Sahaj Marg Raja Yoga Meditation - Shri Ram Chandra Mission
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Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) was registered in India in the year 1945. The Mission is a non-profit spiritual organization in India, and in all the countries where it is registered. Over the years, the Mission has grown enormously, and now has more than 100 ntres in India, and is present in 90 countries spread over all the continents. The Mission now has more than 200,000 abhyasis worldwide practising the Sahaj Marg system of meditation. The Mission does not charge any fees of any kind for this spiritual training. The Mission is the skeleton around which the spiritual edifice of the Mission is built. As such, it is meant to be virtually invisible, but must nevertheless support the spiritual work of the Master, and provide the services that are required by the abhyasis. The current president of the Mission is Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, affectionately known as Chariji.
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Revered Lalaji Maharaj (1873- 1931)
Great men are not born accidentally. They descend on earth with design. Humanity awaits them in eager anticipation and expectation. In the dark agesof medieval India, when spirituality was tottering helplessly under the onslaught of blatant materialism, Samarth Guru M
ahatma Shri Ram Chandraji Maharaj came down to earth. He rediscovered and refined the ancient Raja Yoga method of pranahuti or transmission. This is a yogic technique by which a spiritual Master pours his divine energy into the heart of an aspirant. The aim is to expedite spiritual development. This great master brought within the reach of common people the highest spiritual goal, previously reserved only for ascetics. He himself attained perfection within a span of
seven months, and went on to become the first Master of the Sahaj Marg system of spirituality.
Tracing the Roots
Affectionately called Lalaji, Revered Ram Chandraji Maharaj was born in Fatehgarh, U.P., on February 2, 1873, which coincided with the auspicious day of Basant Panchami by the Hindu calendar. Lalaji's father was a tax superintendent and his mother was a devout woman, who passed away when Lalaji was only seven. She left upon him the imprint of her st
rong faith.
Lalaji was always inclined towards God and displayed a deep love and aptitude for music. A private tutor was hired to educate him. He received his later education at the Mission School in Farrukhabad. Shortly after his marriage, his father passed away. Within a brief span of time, he also lost his elder adopted brother and all that remained of his family's ancestral property. Accepting these misfortunes with grace and courage, he went on to work for one of his father's associates in Fatehgarh.
Teachings
Renouncing worldly life for the sake of spiritual benefits was not right, Lalaji emphasized. Family life, he said, was most conducive to God-realization and self-development. It was from here that one learned love, sacrifice, patience and endurance. A sincere seeker could progr
ess to the highest level of spiritual attainment while fulfilling the duties of a householder. A man could attain perfection in just one life — rather a part of it — leading a perfectly normal family life. He simplified the method of spiritual training to a great extent and adjusted it to suit the requirements of time. Lalaji abhorred display of any kind. He advised aspirants to stay away from powers until and unless they reached their goal and perfected discipline. Every aspirant, he felt, needed a spiritual Master. However, he was of the opinion that one should be extremely cautious in selecting one. His doors were open to all, and he would frequently transmit to his followers until wee hours of the morning. Both Hindus and Muslims loved Lalaji. Lalaji too had great affection for all his followers but he was also a strict disciplinarian. He discouraged rituals and idol worship. He was a great supporte
r of women and favored widow remarriage. He advocated women's emancipation through education.
Lalaji's pedagogy was simple and full of love. He never liked to lord over others. On the contrary, He served his disciples and all those who came to him with all humility. In spite of his limited resources, Lalaji did not expect or demand any help from his disciples.
Contribution to Spirituality
Lalaji Maharaj‘s research in the spiritual field was unique. He discovered the existe
nce of the Central Region on the ladder of spiritual development. According to his chief disciple and successor Revered Babuji Maharaj, Lalaji's position in the spiritual realm is beyond human comprehension. He could transform a beast into a perfect human being by a mere glance. He did not criticize other spiritual masters or systems. Love he said was the greatest spiritual practice and morality was an essential attribute of a self-realized person. A person, who had advanced far in spirituality, yet lacked in morality, could not be treated as a saint, he said.
Lalaji was against display of miracles. If a practicant attained siddhi (special power) during his practice, he at once removed that state. He advised aspirants to refrain from such powers until they reach their goal. Ego was likewise never allowed to grow. The greatest m
iracle of a saint was to transform an animal into a perfect being, he believed. Lalaji based spiritual perfection on three things:
• Love for the Master
• Satsangh with the Master, and
• Obedience to the Master
Meditation on the heart, he said, was the real practice. Prayer was of great importance in his scheme of things but it was not to be used for material gain. He asked his disciples to befriend their enemies. His motto: Do not do to others what you would not like others to do to you. The real sadhana (practice) was to keep the mind in a balanced state.
