If you are one with the Divine, it looks after you. It has all the powers. Only one power it doesn’t have - to control you. If you want to ruin yourself, it gives you freedom…It is a complete freedom to do what you like with yourself. That is one thing it has given and that’s why you must curb down that freedom and respect the Divine Power.
Shri Mataji
Taken from Divine Cool Breeze, 2009 issue 2, Volume 22, Number 2, Page 18
Showing posts with label Sahaja Yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sahaja Yoga. Show all posts
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Monday, August 31, 2009
Interview with Shri Mataji in Vienna
Interview with Shri Mataji in Vienna
What Shri Mataji did and continues to do relentlessly and tirelessly is helping to bring about our own personal transformation and to raise our awareness to a higher level.
Interview with Shri Mataji in Vienna. July 9, 1986
Those of us who have not heard or read about Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi could be surprised that the personality of such a stature has not reached their awareness before… And rightfully so – the impact of her work and her contribution to the well-being of humanity as a whole is hard to estimate.
What Shri Mataji did and continues to do relentlessly and tirelessly is helping to bring about our own personal transformation and to raise our awareness to a higher level.
Her discovery of a simple technique to trigger the awakening of the primordial energy, often referred to as “Kundalini“, within each human being has already transformed millions around the world and many more are to come. This simple technique transcends the heights of scientific discoveries and artistic achievements. It transforms our societies on the fundamental level, brings us back to our roots so our future development can be balanced, empowering and harmonious among ourselves and towards nature. It is not a book or a lecture – it is a living process which is waiting to happen within each and every one of us.
Knowledgeable in science, art, politics, economics, sociology, medicine, Shri Mataji maintains that peace in our societies can only be brought about through discovering peace within ourselves. After thousands of lectures and programs, Shri Mataji is leaving us a treasure of knowledge so vast and profound that generations to come will draw wisdom and inspiration from her words. Like a magician with a gentle movement of her wand, she left us examples of what to aspire to. Yet, her ultimate magic, the awakening of our Kundalini energy, leaves us speechless about her greatest stature.
1. Can you speak about your whole life?
I’m a story teller (Shri Mataji laughs) It is something like an autobiography.
2. Can you describe the circumstances during your childhood?
I belong to a family of very enlightened people. My father was a linguist and he was master of fourteen languages. He knew about 26 languages and he translated even Koransharif into Hindi language. My mother was in those days, was a honors in mathematics. So both they were very well-educated and enlightened people.
At the time of my birth my mother dreamed something which she could not explain. But after that she had a great desire to go and see a tiger in the open field. My father was a great hunter, because tigers were a menace in the area where we were living. It was a hill-station called Chindwara. So there was a king who was very much interested in my father.
Somehow or another a letter came that there is a tiger, very big tiger and they are frightened of him that he might be a maneater. So my father took my mother and moved to that place. And they were sitting in what we call as a Machan. Where they built something for people to sit on top of a tree, from where they can shoot nicely. And then my mother tells me that a big huge tiger, of very big size, very beautifully appeared on the field and she felt tremendous love for the tiger.
It was a full moon day and she felt extremely compassionate towards the tiger and when my father raised his gun to shoot, she stopped and she wouldn’t allow him. The tiger went away and he never came to that forest again.
But that made my father think, because he himself is a realized soul. That must be somebody what we call a goddess Durga, who is fond of the tiger must be born to my mother, because the symptoms where rather funny that the lady should like to see a tiger. So he told my mother: “Now are you satisfied?” Because they were struggling with the gun. He said: “Is there of Durga sitting in your womb, that you are trying to protect a tiger?” She said: “Yes, yes stop it now, I won’t allow you!”.
Shri Mataji with her family
Like that there were many incidents in my life, because I am of a Christian family, Protestants and when I was born my mother didn’t feel any labour-pains or anything just I was born. She did not know how and I had no blood on my body, nothing. I was clean washed that is why they called me as Nirmala.
But my grandmother said that she should be called as Nishkalanka. That means the one which has no spots on her. But that is the name of a man. So they said alright we call her Nirmala meaning the same – Immaculate.
Now all these incidents. And then my father, being a realized soul, he felt tremendous vibrations from me and he felt that this life is great and that she will do something great in this life. I do not know why, but I don’t know if he dreamed or he understood it, but all the time if I remember when he talked to me, he used to say that: “You have to find out the way of giving “en mass” realisation all the time.
As I told you, he was a great scholar of so many things and a very wide read man, so he gave me a good education in religion, in different religions, and also a good education about human beings. What are their problems? Why did they act like this? Why don’t they take to God? Why are they hypocritical? All kind of things he talked to me.
He also knew about Kundalini. But not so much. Of course when I was born, I knew all about Kundalini myself. I knew all about it, from my very childhood. So I was a very aware person – extremely aware. I did not know how to talk to, because – you see – people did not have that awareness, you can’t talk to everyone like that.
So I was regarded as a very joyful person at the same time very serious also, very deep and then I started my studies as a child. I was not very much interested in the studies, though I used to do them very well. But I used to read lives of great men and things like that.
At a very young age I read Bernard Shaw. When people were reading their expectations I was reading Bernard Shaw. But as such I did not have any interest in particular, in reading some text books, because I thought they were childish and there was nothing to be read about it. Then I told my father that I have to do medicine. So he said: “Why?” I said: “Because I have to talk to doctors.” He said: “You have to talk to doctors?” “Yes!”, I said.
Shri Mataji lived in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi when she was 7.
But it so happened in my childhood, when I was about 7 years of age. My father was a congressman, he had joined congress when I was 4 years of age. He used to live with a style very westernized – you see. He threw away everything and became a real Indian and started leading a life of a martial. Then he made us study our languages, Sanskrit he made us study in an Indian school not in a missionary school.
Because missionary is very, very unkind. They threw us out of the school, when my father was in the congress. They were against us completely. Then at the age of seven years, I happened to go with my father to Mahatma Gandhi. He was about 70 miles living with us. But the first time he took me down and Mahatma Gandhi, he liked me very much. He said: “Leave this child here!”
So I had not taken clothes or anything to stay there and my father sent to me everything. And he was very fond of me. But I was a little girl. But he understood that there was something about me. He consulted me on very serious problems sometimes, surprisingly. Like one day he wanted to make me a prayer-book alright, so he asked me: “How should I put these series and all that.” So I told him, how to put the series and he put the series in that way.
I used to go back for my school and again to go back to Gandhiji. Every year like that. And he called me Nepali. He gave me a name “Nepali”. Everybody used to call me Nepali that time. Then I grew up with him very intimately, he was a very, very kind person for children.
Otherwise an extremely strict man, with himself and with others, very strict. A big disciplined man. And he would make everybody get up at 4 o’clock, have your baths everything be ready for your morning prayers at 5 o’clock – you see – and he used to walk very fast. I also learned walking fast with him. In his company I had to walk fast.
And he had been extremely loving and a very nice person. And he would listen to me, because I was a child. Supposing I had forced him to eat more or something then he would have laughed and accepted. Very kind person.
But with others, he was very strict and I used to tell him that: “Why are you strict with them too much?” He said: “But you are a little girl, you got up in the morning, why can’t they get up?” I said: “I am little, that’s why I get up, they are big, so they can’t get up.” Like that you see a little child.
Then my father went to jail and my mother also went to jail five times. My father went to jail twice. Once for about two and a half years and he was the only supporting member of the family. By the way we came from a very old royal family, which is called as Shalivahanas. They have a calender also in India.
And then, when they took my father to jail we had to leave our house and we had to live in huts and had all kind of problems. But also me, they pestered a lot because I helped many people there. I joined effort to movement and in a very serious way I became the leader there. But we were young people.
I thought unless and until I take a very positive stand, it may not work out with them. It is not gracious to say how they tortured me. What they did to me. But they really tortured me. I was a young girl of nineteen years that time. It is over now, so it is finished. After that my father went to jail again and then when he came back, he got elected as the member of the central assembly, later on as the constructor of the assembly and then of the parliament.
My brother was also member of the parliament later on, now recently he was the minister in the cabinet. Another brother is a high-court judge in Bombay. They are all doing well despite the fact, that our parents neglected us in a way, because they gave their lives to the country, but that never deterred as from studies and we came up very well.
When I was in 1942 two movement my college justicabled me from the college and threw me out and I had to go to another college to study far away from my house. Then I studied for two years science. Then I did my medical. I didn’t do fully, because just after that the 1947 riots broke out. So college was closed and I did not want to know more, because what I wanted to know, I think to know about it. So I did not need, and I got married.
Sir C.P. Srivastava - Husband of Shri Mataji
You must have heard my husband work is now the secretary in general of the International Maritime Organization. He held very high positions. He was also secretary to Shastri who was our prime minister, who was another very great man. But he did not survive long. If he had survived things would have been different, I think, for our country, because he was a Gandhian, out and out Gandhian.
I mean he lived like an ideal Gandhian personality. So that’s how my life went on. But inner being was still seeking the way and methods of giving “en mass” realization.
My father said: “Before you do not develop this technique of giving “en mass” realization do not talk about religion. Let nobody know that you know anything about it, because they will crucify you or….” He was rather worried that people won’t understand, or you may write another Bible or Gita – no use.
First of all you must give them realization. If they get their realization then they will realize that there is something about it, about this human awareness. For example, he always used to give an analogy. Supposing we are born on the tenth storey and everybody is on the ground. You must at least make them climb two storeys so they know that there is something above. Otherwise no use talking about it.
And he said: “This is the mistake between the saints and the incarnations was, that they never realized that these people are still on the ground. They have to still enter into the medium. So that is what you have to be very careful that first of all you must give realization to them.”
So I was seeking the ways and methods, working it out inside myself through my own style of meditation in the sense that I would work out all the permutations and combinations and when I met one person then I would see what problems that person had, how you can overcome it, like that I would try to study that person internally.
And I went to many people to find out, but I found they were great hypocrites. I saw so many of these Gurus, most of them. When I saw them, I was surprised they were all hypocrites. Money making and also. I went to Rash Neesh also to see him and he said that I should come to his program. I did not know what sort of man, because he was talking about Gita and I thought he might be knowing something about it.
I went there but my husband said: “No, I won’t allow you to go to this program. So he arranged his own…….. There I could see all the things which were going on. And that is the day somehow or another I said: “I must open the last chakra!” So the last chakra was opened and I saw the Kundalini, which is the primordial force within us, which is the Holy Ghost within us, rising, like a telescope opening out. And then I saw the whole thing open and a big torrential rain of beams started flowing through my head all over.
I felt I am lost, I am no more, there it’s only the grace is there, that is there. I saw it completely happening to me. But I was amazed that when I went to Rash Neesh, because he forgot even to say good bye, because he never realized what had happened or anything, so I was surprised, I said: “This man doesn’t know anything about God!” and then I discovered that they are all hypocrites and they are telling lies.
So in 1970, 5th of May this happened and just after that we had a very big lecture in Carnagy Hall. This is a very big hall and thousands of people had come and I told them very frankly that these are all thugs and hypocrites, some of them are demonic, some are evil people. I told their names everything. I told them: “Do not go near them!” There were some foreigners also.
And there were so many others whom I told these things very clearly and they got frightened. They said: “You should not say like this. They will come and murder you.” But nobody did anything and nobody even went to the courts. And that’s how they try to bring bad name to me. They paid money to the newspapers to publish things against me, because I said: “You cannot pay money!” So they thought that I was trying to harm them by saying such a thing that you can’t take money in the name of God.
If it is a job you can do it, but Gods work is not a job. And the struggle started from the day I started giving realization. And I started with one lady who got realization first. Then we got about twelve people who got realization. In two years got only about 14 people realization. Then gradually when 14 people got realization then many others started getting realization.
Six of the first seven Western Sahaja Yogis
But I started also curing people, because that was helping a lot. Then my husband got elected to this post and we had to come to London.
So when I came to London we had one program. So the Indians abroad are not so much interested in God, they are more interested in money. So none of the Indians stayed there. They all run away and only the foreigners who were there, were about seven hippies and so I had to work on them – seven hippies – for four years I was working on them to give them the realization. They were difficult, their liver was bad, their head was off, terrible time. But in between I used to go to India.
And in India also the work was done. For three month always I have been in India. So we started working in the villages, specially surprisingly were my forefathers were ruling in that area. There we started moving in a very big way. And there then we started taking the people from India.
And some people came from Australia to India, like that and the work started moving in those directions. Gradually the work improved and people found that this is the way we can transform ourselves. Many people were taking drugs, or alcoholics or mad people all kinds of people. They felt better and they got cured. It was established that Sahaja Yoga is something very important.
Now, when I travel all over the world first my husband used to pay for everything, wherever I went he had to pay – any expenses he used to do for me. Gradually now this people pay for my travel, but otherwise they do not have to pay for anything else. That is how we started our work. There was lot of opposition and the media-people would never understand it. Because it was not such a sensation as you can say, nothing to people feel exited but in a way it is a very great thing, because this is the solution of the whole world, one should try to do it.
Then we had very great people who came to Sahaja Yoga, like we can say the main high court judge, who is now the president, who has given Nicaragua some judgment and many lawyers and even barrister. We have one barrister here from Algeria and doctors and then they took over and they started helping me out how to propagate Sahaja Yoga.
A public program in India
But it was a difficult task in the west. Of course in India it is spreading very fast in the villages, but the city people in India also the people are westernized and they will start analyzing. They don’t know much about our past, they don’t know anything about our heritage that we have our Kundalini.
But some people do know about Self-realization. But these Gurus could not stick on in India because nobody would accept them. So they all run away abroad. And that was something a blessing for me also, because I did not have to fight them there. And it started working out and then people found that it helps in every way and they found so many miracles about it and that’s how Sahaja Yoga was settled quite a lot.
But still I would say that we have not been to certain countries so far and in the west, I would say that so much work has to be done there, because as soon as you start any work in any place first of all they want me to cure people and to help them with cure. Now if I pay attention more to that then the main work is to create doctors out of everyone that is neglected then you become unpopular. They think: “Oh, she’s not sympathetic”, this and that.
But now as we have everybody can cure now everyone. I don’t cure anyone directly. But they don’t like it, they want I should be there and their ego to be pampered and all these things are there, it’s rather difficult. We are not running any lecture like we should please others, sort of things, not that, but whatever is reality. If a person has intelligence, pure intelligence, he can see that this is something very different.
And for that one has to understand that you cannot force on anyone that you get your realization in the same way you cannot force me that I give you realization, because if does not work, it does not work, it’s such a living force. And that upsets them very soon. I feel that the way this industrial revolution has come in the west. People have lost their knowings perhaps they are so confused with all these gurus coming down here confusing them and all kind of new things coming. They don’t know where to look.
Unless and until you get your evolution completed. Unless and until you reach that absolute state of understanding the chaos will remain.
So one has to try to get to that. But one must understand: You cannot pay for it. There is no effort. After getting realization they feel so satisfied, they forget about it. But after that you must know how to give it to others. As Christ has said: “The light which is enlightened you do not put it under the table!”
That’s how what happens that, though I give realization to some hundred people, only out of them five, six will come forward to help us out. But still I must say, a lot of work has been done. Especially Austria. I am very proud of Austria, and the way they have never given me any problem, never – very good people have come out of Austria. Very balanced, level headed people. Very level headed.
