The root cause of all suffering is self-centric thinking. I realized that the only way to get rid of stress and unhappiness is to break the spell of obsessive self-engagement. Then I experienced unity without the separateness of beings, things, events, forces. I saw within me the vastness of the ocean and the sky and everything in between. I was the universe. - Krishnaji
Last night Tina and I ventured to an event Awakening with Preethaji: Living an Enlightened Life in an Enlightened Community organized by our friend at the beautiful setting of the Sedonya Conscious Living Center in Sedona, Arizona. It featured a modern-day guru from India Sri Preethaji who was touring the United States teaching a brand of spirituality called Oneness. Sri Preethaji's arrival at Sedona was a crowning achievement for our friend who recently spent a month in India to become enlightened at Ekam - The Oneness Temple.
But before I proceed with writing my impression about the event, I will step back and explain how it all started for the two of us. At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, Tina and I got involved in the virtual daily meditation led by our friend. During this process, she gradually introduced us to Ekam's spirituality, including her personal story and the process of transformation she experienced in a time of crisis in her life. She has traveled to India several times and has dedicated her life to spreading the spirituality of Ekam through conferences, practices, and numerous programs. From then on, we took part in spiritual projects where Tina was involved a lot more than I was. I stayed on the periphery because my main interest was practicing meditation. As activities have expanded into other areas, I have lost interest due to my natural tendency to be skeptical of everything I experience as a type of indoctrination.
Sri Preethaji & Sri Krishnaji (wife and husband) are the co-founders of Ekam, and creators of the O & O Academy, which combines the spirituality of Oneness with the philosophy and meditation of the One World Academy. The main mission of this organization is to help millions of people around the world to achieve love, prosperity and purpose through the power of enlightenment. *
After this short digression, let me return to last night’s event. The venue itself was worth mentioning. Located on a 1.9-acre West Sedona property on beautiful grounds, Sedonya Conscious Living Center is considered one of the most desirable places in Sedona designed to foster and facilitate healing and harmony of spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical bodies. And indeed, after we parked our car, Tina and I were welcomed by the soothing presence of the main building. The door opened and we were invited into a small area filled with enthusiastic attendees. After the check-in and the removal of our street shoes, we entered the room with the appropriate name the Heart Center where we waited a while for everything to be ready in the hall where the conference was to take place, the Cathedral. This name was given to the large room equipped with backjacks and folding chairs so that everybody could sit down. It was soon filled with 60 to 70 people ready to greet Sri Preethaji.
But not before listening to our friend's introductory speech and watching the video presenting Ekam and its mission in the world. It was said that the purpose of Ekam was to create a revolution in human consciousness that leads from stress to peace, from disconnection to connection, from division to oneness, so that our planet can be a harmonious space for all of us and for all life. *
Finally, a long-awaited event took place. Sri Preethaji entered the room to the standing crowd applauding. Her face was adorned with a pleasant smile. She walked with her arms crossed in a prayer position. Then she sat down on the couch with folded legs and asked for a minute of silence in order to focus on what was ahead. When she started speaking, her voice was soft, but quickly gained in strength. It became obvious that she was a powerful presence when she spoke about achieving a goal consisting of 76,000 enlightened individuals that would enable the transformation of the consciousness of the entire planet. To clarify how this is possible, she compared it to the process of freezing the lake. When a certain number of water molecules crystallize, they interlock into a lattice-like pattern, and ice forms throughout the surface of the lake. Similarly, only 0.001% of the world's population is the critical mass of enlightened beings needed to kindle the spark and move consciousness into higher vibrations globally.
I have no idea where that number came from. What I've been able to get from the literature is a much higher number. The scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute using computational and analytical methods have discovered the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion. This point is 10 percent. **
Malcolm Gladwell wrote a well-researched book on the topic invoking "The Law of the Few" *** claiming that the success of any type of propagation of the idea depends on people with rare social skills, such as the ones that know everybody (connectors), then there are “information specialists” who accumulate knowledge and share it with others, and finally, charismatic salesmen who know how to persuade others. If this is true, then it may be possible to achieve a lot with a small number of the right people. Our friend, who organized this conference and so many other events and programs, reflects this view.
