S.O.U.L.

(School of Universal Learnings)

by

Sangeeta S. Bhagwat
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Author’s Note

Writing S.O.U.L. has been a fascinating experience for me. The book has more or less written itself
and I consider it to be more of an inspirational download rather than my work. I would eagerly look
forward to what would emerge, as nothing was preplanned. Synchronistically, I began to notice that
I would encounter people and situations analogous to what I had just written. This has been
reassuring, as to me, it is indicative of the changes happening in our collective consciousness.

Which one of us does not dream of a better world? A more loving, compassionate and peaceful world,
where each individual consciously works towards actualizing his or her highest potential and is
supported in this journey of self transformation by people and a consciously created environment
that facilitates this realization?

It is my genuine belief that the current educational system needs to be overhauled to include tools of
self awareness, communication and relationships. Change begins with us. The outer world is a
reflection of our own inner reality and the more clearly we see this and live this, we can use the
leverage of inner change to bring about a better world.

Within the last few months, there was an urgency to put this work out in the world. I trust that it
will reach those it is meant to and will serve as a starting point for the design of a new, holistic
approach to individual and collective growth in consciousness. All processes and techniques
mentioned in the book are actual tools that can be learned and practiced quite easily. Resource links
for all information marked with * are available at my website: www.serenereflection.com

Last but not the least, sincere gratitude to my family, friends and guides, whose unfaltering love and
support have enabled me to progress on my on own spiritual path. Their continuous blessings, active
presence and continuing involvement have helped me to share whatever I have learned with many
others. It is indeed true, „no man is an island unto himself‟ and I have deep respect and appreciation
for this modern day „sangha‟.

This book is dedicated to each of these people, who are consciously doing their best to bring about
transformation.
 Preface

The year was 2020 and the race to save earth was well on its way.

Having missed the target of December 21st, 2012, mankind was now working at fever pitch to meet
ascension requirements by the coming deadline. They had waited a long time already and finally, a
fresh opportunity was only some years away. The next wormhole would be accessible in 2023. But if
they missed this chance, then the following one was estimated to be after 2045!

Many had doubts of the earth surviving that long. It seemed an unlikely possibility.

The only way forward was to make a concentrated effort at awakening more individuals.
If a critical number raised their vibratory consciousness, then mankind would make the quantum leap.
Numerous experiments, ranging from studying the effects of learning in mice, to prayer affecting rains
and meditation correlated change in crime in the locality, had been building the evidence for decades.
Coupled with the strides in quantum physics, the „Maharishi effect‟ was now widely known and
accepted. This proposed that the square root of one percent of the population was all that was
required for their collective choice to manifest in the outer world. As more and more individuals
choose to participate consciously in the Gaia or living earth system, recognizing the oneness and
interconnections between all that exists, the reality that would be experienced would be the reflection
of these conscious, enlightened choices.

On the other hand, if they failed to achieve this „Critical Mass‟ of awakened individuals, then the
lower range vibrations of the majority would weigh down the collective consciousness. The less
awakened people would surely continue the mayhem that had risen to its peak in the last 100 years.
Earth could not survive this outrageous treatment for too long.
Fortunately, the dedicated work of hundreds of seers and enlightened Masters had made deep
inroads into the limited understanding that existed before. These potential outcomes were well
discussed and the issue was finally being given the importance it deserved.

Many of the nations had formed National Overseeing Committees (NOCs), to support
Enlightened Bodies (Association of Masters) in disseminating their work to as large a population as
possible. An international forum named NOW - Nations Overseeing the Work, with representation
from member NOCs, met on a routine basis.

NOW ensured that they had representation and active participation in the GONE (Global
warming and Other Natural Emergencies) forum. Here, they gave appropriate guidance and
initiated action within the limits of the physical dimension that the majority of mankind could more
easily understand. Recycling, renewable energy, carbon emissions and re-absorptions, and
improvements over green measures that had already been implemented for over two decades were
insisted upon.
However, these enlightened souls knew that by itself, this would not be enough. While it was an
essential part of the recovery program, it was too little and too late. Much more effort would be
required for earth‟s survival.

After much deliberation and meditation, it was decided that „School of Universal Learnings‟ be
established in each State of member countries. Here, students from Master families, or those who
were showing signs of early awakening, would be enrolled and provided intensive training by Masters
– those who were already awakened.

The Objective: Achieve „Critical Mass‟!

Chapter I

“I remember many of the times I have lived and died.”

A murmur went around the classroom. This lecturer was going to live up to the excitement his
reputation had generated.

“To be perfectly honest, the living parts are easier to remember now.” Looking around at the keen
interest his opening comments drew, Patience continued with a half smile, “The dying was often
confusing. Rather abrupt on occasion…” The room broke out into stifled giggles.

Patience could not help but grin broadly. His young audience was a mixed age group, ranging from
the restless fourteen year old Quiet, to the self-satisfied sixteen year old, Humility.

1
He himself was fairly new at this. Barely 24 years old, he had proved to be quite the prodigy to his
Masters. Patience had boldly requested charge of this basic class, at the end of his last term.
Though he was pursuing his two year internship as Adventurer, he had been eager to start his
teaching career simultaneously. He had always been in a hurry, as long as he could remember.

His insightful parents were both Masters themselves. They intuited that the major Personal Lesson
that their newly born had planned to learn in this lifetime was patience. Consequently, in true Master
tradition, they named him „Patience‟. There was a good reason for this odd custom.

Every person is given all possible support and opportunity to fulfill his or her own Personal Lesson
Plan. What better way, than to name them accordingly? Your own name – a constant reminder to stay
true to your own original objective! After all, it was easy enough to be distracted by this amazing,
beautiful and complex world. Young Masters-in-the-Making were at even greater risk, because of
their imaginative use of the theories and techniques that they were taught. The Masters reasoned
that the young ones needed all the reminders they could get.

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If truth be told, the humor and irony, brought about by the name and frequently contrary behavior of
the owner, was just the type of dry wit that Masters enjoyed.

This class was a fine example of many such samples. After careful testing, forty of the applicants
were allowed into Introductory Module in Multiple Life Recall. An assorted bunch, they included
talented newcomers, as well as those from Masters‟ lineage and well used to programs at SOUL.

Patience attempted a serious tone: “But that is the challenge in our Personal Lesson Plans. Some
disruption is part and parcel of the Recall Game. All of us, in this room, are aware of the difficulties in
remembering enough.

We all know that the very purpose of any adventure, or existence, is to add to our knowledge base.
To learn. To grow.

But if we don‟t remember the story, the feelings, those emotions, those Lessons… then what purpose
was served?! Right?”

3
Heads nodded vehemently in agreement. “That‟s what I have been saying!” rang out from some end
of the classroom.

Memory whispered, “Yeah, why should I be suffering right now? I mean, it may be something I did
lifetimes ago. I feel it would be unfair even if it was for something I did three years ago!”

Passion gave a quick snort of disgust, “What nonsense… how does that become unfair?”

“Well, either ways, I don‟t remember what I am paying for!” responded Memory.

Passion‟s peal of laughter rang across the classroom.

Patience raised his hands, calling out “Silence, Silence Please! There will be no private dialogues in
my class.” The class fell quiet again.

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“You there…” gesturing to Passion, “What was so funny? Do share it with all of us!” Passion stood
up and shyly repeated the exchange. Mirth spread through the room again.

“This class is going to be fun” joked Earnest.

Patience took a deep breath and closed his eyes, reminding himself for the nth time - “Patience,
patience”. His personal mantra worked. He opened his eyes and gave Passion a calm smile.

“What is your name?”

“Passion, Sir”.

Turning to her friend, he asked her the same question. Slowly drawing herself up, “Memory,” she
said softly “So you understand my problem, Sir.” The class was now grinning expectantly at
Patience.

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Amused, Patience replied “Well Memory, you must have done exceedingly well at your Current
Lessons to be allowed in here?” “Oh yes Sir,” nodding vehemently, “I have been working real hard at
retaining experiences for the last couple of years, but…”

“Yes, I see it would be challenging for you. So it is all the more important that you pay attention to
this course. It will serve you well in the future.” Memory looked downwards and blushed.

“Tell me Memory, why do you think you can‟t remember an incident from say five years ago?”

“Obviously, part of the reason would be because this is my Personal Lesson Plan. As I have carried
a memory-challenge along for lifetimes, I experience forgetfulness in this life as well… and figure out
how to overcome it this time round.”

“Yes, yes, but is that all there is to it?”

Memory turned thoughtful, suddenly confused. “You mean there could be some more explanation?”

6
“Have you ever had occasion, where something triggered a memory that you thought you had
completely lost? For example, the aroma of a freshly baked apple cinnamon pie reminds you of….?”

“My mother of course!” exclaimed Memory happily. “When I was five years old and she would bake all
the time… and the cousins coming over….” She stopped startled. “But I haven‟t thought of that for
years! Up to this minute, it was almost as though it never happened!”

“That‟s all fine, but what‟s so great about that?” called out a voice from the back.

“Yeah, we all have tons of such forgotten stuff!”

“Even though we aren‟t all named Memory!”

More laughter followed. Memory blushed a deeper red.

7
“Hush!” said Patience, gesturing with his hands, quieting them. “That was a smart observation,
Memory!” Everyone looked at each other. What had they missed?

“Almost as though it never happened.” Patience repeated softly. “What can we learn from this?”

Silence.

Hesitantly, Sneha put up her hand “Not remembering something does not mean it did not happen?”

“Excellent, go on…Tell me, why do you think Memory had forgotten about it?” a visibly excited
Patience was thinking to himself, „I like the way this is going! It‟s a smart class.‟

“Why?” more doubtful now, Sneha continued “ ... Hmmm, maybe there were too many such occasions,
and there was nothing too special about this particular one?”

8
“Could be, though now I feel so happy to relive it, I wish I had not thought it so unimportant!” ended
Memory regretfully.

Patience regained control of the discussion. “Yes, that is one possible reason to forget. Thinking an
event to be just one of many repetitive examples. Another reason would be deeming it unimportant,
only to regret it in hindsight.” He smiled sympathetically at Memory.

“Let us try another trigger now. Hmmm… how about this… a bad smell this time….”

“Rotten eggs!” sniggered Quiet. “ Or dog poop, or…” His enthusiastic voice was drowned out by
others making disgusted sounds of outrage. Quiet was encouraged to continue, “Puke?”

Memory went white instantly.

“What are you thinking of?” asked Patience with mild concern.

9
Memory swallowed the bile that had risen in her throat and said “Immediately thought of the food
poisoning I had, when I tasted eel on our vacation.”

There were some mutters of sympathy.

“Know how you feel, that made me feel pretty sick too…”

“Yes, I try not to think of the time I was throwing up all of my summer… though I was very young then…”

Many such experiences were being exchanged in low voices.

Patience reminded them: “No private dialogues, please! Would anyone like to speak up?” Silence
settled across the room. Then one arm went up. “Please stand up.”

“I am Malhar, Sir.” A tall, attractive boy stood up. Pushing back his long hair, he continued “Actually
I have a question for Memory.”

10
“Go on.”

All eyes focused on Memory. “When did you eat those eels?”

“Can‟t remember exactly, but…, it was summer and I must have been … oh about nine years ago?”

“Maybe you were just too young to remember?” asked Malhar

“Not that young,” blushed Memory “I am almost sixteen now.”

“Really?” smiled Malhar “That‟s nice to know.” and he sat down with a satisfied smile.

Patience eyed him suspiciously but continued “Who can suggest why she forgot about this? Don‟t
you think it was important for her to remember?”

11
“Of course, she should always remember that eels made her sick!”

“It happened only once… so the earlier reason can‟t hold…”

“How do you know that? With her memory, it could have happened dozens of times and she wouldn‟t
know!” said Akshay laughingly.

Arguments started flowing back and forth, until Patience again put up a restraining hand. “Memory,
would you like to try for an explanation yourself?”

Hesitating briefly, she answered “I guess I simply didn‟t want to! It was such an awful time,” making a
disgusted face “Who would want to remember it? Relive it?”

“That‟s a very good point.” Mutters of agreement went around the room.

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Patience looked at her seriously. “True my dear. That is a valid feeling on your part. That is the
justification for many of us too. We try to leave behind those awful, bitter, hear-wrenching memories,
because we just cannot bear to live with that episode. We are unable to accept that it happened.
And we most certainly have no desire to relive it all over again.”

“So that is why we forget so many of our lifetimes!” cried out Sneha in surprise.

“Yes, these are all some of the reasons we forget… because we think it‟s too commonplace a story, or
too boring, or just not important. Perhaps, even irrelevant. But very often, we forget because we
want to.”

There was a short silence. Earnest piped up “I am beginning to wonder if taking this class was a good
idea!”

“Yeah, why open a can of worms?!”

13
“Who knows which monsters will crawl out?”

“Can we change our subject options?”

Patience was unperturbed by this sudden growing panic. He looked calmly at them.
“Don‟t worry. This is an Introductory Module! You will be taught to access only some of your
lifetimes. Not that I can guarantee they will be pleasant or comfortable. But certainly they will be
relevant... Extremely important and required material for your progress with your Personal Lesson
Plan.

Don‟t forget you are here for a reason. You have been chosen because you have committed yourself
to rapid progress in your Personal Lesson Plan. Not only is this essential and inevitable for your own
ascension, but also required to make possible the very survival of earth, as we know it.

Need I remind you that a lot rests on your young shoulders? You will be given all possible support
and assistance. However, each one has to finally walk his or her own path.”

14
“But what if we don‟t feel up to it anymore? What if this sounds far more than I bargained for?!” a
scared voice from the back called out.

More gently, Patience replied “My friends, feel no pressure. Being aware of your responsibility and
role does not mean that you are ever going to be forced into doing anything you are not yet ready to
do. Understand that the Universe has truly got all the time in the world. Your personal evolution and
ascension is inevitable. How long you wish to take and the order in which you choose to complete
your Lessons is completely up to you.

However, it is my duty, as one of your teachers, to remind you – that your choices also influence the
future of earth. This is a simple, but significant fact. All I ask of you is that you take this fact into
account, whilst making any and all of your choices.”

15
Looking around the room with a piercing glance, Patience asked “Do you understand? The choice is
always yours to make! But be well aware, your every single choice influences the collective reality of
earth. Am I clear?”

Looking at each other, the children mustered courage and responded bravely, “Yes Sir!”

“Good.”, smiled Patience. “I knew this was a well picked class.”

“So to get back to memories… Now that you have a better understanding of why we forget past lives,
can someone suggest why we are trying to undo this?”

“Because that is the requirement of this extra credits course?” Laughter spread across the room.

“Earnest, you seem to have an answer for everything. Really trying to live up to your name, eh?” said
Patience grimly. “Well, go on then, don‟t just stand there now… yes, you are quite right, it is an extra

16
credits course. That makes it a very important course. Why? Why do you think it is so crucial to
learn to access lifetimes we have forgotten?”

Looking down sheepishly, Earnest drew a long breath. Then quietly suggested, “We need that
information now… we need to learn from our past mistakes so that we do not repeat them. We cannot
waste time in repeating the same story again and again!”

“That was very good Earnest! Well done. So you have given it some serious consideration. You
may sit down.” Smiling encouragingly, Patience continued “So there we have it. I am sure you have all
heard the phrase – „to learn the error of your ways‟?” Heads nodded in agreement. “Well, we do.
But sometimes, for various reasons, as we just discussed, we can forget. That works fine for small
things. Like learning to walk and talk and bike or swim, all over again... ”. He smiled. “Those are the
easier parts. The more fun part of re-attempting a challenge or puzzle you have tried before. Get it?
But the whole point of re-attempting the same challenge is to go further than before. Excel at the
basics and move on to the „next level‟. Just like your virtual games. No point in being stuck or doing
worse than before, right?” Murmurs of agreement went around.

17
“You have to keep topping the Top Score!” exclaimed Akshay

“But do you? Do you always do better than your previous score?” asked Patience pointedly.

“No.” Akshay, going red in the face, tried to defend himself. “But I try! I always try!”

“Yes, that‟s a good thing. But sometimes you get stuck isn‟t it?”

“Yes, if I am overconfident, or simply fed up of trying to break into the next level. Then I end up
making stupid mistakes.” Akshay admitted with an uncomfortable expression.

“Don‟t worry… we are all human beings… yet” smiled Patience. “It has happened to all of us at one
time or the other. But now that very ethereal illusion we still live by… time…is exactly what is running
out.”

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“Ethereal illusion?” piped up Sneha.

“Hmm… yes, I know that you all still have to study the Advanced Metaphysics of Time and Space,
but you should keep in mind the basics you know. After all, the very reasons that have brought you
here are rooted in these fundamentals! Occasionally remind yourself that time is an illusion. As
philosophers and scientists have explained many years ago, time and space are an entwined illusion.
Simply surmised, to perpetuate the idea of time, we use space. Similarly, to perpetuate the illusion of
space, we use time. They are interchangeably expressed… And both are a projection of our Spirit.
Now since the world has taken a collective decision to rescue this dream we call Earth, as a corollary,
we have also decided to continue using the concept of linear time.

Since the full impact of global climate changes was finally acknowledged in the early 2010s, a focused
attempt has been made to correct matters on the physical plane. People all over the world have
adopted earth friendly lifestyles and are conscious of the environmental impact that their every move
makes. However, NOW is of the opinion that these changes are limited in their scope and effect.
The radical improvements and support that is required to sustain earth can only come through a

19
critical number achieving Awakening. The collective energies of this „Critical Mass‟ will prove
conclusive in this massive healing effort that we have committed ourselves to.”

“Coming back to our course fundamentals… as we have limited time, we have collectively decided, that
we must now be as efficient as is possible. That is, let us not waste more lives in making mistakes that
can be avoided. Let us not waste more time and energy in reliving past errors. Let us not waste more
time „re-inventing the wheel‟ as they used to say! And most importantly, let us learn to get through the
primary levels early, without messing it up and move on to the more exciting „Advanced Levels‟ that we
are aiming for! So are you all ready to become „Top Scorers‟ in your Personal Lesson Plan?”

“Yes!” the class cried out enthusiastically.

“Do you all intend to beat your own past „Top Score‟ and move to the „Advanced Levels‟ of your
own „game‟?”

“Yessss!” The class cried out in a single voice.

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“Great!” smiled Patience. “Then listen well... Let me share what I have learned from my experiences.
The trick to carrying your full life memory to the next one, without any loss or error, is to die well.”

The silence reflected the rapt attention he now held.

After a brief dramatic pause, he elaborated. “Die content and peaceful, knowing that you have
completed this „game level‟ satisfactorily, that you have achieved your Personal Lesson Plan for the
life. And that life and memory remains completely accessible to you. The closer you got to your
target, the more of that lifetime you will remember! This wisdom came to me through the experience of
hundreds of lifetimes, as is the case with most of us,” he said smiling wryly.

“Many lives went by, without me realizing the fact that I could actually direct my own progress in any
particular direction. Most times I did not even dream that I had anything like a Personal Lesson Plan!
In fact, during early lifetimes, I thought all this was impossible. After all, each and every one of my
memories was locked and made inaccessible in between lifetimes. I would come back in human form,

21
live a life, tired and frustrated and die… needless to say, usually in some really awful manner! I would
feel completely helpless and victimized. I felt I was at the mercy of some strange, unknown forces.
Often wondering why I even lived! Eventually I got tired of this thought and process. So I got bold.
„I have nothing to lose‟, I thought. Let me try to run this life. To my intense surprise, I found that my
choices could actually change my pattern. The more conscious and aware I was… the more
responsibility I took for my life… the faster my intentions would materialize. That is when my
awakening started.” Patience smiled at the impressed young faces looking up to him as though he was
their favorite superstar.

“I gradually learned that indeed, it is possible to work towards a better end! After that, I learned
quickly. Once I realized that I had control, that I influenced the outcome… it was only a matter of
practice! And every time I got a little better at dying. Gradually, I had understood that the best way
to die well - was to live well.

That is the essence of the Lessons I have learned so far.”

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Looking around the class, Patience was satisfied to see thoughtful, introspective faces. He ended
saying, “That, young ladies and gentlemen, concludes your induction into the Introductory Module in
Multiple Life Recall. I look forward to seeing you at the same time and place, on next Friday. Good
Day!”

23
Chapter II

“Good morning class” smiled Master Kindness broadly. “I hope you have enjoyed your Recall class.
Was it interesting?”

“Oh yes, Sir! We are now looking forward to our first Recall!” answered Earnest.

“Good. Then you will be happy to know that I have some help for you.” responded Master
Kindness. “You will each have the opportunity to have a crystal assigned for your personal dowsing
use. While many of you may have used healing crystals before, at your homes, there will be some of
you who are new to these concepts.”

“Crystals have been used for centuries by mankind. The earliest Atlanteans were well versed in the
knowledge and understanding of these brilliant pieces of art. Each crystal 1 has its own strengths and
their study is a whole subject by itself. While you may continue to train and teach yourself by

24
accessing our excellent database and collection, what is relevant here, is that you understand the
importance of these magnificent gifts of nature. We use crystals for healing, magnifying or storing
energy fields. You will be trained to use your crystal pendulum to amplify your presently weak energy
connection with your Higher self. This will allow you better access to guidance from the all knowing
Source.”

Raising her hand, Passion asked “Could you tell us more about this energy connection with our
Higher self, please?”

“Despite the level of awakening or the lack of it, each of us always retains a fine connection with our
Higher selves. We are far more than this human body that defines us on the physical plane. The
whole of our higher selves cannot be contained in this limited vessel we call our physical body.
However, this limited self remains connected to the Higher self and Source, by a thin strand of
powerful energy. As you awaken, this cord strengthens and thickens, until you achieve full
connectivity. Do you understand so far? Any questions?”

25
“But Sir,” spoke up Malhar “If we are already connected to our Higher self, then why aren‟t we
already Awakened?”

“I understand your confusion. Let me try and explain in simple terms. Do you recall the path into the
Western mountains, at the northern end of our grounds?” Malhar nodded. “Is it easy to reach the
Camp at the top of the mountains?”

“No Sir. The road is narrow and there are many rocks on the way. It is also very steep and in the
monsoons, rivulets run down the same way. Of course, when we are told to reach the camp, we
manage the challenge. But no sir, I cannot say it is easy.”

“Well, think of that energy cord being similar to this narrow and difficult path… it does keep
communication between the main building and camp a viable option. But it is not necessarily strong
enough to allow free exchange of communication. If we were to devote our efforts and attention to
tending that path, then we could surely widen it? Improve it? Make it more accessible? Yes? Well,
similarly, our various practices like Meditation, Reiki, EFT or Emotional FreedomTechiniques *, etc.

26
all work towards healing that cord, for enabling perfect communication. Our Higher selves are
completely Awakened and aware of the entire universal energy field or Source, as you may prefer to
call it. But the part that we know to be our “self”, before Awakening, that one is more limited in its
knowledge and understanding.”

“Sir!” exclaimed Courage with an alarmed voice. “Yes child?” replied Master patiently.

“But does that mean that we are not our „self‟ as we know it?”

“No dear, what it means is that you are actually far more than what you think your „self‟ to be. Our
whole aim is to achieve Awakening is it not?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Well, then dear one, what have you understood that to mean?”

27
“Truly speaking?” answered Courage with a bemused tone. “I have not been totally clear about it. I
do know that there is more to this Universe than I understand. And that Awakening means a fuller
understanding of it all…” he trailed off, suddenly feeling inadequate. Not surprising, as these were
questions that had troubled humans through their entire existence!

“You are quite close.” replied Master reassuringly. “Awakening will mean knowledge. Experiential
knowledge. Total knowledge. Knowledge without any doubts. And the serenity that comes
naturally with all this understanding.”

“Until one has achieved this natural state of perfect knowledge and ease of being, there remain
doubts, and worries and anxieties, and…?”

“Resentment!”

“Confusion!”

28
“Misunderstandings!”

“Bitterness!”

Different voices piped up with all the negative emotions that they could think of.

“Yes, yes… I see you understand!” smiled Master. “Fortunately for us, at no time are we completely
cut off from this knowledge or peace! No matter how weak, or neglected, there always exists that little
strand of energy, our life-cord, connecting this „self‟ that we think ourselves to be, with the one
Universal Energy Field.”

“But how can we know it exists?” asked Faith, her green eyes sparkling with intelligence.

“As long as you exist, the cord exists. If there is serious damage to your life energy cord, your
physical life form - this body, will cease to exist. It cannot continue without drawing on the energy
provided through this life-cord. Similarly, if you nurture it and tend to it, making sure you exercise it in

29
the same way that you exercise your muscles, this life cord will grow thicker and stronger. You will
have more and more access to healing and enlightening energies. Eventually, this rich flow of high
frequency information will appear as a visible halo to others. In older times, the appearance of the
halo was considered to be the sign of an enlightened individual, as it was. But the process does not
stop there! As we know now, some of these enlightened individuals continue to raise their vibrations
even higher, until they are beyond the limit of human vision. To unawakened humans, such Masters
become invisible.”

“That does not mean that they are gone, does it?” asked Faith.

“No it doesn‟t. Such enlightened beings are omnipresent, that is they have access to all dimensions.
They continue to provide guidance to those who would like to follow in their footsteps.”

“Through autowriting?” asked Earnest.

30
“Yes, that is one form. „Channeled‟ messages were popular in the early 2000s. However, gradually,
vibrations have risen sufficiently for many to have telepathic communication with their own angels or
Spirit guides as some people like to call them. How many of you are using this practice?”

More than half the class raised their hands. “That is quite good. For those of you who have not yet
established a connection with a Spirit Guide, I hope you have enrolled for the extra class?” They
nodded back without exception.

“As you will learn in those classes, it is important to learn three things in this regard. One, treat your
guide with love and respect. They have walked the path ahead of you and have chosen to help show
you the way. Hence, it is important for you to acknowledge them regularly and pay attention to any
advice that they provide. Remain open and alert to any communication they may want to send your
way.

However, the second important thing to remember is that it is also essential that you walk your own
path! All guidance, whether from this school, your guides, or any other learned source, is only meant

31
to serve as reference markers. They are no substitute to following and developing your own talents
and intuitions. We cannot live another‟s life! That is the blessing. But also the limiting rule. Each
one of us faces unique challenges and situations. We all need to adapt accordingly.”

Master looked around with a serious face. The children all listed with rapt attention.

“Remember this golden rule at all times. You are here to actualize your own self. You cannot achieve
this by blindly following instructions. Think for yourself. When you disagree, question, analyze…
listen to your own heart. Discover your own path.”

“Thirdly, and do not think this is insignificant, you must learn to distinguish between your guide‟s
inputs and your own. How many of you have already faced this problem?”

