Humanity has always gravitated towards rivers and not just for sustenance of life; rivers have inspired us in many ways. Its lifecycle holds many lessons for those willing to learn. Some rivers have even assumed Spiritual significance like the holy Ganga. On its banks many poets, mystics, kings and even sundry seekers have found themselves turning Divine. The river cleanses us every time we go to it, unconditionally. It is like a gateway to Mukti. Our meetings with Guruji are like visiting the holy river. He is our perennial source of strength, guidance and wisdom. His blissful presence and personal energies purify us every time. There is a certain elevation in our thoughts and emotions when we are in his presence. One such occasion was March month’s Residents’ Meet.

“Guruji, the story of how the river Ganga descended to earth is shrouded in myth. It is said that King Bhagiratha did a lot of penance to release the souls of his ancestors and he was told that only the waters of the celestial river Ganga can help. And only Lord Shiva could bring it down and release the water slowly otherwise the strength of river could destruct the earth while descending. A thought crossed my mind Guruji, was it that Ganga was one ice-filled large meteorite, which had to be brought down and gently released on earth?”

“Ganga is a special energy which was brought down. It was very powerful…..”

“….the waters weren’t physical……”

“…..we are used to Ganga being depicted as a river, but she is an energy field which Lord Shiva received.”

“So river must be already there and the energy was induced later…”

“Though it is an over-simplification let us just say that the energy turned into water later. Most of the pictures of Deities are at the most representative, that’s all, and they are not complete. But it gives us a rough idea.”

Mythology turns history into a mystery. It takes a God-sent Rishi to help us know things directly.

Seekers from far and wide have always felt drawn to the mighty Ganga. Quite like the students who come to Guruji from different lands.

Mr. Roland Pfeiffer, who comes all the way from Italy, read questions from his notes. “Good evening, Guruji,” he quickly changed his greeting to a ‘namaste’ and continued. “I have two questions. First, in an answer to one of my questions, you had mentioned that Krishna Consciousness and Christ Consciousness are two different energies. What are their purposes?”

“It depends on how we use these two different energies” Guruji said. “Christ and Krishna Consciousness both work similarly. Any Spiritual energy always takes us ultimately to our highest goal. Although different, with two different names, we can use them both on our Spiritual journey.”

In one stroke this answer erased the gap generated by religion over centuries and brought to fore the innate Spiritual core of different Paths to God.

“My next question Guruji, recently you had mentioned that we will never be able to define God completely. So my question is will we not comprehend Him even in Satya Yuga or when we will be in Parabrahma Loka with Him?” The quiver in Roland’s voice echoed with his soul’s longing to know the Omniscient.

“Right now with our limited capabilities we know very little about God, not even a percent. It is very difficult. But when we reach Parabrahma Loka, naturally we will know Him more.”

Yes, we can know Him more, but knowing completely? One wonders if that can ever happen. Maybe He in His infinite Grace will grant us that experience as well.

In a gratitude laden voice Mrs. Rakhee Chopra spoke next. “Guruji, I would like to thank all Taponagarites for helping me in the last few days when I was ill. When I am indisposed Manoj takes care of me and cooks food. This time he was busy with the February 1st World Light Day planning. I received a call from Sunita insisting that she will send us food, and not just that, she even asked if my doctor had given any dietary specification. Others also offered help. Most of my sickness vanished just by the love and concern I received. Guruji, you had mentioned that in oneness there is strength and no hesitation, Manoj and I got to experience it.”

“I am very happy to hear this,” Guruji said with a deep sense of inner knowing. “We always knew that we do have a lot of oneness amongst us, but such situations give opportunities to manifest it. You have to consciously increase this feeling of oneness, even in the one-to-one equations. Due to our human limitations there will be differences, but somehow we have to consciously overcome them by making efforts. I am glad that there is a commune here.

“Let me add,” he stressed, “none of us have gathered here by accident. For example, Roland is not here by accident. There is a design behind everything and a design is an opportunity. Just because one lives here does not mean that we are evolved and can automatically manifest unconditional love. But we have an opportunity to manifest it.”

Guessing by the eagerness on her face Guruji asked, “Yes, do you have anything else to ask?”

“Yes, Guruji, I had a question on teleportation.” The zing in her voice was back. “How does the process work? Does the body just vanish?” Her question transported the flow of discussion onto another track for a moment.

“Theoretically speaking it is a very simple process; we dematerialize, go to a place Astrally and then materialize a body there from the Panchabhootas. Teleporting is not that easy.”

Maharshi Amara had materialized eighteen bodies to help the wounded during the World War II crisis. While mythology is replete with stories of ancient Rishis working miracles for the larger good, the world does not even have an inkling about such supernatural feats performed by the Great Rishis of modern times.

Seated next to Rakhee, Manoj Chopra also expressed his gratitude. “Guruji, when she was not well, I was offered a lot of help. With oneness we feel secure and comfortable. Problems present opportunities. We can share what we can. Like for example, those who have material comforts can share that and others can offer whatever they can. Inhibitions happen when we have a fear of losing something.”

“Yes, Manoj, like you said we have to open up and relate to the other person in a spiritual way. We have spent a lot of time in the world out there where one has to be shrewd and defensive. We also tend to relate more to the person’s negative qualities. In Taponagara we have so much of energies and knowledge, love and even patience, we have to positivise.

“The important challenge in life is building good strong human relationships. We can easily demolish. We have no right to condemn a person and keep them away. We all have shortcomings. If you are able to manage human relations properly, then I think you have made very good spiritual progress.”

“Also Guruji, I have noticed that there is also a joy in receiving” Manoj continued, “When we give we feel joy and I think there is a joy of taking also. When someone gives with love and so much joy we should accept.”

