Feeling Good, Perfect Mood
By Pocholo Concepcion |
| Posted date: June 21, 2007 |
Joey Ayala couldn't have put it better: "Kung kaya mong isipin, kaya mong gawin…" The singer-songwriter was clearly in his element as he urged the audience to follow his lyrics about the power of thoughts and the will to change for the better. Along with several guest artists, Joey provided the kind of entertainment numbers that lent more meaning to "Time and Transformation," Brahma Kumaris' 25th anniversary celebration Monday night at the Araneta Coliseum. Brahma Kumaris (BK) is an international educational institute that operates in more than 100 countries. In the Philippines, eight BK centers have been established since 1982. Touch of humor Hosted by Tessie "Teysi" Tomas, "Time and Transformation" presented music, dance and videos to enhance the principles that BK has been promoting quietly, but successfully, through its "students." Supporters, including Marikina City Mayor Marides Fernando, former Miss Universe and now rural development worker Margie Moran Floirendo, new student Mon Tulfo (a columnist of the Inquirer) and many others, personally attest to the knowledge and benefits they have gained from joining BK programs. Teysi's spiels had the slightest touch of humor: "Ang Brahma Kumaris po, hindi kulto, hindi religion, at hindi rin po pyramid scam…" In a nutshell, the BK, as an organization affiliated with the United Nations, seeks to make everyone better persons. Guest of honor At the anniversary celebration, the BK had for a guest of honor Dadi Hirdaya Mohini, one of its top administrators and concurrently director of centers in New Delhi and Kashmir. (The organization is based in Rajasthan, India.) Better known as Dadi Gulzar, Mohini was a striking presence during the program. Her eyes brightly captured the term "windows of the soul." Speaking on center stage with an interpreter, Mohini's message, delivered after the cleverly conceived numbers, focused on recognizing the soul, the "master of the body and mind." Mohini said everyone can tap their limitless potential by acknowledging the soul. How? The key word is silence, which Mohini defined as "the state in which the mind is engaged in pure and elevated thoughts." A few minutes of silence every day, she said, can brush away tension, anger, sorrow and other negative thoughts and feelings that cause conflicts. Silence is power, Mohini said. Frankly, it may not solve corruption and world hunger outright. At the very least, however, it can help change people's minds and lead them to engage in positive acts, starting with real communication. Communion And how to achieve silence? Go right to the source, Mohini intimated. Recognize God, the true giver of peace. She said meditating was communing with God, and the priests and nuns behind us nodded in agreement. The potency of that idea was captured earlier, when Grace Nono opened the show with the song/chant "Dosayan" (literally, "praise"), an invocation that hushed the audience. The choreography of Douglas Nierras' Powerdance was flawless. In a number called "Tenderness," all the dancers complimented precise movements with angelic expressions on their faces. Timmy Cruz, who sang several songs and also acted as co-host, was so effusive in talking about the BK that, for a moment, our seat mate was worried that the event would sound like a prayer rally. Thankfully, Timmy caught herself. Very uplifting Later, she redeemed the awkward moments by leading the crowd in putting "tilak" in the shape of stars on one another's forehead. As a middle-aged man, a stranger, pinned one on ours, he wished us the best in all our endeavors. It was very uplifting. At the end of her brief address, Mohini gave her audience three steps to bring about change in ourselves: 1) smile more often; 2) offer others a "sweet" drink in the form of sweet words; and 3) maintain happy feelings. The mood was thus perfect as Timmy finally led a choir and mime artists in singing a tune about the winning ways of smiling and feeling good. At that point, the crowd at the Big Dome did look ready for collective transformation. |
