Simple practical weekly inspirations to improve various aspects of your thought patterns, emotions, habits and lifestyle.

A WORD, A THOUGHT, A QUESTION

Harmony is often understood as the absence of disturbance. When things feel settled, we take that steadiness as a sign that all is well. In the April edition of Heartfulness Magazine, our contributors suggest that discomfort and harmony are not always opposites.&nbsp;In seeking harmony, are we settling for an artificial calm while avoiding what real harmony requires? After all, there may be a deeper harmony waiting to emerge.As always, we look forward to your submissions at contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com.&nbsp;

April 2026 Edition

<h4>DAAJI, in conversation with APOORVA PATEL, explores why inner transformation often begins with discomfort—and how meditation on the heart, practiced sincerely, turns individual spiritual growth into something the whole world can share.</h4>Apoorva Patel: Technology is now so accessible that we are all in constant touch with each other, and yet there seems to be an unfortunate imbalance and lack of harmony amongst people.Daaji: Have you sat in a room full of cell phones ringing without pause? Contact without connection is like this. The noise is tremendous, yet no real conversation occurs.The ancient teaching on sangha, association, reveals something crucial here.1 We become what we associate with. The mind takes on the coloring of whatever it touches repeatedly. In previous centuries, a person’s sangha was limited to a few dozen people and a stable environment. Today, in a single hour of scrolling, we encounter hundreds of minds, thousands of images, countless vibrations, most engineered to provoke strong emotions because strong emotions drive engagement.Whispers from the Brighter World speaks directly to this: “Today’s man is saturated with all kinds of information which his spiritual being does not need. The heart has more precise needs, known only to it.”2The problem is not the contact itself. The problem is that our contact is horizontal when it should be vertical. We reach endlessly outward to other humans while neglecting the inward reach toward our own depths. And here is the paradox: only by going deep within ourselves can we truly meet another. Two surfaces rubbing against each other create friction; two depths recognizing each other create resonance.AP: So is constant contact actually counterproductive?Daaji: That is certainly the case when it replaces rather than supports inner contact. When every moment of silence is immediately filled with a notification, when every space of solitude is invaded by a screen, we lose the very ground from which genuine harmony could arise.The Sahaj Marg approach offers a remedy: <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-science-behind-creating-a-daily-meditation-practice" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">morning meditation</a> that establishes us in our center before we engage the world, evening cleaning that releases the impressions accumulated through the day’s associations, and bedtime prayer that reorients the heart toward its Source.3 These practices create a vertical axis. And from this axis, our horizontal connections transform.The deeper you descend into yourself, the closer you come to others. On the surface, there is only a crowd. In the depths, you meet yourself.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The problem is not the contact itself. The problem is that our contact is horizontal when it should be vertical. We reach endlessly outward to other humans while neglecting the inward reach toward our own depths.&nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;AP: In the Ten Maxims, we are advised to simplify our lives and be in tune with nature. How can we make the first inner shift towards this?4Daaji: Simplicity is what remains when complexity has been seen through.There are two kinds of simplicity. The first is the simplicity of the child who has not yet encountered complexity. This simplicity is innocent, beautiful, but fragile. The moment complexity arrives, it shatters. The second is the simplicity of the sage who has passed through every complexity and emerged on the other side, carrying nothing unnecessary. This simplicity is unshakeable because it has been tested.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/discord_harmony2_5134a38c28.webp" alt="discord-harmony2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;The path to the second simplicity runs through, not around, the complications of life. We cannot pretend we have not been conditioned by a complex world. We cannot simply decide to be simple. The layers of complexity must be acknowledged, examined, and released.This is where the evening cleaning practice becomes essential. Each day leaves impressions: desires, reactions, opinions, and judgments. These impressions create complexity and noise, drowning out the soul’s natural harmony. The cleaning practice, done sincerely each evening, removes the day’s accumulation before it solidifies into permanent patterns.As for being in tune with nature, consider what “nature” truly means. The word comes from a root meaning “birth” or “origin.” To be in tune with nature is to be in tune with one’s origin, one’s source, one’s essential being. And the essential being is simple. What creates complexity is the samskaras, the accumulated impressions.The first inner shift happens when you stop adding to the existing pile of samskaras. Before you can simplify, you must stop complicating. This means becoming aware of each moment's additions: the unnecessary reaction, the compulsive opinion, the automatic judgment. You do not even need to fight these. You need only see them. What is seen clearly begins to lose its power.One Whisper counsels: “Open wide this window onto beauty and divine peace; there reside harmony and perfect joy.” The window is already there. It has merely been covered by accumulated complications. Remove them, and the harmony that was always present reveals itself.AP: When we face new challenges, it tends to cause inner discomfort. Is this a sign of disharmony, or is it a doorway to deeper alignment?Daaji: There is an insight from the Sahaj Marg tradition that cuts through a common spiritual misunderstanding: A Master who never causes discomfort is not truly loving; he is merely being agreeable. We often imagine that the path should feel good, that progress should be comfortable, that the Master should always make us feel soothed and validated. This is the ego’s version of spirituality, and it leads nowhere.Consider what happens when a bone is broken and heals crookedly. To set it right, it must be rebroken. This is painful. It is also necessary. The pain is not a sign that something is going wrong; it indicates that something is going right, that the misalignment is being corrected.The ego has healed crookedly over lifetimes. Its structures, though dysfunctional, feel familiar. When genuine guidance begins to realign these structures, the ego protests. It calls the pain “disharmony” and is suspicious of the guidance. It looks for an easier path.AP: When the ego reacts like this, how do we understand that reaction? Is it simply rebellion?Daaji: There is a distinction to be made here. Ego rebellion is resistance born from the ego’s discomfort with growth. The ego does not want to change, to be exposed, or to surrender its imagined autonomy. When genuine guidance threatens the ego, the ego rebels.Principled resistance is different. It arises when what is being offered is genuinely opposed to growth, when guidance becomes exploitation, when teaching contradicts itself, or when questioning is forbidden. How to tell the difference? Ask yourself: Is this discomfort arising because my smallness is being stretched into something larger? Or is this discomfort arising because my integrity is being violated? The first discomfort is the growing pain of expansion. The second is the alarm bell of genuine harm.The field must be plowed before it can be planted. The plowing disturbs the earth. This disturbance is necessary for the harvest. Discomfort that serves growth is not disharmony. It is harmony arriving through an unfamiliar door.