During her talk, Sri Preethaji compared the power of the increasing accumulation of enlightened people to the principle of how monkeys learn. I assume she was referring to the hundredth monkey effect, in which a new behavior or idea is spread rapidly by unexplained means from one group to all related groups once a critical number of members of one group exhibit the new behavior. ****
This reminds me of the theory of morphogenetic fields that, through invisible regions of influence, connect similar things or organisms, regardless of distance, and according to some, even regardless of time. It sounds like science fiction, but it's a theory that is increasingly accepted by both biologists and quantum physicists. *****
Sri Preethaji went on to point out that change must start with the individual. She provided examples of two individuals who were enlightened while in Ekam and subsequently returned to their environment to live their lives and influence others from the beautiful state vibration.
I especially enjoyed her simple yet powerful description of the seven energy centers of the body called chakras. From the bottom up, chakras serve to establish basic security (1st chakra) and then in ascending order: pleasure (2nd), personal power (3rd), emotional connection with love and compassion (4th), the voice of truth (5th), the awakening of the higher Self (6th), and finally with the 7th (crown) chakra, the enlightenment through the experience of connection with the field of universal consciousness. The goal is that the energy known as kundalini ascends from the lower spine to the top and remains in a state of high vibration of the 7th chakra.
Sri Preethaji explained that there are essentially only two states of consciousness, suffering and a beautiful state. The suffering state is often unconscious and deeply rooted and encompasses every negative emotion, thought, and belief that dominates the mind. It has a wide range, from mild to extreme. Those who often go unnoticed are an annoyance, apprehension, and disappointment. They may progress to anger, anxiety, and sadness. If you haven't learned how to dissolve them, they can lead to rage or vengeance, panic or depression, a very serious mental disorder. From that state, it is impossible to create success, both personally and in relationships with others.
She didn’t get into the detailed explanation of the beautiful state during her talk, but I will quote her words from the book The Four Sacred Secrets: “The beautiful state refers to a range of experiences. It can begin as serenity, happiness, gratitude, love, or courage. The essence of a beautiful state is the absence of conflicting inner chatter, a greater presence in life, and a richer connection to the people around you. As you evolve further you can awaken to transcendental states such as peace, stillness, compassion, joy, and fearlessness. In these states, you are in a flow with life. You awaken to the oneness and interconnection of all existence. The more powerful the state, the more easily you impact the fabric of consciousness to manifest your aspirations.” *
The beautiful state is the cessation of suffering through the committed work of intense awareness that may lead to enlightenment which is facilitated by receiving Deeksha (blessing) by the enlightened individual. The second element is working together with a "soul circle" consisting of 9 individuals with whom one is karmically connected in this life.
It is important not to forget that if we want to influence or help others and create positive change, we cannot do this unless we act from the beautiful state of consciousness and establish a powerful connection with the divine through meditation, prayer, and other spiritual activities. At the core of all of us, whether we are aware of it or not, is the desire to live in the full expression of life, to be intimately connected, and to be filled with love. Because we are transcendental beings, far more than the mind and the body. The more we understand the true power of consciousness, the more we will experience the miracle of life.
Sri Preethaji talked for an hour and then was open to answering questions. I was the first questioner, which is not my typical behavior in a large group. I needed clarification between short-lived enlightened experiences and a permanent state of enlightenment. She answered my question by emphasizing the hard work and commitment to maintain an intense awareness and strong bond with the divine as a prerequisite for an enlightened state. Sri Preethaji demonstrated her ability to stay focused and reflective with me and with every other questioner.
The last thing I want to mention is the testimony of one of our friends who just completed the intense 4 days long training called Field of Awareness with Sri Preethaji right before her arrival in Sedona. She experienced transformation, opening of the heart chakra during the exercise in which she was intensely maintaining eye contact with her team leader and later on with everybody present. In this process, she entered the field of oneness and saw the universe in the hearts of others.
I will conclude that Tina and I saw an able charismatic person in Sri Preethaji, who has an impressive presence as demonstrated by her calm energy, her genuine smile, her measured speaking style, and her ability to connect both with individuals and groups. I would have liked to meet with her in a small group or one-on-one for an in-depth conversation about spirituality and the process of personal transformation leading to enlightenment. But if it has to happen, it will happen. For now, I intend to reflect her radiance of enlightenment and try to live in a beautiful state of consciousness.
Namaste. The divine spark in me bows to the divine spark in you. Thus I wish to honor and bless our mutual compassion which supports the world.
* The Four Sacred Secrets: For Love and Prosperity, A Guide to Living in a Beautiful State, by Preethaji and Krishnaji, Atria Books, 2019
*** The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown, 2000
**** The Hundredth Monkey—And Other Paradigms of the Paranormal, by Ron Amundson, Prometheus Books, 1991
***** The presence of the past, by Robert Sheldrake, Times Books, 1988
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