during my college days in davao city for my undergraduate course...i had the privy to experience first hand how life was in the 'training center' at bajada...incidentally, there are only three of such centers worldwide, one in sweden and another in india...it was baba who personally picked the sites...
initiation into the organization is quite easy...any existing member may sponsor you and you will be introduced to a 'dada' (male devotee) or a 'didi' for the other gender...
your first session would be a casual convo and you will be given your mantra for your meditations which is 'gupti' secret and personal to you.. this is also the moment where you are given a personal "nick." (Mine was 'ranjan'...which explains the "raj" in the blog addy as a shorter single syllable coinage. What i lke about 'raj' is its closeness to the term 'rajah'. Which further signifies an affiliation of culture between india and the philippines in pre-colonial times).
this is the beginning of the process. success depends highly on how you relate to your 'acarya' teacher.
the training center itself is a complex group of buildings and spaces where various activities are performed...and i also had the occasion to meet trainees from italy, thailand, australia, malasia, indonesia..among many other states...in the temple is conducted weekly communal meditations which is sundays and its a day where you get to meet most of the layman members..but it is open daily for its other services like the herbal clinic...
the temple was the site of many fond memories which remain vibrant in my consciousness..up to this very moment! This is where the 'kiirtan' is performed. Along with the 'tandava' and the 'kaoshiki' dances. The 'guru puja' is also sang here-a very solemn meditation chant. Truly my favorite!
i got to be friends with some of the trainees and joined them in their activities such as going to the market at bangkerohan...this is for the communal meals that you prepare for the sunday event...i also went with the team that purchased the sacks of soybeans for the worlds best(absolutely) tokwa or tufo or bean curd...which is milky and gelatinous to touch when raw but crispy and delicious when sliced and deep fried...with a sprinkle of sauce of your choice... i prefer 'kikkoman'...
one incident i cannot forget was the day i joined the group to the AM farms in the hinterlands...it was , i was told, to gather helbs which the acaryas prepared for their medical missions...
it rained so heavily a day before that...so you can expect the ground to be muddy...we were trailing the paths in grooves and i was walking behind dada chidananda when we reach a point where i got stuck on the ground unable to make one more step...i was wearing my topsider sneakers...listen closely..this is quite strange because the man i was following went on his way silently with his slow and deliberate steps and mind you...i was stepping on the very spot where he did...you really cant miss it 'coz the preceding steps leaves a dent in the thinly grass covered ground of deeply rolling hills and verdant trees...haha!
ever wonder?
in those times, i was able to get hold of a copy of the book 'subashita samgraha' which dealt with the inner secrets of meditation. which is so difficult to understand (with such terms as curruscation-theres nothing wrong with that though..."necessity is the mother of invention") unless the sanskrit linggo is mastered(proly)...
his teachings however were simplified in the following post after this...i learned that he wrote volumes upon volumes of books and several songs, poetry which serves to compliment the inner journey to trance...which is the awakening of the sub-conscious mind the source of superb intelligence...
namaskar! ( i respect and honor you with all my mind and with all my heart)
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Labels: ananda marga, meditation
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