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">There is an insight from the Sahaj Marg tradition that cuts through a common spiritual misunderstanding: A Master who never causes discomfort is not truly loving; he is merely being agreeable. We often imagine that the path should feel good, that progress should be comfortable, that the Master should always make us feel soothed and validated. This is the ego’s version of spirituality, and it leads nowhere.</h4><hr>&nbsp;AP: Now, for those who meditate, would you say that the 9 p.m. prayer is the first step in making individual harmony lead to world harmony?5&nbsp;Daaji: The 9 p.m. prayer is a quiet revolution—so quiet it might be missed entirely.Consider what happens at that hour across time zones around the world. Practitioners pause in whatever they are doing and hold a single thought: all people, all beings, are being blessed with love and devotion, and that the real faith is growing in all of them. This is not a prayer for one’s own benefit. This is not even a prayer for fellow practitioners. This is a prayer for all beings, including those who have never heard of the path, those who might reject it if they did, those who actively work against the light.The Whispers describe “wires of light surrounding the Earth.” These are not metaphors for the spiritually advanced. They are the invisible infrastructure of collective aspiration, strengthened each time a sincere heart turns toward the welfare of all.The genius of this practice lies in its universality. It does not demand conversion or adherence to a particular belief. It wishes for something that every tradition, every philosophy, every sincere seeker would recognize as good: being “blessed with love and devotion” and developing “real faith.” It trusts that a heart blessed with these qualities will find its own way to the Divine, through its own door, in its own time.Individual harmony and world harmony are not two separate achievements. They are one fabric seen from two perspectives. When you purify your own heart, you purify a node in an infinite network. The vibration reverberates through all connected nodes. The Sahaj Marg teaching is clear: your practice matters far more than you know. When you skip your evening cleaning because “what difference does it make?” you forget the invisible connections.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The Whispers describe “wires of light surrounding the Earth.” These are not metaphors for the spiritually advanced. They are the invisible infrastructure of collective aspiration, strengthened each time a sincere heart turns toward the welfare of all.</h4><hr>&nbsp;Every time you sit at 9 p.m., you are sitting for all those connected to you, seen and unseen. This is not to pressure, but to encourage. Your small effort has cosmic significance.The prayer transforms the practitioner as much as it serves the world. It expands the heart’s circumference nightly, training it to hold more, to include more, to love more widely.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/discord_harmony3_b48d97ede7.webp" alt="discord-harmony3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;AP: Is that also the way to put into action the principle of “Love Him who loves all”?Daaji: This phrase, “Love Him who loves all,” coined by Babuji, contains an entire spiritual philosophy in five words.The direct approach to universal love is almost impossible. Can we love eight billion people with proper love? Can we love three billion? Can we love one billion, truly and completely? The heart’s capacity seems limited, and the demand seems infinite.Babuji’s phrase offers a different approach. Instead of trying to love all beings directly, we love the One who already loves all. And through that love, by a kind of spiritual mathematics that transcends ordinary arithmetic, our love reaches everyone.Think of it this way: if you wish to water a thousand branches, you do not carry water to each branch individually. You water the root. The root distributes to every branch naturally, effortlessly, and completely. The Divine is the root. When you love the Divine, you are watering the root of all existence.This is why the Sahaj Marg tradition emphasizes <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/discovering-the-self" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation</a> on the heart, the seat of the Divine within. When you sit in the morning and assume the presence of divine light in your heart, you are connecting directly to the Source that sustains all beings. Your love for this inner presence is simultaneously love for everything it sustains.The practical implication is liberating. You do not need to manufacture feelings of love for strangers, for enemies, for the difficult people in your life. You need only deepen your love for the One. And as that love deepens, a strange thing happens: you begin to see the One in everyone. The stranger becomes less strange. The enemy becomes less threatening. The difficult person becomes more bearable. You are seeing through them to what they truly are, beneath the surface personality.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">This is why the Sahaj Marg tradition emphasizes meditation on the heart, the seat of the Divine within. When you sit in the morning and assume the presence of divine light in your heart, you are connecting directly to the Source that sustains all beings. Your love for this inner presence is simultaneously love for everything it sustains.</h4><hr>&nbsp;AP: In your own life, was there ever a time when you sought inner harmony? When did it turn from an idea to a lived experience?Daaji: To be honest with you, I had no idea of any sort of discord within. The feelings of a lack of harmony never arose.This is perhaps the more common beginning and the more honest one. Most seekers do not start from a state of conscious discord. They start from a kind of comfortable numbness, a life that seems adequate, a self that appears reasonably functional. The feelings of disharmony never arise because there is no reference point for what harmony truly is. A person who has always breathed polluted air does not know they are missing freshness. A person whose sight has always been blurry does not know their vision is impaired.The Whispers speak to this precisely: “If humans knew, what wouldn’t they give to complete the steps and enjoy this peace!” The phrase “if humans knew” is crucial. They do not know. They do not know what they are missing. They do not feel the absence because they have never tasted the presence.This is the peculiar nature of spiritual obscuration. The very thing that clouds our perception also clouds our ability to perceive that we are clouded. Consider a person who has been carrying a heavy load on their back since childhood. The weight has become so familiar that it no longer registers as weight. The muscles have adapted. The posture has adjusted. The heaviness has become normal. Only when the load is finally set down does the person gasp and say, “I had no idea I was carrying so much.”<hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/discord_harmony4_0fa05d8173.webp" alt="discord-harmony4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;This is precisely what happens through the nightly cleaning process. &nbsp;You sit down feeling ordinary. Nothing particularly wrong. You begin the process, imagining complexities flowing out, heaviness departing. And when you open your eyes, something has shifted. There is a lightness you did not know was missing—a clarity you did not know was obscured. The recognition is retrospective. Only after tasting genuine harmony do you realize what you were living in before.The journey, then, is not from felt disharmony to harmony. It is from unconscious separation to unity, from not knowing what you lack to realizing what was always available.&nbsp;<hr><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Sangha is a Sanskrit term meaning association or community.</li><li>Whispers from the Brighter World, messages received through intercommunication from elevated souls.</li><li>Evening cleaning is a core Sahaj Marg practice for removing the day’s accumulated impressions.</li><li>The Ten Maxims are ten guiding principles of Sahaj Marg for spiritual aspirants.</li><li>The 9 p.m. prayer, a universal prayer for the spiritual uplift of all (distinct from the bedtime prayer). &nbsp;</li></ol>

