The REAL Shri Ram Chandra Mission History (Part 5)

Taken and Translated from a research article by Alexis on his French blog: Le Projet Sahaj Marg

Comments and Insertions by 4d-don are in "red italics"


A Vast Enterprise of Seduction


The Shri Ram Chandra Mission has started a vast enterprise of seduction of the public in the mid-90s, with the research institute founded by Dr. K.C. Varadachari as its spearhead. Spiritual psychiatry was the first theme, since abandoned because of criticism leveled against it by the media. Internal training and personal development have quickly taken over, but its favourite theme is still spiritual education based on the values of Rajagopalachari. The creation in 2005 of a school (Lalaji Memorial Omega International School-LMOIS) responsible for embodying these values is the highlight. The same year, linking with the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) gave the Shri Ram Chandra Mission the status of international NGOs. After a sluggish start, it has exploited this recognition to its best interest, including its theme that has been the most successful, spiritual education. Thus in India in 2009, it organized a national essay contest in collaboration with the U.N. Information Center for India and Bhutan. An undeniable success of communication it hopes to expand to other continents.

* SMRTI, a Research Institute Becomes a Laboratory for Ideas
* On the path, Spiritual Psychiatry is finally abandoned
* Internal Training and External Consciousness Raising
* Provide values in Children's Education
* From Humanitarianism to the doors of the U.N.
* An apotheosis in the form of National Essay Contest



SMRTI, a Research Institute Becomes a Laboratory for Ideas


Everything started with the research institute founded by Dr. KC Varadachari. This famous Indian Professor of Philosophy, holder of the Chair of the centenary of Sri Vivekananda in Comparative Religion, Ethics and Philosophy at the University of Madras (Chennai) directs the Sahaj Marg Research Institute (SMRI) from 1965 until his death in 1971. With this institute, he brings a certain fame to Sahaj Marg, particularly in southern India where it's profile is still low, and he provides strong credibility with his personal reputation, even though Babuji and he tend to reduce it (Sahaj Marg) to a simple refinement of the Hindu Raja Yoga. (starting at step 7 of the eightfold path)

At his death, the SMRI falls slowly into oblivion, but in 1989 the institute is reborn from its ashes under the leadership of the son of Dr. Varadachari, K.C. Narayana. But he is angry with Rajagopalachari and resigns in 1991 to found a dissident organization of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (The Institute for Shri Ramchandra Consciousness (ISRC)). And the institute sinks back into the shadows.

While an Indian (female) abhyasi takes over the leadership of the institute in India in 1997, various personalities at the heart of Sahaj Marg in turn create local variations which are more or less independent of the institute. In Switzerland, the psychiatrist Wulliemier Ferdinand and his wife launch the Western European branch of the SMRI which will become the Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation in 1994. An American (female), a figure in the personal development movement, takes over the direction of the Sahaj Marg Research & Education Institute (SMREI) in the United States. This Indian (Indo-American female) director renames it the Sahaj Marg Research & Training Institute (SMRTI).

An Institute for research and education or for formation and training according to the different locales and the sensitivity of the personalities which direct it, the SMRI takes on a nebulous form in the 90s. So much so that Santosh Khanjee, the "eminence grise" of Rajagopalachari and chief organizer of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, puts things in order in January 2000. He has just created the Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation Inc.. (SMSF), and registered it in Austin, Texas in 1999. He becomes the secretary of the institute, and ties it legally to this new foundation, and officially renames it SMRTI (Sahaj Marg Research & Training Institute).

Rather than a school of philosophy, the new SMRTI thus becomes a global network. The various personalities are put in line, serving as 'faculty members' of this new institute, provided they have made many studies in languages, history, philosophy, psychology or even in education. Led by Santosh Khanjee, their expansion initiatives are supervised and funded by his Foundation and the SMRTI becomes the think tank for Sahaj Marg. The only condition being, that any ideas that emerge from this suggestion box be exploitable and have promotable results.

