Jainism Abroad

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

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2)From Sylvia & Angela: Students from Germany, who studied YOGA, MEDITATION & JAINOLOGY AT JINABHARATI Bangalore (Ulsoor) and came to Hampi also
Dear Mr. Toliya
26-1-1983 We hope you returned well from our Hampi - trip. After a short time we found our place in Goa: We stay in a small village in the palm forest directly at the sea.
Here we have nothing but time and nature and peace. The most important thing is nature: the vast ocean, green colour, sunrise and sunset. As we don't have any duties, just freedom and time, and as nature is always there, 24 hours a day, we can make our Yoga asanas or Sit in meditation whenever we want and as long as we want.
(Sylvia) have made the experience that when I don't force myself too much into a fixed daily programme, Yoga is more effective for me. I can relax or concentrate more easily, if I sit in meditation not because "it is time", but because I feel a desire just now to sit and be silent. It's not that I neglected Yoga in this way, by not-forcing as you may probably think. But maybe back in Germany, when there's again a daily routine, studying, working etc., it's better to fix certain times for Asanas and Meditation. I think it was really good and necessary that in those last weeks you taught us the "Yogic way of life" so intensely and strictly that now we are able to continue alone and Self-responsible. For the Asanas: 1 continue like before, select some asanas for the morning time, some more for evening time. In our Yoga-Book, there's a description to learn Shirshasana step by step: first kneeling with head on the floor, then raising hip, stretching legs, put the weight on head and arms, slowly go up ......... I hope, it's all right, if do every step for some weeks and slowly go further and ask Angela to observe.
For Meditation : I often reach easily a state of light and peaceful feeling full of freedom and satisfaction. Just to sit, observe and be silent. Sometimes it's like I feel that there's a lot of energy within me and some kind of pressure in the navel or the chest, even if I don't try to concentrate on those chakras. What do you say about this?? I don't concentrate on a guru, by the way, but on the water, birds etc. I feel it gives me more vibrations, more directly, than a guru in a heaven. I simply still can't imagine or believe in this. Even if they can help - I think, first, faith and confidence and conviction or experience must be there.
May be, you can write back your thoughts, I think; it gives us ambition when we are back in our 'old life' in Germany. By the way, we both did another fasting day here. Please say greetings to your family. We miss the wonderful food of your wife! We hope, you don't work too much ! As Yoga says: proper diet, proper work and proper rest !! At least for us it's sometimes the best cure to just be, a bit lazy, and do nothing: may be that's a kind of meditation.
All the best, Sylvia + Angela
P.S.
Maybe you could write us your experiences with Rajneesh, both, good or bad things about him. We are interested in him because in Germany, there are many devotees, and we've read some articles and some of his teachings which really sounded genius and convincing. What he says is so simple and easy to realize in every day life and it seems like especially western people understand what he means to say.
3)From Prof PRATAPKUMAR J.TOLIYA to a betraying USA friend who cancelled his performance at the eleventh our and that too after teaching Newyork at his own ticket & expences.
JUNE 9,1990 Dear enlightened Shri.............. (Not named purposefully, to not to make him target of critiesm by world)
Jai Jinendra,
I may kindly be excused for not replying to any of your letters after our talented daughter Kum. Parul's sudden accidental death here when I came there last.