, he added, “Every situation, person, etc. should be accepted as a gift from God. Even a negative person or experience carries a message for us; we should become alert about our own flaws. Our conscience becomes active in adverse situations. So accept and move on.”

Ms. Varsha Gujjar wanted to understand the ancient Indian tradition of dividing life into four stages based on age and social obligations. Starting with the youthful years of education and learning called Brahmacharya, followed by the life stage of an adult householder with marriage and raising children – Grihastashrama, Vanaspratashrama – as grandparents, reducing participation in active social life and focusing on the Divine and finally Sanyasashrama – renunciation from all and total focus on God.

Guruji’s answer was clear, cutting through all the ancient layers of misconstrued definitions. “The word Ashrama means a state of living. With each stage of life we withdraw from the Material life and go deeper into the Spiritual. In today’s times this is not possible in absolute terms, however we do follow it simultaneously. When we meditate we are in the Vanaspratashrama stage, when we are with our family it is Grihastashrama. Amara was the best example – he was married, had responsibilities, relatives, etc. He would attend to everything and yet remained detached. He was a Sanyasi and a Grihasta. Our stage depends on our state of mind.”

We no longer have to physically cut-off from the world to find God. Right here, right now we can be in any of the Ashrama of life. The experiences mentioned at the beginning of this article evidence that Ashrama is a state of mind. We could be in a cave and be anxious; we could be with our children and experience the Unmanifest, as Archana did. I feel compelled to share that Kiranmayi was out shopping and while waiting for the sales attendant to finish his job she touched the Ocean of Light! Vidya Vishwamitra must have helped her kids with their homework before she sat for Meditation and experienced the very core of God.

These meditators are the mystics of the New Age. In the middle of work, kitchen, laundry and kids, they scale the most exalted Spiritual heights.

In the Manasa Administrative Office every staff member’s birthday is celebrated. Guruji attends the Office party and blesses with a bouquet and a gift. After the cake is cut, we all sit around the work desks and, yes, have an informal conversation with Guruji. On May 18th, which was a Friday, the staff gathered to celebrate the birthday of the founder of Manasa Office – our Guruji.

Something very unusual happened – even before anyone could say anything Guruji suddenly spoke. “The Universe gifts us with special energy on our birthday. We may not be aware of it at this conscious level but we will be at the Astral level. We can choose to either store or spend this gift. It helps us at the time of our death; however, we can choose to carry it to our next lifetime. You can accumulate energies for 51,000 years, a Mahayuga, or expend it in the same year it is received.”

After this gush of new knowledge he paused for a moment, probably cross-checking if he had communicated all that he had received by direct perception. Immediately a question was posed as though to continue the flow.

“How can we use this energy gift consciously?”

“At the higher level we will know. This energy can be passed to others to help them; Karmas, both ours and others, can be erased.”

The previous night we had celebrated Guruji’s birthday with the Taponagara residents. Some of them also work in the Manasa Office. Everyone had expressed their deep devotional love for Guruji even though only some spoke. Knowing that Guruji’s life is so precious and ours comparatively expendable someone in a state of devotion asked indirectly if they could transfer the years of their lives to Guruji.

“Can we transfer our life to others?” Well, the camouflage did not work.

“No,” he said very categorically. Once, Guruji gave a day of his life to ease the problems of a person. This was a special case and the permission of God and Rishis was sought. A Guru does such things unconditionally, others will never know.

Many other points also came up; like, the Energies which were released in the Light Channels World Movement Event in February 2009 are different from those released on the 7th May 2012 Event. The 2009 Energies are for transformation while those of May 2012 help people in choosing Light, Peace and Love at the level of the soul. Guruji said in a sad tone that most have chosen from the level of the intellect and are satisfied.

Around the second half of May 2012 there was a lot of internet buzz in New Age circles about the alignment between our Sun, moon, earth and the Pleiadian Star System. Great energy shifts were expected from this as well as the much hyped Venus transit. Guruji confirmed these as two very significant astronomical events and that the resultant energies will help humanity, and then, he revealed what the Rishis had planned. Our entire being went into silence focussing all our attention on listening what he was about to say, “The Rishis might release a very special Energy tonight or on 20th of May; this is not known to the New Agers.” A moment’s pause later, “It necessitates our growth. We cannot afford to be slow and casual about positivisation and transformation. We have to prepare ourselves for the Light Age. There will be instant Karma in the Satya Yuga; good actions will be rewarded and the bad ones will attract the appropriate result immediately; we will not commit mistakes in the New Age.”

