12/10/08

Guruji Trip to West

In 2008, Guruji Pattabhiram traveled to USA, Canada and UK during the period August 08 to November 10. Here is a summary of his travels and details of various programs conducted as a humble offering at the feet of the masters.

There has been overwhelming response from all organizers spread around USA, UK and Canada to invite Guruji and host programs. This is the first time Guruji has visited UK. It was a joyous task to work together as a team in order to serve the guru parampara. Everyone showed exemplified zeal to selflessly serve rising above their individual limitations and being an instrument in the hands of the masters to serve humanity. All organizers had put-in untiring enthusiasm and efforts to explore opportunities to host programs, to negotiate schedule and place for the programs, to advertise the programs, to spread the message around the communities and to host the programs itself. In most of the places we had wonderful response from the people and audience were moved by Guruji‟s simple approach in presenting the most difficult ideas.

There were varieties of programs conducted. There were programs conducted in temples mostly on Gayatri Mantra, Mrityunjaya Mantra, Antar Darshana and Stress management. In all temple programs, Guruji emphasized people to cultivate devotion in a spiritual dimension of exploring one's own self and not to get stuck with mere emotional bakthi. He then presented the topics in this context and helped them systematically to learn the practices as well.

More programs were conducted in large community halls or auditoriums of various organizations such as Arya samaj or yoga studios. These programs were mostly on Patanjali yoga sutras and Chakra prana mantra aspects. Some of these programs such as the one at Royal Albert Hall, New Jersey and Arya Samaj Toronto attracted large number of people. These programs were aimed to reach people who are regularly practicing yoga. The key objective here had been to change the prevalent perspective in the west that yoga is merely an activity for the physical being. Guruji was blunt and relentless in condemning this attitude among people that has reduced yoga to mere physical exercises. He mesmerized his audience by presenting the profound wisdom of Patanjali yoga sutras in the simplest manner possible. Guruji was passionate for declaring to the whole world that yoga sutras present the human integral science and the foremost understanding on human psychology.

The public programs were complemented by the sought after programs of Guruji in the west. Those were the programs held at residences of sadhakas and many were on Dhyana Yoga. Unlike the public programs, these residence programs had an informal vibration and Guruji was full of compassion for families and their well being. He never missed an opportunity to gather and interact with all the family members helping them with any problems and emphasizing the need to lead a purpose-oriented life filled with selfless love, harmony and spiritual practices.

For families, hosting Guruji for a week was in itself a wonderful learning experience. Most of them were surprised by his humble, simple and down to earth personality and the ease with which he merges into the rhythm of any family and their living style. Many families felt that while they changed nothing external in their home to accommodate Guruji, but when he had left, they had a transforming change within. Guruji's love for sadhakas knew no limits and it manifested in every single casual interactions such as going for a walk with him, chatting with an evening tea, sharing a light moment with kids and youth or having fun learning to cook in the kitchen. He uses every single opportunity to make the family members live the teachings of the parampara.

Guruji's travel started from Minneapolis. After spending a week, he went to St.Louis and Chicago each for a week. He was in Canada for a month visiting cities like Calgary, Toronto, Cambridge and London. Then he began his second phase of USA visit from Pittsburgh. Subsequently he was in New Jersey for couple of weeks and visited Richmond for a weekend. He concluded his North American visit with Jacksonville. From there he went to UK for the first time and spent a week conducting programs at London, Manchester and Birmingham. He was given a very warm and cordial welcome during his first visit to UK. Having thus traveled tirelessly following a hectic schedule, Guruji returned to India. All our organizers in these places are continuing their sadhana while waiting to be with Guruji next year to experience the bliss of being with the GRACE.

- A Sadhaka

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