• Table of Contents
  • Self-Study by Swami Veda Bharati
  • Sadhana in Relationships by Swami Rama
  • Journey with a Himalayan Master Swami Rama by Dr. Prakash Keshaviah
  • Yoga Youth and Children’s Retreat by Joanne Sullivan (Divya)
  • Children’s Retreat, 2016 by Yuko Metsugi
  • Meditation in Action by Wolfgang Bischoff
  • Coming Home by Lea and John Sellinger
  • Back to the Origin of Yoga II
  • Dear Yoga Mentor, My Question Is…
  • Meditation and Art by Jim Fraser
  • Naked Before God by Richard Parenti
  • Concert with Pandit Mishra by Joanne Sullivan (Divya)
  • 2017 Events and Beyond
  • Full Moon Meditation Dates
  • Location of our SRSG ashram
• AHYMSIN Newsletter Archive

Meditation in Action

by Wolfgang Bischoff

Dear Friends,

I invite you all to become still during your meditation time to cultivate the culture of stillness, awareness and meditation.

Sri Swami Rama taught that Yoga is Meditation in Action. That means that the power we are gaining in our silent meditations can show itself and prove itself in daily life: in the ability to learn to ask questions, to listen, to try to understand to realize our permanent judgments and to stop them, because they make us blind.

This form of Meditation in Action lives in the country development project of Odisha, founded by Bhagabandev. For more than 15 years the poorest of the poor children in this world receive a spiritual education, healthcare and a promising future. Every year there is a big celebration with 15,000 visitors at the foundation day of that project.

Last year something wonderful happened:  5 of the oldest girl-students, 15-years old, appeared on the stage and played a drama which they have written and created all alone without the help of any adults. 

They expressed the suffering of girls and women in India:

A couple is pregnant and will receive a girl. The husband demands in a harsh way the abortion. The wife tries to commit suicide. Neighbors and the husband are saving her. The girl is borne.

In white cloth the new born girl appears on the stage and talks to the father: Why did you want to kill me?

Father:  Because a son carries on the family tradition, the dynasty.

Daughter: O you fool. If a son is a saver of the dynasty then the daughter is a part and parcel of that.

If a son is a symbol of respect the daughter is the symbol of self-esteem.

If the son is a symbol of cure then the daughter is a blessing.

If the son is a symbol of poem then the daughter is a symbol of classical poem.

If the son is the symbol of fate/future then the daughter is the creator of that. Because the son also comes from the womb of the mother.

Father:  Please forgive me I am a sinner, a fool, an idiot. Please forgive me, punish me as you like. I will save girls and make others also work for this. Please forgive me.

Daughter:  At the beginning you will save us. But the people having nasty, dirty thoughts will trouble us like they did with Nirvaya in Delhi. If we are saved from that kind of a situation then they will burn us to death for dowry. If we married according to our own wish then they will shed our blood like they did with Anarkali. If we have to cry in sadness from the womb till the old age and death, why do we come to this earth to give happiness to you all? Why do we come? Everyone on this earth needs a mother, a sister, a wife, but why not a daughter?

If there is the slightest pain and trouble to the parents, it is the daughter who feels and care for it. A son can light a light for one family only, whereas a daughter is a glory for two families, for her fathers, as well as her husband’s family. Yet why does nobody want to have a daughter, why , why and why? Is there an answer to this question with anybody? Why not a girl, why not a girl, why not a girl?

Why do I write this to you? On 12 January 2017, a Full Meditation Day, I became 70 years old. I am serving now the Himalayan Tradition for 36 years and support the Odisha Project for 15 years. Together with Bhagabandev I conduct silence retreats in Güldenholm every November. Out of these silent meditations over 6 days develops the strength to support the now 120 children, girls and boys, to lead a dignified life, to learn and grow. As you can see in the drama, this Meditation in Action helps the children to develop self-esteem and a sense of responsibility. This deserves our full support.

Therefore I would like to ask all of you for a birthday present: please give me one hour of silence to think about these children. After that please give a donation to that bank account:  Manini e.V.—GLS  Gemeinschaftsbank eG  IBAN : DE58430609672033038100  BIC : GENODEM1GLS——BOCHUM—GERMANY.

In deepest gratitude and love to be allowed to serve the Himalayan Tradition over such a long time.

I greet you all as my dearest brothers and sisters,
yours,

Wolfgang

Editor’s Note:

For more about the Odisha project, please use this link: http://www.orissa-soll-leben.de/
Wolfgang Bischoff is the founder and Spiritual Leader of Himalaya Institut Deutschland, a mantra initiator, and a member of the AHYMSIN Adhyatma Samiti, or Spiritual Committee.

Bhagabandev is founder of the schools and founder of the Nava Prabhat Charitable Trust (NPCT). The NPCT is recognised as a charitable non-profit organisation in India and monitors the proper allocation of all funds.  Bhagaban Dev is also the school principal. He was raised in the village of Nuapali (new village) in Orissa. As a child he was among the few privileged children who could afford to attend a public school. As early as then he decided that he would later build a school for all those other children who could not afford the fees.

Odisha, a state in India, was formerly named Orissa.