The challenge is to create tools which are easily appropriated by the followers in their daily family, social and professional life, and to insidiously spread the ideology of Sahaj Marg into the heart of society. These tools must be scientifically and morally irreproachable and become the new communication vectors that allow the international recognition of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission and its spread around the world.

The areas of expertise, the fields of activities and the channels of communication are many and varied. This can touch on psychiatry as well as training, education, personal development and well-being, or on humanitarianism ... This concerns the executives of Sahaj Marg such as the medical professionals and para-medical teachers and their students, the entrepreneurs or the business executives ... The channels for diffusion are the broadcast media, the web, schools, the directors and the administrators of businesses ...


On the Path, "Spiritual Psychiatry" is Finally Abandoned




Shortly before this major reorganization of SMRTI, Rajagopalachari and a few hundred of his followers attend a seminar of the International Association of Spiritual Psychiatry (IASP) on http://essence-euro.org/aips/ May 8-9, 1997, in Tel Aviv, Israel, entitled: "Love and Religion - Transcending the healing power of love."

During the first morning, the only speakers at the podium are three followers of Sahaj Marg. The preceptor and Irish psychiatrist Ivor Browne begins, followed by the French full preceptor, Patrick Fleury, and the Swiss psychiatrist, Ferdinand Wulliemier. The next morning, Rajagopalachari himself closes the seminar while the host of the IASP, Jean-Marc Mantel, announces that Rajagopalachari is ready to host such a seminar for professionals at his ashram in Delhi, and maybe perhaps, close to Boston, where the Shri Ram Chandra Mission is very developed.

Shortly after, the SMRI website says that the seminar was co-organized by the IASP and itself (SMRI). It is Ferdinand Wulliemier who is the architect of this merger. The Swiss psychiatrist, who discovered the Sahaj Marg in 1985 at the age of 40, quickly became a preceptor and created the Swiss foundation Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation in 1994. Meanwhile, he practiced for 35 years as a therapist and lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, and at the Center for Family Study in Lausanne, Switzerland.

He is a member of IASP and participates for the first time to its Journal, and to the Congress in 1995. On January 19, 1997, he gives a joint conference with J.M. Mantel on the theme "The impact of meditation on medicine, psychology and psychiatry" at the Congress on Medicine in the Third Millennium, organized by Strategique, in Paris. Naturally, the Israeli seminar in May following, is jointly organized by the SMRI and the AIPS. Wulliemier wastes no time ...

As a forerunner member of the current spiritual psychiatry during the 90s, Ferdinand Wulliemier introduces to the field of psychiatry, the concepts of invertendo (involutive evolution) and the "central region" so dear to Sahaj Marg, adding it to the stages of psychological evolution of the individual, a last state said to be trans-personal or spiritual. Through this "new concept of psychiatry," he explains that the spiritual path is what is best for mankind.

He especially tries to justify certain behaviors, such as that of the spiritual aspirant, falsely dependent innocent and naive, regressing into infantile behavior. Likewise, an amoral behavior by the spiritual master may look like a psychological regression, but would in fact be nothing but an expression of wisdom that eludes us, a trans-morality (excerpts from "Our evolution or involution of invertendo our growth "- IASP, Vol.3, 1995). All the mechanical sectarianism of Sahaj Marg is thus psychologically justified according to him, by spiritual psychiatry and the existence of a final evolutionary stage said to be trans-personal.

At the Congress on the "Medicine in the Third Millennium", Ferdinand Wulliemier still speaks of a state of "active passivity" to describe the behavior of followers of Sahaj Marg, after quoting their total surrender to the spiritual master. But he also reported the results of a study he conducted over a period of 8 years between 1988 and 1996, in a psychotherapy with approximately 54 of his patients, who either began to meditate, or were already meditating under the system of Sahaj Marg.

He admits to proselytizing among his patients involved in psychotherapy. But some French media outlet are concerned about such practices of psychotherapists involved in sectarian movements. Ferdinand Wulliemier is not the only follower of Sahaj Marg in question, far from it, but he is the most famous in his field. So it is the one revelation "too many" that will eventually trigger a reversal from Rajagopalachari, or his master Babuji if one believes the words from beyond the grave. (by the anonymous French Lady Medium, author of the channeled "Whispers from the Brighter World".)

