Serendipities

Meeting Swamini Vimalananda

                                                                            In 2017

Although I’ve titled this “Serendipities,” I firmly believe that nothing in life happens by chance. During a short vacation to Valparai in 2017, we also visited Coimbatore. My husband, who had been deeply inspired by Swamini Vimalananda's talks, was eager to meet her in person. We were fortunate enough to secure an appointment, and he posed a question that had often been the subject of our family discussions—a question we had “agreed to disagree” on: “Which is more powerful, destiny or karma?”

Swamini Vimalananda responded with a simple yet profound analogy: “Look at my hand,” she said. “I can bend it forward at the elbow—this is karma, something you can actively do. But I cannot bend it backward—this is destiny, the limitation imposed by past karma.”

Our conversation was so enriching that we decided to stay overnight at her ashram and attend her meditation session the next day.

Meditation Demystified

                                                         

When we heard about her meditation retreat from August 9th to 11th, 2024, in Bangalore, we eagerly signed up. The experience was soul-enriching. Swamini Vimalananda explained that meditation is not an action, not a special type of action, and not a form of worship—it is a natural state of being. True meditation is effortless self-awareness. The truth of the Athma (soul) remains constant, regardless of belief. When one realizes the Athma, the experience is the same for everyone, though the paths to that realization may differ. The Athma is already present, here and now; all that is needed is awareness, not effort. However, certain preparations are necessary to reach that stage of realization.

An Unexpected Blessing

The meditation group was small, allowing us to interact closely with the other participants. One of them was Dr. Sweta Prakash Adatia, a passionate and highly knowledgeable stroke neurologist. It was a joy to engage with her, listening to her insights and experiences. Dr. Adatia has developed protocols and programs for stroke care in India, the UAE, and the UK. She currently works at Gargash Hospital in Dubai, UAE.

I highly recommend listening to her talk on “TheNeuro-Science of Mantras” to get a sense of how inspiring it was to be in her presence and hear her speak!