“Yes. Accept and be grateful. After all, it is God who gives through individuals. So you have to thank Him; that is how we expand and grow. For ages we have been conditioned wrongly and have been taught to only give. We have to become aware of these things. You must accept and also reciprocate in a proper way. You can extend this to any height. We accept gifts from Nature, from the Rishis and from God. Be grateful.”

The next few questions were asked by Mr. Sudhakar. The queries were a distillation of thoughts after due contemplation.

“Namaste Guruji. I wanted to understand about the souls who come down in Creation for the first time. Will they all behave in the same way? Can some souls stay without acquiring Karmas? If some get caught in the cycles of birth and death, what went wrong?”

Guruji answered, “New souls will be like Rishis with all knowledge and powers. They behave as the souls not bound by karmas. They have a lot of undistorted knowledge and their faculties will be open. They know the purpose of their coming here. They can remain untouched by karmas. If they attract karmas, they have to stay back.”

“But what can actually go wrong when they have so much of knowledge Guruji? They can as well continue to stay flawless.”

“Freewill. We choose to violate the Laws of karma. Then we go on repeating it and actions attract karmas.”

“Guruji, at this point can the person not use his intellect?”

“You see, the soul chooses experiences it wants to go through. It is not as though at the intellectual level we make mistakes, the soul chooses even wrong things!”

“Knowingly?”

“Knowingly, most definitely, all actions, all mistakes are committed knowingly, with full knowledge. Look back and study the decisions of your life and you will see where you made right or wrong choices with full knowledge. We take decisions, experience and then wisdom dawns. That is why I say introspect, it is not to find faults with ourselves. We have to apply our knowledge. There are bound to be faults in us, in the way we handle interactions, etc. If you see a mistake on your side don’t condemn yourself and don’t repeat it. Introspection is a part of Sadhana.

“Meditations help us in seeing things much more clearly. Everyone is essentially good and everyone commits mistakes. We are human beings. When I look back in my life even I see mistakes. There is no point crying over it. People are challenges and opportunities….”

“….we should try to understand what is the opportunity?”

“Yes. First we must recognize it as an opportunity. Improve yourself, it is a constant process. I am growing every moment. That’s why this internalizing is very important. We have to spend time alone. In solitude we become aware; aware of ourselves, of the Rishis, of God, the Presence. It is so important.

“Here again Meditations help us, but Meditations alone does not do everything. We have to contemplate and choose to evolve. Without Meditations, perhaps, we would not be aware of these things. Meditations take us into stillness where realization dawns. It is then, you see, we realize all the nuances of Sadhana.”

After a loaded pause he almost thundered, “Own your mistakes. Do not blame anybody else. If you are wrong say sorry, if the other person is, then just send Light.”

We were jostling with an avalanche of silent introspective thoughts when an innocent voice cooled our nerves. Ms. Shruti asked the last question of the session. “Guruji, this is again regarding the river Ganga. The river water is said to have strong energies and that it purifies us. So, if we drink it, how does it help us? Is it comparable to Light Channelling?”

“Ganga’s essential energies purify us; it is for a particular purpose. You can drink it if you want to but there is another way. Pray to Ganga Devi, receive energies in the form of white light and use them. It will elevate you spiritually. Every Spiritual energy is like a doorway or a gateway to God.”

The session came to an end; the river as though had met the ocean. For the time being only though, in a month’s time we will visit the river of wisdom again and quench our thirst for guidance, purifying us in the process.

A feeble rumbling in the distant skies reminded us that the Aero India Show was in progress in Bangalore at Yellahanka Airforce Base, the venue for the show about forty kms away. We were flying high on our time with Guruji. Roland seemed to have been reading all of Guruji’s books printed in the last twenty years, he asked a question from what he had come across.

“Guruji, it is said that a meditator’s parents from this Path will automatically attain Mukti. Is this true and what if the parents are still living in lower awareness?”
Guruji: “Not only in this Path but in any, provided that the meditator has progressed sufficiently. Even if they live in unconsciousness they will have many benefits.”
“Just like a bonus?”


“Yes, as a bonus.”

“What about their grandparents and theirs too?” asked an unknown voice.

With a gentle smile Guruji narrated, “Once during the times of Amara we had participated in Divya Bhanu Meditation which was a great Spiritual Event. Amara told us that seven generations of ancestors attained Mukti just because we participated in this Event. Just imagine seven generations!”

Meditations bring benefits which we are so diverse that it is difficult to ever enumerate all of them.

And what about the brothers and sisters asked someone; a question which everyone knew would follow.

“This concession cannot be extended to everyone. Then we will have friends, relatives, friends’ friends, friends’ children, etc. Only the parents and ancestors have these benefits.”

A thundering fighter jet seared the sky a few thousand feet above our heads as Mr. Sanjaya Vishwamitra understood the role of joy and sorrow on our earth.

His first question, “Namaste Guruji. While we human beings transform there are animals, birds and plants which are suffering for no fault of theirs. So in some ways, are they paying for our fallacies or is it that they have their own evolution and Karma?”

“They suffer because of our fallacies no doubt but they also suffer because of the times they are born in. During Kali Yuga and Pralaya times, even animals and plants are engulfed by Karmas. Everyone is affected because they happen to be in that space-time frame….”

“But somehow it still saddens me when I think about their suffering though we are taught to experience love and joy. So is sadness just one of the emotions like love and joy or is it not to be encouraged?”

“It is a reality of life on this earth, which has many varieties of experiences for us to choose from, ranging from joy, sorrow, excitement, depression, etc. That’s why souls come down to this earth, to go through these experiences.

“I was once trying to contact a Rishi. Along with him there were five more at that time. He said that from where he was i.e. his earth, a group had a single voice! He also said that whatever one thinks the other thinks as well, when he speaks it is as though each is. You see our earth provides the experience of opposing possibilities and emotions, here contradictions and paradoxes are allowed. Also here fluctuations rule, a meditator will not be in Samadhi at all times. If you are happy now, later you will be sad as well. It is like a wave. So, sadness is a part of life here. It is a natural thing.”