The New Agers who continue to make valuable contributions to the establishment of the Golden Age do not know about the meticulously planned projects of the Rishis. They have seen umpteen Pralaya periods and work to save all of humanity from the highest Spiritual Planes. Once Guruji told us that the Rishis had caused certain astronomical events timing them so precisely that the Spiritual energies reach earth exactly after 10,000 years! God has bestowed the great eternal Rishis with unimaginable powers.

When Guruji told us that on Buddha Pournima some Energies were released, a question followed on how all the Divine Energies work with respect to one another. Guruji explained that the Photon Belt, Ra Energies and Lord Buddha’s Energies are all working simultaneously, and that all Energies are controlled by Lord Kalki.

Generally, a certain degree of fear gets invoked when a reference to Lord Kalki is made. Face is that he helps all those who want to genuinely transform into Spiritual beings; he is an Avatara of Mahavishnu and destroys only those who are not aligned to the Divine.

“The Energies work at all levels, individual as well as the group. We usually have our own strong convictions about justice and how right we are, these Energies help us to move on and go beyond. We are forced to face facts and helped to transform. Turbulence is not thrust on us though, it is a reality of the times we live,” Guruji said and cautioned us, “Therefore, introspect on where you are with respect to you Spiritual goals. Stand in front of your own conscience and correct yourself, quickly.”

The Divine Energies are extremely Pure so they remove all impurities. At the level of groups and large systems like governance, economy, education, medicines, etc the Energies bring about a thorough overhaul so that the underlying principles are aligned to Divinity, which means general welfare rather than greed. Guruji said very clearly that if the systems do not evolve and shake off the negativities then they will be destroyed. “If systems do not change then they will collapse. To initiate change and surface the areas of improvement there will be turbulence. We can use the new Energies to bring about new systems based on a new philosophy.”

The delicious slice(s – I had taken just a tiny additional sliver) of cake on our paper plates were still half-eaten; we were lost in Guruji’s words. Knowing that our current efforts to positivise need to increase meant re-prioritizing life and re-defining goals. As if addressing the thoughts in our head Guruji relieved us of over-bearing strain, “No Divine Energy is unkind, they are friendly; they give us time and opportunities. No one expects overnight change.”

New and stronger Energies are here to help us transform at a faster pace. As if to prove this point someone mentioned that the Healing Energies have become very powerful after the 7th May2012 Event. The intercom rang, it was 1PM. Venkatamma had called from the community kitchen; lunch was ready. We closed the meeting with a lot of hope and no fear. This was the message from the Shoonya Masa Rishis in the first week of the year – ‘Remove fear. Have hope.’

Evolution implies learning newer aspects of reality with a humble outlook that there is more to understand, refine and even re-define all that we have come to accept as true. This also applies to the foundational concepts like the equation between ego and soul. Anyone exploring the Spiritual underpinnings of the human situation would have come across the culpability of our ego for keeping us from an enlightened life. Our soul, a particle of God, has always been believed to be the mute victim for the choices of the ego. About five years ago, the Rishis revealed – ‘Ego is the attitude of the Soul.’ From that point onwards our exploration of this matter has brought clarity, though it goes against the grain of popular beliefs it all adds up. In the February Residents’ Meet this point, along with many other, were discussed.

Mr. Gururaj Kanade asked, “Guruji, this is about our new understanding of the ego. Since it is the attitude of the soul, can we say that Meditation is the best way to influence or reshape the attitude of the soul?”

Guruji explained, “Ego is defined as the collective intelligence of our body, mind and intellect; which are sheaths or subtle bodies we took on to experience Creation at the respective levels of Manifestation. The subtle bodies have their own intelligence and can voice their views too; however, these are sentient tools at the soul’s disposal. It is the soul which has taken bodies to experience all that it wishes. It is not the mind, a subtle body, but the soul which gets angry.”

He gave an analogy to clarify, “Ego is like water, it will take the shape of its container. It is the soul which wants to experience diverse emotions – both, positive and negative. The ego does not have negative qualities; it may carry the accumulated old negative tendencies of earlier lifetimes but it can only influence with its limitations, nonetheless, the soul reigns supreme.”

With a clear tone of authority Guruji said, “It is the soul which needs transformation not the ego.” Pausing just about enough so that we could have a moment to grasp this rather radical truth, he continued, “Meditations will help clear the impurities in the body, mind and intellect hence opening up faculties, etc. But the final awakening depends upon the soul’s choice. Ego only represents the attitude of the soul.”

The next question led to a very interesting answer. “Guruji, does the attitude of the soul change from the Divine when it enters the Material Cosmos?”