When Discord Leads to Harmony

<h3 style="text-align:center;">Building a Self-Care Routine from the Inside Out</h3><h4>CHLOE POWELL explores how daily hydration supports the body’s natural balance and well-being, offering practical ways to build simple, sustainable self-care habits.</h4>Every successful <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/caring-for-the-self-in-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">self-care</a> journey begins with a single, foundational step. While many focus on managing stress or improving fitness, the most powerful starting point is often overlooked: hydration. Water is the fuel for your body's most critical functions, impacting everything from your energy levels and mood to your skin's complexion. By choosing to build a self-care routine around this essential element, you are taking control of your well-being in the most direct way possible. Here’s how you can start this transformative journey.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Importance of Hydration</h4>Water is an integral part of the human body. In fact, it makes up about sixty percent of the body on average.1 The exact number can change depending on age and hydration levels. For instance, you can release water through perspiration, especially in warmer climates or when exercising.Unfortunately, it is said that 75% of Americans face chronic dehydration and struggle with rehydration.2 It’s critical to replenish this resource in your body, as it’s responsible for protecting the spinal cord and lubricating the joints. It also helps remove toxins through urination.&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Benefits of Staying Hydrated</h4><a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/interest-intention-and-a-yummy-breakfast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Staying hydrated</a> has a host of benefits, from improving energy levels to supporting weight loss. Making this simple change is a powerful act of self-care that can create positive change across all aspects of your well-being. &nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Staying hydrated has a host of benefits, from improving energy levels to supporting weight loss. Making this simple change is a powerful act of self-care that can create positive change across all aspects of your well-being. &nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hydration2_28d28609d2.webp" alt="hydration2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Improved Energy Levels</h4>If you’re ever feeling groggy, dehydration could be the culprit. Even mild dehydration can impact your brain's function, leading to fatigue and a lack of focus. Staying hydrated is key to maintaining energy levels throughout the day.3 It can even address problems like indigestion and bloating that can make you feel sick.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Increased Mindfulness</h4>Hydrating typically requires a little awareness. You need to recognize your thirst and make time in your day to rehydrate intentionally. By creating a self-care routine around it, you can practice more mindfulness.The next time you get a glass of water, pay attention to the sensory details, like the cool glass in your hand, the sound of the water pouring, and the sensation of it quenching your thirst. For those few seconds, focus only on the act of drinking. This simple practice pulls you out of stressful thought loops and anchors you firmly in the present moment, acting as a small reset button for your mind.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hydration3_cc556e5602.webp" alt="hydration3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Optimized Physical Performance</h4>With better energy levels from hydration, you’ll find yourself much more recharged to engage in exercise or other activities. A clear mind can also contribute to a sharper and more precise movement, which is ideal when you’re trying to avoid injuries.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Supported Weight Loss</h4>Water can be a powerful tool for <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/eating-slowly" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">weight loss</a>. Drinking it right before meals is associated with reduced appetite, and there’s also evidence that swapping high-calorie beverages for regular water can help with weight loss.4&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Enhanced Complexion</h4>Hydration is most impactful on your internal system, but there are signs that it’s also working on the outside. Since water helps flush out toxins, it may help manage acne and blemishes.5 Further research is needed to confirm this, so you still need to work on adding moisture to the outer layers of your skin through other methods, such as moisturizer.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">How to Create a Hydrating Self-Care Routine</h4>Building a hydrating self-care routine requires intentional thought. Here are some steps that can help.Drink Water Throughout the DaySome people wait until they get thirsty to have a glass of water, but that usually means they’re already dehydrated. Ideally, you should prevent dehydration from occurring in the first place. Consider setting regular reminders on your phone to drink water. You can also keep a reusable water bottle right next to you.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hydration4_ebfc10c738.webp" alt="hydration4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Incorporate Water-Rich FoodWater is the best source of hydration, but there are other ways to boost your intake. For example, watermelon and strawberries both have ninety-one percent water content, though you can also opt for other foods like cantaloupe, peaches, and oranges.6For the best results, you can eat these water-rich foods as they are. However, you can also add them to a smoothie or mix them into other dishes to help balance sodium from other foods.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hydration5_a595979122.webp" alt="hydration5.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Limit Dehydrating DrinksImproving your hydration levels can also mean steering clear of the more dehydrating options in your diet. It’s best to limit or remove caffeinated or alcoholic beverages from your rotation. You should also be wary of sugary drinks, such as sodas. If you want something to cleanse the palate, consider a naturally sweet, water-rich fruit.&nbsp;Incorporate ElectrolytesSwap out dehydrating beverages for electrolyte drinks. These are great for boosting energy while improving hydration. Plus, they’re pretty easy to make at home with one-quarter to one-half teaspoon of salt per four cups of water, some citrus juice, and a little sugar or sweetener.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hydration6_e869580f89.webp" alt="hydration6.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Avoid Hot Showers or BathsTaking a nice hot shower can be a relaxing self-care session. However, it’s best to limit the time you spend taking them, as hot showers can break down the natural water content and barrier of your skin.7 Dryness and irritation are a pain to deal with.The same goes for hot baths. If you do want to take some time in the bathroom, do these only occasionally and opt for warm or lukewarm water when possible.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hydration7_bc0d039b4a.webp" alt="hydration7.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Avoid High Temperatures&nbsp;Heat, in general, isn't ideal for maintaining your hydration levels. Hot climates can make you sweat and dehydrate you. Remember to take breaks in the shade or opt to stay in a cool place. If you’re working out or doing manual labor, remember to rehydrate. Running gels are available that provide electrolyte replenishment on the go, but a sip of water is still ideal.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Hydrating typically requires a little awareness. You need to recognize your thirst and make time in your day to rehydrate intentionally. By creating a self-care routine around it, you can practice more mindfulness.&nbsp;</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Feel Refreshed Inside and Out</h4>Staying hydrated is a simple yet effective self-care goal. Even just a few changes can make you feel so much more revitalized. Remember that consistency is more important than perfection, so be patient with yourself as you build these new habits. The ultimate goal is to create a routine that nourishes your body and makes you feel good. Pick your favorite habits from the lineup and upgrade your routine.&nbsp;Read more by Chloe Powell at Revivalist Magazine: <a href="https://revivalist.com/">https://revivalist.com/</a><h4 style="text-align:justify;">References:</h4><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>“What Percentage of the Human Body Is Water?” Medical News Today, <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-percentage-of-the-human-body-is-water.">https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-percentage-of-the-human-body-is-water.</a></li><li>2 “5 Steps on How to Stay Hydrated,” Rocky Mountain IV Medics, <a href="https://rockymountainivmedics.com/5-steps-on-how-to-stay-hydrated/.">https://rockymountainivmedics.com/5-steps-on-how-to-stay-hydrated/.</a></li><li>“Refreshing Lemon Water Benefits,” Revivalist, <a href="https://revivalist.com/refreshing-lemon-water-benefits/.">https://revivalist.com/refreshing-lemon-water-benefits/.</a></li><li>“Does Drinking Water Before Meals Really Help You Lose Weight?” Harvard Health Publishing, <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/does-drinking-water-before-meals-really-help-you-lose-weight-202402203018.">https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/does-drinking-water-before-meals-really-help-you-lose-weight-202402203018.</a></li><li>“Does Drinking Water Help Acne?” Healthline,&nbsp; <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-drinking-water-help-acne.">https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-drinking-water-help-acne.</a></li><li>“19 Hydrating Foods,” Healthline, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-hydrating-foods.">https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-hydrating-foods.</a></li><li>“Electrolyte Drink Recipe,” Utah State University Extension, https://extension.usu.edu/createbetterhealth/blog/electrolytedrinkrecipe.</li></ol>

