I was approached by a university student of Riara University, Nairobi, Faith Kipkoech for an interview. This was in connection with her media studies project: a documentary on Karma and Reincarnation.
I was happy to help with what I assumed would be a recording on Whatsapp. But on 6th October, Faith came with her co students with their paraphernalia …. And so it was that under their camera, lights and all, I was interviewed!
I answered a number of questions on Karma and Reincarnation during the interview which lasted about 45 minutes. After the interview was finished, the students said they liked what I said, and could I give them some books on the subjects. Unfortunately I did not have simple versions for the layman, but offered to get them in a few days.
Over tea and refreshments, they had more questions on Hindu practices, one of them being: why do Hindus burn (cremate) their dead?
This was my answer: when we die, the soul leaves the body. It should move on with the Light of God, but it doesn’t do that right away, because of its attachment to the body. This is quite natural, considering its relation with the body of many years. Therefore it hangs around. In order that we help break this connection, we cremate the body which results in ashes, which are then respectfully immersed in flowing water. Now, since there is no body, the souls attachment is cut, and it is free to move on, on its journey.
A comparision in real life will illuminate this: Let’s say two people want to end their relationship. They decide to part. This may by mutual consent or not. The only way to end the relationship effectively is to make a clean break, not to keep a partial relationship going, saying we will be friends and so on. So also with the soul and the body. A clean and complete break is imperative, which is achieved by cremation. The soul is now totally free to proceed on its spiritual journey. Cremation therefore, is a divinely compassionate service Hindus do for the departed.
The interview is recorded in 3 footages which follow. The link to the final documentary in which I feature along with a Christian Priest and a Muslim official follows the interviews.
Haseeta Jain is a former school student of mine from my teaching days. With a couple of friends, she has been gathering senior lady members of Arya Samaj and other communties, Nairobi, once a month for a social meeting at one of their houses. Since most of them do not drive, Haseeta and her friends ferry them to and fro from their houses to the venues. The idea is for them to come out of the home atmosphere, socialize with others and listen to a speaker on various topics on self-growth.
With this in mind Haseeta had invited me on 23rd October to give them a talk on Anger Management. As my friend Pratima Dutt and I arrived for this event in Bhavini’s home in Parklands, 15 ladies between the ages of 40 – 80 years were already seated, ready for the talk.
I started with asking if there was anybody who didn’t get angry? The answer of course was no. They all admitted that they did lose it sometimes. We then spoke about why we get angry, how we are not able to control what happens outside us, but we can control what happens inside us, that is our emotions, and how anger makes us ill. I also touched upon another debilitating habit: worry, and its devastating effect on our health. I then spent 15 minutes explaining about the importance of breathing correctly which will help in letting go and not getting angry or worrying. I gave an introduction to Pranaayama and breathing and demonstrated using hand mudras to expand our lungs. They followed suite and reported feeling calmer and more relaxed.
Questions of when to do pranayama, how often to do it were next. This was followed by a sumptuous lunch.
Thank you Haseeta, for inviting me, and thank you Pratima for your company and for taking out the pictures and videos.
In February 2017, I started conducting The Geeta Study classes. The study group consists of 16 members who meets every other week.
Our guiding book is the commentary The Holy Geeta, by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanda.
All knowledge comes from Him, all mistakes are my own.
I hope you enjoy listening to these audio recordings and find them useful.
It is my hope that this knowledge will enlighten your path to Self Realisation.
Pranams to all!
Kamal Tolia
GEETA DAY 44 + CHANTING CHAPTER 12
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Our 7th event was a Reiki Level 2 training on 4th October at the Ram Mandir hall in Parklands. Three matatus (buses) brought them, 123 in number …. Children, teachers and parents of Mukuru Outreach Academy form the Mukuru Sanai slums of Nairobi , and a few infants and toddlers with them! They were welcomed and given bananas and made to settle in the room.
