Acharya Training

By Shyama Jeyaseelan, UK

Exactly a year ago….

It was exciting to book my flights to Serbia. The opportunity to see Mohanji again after a few months was a beautiful blessing. My plan was to volunteer during the Acharya training in October and return. While looking at the flights, my husband said that if I stayed a little longer, I would be with Mohanji for my birthday. It was a great suggestion and having managed to get a few more days of annual leave from work; we booked the trip to include the weekend retreat after the Acharya training.

This was my first visit to Serbia and how beautiful it was. All the wonderful ladies of Mohanji Foundation Serbia made me feel very much at home with their loving hospitality. Despite the back to back programmes and hectic schedules, they made sure I was comfortable, and well looked after. The Acharya training was intense and amazing. We were all so blessed with wonderful experiences with Mohanji.

There was a gap of a day to travel to the venue of the retreat after the training, and my birthday fell on that day. Therefore, it seemed unlikely that I would see Mohanji, but I couldn’t be disappointed as we had all been with him for more than a week, enjoying his loving presence with us immensely.

Following a long drive, we arrived at the beautiful hotel where the retreat was taking place. After helping the team to set up in the satsang hall, I went to my room to shower and rest. A little while later, there was a gentle knock on the door, and it was Monika asking me to join the rest of the team upstairs.

Unknown to me, through my husband and a fellow Acharya from the UK, the team had found out it was my birthday. To my utmost surprise, there was a cake organised for me. Everyone sang and wished me a happy birthday, and it truly was! The unexpected joy of having Mohanji, Deviji and little Mila coming into the room to wish me happy birthday was just awesome!

Having a loving hug from Mohanji on my birthday was so very special. After touching his feet with love and gratitude, I verbalised a prayer that I have made to Mohanji many times in my heart – “Mohanji, please bless me to love you more and more each day.” Placing his hand gently on my head, he said, “Tathastu!” (So be it). That wonderful affirmation from Mohanji, and the gentle touch filled with so much love, gave me immense joy. Often, words are not enough to describe our intense feelings, and this was one such magical moment.

While Mohanji was talking with the team about the preparations for the retreat which was starting the following day, and listening to the conversation flowing around me, I sat near Mohanji’s feet, totally filled with love and gratitude. A birthday wish fulfilled in such a wonderful way, will be cherished forever. Whenever I remember Mohanji’s single word of a powerful blessing and the gentle touch on my head, I’m filled with so much love, comfort and peace. It was a promise to my heart that he will always be with me.

My heartfelt gratitude to the Serbian team for making my visit so beautiful, to Deviji and Mila for all the memorable times, and to Mohanji for his loving grace which he showers on us all, fulfilling wishes, even the silent ones that we express to him in our hearts.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 24^th October 2020

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— Mohanji Testimonials Team

By Shyama Jeyaseelan, UK

It is the second week of May. The UK is finally seeing a decline in the spreading of the Covid-19 virus. Lockdown measures are slightly relaxed, although restrictions for travel, school, shopping, socialising and for the elderly, as in many other areas still continue. After the loss of thousands of lives and devastation to so many families, we are hoping that life will return to relative normalcy soon.

The UK is one of the countries to be severely affected during the pandemic. During the peak time in April, nearly a thousand lives were being lost every day. Fighting this invisible force was a huge challenge for the country as it was for the rest of the world.

During this time, we all faced many other challenges too. Many people lost their livelihood. No jobs meant little or no income to support our families. While many people were asked to work from home, front line workers had to continue to go to work, potentially risking their lives daily. The National Health Service (NHS) was struggling to support its staff with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). Many NHS staff members fell ill, and sadly many lives were also lost.

Despite all these challenges, the human spirit survived. We saw so many charities and organisations coming forward to support and help the NHS, to help the elderly and the vulnerable, to support those people who had lost their jobs. Mohanji ACT Foundation team also came forward to help wherever possible with many acts of kindness.

With generous donations from the Mohanji UK family, food donations were made to local NHS hospitals to help the staff. This meant that many of them did not need to face a long shopping queue at the end of a long and stressful working day. Food donations were made to food-banks where those without jobs come and receive supplies to help them with their daily essentials.

While work places brought many changes to most people, as an NHS worker, my work continued as normal. It also meant that social distancing was not possible, I had to make physical contact with patients as before. There was no PPE for regular ultrasound scan sessions, only when coming in contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients. During the first few weeks we did not even have masks to wear.

We have all learnt that life will always bring challenges, some harder than others, but when Guru’s grace and protection is present, we are immune to the shocks of daily life. This is something I have seen in so many ways within this short time.

During our Acharya training, I remember Mohanji saying many times,

“The Tradition is with you. Be fearless. Be compassionate and loving. Serve the society.”

This reassurance and guidance was definitely in need at this time of crisis. With Mohanji’s grace, there was no fear of the disease in me, whether it was at work or during service activities. Any of my patients could be carriers of the virus or might be in the incubation period of developing the illness. Never once did Mohanji allow a drop of fear to come in my thoughts. When people ask if it’s stressful going to work, the answer was a truthful, and cheerful, “No, I’m ok.” Fear, worry or anxiety would have definitely reduced my immune system and made be vulnerable to falling ill, and Mohanji made sure I felt stable within. It was also really nice to share that stability and positive attitude with my colleagues; it helped us all to have a relatively normal work environment.

All the Acharyas and other Mohanji Foundation volunteers were doing online programmes as inspired by Mohanji. My resistance to learning to use new technology, fear of facing a live camera, and all other feelings of insecurities melted away as we all realised the importance of doing these online activities. Reaching out to as many people as possible with love and bringing positivity at a time when so many people were facing various fears was paramount.

Amongst the various programmes, we were also chanting the Gayatri mantra and the Maha Mrithyunjaya mantra every day intending to bring love, light and positive energy to Mother Earth and all her beings. This was benefitting us immensely too. The energy and the vibrations of the chanting were definitely energising and rejuvenating, increasing our immunity. When I received unusually high numbers of requests for distant Mai-Tri sessions, I realised the amount of healing Mohanji was giving me also. How beautifully he takes care of us, whether we realise it or not.

Many of the ACT volunteers were not able to physically help with the food donations due to various reasons. This meant that I was able to help often, and it was truly a privilege to have the opportunity to help the NHS staff, the Covid hub staff and the homeless shelters by distributing essential food supplies. It was a heart touching moment to see the happy faces of the doctors when a volunteer took ice-cream bars to a local accident and emergency department. Mohanji has given us this amazing platform, to help and make a difference in our local communities, to make a positive contribution and it’s truly wonderful to be a part of it.

Mohanji has said this period in confinement is a time for contemplation and reflection. Nature has given us time to slow down and to reassess what is truly important in our lives. It has been a time for me to appreciate my time with the family. With universities and schools closed, my children are home and it’s wonderful to be together, to tease them, to laugh and enjoy their company. It’s great to play with our cats in the garden. We have been blessed with warm weather on most days and it has given me the time to sit in the garden and enjoy nature, to connect with the elements. This is something I have not done in years.

Social media has brought the global family to our homes. Friends and relatives, whom I have not spoken to or made contact with in many months, have been in touch. It has been a time to reconnect and to ensure the well-being of our dear ones. Even my parents who are in their 80s face time us to see the cats!

I’m truly grateful for the many moments of grace that has been possible only because of Mohanji. Thank you Mohanji for your presence in our lives, and for giving us the guidance and the platforms to serve the society with love, compassion, and kindness. Thank you for inspiring us with your words and actions to serve selflessly and fearlessly.