This happens effectively in "Whispers" on April 10, 2001 which (according to the channeled message allegedly received by this anonymous French Lady Medium) quotes Babuji (who died in 1983) as saying:

« Be wary of the confusion that is being made between the workings of our spiritual method and all psychoanalytical practices that are currently springing up. It is not desirable to make connections between them. Criticisms currently made by the media against Sahaj Marg in France, allude to leaders who manipulate our candidates by involving them in both disciplines. It would be necessary to stop mixing it all up by considering abhyasis as potential clients and vice versa. Therapist preceptors are not serious enough on this point, hence numerous problems are already caused by this lack of vigilance.»

(for complete text of the channeled Whisper see: Persecution! Cried the Persecutors!)

Rajagopalachari has thus ordered Ferdinand Wulliemier to put it "on hold", and SMRTI ceases its activities in the fields of psychiatry and psychotherapy. But never mind, the institute will quickly rebound by recycling these concepts in the fields of personal development and well-being, perhaps also more fashionable than psychiatry.

Now retired, Ferdinand Wulliemier comes out of his long period of media hibernation, but without ever making any direct reference to Sahaj Marg as he did plenty of in the past. To occupy himself, he creates a website (http://www.psychologie-therapies-spiritualite.ch) where he sells more or less spiritualized seminars, lasting 2 to 8 days, for 380 to 800 CHF (Swiss Francs) (240 to 500 €) . Then in October 2008, he co-organizes a symposium on the relationship between astrology and the therapies (http://www.symposium-astrologie-therapies.ch/) with some other prominent Swiss members of Sahaj Marg who actively participate. Thus, on the organizing committee of eight people, there are at least five members of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission.

And on May 14, 2009, he revives his favorite theme in a speech entitled "Depression and Opportunities from the Crisis" before the 20th Congress of the: Goupe Romand d'Acceuil et d'Action Psychiatrique, in Lausanne. For the psychiatrist, depression is an opportunity to rise to new evolutionary spiritual dimensions (http://www.psychologie-therapies-spiritualite.ch/articles/articles_pdf/correct_articles/ART-GRAAP.pdf). It is obviously not easy to drop such a passionate subject ...



Internal Training and External Consciousness Raising


In parallel, the SMRTI decides to invest heavily in the training of practitioners of Sahaj Marg. It rapidly develops a wide range of training tools on its website (http://www.spiritualityfoundation.org/smrti/rc/rc.html). The first of them is training online of preceptors, from October 12, 2001, soon followed by a process of certification for the programs that are offered, ensuring strict compliance with the teachings of the masters of Sahaj Marg (Chari??).

But the training tools are judged inadequate and then the institute invests directly in internal training, for those responsible for the maintenance of the ashrams, and for the newcomers to Sahaj Marg or their management. Thus, an Indian consultant is placed in charge of training maintenance workers and the managers of the Indian ashrams of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission.

Under the direction of European exiles, training courses are also offered to followers from the South, newcomers to Sahaj Marg. This school of Sahaj Marg, which Rajagopalachari nicknames his "Little United Nations", is actually called the Scholarship Training Program (STP). This is a six-week program at the Manappakam ashram, on days that begin at 5 am and end at 22 hours, and whose activities are punctuated by a bell provided by the SRCM (France). A good indoctrination, reminiscent of the Residential Schools of another age, with days where extended individual and group meditations are connected at a frenetic pace for a highly effective indoctrination of persons responsible for developing the Shri Ram Chandra Mission in regions of the world where it has little presence.

Executives of Sahaj Marg are no exception. Rajagopalachari inaugurated his first Center for Research, Education, Sadhana & Training (CREST) in the summer of 2006. Its goal is to facilitate the training of followers of more than five years, in a one month training program. Here, the hours are even more drastic: Sunrise 4:30 am, breakfast 8 am ... and evening prayer at 21h. Situated at Kagalipura, which is located some 23 km from Bangalore (Karnataka), on nearly two acres, CREST is a property of the Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation and can accommodate more than sixty people. It is headed by a preceptor, a retired Indian policeman, who accounted for 183 seminarians, 542 visits per week and 400 visitors, in the report of his first year's activities.

