“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.