“The soul chose its attitude even before entering the Material Cosmos. When we came down into Creation and accepted the body, mind and intellect, the soul’s attitude got manifested through these entities. In the Divine Cosmoses we did not have the negative choices we have here in the Material Cosmos. Here, God has made such experiences available to us, so we can choose to go through the, so called, negative experiences as well. That is why a little bit of anger, a bit of jealousy is allowed. Only when it gets out of hand does it become a problem. Excess is not fine, moderation is always recommended. We are here to experience the diversity of emotions from the very good to the opposite if we so choose.”

These points help understand the choice we need to make when we stand at the very threshold of the Light Age. Choosing Light and Love at the level of the soul is different from choosing intellectually.

In the context of the Light Age there were two good questions; first – how will the increased Spiritual energies during the Shift in human consciousness affect our material life.

Guruji’s answer – “Our material life improves. There will be stability and we may even have abundance. It is very important to understand that abundance does not pertain to wealth only, it also means abundance in peace, contentment, etc. Our material life becomes beautiful and we will certainly have material comforts. When we respond to the new energies Spiritually, we get rewarded by the Universe; our life becomes free of conflicts of all kinds.”

The second question was about the souls taking birth on earth in these times of great changes. Will they automatically have Light bodies?

Guruji said that the souls which are taking birth now will have physical bodies like ours, however, they have superior intelligence and their capacity to assimilate knowledge is very high. Those who will take birth after the Light Age is established may not need to enter wombs for the gestation period, they may just take Light bodies. There is an example of this possibility mentioned in the Astral ventures of Maharshi Amara. Please refer the booklet – Astral Ventures of a Modern Rishi – for more details. There are earths where there are no physical bodies required.

The next two questions were on a different note altogether. “Namaste Guruji, sometime back you had explained the difference between God and gods. I wanted to understand whether the Rishis and demigods, like Gramadevathas (village deities) can be classified as gods?”

“Rishis are souls just like us; however they are highly evolved. The village deities are specially created in different Lokas, for example in Shakti Loka or the Plane of Divine Feminine. They are not souls like us, they are created as gods and goddesses with special powers and specific jobs. Like for example Lord Indra. However, there is only one real God – Parabrahma – who is omnipresent.”

Angels, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, etc are beings from different planes of existence and cannot be defined as gods.

A very sincere voice soaked in humility, fully resonating with an urge to receive an answer asked, “Though we put in a lot of effort to achieve something, the desired results are either not achieved or are delayed. Does this mean that we have not tried hard enough or that something else is preventing us from achieving the results?”

Though the context was not clear Guruji addressed the concern behind the unknown details of the question. “Strangely something similar has been on my mind as well for the last one week. Our efforts can be increased, no doubt about that, but let us not forget that the effect of the Timeframe or the Yuga we live in also plays a role. There is a kind of inertia which pushes us back. We have to increase our efforts manifold to overcome inertia.

“When it is about Spiritual progress we have to understand that the Rishis take us slowly ahead in a careful and controlled manner. Say for example even if you have achieved Mukti you will not be given the highest Samadhi experience because if you do then you will lose all interest in your life and your life’s mission.”

The Rishis are the wisest beings in this Creation; they know what is best for us. They know when, how and where to give us successes and even failures.

In response to how the soul’s awareness operates during deep Meditations Guruji delineated the process.

“When you enter Stillness during Meditation your awareness expands. In the beginning when you become silent, if not into deep Stillness, you enter the borders of Samadhi. Then, you will become aware of your own thoughts; next, the thoughts will start appearing very distant. If you go deeper and deeper into Stillness, you will become increasingly aware of newer realities as your awareness expands. If you reach higher then you will be aware of the present, the past, the future simultaneously. Extending this principle, you will become aware of everything about yourself. On further expansion of awareness, you become aware of everything that is happening on this earth. Extend the same thing, you become almost like God. You become aware of everything that is happening in the entire Creation. That state is not easy to achieve, but in principle, it is possible. Our awareness can expand to unlimited proportions.”

Guruji also gave us as example, “Atri Maharshi who is in-charge of this earth’s affairs is aware of everyone’s thoughts and everything that is happening on this earth.”

Probably inspired by this extensive understanding of the soul’s awareness during Meditation, someone enquired about how to graduate from visualization in Meditational techniques to actually experiencing Light.

“It is simple but difficult to explain. Imagination is just the first step; as you go deeper you experience, and then become Light. Experiencing Light means we feel the Peace and Stillness within us. To start with we should experience Light for shorter durations. It is difficult to do so all the time because we are engrossed in this world. We are capable of experiencing Light, perhaps, Rishis allow us to experience in a controlled manner because once we do we might lose interest in our routine lives. Once we grow in maturity and value life as it is then we may be granted the experience.”

