[Note: This is from another Deeksha Provider who took the training with Paul in India. On the last day there, Paul did a “hands-on” healing for him with ten other Deeksha Providers forming a healing circle around the two of them. This person had suffered with severe depression and suicidal ideation since a divorce 7 months prior and his mother committing suicide 2 months prior to his requested healing].
Paul, Thanks for your kind and loving words. i feel your genuine support. i’ve experienced an amazing turnaround since my return from Oneness [University in India].
Your inner report from Bhagavan after you and our other friends did the healing on me on the last day has turned out to be quite accurate. [Paul is able to communicate with Bhagavan and gets instant replies that have proven accurate.] i still experience waves of heaviness that i used to call “depression”… or “constriction” that i used to call "anxiety"… and even the old thought patterns that accompany these states may be there… and still the waves don’t last long and don’t get mistaken for who I AM… even if the wave submerges and even if i feel like i might be drowning again for a moment, there’s still some Awareness that I Am Not the wave… revolutionary and, at times, magnificently subtle… so what used to be constant is now intermittent. What used to be seen and experienced as a foundational, permanent and unbeatable identity with depression is now seen as a gift… a wave of energy passing through, and if i’m willing to feel into it and experience it directly (which i’m willing to do more and more), this wave not only passes… it will clean me out and only make room for more Grace.
Such miraculous-ness has not been witnessed on my planet before. Some mornings i’ll find myself on my knees in front of the Srimurthi [a photo of Amma and Bhagavan] before dawn crying tears of joy… Thank you, Amma-Bhagavan! Who could have possibly dreamed up a more perfect dream? And thank you, Paul, for your gentle words, your healing hands, and your devoted community building. Peace on earth, my brother.
[NOTE: While Paul’s reply is very personal and will not be shared here, the following comments will be helpful to the reader]:
You will find that many who go through the Deeksha process will often start to refer to themselves as the lower case “i” rather than the upper case “I” when writing. This often happens without their even realizing that they are doing it. The reason is that the dominance of their ego is fading. The ego sustains our feeling of separateness from the “Oneness” of Divine Presence (God-realization). It’s part of what creates our suffering… our feeling of being separated from God. Deeksha re-connects us with Oneness… Divine Presence through an actual feeling of Love and Oneness in our Heart… referred to as “A Flowering of the Heart.” As this level is permanently attained through Deeksha, you have entered The Awakening which is also referred to as the first level of Enlightenment.
Please also notice that after his healing in India, his depression was not fully gone; but his experience of it had changed significantly to be not only tolerable but to be viewed as a gift. He became “the Watcher” rather than “the Participant-sufferer.” This is often referred to in detail in the very popular book "Power Vs. Force" by David R. Hawkins, M.D. Ph.D. The shift in his consciousness allowed him to let go of his suffering… and he was moved to tears in his Gratitude over this much welcomed relief in his life. The Awakening given by Deeksha does not remove you from life… only the suffering… and in that relief you find Grace, Peace and Joy.
The Srimurthi [a photo of Amma and Bhagavan] is not just a photograph. A Srimurthi (also spelled Srimurtha) has been infused by Amma and Bhagavan with Deeksha so when you look at it, hold it, think of it, carry it with you, you’re getting the Blessings of Deeksha! You don’t have to believe this, just take it in as a possibility. Any and all photographs of Amma and/or Bhagavan have this characteristic. They very tightly control all photos of them for this reason. You can even download photos of either or both of them from the net and also this web site and they will have this characteristic. Many do this and print them out or use them as a desktop, screen saver, etc.
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Paul, [With regard to the One-Day Deeksha Intensive] I’m looking forward to the video and finding out more about the Oneness movement. I’ve wondered if anyone has ever gone over for the 21-day training and ‘not gotten it’…. Just so you know, [a friend of mine] and I have been in discussion regarding this question since he has an old friend that was there while you were and he seems to think she came away without any real change…
Also, I’ve heard you say that the best Deeksha givers are those that don’t have ’spiritual’ backgrounds. Can you elaborate more on that statement for me, please? Since I’ve been on a spiritual path since 9 or 10 years old, that statement could be discouraging if I let it… Especially since I plan to spend the remaining years on the planet giving Deeksha! You know what I mean? Thanks Paul! CU Tomorrow [at group Deeksha]!
Paul’s reply: I’m not sure what you mean by "not gotten it." If you’re referring to not being able to give effective Deeksha, then no. Everyone who goes through the process is able to give Deeksha effectively, regardless of where they are on their own spiritual path. Now if however you mean, "did they all have peak experiences, woo-woo stuff, and come back home fully awakened (enlightened), etc." then the answer to that is no. Some folks don’t "experience" any peak experiences while there, although many do. You have to understand that those who go there are all different with different levels of ego, control issues, etc. Some are spiritual novices, while others have been on a spiritual path for years… even decades.
While it is true that some who have no spiritual background become enlightened after receiving a single Deeksha, it’s also true that some who have been on a long term spiritual path "get it" (The Awakening) fairly quickly after receiving Deeksha. That happened to me. I received a lot of changes literally overnight after receiving my first Deeksha on October 11th in Santa Fe and Sri Raniji (the lady monk who is in charge of the U.S. and several other countries for all Deeksha) told me that I had become enlightened by about mid-November of last year which means that it took me about a month. Of course, the "flowering of the heart" that I had is only the first step… the lower level of enlightenment, but I was there, even though I did not believe her at the time. I had mistakenly thought that being enlightened would be a woo-woo experience. It’s not. It’s just a perceptual shift in your experience of life which alleviates your suffering because you’re in a state of Grace and Bliss. Your life goes on. You just experience life differently and you’re happy most of the time. You don’t let things bother you like before. For the most part, you let go of trying to control everything and become the "watcher" rather than the "writer-director-producer" of your life.
Those that go to India do not all come back already "enlightened." That is a process that happens to each in their own time, regardless of their ability to give Deeksha. Some are disappointed that they weren’t magically transformed over there… like some have been. But we’re all different. The bottom line is that all will reach that point in their lives when they are ready for it.
What I observed while there is that the more demanding and egotistical you are about having these experiences and attaining your Awakening, the farther you seem to push them away. I think I had spoken about a guy from Austin who had been on a spiritual path for 40 years… had meditated daily, etc. and was a bit angry that after two weeks there (out of the total of 3 weeks to complete the process) that he had not had a single peak experience… something that would "prove" to him that he was "getting it." He was coming from his ego… his desire to control just "how" he was going to receive the gift of being able to give Deeksha… and the more he tried to control it, the more elusive it was for him. But regardless of the lack of him experiencing the "woo-woo" stuff, when he left he was still able to give Deeksha. He’ll reach the Awakening when he is ready. That’s the way it is for all of us. You can’t force it to happen sooner by using ego… but it does happen sooner by just letting go and getting a lot of Deeksha. When you’re over there, you’re getting it 24/7… both Deeksha by intent (known as smarana Deeksha) and hands-on Deeksha.
The bottom line here is to just get Deeksha and watch the results… not demand the results within any specific time frame. The changes may be quick or slow, extreme or subtle… we all receive what we’re ready for and in our own time… but the Awakening will happen for each of us, regardless of how or when it comes. Going to India will not insure that you will return awakened (enlightened). It will only insure that you can help many others (and eventually, all people on the planet) to attain the Awakening to stop all the ego-based craziness from continuing. To stop us from terrorizing and abusing each other, the animals and the planet itself.
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We’re anxious to hear from you about your personal experience with Deeksha! To contribute send your comments to paul@Deeksha-Dallas.com. Many Thanks to all for their contributions.