Editor
In silent meditation Jesus sat beside a flowing spring. It was a holy day, and many people of the servant caste were near the place. And Jesus saw the hard drawn lines of toil on every brow, in every hand. There was no look of joy in any face. Not one of all the group could think of anything but toil. And Jesus spoke to one and said, ”Why are you all so sad? Have you no happiness in life?”. The man replied, “We scarcely know the meaning of that word. We toil to live, and hope for nothing else but toil, and bless the day when we can cease our toil and lay us down to rest in Buddha’s city of the dead”. And Jesus’ heart was stirred with pity and with love for these poor toilers, and he said, “Toil should not make a person sad; men should be happiest when they toil. When hope and love are back of toil, then all of life is filled with joy and peace, and this is heaven. Do you not know that such a heaven is for you?” The man replied, “Of heaven we have heard; but then it is so far away, and we must live so many lives before we can reach that place!”. And Jesus said, “My brother, man, your thoughts are wrong; your heaven is not far away; and it is not a place of metes and bounds, is not a country to be reached; it is a state of mind. God never made a heaven for man; he never made a hell; we are creators and we make our own. Now, cease to seek for heaven in the sky; just open up the windows of your hearts, and, like a flood of light, a heaven will come and bring a boundless joy; then toil will be no cruel task”.
From The Aquarian Gospels of Jesus Christ
“To have humility is to experience reality, not in relation to ourselves, but in its sacred independence. It is to see, judge, and act from the point of rest in ourselves. Then, how much disappears, and all that remains falls into place.
In the point of rest at the centre of our being, we encounter a world where all things are at rest in the same way. Then a tree becomes a mystery, a cloud a revelation, each man a cosmos of whose riches we can only catch glimpses. The life of simplicity is simple, but it opens to us a book in which we never get beyond the first syllable.”
Extract from Markings by Dag Hammarskjold, former Secretary-General of the United Nations
(Photograph courtesy of GeekPhilosopher.com)
This song of mine will wind its music around you,
my child, like the fond arms of love.
The song of mine will touch your forehead
like a kiss of blessing.
When you are alone it will sit by your side and
whisper in your ear; when you are in the crowd
it will fence you about with aloofness.
My song will be like a pair of wings to your dreams;
it will transport your heart to the verge of the unknown.
It will be like the faithful star overhead
when dark night is over your road.
My song will sit in the pupils of your eyes,
and will carry your sight into the heart of things.
And when my voice is silenced in death,
my voice will speak in your living heart.
Rabindranath Tagore
In Australia, today is the last day of National Youth Week – an initiative co-ordinated by the Australian Government. It is now officially listed as the nation’s biggest youth event, celebrating young people between 12-25 years old. So, what better time to recognise the youth in our meditation community here in Australia!
We are fortunate to have the company of many young people who are actively participating in Sahaja Yoga meditation. They come from wide-ranging backgrounds and cultures and we would like to acknowledge the significant role they play: with their commitment to personal growth, contribution to helping others and generous community spirit when volunteering to share pure meditation and enlightened music with the general public.
So, we took this opportunity to ask them to share their perspective, to express their feelings about being part of our diverse community. National Youth Week celebrates what is great about being a young person in today’s world. This prompted us to ask, “What is great about being a young person in Sahaja Yoga? How has it helped you?”.
Within hours, we had many responses. The replies give great insight into how our young people are helped to deal with and overcome challenges in their daily life.
James (21): It helps and allows me to be the person that I strive to be, where my complacency is able to be lost and my morality is not forgone.
SV (16): I get through my day more easily and it makes me feel strong enough to confront any situations that come up in my day, compared with some friends from school who tend to stress out a lot about simple things.
Avi (20): Even if you are not practising it, it still plays a major role in your decision making, helps you see the right way to lead your life, even if you aren’t necessarily seeking. You are able to tell what is true and pure from false and misleading influences.
Madhavi (15): Sahaja Yoga makes me feel more joyful, positive and in a state of peace. I have experiences where Sahaja Yoga was the only thing that helped me get through bad days. I am very grateful to have it. I don’t know what I would do without it. I have met so many beautiful people through Sahaja Yoga.
Kabir (20): Sahaja Yoga has given me many important things. It has given me meaningful relationships that are defined and fulfilling. I feel close to the people I’ve met here; we are honest with each other, and I feel a great sense of security in knowing they help me to realise the truth about myself. Sahaja Yoga is a continuously evolving personal experience. It’s not a doctrine set in stone; we are constantly growing through introspecting and meditating. Growth, not stagnation. Sahaj gives me this, and I feel blessed.
Shridevi (15): Sahaja Yoga to me is not like any other everyday experience. It is being happy every day, feeling joy within and peace in my surroundings. I feel calm and satisfaction with what I have and what I’m doing, every minute of every day. This is only the beginning of how I could express my feelings…
Michael (13): Sahaja Yoga is a very nice and peaceful meditation and it’s very good if you are studying for exams or playing a sport etc…
Sadhana (16): For me, Sahaja Yoga meditation is a form of stress relief from school, home or anything else causing tensions in my life. I find that when I’m with the Sahaja community I tend to be more positive and carefree. Also, Sahaja Yoga has introduced me to many people from all over the world which has helped me form new friendships.
Ash (14): I like Sahaj because of the collectivity. Being together and enjoying the moment brings out the best in people and in me. I love how Sahaj is so spontaneous, it makes it a lot of fun. It has helped me to become a better person, more open and more relaxed.
Anastasia (15): Sahaja Yoga is a way for me to find quiet and peace within myself, where nothing negative can interfere with my joy.
SD ( 24 ): My experience of Sahaja Yoga meditation: I feel complete on the inside. The emptiness I felt inside my stomach seemed to fade away.
Nira S. (15): Of all the things that I love about Sahaj Yoga, it is the calm peace I experience each time I meditate that makes me feel completely connected with my inner self.
Madhu (14): Sahaja Yoga isn’t like any other yoga… it’s the real experience! One of the many things I like about this unique way of life, is that Sahaja Yoga helps you to become the best person that you can be. It’s like one big family spreading across the world, and sharing it so that everyone else in the world can experience it too.
Jasmin H (12): I think Sahaj has helped me enormously and I don’t see how I could have coped with life without it. It has kept me calm through life’s obstacles; mentally, physically and spiritually. The people are so kind and caring and everyone is free to be themselves and not have to worry about anything. Support is always there for you and you can’t be in Sahaj without having heaps and heaps of friends. Everyone is one big family.
We hope you enjoyed their answers as much as we did.
If you would like to enjoy the peace that true meditation can offer, please come along.
• List of our free weekly meetings (Australia and international)
Kind regards from Sahaja Yoga Australia.