Reality of Sahaj Marg

The Sahaj Marg way neither promises marvels nor suggests images that can stir the seeker’s dreams. On the contrary, Sahaj Marg places the seeker face-to-face with a reality: the need to advance with the help of a simple but decisively effective practice. Why would a human being not move towards the discovery of his or her own being? This subtlety of the being is ignored by science, as it is still so far from the material realm; they stand a world apart. 

- Babuji Maharaj

Babuji Maharaj talks about the “Obstacles” of a Negative Material Plane. A seeker on the path of reality has to overcome these and many more obstacles, each step leading to the goal. What has Sahaj Marg, Shri Ram Chandra Mission (www.srcm.org) to offer in this journey of the seeker. Sahaj Marg Raja Yoga meditation practice, the Heartfulness approach, offers the human beings of the 21st century, a simple system of routine and practice that regulates the mind and moderates the tendencies of the human being.

There are no apparent miracles in Sahaj Marg. The Masters of Sahaj Marg, Chariji Maharaj and Shri Kamlesh D. Patel have always emphasised on the simplicity of the approach towards self perfection. How a simple practice of meditation like Sahaj Marg, when coupled with the power of Transmission from the Master, helps in real transformation. This transformation, when it happens, is the real miracle of Sahaj Marg. Such a human transformation has to be worked for, cannot be just dreamt about. It is hard reality and hard work, not just some magic wave of the hand and lo and behold, something new has come out. It is long and drawn out persistent effort, with sincerity and joy driving the efforts and love at the base of everything. That is the reality of Sahaj Marg.

What is Sahaj Marg

"Behind the drop the sea extends, the sea supports the drop.
To make the drop realize the ocean is all the Reality." 
― Shri Ram Chandraji of Fatehgarh

Sahaj Marg is a simple and natural method of spiritual training that enables the practitioner to efficiently reach profound depths of meditation and achieve a total spiritual transformation. The practice evolved in the early 20th century in North India, and its philosophy is influenced by the rich and deep eastern spiritual traditions of Patanjali’s Raja Yoga, the Vedas and Sufi mysticism. Sahaj Marg translates to ‘Natural Path,’ as it was designed to allow the practitioner to live a natural life without the need for renunciation of the world and family. The ultimate goal of the practice is the merging of our individual consciousness with the divine consciousness. Although the method is simple, the practice allows the seeker to attain this pinnacle of spiritual achievements while maintaining a balanced material life. The Sahaj Marg philosophy states that family life is an ideal training ground for developing love and tolerance. From its origins in India, the method has spread throughout the world and is available free of charge to people from all walks of life; the only requirement is a willingness to participate with an attitude of openness and wonder.

The key elements of the practice include a morning heartfulness meditation that focuses on the divine light in our heart, an evening cleaning that allows a ‘letting go’ of the daily complexities, and a bedtime prayer that refocuses our attention on the divine before we drift off into sleep. The practitioner is also encouraged to maintain a journal of their spiritual journey and to attempt to remain in remembrance of the divine presence within their heart throughout the day. Preceptors (meditation trainers) are available for individual and group weekly meditation sessions. The unique aspect of the practice is a phenomenon known as pranahuti, or yogic transmission. Pranahuti is the utilization of divine energy for the transformation of the human being. As sound and energy can be transmitted, spiritual essence can also be transmitted. Through pranahuti (prana, or life force, and ahuti, or offering) this spiritual essence is offered to the seeker. This transmission may not be felt by everyone in the initial meditation, but most seekers feel the effects of transmission within 3 months of sincere practice.