They are not extremists, they don’t go to extremes, so there is no fanaticism about them. They are sensible people. And something so lucky that Austria was found out. Because I never expected that in Austria there will be so many people. But somehow – like water finds it’s own level, Sahaja Yoga finds its own level. We just come down to Austria. We haven’t been to Norway, to Sweden, to Denmark, Finland. I visited those places, because of my husbands job but I have not …….
Now we have sixteen centers in Australia. And Australia is a very progressive Sahaja Yoga thing. We have got schools now there. They are running schools and the teachers are extremely well-behaved and visionaries and they look after the children very well. The government people sent somebody for observation and they have remarked that whatever they proclaim that’s what they manifest. And they have given good certificates to us.
But the greatest achievement on the outward life is this that Cambridge University has accepted Sahaja Yoga for research work with respect. By one doctor Lee who is doing the research about Sahaja Yoga in Cambridge University – he is already doctor. And there is another great thing has happened in Delhi University that the Delhi University has accepted that a person can do, only a doctor can do a P.H.D. of we can say a doctorat in Sahaja Yoga and he gets the highest degree, called the doctor of medicine. And perhaps after some time they will allow anyone to do that. This is about the medicine part of it.
Shri Mataji experimented with sunflowers in her farmhouse in Pune, in the late 1980’s, and produced tremendously big ones, more than 12 inches in diameter. They were very heavy and gave on the average 250 mm. of oil. This was reported in the newspaper. The photo shows Shri Mataji with the outsize sunflowers.
In agriculture we have done lots of research by say, we have somebody here, an expert of agriculture. He has also done a lot of research and he found out that with vibrations he started after realization. If you vibrate the water and if you water the plants with that then sometimes you might get even ten times more breed that’s what they did in India. In one of the agriculture universities. But here also they found out that there is tremendous difference between the growth of an ordinary plant.
Another thing that I found out in agriculture that if you give vibrations, then even an ordinary cow can give lot of milk. But if you have hybrid cows than you see it’s not good for the brain, because a person who takes hybrid milk also, gets hybrid. I mean his brain gets little wobbly. So better to have a pure milk from a cow which is not been put to this kind of an experimentation.
Moreover food also, if you eat hybrid food it’s not very good for us, for that spoils our nerves I think. But ordinary seeds you cannot use, because they have weakened and they cannot reproduce. So, when we vibrate them, they produce very well, just like – better than even sometimes hybrid things and the food tastes very well, and it doesn’t give those complications.
So this can help in agriculture in India and the government has allotied us a lot of land where we are going now to experiment and we are going to start experimentation there to show that how we can use this. But many farmers who are Sahaja Yogis have done a lot of job and they have discovered that even animals and this what you call farming, everything is helped very much by vibrations.
So it improves the lives of people. We have on the other side, social side, I can tell you that we have marriages, international marriages. We arrange international marriages between people, they have to know each other and they are together and first of all they are together for one and half month with us on the tour.
They can see each other and the marriages are fixed and we have seen that such marriages are extremely successful. 99 % marriages are successful. Once in a while maybe a mishap but mostly there are no divorces that take place. Once in a while, if it’s not successful we have no objections to divorce also.
But mostly they are successful and they get children who are very intelligent and who are themselves born-realized children mostly. So the problem is much less and the family life improves. The quality of life is 1000 times better. People are very joyous, happy, they do not complain and they enjoy life and they give to others. They share what joy they have.
3. What do you think are the important points in the education of children? What is important to be given to the children?
First if they get realization. If they are already born realized no problem, but if they have been given their realization then they will start to see things from a different level. They become the Spirit. So their self respect awakens. Such children behave in a very dignified manner. They talk in a very elderly manner. They see solutions of all kinds and they are tremendous beings. But we have to guide them properly by our own behaviour.
Shri Mataji with children
How we behave, the greatest thing is how we behave that’s how the children like. We put the children to some tests how they are. We find out if they have any physical problems, we cure them. If they have mental problems we cure them. If they have any other problems, social problems or anything, we try to help them out. So that basically if a human being is alright in childhood then fundamentals are alright for the child.
The foundation is laid down then to build a child up in a good quality is not difficult. So now we find like great artists are there. There are great musicians. At a very young age, they have started playing violin. I mean suddenly they have become dynamic also and very humble. They are very humble and self respected and very well behaved.
Surprising how the atmosphere is and how it works out. And the other day a lady asked me about the women then I told her that a woman’s power as a mother is very great. She felt hurt about it and I did not mean that you should be just a mother. She is a mother, means she is compassionate. She is kind. She is not aggressive like men. That is a very big quality that is a very big power in a woman, that’s what I was suggesting. That that is what we have to have. Is not to compete with men. This is Madness. To compete with men, and to go about like that.
So we have to understand that life has to be enjoyable. Life should be a blessing, not to be a misery. We create our own miseries by these false ideas by our own conflictions, we have in our mind mental projections we have in our mind or our own obstinacy, whatever it is. All these things can be cured if you take to Sahaja Yoga, because you become a balanced person, level headed, mild person and you become a witness. The whole thing becomes like a show, like a drama and you become fearless, you start seeing the whole thing like a drama. This is what a human being has to achieve.
We talk of peace, we talk of no war, we talk of many things like this, atomic bomb, this and that. All that is not going to work out. Only what is going to work out is the transformation of human beings. If the human beings are transformed things will work out absolutely first class. Not only that, but that they will enjoy the bliss of life.
We are missing the point all together. This is a very important thing that human beings must say one thing: “What have you achieved out of all this?” Just for a minute to stop and think.
4. What are the causes of illness?
The physical, mental, emotional, all illnesses are caused by the imbalances that live within us. By our extreme behaviour. And supposing, say now cancer. Cancer is caused by the over activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Supposing a person is a very sad person, he cries and weeps and all the time feels guilty and thinks he is the worst person ever born. He has committed so many sins and all sorts of nonsense. Then he goes to the left side, according to us, and crosses over to the collective subconscious area and there, according to us, what they call as Protein 58 and Protein 52.
Doctors call it that way, but we call it as the dead souls. They exist there and they catch hold of you and they trigger the cancer. But supposing by any chance you can bring the attention fully away from that in the centre. You can get cured. So it is the centres within us which are subtle, which are basically seven centres. There are many others, but basically seven. If you can put them right you cannot have any sickness or illness of any kind.
5. Can you explain. You said, that your parents supported you very much in your learning and in your studies? Is it correct?
Yes, of course!
6. Is it normal that the parents support their child in a form like this?
In India all parents support their child.
7. And you can learn everything what you want to?
Yes, yes, I mean that is true. But the basic thing is: Parents are very benevolent to their children, very kind to their children. And to them the child’s education, the child’s upbringing and the child’s life is very important. That’s why we know they are so we depend on them, they look after us and they are very wise people. They sacrifice everything for us. So whatever they say, we think it’s nice and by doing this, we have not lost anything so far.
In India if you find Indian children, when they came abroad they always stop. They are very obedient children and they behave very well. We don’t have all this problem. Teenage-problem, homosexuality, we don’t know even these problems. Because we are so close with the parents all the time. They all the time watch us we don’t have drug problems. None of these – only in the cities little bit it happens and it disappears. Because parents are all the time with their children. They live together, the whole family lives together.
And not only with the parents, but all the relations and all the people in the village and in the city everyone knows each other. Such a joyful system we have, that we do not normally fall, sort of go to wrong ways and methods and we do not become obstinate also.
8. But you grew up in a Christian family! It’s not a normal situation that Indian people are Christian?
Yes, I know, I was born in a Christian family deliberately, because I personally think that protestants are the greatest fanatics. They are very sophisticated, their fanaticism is in their brain. Nobody can make them out that they have fanaticism, that they are very great fanatics, the greatest of all. But that times were very enlightened people they understood Christ very well.
They say, I told you about Paul when I was ….. First time I took the Bible in the hand and I asked my father: “Who is this Paul?” He said: “It’s an imprudor, forget it, don’t believe him at all.” So they understood all these things very well because my father was a realized soul like Khalil Gibran.
If you read Khalil Gibran he says the same thing about Paul, the same thing. So if you are an enlightened person you see the essence of everything. Whatever religion you are born, you don’t ignore any other religion, you try to learn about other religion and then you find the essence is the same in every religion.
What is there to fight? And that’s how you belong to no religion, you belong to every religion that’s what happens. But my parents were very enlightened people I must say, and I was very lucky to choose them as my parents.
9. You have been an enlightened child – is it correct?
Yes, I have been born as an enlightened child.
10. You don’t feel sometimes very lonesome, because all the others are different?
No, No. If you know how to share with others. Actually I was like a mother to them from my very childhood. When my father and mother went to jail, I was about 5 1/2 years of age. So I had all the duties of the house in my little frock and I used to get all the duties like the grandmother. I never felt lost. My life on the whole is very collective on temperament I am extremely collective. I can live anywhere, I can sleep anywhere and I can live in the jungles, I have no problems or that I am extremely collective.
I was expressing my temperament from very childhood. I was very friendly with all the people from that area where we were living and my mother was known as Nirmala’s mother. Father was known as Nirmala’s father. So they said: “We have lost our identity because of her.”
So I was a very friendly person. I never felt lonely and when I am with myself I am never lonely at all. I enjoy myself very much.
11. When you have been to that ashram with Gandhi. What were your impression, you remember about Gandhi?
Oh, Gandhiji was a tremendous man and I used to learn a lot from him. He was not at all hypocrite that’s one thing. And he was not like politicians who say something do something wrong. He was very outspoken and always he put himself on the testing point. And he used to confess if he made mistakes immediately. One very great incident I remember when I was a small child. They were having a meeting together and we girls were there sitting, only giving them water and things to all the people. People were there like Jawaherlal Nehru and Mollana Azad. All these people were sitting there. They were discussing something and then suddenly Mahatmaji Gandhiji said: “I was very late, we will have lunch here.” So they said: “Yes we will have lunch here.”
They had to go to the guest house which was far away. So Mahatmaji Gandhiji asked for “Baa”. She had gone out. So he got up, he had a key with him always of the store-room, he opened the store and he asked the people who were in charge of cooking to measure everything according to the people there are, properly everything. And then they measured it out everything was done.
Then he put the key back and then he went and sat there nicely. So these people said: “Bapu, we did not know you have to take so much troubles. You see to go all the way and looking for her. It didn’t take much time, about 15 minutes, but still. So he said: “What do you think?” This is the blood of my country, I cannot allow it to be wasted.
http://www.freemeditation.ca/news/2009/06/24/interview-with-shri-mataji-in-vienna/
What Shri Mataji did and continues to do relentlessly and tirelessly is helping to bring about our own personal transformation and to raise our awareness to a higher level.
Interview with Shri Mataji in Vienna. July 9, 1986
Those of us who have not heard or read about Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi could be surprised that the personality of such a stature has not reached their awareness before… And rightfully so – the impact of her work and her contribution to the well-being of humanity as a whole is hard to estimate.
What Shri Mataji did and continues to do relentlessly and tirelessly is helping to bring about our own personal transformation and to raise our awareness to a higher level.
Her discovery of a simple technique to trigger the awakening of the primordial energy, often referred to as “Kundalini“, within each human being has already transformed millions around the world and many more are to come. This simple technique transcends the heights of scientific discoveries and artistic achievements. It transforms our societies on the fundamental level, brings us back to our roots so our future development can be balanced, empowering and harmonious among ourselves and towards nature. It is not a book or a lecture – it is a living process which is waiting to happen within each and every one of us.
Knowledgeable in science, art, politics, economics, sociology, medicine, Shri Mataji maintains that peace in our societies can only be brought about through discovering peace within ourselves. After thousands of lectures and programs, Shri Mataji is leaving us a treasure of knowledge so vast and profound that generations to come will draw wisdom and inspiration from her words. Like a magician with a gentle movement of her wand, she left us examples of what to aspire to. Yet, her ultimate magic, the awakening of our Kundalini energy, leaves us speechless about her greatest stature.
1. Can you speak about your whole life?
I’m a story teller (Shri Mataji laughs) It is something like an autobiography.
2. Can you describe the circumstances during your childhood?
I belong to a family of very enlightened people. My father was a linguist and he was master of fourteen languages. He knew about 26 languages and he translated even Koransharif into Hindi language. My mother was in those days, was a honors in mathematics. So both they were very well-educated and enlightened people.
At the time of my birth my mother dreamed something which she could not explain. But after that she had a great desire to go and see a tiger in the open field. My father was a great hunter, because tigers were a menace in the area where we were living. It was a hill-station called Chindwara. So there was a king who was very much interested in my father.
Somehow or another a letter came that there is a tiger, very big tiger and they are frightened of him that he might be a maneater. So my father took my mother and moved to that place. And they were sitting in what we call as a Machan. Where they built something for people to sit on top of a tree, from where they can shoot nicely. And then my mother tells me that a big huge tiger, of very big size, very beautifully appeared on the field and she felt tremendous love for the tiger.
It was a full moon day and she felt extremely compassionate towards the tiger and when my father raised his gun to shoot, she stopped and she wouldn’t allow him. The tiger went away and he never came to that forest again.
But that made my father think, because he himself is a realized soul. That must be somebody what we call a goddess Durga, who is fond of the tiger must be born to my mother, because the symptoms where rather funny that the lady should like to see a tiger. So he told my mother: “Now are you satisfied?” Because they were struggling with the gun. He said: “Is there of Durga sitting in your womb, that you are trying to protect a tiger?” She said: “Yes, yes stop it now, I won’t allow you!”.
Shri Mataji with her family
Like that there were many incidents in my life, because I am of a Christian family, Protestants and when I was born my mother didn’t feel any labour-pains or anything just I was born. She did not know how and I had no blood on my body, nothing. I was clean washed that is why they called me as Nirmala.
But my grandmother said that she should be called as Nishkalanka. That means the one which has no spots on her. But that is the name of a man. So they said alright we call her Nirmala meaning the same – Immaculate.
Now all these incidents. And then my father, being a realized soul, he felt tremendous vibrations from me and he felt that this life is great and that she will do something great in this life. I do not know why, but I don’t know if he dreamed or he understood it, but all the time if I remember when he talked to me, he used to say that: “You have to find out the way of giving “en mass” realisation all the time.
As I told you, he was a great scholar of so many things and a very wide read man, so he gave me a good education in religion, in different religions, and also a good education about human beings. What are their problems? Why did they act like this? Why don’t they take to God? Why are they hypocritical? All kind of things he talked to me.
He also knew about Kundalini. But not so much. Of course when I was born, I knew all about Kundalini myself. I knew all about it, from my very childhood. So I was a very aware person – extremely aware. I did not know how to talk to, because – you see – people did not have that awareness, you can’t talk to everyone like that.
So I was regarded as a very joyful person at the same time very serious also, very deep and then I started my studies as a child. I was not very much interested in the studies, though I used to do them very well. But I used to read lives of great men and things like that.
At a very young age I read Bernard Shaw. When people were reading their expectations I was reading Bernard Shaw. But as such I did not have any interest in particular, in reading some text books, because I thought they were childish and there was nothing to be read about it. Then I told my father that I have to do medicine. So he said: “Why?” I said: “Because I have to talk to doctors.” He said: “You have to talk to doctors?” “Yes!”, I said.