Only a few hands were raised.

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“To me, these students are already learning to practice this discrimination! They are alert to the
danger!”

Pointing towards Memory, Master asked “You dear, why do you doubt the advice you receive?”

“Sir, my name is Memory. I do not trust my own memories, as I know I have forgotten many events…
and perhaps made up some on my own. So if I cannot trust my memories, how can I trust the
information that is supposedly given by my Guide? I mean, I know I should… but it is just hard.”

“That is a valid point Memory.” Turning to the class, Master continued “Memory has acknowledged
that her perceptions may be interfering with her memories. She had to. Her name itself suggests that
she would have had many occasions to test the validity of her recollections and interpretations of the
past. But she has gone one step further. She has realized that her perceptions may be interfering
with the information she receives from another source as well. Even though it appears arrogant, she is
prepared to question her Source. This is not a drawback. This is an advantage.”

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“Sit down, Memory. Well done. While you continue to be alert, you are far more likely to catch any
interference thrown into guide communication, by your own subconscious.”

Turning grimly to catch the eye of each student who did not appear to have any such doubts, Master
went on “And you my dears, need to be very careful. Make sure that your arrogance or over-
confidence is not misleading you. You must always be watchful for your subconscious influence or
interference in the messages you think you have received from your Source or spirit guide!”

“But Sir!” Faith raised her hand.

“Yes dear?”

“”But Sir, are we not supposed to learn to trust, to have faith? I mean, my name is Faith! How will I
ever complete this Personal Lesson Plan? You are suggesting that we need to doubt everyone and
everything!” She ended close to tears.

34
“Calm down dear. A questioning or alert attitude does not exclude the possibility of having Faith.”
He smiled at her bewildered expression.

“Why do you believe doubt to be the direct opposite of faith? In fact, when you maintain an open
attitude, willing to test and question yourself every step of the way, why that is the way to arrive at a
point of complete certainty! You will then know that there are no misgivings, no questions left
unanswered, is it not?”

Feeling a little better, Faith answered “I suppose that is true. I always looked at faith as belief
without question, without the need for evidence.”

“Yes, that is faith too. But my dear, you have now opened a complex area!” Master sighed, but
continued “I would have preferred to have addressed this area a little later. However, now I do not
wish to leave it unanswered.

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My dear, the kind of faith that you are talking about is only possible when it is completely and totally
unconditional. Pure, unadulterated faith reposed in an enlightened individual. However, this more
often than not, is only possible in theory. Can anyone help me explain why this is so?”

Master looked around encouragingly at the confused faces. “Let me give you a hint… I just explained
something very similar to you, not five minutes back!”

Sneha raised her hand hesitantly. “Yes, do give it a try!” beamed back Master.

“Is it because our perception always has some effect? I mean… like you said our thoughts may
unknowingly mess up our Spirit communication, similarly… we always allow some influence into our
faith?”

“I do not understand!” exclaimed Earnest with frustration.

36
“You will… let me expand on what Sneha said!” Master took it up enthusiastically. “The act of
recognizing and acknowledging someone else as awakened can only be performed by an awakened
individual! Just as only a Master can test you on your subject knowledge, only someone who knows
and understands what awakening means, will realize it in another. Ever heard the adage „It takes one
to know one‟?”

Throughout the centuries, there have been people who have taken advantage of the gullible who did
not think this through. Recognizing an awakened soul is an acknowledgement of equality. While
placing someone on a pedestal, in an unreachable position in your own mind, why that is the act of
someone who has not realized himself or herself!”

Murmurs buzzed across the room.

Malhar piped up boldly “Sir, are you suggesting that there have never been genuine Masters in the
past? That people were just being misled?”

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“Not at all my son! On the contrary! I am suggesting that if you examine the teachings or words of
any of the true Masters that have come before, each and every one of them acknowledged the
equality of us all. The oneness of us all. Is that not true?”

“Yes,” replied Malhar thoughtfully. “I have noticed that all of them say the same thing in different
ways…”

“Whereas blind faith reposed in someone you consider „superior‟ to you in some way, different from
you in some way, why you are bound to be disappointed! Because the very foundation – this
inferiority-superiority divide - that you are using as your basis for faith: is falsely placed… and
therefore bound to crumble! Being unawakened at that point, either you will make a bad choice, or
your own „ego‟ or „limited self‟ will at some stage become uncomfortable. When this happens, you will
begin to question the „Master‟ you had earlier reposed your „faith‟ in. We all know that we always find
what we look for. So when you go searching for the „fraud‟, you are bound to convince yourself with
whatever it is that you find. You will perceive it that way! That is why it was not uncommon for
genuine Masters to have been glorified and then vilified shortly thereafter.

38
Let me emphasize once again: each one has to walk his or her own path. Yes we are all friends on the
same journey. However, eventually, it is when you believe in yourself and have total and complete
faith in your own self… that is when you will awaken! ”

“This may all be a little advanced and confusing…” A few heads nodded in agreement. “But do not
worry. As your work progresses, these matters will become crystal clear to you.”

Master gave a sigh. “Speaking of crystals!! Our assignment today was for each of you to select your
own crystal pendulum! And look where we ended up!”

Excitement was instantly ignited amongst the eager youngsters. “Oh wow!”

“I was looking forward to this!”

“I bet I will get an Agate!”

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“Oh I do hope that I get a Rose quartz!”

Humility spoke up haughtily “Sir, is it true that we do not choose the crystals, but they pick us?”

“Quite correct, Humility is it? Hmmm... Yes you are right, in a way. Actually, it is a mutual friendship
between man and crystal. We cannot pick our friends unilaterally, is it not? They too have to choose
to be our friend, for the relationship to develop. Similarly, you are attracted to some of the crystals.
But only one of them will resonate back a harmonious feeling. That will be your pendulum. Take
your time and allow your intuition to flow freely. Masters will be observing your interaction and will
provide guidance when required.

Once you have each been assigned pendulums, we will then begin practice in using these fine tools to
amplify our energy-cord connection and communication with the Source. You will be trained to
minimize your interference pattern, so that the communication you receive via the pendulum is as
unadulterated as is possible! Is that understood?”

40
“Yes Sir!” replied a chorus of eager voices.

“Good. Then let us proceed to the Crystal Rooms!”

41
 From Passion‟s Notes

42
Chapter III

“Welcome children!” beamed Master Serenity. Her light skin had a fresh, rosy glow. An almost
invisible halo suggested its presence, as she walked elegantly into the class.

The class was still excited and abuzz with their new crystal acquisitions. Some of them were still
examining the vibrant colors of their pendulum, while others were attempting to get answers from their
new tools. But Master Serenity‟s self assured sparkle drew their attention. Gradually they settled
into their seats.

“I see that all of you have made new friends,” she smiled. “Have you introduced yourselves properly
to your crystals?”

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“No ma‟am. We just finished with the crystal assignments.” answered Memory.

“I see. Well then we better attend to our exercise first! As you all know, I am responsible for guiding
you with your meditation, calming and concentration techniques. Working with your crystals and
pendulum is well served by practicing the techniques that I will teach you. But of course, every aspect
of your being is well served by meditative practice!” she laughed softly.

“Can anyone tell me why it is called practice?” she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

A few hands went up. She picked out Passion who responded “I believe the tradition of calling these
techniques „practice‟ came into effect hundreds of years ago, by the Buddhists. They believed that
it was necessary to rehearse and carry out these techniques again and again, so that…one was always
prepared.”

“Well started, dear. But not quite complete! So that „one was always prepared‟ for what?” She
looked around the class, “Would someone else like to complete that?”

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No one seemed keen to volunteer, but then Earnest hesitantly stood up. “I am guessing that we need
to be prepared for everything, so that we don‟t just react to things when they happen. We are able to
behave appropriately under all provocations or situations?”

“You have almost got it, dear. Would you like to elaborate on all situations?”

Earnest looked perplexed now. Serenity prompted him “In this life alone?”

Earnest brightened. “Oh, you mean even when we are between physical bodies… that is, we are not
being bombarded with our physical senses… our Spirit self should be able to retain…” He stopped, at
a loss for words.

“Equanimity.” Beamed Serenity. “Balance. Stability. Understanding. Serenity.”

Everyone smiled back at her.

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“The very words have the power to restore a sense of calm being, is it not?” They all nodded in
agreement. “We have all had our moments of peace. Practice is exactly that. Repeated attempts to
master that experience of total peace, so that gradually, we are able to expand those microseconds
into minutes, then into hours, until eventually, our entire existence is lived from a place of peace.”

Everyone was silent and thoughtful.

Earnest couldn‟t contain himself. “It must be pretty quiet, that state!” he said softly, with a cheerless
tone.

“Not necessarily! Not necessarily!” answered Serenity easily. “Yes, many Masters appear silent and
let‟s face it, serious!” she laughed softly. “But that is an individual choice! You will meet many of us,
dare I include myself?” she said smilingly, “Who find that peace is also a joyful state. It makes you
laugh a lot, because you see the humor in everything. You realize that all situations are transient.
And there is only one true and constant thing in the entire universe, which is …?”

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“Love!” they all chorused back, some of them skeptically, some with seriousness and some laughingly.

“Yes! I know… it sounds rather… lame? Is that your word for it?” Some heads nodded in agreement,
including the tall Malhar. “Don‟t worry. I know you have heard the theoretical rhetoric time and again.
And it just doesn‟t ring true… as yet. But part of the reason for that is that many of you still respond
under the influence of conditioning you were exposed to in the world outside of this S.O.U.L..”
She continued with a more serious expression. “Where love is still defined in a narrow sense.
Unconditional love is neither widely understood, nor widely practiced. Hence love becomes
synonymous with weakness. Loving someone means you are vulnerable and that person has the
power to hurt you simply by not reciprocating your feelings. But love, as you will eventually learn, is
not limited in its scope or generosity. As Masters, you will experience love and compassion for every
single part of this universe as you know it… including people you would not dream it possible about
today!” She smiled again. “But do not worry. You do not have to accept any of this as true! Not at
all! We will guide you along, but your Awakening will come only out of your own experience. Of

47
course, those of us who have walked the path before you, know that you can only end up alongside us!
But you are free to take your own route and transport.” She smiled encouragingly.

“Given this discussion, let us proceed to our first exercise! Sit up tall and straight. Those of you
who prefer to do so may adopt the Lotus position. Now pay attention to my instructions and follow
accordingly.”

She spoke clearly, in a soft and gentle voice. “Take a deep breath. And let it out gently.” She
paused briefly then continued slowly “Breathe in. Breathe out. Feel the breath filling your lungs
completely. Imagine the oxygen flowing through your entire body, now gently breathe out all your
distractions. Breathe in again, letting the cool oxygen fill you with peace and calm.” She held the
silence for a couple of minutes, looking around for the inevitable restless ones. Earnest squirmed in
his seat, but kept his eyes closed.

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She continued in her soothing tone, “Now focus your attention on your heart chakra. Feel the
warmth in your heart. See the blood rushing in and out of your heart. Feel the throb of vitality and
warmth at this centre of your being.”

She paused again. The silent faces were far away, lost in their introspection.

Satisfied, she went on, “Now imagine the one person or being that you love the most in the world. Be
it your father, or mother, brother or sister! Choose your dearest friend or your faithful dog. But
choose someone whom you love, no matter what.” Slowly the faces relaxed, some of them even smiling
to themselves. It was an involuntary reaction. Love tends to have that effect.

Serenity took them to the next level. “Now imagine all that love flowing out of your heart, towards the
chosen one. Experience it in every fiber of your being. Rushing through your veins and arteries, and
emerging as a strong gush of warmth from your heart. Imagine this warmth traveling as a beam of light,
directly into the heart of your chosen one. Acknowledge this connection. Experience the gratitude
and blessedness of sending love outward.”

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Minutes ticked by, but the students were now beyond the limitations of time and space. They were
completely immersed in the experience, bonding with their chosen ones.

“Now try to replace the image of your chosen one with the image of our planet Earth. See it from
the outer space, the swirling blues and whites of the seas and clouds. Zoom in a little closer, till you
notice the swell and fall of the beautiful mountains. Maintain your beam of love. Keep it focused
now, try to hold on to the same intensity that you had generated initially. Experience the love and
gratitude for having witnessed the beauty of earth.”

Some of the faces had changed expression now. Uncertainty and restlessness had begun to cross
the faces of some of them. Earnest finally snapped his eyes open and met Serenity‟s even gaze with
guilt.

“Now gently return to your present perspective,” she continued without comment. “Imagine this class,
as you are going to see it upon return to this view. Settle back into class in your mind‟s eye. Now

50
slowly open your eyes, when you feel like it. Take your time. If you feel drowsy, keep your eyes
closed for some more minutes.”

Serenity maintained a calm and still posture, watchfully waiting for all of them to resume normal
awareness. “That was the Heart Meditation. Several decades ago, the scientists have discovered
that simply paying attention to our heart area improves the health and functioning of the mental and
physical faculties*. But the Masters who came before? They have known the powers of the heart for
thousands of years. Focusing love and gratitude inward and outward is probably one of the most
important, efficient and simplest methods to eventual Awakening! Further, sending love in this
fashion has great healing benefits for the recipient. As you will eventually be actively involved with
the ongoing NOW efforts to heal Earth, I thought we should begin with a small taste of the same.”
Giving them all a tender look, she asked “So who would like to share their experience? Or any
questions?”

Memory raised a hand hesitantly. “Ma‟am, I was feeling really nice and peaceful at the beginning. In
fact, I almost dozed off. I think… I don‟t remember.” blushing habitually, she continued, “But after we

51
started sending the love outward, after a few minutes, … I got confused, because I could feel this huge
stream of … of gentleness coming my way! How was that happening? Why was that happening?”

Serenity beamed happily. “Why how lovely my dear! You actually noticed the love that someone
happened to send your way! That is exactly how your chosen one would have felt, whilst you sent him
or her your love!”

Memory looked thoughtful now, trying to piece it together. “Are you suggesting that someone in this
class was… that I was the „chosen one‟ for someone?”

“That is always possible, yes. But perhaps the person you were directing the love towards sensed it
and reciprocated in kind! Even advanced students are adept at recognizing and reciprocating love
and healing dear.” Just as Memory began to smile in understanding, Serenity continued, “However,
if it was someone from this class, I would be delighted to learn that! You all have only just met and
there has been little opportunity to establish strong friendships. So anyone choosing you for this

52
exercise would be displaying higher understanding and practiced ability… to truly love
unconditionally…”

She looked around the room knowingly. “This is a good opportunity for you all to practice being
alert to receipt of such energy. Is there anyone else who felt the same way that Memory did?”

Another four students put up their hands: Passion, Earnest, Faith and Courage. “Well we seem to
have quite a few of you! Good, now all five of you, I want you to close your eyes and focus inward.
Focus on your heart again. Be centered.” She waited for them to settle into a meditative state.
“Now open your heart. Imagine it opening like a flower bud, blooming open. Keeping your eyes
closed, pan around this room in your mind. Feel with your mind. Can you locate energy coming your
way? Can you sense the love someone is allowing to flow freely? Notice. Try to notice.”

The next few minutes, the five of them were trying their best to play the telepathic sleuth. The rest of
the class was beginning to have pockets of discussion amongst themselves.

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“Silence please! Alright children, you may open your eyes now.” The reactions were writ on each
face. Earnest looked confused and irritated. Passion was thoughtful. But Memory, Faith and
Courage turned in almost tandem, to look directly at Malhar with a wondering expression.

Malhar, in turn, was totally stunned by this reaction. He turned a deep red and muttered “What
the…? I don‟t understand!”

Serenity remained unperturbed. “Would you like to share your experience dear?” she asked him.

He stood up awkwardly, suddenly conscious of his towering height and how it made him stand out
over the seated others. “Well, hmmm…,” his words tumbled out in obvious confusion. “I only followed
your instructions Ma‟am. Nothing different… in fact, I was being a little skeptical to start with and
was having difficulty focusing on any one person. I did feel some warmth in my heart chakra and
assumed that was as much as I was going to notice.” He stopped abruptly.

Serenity prompted him gently, “And then? What were you thinking of then child?”

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Malhar was already as red as was possible and by now he could feel the heat in his face. In a defiant
tone he answered “I was just reviewing the day. All the earlier classes and who ever spoke up or
caught my attention…” Running out of steam, he went quiet again. He cast a quick glance towards
Memory and seeing her attentive look, made sure that he held her gaze fractionally, before looking
away again. He went on to break the thoughtful silence in the class “So what exactly happened
Ma‟am? Would you please explain?”

Serenity did not reply herself, but posed the same question to the class. “Who would like to try?”

Uncharacteristically, Courage raised his hand and began to speak “I am guessing that Malhar did
not realize the depth of his meditative state. That his heart chakra had already opened and his
wandering thoughts just channeled his… love… towards whoever crossed his mind.”

“Very good Courage! Well done!” turning to Malhar, Serenity continued “This was a good example
of pure, unconditional love. Malhar was able to send loving energies to others, without any demands

55
or expectations. It was a natural state of being for him, for that brief period of time. Sit dears,” she
absently gestured to Malhar and Courage. “For the duration of the exercise, Malhar was not
inhibited by any expectations or reactions from those whom he was thinking of. He had simply
focused his attention on some of the people who made an impression on him and the reflexive instincts
of his Higher Self graciously connected to them. His unconditional love flowed generously, without
any bias or conscious investment on his part. He expected nothing in return and simultaneously, they
were open hearted, trusting and receiving the flow at that time. This is our natural state. This is the
innate characteristic of the universal energy field… our oneness. ” She paused for effect.

“Our practice and enlightenment eventually results in this ease of sharing, this continuous exchange
of pure love and compassion.” Looking directly at Malhar she laughed her soft laugh. “Whether you
knew it or not, you are good and ready to begin earnest practice of spreading love and light to all that
you even think about! Would you like to be the Team Leader for our Project Green Field?”

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Malhar was attempting to put up a brave front, though he was not quite sure as to how long his
nonchalant pretension was going to survive this class. “I have no idea what Project Green Field is
Ma‟am!”

“Of course you don‟t! Nor does anyone else… as yet. Let me explain. In the interest of Mission
Critical Mass, every graduating class is set an assignment that is aligned with this purpose. Hence,
for this class, we have decided that your graduation will be determined by the successful completion of
Project Green Field. In order to set you a task appropriate to your level of skills, we are assigning
you only 50 acres of land. This plot has been ravaged by chemical spills and is presently arid and
infertile. Using any skills or know-how that you have, your class will have to transform this piece into a
lush, green meadow again. Your classes will help enhance your healing strengths and intentions. You
may also seek the advice of your spirit guides or any of us Masters. But you need to take the
initiatives. There would be little point in us dictating the solutions to you, for you to implement! We
need you to learn to use your own skills. Any questions?”

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“No Ma‟m! I would be happy to accept!” responded Malhar eagerly. “I am glad to have a chance to
begin hands on work immediately. I really connect with the elements and the idea of undoing even a
small part of the damage done to earth…” he ended at a loss for words. The class was now looking at
him with more respect and fondness. He glanced around the room, conscious of the looks of
approval, and looking down smiled sheepishly to himself. „There goes my attempt to be the cool guy,‟
he thought. „I have given away my true self.‟

Serenity was watching him carefully, fully aware of all his reactions. “It takes courage to reveal our
true passions to the world at large. I am glad Malhar is opening up. As the new Team Leader you
are setting a good example dear boy. You may sit now.” Turning to the rest of the class she
continued “In earlier times, it was common practice to express dislike, criticism and even hatred openly,
sometimes violently or viciously. Our vibrations had fallen to the lower levels of such emotions and
open expression of pure thoughts, hopes or love was almost forgotten. Astonishingly, people had
little hesitance in admitting base feelings or opinions, but felt fear in opening their hearts. We have
just completed the Heart Meditation and I would like to know if any of you felt any reluctance or fear.
Do not be afraid to admit your thoughts. We are all here to learn to share ourselves freely. As you

58
progress further, you will realize that hiding your thoughts or emotions is not only unnecessary, but
impossible.” She smiled at them reassuringly “We are all manifestations of the same singular Source.
You are trying to translate that knowledge, through experience, into a natural state of being.
Sharing freely is something you will get used to along the way.”

Earnest raised his hand “What do you mean Ma‟am? Sharing what freely? All our secrets too?” he
said with a smirk, glancing towards some of the girls.

Serenity looked at him seriously and said “My dear, there are no secrets left as you ascend! As you
raise your awareness and tune into the Source, you will have access to all that is. Every thought,
emotion, hope, dream, all of it becomes accessible. Naturally dear, did it not occur to you, that others
will have the same access to your inside world?”

Earnest forgot about giving attitude and looked thunderstruck as the implications finally sunk in.
“You mean… you can read my thoughts? And many others can do the same?” he looked pale and sat
down.

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“Yes dear. But don‟t worry. No one is judging you. We also learn to be objective observers. It is
not our job to criticize you, but help you understand the consequences of whatever you are up to.
Then you are free to decide which way to continue.”

“But my parents are Masters.” Earnest said weakly. “Does that mean they have always known what
I was really thinking?”

“Of course dear. But they continued to give you support and love. They believe in your goodness.
They believe that you will eventually emerge from your… carefree attitude… and finally claim your true
place in the universe.” Serenity walked to Earnest and placed her hand on the top of his head. He
immediately felt the rush of peace and healing streaming down through his crown chakra, down
through his spine. He looked up at her gratefully and smiled feebly. “Perhaps I don‟t deserve it. I
sure have never done anything to earn this kind of faith.”

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Serenity shook her head, silencing him. “My dear! We all have worked our way up the vibrations.
You are a student! No Master will ever pass judgment on you. Nor will they ever stop believing in
you! Yes, we may need to be patient. But that is our strength. We know without a doubt, the light
that is the true you.” She reassured him, “Some blocks are there, but we will eventually dissolve
them.”

Earnest already looked different. He was beginning to recognize the unwavering love and trust that
his parents had patiently shown him, through all his years of frivolous and careless behavior. His
awakening had started.

Seeing that Earnest was more composed and attentive now, Serenity moved back to the head of the
class.

“To repeat myself, did anyone experience any fear during the Heart Meditation?” she asked gently
of the class.

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After a brief silence, Sneha finally raised her hand. “Yes dear?” encouraged Serenity.

Self-consciously Sneha started explaining herself, “I was not comfortable Ma‟am. It was just about
okay till I was sending out the warmth… love” she hesitated and then continued. “But the moment I
opened my heart chakra, I felt this rush of … overwhelming energy. And it was hypnotic and soothing
and … I got scared! I was losing sense of myself and I was afraid I would be lost forever in that
…engulfing sensation!” She was clearly agitated, by having described her experience.

Serenity raised her hand in a blessing gesture and sent calming waves of love towards Sneha, who
immediately became more quiet and receptive. “Sit dear, I understand.” Serenity looked around the
classroom gauging how many of the students were in synch with Sneha‟s experience. There were
quite a few.

“Because the journey seems so long and the destination so far away, you may not have focused on
understanding where you are headed. All of us are heading towards reunification with the Source,
reaching back home, after our many adventures and travails. The feeling of love and peace that

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awaits us is indescribable. Even the very faint, elusive memory of our Source that lingers at the back
of our minds and hearts is sufficient to drive us on this irresistible and inescapable quest.

However, at this end of this journey, the „self‟ that you have identified with for all this time, will no
longer retain such a state of isolation. You will be merged with the Source and be far more than your
limited identity today. Not only will you continue be all that you are, that you have known yourself to
be., but you will also be the entire Source! As a drop in this vast ocean, you will lose identification
with all things that you have considered to be defining of your „self‟. You will no longer have specific
attributes or characteristics that distinguish your personality or possessions. Therefore, the „person‟
who you have considered yourself to be for so long? That person is merged into this vast Source.
„My life‟, „my ideas‟, „my thoughts‟, „my feelings‟, „my journey‟,… all these „my‟ concepts are gone.

Until you accept and adjust to this radical change, every time you come close to surrender, every time
you experience a taste of simply „being‟, every time you are „pure love‟, you will panic.” She paused
and studied the contemplative faces.

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“Allowing your „self‟ to melt into the warm and freely flowing love and compassion energies is a
tempting and enchanting experience. But the internal conflict and reluctance to surrender the ego
identification is a natural expression of the human „survival instincts‟. This brink of transition between
Apprenticeship and Mastery is a challenge for every seeker. Those who find the courage to let go
and reunite with the Source, for them all doors open. They no longer identify only with the limited
„self‟, but with the entire Source. Hence, they are free to choose to manifest any individuated form
they choose. They may stay in this Awakened and blissful state, or choose to return to our
dimensions as individual Masters, who help others on this sometimes challenging but beautiful
journey.”

“Like you Master?” piped up Quiet.

“Yes dear,” smiled Serenity. “I find that it is easier to communicate with lower vibration souls in human
form. Otherwise, it can be like screaming from behind a glass door at them! They can‟t see you, so
they refuse to hear you!” She laughed. Winking mischievously she continued “And even if they do
hear your thoughts, they do not take you seriously, as they think that they are losing their senses!

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Funnily enough, they are actually using all their senses at this point!” she laughed softly at the irony,
“So yes, this lovely form works well for me.”

She smiled at their thoughtful faces and ended “Love is the pure element of the Source and it is the
most powerful energy that exists. Your individual ego is bound to feel threatened and confused by
such an awe-inspiring force. Do not be frightened. Do not resist. Flow with the tide. Let your „self‟
be swept away and lose all it‟s fears and insecurities. You will re-emerge after such surrender like the
proverbial phoenix from the flames… a pure, invincible and omnipotent manifestation of love and light.”

She smiled indulgently at the various reactions she could observe and decided to wrap up for the day.
“All this intense conversation should help you get a good night‟s sleep!” her laughter tinkled. “Relax.
Just take a small step at a time and you will be fine. Tomorrow morning, you will have your first
meeting on Project Green Fields. Malhar, you will chair the meeting and plan your agenda. Earnest
will help. Alright? Good night then!”

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Chapter IV

Malhar cleared his throat and began self-consciously, “Good Morning everyone. As you know, we
are here to get acquainted with Project Green Fields. Master Serenity has appointed me as Team
Leader…” he glanced around nervously, but seeing the general approval, continued more confidently,
“Right, so I expect everyone to participate actively in this project. As you know, this is a pilot project
of sorts. Not only does our graduation depend upon its success, but our experience here will help us
to go out and initiate more such projects. Right, any questions?” he asked hopefully. He really was
not sure as to how he should proceed. He was hoping that some questions would point him in the
right direction.

He was not wrong. Courage spoke up timidly, “I have one.” Malhar smiled happily at him, gesturing
him to continue. “Where is this land? Can we see it?”

