Books
“Among the things our leaders seem to be missing is a comprehension of the staggering speed at which these change epidemics occur: one bank fails, then fifty; one country develops an atom bomb, a dozen try to follow; one computer or one child comes down with a virus, and the speed of its spread is incomprehensible.” (Ramo, 2009, p. 10)
“We are entering a revolutionary age. And we are doing so with ideas, leaders, and institutions that are better suited for a world now several centuries behind us.” (Ramo, 2009, p.8)
“What we face isn’t one single shift or revolution, like the end of World War 2 or the collapse of the Soviet Union or a financial crisis, so much as an avalanche of ceaseless change.” (Ramo, 2009, p. 8)
Joshua Ramo is accurately describing the challenges we are facing in our daily lives in a time of rapidly accelerating change and uncertainty. Our present leaders are as disoriented and confused as we are and not able to identify the problems now facing us, let alone solve them. We need to find our own way to survive, and thrive, through the chaos.
Fortunately, there is a surprisingly simple solution. Sahaja Yoga is uniquely suited to giving us the ability to cope and even find peace of mind and enjoyment during these difficult times. Sahaja Yoga is a meditation practice developed in 1970 and described by its founder, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, as the final step in the evolution of human beings. It allows us to be still like the hub of a wheel while the outside spins and whirls dizzyingly around us.
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
Practising Sahaja Yoga meditation helps us to see the true situation clearly by getting rid of our biases and prejudices and allowing us to make an accurate assessment of the situation as it is. Unless we see the truth, we will not be able to develop an effective action plan, both personally and as a society.
Until now, too much emphasis has been placed on details and logical thinking and rationality – all activities of the left hemisphere of the brain – in making decisions, to the exclusion of the input of the right hemisphere. Better, more livable solutions are more likely to come from the right hemisphere: the emotional, the personal, the particular, the natural world, the vision of the whole, and intuition and inspiration. Sahaja Yoga meditation brings the left and right hemispheres of the brain into balance so that they interact effectively in decision-making in individual and collective issues.
Creativity is essential for finding workable solutions to the new and unprecedented challenges of our present age. Some of our old solutions may be able to be combined in new and creative ways to solve present problems. It is often in meditation that inspiration comes to us. Being in a state of silence, without thoughts, allows the inspiration to flow through.
Resilience is important in allowing us to cope well with whatever adversity comes our way. If we live a life that is grounded, well-adjusted and emotionally stable and we lead a healthy lifestyle, we are setting the groundwork to be able to withstand many upheavals. If we are flexible, adaptable and not attached to particular ways of doing things, and can live without whatever we don’t have, our chances of surviving various crises are much enhanced. In addition to helping us to achieve the above, Sahaja Yoga meditation gives us hope and quiet optimism and an acceptance that whatever happens is for the best.
So often, when stress in society becomes too great, the rule of law breaks down, and morals and decency disappear. Practising Sahaja Yoga meditation automatically makes you a moral person. During meditation you find out for yourself how you should behave. You don’t need anyone to tell you, and you know it so clearly, so thoroughly, so deeply within your own being that you don’t want to go against it. The meditation also gives you the strength to act only for the right, to be a moral person even when there is enormous pressure to act otherwise.
Sahaja Yoga is the ideal adaptation to an environment of constant change now prevalent in our society. It is a living process; it is not static. It is not based on a set of rules, but is fluid and intuitive and flexible, and gives us the opportunity to adapt to whatever circumstances are prevailing, always within a totally moral framework. It is not a break from the moral precepts of the past, but a progression towards their logical conclusion. It is not in competition with the institutions of the past, merely the next step in their evolution to a higher, more complete and integrated manifestation. Sahaja Yoga meditation is all you will ever need to survive and thrive in “the age of the unthinkable”.
Kay Alford
Ramo, JC. The Age of the Unthinkable, Little, Brown and Co, 2009.
“Silence Your Mind”
by Dr Ramesh Manocha
A new book by Dr Ramesh Manocha, called “Silence Your Mind”, provides simple techniques for stopping incessant thoughts that may be interfering with your happiness and general functioning in life. Dr Manocha shares his own personal experiences that led to his interest in Sahaja Yoga meditation as a means of stilling the mind and experiencing the peace that comes when “mind chatter” stops and thoughtless awareness begins.
A leading researcher in the field of meditation and health, Dr Manocha explains in simple and very interesting terms the research that he has undertaken to study the effects of Sahaja Yoga meditation on medical conditions. These include epilepsy, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, menopausal symptoms and asthma.The book provides simple, easy-to-follow techniques to assist in silencing the mind and achieving peace of mind.