Sanjay’s family has known Amara since his childhood days so plucking from memory he mentioned, “Just as an off-shoot. I don’t remember Amara ever feeling sad or at least showing that. He was always smiling and always….”

“…..I have seen him sad on a few occasions. His sadness was not for his personal reasons but because those who came to him to learn did not understand him, they did not understand the value of Meditations; he was sad for the state of affairs in this world. People came to hear him narrate his Astral ventures but never worked towards spiritualizing themselves.”

He shared an incident which let us have a small idea of how Guruji and his Guru Amaraji would interact. “Once, I remember, he was sitting alone. I went and joined him. Most of the times when we were together like that we never talked. After about twenty minutes, he mentioned that a Rishi had come Astrally to initiate spiritual seekers, though they had sent a thought wave to Bangaloreans no one had turned up. This made him sad. As I have said in the Class, he was the finest human being, being human involves sadness. Sadness is a part of human life, human nature.”

Mr. Brajbandhu Mishra continued the line of discussion, “Guruji, sadness is part of this human life but should allow it or should we always work towards being happy?”

“I say, enjoy that also…”

“….how do we do that?”

“When you are sad, be sad. Allow that sadness and experience it, I probably should not say enjoy it rather experience it. You see all emotions are temporary, even joy is temporary. If you are happy now know that you will be sad at some time in the future, nothing lasts.”

“So Guruji, if I remain detached from joy, will it help me handle sadness?”

“Just be happy when you feel happy, cry when you feel like it and be sad when you feel sad, try to observe objectively from a distance that’s all. In fact sadness brings more lessons. If you listen to music you will see that the beauty of the song heightens when it carries a tinge of sadness.”

A new student Ms. Deepa followed up the series, “What if the person learns without suffering?”

“He is welcome,” Guruji said, “to learn, it is not a must that you have to suffer. But, when we go through suffering, we learn fast.”

A participant commented, “But it helps us to empathize with others when they are going through a similar situation…”

“Yes, it helps.”

Ms. Sunita B. R., who seemed to be a first-timer, in a bit of shaky voice said, “Namaste, Guruji. Whenever I feel sad and I have some problems, I mentally share with you. And after that I feel you are next to me, consoling me and helping me out. Is this my mind at work or will you always be next to me?”

Guruji: “Sometimes it is only imagination, but sometimes it is not.”

“Either ways I feel mentally strong when I feel you are next to me. Whenever, I am in a problem, I can see you next to me, you are there giving me lot of energy and strength.”

“Whenever people seek assistance or help, they do so in special ways. You perhaps like in this way, for me to be near you and console you. You expect so it happens that way….”

“….I always feel as though you are like my mom. I share everything with you. So I never feel that distance and I don’t feel like meditating. Whenever I feel like sharing, I just remember you and tell whatever I feel like and immediately I get response sometimes. So I am very happy and thankful for that, Guruji.”

He just smiled.

Ms. Vidya Vishwamitra question helped us understand a new perspective about Meditation. “Guruji, I have heard many people saying that he or she is a good meditator? What makes a person to be a meditator?”

“It is sincerity. If one is sincere then the technique and posture become unimportant. If one is able to enter stillness easily then everything else takes a back seat.”

“Then is it that Meditation per se is not important?”

“There are stages, when you reach a certain level of Spiritual evolution, Meditation becomes unimportant. If we can really manifest pure unconditional love then why do we require the help of Meditation? When enter stillness we experience Samadhi which takes us to Divine love. That’s why Amara said that Shambala Principles are higher than Meditation. If you practice Shambala Principles perfectly, regularly and naturally you need not meditate.

The roaring fighter jets flying past seemed to salute the Rishi answering our questions so patiently. He announced that we will close the session with three minutes of Light Channeling. In the moments of silence we realized that the noise of the Aero Show was much more than what we cared to hear before. The blissful voice of Guruji had indeed drowned the discordant noise of machinery. Spiritual silence, as expected, was stronger than the cacophony of materiality.

It was the month of the Egyptian revolution. The entire world was fixated on this unprecedented people’s movement. It was not much of a surprise for those who have been following Guruji’s messages on how the years towards the New Age will unfold. He had augured two years back that people will revolt against corrupt systems. While this topic dominated the session many others were also touched upon. The thick foliage which lovingly shelters the amphitheatre at Antar-manasa from the Sun had seasonally shed almost all of its green wealth leaving everyone sultry. However, under the cooling spell of the energies Guruji carries the Sun’s heat became manageable.

The very first question was about Egypt. “Guruji, with what has happened in Egypt it feels as if it was a personal victory. People the world over seemed to back the demonstrators on the streets. We usually understand that all the corrupt systems will be replaced by new Divine systems, will this be the case with Egypt as well?”

“The Divine systems will happen to the entire world much later,” Guruji clarified, “all that we have been talking about – surfacing, uprising, people’s voice, etc. has come true. And the best part is that this revolution had no single leader and the violence was not beyond control. I was watching TV News till late in the night to follow-up on the happenings. What has happened is really amazing.

“And yes, it feels like our victory because every good human being wants evil to be wiped out from this world.”

Ms. Apoorva brought to fore what Guruji had mentioned earlier, “Last time you told us that the uprising in Egypt is happening because a part of the energies that are stored in the Giza pyramids has been released. So is there a connection between the photon belt and energies in the pyramids?”

Guruji: “Not directly. We are in the field of the photon belt energies, no doubt, but this uprising is directly because of the energies we released from the pyramids.

A follow-up question was asked by Mr. Narasimha Murthy. He asked when a small amount of ancient energy stored in the Giza pyramid can cause such a huge transformation, will it not help to release more.