And this is only the beginning of an intense training effort. In June 2008, Rajagopalachari opened CREST to the young public, between twenty and thirty years, for programs of six days. In September 2009, he opened the Training Scholarship Program for Indians, which was not previously the case. And he has just opened a second CREST on September 28, at Kharagpur, 130 km from Kolkata (West Bengal) at the foot of the first Institute of Technology of (decolonized) India, created in 1951. Very symbolic ...

Internal training is an important focus of the activities of the institute, but it's far from being the only one, Rajagopalachari looks forward to a strong return on his investment. All these "adherents", are now properly formatted and must in turn spread Sahaj Marg to the surrounding society, so as to justify the merits of their training.

Thus, the "open doors" organized to accommodate new entrants are subject to strict regulations by the SMRTI. The meditation sessions are strongly prohibited and only administrators have the right to answer questions from visitors. Professional coaches even offer their services to adepts to help them present Sahaj Marg in various situations, at seminars or at open houses, or even to the family. In France, some coach those so desiring since 2006.

The business world is not forgotten either, far from it. In India, where meditation is an institution and a tradition, the influence of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission is stronger than elsewhere, allowing it to intervene in its own name in management training and personal development, in particular around stress management through meditation. Elsewhere, there are followers of the Mission who are professionals, carefully avoiding to mention the name of the Mission.

Thus, according to the newspaper Times of India of July 23, 2000, the Shri Ram Chandra Mission has organized an international seminar of three days, called "management of life" and involving over 10 000 delegates at Calcutta: "[The meditation] is very helpful for policemen and other government servants as well. While, at Barrackpur, we started a workshop for policemen (...). The training program still goes on at Barrackpur. Elsewhere, CISF [Central Industrial Security Force] and RPF [Central Reserve Police Force] staff and bank officers are also undergoing this training. The mission has been Recognized by the Ministry for Human Resource Development as a teaching institute for yoga (...). Ethical Management is now being taught at IIM (Calcutta) [Indian Institute of Management] with the help of the mission. "

Since then, the SMRTI interventions have increased dramatically in many Indian companies and institutions, and even with students, always under the cover of stress management and management ethics. It is true that Rajagopalachari delivered a speech entitled "Spirituality in Corporate Management" on February 2, 1990, where he was being an apologist for the leadership and management of some businesses which he has known, provided they are ethical, that is to say "spiritually" inspired by Sahaj Marg.

In the West, the institute initially preferred to target the media, including the female (targeted) media, where it talks about the benefits of yoga and meditation. The message is very simple: Sahaj Marg is a meditation technique ideal for modern family life. Some followers are responsible for collecting testimonials in this direction. Some other followers are incessantly attempting to have articles published, so as to make it known.


Provide Values in Children's Education


The SMRTI also became very rapidly interested in the young and very young audience. It developed fables and nursery rhymes to develop the "Culture of Sahaj Marg" from early childhood and developed a range of services for youth, and programs for their teachers. It also encouraged the formation of meditation groups in universities, particularly in America.

Many teachers, followers of Sahaj Marg, refused to accept that the values of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission should remain at the door of the school. All this has prompted the Institute to create a sort of values guide for the education they called spiritual (Value Based Spiritual Education, VBSE), intended for educators, teachers and parents. And it was soon used in the education and training of children and young people by the followers of Sahaj Marg.

But this is still not sufficient for Rajagopalachari. The son of Babuji founded his own school in Shahjahanpur, the Babuji Memorial Public School. That being as it may, Rajagopalachari announces the creation of the Lalaji Memorial Omega School (LMOs) February 28, 2005 and inaugurates it the following June 22. The project of this school is thus born from the conjunction of the need for recognition of Rajagopalachari, the SMRTI which would place its VBSE there, and the desire of the followers who were teachers.

