May 2024

Working Together
DAAJI

An Honor
Bestowed
PATRICIA
SCOTLAND

It’s Time for

Love to Go Viral
ROLLIN MCCRATY
Planet
The World Is
One Family
LOVE
NILAKSHI
RAJKHOWA

NNECT W
O
REC

ITH
YOUR
LD

IN
NER CHI

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Editorial Team —
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editing
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Shedde
Writers — Sravan Banda, Sara Bubber, Daaji, Gour
Gopal Das, Joseph Howell, Rollin McCraty, Nilakshi
Rajkowa, Patricia Scotland
Interviewees — Aaryan Arora, Siddharth Kak
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 Unity Is the Way

Dear readers,

From March 14 to 17, 2024, around 60,000 people gathered in Kanha Shanti Vanam for an interfaith
celebration organized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Heartfulness Institute.
People came from around 300 organizations, many countries, and covering a spectrum of spiritual and
religious beliefs and practices.

There were plenary talks and panel discussions, exhibitions and stalls, activities and opportunities for
everyone to experience each other’s practices, musical performances, and group meditations. We shared
meals, accommodation, and all the other facilities at Kanha Shanti Vanam, and came away with a deeper
understanding of ourselves and each other. This Global Spirituality Mahotsav was an opportunity to
develop harmony, peace, and heart coherence among people from all different backgrounds and walks of
life. And it worked! Dr. Rollin McCraty and his team from the HearthMath Institute set up devices on
campus to measure the coherence among the hearts of the attendees during the group meditation on the
final morning of the gathering, and here are the results:

May 2 024
Meditation: At the Global Spirituality Mahotsav

Hosted at the Heartfulness Institute Headquarters, Kanha Shanti Vanam (Hyderabad, India). Meditation on
3/17, starting at 9:40 a.m. IST. Approximately 60,000 participants.

Significant

Meditation begins

Heartfulness Institute Meditation Hall Network Coherence significantly

increased starting with the meditation

H eart f u l n es s
When we sit together to meditate, we feel the increased flow of connection dissolving barriers among
us. Not only did we feel this within during the celebration, but the data from HeartMath’s devices
demonstrated that the increased coherence among our hearts was highly significant. Dr. McCraty shares
more on this topic in his article this month.

We also hear from Daaji on love, Joseph Howell on connecting with the inner child, Sofia Stril-Rever
on peace, Gour Gopal Das on managing problems, Nilakshi Rajkhowa on the world as one family,
Sravan Banda on cultivating peace through the environment, Aaryan Arora on becoming his own person,
Siddharth Kak on creativity, and Sara Bubber on time. And very specially, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland,
KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth bestows a special honor upon Daaji.

There have been many interfaith gatherings over the years, starting with the famous Parliament of the
World’s Religions, which opened on September 11, 1893, and which is known as the birthplace of the
worldwide interfaith movement. On the first day of the event, Swami Vivekananda addressed the audience
as “Sisters and brothers of America!” to a standing ovation. In his final address, he spoke of how the
parliament “proved to the world that holiness, purity, and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any
church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character.”

This Global Spirituality Mahotsav has now taken interfaith collaboration to a new level, with Daaji
urging everyone to start working together, and providing the field of action for that to happen. The rest is
now up to all of us. Can we stop wasting our energy on divisions and differences, and focus on harmony
and collaboration? When we do, our planet and all her species will breathe a huge sigh of relief. Our
consciousness will no longer be weighed down by the negativity and conflict we create; it will be free to
soar above our individual differences to merge with the universal consciousness. Humanity is quite capable
of doing that, and imagine what we will create then!

Happy reading,
The editors

May 2 024
8 H eart f u l n es s
 inside

self-care workplace creativity

Working Together There Will Always Be Become Your Own
Daaji Problems Influence

14 Gour Gopal Das Aaryan Arora

34 60
Reconnecting with Your
Inner Child When a Bird Sings, Do You
Joseph Howell
relationships Analyze It?
Siddharth Kak
18
66
Human Fellowship

inspiration Nilakshi Rajkhowa

children
40

Love for the Sake of Love It's Time for Love to Go Time Is a Precious Resource
Daaji Viral Sara Bubber
24 Rollin McCraty
74
46
An Honor Bestowed
The Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland,
KC, Commonwealth Secretary-
General environment
28
Cultivating Peace
Sravan Banda
54

May 2 024 9
 DAAJI
Daaji is the Heartfulness
Guide. He is an innovator and
researcher, equally at home in the
fields of spirituality, science, and
the evolution of consciousness.
He has taken our understanding
of human potential to a new
level.
SOFIA STRIL-REVER
Sofia is a French spiritual
teacher, Sanskrit scholar, writer,
biographer of the 14th Dalai
Lama, co-author and translator
with His Holiness, specialist
on Tibet, and translator of
Kalachakra from Sanskrit. She is
the coordinator for UNESCO’s
International Day of Conscience
with Love for Peace on April 5.
10
PATRICIA SCOTLAND
As the first woman to be
appointed Secretary-General of
the Commonwealth, Patricia’s
career has been marked by
a number of firsts. She is
mobilizing the 56 nations of the
Commonwealth to tackle climate
change, and, through women’s
enterprises, to build the resilience
of more vulnerable countries.
GOUR GOPAL DAS
Gour Gopal Das is an Indian
Hindu monk, lifestyle coach, and
motivational speaker from the
International Society for Krishna
Consciousness. He is the author
of Life’s Amazing Secrets, The Way
of the Monk, and Energize Your
Mind, and has over 17 million
followers on social media.
H eart f u l n es s
JOSEPH HOWELL
Dr. Howell is a clinical
psychologist and the founder
of the Institute for Conscious
Being, near Atlanta, USA. He
is an Enneagram Authority and
author of Becoming Conscious: The
Enneagram Forgotten Passageway
and his upcoming book, Know
Your Soul.
NILAKSHI RAJKHOWA
Nilakshi is the Director, Office
of Public Affairs at the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is
of India. She promotes social
change, including fostering a
new culture of equality in India
and the transformation of society
structures that prevent women’s
full and meaningful participation
in public life.

ROLLIN MCCRATY
Rollin is a scientist,
psychophysiologist, executive
vice president and director of
research at HeartMath Institute,
member of the Global Coherence
Steering committee, and project
coordinator of GCI’s Global
Coherence Monitoring System.
He is a professor at Florida
Atlantic University.
SIDDHARTH KAK
Siddharth is an Indian
documentary maker, television
producer, and presenter, best
known as the producer and
presenter of Surabhi (1990-2001).
After that, he established the
Surabhi Foundation to preserve
cultural artefacts, and currently
co-hosts the NDTV travel show,
Indiadhanush.
contributors
SRAVAN BANDA
Sravan’s expertise is constructed
wetlands and wastewater
challenges. He is an accredited
Green Building Professional
through IGBC, and a member of
the Society of Wetland Scientists,
USA. His interest extends to
Indian Traditional Medicine
and the medicinal properties
of indigenous plants. He is a
Director at BlueDrop Enviro Pvt.
Ltd.
SARA BUBBER
Sara is a storyteller, Montessori
consultant, and a children’s book
author. She is also a naturalist,
doing her doctoral work in eco-
consciousness in childhood. She
has been practicing Heartfulness
for eight years and is a certified
trainer.
May 2 024
AARYAN ARORA
Aaryan is a young Indian-
American actor, musician,
composer, and social media
personality, who is known for
the legal drama Bull, the musical
Bhangin It and the film Deli
Boy. He is also the Founder and
CEO of The Arora Company, a
US-based Public Relations and
Marketing Consultancy Firm.
PURNIMA
RAMAKRISHNAN
Purnima is a UN award winning
writer and blogger. She is the
recipient of the BlogHER
International Activist Award,
2013, and one of five senior
editors of the World Moms
Network. She is a practitioner
and trainer of Heartfulness
Meditation, and on the
Heartfulness Magazine editorial
team.
11
self-care
The child is in me still—
and sometimes not so still.

FRED ROGERS
 YES, YOU CAN DO IT!

Working Together
DAAJI At the Global Spirituality Mahotsav,
DAAJI shares his vision for bringing about
world peace through individual peace,
through cooperative projects, and through
staying together to dissolve differences
and bring progress..

T
he dream of Swami
Vivekananda ji has been
perceived by so many of
us in this particular moment
of bringing many paths and
followers together. Now that
we have come together, it is just
the beginning. What do we do
next? What is the purpose of
this gathering? Our goal is very
clear: to bring about harmony
within each community through
individual peace, so that we
build the capacity for global
peace.

