Fairness

Rich is the person who has mercy on many, and imitating God, gives what he has.
For God has given all things to his creation.
Wealthy people, you should understand that you ought to minister,
for you have received more than you yourselves need.
Learn that others lack the things you have in abundance.
Be ashamed to keep things that belong to others.
Imitate the fairness of God, and no one will be poor."

Preachings of Peter (early 2nd century CE)

The Harvest

Farming in the world requires the cooperation of four essential elements.
A harvest is gathered into the barn only as a result of the natural action of water, earth, wind and light.
God's farming likewise has four elements - faith, hope, love, and knowledge.
Faith is our earth, that in which we take root.
Hope is the water through which we are nourished.
Love is the wind through which we grow.
Knowledge is the light through which we ripen.

Gospel of Philip 79:18-30 (a Gnostic Christian text of the Valentinian tradition; late 2nd century CE)

Orphic Hymn to Nature

O Nature, mother goddess of all, artificer mother, celestial, venerated, goddess of richness, sovereign, all subduer, untamed, steering, lighting all, almighty, nursing mother of all, undecaying, first born, legendary, enabling us,
Born of the night, all wise, light bringing, powerful in restraint
The track of your feet is whirling and silent motion
O sacred one, cosmic Mother of the Gods, unending one, bringing all to completion, common to all, but belonging to yourself alone, self-fathered, yet without a father, beloved, gladsome, great, flowerlike, garlanded, beloved, accessible and wise, leader, accomplisher, life giving, all nourishing maiden, self-sufficient, justice, combining in yourself all the Graces presiding Goddess of earth, air and sea, bitter to the worthless, sweet to those who honour you, all wise, all giving guardian queen of all,
Bringing food, freely endowing us with ripening plenty,
Thou, father, mother of all, with us as nourisher and nurse, swift birth giver, blessed one, rich in seed, begetter of the seasons,
Creator of all, shaper, source of all richness, sea goddess, everlasting, setting in motion, all wise, full of care, never failing, you whirl with quick force.
All flowing, circular in motion, shape shifting,on your fair throne, you are honoured, alone you perfect your design,
Loud thundering you sit above the rulers,
Fearless, all subduer, you are destiny fiery goddess of fate
You deathless, are everlasting life and know the future.
You are the all and you alone create.
But Goddess we pray you in good season lead us to peace, health and increase of prosperity.

Partition

"Before independence in this country [India] I remember we had to fight the British, and what patriotism people had at that time. I remember once we had gone to see a hockey match, and my father always had a national flag on it, that time it was not national it was congress flag in the car. So the soldiers came, they said, “Take down this flag.” So my driver got down he said,” You cut my throat first and then you take down the flag”. We all children joined him and they were shocked, went back.
Such enthusiasm, such patriotism came at that time when we were fighting these people. But they divided us and created a problem for us. And you know before we could enjoy any fruits of our freedom, we were fighting, we were divided. I don't know whom to blame for that. If we had not accepted this division, there would have been no problem. But they accepted it. Now, poor Bangladeshis are so, so, so poor. If they were one with India, they would have been much better. And what is Pakistan? It's just an empty place you know, no industries, nothing. That's why they are all the time talking about Kashmir, Kashmir, they have nothing else. Their own country people are having fights, this that, but there's no growth." (H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, 12/4/94)

Devi Sukta

I move with Rudras and with Vasus,
I move with Adityas and all Gods by My side, and both Mitra and Varuna I support.
I support Indra, Agni and the Asvins.

I uphold Soma, the destroyer of the foe.
I sustain Tvastri and Pushan and Bhaga.
I reward with wealth the offerer of oblation and the devout worshipper pouring the Soma.

I am Queen, the Gatherer-up of treasures, the Knower, the First among the Holy Ones.
The Devas have established in many places, Me who lives on many planes, in many a form.

The man who sees, who breathes, and who hears what is spoken through Me alone obtains his sustenance.
There are those who dwell by My side but know not.
Hear thou who hast hearing: I tell thee the sacred truth.

Yes, I myself say this, - and these My words must needs be welcome to Devas and men -
One whom I love I make mighty – make of him a Brahmana, a Rishi, a gifted man.

For Rudra I stretch out the strings of His bow to slay the fierce enemies of the Realised Souls.
And for the people, I engage in battle; and through the earth and the heaven I spread.

And on the summit I bring forth the Father.
My home is within waters, in the ocean, from where I extend to all existing worlds;
and yonder heaven I touch with My forehead.

