Core Themes and Daily Focus:
The 7-Day Course, also known as the Raja Yoga Meditation Course or Foundation Course, is the fundamental and introductory program offered by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization. It’s designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of their core spiritual philosophy and the practical technique of Raja Yoga meditation.
This course is typically offered free of charge at their centers worldwide, and is also available online. It serves as the gateway to deeper study and practice within the Brahma Kumaris community.
Overall Purpose:
The 7-Day Course provides a spiritual framework for understanding oneself, God, the drama of life, and the purpose of existence. It equips individuals with the foundational knowledge and the practical tool of Raja Yoga meditation to embark on a journey of self-transformation, inner peace, and spiritual empowerment.
Soul
“Let there be light. And more light…” At this time of dark attitudes, when gloom and mental distress plague many lives, you may be ready for something fresh in your life that adds bounce to your step. Something that is free. Something that’s always there. Some call it ‘soul’, zest or raison d’être – a powerful sense of self, drawn from a wellspring inside our mind and body that makes each new day worth a cheerful ‘hello’.
This reservoir of positive energy can be called the soul. It’s tiny and invisible to the human eye. The soul sparkles with spiritual power. The soul is naturally sweet and loving. The soul is peaceful. The soul holds memories. The soul is unique.
Personality
Personality is non-physical. The real you is spirit. Your body is not you. It belongs to you, but it is not who you are. A heart transplant recipient who receives a donated organ does not take on the donor’s character. The amputee remains the same person they always were after the limb has gone. The memorial of the soul is found in the Indian ‘tilak’ or the Buddhist ‘third eye’, located in the centre of the forehead. Although invisible to the eye, a moment’s meditation can re-open an awareness of this inner energy. This soul energy keeps us going – keeps us going for centuries.
From time to time, people comment that a newborn baby looks like ‘an old soul’. Reflecting on this comment, perhaps many of us have been on this planet, living as human beings, for a long time and know how the planet works, and what threatens it. Such people care. Deeply. Since each soul has its own history and identity, the study of the soul is a personal one.
Caring for ourselves
Part of caring for ourselves includes spending time each day to recharge our energy reserves with meditation. Meditation links us to a source of power beyond ourselves. Popular scientists and broadcasters may debunk any notion of this source, but plenty of people fuel each day with prayer, reflection and affirmations to empower positive change and hope. So the choice is ours: to practise or not.
Implications for life
“To reflect on your own eternal identity and your original identity, to know yourself on those terms and to remain in such thoughts about yourself, is said to be thinking of yourself as a spiritual being. This is called the stage of soul consciousness.”
Overview
The debate about God has lingered for centuries. Some people debunk all notion of a God. Some remain devout till death and, every so often, someone may remark, “Who cares?” Insurance companies still refer to ‘acts of God’ in the context of catastrophes, war, abuse and discrimination. But is a ‘God’ really to be held responsible for human doings? And human mistakes?
By now, your mind may have a firm view about the supernatural, the Divine and the coincidental events in our lives. In reality, whatever others say and do, each of us has the freedom to consider ‘God’ in a personal and unique way, or refute the existence of a supreme being all together.
This section focuses on a divine entity and places the Divine absolutely separate from and above the human game, allowing seekers to take a fresh look at the ‘God’ factor.
Open-mindedness and bravery will allow your mind, gently and clearly, to sift through alternative ideas.
Below are a selection of experiments for you to try. You may like to make notes after each experiment.
Implications for life
Manmanabhav is the Sanskrit mantra that disciplines the mind. Manmanabhav means to focus your mind on only One Supreme. It is the essence of knowledge and remembrance and is the life-giving nectar. Manmanabhav is the method to recognise the Supreme, to belong to that soul and to love that soul.
In silence, there need only be you and the Supreme. In silence, the soul connects to the Supreme and draws spiritual power. This current of light and power is transmitted directly from the Supreme to the soul and the ‘battery’ of the soul is recharged.
The power of purity accumulated over a period of time gives strength and support to the world. You accumulate purity through the power of silence.
The concept of “The Three Worlds” refers to the corporeal (physical), subtle (world of thoughts), and incorporeal (soul world) realms. The soul world, also known as Paramdham or Shanti Dham, is considered the home of souls and a realm of eternal peace and light.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
1. The Corporeal (Physical) World: This is the world we experience with our physical senses, where the drama of life unfolds within a cyclical time frame.