Start with Hydration

<h3 style="text-align:center;">A Dialogue on Compassion, Wisdom, and Spiritual Unity</h3><h4>THE VENERABLE GESHE DORJI DAMDUL,&nbsp;in conversation with&nbsp;PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN,&nbsp;explores why compassion without wisdom remains incomplete—and how Buddhism's ancient wisdom and the Heartfulness tradition share a common aim of spiritual growth: dissolving the illusion of separation.</h4>&nbsp;Purnima Ramakrishnan: Namaste, Geshe La. Thank you for joining us for the consecration of the descendant of the Mahabodhi tree.1 We are very happy to welcome you back to Kanha Shanti Vanam. After the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, this must feel like a return.² How does it feel to be here again?Geshe Dorji Damdul: It is extremely healing and peaceful to be here. I learned that the space is close to 2,000 acres. It is like a huge town built with the blessings of Daaji. When you enter the campus, you feel you are in a very different world. The moment you come here, you sense oneness. There is an intense feeling of coming back home.PR: At the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, many traditions came together. You spoke there, and I sensed a deep resonance between Heartfulness and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/how-the-Buddha-brought-us-together" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buddhism</a>. How do you see that relationship?Geshe Dorji Damdul: In fact, if I am not too presumptuous, I would say that if someone fully understands Heartfulness and then encounters the Buddhist tradition, they may feel, “This is actually Heartfulness.” And someone from the Buddhist tradition who comes to Heartfulness and observes it—even just by looking at the demeanor of Daaji—they may feel, “This is Buddhism.”In a way, I would say that whatever tradition one follows, we must keep in mind that the goal and the means should not be mixed up. The goal and the means are not the same! For example, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Bahá’í, and Buddhism—all traditions—evolved in different locales and at different times. Each adopted its own means to reach the goal. But the goal is one.The goal is that there should be no fighting, no discrimination, no bullying. Everyone should feel joy, happiness, and peace. When someone is falling, others should be there to lift that person up. This is the goal of all religions.The problem is that when people go to extremes—fundamentalism or fanaticism—they begin to identify with the means itself. They see the religion as the ultimate end. They forget the goal, and then they fight.PR: So, religion is a means, not an end!Geshe Dorji Damdul: Yes. The goal of all religions is to create harmony and peace in the world. But that peace is sometimes disrupted in the name of religion. When you come here to Heartfulness, you see that anyone who follows Daaji embraces others—there is no pushing. That is something very precious.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The goal is that there should be no fighting,&nbsp; no discrimination, no bullying.&nbsp; Everyone should feel joy, happiness, and peace.&nbsp; When someone is falling, others should be there to&nbsp; lift that person up. This is the goal of all religions.</h4><hr>&nbsp;During the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, when I felt this ambiance of Heartfulness and listened to Daaji’s address—in the presence of four to six million people—I could see the beauty, warmth, and embracing nature in him.I spoke to the people who invited me and suggested that such great visionary leaders—driven by compassion—should come together. For example, if Mahatma Gandhi were alive today, I would work very hard to bring such great minds together—to strive for harmony and real peace, not just peace in words.What is the proof that it is possible? Just come to Heartfulness. Here, people feel oneness. When such great minds come together, no doubt the world will become very different.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/buddhism_heartfulness2_ec0614dd62.webp" alt="buddhism-heartfulness2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;PR: You spoke about a shared goal across traditions. That brings to mind the Heart Sutra: “Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.” In Heartfulness, Babuji Maharaj spoke of our journey toward nothingness. Do you see a connection there?Geshe Dorji Damdul: You picked up the heart—and then Heartfulness. Heart and Heartfulness.Let us think of two mothers. Both mothers have intense love for their child. The child wants to become a Nobel laureate in physics.One mother knows physics very well—relativity theory, quantum physics, quantum entanglement, all these concepts—thoroughly. The second mother loves the child just as much, but does not know physics at all. Although she loves the child deeply and wants the dream to come true, she is helpless. She does not have the wisdom to guide the child to the fulfillment of that aspiration.In the case of the first mother, the heart is supported by knowledge. Because she has both love and wisdom, the child reaches the culmination of the aspiration—perhaps even becoming a Nobel laureate.This is Heartfulness: when compassion is guided by wisdom, the heart becomes full.From that point of view, I see the Heart Sutra in it. When it says, “Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. Form is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than form,” it is telling us how to make the heart full—how to guide the heart through wisdom.Babuji Maharaj said that everything goes into emptiness as a goal. This has deep meaning. The Heart Sutra says, “form is emptiness” and “emptiness is form,” like two sides of the same coin.Form here means dependent origination: how things arise depending mutually on one another. Nothing exists independently. “Empty” means empty of independent existence.Why do conflicts and fights happen? Because we feel independent from one another. We do not care about others because we think we are separate. This attitude is ignorance. It is the illusion that you are independent from me, and I am independent from you.Albert Einstein called this an optical delusion—the sense of division between “you” and “I.” He suggested that to overcome this delusion, we must expand the circle of compassion and recognize our interdependence.So again, compassion, when guided by wisdom, becomes whole. It embraces everyone. That is Heartfulness.COVID-19 taught us this very clearly. Even powerful nations and their rulers—kings, prime ministers, presidents—were not independent. If you close your borders entirely to protect yourself, your economy collapses. If you open them, the virus spreads. You cannot protect yourself unless you understand that we are interdependent. Protecting weaker countries protects you as well.This is the wisdom needed to make the heart full. It should not remain confined to a small circle. It must extend to all human beings, all animals, the environment, the whole world.So when the Heart Sutra says, “Form is emptiness,” it helps dissolve destructive emotions—craving, greed, anger—because we see there is no independent self.And when it says, “Emptiness is form,” we see that forms do exist—but in mutual dependence. From that understanding, empathy, affection, compassion, and joy arise.“Form is emptiness”: destructive emotions dissolve.&nbsp;“Emptiness is form”: constructive qualities grow.This is the essence of the Heart Sutra. Destructive emotions are reduced, and compassion expands to embrace all living beings on Earth—including the environment.