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“Right. That was the first thing on my agenda!” Malhar answered confidently. Calling Earnest for
help, he clapped his hands to close the window curtains and with another wave of his hand, began the
holographic presentation. A swirling 3 D image occupied centre stage. The image shown was that of
a large map, depicting the School and its surrounding grounds. “We have been provided with some
historical recording of the site. The Masters thought it may help us to see the original state of the
land.” Pointing a laser, he indicated “Here is where we are now.” He clicked the image to zoom in until
the surrounding gardens came into clear focus. “We follow the eastern trail, for about 3 kilometers.
There we will come to a small river, namely the Tara Nadi. It is shallow at a bend… there…” he showed
the location in the hologram. We cross the river here and walk for less than another kilometer. This is
the piece of land assigned to us.”

He zoomed in to a walking perspective and they all looked around in satisfaction at the verdant green
meadow. The boundaries were clearly marked by aloe plants. Wildflowers towered over the rich
grass. At the far end, they could see a thick patch of shadowy banyan trees. The field looked rich
and peaceful at the same time. They took a virtual walk toward the trees and looked up at the calming
shadows.

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“Why this place is quite marvelous!” exclaimed Faith. “I would love to meditate here! Buddha attained
enlightenment under one of these kind of trees!”

“No, I am afraid that‟s a common mistake. That was a bodhi tree. Anyways, I am afraid we are not
going to be met with the same picture that you are seeing right now.” Said Malhar grimly. “The
Masters were quite specific in warning me about this.” He snapped his fingers and shut down the
presentation. A clap of his hands and the curtains swung open. Bright sunlight streamed in to warm
the cold hearts. They all knew that the beauty that they had just seen was practically lost. And it
was their job to restore hope and life to that stricken land.

“What happened? How is it now?” asked Sneha in a solemn voice, almost as though she were
enquiring about a dear relative who had suddenly taken ill.

Malhar referred to his mobile personal assistant. In a serious tone, he answered. “A minor variation of
an all too common story. What lies beyond that thicket of trees is a main road, linking major

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expressways. A chemical tanker was speeding along late at night. Apparently, the driver was drunk.”
He paused as there were murmurs of disapproval. “Further, the owner company had complete
disregard for any environment or safety laws. The tank was carrying chemical toxins that were
byproducts of their factory process. By law, this sludge was required to undergo expensive
processing, to ensure that it was safe, before letting it flow into the river. The company thought they
could get away with dumping the toxins at an unsupervised location, as long as it was at a distance
from their own factory.” He took a deep breath to calm himself.

“And then?” asked Humility, already beginning to anger at what he knew was coming.

“The drunk driver lost control of the vehicle and it overturned. The mess spilled out and flowed into
the meadow we … we just saw.” Malhar paused to collect himself together.

Continuing in a flat voice, he went on, “The top soil and ground water were both damaged
significantly. The law took its own, slow course. However, ultimately a significant amount was
collected from the factory and transport owners and was used for expensive remedial measures to

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restore the soil and ground water‟s health and purity. While the nearby river was easier to treat and
recovered, the land somehow never regained its former state. Finally, the then owner grew
exasperated and offered the land to the School, as it bordered their property. They agreed to
purchase the land and employed the best environmental consultants. Another round of evaluation
and different treatment plans ensued. A little more progress was made, to the extent that no toxins
remain. But the land still looks … dead. Nothing seems to grow there and the Masters believe the
energy has been so badly traumatized, that no further physical interventions can help. Hence, they
decided that this project would now require the kind of work that we are here to learn. Spiritual,
intentional or energy healing will be required.” Malhar ended bleakly.

There was a long silence. Everyone was picturing the land and wondering at how bad it now looked.

“So that is the story. Now we have to tackle it.” Malhar tried to inject a tone of strength. “What I
propose, is that we all take a trek down to the place, so that we first see what the current situation is.
Okay?”

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Everyone nodded in agreement. Humility piped up “But don‟t we need to know the exact nature of
the toxin and the damage? Is it safe?”

“Of course it is safe now. The Masters would not let us go there otherwise! I told you that they have
taken measures to reduce the contamination within current national environmental norms. But as a
precaution, we will all do the Violet flame visualization before leaving.”

“Why is that necessary?” asked Sneha.

Following the way of the Masters, Malhar asked the class “Who would like to answer that?”

Quiet spoke up. “A lot of damage has taken place over there. A lot of tragic deaths… of many
plants and animals. The place is bound to have disturbed vibrations, which can adversely affect us. If
we want to induce a positive change, we must first protect our own positive energies from being
disrupted. The violet flame is the best way to protect ourselves.”

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“Oh…thanks” said Sneha.

“So shall we begin the…” Malhar started, but Humility interrupted him “That‟s okay, but we should
still have more info on the toxin… in case there is more that we can do on the physical plane?”

Malhar looked a little irritated, but conceded that Humility had a point.

However, the discussion did not end there. Now Courage had found his tongue. “Why do we need
to work on a physical plane at all? Isn‟t this all about Higher training?”

Malhar knew he had to gain control of this situation. He raised his hand to end the sudden loud
arguments that started back and forth amongst the class. “Listen! Please…” they gradually grew
quiet. “I have been told clearly by the Masters, that our objective is to restore health and vitality to
those fields. How we do it is completely up to us. They have indicated that we are free to work on all
levels, that is physical or material plane, as well as the spiritual plane.”

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A low buzz was starting again. But now Malhar was in his element. “Please listen. Remember, even
the Masters used environmental consultants and physical measures. They clearly state here, in my
brief…” he held up his mobile assistant for all to see, “„The way to achieve your targets is to keep
intention, thought, emotion, and action aligned. This means that you should work on the spiritual,
intellectual, emotional and physical planes. Neglecting any of these will result in less than satisfactory
results. This is because you have yet to become Awakened, hence some tasks are still beyond your
scope. Till then, use all available type of current skills.‟”

Malhar paused to make sure that these lines had registered with everyone. “We have to work on all
planes. Let us not argue our differences, but discuss them. Lets not allow our egos to get in the way.
We have to work together as a team. Right?” They grew quiet.

“So we welcome all inputs, everyone who has a valid suggestion is invited to contribute his or her idea.
As Team Leader,” he paused to emphasize his authority, “I believe that we will work on this challenge
in any and all ways we can!” He looked around with a sharp gaze to make sure he held each one‟s
attention. “Remember this. And remember it well… let us not confuse the means and the end. We are

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not here to defend our adopted practices or understanding. We are here to pool resources, so that
we can achieve a common goal.” He stopped and drew a long breath. “Project Green Fields and
„Critical Mass‟ are way more important than individual preferences and opinions. You all agree with
me on this, right?”

Heads nodded in unison.

Malhar gave an imperceptible sigh of relief. “Great. So now let us get organized. Humility, you are
right, we need more info on the toxin and if there are any more possible conventional treatments left.
Please find out more.” Looking around the class, with a sudden flash of inspiration, he added “Quiet
will help you research.”
Quiet said happily “Sure, we can speak to the Masters and then search the net, plus the School
library will have something…” Humility rolled his eyes at the childlike enthusiasm, but kept quiet.

“Now let us all start with a ten minute meditation, followed by the Violet flame visualization. Who
would like to conduct the class?” Several hands were raised, but Malhar had made his choice. He

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smiled at Memory and beckoned her to the front of the class. They both sat side by side in the lotus
position. Memory smiled shyly at him and then turned to the class and started softly “Please settle
down everyone.”

She paused a few minutes, until there was complete silence.

“Breathe in deeply. Breathe out.” She stopped and looked around as the students began to focus
on their meditation. She decided to use one of the simpler techniques. “I will start counting
backwards from 108. Take a deep breath and release with each number. Try to stay focused on
your breath and my voice. 108…” she started. She guided them through this exercise for almost 10
minutes. Her voice was strong, yet gentle and quiet. The class was calm and centered by the end of
the exercise. Softly she moved on to the Violet flame. “Imagine yourself surrounded by this deep
violet flame. You are seated amongst its tall and engulfing flames. The violet flame is deep in color
and you experience the warm, tingling protective embrace. Thank the flame for its kind support and
protection. Thank St. Germaine, the keeper of the violet flame. Request the violet protection to
continue through the day. Take a deep breath and feel the safety. Relax, you are under divine

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protection.” She stayed quiet as each one slowly relaxed to an intensely peaceful state. “Slowly
prepare to open your eyes. Retain your awareness. Stay alert to your aura. Now open your eyes.”
Gradually, one by one, they opened their dreamy eyes and readjusted to the physical realm.

Little by little, they grew alert and animated. Most of them had confident smiles on their face. “If you
suspect an aura leak at any point, remember to reinforce your protective layers! Or ask for help.”
She cautioned. “Thank you all.” Memory and Malhar stood up together and bowed to the class.
Everyone bowed back.

Strengthened by their meditation and common sense of purpose, they filed out towards their project
plot.

It was a bright and cheerful day outside. Almost like nature was beaming her pleasure at the
honorable task the students had undertaken. Their solemn walk soon changed to a happy skip as
they laughed at each others jokes and admired the beauty before them.

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Colorful butterflies flitted around them and many of them seemed particularly attracted to Passion.
She could not help but be moved by their intriguing loveliness. “Wow! Look at this one… its color is
changing with every move! Oh it‟s the play of light that‟s doing it! These butterflies are so amazing… I
have never noticed anything like this before!” she was chattering excitedly.

Quiet was quick to explain to her, “The energy of the school is so great… it acts like a magnet for
beauty. And all the positive energies that are focused by the Masters and students? Well that
allows all the best ideas to manifest… so everything that is lovely? It just seems to grow by degrees!”

Passion interrupted him, “Do you mean that because of all the attention it receives?”

Humility had caught up with them now. “Of course! Everyone knows that!” he said abruptly.

Passion looked at him quizzically, “But I did not! Please explain, if you know more.” Her
straightforward and even tone surprised Humility.

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He corrected his haughty tone and spoke more warmly, “Whatever we give our attention to… grows.
Ever heard of the „Law of Attraction‟?”

Faith joined in the conversation, slightly out of breath from her quick pace. “I have. It was very famous
some decades back… started making people aware of the importance of their thoughts.”

“Right,” took over Humility. “Whatever we focus on derives our energy and well simply put, its like
watering a plant!”

“What?” Passion was more confused by this analogy.

“Watering a plant nourishes it and helps it flourish, right? Similarly, if you appreciate something or
focus your thoughts on it, it will flourish. Regardless of whether it is a beautiful flowering plant or a
weed, it will grow in direct proportion to the attention you feed it. So unless you want a garden of
weeds, you better make sure that you stay focused on the flowering plants!” he ended with a
mischievous laugh.

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Malhar turned attentively to the small group that had started falling back because of their discussion.
Striding back to them, he contributed “Words are also really powerful. Perhaps because you are
adding in sound energy to your thought field? Anyways, the Masters have to undergo a lot of
training on being conscious of what they say. Words are like ammo… once fired, the damage is done.
More effort has to be put into reversing all the mess then.”

“Oh wow!” said Passion thoughtfully. “I know some of this of course. My parents are always on my
case to speak carefully and think positively…” Several mutters of agreement and heads nodded
towards her. “But I never really bothered enough... at least that‟s how I feel now.” She laughed
nervously. “Maybe being in this environment and focused intentions have made me more aware of my
mistake.”

“Hmmm…” Faith grew pensive. Introspecting on her own thoughts and attitudes, she was suddenly
struck by a disturbing idea. “My goodness! What if part of the reason that Earth is in this state is
because so many people kept saying all those doomsday things? I mean we still state them, don‟t we?”

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Malhar looked at her piercingly and said “Do you believe we are in this mess only because people
said so?” his tone was clearly skeptical and angry.

Courage stammered in her defense, “Surely she did not mean that… but we have to consider it as a
contributing factor!”

By now, the whole group had stopped and was standing in a loose circle. Malhar was glaring at Faith
while she looked back confused by his impassioned response.

Earnest decided it was time he lived up to his responsibilities as the second in command. He put a
reassuring hand on Malhar‟s shoulder and softly said “Take it easy. Remember, never take anything
personally. Faith and Courage have a point you know. In fact, we can look at using this as part of our
healing efforts!”

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Courage was emboldened by the support. He cleared his throat and spoke more confidently “Right,
Malhar. Perhaps what Faith meant is that not only were some of us messing up by doing wrong or
careless things, but others were contributing to the damage by just focusing on the negatives. I mean,
we know that many of the Masters have been meditating to try and hold off the negative energies.
So just as they made a conscious effort to change what manifests…. The unawakened have made
things worse by focusing their energies on conscious and unconscious fears.”

This profound proposition was met with complete silence that unnerved Courage. He weakly looked
for support from Faith “Right? Is that what you meant?”

Faith looked distraught and nodded. “Yes! I guess you just spelt it out more clearly. Oh but this
can‟t be good! I mean how can we possibly undo all the damage? Ever? There are so many people
still living in fear and we can‟t possibly get all of them awakened in time, can we? Oh what am I saying!
Look at me! I have all these fears myself. And I am also making it worse!” she ended almost in a wail.

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Her shaken state prompted Sneha into action. She swiftly turned to Faith and gave her a
comforting hug. Then holding her palms firmly in her hand, she focused a calming intention on Faith
until she grew less agitated. Sneha spoke in a firm and confident voice “Faith! Get a hold on
yourself. This is part of your Personal Lesson Plan, remember? Calm down. It‟s a good thing we are
having this discussion. We all know that identifying the true problem is half the problem solved!
Right?” She forced Faith to look directly into her eyes and nod her agreement. “Right. So we have
found one of the contributing factors nice and early. Even before we got there! This is a good
thing!” She looked around prompting others to express concurrence.

Malhar had tapped quietly on his EFT* points and was far more composed now. He stepped up in a
mature fashion and spoke in an encouraging tone, “Absolutely right Sneha. Faith, I apologize for my
impatience. Don‟t give up before we have even started! Look at this as an opportunity! Discussing
the grave impact of our thoughts and words is in fact showing us that we need to be most careful on
how we think and what we say! You do want to turn this thing around don‟t you?”

Faith nodded weakly.

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“Then as Mahatma Gandhi famously said, „Be the change you want to see in the world‟! Come on,
smile now…” he urged her. Looking at her disconsolate face, he was struck by a brain wave.

“Faith, you are put in charge of arranging positive thought sessions for this project.” Everyone
looked at him doubtfully, as though he had finally taken leave of his senses. “No, no… don‟t be
alarmed! It will be great for the group, as well as for your own Personal Lesson Plan!” he beamed,
completely happy with his inspiration. “You will lead meditation and intention practices to focus the
manifestation of our healing intents for Project Green Field. This will be one of the ways in which we
are going to deal with this problem. To support you in this regard, you will have the help of …” he
looked around the group, hoping for inspiration to strike a second time. But Humility spoke up
before that could happen, “I will help her.”

A little surprised to have a volunteer and that too the snobbish Humility, Malhar nevertheless
agreed. Faith gathered herself together and took a deep breath and declared “All right then. You
are totally right Malhar. I thank you for the opportunity. I will work on this with utmost sincerity.

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Thanks Humility,” she nodded in his direction. Humility gave a curt acknowledgement and turning
away, began walking again. The others started after him.

Malhar caught up with him and said under his breath, “Thanks for volunteering… but she is not yet
strong enough. I hope you will not let us all… let her down? I mean, don‟t let your …attitude… get in the
way…”

Humility interrupted the advice brusquely, “I know what I am doing. She is the only one who is able to
communicate with me without being bothered by…my arrogance,” he reluctantly admitted through
clenched teeth. “She will be good for me.” Turning red he corrected himself, “I mean she will be a
good help for my Personal Lesson Plan too… we will help each other.” He ended abruptly, by now
completely embarrassed.

Malhar was first surprised by this sudden honest admission, then a little amused. Smilingly, he patted
Humility‟s back and said “Bro, we are all going to get there… looks like we are all determined enough

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to get beyond our challenges.” Humility looked back at the warm and open face and allowed himself
to relax. He smiled back and held up his hand in a high five for Malhar.

They continued with renewed enthusiasm on their journey. Soon they reached the bend in the river.
Malhar and Humility, who were in the lead came to a halt and others gathered around them.

They all looked around appreciatively at the small shady nook they had reached. The trees were tall
with widespread branches and swinging movements hinted at the monkeys that were discretely
keeping a watch on the visitors. The dampness in the air had a distinct earthy fragrance and they all
breathed it in deeply.

Giving a sigh of contentment, Sneha sat down on the grass and softly acknowledged the beauty,
“Wow. This feels so good!”

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Earnest joined her and stretched out his legs. Leaning back on his hands, he turned his head upward.
“Wow indeed! I could gaze at this greenery endlessly! Its amazing… and the music! Listen…” he
gestured to everyone to be silent.

Earnest was right. There was the distinct melody of the swiftly flowing water gurgling over and
between rocks. They all settled around the clearing to enjoy the moment.

Lulled by their state of quiet appreciation, some of them automatically settled into reflective states.
Sensing the change in energy, Quiet asked Malhar if they should carry this state to its natural
conclusion – a grounding exercise. Malhar readily agreed. So Quiet began guiding the group
through the steps.

“Close your eyes half-way. Focus on a branch, leaf or flower. Breathe in the beauty of this object.
Your eyes drink in its beauty, your nose recognizes the rich fragrance… become aware of the firm
earth and flexible grass supporting your body… holding you to the strong heart of mother nature
herself! Relax.”

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A peaceful silence has descended on the group.

“Remember the gentle sunrays pouring down through the gaps in the trees. Imagine the energy
flowing in through your crown chakra and downwards… all the way down your spine. Pay attention to
the warmth in your tail bone. Now imagine the light continuing down, deep into the ground. Deeper
and deeper. Through the layers of soil and stone, through the underground rivulets… all the way to
the core of the earth. Let yourself be a conduit for this invigorating energy… helping it reach the very
depths of earth. Sense the expansion of the strong earth energies. The tentacles of the energy
grow back upwards… higher and higher… reaching the roots of the trees… up its stem… now reaching
each branch, leaf and flower…flowing back freely into the air and upwards, back to their source, back
to the sun.”

As each one them imagined being a part of this ethereal, never ending loop of transforming and
connecting energies, their faces relaxed into calm and divine expressions of peace. Truly feeling one
with nature, they were overcome with love and gratitude for their fertile surroundings.

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One by one, they slowly opened their eyes and smiled at each other, reveling in the shared
experience. Stretching languorously, they gradually stood up and wordlessly started towards the
river.

Splashing through the shallow bend, they crossed over to the other side. The cool, refreshing waters
sharpened the quiet senses and by the time they had reached their destination, their eyes were
sparkling and alert.

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Chapter V

The heightened awareness only made the shock more dramatic.

The meadow that stretched before their eyes was nothing like the one they had visited in virtual
reality. Ahead of them was a forlorn, desolate looking landscape that seemed to have had its very life
sucked out of it. Instead of lush greenery and wild flowers, there was ashen looking, tired topsoil.
Deep cracks in some places gave the appearance of old, unhealed wounds.

No butterflies, no flowers. Only a few straggling weeds greeted their dismayed eyes. Some of them
gave audible gasps. They began crossing the field, towards the patch of weathered banyan trees.
Many of them still stood upright, but looked dry with barely a few leaves on their drooping branches.
The vines were thin and loose and appeared weak enough to fall at the slightest touch.

Malhar stood at the edge of the trees and took a deep breath. He could sense his control ebbing
away. Memory was equally upset, and even more alarmed by Malhar‟s expression. She stood next to

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him and gently held his hand. He tried to regain his control by focusing on her appealing eyes.
Memory gently tapped the side of his hand to assist him in calming down. Emotional Freedom
Techniques! Please work… we can‟t have the team leader flying off like this again and again… Even
though Malhar is highly upset, I accept him‟ she thought to herself.

Malhar sighed and closed his eyes. He squeezed her hand in silent thanks and thought to himself, „I
am getting to used to this support… she reads me like a book!‟

Opening his eyes, he glanced around and saw that almost all of them looked dumbstruck and
overwhelmed. Quickly he called out, “Focus guys! Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through
your nose. Release through your mouth. Deep breath in. Release. Deep breath in. Release.”
Rapidly everyone began to regain their internal balance.

“Visualize the violet flame around you again. If its dark in any part, make sure you intend it back to full
strength.” He paused his speedy flow of instructions and studied everyone intently. The energy

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seemed to have settled again. “Okay! Open your eyes now and regroup!” They all gathered around
him. While they still looked unhappy, at least they felt more in control of themselves now.

Sneha spoke up first “Things really look bad here. There is barely any energy left! But we must be
grateful for whatever remains….” She gestured towards the boundaries and pointed out the stunted
aloe plants. “See? The aloe vera still grows! That means all is not lost! This place can still grow
back…” Weak smiles broke out at her observation.

“„Thanks Sneha! It is good to have something to appreciate!” laughed Memory softly.

Malhar gave her a quick appreciative look and smiled too. “Yes… that plant must be very strong to
survive all this!”

Akshay spoke up knowledgeably, “The aloe is a very hardy plant. And it cannot be a co-incidence
that it survives. It is known to be one of the most healing and beneficial plants known to man!”

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“How do you know that?” asked Humility skeptically.

Akshay responded, “My father is a botanist and my mother a naturopath. They have told me of its
many medicinal uses.”

“That‟s interesting! Tell us more. ” piped up Courage.

All of them turned attentively to learn more from Akshay.

Akshay was more than happy to have centre stage. “When you break the leaf, there is a sticky gel in
it. This gel has many different uses. Indigenously, it has been eaten as a remedy for coughs and
colds, digestive disorders, female diseases, etc… But the gel is excellent for most skin diseases and
wounds. You can apply it to wounds and burns to make them heal faster. In fact, they had discovered
that one of the best remedies for even radiation burns is the application of aloe vera gel!”

Murmurs of appreciation and wonder went around.

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“Amazing stuff… and to think that this plant grows all over the place and we don‟t know about its many
uses!” laughed Sneha, “In fact, I only knew aloe to be an ingredient in many beauty products like
soaps, shampoos and moisturizers!”

She was amused at her own ignorance and giggled at Earnest. He looked on with an indulgent
expression.

Akshay went on, proud of himself, “There are more uses. An aloe gel pack can be applied to the
knees for relief from arthritic pain…”

“Hey! Thanks Akshay! I will pass that on to my family. My grandmother has severe arthritis.
Maybe it will help her!” said Malhar enthusiastically.

“Speaking of medicinal uses, it‟s time to come up with some ideas folks!” Humility said grimly.

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“To begin with, maybe we should just take a recording of this place and head back to the school now?
I mean, the school energy is more conducive to healing!” suggested Quiet.

“Yes, but before we leave, all of us also need to make our own energetic scans of the place. That
information is more crucial than the visual recording!” said Faith.

Malhar and Earnest nodded their agreement. “Absolutely. You have 15 minutes to do your own
diagnosis and make any notes you want. Then we head back.”

Quiet pulled out the handheld digital recorder he had brought along and began a meticulous virtual
capture of the landscape.

Others wandered around, each one making his or her own observations in accordance with their own
skills.

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Memory pulled out her digital voice recorder and began to speak quietly into it, as she walked around.
Passion wandered over to her side and silently gestured questioningly at the recorder. Memory
paused her recording and said bemusedly “It‟s to help me with my memory”.

“How does that work? You rely on all the gadgets for your recall? But then how will your memory
improve?”

Memory looked troubled. “Well, I thought I have to find a way to retain memories, so this seemed like a
good idea. But now, you have me wondering again!”

Malhar, never too far from Memory, had overheard the exchange. “Don‟t worry Memory, you are on
the right track. Just try a minor modification. Instead of listening to the recording, why don‟t you first
write out whatever you remember when you get back and then check the recording to see what got left
out?”

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“Hmm… not a bad suggestion! I saw you tapping on Malhar earlier. So clearly, you are familiar with
EFT*. Haven‟t you tried it for improving your memory?” asked Passion, grinning at Memory‟s
embarrassed, downcast look.

“No!” she exclaimed. “I have only used EFT * for releasing negative emotions like anger, sadness,
etc…! This is something new. How does one do that?”

Passion authoritatively answered, “It‟s easy you know. After using EFT* to go from negative to
neutral, keep on tapping to instill a positive.” She laughed at Memory‟s bewildered look.

“What is negative and positive about my recall?”

Inspired, Passion excitedly said “Tap on your energy points with an affirmation like I choose to have a
photographic memory! The „negative‟ image recall will be replaced by a „positive‟ print!” She burst
into laughter at her own pun.

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Memory looked at her like she had gone nuts. “It‟s a great suggestion! But what is so funny?”

Malhar looked on indulgently. “You may not remember, but in the olden days, before digital
photography, there used to be a way to capture images on physical film. The exposed film was called
a negative and the picture printed from it was … well like a „positive‟! Very funny, Passion!” He grinned
at both of them.

They all burst out into laughter and drew curious glances from others. Quick smiles spread around
the ground, as they all felt grateful for being able to laugh in such a surrounding.

Faith was the only one who missed this entire episode completely. She had seated herself quietly in
the center of the meadow and appeared to be meditating with her eyes closed. In fact, she had shut
her five senses and was completely focused on the inputs from her sixth, telepathic sense. Mentally,
she was casting a light-like beam in a broad radius, slowly moving across the ground. She paid
particular attention to the dark spots that appeared on this imaginary radar. She took her time and
only opened her eyes after she had scanned the entire scene twice in her mind. With her eyes she

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now sought out the areas where she had noticed dark patches. Nodding thoughtfully to herself, she
pulled out her diary and began to make a doodle like depiction of all that she had noticed.

Courage wandered over to her side and dropped down next to her, as she sketched away. He
peered into her diary and also began nodding his head in agreement. Humility strode over to them
and asked in an amused tone, “Can you two hear some music that we can‟t?”

Courage looked up with an annoyed look and was about to retort, when Faith calmly replied, looking
directly into Humility‟s eyes, “I suppose we can. We certainly seem to agree on the energy
observations, so perhaps we are well in tune with each other?”

Humility froze at the even tone. Thrusting his hands in his pocket, he cleared his throat and tried a
fresh start. “I meant what is it that you two are nodding over?”

Courage couldn‟t resist pointing out that he could have asked such a question simply enough.
Looking at Humility‟ obvious discomfort, he moved on and continued as though they had just started

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the conversation. “I see that Faith has picked out several areas of darkness in her scan. They
happen to be in complete agreement with the „energy plummets‟ I experienced during my walk around
the place.”

