May 15, 2015
Sahaj Marg Proselytism: "Be Contagious"
The number of our abhyasis is growing, a very special egregore is also developing dramatically; it has just begun and we are happy. (Whisper 04/03/2015)
In
February 2015, Kamlesh bhai announced that the hierarchy of Sahaj Marg
Masters had allowed preceptors from around the world to have new
responsibilities to facilitate the growth of the Mission. (...). This is another way of working, made necessary by the growing expansion of the mission in the world. (Bulletin 16.3.2015)
Kamlesh bhai ended the talk with a call to one and all, "Just one abhyasi Bringing in one new abhyasi every year. So please try it. I will not say anything further. Be contagious. Thank you." (Delhi Speech 04/05/2015)
Sthapati said: “In Sahaj Marg, as with many Hindu traditions,
proselytizing is forbidden.” (11/05/2015)
Be Contagious!
All the signs are there. From "Whispers" to Patel, all the signs point in the same direction. SRCM is relaunching its proselytizing crusade.
Kamlesh Patel has taken over the pilgrim's staff that Chari had to abandon because of his health problems. Globetrotter guru, he's traveling the world to re-mobilize the followers of Sahaj Marg in a new quest for growth.
On
one hand, Whispers and Patel announced that the Mission is growing, it
becomes necessary to give more responsibility to preceptors to deal with
this influx. On
the other hand, Patel creates an internet tool (Heartfulness) to
attract the typical person and he encourages his troops to proselytize.
"In Sahaj Marg, as with many Hindu traditions, proselytizing is forbidden"?
One wonders where Sthapati went to get the idea that proselytism is forbidden in Sahaj Marg, when that always is its reason for being, at least in the minds of these successive gurus.
Upon his arrival, Chari tried to convince Babuji to conquer the West. He then used the preceptors as a small army of soldiers who bring ever more new followers.
More than the spiritual growth of individuals, Babuji wanted the Mission to reach a sufficient critical mass to "tip over" the world.
That Patel allegedly violates the rule against proselytizing does not seem to unduly inconvenience Sthapati. The latter then makes herself the champion of Heartfulness.org without the least restrictions. The Sahaj Marg gurus have always had an amazing ability to convince their followers of one thing and its opposite.
Élodie
Some links:
Extracts From Whispers
We do not work in vain, Sahaj Marg is growing and it touches the people with its
simplicity of approach, but above all with the results that follow over
time. (25/02)
The number of our abhyasis is growing, a very special egregore is also developing dramatically; it has just begun and we are happy. (4/03)
Much remains to be done; the
number of abhyasis is growing, which points to the power of this mission in
the future, as it is provided for the benefit of our members and, by
extension, of their surroundings. (6/03)
Over
the years the Mission has advanced and it extends into the world, it has
structured itself and will increasingly do so more and more, according to its growing implantation. (16/04)
Preceptors From Around The World - New Responsibilities
Bulletin No. 2015.22 • Monday, March 16, 2015
In
February 2015, Kamlesh bhai announced that the hierarchy of Sahaj Marg
Masters had allowed the preceptors from around the world to have new
responsibilities to facilitate growth of the Mission. These new authorizations do not replace the existing face-to-face practice for individual sittings, and group or introductory sittings. This is another way of working, made necessary by the growing expansion of the mission in the world. This results in the following changes:
1. New seekers are welcome to join a group meditation without previously taking separate introductory sittings.
2. Seekers may be introduced to the practice of Sahaj Marg in groups
on consecutive days if individual introductions are not possible.
3. The preceptors can give individual sittings to groups of abhyasis simultaneously (at the same time).
4. The preceptors can provide remote individual sittings when necessary. These
remote sittings can only be given if the preceptor has just received confirmation
just before starting that the abhhyasi is available and if both sit for the sitting at
the same time.
5.
The preceptors can conduct remote group sittings in cases where there are
no available local preceptors, or where the conditions are actually too difficult
to participate, for example in case of bad weather. They may also include abhyasis who have good reasons not to participate in person at the satsang.
This new freedom requires caution and wisdom. For
example, Kamlesh bhai said recently: "We should not reach that scenario
where someone would ask for a remote individual sitting while he is less than a
kilometer away. No. This is what I will call an abuse of the system. You must be careful. The more freedom that was given to us, the greater also are the major responsibilities that rest on our shoulders."
The preceptors also received permission to give sittings remotely when there is
a real demand and not in situations that defy the spiritual culture,
for example, when an abhyasi wants to avoid taking a sitting with a local preceptor that he does not like, because it would lead to disharmony. Unity and brotherhood are the culture of Sahaj Marg.
Sthapati said:
“(...)
One very different change that is new to the
Marg is our opening up (for lack of better words). Prior to now, we’ve been
accessible and free to anyone who sought us – but generally only those who did
the seeking on their own. In Sahaj
Marg, as with many Hindu traditions, proselytizing is forbidden. And in
Sahaj Marg, there have been times when remaining obscure even seemed to be
encouraged so that purely and surely only those who really are seekers found
our method of Raja Yoga.
(...)
But for Sahaj Marg that might be changing in
some way currently. There’s a new “initiative” called Heartfulness that has me
very excited about what the future of Sahaj Marg might look like.
(...)
we discussed how challenging it can be for Westerners to take to
foreign concepts – in this case, Indian / Hindu concepts and vocabulary
(...)
and that most people in the West have no idea really what words like dharma,
karma, meditation, and yoga ( to name only a few ) actually mean.
(...)
So now we have this “Heartfulness” stuff. And, for lack of knowing the
best way to say it, Heartfulness is Sahaj Marg without all the foreign words.
It’s the very basis and basics of our practice, spelled out in Western
language. When the emails and newsletters were released to abhyasis telling us
about this, I read over the new resources in detail. There’s practically no
mention of our lineage or the heart chakra or raja yoga – in fact, I think in
all that I read, there was only a single mention of our method of yogic
transmission.
(...)
I’ll admit that my initial response was one of disappointment. How can
you share Sahaj Marg without sharing Sahaj Marg?!?! And then, with the help of
a fantastic preceptor, it hit me: We’re not sharing Sahaj Marg. Not really.
We’re essentially performing one of Sahaj Marg’s highest values which is to
find the end of religion and thereby experience the beginning of spirituality.
(...)
Surely, our entire community will be collectively motivated and
encouraged in this way by recent developments.
(...)
The general / main link for the new initiative can be found by
clicking here: Heartfulness.
(...)
A preceptor nearest to you will reach out to
you.”