Giving the analogy of medicines which can only be taken in right doses Guruji said, “It is difficult to withstand more energy. The energies were stored in the pyramids for seven thousand years. Even now there are a lot of energies stored there, but these will be released at the right time.”

There were a few questions based on the book ‘Preparing for 2012’. First was regarding the series of shifts as foretold by the Mayans and whether Egypt is the epicenter of the next shift?

“Egypt is not the epicenter but is a beginning one can say. The shifts will happen in the consciousness of human beings; there will be successive shifts in their thinking. For example in the coming elections people will vote more sensibly. People at large want changes for the better; in their hearts millions wanted the Egyptian revolution to succeed and it did. Though not immediate there will be many shifts” Guruji explained.

The second question was - “In the book it is mentioned that the Mayans came from a different world. Other sources say that they came from the clan of Mayasura. Is it so?”

“No it isn’t. They are very highly evolved beings or race from a different world; so much so that they are watching our world and the quality of its reaction to the events around 2012.”

“Guruji, I also read in the book ‘The Bringers of the Dawn’ about the Pleiadians and beings from the Andromeda Galaxy. Are they on our earth in large numbers?”

“They are here but not in huge numbers. But more will come and join us. Even before 2012 December, they will be here with us.”

Imagine alien races landing on our earth and helping us in our ordeals. Sounds like fiction? Well in 1980, a meditator had received a Message from the Rishis and Guruji had got the two-page content printed as a pamphlet. Towards the end of the Message it is mentioned – ‘People from outer space will land on earth and impart their knowledge to us. The knowledge thus acquired will help us materially and spiritually.’

For those who think that seeing is the only way of believing probably should watch an extensive TV series called ‘Ancient Aliens’ which was broadcast in the US on History Channel. The DVD can be purchased from the History Channel website. While I cannot vouch for all that is shown in the DVD, archeological evidence proves that we have been and are being visited and assisted by other worldly advanced beings. Our truths are naturally coloured by our perceptions and pre-conceived notions; after all we re-create the world after seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching the world through our personal faculties.

Mr. Nikhil wanted to know more about the Mayans and whether they were from Satya Loka or if they were Rishis from some other origin?

“They need not be Rishis but they are highly evolved beings. We don’t know from which Loka they are from but they are certainly from a higher earth.”

On a different note Ms. Keerthi narrated an incident proving the impact of practising Oneness. It seemed like a digression but it was not. “Guruji, once my daughter Manasi had pain in her ankle and she kept on complaining about it. My husband thought to himself that since he and Manasi are One at a deeper level, she should not have pain when he doesn’t. In a minute her pain vanished. This sounds incredible.”

“It is. We are yet to understand the benefits of experiencing Oneness. Maybe the pain was transmuted and he went through it. Many people from different nations prayed for the Egyptians, they wanted the ruling regime to step down and it worked. Oneness works in many ways. Everywhere people are strongly resenting corruption and scams, that is why they are surfacing. Henceforth wrongdoers cannot get away from the consequences of their actions.”

Since this informal meeting many incidents have happened at the global and national levels which showcase the impact of the energies flooding the earth now. There is a catharsis happening at all levels starting from the individual level. And yet we are free to give in to the human tendency of normalcy bias. Here’s a description of normalcy bias:

The normalcy bias refers to an extreme mental state people enter when facing a disaster. It makes people think that everything will always be normal. It causes people to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and also its possible effects. This often results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster, and on a larger scale, the failure of the government to include the populace in its disaster preparations.

The assumption that is made in the case of the normalcy bias is that since a disaster never has occurred that it never will occur. It also results in the inability of people to cope with a disaster once it occurs. People with a normalcy bias have difficulties reacting to something they have not experienced before. People also tend to interpret warnings in the most optimistic way possible, seizing on any ambiguities to infer a less serious situation.

Coming back to the discussion, Mr. Roland Pfeffinger, visiting Postal Guidance student from Italy had a question to ask. “When communication networks fail, will those capable of telepathy be able to communicate with the ones who are not trained in telepathy?”

“When the Divine Systems replace the old systems, everyone will be able to communicate telepathically, even with those who are not used to it. This is what I believe will happen” Guruji answered.

“My next question is about the Photon Belt. The Solar system will be entering the Photon Belt in December 2012, so how is it that only the earth will enter in May 2011?”

“Yes, this is by special Grace. Right now we are just at the periphery. When we completely enter into it, we will get more and stronger energies. Many drastic changes happen due to the Photon Belt energies. It is more impactful than the Solar flares, Galactic alignment, etc.”

Around last year Guruji had mentioned that we should mentally reject negativity, corruption, terrorism and other social ills. The collective thought force of rejection itself will act on the perpetrators of negativity. The results are for all to see.

Part two of this discussion will be in the next article

A benign meditator from another beautiful Spiritual Path made an interesting observation - ‘Your Path is intensive, ours is extensive.’ This is so because each student is given personal attention in the form of Monthly Spiritual Check-ups and direct guidance from Guruji, and Senior Guides, over email and letters. The intensity is due to Guruji’s diligent and loving effort, and he is ever ready to answer questions. In return he naturally has expectations; especially from his band of workers and teachers, a few kindred Spirits called Volunteers. The Volunteer’s forum is for specific one-to-one Spiritual Guidance and works as a catalyst for transformation.

Since Guruji had mentioned that we should be aware of a Divine Presence in us, Ms. Vaishali Joshi aspired to understand it better. Her question – “Namaste Guruji, we are aware at the intellectual level about the Presence or Divine Light in us. Not only do we lose this awareness during non-meditating hours, even during actual practice it remains at the intellectual level as visualization. How do we convert this into a real full-time experience?”

The guidance was like categorical – “Intensify your Sadhana (Spiritual practices).”

