NEWS BRIEFS

APRIL 2005

Internet Broadcasts

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj broadcasts monthly talks over the internet to Science of Spirituality Centers all over the world. In his April 7 talk, he spoke of spiritual rejuvenation, mentioning that spring is a time of growth and rejuvenation. Those who tread the spiritual path need patience and perseverance, the spiritual teacher explained, as we are trying to accomplish in this lifetime what we've been unable to do in lifetimes before. If we recognize the importance of this existence, we will discover the ways and means to reach our spiritual goal. On Sunday, May 1st, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj again gave his monthly internet address. After greeting people in centers worldwide, he said one of the beauties of the teachings of Sant Mat is we all can recognize that no matter our outer differences, we are all children of the Lord. At the level of the soul, we are one and the same.

New York Tour

On Friday, April 15, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj visited the Science of Spirituality Center in Amityville, New York. That evening, he gave an informal talk to people who had traveled from the Northeast and the East coast to spend the weekend with him. He said it is not the building that makes a center, but the love of God in everyone. He added when we engage in selfless service or seva, we not only help others, but it also helps us achieve our spiritual goals.

The morning of Saturday, April 16th, a retreat was held at the center entitled "Being Peace," which featured three workshops: "Pathways to Peace," "Experiencing the Divine in Everyday Relationships," and "Staying Sane in an Insane World." Each offered suggestions for leading a spiritual life in the midst of worldly obligations and emphasized meditation as a tool for transformation. That afternoon Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke about, "The Ultimate Peaceful Experience," in which he said happiness is not a state of mind but a state of soul. Our true friend is the Lord, he emphasized, on whom we can always depend. Following his talk, the spiritual leader instructed everyone in the technique of Jyoti meditation and put everyone into meditation. That evening he gave a talk in Hindi entitled "Prabhu Prem Ki Khoj" or "Quest for Divine Love," in which he explained that a spiritual Master shows us we are soul and takes us above the physical to experience that we are not the body. He said through meditation we can discover the inner treasures of the soul and connect with God.

On Sunday, April 17th, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke on, "Attaining Spiritual Consciousness," a talk which was simultaneously translated into Spanish. Speaking about the hectic pace of life, he commented that those who desire enlightenment often want it immediately. Referring to a story that his predecessor, Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, used to tell, he recalled the chronicle about the man who prayed, "God, grant me patience, but give it to me right now." He then explained that to attain our goal of self-knowledge and God-realization we need to invert and connect with the Naam or Shabd, the inner Light and Sound of God. This power, he said, acts like the wind to carry us across the desert of physical existence. While in New York, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave two interviews: one for RBC Radio, and the other for Public Television.

Florida Tour

The following weekend, April 22 - April 24, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj visited the Southeast Center for Science of Spirituality in Orlando, Florida. The Florida Center, inaugurated by the spiritual leader just three years ago, is nestled among pine and palm trees, in contrast to the New York Center which is situated in a heavily populated area. People gathered and sat in silent meditation underneath a large white tent awaiting Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj's arrival. Here again, the spiritual Master said, a Center is a place for people, regardless of where they're from, to pursue peace and bliss through meditation. Here, he again spoke about the importance of meditation and seva (selfless service), explaining the saints have always said when we give of ourselves, what we receive is spiritual enlightenment. The next afternoon he spoke to an audience that included many health care professionals, physicians, and staff from a Florida Hospital as well as members of the hospice community. In his talk, "Healing the Soul through Meditation," the spiritual leader said the health of the body and mind depends on our spiritual health. Prior to his evening talk, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj received a tribute from State Senator Lee Constantine, praising him for his humanitarian efforts toward world peace. His last talk was on Sunday, April 24th, when his theme was taken from a ghazal (Urdu poem) of Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj: I am seeking a land of love where there is only talk of peace and happiness.

Public talk in Evanston, Illinois

On May 7th, 2005, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke at the Lake Street Church of Evanston, Illinois. The church's pastor, Reverend Bob Thompson, introduced the spiritual leader and thanked him for the great blessing of speaking in his church. Addressing the audience, the reverend said that many might wonder how a Christian minister can follow a spiritual path that originates in the East. Divinity, he explained, quoting from Meister Eckhart, is an underground river that cannot be stopped. "Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj invites us to drink from the Light and Sound of this divine river, he concluded, and is a living reminder to become who we already are." Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj then spoke on "Meditation: the Doorway to Peace and Happiness." As children, he said, we may have read books that talk about doorways to other worlds. The doorway to the divine exists at the third or single eye. As soon as we experience the realms of beauty within ourselves, we will use this doorway that God has given us more and more. He concluded by saying that this opportunity to go within and to grow spiritually has been given to each and every one of us.

For more information about Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj and his schedule, click here.