Endorsements
to make a big difference in the lives of so many people across the globe.”
It is my hope that many more people can take advantage of this wonderful resource, and learn these simple yet powerful techniques through The Heartfulness Way.”
Meditation is an age-old practice, and a successful one. This is perhaps the only way a person can face their own self and set themselves free. Put together from a series of conversations between teacher and student, the authors of this book have created something so powerful and profound that it makes me wonder how many lives it will potentially change.
I find immense pride in my association with Kamlesh D. Patel, and this book fills me with utmost respect for its two authors, who have embarked on the holy path of spiritual transformation. It is rare in today’s age to see people share their insight and teach from their experiences. Om Namah Shivay.”
While the West has become vastly more receptive to, and knowledgeable about, meditation, one of the remaining gaps in understanding that begs to be corrected is that all forms of meditation are pretty much the same. This is patently untrue, and those who perpetuate the error are doing the public a great disservice. Meditation has discernible, even quantifiable, effects on the mind, body, and spirit. But there are numerous types of meditation practice, some of them thousands of years old and others invented yesterday. To assume that different methods will yield precisely the same results defies logic. They may all calm the practitioner down, for example, but not to the same degree, and perhaps not in the same way. The same can be said of all the other outcomes touted by meditation advocates: Different action, different results, even if the differences are subtle and cannot be measured by scientific instruments.
All of which is to say that the form of meditation described in this book, “heartfulness,” should be seen as an addition to the inventory of more familiar meditation methods. No one should assume that it is, in its results, identical to all of the others, or any of them. It should be experienced on its own by individual practitioners, and evaluated by qualified researchers. I will say this: at a time when the term “mindfulness” is used interchangeably with “meditation,” even though they may be drastically different practices, and when various techniques that go by both of those names are conflated with one another, anything called “heartfulness” is welcome. Meditation is not just for the mind.
The book mirrors the classic Vedic format of guru-disciple dialogue. This is advantageous. As exemplified in the Upanishads, such a structure provides readers with a perspective, and a voice, similar to their own – one of an inquisitive seeker of wisdom. Many have pondered questions like to the ones asked by the disciple in the book, Joshua Pollock, who contributes sharp, well-informed inquiries. The guru, Kamlesh D. Patel, aka Daaji, responds with knowledgeable, down-to-earth, often witty replies that are consistent with the rational, pragmatic, experience-based discourses that are the hallmark of the Vedic tradition.
All in all, The Heartfulness Way is a worthy addition to the burgeoning library of English-language texts that have made India’s vast and diverse spiritual treasures accessible to eager Western seekers.
Daaji, in his book titled The Heartfulness Way: Heart-Based Meditations for Spiritual Transformation, has in his own inimitable way, demystified spirituality and helped all of us to live “beyond the filters of our sensory limitations and discover unity within ourselves.” Heartfulness meditation finds its roots planted firmly in the core of one’s heart and is sourced by “divine” inspiration, instead of the desire to conquer and control. It has, at its core, values that promote love and harmony in fostering a spirit of global cooperation. We are truly not separate from one another. A tremendous inter-dependency exists, not only amongst all of us, but also between the departments of any organization, and among the nations of the world. It will ensure the future health and well being of humanity as a whole, by placing human dignity and environmental sensitivity in balance with the “rational” view.
More and more people across the globe are turning to Heartfulness Meditation, realizing that in order to reach our full potential as complete, balanced human beings, our inner spiritual longings must be addressed along with the material demands of daily life. Sustained practice of meditation allows us to feel a deep and abiding connection with our inner selves, and in turn gives a lasting direction and meaning to our lives. A balanced state develops in which we are less affected by the ups and downs of everyday life. Our natural capacity for wisdom and right action begins to manifest, allowing us to better prioritize the conflicting demands of life. As Daaji succinctly puts it, “Heartfulness meditation shifts consciousness to a state of poise and stillness that is responsive from the heart rather than reactive from mind.” Yes, our heart knows all the answers and one must learn to hear our inner voice as it is often stated that “one who looks outside, dreams; while one who looks inside, awakens.” Very often, the best answers come from within you-from your heart. Profound joy, unlike fleeting pleasures, is spiritual in nature. It is based on love, compassion, empathy, bonding and a caring and nurturing attitude. As per Daaji, it is “the subtle body that evolves so that we can design our destiny. It changes according to how we purify and simplify it, so that the joy of the soul shines and radiates from within, and through this process we find the evolution of consciousness.” This is presumably the essence of “spiritual transformation,” which Daaji refers to in his writings and talks.