Assuaging our self-doubt he said, “There are many factors why we cannot experience Light easily, while we can increase our efforts, do not blame yourself.”

Mr. Nedu Durai shared his concern over the constant paucity of time, the constant struggle to meet both ends of the job list and whether the compression of Time is a factor. He also quoted the time management approach of a famous corporate leader.

"This has nothing to do with the compression of Time. Sometimes failing is the right thing to happen!” Guruji said and gave us a lesson of surrender without passive fatalism, acceptance and faith. “We cannot and need not always succeed. There are always lessons to learn from failure as well. We have to accept what happens and continue to make ever-increasing efforts. We are with the Rishis, so if we fail in some tasks, maybe that is the right thing. With this background evaluate your life situation and struggles, and write to me if you need more guidance.”

Before giving his own life as an example he said emphatically, “Prioritize. Define the most important thing in your life and check it against your job list. Is your wish list in harmony with your primary and secondary goals? For me my Work is the most important thing in my life. My priority is clear.”

An invaluable insight emerged from Guruji’s answer despite the fact that this question has been addressed earlier. “The corporate leader you are referring to has made amazing strides in his field, but he was rude and ruthless. He was not a nice person to work with. For me human values are more important than worldly achievements. On the lower Lokas or planes of existence there is a lot of technological advancement but they are inhabited by dark souls. Success and achievements does not imply Spiritual growth.”

Most people who are employed know the poisonous work environments full of sharp competition, office politics and exploitative merciless work hours. The educated urban population often feels like EMI bonded laborers. Guruji’s message is very clear – human values should precede any achievement.

Mr. Sudhakar shared his views on the subject of ego and the soul. “Guruji, I have always felt that the body, mind and intellect have been like my friends. Each of these entities love my Spiritual pursuits. I used to wonder how the ego can misguide because Koshas come from Divine Cosmos. Now it is clear to me that it is the soul which chooses.”

“It is good that you have understood in the right spirit. Everything is from God. Everything is Divine. We are Divine souls. But when we take birth in the Material Cosmos we get angry, we hate and indulge in excesses and wrong doings. How is this possible? It is because of our Freewill. Also we have come here to experience everything good as well as bad. Let me reiterate - there is absolutely nothing wrong in getting slightly angry. When we overdo and cause harm then God’s Laws of Karma come into action. Before we took birth we were briefed about the Laws of Freewill, Karmas, etc so we knew everything.”

He sipped some water and said that God has made available for us to choose between good and bad and everything in between. We chose this obstacle course of life in this plane. Everything comes from God; technically even the dark is not outside of God’s Creation.

“We should never condone negativity or the activities of dark souls. From the human plane we should never accept hatred amongst people. But we have to see things from a higher perspective also. The positive and negative are a part of this Creation. It is we who have to consistently choose good over evil; we cannot choose Light over darkness if there is no darkness. So don’t hate Hitler, he was just providing options, feel sad for those who chose hate over love.”

A long pause followed. Suddenly the onus of the negative world environment fell on the good people who chose bad things. Female foeticide is an example.

"It is not easy to understand life. When you remember that there is a higher perspective as well we become more responsible, more tolerant and we do not judge. We do not judge anyone, not even Hitler. Then we grow.”

Sensing that we have understood what he has said so far Guruji continued, “Let me remind you that when we live a human life we do have strong opinions if not judgments. We have to defend ourselves and stand-up for all that is good. If someone is punching you then you have to defend yourself; you may have to hit back. Understanding this is very important. So when do you tolerate and when do you hit back? This is where our Spiritual maturity and discretion come into picture. Rishis are our role models. They can give boons as well as curses.”

With a big smile he said, “We should respect all creatures but again if you see cockroaches in your kitchen it is okay to kill them.”

Sudhakar sir mentioned that owning responsibility for what happens in our lives also gives us strength.

Appreciating this point Guruji said, “Yes, we always like to pass on the blame to others. We blame the ego for our arrogance, etc. The realization that I am responsible for whatever I do or my behaviour, that itself is a great advancement in spirituality. The moment we begin owning up, we also use our discretion. We do not repeat our mistakes. This takes a lot of time to understand and of course to put into practice.”

The Residents’ Meet came to an end; we proceeded to distributing gifts to the residents whose birthday fell in February. Usually it is books for adults and toys for kids. Later the residents proceeded for the group dinner. Every month a few resident families sponsor the evening feast. In small groups everyone was chatting and catching up with one another, parents were chasing their kids to eat dinner; behind the routine smiles there seemed to be something stirred in everyone. This was one of the most intense Residents’ Meets of all times.