Wembley (London): Speaking to an enthralled audience of over 7,500 at the SSE Arena, Wembley — and with more than 360,000 worldwide watching online — BK Shivani, the inspirational voice of the Brahma Kumaris, delivered a powerful message: When we change our thoughts, we change our world.
Held at London’s iconic Wembley Arena, this was BK Shivani’s second large event, after Morningside Arena, Leicester, in the UK part of her Awakening Tour, which includes her traveling to many European cities.
At the SSE Arena, Wembley, an atmosphere of quiet anticipation built up. The stage was projected through huge screens and, as everyone entered, powerful images of our beautiful planet were shown with slogans to quieten everyone’s minds as they settled into their seats: “The power of silence is the way to extinguish the fire of anger” … There was a palpable feeling that something new and fresh had arrived in the hall and Clarke Peters brought everyone in to listen as his powerful bass voice sounded out ‘Om’ and he masterfully intertwined it with the song Amazing Grace “I once was lost and now I am found … Om …. was blind but now I see …. Om …. ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home … Om”.
Thiru Seelan danced and weaved harmonious loops with ribbons behind him and a beautiful fusion of culture was created. There was a fluid transition into an angelic dance and Lucinda Drayton then moved to the stage in front of a screen of butterflies and continued the contemplation singing: “It’s not my mistakes that tell you who I am, but what I do with them that I will become …. I will rise.” Again she took the audience into ‘Om’ before beckoning Sister Jayanti to centre stage.
BK Sister Jayanti, Director of the Brahma Kumaris in Europe and the Middle East, welcomed the gathering: “The invitation is to move together into a higher dimension … a space in which we can imagine and visualise; experience a world of peace, truth, dignity and beauty …. Is it possible?”
BK Jayanti lovingly introduced BK Shivani as “the pilot who is going to carry us from this space to that other dimension and show us how we can create that world and make it a reality. We can all be co-creators of that new reality with the power and amazing grace that comes from the Divine. We are going to experience that world here tonight. We are going to take away tips and tools to make it a daily reality in our lives.”
A short video introduced the Brahma Kumaris to the gathering, sharing the ‘impulse for change’ that has been at the heart of the BK story and continues to be present in the world, with faith in God and the deep desire for self transformation and thus world transformation. “What we are witnessing in the world is a new and emerging reality. The old is going, the new is happening. With the journey of transformation we fly.”
Sister Jayanti gave way to Clarke Peters, Lucinda Drayton and Minal Patel, who together sang and danced, with more dancers joining them, the challenge to themselves and to all of us: “What if I was to stop being afraid? What if I was just to stop people-pleasing? What a world it would be? What if I was to start being me? I’ll be me and you will be you … sounds good. Me ….”
Lucinda then steered the mood with the visuals and lighting shifting again to a rotating globe on the screens: “Will You teach me to fly away to the place you see in Your mind? Show us the way from the darkness and fear, from the deep veil of tears. Will You carry us Home? For God is revealed, the world is reborn and it is the end of the storm at the birth of the star child …. Om.”
Sister Jayanti returned to the stage this time accompanying BK Shivani, and the two stood for a moment of silence before Sister Jayanti handed over the mic and BK Shivani began as ‘the pilot’ to navigate everyone towards this new possibility for the self and the world:
Below are a few points from BK Shivani’s motivating words, which clearly spelled out the equation needed in all our lives to make reality the transition that had been explored in the opening creative scenes:
•The time has come for a metamorphosis of the world. Today together we are going to discuss the world we are going to create. How many of us want a new world? One is a desire for one, and another is to take responsibility to create a new world. What kind of world do I want? We all here have the courage to take responsibility for this, don’t we?
• Relationships are about exchanging vibrations and energy with each other.
• Our thoughts create our feelings and every thought radiates to my body, so my thoughts create my health.
• Also, my every thought radiates to the person about whom I am thinking. Thoughts are not bound by time and space.
• My thoughts create my feelings, create my health, create my relationships, create my world.
• People will change when they have the strength and power to change. Our role in creating a shift in them is to radiate the right thoughts to them to empower them to change.
• So we are going to shift our attention from the world to our self …. It takes huge courage to be ready to change on a Sunday evening!
• One equation fit for life is: I cannot change people, just myself. Yet situations and people’s behaviour are the outside stimulus in our life. But what I think, regardless, is my choice.
• Who is the creator of our response? The stimulus is not the creator of my feelings, it is the thought we generate from this stimulus – and here we always have a choice.
• Situation after situation, I choose my vibration. I am the creator of a pure and powerful new world, which means my mind has to be at a high vibration.
• Can we all do one week without anger? All I have to do is prepare myself. Add a ‘to be’ list to the ‘to do’ list. We are human beings … Being Me. How do I want to be? Love and unconditional respect for one week.
• When people throw their energy at us, we can reflect it, absorb energy or transform energy.
• For those not emotionally well, we need to radiate compassion.
• When we start creating the thought ‘I am a peaceful being … I am a powerful being … I am the child of God … I receive unconditional love’ … gradually I start to feel it … and then I shift to becoming it.
• Start creating the thought you want reality to be. This is meditation. ‘I am relaxed. I am calm.’
• ‘Busy’ is a very low energy word. Instead use ‘I am easy’.
• So switch off world news first thing in the morning. Have mercy on the self. Absorption power is at its highest when we awaken. Violence is not the right emotional diet first thing in the morning.
• Begin each morning with peace and love …. exercise the mind and experiment with this emotional diet for a month: first one hour, no phone, or newspaper or TV news. If my morning is right, I will energize my entire family for the entire day.
• We can create a higher vibration by connecting with the Highest One. Do this for three months and see your thinking pattern change.
BK Shivani then invited everyone to meditate. Meditation now is not an option, no longer a question of personal interest. Meditation is a necessity for my emotional well being — my mental and physical health — and my world.
Her final challenge to the gathering was: “Meditate 20 minutes daily and if you are busy, do it for an hour!” and “Carry your inner charger with you, to emerge the original qualities within the self. Experience a personal relationship with The Source of unconditional love and power. Together we are going to create a new world where peace will be the religion and love will be the language, unity will be the culture and happiness will be a normal way of living. We will create this world, because this is what everyone is looking for. Together you and me will create this new world. Let’s sit back and see this new world and prepare ourselves for the new week. She led everyone into a deep place of inner peace, connected to The Divine. Finally she suggested that ‘the mind needs time to internalize what we have discussed, what we have changed. Are we ready for a 20-minute silence, as we drive home?”
Everyone left in silence …