Explanation followed, “You see just one hour of Meditation is not enough to get the results you want. Increase the quantity and quality of Meditation. Sadhana means making efforts. Sit for Meditation with an unwavering determination to experience the Divine Presence in you; most importantly, bring in the factor of deep eternal Love towards the Divine from your heart. Speak to the Presence, express your Love and intent to experience It, and you will receive all help required. If your Love for the Presence is intense then even with a shorter period of Meditation you will be able to experience firsthand.”

Love bridges the gap that effort alone cannot. Spiritual teacher Gary Zukav says – ‘Love is not a passive state. It is an active force. It is the force of the soul.’

Nothing compares to experiencing the profound layers of consciousness, it tends to leave the meditator in a state of dignified natural silence. Guruji always helps us in maintaining a temperate balance despite the depth of experience. Mr. Manoj Chopra verified his Meditational experience with the theory he had learnt about it.

“Guruji, during the Eclipse group Meditation, I felt I went very deep into a layer of consciousness. At one point I felt as if I was going to fall asleep. Then I became alert. Suddenly, I crossed into a deeper layer, then another and yet another. Are these the deeper layers of consciousness you often speak about?”

“Yes, it is.”

“What is interesting Guruji is that once I crossed the level of sleep I became increasingly more aware and kept going deeper.”

“Very good. Always maintain Trataka, if you lower your gaze or do bend your head, sleep will creep in” Guruji said as a word of caution.

We often wonder what the Rishis would meditate upon since they have already gone beyond Mukti. This was Manoj’s next question, “Rishis meditate for thousands of years. Do they go on experiencing God? What is their experience like?”

“It is very difficult to generalize,” Guruji replied, “since they work for God’s Creation their Meditation has specific purposes, for example, sometimes they gather certain energies for their work. Each purpose has a corresponding meditational technique. We definitely cannot practise these techniques.”

Guidance for Volunteers is not restricted to Sadhana alone, managing difficult people as Spiritually as possible is also given due credit. Ms. Rakhee Chopra works with the core Light Channeling group, her queries usually are about psychic experiences, but this time they were about an everyday human occurrence. Her task requires her to collate a lot of information from many sources to confirm various data points like the name of the school, principal, number of students who channeled Light, etc. Her interaction sometimes has resulted in harshness from the responders. In the initial months, this distressed her. She went on to explain how she put up with rudeness so that work goes undisturbed. Later Manoj helped her in standing up for herself while getting the job done.

In response Guruji said, “Life and people are like that. Sometimes there are very hurtful experiences. You have to learn to manage. But it is a good experience because once you go through it you know you can deal with anything in life.”

He also narrated an incident of insensitivity when he was arranging a Spiritual Conference in 1989. Those were the days when money was hard to come by for the Rishis’ Projects; not that it is easy now. Guruji said that he had to collect Rs. 25,000/- and donations came in as a hundred or two hundred rupees at a time. Nobody contributed more. Someone referred a person who could. Upon meeting this person, he made Guruji wait for a full two hours as he had gone on to meet someone else and had forgotten. Later with a sincere apology he gave a hundred rupees. Here there was no point in saying anything, however, in another instance Guruji could and did give it back.

“During my career in the General Post Office, Bangalore, I would interact with service seekers at the counters. Once a person rudely reminded me that I am a public servant; I shut him up by saying that I was so only for the public and not for him. So if you can respond, do so.”

Negating self-respect is not Spiritual.

Shobha Ma’am almost always sits in the first row right in front of Guruji, like the devout who seek indescribable fulfillment in keeping no distance between them and the Guru. Probably prompted by the discussion on deeper layers of consciousness, she asked if the soul has many levels analogous to the levels of the mind.
“The soul is just an entity; all other things like subtle bodies, etc were added later. Soul does not have any layers.”

The deeper layers of consciousness have to do with the degree of expansion of awareness.

Shyamala Madam’s approach to work and Sadhana is rigorous and disciplined. Guruji had instructed that those living in Taponagara’s Manasi field can practise Stage Meditations only during the Nisheet Kala timings of 1:00am to 3:36am. Her question was, “Guruji, sometimes I start Meditations by 2:30am, then after 3:36am I practise Pranayama and Shielding technique. We are supposed to do these before we start Stage Meditation, but the sequence goes haywire, is it ok?”

“It is alright. There is no problem. The only precaution you have to take care is that you should not contact anyone outside the Manasi Field during the Nisheet Kala.”

“Not even offer respects, Guruji?”

“No. While offering respects if you establish a link with a Rishi in a different realm outside the field then you might attract the attention of the non-positive forces. However, you can offer respects to anyone within this Manasi field and you can even contact them.”

Before going on to the interesting points she discussed, Shyamala Ma’am asked her usual question on details of techniques. “Guruji, in Shambala and Ra Group Classes you have given us different Pranayama practices. During Shambala techniques we have to use only the specified colour of Light otherwise, generally, as mentioned in Ra Group, isn’t it?”

With a patient smile Guruji said, “Yes, and if there is any mix up, there is no problem. You don’t have to worry. There will be no harm.”

Ma’am narrated the unique psychic experiences of a student and asked Guruji about it.

“She is a very special soul,” Guruji said, “She had wonderful experiences in her previous life when she did a lot of Sadhana. That’s why her experiences are entirely new and different. She had followed a different Path, in this lifetime she has come here.”

In an enthusiasm laden voice she asked, “Guruji, another student says that she was stuck in traffic in a commute which takes about an hour and a half; however, when she went into stillness her bus reached the destination in just half an hour. Did time alter for her? Does the experience hold true for the co-passengers?”

Guruji: “It is difficult to explain logically, but it is like time travel. It is an amazing experience. Several people have this but they haven’t noticed it. She did. I can’t explain the phenomenon clearly, but something paranormal did happen. It has happened to me also. When I did not have time and had a lot to do, I thought I could attend to only one task. I continued and noticed that in the limited period of time I had accomplished many tasks and I had time to spare.”