There is no magic wand

that can change the level of
peace and global harmony
in one stroke. Lord Krishna
could not attain it; none of
us can attain it alone. First,
we all have to work together,
individually—one heart at a
time. Next, all of us can take up
some projects together, co-
share those projects, implement
those projects and successfully

14 H eart f u l n es s
 S ELF -CARE

When we work together, we will be able to dissolve our

differences, and that will be the sign of progress. Working
together is the next step to a mere beginning. A further
step is to grow together. When we maintain these
relationships of working together for longer
and longer periods, we will see how the
small step of coming together evolves.

complete those projects across things like planting trees, going

the globe.
When volunteers from
Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism,
Islam, Christianity, Judaism,
Hinduism, Transcendental
Meditation, Brahma Kumaris,
Heartfulness, and no tradition
all work together, we will be
able to understand each other’s
minds, hearts, and emotions.
When we work together, we
will be able to dissolve our
differences, and that will be
the sign of progress. Working
together is the next step to a
mere beginning. A further step
is to grow together. When we
maintain these relationships
of working together for longer
and longer periods, we will see
how the small step of coming
together evolves. This is
especially vital for our youth.
When people of different faiths
come together and do simple
to villages to help children
understand the importance of
education, teaching farmers
how to double their crop
productivity, increasing the
intuitive capabilities of little
children—so many things can
be achieved.
This gathering is not just about
exchanging philosophical ideas;
it is mainly to come together
as one to spread the message of
love. Otherwise, such meetings
will go on and on.
Actually, when did we ever have
such a meeting? I don’t recollect
it ever happening like this in
the recent era, and our grateful
hearts go out to the Ministry
of Culture for bringing so
many groups together to
promote brotherhood, love, and
compassion toward each other.

May 2 024 15
SEL F -CAR E
Activity
Take up a local project in your
community. Here are some
examples, but please don’t be
limited by these:
1. Take up an ecological project,
e.g. planting trees in an area
that has been deforested;
cleaning up a stream, river
or lake; setting up recycling
centers and compost facilities
in local communities, and
training people how to use
them.
2. Take up an educational
project, e.g. teaching
Brighter Minds programs
16
to disadvantaged children; When people of
collecting books and setting
up a mobile library for different faiths
children where story-time is
offered; offering art, music, or come together and
dance classes.
do simple things
3. Take up a health project, e.g.
like planting trees,
working with local groups to
promote healthy eating, good going to villages to
hygiene, digital detox, sleep
habits. help children
Partner with other organizations understand the
that are also interested in the
same projects, pool your resources,
importance of
and work together for maximum education, teaching
benefit. There is no limit to what
we can accomplish together. farmers how to
double their crop
productivity,
increasing the
intuitive capabilities
of little children—so
many things can be
achieved.
H eart f u l n es s
 S ELF- CARE

May 2 024 17
 Reconnecting with
Your Inner Child
DR. JOSEPH HOWELL is the founder of The Institute for
Conscious Being in the US. During his keynote address at
the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, he guided the audience
through an exercise to help them find spiritual connection
by connecting to their inner child.

F
or a moment, if you will do
this for me:
Gently close your eyes and
picture in your mind’s eye the
home, the dwelling, the apartment,
the house in which you spent the
earliest part of your life.
Now, look at that dwelling. You
were one year old, two years old,
three years old, maybe four. And as
you look at it, look at the windows
and the doors, look at the colors.
Now, look at where you played the
most. Was it on the grass, was it in
a playground, was it in your private
garden, was it in the common area
of an apartment building?
As you picture this in your mind,
look at the little being who is you,
playing in those places. Look at
that beautiful little child with
expressive eyes, with excitement,
with tenderness, with vulnerability,
with awe, with surprise, and only
two wishes: to love and to be
loved. Hold me and let me hold
you. This little child with those
beautiful eyes is sitting in the
playground or the yard or the
garden, full of hope for what life is
to be. And the child radiates that
hope.
Sadly, that little child—our
soul child—has to go under a
crust because the demands and
harshness and woundings of
this world will not allow that
precious innocence to survive in
all its purity. So, by age five or six,
sometimes seven, we have put on a
layer of protection, and it is called
the ego. We must have an ego. It
gives us a way to move through
the world. It gives us protection
from the wounds that our little
vulnerable self could not bear.
And as that child grows, the ego
grows with it, with you and me. At
one point, we became a defensive

18 H eart f u l n es s
 S ELF- CARE

May 2 024 19
SEL F -CARE

20 H eart f u l n es s
 S ELF- CARE

Put your hearts together, and let

them beat in coherence. Join with
your soul so that your life can face
any shock point, and do it with
dignity and compassion, and holy
strength and holy faith.

In my opinion, we have to return

personality that said to the world,
“You can’t hurt me because I’m
powerful, or because I’m okay, or
because I’m right, or because I’m
giving.” We decided what our ego-
strategy was going to be.
Then, by midlife, and for some of
us sooner, there was a shock point.
That shock point took us into a
land of pain and suffering, because
we realized that the ego never did
have a way to successfully block
the pain, suffering, shame, anger,
and alienation.
When we were teenagers, we were
searching for an identity. Instead
of going back to our soul child, we
found our identity in groups. And
now, so many are finding their
identity in social media. What a
false self we are presenting for our
children to embrace.
What is it that we can be if we
are not the ego? Who is it that we
can be that brings hope again, that
brings love again, that brings light
again? The answer is our soul. The
soul now has a purpose, a meaning,
and a way, with the ego’s help, to
be protected, because the ego can
now serve the purpose of the soul.
So, I’d like to tell you how to find
the qualities of your soul again.
Well, in my tradition, the great
teacher Jesus Christ said, “You
cannot enter the Kingdom of
Heaven unless you become as a
little child.”
to our first identity, which is our
true nature. That’s found in the
little being you saw in that yard or
playground just a few minutes ago.
Close your eyes again. I’d like for
you to picture that child one more
time. Look into her or his eyes.
See the purity, the beauty, the
willingness to love and be loved.
Now feel the heart of that child.
And now, if you will go to that
child and sit by them, and put your
arms around that little being. Put
your hearts together, and let them
beat in coherence. Join with your
soul so that your life can face any
shock point, and do it with dignity
and compassion, and holy strength
and holy faith.
Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM

May 2 024 21
inspiration

We shall overcome because

the arc of the moral universe is long,
but it bends towards justice.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Illustration by JASMEE MUDGAL

 Love for the
Sake of Love
On the second day of the Mahotsav, DAAJI spoke about the
purpose of the gathering, why there are different religious
practices in different faiths, how to nurture the soul, and
how all people can come together for a better world.

L
overs of God, to you all my
heartfelt Pranams. I hope this
will become a yearly tradition
throughout the globe. Coming
together is only the beginning.
When we work together it will
translate into progress, in the
words of Henry Ford. When we
join hands and grow, we will have
to understand each other, and how
to work together to fulfill a goal.
Many ask me, “What is the
purpose of this event?”
I reply, “It is to come together
for the moment, learn from each
other, understand each other,
know each other, and then roll out
programs across the globe.”
There will be volunteers from
many organizations who can work
together on specific projects.
The United Nations SDGs are
there, including pollution control
of all kinds (soil, water, air), the
education of women, equality,
poverty eradication, etc. But
fundamentally, they have not
included the one thing that is the
cause of all the other problems.
A dear brother from France
highlighted this need for
meditation to regulate the mind
so as to address all the SDGs.
A mind that has transcended
differences can discriminate,
discerning right from wrong. An
unregulated mind will always be
tempted to do wrong. Why would
a person with a sane, regulated
mind think of polluting the air
or polluting the water? It is not
possible; hence the need for
meditation. In brief, all the various
types of pollution in the world are
the product of mental pollution.
In the traditions of India, we
pluck Tulsi leaves. Is Tulsi a
goddess? No, but we call her a
goddess. Why? Because Tulsi has
so many healing properties that
no one should destroy her. Our
ancestors called Tulsi a goddess
so we wouldn’t destroy the plants,