Faith and Humility were intrigued and asked him to explain. “My way of scanning the place is to pay
attention to my energy at each spot. Wherever there is life, positivity and vibrance, I feel energetic
and invigorated. Places having negativity tend to make me feel tired and low.”

“Oh my!” exclaimed Faith, “But that‟s such a dangerous way to go! That means you are letting your
own aura be influenced by the vibe around you! Are you sure that is a good thing for you to do?”

Courage shrugged his shoulders helplessly. “That‟s just the way it has been. As far back as I can
remember. I can‟t say I am happy about it. But what can I do? That‟s just the way my system
responds!”

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Faith looked even more troubled. “I think you need to discuss this with one of the Masters. Perhaps
they can teach you how to stop…”

“But I don‟t want it to stop! It‟s my way of gauging things and it so useful for me! Though I have to
admit, it can be pretty scary when you encounter negative vibes of high intensity.” Courage gave a
frustrated shake of his fists. “But you are right. I must seek guidance on this issue!”

Humility studied him sympathetically and hesitantly offered an olive branch, “May be the Masters will
help you to use the skill without allowing it to affect you as much as it does now?”

Courage recognized the improvement in Humility‟s tone and put out his hand to him, for assistance to
stand up. As Humility pulled him to his feet, Courage said hopefully, “Yes, may be some solution will
be found. No problem exists without its solution! Its only a matter of finding it.”

He smiled at them both and they slapped high fives and looked around the landscape. Faith took a
deep breath and repeated, “Its only a matter of finding it!”

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Malhar, Memory and Passion also gravitated towards them. Malhar called out to everyone to
regroup. “Have you all finished taking your notes and scans?” He waited to see if everyone was
ready to leave. Akshay was busy trying to stop the aloe leaf he had picked up from dripping on him.
Malhar waited patiently for him to look up and nod his assent as well.

“Then we are done here, for today. Let us head back. We should reach back in time for lunch.”

The group started back slowly, weighed down by the magnitude of the task set before them.

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 From Master Serenity‟s Notes
Chakra Cleansing Exercise

• Visualize Emerald green light surrounding you completely

• Allow foamy white light to enter through the top of your head,
down throughout your body. Watch out for the ‘dark spots’ and make
sure they clear completely!
• Imagine your root chakra being polished into a shiny red jewel
• Imagine your sacral chakra sparkling like a bright orange crystal.
• Imagine your solar plexus glowing as a bright yellow orb
• The heart chakra is now a bright, vibrant green emerald, or pink
quartz(whatever you prefer)
• The throat chakra polished into a blue sparkling crystal.
• Now the third eye is cleaned and sharpened into a powerful
indigo laser

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• Finally the crown chakra at the top of your head is a clear, vibrant
violet gem.
• Cover yourself completely in the beautiful violet flame.
• Now seal in this beautiful divine and clear energy with the divine
gold light!
(Excellent exercise to be practiced every morning and night !)

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Chapter VI

The week passed rapidly. Everyone had more than enough work to do. Honing newly learned skills,
while keeping up with the more conventional subjects was proving to be a challenging task. Besides,
Project Green Field was weighing heavily on everyone‟s minds.

Under the circumstances, Friday‟s class with Patience was a much awaited event. The first class with
the youngest teacher had sparked much debate and each of the students was keen to have first hand
experience of Recall.

Patience strode into the room with characteristic aplomb. Though he stood silently for a minute, his
twinkling eyes reflected the same enthusiasm as his restless students.

“Good morning! I can see you are all doing well.” He deliberately spoke softly for dramatic effect.
The students hushed so as to hear him clearly. Rubbing his hands together, he smiled, “So are we
ready to make some progress backwards?” in a louder voice.

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He was greeted by chuckles and cries of agreement.

“All right, then. First things first. There are some clear, categorical rules to this class. As we
discussed last time, there may be several reasons for your having chosen to forget your past lives.
And we do not want to stir up a hornet‟s nest at these initial stages. Hence, rule number one, and it is
a very important one,” he paused for emphasis, “Very important, that before each exercise you
conduct, whether in class or outside, that you set a clear intention to access only that memory which is
relevant, important and appropriate at this point.” Several heads nodded in agreement.

Courage was clearly looking uncomfortable. Patience shot him a reassuring smile and went on,
“Despite this, you may access a disturbing memory. But do not be alarmed. After setting this
intention, be assured, that anything that comes up, you will be equipped to deal with it. The universe
never presents us a challenge, without also providing the solution. However, you may have to look for
it. The help may be apparent within your own abilities, or be available in the form of a friend, teacher
or perhaps even a book or a movie! But it will be there. Believe me.

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Next, understand that there are no co-incidences. So this particular class has come together for a
reason, myself included.” The students stirred again and murmurs of confused questions began
making the rounds.

Patience held up his hand for silence and continued, “No, there is no declared agenda or any
conspiracy behind your backs!” he grinned mischievously. “What I mean is that everything happens for
a reason. There is a GOD or grand overall design to things, you know…” there were appreciate
chuckles, but Patience went on, “… and very often, we as the actors of this grand drama, are the last to
know the whole script. Would take away the suspense and the fun of the whole thing, I suppose!” he
laughed. “So even I do not know what is going to unfold, so be prepared!” he looked slowly around
the room, “‟Coz crazy stuff may happen!”

Faith was squirming now and couldn‟t resist speaking up, “What do you mean, sir? What crazy stuff?
This is all getting rather weird!”

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Courage immediately took the opportunity to add his two bit, “Yes… it all sounds very…
unpredictable…and worrying!”

Patience was prepared for such reactions. After all, he had provoked them.

“Courage… listen to me well. One of the most important things for you to accept is that things
happen… things change! And not knowing what is going to happen should not be scary! It should be
exciting! Tell me, if you knew every little thing that was going to happen in my class, would you bother
to attend?”

Courage stood silently with a downcast expression. After a moment, he responded softly, “No, I
mean… well, I would rather not. It would be too boring I suppose.”

“Exactly!” exclaimed Patience happily, “It would be boring if it was all so predictable, right? So then
why should the unpredictable make it worrying for you? It‟s all a matter of perspective my friend! Its
up to you… how you want to see this life… as a fun adventure, with its ups and downs… or something

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unknown and hence frightening! Tell me… do you follow any sport?” He could see that Courage still
needed some convincing.

“I do watch the cricket league matches.”

“Right, so should I tell you exactly how each of the remaining matches are going to proceed?”

“No!” quickly exclaimed Courage. “I make sure not to see the news, when I plan to catch a missed
match recording! So no… please don‟t ruin the season for me!” as understanding dawned, his face
grew impassioned.

“Right! Now tell me Courage, who is your favorite team?”

“Crusaders” he replied promptly. A buzz of low arguments started in the room, with each one now
having an opinion on the best team.

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“So would you like Crusaders to win every match?”

“Yeah… that would be great”

“But does that always happen?”

His sheepish “Nyah…” was accompanied by short bursts of laughter from others.

“So does the world come to an end when the Crusaders lose?” smiled Patience.

“Well for some time it sure feels like that!” admitted the ardent fan, but continued more sanely, “But
then I get over it. Life goes on! There is always another match”

“Beautiful! Beautiful! Now just use that same attitude with your own journeys…” Patience gestured
Courage to sit and continued, “Things don‟t always go according to plan.” Students started making
notes, sensing that this was important. “We play the game of life. Sometimes we win. Sometimes we

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lose. At the end of the day, we go home. And though it may feel like the world has ended… or at least
that life,” he winked, “The truth of the matter is… its Okay! We are always Okay! The essence or
soul remains untouched, no matter what it has endured. And therein lies the beauty of the game.” He
paused. “Remember what I told you last time about game scores?”

“Yes, we keep trying to improve the score in different lifetimes!” quickly responded Earnest.

“Correct! In between games we rest. We re-evaluate and analyze the game we played. See what we
could have done differently, what we could do better. Consider different strategies, team mates,
techniques… all that. And then what do we do?” he looked around the thoughtful faces.

“Life goes on! We come around to an exciting new match!” Some of the students spontaneously
applauded.

“So the second important rule is to remember…?” he paused expectantly.

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Faith piped up “Life goes on?”

“Yes, that is part of it, but can you expand on that? What does that mean to you, your soul?”

Faith frowned with concentration and then her brow cleared, “Oh Life goes on, and so does the
soul… untouched, unhurt?”

Patience clapped his hands together demonstrating his satisfaction, “Right! No matter what
memories turn up, remember that you – your essence are always safe, always perfect! Take that
down…. No matter what you „experienced‟, did, saw, felt… no matter what!” he paused and wagged his
index finger to stress his point, “It was all a game, or a role… so do not get lost in that story again!” He
stopped, giving them a chance to finish typing their notes.

“Am I clear?” Serious faces nodded in agreement.

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“And be aware, that this is not only about what happened to you, but also what you did to others!”
Looking around at the startled expressions, he smiled compassionately, “Yes, don‟t think that you
have all lived only saintly roles. God knows, how much mischief you have been up to in this lifetime
alone,” he widened his eyes, raised his eyebrows and shook his head smiling to lighten his words.

“Which brings me to rule number three: be compassionate with yourself and others… we have all made
our fair share of mistakes. So don‟t be unkind and intolerant towards yourself, nor another.”

Heads bobbed again in agreement.

“As I said, we are now opening Pandora‟s box! GOD knows what will jump out. It is highly likely that
you will encounter souls from your Recalls in this very room…” He waited until the excited buzz died
down. “As I said, there are no co-incidences. We are all together for a reason. Many of you will
have completions to make, to balance the give and take between each other. However, this can get a
little awkward too. For example your sister from a Recall may at present be the girl who has a crush on
you.” There were a few horrified reactions to his words and he waved his hands to silence them. “Yes,

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this is highly awkward and weird… but believe me… this was a mild example of what you are getting into.
And though you all are fairly young, it is essential that I warn you of such pitfalls, so that you respond
in a mature fashion.”

He went on with uncharacteristic seriousness. “It is important to remember that the soul is simply
assuming different bodies through different lifetimes, exactly as though they were acting roles. So
just like it is alright for a hero to have his real life wife acting as his mother in a movie, such interchange
of roles do take place over different lifetimes. In fact, it is rather unavoidable.” Judging the buzzing
mood of the room, Patience decided to invite participation. “Can anyone explain why this is
unavoidable?”

Memory looked around and hesitantly raised her hand. “Yes Memory!” Patience encouraged her.

“Sir, I have done some study in this subject… to help myself understand my own memory issues, and
from what I gathered… we all belong to soul groups or soul families… and we make soul agreements to
play out our lives and help each other learn our Personal Lesson Plans in each life. So as we assign

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and exchange roles for each other, it is inevitable that the same soul group people will play different
roles in your different lives. So I suppose, a mother from one life could easily be the girlfriend in
another.” She ended with a colored face.

“Very good Memory! And it would be advisable for all of you to be as matter of fact about this as
Memory is trying to be. You are all mature and are here because you are committed to higher
learning.” This silenced the few sniggers that had sounded at the back of the classroom.

Patience continued gravely. “So this brings us to rule number four: Behavior must always be
appropriate to your current life roles. Be an observer of your Recall and do not identify with it! If
you have difficulty with this and find the emotions confusing or overwhelming, please come to me
immediately for assistance. Is that clear?” He looked at each student to ensure that he had their
attentive agreement.

“Rule five is a corollary to rule four. It is entirely possible that you may have a Recall, while another
party involved in that Recall, has no recollection whatsoever at this point. The other person may have

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other issues that are more relevant to their Personal Lesson Plan at the moment. Or he or she may
have even resolved your interaction completely at their end. Because of this, you are not to share the
identity of people from your Recall with any other student. You may ask a person if they are open to
hearing your Recall about him or her. If and only if you obtain explicit permission from the concerned
person, you may share details of the Recall. Further disclosure of this identity to others is allowed
only if both of you are comfortable with letting others know the involved roles and identities. You may
however, confide or seek the assistance of any Master, at any point. Is that understood?”

Akshay raised a doubtful hand and was asked to speak. “But … how on earth do we know their
identity? Even if it is someone I know from this life, wont that person look different in a Recall?”

“Good question Akshay! Who would like to answer him?” asked the now less serious Patience.

Passion put up her hand and answered “That‟s easy… their eyes.” She said in a flat tone. Sneha
nudged Passion with her elbow and gave her a chiding glance, “It‟s the depth of the eyes that reveal

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the true nature of the person, you know. No matter what body it assumes, eyes are windows to the
soul!” she ended reflectively.

“Absolutely right! When you want to recognize someone, look deep into their eyes for just a few
seconds.” Nervous giggles broke out again. Patience continued lightly, “Be careful though, looking
long enough can easily lead to falling in love.” Laughter erupted. “No, no! I am serious… what is love
but the recognition of the oneness that we all share? Look long enough and hard enough… and you
will surely find it!”

The nervous excitement of the animated teens won and Patience also ended with a light laugh.

“I am glad to see all of you enjoying yourselves… in fact, this brings me to the last, but not the least
important rule!” Patience looked around the room till it again fell silent. “Can anyone guess?”
Patience invited.

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“Well, you probably won‟t hear any other Master saying this about his or her course,” he spoke in a
low, conspiratorial tone, “But I must remind you not to take this course too seriously!” His dramatic
declaration was greeted by astounded faces.

“Whatever do you mean?” spluttered Faith. She was getting quite exasperated with all these
doubting Masters. How on earth was one to grow in confidence and belief, if all the time there were
instructions to the contrary?

Patience held up his hands to calm the growing restlessness. “That‟s rule number six – Don‟t take
Recall sooo seriously! Now calm down all of you. What did I tell you all about Advanced
Metaphysics on day one? Does any one remember?”

Humility raised his hand to answer, “Yes, that time and space is an illusion. We should always bear
that in mind.” He paused and went on. “I did have some doubts about how one is to reconcile Recall
with that!”

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“Very good Humility,” nodded Patience in agreement. “And I was hoping that one of you would bring
that up yourselves.” The students looked suitably embarrassed. He continued, “Since time is
actually an illusion, effectively, the only moment there is, is the here and now. Get that? Everything is
simultaneously co-existing… all possible times and spaces are potentials that manifest, as per where
our attention goes in the moment. Like many movies running in a multiplex? All the shows are on
simultaneously, but you only experience the one running in the theatre you chose to enter.” He
paused, seeing that for many students, this was beyond their depth.

“Don‟t worry, even if you don‟t understand right now,” he smiled to lighten the mood. “These
understandings are known in the experience. For now, suffice it to say that Recall, while very true and
real in it‟s own way, is only valid at a certain level of operation.”

The students still looked bewildered, but he determinedly plodded on explaining the difficult concept
of simultaneous levels of theory and Operational Knowing. “See, for one who is fully awakened, his
knowing is operating at the highest level and he can not only know, but experience all time and space
to exist within this one moment. However, this is not the same for all. For example, for students like

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us,” he paused for them to notice that he still considered himself a student, “We may be aware of the
theory and understand or accept it. Nevertheless, our being is operating at the level of linear time,
discrete space and its consequential history. Hence, for us, Recall lives are real, time-lined discrete
events. Are you with me?”

At last, some of them seemed to have an inkling of what he was explaining.

“So while it is true and valid that past lives and their Recall are real, important lessons for us to learn
from, at the same time, we should also hold these lightly. Somewhere, at the back of your mind, be
aware, that all this is an illusion after all. Got it? And for those of you having difficulty in holding this
paradox, consider Recall as a message from your Higher Self, drawing your own attention to what
within you needs healing. How „real‟ it was or is, is less important than the understanding that you
draw from the story. Is that clear?”

Satisfied with the slow nods of agreement that he received, Patience thought it was alright to move
on.

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“Right, so I know you were all eager for a Recall experience, but as you have seen these rules are
critical … so before we wrap up for the day, lets go over them one more time…”

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From Passion‟s Notes

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122
Chapter VII

“Good afternoon everyone,” started Malhar loudly, attempting to get the entire class‟s attention.
Gradually people ambled over to seating positions and settled in a circle around the small
ampitheatre.

Malhar stood tall at the center, next to the 3D hologram display space, holding his mobile personal
assistant like a magic wand, waving it around to emphasize his words as he began passionately. “We
have had one week to gather and study all the inputs we could manage in that time. Many of you have
come and shared your apprehensions with me during this period. So to start with, I would like to deal
with these doubts head-on.” He paused briefly, while many of them exchanged despondent glances
and some shook their head in helplessness.

“As we concluded on our recon walk, largely thanks to Faith,” he nodded her way in
acknowledgement, “Our attitude is of critical importance. We cannot make headway if we are going

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to believe the task impossible! Do remember – it is not impossible, but I‟m Possible! And it is up to us
to prove this precept true to ourselves. Not only for the sake of Project Green Fields and our
successful graduation, but also for our own Personal Lesson Plan! Come on guys, this is an
opportunity to implement all that we have been taught.

If there are any doubts, let us clear those stumbling blocks right now. I would like each of you to write
down your difficulty in believing we can do this, along with specific doubts as to what will come in the
way. Whether it is „the task is too difficult‟, „we aren‟t good enough‟, „Malhar is not capable enough‟,”
he paused and looked piercingly at a couple of guilty faces. “Yes, be honest, what ever is your limiting
belief! Without honesty, there can be no progress. Denying or hiding from a thought does not make
it go away. So lets all be open here, Okay?”

Heads nodded in agreement and everyone began to type into their devices. After a good ten
minutes, Malhar invited a volunteer to conduct the Wholeness Access Technique process. Akshay
volunteered and was invited to the center of the room. Malhar took a seat nearest him and gestured
Akshay to begin.

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Akshay cleared his throat and started in a low, hypnotic tone. “Sit comfortably or lie down. Close
your eyes. Relax yourself completely.” He looked around to check everyone‟s progress. They had
all rapidly settled into a calm state.

“Place one open hand behind your head and another in front of your face, covering your forehead
and eyes. Make sure that lower edge of the hand in front and the top edge of the hand behind are
both in line with the top of your ear lobes, with the thumb at the back placed at the bottom of the skull.
Good. Take a deep breath. Relax.

This healing will return you to wholeness, your essence, your perfection. Be yourself. Be love. Be
light. Be.”

He paused and waited for his intuition to guide him. For a moment, he was distracted by his own
thoughts as to how important this whole project was and whether he should have volunteered to

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conduct this process. But he was well trained in the practice and allowed the thought to pass without
resistance. He waited for his body to relax before starting again.

Pausing for a few minutes between each statement, he guided them through the steps.

“I allowed myself to believe these limiting beliefs.”

“I allowed the illusion of helplessness and fear to overcome me.”

“I forgot my true potential.”

“For all this I forgive myself.”

“I now release all cellular memories, future programs and auric imprints of these limiting beliefs,
completely and permanently.”

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“I thank them for drawing my attention to what needs to be done.”

“I love and accept all parts of myself without judgment.”

“I lovingly acknowledge and integrate all parts of my doubting self and by that very act, I restore them
to full faith.”

“I am grateful for this experience of learning and growth.”

“I am wholly capable of dealing appropriately with the challenge on hand.”

“I invite into myself divine inspiration and creative action.”

“Please exchange your hands from back to front.” Everyone obeyed, their eyes still closed.

“I reclaim my wholeness. And so it is. And so it is. And so it is.”

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“Pin your ears back to the skull now”

Pausing for another minute, Akshay continued softly, “Please put your hands down and keep your
eyes closed for a few minutes.”

Gradually, they returned to movement and soft talk. Faces glowing, eyes sparkling with quiet
confidence, the room felt lighter with their renewed enthusiasm. They moved around to replenish their
thirst with cool water and then settled back to begin discussions.

“Thank you Akshay! That was really good.” smiled Earnest, who had now taken the lead. “To start
with, I have sent you all files showing collated data on our individual scans. Though the entire parcel
of land is low energy, as you can see from the overlaid grids, there are three clear areas of energy
drainage that most of us have agreed upon.”

Peering at the screens, murmurs of agreement went around.

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Faith couldn‟t help exclaiming, “Why, I seem to have mapped exactly the same areas… hmmm. This is
good!”

Humility, seated next to her, raised a questioning eyebrow. “Pray how are all those dark areas good?”

Faith was suitably chastened, but responded defiantly “Look, I always doubt all these extrasensory
inputs of mine… though they are always very strong and clear signals, I tend to wonder if its my
imagination. Now when I have 80 % of the class validating my scan, it really makes me more of a
believer. In my self…”

Quiet was eager to support her. “That‟s really good Faith. Exactly what you need to do… like
Master Kindness said… have the doubts, and find ways to verify things for yourself.”

Humility realized he too should encourage her, so added, “Yes, I can see how this darkness is leading
you to light.”

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Faith smiled and nodded her thanks to both of them and they all turned their attention back to
Earnest, who had continued speaking.

“… so one of the obvious things to do, is to do direct energy work to heal those leaks. So shall we
form a two member team for this function?”

“Three would be better,” voiced Courage. “A triad brings more stability and strength. And this is
pretty high energy work… so we should ask for volunteers.”

The suggestion was accepted without demur. Everyone already knew who the three would be, but
waited patiently for them to speak up themselves.

Like a true leader, Malhar raised his hand quietly. He looked askance at Memory, who hesitated, but
raised her hand as well. There were signs of some restlessness, while Courage kept his eyes
downcast. His idea in inviting volunteers was motivated partly by fear, and partly also by his

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newfound glimmers of courage. He had half hoped that there would be three others, but a part of him
knew he had to learn to face challenges without fear. Finally, he sighed and raised his hand and tried
for a more determined expression. There was a soft round of applause from those rooting for him.
He smiled weakly in response.

“Excellent… so Malhar, Memory and Courage will start daily sessions together. Say 6.30am?”
Earnest looked at the three for agreement, before making notes into his device.

“Next, what Malhar and I had thought was to take a look at what Humility and Quiet have
discovered.” He looked askance at the two and Quiet started to speak, but Humility placed a
restraining hand on his shoulder.

“We checked out the school library as well as the internet. Looks like all cleaning actions on the
physical plane have been taken..” He was interrupted by Quiet, who was eager to share details of
what they had learned. “Yes, the school has been quite diligent and innovative in their efforts. They

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have used the latest experimental technique for washing the top soil with a new combination of
agents…”

But, Quiet was cut off by Malhar shaking his head in impatience. Humility couldn‟t help glaring at
him as well and started again, “Well of course what we learned is highly cutting edge technology, but
we really don‟t have the time and need for a science lesson… that is not the task set before us.” Quiet
reluctantly backed off, understanding that there was much to be discussed as yet.

“So then should we move on to another perspective?” asked Earnest, ready to assume charge of the
meeting.

“No.” Humility shook his hand imperiously, indicating he was not done. “Let me finish.” Earnest
nodded an apology, realizing he had made a fundamental error, that of not allowing the person
speaking to complete voicing his piece. More than rudeness, to him it was another reminder of his
impatience to move on making him inattentive to the present moment. He made a special effort to
focus his full concentration on what was being said and the emotions behind it.

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Earnest immediately noted Humility‟s taut body language and abrupt, concise way of communicating.
Clearly, Humility had satisfied himself as to the veracity of what he was saying and was now looking
for his idea to be implemented.

Humility described the highlights of their research, “We have studied the studies done to examine the
effect of prayer on healing outcomes. Of course, we are all familiar with studies having proven how
prayers improve health in individuals, etc… But we discovered the photographs of ice crystals taken
by a Dr. Emoto*, many years ago… demonstrating the effect of the power of words on the physical
constitution of water.”

“Oh, yes!” exclaimed Sneha. “I have seen those snaps… how water labeled „love and gratitude‟ forms
beautiful, snow flake like crystals and those labeled „I will Kill you‟ form messy looking crystals!
Master Serenity wanted to show me the importance of being loving… how it impacts us all. We are all
seventy percent water after all!” she ended softly, because she realized she was taking the
conversation off track.

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But Humility was now determined to use the interruptions to his advantage. “Quite correct, Sneha.
So having seen the water crystals formed from prayer, love and music, I believe it will be of immense
value, if we not only send healing energies to the area,” gesturing towards Malhar, Memory and
Courage, “But also charge water with our intentions and use this for cultivating the land.”

“Oh that‟s a great idea! In fact….” Memory wrinkled her nose, lost in thought, “I am sure, there is a
specific healing system designed along those lines… Sai something…what was it…hmm”

There was a brief lull in the conversation, but then Passion spoke up, “Are you talking about the Sai
Sanjeevinis*?”

“Yes!” exclaimed Memory in gratitude.

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“Those were not designed along those lines, but came through someone‟s meditation much earlier.
However, you are right, the system is quite similar in concept and it even has something specific for
rejuvenating soil!” Passion was now getting excited at the possibilities.

“So how do we get hold of them?” questioned Malhar.

“You don‟t get hold of them, you make them yourselves. There are healing symbols for body and
disease parts, and as I said, also one for soil rejuvenation amongst other things. You place water or
any substance on the relevant symbols and pray for fifteen seconds. This charges the water with
prayer and healing energies. The whole system is available on the internet. We just need to
download it.”

“Wow, this is certainly a co-incidence… I mean with Humility and Quiet bringing in their information
and what you are saying…” said Sneha ponderingly.

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“There are no co-incidences,” smiled Memory, “Only synchronicities. Which leads me to believe that
we are on the right track… we should use the Sanjeevinis.”

Akshay asked “But are there any specific prayers that we are supposed to follow?”

“No,” replied Passion, “In fact you can use any prayers, faith or positive affirmations. Its eventually
about the healing intentions isn‟t it?” There were many nods of approval to that statement. Looking
askance towards Malhar, she waited for him to take the cue.

“Fine, that‟s a good addition to our protocol. Passion and Earnest, perhaps you could download the
relevant symbols for us and we can all sit in together for the praying or charging session day-after?”
Satisfied with the assent of everyone, he gestured to Earnest to continue.

“Okay, so now we have to look at the physical aspect of tilling the soil. It has been lying hard and
cracked and we need to run a tractor a couple of times over it. Deweeding, organic fertilizers and
grass seeds will also be required eventually. Perhaps scheduling that after about a week would be a

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good idea? So that the energy has been cleared to some extent?” He looked up from his notes to
see others‟ reactions.

“Yes, that sounds about right. Whom do we need to requisition all this from?” asked Humility.

“Well, the formalities are not so difficult. The problem is that we are supposed to pay for its use from
our own earnings!” announced Earnest.

“What? Where did that come from? I thought we were free to use any means available to us? As
students, we are not earning anything right now. What do they expect us to do?” Faith was upset at
this new challenge.

“I took the same questions to Master Kindness,” said Malhar, holding up his hand in an attempt to
quiet them all. “See, the amount involved is not very large. And Master explained to me, that the
school logic is that we should understand the effort involved in correcting errors of omission and
neglect to the earth. That we should understand the consequences of our collective behaviour.”