The phenomenon of transmission is an ancient yogic discovery that had been passed down for centuries through various spiritual traditions but eventually passed into oblivion. In the late 1800’s, Shri Ram Chandraji of Fatehgarh (Lalaji), a precocious spiritual genius who studied and researched extensively on creating effective spiritual training, rediscovered this ancient art, and his research laid the foundation for the Sahaj Marg practice. But given the limitations in transportation and communication in that time period, this method was restricted to a small geographic area surrounding his home town of Fatehgarh. One of Lalaji’s most capable disciples was Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjanhanpur (Babuji), who dedicated his life to spreading the teaching of his Guru. In 1945, Babuji, in honor of his Guru, established the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM), a non-profit organization created for the purpose of offering the Sahaj Marg method of spiritual training free of charge to interested individuals from all walks of life. Babuji established a network of meditation trainers (preceptors) who were given the capacity to impart spiritual training through pranahuti. In 1983, Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari (Chariji) was appointed the spiritual successor of SRCM by Babuji. Chariji prodigiously spread the SRCM infrastructure throughout the world by building ashrams, traveling extensively to assist practitioners in their journey, and developing a larger base of preceptors so that seekers throughout the world would have access to Sahaj Marg. Chariji appointed Kamlesh D. Patel to be his spiritual successor, and since December 2014 Kamleshji has been carrying on the work as the Spiritual Representative and President of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission. Kamleshji has started a Heartfulness meditation initiative, which makes the Sahaj Marg method of spiritual training more open, accessible, and available to all spiritual seekers.

Practitioners of Sahaj Marg also note several other practical appealing elements of the practice. Sahaj Marg allows this complete spiritual transformation to occur while living a balanced material life. It does not ask for any austerities or renunciation. Seekers do not have to shave their head, wear a robe, practice celibacy, renounce material possessions, or live a monastic life. Practitioners come from all strata of society; they are mothers and daughters, fathers and sons. They work and maintain a family life while still actively pursuing a spiritual goal. The spiritual journey complements their material life rather than becoming a hindrance to material progress. Practitioners often claim that they notice that both their material and spiritual lives are blossoming.

Another appealing aspect of the practice is the absence of dogma; for example, there are no obstinate rules on the type of diet or lifestyle one should adopt. Instead of having a laundry list of do not’s (do not do this, do not do that), Sahaj Marg gently encourages several do’s (do meditation, do think of divinity, do journal about your spiritual progress). With this fundamental shift in approach, Sahaj Marg creates a culture of love and tolerance rather than that of guilt and fear. This culture fosters an atmosphere of acceptance where practitioners can cultivate change at their own pace. As seekers deepen their practice, they note negative habits and tendencies that are unsupportive of spiritual growth naturally fall away. Also, a recurring theme among seasoned practitioners is the profound positive changes in character, temperament, and confidence that they experience; changes which occur in a natural and organic manner without any external pressures. These changes resonate with the deeper changes that occur in the inner canvas of the seeker as various spiritual energy centers are awakened.

In the history of spiritual and faith traditions, Sahaj Marg is relatively new. Its founders felt that there should be a natural way towards divine consciousness. They wanted to create a system devoid of superfluous rituals and unyielding dogmas. Sahaj Marg offers a dynamic practice, offering encouragement and guidance for seekers to advance at their own pace. Preceptors are available throughout the world to assist new seekers on their journey. Practitioners are able to live a fulfilling, balanced life as they progress speedily in the material and spiritual aspects of life.
Sahaj Marg has removed the guilt and fear in the search for God and filled it with love, hope and wonder. In essence, Sahaj Marg put the spirit back into spirituality.

"All knowledge, all powers, everything is within. Your destiny is within, your future is within, the ultimate is within." - Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari 

Radheshyam Miryala MD
www.heartfulness.org

Sahaj Marg Clarifies: Yawning during or after meditation

Clarifications from a conversation between Chariji Maharaj and Sanskrit Kannan (SRCM Preceptor), narrated by Sanskrit Kannan.

I asked Rev. Chariji Maharaj once in 1985" is Prana and mind inter-related? " He asked me, " why are you asking me this?"I told Him that even Patañjali refers to this. The texts on HATHA YOGA are replete with such reference. " Chariji said, " You see, in deep meditation the breathing automatically slows down. So this is a natural Pranayama in our Sahaj Marg practice.  The deeper the sitting,  the slower is the flow of air. To compensate for this slowness in breath resulting in lack of oxygen, sometimes you can see some people yawn after a meditation session. You might have seen me yawning after some sittings.  That means the sitting was deep."

One more incident related to this topic is as follows:

In 1985,  when Rev. Chariji Maharaj was in Europe,  after a Sunday morning Satsangh one Prefect chided an abhyasi for yawning after the sitting and said that it was wrong and it reflected grossness. That abhyasi naturally was upset and hurt. I consoled him by repeating what Rev. Chariji Maharaj had told us.  He was happy, but the Prefect did not accept what I said. So, I sent a letter to Rev. Chariji Maharaj narrating this incident, asking for clarification. Chariji Maharaj replied," yawning, during or after meditation is not wrong. "

However, I may add in lighter vein that this is not applicable to those who sleep during the sitting. 