24 H eart f u l n es s
 INS P IR ATION

May 2 024 25
 INSP I RAT IO N
we would worship them. Isn’t it
wonderful, respecting a little plant,
worshipping it?
Likewise, there are many other
traditions, like breathing exercises,
Pranayama. Do you think huffing
and puffing will bring God
toward you? Not at all. But when
Pranayama is tied with religion,
people do it. Pranayama is mainly
to look after your koshas for your
health and well-being.
In Hinduism, we have a sattvic
diet prescribed. Why? Because
through a sattvic diet we nourish
our physical body. Through mental
activity, such as interacting with
our elders, learning in colleges,
universities, and schools, and now
through Google matha [mother],
we nourish our minds.
How do we nourish the soul? The
Adi-guru of Heartfulness, Shri
Ram Chandra ji, also known as
Lalaji Maharaj, showed us how
to enrich our prana in order to
enrich our souls. He said that it
is through pranasya pranaha or
pranahuti—prana of the subtlest
order transmitted by a yogi of
caliber. It awakens our dormant
consciousness, and helps that
consciousness to travel from
the base to the human to the
humane to the divine levels. This
is the promise. It is not a false
promise; it is a promise that can be
experienced.
In science we don’t have to
believe. There are factual
26
things—gravitation, the quantum
field, the laws of genetics,
chemical reactions, the laws
of thermodynamics—where
the fundamental laws stay the
same. So it is in spirituality. The
fundamental law that governs all
is love. Then, we speak of “Ekam
Brahmam dvitya naste,” meaning
there is only one God. In the .. it is through
Quran it says “La ilaha illallah,”
also meaning there is only one pranasya pranaha
God. In the Christian tradition
too there is only one God. or pranahuti—
Christ said, “I am the way and the
prana of the
truth and the life. No one comes subtlest order
to the Father except through
me. If you really knew me, you transmitted by a
would know my Father as well.”
Lord Krishna said, “Abandon yogi of caliber. It
all dharmas, surrender to me,
I will save you from trials and
awakens our
tribulations.” In Buddhism it is
dormant
“Buddham Saranam Gacchami,”
meaning I go to the Buddha consciousness, and
for refuge. When we listen to
such statements and we don’t helps that
understand them, they seem
superficially egotistic. But they consciousness to
are not. I must tell you, love means
surrender.
travel from the
base to the human
Here, I speak about surrender not
in the form of defeat, but because to the humane to
I have won over myself. My ego
is now sublimated, so “I” exists no the divine levels.
more. Thou art the only one, dear
God.
We can realize this sate as a
follower of any religion. If you are
a Hindu, be the best Hindu you
can be. If you are a Christian, be
H eart f u l n es s
 INS P IR ATION

the best Christian. If you are a

Muslim, be the best Muslim, and
so on.

Will there be wars if you follow

your own dharma perfectly? No,
there cannot be. Religions are all
faithful systems. Kofi Annan,
former Director-General of the
United Nations once said, “The
problem is not with the faith, but
with the faithful.” The faithful
believe in their faith alone, and
think they are superior to others.
This is the problem. My Guruji
Maharaj used to say that there is
nothing wrong with thinking you
are great, but always think the
other person is greater.

So with this little understanding,

with peaceful hearts, let us all
practice on a daily basis. When
you do your Namaz, be receptive
to the godly Grace. When you do
your puja in front of your favorite
deity, be receptive, be loving, open
your heart. Whatever form of
practice you are performing, do
it with a receptive heart, not as a
ritual, not out of fear, not out of
temptation, not for begging, but
with love for the sake of love.

When we maintain this, we will Whatever form of practice you are

change. Once we change, the
world will change. And we will performing, do it with a receptive heart,
contribute much more this way.
not as a ritual, not out of fear, not out of
temptation, not for begging, but with love
for the sake of love.
AI generated illustrations

May 2 024 27
 An Honor
Bestowed

On the final morning of the Mahotsav, the Right Honorable PATRICIA SCOTLAND,
KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, spoke about the role DAAJI has
played in bringing spirituality to the world, unifying people of all faiths and
cultures, and nurturing nature. In honor of his work, she bestowed upon him the
title of Global Ambassador for Peacebuilding and Faith in the Commonwealth.
Below is the speech she made while conferring the honor.

28 H eart f u l n es s

M
y heartfelt greetings
to you all. It is a
genuine honor to
return to this magnificent
place. Vision, ingenuity, and
labor have transformed what
was once harsh and depleted
land into a lush green campus,
with rainforest full of thriving,
endemic, and endangered
species, medicinal and edible
plants, and organic farms. This
site has become a testament to
harmony with nature. Every
step one takes through the Yatra
Garden and these hallowed halls
is an encounter with tranquility
and renewal.
We stand today in the
physical representation of the
Heartfulness you have been
practicing and sharing for so
many years. And as we gather
here in the month before the
125th Birth Anniversary of
Babuji, it is a fitting monument
to his lasting legacy.
The imprint of his life of
humble service, devotion, and
love is unmistakable. It echoes
in the demeanor of everyone
present here. And it is reflected
constantly in the vision and
leadership offered by our dear
friend and brother, Daaji, who
has once again welcomed us
so graciously to this wonderful
place.
The Commonwealth is a family,
and we are 56 nations and 2.5
billion people stretched across
five continents and six oceans.
Our collective heart beats with
the shared values of peace,
understanding, and mutual
respect. Daaji, as the guiding
force behind Heartfulness,
you embody these values.
Your wisdom, compassion,
and unwavering commitment
to the spiritual well-being of
humanity shines through you
and through this movement.
Your leadership has nurtured the
growth of Heartfulness, and in
doing so you have touched the
lives of countless people across
the globe, across 160 countries,
and more than 5 million
practitioners, with the dedicated
support of 16,000 volunteer
trainers operating in over 5,000
centers worldwide.
May 2 024
INS P IRATION
Your impact extends far
and wide. Heartfulness has
become a global force for inner
transformation, creating ripples
that transcend continents
and cultures, sowing seeds
of mindfulness, compassion,
and spiritual well-being. Your
teachings resonate deeply,
offering a pathway to peace
and self-discovery. And your
approach to meditation and
spirituality is both profound and
accessible, guiding seekers on
a journey toward a harmonious
existence.
This vision has cultivated
a Heartfulness community
centered around love, unity, and
mindfulness, offering solace and
spiritual nourishment to seekers
from diverse backgrounds in
an increasingly chaotic world.
Your unwavering commitment
to service, coupled with your
profound understanding of the
human heart creates a legacy
of grace, humility, inspiration,
and boundless compassion. In
our lives, we all try to create
and send out our own positive
29
INSP I RAT IO N

ripples of change. The ripples

you have created are vast and
lasting. They can build a current In your honor, and in honor of your
that can sweep down even the
mightiest walls of resistance vision and leadership, and your
and provide us all with constant
inspiration. unwavering commitment to service,

In your honor, and in honor of

as Secretary-General of the
your vision and leadership, and Commonwealth of Nations I am proud
your unwavering commitment
to service, as Secretary-General and honored to bestow on you the
of the Commonwealth of
Nations I am proud and title of Global Ambassador for
honored to bestow on you the
title of Global Ambassador for
Peacebuilding and Faith in the
Peacebuilding and Faith in the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth.

30 H eart f u l n es s
 #1 B EST SEL L ER

EXPLORE YOUR
INNER DIMENSION
“The spiritual anatomy project starts with you,
from where you are in life.”

ORDER NOW AT
SpiritualAnatomy.com
Workplace
The future belongs to those
who believe in the beauty
of their dreams.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
There Will Always Be

Problems
GOUR GOPAL DAS is an Indian monk, lifestyle coach, motivational
speaker, and former electrical engineer. He talks about the
inevitability of problems and how developing a state of inner
peace can help us to navigate those problems, and not allow
them to hold us back from living a fulfilling and whole life.

H
ow many of you were good
at spelling in school? How
many of you were terrible
at spelling in school? How many
of you didn’t care about spelling in
school?
One boy was asked by his teacher,
“Which state of India are you
from?”
He said, “I’m from Arunachala
Pradesh, Ma’am.”
“Can you spell it for me?”
He said, “I’m from Goa, actually.”
Who spells Arunachala Pradesh?
But if you spell the word “success,”
the second letter is “u” (you). You
cannot spell the success of such a
grand event without you. You can’t
have the word success without “u.”
Without all of you, this would
be no event. My respects to all of
you for coming with such open
hearts and such open minds to
explore this diverse deep space of
spirituality.
How many of you have problems?
Any health problems? Any
workplace politics? Any financial
liabilities? Emotional issues?
Mental health issues? Relationship
problems? The biggest issues in
finding inner peace are problems.
How many of you would like to
have a solution to problems? All
of us.
Whoever you are, problems are
an integral part of your life. Do
you think the esteemed guests
sitting on this dais don’t have
problems? Do you think they don’t
have health crises, or logistical
issues when it comes to building
things of this scale? Spiritual or
not spiritual, when we are human
beings living on this planet, we
all experience problems. Life
bothers us every single day. Life is
causing a threat to our inner peace.
Challenges, issues, problems,
calamities, trying circumstances,
and difficulties are ruining our
inner peace.
How many of you have felt, “Now
my health is better.” Have you ever
given a sigh of relief ? As soon as a
problem goes away, you give a sigh