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“That‟s not fair at all!” exclaimed Sneha, “We weren‟t responsible for this mess… We should get
funds from the legal settlement or the school board....”

Humility stood up and silenced everyone with his glaring look, “We have gone over this kind of
conversation before. We are all collectively responsible for our environment. And if we sit around
pointing fingers towards those „who did it‟, then who is going to clean up the mess? Lets not waste
time in arguing over how „those people‟ should pay, because they certainly are not in the picture at the
moment. We are. And are we willing to be the change we want to see?”

He sat down as suddenly as he had intervened. There were some murmurs of protest, but they died
down shortly. This was not a group that was averse to claiming ownership. After all, this group was
determined to play a major part in turning the earth around.

“All right,” sighed Quiet, with an air of resignation. “What are we to do? How much money do we
need and how do we earn it?”

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“Well, if we all chip in, we need to collect about …” Earnest was looking at his notes and reading aloud

“And how are we to earn that money? I suppose there is a lesson in that too!” said Faith
sarcastically. Humility shot her an angry glance but kept quiet. She looked back defiantly, but soon
lowered her eyes in submission.

“Actually, yes.” Malhar‟s flat tone was met with groans of protest. “We are required to use those
skills that are preferably in alignment with our Personal Lesson Plan.”

“Oh wow! They really take this schooling business seriously don‟t they?” cried out Earnest. “I was
not aware of this condition!” His response provoked a round of laughter.

“Okay guys, the amount is not so bad. But how does this work?” asked Memory, when they settled
down again.

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Malhar was stuck for a moment, but then bluffed his way on, as though he had it all figured out
already. “Well, let us take your example – you have a problem with remembering things, so you could
earn some allowance, by taking on the job of reminding others about their assignments or deadlines…
or something like that.” He finished more weakly then he would have liked.

He got unexpected support from Faith, who agreed quickly, “Yes! That‟s a great idea… will really
motivate you to do your EFT and other stuff, to make sure you remember to remind others! Fine, I
can get my brother to hire your services. He is very careless with his client follow-ups… you just need
to mail or call him…” Memory was not thrilled at the prospect, but could see the wisdom in this
suggestion.

Faith‟s proposal sparked conversations of barters, offers and counter-offers in the group. Malhar
looked on with growing hope, marveling at how the Masters had placed such a useful assignment
within the primary project.

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Humility looked at him with the same understanding and they both smiled in recognition of each
other‟s thoughts. They silently exchanged a high five, celebrating the learning journey that they had
all embarked upon.

141
 From Master Serenity‟s Notes

Symbol Uses: Clear negative energy from space, food or body…

Place substance on symbol for 15 seconds to

cancel negative effects.

Stick on gadgets to reduce EMF harmful

effects..

On walls etc… to clear stagnant energy.

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Chapter VIII

Courage waited patiently outside Master Kindness‟s office. He twiddled his thumbs and his feet
tapped along with the beat of the music he had plugged into his ears. He was trying to use the
relaxation tracks to gather his thoughts before he met the Master.

Master Kindness opened his door and raised his eyebrows at the downcast head. Clapping his
hands together to get Courage‟s attention, he boomed loudly, “Come on through young man! Lets
get on with it!” signaling Courage to enter his office with a sweep of his hands.

Master Kindness settled himself comfortably into the deep, stuffed armchair he preferred. Courage
sat timidly at the edge of the chair opposite him.

“So things are progressing with your project I hear?” started Master.

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“Oh yes sir! We have already got a few action steps in place. In fact, that is one of the main reasons
for my being here…” Master encouraged him to go on with an attentive smile.

“One of the items we have decided upon, is that Malhar, Memory and myself, will be directing energy
clearing towards the site.” He swallowed hard, suddenly feeling parched and at a loss of words.

Master‟s eyes looked piercingly into him. Observing him silently, he rubbed his palms together
thoughtfully and asked “So you volunteered, eh?” Courage nodded weakly.

Master reached out and patted his back strongly, “Well done Courage! Well done! Looks like you
are moving along fairly quickly… I am happy to see your commitment to your Personal Lesson Plan!”
He smiled broadly at how Courage‟s face lit up with this encouragement.

“But Sir, I have a major problem with energy work…”

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“Major challenge…” corrected Master. “A challenge sharpens your skills and helps you move
forward. Tell me more….”

Courage paused to note the positive perception that Master had brought to his vexing habit. He
went on, “The thing is… for as long as I can remember, I sense the energy leaks or darkness by feeling
tired and low myself. While vibrant energies revitalize me. I have gotten used to this way of reading
auras and fields. But this time, we are dealing with a stronger drain then I have ever dealt with in the
past. Faith thought I should take this up with one of you…”

“Quite right, quite right…” said Master Kindness, with a thoughtful wrinkle on his forehead. “Tell me,
why haven‟t you addressed this before?”

Courage thought about it before answering. “I haven‟t had access to such experienced Masters till
now. I mean, I never took my family as seriously as I should have. But to be honest, I was alright with
this way of being. I began to think that this is the only way to develop awareness and if it means
getting low for a bit, so be it. That‟s the way its meant for me.”

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Master Kindness looked at him silently for several minutes. Courage began to feel restless and
looked around the room to avoid eye contact. He knew that the Master was waiting for him to realize
something, but he didn‟t have a clue as to what to say.

“The first thing we need to do is examine this belief my child! Do you really think this is true? That
the only way for you to develop awareness, is by going through lows yourself?”

“Yes!” said Courage quickly, but stopped short, when the Master shook his head and asked, “Are
you sure, that this is the only way for your awareness or sensing to grow?”

Courage was perplexed as to why the Master was stressing on „only‟. He was silent for a few
moments and finally responded, “Well, that‟s what I have believed so far. Because I did not know any
other way… that has been my experience.”

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“Excellent! You see that your belief has been based on your past experience. But this belief is itself
now coming in the way of a fresh experience or approach! Do you understand?”

Courage nodded slowly, trying to keep up with the Master.

“Before I teach you any other means of accessing scan information, I need you to see how your own
belief can interfere with successfully adopting any other technique. Understand that your belief is
creating your reality. Nothing else was available to you, because you had shut out that option from
your own possibilities. The moment you came up against a challenge of this magnitude, you realized
that you better find another solution. And voila, you are sitting here talking to me!”

Earnest began to smile in understanding. “Yes, the moment I was willing to look for a solution, there it
was… Faith prompting me…wow”

“Wow” mimicked Master Kindness happily. “So similarly, you need to understand, that while past
experience is a great teacher, and we formulate our beliefs and expectations on history, we are now

147
operating at very high frequencies. Change is at the speed of thought, so it is imperative that one
have the ability to start afresh in every moment! Learn the lessons, but leave the past behind. Don‟t
let it define your future!”

Earnest‟s eyes were lit up with wonder, imagining the exciting possibilities that could open up for a
person willing to allow newness into his vision. “Wow! That sounds so exciting!”

“It certainly is!” smiled Master. “Always remember this, „Don‟t Make Assumptions‟! So now I
repeat, is it true that this is the only way for you to grow in awareness?”

“No, I can‟t be sure of that. In fact, I am open to learning a new way of doing this!” said Courage
emphatically.

“Great… so now that you are willing, let me share a simple way for you to sense your environment.
Tell me, which pendulum chose you?”

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“Black Onyx” replied Courage.

Master grinned at the wisdom of the crystals. “Do you know what the black onyx specializes in?”

Courage shook his head in negation. “Can you guess?” Master was on the verge of laughter now.

Courage looked thoughtfully at him, trying to figure out the puzzle. “As the crystals choose us as per
our needs, and since I am so fearful most of the time… does it clear fear in some way?” he asked timidly.

“Aha! The black onyx is excellent at repelling negative energies and can be used as a protective
measure.” Master chortled at Courage‟s spellbound expression.

“Show it to me, you do have it with you?”

“Yes, here it is…” Courage took out the pendulum from his pocket with newfound respect.

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“Right, so hold it lightly” tutored the Master. “Steady, keep your hand steady. We have already
programmed it in class today, correct?”

“Yes,” confirmed Courage. “I have set it up so that clockwise rotation indicates „yes‟ and anti-
clockwise rotation gives a „no‟”.

“Then what questions does one ask? In order now…” questioned Master Kindness.

“May I ask you for help with this? Can you for help with this? Will you help with this?”

“Excellent! What have you named your new friend?” Courage was taken aback by this question and
stammered a response, “Wh-what do you mean? Its an object! It never occurred to me!”

Master shook his head ruefully, “Don‟t you want to establish a good relationship with it? Such a wise
and helpful piece! Wouldn‟t it be nice to give it a friendly name?”

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Courage nodded in thought, “Hmmm… okay, how about „Mon Ami‟?”

“Very nice, but check with the pendulum first!”

Courage took a deep breath and asked the pendulum, “Would you like to be called Mon Ami”.
There was an immediate movement and it quickly began to spin in large clockwise circles. Courage
gave a giggle of appreciation. He had a new friend!

“Now?”

Master Kindness started reeling off instructions.

“Now, you are going to learn to use the pendulum to guide you in your scanning. You will practice
invoking the violet flame at all times. You may call upon Archangel Michael 3 to cut any energetic
cords4 that connect you to other people or things, to prevent the energy drain you have experienced

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in the past. Always ask for this to be followed by healing emerald green light to close any aura leaks.
Got all that?” he paused to allow Courage to finish taking his notes.

“Good. Now how to use the pendulum: If you have a map, you can triangulate approximate areas,
requesting the pendulum to swing in three intersecting lines over the map. Or you can also do this on
the fields itself. At the perimeter, you go through the basic questions with Mon Ami and when all
three are affirmative, ask it „Is this area positive‟ or „Is there is an energy leak here‟ or „Is there negative
energy here‟…. So on and so forth. Make sure you frame your questions clearly so that they can be
answered with yes and no responses. Walk around, so that you can judge the perimeters of various
energy rises and dips in this manner.”

“Oh this is fantastic! Are you saying Mon Ami will help me map the areas so easily?” The pendulum
started a mild clockwise rotation. At Master‟s suggestion, Courage requested, “Please give me a
more clear answer.” The pendulum immediately amplified its motion into more energetic clockwise
circles. Courage felt a strong urge of affection and gratitude for the glistening globe. He thanked it
lovingly and put it back into its velvet pouch.

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“This is awesome Master. I am so grateful for your help!” Master Kindness beamed happily at him
and answered with a cryptic “This is only the beginning. Just see how much you and Mon Ami will
accomplish together! Bless you son, now get going… I have to go for my gratitude walk!”

“What‟s that sir?” Courage couldn‟t resist asking.

“Oh going for a walk in lovely surroundings, and showering my thanks and appreciation on all the
beauty still before me! Just as it is important to clear our messes, it is even more important to
appreciate what we do have, you know!” he smiled.

Courage agreed with a vehement nod and made a quick exit. He had plenty to share with his friends
and was grateful to have found the nerve to meet Master Kindness in private. “Ask and you shall
receive!” he thought to himself with a rueful smile.

153
 From Courage‟s Notes

Cord Cutting with Archangel Michael

Whenever you feel tired, drained or disturbed:

Imagine yourself surrounded in pink and white light.
Picture Archangel Michael standing tall above you with his
sparkling blue sword in his hand. Request him to swirl the
sword around you in swift, decisive whirls, cutting any
energetic cords that may be draining out your energies. See
the cords falling away easily and feel healing emerald green
light healing your entire aura. Take three deep breaths and
notice how rejuvenated you feel.
Thank Archangel Michael

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When you are experiencing strain or conflict in any relationship:
Imagine the other person in front of you. Surround yourselves
in pink and white light. Begin drawing an imaginary laser sharp
figure of eight with a coherent white light, so that each of you
are encircled in one of the loops. Keep tracing this figure the
same way you would draw an infinity sign, until it is thick and
strong. Now request Archangel Michael to cut this ‘eight’ so
that you both are in two separate circles of light. Imagine him
using his sword with one sharp, incisive move. Flood the both
of you with healing green light and Thank Archangel Michael.

Please note that unconditional love is never severed. Only the

dysfunctional cords get cut during this exercise. Repeat the
exercise as often as required. It usually brings about
significant improvement in the communication and relationship.

155
Chapter IX

Master Serenity was pleased to see that the young triad was punctual at this early hour.

Once they had all settled down with folded legs in front of her, she smiled and wished them, “A
beautiful, delightful morning my dears. Isn‟t it a lovely dawn?”

Malhar, Memory and Courage were all fresh and alert already. “Certainly is Madam, and we can‟t
tell you how much we appreciate your sitting in with us for our first healing session.” Malhar paused
and swallowed to clear the emotion from his throat.

“Yes ma‟m, this means a lot to us. All this is a bit… well it‟s a huge project for us to start with!” ended
Memory softly.

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But Courage was determined to reinforce everyone‟s faith and enthusiasm. “Of course, we are
confident we can deal with it. If we have been brought to it, we will be brought through it, right ma‟m?
And with all you Masters being so helpful, of course we will overcome this challenge with ease.” He
ended on a high note, feeling a little self-conscious after this ambitious declaration.

Master Serenity smiled for a long moment, taking in all their different emotions. A natural healer, her
very presence invoked peaceful stillness in their fast beating hearts.

Looking fondly at each one, she remarked, “Yes, all will be well. But you should try and relax as much
as possible. Remember, any intention should be held with ease, lightly. Do you know why?”

Memory chose to answer for them. “Because it may not happen the way you want it to?”

“Yes, that is always possible, and how does that come about my dear? Considering this is a planet of
free will? How does anything happen against your conscious choice?”

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“Obviously, one way is that your sub-conscious choice overrides your conscious one. So for
example, even if I want to get well, my subconscious may see advantage in continuing to be sick as I
don‟t have to attend classes!” answered Courage.

“Very good! Those are fundamental errors and we already discussed this in the last class. What else
could be the reason?” Master Serenity probed patiently.

Malhar answered thoughtfully, “Is it the tag line we add to any intention? „but let the highest prevail‟?”

“Tag line! Aren‟t you taking that a bit too lightly my dear?” chided Master. “It‟s a critical part of
framing any intention. What is the reason we include it?”

Malhar reddened, “No, I understand its importance of course. Any intention is based on our own
desires, knowledge and understanding of the moment. And as we do not have access to all
information as yet, the outcome we are intending for may not be the best or in the highest of all. So

158
naturally, as a precautionary measure, we add this phrase to ensure that despite whatever our current
wishes may be, let the best possible outcome take place.”

“Good,” nodded Master. “But the importance lies in meaning this phrase. Because only when you
mean it, are you truly in divine connect and are willing to accept that what you want may not happen…
do you get that?”

Malhar paused thoughtfully, before agreeing. “Yes, I now understand what you mean by intend
„lightly‟. I should not be attached to the outcome.”

“Look, there are always options, so its not like you „should‟ or „must‟, but if you want to grow in
awareness, yes, there is more merit in being detached from the outcome. In fact, it means being totally
okay about what you intend not happening at all! Can anyone now tell me, what will happen if I remain
fixated on my intention, rather than being open to the highest?”

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Courage had been listening attentively and found he had great clarity on the issue. “Of course, if I
remain attached to an intention, it means that there is a strong fear that it will not happen, as I cannot
bear any other outcome! So in fact, my fear that it will not happen, will be stronger than my intention
that it will happen. Hence, what will manifest is the not happening of my intention!”

“Excellent!” applauded Master. “So having said that, let us begin by holding our healing intention
lightly…”

“But Master!” exclaimed Malhar, “How can healing intentions not be in the highest? Why do we
need to hold such intentions „lightly‟?!”

“Aha!” stopped Master. “This is exactly how we get attached to outcomes. Pause my dear. Take a
breath. Be still inside. I understand how you feel. However, remember that the world unfolds in
mysterious ways. Just as having a small episode of the flu boosts your immune system, we cannot be
sure that the episode we are attempting to heal does not serve some divine purpose.”

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Malhar still looked doubtful, so Master went on patiently.

“Till one has full consciousness, it is always pertinent to keep that window of thought open. To be
aware that whatever my mind is telling me at the moment, may not be the optimal, so let me allow
Universe the possibility to pick the best outcome and the healing to whatever extent is optimal. Is
that more clear now?”

They all nodded reluctantly. Memory was thinking to herself as to how fast the Masters were
expecting them to grow in understanding and implementation of such esoteric ideas. But she reined
her thoughts in by reminding herself that Earth itself was running out of time. This thought
reinforced her diligent attitude and she carefully revised whatever she had just learned. Having
assimilated this much, a fresh doubt arose.

“But Master, if we are to accept that the highest is what we be open to, then why bother to frame
intentions? Isn‟t it best to simply be in surrender? To declare something like „Thy will be done‟?”

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Master Serenity was extremely pleased with the question. “And what will that accomplish?”

Memory was stunned by the question. “Why exactly what you said is best! The highest will happen. I
have given up my attachments and allowed the best to happen!”

“But what about you? What have you learned?” asked Master

“You do understand, that not making a conscious selection, is also in effect, a choice you are making?”
They nodded, thunderstruck.

“So what would be the point in making the same, blind choice? It is like you know I can do your
homework, so you keep telling me to do it for you. Now your homework gets done that way, but do
you get any better in your studies?”

They all shook their heads in negation.

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“Tell me, do you see if you could learn something from framing intentions, while allowing for the
highest to manifest?”

Memory was contemplative. Gingerly she asked, “I would learn to get myself out of the way? By
dropping my thoughts and ego-centric thinking?”

“Well that of course is a good thing. To be able to drop the personal preference or ego based
desire! A very important learning in itself. But have you learned anything about what is in the
highest?” she paused for them to reflect.

“That will happen only as I make a constant attempt to expand consciousness, so that I develop a
deeper understanding that helps me make the right choice…?” asked Courage tentatively.

“Excellent! So now can you understand the point of framing intentions, although we are always
surrendering to the highest?”

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“Like a trial and error process, examine intention and outcome, and improve the next time, as the
difference between the two will be a good teacher of where I was not in touch with the flow…”
pronounced Malhar. He could now appreciate the depth of learning that was feasible despite not
obtaining his desired intentions.

Master sat back satisfied, observing how they were digesting this profound concept.

“Exactly! Do not forget, we are on this planet to learn! To excel at our Personal Lesson Plans! If
we are going to avoid learning by leaving it to the experts – divinity in this case, how will we ever
progress?” She took a deep breath before continuing, “So children, framing your intentions is a
fundamental part of your learning curve. However, we also welcome the highest to happen, so that we
can constantly learn from the comparison, between what we intended and what happened. Therein
lies the learning, the experience… the understanding!”

“Awesome!” Malhar breathed out. “So at any given point, only the highest is happening and yet, I
am also gathering deep learning! I can only be in sincere gratitude!”

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Master Serenity face shone with happiness at his understanding. “Yes! Being in gratitude is all that
can happen, if you truly understand all of this. There are no consolatory prizes and no need to make
peace or be resigned with something less than you desired. As everything is perfect within this
moment. And you realize that it can also be joyfully improved. It is in fact being improved! My
awareness is growing in every moment.”

She leaned forward conspiratorially, “Would you like to know the affirmation I used most often?” All
nodded eagerly, willing her to continue.

“I realize my highest.”

There was a dramatic silence. Courage cried out in sudden understanding, “That is brilliant! It‟s a
pun! I understand as well as manifest my highest! But that‟s beautiful ma‟m!”

“Thank you Master” added Malhar and Memory more soberly.

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Master brushed away their praise, but was basking in the glow she had generated in them.

The three of them could barely contain their excitement at having grasped something of such
magnitude.

Master Serenity saw it was time to gently remind them to get started on their first focused healing for
Project Green Fields.

She encouraged Memory to take the lead in guiding them into a quiet state of mind. By now,
Memory was confident of conducting such a basic exercise and expertly led them to alpha brain wave
state within minutes. She paused in silence for a few moments. Her awareness was gently going
towards the „green fields‟.

Softly, she guided them to flood the entire field with white light. After giving the instructions, she felt
a deep stab of sadness, as she realized that it was extremely difficult to visualize white light over most

166
of the land. She took a deep breath and instructed them to breathe out through their mouth. She
again attempted to have them all mentally flood the land with healing lights.

But all three students were getting troubled and finding it extremely challenging to imagine the light.
There were dark patches that seemed stubborn and impenetrable. Gradually, the effort was
beginning to wear them down and a sense of heaviness was beginning to overwhelm their focus.

Master Serenity had been refraining from intervening, but realized that none of the three could sense
that their shields were lowered and their energies were beginning to get sapped. She stepped in with
quiet, yet urgent instructions. “Violet flame engulfs me. Green light heals all my aura leaks. I am
deeply nourished by the Source. I am safe.”

Courage gulped audibly, as he noticed the strain lift instantly. He determinedly kept his eyes closed,
with all thoughts of the fields having fled far from his mind. All he could do was pray fervently for a
sense of contained safety.

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Master Serenity continued to hold them with her loving, supportive channeled energies and only
guided them into opening their eyes after a suitable recovery had been accomplished.

At last, when they were asked to slowly open their eyes, they looked at each other, speechless with
the intensity of the experience.

Master observed their auras carefully and casually reached out over Courage‟s throat and whisked
away an unseen energetic residue of his fear. He cleared his throat and gaped at her in awe. His
closed throat had suddenly opened up and he felt like he was breathing normally again. She smiled at
his relief and then asked them gently, “All okay now?”

Though still a little tired, they nodded with relief.

Master reached for her water glass and gestured to them to do the same. They all drank a good
amount of water and then Courage asked ruefully “What happened? We didn‟t do too well, isn‟t it?”

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“My dear!” Master exclaimed in mock exasperation. “Why do you rush to judge yourself so? What
you just attempted was way beyond any exercises you may have tried in the past. Yes, there is room
for improvement. But that does not mean you neglect to appreciate what you do accomplish!”

Malhar was rubbing his face and looked up with a loud sigh. “But ma‟m! There is so much to be done!
We have to get more done in a sitting. This way… it can take ages!”

But Memory had absorbed Master‟s advise. “Don‟t worry so much. It was a start. A journey of a
thousand steps begins with one small step. With energy work, things are always most challenging in
the beginning, but once you start making movement, you gather momentum. At least that has been my
experience…” she ended with a bright smile. After all, she was always quick at looking for ways to
raise another‟s spirits, especially Malhar‟s.

He looked at her admiringly, his eyes sparkling again. It was so easy to come back to positivity when
you have a supportive team, he thought to himself. He back slapped Courage who had been listening
with a sober face. He responded with a small smile.

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Master watched them with a fond expression. She was satisfied with their progress and was keenly
watching the group dynamics as they emerged. Aware of the importance of team work, she was glad
to see them all actively engage in addressing individual doubts.

„Progress is happening. I can feel it in my bones. All that is required is heart connect and these
children are opening their hearts. They are making the space for each other.‟ She mentally sent
powerful healing symbols their way. Expressing her love and gratitude for their dedication to growth,
she wound up the morning session with a long hug for each of them.

Though Malhar and Courage were a little embarrassed by this display of affection, they were clearly
glowing with equal love for their teacher.

170
 From Master Serenity‟s Notes
Maiyurma symbol - First draw heart in air with two hands, top to
bottom movements. Then place hands on
top of each other starting from center,
draw three horizontal ‘sleeping eights’
(infinity symbol) , each bigger than the
previous one.

Say ‘Maiyurma’ in the end.

Uses: Space Clearing, Aura Clearing,

Sending Loving energies to the day/ week/ event/ person etc.

171
Chapter X

Humility was striding back and forth alongside the Tara. The river gurgled along happily, in stark
contrast to his dark mood.

“Finally!” he exclaimed, as Faith eventually showed up. Oblivious to his irritation, she quickly began
talking nineteen to the dozen, with lightness in her voice “Oh you will not believe how much home work
I have done!”

“I cannot believe how late you are,” he drawled. “Nor how rude you can be, by not apologizing! So I
see little difficulty in „not believing‟ one more thing about you.”

By the time he had finished his sentence, he was deeply regretting his own rudeness. He was
astounded at how callous it sounded even to his own ears and the stunned look on Faith‟s face made
him squirm inside. But on the exterior, he struggled to maintain an even expression.

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She stared at him silently, struggling for words. Despite all her attempts, she was too hurt to hold
back. She lashed back with equal vehemence, “Since you are the master of arrogance and
insensitivity, you are a fine one to talk!”

“And I suppose you have cornered the market on etiquette and appropriate behavior?” he asked
sarcastically.

“Certainly do better than you, no questions about that.”

“What model behavior on display! Late and to top it, cheeky!”

„Wow, why can‟t I just shut up?‟ Humility thought to himself.

Faith was pouncing back defensively, “With all the attitude you throw around… One only gets what
one gives you know!” she suddenly stopped her tirade, dismayed by the ugliness of the exchange.

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„How on earth did we get to this kind of talk? And how do I back off?‟ she thought desperately to
herself.

Red-faced, Humility was also trying to gain some semblance of control. „Breathe. Breathe. Breathe!‟
he yelled silently to himself. „What on earth am I doing? There is no way this kind of talk is justified. I
feel like such a fool!‟ He clenched his jaw, looked downwards and spoke without having the guts to
look Faith in the face. “Okay, lets both step back. This isn‟t very sensible.”

“Step back? How dare you ask me to back off?”

“This is all a drama. We are just playing out roles. Let‟s not take this personally, Let us drop the
drama.” Humility reeled off his reminders by rote. He often resorted to these fundamental truths to
correct himself in such situations. Unfortunately, he frequently found himself in the middle of such
charged interactions.

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But Faith was in no mood to listen. “I love your guts! You start something and then have the nerve to
remind me about the learnings. Why don‟t you learn to practice what you preach?” Faith was
shocked at how her mouth had shot off in anger, while her heart was already shrinking in regret. „Why
can‟t I get a grip on myself!‟ As her inner voice tried to calm her down, she sat down heavily, feeling a
wave of fatigue overcoming her.

Humility was surprised at her sudden withdrawal and actually took a step backwards, wondering at
what was happening. He swallowed his reactions and tried to inject some sane silence. Watching her
carefully, he closed his eyes and fervently wished his worst fears wouldn‟t come true. But it was
inevitable.

He stood silently, watching as tears rolled down Faith‟s cheeks, while she bravely tried wiping them
away with quick hand movements, pretending she was alright.

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„Oh God! This was the last thing I wanted. To think all this is because I was waiting for her so
eagerly… wanting to spend time with her. Now what have I gone and done?‟ Humility felt helpless and
lost in the face of female emotion.