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">From that point of view, I see the Heart Sutra in it. When it says, “Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.&nbsp; Form is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than form,”&nbsp; it is telling us how to make the heart full— how to guide the heart through wisdom. &nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;PR: When you spoke about compassion expanding, I was reminded of ripples—how one act touches another, and then another.That brought to mind the mantra om mani padme hum. I once heard it described as the “jewel in the lotus,” with compassion arising when the lotus of the heart blooms. In Heartfulness, we pray for the collective evolution of humanity—especially through our nightly prayer.There seems to be resonance here. Could you speak about this mantra and its meaning?Geshe Dorji Damdul: This is beautiful. Even the phrase “collective evolution of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/a-more-refined-humanity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">humanity</a>” is so powerful.Om mani padme hum is the mantra of the Buddha of Compassion—Avalokiteshvara. In Chinese tradition, this presence appears as the female Quan Yin. In Tibetan Buddhism, which descends from Nalanda in India, it manifests in male form as Avalokiteshvara.Om is shared across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is composed of A-U-M, symbolizing body, speech, and mind.What is to be awakened? The evolution of body, speech, and mind—what some may call perfect consciousness.How do we evolve toward that? Through the jewel—mani.The jewel symbolizes compassion. Just as a wish-fulfilling gem answers aspirations, a good heart fulfills our deepest wish—to be happy and to help others be happy. Even physical and mental well-being are strengthened through compassion. This is mani.But compassion alone is not enough. It must be guided.Padme—from padma, the lotus. The lotus grows in mud but remains unstained. Wisdom arises in ordinary human beings, yet when directed properly by a qualified guide, it remains pure. Wisdom is what allows compassion to become full.And then hum—this signifies the inseparability of heart and wisdom. They must not operate in isolation. They must function together, individually and collectively.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Destructive emotions are reduced, and compassion expands to embrace all living beings on Earth—including the environment.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/buddhism_heartfulness3_5e6d3f0324.webp" alt="buddhism-heartfulness3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;When compassion is limited to “my group,” it is incomplete. True Heartfulness must extend to the whole world.Daaji is also working in this way. This land, this 2,000 acres, is not for himself. It is for all who appreciate Heartfulness. That is something we must learn.PR: You spoke about leaders shaping people—not creating followers but shaping hearts. Could you elaborate?Geshe Dorji Damdul: One thing we must learn from great teachers—Daaji, Raji Ji, His Holiness—is this: when a leader has a truly good heart guided by intelligence, transformation happens.When I come to this ashram, I do not feel like an outsider. People embrace you with natural smiles. They are not forced. They are pure.How does this happen? They are not all born from one mother. It is because of the wisdom given by the guide—Daaji—and his two teachers. His Holiness is another extraordinary example.This is what is required: a leader with vision for the larger good and a heart of compassion. When those two are united, people change. The followers begin to reflect that same heart and vision.It becomes like a ripple effect—a chain reaction. It expands until there are no “others” or “enemies” left. Everyone becomes “us.”In many situations, anger leads to retaliation. “You hurt us; we will hurt you.” Hatred fuels more hatred. But under wise leadership, a different path is possible.His Holiness has often said that allowing anger to dominate is a failure. Instead, we must be practical. What can be done, we do. We go for the Middle Way—a win-win approach. Not, “We will punish you; we will kill you.” There should be no attitude like that.When I look at history, I see how one person can transform millions. One leader can reshape a society. Here, too, in Heartfulness, I see people smiling—and that influence comes from one person, Daaji Ji. World leaders should learn from figures like Daaji Ji and His Holiness: compassion guided by wisdom. If that combination governed nations, trillions of dollars spent on warfare could be redirected toward human flourishing.PR: When you spoke about how one person can influence many, I was reminded of something Babuji Maharaj once said: “I do not create disciples, I create masters.” Visionary leaders do not create followers—they awaken others to the same vision and heart.As we conclude, may I invite you to share your closing thoughts?Geshe Dorji Damdul: India is an amazing country. It has produced great masters from many traditions—Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism. Then, Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, and here we have Daaji. These are extraordinary figures.His Holiness the Dalai Lama often says that wherever he travels, he speaks of India as the land of ahimsa.3 He promotes India to the world for its profound spiritual heritage and the values it can offer humanity.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">This is what is required: a leader with vision for the larger good and a heart of compassion.&nbsp; When those two are united, people change.&nbsp; The followers begin to reflect that same heart and vision. It becomes like a ripple effect—a chain reaction.&nbsp; It expands until there are no “others” or “enemies” left. Everyone becomes “us.”</h4><hr>&nbsp;The world today is deprived of these qualities. His Holiness serves as an ambassador of India in this sense.I remember him saying, “My body has survived on Indian rajma dal, and my brain has survived on Indian Nalanda philosophy—psychology, metaphysics, and logic.” In that way, he considers himself a son of India.So what I am saying is this: great leaders like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, and Daaji are products of this land. People—both leaders and citizens—can learn from them.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/buddhism_heartfulness4_f6a34d4c6b.webp" alt="buddhism-heartfulness4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;PR: Thank you, Geshe La. It has been an honor speaking with you. We hope to welcome you again to Kanha Shanti Vanam!Geshe Dorji Damdul: Thank you. It is truly my honor to visit this center. It is a beautiful place. You enter—and you feel peace.I have been observing the smiles. One smile, two smiles—you can find that anywhere. But here, across this 2,000-acre campus, you see only smiles. They are contagious, very beautiful. It is amazing!<hr>1 The Mahabodhi tree refers to the sacred fig tree in Bodh Gaya under which Siddhartha Gautama is believed to have attained enlightenment. The tree at Kanha Shanti Vanam is a descendant of that original tree.2 The Global Spirituality Mahotsav was an international meeting of spiritual leaders and traditions held at Kanha Shanti Vanam in 2024.3 Ahimsa: A Sanskrit term meaning non-violence or non-harming—an ethical principle in Indian traditions that calls for compassion and refraining from harm in thought, word, and action.&nbsp;

