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.