Voici le témoignage de A(nonyme), un indien qui a été membre de la SRCM de Shahjahanpur. Entré comme simple abhyasi en 1987, il est devenu précepteur en 1996. Umesh l’a envoyé aux Etats-Unis comme secrétaire de la Mission, où il a créé un website qui a ravivé les luttes entre les clans de Chari et d’Umesh.
At age 17 (1987) i had strong desire to understand the meaning and purpose of life. Studied Vivekananda, and started meditating on my own. I came across 'Reality at Dawn'. I was impressed and decided to meet Babuji.(I am an indian living in India). I met a local preceptor Mr.M. After couple of meetings he said "I know what you are looking for, I request you to join our mission. Give me six months of time. Do what i say for six month. At the end we will sit on same platform. If you feel i have wasted your time, your free to give me any abuses you like".
I was touched by the humility and openness. I told him, i would not question for one year.
Later during sittting and talks i realized, Babuji had passed in 1983. I went to Shahjanpur for 'Lalaji's Birthday celebration', the same year. I was already feeling the difference in my condition/experience the grace at Babuji's Samadhi and his house. As i got involved i learnt that there is some issue going on with Babuji's Sucessor. Mr.M told me that Babuji left none. We have a working president Dr.S.P.Srivastava.
I used to meet my preceptor almost three times a week. During talk, i understood that Chari is claiming the sucessorship and came to know about all the legal issues in India too. He mentioned to me that, while Babuji's body was still burning at Shahjanpur, Chari had the paper circulated that he is nominated as the president of mission. Chari was general secretary of the mission till 1980(?), he was removed from all postions after that. Chari was the only person appointed by Babuji to make new preceptors. My preceptor was made a preceptor by Chari!.
But he refused to accept chari as the representative. The personality he described to me about chari and what i read from your blogs are identical!
Infact, Chari send out a letter to my preceptor, that his preceptorship is cancelled, and his powers are revoked. He showed that letter to me when i went for a sitting to his home. Asked me to sit for a sitting and tell him how true it is. I felt no difference in the sitting, it was still the same grace i have been receiving.
Unfortunatly, my preceptor left us in 1993. Babuji that i know, SahajMarg i know, the grace i feel is all due to his efforts. In my very close association with him for six plus years, I have never, not even once, seen him lose his cool or a change in the tone or pitch of his voice. I was like his son, so there nothing hidden from me or as a matter of fact anyone. There was no 'inner circle'.
I had developed good relation with preceptors of neighboring cities too by that time. And i saw very similar personalities. None of them accepted Chari as the successor though.
Since they wanted to run the Mission, they met with the president S.P.Srivastava and decided on ways to make new preceptor and made new one for my city. I took regular sitting from him and felt similar grace too.
I have also heard from my preceptor that Andre Porey was a strong contender for the successorship. Babuji had more liking for him, but Lalaji disapproved him, since Lalaji felt that Andrey Pore or people around him are not introvert and would utilize the power for material purpose. I recollect this as i read your post on people dressed in black showing up for meditation.
As far as i know, my preceptor told me that till the end Babuji was always saying that i did not find one to nominate.
The center was working fine, but we got a letter now from Umeshchandra saxena that he is the sucessor representative. We all got copies of the letter that Babuji Maharaj wrote to him on mission letter head with Babuji's Signature.
I have seen the letter that Umeshchandra produced and the one that chari has produced. I still have copies of both. I rejected the copy chari produced simply by reading its content. Babuji, as i have known him from my preceptor, does nothing without mentioning his guru Lalaji Maharaj. A successor nomination letter without the name of Lalaji Maharaj is 'impossible'.
The letter that umeshchandra produced seemed more in line with Babuji's style. "By the grace of God and Lalaji Maharaj..."
I must mention here, my preceptor told me that when Babuji used to travel west, he used to leave few blank signed papers on mission letterhead for administrative reasons. Since he worked in court, he was very perticular and always checked back on the papers when he came back. In one of his last trips, he saw three blank signed letters were missing. He registered a complain at local police station for records.
Since one of the senior preceptor (he was one of the few, who had soul connection with Babuji-initiation) in neighbouring city, accepted that letter, we all accepted it.
I took sitting from umeshchandra when he came to my city. The sitting reminded me of the condition i felt, at Babuji's Samadhi and Babuji's house. Tremendous grace. But i was very perplexed with the petty talk and other behaviour of Umeshchandra. I question this to the Senior preceptor-whom we were relying on.