Sahaj Marg Meditation: What to do?

Sahaj Marg Meditation: What to do?
By Sanskrit Kannan - SRCM Preceptor

In the previous article (Sahaj Marg Meditation - Condition: Some tips), we heard from Chariji Maharaj and Shri. Kamlesh D Patel on what we should not do after meditation.

Let us see what Chariji Maharaj tells us what should we do before Sahaj Marg meditation. I asked Him once about this, especially before morning meditation . He told me that we should first do meditation in the morning.  Some people go for walking and then do meditation in the morning which is not right.

Chariji Maharaj also added that we should not do meditation in empty stomach. " Take milk,  or at least water before meditation. But don't waste time in making coffee etc. Water will do.  He told me a story in this regard. 

Once a person went to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and told him, " Master,  I am interested in spiritual progress. What should I do? " The Master repled, " please read some verses of Bhagavad Gita daily and also take grape juice. " The seeker asked, " Master how much grape juice should I drink daily? "The Master laughing replied, " you are not yet ready for spirituality. Had you asked me how much verses of Bhagavad Gita should I read daily, I would have advised you. Instead you are more interested in grape juice. Please go now and come back after some days. "

Rev. Chariji Maharaj said,  " So, if I say you may take coffee or milk in the morning before meditation, your time will be spent /wasted on this. So water will do".

What about yawning during or after Sahaj Marg meditation?  We will address this question in another article. 

Kamlesh Patel: Master's Poise

I don’t know how many of you met our Master, Chariji Maharaj, and how many of you really observed his life and made it a part of you. We all say, “I would like to become like Master,” but how? How are we going to do that? When we observe the lifestyles of the great masters, what appeals to us is their mastery. But we should go a little bit into their pasts before they became masters. What is it that made them masters? So I would request you all to read their lives before they became masters. What were those high or pristine qualities that stood out and made them what they became? And after they became what they became, for example our Master, what was the outstanding quality that you can highlight in Master?

There are so many of them, but one of them that strikes me the most in our Master’s life was his poise. He was never in a moment of rush. Even when there were ten abhyasis waiting, he would attend to them one by one. When he would give a group satsang, he would take his time and finish it. While giving an individual sitting, he would take his time and finish it. Whatever task was given to him, he would do it with absolute poise. There was never a moment of rush, or being short of breath, doing his tasks. Even when he cooked there was love oozing in his movements. When he fired us also there was poise and a lot of love in it. There was no element of rushing; he took his time in doing all those things so nicely.

Kamlesh D Patel is the current President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission (www.srcm.org) and the spiritual successor of Chariji Maharaj. Kamlesh Patel is the current Master of Sahaj Marg along the lineage of the Masters of Sahaj Marg. This is an excerpt from a talk given by Kamlesh Patel on the 1st of February 2015, at Monroe Ashram, New Jersey, USA.

About Shri Kamlesh D Patel

Shri Kamlesh D Patel is the President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) and the Spiritual Master of the Sahaj Marg system of Raja Yoga meditation. Shri Kamlesh Desaibhai Patel was born in Gujarat, India and his interest from a young age in spiritual matters led him to the practice of Sahaj Marg, while he was in college in India. He became a dedicated disciple of the spiritual teacher, Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, also known as Babuji Maharaj (1899-1983), the founding president of Shri Ram Chandra Mission, and later of Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, also known as Chariji Maharaj (1927-2014), who succeeded Babuji Maharaj. Shri Kamlesh Patel’s successful career in pharmacy took him to New York City along with his family, where he became an entrepreneur. This exposed him further to people from many countries and backgrounds, and gave deeper insight into the struggles of modern-day living.

Over the decades, Kamlesh Patel has assisted his guide, Chariji, in the management of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, which offers the Heartfulness approach to the practice of Sahaj Marg in most countries of the world free of charge. After Chariji Maharaj’s passing on the 20^th of December 2014, Kamlesh succeeded him as the spiritual representative and president of Shri Ram Chandra Mission, fulfilling Chariji’s directive. Kamlesh’s every effort is now devoted to providing Heartfulness to one and all, making it possible to experience yogic transmission, the unique feature of this Sahaj Marg meditation practice.

