Interruptions in Meditation

NINA RUBINSTEIN ALONSO reminisces about the early days of Heartfulness in the West.

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Shahjahanpur, India

I'd been in a gloomy mood when my husband Fernando suggested I try meditation with his friend Jim who lived nearby. He had been to India and met a guru named Babuji. From the first sitting I felt heart-connection. And I wondered where this had been all my life. But I still had questions, and wondered if the calm I felt meditating could be self-hypnosis or fantasy.

To be certain, I had to travel to Shahjahanpur and meet Babuji. Fernando came, too, and we spent hours with Babuji every day, spiritual energy flowing in a loving, pure atmosphere. There were no charges, not even for our meals or our room at the ashram, donations optional. During evening meditation the hall doors stayed open and we heard birds chirping as they fluttered to their nests in a high corner, a reminder of the physical world.

Dole, France

Hundreds of people are in a huge tent. Chariji scans the crowd then says, "Please start meditation." I'm deeply absorbed until I hear buzzing, not sure where it's coming from, suddenly I hear a yelp as if someone got stung or scared by a bee. Then silence continues until Chariji says "That's all," ending the sitting. Not sure what happened, I opened my eyes and notice everyone seems fine. The bee, or whatever it was, has gone.

Madras, India

Group meditation is on the second floor of a building in Madras. We're seated close together but it's comfortable, and I'm grateful to be with Chariji though still jet-lagged and fuzzy-headed from hours of travel. Meditation is deep until hollering starts from the building next door, people yelling, then clattering and pounding. Later we learn the racket was from construction, but it didn't matter as I was so deeply absorbed, noise was happening but it didn't disturb.

Manapakkam, India