He agreed with my observation, asked me to watch and not react. I kept did not question much.
Umeshchandra has accused Chari of 'poisioning' Babuji Maharaj in court papers! He said that something was done to Babuji in his trip to west. I recollect this when i read michael's post of Babuji falling down.
Umeshchandra, later asked me to come and stay at his house near Delhi. I went there for four days, and he made me a preceptor. He seemed sincere in trying to run the mission as Babuji intended. I saw all the menuscripts that Babuji wrote while he as getting dictations from Lalaji Maharaj, Lord Krishna, Swami Vivekanada, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Buddha etc. (there is a autobiography published from it, not many people has that copy)
Later I came to US on work (1996). Having made preceptor and US secretary of the Mission, i tried to see if i can find some good abhyasis. I tried to contact old abhyasis's from a list i got from Umeshchandra. I even attended a sitting conducted by a local preceptor made by Chari. I did not divulge my identity- said i am an abhyasi from India. I noticed that there were no pictures of Babuji Maharaj or Lalaji Maharaj in the center. There was a picture of Chari. I did not find any grace in that sunday group sitting.(my sensitivity is very good to surrounding, i can catch good and bad vibrations, thoughts etc.)
After the sitting a book was being read written by Chari. I never went there again or talked with the preceptor.
I created a website 'sahajmarg.org'. Put some basics of Babuji's teaching and the issue of sucessor representative. I scanned the court papers, Chari had presented in the court as successor representative and the one Umeshchandra presented.
This started a legal battle here in US. They(Chari's zonal secretary) contacted the domain registrar and disputed the domain. The issue went to arbitration. I worked with Umeshchandra, and presented the response to the arbitration. The decision came in our favour that we can keep the domain name. I was delighted, and so were people in india, this was probably the first time, we had won something.
This did not last long, as Chari, approched the federal court, virginia to dispute the outcome. I too hired an attorney to fight the case. My financial power and other means were extremly limited. There is nobody here that can support me in this issue. It was a drag on me personally and finacially.
When, Chari(zonal seceratary) realized, i am fighting it out, they hired one of the biggest law firm in US to fight the case (100K + would be their fees)
In 1999, I went to india to attend Babuji's centenary celebration in Shahjahanpur. I saw obvious change in Umeshchandra at that time. He did not have any Job or financial backing. He had started depending on the Mission to support himself. I did not have any problem with it, since he was doing a full time job as the president. But i saw, that the attitude was to get more money in the mission, so that he and his family can use more- support a lifestyle.
I saw politicians invited at the celebrations on the stage. They are bad everywhere, but in india its - i don't have words here.
I saw i was being used for some publicity. There were fears for Umeshchandra's life due this dispute and he was carrying a revolver in his pocket at shahjahanpur ashram.
I was sad. I realized Umeshchandra is not the representative. I discussed with the senior preceptor on whose word we had accepted him as president. He used to manage all the accounts for the ashram. He acknowledged, grave money mismangement in the mission.
I came back to US, very sad. I still had to deal with the court case, since Chari's attorney refused to accept Shri RamChandra Mission, Shahjanpur, India as an identity and was personally dragging me in the case for violating his trademarks.
My attorney, advised me to backoff, He told me he does not have means to fight the biggest law firm in US, and even if we won, they can always challenge the decision and go to supreme court and drag this for a long time. I did not have the money, or power and now no faith in Umeshchandra.
I signed the papers that i have nothing to do with the SRCM, nor will my kids! have anything to do with it.
My heart cried...still does.
Let me add one more...
There is a CD/cassette available of Babuji's talks with Danish abhyasis (1974?) The western abhyasis are impressed with Chari and inquirying about Kasturi and Chari to Babuji. A lady asks Babuji, "is Chari a saint?", Babuji gives some vague answer, but she repeats the questions. Babuji answers "Chari is Bachelors of Science"!!!
These are Masters own words, recorded, published even by Chari's organization.