Concept of Rebirth: From Sahaj Marg Literature by Chariji Maharaj

Topic of Rebirth from Sahaj Marg Literature: Conversation between Chariji Maharaj and Babuji Maharaj

"We were talking in a general way of liberation, liberated souls, past life and so on.

When talking of past life, I asked Babuji Maharaj what could be the time interval between two births, or rather between death and rebirth.

I told Master that I had read somewhere that souls with good samskaras, which have however to be reborn, are reborn almost immediately, whereas the souls with bad samskaras remain suspended in limbo, as it were. Master said this was not correct.

According to Master it was the soul with bad samskaras which was reborn soon, some almost immediately too, whereas the ones who were good had usually to hang around awaiting the creation of circumstances suitable for rebirth. Also, good souls were reluctant to be reborn and avoided this as long as possible. He then pointed to certain human examples where a soul had to wait several hundred or even several thousand years before taking rebirth."

Taken from Chapter-5, Yatra Vol-1

More clarification from Dr. Kannan: 

Rev. Chariji Maharaj has mentioned that the grossest soul takes immediate rebirth. He was explaining that it was the Samskaras of the soul and it chooses the parents. When asked, "Should it not be the Samskaras of the parents that they should get such a child or children?" Rev. Chariji Maharaj replied, "It is the soul which decides. You see, before a seed is sown, the peasant tills the ground, manures and prepares the land and then only the seed is sown. Similarly the Soul chooses the proper environment for it to descend." And went on to add, Lord Krishna also says the same in the Bhagavad Gita.

Further elaboration: 

Actually one need not worry about rebirth. Rev. Chariji Maharaj has said that it is another opportunity given to us for attaining liberation. No law gives this many opportunities, but God in His infinite wisdom and compassion goes on giving more and more opportunities for us to evolve higher and higher.

Also if one cannot pass the lower class how will he get through the higher classes?  So, looked from this perspective, even rebirth is a gift. This is what Rev. Chariji Maharaj told us once.

Rev. Babuji Maharaj said, "Why don't you think that this is your last birth?"

So you see, all the Masters of Sahaj Marg are positive in their approach that instead of condemning rebirth, one should take it as another opportunity to go higher and higher.

Also think of the great Masters like Buddha who said that he would not like to get liberation till the last soul is liberated.

Rev. Chariji Maharaj also told us once that the work or the mission of the Master is not over till everyone is liberated.

Such is the noble task and large heartedness of the Masters of Sahaj Marg.

What determines the birth of a child? Science or Genetics in particular may say different things. But, please consider this:

Is it the father or mother or the environment or something else, which determines the birth the child?  In the texts on Ayurveda, like CHARAKA SAMHITA discuss on this.

If it is environment, then how is that those living in clean and palatial buildings do not have children?  On the other hand those living in huts or streets get healthy children.

If it is the parents, then there are many men and women who do not beget children.

Even if father or mother is having deformities (like dumb, deaf, blind, lame...) and the child is born without deformities. But even if the parents are without deformities, the child may be born with deformities (including congenital heart disease or other problems).

So what is the cause?

The ancient Rishis in the text say it is one' s KARMA. Sahaj Marg calls this SAMSKARAS. Patañjali also calls it by another term Vaasanaa. But Karma or Samskaras, it cannot be seen or understood. The laws of Karma are inexorable, says Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita.

Rev. Chariji Maharaj once mentioned, how can one explain the fact that four children born to the same parents are different, though born and brought up in the same environment? One becomes doctor, one an actor, one lawyer, one a rogue. In many places children are born even without milk to drink? Why? Sometimes the father or mother is very intelligent and the son is dull. The opposite is also there.

What does science say? Spirituality says, Sahaj Marg says it is due to one' s Samskaras. This is popularly called KARMA. The Karma is three fold:

• Sanchita -- acquired through eons of time.
• Praarabha -- that which has started from the time of this birth.
• Aagaami -- which is yet to come. Future. This depends on what we do now.

The Masters of Sahaj Marg lay importance on the present moment, as we cannot change the past. Swami Vivekananda says: past is past. But out of the past comes the future. So the Present determines the future. The Masters of Sahaj Marg advise us to live in the Present.

How is it possible?  Simple. Attach your self with the one who always lives in the Present. Well that personality is only the Great Master.