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The Pace of Nature

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The Myth You Make

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Why Not to Measure

Seeds of Change

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The Secret of Change

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">ROSALIND PEARMAIN speaks of the attitude of softness, the world of the senses—of hard and soft, force and forcelessness, warmth and cold—and how we harken to a more profound and beautiful world at the core of our being through the heart.</h4>&nbsp;We are living in a time of hardening edges, of ever harsher decisions affecting millions of our fellow human beings.On the other hand, Babuji stressed from the very origins of Heartfulness that it was fundamentally based on a forceless force—on softness.Another Heartfulness Guide. Chariji, often reminded us of the strength of a tiny plant root in breaking up rocks:“What is this miracle, you see, that the softest thing can penetrate the deepest, hardest substance known? Whereas a hard thing can only up a hard thing. Can you break water by bashing it with a crowbar?“It was a tremendous risk that the Masters took, Lalaji and Babuji. Because it’s like building a house of butter and then asking the people who come in to have torches in their hands. The whole thing would melt. But they had this almost nonsensical stupid faith, that a soft thing can never be broken.“And we have also, in our fairy tales, that when the wind blew, all the hard trees which would not bend were just blown down, and the soft things which were willing to bend, bent almost to the Earth, recovered. It is the soft which wins the battle always. Not the hard, you see; the hard is broken. It survives until it meets something harder than itself. But the soft, nothing in the universe can break it. Nothing in the universe can destroy it.”<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Our journey in forceless force</h4>It seems that as human beings our souls choose to inhabit a specific existence in time and space as it unfolds on our planet and in relation to all creation.So we find ourselves inhabiting a field of feeling unique to each. Is it woven from DNA and patternings that have been transferred into this lifetime? This field of feeling has many layers and dimensions and knots that we perceive through different sensory gateways. They could be in terms of color or light, density and heaviness, warmth and cold, sound, or as qualities of touch. With the help of a being who is attuned to subtlest dimensions, we can harken to a more profound and beautiful world that is ours at the core, and long to return to this original part of creation.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_softness2_6da4490505.webp" alt="the-power-of-softness2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;The core of this sensibility is in the organ of the heart which integrates energetic information from the nervous system, from the organs, from viscera, from the brain, from soul. Furthermore our heart can be seen as a kind of organ of sensibility and perception whose intelligence can refine throughout life as it links with the capacity of the mind to focus <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/lack-of-awareness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">awareness</a> with the array of feeling at the most subtle levels.In this vein, then, our existence is a field of vibratory exchange with environment, with all sentient life forms, with human beings. This vibratory array is like a glimmering or a shimmering, sometimes soothing sometimes discordant, similar to the domain of music.It seems to me that the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/spirituality-in-daily-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual journey</a> can bring us closer and deeper to the source of all manifestation of life, as a sound of love resonating through all creation. It is potentially experienced by us in layers of a kind of infinite softness that absorbs and transforms and brings everything into a larger field of connectivity which can keep expanding and softening as it moves towards a steady flow of coherence that can integrate increasing complexities within evolving life.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_softness3_b5a40fe2a1.webp" alt="the-power-of-softness3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It seems to me that the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/i-am" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual journey</a> can bring us closer and deeper to the source of all manifestation of life, as a sound of love resonating through all creation.</h4><hr>Heartfulness gives us a resource emanating from the most profound and subtle level of vibration; the very original stir, in which to be reminded through a silent soft intimation felt within the heart of our source. This awakens our dormant longing to be dissolved into this field, and resonate in harmony with a nameless and marvelous ultimate. It is in the service of coherence, beauty, truth, and infinite love that we feel our longings for this return to our origin. Our individual journey is shaped by our intrinsic uniqueness and the kinds of samskaras and tendencies that need to be dissolved and reconciled with this core longing.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

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The power of softness

Ravi Venkatesan and Mark Milton explore listening skills and empathy.