The organization SRCM was created with Lalaji's approval and wishes. Babuji had lost his ego-individuality. The Autobiography i mention which contains numerous day to day events in intercummunication form says so. Infact the dictations give details that there was a big issue of successor representative after Lalaji passed away. It is in 1944, Lalaji's birthday celebration Babuji was declared as his sucessor by Ishwar Sahai (?). Lalaji, Lord Krishna, Swami vivekananda and many more had left the brighter world and were present to take care of Babuji. Lalaji Maharaj, Swami Vivekanada and Lord Krishna were his constant companions. This was printed in India around 1989. 3000 copies. From your response i am assuming you have not read it. I have read those intercommunication papers written by babuji originally in Urdu, all dictations from swami Vivekananda were in english. These were translated by Dr.S.P.Srivatava. That book is my 'Gita'. There is so much information in there, i wish more people could read it.
-When Babuji left and chari came out with the sucessor letter, there were problems. There were factions.
- A working group was formed and S.P.Srivastava was choosen as the president. This is the same group -original SRCM shahjanpur HQ center. This was not immediate, it took a while (few years). The ashram was not getting properly maintained after Babuji.
Later this-Presidentship was passed on to Umeshchandra. Since Umeshchandra came out with a letter showing(1994), he is the appointed representative by Babuji.
Just to clarify, I have never had any association with SRCM-Chari. I have never met chari. My association has always been with SRCM, Shahjahanpur, India. BTW, alexis, there are many factions of SRCM, Chari's is one of them and it has large number.
Regarding Andrey Porey, What i wrote i got it from my preceptor. This was in 1990. How does Lalaji know Andrey? Well we are going to cross the physical boundry here to answer that.
Lalaji was almost a constant companion of Babuji Maharaj, it is evident from Babuji's dairy. From the kind of questions, doubts, i get here, I almost certain, nobody in this group has read it. I have not read the book 'Whispers of Truth ?" from Chari, so i cannot say whether its the same as what i am referring.
Chari has no access to Babuji Maharaj's diary. It was Lalaji's wish as well as Babuji's wish to have it printed after Babuji Maharaj leaves the physical body. Umeshchandra and now his son Navneet has it. Babuji used to have daily communication with departed souls. Originally written in urdu and english. This work was translated by Dr.S.P.Srivastava.
This is offcourse a very controversial aspect. We all need proof. A material proof, of a non-material 'thing'!
I have been discouraged by Michael, not to put stuff that cannot be proved or can be imaginary. The Irony is, What is false is getting proved in the courts! and survives in masses! (in this physical world!)
Friends, please remember Chari was not the only person close to Babuji Maharaj, I have known many senior perceptors who were very close to Babuji Maharaj.
It should not matter which region i am from in India. I did visit Shahjahanpur every year from 1987 onwards with 1996.
I have no objection to providing the letter chari or Umeshchandra is using to claim successorship, this were submitted to Supreme court of India towards the court dispute.
Just a word of caution to the enthusiastic folks here. I have been burnt by this and i personally would not like others to take that road.
My 'only' purpose to write all this is to share and help and never to 'bitch'. I can never do that for any thing that involves 'Babuji's' name.
Why did Umeshchandra waited for so long? I did not get a clear answer. I did ask it.
There many division or preceptors practising by themselves, like Ragvendra rao, KC Narayana, Kasturiji and many more.
I have never met Dr.Vardhachari, But i know my preceptor used to speak very high of him. From some of the letters that are published online between him and Babuji, he was the chosen sucessor by Babuji, but he did not live long here.
I do not have much knowledge about KC Narayana. He seems to keep the door not wide open, maybe from bad experiences from abyasis following different group.
Here is my thought - purely personal, Most of the preceptors in India are doing good service and are keen on following the principles of Babuji maharaj, except the well known SRCM-Chari. There may be some good folks in there too.
Michael, i understand where you are comming from, but the onus of blindly following the Master and not the principles lies on the disciple.
I did accept the letter Umeshchandra produced, i did experience the 'grace' from him. But when the worldly actions were not based on 'principles' i moved on.
As the indian system, the guru is regarded as 'living god'. There is no other form of God you can experience physically. You may hit me for this, but i do accept that. But please remember Babuji has mentioned that it is better to remain without a Guru, instead of choosing a wrong one. The tests for such a guru are very high. I have and would test a guru to almost every doubt that comes across in my mind. Real faith develops following that, otherwise its all sheeps following.
Christian, The book i am refering, i have serious doubts if its available now.
My 2 cents to all the abhyasis, The method is correct, the principles are correct, pray directly to Babuji maharaj and he will help you. Its from my experience.
I am not sure how i can upload the documents here.
A
Témoignage recueilli en 2006 sur le blog de Michael
Témoignage du secrétaire général de la SRCM de Shahjahanpur aux USA
