Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Heartfulness Meditation: The Forceless Force Awakens

With the reboot of the Star Wars franchise, the ethos of ‘The Force’ reenters the zeitgeist of our pop culture. What is this Force? In the mythology of Star Wars, The Force is described as “an energy field, created by all living things, [that] surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together”. In that mythological world, the force gave the user special powers such as the power of telepathy, psychokinesis, enhanced perception. This Force represents a metaphysical, spiritual, binding and ubiquitous power that holds an important place in that universe. Do we feel something similar in our world? When an athlete is performing beyond his perceived capacity or a musician is performing with a brilliant level of concentration, do they draw upon something akin to The Force in our world? Is there a human visceral experience that gives us a feeling similar to The Force? Is there a similar phenomenon of The Force in our universe?  

For me, the answer is an undeniable yes! I think all human beings have the capacity to experience something beyond the input from the five senses. I imagine that this is a universal possibility shared by all people and cultures. If we look at our lives from a broader universal perspective, we have to ask if there is more to life than what we know. I have found that many people, from religious persons to atheists, agree that there must be some metaphysical phenomenon that binds this whole creation together, and that a small spark of that creation must exist in all of us. Is it possible to experience this spark? Many of us think of meditation as a self-help device, mainly used for stress reduction and relaxation. It definitely is this, but it can also be much much more. Meditation can help us to experience an earthly version of The Force.

How did George Lucas get the inspiration to weave The Force into the Star Wars mythology? It is rumored that the creation of the Force, the Jedi, and Master Yoda in George Lucas’s imagination was influenced by his fascination with eastern mysticism. In our world, and in our current time, there exists a spiritual phenomenon called pranahuti (yogic transmission). Pranahuti is a sanskrit word which loosely translates to offering of life or life force (prana). In spirituality, this yogic transmission is defined as the utilization of the divine energy for the transformation of a human being. This phenomenon is an ancient yogic discovery that had been passed down for centuries through several spiritual traditions but eventually passed into oblivion. This phenomenon reawakened in the late 1800’s when, in a small town in Northern India, a yogi named Ram Chandra, became adept at using the technique. Since then it has slowly spread throughout the world through the Sahaj Marg (Natural Path) spiritual path. Today, this technique is a unique part of the Heartfulness Meditation offered by the Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation, a spiritual movement that is not affiliated with any religion or doctrine. In the Heartfulness meditation program, spiritual trainers are given the capacity to infuse this transmission into the heart of the seeker and fill the seeker with a force higher than himself/herself. This yogic transmission is used solely for the purpose of spiritual evolution and personal transformation giving the seeker the possibility of boundless growth. Unlike the world of Star Wars, this force does not deal with special powers of telepathy or psychokinesis. Pranahuti is such a subtle phenomenon that is described more as a ‘forceless force’ or a ‘powerless power’. It is not a power used for personal gain, but rather it is used to promote spiritual elevation in the practitioners. As a physician, I was very skeptical of this occult phenomenon, until I had the opportunity to experience this mysticism personally.

In our day-to-day lives, we experience life and the world around us through our physical beings. Spirituality makes us aware that there is more to this life than just our physical bodies. We also carry subtle bodies and causal bodies that contain the soul and a network of psychokinetic centers (chakras), which channel our life force (prana).

Is it possible to experience the presence of this aspect of ourselves through a genuine spiritual practice?  Through Heartfulness meditation, transmission helps us to experience this universe that exists inside of us. The transmission can be felt by anyone who sincerely practices this system of meditation for a brief period of time. In my personal experience, yogic transmission has helped to awaken the latent divinity within me. As the Divine spark is ignited, the practice and the transmission can help the seeker on an upward spiritual journey. The ‘Forceless Force’ awakens the latent divinity within us.

May the ‘Forceless Force’ be with you.


Author: Radheshyam Miryala is a emergency medicine physician and outdoor enthusiast interested in spirituality. He has used the Heartfulness Meditation offered through the Sahaj Marg system of spirituality to help him live a life of balance filled with joy and abundance. He lives in Texas with his wife and two daughters.

4 comments:

  1. Great post in today's times of Star Wars and world order or orderless world. Forceless force within every individual will awaken the heart of the world via Heartfulness.

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  2. Very interesting article and well written. Brings in a beautiful comparison between the 'The Force' and pranahuti.

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