34 H eart f u l n es s
 W OR K PLACE

May 2 024 35
WOR K P L AC E
The world is a
collective reflection
of individual
consciousness. If I
am not peaceful,
how will the world
be peaceful? If the
citizens on this
planet don’t find
peace, how can the
world be peaceful?
of relief. For a lot of people the
definition of peace is the absence
of problems.
Why have you come here? You’ve
come to disconnect and find some
peace. People think, “Let all the
problems go away and then I’ll
be peaceful.” It’s the complete
opposite. When you are peaceful,
you’ll deal with your problems
better. Today one problem will go
away, tomorrow there’ll be another.
When your health is better, there
are financial problems. When
your finances are better, there
are relationship problems. When
relationships are better, there are
social problems. When social life
36
is better, there’s a weather problem.
Problems will never end.
When you find your inner peace,
you will deal with your problems
effectively. Today the world lacks
individuals who can navigate
through their challenges. The
world is a collective reflection of
individual consciousness. If I am
not peaceful, how will the world
be peaceful? If the citizens on this
planet don’t find peace, how can
the world be peaceful?
I will tell you a story. There was
once a king who was extremely
fond of art. After four days as a
practicing disciple, he announced
that the person who could make
the best painting depicting
peace would be rewarded with a
thousand gold coins. Thousands
of artists started painting, and out
of the thousands of paintings two
were selected to show the king.
Both were covered.
The king unveiled the first
painting. He saw beautiful crystal
clear aquamarine waters. He
could see the bottom of the lake.
There were beautiful mountains,
birds flying, clear skies with
fluffy clouds, and beautiful swans
swimming on the surface of the
lake. He said, “This seems to
be the best painting depicting
peace.” He then unveiled the
second painting, which had a
dark, gloomy, depressing sky with
lightning and torrential rain.
H eart f u l n es s
There was a dry mountain, with
no greenery but one tree with a
tiny branch, and on the branch was
a nest. In that nest was a mother
bird feeding her little ones.
Guess which one the king
awarded? The second painting,
because the first one is a myth.
Life is not serene, calm, and
clear. Life is not peaceful; life is
challenges, chaos, mayhem, issues,
difficulties, trying circumstances,
and tribulations. In the middle
of all the darkness, I can have my
inner nest in my heart. My heart
is like that nest under the gloomy
sky. I lost my job, I lost my parents,
I lost my spouse, I lost my health,
I lost my money… lost, lost, lost.
That is the world outside, but
when I enter into the space of my
heart, like the bird feeding her
chicks, that is the real depiction
of peace—finding peace within a
world full of chaos and mayhem.
That is what happened on the
battlefield of Kurukshetra 5,000
years back. Arjuna didn’t know
what to do. His properties were
taken away, his rights were taken
away, his wife was disrobed,
their sons were killed, and in the
middle of all of that he was on the
battlefield trying to do his duty.
In the confusion and darkness,
he turned toward his friend and
guide, Shri Krishna, and said, “I
don't know how to navigate this
darkness, Krishna, please guide
me.”

Life is a journey, We need a guide, a spiritual
teacher, to help us find that nest.
things evolve, and you We have such spiritual mentors
sitting here today. Listen to them
don’t need everything not to follow them, otherwise you
will simply be a blind follower
sorted right away. If of another guru. Listen to them
you’re a believer, turn not to listen to their voice; listen
to their voice so you can start
to God. If you’re a listening to your own voice. If you
cannot listen to your own voice,
non-believer, turn to the whole spiritual journey has
been a failure.
life or the universe.
You don’t have to do I’d like to recommend four things.
First, when you’re going through
it alone. Turn to challenges and you want to find
your inner peace, say to yourself,
somebody to connect
and take that stuff
from your head.
W OR K PLACE
“In an equation there is pi, 3.1814,
which you cannot change, and
there is x.” Focusing on the x
empowers you. The more you
focus on pi, which cannot change,
the more frustrated you will be. So
say to yourself, “I will not waste
my energy and peace on pi.”
Second, say to yourself, “The
world’s problems are not my
problems at the moment. I’m not
an enlightened being yet; I’m
okay to deal with my own share of
troubles.”
Third, say to yourself, “I don’t need
all the answers and everything
sorted out right now.” Life is a
journey, things evolve, and you
don’t need everything sorted right
away. If you’re a believer, turn
to God. If you’re a non-believer,
turn to life or the universe. You
don’t have to do it alone. Turn to
somebody to connect and take that
stuff from your head.
Daaji said, “In this world today,
let religions not divide us.” Two
plus eight is ten. Seven plus three
is also ten. Six plus four is also
ten. Nine plus one is also ten.
There are multiple ways to reach
ten, the end goal. Let us respect
each other. As Daaji mentioned,
let us not just tolerate each other,
let us accept each other; from
tolerance to acceptance. And take
it even further, let us celebrate
each other’s connections as a great
humanity.
37
relationships

Time is
Too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice,
But for those who love,
Time is eternity.

HENRY VAN DYK

Illustration by JASMEE MUDGAL

 Human
Fellowship
40 H eart f u l n es s
 R ELAT ION SHIPS

NILAKSHI RAJKHOWA is the Director, Office of Public Affairs,

National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’i Faith in India. During
the Mahotsav, she challenged everyone to join together to
overcome our current crises, by starting with the heart.

H
eartful greetings on behalf
of the Baha’i Community
to each and every one of
you. I’m delighted and honored
to be part of this Global
Spirituality Mahotsav. Thank
you for bringing us all together.
I would like to begin with a
quote from the Baha’i writings,
“O SON OF SPIRIT, my first
council is this: possess a pure,
kindly, and radiant heart that
thine may be a sovereignty
ancient, imperishable, and
everlasting.”
It all starts with the heart, and
what Heartfulness is trying
to do is unlock the hearts of
everyone so that we can embrace
love, unity, compassion, and
break our barriers of caste,
religion, and gender. I’m so
happy to be part of this, and
want to share a few thoughts
from the Baha’i community.
Friends, we see many factors
keeping India together as a
nation. One vital cohesive
force binding the nation is
spirituality. It finds expression
in valuing human beings as
the creation of the Divine,
and is open and accepting
of people of all backgrounds
who view the reflection of the
sacred in all living beings. This
enjoins respect, gentleness, and
nonviolence in relationships
as the ideal way of life. It is
this spirit of all-embracing
oneness that is conveyed in the
ancient ethos of Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam—the world is one
family.
The unity of nations will be
a stage in the progressive
manifestation of oneness in
the social and political realms.
It will reach its fruition when
the principle of oneness of
humanity is established in the
consciousness of people, and
when nations across the world
unite as one family.
Over the past few decades,
there has been a resurgence
of religious fundamentalism
that represents religious

May 2 024 41
RELAT IO N SH I P S

42
 R ELAT ION SHIPS

History bears witness to the fact that

only religion is capable of stirring the
depths of human motivation and
calling forth the spirit of nobility,
sacrifice, and initiative needed to
achieve such an objective.

extremism and intolerance. It representatives of all religions driven by a common objective to

has increasingly entered the
political and social mainstream,
and in many countries it
dominates public discourse.
This has created confusion
around the concept of religion,
as its unifying and constructive
role has been obscured by
the tendency to view it solely
through an identity lens. These
challenges come at a time
of great uncertainty, when
the need for unity is vital to
successfully navigate the waves
of present and impending
crises. These crises include the
Covid pandemic, geopolitical
instability, war, economic
recession, climate change,
terrorism, the food crisis, and
the energy crisis.
The need of the hour is
constructive dialogue, a
discourse involving leaders and
on religion’s contribution to
social harmony. The ground
for such a discourse can be laid
by clarifying the fundamental
nature and purpose of religion,
and the common foundations
of all religions. Such a discourse
must show a practical path
forward for inter-religious
collaboration. Preserving the
tradition of inter-religious
fellowship requires efforts
from individuals, communities,
religious leaders, and
institutions.
However, such efforts can
close in on themselves if inter-
religious unity is considered an
end in itself, and is not viewed
from the context of society’s
needs.
At this moment in history,
unless united communities are
contribute to the transformation
of society, and to ever-increasing
material and spiritual prosperity,
unity can become a pretext for
passive conformity with the
status quo, with all its attendant
challenges and injustices.
The most secure basis of inter-
religious harmony lies in coming
together to apply spiritual
principles to build a united,
just, and prosperous world. The
complex and unprecedented
challenges of the 21st century
will require us to make deep
changes in our patterns of
thought and behavior, and the
willingness to make profound
sacrifices for the common good.
The kind of structural and
systemic changes needed to
become more united and restore
our balance with nature will
require selfless efforts on a scale

May 2 024 43
 RELAT IO N SH I P S

Youth can move the world. They have a critical role to

play in the fields of development, peace, and the
prosperity of humanity. Young people want a better
society, no matter where they live. They tend to
believe in unity and be relatively unburdened by
biases and prejudices. They want peaceful and
prosperous futures for themselves and their peers.

and for a duration never before
witnessed.
History bears witness to the fact
that only religion is capable of
stirring the depths of human
motivation and calling forth the
spirit of nobility, sacrifice, and
initiative needed to achieve such
an objective. The world is in dire
need of religion to once again
course through our veins, to stir a
common and collective response to
our challenges.
Religious leaders have a role
to direct the attention of their
congregations to the needs of the
world. Many heartening examples
of this were witnessed during the
worst phases of the Covid-19
pandemic. Twenty-five leaders of
religions and interfaith movements
in India issued a joint statement
to reiterate those religious
principles having the greatest
bearing on people’s responses to
the crisis. The statement, which
was coordinated by the Baha’i
community of India, called
upon all religions to unite in a
common commitment to spiritual
principles relevant to the crisis.
And that statement is just as
relevant to the current challenges
we all face: recognizing the
oneness of religion, the oneness of
humankind, selfless and sacrificial
service to the common good,
and complementarity between
science and religion. Although it
was a modest effort, it illustrates
the tremendous potential for
positive social change that resides
in the untapped spirituality of
the common people, which faith
leaders can together inspire for the
well-being of all.
Another group with great capacity
and potential is our youth. Youth
can move the world. They have a
critical role to play in the fields
of development, peace, and the
prosperity of humanity. Young
people want a better society, no
matter where they live. They tend
to believe in unity and be relatively
unburdened by biases and
prejudices. They want peaceful and
prosperous futures for themselves
and their peers.
It is time to let unity and harmony
become the dominant narrative,
and strongly associated with our
identity, relegating conflict among
religions to an earlier and less
mature stage of our history. Let
us harness the edifying power
of religion toward constructive
endeavors that can bring about
spiritual and material prosperity.
In this way, India can contribute to
global peace and harmony, assuring
its place as a leader in spirituality
and inter-religious harmony.

