Sahaj Marg at the Crossroads

Translation of an article by Alexis: "Le Sahaj Marg à la croisée des Chemins", on Élodie's blog in Europe: Pour Que Vive Le Sahaj Marg.


April 8, 2013
 
Sahaj Marg at the Crossroads

 
Can Anyone Succeed Babuji?

Lately, a disciple of Kasturi, Ek abhyasi, wondered on his blog on March 22nd: "Who after Babuji?"
 
Excerpts from the argument of  Ek abhyasi: 
  
On February 8, 1945, Lalaji (allegedly ...according to Babuji,  in a dream?) said to Babuji:

“Had i filled any other person with these powers, he would have wrought havoc. But orders were only for you and therefore you have been prepared like that. These powers can’t be given to anybody even to the spiritual successors. In fact these powers are not found even in the guru of the highest grade. With creation of the universe, these powers are kept reserved. But i was the custodian of these powers.” 

On Feb. 19, 1947, Swami Vivekananda said to him (Babuji... allegedly, according to Babuji in a dream):

“Utilization of the final destructive power (Kshaya Shakti) will be the last part of your programme at the end of the world. Resurrection will be brought by you. I mean the last finishing touch of destruction or total extinction of life will be dealt by you.” 
  
Once, Lalaji said to Babuji: 

“You cannot make your substitute because you yourself are not aware of the limits of your powers. Moreover, Spirituality is also not a subject of inheritance like another material object.”

According to Ek abhyasi, Kasturi was in the habit of saying that...

“(…) while holding satsang, always wanted that abhyasis should feel attached with Babuji Maharaj. She used to call herself a creation of Babuji Maharaj. She has said on several occasions that such a big Special Personality of Babuji Maharaj has come to the world for the first time from the time of creation of universe with the only Mission of taking all back to Homeland (God)and that is the reason that He descended from Bhooma (Centre) with maximum powers possible to one in human form.” 

Babuji has also said:

“Kasturi has mastery on every point.” But she always used to say, “Babuji Maharaj is Infinite and one can know about Him only to the extent to which He wanted. She has said, several times, that all abhyasis should take a thought that they are getting Puja from Babuji Maharaj and not from her or any preceptor.” 


Who will be at the head of Sahaj 'Marg and the SRCM Mission? 

A Representing a spiritual, a living Master, a President?

The question is old, but the first generation of his followers is on the verge to extinction, while the second generation raises again the question. Kasturi died recently, the son of Babuji gave way to his sons and grandchildren; while Chari, unable to do anything more, tried to leave the place to Patel.Who is the successor to Babuji? Everyone wonders and each brings a different answer. All the interpretations circulate and compete currently on the web. 


So, Can Anyone  succeed Babuji?

The response of Ek abhyasi as of Kasturi is simple: Babuji is the special personality, he is irreplaceable. Everyone can feel him in his/her heart, just listen.  Narayana, son of Dr. Varadachari, says almost the same thing.

The response of Sharad Chandra Saxena, the eldest grandson of Babuji, is near this. Babuji is irreplaceable, but he chose Sharad and his preceptor sidekick, SC Kishore, to continue his mission on earth:   

“He selected us and allotted the duty to promote His mission of propagating Sahaj Marg System as He founded and explained it. (…) Rev. Babuji Maharaj told that He can not appoint any one as His representative, because founder only remains as Powerful Power for His founded System.”

Babuji (allegedly, in a dream) told Sharad on February 20, 2013 (3.40 AM IST): 

“I expect this from you. I trained you to complete the allotted work, which you and me only know”.

Besides that, contrary to the previous, Sharad & Kishore have chosen themselves an enemy, Chari. Their website "Reality without covering (Haqeeqat Benakaab)" has only one purpose: to seek revenge on Chari.

Sharad's cousins, Navneet Kumar Saxena and Puneet, sons of Umesh Chandra Saxena, have a different approach. Babuji can have a Spiritual Representative, but it must be from a hereditary lineage:  

“Constitution of Mission stating that the Successor Representative to be in direct line of succession”

Heirs of the SRCM Shahjahanpur, they have argued their entitlement and their positions on the web in 2007 (See:  Témoignage de Navneet, and  SRCM de Shahjahanpur)..