Shri Mataji lived in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi when she was 7.
But it so happened in my childhood, when I was about 7 years of age. My father was a congressman, he had joined congress when I was 4 years of age. He used to live with a style very westernized – you see. He threw away everything and became a real Indian and started leading a life of a martial. Then he made us study our languages, Sanskrit he made us study in an Indian school not in a missionary school.
Because missionary is very, very unkind. They threw us out of the school, when my father was in the congress. They were against us completely. Then at the age of seven years, I happened to go with my father to Mahatma Gandhi. He was about 70 miles living with us. But the first time he took me down and Mahatma Gandhi, he liked me very much. He said: “Leave this child here!”
So I had not taken clothes or anything to stay there and my father sent to me everything. And he was very fond of me. But I was a little girl. But he understood that there was something about me. He consulted me on very serious problems sometimes, surprisingly. Like one day he wanted to make me a prayer-book alright, so he asked me: “How should I put these series and all that.” So I told him, how to put the series and he put the series in that way.
I used to go back for my school and again to go back to Gandhiji. Every year like that. And he called me Nepali. He gave me a name “Nepali”. Everybody used to call me Nepali that time. Then I grew up with him very intimately, he was a very, very kind person for children.
Otherwise an extremely strict man, with himself and with others, very strict. A big disciplined man. And he would make everybody get up at 4 o’clock, have your baths everything be ready for your morning prayers at 5 o’clock – you see – and he used to walk very fast. I also learned walking fast with him. In his company I had to walk fast.
And he had been extremely loving and a very nice person. And he would listen to me, because I was a child. Supposing I had forced him to eat more or something then he would have laughed and accepted. Very kind person.
But with others, he was very strict and I used to tell him that: “Why are you strict with them too much?” He said: “But you are a little girl, you got up in the morning, why can’t they get up?” I said: “I am little, that’s why I get up, they are big, so they can’t get up.” Like that you see a little child.
Then my father went to jail and my mother also went to jail five times. My father went to jail twice. Once for about two and a half years and he was the only supporting member of the family. By the way we came from a very old royal family, which is called as Shalivahanas. They have a calender also in India.
And then, when they took my father to jail we had to leave our house and we had to live in huts and had all kind of problems. But also me, they pestered a lot because I helped many people there. I joined effort to movement and in a very serious way I became the leader there. But we were young people.
I thought unless and until I take a very positive stand, it may not work out with them. It is not gracious to say how they tortured me. What they did to me. But they really tortured me. I was a young girl of nineteen years that time. It is over now, so it is finished. After that my father went to jail again and then when he came back, he got elected as the member of the central assembly, later on as the constructor of the assembly and then of the parliament.
My brother was also member of the parliament later on, now recently he was the minister in the cabinet. Another brother is a high-court judge in Bombay. They are all doing well despite the fact, that our parents neglected us in a way, because they gave their lives to the country, but that never deterred as from studies and we came up very well.
When I was in 1942 two movement my college justicabled me from the college and threw me out and I had to go to another college to study far away from my house. Then I studied for two years science. Then I did my medical. I didn’t do fully, because just after that the 1947 riots broke out. So college was closed and I did not want to know more, because what I wanted to know, I think to know about it. So I did not need, and I got married.
Sir C.P. Srivastava - Husband of Shri Mataji
You must have heard my husband work is now the secretary in general of the International Maritime Organization. He held very high positions. He was also secretary to Shastri who was our prime minister, who was another very great man. But he did not survive long. If he had survived things would have been different, I think, for our country, because he was a Gandhian, out and out Gandhian.
I mean he lived like an ideal Gandhian personality. So that’s how my life went on. But inner being was still seeking the way and methods of giving “en mass” realization.
My father said: “Before you do not develop this technique of giving “en mass” realization do not talk about religion. Let nobody know that you know anything about it, because they will crucify you or….” He was rather worried that people won’t understand, or you may write another Bible or Gita – no use.
First of all you must give them realization. If they get their realization then they will realize that there is something about it, about this human awareness. For example, he always used to give an analogy. Supposing we are born on the tenth storey and everybody is on the ground. You must at least make them climb two storeys so they know that there is something above. Otherwise no use talking about it.
And he said: “This is the mistake between the saints and the incarnations was, that they never realized that these people are still on the ground. They have to still enter into the medium. So that is what you have to be very careful that first of all you must give realization to them.”
So I was seeking the ways and methods, working it out inside myself through my own style of meditation in the sense that I would work out all the permutations and combinations and when I met one person then I would see what problems that person had, how you can overcome it, like that I would try to study that person internally.
And I went to many people to find out, but I found they were great hypocrites. I saw so many of these Gurus, most of them. When I saw them, I was surprised they were all hypocrites. Money making and also. I went to Rash Neesh also to see him and he said that I should come to his program. I did not know what sort of man, because he was talking about Gita and I thought he might be knowing something about it.
I went there but my husband said: “No, I won’t allow you to go to this program. So he arranged his own…….. There I could see all the things which were going on. And that is the day somehow or another I said: “I must open the last chakra!” So the last chakra was opened and I saw the Kundalini, which is the primordial force within us, which is the Holy Ghost within us, rising, like a telescope opening out. And then I saw the whole thing open and a big torrential rain of beams started flowing through my head all over.
I felt I am lost, I am no more, there it’s only the grace is there, that is there. I saw it completely happening to me. But I was amazed that when I went to Rash Neesh, because he forgot even to say good bye, because he never realized what had happened or anything, so I was surprised, I said: “This man doesn’t know anything about God!” and then I discovered that they are all hypocrites and they are telling lies.
So in 1970, 5th of May this happened and just after that we had a very big lecture in Carnagy Hall. This is a very big hall and thousands of people had come and I told them very frankly that these are all thugs and hypocrites, some of them are demonic, some are evil people. I told their names everything. I told them: “Do not go near them!” There were some foreigners also.
And there were so many others whom I told these things very clearly and they got frightened. They said: “You should not say like this. They will come and murder you.” But nobody did anything and nobody even went to the courts. And that’s how they try to bring bad name to me. They paid money to the newspapers to publish things against me, because I said: “You cannot pay money!” So they thought that I was trying to harm them by saying such a thing that you can’t take money in the name of God.
If it is a job you can do it, but Gods work is not a job. And the struggle started from the day I started giving realization. And I started with one lady who got realization first. Then we got about twelve people who got realization. In two years got only about 14 people realization. Then gradually when 14 people got realization then many others started getting realization.
Six of the first seven Western Sahaja Yogis
But I started also curing people, because that was helping a lot. Then my husband got elected to this post and we had to come to London.
So when I came to London we had one program. So the Indians abroad are not so much interested in God, they are more interested in money. So none of the Indians stayed there. They all run away and only the foreigners who were there, were about seven hippies and so I had to work on them – seven hippies – for four years I was working on them to give them the realization. They were difficult, their liver was bad, their head was off, terrible time. But in between I used to go to India.
And in India also the work was done. For three month always I have been in India. So we started working in the villages, specially surprisingly were my forefathers were ruling in that area. There we started moving in a very big way. And there then we started taking the people from India.
And some people came from Australia to India, like that and the work started moving in those directions. Gradually the work improved and people found that this is the way we can transform ourselves. Many people were taking drugs, or alcoholics or mad people all kinds of people. They felt better and they got cured. It was established that Sahaja Yoga is something very important.
Now, when I travel all over the world first my husband used to pay for everything, wherever I went he had to pay – any expenses he used to do for me. Gradually now this people pay for my travel, but otherwise they do not have to pay for anything else. That is how we started our work. There was lot of opposition and the media-people would never understand it. Because it was not such a sensation as you can say, nothing to people feel exited but in a way it is a very great thing, because this is the solution of the whole world, one should try to do it.
Then we had very great people who came to Sahaja Yoga, like we can say the main high court judge, who is now the president, who has given Nicaragua some judgment and many lawyers and even barrister. We have one barrister here from Algeria and doctors and then they took over and they started helping me out how to propagate Sahaja Yoga.
A public program in India
But it was a difficult task in the west. Of course in India it is spreading very fast in the villages, but the city people in India also the people are westernized and they will start analyzing. They don’t know much about our past, they don’t know anything about our heritage that we have our Kundalini.
But some people do know about Self-realization. But these Gurus could not stick on in India because nobody would accept them. So they all run away abroad. And that was something a blessing for me also, because I did not have to fight them there. And it started working out and then people found that it helps in every way and they found so many miracles about it and that’s how Sahaja Yoga was settled quite a lot.
But still I would say that we have not been to certain countries so far and in the west, I would say that so much work has to be done there, because as soon as you start any work in any place first of all they want me to cure people and to help them with cure. Now if I pay attention more to that then the main work is to create doctors out of everyone that is neglected then you become unpopular. They think: “Oh, she’s not sympathetic”, this and that.
But now as we have everybody can cure now everyone. I don’t cure anyone directly. But they don’t like it, they want I should be there and their ego to be pampered and all these things are there, it’s rather difficult. We are not running any lecture like we should please others, sort of things, not that, but whatever is reality. If a person has intelligence, pure intelligence, he can see that this is something very different.
And for that one has to understand that you cannot force on anyone that you get your realization in the same way you cannot force me that I give you realization, because if does not work, it does not work, it’s such a living force. And that upsets them very soon. I feel that the way this industrial revolution has come in the west. People have lost their knowings perhaps they are so confused with all these gurus coming down here confusing them and all kind of new things coming. They don’t know where to look.
Unless and until you get your evolution completed. Unless and until you reach that absolute state of understanding the chaos will remain.
So one has to try to get to that. But one must understand: You cannot pay for it. There is no effort. After getting realization they feel so satisfied, they forget about it. But after that you must know how to give it to others. As Christ has said: “The light which is enlightened you do not put it under the table!”
That’s how what happens that, though I give realization to some hundred people, only out of them five, six will come forward to help us out. But still I must say, a lot of work has been done. Especially Austria. I am very proud of Austria, and the way they have never given me any problem, never – very good people have come out of Austria. Very balanced, level headed people. Very level headed.
They are not extremists, they don’t go to extremes, so there is no fanaticism about them. They are sensible people. And something so lucky that Austria was found out. Because I never expected that in Austria there will be so many people. But somehow – like water finds it’s own level, Sahaja Yoga finds its own level. We just come down to Austria. We haven’t been to Norway, to Sweden, to Denmark, Finland. I visited those places, because of my husbands job but I have not …….
Now we have sixteen centers in Australia. And Australia is a very progressive Sahaja Yoga thing. We have got schools now there. They are running schools and the teachers are extremely well-behaved and visionaries and they look after the children very well. The government people sent somebody for observation and they have remarked that whatever they proclaim that’s what they manifest. And they have given good certificates to us.
But the greatest achievement on the outward life is this that Cambridge University has accepted Sahaja Yoga for research work with respect. By one doctor Lee who is doing the research about Sahaja Yoga in Cambridge University – he is already doctor. And there is another great thing has happened in Delhi University that the Delhi University has accepted that a person can do, only a doctor can do a P.H.D. of we can say a doctorat in Sahaja Yoga and he gets the highest degree, called the doctor of medicine. And perhaps after some time they will allow anyone to do that. This is about the medicine part of it.
Shri Mataji experimented with sunflowers in her farmhouse in Pune, in the late 1980’s, and produced tremendously big ones, more than 12 inches in diameter. They were very heavy and gave on the average 250 mm. of oil. This was reported in the newspaper. The photo shows Shri Mataji with the outsize sunflowers.
In agriculture we have done lots of research by say, we have somebody here, an expert of agriculture. He has also done a lot of research and he found out that with vibrations he started after realization. If you vibrate the water and if you water the plants with that then sometimes you might get even ten times more breed that’s what they did in India. In one of the agriculture universities. But here also they found out that there is tremendous difference between the growth of an ordinary plant.
Another thing that I found out in agriculture that if you give vibrations, then even an ordinary cow can give lot of milk. But if you have hybrid cows than you see it’s not good for the brain, because a person who takes hybrid milk also, gets hybrid. I mean his brain gets little wobbly. So better to have a pure milk from a cow which is not been put to this kind of an experimentation.
Moreover food also, if you eat hybrid food it’s not very good for us, for that spoils our nerves I think. But ordinary seeds you cannot use, because they have weakened and they cannot reproduce. So, when we vibrate them, they produce very well, just like – better than even sometimes hybrid things and the food tastes very well, and it doesn’t give those complications.
So this can help in agriculture in India and the government has allotied us a lot of land where we are going now to experiment and we are going to start experimentation there to show that how we can use this. But many farmers who are Sahaja Yogis have done a lot of job and they have discovered that even animals and this what you call farming, everything is helped very much by vibrations.
So it improves the lives of people. We have on the other side, social side, I can tell you that we have marriages, international marriages. We arrange international marriages between people, they have to know each other and they are together and first of all they are together for one and half month with us on the tour.
They can see each other and the marriages are fixed and we have seen that such marriages are extremely successful. 99 % marriages are successful. Once in a while maybe a mishap but mostly there are no divorces that take place. Once in a while, if it’s not successful we have no objections to divorce also.
But mostly they are successful and they get children who are very intelligent and who are themselves born-realized children mostly. So the problem is much less and the family life improves. The quality of life is 1000 times better. People are very joyous, happy, they do not complain and they enjoy life and they give to others. They share what joy they have.
3. What do you think are the important points in the education of children? What is important to be given to the children?
First if they get realization. If they are already born realized no problem, but if they have been given their realization then they will start to see things from a different level. They become the Spirit. So their self respect awakens. Such children behave in a very dignified manner. They talk in a very elderly manner. They see solutions of all kinds and they are tremendous beings. But we have to guide them properly by our own behaviour.
Shri Mataji with children
How we behave, the greatest thing is how we behave that’s how the children like. We put the children to some tests how they are. We find out if they have any physical problems, we cure them. If they have mental problems we cure them. If they have any other problems, social problems or anything, we try to help them out. So that basically if a human being is alright in childhood then fundamentals are alright for the child.
The foundation is laid down then to build a child up in a good quality is not difficult. So now we find like great artists are there. There are great musicians. At a very young age, they have started playing violin. I mean suddenly they have become dynamic also and very humble. They are very humble and self respected and very well behaved.
Surprising how the atmosphere is and how it works out. And the other day a lady asked me about the women then I told her that a woman’s power as a mother is very great. She felt hurt about it and I did not mean that you should be just a mother. She is a mother, means she is compassionate. She is kind. She is not aggressive like men. That is a very big quality that is a very big power in a woman, that’s what I was suggesting. That that is what we have to have. Is not to compete with men. This is Madness. To compete with men, and to go about like that.
So we have to understand that life has to be enjoyable. Life should be a blessing, not to be a misery. We create our own miseries by these false ideas by our own conflictions, we have in our mind mental projections we have in our mind or our own obstinacy, whatever it is. All these things can be cured if you take to Sahaja Yoga, because you become a balanced person, level headed, mild person and you become a witness. The whole thing becomes like a show, like a drama and you become fearless, you start seeing the whole thing like a drama. This is what a human being has to achieve.
We talk of peace, we talk of no war, we talk of many things like this, atomic bomb, this and that. All that is not going to work out. Only what is going to work out is the transformation of human beings. If the human beings are transformed things will work out absolutely first class. Not only that, but that they will enjoy the bliss of life.