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The superpower of listening

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">This World Storytelling Day, March 20, we bring you a story by SARA BUBBER, based on a common folk template. May the stories within the story entertain you!</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Stories have been a tool in the passage of rites from one generation to the next since time immemorial. Entertainment, knowledge, wisdom, and education was passed down in the form of stories.</h4>Once upon a time, the Earth was an open canvas. People lived a nomadic life. Traveling from one place to another for food, shelter, and clothing was a common sight. With no radio, television, and phones the only way to entertain each other was to tell stories. Stories about new roots, giant trees, and scary tigers. Travelers were given lodging in exchange for stories, work could also be done by telling stories.One such day, a group of friends were traveling. After a long day they were tired and were trying to decide who would fetch firewood and cook for the group. They tried many ways of deciding but then saw a young girl who was coming the same way. They thought they could get her to cook for them while they rested. They asked her where she was from and if she cared to listen to some stories.The young girl loved stories. She immediately agreed. The group of travelers asked if she wanted to make the story session interesting. They placed a little bet. The travelers would tell the girl a story that was absolutely impossible. If the girl said that the story was impossible, she would have to cook food. The bet also went the other way. The young girl would tell a story, and if the travelers would say that it was impossible, they would cook for her instead.The story session began.One of the travelers started: “My grandfather was a poor farmer who worked in a rich household. He was always called names for working as a slow and careless worker. He prayed to God every day. However much he tried, he couldn’t work faster and was scolded endlessly. One day, the God he prayed to appeared in front of him and when he woke he had great strength. The next day as he was scolded, the energy he had felt rushed through his veins, he grew in size, lifted the house, and took a big leap. The house shook, the cupboards fell, the beds flew out and the windows shattered. He kept flying high until his employer begged him to stop. His employer not only stopped calling him names but also gave him the place of a family member.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales2_7bab8dfbf1.webp" alt="tale-of-tales2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“How was the story? Does someone disagree?” No one disagreed.Another traveler continued: “Once there was a famine in my grandfather’s land. My grandfather was a very weak person. One day, in a fight with his brother, he had to leave home. He thought of finding fame for himself. He walked into a forest and came across a man painting. He painted a deer and, as my grandfather continued watching, to his surprise the deer came alive. He thought it was such an amazing device, that he wanted to possess it. When he got the chance, he went ahead and painted a boat with the owner of the brush in it. He added winds on the lake and blew the owner away. Now he had full possession of the paintbrush. He took the brush back and painted clouds and grains which solved the problems of his village. He became the treasurer of the village and one day, he created a son from the paintbrush. He was so exceptional that there was no girl to match him. Then he created a fully grown young girl as a match for his son. And thus, I was born from parents who were painted. The brush is gone, but it seems like my smooth hair is a gift from the paintbrush. I use the best herbs from the best orchard that my grandfather painted.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales3_5c925060a1.webp" alt="tale-of-tales3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“This is my story, do you agree?” “Yes we all do.”Now it was the little girl’s turn. She began her story. “My grandparents possessed many things. They were well respected in their community, and helped many people achieve greatness. They possessed hulk-like strength and various magical possessions. One day, in a civil strife, the servants of the house ran away with the chest of hulk strength and some of the magical possessions like a wish-granting paintbrush. My parents looked for it all their life, and today I set off in search. I have finally found all my family possessions with you. It seems you are the long lost servants of our family who have our possessions.&nbsp;“This is the end of my story. Do you agree?” “Yes we do.” The little girl continued, “That is wonderful news, now, give my possessions back.” “But… no we do not agree,” said the group. “Oh, then you must cook for me.” And the little girl, using her wit, rested as the team cooked for her.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales4_c3079e9217.webp" alt="tale-of-tales4.webp"></figure><hr><h3>Interesting facts about stories</h3><h4> &nbsp;Aesop’s Fables</h4>Aesop was a slave who lived in ancient Greece. He wanted freedom more than anything else. He noticed the supervisor of slaves and began to tell stories every day. The supervisor was impressed and one day asked Aesop what he wanted. Aesop asked for food for all his fellow slaves. His selfless gesture made the supervisor give Aesop and his community the freedom they deserved. These tales were combined into the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/once-upon-a-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aesop’s Fables</a> that you have all loved growing up!<h4>Grimms’ Fairy Tales</h4>Grimms’ Fairy Tales is a German collection of fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, first published on December 20, 1812. It is considered the seminal work of Western children’s literature and is listed by <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/master-yoga-2024-unesco-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UNESCO</a> in its Memory of the World Registry.<h4>Panchatantra&nbsp;</h4>Panchatantra is a collection of stories from ancient India based on politics, behavior, communication, and economics. These stories are based on the Vedas, Upanishads, the Ramayana and Mahabharata as a trove of wisdom. The princes of Amarasakti had no interest in pursuing their studies and thus a teacher, Vishnu Sharma, made a comprehensive manual for these princes to be taught in the form of stories. The Panchatantra started the story within a story form of learning, which delights young readers to this day. &nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales5_3adb201b5e.webp" alt="tale-of-tales5.webp"></figure><hr><h4>Activity 1</h4>Guess these <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/how-setanta-became-cu-cullen" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">popular stories</a> from the details: 1. A young girl who loses her shoe that gives her the chance to marry a prince:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2. A boy who climbs a tall natural element that grows from magic beans and finds treasures in the clouds:&nbsp;…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. A prince who moves to the forest with his brother and wife to live for fourteen years. The wife is kidnapped and he goes to rescue her with an army of monkeys:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4. A little creature born into a family of ducks goes into the world alone to find his true form:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5. Two unusual friends who come together near a riverbank. The friendship ends when one large friend asks his tree-dwelling friend for his heart:&nbsp;……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………<hr><h4>Activity 2</h4>Write your own story here. It can involve animals, kings, kingdoms, humans, plants, or anything else that tells a story.Create a story with a beginning, some problems that come up, and a solution to end the story.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI generated images</h4><hr>

Join Sara Bubber’s adventure tale this World Storytelling Day.