Moments of Fame
Lalaji led a simple and pious life. As his fame spread far and wide, many people approached him for solace and spiritual progress. He never turned anyone down without blessing him/her with spiritual progress. Blessed with a melodious voice, Lalaji's songs had the power to touch the very soul of his audience. He knew languages like Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit and Hindi.
Lalaji Maharaj did not discriminate on the basis of color, caste, creed, sex and religion. Deserving aspirants were made ‘prefects' or ‘preceptors'. A prefect is a spiritual trainer endowed with the power of ‘transmitting' and ‘cleaning' the spiritual seekers. It is on the strength of the spiritual work done by this great master that Shri Ram Chandra Mission, the organizational arm of the Sahaj Marg system of spirituality, now stands erect, spreading his message throughout the world.
The Last Journey
Lamentably, most of the Great Master's life is shrouded in obscurity. A seeker wanting to get a deeper insight into Lalaji's life is disappointed as the grand master of Sahaj Marg has neither left an autobiography nor great many photographs. Like Kabir, most of his followers, Muslims and Hindus alike, tried to reserve to themselves Lalaji's literary wealth. Fortunately, some of the persons, who have had close association with him, are still alive. Some literature is also available with his descendents. Having served the humanity for more than five decades, this spiritual genius left for the brighter world on August 14, 1931, leaving his successor Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, popularly known as Babuji, to continue working for salvation of hum
ankind.
Revered Babuji Maharaj (1899-1983)
The story goes that when Lalaji was contemplating on his successor to take forward his spiritual work, the form of Shri Ram Chandraji of Shahjahanpur, U.P., appeared to him while in a super-conscious state. Lalaji started transmitting to his would-be successor, thus attracting Shri Ram Chandraji towards him. This special personality was later known affectionately as Babuji Maharaj by thousands of his devotees.
Tracing the Roots
Born on April 30, 1899 in Shahjahanpur, U. P., Babuji showed keen interest in spirit
uality right from his childhood. He loved philosophy, literature and geography and was good at outdoor sports. But he gave up all in the pursuit of spirituality. All through these years he yearned for self-realization.
Having studied only up to high school, Babuji took up employment in the district court of Shahjahanpur and remained there till his retirement. Babuji craved for a capable master to lead him on to the spiritual path. He first met his master, Lalaji, when he was just 22. Lalaji instantly recognized him as the man, who had appeared to him in a dream, years ago; his successor and a torchbearer of a great spiritual renaissance. Their very first meeting got etched in the memory of both ─ the disciple and his guru ─ quite vividly. Two pairs of eyes met, striking a deep chord in two hearts, and creating an eternal bond.
The Eternal Bond
Theirs was a story of perfect love; a case of mutual dependence. No disciple has ever loved his guru like Babuji and no guru has ever showered his grace on his disciple like Lalaji. Babuji writes in his autobiography: "I went on with it regardless of all other things till I reached the level expressed by my Master in the following words in a dream when he left the mortal frame: I became ‘Thee' and Thou ‘I'. Now none can say that I am other than thee or that t
hou art other than me."
Surprisingly, Babuji met his guru in person only about a dozen times. But their inner connection was very strong. Babuji could not live even for a second without his guru's remembrance. From then on, carrying forward his master's spiritual legacy became his life's singular mission.
Of his spiritual condition he wrote, "There seems to be uniformity in love. Ties of relationship seem to have been severed. I have as much respect for my servant as for my respected father. I have as much love for the sons of other people as I feel for my own son. I also consider gold and earth to be the same. I see the pious and the wicked with one eye."
Teachings
"An individual's material and spiritual life should go side by side equally glittering, like the two wings of the bird," Babuji emphasized. "God is simple and subtle and hence, to realize him, one should adopt simple and subtle method". On another occasion he said, "Spirituality is a fruit that can be had or rather should be had by one and all and it is not only for a privileged few." According to him, there were three obstacles in the path to self-realization. He sum
med it up as follows:
• We try but there is no attempt;
• We try too many things at the same time;
• We do not have confidence in ourselves.
Contribution to Spirituality
He simplified and perfected the spiritual system of Raja Yoga, for the benefit of common man and named it Sahaj Marg – natural path. His method was very subtle and simple and even a layman could understand and practice it effortlessly. His writings too are simple to read and practice. He called himself a servant of humanity and served all irrespective of caste, creed, religion, sex and nationality. Even though physically weak, Babuji devoted his whole life for the upliftment of humanity.
Babuji trained seekers of spirituality through a simple and unostentatious way of transmitting the Divine energy. In the early days, he would travel to places where he had no friends or acquaintances, tour the city or town transmitting divine energy. The fruits of his labor are now visible in the widespread network of Sahaj Marg centers throughout India. In 1972, he began traveling globally to spread Sahaj Marg beyond Indian borders. The present Master of Sahaj Marg, Revered Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, who was then the Mission's gene
ral secretary, accompanied him on his spiritual tours.
