I first saw Krishnaji in a documentary in 2008 and was so happy to hear him talk. His Teachings continue to be unlike anything I have ever heard and form an integral part of my life, as I live and work from Dubai for the last 15 years. It has been said time and time again, that Krishnaji’s Teachings cannot be taught to the masses but must be discovered first-hand individually, as part of one’s daily life. Indeed, method is futile in this discovery.
A wise man asked the other day, “Are the Teachings being approached as a Brazilian, as an Indian or as a Lebanese?” As someone who grew up in Lebanon, and as with any country throughout the world, one is told and encouraged to identify, to belong, to be proud. It is only when one puts an end to all this nonsense – if that’s at all possible – that there is a possibility for the new, and so a real possibility to approach anything afresh.
This is what I hold close to my heart, while working with the Teachings, whether that be through writing, podcasting, looking after a Facebook group, or through coaching men and women of different ages and backgrounds. Like other disciplines in the social and academic spheres, coaching traditionally is a matter of method, training, practice and discipline. As a coach, one is taught a certain process and while some processes are less structured than others, they nevertheless all share a foundation based on notions of self-improvement, self-becoming, and comparison: where I am now and where I want to be tomorrow.
This unfortunately seems to be the way of the world. Is it possible to relate to others without urging them to become, to achieve, to be “better”? Is it possible to impact the human being, first starting with oneself, so as to bring about a total freedom in the psyche, a total ending to the ego, the self, in such a holistic way that there is a transformation not only of the brain but of the heart and so of society?
That is what I firmly hold to be the true function of a coach. From this vantage point, perhaps there is not much difference between a coach and an educator after all…as long as one is leading a religious life, away from organized religion, country, belief and ideology. How lucky we are to have Krishnaji as world teacher to draw inspiration from.
Charif Mokdad is from Lebanon and lives in Dubai where he has been for the last 15 years. He writes about his interaction with the Teachings through his daily work as well as writing, podcasting, coaching and looking after a new Facebook group.
dear charif ,
what you say is extreamely true . Those who are interested can just live it & perhaphs that is is the only way to spread the
teachings. yet in reality one feels so fortunate to have come across these teaching ! so having said that if one in some way
or the other share it as simple way as possible .one gets a feeling that due to the people coming to the teaching & finding it
difficult to grasp the teaching, what can one do ? otherwise just keeping it to oneself might not spread the seeds in reality . so as a student who passed out from rishi valley & being introduced by one of the visitors who came for the talks i found this invaluable & all my life after coming to touch the teachins i have tried to see how one can live but also share in what ever way possible .
In this context i had done a dance programme called ” Essence of life ” , http://www.degafarms.com – a small retreat centr near
Bangalore, india & now planning to do a project which you can see on google called ” The Pathless land ” all these are
inspired by k ‘s teaching rightly acknowleged which i believe will inspire at least a few . All this has been inspiring to learn more about the teaching and also connect to people who live the teachings.
Dear Dega,
Thank you for taking the time to comment…a comment which I happen to concur with. I add to our conversation that if the teachings are truly discovered, in the sense if one is one’s own teacher, there is bound to be right action. I have come across your Essence of Life program even before your message and found it really artistic to say the least. When are you launching The Pathless Land? Hats off on this educational project!