When raising Kundalini

I had told you yesterday, that we have to know about the powers that we have, and the powers that we can get. First of all we should know what powers we have got, and also we should know how we are going to preserve those powers and what more powers we can very easily achieve.

The first power that you get after Realization is the greatest power on Earth. This is the power of Shri Ganesha. It is only He can do this job that you people are doing today, and that power is of raising the Kundalini. No one so far in the history of spirituality has ever raised the Kundalini in such a short time as you people are doing. It moves under your fingers; it is absolutely Shri Ganesha’s power which is given to you.

At the time when you are giving the Realization, even if you are caught up in any one of your chakras, or you have any problem, even if you are little bit possessed, even if you are not such a good Sahaj Yogi, even if you are not that much surrendered to Mataji, even if you don’t have much sense of obligation about Sahaj Yoga, still the Kundalini rises under your fingers. This Ganesha key is given to you by Shri Ganesh, Himself, within you, to give you the confidence, to give you the confidence that you can raise the Kundalini, but not the feeling that you are raising the Kundalini. If you go on without surrendering yourself to Sahaj Yoga, after some time you will lose this power, very fast.

Another power which you have got at the raising of the Kundalini of anyone, you can notice it that when the Kundalini rises, that time there will be no obstruction of any kind. Whatever may be the obstructions around – say there’s a possessed person next door, he would not disturb you at that time. In your family there may be a person who is a negative person, but if you’re raising the Kundalini, at that moment he will be kept quiet, at the time when you are moving your hand on the Kundalini is the greatest power you are using. I don’t know how much shraddha you have about yourself and about the power that you have. At that time there will be no obstruction on your hand by anyone whatsoever – even by mistake, nobody will hold your hand or touch your hand.

The second power you have got when you are raising the Kundalini, that, at that time when you’ll be raising your Kundalini, you will be completely attracting the attention of another person with it, like a magnet, by which you should understand that you can raise your Kundalini wherever you feel like. When you are raising the Kundalini, supposing there’s lot of noise going on, there are all kinds of problems going on – supposing you are going in the train, there’s a noise of the train, or any such thing happening - that time your attention will not be distracted, but the attention of the person who is taking the Realization from you, will not be attracted by outside things at that time when you are raising the Kundalini. That means that you can give Realization at any time, because at that time you reside in the lotus which is closed.

The other power you have got, at the time of Kundalini Jagruti, that no baser feelings will rise within you. Even if you are a possessed person, at the time of Kundalini Jagruti you will not have baser feelings, impure feelings about the person whom you are giving Realization. Maybe before and after, but not during when you are giving Realization, these dirty feelings will not come to you – automatically, you don’t have to stop your mind, automatically it will work out. You’ll be absolutely satisfied, even if you are hungry you will not feel the hunger or any physical need, at the time when you are giving Realization. There will be no distraction of any kind; you won’t do anything that is undignified at the time when you’ll be raising your hand, because you are being blessed with dignity. At the time you are raising the Kundalini, you will never joke, or you’ll never make fun; you’ll not be frivolous. Automatically you try, it won’t work.

These are your supporting powers. All these five powers I’ve described are very few of the thousands others, but these are the five powers of Shri Ganesh. Now these powers can be maintained if you try to follow Shri Ganesh. His foremost quality is that He does not know any other god or anybody else higher than His own Mother. A complete dedication and complete obedience to Mother – He is made out of that obedience – complete love and affection for the Mother. He doesn’t argue; He doesn’t question; He doesn’t do anything, and that’s how these powers are in Him the maximum. If you think by arguing with me you are gaining, you are sadly mistaken. You have to keep me pleased, even Ganesha tries every minute to keep me pleased. Is a fact. So, please don’t try to displease me. I may not say anything, because outwardly I don’t say anything, but your powers will be reduced.

Ganesha’s fifth power is the power of wisdom and that whatever He knows He can draw it and write it down. Even that power you have got. When you are rising the Kundalini, you talk to the person in such a manner that the person becomes wise, and you also talk to him only that which is wisdom and also you write or show him figures, automatically which are right. Even if you don’t remember your figures, they’ll come out right.

H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extract from 'Powers Bestowed upon Sahaja Yogis', Bordi, India (1980-0127)

Shri Mahalakshmi Puja 1986

Shri Mahalakshmi Puja 1986 (Sangli) from Sahaja Library on Vimeo.


This is an English translation from a Talk given in Marathi by H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi during the Mahalakshmi Puja, Sangli, India, January 6th, 1986.

Today’s Puja is very important as it is a Mahalakshmi Puja and Mahalakshmi in Sahaja Yoga is more important than any other Shakti because Mahalakshmi Shakti - which we also call Sushumna Nadi - resides there and She deals with Parasympathetic nervous system. To make this Mahalakshmi Shakti powerful there have been many changes in human evolution. Mahalakshmi took different avatars and She was very courageous to take birth in this world in a human form and do Her work. It is surprising that no one has yet given us much information about the importance of Mahalakshmi’s avatars, or no one has a deep knowledge of Her whole explanation.