Its ambassador, a (lady) school principal, undertook an extensive international tour to sell the project to the followers of Sahaj Marg and collect the necessary funds, but she did not find the necessary funds alone. The school was first launched with a loan of one million dollars from the Allahabad Bank by the Shri Ram Chandra Mission and its foundation, but it has also especially benefited from the donation campaign organized by Rajagopalachari during 2005 around the book "Whispers from the Brighter World". The SMSF apparently would have managed to collect almost two million dollars, mostly in the United States and in its community of Indian origin. Including the largest donation ever received by Rajagopalachari, who did not fail to brag about it, of a little over one million U.S. dollars.

He then explained that there were no worries to be had, as he was the guarantor of the transparency of the financial transactions, and that the school is to be led by the Baal Vatika Educational Society and funded by the Baal Vatika Educational Trust, which later becomes the Lalaji Memorial Educational Society & Trust. This school has been able to accommodate 128 children the first year, the goal for the next year is set at 800 students, which required an additional three million. There were only 573 students, but the goal for the third year was still fixed at one thousands children ...

The school is located Kolapakkam between Chennai and Manapakkam, 5 km from the Babuji Memorial Ashram. Its administrative offices are opposite the ashram, at Garden of Hearts (http://www.omegaschools.org/). Its curriculum is obviously based on the VBSE of SMRTI and that developed in collaboration with the Government of India and the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training).

The school then develops to become the showcase of excellence which Rajagopalachari called for in all his wishes. It is forging links with business, government and education officials from all sides. By 2005, it acquired the ISO certification and participates in the Intel Awards competition for integrating information technology in education. It participates in a video conference on climate change and human rights organized by the Department of Public Information United Nations, in December 2008.

For fall 2007, it acquires the International Certificate of Secondary Education, from the University of Cambridge (IGCSE, International General Certificate of Secondary Education of Cambridge). It thus is given an "I" for "International" on December 27, 2006, becoming the Lalaji Memorial Omega International School (LMOIS), to the delight of the well-to-do, ( Indian or not) who place their children there because it attracts the children of Westerners who come to settle near Rajagopalachari.

The VBSE is now used by more than one hundred other schools in India, according to the Shri Ram Chandra Mission. And it is not just in schools but is also an animation tool to be used during the holidays. Thus, Echoes of India in July 2008 focuses on summer camps for children and youth, citing no less than eight examples: "ashrams around the country were abuzz with activity during the holiday season. In Bangalore it was 40 children from 3 to 18, Jaipur 40 children from 3 to 17 years, Hyderabad 9 to 17 years in Kerala 52 children of which only 12 were from the families of abhyasis.

What did they do? "The morning started with reciting of Mission's prayer", "The day commenced with introductions and was followed by Yoga", "The plays carried the message, 'Religion divides, Spirituality unites' and 'God is everywhere'. The children had been preparing for this day since long (ago) at the children's centre every Sunday",

or at a workshop for teenagers: "the need to manage one's anger, frustration and negative emotions. Very exciting was the budget exercise where the teenagers were asked to plan a monthly budget of Rs. 10,000".

Without getting the children and the teens to meditate, which Babuji prohibited before the age of 18 years, the Shri Ram Chandra Mission has managed to circumvent this rule and instill its culture and values through the VBSE and at its very first school. Beneath a very humanistic exterior, the VBSE is a vehicle for the teachings of Rajagopalachari, which is often lackluster. Thus, on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2007, the SMSF organized an essay competition for children on the theme "What is the purpose of a guru?". Instead of teaching spiritual values to children, they teach the fundamentals of the cult of the personality.



From Humanitarianism to the Doors of the U.N.


Many followers of Sahaj Marg are involved in NGOs, but the Shri Ram Chandra Mission is disinterested, more concerned with spirituality and money than to the world's misery. Yet the poverty of the Indian masses does not leave all Westerners completely. Upon the occurrence of the earthquake in Gujarat in January 2001 which claimed over 20,000 victims, the Indian emigrant communities around the world started mobilizing ...

