Imagine a world where there is harmony and peace, where we are all able to grow and evolve, and where children thrive because the adults who care for them are filled with love, joy and hope. Is it only an utopian vision, or is it possible? What is needed from us to realize this vision? The answer can be encapsulated in one word, Hearticulture.

Hearticulture is exactly what it says – a culture based on the heart. The word ‘culture’ means ‘the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society’, so how does a society based on the heart express itself? Life is lived from the heart, where the heart is given its rightful place at the centre of our being.

What are some of the qualities we see in Hearticulture?

One of the noticeable things we see is generosity prevailing. People accept differences between people with a generous heart. Generosity of heart is not only about how we share material things, but is also about how well we accept these differences. Are our hearts generous enough to accept the mistakes of others? Or our own mistakes – sometimes we cannot forgive ourselves. A pure heart accepts things and rises above differences. And while being compassionate, forgiving or accepting, if we remain aware of that need, or if there is a purpose behind it, such as to be rewarded in this world or in the hereafter, it is against this naturally growing Hearticulture.

In Hearticulture we also find humility, and there is no better place to be humble than with our nearest and dearest ones. Unfortunately, with those closest to us we are often hard. We take them for granted actually. We expect respect from others but do not first accept others as they are. With Hearticulture, we don’t need respect and honour from others, because we are open, humble and accepting by nature, as if all are our very own.

Babuji gave a very beautiful message in 1982 where he said, “We are all brethren connected intellectually, morally and spiritually – the main goal of human life. This and that have gone now. There remains the purity alone in all His work and environment which weaves the spiritual destiny of people with the Ultimate.”

---

“We are all brethren connected intellectually, morally and spiritually – the main goal of human life. This and that have gone now. There remains the purity alone in all His work and environment which weaves the spiritual destiny of people with the Ultimate.”

---

This message is the foundation of a heart-based society. It is through the heart that we are all connected, so with Hearticulture we automatically feel this connection. We respond to the world as ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. In ‘we’ there is no separation, no blame, and no desire to create conflict. Love prevails. There are always differences, in fact differences are welcome and evolutionary, as they bring change and expansion of vision, but no conflict results from these differences. The next thing that we see as a result of Hearticulture is beauty and tenderness in communication. We learn to master the spiritual principles of communication described by Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh, which say:

Let the flow of your conversation be a current that is even and in tune with the current of Reality. In this way, you will touch the hearts of those people listening. How? Remove all sharpness, so that your speech doesn’t carry any kind of weight, like a current of still air.

Let it be soft, cultured, smooth and balanced. A person whose tongue is cultured and polite has a large, pure and noble heart.

Be free of anger and free of emotional outbursts in speech. The heart is so tender that it begins to wilt even with the slightest disturbance. As our hearts become pure and light, we start to refer to  the heart for all our decisions, with confidence and courage, experiencing the wisdom that is found within.

For these things to flourish, the practices of Heartfulness Meditation are invaluable. It is a simple modern-day system of Raja Yoga that helps us to open our hearts, and trust in the bounteousness of God and this universe to guide our steps in the right direction. And when we inevitably make mistakes along the way? We continue on, learning as we go, with a sense of wonder and joy at the next steps in our journey of life.