Looking back to the journey to India 10 days after returning, the impact of the experiences slowly become clearer. The memories of details recede; exchanges with close friends or with my wife have given shape to certain moments by telling about them. But there is more to it, and it needs time to digest. It is one thing to be under the direct impact of situations and exchanges and it is another to observe transformations happening inside and to perceive how the trip was enriching to the inner growth of awareness. There were moments and observations which have contributed to it.
Entrance to the hall
I have been at many group lives and seminars with Master Kumar over the last 25 years – journeys to India, in Europe, to North and South America. I have been keen on absorbing the teachings, on digesting them by intense taking notes, on developing a network of like-minded people. Friendships developed or were deepened. There were incidences and encounters which moved and partly challenged me – health issues, digesting situations and impressions, re-stabilizing in everyday life after some climax experiences. There were ideas for projects or service activities coming up which needed to be developed through months and years. This has been much enriching for my life. It was and is an unfoldment to many dimensions.
The last journey has been special – short but again very intense: two days of travelling, five days of group living, long hours of meditation, of rituals, of long lectures of the Master full of energy and with great presence, where he was surmounting all physical disabilities, radiating joyfulness, uplifting the large group present in the hall and outside and also participating online somewhere on the planet. Intense talks; eating in the hall with the other Westerners, where mindful and cheerful Indian ladies, group members, took lovingly care of serving us food; being accommodated as a group in the houses of group members in the surrounding. Sleeping on a mattress on the floor, short nights, getting up at a quarter to four, having time for bathroom and doing asanas before going to the morning prayers. Witnessing much attention of many helpers looking to the many details of organising – arrivals and departures of the participants, housing, transports – in an unexcited and efficient way… A strong presence of group consciousness with a pleasant absence of a commercial attitude. An experience of brotherhood.
After the journey, I try to distil what I should integrate into my way of life and add to my daily or weekly practices. This part goes more to the core and has a long lasting influence. There were hints of Sri Kumar which impressed me – on the importance of one-to-one relations in group building; on sharing one’s knowledge about the Hierarchy and the wisdom teachings and letting friends and relatives participate; on the inner strength needed for conducting ritualistic work and its magnetism; on the power of inner relating and visualising; on feeling the Master consciousness existing as ourselves and recollecting the presence of the Master. Not much can be mentioned here. But applying such hints is the essence of experience and development. Otherwise, things are quickly forgotten, and the journey would just have been an entertaining adventure.
