Music and Sahaj Marg: Chariji Maharaj

This nice little snippet is narrated by Dr. Sanskrit Kannan, an SRCM Preceptor (Prefect)

The incident happened in 1985 at Gayatri, the residence of Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, Chariji Maharaj, Spiritual Master of Sahaj Marg. 

One sister Abhyasi told Rev. Chariji Maharaj, " my music teacher says that in Kali Yuga,  music will take one to liberation ".

Rev. Chariji Maharaj " It is not correct ".

Abhyasi, " how can you say this?"

Rev. Chariji Maharaj, " music will not take you anywhere in spirituality ".

Abhyasi, " Lord Rama came before Saint Thyagaraja. He saw the Lord.  Otherwise he could not have written like this".

Rev. Chariji Maharaj,  " well, Wordsworth has written so wonderfully about Nature.  Does it mean that he saw everything? "

Abhyasi,  "No, it's all imagination ".

Rev. Chariji Maharaj, " So too in the case of Saint Thyagaraja. "

The Abhyasi got angry and said, " well you don't accept anyone as great except your Master, Babuji Maharaj. "

Rev. Chariji Maharaj laughed and said, " I am only saying what I heard from my Master. Music cannot take you to higher levels in spirituality.  I can add that had I wanted,  I could have been a great musician ".

Abhyasi, " Then what drove you away from Music and towards Sahaj Marg? "

Rev. Chariji Maharaj, laughingly, " my samskaras ".

Chariji Maharaj Narrates: Time is Relative

 Dr. Sanskrit Kannan, an SRCM Preceptor of Sahaj Marg shares this incident with us.

“Rev. Chariji Maharaj narrated us the story of Ravana.  Once Lord Brahma was going for his ablutions. Someone told Lord Brahma "Ravana was born". After a few minutes, Lord Brahma was coming back and he was told, "Ravana had died". Brahma said, "Its such a pity, Ravana is so short lived".

However, if tradition has to be believed, Ravana is supposed to have lived for thousands of years. This shows how time is relative. What had been just a few minutes for Brahma was thousands of years for Ravana."

Shri Kamlesh D Patel is the successor of Chariji Maharaj and the current President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission (www.srcm.org). In many instances after giving group meditations in Sahaj Marg, both Kamlesh Patel and Chariji Maharaj have commented how the meaning of time itself changes when we go deep into ourselves in meditation. Many times, it feels like only 5 minutes has elapsed during meditation but when you open your eyes and see, one full hour has passed by. The opposite experience is also possible that what feels like one hour long during our absorption in meditation, actually has elapsed only a few minutes on the clock. This shows how time is relative, even in our lives, when we go deeper into our sub-conscious levels.

To get a simple understanding of how time can be relative in layman’s terms, one can read this article as well: https://www.quora.com/Can-somebody-explain-how-time-is-relative-in-laymans-terms. 

Soul and Knots by Shri Kamlesh D. Patel: Dr K.S. Balasubramanian (Kannan)

Here is a short writeup by Br. Sanskrit Kannan (SRCM Preceptor) on the topic of Soul and Knots as per the Sahaj Marg system of Raja Yoga meditation from Shri Ram Chandra Mission.

Dear all,

I am sure you would have read the recent Sahaj Sandesh Bulletin where Rev. Master Kamleshji explains about the Soul and thirteen knots comparing the same with the light passing through 13 lenses. A wonderful explanation.

I asked Rev. Chariji Maharaj once (in 1985): "Sir, Yoga means union. It is said in Sahaj Marg that point 2 is Atma... and the Centre is said to be in occipital centre. Does it mean then that my Soul would be taken from point 2 to the occipital centre and be United with that?"

Rev. Chariji Maharaj laughed and said: "Don't be afraid. We won't take your soul anywhere. In our scriptures and the Bhagavad Gita, it is said that the Soul is eternal, all pervasive, fixed, without movement, beginningless etc. Then how can one move it?  The knots, points etc. represent various experiences one undergoes in his spiritual pursuit. In the Airport they have radars. In Railway stations also they have the machines which would let us know where the flight or train is moving at that moment. But the vehicle is not there.Similarly in Atlas you point out a centre and say it is Madras and so on.  It is only representation. Now do you understand?  Be sure that your Soul is where it is."

Kannan

SRCM Preceptors

In January 1985,  Rev. Chariji Maharaj, after preparing one person Prefect, wrote to him:
The one who doesn't do anything, but makes/lets Master do all the work (on the Abhyasi) is a lazy Preceptor.
The one who does or thinks that he is doing all the work is egotistic Preceptor.
The one who joins his will with Master's Will and does the work is an ideal Preceptor. 

In the system of Sahaj Marg meditation practice, the Preceptor is basically a trainer, who can assist the meditation practitioners in their meditations. In these meditation sessions, the Sahaj Marg preceptor meditates along with the abhyasi and "assists" in the meditation.

Shri. Kamlesh D. Patel, the current Master and President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission has been enabling those willing abhyasis to become Preceptors and offer their service for the betterment of humanity.