Ashok Bedi , M.D.

B.J. Jakala, PH.D.

From February 7th through 18th, a group of soul seekers will travel in India to experience the land of Mahatma Gandhi through Jungian lens of Analytical Psychology. This experience is sponsored by the New York Jung Foundation. For the next several days, the faculty member of the group, Jungian Analyst Ashok Bedi and a Depth Psychotherapist Dr. Robert J. Jakala will compose a daily blog of their reflections about the experience. Other group participants have been invited to contribute to the blog and may join us from time to time. We are glad to share our experiences and reflections. Enjoy!

 
 


 By B.J.Jakala

Below is an example of a simple stitch used on a book cover


The Calico Museum of Textiles is a treasure of three hundred year old works of textile art. Pieces would often take three years for one person to make. The embroidery adds texture and color to simple fabric; it adds depth and meaning. Each stitch gives dimension and color to an otherwise plain fabric and contributes to the vision of the artist.

Perhaps the work of the textile artist parallels life. If we start out as plain fabric and bring life’s experiences in and out, much like the stitch, then the world can see our life in the art of living. The important question: Who is the artist?

BJ Jakala, PhD is a participant in this year’s Journey to the Land of Gandhi through the Jungians Lens led by Dr. Bedi.

Reflections by Ashok Bedi

Every life is woven by three artists. Our ego or outer consciousness, our Soul and the timeless flow of the universe- the Brahman. The Brahman is the soul of the weave of life, the Atman (personal soul) is the heart of the weaver and ego must be hands of the weaver. When ego takes charge of the process, we live a life distorted, disoriented and disconnected with our destiny; our teleos. When we align our ego with our soul’s whispers and let the soul tune into the higher consciousness, we live a meaningful and spiritually purposeful life. Carl Jung used the term, “the Transcendent Function” to describe this process of alignment with our deeper nature and our soul’s calling. He laid out a specific paradigm for such an alignment. The Hindu’s call such a spiritually engaged and aligned life our Dhamra. I have explored the dynamics of Dharma and its engagement via Jungian and Eastern paradigms in my publications including the “Path to the Soul.”

Mahatma Gandhi’s life is an example of such a Dharmic life. He kept his ego and personal aspirations at bay to let the Spirit guide his Soul to do the work of the humanity. Each one of us should subscribe to such a program: albeit in our own humble way. When each one of us connects with the Mahatma within, we will have a peaceful world with compassion, harmony and plenty. Such a Dharmic attitude is best reflected in the prayer of Saint Francis.

Join us often to share in our experiences and images as we engage the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s India with our Jungian peers.

NAMASTE


 

Ashok Bedi is a Diplomat Jungian psychoanalyst and a board certified psychiatrist. He is a member of the Royal College of psychiatrists of Great Britain, a Diplomat in Psychological Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of England, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

He has been a Psychiatrist in Milwaukee since 1976 and now practices Adult Psychotherapy and Jungian Psychoanalysis (www.tulawellnessllc.com).  He is a Honorary Psychiatrist at the Aurora Psychiatric Hospital and the Aurora Health Care Network. He has been a psychiatric consultant to several agencies in Metro Milwaukee. Presently he is the consultant for the Sexual Assault treatment center at the Aurora Sinai Samaritan Hospital, Dewey Center at the Aurora Psychiatric Hospital for treatment of Addictions and the Pastoral Counseling Services of Greater Milwaukee.

Trained in India, Great Britain and the US, he is interested in the emerging frontiers of Spirituality and Healing and the synapses of the Mind, Body, Soul and Spirit. He is author of several books including- Crossing the Healing Zone: From Illness to Wellness, Nicholas Hayes Inc. 2013, Path to the Soul, Weiser Books, 2000, Awaken the Slumbering Goddess: The Latent Code of the Hindu Goddess Archetypes, Booksurge Publishers, 2007, and the coauthor of Retire Your Family Karma, Nicholas-Hays, Inc. 2003, These and his other upcoming presentations can be previewed at his website www.pathtothesoul.com

 

He is the liaison person for the International Association of the Analytical Psychologists for developing Jungian training programs in India (www.iaap.org). He travels annually to India to teach, train the consult with the Jungian Centers that he led in establishing at several cities in India including Ahmedabad, Mumbai & Bangalore. He leads the annual “A Jungian Encounter with the Soul of India” study group to India under the auspices of the New York Jung Foundation.

He is the Co-Founder of the USA India Jung Foundation (www.uijf.org). The USA India Jung Foundation promotes educational and clinical activities in India and USA based on the principals of Carl Jung’s analytical psychology and Eastern spiritual and healing wisdom and traditions. It fosters clinical, medical, and educational exchange between professionals of the United States and India. These activities include educational activities directed both to professional and lay organizations in both countries to promote mental health education and prevention activities based on principals of analytical psychology and Eastern Spirituality. To support this  A 501(c)(3) Foundation and its charitable activities, kindly make your tax deductible contribution via the website: www.uijf.org