We are missing the point all together. This is a very important thing that human beings must say one thing: “What have you achieved out of all this?” Just for a minute to stop and think.
4. What are the causes of illness?
The physical, mental, emotional, all illnesses are caused by the imbalances that live within us. By our extreme behaviour. And supposing, say now cancer. Cancer is caused by the over activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Supposing a person is a very sad person, he cries and weeps and all the time feels guilty and thinks he is the worst person ever born. He has committed so many sins and all sorts of nonsense. Then he goes to the left side, according to us, and crosses over to the collective subconscious area and there, according to us, what they call as Protein 58 and Protein 52.
Doctors call it that way, but we call it as the dead souls. They exist there and they catch hold of you and they trigger the cancer. But supposing by any chance you can bring the attention fully away from that in the centre. You can get cured. So it is the centres within us which are subtle, which are basically seven centres. There are many others, but basically seven. If you can put them right you cannot have any sickness or illness of any kind.
5. Can you explain. You said, that your parents supported you very much in your learning and in your studies? Is it correct?
Yes, of course!
6. Is it normal that the parents support their child in a form like this?
In India all parents support their child.
7. And you can learn everything what you want to?
Yes, yes, I mean that is true. But the basic thing is: Parents are very benevolent to their children, very kind to their children. And to them the child’s education, the child’s upbringing and the child’s life is very important. That’s why we know they are so we depend on them, they look after us and they are very wise people. They sacrifice everything for us. So whatever they say, we think it’s nice and by doing this, we have not lost anything so far.
In India if you find Indian children, when they came abroad they always stop. They are very obedient children and they behave very well. We don’t have all this problem. Teenage-problem, homosexuality, we don’t know even these problems. Because we are so close with the parents all the time. They all the time watch us we don’t have drug problems. None of these – only in the cities little bit it happens and it disappears. Because parents are all the time with their children. They live together, the whole family lives together.
And not only with the parents, but all the relations and all the people in the village and in the city everyone knows each other. Such a joyful system we have, that we do not normally fall, sort of go to wrong ways and methods and we do not become obstinate also.
8. But you grew up in a Christian family! It’s not a normal situation that Indian people are Christian?
Yes, I know, I was born in a Christian family deliberately, because I personally think that protestants are the greatest fanatics. They are very sophisticated, their fanaticism is in their brain. Nobody can make them out that they have fanaticism, that they are very great fanatics, the greatest of all. But that times were very enlightened people they understood Christ very well.
They say, I told you about Paul when I was ….. First time I took the Bible in the hand and I asked my father: “Who is this Paul?” He said: “It’s an imprudor, forget it, don’t believe him at all.” So they understood all these things very well because my father was a realized soul like Khalil Gibran.
If you read Khalil Gibran he says the same thing about Paul, the same thing. So if you are an enlightened person you see the essence of everything. Whatever religion you are born, you don’t ignore any other religion, you try to learn about other religion and then you find the essence is the same in every religion.
What is there to fight? And that’s how you belong to no religion, you belong to every religion that’s what happens. But my parents were very enlightened people I must say, and I was very lucky to choose them as my parents.
9. You have been an enlightened child – is it correct?
Yes, I have been born as an enlightened child.
10. You don’t feel sometimes very lonesome, because all the others are different?
No, No. If you know how to share with others. Actually I was like a mother to them from my very childhood. When my father and mother went to jail, I was about 5 1/2 years of age. So I had all the duties of the house in my little frock and I used to get all the duties like the grandmother. I never felt lost. My life on the whole is very collective on temperament I am extremely collective. I can live anywhere, I can sleep anywhere and I can live in the jungles, I have no problems or that I am extremely collective.
I was expressing my temperament from very childhood. I was very friendly with all the people from that area where we were living and my mother was known as Nirmala’s mother. Father was known as Nirmala’s father. So they said: “We have lost our identity because of her.”
So I was a very friendly person. I never felt lonely and when I am with myself I am never lonely at all. I enjoy myself very much.
11. When you have been to that ashram with Gandhi. What were your impression, you remember about Gandhi?
Oh, Gandhiji was a tremendous man and I used to learn a lot from him. He was not at all hypocrite that’s one thing. And he was not like politicians who say something do something wrong. He was very outspoken and always he put himself on the testing point. And he used to confess if he made mistakes immediately. One very great incident I remember when I was a small child. They were having a meeting together and we girls were there sitting, only giving them water and things to all the people. People were there like Jawaherlal Nehru and Mollana Azad. All these people were sitting there. They were discussing something and then suddenly Mahatmaji Gandhiji said: “I was very late, we will have lunch here.” So they said: “Yes we will have lunch here.”
They had to go to the guest house which was far away. So Mahatmaji Gandhiji asked for “Baa”. She had gone out. So he got up, he had a key with him always of the store-room, he opened the store and he asked the people who were in charge of cooking to measure everything according to the people there are, properly everything. And then they measured it out everything was done.
Then he put the key back and then he went and sat there nicely. So these people said: “Bapu, we did not know you have to take so much troubles. You see to go all the way and looking for her. It didn’t take much time, about 15 minutes, but still. So he said: “What do you think?” This is the blood of my country, I cannot allow it to be wasted.
http://www.freemeditation.ca/news/2009/06/24/interview-with-shri-mataji-in-vienna/
Friday, April 3, 2009
Sahaja Meditation Online
Online learning will take you on a journey in which you will learn the first steps towards the purest form of meditation, Sahaja Meditation. All knowledge and experience are introduced through videos and audio recordings. All the images, music and sounds of nature are so chosen to help guide you and to give you a feeling of peace.
This online course is an introduction to Sahaja Meditation and focuses on the awakening of the kundalini energy, achieving the state of mental silence, feeling the vibrations of your chakras and your inner being, and eventually learning how to meditate.
Make some time if you want to experiment at home. Because what you could find is something which can give your life a new dimension, a new meaning.
© Copyright Freemeditation.ca | Online Learning 2009 |
Saturday, February 21, 2009
SHRI MATAJI ON ‘MEDITATION’
Meditation is actually facing yourself & correcting yourself will full understanding as to what you are.
Meditation is a very general word. It is not a word that explains all the three steps one has to take for meditating. But in Sanskrit, they have very clearly said, how you have to move In your meditation.
First is called as ‘DHYANA’, and second is called as ‘DHARANA’ and third is called as ‘SAMADHI’.
Luckily Sahaja Yoga is such a thing that you get everything in a bundle. You avoided everything else. You got the Samadhi part. That’s the beauty of it.
The first part of meditation is ‘DHYANA’. First when you have seeking , you put your attention towards the object of your worship. This is called as ‘DHYANA’. And the ‘DHARANA’ is the one is which you put all your effort, concentrate, all your effort. But this is all drama for people who are not realised. For them, it is just a sort of an acting that they do. But for a realised soul it is a reality. So the first, the Dhyana you have to do. Some do it of form, another of the formless. But you are so fortunate that the formless has become a form for you. No problem, you don’t have to go from form to formless, from formless to form; its all there, in bundle. So you concentrate or think of some Deity, some point of Nirakar, for the formless, or of Nirakar itself. Its all a mental projection as long as you are not a realised soul.
But once you are realised, you have just to think of Dhyana, whom you are going to concentrate, or you can say Meditate on.
But once you start Meditating on a person your attention starts moving. That is also possible after realisation, though it is in a bundle; but some people have it part of it, like that.
So when you Meditate, still your attention can get disturbed every moment.
It can happen , depending on the intensity of your concentration. So there are some Sahaja Yogis I have seen, they are cooking and there’s another one is meditating. The meditating one will say: OH! I can smell it is burning”. So there is no Dharana. Dhyana is there, but not Dharana. The second part of it is very important, that you have to put your attention continously on to your deity.
Then you develop a State which is called as Dharana, in which your attention becomes one with the Deity. But when these mature, the third stage of Samadhi, comes in.
Now for some people who think that without realisation, they can reach Samadhi. I think, they are absolutely mistaken. But after realisation also, when the Dharana is established, have to get to the position where you become ‘Samadhi’ . Now, what is that State? When that state comes into your mind, then whatever you do, the Deity that you worship, you see that Deity in your work; whatever you see, you see the Deity giving you the show; you can put it like that.
Whatever you hear, you find the Deity telling you the truth, whatever you read, you find there what the Deity would tell you. So, in that state, whatever you do with your eyes, nose & all these organs, all that, becomes a kind of manifestation of the Deity whom you worship, automatically.
You don’t have to think now I must concentrate, alright, I will not have these thoughts , I have to now think about this. It becomes automatically there”
Meditation is a very general word. It is not a word that explains all the three steps one has to take for meditating. But in Sanskrit, they have very clearly said, how you have to move In your meditation.
First is called as ‘DHYANA’, and second is called as ‘DHARANA’ and third is called as ‘SAMADHI’.
Luckily Sahaja Yoga is such a thing that you get everything in a bundle. You avoided everything else. You got the Samadhi part. That’s the beauty of it.
The first part of meditation is ‘DHYANA’. First when you have seeking , you put your attention towards the object of your worship. This is called as ‘DHYANA’. And the ‘DHARANA’ is the one is which you put all your effort, concentrate, all your effort. But this is all drama for people who are not realised. For them, it is just a sort of an acting that they do. But for a realised soul it is a reality. So the first, the Dhyana you have to do. Some do it of form, another of the formless. But you are so fortunate that the formless has become a form for you. No problem, you don’t have to go from form to formless, from formless to form; its all there, in bundle. So you concentrate or think of some Deity, some point of Nirakar, for the formless, or of Nirakar itself. Its all a mental projection as long as you are not a realised soul.
But once you are realised, you have just to think of Dhyana, whom you are going to concentrate, or you can say Meditate on.
But once you start Meditating on a person your attention starts moving. That is also possible after realisation, though it is in a bundle; but some people have it part of it, like that.
So when you Meditate, still your attention can get disturbed every moment.
It can happen , depending on the intensity of your concentration. So there are some Sahaja Yogis I have seen, they are cooking and there’s another one is meditating. The meditating one will say: OH! I can smell it is burning”. So there is no Dharana. Dhyana is there, but not Dharana. The second part of it is very important, that you have to put your attention continously on to your deity.
Then you develop a State which is called as Dharana, in which your attention becomes one with the Deity. But when these mature, the third stage of Samadhi, comes in.
Now for some people who think that without realisation, they can reach Samadhi. I think, they are absolutely mistaken. But after realisation also, when the Dharana is established, have to get to the position where you become ‘Samadhi’ . Now, what is that State? When that state comes into your mind, then whatever you do, the Deity that you worship, you see that Deity in your work; whatever you see, you see the Deity giving you the show; you can put it like that.
Whatever you hear, you find the Deity telling you the truth, whatever you read, you find there what the Deity would tell you. So, in that state, whatever you do with your eyes, nose & all these organs, all that, becomes a kind of manifestation of the Deity whom you worship, automatically.
You don’t have to think now I must concentrate, alright, I will not have these thoughts , I have to now think about this. It becomes automatically there”
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
SAHAJA YOGA - AN INTRODUCTION
Personal views of a South Africa Yogi.
An Introduction
The reason for writing this article is to introduce the spiritual knowledge being taught through Sahaja Yoga to you, in a straight forward uncomplicated manner and to present these teachings as plainly as possible.
To start with you will find that Sahaja Yoga makes some rather surprising claims. We ask that you keep an open mind and suspend your judgement until you have finished reading what we have to say. Sahaja Yoga is able to explain everything from the purpose of our lives to the fossil record and the theory of evolution. The Divine was behind every development.
The starting point of our story is that there is a God, the nature of whom forms the major part of what this article is all about. Atheism is just not tenable. How could there not be a God, the uncaused cause of the universe? Ultimately atheism depends on statistics for credibility but the numbers are against the idea. A chance of 1 in infinity that the Big Bang and all that followed, happened by chance without the designing hand of the Divine? It is far more exciting to believe in God and try to work out how he reacts within the world rather than trying to defend atheism by attacking religious fundamentalism.
The person, born in 1923, who started Sahaja Yoga is Shri Mataji. She did this in1970. She is an an extremely high spiritual person who can be said to be a messenger from God, comparable in stature to Mohammed, Abraham and Moses. The ultimate test of this statement is the knowledge that She has brought with her. It is knowledge, which can easily be understood by the modern world but the the conditioning of people is a major problem to their acceptance of these teachings. People tend to stick to the teaching of the religion into which they were born. Shri Mataji says that what the major spiritual teachers of the past such as Jesus, Mohammed and Krishna taught, was all in accord with each other. Sahaja Yoga both confirms and adds new knowledge to their teachings. We have structured this article by touching on a number of subjects which are intended to sketch out the broader framework of the knowledge that Shri Mataji has imparted to us. We will not be dealing with the specifics of Sahaja Yoga in this article. These are taught in the newcomer classes held by the Yogis. They are always free of charge. The website at www.sahajayoga.org is also a source of information as well as country websites shown on this site.
Sahaja Yoga is a great new spiritual movement, which is purely meditative. It does not use the physical postures of Hatha Yoga.
The first question to be answered is who do Sahaja Yogi's worship? There has only, ever has, been one God. The yogis call Him Sadashiva and it is he that they worship. God however has many facets - just like a diamond - and the yogis worship these different facets or deities depending on the situation. Some of the different deities are the Adi Shakti, the female power of God; Jesus Christ and his mother Mary; Mohammed, Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Lao Szu and Confucious. The different situations referred to are the mantras or prayers offered to the different deities during daily meditation, during havans and during pujas. Shri Mataji says that the teachingsof all these great spiritual teachers was all in accord. Sahaja Yoga is the intergration of all these teachings. This is the reason why Sahaja Yoga can claim to be the universal pure religion, Vishwa Nirmala Dharma, which is the alternative name for Sahaja Yoga. It is because of this universal nature that everybody can easily start doing the Sahaja Yoga meditation.
How does God operate in the world? This of course is the great mystery, which has concerned the religions, philosophers, mystics and seekers of all kinds down through the ages. It is the fundamental question. The view presented by Sahaja Yoga is comforting and alarming; comforting because He is a God of Love, and alarming because He is also a God of destruction. The simple truth is that if you love and obey him and live a dharmic or righteous life, as laid out in all the great religious texts, you will reap all the benefits that His love can bring. Disobey Him and He will cause havoc in your life and ultimately destroy you if you don't come to your senses. You ignore God at your peril. Destruction comes in the form of disease or perhaps through nature as 'an act of God', Tsunamis, earthquakes and other things of this ilk. Do I/we hear any voices being raised in disagreement? Then consider this. God is omnipresent and all powerful. He knows when something is about to happen and could stop it if he wanted to. Consider the common-day scourge of HIV/ AIDS, for which, to date no cure has been found. Could this possibly be a consequence of the licentious lifestyle of so many of us? Sahaja Yoga believes that it is. This brings up the question of free will, what does it really mean? In terms of what we have said so far it means one thing and one thing only. Follow the rules of righteous living or suffer the consequences. Is this really free will? I don't think so. Whenever men neglect the authority of the Lord, nature and her laws are there to penalise them. (Srimad Bagavatam 1.1.1)
Sahaja Yoga having an eastern source confirms that there is reincarnation and that we are all subject to the law of karma. This used to mean that you could bank on a number of lives to workout your problems in your quest for perfection. The quest for perfection is the main purpose of your existence. It didn't matter too much if you died in unpleasant circumstances, due to bad karma, as you could always count on further lives coming up to improve your position. Shri Mataji says that you should not worry about what you were in previous lives. It is the present life which is important. Sahaja Yoga teaches that the more perfect you are or the greater degree of spiritual growth that you have achieved, the greater your chances of making it into heaven on the day of judgement. Judgement used to be thought of as coming sometime in the far distant future. Shri Mataji however teaches that we are living in the time of the revelations now, and that the judgement is already taking place. Time is now short. How short we do not know. This means that you had better consider doing something about trying to grow spiritually in your present life if you want to make it into the kingdom of heaven and not be lost forever. That's the bad news. Doesn't this sound delightfully biblical and old testament-like at that?