44 H eart f u l n es s
 R ELAT ION SHIPS

It is time to let unity and harmony become the

dominant narrative, and strongly associated with
our identity, relegating conflict among religions to
an earlier and less mature stage of our history. Let
us harness the edifying power of religion toward
constructive endeavors that can bring about
spiritual and material prosperity.

Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL

May 2 024 45
 It’s Time for
Love
to Go Viral

DR. ROLLIN
MCCRATY shares
the science of
the synchronicity
between the heart
and mind and,
when they are in
sync, how the love
that is created can
positively connect
us to each other and
everything in the
world.

46 H eart f u l n es s

I
t’s a great honor to be here. I’m
not going to stand here and try
to tell you anything you haven’t
already heard or that you don’t
already know, but I am going
to tell you the same thing in a
different language, the language
of science.
I have been a long-term
meditator myself, and I learned
about the heart. But if I’m
really honest, it was more like a
metaphor for emotions; for me
it was all about the brain. I even
got a degree in Consciousness
Studies. Then I had the great
fortune to meet the Founder of
HeartMath, Doc Childre, and
I was introduced to the real
Heart, the deeper heart, which it
is really all about.
I was fortunate to help him
found The HeartMath Institute,
and a few years later he invited
me to found The HeartMath
Research Center. He said we
have to do rigorous scientific
research. The language of
science is the new language for
many people in the world, and if
we’re going to introduce them to
getting their hearts and brains in
sync, we need that work.
So, over the last 30 years,
we made a lot of scientific
discoveries that validate what
we already believed to be true.
We started by looking at how
emotions affect the body, the
physiology. We were measuring
brainwaves and hearts in the lab.
And what we found back when
we started this (at that time,
May 2 024
R ELAT IONSHIPS
nobody was looking at what
happens in our bodies when
we love, when we appreciate, it
was all about stress, depression,
and anxiety), was that when
people had heartfelt feelings
of love, compassion, kindness,
something magical happened.
Their heartbeats, the rhythms of
the heart, dramatically changed.
Today we know this as an
optimal state, a state where the
mind, emotions, the heart all
come into synchronization. We
call it heart coherence. There are
over 500 studies that show when
people are in a heart coherent
state, it lifts and benefits almost
everything: our health, our
performance in sports, etc., but
especially our ability to access
our inner intuitive guidance.
47
REL AT IO N SH I P S
The beautiful thing about the
heart and heart coherence is
it’s neutral. It’s something
we all have. And whenever
we’re feeling love, compassion,
and kindness, we shift into a
heart coherent state. It doesn’t
The big gift is access to our
intuition, our inner guidance.
48
matter how we get there, what
technique or practice we do.
It increases the measurable
synchronization between the
rhythms of the brain and the
rhythms of the heart.
H eart f u l n es s
The big gift is access to our
intuition, our inner guidance.
This is something we have
tested in the lab, and even we
were surprised. The takeaway
is that the heart can know
the future; it all starts in the
heart. The heart is the first to
get the information. It sends a
measurably different signal to
the brain, and then there is a
brain response, and only then
is there a body response to felt
emotion.
The heart has access to a field
of information that is not bound
by time and space. I would
suggest we have two hearts: the
physical heart and the energetic
heart, which has been called
the spiritual heart in so many
spiritual and religious traditions.
The energetic heart is the bridge
that connects the larger part of
our self—our soul, our spirit. It
translates that down into the
physical world of our bodies.
The energetic heart is how we
connect with our larger self, our
higher self. That’s the real us. As
we learn to become more heart
coherent, that pathway opens.
Becoming more heart-coherent
can facilitate anything we do,
and any practice we want to take
up.
The next adventure in our
research was to understand
scientifically how the heart
connects us with others. Our
heart doesn’t just stop at the
 R ELAT IONSHIPS

When we’re in a coherent state,

which we get into naturally when
we’re loving and appreciative, it
connects us with others in a
measurable way.

49
REL AT IO N SH I P S

The heart really is what is connecting us

across dimensions, with the higher self,
with others, and with yourself.

50 H eart f u l n es s

skin. We are broadcasting radiating
fields, magnetic fields produced by
the heart. We were able to show
that those fields carry information
about how we feel. When we’re in
a coherent state, which we get into
naturally when we’re loving and
appreciative, it connects us with
others in a measurable way. Hearts
literally synchronize when we
come together in the heart.
And that opens a new type of
communication where we hear
each other deeply. Even when we
don’t agree, we still have the heart
level connection. It’s the key to
how we build social coherence,
how we learn to get along with
others, even when our minds
might not disagree.
The next major step in the
research path was understanding
how our hearts not only connect
us with our higher self and with
others, but with the Earth itself.
When we measured the heart-
coherent rhythm, a rhythm of
about ten seconds (we have new
technologies that can measure it),
we started asking questions like,
“How do mothers know their
children are in harm’s way when
they’re on the other side of the
planet?” “What’s connecting us?
There has to be something making
that connection.”
We all live within the magnetic
fields of the Earth, the North Pole,
the South Pole, the fields of Earth.
We discovered that the fields
vibrate at the same frequency
as the coherent human heart
rhythm. When we’re in that
heart coherent state, through
resonance we connect with the
fields of the Earth. We’re all
connected too. We’re finding
that the interconnected fields of
the Earth not only connect us
to each other, but with nature,
with trees and animals. The
heart really is what is connecting
us across dimensions, with the
higher self, with others, and with
yourself.
Once we really understood that,
we said, “How can we teach
this to others? How can we
make coherence easy?” So we
developed technologies to help
us do that. They are inexpensive
technologies that allow you to
see your heart rhythm in real
time. I’m thrilled to say they
are being introduced into many
schools in the US and other
countries, allowing kids to learn
this at an early age. I personally
think there is no greater gift
we can give our children than
learning how to sync our hearts
and brains so they have that skill
for life.
When we look at the global
field, we have new technologies
that can measure it. When we
come together at events like
this, we get into that coherent
state. In other words, we add
love and compassion, and we
intentionally radiate that into
R ELAT IONSHIPS
the field environment, the Earth.
Love is by far the most powerful
energy or frequency bringing
coherence into the planetary
field. We can measure this. And
I’m honored to say that the
Heartfulness Institute is one
of our partners on this project.
We have a lot of these devices
here, now, measuring what we’re
doing to affect the field.
I hope it has been useful to
share some science with you.
What does this all point to?
My parting invitation is: it’s
time for love to go viral. It’s
what is going to shift the
frequency of the planet, it’s what
is going to lift the baseline of
humanity into our next level of
consciousness, where the heart
and brain are truly in sync, in a
joint partnership.
From a talk given at the Global
Spirituality Mahotsav, March 14 to
17, 2024, at Kanha Shanti Vanam
Illustrations by JASMEE
MUDGAL
environment

There is nectar in water;

there is medicine in water.

RIG VEDA
 Cultivating Peace:
Water, Wetlands, and Biophilia
for a Loving World
SRAVAN BANDA reminds us of the importance of water in a
peaceful world. He especially focuses on wetlands, often
referred to as the Earth’s kidneys, and asks us to continue the
work of World Water Day throughout the rest of the year.

54 H eart f u l n es s

M
arch 22 was World Water
Day, and this year the
theme was “Water for
Peace,” emphasizing the vital role
of water in sustaining life and
fostering harmony between people
and nature. As we delve into the
intricate dance of water, wetlands,
and biophilia, we soon discover
how these elements can guide us
toward a more peaceful world.
Picture the Earth cradling its
life-giving waters in wetlands,
often referred to as the planet’s
kidneys. These unique ecosystems
not only cleanse and store water
but also serve as tranquil havens
May 2 024
ENV IR ONME NT
for diverse forms of life. It’s time
to acknowledge not only their role
in safeguarding water but also their
contribution to nurturing countless
species. From the protective
embrace of marsh grasses to
the sanctuary of shallow waters,
wetlands offer food, shelter, and
breeding grounds for a wide array
55
ENV I R O N M EN T

of plants and animals, promoting

biodiversity and ecological balance.

