Hindu spiritual leader Deepakbhai Desai from India will be in Alabama to lead a regional conference promoting “self-realization” July 20-22 at the Helena Sports Complex.
Desai is a former mechanical engineer from Gujurat, India, who is the third leader of the Dada Bhagwan spiritual movement that promotes self-realization.
Desai previously visited Birmingham in 2012 and led a conference at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center in Pelham. This year’s conference has been moved to the Helena Sports Complex because a larger crowd of several hundred is expected from Alabama and surrounding states.
The conference is open to the public and free meals are provided. It’s not teaching the Hindu religion, but general spiritual concepts, said Madhu Shah, a member of the Hindu Temple and chairman of community services for the Share & Care Foundation.
“When your mind is clear, that leads to liberation,” Shah said.
Desai speaks about clearing the mind of anger, greed, deceit and pride by avoiding focus on material things.
“These are things that are corrupting the mind,” Shah said.
“What is the true self?” said Indra Soni, a member of the Hindu Temple and chairman of public relations for the Share & Care Foundation, which has no paid staff but distributes aid throughout the world. “The body is not the true self. It’s not permanent. It’s always changing. What we look at is temporary. The soul is the real self. It’s indestructible, eternal.”
Caring for the soul involves performing good deeds for others, Shah said.
“If I do good things, good things will stay with me,” he said.
The conference begins Monday at noon with lunch, followed by programs that continue through dinner at 8 p.m. The session opens Tuesday at 8 a.m. with breakfast and continues throughout the day with dinner at 9 p.m. On Wednesday, the program begins with breakfast at 8 a.m. and ends after a noon lunch.
Desai will speak in his native Gujurati language, but a translator will present his remarks in English.