A few minutes walk from Dollis Hill tube, I arrive at the impressive Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKSWU) in London. This university, offering free courses and activities to inspire people to live positively and wisely, is one of 5400 in over 80 countries.
The Brahma Kumaris have welcomed almost a million regular visitors to experience the ancient Eastern principles of Raja Yoga and learn how to use this valuable self management philosopy in the hard nosed practical arena of our modern world.
More recently the Brahma Kumaris were in the news for launching Just-A-Minute (JAM) which is dedicated to 21st September, the International Day of Peace, as established by the United Nations. (Since the 70's the Brahma Kumaris have initiated many projects with the UN.)
The idea behind JAM is that everybody gives themselves the gift of taking one minute in their day to be silent.
On this occasion, I find myself in a large, bright, serene building, receiving patient warm greetings from smiling women dressed in white saris. I feel like I'm in India, first class, as I am led by Maureen to meet Dadi Janki, one of the original Brahma Kumaris and Co-Administrative Head of the BKWSU.
For the past 60 years the 90 year old Dadi Janki has tried to stay as close as possible to God whilst touring the world to speak to people, including many leaders, about peace, harmony, truth, potential and other aspects of one's spiritual self.
So many people love her, including, one of my loves, Ruby Wax, who said, "To me this woman is as deep, wise and egoless as it gets. She adheres to no formal religion, dogma or sect. Merely teaches you a method to open the heart and detach the mind..."
We meet in the room next to her simple zenlike bedroom - me, her and Maureen. I had prepared about twenty questions, even though I knew to be on my best spiritual behaviour and stay true to the moment.
What a delight the little old lady turned out to be - one question was all I needed to ask and for the next half hour I was floating in an ocean of wisdom which literally carried me to some euphoric isle.
"The essence of life is deep love of the heart," says Dadi Janki, sitting on the edge of a large comfortable chair, her bare feet on a footstool and one hand beckoning me to come as close as possible to her from my place on the adjacent sofa.
I am writing notes, listening to Maureen translating Dadi Janki to English, delighting in the Hindi and looking at Dadi too. There was a moment in all that juggling when I knew I could be stressed (why didn't I bring the dictaphone?!) but as soon as I looked into Dadi's eyes, which kept calling me, I felt safe, flowing, ok.
And the theme of what she chose to speak about was "let there not be any negativity...my mind is mine. Let me have true good feelings for myself and God. ..I am full of peace and purity."
So I made peace with my dictaphoneless situation, trusted in my hand to know how to write and gave myself up to Dadi's vision of our world. "There's sorrow, suppression and deceit, " she announced straightaway, "People are saying what is missing in my life? What is life? There is insecurity and fear."
And the way out of this confusion and sorrow, according to Janki, is when we go very deep inside ourselves.
"Everyone has the quality of self realisation. We need to pay attention to ourselves and ask, should I become like others or become free and help others?"
Freedom is key to the Brahma Kumaris' philosophy. Freedom begins by asking ourselves - What is our purpose? Am I happy? Am I a slave? The answer is at the Source - God.
"When the soul has a connection with God," Janki says, " there is light to the soul and you become free. Free from bondages and barrriers. In freedom you receive God's might."
The Brahma Kumaris believe that freedom can be had through meditation. But the kind of meditation they propose is so accesible to everyone - no mantras or sophisticated breathing techniques are necessary - just open eyed stillness and silence.
Meditation is a quiet mind, a relaxed state, positive thoughts, a loving heart, contentment and clarity, it is printed on one of the Brahma Kumaris' booklets, and silence, we are reminded, is priceless and yet costs nothing.
(If you need more scientific proof of the value of silence, the Brahma Kumaris also point out that silence slows down your heart rate and breathing, normalises your blood pressure, slows the ageing process and improves your immune function.)
Dadi Janki is not the first Brahma Kumari that I have met. And like the other sisters I have known, she liked to keep in mind the 'big picture.'
"The 2oth century has passed," she said, " We had Mother Teresa showing us compassion, Mandela for forgiveness, and Gandhi the power of non violence and truth. Now we are in the 21st century and human beings need to be elevated. To help make the change, away from falsehood, and towards cleaning ourselves so we can give to others."
Dadi sees the end of peacelessness and sorrow as people start to find peace within.
"The night is going and the day is coming," she said as tears welled in my eyes, inspired by being in the presence of somebody so at peace, tolerant and content.
Oh it all sounded so simple - good action leads to good fortune, elevated thoughts lead to elevated actions, Dadi Janki explained. And then in that characteristic Brahma Kumari practical-walk-your-talk way, she went on to prove her point.
Suddenly, some Hindi exchange, and another sister in white was in the room, handing things to Janki who was then piling these gifts into my lap. I got books and CDS, chocolates for my work colleagues, Indian sweets for my family, and a Swarovski crystal heart for me.
"You haven't had breakfast, have you?" she said, even though my tummy hadn't rumbled. And so, after a few photos, in which she mainly insisted on looking into my eyes, I was taken by Maureen to the dining room and given tea, toast and some sweet Indian delicacy.
Over breakfast I met two more Brahma Kumaris and clearly the happiness was flowing all around. I left the university, truly remembering, as I walked back to the tube, looking at a brilliant blue sky, (my first in the whole week in London,) I am a child of God and all I need to do is surrender to the goodness in Godliness.
I opened Dadi Janki's book Companion of God on a random page and read, "You are what you think. Love, purity, peace and wisdom/the more you think of these things/ the more you will become them...when you build a house, every brick counts/when you build character, every thought counts."