Cornered, the Shri Ram Chandra Mission organized a fundraiser specifically for collecting donations from its members, Rajagopalachari always assuming the right to use this money for other purposes. And the success of the operation is such that now, with each new cataclysm in the world, the mission is involved in a fund-raising campaign. Then some of the larger centers of the Indian Missions opened their doors to the destitute, providing them food and free health care, from the voluntary caregivers from among its followers. A new showcase for respectability, and the "Centers of Light" are born.

The Shri Ram Chandra Mission is thus involved in humanitarian work and education. It's not very far removed from the status of international NGO recognized by the UN. The mission benefits thenw the occupation of some of its members who work within various UN agencies. And on December 12, 2005, the Shri Ram Chandra Mission is finally accredited to the Department of Public Information (UNDPI) to spread around the world the message of the United Nations, as are more than 1,500 other NGOs. Indeed, each year new NGOs were accredited, while others are excluded. Thus, the Mission is on a list of 25 newly associated NGOs and at the same time, another 48 are excluded.

Jacques Attali, who calls for the creation of a genuine UN NGO, acknowledged in his speech of September 2004 at the 57th Annual DPI, that "(...) under this name, sometimes slips in, people who have nothing to do with this, such as sects, or even terrorist organizations (...) ".

Thus, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (World of Jehovah's Witnesses) had been accredited to the DPI from 1992 to 2001, when it openly considered the UN as "the beast of the Apocalypse" fighting against Jesus . This could be a special case, but it is not. In the list of NGOs associated with the UNDPI, is or was also found sects such as Brahma Kumaris, Sri Chinmoy and Sokka Gakkai.

Normally, these NGOs are committed to helping the UN in its work and promote its principles and activities, and that's all. But the Shri Ram Chandra Mission profits greatly from this so as to practice its appearance of amalgamation and maintain the confusion with the much more enviable status of NGOs that are associated to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and enjoys consultative status. The Miviludes (French Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and fight against sectarianism) does not say anything different. The association with the UNDPI does not in any way confer consultative status, but only access to the premises and the UN Information:

"(...) The UN system is highly complex for the general public retain nothing but its role - promoting ideals such as world peace, development and respect for the rights of Man - and an easily identifiable logo. Any reference to the UN is a sign of respectability and some movements do not hesitate to use it, even for some to abuse it. This is the assertion of the "consultative status" which itself contains several categories to "prioritize" the NGO affiliates. This status should not be confused with the association of an NGO with the Department of Public Information United Nations, which only allows access to the premises of the UN, to receive information but not to participate in conferences (...)." - Excerpt of the 2008 report of the Miviludes (pp 53-54) in Strategies of International influence in 2008: the example of the actions of the cult movement at the United Nations.

In late 2006, leaders of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission fear that the UNDPI will withdraw their accreditation. Terrified, they decide to mobilize the resources of the Mission for the December 10, 2006 World Human Rights Day. And to be sure of having some people in attendance, the word is given to move the monthly open house at the center to December 10th.

The program revolves around the day of signing the "golden" guest book, reading an old letter from Babuji addressed to the UN in 1957, and the presentation of a report of the Mission's activities between 2000 and 2005. The sample of events selected around the themes dear to the UN shows and four events were attended by no fewer than 930 people over a period of six years. As for the Day of December 10the itself, it would have mobilized 25 countries and 7,500 people, while the Mission is said to be present in over 90 countries and representing 200 to 300,000 abhyasis.

Once its accreditation was barely re-gained, by the end of 2006, the Shri Ram Chandra Mission organizes. In October 2007, it creates a new periodical entitled "One World, One Humanity" in which it recounts its sometimes painstaking efforts to cooperate with the UN. On May 20 it celebrates the International Families Day, on June 5th, International Day of the Environment, on August 12th, Youth, on September 21st, Peace, on November 16th, Tolerance, on November 22nd, Children and on December 10th, Human Rights, etc...

Efforts are sometimes laborious, because it is not always easy to celebrate the Family, Reconciliation, Peace and Human Rights when the Mission destroys families faster than it welcomes new members or when we consider the legal cases that opposed it to the family of Babuji for years, the take-over of ashrams by force, to eventual (allegations of) attempted poisoning. Tolerance is not always its primary virtue.