Preserving and safeguarding

these green lungs is essential
for fostering peace with our
environment. By taking measures
to restore and protect these vibrant
habitats, we not only conserve
water but also create a world that
exudes calmness and equilibrium.

Our cities yearn for a deeper

connection with nature. Within
urban landscapes, wetlands emerge
as resilient guardians during
floods, offering invaluable support
in adapting to our changing
climate. Moreover, they serve as
multifaceted ecosystems, acting
as natural filters that enhance
water quality. These vital habitats
also function as carbon sinks,
absorbing and storing carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere, thus
playing a crucial role in mitigating
climate change. Beyond their
environmental functions, wetlands
serve as biodiversity hotspots and
recreational spaces, fostering a
sense of well-being and connection
with nature.

Incorporating features like ponds,

fountains, and small streams
into our urban environments
can create peaceful oases that
rejuvenate our minds and bodies.
The theme “Water for Peace”
urges us to contemplate how
water intersects with peace on a
global scale. Access to clean water

56 H eart f u l n es s
 ENV IR ONME NT

is a fundamental right, yet many

communities still lack sufficient
access. By collaborating to address
water challenges, we can promote
stability and peace worldwide.

Achieving peace doesn’t always

require grand gestures. Each
of us can contribute by using
water wisely, supporting eco-
friendly initiatives, and spreading
awareness about the importance of
water and wetlands. World Water
Day is a reminder to rekindle
our connection with nature,
recognizing that our bond with
water is an intrinsic part of our
identity.

World Water Day 2024 was a call

to action. It implored us to care
for water, protect wetlands, and
cherish nature. By understanding
the interconnectedness of these
elements, we ensure a future
where water flows freely, wetlands
thrive, and our love for nature
flourishes—a world where “Water
for Peace” is not just a concept but
a vibrant reality.

As we continue to celebrate the

spirit of this day and let our
actions ripple outward, we are
creating a wave of positive change.
Together, we can paint a world
of serenity, where humanity and
nature coexist harmoniously,
forever in the glow of peace and
love.

May 2 024 57
creativity
The creative process is a process of
surrender, not control.

BRUCE LEE

Illustration by ANANYA PATEL

 Become Your Own
Influence

AARYAN ARORA is a young actor, musician,

and composer. He was interviewed by
PRAGYA MISHRA during the Global Spirituality
Mahotsav on the impact of meditation on his
creativity and sense of inner balance, and the
advice he would give young people struggling
to find their way.

60 H eart f u l n es s

Q: Thank you for joining us. You’re a social media
influencer. How did it all start for you?
I started posting on Instagram three years ago and I
now have around 400,000 followers. It started with
some of my acting projects, then I started releasing
music, mostly covers of Hindi and English songs.
Then, after meeting Daaji, I became obsessed with
writing music.
I asked Daaji about artists producing content. He told
me that when anybody in the artistic field is working
on something, they should have a purpose in mind,
so as to create something with meaning. That’s when
I started writing music. I wanted to dive deeper into
life, so I started writing music that was more spiritual.
Q: This is your second visit to Kanha; you must have
noticed the transformation from your last visit.
What has pulled you back here?
Definitely Daaji, and also everyone who makes
Daaji who he is. The volunteers, the people I’ve been
meeting here, embody that essence of Heartfulness,
which is love, right?
Daaji touched my heart when I first met him, when
we did a podcast together. I didn’t come with any
expectations, but he put me in a state of pure bliss.
It was so amazing just talking to him. My first
question was about love. He said it was a very big
question, and we went into many different areas that
opened my heart. I remember thinking, “What’s
the point of being an artist? Is it just to produce
content for entertainment, or is it also to have an
impact on people, on society—to put something out
May 2 024
CR EATIVITY
there that can bring change?” Since then, so
many emotions have overflowed. The second I
entered Kanha again, I was blown away with all
the love and positive energy. Meditation got me
in such a great state.
Q: You’re here at Kanha for the Global
Spirituality Mahotsav, where many spiritual
organizations have come together with
a focus on how inner peace can lead to
global peace. If individuals are at peace,
then collectively we can bring about a
world where there are fewer wars, more
cooperation, and everyone can come
together. I want to understand from you, as
a creator and influencer, what do you do to
find inner peace and joy?
I meditate. I started here in Kanha. It was the
best experience I could imagine having. I did
not come with any expectations. I came with
an open heart. I just followed the energy I
was receiving. Since then, I’ve been practicing
Heartfulness regularly.
For inner peace, I try to go within myself, not
to analyze but to dive deep into my heart,
which is what we do in Heartfulness. It makes
a big difference. Every time I’m thinking about
life, problems, the meaning of being here, why
I’m doing this, I just dive within my heart and
go from there.
Before I met Daaji and started Heartfulness, I
was making some originals that were centered
around love, because I always talk and connect
61
CR EAT I V I T Y
with people from the heart. But I wasn’t diving
that deep into my writing. Once I met Daaji, I
came back to Delhi and my mom said, “What’s
happened to you?” I was in a state of self-discovery.
I started writing deep lyrics, including a song that
isn’t released yet about how we’re all wandering
souls on this earth, we’re all trying to find the truth.
More importantly, we’re trying to find happiness.
What we don’t realize is that it’s temporary
happiness, whereas real happiness is within
yourself, right? When you’re content with yourself.
People say, “I haven’t made it, I’m not successful
yet.” But the way I think about success now is how
you feel within yourself, if your soul is content with
what you’re doing.
We’re living in an age of social media. For anybody
who is an influencer already, or is thinking of
62 H eart f u l n es s
For inner peace, I try
to go within myself,
not to analyze but
to dive deep into my
heart, which is what
we do in
Heartfulness.
getting into social media, a lot of the time you get
into the aspects of likes and followers, and you may
think, “I shouldn’t do this because what if I don’t
get enough engagement?” “If I do this, I’ll get more
comments.” “More girl followers. Girls will like
this better.”
I don’t post too often these days—maybe once or
twice a month. Do your work with your heart. If
you want to get into a specific niche and promote
something, let it be something you love. Someone
who’s into yoga is doing it because they love it,
right? They want to spread that beautiful art to
the rest of the world. That’s what I am doing with
music, acting, and my content.
Q: Couldn’t agree more. But it’s often difficult
when you’re going through a struggle to dig
deep, look into your heart, and say, “Okay, that’s
what I want to do.” While you believe in it, you

don’t always have the courage to follow your heart.
Have you had those moments? What has really
helped you to stick to that path?
I’m so glad you asked this question. Around a year
ago, I was in a state of depression. I didn’t know
what I was experiencing. My mom witnessed it, and
you know how mothers are, very emotional and very
loving. Even though she’s spiritual and very much
into meditation, my mom knew I was a bit rigid at
that point. When you get into spirituality, at the
beginning it’s not always easy. If materialistic things
aren’t going to give you happiness, what will? That
put me in a depressive state, in a loop. I was thinking,
thinking, thinking, and I overthought to the point
of depression. I went to a therapist who said, “You’ve
got to be on lifelong medication,” so my mom said,
“Alright, just listen to me, start meditating a little bit.”
We started doing meditation in the morning and
evening. The first week, nothing much happened.
May 2 024
CR EATIVITY
The second week, I felt a little more relaxed.
After a couple of months, everything changed.
The depression was a catalyst, because I had
never composed music, I was just singing
other people’s songs. As an artist, one way to
open up your heart is to write music. After the
depression and after meditating for a month
or two, I could write music from my heart,
and it changed my whole life. Meditation and
spirituality helped me unleash my creativity as
an artist.
I did a podcast with the well-known director,
David Lynch. He told me that when actors
sometimes walk into a room, sometimes
people say, “Oh, he has the ‘it’ factor.” Why?
It includes looks, how well you’re dressed,
consciousness, energy, and the spirituality that
your soul is speaking to. Sometimes you change
the way people perceive you, and you give an
energy to people. Once you meditate for some
As an artist, one way to
open up your heart is to
write music. After the
depression and after
meditating for a month or
two, I could write music
from my heart, and it
changed my whole life.
Meditation and spirituality
helped me unleash my
creativity as an artist.
63
CRE AT I V I T Y

time, it changes your experience with other people,

your relationships; it’s not just about understanding
yourself more, it also changes the way you talk to
other people, the way you handle situations.

For example, if something happens in daily life,

whether small or big, a business deal, or a broken
utensil in the kitchen, earlier I’d be like, “Oh my God,
why is this going on?” I would constantly monkey my
victim mindset. But since meditating regularly, it has
changed. I’ve seen the people who are connected with
Daaji. They are so content with themselves, they know
how to behave, and how to react to situations.

