Who Am I

"Human being" means the consciousness, the soul or "being" experiencing life through the body, the "human". The body is perishable and temporary, whereas the soul is eternal and without physical dimension. I give you few examples, the soul is the driver, the body is the car. The soul is the guest, the body is the hotel. The soul is the actor, the body is the costume. The soul is the musician, the body is the instrument. I can use a knife to cut a tomato. I can use the same knife to stab someone. The knife neither decides nor experiences, but can be washed easily under the tap.

Now look at the fingers which held the knife. They neither decide nor experience the actions. They too can be washed under the tap. It's easy to realise that the knife is an instrument, but it is more difficult to realise that the fingers are instruments too; not only the fingers but the arms also. The legs are instruments for walking, the eyes for seeing, the ears for hearing, the mouth for speaking, breathing, tasting, the heart for pumping food and oxygen around the body, and so on. Even the brain is an instrument used like a computer to express all thought, word and action programmes through the body and to experience the results. If every physical part of the body is an instrument, who or what is it that is using the instrument?

Very simply it is "I", the self, the soul. The soul uses the word "I" for itself and the word "my" when referring to the body; "my" hand, "my" mouth, "my" brain, etc. "I" am different from "my" body.

Arrogance and Ego

Today, I would like to share a story with you...

A mountain climber wanted to climb the highest mountain. He began his adventure after many years of preparation, and since he wanted the glory just for himself, he decided to climb the mountain alone.

He started to climb but it began to get very late, and instead of preparing his tent to camp, he kept climbing until it got very dark. In the darkness of the night, the man could not see anything and he slipped and fell. He kept falling at great speed and in those moments, fear gripped him All the good and bad episodes of his life came to his mind. All of a sudden he felt the rope tied to his waist pull him very hard. His body was hanging in the air. He screamed: HELP ME GOD!

All of a sudden, a deep voice coming from the sky answered: "What do you want Me to do" "Save me God!" "Do you really think I can save you?" "Of course I believe You can." "Then cut the rope tied to your waist..." "There was a moment of silence; and the man decided to hold on to the rope. The next day he was found dead and frozen. He was only 10 feet away from the ground.

How attached are we to our rope, that is, our ideas, possessions and way of doing things? And how strong is our faith? Just let go. Let us give up arrogance and ego and let God do His job.

Taken from a book entitled 'Self-Empowerment' by Bridget Menezes

Dadi Janki - The Most Stable Mind in the World

Today I'm going to share with you about Dadi (meaning elder sister) Janki, a world-renowned spiritual leader and she is also the co-administrative head of the Brahma Kumaris. She travels worldwide, teaching and sharing her wisdom and deep knowledge of the science of spirituality. She has dedicated her life to the upliftment of humanity. She campaigns for truth and works tirelessly for world peace. She is a woman of wisdom - a woman who in her life, through understanding spiritual truths, has come to a position of personal peace and power. She, being companion of God, sees only the goodness of each human being, awakening people to fulfill their highest potential. She has pioneered, exemplified and shared with countless numbers of people a structured and disciplined method of spiritual development that has had a profound impact on the lives of millions across the world.

In 1978, Scientists at the Medical and Science Research Institute at the University of Texas, USA examined the brain wave pattern of Dadi Janki. She was described as the most stable mind in the world as her mental state remained completely undisturbed even while performing complicated mental exercises. The EEG (Electroencephalogram) of that lady continuously showed delta waves, while she was cooking, while eating, while giving lecture, while doing arithmetical calculations, while talking, while sleeping, all the time.

At the Royal Albert Hall, London, again on October 5, 1997, 5,000 people watched a unique programme. A spiritual encounter between renowned psychic Uri Geller and Dadi Janki. For over three decades, Geller had astounded the public and the scientific community with psychic feats, which had no conventional scientific explanation. Like changing the structure of matter, halting cable cars and escalators in Germany, wiping computer tapes, bending keys, fixing broken watches, etc. In this encounter, Dadi Janki relied more on her power of silence. They sat facing each other for 45 minutes, in deep concentration. Uri praised her psychic prowess and the audience experienced a state of rapt exhilaration. "Constant practice of RAJAYOGA MEDITATION" was the answer of Her Holiness.

Other Benefits

Welcome back. Other than the benefits that I've shared with you earlier on, the topics covered in this course also lead to a deeper understanding of yourself, your intrinsic positive qualities and your innate value. In time, this understanding becomes a natural part of your day to day awareness, constructively influencing how you see yourself and how you relate to your world.