The good news however is that you can now get your self realisation simply by asking for it. 'There is still time brother'. I may be writing in a jocular vein but I can assure you that I am deadly serious.
Self realisation is the awakeningof the dormant kundalini energy within each one of us, which resides in the sacrum bone. All you have to do to get your self realisation is to ask for it. This is the consequence of Shri Mataji having taken birth on the earth. She has revealed the way for en-masse and spontaneous self-realisation to modern people. The Divine has now granted human beings the right to get their self realisation in this manner. Previously one had to go to the mountains or the forests and meditate for a lifetime, or perhaps two or three lifetimes, before getting it.
Getting self realisation means that you can achieve the state of yoga; that you can now be connected to the Divine through the collective unconscious, that Carl Jung wrote about. That is what yoga essentially means: being connected with the Divine. Previously you were not. Couple this with learning the simple Sahaja Yoga meditation which is getting into a state of thoughtless awareness, beyond your mind and ego and do this for five to ten minutes a twice a day and you can then expect to start accruing the benefits of the meditation, which are many. You will start to grow spiritually, which is the main purpose of the Sahaja Yoga and any mental or health problems will radically improve. Your state of welfare including your financial position and your relationships with other people will all improve. The power of your prayers will increase a thousand fold because you are now directly connected to the source of everything; to THE Source.
The implications of Sahaja Yoga for humanity are huge. We are all connected to one another through the collective unconcious and once large numbers of people have achieved their self realisation most of the problems in the world are going to disappear. There won't be anymore need for war and our planet will be able to once again establish equilibrium. Global warming will be a thing of the past. A long time ago the Chinese sage, Lao Tse, said: “There will always be the sound of war and thunder and death until man achieves God and enter into his tranquillity”.
The way for this state of affairs to be achieved is for large numbers of people to get their self realisatiion and to start practising Sahaja Yoga's thoughtless awareness meditation. Kundalini awakening, and the consequent awakening of the spirit, such that it starts informing your ego conciousness is how everything works. It is the next stage of the evolution of human beings.
Well, have you managed to stay with me so far? I did say in the beginning that you should keep an open mind and suspend your judgement. Shri Mataji does say that you should be skeptical about her teachings until you receive the proof. I can assure you that there is proof a-plenty and I hope that you will decide take your self realisation and embrace Sahaja Yoga.
Perhaps your starting point for further information on Sahaja Yoga is the internet where one can find information at www.sahajayoga.org - And to look for the answers in your heart.
Huntly Reid
February 2009
An Introduction
The reason for writing this article is to introduce the spiritual knowledge being taught through Sahaja Yoga to you, in a straight forward uncomplicated manner and to present these teachings as plainly as possible.
To start with you will find that Sahaja Yoga makes some rather surprising claims. We ask that you keep an open mind and suspend your judgement until you have finished reading what we have to say. Sahaja Yoga is able to explain everything from the purpose of our lives to the fossil record and the theory of evolution. The Divine was behind every development.
The starting point of our story is that there is a God, the nature of whom forms the major part of what this article is all about. Atheism is just not tenable. How could there not be a God, the uncaused cause of the universe? Ultimately atheism depends on statistics for credibility but the numbers are against the idea. A chance of 1 in infinity that the Big Bang and all that followed, happened by chance without the designing hand of the Divine? It is far more exciting to believe in God and try to work out how he reacts within the world rather than trying to defend atheism by attacking religious fundamentalism.
The person, born in 1923, who started Sahaja Yoga is Shri Mataji. She did this in1970. She is an an extremely high spiritual person who can be said to be a messenger from God, comparable in stature to Mohammed, Abraham and Moses. The ultimate test of this statement is the knowledge that She has brought with her. It is knowledge, which can easily be understood by the modern world but the the conditioning of people is a major problem to their acceptance of these teachings. People tend to stick to the teaching of the religion into which they were born. Shri Mataji says that what the major spiritual teachers of the past such as Jesus, Mohammed and Krishna taught, was all in accord with each other. Sahaja Yoga both confirms and adds new knowledge to their teachings. We have structured this article by touching on a number of subjects which are intended to sketch out the broader framework of the knowledge that Shri Mataji has imparted to us. We will not be dealing with the specifics of Sahaja Yoga in this article. These are taught in the newcomer classes held by the Yogis. They are always free of charge. The website at www.sahajayoga.org is also a source of information as well as country websites shown on this site.
Sahaja Yoga is a great new spiritual movement, which is purely meditative. It does not use the physical postures of Hatha Yoga.
The first question to be answered is who do Sahaja Yogi's worship? There has only, ever has, been one God. The yogis call Him Sadashiva and it is he that they worship. God however has many facets - just like a diamond - and the yogis worship these different facets or deities depending on the situation. Some of the different deities are the Adi Shakti, the female power of God; Jesus Christ and his mother Mary; Mohammed, Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Lao Szu and Confucious. The different situations referred to are the mantras or prayers offered to the different deities during daily meditation, during havans and during pujas. Shri Mataji says that the teachingsof all these great spiritual teachers was all in accord. Sahaja Yoga is the intergration of all these teachings. This is the reason why Sahaja Yoga can claim to be the universal pure religion, Vishwa Nirmala Dharma, which is the alternative name for Sahaja Yoga. It is because of this universal nature that everybody can easily start doing the Sahaja Yoga meditation.
How does God operate in the world? This of course is the great mystery, which has concerned the religions, philosophers, mystics and seekers of all kinds down through the ages. It is the fundamental question. The view presented by Sahaja Yoga is comforting and alarming; comforting because He is a God of Love, and alarming because He is also a God of destruction. The simple truth is that if you love and obey him and live a dharmic or righteous life, as laid out in all the great religious texts, you will reap all the benefits that His love can bring. Disobey Him and He will cause havoc in your life and ultimately destroy you if you don't come to your senses. You ignore God at your peril. Destruction comes in the form of disease or perhaps through nature as 'an act of God', Tsunamis, earthquakes and other things of this ilk. Do I/we hear any voices being raised in disagreement? Then consider this. God is omnipresent and all powerful. He knows when something is about to happen and could stop it if he wanted to. Consider the common-day scourge of HIV/ AIDS, for which, to date no cure has been found. Could this possibly be a consequence of the licentious lifestyle of so many of us? Sahaja Yoga believes that it is. This brings up the question of free will, what does it really mean? In terms of what we have said so far it means one thing and one thing only. Follow the rules of righteous living or suffer the consequences. Is this really free will? I don't think so. Whenever men neglect the authority of the Lord, nature and her laws are there to penalise them. (Srimad Bagavatam 1.1.1)
Sahaja Yoga having an eastern source confirms that there is reincarnation and that we are all subject to the law of karma. This used to mean that you could bank on a number of lives to workout your problems in your quest for perfection. The quest for perfection is the main purpose of your existence. It didn't matter too much if you died in unpleasant circumstances, due to bad karma, as you could always count on further lives coming up to improve your position. Shri Mataji says that you should not worry about what you were in previous lives. It is the present life which is important. Sahaja Yoga teaches that the more perfect you are or the greater degree of spiritual growth that you have achieved, the greater your chances of making it into heaven on the day of judgement. Judgement used to be thought of as coming sometime in the far distant future. Shri Mataji however teaches that we are living in the time of the revelations now, and that the judgement is already taking place. Time is now short. How short we do not know. This means that you had better consider doing something about trying to grow spiritually in your present life if you want to make it into the kingdom of heaven and not be lost forever. That's the bad news. Doesn't this sound delightfully biblical and old testament-like at that?
The good news however is that you can now get your self realisation simply by asking for it. 'There is still time brother'. I may be writing in a jocular vein but I can assure you that I am deadly serious.
Self realisation is the awakeningof the dormant kundalini energy within each one of us, which resides in the sacrum bone. All you have to do to get your self realisation is to ask for it. This is the consequence of Shri Mataji having taken birth on the earth. She has revealed the way for en-masse and spontaneous self-realisation to modern people. The Divine has now granted human beings the right to get their self realisation in this manner. Previously one had to go to the mountains or the forests and meditate for a lifetime, or perhaps two or three lifetimes, before getting it.
Getting self realisation means that you can achieve the state of yoga; that you can now be connected to the Divine through the collective unconscious, that Carl Jung wrote about. That is what yoga essentially means: being connected with the Divine. Previously you were not. Couple this with learning the simple Sahaja Yoga meditation which is getting into a state of thoughtless awareness, beyond your mind and ego and do this for five to ten minutes a twice a day and you can then expect to start accruing the benefits of the meditation, which are many. You will start to grow spiritually, which is the main purpose of the Sahaja Yoga and any mental or health problems will radically improve. Your state of welfare including your financial position and your relationships with other people will all improve. The power of your prayers will increase a thousand fold because you are now directly connected to the source of everything; to THE Source.
The implications of Sahaja Yoga for humanity are huge. We are all connected to one another through the collective unconcious and once large numbers of people have achieved their self realisation most of the problems in the world are going to disappear. There won't be anymore need for war and our planet will be able to once again establish equilibrium. Global warming will be a thing of the past. A long time ago the Chinese sage, Lao Tse, said: “There will always be the sound of war and thunder and death until man achieves God and enter into his tranquillity”.
The way for this state of affairs to be achieved is for large numbers of people to get their self realisatiion and to start practising Sahaja Yoga's thoughtless awareness meditation. Kundalini awakening, and the consequent awakening of the spirit, such that it starts informing your ego conciousness is how everything works. It is the next stage of the evolution of human beings.
Well, have you managed to stay with me so far? I did say in the beginning that you should keep an open mind and suspend your judgement. Shri Mataji does say that you should be skeptical about her teachings until you receive the proof. I can assure you that there is proof a-plenty and I hope that you will decide take your self realisation and embrace Sahaja Yoga.
Perhaps your starting point for further information on Sahaja Yoga is the internet where one can find information at www.sahajayoga.org - And to look for the answers in your heart.
Huntly Reid
February 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Miracles in Soweto
Last night in Soweto it rained hard. It always does, or seems to, when we are about to meet for our weekly Beginners’ Programme, in Zola North, one of the poorest townships of Soweto. We meet on Tuesdays. Khayo (my wife) and I drove through the rain past Dobsonville and into Zola, on our way to Thathane Primary School, where the programmes are held. There were a number of new people last week, four ladies in all. We were thirteen on that day. One, in fact, had been there before - a few months back. But we hardly recognised her. She is a matric student in a nearby high school, but observing how she didn’t have problems with raising her Kundalini as new people tend to have that problem, we asked whether she had been here before. She then reminded us of her visit some months back. How happy we were. But the other three were indeed new people, and there was one whose shyness was quite remarkable. She was withdrawn until after the programme when a few songs were sung, spontaneously; and that seemed to do the trick, and she brightened up. She like the others told us their names when we all introduced each other. But I quickly forgot them. And we had not brought our register. We still have to get better organised with certain little things. But that was last week.
Then this week, driving through the rain, we were wondering how many would dare the elements. It’s not unusual that people don’t turn up when the weather is bad. And when my cellphone rang, just before we passed the Dobsonville Mall, I thought it would be someone saying - ‘Look Buti (elder brother) it’s raining, so maybe we should call it off’. It was Khantu, one of our most ardent Yoginis in Soweto. and she enquired how far we were? I told her we were just near the police station, and she said she only wanted to warn us that the key to the classroom was not there, as the child who normally collects it had not been to school that day. I thought, ‘That’s it. They are going to cancel’. But no, she said : ‘We will meet at Nonhlanhla’s’. I agreed.
Then this week, driving through the rain, we were wondering how many would dare the elements. It’s not unusual that people don’t turn up when the weather is bad. And when my cellphone rang, just before we passed the Dobsonville Mall, I thought it would be someone saying - ‘Look Buti (elder brother) it’s raining, so maybe we should call it off’. It was Khantu, one of our most ardent Yoginis in Soweto. and she enquired how far we were? I told her we were just near the police station, and she said she only wanted to warn us that the key to the classroom was not there, as the child who normally collects it had not been to school that day. I thought, ‘That’s it. They are going to cancel’. But no, she said : ‘We will meet at Nonhlanhla’s’. I agreed.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Mooladhara Chakra
The Mooladhara Chakra is placed at the very base of the spinal column. It has an important role as support for both the subtle body system and Kundalini, and so it is closely related to balance and stability. The Mooladhara Chakra is placed below the Mooladhara which houses the Kundalini. It is the foundation of the psyche, where it is grounded and supports the other centres. Any strong disturbance to its sensitivity throws the individual off-balance and causes mental disturbance.
The qualities of the Mooladhara Chakra are innocence and wisdom and eternal childhood. To awaken these you can use the affirmation, “Mother, please make me the innocence.”
The Mooladhara Chakra is the seat of our grounding force, our connection with Mother Earth. It is made of the Earth element and represents the beginning and primary principle of Life.
In the beginning, gross matter was created using the four-petalled Carbon atom as the first building block. Like Carbon this chakra has four petals, a stable configuration. The Earth is our vehicle for Life and is innocent in this role. She does not judge - matter simply is and supports. In the same way the innocence of a child simply is, without thinking, judgement or concern, and this quality is in concert with the innate pure wisdom of a child. Children often see and speak clearly. “From the mouth of babes”.
When this chakra is awakened its magnetic force starts working. A person whose Mooladhara Chakra is awakened has an inner sense of stability and direction. The qualities of this chakra are those of innocence, wisdom, purity and eternal childhood. These qualities are naturally inherent within each being, but we can through various practices damage this centre. This is the centre that governs the retention, elimination and sexual aspects of human beings.
An awakened and lively Mooladhara chakra brings forth spontaneous wisdom, innocence, dedication, purity and joy. Such a personality is auspicious, and contributes good fortune to his or her surroundings.
The presiding deity or personification of the Mooladhara chakra is Shri Ganesha, the child with the head of an elephant. He is innocent and helps us to remove obstacles in our way.
Clearing the chakras in the Subtle System is an important part of Sahaja Yoga. Sitting on Mother Earth is a very simple technique for clearing the Mooladhara Chakra. If you wish to find out more ways of clearing the chakras, you are very welcome to come to any of the Sahaja Yoga programs held throughout the world.
The qualities of the Mooladhara Chakra are innocence and wisdom and eternal childhood. To awaken these you can use the affirmation, “Mother, please make me the innocence.”
The Mooladhara Chakra is the seat of our grounding force, our connection with Mother Earth. It is made of the Earth element and represents the beginning and primary principle of Life.
