Giving meditation classes

DevashishuMy name is Devashishu and I live in London. When people ask me what I do, I find it difficult to give a concise answer. Currently I teach English (TEFL), I promote music and sports events, I write plays and perform in a music group, I do security work, I conduct surveys, I assist in the instalment of sundials and water features and on top of this I spend a third of each year travelling the globe – a jack of all trades and master of none. The one activity that has been a consistent part of my life for the past twenty years is the giving of meditation classes, through which I have earned not one penny but have discovered wealth of a different nature. 

In fact, when someone asks you ‘What do you do?’, they are actually asking ‘Who are you?’ They hope that from your response they will have a better knowledge of who you are. But in my experience, we know very little about our own existence, let alone of those around us. I grew up with meditation, and due to its capacity to imbue the journey of self-discovery with tremendous joy and strength, it has remained an integral and constant element in my life. 

I give meditation classes on the authority of my teacher, Sri Chinmoy. I am a seeker, and as part of my spiritual discipline, I have been given the opportunity to share my experiences and my limited knowledge with other seekers. That ‘sharing’ plays a vital role in my own journey of self discovery.  

When we start to meditate we soon become conscious that we are dealing with an infinite source of energy, an infinite intelligence. Through the regular daily practice of simple techniques, we develop our capacity to conduct that energy. This development of capacity is an expansion of consciousness. If you imagine a vast lake then through our meditation we are creating a passage or a river. But for there to be a river and a constant flow of water there needs to be an outlet to the sea. That outlet is vital to the health and vibrancy of the river. In the silence of meditation we discover a profound source of peace, light and bliss and we need to offer these qualities to the world around us. This can be done in a number of ways and for me the meditation classes have provided the perfect way. 

I have been fortunate to see many countries and to date I have given classes in the UK, Ireland, France, Austria, the Czech and Slovak republics, Poland, Greece, Romania, Russia, the Ukraine, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, the Bahamas, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and the United States. 

Despite what we see and hear on our daily news programmes, I have discovered a world of astounding beauty. In each and every place I was greeted with the warmth and hospitality that I have come to know as the universal hallmark of the human heart. The ideals of compassion and friendship are valued by the majority of the people with whom we share this planet. There are many cultures, races, religions and political viewpoints, and in spirituality we find a common ground that far transcends the illusion of separation and limitation. In all human beings there is a profound thirst for satisfaction and it is in meditation that we can find a true and fulfilling way to slake this thirst. 

I am very grateful for the opportunity to give meditation classes. When I am standing before a class I feel the tangible joy and satisfaction of my teacher and am reminded that I am, indeed, the eternal student.

- Devashishu Torpy

Video on Meditation