2. The Subtle World: This is a world of thoughts and subtle energies, where souls have a body of light and where virtues influence the luminosity of that body.
3. The Incorporeal (Soul) World (Paramdham/Shanti Dham): This is the eternal home of souls, a realm of silence and peace, described as a place of unlimited incorporeal light. It is from this world that souls originate and to which they return.
Travellers to different countries are familiar with the ‘samsara’ – the wheel of life – depicted in textiles, pottery art, and folklore. The idea appears frequently in religious and philosophical texts of both India and ancient Greece in the middle of the first millennium B.C.E. Although the concept is firmly rooted in many of the older cultures, it is less prevalent in the contemporary, ‘Western’ understanding of time.
This ancient concept implies that all species reincarnate or move from one body to another to enjoy lifetime after lifetime. There are countless versions of how this ‘re-cycling’ takes place and some schools of thought suggest we move between and across species, while others, such as Brahma Kumaris, understand that we take birth only within our own kind. That is, humans will always be humans and elephants will always be elephants, and so on.
Across all cultures, it is widely understood that the experience of suffering and misery is a product of our own actions (karma), as are the beneficial states of joy, love and contentment. The choice is ours; the repercussions self-created.
Traditionally, the time wheel rotates through four eras, which typify the changing conscious state (of human beings in particular) at that point in time. As such, there is no beginning or end, just a perpetual link of action and reaction, the quality of which is in our hands (or, rather, our heads).
With the changing of seasons and the integrity of matter, the external form of the earth changes over time. The driving force behind this devolution is the human mind. The higher, pure consciousness manifests in a robust, verdant planet, while the lowest, impure consciousness produces a polluted, corroded state of existence.
When people live their daily life in the awareness of this time cycle, they keep the ‘big picture’ in mind constantly, and stay attuned to the impact of their thoughts and actions on the course of time, and their personal quality of life. Standing at the mountain summit in this way, not only do they enjoy the panoramic view of life and stay wise as to when and how to move forward, but they also develop a deep respect for the variety in life and the right of anyone to act as and when they wish. The wisdom of ahimsa (non-violence) brings forth great detachment and compassion for the spiritual dignity of each one. Each one is the maker of his or her own destiny, and will move through all four ages over time before the return journey to the home of the soul.
Karma
What comes around goes around…
Life is made of action and reaction – nothing less.
Our actions always set in motion an equal and opposite flow.
When we spread good vibes during the day, we feel great at day’s close. If you smile at someone, what are the chances that they will smile back at you, even if they don’t know you? If you take a moment out of your routine to ring a friend in hospital or help an elderly person load their car with groceries, positive vibes of their gratitude will reach you.
When we feel grumpy, the same principle applies. How we feel about ourselves, our looks, our opportunities will reverberate again and again and again. Until we change the tune!
The boomerang of anger
If we hurt someone, we will have to face the consequence at some point; rarely right now. However tempting it might be to strike someone for their misdeed or punish a mischievous child with force, repercussions will emerge later in life. To lash out in anger or retribution sets in motion an energetic boomerang that will return. Seeing ahead in the moment, foreseeing consequence and acting on it, signals the beginning of wisdom and healthy self-regard.
To fully participate in life is to become fully awake to the reality that each action has an effect. Every movement counts. Each thought rebounds. In contemplation, we witness how each act sets off ‘waves’ that will strike some distant ‘shore’ and reverberate back into our life.
Move on
Do you carry sad memories, holding them like a security blanket? When life had the good sense to ‘move on’, why didn’t you?
Stepping forward and leaving the past behind does not mean that you diminish the significance of past challenges and losses – things did happen. But now move on. A change of melody will change how you feel.
Behind the scenes
The world is an echo chamber. Everything we hear is an echo of our own voice bouncing back onto our eardrums. Each movement and event is a rebound from the past. Everything.
Our universe is a hall of mirrors; each moment a reflection of an earlier scene or interaction; each love, a reflection of self-respect. Which means, of course, that each moment is a unique opportunity to avoid doing anything that will bring us future pain and, instead, sow a seed that will bring us the sweetest of fruits.