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The tale of tales

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">LYNNE McTAGGART is one of the central authorities on the new science of consciousness, and the award-winning author of seven books, including the internationally bestselling The Intention Experiment, The Field, The Bond, and The Power of Eight. Here, Lynne is interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN about the transformative power of intention, the profound impact of group intention, and the potential for individuals to create significant change in their lives and the world.</h4>&nbsp;Q: Lynne, welcome. You are known for your pioneering work in the science of intention in <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-journey-of-total-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">consciousness and healing</a>. You’ve explored this science behind intention so deeply. Can you share how you personally define the power of intention?&nbsp;LM: Okay, well, first of all, it’s important to understand that our thoughts aren’t locked inside our heads. They’re trespassers, and they can go out and affect other people and things. We’ve seen that from countless studies on everything from single-celled organisms to human beings. In my own work, I’ve seen that we can affect everything from making plants grow faster, to purifying water, to lowering violence in war-torn and violent areas, and even healing people of things like post-traumatic stress disorder. And I’ve seen it in big groups and small groups. Essentially, thoughts are energy, just as everything else in the body is a collection of energy and energy fields of different varieties. And those thoughts can go out and affect things.I see an intention as a focused thought. You and I are having about 80,000 thoughts a day, and most of them are undirected, most of them are negative. And they oftentimes undermine our life because we’re focusing on negative outcomes, instead of intending for what we want.So, I always teach intention as a respectful and very specific request to the universe. And I find it gets amplified in small and large groups.Q: During your intention experiments, have you encountered any surprising results? Are there poignant moments, epiphanies, which have made you stop and think? What has defined or redefined your expectations of these intention experiments?LM: I think many of the peace intention experiments really surprised me. I wasn’t at all sure they were going to work when we started in 2007. We started with simple things, trying to affect the light emissions of a leaf. And then we moved on to seeds, trying to make them grow faster. And then we moved on to water, trying to purify water, then trying to lower violence in areas.My first experience of something mind-blowing was the seed experiments. I did my very first seed experiment in 2007 when I was speaking in front of an audience in Sydney, Australia. I worked with the University of California’s Dr. Gary Schwartz, a noted psychologist who has a special laboratory with the Laboratory for Consciousness and Human Evolution. He prepared four sets of seeds, each set with 30 seeds, and had his team photograph them and send them to me. And I showed these to the audience and allowed them to select one of the four seeds to send an intention to. So we sent an intention to seed group A for ten minutes. After we were done, I called Dr. Schwartz and told him we were done, but I did not tell him which seeds we sent the intention to. I told him as that was the cue for him to plant the seeds.Five days later they measured the seeds. After they’d measured them, I unblinded the study and told them which seeds we’d sent an intention to. And lo and behold, those seeds grew taller than any others.We did this five more times in different locations with different-sized audiences. And every single time the seeds that were sent an intention grew taller than the controls. But here’s the fascinating part—I was with my audience in Sydney, Australia, and the seeds were back in Tucson, Arizona, 8,000 miles away. Plus, we weren’t sending an intention to the seeds themselves, only to a photograph of the seeds, a symbolic representation of the seeds. So I realized from that very early time that we essentially create a psychic-internet when we make an intention in a group scattered around the globe. That I could see over and over again with the other intention experiments.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Essentially, thoughts are energy, just as everything else in the body is a collection of energy and energy fields of different varieties. And those thoughts can go out and affect things.</h4><hr>Another one that blew my mind was a Sri Lanka peace intention experiment we ran in 2008, when Sri Lanka was in the midst of a 25-year civil war. We did a peace intention for 10 minutes a day over eight days with 15,000 people participating from around the globe. Now, during that week, to my alarm, violence went up rather than down. And I had a professor of statistics doing the analysis. It then plummeted after that. But a more interesting thing happened. The government won a few decisive battles during that week that turned around the entire course of the war. For some time, both sides had been at a stalemate. Then, within a few months, the government was able to take back the north, which was held by the rebel forces. And a few months later, that 25-year intractable war was over.Now, did we do this? Well, it turned out that during the week of our intention pivotal battles occurred, and that was cause for an extraordinary surprise. When you do one experiment like that, it means nothing. There are too many variables in a war. But when you keep doing it and keep getting results, as we’ve done with peace intention experiments, they start becoming interesting.For instance, in 2017, we ran an experiment to lower violence in St. Louis, Missouri, officially the most violent place in America. And we chose a neighborhood called Fairground that was the most violent of all. We had very accurate police data. I once again asked Dr. Jessica Utz from the University of California to analyze data from several years beforehand to six months afterward, to look at the effect of our intention. She found that violence had been going up in all areas of St. Louis, and continued to go up everywhere except the neighborhood we intended where violence went down by 43%. And so it’s happened over and over again.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp" alt="intention-revolution2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 110w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 353w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 529w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I always teach intention as a respectful and very specific request to the universe. And I find it gets amplified in small and large groups.</h4><hr>Perhaps the one that amazed me the most is an intention experiment I did that same year, at the end of 2017, with eight Arab cities and a large audience of Israeli Jews. I had special equipment so we could put cameras in eight different locations in Arab cities. Each different Arab city had an audience there. And the ninth camera was with an audience of Israeli Jews. I asked them all to make an intention to lower violence in an area of Jerusalem that was suffering from a high degree of violence.Before that, I had to broker the entire thing, as nobody was speaking to anyone else. They started talking, because I could call on the different places. They would talk to me, and then they would also communicate with the people in all the other locations. And they started sending love to each other, they started sending “Your God is my God,” talking about beautiful visions of people coming together from both sides. There was a big love fest. I found that every time I put together polarized and hated enemies, they seemed to come together after these intention experiments.Since 2008, I’ve run 41 intention experiments, and 37 have shown measurable significantly positive effects. I also surveyed the people involved, and for those who responded, about 40% have reported more peace in their own lives. They’re getting along better with estranged partners or parents or children. They’re getting along better with bosses and coworkers. They’re feeling more love for everybody, and around 50% consistently report they feel more love for everyone they meet.Essentially, they’re hugging strangers and peaceful things happen in their lives. Also, about one-third have reported an improvement in a health condition or a downright cure. So that is the biggest and most amazing effect, the mirror effect of these intentions: the people who are sending intentions are being healed as much as the targets.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">So that is the biggest and most amazing effect,&nbsp; the mirror effect of these intentions:&nbsp; the people who are sending intentions&nbsp; are being healed as much as the targets.</h4><hr>Q: I was blown away by the seed experiment. How has the scientific community embraced this, or conversely, what are the challenges you’ve faced to try to share this with them?&nbsp;LM: I'm not interested in the scientific community because they aren’t going to accept it. Scientists are supposed to be explorers and very few of them really are. There are a lot of reasons for that. People lose their positions at universities for stepping out of the accepted paradigm. So I don’t need to convince scientists. There are enough scientists who are true explorers, who are fascinated by my work, and who have helped to measure the work.I work with people at prestigious universities to run the intention experiments—Princeton, Penn State, University of California, University of Arizona, and others in Europe. I choose people who are open-minded enough to do decent research.There are skeptic organizations who attack my work, but they attack it in the flimsiest of ways. My book, The Field, had more than 400 solid scientific references. I had interviewed exhaustively—frontier physicists, biologists, etc.—and had them check every last fact in that book to make sure I had written it correctly. The skeptics have said the book was based on nothing more than Star Wars, which is just incorrect, close-minded, and ignorant.So, I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in getting this information out to people so they can understand that we have extraordinary capabilities waiting to be unleashed, and we are very different from what we are told in mainstream orthodox science.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp" alt="intention-revolution3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 214w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Orthodox science is only 300-plus years old, and new studies and discoveries are being found in universities, in little pockets of academia here and there, that are completely transforming the way we think about ourselves and our world. And we’re far greater than we’ve been told!Q: Thank you for that very candid response. For someone who’s intrigued by your work, who’s curious about your work, and who wants to start applying this <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/how-to-manifest-peace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">power of intention</a> in their own life, how can they begin?LM:&nbsp;They can join my community and my website. When they join, they receive some basic tools and information about how to do intention and how to form a group. They can also read my books. <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-intention-revolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Power of Eight</a>, the last book published on this topic, has basic descriptions of how to do intention in a group. For people who really want to learn more, I have a whole series of foundation courses.I also have a <a href="https://lynnemctaggart.com/courses/intention-masterclass/the-power-of-eight-intention-masterclass-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">year-long masterclass</a>, my kingpin course, where I work with people live and interactively for a year. Participants start working in groups after six weeks, and each group meets once a week. Under my instruction, they use intention for relationships, for health and healing, for finances and career, and for life purpose. There’s specific information and instructions, and I coach them throughout the year.So there are all kinds of things at all kinds of price points, including free, and every intention experiment is free. I feel everybody should be able to participate.Recently, Gaia released a documentary about my work with large and small groups, The Power of Eight, plus the intention experiments. They interviewed the various scientists who’ve worked with me, and numerous people who have had extraordinary healings with The Power of Eight, too. And it will culminate in an intention on February 1, 2025. I’m going to have a live audience at Gaia’s headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, and we’re also going to livestream it around the world.It's an invitation. So everyone can take part by going to <a href="https://lynnemctaggart.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lynnemctaggart.com</a>, where there are instructions.Q: I am really looking forward to it.To be continued.

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