Brahma Baba: A Self Transformer and a World Transformer
“There is no protection in these walls, there is only protection in virtue.”
Brahma Baba
The 18th January is the time when we remember the life and work of Brahma Baba, who left his body in 1969. We can see the legacy of Brahma Baba in the transformation of the lives of souls who have taken up this spiritual path and benefited from the teachings and practice of Raja Yoga Meditation.
Dada Lekhraj, who was later to be known as Brahma Baba, became the instrument founder of the Brahma Kumaris. After a series of visions and much introspection, Dada Lekhraj came onto a spiritual path. He was a devotional man in pursuit of Truth and wanted to deeply know: Who or what is God? Thus his spiritual journey began. It was an inner journey that led him into the deeper aspects of himself, to seek a purer and more divine connection with God, the Supreme – the One Divine.
From humble beginnings, much hard work and opportunity, Dada Lekhraj managed to transform himself from being the son of the local headmaster, to become a partner in a well-known jewellers. He lived a simple and comfortable life; he had achieved a positive and well respected social position; and he went on to become a millionaire in the early 1930’s.
Basically at that time this man had everything. Then why give that up? To pursue what could have been little more than a dream, an illusion, or what would appear to others as something just plain crazy! Well, it was all due his faith and the depth of his visions. Brahma Baba’s spiritual experience of the “Divine Light” called him to find deeper wisdom of the spiritual dimensions of life.
So at that time, Dada Lekhraj would have no idea where his visions would lead him, and indeed who would follow him on this spiritual path. This journey of introspection finally led Brahma Baba, and a community that grew around him, to become established as the organization known today as the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University.
‘Remember that your state of mind and awareness is always key’, Brahma Baba
Brahma Baba always wished to encourage souls to see the best in themselves and each other, he cultivated the practice of seeing the virtues in others. Brahma Baba would say, act in such a way that others will be inspired by seeing you; when you perform actions do so in the consciousness that you are an actor on the world stage… and everyone is watching you! In this awareness souls would take care of their thoughts, words and actions, and above all to follow the guiding principle of; “Not to give sorrow and not to take sorrow.”
Baba had a sparkle
I experienced a unique sparkle in Brahma Baba’s face, the attraction of extreme love in his eyes, and a remarkable power while doing everything both physical and subtle. I was so fortunate to see him chopping vegetables, sitting with children, cleaning the grains! Men here never used to pick up even a glass of water for themselves to drink; here I saw egoless Baba performing several physical actions very accurately.
Sister Krishna (Senior Teacher – Ambala)
Baba was complete in all virtues
Baba was complete in all virtues. I liked one of them especially: Baba respected mothers and kumaris, and uplifted them. He made them a mirror and a sample before the world. He made them spiritual leaders and also powerful and successful administrators. Baba proved that women can guide the entire world.
Sister Kamlesh (Senior Teacher – Cuttack)
Baba’s humility
One day Baba took me to the kitchen with him and found huge logs were just burning there, with no one available to make chapattis. Baba began to make chapattis himself. I got engaged with him as well. In this way, wherever Baba found there were fewer children in service, Baba used to be there to do it himself.
Sister Dulari (Senior Teacher – Kanpur)
Baba’s garden
Once Baba took me to the garden and we there plucked varieties of flowers and placed all those in a basket. When we came into the classroom, Baba called each soul one by one and asked them to think: “What kind of flower are you and accordingly to choose that flower.” Not a single one was picked, because who is really a jasmine and who is a lily? So Baba continued: “Always be like three kinds of flowers. Be like a rose because it has essence, fragrance, beautiful colour and many other specialties; be like a lotus loving and detached”. We always say the deities have lotus feet; lotus hands; lotus eyes; so be like such a lotus. Then be like a sunflower because it faces only the sun. So, who is our Sun? If the Sun moves, we should also always only see God.
Vidya Didi
Brahma Baba’s vision was one of spiritual equality, seeing everyone as a soul, going beyond gender, not male or female; calling for the equal rights and opportunities for the women within the community to make their own choices in life. This would of course be most difficult in this social and economic set-up where the women’s choices would be greatly controlled. Nonetheless, despite the opposition, Brahma Baba wanted to uplift women and improve the quality of their lives.
“Accumulate lots and lots of inner peace so that you don’t lose your inner peace at any time or in any situation.”
The Late Dadi Jankiji
One of the stories I cherish most and a quote that has become my bedrock for life, is when a group of men came to kill Baba. Their intentions were known, and the senior students advised Baba to go inside the building (instead of continuing to sit in the courtyard) so he would be protected. And Baba replied: “There is no protection in these walls, there is only protection in virtue.” Such fortitude and strength in the face of death; he set the bar very high for the rest of us.
Somewhere on our soul journey, we have simply forgotten our original spiritual nature. Understanding the soul as a form of divine living light; that at the essence of our being is love, purity, peace, happiness and wisdom. Now as we make an effort to return to that truth of “being”, meditation and introspection helps us find our way back to the beginning once again. In life our good actions and virtues are a form of protection, for sure if we know someone who is always angry, at some point they will find some trouble. So virtues become a wall of protection for us when we perform actions in an elevated awareness.
By going within the silence we are able to remove those influences that act upon us of greed, anger, attachment and ego; we know that these are mainly the source of suffering in the world. Many souls were attracted to the spiritual knowledge and teachings, and gradually they were able to change their thinking, old habits and patterns for the better. As a result of Brahma Baba opening a spiritual school-cum-hospital, souls came to fill themselves with power, and what they experienced through this was a personal transformation.
Respect for all can only be possible when one has self respect.
The Late Dadi Prakashmaniji
Through a daily practice of meditation souls began to feel the restoration of peace and happiness in their lives. Brahma Baba’s stepping out onto the spiritual path brought a lot of societal disapproval, as the teachings ruffled more than a feather or two in the Sindh community at the time, as it disturbed the status quo. Today the benefits that come from the spiritual practice actually enhances the quality of many soul’s lives. People come from different faiths, traditions and cultural backgrounds. The spiritual knowledge and meditation in this sense is truly universal, as it relates to each and every soul, wherever they are on their journey, they can take benefit from the spiritual practice.
It’s Time… to celebrate the life of Brahma Baba, a spiritual trail blazer in his time.
“When I change, the world changes.”
Brahma Kumaris moto
Other articles on Brahma Baba:
Brahma Baba – A Wonderful Personality
© ‘It’s Time…’ by Aruna Ladva, BK Publications London, UK