In the beginning, gross matter was created using the four-petalled Carbon atom as the first building block. Like Carbon this chakra has four petals, a stable configuration. The Earth is our vehicle for Life and is innocent in this role. She does not judge - matter simply is and supports. In the same way the innocence of a child simply is, without thinking, judgement or concern, and this quality is in concert with the innate pure wisdom of a child. Children often see and speak clearly. “From the mouth of babes”.
When this chakra is awakened its magnetic force starts working. A person whose Mooladhara Chakra is awakened has an inner sense of stability and direction. The qualities of this chakra are those of innocence, wisdom, purity and eternal childhood. These qualities are naturally inherent within each being, but we can through various practices damage this centre. This is the centre that governs the retention, elimination and sexual aspects of human beings.
An awakened and lively Mooladhara chakra brings forth spontaneous wisdom, innocence, dedication, purity and joy. Such a personality is auspicious, and contributes good fortune to his or her surroundings.
The presiding deity or personification of the Mooladhara chakra is Shri Ganesha, the child with the head of an elephant. He is innocent and helps us to remove obstacles in our way.
Clearing the chakras in the Subtle System is an important part of Sahaja Yoga. Sitting on Mother Earth is a very simple technique for clearing the Mooladhara Chakra. If you wish to find out more ways of clearing the chakras, you are very welcome to come to any of the Sahaja Yoga programs held throughout the world.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Children's Program in Myanmar
Children Program
Date : 12/01/2009
De : celiatanaka111@gmail.com
Dear beloved sisters,
Subject Children Program:
Greetings from the Golden land. Last month I mentioned a Wushu class which requested for Sahaj program for about 15 children of varying ages. The aim of the Wushu head is to make the children become better in Wushu though Yoga. Although he was the one who invited me to teach Sahaja Yoga through a Wushu athlete who attended PP of Nov 15, he only attended the first class and never again since.
The children Class is every Saturday about one hour and usually after their practice of the Wushu. It has been 4 meetings since we started. The children easily understand and programs are more on raisng Kundalini, bandan, balancing and giving or testing vibrations. Since most of the time electricity is cut in the afternoon, we seldom can play music or VCDs. Also translators are different everytime and sometimes even driver helps to translate.
When we introduced the bandan using the hands, where right hand circulating the left hand, most of them wrote the wish that their parents are happy and healthy.
Should you have more program materials for children, like songs and play please keep on sending to Sangha.
Thanks for your attention.
Love from Mandalay,
celia
Date : 12/01/2009
De : celiatanaka111@gmail.com
Dear beloved sisters,
Subject Children Program:
Greetings from the Golden land. Last month I mentioned a Wushu class which requested for Sahaj program for about 15 children of varying ages. The aim of the Wushu head is to make the children become better in Wushu though Yoga. Although he was the one who invited me to teach Sahaja Yoga through a Wushu athlete who attended PP of Nov 15, he only attended the first class and never again since.
The children Class is every Saturday about one hour and usually after their practice of the Wushu. It has been 4 meetings since we started. The children easily understand and programs are more on raisng Kundalini, bandan, balancing and giving or testing vibrations. Since most of the time electricity is cut in the afternoon, we seldom can play music or VCDs. Also translators are different everytime and sometimes even driver helps to translate.
When we introduced the bandan using the hands, where right hand circulating the left hand, most of them wrote the wish that their parents are happy and healthy.
Should you have more program materials for children, like songs and play please keep on sending to Sangha.
Thanks for your attention.
Love from Mandalay,
celia
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
NIRMAL VIDYA
10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SAHAJA YOGA
• Sahaja Yoga is a great new spiritual movement, which is growing rapidly throughout the world. Some would have it that Sahaja Yoga is actually a new religion. It was started by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in 1970.
• Shri Mataji was born in India during1923. She is a very high(ly) spiritual person who can be likened to a 'Messenger from God'.
• Sahaja Yoga is the fastest way to get your self realisation. Indeed you receive it on your first contact with Sahaja Yoga.
• In practical terms self realisation means the awakening of your kundalini, which is the sleeping dormant power within each one of us. The kundalini is located in the sacrum bone.
• Once you have learnt the very simple SahajaYoga meditation, which takes no more than 10 to 15 minutes twice a day, you will start growing spiritually. This is the prime purpose of Sahaja Yoga.
• Growing spiritually means that your ability forgive others and yourself, the control of your anger, your ability to love and show compassion, your creative ability, your ability to live in the present and other qualities will all improve.
• Your health can be expected to improve. Miracles cures are possible although this aspect of Sahaja Yoga depends on what you need rather than what you want. Sahaja Yoga helps to cure chemical addictions.
• Your life situation can be expected to improve in terms of your relationships with other people and also in terms of your financial position. Again this is in terms of what you need rather than what you want.
• Your power of prayer will greatly improve.
• Sahaja Yoga is a very practical and easily understood spiritual path. Shri Mataji has given hundreds of talks which, are all available on audio tapes, videos and CDs. These deal with how we are expected to behave and live our lives. The content of this knowledge is all free of charge.
Contribution by Huntly Reid from Cape Town.
Shri Mataji spoke about this knowledge and how to master it during a talk at Rahuri, in Maharashtra, on 31/12/80.
A full transcript can be found Nirmala Yoga no.1, pp20-21 but there is dearth of these old documents. So it helps to be able sometimes to have just a snippet from some of the treasures that Mother has left us. She was speaking on Nirmal Vidya, the Pure Knowledge of the Divine.
Here is Shri Mataji in her own words:
Nirmala Vidya
It is the special power by which we do all Divine work, even forgiving. When you say, "Mother forgive us", the technique by which I forgive you is Nirmala Vidya. The technique by which I love you is also Nirmala Vidya. The technique by which all the mantras are manifesting themselves and are effective is also Nirmala Vidya.
Nirmala means pure, Vidya means knowledge. Nirmala Vidya is purest knowledge or the knowledge of this technique. It creates loops, the energy creates loops and creates also different formations by which it acts and draws all that is unwanted, impure, and fills it up with its power. ...
How subtle it is. Only by saying Nirmala Vidya, you just invite that power, the whole thing, the whole technique to attend to you and it attends to you. You dont have to worry. ... That technique is called Nirmala Vidya. That technique once mastered, by surrendering into it, it completely obeys, absolutely.
H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extract from Talk at Rahuri, Maharashtra, 31/12/80.
Full transcript in Nirmala Yoga no.1, pp20-21
• Sahaja Yoga is a great new spiritual movement, which is growing rapidly throughout the world. Some would have it that Sahaja Yoga is actually a new religion. It was started by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in 1970.
• Shri Mataji was born in India during1923. She is a very high(ly) spiritual person who can be likened to a 'Messenger from God'.
• Sahaja Yoga is the fastest way to get your self realisation. Indeed you receive it on your first contact with Sahaja Yoga.
• In practical terms self realisation means the awakening of your kundalini, which is the sleeping dormant power within each one of us. The kundalini is located in the sacrum bone.
• Once you have learnt the very simple SahajaYoga meditation, which takes no more than 10 to 15 minutes twice a day, you will start growing spiritually. This is the prime purpose of Sahaja Yoga.
• Growing spiritually means that your ability forgive others and yourself, the control of your anger, your ability to love and show compassion, your creative ability, your ability to live in the present and other qualities will all improve.
• Your health can be expected to improve. Miracles cures are possible although this aspect of Sahaja Yoga depends on what you need rather than what you want. Sahaja Yoga helps to cure chemical addictions.
• Your life situation can be expected to improve in terms of your relationships with other people and also in terms of your financial position. Again this is in terms of what you need rather than what you want.
• Your power of prayer will greatly improve.
• Sahaja Yoga is a very practical and easily understood spiritual path. Shri Mataji has given hundreds of talks which, are all available on audio tapes, videos and CDs. These deal with how we are expected to behave and live our lives. The content of this knowledge is all free of charge.
Contribution by Huntly Reid from Cape Town.
Shri Mataji spoke about this knowledge and how to master it during a talk at Rahuri, in Maharashtra, on 31/12/80.
A full transcript can be found Nirmala Yoga no.1, pp20-21 but there is dearth of these old documents. So it helps to be able sometimes to have just a snippet from some of the treasures that Mother has left us. She was speaking on Nirmal Vidya, the Pure Knowledge of the Divine.
Here is Shri Mataji in her own words:
Nirmala Vidya
It is the special power by which we do all Divine work, even forgiving. When you say, "Mother forgive us", the technique by which I forgive you is Nirmala Vidya. The technique by which I love you is also Nirmala Vidya. The technique by which all the mantras are manifesting themselves and are effective is also Nirmala Vidya.
Nirmala means pure, Vidya means knowledge. Nirmala Vidya is purest knowledge or the knowledge of this technique. It creates loops, the energy creates loops and creates also different formations by which it acts and draws all that is unwanted, impure, and fills it up with its power. ...
How subtle it is. Only by saying Nirmala Vidya, you just invite that power, the whole thing, the whole technique to attend to you and it attends to you. You dont have to worry. ... That technique is called Nirmala Vidya. That technique once mastered, by surrendering into it, it completely obeys, absolutely.
H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extract from Talk at Rahuri, Maharashtra, 31/12/80.
Full transcript in Nirmala Yoga no.1, pp20-21
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Launch of Blossom Times for Nov-Dec'08.
Jai Shri Mataji.
Dear All,
We are pleased to announce the launch of Blossom Times Volume 2 issue 6, for Nov-Dec'08. The same can be viewed and downloaded from www.blossomtimes.org/download.
We all know that today's world is facing many challenging problems, and in this latest issue of Blossom Times we have touched upon the aspect of currently existing problems, along with the offered solution of Sahaja Yoga meditation. Also this issue gives a bit more insight into an introspection angle of 'why meditation' and other topics such as evolution and transformation etc.
We thank all those who have conbtributed to this issue of BT.
Kindly note that henceforth this magazine will be available ONLY through internet and not in print, this is being done to keep the clear focus of it being an electronic media.
We hope that all of you will have a great reading. Also those who wish to contribute to next issues of BT, may kindly send mails to editor@blossomtimes.org.
Warm Regards
Blossom Times Editorial Team
Dear All,
We are pleased to announce the launch of Blossom Times Volume 2 issue 6, for Nov-Dec'08. The same can be viewed and downloaded from www.blossomtimes.org/download.
We all know that today's world is facing many challenging problems, and in this latest issue of Blossom Times we have touched upon the aspect of currently existing problems, along with the offered solution of Sahaja Yoga meditation. Also this issue gives a bit more insight into an introspection angle of 'why meditation' and other topics such as evolution and transformation etc.
We thank all those who have conbtributed to this issue of BT.
Kindly note that henceforth this magazine will be available ONLY through internet and not in print, this is being done to keep the clear focus of it being an electronic media.
We hope that all of you will have a great reading. Also those who wish to contribute to next issues of BT, may kindly send mails to editor@blossomtimes.org.
Warm Regards
Blossom Times Editorial Team
NEW SAHAJA YOGA WEBSITE - MOZAMBIQUE
Jai Shri Mataji
We would like to announce a new Sahaja Yoga website!
Mozambique & South Africa Collectives
Friday, December 26, 2008
SAHAJA YOGA in PERSPECTIVE
SAHAJA YOGA in PERSPECTIVE
By Huntly Reid, a South African Sahaja Yogi.
Introduction
A long time ago the Chinese sage Lao Tse said: -
There will always be the sound of war and thunder and death until man achieves God and enters into his tranquillity.
Anyone who listens to the news of the world everyday will agree that at the present time mankind is a long way from "achieving God" and nowhere near "entering into his tranquillity".
What we want to do in this small communication is to tell people about the teachings of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi and about Sahaja Yoga. It is only through self - realisation and inner transformation that man is going to achieve God and enter into the tranquillity that Lao Tse talked about.
It is necessary in the first instance to approach Sahaja Yoga with a completely open mind and to by pass all the accumulated conditionings in our minds. The reason is that Shri Mataji's teachings have tremendous implications for human beings and are difficult for ordinary people, particularly in the west to accept. It is our purpose in this leaflet to try to bridge this gap of incredulity.
We are all 'one' in a spiritual sense and the reason why there is so much conflict in the world is that we simply do not realise this. If there are divisions amongst human beings or countries then there are going to continue to be conflict on all levels of human interaction.
New comers to Sahaja Yoga realise this to be so once they have received their self- realisation.
What is Sahaja Yoga?
Sahaja Yoga represents the last step in the planned spiritual evolution of human kind. This is seemly a pretty presumptuous statement. All that we can ask of the reader at this stage is that they should keep their minds open as they read what follows and not to make any premature judgements.
Human beings are now able to receive self-realisation through the Grace of God without having to perfect themselves spiritually. Self-realisation is what has variously been referred to as nirvana, samadhi and being born again by the great religions of the world.
Sahaja Yoga is a meditative yoga. Meditating for ten to 15 minutes once or twice a day is all that is needed. In a state of thoughtless awareness all opposites such as happy/unhappy merge and one enters into a state of pure joy or bliss.
Humans are no longer isolated within their conditionings or egos but are able to spontaneously achieve a direct link with the infinite, the collective unconscious or God however one chooses to express it.
Yoga means the yoking or union with God and Sahaja means spontaneous. Sahaja Yoga thus means the spontaneous union with God.
One does not have to pay any money for self-realisation. It is your birthright. Does one pay mother earth anything for growing the flowers? The position is similar with the 'flowering' of your kundalini.
Who developed Sahaja Yoga ?
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, probably the greatest spiritual person alive today, developed Sahaja Yoga.
She was born on the 21st March1923 in Chindwara, India, into a Christian family. As a young girl she was associated with Mahatma Gandhi. Shri Mataji studied medicine in Lahore. She is married to Sir CP Shrivastava a retired former Secretary General of the United Nations Maritime Organisation in London.
Shri Mataji, now a grandmother, has been travelling the world since 1970 teaching the techniques of Sahaja Yoga.
Shri Mataji is a lady who has great spiritual powers and yet she has extraordinary humility, is a font of wisdom and common sense and is full of laughter and joy.
How does Sahaja Yoga work?
Everyone is born with a kundalini, which reflects the power or energy of the Divine. The kundalini resides at the base of the spine in the sacrum bone where it lies dormant.
Self-realisatiion consists of spontaneously awakening the kundalini from its resting-place and raising it through the various centres of the subtle energy system, which are called chakras and which are situated in the spine. When the kundalini penetrates the fontanel bone then one can feel a soft cool breeze coming out of the top of the head. This is the cool breeze of the Holy Spirit.
Self-realisation is done in a simple guided meditation, which takes only a few minutes.
It is stressed that one has to ask for self- realisation. The kundalini cannot be raised against ones will. Self-realisation is only granted by the grace of God.
Various qualities are associated with the different energy centres. For example wisdom and innocence are qualities of the Mooladara chakra.
What benefits does one get from Sahaja Yoga?
A general overall improvement in your health can be expected. If one has been struggling with damaging habits such as the various chemical additions, then one may find that these may suddenly just fall away as the power of the kundalini begins helping one.
Techniques of working with the energy centres are taught which bring them into harmony and balance. The improvement in health, which is experienced, is a direct result of the restoration of balance within the energy centres of the bodies subtle system. 'Miraculous cures' have also been reported. The prime purpose of Sahaja Yoga is however spiritual development - any health benefits that one receives are just by-products.