Who can fail to appreciate the beauty of a tree? The strength of the trunk, its far-reaching branches, home to birds and bugs alike, blossoms in spring, fruits of the summer and cool shade from a scorching sun. What would the world be like without trees? And the greatest treasure of all is the human world tree, the family of souls who live upon this planet. Human beings. Souls in body-costumes so varied in colour and shape as to defy classification. Although people may try to slot us in, in some arbitrary way, the tree symbolises that we are all meant to be here just as we are – no exclusions, no aberrations, no mishaps, no change. Each one has a divine right to play its part in this great unlimited theatre called life.
Buds, leaves and branches
We are the emerging buds and leaves that stretch out into the sky. This analogy comes alive when we think of the endless variety of personalities and dispositions that greet us in a week at work. We may cluster in branches and gravitate towards ‘like minds’, yet still we remain distinct, perfect in our imperfection, permitted to be as we wish. Our religious leanings or political preferences may roughly group us, but we persist in our uniqueness.
No one person is a replica of another. Even twins maintain some difference, some distance. This dance of race, religion, gender and creed is really quite wonderful. We may try to find a soul mate or a kindred spirit, yet the eternal truth remains: each one of us is unique and alone. Not lonely, but singular.
Individual souls
Part of the spiritual journey calls us to recognise that we are individuals in each sense of the word: special, solitary, one of a kind. This awareness will set us all free, especially when we honour our individuality, and our rights and responsibilities to be peaceful, to live in harmony, without the violence of anger or lust.
The journey also asks us to enjoy the collective – the coming together of shared values and loving intentions. This harmony concentrates goodwill and empowers action that shields us from pain and loss, and the suffering that emerges through misplaced action and bad intent. We can build a fortress of unity when we have the will to do so.
Souls together
All parts of a tree are interconnected. Something that happens to one part of a tree affects the whole tree. This is why we have to take extra care about what we think and do, as each thought and action sends a ripple-like effect around the globe. If we are feeling distressed by current world news, we now know why. Each one’s distress circulates in the world’s atmosphere automatically. For this reason, our prayers and meditations do help alleviate distress.
We can see that the analogue of the tree exactly fits the growth and expansion of the human family, but where is God in the story of the tree of life? At its very centre, at its beginning – in its seed. The story begins and ends with the Seed. When the tree is old and decayed, God, who of Himself has no form, takes form to re-seed the exhausted tree of humanity, to remove the tangled old growth and to bring to life the sapling of new growth.
The story begins again. The actors, refreshed, return to relive the great drama of life. Life is drama and drama is life. How wonderful is this? Wisdom rests in playing the game and riding on the rails of drama with a clear head and strong heart.
Experience Raja Yoga
Imagine yourself as a capable, empowered, successful and happy soul.
Imagine being aware of each thought and reaction that comes to mind – and then ruling it. Within a nanosecond, you claim the power to act on the idea or ditch it.
Consider the negative traits in your personality that you wish would not play out: the thoughts of self-doubt, sabotage, low self-regard, guilt, worry etc. At your will, they will never again be spoken by you or affect your relationships at home, at work or on the sports field.
Some might baulk at being so ‘in control’ of themselves. But if you really ‘get’ soul, you can ‘get in control’ of yourself. Just yourself. Other people’s lives and games are their own.
You are only responsible for yourself. Our mums and dads did what they did – sometimes well, sometimes not – but that time has passed, and you are now the independent soul, who can choose how to live.
With Raja Yoga meditation you can throw off the old patterns of influence and recreate yourself to be how you want to be. That is the power of Raja Yoga.
This ancient meditation practice harnesses your natural powers and trains your mind to be your friend. You are not your mind; you are not your body. You have a mind and you have a body. These ‘tools’ sometimes work well and at other times may need calm and exercise to get back to a healthy path.
We all make mistakes. We all waste resources. We waste our words, our energy and our time until we pause and think deeply about what matters in our life. When we hold on tight to our views, the mind shrinks and smothers any power to love. In that state, the soul can’t breathe new energy into a situation – and everyone loses.
But when we sit quietly, cancelling all mindsets, and allow ourselves to know the deep peace of the soul, miraculous changes can happen for the better. People will understand you clearly, new doors will open, friends will call and that stiff neck will relax!
Raja Yoga teaches us to step back and observe life, take a calm breath, cool our reactions, and step forward in the way we choose – independent of others urging us to think or act as they wish.
Raja Yoga sets you free. Raja Yoga releases the power to respond with love.