Faith continued crying silently, resolutely looking the other way, as though Humility did not exist.

“Faith…”, he started hesitantly, but quickly fell silent as she raised her hand to stop him, “Don‟t say
anything. I think you have said enough already.”

Her voice faltered as she inwardly cursed herself for showing such emotion. „Here I was thinking that
this was a great chance to get to know him better. I was so wrong to think there is a wonderful guy
under those layers of „I-know-it-all‟ attitude. How stupid of me. His parents would know better!
With a name like Humility… he has a long way to go. Do I really want to be around such a guy?‟

She looked up from her thoughts with a firm decision to take her leave, but seeing the agony on his
face, her heart melted again. „He regrets hurting me! He isn‟t all that insensitive after all!‟

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But her pride prevented her from saying anything and her new found hope did not permit her to leave.
She continued sitting there, completely baffled as to what to do next.

Seeing her ambivalence restored some strength to Humility. He started to speak again, “Look, I am
really sorry! I don‟t know what gets into me. I mean I know it‟s a life lesson and all that, but I really
didn‟t …,” he paused in embarrassment, then letting out a deep sigh continued, “The last thing I
wanted to do was hurt you. I am truly sorry. Please forgive me… I will be more mindful. It won‟t happen
again.” Emboldened by her wide eyed silence, he went on strongly, “I promise. I do not want to hurt
you again.”

Faith stared into his eyes and felt her resistance fading away. He did have dreamy eyes and with all
that anguish glistening in them, he was rather hard to turn down.
She sighed herself, shaking her head in refusal, while concurrently pardoning him. “Alright, we both
goofed up. I am sorry too. Sorry for being late. And then this…” she shook her hands to indicate

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her loss of words. “If the Masters heard us, we would be demoted to kinder-garden.” she smiled
weakly at her attempt at humor.

Humility accepted the proffered olive branch with enthusiasm, smiling broadly in return. “That‟s a
smart one! Yes, we certainly behaved like kids… its just that I had been waiting for so long…”

Faith‟s green eyes shone with understanding. “I was only ten minutes late! How long have you been
here?” she demanded.

Humility hung his head sheepishly, “Well over half an hour.”

“Why?” she asked mischievously, already having guessed the answer.

Humility glared at her. She was stubbornly waiting with an arched eyebrow. He could not help
smiling at her impishness and confessed with a charming smile, “I was keen to meet you and was hoping
you would be early too. So we would have some time to talk about things other than the project.”

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They both continued smiling at each other, pleased with the turn of events.

Humility was the first to break eye contact, rubbing his hands together in mock eagerness, “Okay,
now that we are on the same page, I guess we better get to work!”

Faith would have happily agreed to climb Mount Everest at this point, so getting started on the
Green Fields discussion was easily acceptable.

“See, since I have been put in charge of positive thinking and I have this whole challenge with buying
into things without evidence, I thought I should do some clearing in my own mind space first.”

Humility nodded attentively.

“I figured that the best way for me to get started would be to convince myself that all this positive
thinking really has some impact in the physical world.” She shrugged her shoulders and shook her

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head, “Can‟t help it. That‟s just where I am. I need evidence. So anyways, listening to you talk
about Dr.Emoto‟s work* the other day, I was inspired to do some research myself.” She smiled now,
growing animated with her excitement. “I mean, that in itself was magnificent! To think that words
alone can cause such a shift in the physical molecule. Thank you,” she said appreciatively. Humility
glowed with satisfaction, waving his hand as though it was nothing.

“However, I wanted more data. And guess what?” Humility waited patiently, knowing no response
was required from him.

“I found several studies from decades back , showing how thoughts would influence random number
generation and other such lab experiments. But then there was so much more exciting stuff!
*
Apparently, studies have recorded changes in the earth‟s electromagnetic field or EMF, before,
during and after major world events! Like when there was a major terrorist attack and also good stuff,
like the election of a promising President. Can you imagine? Such wide scale things!

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In fact, there is a „Institute of Heart Math‟* which has done a lot of work in this field. They have
shown how focusing on fear and other negative emotions causes our heart to generate a distorted
electromagnetic field, while focusing on loving and positive energies makes it generate a nice, coherent
pattern! Isn‟t that something?”

Humility was beginning to smile with equal excitement. Though he was a little familiar with all this data,
seeing the impact on her was inspiring. “Do you know that the emf field generated by the heart is
5000 times stronger than that generated by the brain?” he asked.

“Yes!” she paused, realizing that he already knew some of this. However, this did not restrain her,
“And I guess the reason the Masters have designed this project and self study in this fashion, is
because they are well aware of the results obtained by the Global Coherence Initiative *. Heart
Math people spread awareness and signed up volunteers to co-ordinate and direct heart sourced
energy towards events or locations. They observed results and the amazing shifts recorded have
played a large part in the setting up of NOCs and NOW.”

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She finally stopped and took a deep breath. “Understanding all this research and experience has
helped me really get what was going on Master Serenity‟s first class. I mean, though we all had a
taste of things that day itself… being the way I am, I just needed to get a larger picture and all these
pieces falling together?” she looked at Humility with hope shining clearly in her bright eyes. For a
moment, Humility was too distracted to listen, but nudged his attention back to her words, looking at
her with growing fondness.

“Now I believe… at least in the moment, I really do believe that there is a point to all that we are
attempting. That we can make a difference! I know I may slip back into my skeptism, but for now… I
love this feeling. I love knowing in my bones…. That we are on the right track.”

Exuberant with hope, they both exchanged a spontaneous, light hug, happy to be playing their part in
this drama of life.

Stepping back with a slight awkwardness, they moved forward to formulating an action plan.

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Humility led her to the edge of the river and they sat down on some flat rocks. Kicking off their
shoes, so that they could dangle their feet in the water, they began dictating into their handheld
recorders with a sense of relaxed assurance.

“We will circulate a list of positive affirmations. These are to be tapped in with EFT * every morning
and night. To keep it practical, let us make it a short list… too many and we won‟t have consistent
participants. People tend to drop extensive homework.”

“Right,” agreed Humilty. “We could give morning affirmations which are more individual oriented and
the night ones could be geared towards the project?”

“Hmmm… yes, that is so appropriate! Just like I had to do my own clearing, I am sure there will be
others who could do with personal re-enforcement. That is so insightful Humility.”

“So have you got any list for us to consider, or do we make up our own?” asked Humility, internally
surprised at how co-operative Faith made him feel.

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“I have some we can use as a guiding framework. Perhaps we can modify them to be more suitable?”

“I suppose. You are familiar with the rules in framing affirmations right?” asked Humility.

“Hmm… but since I was not really into using them, perhaps you should refresh my memory.”

“Simple enough, basically frame it as though it‟s in the present tense, or already happened. Use only
positive language. So say „I am healthy‟ instead of „I am not sick‟. Including…”

“Why is that?” she interrupted. “The brain and universe, both first bring in the object of your
attention, for example - „sick‟, and then execute the action of „not‟. So in this case, it‟s like asking to
be sick and then canceling it. Naturally, just bringing in health is more efficient!”

“That makes sense.” She nodded in agreement. “Anything else? I am sorry, I interrupted you
before.”

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“It gives me good practice with patience,” he grinned to soften his words. Now that they were more in
tune with each other, the words were being taken lightly. “Yes, there is one more thing. Using
imagery, metaphors or catchy adjectives helps. The better the mind can imagine it, the more easily the
thought is translated into reality.”

“Can you give me an example?” Faith‟s forehead was wrinkled in concentration.

“Sure. Instead of „I would like to see the fields green and healthy‟, something like „The lush greenery
of our fields fills with me joyous enthusiasm‟ or „I am grateful for the breathtaking beauty of our vibrant
green fields‟.” Looking at her stunned expression, Humility went quiet.

Faith couldn‟t contain her amazement, “My goodness! I wouldn‟t have dreamt that there was a poet
hidden in there!”

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He went red, but was pleased to have made an impression. He went on to elaborate, “Expressing
gratitude is of course an extremely useful angle. Whatever you think about and thank about, you
bring about.”

Faith smilingly gave him a thumbs up sign.

“One more thing, at times, especially for the individual oriented affirmations, let us try to include the
words „I choose‟.”

“Anything you say boss! You seem to be a pro at this business. However, I would like to understand,
why?”

“Isn‟t it empowering to always remind yourself that you do have a choice in what is manifesting in your
life? That you most certainly have a choice in how you are responding? Using „I choose…‟ in your
affirmation moves the energy to a very proactive, action oriented momentum. I generally prefer to use
it myself.”

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Faith nodded in enthusiastic agreement. “That makes complete sense. Thanks for that recap. Now
lets start making the list. How about „I choose to focus my energies towards reviving the fields.‟”

“Hmmm… we could reframe that. May I give it a shot?” asked Humility.

“Please do!” Faith eagerly waited to see how Humility implemented all that he had just said.

“How about „I choose to revitalize the fields with my dedicated thoughts and action‟?”

“Wow! Let me try one for the individual… „I enthusiastically participate in this healing project with
complete love and diligence.‟”

“Good one,” grinned Humility. They continued their exchange of suggestions, each trying to better
the other in light-hearted competition. Soon they had finalized the required list and went about
mailing them to their classmates.

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 From Humility‟s Notes

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Chapter XI

Time had taken on a new urgency for the persevering students. Challenging ideas and concepts had
to be understood and assimilated with rapid speed. The older subjects like Mathematics and other
Newtonian sciences were easier to deal with. However, the likes of quantum mechanics, cross-
referenced with Metaphysics modules were not so simple.

Yet, they all remained committed to the responsibilities they had each taken up for Green Fields.
While Malhar, Memory and Courage continued their focused healing energy meditations, Faith and
Humility ensured that everyone tapped in their daily affirmations as per the EFT protocol.
Everyone was also chipping in with errands and services in alignment with their Life Lessons and were
satisfied to see that they were making progress with the money collections as well. The Sanjeevini
system had been downloaded and suitable Soil remedy was prepared through group prayers.

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In short, they were implementing all their plans like clockwork. With great enthusiasm, they decided to
visit the fields again. Though no one voiced the thought, clearly there was hope that there would be a
visible sea change on site.

So a lively lot embarked upon what they believed to be a celebrative weekend picnic. Laughter and
jokes ran fast and thick, so they seemed to reach the Tara in no time at all.

Once they crossed the musical river, once again, they plopped down in the serene surroundings,
drinking in the rich flavor of earth and foliage. Smiling contentedly some of them lazed back to lie flat
and silently observed the clouds floating above.

The chirping birds appeared to be coordinating their tunes and the resultant orchestra brought
about a sense of happy anticipation.

Faith was obviously looking around for something and Humility stretched himself beside her, propped
himself up with one hand and asked “Now what do you expect to find here?” With a radiant

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expression, she declared, “There have to be many more butterflies now! With all the love and healing
we have been sending this way… there is bound to be more beauty!”

He looked at her quietly for a moment before responding, “There certainly is. More beauty. I can
see it.”

“Oh really? Did you see some butterflies? Or birds?” When he remained quiet, she suddenly
realized what he meant and flushed pink.

Almost like the universe was playing with their thoughts, two magnificent and gigantic butterflies
appeared out of nowhere and playfully hovered over their heads. Their extraordinary size and colors
drew some gasps of astonishment and others rushed over to admire them.

“This is a sign!” voiced an excited Sneha.

Enthusiastic agreements were shared and the group started moving ahead, eager to see the fields.

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Alas, once more, they were disappointed. As they reached view of the fields, silence descended
upon the somber teens and their quick pace slowed to a reluctant movement.

The fields lay fallow before them. The banyan trees still look beleaguered. Nothing looked very
different at first glance.

Grouping together, some of them reached out to hold hands, as they all stood looking as
disconsolate as the land before them.

Faith bit back her lip, trying her best to swallow her frustration. Humility looked stricken as well, but
was maintaining an icy composure. He loosely held her close to him, trying to offer support.

Malhar looked straight ahead wordlessly, while Memory sat down quietly next to him.

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Quiet broke the silence, exclaiming his dismay, “But this can‟t be! It looks just the same! All our
efforts and nothing different? How is that possible?” He shook his head disbelievingly, as Sneha
and Courage began murmuring words of reassurance, as much to themselves, as to him.

After a long silence, Earnest finally went and sat to Malhar‟s right, waiting like the loyal deputy that
he was. Malhar returned his gaze and swallowing a lump in his throat, turned to Memory for support.
Her eyes looked like deep pools ready to brim over, but there was also a steadiness to her gaze. He
felt strength slowly returning to his numbed senses and cleared his throat to speak.

“Alright then. Gather around. I feel exactly the way all of you do.” He paused to gauge the extent
of misery surrounding him then continued. “But we need not be this disheartened. Despite what we
are seeing with our eyes, it is important for us to pay attention to our hearts. Listen… to the knowing
within you. Can you honestly say that you believe that there is absolutely no difference whatsoever?”

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A pin drop silence ensued, as each one grappled with their internal doubts. Many of them began to
slowly shake their heads in negation, almost trying to shrug the disbelief and disappointment off their
very shoulders.

Faith was the first one to whisper. With a disbelieving awe in her voice, she ventured, “I cannot believe
this is me saying this. Or me even feeling this… but the truth is, no matter what I am seeing,” and she
gestured agitatedly towards the dull landscape, “I just cannot believe there is no difference. I know
there is some change. All the efforts, all that love, all that healing… it is impossible! There has to have
been some change! I know it! My heart says so!” she ended defiantly.

They all looked on her with varying degrees of amazement. Here was the greatest disbeliever
amongst them, vehemently defending a belief, without any apparent evidence to back it up! Faith had
really found something that she could believe in, some deeper meaning in all their learnings and efforts.
Humility looked at her with a mixture of concern and admiration. Perhaps there was some truth in
what she said.
After all, none of them wanted to believe that the land was in no way improved.

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“Perphaps we are all jumping to conclusions. Let us not forget what the Masters teach, „No matter
whether it is apparent or not, when love is flowing, healing always happens‟. Maybe we came with
unrealistic expectations, so all of us are over reacting right now.” Humility ended abruptly.

Courage spoke up, “Yes, I agree. One thing I have learned with all the energy work we have been
doing. It is critically important for us to be well centered and grounded, so that we get the most
realistic readings of the intangible and unseen energies. Let us all try to center ourselves first…”

His calm invitation was interrupted by Passion‟s angry voice, “Oh enough of all that „centered‟ talk!
Here we have been slogging away in every feasible manner and we come back to see this…” she
pointed towards the fields accusingly. “I am too fed up and mad to get „centered‟ okay?”

The air was suddenly crackling with tension. Several other angry ones sided up next to Passion,
ready to further the argument. They were only too happy to find an excuse to vent their anger and
frustration.

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Courage eyed them all warily, backing off to avoid a direct confrontation. While he had been growing
in bravery, he was careful not to cross the line into foolishness. He turned askance to Malhar and
Earnest, who were already rising to their feet. Humility also stepped up, with an air of cool
confidence. The three of them stood upright and waited expectantly.

Finally, when Passion herself huffed and turned away, her companions began to mutter angrily to each
other, but the flashpoint had passed.

Sneha spoke up with a clear voice, deliberately calling out to Passion in a loud voice. “You aren‟t the
only one who is tired and disappointed Passion.” Passion turned back with flashing eyes, ready to
resume a debate. But Sneha was standing calmly, perfectly poised and relaxed.

Once she had everyone‟s attention, she continued in a far gentler voice, “I understand your hurt.
Believe me, I do. However, giving up is not an option that I am willing to consider. And I would
certainly hope that not one single one of us will ever make such a choice.” She looked around at the

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conflicted faces. “Yes, it seems like the easier choice. I put up my hands and say, „OKAY world, I
tried! I gave it a shot and it didn‟t work. Too bad. So goodbye. End of your story.‟” She paused
dramatically, as the implication of her words sunk in.

“End of your story? How can I leave it like that! Wouldn‟t that be the end of my story as well? The
end of all our stories? Is that a choice we want to make?” She paused and took a deep breath.
“Look, my life will eventually end one way or the other, but I would much rather live trying to improve
this world, than allow myself, or the earth, to die only because I gave up!”

Sneha stood quiet, allowing Memory to grasp her hand tightly in support. She squeezed her hand
back and turning back to Passion continued speaking evenly, “Do you realize how much we have
progressed in our own journeys already? Look at you Passion! The temper you just demonstrated!
Why its only the outward manifestation of your deep passion for these fields! Can you imagine?
Would you have guessed that a half dead piece of land would ignite the very emotions that you were
challenged to learn in your Personal Life Lesson?”

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Passion‟s face was transformed by this insight. She paled and took a step back, suddenly aware of
the depth of her newfound emotions.

“Look at me! I am standing here persuading an angry bunch of you that there is reason to persevere.
There is need to persevere. There is so much love for this land and this earth that I can‟t and won‟t
give up. I know I have come a long way myself.”

Passion was overwhelmed with the surge of emotions she was grappling with. Tears welled up and she
spoke brokenly, “You are right, Sneha! … but its just so…” she was at a loss for words. Memory
stepped up and hugged her, saying, “Sad. Yes, its deeply, deeply sad. But we cannot give up. We
will not give up.”

Passion was in no mood to listen to any of this. Her whole body shook with emotion, as she shrugged
away Memory‟s friendly hug. “Look… you all may be right. But it‟s just too much for me to deal with! I
am certainly not used to such strong feelings. And whether this is good progress with my Personal
Plan or not, I just don‟t like what I am going through! I would much rather not care… than feel all this

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pain.” She ended bitterly. Shaking her head, she began walking away, barely getting her words out,
“I am sorry, but I need to be alone right now. I need some time out.”

Sneha took a step in her direction, but Earnest held her back, with a warning look. She looked like
she would argue, but then a quick look around showed her that most of them felt Passion should be
left alone.

She sighed and sat down, exhausted and upset, watching Passion slip out of view. She had hoped to
resolve Passion‟s doubts immediately. But it wasn‟t going to be that easy.

They all sat around in a loose circle, introspective and uncertain.

Finally Courage broke the silence, clearing his throat, he started hesitantly, “I know a lot of us agree
with Passion, to some extent or the other, so it is all the more important for us to be calm.” He paused
to judge the reactions and defend himself from any opposition. Courage was relieved to see that
there were several tired nods of concurrence. He decided to nurture this half hearted spirit by

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imposing less demands and suggested they all simply sit quietly in the lotus position for fifteen
minutes.

Most complied, but several of them defiantly assumed lazing positions or were soon lying down.
However, as minutes ticked by, there was a gradual sense of returning calm replacing the impassioned
exchanges of the last half hour.

Those who had closed their eyes, rubbed their palms and placed the warmth over their face, slowly
returning to the present surroundings. The silence was now more comfortable and Malhar began to
speak with an even tone. “Alright, let us review the situation. We need to look at reality and accept it,
whatever it may be. There will be things we are not satisfied with, and that is okay. We simply have to
review the situation and move on. But there will also be many satisfactory milestones. So let us not
forget that while the journey may be far from complete, these small markers are indications of being on
the right path. And that in itself is no small accomplishment.”

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Thoughtful faces looked at each other and then began searching the land with new eyes. Instead of
trying to see validation of their desired scenes, they began looking for change in a more objective
manner.

“There is some difference, though I can‟t say what it is!” exclaimed Earnest in frustration.

Humility was still observing the land keenly. “If you look closely, the vista seems to be different, there
is more clarity somehow. Like the landscape after rains… when everything seems to be seen more
clearly.”

“Yes,” agreed Faith enthusiastically, “Also, sense a freshness in the air? Last time, though we were in
the open, it felt oppressive… I felt all tight inside. But this time, I am quite comfortable.”

“Hmmm, you are right,” added Memory. “And look at the ground… though it still looks barren, it
doesn‟t seem as parched or dead anymore, isn‟t it?”

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Smiles were breaking out as more such marginal, but positive changes were being noticed. Gradually,
the enthusiasm was returning.

“So the lesson of the day is let‟s not jump to conclusions.” Said Malhar wryly. Memory quickly
added “Also, to have realistic expectations! Let us not forget that this is a serious challenge and we
ourselves are only students… still learning!”

“Having said that, let us now look at what we can do to improve our performance!” called out
Earnest.

“Correct. Now, what we need to do is to start onsite work as well. Which means that the Sanjeevinis
need to be sprayed everyday. As we are setting up sprinklers, I think it would be most efficient to add
them to the well we are planning to use.” Malhar gestured towards the east, where they could see the
cluster of rocks indicating the well. He continued, “As discussed earlier, the tractors come in next
Saturday. The way I understand it, we first need to have the soil loosened and deweeded, so that it
can breathe! We have collected enough funds to pay for the tractor, sprinkler, etc…”

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“But isn‟t all this soil preparation dependent on what we intend to plant there? Has any plant been
short-listed?” asked Sneha.

“Yes, you are right,” Courage answered. “Quite a bit of research has gone into the choice, mostly
done by Akshay and Quiet…”

Akshay spoke up “I took my parent‟s inputs as well and they proved to be quite helpful in narrowing
the choice. We believe that wheatgrass would be the ideal choice.”

“Because it‟s a wonder food?” asked Sneha doubtfully.

“What does that mean?” asked a puzzled Faith.

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Akshay answered, “The fresh juice of week old wheat grass5 is considered to be nutritious and
therapeutic for a wide spectrum of conditions, starting with anemia. However, that is not the variety
we are suggesting. We are looking at tall wheatgrass, which is usually grown in pasture fields.”

Humility, adopting a reasonable tone, asked, “I trust you guys did a lot of homework, so can you
summarize your reasons for making this choice? As apparently you have made the choice? There is
no alternative we are considering, right?”

Quiet was a little annoyed by what he perceived as doubts, but contained himself. “Akshay and I put
in a lot of work and we consulted his parents, who are experts! Also, we ran this by Master Kindness
and he has approved as well.

Akshay was more comfortable responding with the information he had to back his choice. “Tall
wheatgrass has been known to aerate the soil and while the grass itself grows better in the second
year, subsequent crop rotation can be considered. It grows in most soil types, is hardy and excessive
salts in the soil can be leached after the soil loosening brought about by the strong roots. These

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deep penetrating roots also improve water and air circulation deep in the soil and add to the organic
content. Economical and ideal, don‟t you think?”

There was a brief silence as everyone assimilated all this information. Akshay grinned triumphantly at
the obvious acceptance. He continued, “We need about 1.5 kgs of seed per acre Malhar. It has to
be planted 0.5 to 1 inch deep, 36 to 42 inches apart. You need to let the tractor operator know
this…”

“Sure Akshay, thanks! That was good work.” Said Malhar.

“That‟s not all,” started Quiet again, “We also planned the border trees!”

“Meaning?” asked Earnest, wondering at what more these two had been researching.

“During our search for the ideal plants for this kind of land and soil, we also came across some
recommendations in our ancient scriptures. It was related to Vastu Shastra, but a little different.

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And when we compared the land topography to the recommendations, they make sense.” Responded
the knowledgeable Akshay.

“Whatever do you mean?” asked a suspicious Faith. “How many approaches are we going to use
after all? Isn‟t this getting a bit too much?”

Memory unconsciously moved closer to Faith, her body language giving away her reservations.

Humility scrutinized the two and then spoke up, before Malhar could answer. “Let us hear them out.
Remember the Masters said to use any and every possible method we could think of. And as you can
see,” he pointed vaguely to the fields, “We still have a long way to go.”

“Exactly our point as well!” started Quiet, “Look, planting trees along the border will help protect the
tender grass from strong winds and wild animals to some extent. Additionally, from what we read,
banyan trees should be planted in the east. And if you see… the existing banyan trees are in the
East! So perhaps, some long time ago, someone was adhering to these suggestions?”

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“That sounds a bit farfetched” said an uncomfortable Faith. “However, I am willing to listen to the
rest of your suggestions.”

“Fine, it may be farfetched,” continued the ever enthusiastic Quiet, “But it is good the banyan trees
are in the East anyhow. So the other bit of information we found is that negative energies tend to
flow in from the South direction, so planting nine… which is an auspicious number… nine trees on the
South border is a good idea. We were thinking it would be good to plant alternate audumbar(phycus)
and almond. Audumbar will absorb excess water from the soil, and well… we can enjoy the almonds!”

“Not us, but our successor students.” Corrected Malhar, “Whch is even better! Investing our efforts
for those who come after us!”

Quiet smiled and continued, “Tulsi is of course a great option… with its beneficial energy and
medicinal value… we could scatter seeds along the borders. It tends to multiply rapidly.”

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There was a lull in the conversation as they considered all they had just heard.

“I see no reason to doubt their research efforts. The ideas seem sensible and really aren‟t too
difficult for us to implement.” Stated Malhar, trying to judge the general sentiment.

Faith and Memory looked at each other silently, then slowly nodded their accord. Memory couldn‟t
resist commenting though. “Okay, seems fair. My only concern is that in the midst of all these scores
of efforts and approaches, we shouldn‟t lose track of the fundamental, underlying point!”

Several voices broke out and someone called out to her to clarify.

“Well, do remember that all these are tools and techniques that make it simpler for us to create our
reality. They are an efficient way to implement change, as we are not Master manifestors, as yet!
However, let us not get so fascinated with the tools that we lose track of developing our own focus
and abilities!”

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Akshay stood calm throughout this all. After she finished, he smiled gently at her and said “You are
so right Memory. And Faith… That is a pertinent reminder… that everything… the source and the
ability to change reality… all lies within us. These are stepping stones, true. But as the Masters have
taught, intention, thought, emotion and action have to be aligned! We need to plant seeds to grow
the grass. And planting trees, in alignment with natural laws, can only help in nurturing this land back
to its best.”

Malhar cleared his throat and stepped up. “Both of you are totally right. It‟s good to be mindful of
the fundamentals, and I appreciate both of you keeping the group on track with your honest
reminders.”

Satisfied with the congenial silence, he proceeded to wrap up the meeting. Slowly, they all drew to
their feet and began the long walk back to their rooms.

Dusk had begun to fall and as they walked back, their shadows and hearts continued to stretch back
towards the convalescing fields.