Personal relationships with friends, colleagues and loved ones can be expected to improve. One becomes calmer and better able to withstand the stress caused by the problems of modern day living. This is the direct result of regular meditation.
The spiritual growth achieved in practising Sahaja Yoga is of prime importance. The inner peace and joy, which one feels within oneself is quite indescribable - it has to be experienced.
How can one measure spiritual growth?
This is of course an impossible question to answer. One can perhaps get an indication if one introspects on how one is shaping up against the six enemies of the spirit, which are anger, lust, materialism, competitiveness, lack of detachment and vanity.
What does Sahaja Yoga teach?
Sahaja Yoga is a spiritual movement, which lays great emphasis on following the middle path. There should be no fanaticism about anything. Living a righteous life is a most important factor in growing spiritually. Guidelines for righteous living are those given by the great spiritual leaders of the past. Moses' Ten Commandments and Christ's teaching to forgive your enemies and to love your neighbour as thy self are examples.
Sahaja Yoga teaches that there is nothing wrong with sex in marriage, but that sex as exploited in the Western lifestyle is totally against the spirit.
Vegetarianism is not a requirement of Sahaja Yoga.
Sahaja Yoga does not encourage smoking or the drinking of alcohol. Both damage your subtle centres (chakras) and hence impede your spiritual growth. No one will however point a finger at you in Sahaja Yoga. Your own introspection coupled with the vibrations you feel in your hands and fingers will tell you what your problems are and you can thus take corrective action on your own. You become your own master or teacher.
Sahaja Yoga believes in reincarnation but it is not stressed. How you live your present life is the important thing.
Sahaja Yoga is not rational or logical in the sense that we could ever have worked it out with our limited brain. However now that we know how Sahaja Yoga works it is possible with hindsight to see a totally ordered structure and plan - God's total plan for the spiritual evolution of human beings.
What proof is there for the claims of Sahaja Yoga?
Shri Mataji says quite clearly that you should not believe any of the claims of Sahaja Yoga unless you can feel the cool breeze on your central nervous system after self-realisation. The cool breeze that you feel in your hands and on the top of your head is a subtle but definite feeling. You will not be able to mistake it.
No amount of speculation or intellectualisation will convince you of the truth. One has to have the courage to go ahead and ask for self-realisation after which one finds it much easier to comprehend the truth of Sahaja Yoga. Your brain becomes enlightened by the power of the kundalini.
The marvel is that self-realisation is possible before we have perfected ourselves spiritually. It is like a small pilot light being switched on in a dark room. We are given sufficient light in which to view or introspect ourselves and we can set to work to improve our spiritual standing.
The cool breeze is a definite physical sensation and not a meta physical speculation.
How does Sahaja Yoga compare with older established religions?
Sahaja Yoga is not a religion. It does not have any theologies, doctrines or ideologies. These all tend to come about once the spiritual leader who started the movement dies and his followers then start their interpretative activities, which normally lead to priestly castes, power bases and concepts of God.
In Sahaja Yoga all that exists are the teachings of Shri Mataji recorded on either video or audiotape. These are available to all Sahaja Yogis. As yet very little has been written about Sahaja Yoga it is all so new.
Sahaja Yoga teaches that all the major spiritual leaders such as Moses, Christ and Buddha were sent at specific times by God to teach specific lessons to humankind. It has all happened according to God's plan for our spiritual evolution. With the advent of Sahaja Yoga it can be said that all the religions of the past have now been integrated into a great new universal spiritual movement.
In conclusion
Christ said that one has to be born again. Self-realisation through the raising of the kundalini is the true meaning of what he said. This rebirth is something, which happens within and is not an external happening.
All the great teachers taught that one should 'Know thyself'. Knowing about the kundalini and the internal subtle system and its workings is 'Knowing thyself'.
You can find more information on Sahaja Yoga at www.sahajayoga.org
By Huntly Reid, a South African Sahaja Yogi.
Introduction
A long time ago the Chinese sage Lao Tse said: -
There will always be the sound of war and thunder and death until man achieves God and enters into his tranquillity.
Anyone who listens to the news of the world everyday will agree that at the present time mankind is a long way from "achieving God" and nowhere near "entering into his tranquillity".
What we want to do in this small communication is to tell people about the teachings of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi and about Sahaja Yoga. It is only through self - realisation and inner transformation that man is going to achieve God and enter into the tranquillity that Lao Tse talked about.
It is necessary in the first instance to approach Sahaja Yoga with a completely open mind and to by pass all the accumulated conditionings in our minds. The reason is that Shri Mataji's teachings have tremendous implications for human beings and are difficult for ordinary people, particularly in the west to accept. It is our purpose in this leaflet to try to bridge this gap of incredulity.
We are all 'one' in a spiritual sense and the reason why there is so much conflict in the world is that we simply do not realise this. If there are divisions amongst human beings or countries then there are going to continue to be conflict on all levels of human interaction.
New comers to Sahaja Yoga realise this to be so once they have received their self- realisation.
What is Sahaja Yoga?
Sahaja Yoga represents the last step in the planned spiritual evolution of human kind. This is seemly a pretty presumptuous statement. All that we can ask of the reader at this stage is that they should keep their minds open as they read what follows and not to make any premature judgements.
Human beings are now able to receive self-realisation through the Grace of God without having to perfect themselves spiritually. Self-realisation is what has variously been referred to as nirvana, samadhi and being born again by the great religions of the world.
Sahaja Yoga is a meditative yoga. Meditating for ten to 15 minutes once or twice a day is all that is needed. In a state of thoughtless awareness all opposites such as happy/unhappy merge and one enters into a state of pure joy or bliss.
Humans are no longer isolated within their conditionings or egos but are able to spontaneously achieve a direct link with the infinite, the collective unconscious or God however one chooses to express it.
Yoga means the yoking or union with God and Sahaja means spontaneous. Sahaja Yoga thus means the spontaneous union with God.
One does not have to pay any money for self-realisation. It is your birthright. Does one pay mother earth anything for growing the flowers? The position is similar with the 'flowering' of your kundalini.
Who developed Sahaja Yoga ?
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, probably the greatest spiritual person alive today, developed Sahaja Yoga.
She was born on the 21st March1923 in Chindwara, India, into a Christian family. As a young girl she was associated with Mahatma Gandhi. Shri Mataji studied medicine in Lahore. She is married to Sir CP Shrivastava a retired former Secretary General of the United Nations Maritime Organisation in London.
Shri Mataji, now a grandmother, has been travelling the world since 1970 teaching the techniques of Sahaja Yoga.
Shri Mataji is a lady who has great spiritual powers and yet she has extraordinary humility, is a font of wisdom and common sense and is full of laughter and joy.
How does Sahaja Yoga work?
Everyone is born with a kundalini, which reflects the power or energy of the Divine. The kundalini resides at the base of the spine in the sacrum bone where it lies dormant.
Self-realisatiion consists of spontaneously awakening the kundalini from its resting-place and raising it through the various centres of the subtle energy system, which are called chakras and which are situated in the spine. When the kundalini penetrates the fontanel bone then one can feel a soft cool breeze coming out of the top of the head. This is the cool breeze of the Holy Spirit.
Self-realisation is done in a simple guided meditation, which takes only a few minutes.
It is stressed that one has to ask for self- realisation. The kundalini cannot be raised against ones will. Self-realisation is only granted by the grace of God.
Various qualities are associated with the different energy centres. For example wisdom and innocence are qualities of the Mooladara chakra.
What benefits does one get from Sahaja Yoga?
A general overall improvement in your health can be expected. If one has been struggling with damaging habits such as the various chemical additions, then one may find that these may suddenly just fall away as the power of the kundalini begins helping one.
Techniques of working with the energy centres are taught which bring them into harmony and balance. The improvement in health, which is experienced, is a direct result of the restoration of balance within the energy centres of the bodies subtle system. 'Miraculous cures' have also been reported. The prime purpose of Sahaja Yoga is however spiritual development - any health benefits that one receives are just by-products.
Personal relationships with friends, colleagues and loved ones can be expected to improve. One becomes calmer and better able to withstand the stress caused by the problems of modern day living. This is the direct result of regular meditation.
The spiritual growth achieved in practising Sahaja Yoga is of prime importance. The inner peace and joy, which one feels within oneself is quite indescribable - it has to be experienced.
How can one measure spiritual growth?
This is of course an impossible question to answer. One can perhaps get an indication if one introspects on how one is shaping up against the six enemies of the spirit, which are anger, lust, materialism, competitiveness, lack of detachment and vanity.
What does Sahaja Yoga teach?
Sahaja Yoga is a spiritual movement, which lays great emphasis on following the middle path. There should be no fanaticism about anything. Living a righteous life is a most important factor in growing spiritually. Guidelines for righteous living are those given by the great spiritual leaders of the past. Moses' Ten Commandments and Christ's teaching to forgive your enemies and to love your neighbour as thy self are examples.
Sahaja Yoga teaches that there is nothing wrong with sex in marriage, but that sex as exploited in the Western lifestyle is totally against the spirit.
Vegetarianism is not a requirement of Sahaja Yoga.
Sahaja Yoga does not encourage smoking or the drinking of alcohol. Both damage your subtle centres (chakras) and hence impede your spiritual growth. No one will however point a finger at you in Sahaja Yoga. Your own introspection coupled with the vibrations you feel in your hands and fingers will tell you what your problems are and you can thus take corrective action on your own. You become your own master or teacher.
Sahaja Yoga believes in reincarnation but it is not stressed. How you live your present life is the important thing.
Sahaja Yoga is not rational or logical in the sense that we could ever have worked it out with our limited brain. However now that we know how Sahaja Yoga works it is possible with hindsight to see a totally ordered structure and plan - God's total plan for the spiritual evolution of human beings.
What proof is there for the claims of Sahaja Yoga?
Shri Mataji says quite clearly that you should not believe any of the claims of Sahaja Yoga unless you can feel the cool breeze on your central nervous system after self-realisation. The cool breeze that you feel in your hands and on the top of your head is a subtle but definite feeling. You will not be able to mistake it.
No amount of speculation or intellectualisation will convince you of the truth. One has to have the courage to go ahead and ask for self-realisation after which one finds it much easier to comprehend the truth of Sahaja Yoga. Your brain becomes enlightened by the power of the kundalini.
The marvel is that self-realisation is possible before we have perfected ourselves spiritually. It is like a small pilot light being switched on in a dark room. We are given sufficient light in which to view or introspect ourselves and we can set to work to improve our spiritual standing.
The cool breeze is a definite physical sensation and not a meta physical speculation.
How does Sahaja Yoga compare with older established religions?
Sahaja Yoga is not a religion. It does not have any theologies, doctrines or ideologies. These all tend to come about once the spiritual leader who started the movement dies and his followers then start their interpretative activities, which normally lead to priestly castes, power bases and concepts of God.
In Sahaja Yoga all that exists are the teachings of Shri Mataji recorded on either video or audiotape. These are available to all Sahaja Yogis. As yet very little has been written about Sahaja Yoga it is all so new.
Sahaja Yoga teaches that all the major spiritual leaders such as Moses, Christ and Buddha were sent at specific times by God to teach specific lessons to humankind. It has all happened according to God's plan for our spiritual evolution. With the advent of Sahaja Yoga it can be said that all the religions of the past have now been integrated into a great new universal spiritual movement.
In conclusion
Christ said that one has to be born again. Self-realisation through the raising of the kundalini is the true meaning of what he said. This rebirth is something, which happens within and is not an external happening.
All the great teachers taught that one should 'Know thyself'. Knowing about the kundalini and the internal subtle system and its workings is 'Knowing thyself'.
You can find more information on Sahaja Yoga at www.sahajayoga.org
A New Meditation
So being a thoroughly modern person you have decided that you want to find a meditation and you thought that you are thinking of starting your search on the Internet.
Well you are in for a big surprise. Key in the word meditation or yoga and you are going to be overwhelmed by a multiplicity of choice. Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, The Kabbalah, Tibetan Buddhism, Kundalini Yoga, Krishnamurti's Choiceless Awareness, Zen, Vippasana meditation, the Ramana Maharshi meditation or perhaps Sahaja Yoga. There are many more.
Well help is at hand. Daniel Goleman has written a book called Meditative Mind in which he classifies all the different meditations in terms of the Vissudhimagga that was taught by the Lord Buddha. The Vissushimagga means the path of purification. There are two basic types of meditation the path of concentration and the path of insight.
Thoughts enter your mind in a random manner. There is no pattern to their entry. The path of concentration has you direct the flow of your thoughts fixing them onto the object chosen for the meditation. By forcing your wandering thoughts back on to the object your mind will eventually become absorbed in it and your awareness will experience a feeling of oneness with it. This is called the point of entry.
The start of insight meditation is the practice of mindfulness. You are required to pay attention to your thoughts and senses as they arise and to merely register or note your observation of the thought or sense impression without further comment, reflection or judgement. You simply pay attention to what is happening in and to you. In the beginning as in the path of concentration your mind will wander until you reach the point of bare insight where your mind develops the ability to observe all that is registering in your mind without the interference of wandering thoughts. With the achievement of bare insight you realise that your awareness is different from the object of your awareness.
Once you have reached the point of entry or of bare insight you then continue to achieve higher and higher levels of awareness until eventually you reach the highest state possible which is variously called Nirvana, Nirodh, Moksha and various other names. This state indicates that you have achieved the point whereby you have acquired total self-knowledge and are freed from the perpetual cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
What actually happens here is that your kundalini awakens and rises up the central subtle spiritual channel called the Sushumna. The kundalini is the dormant spiritual power within each one of us, which resides in our pelvic bone. The disadvantage with either of the two paths of the Vissuddimagga is that normally it takes a very long time to get your self- realisation. More than one life time is not unusual. Remember that the Vissuddimagga means the 'Path of Purification'. This refers to the fact that in addition to meditation the seeker has to purify his spiritual centres called chakras one by one. This is why the Indian yogis go to the Himalayan Mountains or the forests. They isolate themselves in order to concentrate on their spirit and not be interrupted by mundane life.
In the modern world it is well nigh impossible for the ordinary seeker to achieve their self-realisation using the paths of the Vissuddhimagga. There has however been a change in the firmament and it is now possible to achieve your self-realisation through taking to Sahaja Yoga. As impossible as it seems you can now get your self-realisation simply by asking for it. Any Sahaja yogi can give self-realisation. It is like one candle lighting another. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi developed Sahaja Yoga. She is a very high spiritual personality and can be described as a messenger from God.
With the Vissuddimagga you have to be spiritually perfect before you can get your self-realisation. With the Sahaja Yoga you are not perfect but you can work on trying to become spiritually perfect. The point is that your kundalini does the work for you. All that you have to do is to introspect on your self during meditation. What's wrong with me? The path of Sahaja Yoga is a much faster method of achieving spiritual perfection than the two Vissuddimagga paths. It's like putting the roof on the house first and then building up the walls and windows etc rather than the conventional way around.
The methods of Vissuddimargga meditation works by trying to subdue the mind. Sahaja Yoga says that instead of trying to subdue or control the mind, which is almost impossible anyway, why not ignore it and simply go beyond it. The Sahaja Yoga meditation is described as thoughtless awareness. Normally it is virtually impossible to do this but in Sahaja Yoga your kundalini simply takes you straight into thoughtless awareness.