And it is I who, like the wind, breathe forth Chaitanya and set all existing worlds in motion.
Beyond heavens and beyond the earth am I, and all this have I become in My splendour!

(Rig Veda 10:125)

Listen, O Soul

"It is said that God is love, you have heard that many a times and many people have explained in their own ways what is love, but to feel that love is the best way of understanding it. Even if you explain or describe in all details, though it is described in all detail, you cannot enjoy love without experiencing it. This experience comes to us because God himself has placed within us the mechanism to absorb this love and to manifest it. It is a very delicate mechanism within us, extremely delicate. This mechanism is placed in our heart and by our ignorance so many times we spoil this mechanism or disturb it, or sometimes even completely destroy it. The light of love is joy anything else cannot give you joy. Its only the love that you feel in your heart gives you joy.
This mechanism acts in seven layers within us. In the periphery of these seven layers we gave got ripples of this joy arising they come to the shores of our brain and create the bubble of joy, but again if the brain is a very rational rock then these bubbles dissolve giving no effect to the rock. So, a loving person is thousand times better than a rational person."
(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Mumbai, 30/12/79)


"Listen, O soul, to my advice.
Do not become a den for foxes and snakes,
nor a hole for serpents and asps,
nor a lair for lions,
nor a shelter for vipers.
When these things happen to you,
O soul, what will you do?
For these are the Powers of the Adversary.
You were a temple.
You made yourself a tomb.
Stop being a tomb, and become a temple again,
so that uprightness and divinity may remain in you.
Light the light within you.
Do not put it out."

(from The Teachings of Silvanus, a Gnostic Christian text from the Greek city of Alexandria, 2-3rd century CE)

Ganapatipule - a history

Ganapatipule is an ancient pilgrim centre on the western coast of Maharashtra known for its serene beach and its Swayambhu Ganapati temple. It is is the only location in the world where Ganesha meets the Father principle, the ocean.

During the sixteenth century, a villager left his village. On his journey he stumbled upon the naturally formed Ganapati (Ganesha) swyambhu. He settled there and built a temple. People subsequently gathered and gradually settled in the area establishing the village of Ganapatipule.

The temple is on the beach at the base of a hill considered sacred and a perennial spring flows from the hill to a pond besides the Temple.

photo of temple: Light of Love weblog

Since the mid-1980s, Ganapatipule has become the location for annual seminars of the Sahaja Yoga meditation movement.

from the film 'Freedom and Liberation'

Nizamuddin and Amir Khusro

Nizamuddin "was a Sufi and he was a great realized soul ... and his disciple was Amir Khusro, was another very, very great Sufi gentleman and I always have admired his poetry and also the way Nizamuddin led his life of dignity and divinity."
(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Delhi, 21/3/93)


Some poetry by Amir Khusro (1253-1325):

Khusro! the river of love has a reverse flow
He who enters will drown, he who drowns will get across.


How lovely is winter in India
that makes the home and outside look like a garden.
Neither the road becomes a frozen back of the snow,
Nor the hands remain fixed in fists due to cold.
The wide fields are never short of greenery,
The trees never look naked of leaves.
The air is not empty of the chirping of birds,
Nor the garden is deserted of sounds.
Any one can embark on a journey
carrying one or two layers of clothes only.
(extract from the Mathnavi Noh Sipihr)

Whenever he visits my place, wakes me up from the sleep,
he sings the song of separation;
Is it the Beloved, oh friend? No, its mosquito!

illustration: a meeting of Nizamuddin and Amir Khusro

The Sufis of Turkey

"Turkey has one very great blessing. It has had so many sufis. And if you read them, it is a description of Sahaja Yogis. They didn't call them Sahaja Yogis but they were because they are described to be like this or that and when they tell about their own experiences in poetry you are amazed to see they are talking like Sahaja Yogis."
(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, 2001)

There is a Water that flows down from Heaven
To cleanse the world of sin by grace Divine.
At last, its whole stock spent, its virtue gone,
Dark with pollution not its own, it speeds
Back to the Fountain of all purities;
Whence, freshly bathed, earthward it sweeps again,
Trailing a role of glory bright and pure.
This Water is the Spirit of the Saints.
Which ever sheds, until itself is beggared,
God’s balm on the sick soul; and then returns
To Him who made the purest light of Heaven.
(Jalaludin Rumi, 1207-1273)

I am before, I am after –
The soul for all souls all the way.
I’m the one with a helping hand
Ready for those gone wild, astray.
(Yusuf Emre, 1238-1321)

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)

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.
(Jalaludin Rumi)

God permeates the whole wide world,
Yet His truth is revealed to none.
You better seek Him in yourself,
You and He aren't apart - you're one.
(Yusuf Emre)

Find in yourself all that you seek.
(Haji Bektash Veli)

This is how it always is
when I finish a poem.
A great silence overcomes me,
and I wonder why I ever thought
to use language.
(Jalaludin Rumi)

Sufism

Interviewer: Is Sahaja Yoga like Sufism? Islamic spiritualism?