The children said the school prayer which was nothing but the 5 Reiki principles they had learned in Level 1! And they had another surprise; They recited a poem on Reiki which had been written by their headmaster Enock, together with all the actions! We were bowled over! They shared how Reiki had helped them heal their and their families aches and pains, and that they were excited to move on to Level 2.
Introduction of the symbols followed and then the attunement, self- healing, some distant healing and then lunch, which they ate heartily. After lunch, it was becoming apparent that it was difficult to teach the large numbers as one group, so we divided them into 4 groups for the rest of the teaching.
They grasped everything nicely, although the parents had a difficult time understanding the training because of the language barrier. But overall, the session went well, in spite of a few challenges of the sound echoing in the hall, and the delayed arrival of lunch.
We finished by 3.15 pm. After reminders to continue healing themselves and others and to do distant healing, Reiki certificates and ‘Goody bags’ containing note books, a pot of Vaseline and biscuits were given to them, before we bid them kwaheri (good bye).
LHSG continues to be grateful to the Universe and God for these seva opportunities and reiterate our pledge to continue uplifting the poor and needy of our society.
The Sevaks who did a sterling job of this seva were Monica Gokaldas, Punita Acharya, Mamta Advani Sheela Shah, Dhwani Haria, Cooky Vora, Shanthi Shetty, Sharanya Rao, Lata Kanji, Ola (Naomi), Neha Shah, Nina Sehgal, Amy Galland, Bindi Shah, Bubbles Dhadialla, Pratima Dutt, Safura Hassan, Shalini Srivastav, and myself Kamal Tolia.
Thank you goes to the Ram Mandir Committee for allowing us the use of their hall. Special thanks also goes to Monica Gokaldas for her hard work to make sure it all went well and for liaising with the management before, during and after this event.
Many thanks for reading. Please do read below and watch the videos that say it all so effectively.
The Camp was a great seva opportunity for me as this came up during the fortnight dedicated to the ancestors as per the Hindu calendar. I was happy to be dedicating my seva towards my ancestors and their memory.
The Ram Mandir function Hall was spacious enough to accommodate the children, parents and teachers that came from Mukuru Sinai. Despite a short delay in arrival of the learners we progressed well ahead with teaching them the reiki symbols and the various aspects of distance healing, the significance of Reiki Box, Group Healing, and Mother Earth.
I am grateful to this seva opportunity as I learnt a big lesson myself. The children who were in my group appeared to have lack of focus but eventually displayed effective healing knowledge and Reiki Flow. Some of them wanted to display perfection by adding their school and grade along with their names on their Reiki Boxes and some of the healing requests in their envelopes were amazingly smart. They wanted good grades in exams, they wanted good health for their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts and even wrote names of people whom they wanted to see in cordial relationships.
This taught me not to under estimate anyone by mere appearance and to understand their language barrier as well. I also appreciated that the situations they asked healing for were not as materialistic as people often ask for. I thank Kamal Tolia for conceiving this idea of teaching them all Reiki level 2 and empowering them further.
Monica Gokaldas
LHSG Founder Member
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Our level 2 Mukuru camp was as always a beautiful opportunity to serve, share , learn and teach!
The Reiki poem that the children recited touched my heart deeply. Their effort to memorize,practice and execute it was perfect.
Empowered with Reiki they have learnt that now they can help people around them in many different ways even if they can’t do so financially.
My deepest gratitude to the universe for bringing them to us and to Kamalji for teaching us firm determination on the path of Sewa!
I’m full of gratitude to have been part of another successful Reiki II camp. The challenges were met with committed perseverance to impart the lessons of Reiki with complete faith. The children were well behaved and commendable for applying themselves to learn and understand the different points of Reiki II. My gratitude to my Lotus sisters who were responsible for all the back ground and also to the team work of today that was superb. Kamalji, gratitude to you always for your valuable guidance to every detail. May we be blessed with more opportunities to spread the goodness of Reiki. Lnl
I am, yesterday’s Seva was full of heart warming and gratitude to Reiki, Universe, soul sisters, students and above all to Kamalji for encouragement and perfect guidance. I am looking forward to such opportunities of Seva again and again.