So much so, that in India, the Mission chose to celebrate Youth Day around the concept of leadership, somewhat diverting the UN objective. Celebrated in 23 cities in India on August 12, 2007, this event would have affected 4,000 young college students, the well-to-do class, the privileged. In bulk, the topics of the discussion focused on "an ideal leader"," the need to develop leadership qualities", " or even " the characteristics of the leader". This reminds one of the ethical management or stress management. (mentioned earlier)

However, these efforts are gradually bearing fruit. The partnership between the two structures, UN and SRCM, is gradually emerging. As in Sydney, the Director of the United Nations South Pacific Information Center, Abdullah Mbamba, opened the Mission's Seminar for the Day of Commemoration of the 62nd anniversary of the UN, in October 2007.

For Rajagopalachari's 81st birthday anniversary celebrations in Lucknow, the spokesman of the UN for India and Bhutan, Rajiv Chandran, made a speech on July 23, 2008 where he said: "There are many commonalities between the Shri Ram Chandra Mission and my organization, the United Nations. Both defend universal values, values of peace, tranquility, development, brotherhood, equality and dignity in every individual. "

Rajagopalachari is about to get what he wanted recognition and respectability.



An Apotheosis in the Form of a National Essay Competition


All these efforts are realized last August 12 in a National Essay Competition offered to youth at all schools in India to mark the International Youth Day of, organized by the Shri Ram Chandra Mission in collaboration with the UN for India and Bhutan Information Center (UNIC).

The UN has declared that 2009 would be the International Year of Reconciliation. What the Shri Ram Chandra Mission divided into three competition categories by age of participants, from youngest to oldest: "Give Love Get Love", "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you", " Love has hope, Hatred is hopeless. " And the thoughts suggested to competitors by the Mission are: "How does peace and friendship in society benefit the individual? Can there be Irreconcilable differences if everyone accepted this? R. Ingersoll has said," Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself. " What do you think? Can Love be a potent instrument of reconciliation?"

According to the Mission, this action has been undertaken since 1989 and has already mobilized nearly 75,000 children and youth participants from 10 to 24 years in 2008. But this year's novelty is that it is organized in collaboration with the UNIC. So, how many participated this year? According to SRCM, they have mobilized the teachers from 10,000 institutions, and 500,000 students would have participated.

Rajagopalachari has talent. Let us recognize this, once will not hurt, he has achieved a master stroke! This event is indeed a great advertisement for the Shri Ram Chandra Mission. Master stroke of genius of communication, that the accreditation of the Mission from the Department of Information finely worked. It is a huge success as it presents to the eyes of the teachers, the pupils and the parents, the SRCM, the SMSF and SMRTI, all closely related to the UNIC and to the UN in the minds of the people, not to mention the reporting from the news media. The communications of the Mission was not always that remarkable, far from it. But this time, the operation was a successful seduction beyond all expectations. In Indian public opinion, the name of Shri Ram Chandra Mission is now associated with that of the very prestigious United Nations.

So this is a dream come true for Rajagopalachari. His perseverance has paid-off for his long-term investment in the SMRTI, the VBSE, the LMOIS and UNDPI which in turn will finally see come together with this action. He is poised to win his bet, and to exploit to his own personal ends, this small accreditation of his movement to promote Sahaj Marg ™ and gain recognition and respectability from the Indian public opinion.

And lo and behold, wouldn't one know it that Ajay Kumar Bhatter (Chari's chosen successor, another businessman) has announced that it is time to develop spiritual education based on values throughout Europe. All coordinators should introduce and develop VBSE activities for the followers of Sahaj Marg in their respective countries, he said. So, the first European meeting was scheduled on this subject at the ashram of Berlin from October 16 to 18, 2009 ...

Is this really what we want for Europe?


(Or for North America? Or for our already troubled World? One more divisive "ism" under the guise of "spirituality", just another divided group claiming to be the "only" Path to our multi-faceted or multi-dimensional ONE-ness?? ... REALLY!! )


See VBSE curriculum
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