by Christopher Greenwood
Day 31 Lesson – More than the eyes can see
Good morning, everybody! I hope you’re doing very well.
Yesterday, I shared a lesson from the badminton court, along with a couple of photographs, and I hope you enjoyed those. I was thinking how much fun it’s been to play against Mohanji. At first, it was fairly intimidating. But now, we’ve got a good doubles rhythm when we play, and it’s good exercise. It breaks the day, and it’s also really fun.
As I recalled those times, it brought back a memory, which was another reminder that there’s more to Mohanji than we can physically see. I’ve spoken about this before, that He’s active in many more ways than we can perceive. Personally, being here spending a lot of time is an incredibly good reminder because otherwise, the situation can become familiar. I wouldn’t want to say that I take anything for granted, definitely not. But day in, day out, when I’m seeing Mohanji, there can definitely be the lack of alertness that was there when I first arrived as everything was new. Because now there’s work to do; there’s a routine; there’s a pattern; there’s a method, and so some habits and patterns have developed.
It reminded me of the badminton game because there was a similar situation to the one that I’d shared before in one of my previous recordings. This was where I spoke about the situation where I was speaking with Mohanji; we were having a conversation in the morning, and he suddenly stopped mid-conversation. We’ve been speaking about plans for the early version of Invest in Awareness corporate program. And he stopped; he stood up, walked a few paces, and knelt. Then He took several press-ups, then again stood, and went back to his chair and calmly sat back down. When I asked him what happened, he said that he was responding to somebody’s call for help. He was bringing someone back to life. At the time, I was very confused, but I thought, okay, sometimes these things I can’t understand. But later that day, the event was actually confirmed when somebody called to say that their father had survived in hospital.
Once on the badminton court, there was another situation while we were playing badminton. It was a typical game; Rajesh and I were trying our hardest to win the game. Mohanji had his position on the court; his technique of smashing was doing really well, and Ananth was playing well too. It was an intense game backwards and forwards; everybody played with full commitment and played many games. But during one of the games, I think it must have been the last one; Mohanji just casually said that somebody’s mother is leaving between one of the rallies. As simple as that, “someone’s mother is leaving.” He said that someone’s mother was leaving their body that she was dying. It was very matter of fact, and he just went back to playing; we continued to play for the remainder of the game.
Afterwards, I had to ask what he meant because I don’t even think he meant to say it out loud but he said that he was communicating with her. That amazed me; we were playing our hardest to gain points and win the game, and I thought I was putting in some great effort while at the same time Mohanji was playing, but he was also elsewhere.
When we got back to the house a few hours later, the message came that someone’s mother had passed away. So for me, it’s still somewhat a mystery that what Mohanji is handling beyond is what I can see. There’s more beyond the usual events, but I enjoy and appreciate that there’s almost a completion to it because it comes with a confirmation. For me personally, I can have and witness that full experience. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, there’s always a confirmation that clarifies that I don’t have to blindly believe this because there’s something there that confirms what I see in front of my eyes.
Thank you for listening today. And I hope you have a great day ahead.
Day 32 Lesson – Mohanji’s activities tangibly express his teachings
Good morning, everybody! I hope you’re doing really well!
Since spending time with Mohanji, I have witnessed that Mohanji does not just talk about his teachings. He lives them. Tangibly!! It’s only through my extra time working closely across each platform, namely – Mohanji Foundation, Ammcuare, Early Birds Club or the Mohanji Home for Seniors, and through conversations, I can see more clearly, that everything he has delivered is a message to the world of what he stands for.
This morning, I was speaking to Mohanji, and he elaborated on some of the ideas and vision for the Centers of Benevolence. When I speak with Mohanji in the morning, I usually have a list of the items I’d like to discuss with him about what’s pending. But depending on the day or the need of the time, Mohanji will often speak spontaneously as thoughts come to him. He said to me earlier that he just flows, so as per the need, what is important, he’ll speak.