“Oh Guruji, it is always easy for you,” she said in a self-denying tone.

“No. It can happen to anyone.”

There is an important lesson here though it does not seem apparent. A Guru teaches his students because he sees potential in them to emulate him. To say that we are not capable of higher mystical experiences is defeating the purpose of learning under a Mystic.

From the last row came the last few questions from Mr. Sunil Bisarahalli, “Guruji, I read in a book about Akashic Records that if there is a misunderstanding or a fight here, the same set of people will take birth again to sort it out. My question was, if we learn the lesson, is that sufficient or should the same set of people take birth again to learn or can we learn the lesson through others?”

“I think if we learn the lesson, it is enough. It is because we don’t learn that we come back. It is not necessary that we have to have the same set of people,” Guruji explained.

“My next question, Guruji – It has been my dream to be more closely associated with you and today you announced in the class that you want to withdraw. You said you want to live more there, at the Higher Astral levels, than here. I feel that it is pushing me also to live more there than here, so that you are not spared of us at all. But how do we do it, Guruji, with our life being so hectic and so complex, how can we internalize so much that, you know, we can open up more at other levels?”

Guruji: “Firstly, we have to make time, we have to snatch time from life. Secondly, when I said I want to withdraw, I meant that I do not want to do the same jobs that I have been doing. I can take up other tasks, like if I could spend more time alone then I can channel more Knowledge and bring down different Meditational techniques. It will help people. I do not want to retire or take it easy; I wanted a break from the routine. I receive the same questions, same human problems, etc. I wish somebody else would take care of such matters so that I can take up other projects. That’s all. I have lost interest with mundane words and people. It is human but I will get over it. I love my work and there are so many more things to do.”

We often forget that Guruji is seventy plus. We always see him smiling, charged and so full of life. His eternal aspect shows through his mortal so much that we forget his natural human limitations. He also has a right to be human and we have to give him the space to be so. We can still take our Spiritual matters to him, but only if we cannot deal with it ourselves. He has been training each one of us to be independent, as in, to have a direct guidance with the Rishis and him, beyond the physical.

A mild hesitation overshadowed Sunil’s usual jovial voice, “Guruji, I have had a question on my mind for a long time. It is delicate one; I do not know how to put it across…..”

“…..so put it delicately,” charmed Guruji. Even when he is in a mood to withdraw, his wit and spontaneity remains razor sharp.

With his inhibition put to rest, Sunil asked, “Guruji, students come to our Path because you are available. They come to listen to and see you. If you retire, then will it not impact the progress of the organization?”

“I understand what you are saying,” Guruji said seriously, “you see, this Project of the Rishis goes on. Those who come here for the Rishis, for genuine Spiritual Energies and knowledge, and for Meditations will always come. There are always those who are fence-sitters, who cannot decide on the course of their Spiritual journey, such will fade away. Some dilly-dally, so be it. When Amara was available, many came to hear his Astral work; after he passed over they vanished. But Amara’s Work never stopped, we have continued his legacy – his teachings.

“We have everything here – Special Energies, Meditation halls as Energy Centres, a strong syllabus, structured organization and a proper machinery of dedicated workers. We are fine.”

We have a big enough group of Volunteers, teachers, staff, etc. Each of the residents in Taponagara contributes to Guruji’s Project one way or another. Additionally, there are a hundred plus Light Channels Volunteers spread across the country, with a few abroad. The Work of the Rishis for humanity goes on, aptly captured in the hymn written by Guruji – ‘Rishikarya ki jyoti sadaa jale…” Look within, this jyoti burns through each one of us – a few hundred kindred Spirits.

The conversations with Guruji got a refreshing boost as a hot cup of chai, and coffee for Guruji, was served along with some light nibbles. Queries on Prana continued. “Guruji, this is regarding Prana. How do I know that I have taken in Prana? Will I eat less? How does it function?”

“You see, when you take in Prana, you will notice that you become more energetic,” Guruji said. “If you have any ailment or pain anywhere, then you can pray to Sun, receive his Prana and send it to the affected area. Be alert and you might just notice an almost immediate relief. To know for sure that you have received Prana, just be alert. You will know.”

Ms. Varsha wanted to ask a few questions and before she did in her cheerful style she even got on her knees from her mat. “Actually, I want to ask, you had mentioned that we have all the tools necessary for our Spiritual growth right in our own system. So does it mean that we have to get all the knowledge required from our inner self or should we seek from books and outside sources as well? Or will being alert to our inner voice alone will help?”

Guruji: “We are already using the tools I mentioned, the most important is intuition. Others like our body, mind and intellect are like tools in our growth. Higher faculties are becoming operative, just that we don’t notice or acknowledge them.”

“We just need to be aware of the inner workings, right Guruji?”

“Yes, that’s all. Be alert and you will notice the difference.” Guruji playfully prodded the eager student, “For example, with your intuition you could find out who will ask the next question…try.”

And unexpectedly came a sprightly quip, “By my intuition, I feel that Swaminathan uncle will know…” because she already knew that he had a rough list of questioners.

“So, that is how it works” said Guruji concedingly.

Next, she asked a profound question - could a genuine Spiritual experience enable a person to manifest Divine qualities like unconditional love, accommodation, etc; and also, if the other way round could happen.

Guruji: “Both are true. A genuine experience will make us happy, peaceful, expanded, etc. And when you practice these consciously, you will have wonderful mystical experiences.”

Varsha’s chirpiness could not mask the confessional tone in her next question, “Guruji, to have a genuine mystical experience, do we have to be less talkative?”

