Raja Choudhury, a public speaker, says Sacred places and architecture store tremendous spiritual energy. He was in the city recently to talk about Cambodia, Vietnam and the relation of Indian culture and Hinduism with Cambodian cosmology. By Saritha Saraswathy Balan
Raja Choudhury, as a persona of his kind should be, oozes oodles of energy and explains even the most intricate thing accompanied by a smile. He strikes a chord with his audience through eye contact and keeps them engaged while talking on meditation, on how simply listening to your breath can slow down the number of thoughts running through you in a second. His energy radiates around, creating an aura that drags the listener to the speaker’s serene world.
lately, the public speaker who is also a filmmaker and digital designer, delivered a lecture on Angkor Wat, a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world, and Vietnam at Soul Centric, in the city. How was his experiments of exploring Angkor Wat, a region which has not been thoroughly explored yet and VietnamIJ, he says, “Cambodian tourism is quite well developed now and Angkor Wat is a very popular destination for Europeans and Americans. But Indian travellers have not fully discovered Angkor Wat yet . It’s not that known that the monument is deeply influenced by Tamil Pallava culture and Hindu ideas, every Indian who can, should go and explore it at least once in their lives.”
Asked on his interest on Cambodia and Vietnam, which are widely identified with Communism, he says that Vietnam still practices Chinese style Communism, but Cambodia is a kingdom with an elected democratic legislature and senate. “The fact is that both countries have opened up in the past ten years and they are the most exotic adventure one can have within easy reach of India, providing an amazing range of culture, pilgrimage places, cuisine, and traditional art. Besides, the people are very friendly too.”
Emphasizing the deep imprints that Indian culture and Hinduism had left on Cambodian cosmology, Raja is of the view that the Khmer people who built the modern state of Cambodia were Indianized from the start. The Pallava influence on their religion (Vaishnavism first and then Theravada Buddhism), architecture and art are very much visible. The buildings are designed as per Pallava style which was developed in Mahabalipuram, while their theater is based on classical Indian mythology like the Ramayana and their names are mostly Indian in origin. With all these similarities existing, an Indian would be completely amazed and at ease in Cambodia.
On his journey on spirituality he says, “I believe that we are all energy beings and our spirituality in India and in the East in general, is designed to awaken both our consciousness of external energies and to awaken internal energies we call as Kundalini, Devis, and Shaktis. My own journey began with martial arts when I was living in london and New York and then in 1998 I was initiated into Kriya Yoga as taught by the Babaji lineage through Paramahansa Yogananda. I was also initiated into the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda teachings and practices by Swami Adiswarananda in New York, and in the past few years I have expanded my exploration of the Shaktis through Shri Vidya Upasana with Guruji Amritananda of Devipuram, who unfortunately passed away last year. My quest continues. I find that sacred places and architecture store tremendous spiritual energy and I want to help people explore this around them and in themselves.”
So how has been the journey so far for Raja digging deep into history to understand, for instance, the making of Khmer Dynasty and the birth of Indianised KingsIJ, “I am a bit of an Indiana Jones for the soul and all of this history and mystery is such a thrill for me. To me, discovering interconnection and solving complex mysteries really makes this quest my favorite thing in life. In my talks, films, workshops and now retreats I love making history, consciousness, creativity and the mysteries all come alive for my audiences. My film The Quantum Indians tells the story of Raman, Bose and Saha and how they changed science in India and was awarded the 2014 Rajat Kamal at the National Film Awards.”
When asked on the influence Buddhism had on his life he says, “I grew up in a Hindu household. I was more drawn to oriental martial arts and philosophies like Aikido, Qigong, Taoism, Zen and Kung Fu. Then in my 30’s, while living in New York, I rediscovered Indian wisdom and here I am today, sharing it with the world. I am a mystic and a philosopher and I see the perennial commonalities behind all faiths and as a result, I am a student of comparative religion and mysticism.”
He continues: “The beautiful mosaic of global cultures, religions, spiritual practices, traditions, foods and ideas should be explored by every thinking Indian. It will only make our culture richer”.
On the effect of meditation he says, “To be still and see your true self is the most important journey in life. To be in awe and humility in the face of the wonder of the whole universe in all its diversity, that is the birth of wisdom. Everything from thereon is pure potential and you can then manifest the reality and adventures in the life you want.”