So if I’m sitting in front of him, I should make sure then that it reaches the right person. We were talking about the various locations across the world for the Centers of Benevolence and the vision that they should reach every continent; every country; every city, so that there’s a space; our own space. These would be living signatures for the Teachings of the Tradition, welcoming all people; everybody is welcome. Ensuring everyone who comes is fed well with vegan food and the fact that it’s purely vegan will be the message of non-violence and that all life has the right to live.
When there’s outdoor space, all animals will coexist in the ground, and they’ll roam free. Then all the five elements are captured in the space too. They’ll have the fire with the Homas, also the water bodies – the rivers and lakes, and earth space. All the practices will be there: the meditations and the teachings of the path of liberation – all will be available. It will be a message to the world portraying what we stand for and how we can use our capacities or intellect abilities as humans for selfless work and for attaining the highest.
The more time that I’ve spent with Mohanji, I realize that what he speaks, what he shares, and his teachings, he’s practically and tangibly putting these into place through all the platforms. All of them speak a message to the world.
I was thinking about this and all the initiatives that have been founded when the Mohanji Home for Seniors came to my mind – which has been set up to feed, give medical attention and help the elderly. This came to my mind because when I sent out the feedback form to everybody for these talks, someone replied by asking the question, “Why are parents so important in our life?”
I feel that that’s a great example, the Home for Seniors because it’s Mohanji practically tangibly representing why it’s important to look after the elderly, look after our parents. The story of how this came about was when Mohanji visited Tiruvannamalai with a group of people for conducting a Retreat and Satsang. It’s a famous place of pilgrimage, because of the Arunachala Mountain, and many people go there.
I’ve heard that people go there along with the elderly parents, and they simply leave them, which is quite sad.
Some of the abandoned ones have poor health conditions, problems and are lonely, confused, and even wait for their children to come back. They think they’ll come back for them, but the children don’t.
There’s a Home that is looking after the abandoned parents, and Mohanji with the group visited the Home to serve them food. Last year, the local municipality gave the people living in the Home (building) eviction notice, rendering them homeless. That was the seed. I think one person, in particular, wanted to start something; Mohanji supported it, and now we have the Mohanji Home for Seniors. Thus the land was bought, and construction is now on the way.
Mohanji has spoken before that we have a dharmic duty to our parents because it’s they who brought us into this world. He said that when we first take birth, before a soul comes into the body, there’s prana which represents our lineage or lineage karma. He explained that when we have a body, actually, the body is a property of the lineage. Our parents are a living representation of our lineage. Our parents represent that, so we have a duty towards them. Especially, a mother who carried us through nine months of pregnancy knows us longer than anybody else. Thus I learnt from Mohanji that this is another reason why we must respect and look after our parents. There’s a Dharmic duty behind it. And this is exactly what he does as well. He’s brought his parents closer to him now in their age so that they have this space; they are given respect. Everything that can be done is done to make them comfortable.
In modern times, some people treat parents as an inconvenience, quick to discard them or put them into a home. Hence, I am reiterating what I’ve learned from Mohanji that there’s a duty there actually about what we need to do. The Mohanji Home for Seniors is a standing example of this filial duty – by looking after them, respecting, caring, and giving them the dignity that they deserve.
I’ve also heard people ask, “What can I do?” Now I know that I have a dynamic duty, “What can I do if I don’t get on with my parents; if we fight or we argue?” For this, Mohanji said, “You can do what you can. The first is discussion, to see if anything can be resolved. Maybe that’s not possible; maybe you don’t have to live together; maybe it’s possible that you can support them if they’re in a different home. You can find a way to give them assistance with the chores. If the relationship is completely gone, and it’s not possible to get on with them, you can fulfill that duty by serving people of a similar demographic in society. You serve the elderly; the abandoned, participate in charity activities, events; donate to causes that support them. This way, we still do our duty.”
So this is one example of the many tangible activities Mohanji is doing in the world expressing his message and his teachings.
I hope you enjoyed it and we will speak very soon.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 13th June 2021
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