“Less talkative is always welcome, with or without experiences,” Guruji said and seeing that this comment was taken very seriously, he quickly added, “No, no, I am just joking. We have to talk, we have to communicate. We shouldn’t gossip too much. Note that I said too much, so a little is fine. However, when we maintain silence we become aware of the Higher Personalities, Higher Forces and Energies….”

“….yes Guruji. I have also experienced this…”

“Allow silence whenever it is possible,” Guruji said and also assured her, “You wait for some time, you will have experiences.”

Taking forward the line of probe on experiences and manifestation, Mr. Kavindra posed a question. “Guruji, you just explained that a genuine experience will result in transformation; however, I hear some meditators say ‘I had very good Meditation today, I could go deep’ but their behavior does not change. So in this background, I would like to understand better.”

Guruji: “First of all we have to also consciously allow the influence of these deep Meditations to work on us during the non-meditating hours. Secondly, deep Meditations and regular practices initiate a process of transformation. The improvement in manifestation of Divine qualities could be miniscule, so we do not notice it. But rest assured that everyone makes some headway. Deep changes do not happen immediately.”

“Another question that has been on my mind for quite some time; out of love and concern for another person, we sometimes advise them or show them their areas of improvement. The intention is to help but should we say something or should we keep quite. Should we just let the Higher Intelligence guide the person?

Guruji: “The action depends on the case at hand. There are times when a person will listen to you and other times they may not. We should not impose our views or care on others. Guide only if it is sought and to the extent to which it is sought. At no time should there be any unpleasantness. So it all depends on the individual you are dealing with and the situation. Be alert and sensitive to the other person’s feeling. Your intent is the most important thing, it must not be to find faults but to help the person realize and grow.

“Even the best of the opinions should not be imposed. We must realize that everyone is responsible; everyone has the same Light that we carry. This is very important. If there is any confusion, if there is any misunderstanding, in course of time they will realize it. Who are we to correct. If you are humble enough the best thing would be send Divine Light. It will do everything in the most proper way, at the right time.”

People issues dominate our lives. It is always a heady mix of ours and others imperfections and moments of unconscious living. We do not always get to know if we have hurt others. Fortunately, Guruji’s guidance is very clear, no matter who is right or wrong, keep your intent clear and send Light.

Ms. Archana Vishwanath, a Professor of Pharmacy, had met a visitor to Taponagara. He had a psychic vision that this place was an Ashram of Durvasa Maharshi. He also prophesied that this place will become a very big Spiritual Ashram. She wanted to know if this would come to pass.

“Thousands of years ago many Rishis lived here. In the future this will happen again. Even right now, we are an Ashram; not the typical one you see in movies. You see, an Ashram is a place where good souls gather; all of you are those good souls. And what is our activity? It is what we are doing right now. We are sharing knowledge, beautiful moments full of Divine Love; we share not just the Spiritual Energies but also our food! Having said this, yes, great Rishis will come here or take birth here. This is an Ashram already.” Guruji’s explanation left us in a unique state of bliss.

On other occasions, Guruji had said that the operating Principles of Taponagara are unconditional Love and freedom. Each one has the right to pursue his or her Sadhana at their own pace and conduct their lives as per their preference. There is no place of hegemony or harshness here.

Ms. Uma Maheshwari, a volunteer and an active Light Channeling member, wanted to find out how to handle those who express feelings of jealousy, will the negativity impact her and whether such people should be avoided.

Knowing her as a very sensitive individual with childlike purity and innocence, Guruji spoke emphatically, giving her a feeling of being protected always. “Straight away I can tell you, it won’t affect you and you need not avoid. You need not avoid anyone for that matter. But be strong. Those who carry Light are very strong. You know what is right or what is not, so just ignore others’ comments. Carry Light always. Send Light that is the best thing you can do.”

With a wide smile beaming on her face she narrated an incident when she prayed to Guruji and got a response. Guruji confirmed the contact and mentioned that though he wasn’t aware at this physical level, he responded from his Higher aspect.

Shobha Ma’am in her ever so unhurried and calm voice asked, “Guruji, when we pray to you, many times you say that you may not know at this level, but at a Higher level you will know. Are you referring to the level of the soul?”

Guruji: “Yes. You can say that.”

Continuing the point of knowing at a deeper level, Ms. Sujata V asked, “Guruji, in the last Sunday Class, you mentioned about the state of blankness, expanded awareness and Enlightenment; it was really beautiful. In the same Class, you had also mentioned that as we progress from one Spiritual stage to another, our awareness will expand and we will know everything at that level. I could not understand this properly.”

Guruji: “It is like this – to begin with at a certain stage you will be aware of everything about everyone on this earth simultaneously. As our awareness expands, we will know progressively more about people, happenings, etc simultaneously, and eventually about the entire Universe. God knows about everything in the entire Creation.”

Mr. Vinay expressed his gratitude to Guruji for being patient with his pace of Spiritual growth.

In response Guruji gave us very important insights. He said that patience is a must, both with ourselves and others. Hope should be coupled with patience since they carry the same Light as we do. We cannot write-off anybody, we have to keep the faith that they will someday understand and grow. We should not judge others, condemn and keep them away. He also emphasized that we are not doing any favour by being patient; it is our duty to be so.

Once Guruji had appreciated his Guru – Maharshi Amaraji for his patience; to this Amaraji had replied – “If I don’t have patience, I cannot be a Guru.”

As the microphone had already gone around the bonfire once, the next round of discussion was from those who had already interacted. By now they had found enough time to contemplate on the answers given by Guruji and they followed up with more questions.

“Guruji, earlier you mentioned that Africa will play a special role. May we understand how?”

“Mainly it will be Spiritual in nature. Right now there is chaos, we cannot expect much, but in the times to come there will be sane voices emerging from this continent. The world will listen and will be humbled, I cannot explicitly say how but it will play a vital role in the affairs of the world. We expect great things from Africa” Guruji explained. Only the Rishis can see hope where none seems apparent.