Shri Mataji: Not 'ism'. That's the difference between the two. Anyone can call himself a sufi. It's not an 'ism'. 'Ism' means a kind of theory or a kind of group who believes in something. It's not like that. Sahaja Yoga makes you a sufi. Sufi means 'cleansed'. It cleanses you and you get rid of all these horrible things and you become a transformed person. Most of the sufis didn't know how they became sufis. They were born like that. And the others who talk about that, like Tao. You must have heard about the Chinese thing, Tao; when they describe a sage, they say a sage is like this, like that. But how does he become like that? So that part is missing, even in the sufi theories. How you become a sufi? Just by going round and round, you don't become a sufi. By following a certain code of life, you don't become a sufi. What does it, is Kundalini. That has to rise.

...

Interviewer: Turkey is located in the middle of several volatile regions. For example, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East with its present Israel and the Palestinians. Can Turkey and or Turkish Yogis play a role in bringing peace to these regions?

Shri Mataji: Of course. Why not. Of course. Turkey has one very great blessing. It has had so many sufis. And if you read them, it is a description of Sahaja Yogis. They didn't call them Sahaja Yogis but they were because they are described to be like this or that and when they tell about their own experiences in poetry you are amazed to see they are talking like Sahaja Yogis. That's the reason. Because of that blessing, Turkey has become very important for me also. That spirituality will definitely take a shape here and maybe, I almost feel, that Islam will be, really be shown in Turkey very well and maybe it will help people to correct their ideas about Islam.

Turkish Daily News, 27 April 2001

for the full interview, click the button:

Gagangiri Maharaj

I’ll tell you once how I worked on a really great soul called Gagangarh Maharaj. It’s an interesting story. This Gagangarh Maharaj used to live on a hilltop and he would never see people. He was a very angry type of a man. He’s John the Baptist and all his legs and hands were broken and he travels on a tiger. Very hot-tempered. Went to see him and every Sahaja Yogi was saying, "Why are you going to a guru?" I said, "See his vibrations."

So I climbed all the way see him and it was raining heavily and he’s supposed to be in charge of rains, he can control the rains, you see. He’s a very big, powerful man and the rain would not stop. It was pouring and pouring and pouring. I got completely drenched by the time I reached there, he was very angry, you see, sitting on a block of stones. He was just going on like this, with anger. I was smiling at him and I went and sat in his little cave till he came back.

He said, "Mother, why did you not allow me to control the rain? Was that to kill my ego?"

I said, "No, not at all. I never did that."

He said, "But why didn’t you stop the rain? Why didn’t you allow me to stop the rain? You are all drenched."

So now see how I played the compassion on him. I said, "See you are a sanyasi, isn’t it? And you have bought a sari for me. I can’t take a sari from a sanyasi, so I had to get drenched otherwise I’ll have no excuse." And the whole temper went away, you see, just, he just fell at my feet and started crying and said what love!

And I said, "There’s another point, that the water was flowing on my body and was completely covering all these beautiful hills and dales and tomorrow we’ll have all the greenery lush there for you to enjoy, isn’t it? What does it matter for me? Rain or no rain, makes no difference to me, I’m quite all right."

And he brought out a beautiful sari for me there. He said, "You knew about the sari."

I said, "I knew."

He said, "How?"

I said, "Love knows everything, doesn’t it? Love gives you eyes, ears, everything."

