Dhyan Dhaara – 13 Years of Wait Comes To A Glorious Beginning

2022 was a memorable year at SRM. Through the aphorisms of Saint Patanjali (Patanjali Yog Sutra), Sri Guru uncovered never-before-heard explanations of Dhyan and its highest peak of Samadhi, leaving all of us keen to savour a taste of that experience. Sri Guru herself has always emphasised the importance of actual experience over knowledge. In her own words – “One second of actual plunge into meditation puts together the effect of years of knowledge-collection.” Today was the day to finally take that plunge.

Talkatora stadium in central New Delhi was the venue for the inaugural Dhyan Dhaara session – a special gathering designed uniquely for meditators. It is not unusual to see excitement among SRM seekers on Sunday mornings. But this morning’s excitement felt extraordinarily special. It is true that hardly anyone connected with SRM is new to the practice of meditation. But two hours of meditation? That too with the Master? No matter how many glasses of water you drink every day, taking a dip in the ocean is always going to be a unique experience. Inside the stadium, an electrical intensity was palpable as soon as the Master arrived. The session was inaugurated with Deep Prajwalan, and a soulful invitation to the Divine Energies in the form of a Bhakti – Aao Dhyan Karein (“come, let us meditate!”). 

Before letting seekers jump into the ocean of Dhyan, Sri Guru explained the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of meditation with a beautiful statement – Meditation is the path, and also the destination. It is the only means for us to realise our true potential as human beings. She also highlighted a few common obstacles that seekers usually face while trying to meditate, and shared two simple yet highly effective solutions – bringing awareness to breath, and focussing on the Master’s instructions at every step.

The session started with some light YogaYog exercises to release the Tamas (inertia) of the body. What transpired after that is beyond the realm of words. Almost two hours of intense meditation followed, which included body scanning, focussing on energy centres of the body (Chakras), and Prana accumulation. Sitting still for even 5 minutes can be a challenge for many of us. And yet, how these two hours passed so quickly will probably remain a mystery. A happy mystery. As the session ended with the mesmerising tune of Prarthna Dhun echoing throughout the indoor stadium, the set of seekers coming out were visibly different from the ones who had gone inside a couple of hours earlier. Such was the transformation of energy levels evident on everyone’s face, and in the meditative air of the environment. The after-effects of this ineffable experience will surely be felt for days, maybe even weeks, to come.

12th March, 2023 was a day that had been in the making for 13 years. Taking humanity towards Self-realisation is the true purpose of SRM. Back in the autumn of 2010, Sri Guru planted the seeds of the Mission with nothing but this singular vision in her mind. But those seeds required regular care and nurturing – the ground was prepared through the clarity and wisdom of Satsang, watered with the elixir of Bhakti, and protected by a resilient shield of discipline. It took years of endless love and patience for those seeds to turn into saplings. After 13 long years, they were finally ready to see the divine light of meditation.

They say all good things take time. But great things take a little longer. Experience of one’s true Self is by far the best thing out there, and so 13 years seems like a pretty short waiting time for what was an unforgettable meditative experience. Fortunately, we will not have to wait that long for the next one…

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