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 From Akshay‟s Notes

How to grow wheat-grass

1. Soak adequate quantity of unpolished wheat-grain overnight in water
2. Keep 7 pots - one to be sown each day of the week ready with
soil and organic manure
3. Spread soaked wheat on soil and cover with thin layer of soil
4. Cover the pot with to provide darkness which helps the sprouting
5. Keep the pot in a balcony or a windowsil ..
6. Uncover each day, spray little water and again cover, for 7 days
7. Stop covering the pot as soon as the green leaves appear.
8. On the 8th day harvest the grass by cutting with a clean pair of
scissors about 1/2" above the surface of the soil.
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9. Juice freshly cut grass and drink immediately..
10. A second round of wheat grass wil again grow in about 6 to 7
days with daily watering as before.
11. After the second harvest from the same pot, remove all the soil
in the pot onto a newspaper- breakup all the roots and mix with
the soil. Add a bit of cowdung to this to rejuvenate the soil. Now
you can reuse this soil.
Benefits from wheatgrass:
Builds immunity, blood, detoxifies system, energizes
Good supplement for many conditions including:
Anemia, cancer, colitis, gout, rheumatic pain
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Chapter XII

Passion returned to her room and tried to relax. Restless and troubled, she finally decided that she
needed help. Recalling the scene she had just made, she groaned and hid her face into the pillows,
desperately looking for a way out of this misery. Meeting her classmates was not a welcome option at
this point! She silently prayed to her favorite angel, Archangel Gabriel 3 for guidance. “Whom
should I go to for answers?” she asked.

Suddenly a strong breeze blew in through the window and the papers on her desk were thrown
asunder. Passion grew angrier, seeing the mess before her and stomped out of bed to pick up the
sheets. Paper was a carefully rationed item and no conscientious student would allow a scrap of it to
be wasted.

Looking at the first sheet she picked up, her face crumpled into a smile of relief. “Thanks Archangel
Gabriel!”

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She quickly finished collecting the sheets, anchored them with a book on the table and excitedly ran
out of her room.

Knocking on the frosted glass door, she could barely wait till she was called in.

Opening the door, she was momentarily confused. Expecting to see the Master‟s office chambers,
Passion was surprised to see an art studio instead. The walls were covered with colorful murals
depicting a variety of images, many of which made no sense to her. At the far end of the room, where
the walls were still clear, a figure was perched precariously on a step ladder.

“Sir?” asked Passion hesitantly.

“Passion! How nice to see you!” exclaimed a joyful voice that seemed to echo down from his high
position. “Will be down in a minute!”

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As Passion walked closer, she saw him clean his brush in a can of turpentine and after neatly wiping it
clean on his apron, stick it into another empty can on his perch. He did all this carefully and
unhurriedly, and then shocked her by jumping down with a sudden, loud thump.

“Ah! So how do you like all this…?” he asked, waving his hands around.

She swallowed and looked around awestruck. She gestured helplessly, at a loss for words. Finally
she managed, “It‟s very… colorful! But I can‟t make sense of most it.” She looked at him
apologetically, while he grinned broadly, as though satisfied with her answer.

“That‟s alright! I can‟t make sense of much of it myself,” he laughed. “I see these visions of colorful
realms and I believe they exist in some other dimension of time and space. So I am trying to capture
their beauty here.”

Before she could stop herself, Passion‟s response had tumbled out, “But what is the point? I mean, if
you don‟t know what it is and you aren‟t studying it or something…”

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“Aha! Passion, Passion. Not everything has to be for a reason! Can‟t beauty exist for its own sake?
Is that not reason enough?” She looked into his glittering eyes and felt a wave of shyness.

“Do the roses serve any purpose other than filling us with gratitude and awe for their beauty?” She
nodded, beginning to understand what he was explaining.

“I suppose. We tend to complicate things isn‟t it? Too much analysis and study can leave you
blinded to the beauty of simplicity and being.”

“That‟s very well put dear!” Patience beamed in appreciation. “Now tell me, how can I help you?”

Passion‟s face fell as she remembered why she was here. She recounted the entire morning‟s
happenings as briefly as she could.

“Hmmm…,” Patience murmured thoughtfully. “So tell me more about how you are feeling right now.”

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“I think we have put in so much effort and there should have been …” She stopped because Patience
was gently shaking his head at her. “I asked you how you felt.”

“But that‟s what I was saying, I think…” she paused noticing her words. She gave a tired sigh and sat
down on the floor, hugging her knees to herself.

Patience joined her wordlessly, giving her the space to get in touch with her own feelings. After
rocking back and forth for a few minutes, she began speaking. “More than anything, I don‟t want to
feel.” He arched his eyebrow questioningly.

“I mean, I am irritated, disappointed, fed up with all the efforts… but actually… I am trying my best not
to feel. Why bother with feelings anyway! They are so overrated!” she said exasperatedly.

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She raised her eyes slowly, to find Patience was trying to contain a smile. Patience carefully said
“But where would we be without feelings? Do you know what emotions are? Energy in motion…
Our very essence lives out this life through emotion and experience!”

“Exactly!” responded Passion angrily. “And the essence ends up tired and unhappy. Why bother
with all this emotion and experience? I mean its no fun most of the time.” She ended dejectedly.

“See dear, this is a universal question that you will often ask yourself throughout your life.
Especially when the emotions are not too pleasant. But understand that in the world of duality,
black can‟t exist without white… and we must learn to appreciate the whole spectrum of life in its varied
emotions. When you look at it from this larger perspective, you will enjoy the game of life. For one
thing is certain.”

“And what is that?” she asked hopefully.

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“Change. The only thing constant is change. So this feeling, this emotion, this reaction, none of it
will last! This too shall pass.” He smiled. “So welcome it, embrace it… the more you resist it, the more
energy it will drain from you. Denial takes far more out of us than acceptance of even the most
dislikable fact.”

“I get the point, but its really hard for me to get all enthusiastic… of course, my name speaks for itself
you know…” Seeing him listen attentively, she felt encouraged to elaborate. “As long as I can
remember, I have resisted getting too involved… with people, things… not get too attached. And that
should be a good thing right? I mean isn‟t detachment something one is supposed to learn?” She was
agitated again.

Patience responded in a reassuring tone, “Yes, of course. When I said look at it from a larger
perspective, know it won‟t last, of course I am encouraging detachment. But there is a fundamental
difference here. Mine comes from a space of understanding the futility of attachment, yet loving the
present moment and hence enjoying the flow of things. Do you think you are similarly motivated?”

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He looked piercingly into her eyes, daring her to be completely honest with herself. She looked back
thoughtfully and finally admitted, “I never looked at it before. The thought behind it. I mean… even
the feelings behind it. And I have to admit, it‟s not coming from any place of great ease. In fact, hmm…
let me say… well I prefer not to get involved, because I don‟t see the point… because sooner or later… it
becomes a source of pain. So I guess… what it means is I am really afraid. Afraid of feeling hurt and
disappointment. As I do now.” She ended bitterly.

“Do you remember the first time you felt this way?” he asked.

She shrugged helplessly, “As long as I remember, I have resisted emotion. I guess it‟s a good thing my
parents are as awakened as they are… they have been quite patient with my strange ways. But it has
been difficult with cousins and other kids. I have been called a „cold fish‟, „flatliner‟, …” she pulled a
face in distaste. She continued in a confidential tone, “Look I am here at the guidance of Archangel
Gabriel. So my thought was that perhaps a past life Recall would help? What do you think?”

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Patience leaned backwards, examining her thoughtfully. He closed his eyes and sat in silence for a
few moments, waiting for confirmation from his own guides. When he opened his eyes, she was
momentarily mesmerized by the depth and calmness in them.

“You are right.” He said quietly. “It is time.”

Passion felt a wave of excitement and apprehension rush through her. She knew she was on the verge
of a momentous knowing in her life.

“Before we begin, a quick recap of the six rules I taught?” he asked.

She was well prepared and rattled them off with ease. “First, clear intent for relevant access, Second
– no matter what you recall, remember you are safe, untouched and perfect. Third, be compassionate
with yourself and others, Fourth – behavior remains as per present life roles, Fifth - don‟t disclose
identity details without agreement of all concerned, Sixth – don‟t take Recall so seriously.”

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“Very good Passion! But you and I both know that theory and practice are two different things. So
while you know the rules very well, after the Recall, you may find it a little challenging to live by those
rules.”

Passion bit her lip in frustration, knowing what he said was true. But she could see no better solution
than a Recall, and she was so very keen to face this inner conflict once and for all. Both of them
watched each other silently. In true tradition of the School, Patience waited for her to come up with
the solution herself.

She finally spoke up, “I understand Sir. I will make sure that I use all the tools I know of, like EFT
and meditation, to clear any cellular memories or emotional charge that comes up. I will also make sure
that I follow up with counseling, with any one of the Masters or seniors, to ensure that I have
processed the Recall appropriately.

“Fine, then we are ready to begin. Let me start the three dimensional recording for documentation…
there we go.”

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They had both moved over to a low seating area in one corner of the studio. Passion lay down on the
recliner and held out one wrist as indicated by Patience.

He sat a little behind her line of sight, just close enough to lightly hold her wrist with his thumb and
index finger. Adopting a neutral, deeply relaxing and hypnotic tone, he began guiding her down long
forgotten memory lanes.

“Pay attention to your breathing. Notice how your body touches the recliner. The weight of your
head…” he continued speaking clearly and softly for about 10 minutes, until Passion had been guided
into a state of intense relaxation.

He applied light pressure to her wrist and connected telepathically to what she was viewing. In his
own mind, he caught images of a languid stream, as it appeared to Passion. Patience breathed in
deeply, to remain centered in his own focus, while simultaneously viewing her perspective. Years of
practice had made him an expert in this tricky domain.

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Momentarily, Passion furled her eyebrows, as she realized from his guidance, that Patience could see
exactly what she was imagining. In his narration, he drew her attention to her left, where he described a
homely cottage. He encouraged her to walk into the cozy, welcoming space. She immediately felt a
sense of warmth and safety.

Patience continued expertly, “Look over to the video case vault on your right. Go over and feel the
wooden grain. Feel the pleasure of seeing such a wide choice of movies before you. Run your hands
along the many discs, imagining how many stories they hold. Look closely at the labels placed over the
sections. To your pleasant surprise, you find your name written on one large section. You have
found your personal Recall vault! Run your fingers along the disc spines, back and forth, sending
loving energies to all those lives you have lived. Imagine the variety of experience, the diversity of
being, the richness of life that is contained in all these stories you lived. Appreciate yourself.”

He paused, watching expressions flit over Passion‟s face. “Now remind yourself, that you have come
here seeking an answer. You need to find that movie which is representative of the story you seek,

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the pattern you are currently struggling with. Keep running your fingers up and down, requesting
divine guidance in making the most appropriate choice. The choice that will demonstrate the reasons
for your lack of enthusiasm, your fear of feeling too passionately about anyone or anything.”

He saw her fingers pause, hesitate back and forth and then decisively pull out a bright green cover.
Patience smiled to himself, at how the angels were bathing this pivotal story in healing emerald green.
He instructed Passion to take the disc over to the player placed discretely next to the vault.

Within seconds, the lights in the room had dimmed, the wall was swirling to life in a mass of three
dimensional colors and the room was filled with strumming sounds of a relaxing harp.

Passion‟s was overcome with amazement as she felt the colors and sounds stream around her. She
listened in awe as an angelic voice-over once again reminded her „To sit back, watch and listen. This
high quality holographic recording may feel real, but do remember that you are only an observer.
Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Be peaceful. Watch, learn, let go and grow.‟

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With great anticipation, she watched as the story unfurled around her. The first flash of vivid color
stirred a sense of deep recognition in her heart. She gasped at the sudden surge of knowing she felt
in her bones.

Looking around her, she could see a large hall with luminescent chandeliers hanging low, from the high
ceilings. The walls were a deep green and gold and a gentle breeze clinked the glowing glass
pendants with a musical tune.

Patience softly guided her to examine her feet, which were ensconced in highly polished black shoes.
She was startled to notice that they were men‟s shoes. He then asked her to look around the room
for a full length mirror. At first she could not see one, but then noticed a mirror in a corner of the
room. She walked across, all the while studying her men‟s shoes with some confusion.

Patience instructed her to look straight into her own eyes in the mirror. She looked at her familiar, jet
black eyes in the mirror and a fraction of a second later felt a wave of panic coming over her. There

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was no doubt, the eyes were hers. They looked back with equal recognition and shock. But the face
looking at her in the mirror was that of a handsome young Caucasian man!

She described him to Patience in a low, troubled voice, “I … this face looks to be in his late twenties.
He is clean shaven with long black hair and is wearing a formal black suit, complete with high collar and
tie. Looks like the European, historical, coat-tails suit…” The image in the mirror reached out
towards her, as though seeking validation of what was being mirrored. That‟s when she noticed the
hands. She spoke with some awe, as she described long, elegant fingers with finely manicured
fingertips. “Am I this guy? Yes, I believe I am. The eyes, no question about it… those are my eyes!
But wait, there is something so different… they look so vibrant…” she sighed in appreciation. “Wow…
he…I mean I, look so alive and enthusiastic!”

“Look around again, where are you? Why are you here?” Patience asked her.

Passion answered confidently now, “This is the King‟s private ballroom. I am the pianist who plays at
all the important functions. Tonight is one of those special occasions. I am filled with excitement and

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feel positively enthusiastic.” Passion shivered as though speaking in a foreign language. The
intensity of emotions was a puzzle to her. It was like experiencing a whole new way of being.

Once Patience was convinced that she had established her identity and studied the room sufficiently,
he instructed her to step back and view significant instances from this Recall, to get an overview of the
entire life.

Now that she was clearly connected to the Pianist, Passion could easily describe his playful
childhood, growing up in a happy, close knit family with parents and cousins who all shared a deep love
of song, dance and music. Their lives were devoted to the arts. She watched, thunderstruck, at the
joy that shuddered through his being, whenever he played any instrument, especially the piano. He
was a masterful artist and his expertise moved his audience to tears and resounding applause alike.
His rise to stardom was swift and easy. Nevertheless, he was a modest, kind and happy man, who
loved the company of family and friends. His joi de vivre was well rewarded with a bewitching love.

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He met, wooed and married a charming, pretty young woman, whose simplicity and lightness of being
matched his appreciation of beauty and life to perfection. At one point, Passion was able to look
directly into the eyes of the beautiful wife and drew in her breath sharply as she recognized the
mesmerizing eyes.

Patient also gave away his recognition by a perceptible tightening of his hold on her wrist. He quickly
regained his poise and guided her on further, trying to keep her attention on the pianist. Though she
tried to get another longer look at the wife‟s eyes, Passion was somehow unable to manage. As she
saw brief glimpses of the genuine romance between the young couple, Passion stopped to swallow
several times, marveling at how different the energy of such a well lived life was.

But nothing lasts forever.

Growing popularity encouraged the young Pianist to start traveling to other cities. Though his wife
initially accompanied him, responsibilities of bringing up their two young children soon forced her to
stay back more often. As the work grew, their lifestyles became more abundant, but their relationship

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began showing signs of strain. Insufficient time and energy was being invested in the demonstration of
love and thoughtfulness and instead, they both began to make more demands of the other. The
pianist channeled his growing frustration and anger into a new genre of speedy, tempestuous music
which took the youth by storm. Ironically, the more their fights grew, the more popular his music
became. He was offered a cross Atlantic tour that would separate him from his family for a whole
year. The couple had a huge argument as to whether he should leave or not. The wife finally
declared that she could not believe that the Pianist could stay loyal to his family and be left with any
affection after a year of separation under present circumstances. His promise of retiring after this
tour sounded unbelievable, despite his claiming exhaustion with the current lifestyle.

Passion started growing restless, as she recounted with sadness the volatile exchanges between the
two. Patience paused her viewing and again reiterated aloud that they were only observers and there
was no need to relive any of it.

She continued her viewing after a brief rest. The Pianist walked off for his tour in anger, but as the
days passed, his fury calmed. Being away from the family, he began introspecting and once more, the

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love and gratitude began to well up within him. He sent frequent letters and messages back home, but
received brief and then no communication in return. He used his music to fill his waking hours with
purpose and satisfaction, hoping for a fresh start on his return. He returned home reinvigorated,
determined to turn over a new leaf and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

To his dismay, he discovered that his wife, having decided not to wait for what she thought was his
inevitable betrayal, had left the city to live with another man. She claimed that the children were
traumatized with all their fights, and the best thing for him to do was to stay out of their lives.

The rest of the story was a predictable tragedy. The pianist became an alcoholic, growing more
bitter everyday. He was in no condition to continue working and instead of correcting his drunken
ways, he began to blame his audience for their inconstancy. Finally, one day he killed all hope and
goodness in himself. In a fit of drunken frustration, he cursed himself, then his love of music and then
his love for his wife and then even his love for his children. He screamed his frustrations and held the
„madness‟ of „music‟, „love‟ and „passion‟ to all be responsible for his downfall. Precariously poised
over a bridge, waving a bottle in the air, he loudly promised to „never, ever, ever to feel love again.

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Caring is a daring I refuse to do!‟ he sang tunelessly. Before he even knew what happened, he had
toppled over the bridge and sank without resistance, to the bottom of the lake, a happy life having
completely lost its song.

The lost and hurting soul carried the dying wish as vows in cellular memories through different
lifetimes. After further such journeys, it now reached the point of Recalling all this, as Passion.

Patience carefully guided Passion back into the image of the cottage and reinforced feelings of
safety and comfort through his soft instructions. After giving her adequate time to rest, he slowly
brought her back to full present moment awareness.

Though she was alert, Passion kept her eyes closed, her mind and heart working furiously to
assimilate all that she had understood. She wanted to delay opening her eyes to avoid looking into
Patience‟s eyes.

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Patience grappled with his own thoughts, watching her lying there in silence. He wondered once more,
at the complex designs of the universe and how it conspired to bring about learning and growth. In
deed, there were no co-incidences.

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From Passion‟s Notes

233
234
Chapter XIII

Passion finally opened her eyes slowly, looking timidly towards Patience. Patience had left his seat
and walked over to get them both some water. Swallowing a whole glass thirstily, he filled another
glass and walked back thoughtfully to her.

As she reached out to take the glass, they both studied each other cautiously. Finally, Passion
broke the silence. “Thank you… that was most… well it explains a lot.”

Patience waited silently while Passion considered if she wanted to go on. “Do you want me talk about
it? Or not…? I am not sure if I would be breaking any of your rules.” She said hesitantly.

Patience let out his breath audibly, then voiced, “Our training has prepared us for such situations.
They are fairly frequent you know… that‟s the way the universe works. Helping you look at issues
squarely in the face.” The last comment brought a dry smile to both of them, helping them to relax.

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“Though I confess, this is a first for me.” He continues, “I am supposed to recommend my preference,
but leave the choice to you. So the question is Passion, would you like to go over your learning with
me, or take this up with any other Master instead?”

Looking deep into her eyes, he said softly, “I would prefer us to discuss it.”

Passion bit her lip and introspected. She weighed the advantage of having time and objectivity to
evaluate her emotions and thoughts, versus directly addressing the sensitivity that had arisen, thereby
grasping an opportunity for immediate healing. She took her time and reviewed the Recall.

Thoughtfully, she realized that there was no running away from emotions, least of all love and the pain
of having lost it.

Passion spoke up after a long silence. “I realize that though I would very much prefer to avoid going
through this inner turmoil completely, which means simply not discussing it with even myself, least of all
you,” pulling a faint grimace, she went on, “The reason I came here was to confront this once and for

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all.” She drew a deep breath and said, “So it‟s only right that I deal with it. Look you squarely in the
eye.” She smiled again in an attempt to disguise the growing knot in her stomach.

Patience smiled, relieved. He would not have wanted to leave this conversation pending.

“Please remember, that the recording is continuing. However, I encourage you to share your response
freely dear.” He swallowed and internally checked to see if his tone had been inappropriate. He
reminded himself to be very mindful of his non verbal communication, inviting Archangel Raguel in, to
facilitate healing and harmony in this relation.

As she began to attempt articulation, Passion‟s eyes filled with confusion and frustration, “Okay, this
is pretty crazy for me, but I am just going to keep saying whatever pops into my mind. Okay?”

He nodded silently.

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“Obviously, this Recall was a representative one, and I have probably had many such interactions.
And the thing that really struck me was how happy I, the pianist, was! A lot happened thereafter….
But the joy of living so completely was so beautiful! I mean, I feel like I have been so…. Half missing
this life! He was so alive! Of course, because it was such a high, the low was so…. Wretched!”

She glared at him and he looked momentarily troubled himself, but then regained his even expression.

“So how is this life to be lived?! The passion and emotion give…” she reached out rubbing her thumb
and index finger together, as though trying to capture the texture of her thought, “They give
richness… the experience is so very different than knowing or intellectualizing. It‟s like it gives a
reason to live! I can see that now.” She took a deep breath and continued, “I can see that it
completes the journey of understanding in a way that cannot possibly be fulfilled through being an
objective observer alone.”

“Well said,” Patience allowed himself to speak. “Completion of understanding comes from diving in
completely, into the full intensity of the experience, while simultaneously holding the objective

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perspective of an observer - the one who knows that all this is transient. And the essence is
untouched and unhurt at all times.”

She couldn‟t help reacting to that statement and struggled internally, lowering her head to allow
herself to process her thoughts. “But the pain! Oh man!” she shook her head regretfully. “The pain
hurts so much…” She clasped her arms in a hug around herself, bending over.

Patience focused on being a clear channel of love and light, dispassionately intending the highest
possible conclusion of this conversation.

“No wonder I have been resisting involvement and feelings! Who wants this pain…” she moaned aloud.

Patience cautiously delivered a well considered question. “How do you feel about the conclusions
you, the pianist drew, about that particular life and situation?”

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There was a flash of anger in her eyes as she snapped her head up accusingly. “Like I said… why
bother with love when it results in so much pain?” But seeing Patience‟s unvarying stillness, she
sighed in exasperation. “Who am I kidding? It‟s not like ignoring them makes the feelings ever go away.
Even now… I am getting mad and hurt and all this churning. I just pretend … to others, to myself. But
not acknowledging it doesn‟t mean its not there.” She was beginning to feel tired now, but was
determined to see this through to the end.

Patience continued to hold loving intentions, and prayed to be a clear guide of clarity and healing.

“Dear Passion, as you have rightly concluded, pretending does you no good. The pain is only
accentuated by your trying to restrain your natural love.”

She nodded in reluctant agreement. Thoughtfully, she continued her internal inquiry. “Also, now
that I am not seeing it solely through the filter of the pianist‟s perspective, I see that there were
mistakes. There were things I did wrong… many things I could have done better. It was not the fault of
music or passion… or even … my wife‟s alone. The fault was in our inability to invest enough energy

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and effort in the good parts of our life. At that point, it was clearly everyone else‟s fault. But when I
look back now… I blamed and complained without trying to look for what I could do differently.”

She looked up at him directly with sadness, saying, “We should have been whispering prayers of
gratitude during so many precious moments.”

She sighed tiredly and looked downwards again. “Now I see why Recall is useful. You can gain
learning and understanding of a lifetime within a few minutes!”

Shaking her head to herself, she looked up at him quietly, with a new maturity in her eyes. “Is there
something you would like to say me?”

Patience broke away from her steady gaze and looked up askance at the skylight, waiting for
inspiration to dawn.

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After collecting his thoughts, he started, “You understand, that along with understanding, Recall also
surfaces unfinished business between souls? You can call it Karma, or any term that you prefer.
However, in every case, what surfaces is the unresolved issue of healing.”

His eyes were clear, as was his heart. He could speak with confidence, as he was willing to do
everything that was required to complete this process for Passion.

“Do you know the key to any healing?” he asked.

Passion looked at him confused, not sure where he was headed.

“Forgiveness6. No matter what the challenge. Forgiveness is always required.”

“Always?” she asked doubtfully. “Even if you see the error of your ways, understanding your own
part in things?”

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“Seeing the error of your ways should be followed with forgiving yourself, accepting yourself and
loving yourself, despite those past errors.” He waited, but she did not respond.

Patience continued, “Also, it is important to seek forgiveness from whom ever you have wronged,
whether it is another, or yourself. Knowingly or unknowingly.”

She looked up at him pensively.

“Acknowledging that we are the creators of our own reality, and that this whole script was written by
our own self, we need to seek forgiveness of that part of us, conscious or subconscious, which
contributed to the creation of whatever it is that we are trying to heal. No matter what it is, if it is in my
reality, I accept that in some way, I am responsible.”

Checking to see if she had assimilated all this explanation, he finished with “Finally, expressing
gratitude for the learning and evolution, we reiterate our love. This wonderful process has been
beautifully captured by Ho‟ponopono *.”

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“The ancient Hawaiian process of healing, right?” Passion exclaimed with interest. “I have heard
about it. But I never really believed that such a simplistic technique could bring about any major shift.
With your elegant explanation, it now makes much more sense.”

A faint smile lit Patience‟s face. “Yes, it is very simple and straightforward you know. However, there
is plenty of documented evidence that relates how profound healings have taken place in others and
the surroundings, by individuals practicing this with sincerity.”

“Right, the process became famous when a Dr.Len brought about healing in many patients of a
mental hospital, by sitting with their files and repeating the four statements for each patient. Yes, I
have read all that.” Passion agreed with new found acceptance.

Patience could feel the energies shifting already, as there was more ease and flow in the room now.
He shifted his seating, so that they were directly facing each other, about a foot apart. Rubbing his
palms together, looking her squarely in the eyes, he said with a gentle and sincere tone. “Passion, I

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would like to complete this healing process that you have so bravely embarked upon. Do you believe
you can complete this today?”

She reflected before answering. Searching his eyes, she was encouraged by the deep compassion
she saw being showered on her.

With an audible breath, she declared “I can complete this today.”

He prompted, “Are you willing to heal this today?”

“I intend to heal this once and for all, right now! Completely and irrevocably release all related
patterns and cellular memories.” Her even, strong voice conveyed great determination.

“I invite the lightworkers to surround us with deep compassion to assist in facilitating this intention.
We will now use the Ho‟ponopono process. All this is also a part of my reality, so I will go first, saying

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each of the four statements. These statements are directed towards ourselves. But as both of us
are present here, I would prefer us to continue facing each other.”

Passion‟s throat suddenly felt parched and she swallowed visibly, but nodded assent.

Patience closed his eyes, and said “I am sorry”. He breathed in deeply, opened his eyes and looked
unwaveringly at Passion.

His eyes were brimming with compassion and with a kind and gentle tone he repeated, “I am sorry.”
Passion tried to hold his gaze, but broke away.

“Please forgive me.” He said with sincerity. This time she continued to look back. Her eyes
softened.

Patience continued, “Thank you.”

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He waited a long time before going on. Passion‟s heart was melting as she listened transfixed.

Patience himself could feel the strong stream of energy flowing back and forth between their heart
chakras.

Satisfied, a peaceful smile grew on his face as he ended, “I love you.”

For a moment, Passion felt lightheaded and swayed a little. He instinctively reached out a steadying
hand. His touch startled her back to full awareness and for a moment, she looked as stunned as a
deer caught in the lights.