(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Q+A after Talk at Shri Krishna Puja, New York, 18/8/84)

Born in 1906 at Patan in south Maharashtra, this yogi visited Gagangad in 1935 and by 1940 had made it his abode. That is how he got the name Gagangiri. In the early 1970s he sent seekers to Shri Mataji with the comment, "the Adi Shakti is in Bombay, why have you come to me?" He passed from this life on Monday, February 4, 2008.
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(added 2/10/2011)

Taming the brainstorm

"Andrew was a young man of about twenty years of age when his mother brought him to the meditation clinic at Blacktown, a working class suburb in Sydney’s outer west.
Two years before this, he had contracted encephalitis, a viral infection of his brain tissue which put him in hospital for several weeks; his condition so critical at one stage that he was transferred into the intensive care unit. Although Andrew did survive, the viral attack on his brain had left subtle scars on this most sensitive of organs. It caused the neurons to “short circuit” and produce overpowering waves of electrical signals that spread across his entire brain. This “brainstorm” resulted in severe epileptic seizures. While the viral infection of Andrew’s brain was over, it had left behind permanent damage which condemned him to a life of violent epilepsy.
Epilepsy is a well recognised complication of brain infection. In this case it had taken a promising and talented student and turned him into an invalid. Andrew’s fits were so frequent - sometimes up to two or three times per day - that he could neither resume his schooling nor keep a job. He was dependent on his parents for everything, and so their lives had also become considerably restricted by their son’s illness.
As with the other patients in the Mind-Body Meditation Clinic, we advised Andrew that his response to the technique would mostly be determined by his own motivation to meditate regularly. We were not the healers in the clinic, rather Andrew was going to learn how to awaken an innate and spontaneous healing power within himself. This energy would work inexorably through his meditation to improve his physical, mental and spiritual health. ...
Andrew learned the sahaja yoga technique quickly and practiced it diligently. The first changes we noticed were in Andrew‘s face: his eyes lost their usual dullness; they looked clear and bright. When we first saw this 19 year old boy he looked like an old man: hunched over, drawn face and dark rings under his eyes. Now he started to look young again and the dark shadow that seemed to hang over him had gone. After a few weeks he would even come to the class with a smile where usually there was only a frown. Andrew’s progress was obvious to us and it was not too much of a surprise to hear from his parents that his fits were reducing in frequency.
After several weeks his mother came to the clinic to invite us home for dinner. Andrew had not had a major fit in four weeks, they were planning to go away for the weekend and for the first time in many years life was starting to look normal for them!"

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Thisism, thatism

"Now people might say Marxism, thisism, thatism. Tukarama has said ava gaachi samsaara sukha cha kari. He said it. Same, Marx says the same. He says that the whole world should be so, such a happy place, such a happy place that there should be no state. How? Nobody asked him how? He talks of evolution. How? How the evolution is going to take place? Ask him. Ask all these communists. They are not becoming better people. Are they? Who is becoming better? Who is getting transformed by that Isms? None of them. Somebody is a disciple of this gentleman. Somebody is a disciple of that gentleman.
Somebody is following this kind of a political theory. Another following that kind of a theory. It’s a theory. In Marathi, as they say, bhola chi tsa bhola chi tsa kadi. Whatever theories you have you have written down it on your heads. Are you going to get transformation with that?
There has to be, something, happens within you. If you have to get to that point what Marx has said. What Tukarama has said. This parivarthan, this change, this transformation has to take place and that’s only possible through the Kundalini awakening. ...
Kundalini is the shudda iccha [pure desire], is the real iccha, is the one that is going to give you that what you are born for, is going to give you, after that you do not want anything else."
(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Public Program, Mumbai, 20/1/86)

Ashta Vinayakas

"... one has to understand how it is so important in Maharashtra that people worship Ganesha. As you know there are Ashta Vinayakas, eight Ganeshas are there, around this area, and this triangle of Maharashtra, which has got on one side one big mountain. On the other side we have another mountain, which, of course, is not in Maharashtra. And also on top we have another mountain. So like a triangle, which is made like a Mooladhara, means the Kundalini itself. So the Kundalini of the whole world resides in this area. That's why it is called, we should say, as Maharashtra, is the country which is very great, the nation which is very great.
(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Shri Ganesha Puja, Sheri, near Pune, Maharashtra, India, 15/12/91)

"India is the microscopic form of the whole earth, Mother Earth. So, in the triangle of Maharashtra we have got eight Ganeshas, which are manifesting vibrations, and were recognized by great Saints of Maharashtra. But, as you have seen, as a grace of these great Saints, especially Maharashtra has created human beings who have shraddha as the highest expression of their emotion and mind. Because of that lofty vision in the mind, whenever they see something on this sublime nature, their thoughts go to God. Thanks to the Saints of that State that people have that sensitivity and that kind of a movement".
(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Shri Ganesha Puja, Riffelberg, Switzerland, 2/9/84)


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