28 July 2009 Belgrade
Here in Belgrade, in what used to be the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, people had a chance to listen to Maharaji for the first time ever. Belgrade is the capital of Serbia, a city of two million at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The setting for the event was the 400-seat amphitheatre of the Sava Center, right next to the Continental Beograd Hotel—both landmarks of modern-day Belgrade.

The foundation for this occasion was laid during an event in Warsaw, Poland, in the summer of 2008, when people from different Eastern and Central European countries talked to Maharaji about their earnest wish to see his message of peace made accessible to the people of their countries. This event was a direct result of that conversation. Not all the students from Eastern and Central Europe could make it this time due to a variety of travel restrictions, but it was a wonderful beginning. I remember Maharaji’s words in Warsaw a year ago: “Yes, someday there will be a program in those places [in Eastern Europe], and it will be wonderful. Because people cannot travel, I will go to them.” And he did.

Behind the Scenes
Predrag Bata Ristanovic, who was the venue liaison for the event, described the scene. “Since the event was confirmed only two days in advance, we worked rapidly to prepare everything on time. The managers of Sava Center were totally amazed when I informed them that we urgently needed a place for an international conference to be held in two days! When the car with production materials failed to arrive on time from Munich, we improvised by collecting cables and other audiovisual materials from different sources in Belgrade. Then there were problems with temperature control in the hall that were fixed just before the event started. Actually, somehow we managed everything—it was rushed, but not frantic. And the whole event team from Slovenia came to help.”

Nenad Novkovic, the manager for this event, seemed unfazed by the many details that needed his attention. Beaming, he talked about the phone calls he made to over 200 prospective guests. When Maharaji was unable to come to Sarajevo as well, he requested that buses be arranged for those who wanted to come from Bosnia. In the end, over 350 people came to the event from all over “ex-Yugoslavia,” in addition to a few from England, France, Switzerland, Holland, and even one from Japan. So it truly was an international event.

When Maharaji walked on stage for his first visit to this war-torn area, the crowd responded with unrestrained enthusiasm. Mirjana, emcee for the event, later said, “Maharaji has never been here before, and most people from this region haven’t been able to travel to other countries because of the wars that have been raging in this area over the last ten years. Many had not seen him for years, and others had never seen him in person. People here are hungry for peace.”

Maharaji speaks
Maharaji opened his address by pointing out that for most people “the list of problems grows, but the list of what we need to be thankful for doesn’t. At the end of the day, we end up with a long list of all that is wrong and a very short list of all that is good, of all that is beautiful. We get caught up in our concepts and ideas of what is important to us. We say ‘I don’t have time for this. I have other responsibilities.’”

Later, he pointed out the unique situation of a human being. “On this Earth where you exist, the divine is the host, and you are the guest,” he said, “and in this body, you are the host, and the divine is the guest.” Pointing out how beautiful this is, he continued, “There is a tremendous responsibility that comes with being a guest and a host: By being a guest, not to harm anything that belongs to the host and, at any opportunity, giving thanks to the host for allowing you to be the guest. And then, when it turns around, when you become the host, to make sure, absolutely sure, that the guest is taken care of, recognized, and comfortable in every way.”

At this event, his 56th of the year, he spoke for almost an hour, sharing his unique perspective, sometimes evoking laughter, sometimes silence, sometimes quiet tears, sometimes applause.

After the event
After the event, many people we spoke with found words inadequate to express what they wanted to say. Nena Marukic, a member of the event team from Ljubljana, was amazed that the event had come together so well. “I’m not a person who cries often, but when Maharaji came on stage, there were tears of joy. There was a special feeling that only Maharaji is able to awaken in me.”

Stojan, familiarly known as “Lucky,” expressed, “This first event in my country with Maharaji is like the first moment when I discovered peace within me. Today, my heart could write a novel, a song, a poem, a comedy, a story about this feeling.”

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