Embrace the Divine Within

The Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Sacramento is really large, and this was the

first time I had ever been to this tree-lined complex.

My 10-year-old daughter, Therese, and I walked into the auditorium, not knowing what to expect. We were there to listen to a talk by Sister Shivani, who is a leading spiritual teacher. The entire evening was sponsored by Brahma Kumaris, an organization headquartered in India— with branches in more than 110 countries.

Brahma Kumaris is dedicated to personal transformation and world renewal

through meditation and the cultivation of peace and virtue— things which our

world desperately needs now! Brahma Kumaris believes strongly in the practice of Raja yoga, which is a form of meditation that connects the individual soul with the Supreme Soul, or God.

“Raja” means king, and in this context, Raja Yoga is considered the supreme yoga that empowers the soul to become the master or king of its senses and mind by remembering its original divine nature and its eternal relationship with the Supreme Soul.

It involves soul-consciousness—recognizing oneself as a soul rather than the

physical body—and establishing a meditative connection with the Supreme Soul,

visualizing God as a point of light embodying virtues like peace, purity, love, and

bliss.

This meditation is free of rituals or mantras and can be practiced with open eyes.

Through this process, practitioners purify their karma and experience a profound

inner transformation and calmness.

So, Therese and I found a number of other people from Spiritual Life Center who

were also there, and we sat in the middle of the crowded auditorium. Much to my surprise I saw one of the Brahma Kumaris leaders, Sister Hansa, dressed in white and holding a sign reading: SLC.

It appeared that they wanted the SLC minister to come forward and sit in the

front row. It took me a few seconds to realize, “Oh, yes I am the new SLC minister, and they want me to sit in the front row and represent SLC.” So Therese and I moved forward. This was not easy since Therese was still on crutches from the sprained foot she got while attending an SLC pool party.

Sitting in the first row, we could see all the beautiful flowers adorning the stage

and the large white chair which Sister Shivani would be sitting in while she spoke

to us. But right then a tall woman dressed in white came out and sat down next to Therese. I looked and was amazed, because this woman was none other than

Sister Shivani herself.

The next thing I knew Sister Shivani was in a conversation with Therese asking

about her crutches, etc. Then Sister Shivani was introduced to the crowd, and she walked up onto the stage.

First she led a prayer accompanied by beautiful flute music. Then she spoke for

over two hours. Now Mark Twain once said that nobody was ever saved by a

sermon which went over 20 minutes. Well, all I can say is that Mark Twain never

heard Sister Shivani speak!

Her message in so many ways was pure Unity principles. But I was glad to hear

— and have reinforced— that pure Unity principles are pure universal principles—

and even pure Multiverse guideposts.

Some of her key points included the following:

• There really is one presence and one power that is good and deeply loves us.

• We truly are one with the One!

• It is so important for us every day to spend time with the Divine that is within all of us. (So often during her talk, Sister Shivani rubbed her right hand over her “third eye” right in the middle of her forehead.)

• During these times of prayer and meditation, we should disconnect from the

  outer world, and particularly disconnect from our electronic devices. We should stop multitasking and reconnect with a beyond that is within us all.

• The mind is so important. Our thoughts are powerful, and when we change our thinking, we truly can change our lives. We can control our minds instead of letting random negative thoughts control us.

• The important thing is not what happens to us. The really important thing is

  what we do with what happens to us.

• It is important that we look at the “music of our lives.” If we don’t like some of the songs in our life, it is important to remember that we can control the playlist.

• Forgiveness is central to all of the above— forgiveness of others and forgiveness of ourselves.

Sister Shivani’s talk contained much humor and every day stories. As we walked

out of the hall people from Brahma Kumaris handed us beautiful apples and a

prayer candle. Nobody asked us for money.

There was a beautiful crescent moon in the evening sky, and we could see stars

through the trees. There was a slight nip in the air, reminding us that we are

moving from the growing season to the harvest season.

When we got to our car, Therese said that she was hungry, so I gave her one of

the Brahma Kumaris apples to eat. Therese said it was delicious.

Many blessings,

Rev. Rick