“Guruji, we now understand that the Sun’s Prana is available on all the planets and we know that there are different kinds of beings living on those planets. So do they use this Prana?”

“They do, but a different kind of Prana than ours. They use subtler Prana.”

“This is the continuation of the discussion we had about the Life coming from Mars. Can we conclude that before earth become inhabitable or was ready for this kind of physical life, it was on Mars and once the entire cycle on Mars was over, it was transported to Earth?”

Guruji: “Exactly.”

“Currently the astrophysicists say that there are water reserves on Mars, it has conditions similar to Earth. So it is likely that after Earth Life will go back to Mars?”

Guruji: “We do not go back to Mars, maybe to some other planet. We don’t know right now. Let us say, each planet will have a chance to become Earth-like.

There was a query about how we handled the journey through the Photon Belt in the earlier Mahayuga cycles. To this Guruji said that information was not available straight away.

The next question landed us on earth. “Guruji, from which layer of mind does fear emanate?”

‘Oh God,’ I thought to myself, ‘It is so difficult to be in Guruji’s position.’ Just imagine, it takes much more that patience to jump topics like this, while maintaining strong links with the Rishis and getting the correct answers, because Guruji never deters from saying that he does not know.

Guruji answer: “It is difficult to say. Even the conscious mind can feel scared. You can’t say that at a certain level of the mind a particular kind of fear exists. The whole mind can be understood as the source.”

The next in line was the Study Centre Member with a slew of questions on Vaastu or the Indian traditional science of architecture which had a sharp focus on directional alignments with the natural energy flows in Nature.

Question: Guruji, the way individual houses have their Ashtadikbandhana (eight directional energy centers which contain the house or structure), does Taponagara also have one too?

Guruji: It has.

Question: When we meditate at home, do these eight energy centers get energized; like it does during the house-warming energizing session?

Guruji: I don’t think so.

Question: In that case Guruji, can we energize our house on every anniversary of the house-warming day to strengthen the energy fields further?

Guruji: It is better if we do it. After all, every anniversary is like a birthday.

Question: Guruji, what about people who live in flats? Will they have a shared Ashtadikbandhana or individual ones?

Guruji: The whole structure will have this protection, the container effect of Ashtadikbandhana. At the same time the individual flats will also have their personal Ashtadikbandhana.

Question: As time passes, the Divine Energy accumulated in temples starts seeping underneath and starts collecting in an Astral Chamber. As we have understood so far, this can happen to the Pooja rooms of individual houses as well. Now, what would happen to the Divine Energies in the Pooja rooms of those who stay on higher floors of flats?

Guruji: That’s a good question. In flats, the Energies won’t seep down but will stay in the Pooja room or area. The houses below are a different world altogether.

Question: If we shift to a new house, should we have a small prayer ceremony where we can request the energies to shift with us?

Guruji: You can do that or leave the Energies behind and build up new fields, unless of course you have gathered very special Energies. Leaving the Energies behind would be generous.

Question: In case some theft or fire accident happens in the house, then can we say that there is an imbalance in the eight energy centers, or the Vaastu-Purusha is weak?

Guruji: No. We can’t say that. These energies protect the house from dark energies. But it is not meant to protect against theft.

Question: Once we meditate, all and any Vaastu imbalance gets nullified. Isn’t it Guruji?

Guruji: Yes, that’s correct.

Question: There are people who do not meditate, but they very good people. They worship and everyday perform rituals of worshipping genuinely…..

Guruji: …..that may not be adequate. But when you meditate, you don’t have to worry about Vaastu. Any bad Vaastu it is taken care of. Vaastu, you see, is an energy field. It works as container. When you meditate, you generate so much of positive energies that everything is taken care of. But people are not aware of it, and people won’t believe this.

Question: Guruji, every structure has eight directional energies. Now, our soul or Astral body lives in the physical body. In a way, this physical body is also our house. So, is it a stretch if we say that our body also has eight directional energy fields?

Guruji: Yes it is a stretch. Only physical structures of brick and mortar have these eight directional energy fields. But again, this body works as a kind of container, not necessarily with these eight forces. It is a natural container. We have energy shields, which are also containers.

Question: Guruji, we have shields, houses and even the Material Cosmos has Ashtadikbandhana, so what about countries?

Guruji: Countries will not have this Ashtadikbandhana. But, strangely in their own ways, they have borders. Example, we have Himalayas, we have seas around. They work as a kind of, you know, shields or borders.

Phew! Throughout the Q&A series there was hardly any time to pause and breathe. The smile of mutual understanding shared by the student who asked the questions and Guruji is too special to be described.

Ms. Kiranmayi, a meditator for many years and mother to her ten year old son, Nihaar, thanked the Residents for channeling Healing Energies to him when he had fever. Surprisingly, she attributed a distinct improvement in his studies and behavior to the Energies as well.

A visibly impressed Guruji said, “This is such a wonderful observation. As I was explaining in the Sunday Class, the Healing Energies do much more than just bring relief from the ailment. It also communicated to the person and helps in many ways. This is the finest example and I am very happy about it.”

The fire had started going down for quite some time now, probably only the interesting conversations had kept it alive so far. The call for last question was made and was answered by a question from Mr. Girish.

“Guruji, is Master Gabriel a Rishi?"

“Yes, he is.”

“Is he one of the Sapta Rishis?”

“No.”

“Then who could he be?”

“We do not know that for now. All the Masters that the West speaks of are known as Rishis in our country.”

The Ascended Masters, Hierarchy, Pillars of Light, Rishis, call them by any name are the same. They take birth in every culture and country, throughout all cycles of Time and work tirelessly for humanity to raise them to their highest potential.

Fortunately we have one Master with us who has shown us the way of Light. This memorable bonfire will always burn bright in our hearts.