Patience moved back, reassured that Passion was back with full attention.

He watched her silently while she fidgeted in her seat. Finally, she looked up determinedly, swept her
hair back from her face with a strong, swift movement, and looked into his face.

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Strong emotions rose and fell in quick succession. She was witness to their comings and goings, but
was allowing herself to walk through this storm.

When she began to speak, he was impressed with the depth in her voice.

“I am sorry.” Passion searched his face for a reaction, but realized her teacher would not display any
more emotion now.

She went on with great emphasis. “Please forgive me.”

The moment she had said the words, she could feel a sudden lightness start from her heart and rush
outwards to fill her body. Amazed at the sense of expansion she was undergoing, her eyes widened in
surprise. Patience looked on watchfully, his palms directing energetic support towards her all the time.

Passion savored the sense of newness and enthusiasm that seemed to run through her very soul. A
smile began to light her face.

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“Thank you!” came with unquestionable sincerity now.

Tears welled up in her eyes, as Passion was clearly overcome with joy and gratitude when she
whispered, “I love you. I really love you.”

She wiped away at her eyes and they both sat smiling at each other.

Words were insufficient to describe the sense of relief and peace that now swept over both of them.

Passion thought to herself “Miracles do happen. Lifetimes of pain can be released. I now really
understand, really believe the truism – Only love is real!”

The healing was complete.

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 From Patience‟s Notes

Forgiveness Exercise:
1. Choose an issue/relationship you wish to heal or a person you need to
forgive.
2. Bring both hands together with your fingertips touching. Say the
following aloud or silently: "I give myself permission to release this
completely from every cell and fiber of my being."
3. Make a fist with one hand and thump in circles a little above the center of
your chest 8 times.
4. Bring fingertips together again.
5. Say the following aloud or silently “I apologize to everyone I hurt
intentionally or unintentionally related to this.”

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6. Imagine energy flowing in from the top of your head, down your body
and out of the soles of your feet.
7. Say the following aloud or silently “I forgive everyone related this, who
has
hurt me intentionally or unintentionally”
8. Imagine energy flowing in from the top of your head, down your body and
out of the soles of your feet.
9. Say the following aloud or silently “I forgive everyone and everything I
have held responsible for this, knowingly or unknowingly.”
10. Imagine energy flowing in from the top of your head, down your body
and out of the soles of your feet.

Repeat till you feel comfortable and at ease. When you feel you are done,
imagine yourself ensconced in the soft pink light of unconditional love.

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Chapter XIV

“Gather around everyone!” called out Quiet, attempting to bring the excited, animated group to
some order. However, no one was willing to settle down just yet.

The entire class was milling around the fields, each pursuing different activities. Some of them were
holding discussions in small groups, while others were pointing out imperceptible changes to each
other. Still others were trying to measure energetic changes with their different skills. Courage was
walking around with his pendulum, with Memory supportively by his side.

Using dowsing to triangulate the energy leaks, he was encouraged to notice significant reduction in
these areas, from the original ones they had recorded at the start of the project. He and Memory
looked at each other with happiness glowing on their faces and exchanged high fives along with a
“Yipee!” Some others noticed and wandered over to inquire.

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Slowly but surely, the group was getting into a highly celebrative mood. There was certainly
something very different about the fields now. The land had been tilled and sprinklers were already in
place. The stirred earth smelt fresh and rejuvenated. The banyans were beginning to show a few
green shoots. A flock of birds flew over the ground and everyone looked up to admire their
resplendent colors.

The sky was a dazzling array of twilight hues stretching till the horizon. Night was falling and the stars
were showing up. And how! There was a special sparkle to the night sky, almost like the heavens
were applauding their efforts. Upturned faces felt the cool breeze whispering the unspoken backing
of lightworkers and ascended masters. A sense of accomplishment and lightness began to quiet the
exuberance.

They wordlessly gathered around in a loose circle at the center of the fields. At Malhar‟s indication,
Earnest and Akshay carried over a large pyramid and placed it at the center and then moved back to
join the circle. In keeping with GONE regulations, all seed was now packaged, delivered and stored
in pyramids, in order to optimize the crop in all ways. The students had gathered together to

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complete the Kind-le process (mandatory for NOW member countries) after which the seeds and
pyramid would be left overnight in the fields and then sown the next morning.

Malhar looked upwards and briefly prayed silently. Clearing his throat, he began to speak in a soft
and humble tone. “I would like to express thanks on behalf of all of us, to the many unseen light beings
who have been supporting our journey.” He looked around as there were several nods of agreement.

“We have come a long way. Not only in terms of the small changes that we are seeing around us here,
but also in the substantial progress we have made as individuals and collectively as a group.”

“I am happy to report that the Masters are extremely satisfied with our progress.” He smiled faintly,
adding, “In fact, that‟s putting it rather mildly. Impressed with our multi pronged efforts and deep
commitment to getting our own doubts and reservations out of the way, they have instructed me to
appoint a two member team to compile the entire documentation of this project.”

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Smiles of understanding broke out as he went on, “Yes, which means that they are quite happy with
our progress.”

Courage piped up, “That‟s fantastic news Malhar! So who will be doing the documentation?”

Sneha suggested, “If this is about collating all the documents and recording, then Earnest and
Akshay would be good, right? They have been doing most of the research…”

“No Sneha,” Malhar shook his head in disagreement. “They want us to capture everything… not just
the data, research or minutes of the meeting. But also interviews of each of us, to reflect our own
understanding and growth from this project.”

“In that case,” spoke a strong and confident voice, “I would like to volunteer.” Everyone turned to
look at Passion with fond respect. She was a different person in the last few days. Other than
Memory and Malhar, none of them were aware of the details of what had brought about Passion‟s
resurgence. However, they had all noticed a new intensity to her interactions and participation.

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Considering she had stomped off the fields the last time, the difference was now even more
noticeable.

“Wonderful,” said Malhar proudly. “And who else would like to work on this? Remember, we need to
make a comprehensive project report,” he paused for dramatic effect and then continued smilingly, “as
this is to be submitted to the annual NOW Revitalize competition!”

There were murmurs of excitement as the full implications were understood.

“Yes, if we come into one of the top three positions, this may in fact become the basis for a protocol
for other projects around the world.” Malhar positively glowed with his announcement.

Earnest spoke up quietly, “This is a huge responsibility. It is only appropriate that I be the other
person. I will have an opportunity to demonstrate the progress I have made in my own Personal
Lesson Plan, as does Passion. Revitalize values inner growth as much as manifestation success.”

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“Correct.” Nodded Malhar, “That‟s why the need for personal interviews, etc…. The Masters have
emphasized that all our individual journeys be captured as holistically as possible.”

Some comments flew back and forth, but there was consensus on this pair. Earnest and Passion
nodded seriously to each other, across the circle.

Conversation moved to anticipation about the Revitalize competition. The annual event had played
an important role in guiding NOW policies and projects. NOW Masters had found an elegant and
efficient way to keep generating ingenious solutions that could be executed in a practical manner.
Talent from around the world presented their innovative experiments to help heal the earth and its
people. The most successful and promising methods were adopted for widespread implementation.
In this way, the larger objective of saving the earth was targeted through smaller, easier to implement
projects. Winning NOW recognition was not only a prestigious accolade, but also an opportunity to
actualize their underlying passion and commitment to make a difference.

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However, Akshay looked troubled and finally couldn‟t resist voicing his doubts. “Look something is
bothering me, and I would much rather air it than allow it to grow inside and affect things.”

“Yes Akshay?” Malhar encouraged him to go on.

“Isn‟t all this rather premature? I mean, we are going to plant the seeds tomorrow. And it will be a
couple of weeks before we know if the grass is growing and then it has to hold and sustain…. I mean… I
don‟t want to be the doubting Thomas, but aren‟t we jumping the gun by assuming that all this should
be sent to NOW and all that? In fact, I am actually rather taken aback by the Masters‟ enthusiasm
myself.” He looked around embarrassed and seeing the diverse reactions he had set off, lowered his
head mumbling, “I am sorry, but I had to say that.”

As conversations broke out, Malhar raised his hand to silence them. “Quiet, please! Quiet!”

Quiet innocently called out, “Yes Malhar? I am here!” Malhar looked exasperated and then burst
into laughter. Others also joined in and the building tension dissipated quickly.

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“Okay everyone, listen up!” said Malhar, still smiling. “Akshay, thanks very much! For not allowing
your doubts to ferment internally and thereby impact the collective group energies. You have raised
valid questions, which must surely reside in more of us. If it is in one of us, then it resides in the
collective energy. Fortunately, the Masters, being Masters,” he laughed lightly, “Have foreseen this
situation and will be joining us via holographic link. I was instructed to up link after we finish our Kind-
le seed process. So is that Okay with everyone?”

Though Akshay was still uncomfortable, he agreed with the others. They shuffled around to form a
more regular circle. Spontaneously, they began to complete the circle, by holding hands. Habitually,
everyone checked to see that their left hands were in the lower, receiving hold, while the right was in
the turned over, giving hold.

Malhar looked around the group and gestured to Memory to begin. Speaking in a melodious tone,
she guided them through a simple, elemental meditation. Within minutes, they were all breathing
deeply and slowly, totally present to the earth below their feet, as also the wide open sky above. She

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gently reminded them to be aware of the presence of the Tara Nadi and its ability to nourish the
depths of the fields they were standing on. Finally, she guided them to absorb the valuable rays of
the setting sun, and allow it to run down their bodies, deep till the core of the earth.

The fields were charged with the presence of the meditating Masters in the making. A palpable
energy was shimmering throughout the fields, rippling outwards from each of their hearts. Memory
guided them to focus their attention on the heart, moving the energy into coherence, then down
through their right hands, outwards into the circle. Receiving this same chain through the left hand
and back to the heart, the loving energies grew more and more powerful, like an electric current running
through the circle of hands and hearts.

Sensing that they had achieved a strong vibration, with a powerful voice, she commanded the team to
direct this laser like energy from the heart, into the pyramid, into the very depths of the seeds.

This Kind-le process was carried out by every person who worked with new plantings, to ensure that
the highest possible energies were activated in the seed and earth bed.

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The twilight cast strange and beautiful colors and gradually soft clouds of lights began to become
visible over the fields. Memory continued to guide them slowly out of their trance. When the students
finally came out of their deep focus and opened their eyes, their faces lit up with smiles and exultant
laughs as they began to notice the light orbs.

“Look!” pointed out Sneha in excitement, “Did you see those blinking dots of bright light? What is
that? Are they glow worms?”

“No… those are angels visiting!” said Passion happily. “They sometimes show up as flashes or small
lightning in bright white, gold or other colors. And you see those light orbs? They tend to appear
after such powerful meditations or when the lightworkers come around to bless us.”

“Wow!” replied Sneha in an awed hush. “It looks magnificent! We really are blessed. Awesome!”

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Malhar pulled out his digital assistant and requested their attention. Switching on the holographic
multimedia link made vivid lights and colors appear before them. Other than the foggy golden light
that surrounded them, it almost seemed liked their favorite teachers had joined them on the field.

“Dear beloveds, we are gathered here…” started a mischievous Patience, and then paused, to allow
for the peals of startled laughter that he was confident of.

“We are gathered here for the very same reasons that we live for.” He smiled at the sudden stillness
that spread amongst them. “Can anyone tell me why we are here?” He clearly was not expecting any
answers, as he allowed soft conversations to continue without interruption. “All right, since none of
you is speaking up, allow me to give you a clue. Well, its much more than a clue actually.” He was
unable to restrain his impish grin. “It‟s a small poem that I would like to share with you.” In response to
some of the few groans that broke out, he called out, “Don‟t worry! You wont be listening to some
complicated old English here!” he joked. “Alrighty, let me get started… just hear me out!”

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His voice was soothing and his expression loving. The audience was drawn in by his compelling
sincerity.

“We made this life and planet,

To love, to live,
To laugh, to learn.
Different ways of Being discern.
And having tried them all and more,
To know the choice we made before,
Was always right, could never have been wrong.
But taking the tour of other options,
We realize what we have known all along.
Though it is never back to square one.
Ignorance is never bliss.
Struggling is an option.
Wisdom comes from within.

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I have the choice to be the change.
To live life all over again
I will rebuild, renew, recreate somehow
The magic of the original vision
This I vow
A land of beauty and awesome grace
Where peace abounds
As a natural state
Where love is the only way of being we know
All is given and abundance flows
Green and vibrant
What an awesome place
Into that world of joy
My heart awakes.
Life is a song to be sung
There are no wars to be won

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An artist in every moment
With unlimited colors and strokes
I paint a canvas that richly glows
With visions colorful, glowing and bright
In true homage to the Light inside
As within, so without
My imaginative creations grow
Concurrent to my return
To Source and Divine Flow”

As he finally looked out at all of them, Patience made no attempt to hide the tears glistening on his
cheek. Smiling wanly at them, his eyes lingered on Passion for a few unobtrusive moments.

He continued speaking, “I trust and believe, that most, if not all of you, feel exactly the same way.
That‟s why you are here. In this school, toiling to restore this land. Tilling the depths of your own
souls. Allowing the beauty within each of you to flower. We are here to Celebrate Life. We are

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here to Celebrate Love. Love for this planet, love for each other and love for ourselves – the
splendid beings that we are, the magnificent Oneness that we are!”

There was a poignant moment of silence, before the touched students finally broke into loud and
heartfelt applause.

Master Serenity moved closer to Patience and as he turned to her with beseeching eyes, she gave
him a warm embrace, fully understanding how overwhelming love can be.

Master Kindness stepped up to address the students, and began to commend them for their
outstanding efforts. He spoke almost as though the Masters had been watching and noting every
emotion, thought and action that the students had experienced throughout the project.

And in reality, they had actually been monitoring their progress telepathically.

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“You know my dears, it was a challenge even for us Masters, to remain detached from this project.
We are grateful to the commitment that each of you have demonstrated.” There were a few reactions
of surprise, but Master Kindness continued without a break. “Yes, grateful is the right word. For
though we are your Masters, we are also your colleagues and co-travelers, who have as much at stake
as do you. We are all in this together. NOW, NOC and GONE would remain only administrative
bodies, without the active participation of loving awareness and responsible action from each
individual on this planet.” He sighed with emotion.

“Understanding and claiming your own power, is so critical for change. Lack of this belief is what led
to the downward spiral of our society and environment in the first place. If you have not reflected on
the ripple effect of your own actions, please, do so now! Appreciate your strength. Know your value
and potential. And live up to it. Also, live it up.” He smiled to lighten the growing seriousness.

“As long as your heart is in the right place, you can do no wrong. Dearest ones, do you know what
distinguishes a surgeon‟s scalpel from a murderer‟s knife?”

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There was a buzz of discussion and a few of them put up their hands to answer. Master Kindness
called on Humility, who replied in a respectful tone, “Intention sir.”

“Very Good! Intention! The surgeon also makes an incision. However, this is very different from the
cut caused by the ignorance or misled thoughts of the murderer. Do you agree?”

After some contemplation, the students nodded thoughtfully.

“So what I would like you to be cognizant of is that the surgeon and murderer both reside in you.
Your discernment and dedication to awakening is what empowers you to make the right choices.
Further, know, that despite the best of intentions, your actions or inactions may require improvement.
You may not immediately see the results that you want. But that is alright! One learns from trials and
errors. There is no other way. And every experience only enriches us. Do you know what the
famous scientist Thomas Edison said? After failing to make the light bulb after numerous attempts,
he declared that he had learned 99 ways not to make it! Can you imagine? That is the kind of
dedicated perseverance that is required of each of us today.”

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He paused to allow all this wisdom to soak into the attentive students.

“You will now see, why we believe this project must be submitted to the NOW Revitalize competition.
Regardless of the outcome, your line of approach will spell out what works well as also what needs
improvement. And therein lies great value for our future endeavors. Mankind doesn‟t have the time
to waste, to repeat mistakes that have already been made! So you will save someone else their
learning curve.”

Master Kindness smiled graciously.

“If you are wondering why we are so happy, today, even before the seeds have been planted, I tell you
this, the seeds are already planted. The seeds of light have been placed firmly in each heart over
here. We Masters are confident, that every single one of you will be practicing all that have you
learned over the last many weeks, in your own family, community and global networks. That each of

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you will ensure that you make every possible effort to restore earth to the vision we all share… the one
that Patience so beautifully described.”

He drew a deep breath and looked upwards with close eyes. After a silent prayer, he looked
penetratingly at all the students, one at a time, and said softly, “May you be blessed. May you be a
channel of blessings for someone today. Realize your individual and collective highest my dears! And
do not forget, life is for living it to the fullest, loving to the fullest!”

Master Kindness beamed broadly at his students and then moved to the side to allow Patience back
to the forefront. With his eyes twinkling again, Patience announced “Master Serenity has planned a
surprise for you! She will now guide you in one of the most efficient ways to reconnect to Source.”

There were several groans of despair. “Not meditation right now!”

“Please, can‟t we just go back and sleep?”

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“We just did such a deep round of meditation!”

Master Serenity came forward and spoke with mock seriousness. “Oh my goodness! I thought I was
popular with you children, but I see that you can‟t wait for me to leave.”

Crestfallen faces were accompanied with half hearted denials. Faith spoke loudly for the others,
“No Ma‟m! We do love you! But it has been a long day…”

Courage couldn‟t help himself and called out rakishly, “Please don‟t take it personally!” He was
greeted with peals of laughter, and Humility slapped his back, saying, “My God Courage! That
would have been my line at the beginning of the term!”

Master Serenity retained her graceful demeanor and laughed sportingly. “My brilliant students…
you have learned so well! That is why I am so confident that you will enjoy the process I have planned
for you.” She smiled despite the resumed complaints. “Now listen up. As you know, all my teachings

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have been focused on helping you reconnect to source. And when will you know you have achieved
this connection?”

There was a puzzled silence. So she prompted them, “How will you feel?”

“Serene?” asked Akshay dubiously. “True. And also…?” prompted Master Serenity.

“Relieved?” said Memory and was greeted with a burst of laugher.

Master Serenity smiled but was not done. “We have talked about this before… remember?”

“Happy!” exclaimed Earnest. “Joyfully at ease!”

“Elated!” responded Quiet with some enthusiasm.

Master Serenity smiled in satisfaction.

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“Good… elaborate! What is natural to us in a state of elation? What would you do? Or say? To
demonstrate this elation?”

“Dance!” called out Sneha.

“Laugh” said Memory.

“Paint!” cried out Passion.

“Sing!” rang out Faith.

“Play the drums… make music together” grinned Humility, looking at Faith.

“Pull Courage‟s leg” winked Earnest.

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Malhar said emphatically, “Have a party with all my friends!”

“Excellent. So to sum it up… you would Celebrate!” They all laughed with excitement, now
beginning to see where this was headed.

“Just as reconnecting leads to joy and elation, we can evoke a sense of connect by celebration! Joy,
gratitude and creativity are some of the easiest ways to connect with the Divine Source. Hence
today, you will all rejoice! Refreshments, musical instruments and firewood for the bonfire are all
placed behind the banyan trees.”

The Masters laughed indulgently at the whoops of happiness that rang the air.

Master Serenity smiled and declared “Go and have a whale of a time. You all have earned it!”

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Chapter XV

Malhar cast a quick, nervous glance over the elite audience.

The open air amphitheater had been built by hand, with rich moss and grass growing between the
dark slabs of stones. Towards the center, a large clearing was available for holographic projections.
The amphitheater was surrounded by a dreamy, concentric circular waterway that gracefully
meandered around the outer rim of the seating, and then went on to reach the river. Elegant lotus
flowers bobbed on the water surface. Wildly colored flowers bobbed alongside the waterway, inviting
the most amazing birds and butterflies into their beautiful space.

Though it was only 5 am local time, the first rays of a new dawn were starting their day‟s journey. The
gentle sunlight filtered through the rich green of the banyan tree branches in the auspicious hours of
the Bramha Muhurta*. Malhar turned to look towards the tall swaying grass in their verdant green
pastures.

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Invigorated by the sight, he took a deep breath and switched on his holographic presentation. The
soul shattering vision of the dead fields, as they had been in the past, emerged in a large three
dimensional image. There were exclamations of shock and awe as the audience compared the virtual
image with current reality.

Speaking in a deep, confident and proud voice, Malhar went on to make a crisp presentation of the
entire movement from the past to present scenario. He was well aware of the importance of his
speech. As the winner of the NOW Realize contest this year, their project was to become a
protocol to be adopted by several of the member countries. This entire summary was being telecast
live to conference arenas around the world.

“…. I would like to close my report with the expression of heartfelt gratitude to our teachers and other
lightworkers, who have enabled us to learn, imbibe and demonstrate such significant transformation.
My friend, Passion will now express a few words on behalf of the rest of us.” Malhar smiled
encouragingly at Passion, who came forward with a confident stride.

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“Thank you Malhar. A Wonderful Day to you all! Needless to say, we are all extremely happy with
our results and the fact that so many of you are now planning to adopt similar practices in reviving the
planet. Malhar has eloquently summarized the larger perspective of our experiences, for all of you.
Details of our protocol and individual transformations have been made available as file downloads. I
am here for a different reason.” She paused and looked around the amphitheatre, to take in the
watchful attention of so many experienced people.

“As a team, each of us is convinced that the most significant contributor to our success has been the
individual and collective commitment to awakening.” Passion turned and smiled fondly at the section
seating her classmates and their Masters, located just behind them. Some of them acknowledged
with a thumbs-up gesture or by shaking their fists together in silent encouragement.

“Hence, we unanimously felt it important to summarize our personal takeaways from this project. My
learnings are representative of the group and I speak to you on behalf of all of us.

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As you can tell from my name, my challenge was to engage fully with the intensity of emotions.
Reasoning and detachment were the cornerstones of my existence in the past. With the help of my
friends and Masters…” she looked briefly towards Patience who was listening to her most attentively,
“I learned more about my thoughts. I understood how the mind only lives with stories and they are but
clutter that we need to drop. I understood that healing is nothing but the shedding of unnecessary
baggage. Release the story and allow your own inner self to be. Live naturally, going with the flow.

Emotions will come, but they will also go. Yes, everything is transient. Including the strong
attachment I feel towards these people and this land. Tomorrow, we will all be going our separate
ways. Yes, we may or may not continue to be in daily touch as we have been over the last many
months. Yes, we are unlikely to visit these inspiring fields for some time. Yes, we may or may not have
uplifting sessions with these Masters anymore.

I have grown terribly fond of all this.

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But I realize today, that while I say these words with longing already, there can be no undoing of the
heart connect that has been found.” She stopped to compose herself.

“I am grateful to now have the courage to allow myself to completely experience the intense love and
gratitude that I share with this family. It is the caring which inspired us all to do what we did. Without
allowing myself to fully feel involved or one with all this, how would I have found the strength or
commitment required to bring thought into meaningful action? It was all very nice to have intellectual
thoughts and conclusions about what is right and wrong with the world. But until I was helped to
discover glimpses of Being – being one with all that shows up in my world… Doing anything concrete
about it was easily avoidable. One cannot sustain intention and action unless there is a driving
emotional investment of love and caring.

Strangely enough, I have now discovered that involvement, which I earlier considered as a drain on my
energy, when cleared of the fears of loss, was a source of constant nourishment to the soul.

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Having known love and awesome beauty, more than anything, the soul fears separation. Separation
from this blissful state of being, separation from all persons and things that are but manifestations of
that same One singular Source…

But the truth is that separation is impossible! We are One. Nothing can ever change that.
Relationships may change form, and life may display different hues. After all, we write a new story for
our own movies, every single moment!” she smiled wryly.

“In the experience of the interesting roles and situations that I write in for myself, I confess that those
pangs of fear do still return. However, I have learned that it is feasible to live with passion and
concurrently retain a perspective of the eternal Source… the dispassionate field of all possibilities.
To retain the knowing that I am deeply connected to Source at all times.

It is my endeavor to become more constant in this state of balance, embracing the paradox of
complete involvement and absolute objectivity. I believe its called „detached attachment‟ by most

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Masters,” she looked towards Patience with a lighthearted smile and continued, “However, I like the
words of my favorite teacher the best – „Don‟t take life so seriously‟!”

Her words were greeted with spontaneous laughter and applause.

Patience smiled indulgently at her.

She waited for them to become quiet again, before continuing, “I am grateful for the help and support
that we provide each other in this group. As an individual, it is easy to get carried away with the
„movie‟ I am living, and forget my own capability. But loving reminders from friends and guides helps
one to return to awareness. There is so much value in nurturing such a community! Co-travelers who
remind us when we forget… To laugh at what could otherwise make one cry. To hope when one
could succumb to despair. To change, when one could stay trapped in habit or hopelessness. To
take responsibility when one is tempted to blame.

We have realized that this wonderful earth and its glorious beauty is something that we have all co-
created as our reality. Bearing in mind that return to Oneness is inevitable in the longer run, at this

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stage of our growth and understanding, we students are choosing to reaffirm this beautiful
fabrication. We want to fully enjoy the magnificence of our creation and recommit ourselves to
rewriting the story which allowed irresponsibility and carelessness to creep in. This is our playfield
and we pledge to enjoy the game thoroughly!
s we leave these Green Fields, we will carry within us this truth… Know you are a manifestation of the
same singular Source, and Being in awareness of this in every moment, gracefully Do everything that
allows us all to celebrate this beautiful life and planet.”

Bowing elegantly, she thanked them all and stepped away from the center. The entire audience
stood, clapping enthusiastically. Passion skipped over to join her friends with a glowing face. High
fives and laughter broke out in the group. They were all fired with the knowledge that they had
already made a difference. Stepping out into the world tomorrow, this wave of change would ripple
out further, till it encompassed the entire planet.

The Celebrations had only just begun.

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 About Laughing Lotus Wisdom Crafts

Sheetal Sanghvi, Shilpa Kanungo and Sangeeta Bhagwat have together formed “Laughing
Lotus Wisdom Crafts”. We intend to offer gifts from our hearts that can help with
transformation and self realization. Along our own journeys, we have realized that
personal growth is often understood and experienced thanks to the fruit of many seeds
planted by our fellow travelers. Our offerings are such initiatives of ripples of change. If
you are touched by this work and resonate with our intentions, please contact us to explore
how we can together be the change we all want to see in the world.

Sangeeta Bhagwat - besangeeta@gmail.com

www.serenereflection.com

Sheetal Sanghvi - theurbanashram@gmail.com

www.theurbanashram.org

Shilpa Kanungo - shilpa.kanungo@gmail.com

First Edition: February 2010

Published by: Laughing Lotus Wisdom Crafts
Printed by: Poonam Printing Press, Pune.
Notes to Myself
Notes to Myself