In their book 'From Here to Nirvana' Anne Cushman and Jerry Jones say that there are five types of yoga: Jhana, Bhakti, Karma, Raja and Hatha. Ramana Maharshi was a Jnana yogi who taught that thinking the thought 'Who am I' would eventually lead to self-realisation. This is the mind being used to distinguish between the real and the unreal. Bhakti yoga is the path of love, devotion, and worship. Karma yoga is the path of selfless service. The Karma yogi does not renounce the world but rather seeks to serve humanity in a detached, egoless manner. This leading to self-realisation. Raja yoga is the path taught by the saint Patanjali around the second and third centuries AD. It is a systematic eight-fold path, which works through the quietening of the mind. Raja yoga includes a moral code, positive breath control and a meditation akin to the ' path of concentration' talked about above. Hatha yoga is the classic 'exercise' yoga well known to people in the west. Raja and Hatha yoga are usually associated together. Sahaja Yoga includes elements of all the different types of yoga except Hatha Yoga.
From Here to Nirvana. 1998. Anne Cushman and Jerry Jones. Rider Books. London. ISBN 0712670610.
Meditative Mind. 1996. Daniel Goleman Harper Collins Publishers, London. ISBN 07225 347 2
Shri Mataji, now 79 years old, is a descendent of one of the Indian Royal Families. She is a grandmother and married to Sir C.P. Shri Shrivastava a retired Secretary of the United Nations Maritime Organisation.
As a young woman Shri Mataji was an activist against the British during India’s fight for independence. At that time she was a friend and confident Mahatma Gandhi.
Shri Mataji began her present work in 1970 after the marriage of her two daughters. Her main aim is to meet seekers of the Truth, wherever they are and acting as a catalyst, offer those who desire it their self-realisation.
Article by:
Huntly Reid
26 Tulbagh Ave
Kenridge
Durbanville,
Cape Town.
7550
Well you are in for a big surprise. Key in the word meditation or yoga and you are going to be overwhelmed by a multiplicity of choice. Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, The Kabbalah, Tibetan Buddhism, Kundalini Yoga, Krishnamurti's Choiceless Awareness, Zen, Vippasana meditation, the Ramana Maharshi meditation or perhaps Sahaja Yoga. There are many more.
Well help is at hand. Daniel Goleman has written a book called Meditative Mind in which he classifies all the different meditations in terms of the Vissudhimagga that was taught by the Lord Buddha. The Vissushimagga means the path of purification. There are two basic types of meditation the path of concentration and the path of insight.
Thoughts enter your mind in a random manner. There is no pattern to their entry. The path of concentration has you direct the flow of your thoughts fixing them onto the object chosen for the meditation. By forcing your wandering thoughts back on to the object your mind will eventually become absorbed in it and your awareness will experience a feeling of oneness with it. This is called the point of entry.
The start of insight meditation is the practice of mindfulness. You are required to pay attention to your thoughts and senses as they arise and to merely register or note your observation of the thought or sense impression without further comment, reflection or judgement. You simply pay attention to what is happening in and to you. In the beginning as in the path of concentration your mind will wander until you reach the point of bare insight where your mind develops the ability to observe all that is registering in your mind without the interference of wandering thoughts. With the achievement of bare insight you realise that your awareness is different from the object of your awareness.
Once you have reached the point of entry or of bare insight you then continue to achieve higher and higher levels of awareness until eventually you reach the highest state possible which is variously called Nirvana, Nirodh, Moksha and various other names. This state indicates that you have achieved the point whereby you have acquired total self-knowledge and are freed from the perpetual cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
What actually happens here is that your kundalini awakens and rises up the central subtle spiritual channel called the Sushumna. The kundalini is the dormant spiritual power within each one of us, which resides in our pelvic bone. The disadvantage with either of the two paths of the Vissuddimagga is that normally it takes a very long time to get your self- realisation. More than one life time is not unusual. Remember that the Vissuddimagga means the 'Path of Purification'. This refers to the fact that in addition to meditation the seeker has to purify his spiritual centres called chakras one by one. This is why the Indian yogis go to the Himalayan Mountains or the forests. They isolate themselves in order to concentrate on their spirit and not be interrupted by mundane life.
In the modern world it is well nigh impossible for the ordinary seeker to achieve their self-realisation using the paths of the Vissuddhimagga. There has however been a change in the firmament and it is now possible to achieve your self-realisation through taking to Sahaja Yoga. As impossible as it seems you can now get your self-realisation simply by asking for it. Any Sahaja yogi can give self-realisation. It is like one candle lighting another. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi developed Sahaja Yoga. She is a very high spiritual personality and can be described as a messenger from God.
With the Vissuddimagga you have to be spiritually perfect before you can get your self-realisation. With the Sahaja Yoga you are not perfect but you can work on trying to become spiritually perfect. The point is that your kundalini does the work for you. All that you have to do is to introspect on your self during meditation. What's wrong with me? The path of Sahaja Yoga is a much faster method of achieving spiritual perfection than the two Vissuddimagga paths. It's like putting the roof on the house first and then building up the walls and windows etc rather than the conventional way around.
The methods of Vissuddimargga meditation works by trying to subdue the mind. Sahaja Yoga says that instead of trying to subdue or control the mind, which is almost impossible anyway, why not ignore it and simply go beyond it. The Sahaja Yoga meditation is described as thoughtless awareness. Normally it is virtually impossible to do this but in Sahaja Yoga your kundalini simply takes you straight into thoughtless awareness.
In their book 'From Here to Nirvana' Anne Cushman and Jerry Jones say that there are five types of yoga: Jhana, Bhakti, Karma, Raja and Hatha. Ramana Maharshi was a Jnana yogi who taught that thinking the thought 'Who am I' would eventually lead to self-realisation. This is the mind being used to distinguish between the real and the unreal. Bhakti yoga is the path of love, devotion, and worship. Karma yoga is the path of selfless service. The Karma yogi does not renounce the world but rather seeks to serve humanity in a detached, egoless manner. This leading to self-realisation. Raja yoga is the path taught by the saint Patanjali around the second and third centuries AD. It is a systematic eight-fold path, which works through the quietening of the mind. Raja yoga includes a moral code, positive breath control and a meditation akin to the ' path of concentration' talked about above. Hatha yoga is the classic 'exercise' yoga well known to people in the west. Raja and Hatha yoga are usually associated together. Sahaja Yoga includes elements of all the different types of yoga except Hatha Yoga.
From Here to Nirvana. 1998. Anne Cushman and Jerry Jones. Rider Books. London. ISBN 0712670610.
Meditative Mind. 1996. Daniel Goleman Harper Collins Publishers, London. ISBN 07225 347 2
Shri Mataji, now 79 years old, is a descendent of one of the Indian Royal Families. She is a grandmother and married to Sir C.P. Shri Shrivastava a retired Secretary of the United Nations Maritime Organisation.
As a young woman Shri Mataji was an activist against the British during India’s fight for independence. At that time she was a friend and confident Mahatma Gandhi.
Shri Mataji began her present work in 1970 after the marriage of her two daughters. Her main aim is to meet seekers of the Truth, wherever they are and acting as a catalyst, offer those who desire it their self-realisation.
Article by:
Huntly Reid
26 Tulbagh Ave
Kenridge
Durbanville,
Cape Town.
7550
Monday, December 22, 2008
On greed and Dharma
I am not sure to what extent people all over the world were shocked, surprised, or even scandalised by the recent revelations that one person was accused of defrauding several investors of an estimated $50 billion US in December 2008.
The FBI was told the man confessed that his investment-advisory business was a "giant Ponzi scheme" and that investor losses exceeded at least about $50 billion, according to a criminal complaint filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. That figure represents the collective amount that investors believed they had invested with the firm -- not the amount they initially invested, known as principal, according to people familiar with the investigation. This was just one of the symptons of a sick world economy, and the financial crisis which is the result. Greed and corruption in government and business, as well as in society is the rrot cause of the present world economic malaise, which is threateneing to close down companies and render millions of workers jobless. That is the situation in the United States where the election of Baraq Obama may herald welcome changes.
Meanwhile across the oceans, in South Africa, where a lot of hope was generated fourteen years ago with the accession to the presidency by Nelson Mandela in 1994, things are not looking so bright either. In an attempt to clean the country of massive corrution and fraud in public and private sectors, the former president Thabo Mbeki created an anti-corruption squad known as the Scorpions. However, their success in bringing to book even big names in the ruling party and elsewhere, may have led to their own demise. Last year at the ANC's conference in Polokwane the party resolved that the Scorpions must go. Now legislation has been passed to give effect to the resolution.
At the same meeting, at Polokwane, the ANC elected Jacob Zuma, whom the Scorpions had investigated for years and accused of corruption and fraud, as its new party president in place of the country's former State President, Thabo Mbeki. Zuma had been fired by Mbeki in 2005 for alleged corruption from the post of Deputy President in the government. This was followed, after the Polokwane conference, by the party firing Mbeki from the post of President of the country. An interim President, Kgalema Motlhantle, has been chosen by the part while waiting for the outcome of next year's election in March or April, when it is almost certain Jacob Zuma will become the country's President.
The unexpected result of all this has resulted in a breakaway part being created in December, called the Congress of the People, which has seen a sizable number of ANC leaders and members abandoning their party for this new one, and which promises clean government based on morals. The new part has gathered a huge following in a matter of weeks mainly from the middle classes of all races and age groups. Time will tell which way the wind will blow.
Why is the world gripped so much by greed? Is there a way out?
Wherever greed grows in people its twin is right there: the quest for power. And lust.
What can we learn from the Teachings of Shri Mataji on greed, to take but one problem?
Talking at the Shri Ganesha Puja in September 1997, Shri Mataji reminds us of how the Kundalini in us acts builds "primordial taboos" within us which if not followed or respected "something goes wrong"in our lives.
"The Kundalini leaves the Mother Earth as a reflection, and what does she do within us to build us up, in which way? So it is the primordial Power which is coming out of the Mother Earth. Mother Earth itself acts like a Mother. She looks after you, she gives you whatever you want; and another miracle thing is that the highest tree is a coconut tree, and a coconut will never fall on any creature or any human being. That means it’s all thinking, all understanding, all consciousness, all awareness is coming from the Mother Earth. But we never understand it. As it is we take for granted.
Now what does she do for us, for us human beings? She’s the primordial Power. What she does is to build in us a primordial – we can call “restrictions” or “primordial taboos” or “primordial dharmas.” For example, you see the steel is here. It has its own dharma, it cannot behave like wood. Wood has its own dharma, it cannot behave like silver. They all have their dharma and they are bound in that dharma. Everything that is in the nature has its own dharma. ...
We have in the same way primordial taboos built within us which are dharma. A human being has to be like that. If he tries to be something else, something goes wrong with his life. It’s like say if you have a glass, you drop it on the ground, it will break – that is the dharma. In the same way when human beings start deviating from the line of dharma, they get into trouble."
(Shri Ganesha Puja, September 1997)
And in another lecture She touches on the freedom from greed, lust and all the other "nonsense" that comes with Sahaj Dharma:
This is Sahaj Dharma. In the Sahaj Dharma, you get rid of all kinds of, as they say: kaama, krodha, mada, matsa, lobha, moha. Means - lust, anger, attractions, then [hindi words] – greed, greed; that’s very important, greed – greed. And attractions."
In his stunning book, "The Confessions of An Economic Hitman" on how the US corporate world colludes with the US government for the control of the resources and the leaders of Third World countries, John Perkins says some interesting and shocking things.
He says that we know in many countries economic growth benefits only a small portion and may in fact result in increasingly desperate circumstances for the majority.
"This effect is reinforced by the corrolary belied that the captains of industry who drive this system should enjoy a special status, a belief that is the root of many of our current problems, and is also the reason why conspiracy theories abound" he points out.
"When men and women are rewarded for greed, greed becomes a corrupting motivator" observes Perkins. He adds that when we equate the gluttonous consumption of the earth's resurceswith a status appproaching sainthood, when we teach our children to emulate people who lived unbalanced lives, and when we ddefine huge sections of the population as subservient to an elite minority, 'we ask for trouble' . And we get it, he observes.
But listen to the Sufi poet from 14th century Turkey, whom Shri Mataji describes as talking like Sahaja Yogis:
"I tie up greed, and release generosity.
I shackle anger, and liberate meekness.
I bind consumerism, and unbind piety.
I tie up ignorance, and unfetter respect for the Absolute.
I restrain passion, and release the love of the Absolute.
I tie up desire, and free fulfilment.
I bind commodification, and liberate awareness".
(Haji Bektash Veli, 1248-1337)
She says:
"Buddha had dharma. His body was clean, His mind the attention, did not find any joy in the worldly greed or desire. His cup was ready and it emptied when he was tired and surrendered and that was the moment: like torrential rain, the “Shakti” filled His cup and made Him the “Shakta”, the Enlightened One. So, when you are talking of virtue, you are warning them to keep the cup intact and clean".
Is the world ready to listen? Can we move back from the brink of self-destruction? Shri Mataji points us towarss Dharma and its essence:
"This is how I describe Dharma in short. Dharma is the sustenance of all things that are born or created. It is super nature that gives valences to atoms in an element. It is Dharma that is expressed as the quality of these elements. For instance, gold has a quality that it is untarnishable. The human beings are like perfected instruments, like computers. Of course, if their Dharma is in balance, they are the best receptors. You can understand that the divine awareness is like the main electrical current which starts the computer (Self-realization). If the Dharma in the instrument is lacking, self-realization does not give full results. It becomes like a second hand car. Dharma is the fulcrum and the one who is in Dharma never gets into imbalance. So the attention has to be on “ Dharma”, the point where the gravity of sin does not act.
"The information of Dharma comes from the Unconscious but the movement from the fulcrum can take the human attention so much in one dimension or so much like a sea saw that ultimately the beam of life tilts towards one side, either towards hell or towards destruction. Because, if the extreme movements are like a sea saw, the delicate flower of human awareness becomes confused and people suffer from all kind of diseases".
But She does not leave us empty without reference about what we can do here and now. And that is the practice of Sahaja Yoga. She says:
"Sahaja yoga is the proof of all the scriptures that are challenged. But I had to come to explain, to give realization and to tell you the “know how”.
H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extract from a Letter to a follower, London, 1976
Perhaps as we move into a New Year with the world hesitating how to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ, it is appropriate to pause and consider how His whole life was to the epitome of compassion, generosity and concern about the well-being of others and for the plight of the poor. Qualities that should be the driving force for the creation of a new society in the world of today. Sahaja Yoga offers the way towards realising this potential for us to become the change we seek to see around us, as Ghandi once exhorted those who call for change.
When you think of the amount of money involved in fraudulent schemes and deals all over the world and the amount of children dying from hunger, preventable diseases, HIV-Aids, the lack of clean water and health facilities, of medicines, education and the ravages of war, producing millons of orphans and neglect, it sets one thinking. Yet there is a solution; and it is not greed for money and power. It is loving each other, as we love ourselves as Christ teaches; and Shri Mataji reinforces and makes possible through Self-Realisation and the pracice of Sahaja Yoga which restores human beings to their original state of sanctity through the healing Power of the Holy Spirit.
Wishing all people of the world a Blissful Christmas in 2008.
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