Moments of Fame
Babuji traveled far and wide, even beyond borders of India, laying a strong spiritual foundation for humanity. Commencing his spiritual tour from South India in 1944, Babuji visited many cities and transmitted everywhere he went. His unfailing faith in his Master and love for humanity slowly started attracting the people from all parts of India and abroad. To commemorate his late Master, Babuji founded Shri Ram Chandra Mission at Shahjahanpur in 1945, and was its president till his mahasamadhi.
Babuji built an ashram in Shahjahanpur in 1976 and also in other places in India to perpetuate his guide's spiritual teachings. He was simple and true love personified. He performed any task unselfishly and without any complexity. Like his Master, he too led a simple life and showed to the world that one need not renounce material life for the sake of spirituality.
The Last Journey
Babuji left for his heavenly abode on April 19, 1983, leaving behind his successor Revered Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari to carry forward his spiritual work.
Revered Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari
Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari (affectionately known as Chariji) was born on
24 July 1927 in Vayalur, near Chennai, in the south of India. His father, Shri C. A. Rajagopalachari, was a railway executive. He lost his mother, Janaki, when he was barely five years old, shortly after the birth of his sister, who also died a few years later. Parthasarathi and his two younge
r brothers were brought up with great care by their father. Nonetheless, the loss of his mother had a profound effect upon the young Parthasarathi, leaving an emptiness that followed him into adulthood.
Tracing the Roots
Having studied in the Western system in North India, Chariji graduated from Benaras Hindu University with a Bachelor of Science degree. His first job was with Indian Plastics Limited in chemical engineering. He travelled abroad in this capacity and spent two years in Yugoslavia studying plastics manufacturing techniques. He married Sulochana in 1955 and two years later their son, Krishna, was born. It was also in 1955 that Chariji joined the T. T. Krishnamachari group of companies, soon rising to the position of executive director in one of the group companies. His work required him to travel extensively in India and abroad, establishing a pattern of world travel that he would continue throughout his life and contributing to his development on many levels, both practical and spiritual.
Spiritual Awakening
Chariji’s spiritual aspirations were awakened at the age of eighteen when he heard a lecture on the Bhagavad Gita, after which he took up a detailed study of religious and spiritual texts. At the age of thirty, he began Vaishnava traditional instruction in the Hindu religion, with a keen focus on yoga, philosophy, religion and spirituality.
It was seven years later, in 1964, that he met Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur (Babuji) and began the practice of Sahaj Marg meditation, receiving transmission for the first time. Babuji’s spiritual guide, Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh (Lalaji), had rediscovered this ancient art of yogic transmission in the late nineteenth century, thereafter passing it down through the lineage of Sahaj Marg Masters. Through transmission, the living Master is able to introduce the subtlest energy of his own spiritual condition into the heart of the aspirant for the purpose of inner development. It was Babuji’s conviction that, “where religion ends, spirituality begins,” and it was under his guidance that Chariji’s spiritual journey began in earnest.
Contribution to Spirituality
While continuing to fulfill his familial and business responsibilities, Chariji was vigilant in his spiritual practice and dedicated to the work of Shri Ram Chandra Mission. As general secretary of the Mission, he contributed greatly to its growth worldwide and to the publication of Sahaj Marg literature. Over the years, he became Babuji’s most devoted disciple, ably assisting him in his spiritual work.
A constant companion to Babuji on his spiritual tours, Chariji traveled globally, explaining the Sahaj Marg system of spirituality to interested seekers and inspiring many to begin the practice of Sahaj Marg. He wrote several books revealing his deep love for his Master, his Mission and the method. His book My Master, a personal tribute to Babuji, has been published in nearly twenty languages. His other books include diaries of his overseas travels with Babuji, an autobiography and numerous volumes of his talks in India and abroad.
Mission Matters
Babuji characterized the ideal human being as a person having “a Western mind and an Eastern heart,” adding that such a person would be needed to guide the Mission successfully into the future. Babuji appointed Chariji as his spiritual representative and successor to carry on his work as President of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, a role Chariji assumed when his Master departed this world in 1983. Chariji’s unceasing work and frequent tours abroad have fostered remarkable expansion of the Mission’s activities, which now include the education of youth, scholarship programs, free health care clinics and an association with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations (UN DPI). His spiritual work embraces all of humanity, addressing present needs as well as those anticipated in the future.
In Sahaj Marg it is understood that the Master is the greatest servant. Observing Chariji, one sees this principle in action. His entire existence is presently devoted to the cause of spirituality in the service of others, a service that he undertakes with unwavering faith in the divine support of his Master.