Q: I completely agree. Heartfulness has helped But with spirituality, there’s a

me significantly to center and respond instead of
reacting.
Exactly. When you get less and less in your own way,
and you’re in that flow state, meditation gives you
that humility to realize you’re so insignificant, and
yet you’re significant. What is it you can do with the
significance that you have in this life? I think it’s
what Daaji says, around self-realization and finding
yourself.
When I meditate more, I make meaningful human
connections from the heart, which last a long time. At
the end of the day, the other person can also resonate
and feel from where you are coming to them. If it’s
from a transactional place, they can quickly make it
out.
Q: Often when young people are depressed, or in
any sort of struggle, the easy go-to is addiction.
How come you never went into that? Or did you,
and you have something to share?
I did. I’m going to be totally honest, because a lot of
my audience is from America and the Western world.
Marijuana has been legalized everywhere, and it’s been
marketed as something therapeutic, which maybe
in some situations it is. You have dispensaries in
smooth balance, a high that
never has lows.
California and New York. In every social circle, your
friends ask, “You want to smoke?” I still remember
going to Florida for a shoot. We were making money.
I thought, “Now’s the time to relax and have fun. Let’s
smoke some weed.” You smoke weed once and it’s
such a good experience. And for musicians, you walk
into any recording studio in America and it is full of
smoke.
I told my mom, “Mom, I smoked weed.”
And she said, “What!”
I was like, “Mom, I’m so sorry, I feel so bad.”
She said, “Why are you doing this?”
I told her, “Mom, I don’t know. I feel like it unleashes
my creativity.”
Then I discovered that meditation and spirituality
give you a high that weed can never give you. With
any drug, after a couple hours there is going to be
a low after the high. But with spirituality, there’s a
smooth balance, a high that never has lows.

64 H eart f u l n es s
 CR EAT I VITY

as you were. Even in one meditation, you can

Try meditation. Don’t just change the way you are thinking.
give it one try. Give it a
We all have different conditioning, whether from
couple of weeks or a month. family, friends, or where we were brought up. At
the same time, we eventually leave home, make
It will make a difference. You friends, and peer pressure is difficult.

will experience spiritual I would say, take a deep breath and connect to
your soul. Try meditation. Don’t just give it one
advancement in your life as
try. Give it a couple of weeks or a month. It will
well as materialistic. make a difference. You will experience spiritual
advancement in your life as well as materialistic.

Q: Thank you so much for sharing. We’ll keep

watching all your beautiful music coming out.

Q: Do you think we get into peer pressure, the Thank you.

need to fit in, to belong? We often do things
that don’t align with our values. I did that when
I was young, and I’m sure a lot of people are
doing it right now. What can you share with
them that will give them the courage to step
away and say, “I’m not going to fall for this. I’m
going to do what I think is right for me”?

It’s not easy when you have a group of friends,

especially if you’ve been friends for many
years. It’s even worse when they’re in the same
profession, especially if they’re successful. It’s
different than college or high school, when
someone is giving you drugs before an exam.
When you’re older, you’re making money and
being successful. People are smoking weed around
you and pressuring you to do drugs.

Nowadays, I take a deep breath and do a short

meditation, being 100% honest. That kind
of state of silence, of pure bliss, puts you in
connection with your soul. When you come out of
meditation, you don’t have thoughts about what
other people are saying. You’re not as influenced

May 2 024 65
 When a Bird Sings,
Do You Analyze It?

SIDDHARTH KAK is an Indian documentary maker, television

producer, and presenter, best known as the producer and
presenter of Surabhi. Here, he is interviewed by PURNIMA
RAMAKRISHNAN at the Global Spirituality Mahotsav about
being stoic, and he shares two unique stories on how culture
and language can transcend borders, time, and unexpected
circumstances.

66 H eart f u l n es s

Q: Thank you so much for joining
us. My first question to you is
what distinguishes documentary
filmmaking from regular
filmmaking in capturing the
essence of a story?
The idea of a documentary is
to communicate. Depending on
whom you communicate with,
your documentary changes.
A documentary is a teaching
medium. When you make any film
for the masses, you have to make
sure you retain their interest. What
is in it for them? Why are they
watching it? They’re not there to
learn; they’re there to enjoy, to be
entertained.
Really speaking, the principle of
documentary filmmaking is to
capture the audience’s attention,
and one of the simplest ways is to
make sure it is understood. Can an
eight-year-old child understand
what you’re saying? If she can,
then your documentary is good;
it will communicate to a large
number of people. This is true
even for specialized documentaries,
which only committed people
will listen to. You may not feel it’s
important to reach others, but your
documentary can bring them into
the fold. Even if you’re dealing
with very complicated subjects,
you’re not talking to scientists,
you’re talking to the general public.
If you don’t capture their attention
in the first minute they’re gone.
Q: How do you approach the
research of storytelling?
The best research is through
talking to people. But it is messy
because you collect large amounts
of information. Finally, it is your
ability to put it together. If there
isn’t something new, it won’t
interest others, so it has to have a
common denomination.
Are you aware of the great
mathematician Baskaracharya? He
May 2 024
CR EATIVITY
wrote the book Lilavati. Lilavati
was his eight-year-old daughter,
so he wrote the book to explain
mathematics to his daughter, an
eight-year-old child. And Lilavati
grew to be a great mathematician
in her own right.
One of the problems he posed
was: Imagine you’re in a field.
There is a pillar in the middle of
the field, and underneath it is a
snake hole in which the snakes
burrow. On top of the pole a
peacock is sitting. The height of
the pole is nine cubits (and so on
with measurements). Now a snake
is coming toward the hole at the
bottom of the pillar. The peacock
sees the snake and flies down to
catch it. So Baskaracharya asks,
“Now Lilavati, tell me quickly, if
the speed of the peacock’s flight is
this, will it catch the snake before
it reaches its burrow, or will it not
be able to catch it?”
67
CREAT I V I T Y

68 H eart f u l n es s

Now, to answer the question, you
have to understand there is a right
angle made by the pillar, the snake
is moving toward the pillar, and
the peacock is flying down from
a certain height. That is what
storytelling is all about. When you
make a documentary, or any film,
you tell stories; that’s the way you
communicate.
Q: What has been your takeaway
from the TV series, Surabhi, the
longest running cultural program
in India? How has being its host
impacted your life?
When I started Surabhi, I could
only speak English. My education
was in a co-educational English
public school. My grandfather
was the last Prime Minister of
Kashmir, my step-grandmother
was Scottish, and I lived a lot
of my life with them, so I spoke
English very well. When I started
Surabhi, suddenly I was connected
with rural India. Surabhi became
my education about India.
Before that, one more inspiration
brought me closer to the India I
wished to explore and was proud
to belong to. I joined Baba Amte,
who looked after thousands of
lepers in his ashram, which is
still there. Forty years ago, he
took up a yatra from the southern
tip to the northern tip of India,
but because he had a spinal
disability he traveled lying down
in a bus. Hundreds of rural youth
from all over India cycled from
CR EATIVITY
Kanyakumari to Kashmir, to
understand India and give the idea
of a united India. I filmed it, so I
went on the trip with them.
For the first time in my life, I
was out of big cities into small
towns and villages. I saw the
hospitality and love of the people.
I experienced so much that it
became the first springboard to
my understanding that there is a
world I don’t know. Can I bring
this world to other people? With Listen, be humble,
Surabhi, I had a platform, finally.
and find a way to
The beauty of Surabhi was that
it taught me great humility. I communicate so
realized I didn’t know anything.
I still don’t know anything. That
that the best of
helps me to enjoy learning. I what you say
enjoyed learning from you about
Heartfulness. It’s something new, reaches the
it has added to my knowledge. So
I’m better for that. greatest number of
Surabhi taught me that there is people.
an India that even India doesn’t
know about. Do you think a
person working in the field or the
village is conscious that they are
part of a great culture? They are
just living their lives. That is the
unconscious beauty of India. The
fact that India is unaware of its
own greatness is its greatness. The
craftspeople we featured in Surabhi
didn’t think they were great. They
were just making a living, but
they’re living according to the
traditional ways that have been
there for thousands of years.
May 2 024 69
CREAT I V I T Y
Have you seen the film Gandhi,
by Richard Attenborough? It won
many awards. Toward the end,
there is a scene in which Gandhi
is talking with an American
photographer, Margaret Bourke.
And when Gandhi is walking to
his last meeting, where he would
be shot, Margaret Bourke says,
“There goes a man who has a way
to change the world. But neither
he knows it, nor does the world.”
He could change the world, but he
was not trying to promote it as a
great brand. He didn’t know that
he was doing anything great, nor
did the world; but now the world
knows. The greatness of India is
that it does not promote itself as
the greatest civilization.
One of the big principles of life
I have observed is to be humble.
Observe and listen. We don’t
listen. As I am talking now, I’m
talking about what I already know.
If I listen, as I listened to you in
the beginning, I learn more to
add to my knowledge. So listen,
be humble, and find a way to
communicate so that the best of
what you say reaches the greatest
number of people.
Q: Thank you! I read your book.
I was very impressed with
your grandfather—his strong
character, determination, and
resilience. His mental and
emotional strength is inspiring.
I spent my childhood with
him. As a Prime Minister, he
70
met with ordinary people. My
grandfather had a quality I hope I
have inherited—what the Greek
philosophers call stoicism. He
was a stoic; he would not allow
himself to be influenced by things
around him, or show that he
was influenced by those things.
When his imprisoned father died,
he was informed in court, and
his expression did not change.
He accepted. Stoicism has to do
with acceptance, and that can be
related to Maya. When you see the
unreality around you, why take it
so seriously? Life is an evolution,
things will change, the cycle will
change.
Stoics go through life without
melodrama or over-reacting,
keeping a meditative approach to
life. My grandfather taught me
that, and it was his saving grace,
because he faced many situations
politically and emotionally. He
faced them with equanimity.
Peaceful calmness is the meditative
influence; life is bigger than the
events taking place. You observe
them and react in an intelligent,
unemotional, yet affectionate way,
without getting worked up.
I never saw him lose his temper.
That’s a remarkable achievement
in today’s world, where we have
short fuses. It was his quality. I
hope some of it came through in
the book, and I hope people will
read it. That’s why we gave it the
title, Love, Exile, Redemption.
H eart f u l n es s
The craftspeople we featured in
Surabhi didn’t think they were great.
They were just making a living, but
they’re living according to the
traditional ways that have been
there for thousands of years.

