Janmashtami Programme at Global Co-operation House, London

The auditorium stage was transformed into a magical setting for the activities of Sri Krishna for the Janmashtami programme by the Brahma Kumaris in Global Co-operation House, London. Everyone was welcomed with lightness and jokes by Stage Co-ordinators Minal Patel and Jagruti Patel: ‘the harder we laugh the more true jokes are’. They also shared the beautiful message at the core of the celebration of Janmashtami, the birth of Krishna, and that it is about us and how we can learn to live a life of happiness and how this then connects with what the future of our world could look like. ‘When we look at Krishna we think of happiness and his purity’. ‘The one who has true happiness from within is simple, beautiful, mature and enthusiastic.’
A dance then drew everyone into scenes of the golden age, as ‘Sri Krishna’ from the back of the auditorium joined the dancing on stage. This was followed with a drama whereby a ‘dreamer’ was shown beautiful scenes of elegant human interaction where everyone was overflowing with virtues and power as well as peace of mind. ‘How can I be part of this world’ requested the dreamer.
BK Sudesh, European Director of the Brahma Kumaris, was invited on stage to share a response to this question. BK Minal introduced her as someone who has a great speciality of story telling, especially from the scriptures, going deep into the significance to glean and share the wisdom that lies at the heart of them.
Here are some spiritual points from her sharing:
➢ Undisturbed and unlimited inner happiness are celebrated at Krishna’s Janmasthami.
➢ Can we dare to dream of this beautiful time. It was the past but could it be the future too?
➢ There is this wonderful character remembered from the past…charming, beautiful, pure, entertaining and yet beyond. With no type of bondage.
➢ His heart is free, intellect is free, and there is complete happiness.
➢ The flute symbolizes the heart. There can be hurting or happiness in the heart. Hatred or kindness.
➢ Yet what makes the flute sing, it is not the wood but the flow, the energy (the air).
➢ We would like to be happy all the time and yet when when we lose hope we have dissatisfaction in ourselves.
➢ When I am happy automatically others become happy.
➢ To regain our happiness we have to ‘drink tea’: Spirituality, royalty, dignity, purity…What cup of tea do I enjoy?
➢ Where can I buy it? Where is it manufactured? Where is the garden that grows it? It is here in each of us, but it has been closed for a long time.
➢ There is the desire to open the heart and be filled with these qualities. The first quality is purity. This begins with positivity. Positive attracts positive.
➢ Inside this physical body is the living energy… the energy that experiences and expresses itself.
➢ When we have the natural feeling of the truth within the self, there is joy and power. That is what attracts.
➢ Where there is cleanliness and honesty we shine.
➢ Our natural personality is like beautiful music playing from the inside.
➢ The wisdom revealed in the Gita is called the elevated direction….as it helps our thoughts and communication with each other.
➢ At the present time what is needed is this light within to shine from us and between us. Weaknesses and defects developed over time. They are not part of our true state.
➢ When Krishna was here on the planet it was the age of truth, the golden age. Human beings were naturally pure and in harmony. We remember this from the stories we hear in the scriptures.
➢ There is also the language of the artist in the scriptures, of metaphor and symbolism. Such as the ‘stealing of the butter’…could Krishna, who is a royal prince, also be a thief? This is not possible. It is a metaphor for doing something in an incognito way (without telling anyone), having internal attention and the intention to develop the qualities within and see virtue in each one.
➢ ‘Butter’ is often used as a metaphor for ‘essence’ that is created when milk is churned.
➢ ‘Yog art’ is created when we create virtues from our qualities.
➢ When we are operating from virtue we exude a fragrance. There is no competition when we are operating from this inner place, just the feeling of appreciation and experiencing the essence of everything.
➢ With spirituality we can create an inner garden.
➢ The sun is beyond respect or disrespect. Flowers don’t feel insulted if someone is allergic to them. Nature doesn’t discriminate. We human beings can do this too. In Vaikunth there are zero reactivity or negativity in human relationships. Just open hearts that empower others.
➢ There is natural curiosity which is attractive and charming, yet also detachment from everything. Being, seeing and giving everything, but no possessiveness.
➢ When we start to make incognito effort and appreciate others this energy multiplies.
➢ We are at the moment of time when there is the need to bring these qualities again within us.
➢ Each one of us symbolizes our society. Arjuna represents us. The confused one and the seeker.
➢ How much trouble is in the family and the world and how do we bring transformation?
➢ How does an ordinary human being become a divine human being?
➢ The focus in the Gita is understanding Yoga and spiritual knowledge to help Arjuna. Once again connecting ourselves and exercising these qualities. The Gita also reveals who gives the knowledge that transforms the ordinary into the divine.
➢ As this happens we become self sovereigns and ones who sustain others. It is purification which transforms and this happens when we connect with the Supreme.
➢ In the Gita the Supreme Soul gives His own introduction as the creator of new consciousness and the new world. I am beyond: I am blissful, and benevolent, yet bodiless.
➢ Greed, lust and anger are finished when we become companions of God. To receive the spiritual knowledge we need to go into an incognito place… Krishna is born in the dark night, at new moon, yet it will increase and become full.
➢ The Supreme Soul enables us all to become doubly non-violent and benevolent. If we were all like this we would all be generous with natural joy and fearlessness.
➢ This state continues on earth for 8 generations, with long life spans. After that there is Ramraj… still a time of equality and beauty, the time that Mahatma Gandhi often referred to. A kingdom where there is harmony and love and respect for each other.
➢ We need to make this lost dream a reality. In order to do this we need to bring benevolent qualities into our personality.
➢ Perfection means free from defects and being affected by others.
➢ Knowledge and yoga with The Divine is needed to bring this into our personality. It begins with thinking and changing our feelings…. feelings change and heal and joy and happiness develop.
BK Sudesh led a meditation commentary into experiencing the living seed of divine elevated and pure consciousness, of the soul.
BK Jagruti and BK Minal expressed deep gratitude to the dancers and BK Sister Sudesh, for sharing the flavour and taste of the new world.