Editor Aparigraha Jain
Editor Carla Geerdes
The Tulsi Adhyatma Needam is located on the campus of Jain Vishva Bharati Ladnun since midst seventies of the last century. It was one of the first institutions, where the system of Preksha Meditation could not only be studied in theory & practice, but where the system also systematically was enhanced.
Sadhaks and Shramans are welcome here; the gates are not only symbolically wide open. The peaceful and calm environment supports self-realisation and development of own spirituality.
Amazingly many trees surround the bungalow like, sprawled white complex of buildings, with lattices in bright pink colour.
All those, who felt that air rich in oxygen would be mostly welcomed in the semi-arid desert climate, have planted trees. Swami Dharmanandji remembered having set more than six hundreds at his time in the ‘Needam'.
All this results in a park like atmosphere and gives shelter and home for uncountable quantities of birds, coming at dawn to that specific tree preferred by their kind. One tree is home for pigeons, one for ravens and crows, one for the elegant regional merles, only the majestic wild peacocks are free to chose their night quarter according to their actual mood. In the evenings, the air is full of birds' tales, and the mornings are welcomed by their jubilations.
The beautiful roofs are accessible by stairs from inside the building. They give a wonderful overview on the landscape, sometimes up to a white shining Hanuman Temple on a hill in a distance of 20km.
Fresh, clean drinking water (seen in front) is refilled for every one's needs early in the morning.
One day, two painters arrived and started to paint the Preksha Meditation logo on the wall, without any template. They first completed the left side, then the right. All they had was a sheet with the figure of the logo, drawn by pencil. The colours were written at the place where they belonged.
The terrace always invited to sit down and perceive the present, watching, without feeling the necessity to get involved.
The rays of the evening sun were decorating the front of the building with golden lights and shadowy leaf patterns. Sunset was a yellow-orange ball, receding behind the horizon. We were aware that this was the direction we had come from, and where we would return as well.
In these moments, we felt very far away from our life in Berlin, as if we had stepped out of space and time for taking a spiritual rest before continuing. Far from metropolis' noise and its likes and dislikes, just being part of the whole and feeling it, watching the birds coming home, welcoming or quarrelling with each other, listening to their stories, and, simultaneously, knowing and not knowing.