May 2 024 71
CREAT I V I T Y
Q: How do you capture these
qualities and very subtly
introduce them without speaking
them aloud?
Tell me, how do you understand
the singing of birds? When a bird
sings, and you find it beautiful, do
you analyze it?
Q: No.
72
When the sun rises over the
mountains early in the morning,
and the sky reveals the earth,
can you analyze that? You
have to bring not just one, but
three or four factors into your
communication of the beauty of
these things. What do you have
at your disposal? Finally, when
you achieve nirvana, there is no
description possible. When you try
to describe it, nirvana is beyond.
H eart f u l n es s
But you have music, words, and
pictures at your disposal.
When an artist paints a beautiful
picture, if it is supported by
music and words, maybe it will
be far more expressive to people
who don’t understand it. You can
use music, words, and how the
camera moves to focus on different
aspects of the painting, to explain
to people who don’t know what

painting is. You use the grammar
of the language of cinema. You
are expressing the beauty or
importance of something that
is known to experts in the field,
but is not known to an ordinary
person. You are the bridge.
To make the bridge, you need
building blocks, and among
those building blocks are music,
words, visuals, and animation. Use
them intelligently and you can
communicate well.
You need to search for
connections. Explain in terms
that a person understands. Not as
scientist to scientist, or professor
to professor, but as layperson to
layperson. When you speak and
write and listen as a layperson
listens, then you come back to
the eight-year-old girl. Will she
understand?
Let me share a story about
language and connectivity. We
were once filming in Uzbekistan
in Central Asia. The first day
we landed to start filming, I had
become a little complacent. We
had already filmed in eight or ten
countries, and in my arrogance
I didn’t prepare by looking or
researching. I thought, “We will
always get the help we want in all
the countries we go to. We have
always been helped.”
We landed toward the evening
and went straight to the hotel. An
CR EATIVITY
interpreter was provided by the To make the bridge,
Uzbekistan government, but he
didn’t speak English. He spoke you need building
a very sanitized form of Hindi.
This was a challenge, because blocks, and among
we’re not so great in Hindi, but
we could manage. He needed to those building
go to a funeral and said he would
meet us the next day at breakfast.
blocks are music,
Meanwhile, at the hotel they words, visuals, and
would look after us.
animation. Use
When we went to the hotel, there
was a sign that said, “Please don’t them intelligently
drink the water from the wash
basin.” In America you can drink
and you can
tap water, but not in Uzbekistan.
communicate well.
So we didn’t have water. We rang
down for room service and they
could not understand us, so they prepared for every situation. It
sent soda. Soda doesn’t quench makes for a little adventure and
your thirst, but with the little a fun story, but it’s better to be
water we had and the soda we prepared so as not to panic.
drank we were able to pass the
night. In the morning, we landed Thank you, Purnima, for thinking
up at breakfast and the first of me.
question we asked our guide was
where we could find water. He was Q: Thank you so much for your
blank. Our hearts sank. He didn’t responses.
know what we were saying.
Even to the questions you didn’t
Then suddenly his eyes lit up. He ask?
understood in Sanskrit that we
were trying to get water. Drinking Q: Yes!
water was 1000 rupees a small
bottle, so we got a few because we
had a limited amount of money. Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL
The rest of the time, we discovered
ways of taking water from fruit.
Anyway, we learned our language
lesson. We also learned to be
May 2 024 73
 Time Is a
Precious Resource
SARA BUBBER tells a story The king’s advisor When the king announced it,
about a king who set a the people of his kingdom were

challenge in order to find
an assistant. The outcome
teaches us the value of time.
She also gives us a thoughtful
heart activity, and tells us
some fun facts about time.
O
nce there lived a king
who was looking for
an assistant: a man of
virtues like hard work, respect
for time, commitment, welfare,
and many more good qualities.
very excited. Who didn’t want to
work for the king himself ? Not
only did he receive hundreds
of applications from within his
country, he received thousands
from neighboring areas as well.

74 H eart f u l n es s

As he began to sort them, he didn’t
know how he would choose the
best candidates for further rounds
of interviews.
His wise chief minister made
a list of people who could be
shortlisted. He made his selections
by screening the applicants, then
by a series of tests on being kind to
strangers, the willingness to learn
new skills, alertness, and other
things the king would want in an
assistant. Finally, the candidates
were narrowed down to three.
The king finally met them and
congratulated them for reaching so
far in the process of selection. He
told them that the next task was
the best and a challenge everyone
should be up for. As the tasks so
May 2 024
CHILDRE N
far had been exciting, like horse
riding, finance, presenting talents,
playing games, everyone looked
forward to it.
The king announced there was a
tank that held a thousand liters
of water, which had to be drained
into various water holders for
the people of the kingdom. The
candidates were ready and asked
75
CHIL D R EN

the king for hoses to transfer the

water, but the king said there
would be no hoses used, only a
pail that was as small as their little
finger. The men were stunned at
the enormity of the task.

They began to work. With the first

few pails, one of them men left
thinking it was too much work.
The update was sent to the king.
The other two men continued.
For two days they slogged in
the sun. The second man finally
gave up and went home. The
third man continued and his
hand touched something made of
glass. He brought the bottle out
and it contained a note. As he
opened the note, it read, “This is
the reward for persevering when
you know the task is impossible.
Impossible tasks can overwhelm
you in the beginning, but you
may move into them, pail by pail,
just like today. Congratulations
on assuming your new role as the
king’s advisor.” The man wondered
why he was being made the king’s
advisor when the job was for an
assistant.

The king came over and told

Giving anyone your time is
the most valuable gift you
can ever give them.
the man he had offered his most
precious asset, time. “Giving
anyone your time is the most
valuable gift you can ever give
them. Welcome aboard!”

76 H eart f u l n es s

Heart activity
We are all unique, we come from
different backgrounds, have
various qualifications, and speak
diverse languages. But there are
Fun facts about time
• The concept of “time” in
English comes from the
Greek “chronos,” which means
chronological or ordered.
two things that are the same for
everyone—the heart and time!
Heart and time go together. When
you put your heart into something,
you will give it your time.
• In ancient times, there were
various ways to measure time
including sundials and water
bowls.
• Both the Indian and Greek
societies made use of sundials
to tell the time using shadows
of the sun.
May 2 024
CHILDRE N
Inside this heart, write the names
of people, animals, things or
passion projects you are going to
take more time for this month.
• All cultures experience time
differently. Some feel it is
linear, some feel time moves
from left to right, and some
feel that time is cyclical.
77
 Master the habit of meditation
The Heartfulness app offers daily
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Teacher Training Course by Daaji
Learn to teach the eight limbs of From the bestselling author of The
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Meditation Masterclass
In these 3 online masterclasses,
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Publications by Daaji
#1 BESTSELLERS
How meditative practices lead to Find Your Community
changes in lifestyle, both personal Find a trainer or meditation
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our destiny. connect-with-us/
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theheartfulnessway.com
the wisdombridge.com

78 H eart f u l n es s
Learning,
The Heartfulness Way
Explore simple Heartfulness
practices through our
self-paced courses for
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learners alike.
learning.heartfulness.org

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HFNLife strives to bring products
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The affiliation of our partner
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