In the process of exploring these universal concepts in the privacy of your own inner world through meditation, you will come to a first hand awareness of the interconnectedness of the human family and the rights, roles and responsibilities of individuals. This is very important in your spiritual development and will give you a fresh perspective on values such as justice, freedom, respect and love.

The concepts presented in this course are simple yet profound and are accessible to individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs. Simple and honest effort is the only prerequisites for success in meditation. As in any field of endeavor, the rewards of meditation and spiritual study are in proportion to the time and effort you invest.

What is Brahma Kumaris

So, today, I would like to begin my sharing with the history and the founder of Brahma Kumaris to let you know how it started. Of course some of you might be curious about what Brahma Kumaris is.

Brahma Kumaris was founded in 1936 in Hyderabad, Sindh (now part of Pakistan, but at that time part of colonial India) by Dada Lekhraj, who had a series of visions depicting world transformation. In 1937, he formed a managing committee of eight young women and established an informal group that grew into the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University is a non-governmental organization in general category consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in consultative status with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and is affiliated to the Department of Public Information (DPI).

This organization has its headquarters at Mt. Abu, Rajasthan, India with over 7000 centres in 103 countries, territories and islands. As a learning community, it currently has more than 800,000 regular students seeking to strengthen their ability to live by their own higher nature and to improve their contribution to society through spiritual education and reflective practices.

To trace back the founder's history, Dada Lekhraj was a successful and much-respected jeweller. In 1936, aged 60, when most of his colleagues were planning their retirement, he entered into the most active and fascinating phase of his life, during which he became known as Brahma Baba. Drawn to invest more time in quiet reflection and solitude, he began to experience a series of powerful visions that continued periodically over several months. Through them, he received new insights into the innate qualities of human souls, the mysterious entity of God and the process of world transformation. The intensity of the messages conveyed by the visions was such that Brahma Baba felt compelled to wrap up his worldly business and devote himself to understanding the significance and application of this revealed knowledge.

He spent the last 33 years of his life bringing people of all cultural, economic and religious backgrounds together to rediscover and develop the spiritual dimensions of their personal lives and to integrate this into their world. Brahma Baba insisted that his role was that of an instrument and example, and not that of a guru. He recognized God, the Being of Light, the Benevolent One, as the primary inspiration for the Brahma Kumaris and their work, and directed everyone's attention towards God. After the partition of India and Pakistan he moved with the other founding members to Mt. Abu in India, where he remained until his death in 1969.

So, that is all for today... Coming up next, I will post and share more comments about the topics on the Foundation Course and Raja Yoga Meditation that I have attended.

Introduction

The story began when a friend approached me and asked me to join this course called Foundation Course in Raja Yoga Meditation and she told me that it was free of charge. I was so curious about it and finally I joined. Ever since I joined, I never missed the lessons. I managed to complete the course of seven free lessons where I learnt the gentle art of Raja Yoga meditation and discovered new insights that helped me change the quality of my life. The word Yoga literally means connection or link. The mental connection or loving remembrance between a soul and the Supreme Soul is known as Yoga. It is called Raja Yoga because it enables a person to become a master of self.

Raja Yoga Meditation is taught in a simple but structured way through a course of seven free lessons, given individually or in a group. The aim is to experience peace and to develop positive attitudes towards our everyday lives, based upon a philosophy and meditation techniques. Raja Yoga Meditation is an easy way of taking care of the spirit, mind and body. It enables me to direct thoughts towards peaceful, positive experiences. This way, I develop a positive outlook towards everyday situations. It can be learnt and practiced at home or at work. There is no need for gurus, mantras or any physical exercise. It is practiced with our eyes fully open.

Maybe some of you might be unsure of who can practice this. Anyone in this world can. No matter what the background is - the gender, age, nationality, culture, religion, language, social status, wealth, profession, and the present state of being – none of these matters. You just need to make the choice to listen to your inner voice. Actually, Raja Yoga meditation is a way of life. It can be practiced even while doing daily activities. There is no restriction of time and place.

What are the benefits?
Stress is replaced by a deep sense of peace
Inner power is developed to change and remove unwanted habits
Renewed health and vitality
Improved relationships
Increased concentration levels
Worry is transformed into a happy state of well-being

These are the core curriculum offered topics that I learnt in Foundation Course and Raja Yoga Meditation
Understanding the Self
God and Understanding God
Understanding the Human tree
Understanding the Cycle of Time
The Story of the Rise and Fall of human souls
The Raja Yoga Meditation
The Benefits of Meditation
Getting started for Meditation
Law of Karma
Reincarnation
A Spiritual Lifestyle