Navneet and Puneet have in common with their cousin, Sharad an identified enemy: Chari.

For the followers of Chari, the answer is clear; since 1984 Chari is the president of SRCM, living Master of Sahaj Marg and spiritual representative of Babuji.

So much so that Babuji has been overshadowed by the Cult of Personality which they vowed to thier living Master (Babuji)  for years.

Everyone agrees on the need for a president or a manager for the Mission; Navneet and Chari, on the need for a Spiritual Representative; and the  followers of Chari only on the need for a living Master.

In any case, there must be an earthly leader:  Patel, Chari's successor, Sharad and Navneet, Narayana, or the successor of Kasturi?

With the demise of the first generation, the second generation of disciples confronts itself.  The stakes are high: the future of the Sahaj Marg spiritual system, namely control over the 200,000 followers and supporters and a considerable estate, more than 130 million euros. 


The Return of Babuji

A few days before Babuji's anniversary, one is forced to notice that one hears spoken only of him. Babuji is gone but he occupies everyone's thoughts. He has never been so present, he is everywhere.

After many years where Chari's birthday was the only major international celebration held at Tiruppur, now this year, 2013 sees the return to the forefront of the anniversary of Babuji.  Would Chari be fearful of  not hanging on until July (Chari's birthday) ?

Despite the Cult of Personality of Chari, currently in vogue, Babuji reappears to the "front and center" of the stage with his Whispers, published since 2005. This year is released the fifth volume of Whispers from the Brighter World, the "fifth revelation".

Kasturi heard Babuji in her heart, Sharad also receives his messages directly, and Chari's medium  translates for him his (Babuji's) words daily.

This does not prevent Chari from adding:  “(…) Because, if we have the ability to receive the messages direct, it is an astonishing fact that each one of you will receive the message in your own language (...). When you speak in a language which is no-language, in a voice that is not heard but perceived in the heart – if you are able to receive this, you are quite on the way to spiritual life leading to spiritual transformation, to the highest extents that are open to human beings. In other words, a message is a transmission. (…) So it is a strange fact that these messages, the whispers from above, what I have called as whispers from the brighter world, can be understood by anybody who has the ability to receive it direct in his heart, because then no language is necessary. (...)"

(Chari's speech Feb.2, 2013, for Lalaji's 140th anniversary, titled:  Perceiving the Essence of Whispers, 

Who is the closest to Babuji?

Sharad who discusses (allegedly, in his dreams) with his grandfather, Patel who reads his (alleged) Whispers as transcribed by Chari's (anonymous French Lady) medium, or the followers of Kasturi who feel him in their heart?

Is it up to the closest to Babuji to head the Mission tomorrow?

 
Who for tomorrow?

A spiritual representative? A living Master? A President? The closest? Someone of the same blood-line as him?

The current trend is to say that Babuji is a Special Personality, so irreplaceable. The trend is also to say that we need a manager for the Shri Ram Chandra Mission.

Babuji even said the same in 1963 to Ek abhyasi: “(…) i make preceptors because the people are in the habit of seeing some visible leader before them.”

So, there will be a leader tomorrow, whatever his title.

The protagonists are known: a successor of Chari (Patel?), Navneet, Sharad, Narayana, a disciple of Kasturi?

 The answer will be given by the disciples and followers of Sahaj Marg. The mainstream is that of Chari, but will he also be welded around Patel or will it explode in all directions? Will there be a recomposition? This is the wager of the opponents Chari.

But what degree of personalization is required?  The maximum, as with Chari, the living Master, or the minimum as with the disciples of Kasturi?

Should one mark one's difference and oppose Chari as Sharad and Navneet or remain discreet as the disciples of Narayana and Kasturi?

Should one get closer to Babuji as Sharad who chats with him every day, or as far as Patel who has known him very little?

Will there be a recomposition of the current forces? And a re-composition around what: proximity, heredity, revenge, personalizaton (cult of a person)  and charisma, discretion???

So many suitors, as many positions and different interpretations.

Sahaj Marg has never seemed so divided as today ... 

 Alexis

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