The book is available at book stores in Australia and as a Kindle e-book from Amazon. Click here for details.
(Manocha, Ramesh. Silence Your Mind. Sydney: Hatchette Australia, 2013.)
We all have our understanding about Easter’s message and there are so many ways of celebrating Easter.
At the recent Easter celebrations in India, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi spoke about forgiveness, saying that we should forgive everyone, and that this message of forgiveness is not just for Easter, but for all time.
Forgiveness is the main power at the level of Agnya chakra. This power was revealed and incarnated as Jesus Christ.
Around the time of Easter maybe many of us have faced challenges related to our power to endure and to forgive – a power that ultimately leads to unconditional love.
I’m reading an amazing book, The Measure of a Man, by Sidney Poitier and the vibrations are beautiful. His words are very Sahaj, very similar to talks offered by Shri Mataji. His words have the most profound significance.
Please, see below some quotes from his book − quotes that I happened to read at Easter time. It’s a “cool” and elevating book and I recommend it to you.
Forgiveness works two ways, in most instances. People have to forgive themselves too… That should be a sacred process.
And somewhere along the line, they’re going to realize that there’s no way for them to live with the requirements of their rage, with the requirements of their hatred. They have to find peace, because they won’t get peace from rerunning those emotions.
The above words are totally Sahaj and they talk about the Pure Knowledge of the Spirit at the level of Agnya Chakra, the energy centre that is connected to the element of Light and that was opened by Jesus Christ at the universal level, for all mankind.
Ioana Popa
(Photograph: bangkokpost.com)
In Indian philosophy, there is a view as to why humankind finds itself in its present chaotic situation. The belief is that humankind passes through different ages, or Yugas. There are four main Yugas, and much like the different seasons, each has its own character. According to the Puranas, which are ancient Indian texts, the Yugas last for thousands of years. With each Yuga, the collective unconscious shifts, and gradually humankind finds itself adopting different principles and beliefs. For instance, there is a Golden Age, or Satya Yuga. This is a divine time; an age of spirituality. During this time, there is harmony between people; the world is a place of benevolence. People are said to be in a state of constant medititation. It is a time where there is no disease or sickness. Conflict is a thing of the past.
The second Age or Yuga is the Treta Yuga. This is an age characterised by mental abilities. This age is seen as a step down from the Golden Age of Satya Yuga. Man now has a sense of self. He develops the desire for power. A belief in man’s own mental abilities steadily rises.
The third age is Dvapara Yuga. In this age the sciences flourish. Inventions are abundant, especially inventions that seem to make distances between people and places disappear.
The fourth age, which is the one we currently find ourselves in, is Kali Yuga. This is the age of Darkness, where humankind has lost its inner connection with Divinity. It is, unfortunately, the world as we see it today. Here is an extract from the Mahabarata, describing the Kali Yuga. And remember, the Mahabharata was written thousands of years ago. So, this was written as a sign of things to come:
“Avarice and wrath will be common. Men will openly display animosity towards each other. Ignorance of Dharma will occur. Lust will be viewed as being socially acceptable. People will have thoughts of murder for no justification, and they will see nothing wrong with that mind-set. Family murders will also occur. People will see those who are helpless as easy targets and remove everything from them. Many other unwanted changes will occur. The right hand will deceive the left and the left the right. People will not trust a single person in the world, not even their immediate family. Even husband and wife will find contempt in each other. In the Kali Yuga even pre-teenage girls will get pregnant. The primary cause will be the social acceptance of sexual intercourse as being the central requirement of life. It is believed that sin will increase exponentially, whilst virtue will fade and cease to flourish. People will take vows only to break them soon. Alongside death and famine being everywhere, men will have lustful thoughts and so will women. People will without reason destroy trees and gardens. As previously mentioned, men will murder. There will be no respect for animals. People will become addicted to intoxicating drinks. Men will find their jobs stressful and will go to retreats to escape their work. As the sin increases exponentially, so will the incidence of divine justice and wrath.”
While this is a bleak description, I think we have to admit that it is an accurate one. There is, however, another Yuga, and it’s called Krita Yuga. Krita Yuga doesn’t last for thousands of years, but rather for several decades. It comes in between the four major Yugas and marks the transition from one to another.
According to the prophecies of Kakayyar Bhujander, a renowned Indian astrologer who lived almost 2000 years ago, this age of Darkness, or Kali Yuga, would begin to recede in the year 1970. It’s at this time the the world enters the transition stage, the Krita Yuga, which leads us to the promised times of Satya Yuga, the age of meditation, bliss and enlightenment.
Andre Anglem