Makati City, Metro Manila ( Philippines ): The 800-seat venue OnStage Theater, about three quarters-filled, was quiet from start to finish, having been prepped in meditation by three yogis from different centers across the country for the event ‘Be Still, My Heart’.
Board of Trustees (BOT) President Merle Pimentel welcomed the guests and introduced the Brahma Organization.
BK Tina, a professional musician, performed “Into the Womb (Be Still, My Heart),” a song that she composed especially for the event.
BK Charlie, National Co-ordinator of Brahma Kumaris in Australia, the main speaker of the event asked one key question: “What is going to take me to that sweet place of a still heart?” A new approach is imperative, he said, if we must adapt to the rapid, unprecedented and head-turning changes. “It’s like time saying that we need a new wisdom, a new skill—the art of stilling the heart, the mind, the conscience.”
He offered his own personal experiences as an example. “I have been a meditator for about 48 years. In this practice, I get to observe my inner world. I find that when my heart is full of love, I feel very easy about myself, very self-accepting, relaxed, content and definitely I’m a lot more understanding and compassionate towards others. But when the heart lacks love, the mind cannot rest. It goes on seeking, because something is missing.” Pure love, true love, authentic love is the key, he said. “The first need, the first desire in life is love. If these are not fulfilled, a million other needs and desires emerge— for recognition, respect, power, material possessions, control.”
‘The world is suffering from a “spiritual heart disease,” BK Charlie pointed out. “There’s so much pain in the heart of humanity because of a blockage—love can’t come in or go out. This is why we need to begin to still and heal the heart. This is spiritual intelligence— to have a rich and loving relationship with myself— my first relationship. If this relationship is dysfunctional, it pollutes every part of my life moving forward.”
He proceeded to dissect what he called the “spiritual anatomy.” “Two of them make my heart increasingly disturbed; only one calms my heart. The first is the eye of arrogance or the eye of superiority. The second is the eye of inferiority which is, simply, lack of self-respect. When either of these eyes is ruling my inner world, I compare with others. The more ego, the less love. The less love, the more my heart stays in discomfort.”
Finally, BK Charlie brought it home: “The third eye, the original eye. This is the one that sees the lovable me. I am a soul. A soul is a wonder. It is just a point, it has no physical size, it is subtle. It sits in the front of the brain. I, the soul, lived before this body, and will continue to live after. I am immortal, non-physical. I have no labels. Forgetting this gives birth to both ego and lack of self-respect. As soon as I replace them with this awareness of who I am, peace becomes my nature. No more need to remind myself, ‘I must relax, I must calm down.’ My heart is still.”
BOT Vice President Jonathan Batangan, was both the master of ceremonies and moderator for a half-hour question-and-answer portion.
BK Sister Rajni Daulatram, National Coordinator for Brahma Kumaris Japan and the Philippines, led the ending meditation experience, bringing the whole theater to a sweet stillness and silence.
As a gesture of appreciation, BOT Chair Maria Lourdes Aseneta presented a bouquet of flowers to BK Charlie and BK Sister Rajni.