Now, the Mahalakshmi’s principle depends on Lakshmi’s principle, because Mahalakshmi should be considered as the mother of Lakshmi. Lakshmi’s mother means, when Lakshmi came amongst human beings, She took also the form of a balanced woman. She stands in balance on a lotus and in both hands She holds two lotuses: a pink and delicate one. The meaning of the pink lotus is that a person who is wealthy (Lakshmipati), his nature should be “pinkness” (sweetness, loving), he should not be rude. The second lotus can give protection to the beetle. In spite of its thorns, still it can make its abode in it, he is welcome. Like this, a person who is a Lakshmipati should welcome any type of person, he should behave like a lotus. He should enquire about the well-being of the other persons.

Moreover, when you look at Her hands, one is like this [giving, left hand] and one is like that [protecting, right hand]. The person who is not giving cannot be a Lakshmipati. There is no joy like the joy of giving. Only the generous person should be recognized as great in this world. The left hand gesture is for giving. As Shri Lakshmi shows by using the left hand, a Lakshmipati should also use his left hand for giving. Using the left hand means that the right hand should not know about it. The left hand means Sahaj, without putting any effort. The desire should be of giving. All things in this world are only important to be given to others, to show our love to others by giving. That’s why things are important. Amongst all the Swayambhus we, in Sahaja Yoga, give special respect to that of Mahalakshmi. Only because of Her our Kundalini finds the way up on the path [of Shushumna], She prepares the Nadi for Her to rise. This Nadi of Mahalakshmi.

When the right hand is like this [protection gesture] it gives Ashraya [shelter]. It has two meanings. She gives protection [Rakshana] to everyone and shelter [Ashraya]. But on the opposite side, the Lakshmipati (rich man) gets all the trouble and fear from the others.

Lakshmi stood up on the lotus without putting pressure, She doesn’t show off Her qualities, but the other men show their properties, cars or other futile things, to impress others with their wealth. She is standing lightly on the lotus, not putting the weight on others. She doesn’t disturb others like this. The true Lakshmipati will sit very quietly with confidence in himself [Shraddha] and leave without disturbing others. He may make some donation but insists that his name is not mentioned. “I leave it at your feet, but please don’t write down my name.” “But Baba, we have to register the donations for the Trust…” But that man says : “ You may put anyone’s name, but please, not mine. If there is any legal trouble I will face it.” A very polite man, that is a true Lakshmipati.

Her [right] hand is upward, means our attention should be always upward [gesture like crossing the Agnya]. A person who is Lakshmipati is conscious of being very rich but really wonders how to meet Parameshwara [God Almighty]. When he feels like this, then the principle of Mahalakshmi starts awakening in him.

In that principle of Mahalakshmi the awakening of the Kundalini takes place and it is to make the Kundalini rise that people sing Ude, Ude Ambe. “Kundalini, please rise”. We pray in that way in the temple of Mahalakshmi, because in this form of Mahalakshmi only Kundalini can rise. And then the Kundalini in the form of Mahalakshmi rises through all the Chakras and crosses them up to Sahastrara Chakra where the complete breakthrough takes place.

Now, this Mahalakshmi has taken birth so many times amongst us. Let’s see. First of all there is a very close relation between the principle of Mahalakshmi and the Guru. In this relationship there is love and purity. Now, if you look from the beginning, all those great Gurus had a daughter or a sister. As one of those relations Mahalakshmi took birth. Like Janaka’s daughter, Sita, was the incarnation [Swarupa] of Mahalakshmi, She was the principle [tatwa] of Mahalakshmi. Sita was Mahalakshmi and the daughter of Janaka. Then Nanaka’s sister, Nanaki, was also Mahalakshmi. Her relationship was that of a sister. Moreover, Mohammad Sahib’s daughter, Fatima, was Mahalakshmi too. Again, Radha. Radha was Mahalakshmi’s incarnation [swarup]. Then again Mary was Mahalakshmi and Her relationship was that of Purity. She was so pure that She gave birth to Christ. She gave him birth as a Virgin. And as the incarnation of the Virgin, because of Her purity, She got a pure son like Christ. Also She was Mahalakshmi.

And by these Avatars of Mahalakshmi our chakras got fixed [bandh]. Like the chakra of Rama is on the right heart. [pointing to the Chakras] At this level, She is in the form of Shri Sita. There She is in the form of Radha, there She is in the form of Mary. At this place [Agnya] the three Chakras meet : Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati. Then these three Shaktis meet and when those three Shaktis meet, then only one Shakti which is the Adi Shakti takes form. That’s why on Sahastrara Chakra, the Adi Shakti resides, but it is said that “Sahastrare Mahamaya” : She is the Adi Shakti, but She is in the form of Mahamaya. Owing to the existence of these three Shaktis the Adi Shakti who is in the form of Mahamaya [Mahamayaswarup] came in this world in order to open all the Sahastraras. And She is in front of you, you know about it, so there is no need to tell you more.

So out of those three, why is it Mahalakshmi who becomes the Adi Shakti [pudhe Adi Shakti avatarit zhali]? Because She [Mahalakshmi] has two Shaktis. In Her, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Mahakali, these three Shaktis are incarnated. The principle of Mahalakshmi itself, is our Pure Desire, that is Amba. In fact it is Mahakali Shakti and with this She has the power of elevation [Tar Tiche utthan hou Shakte, ti karu Shakte]. That’s why Adi Shakti is important. Though these three Shaktis are important, only the Adi Shakti can do the ultimate work. It happens when the three combine. And for this, though this work is spontaneous, you as well should work hard, otherwise the work cannot be done, it’s too difficult. If it could be done by Adi Shakti alone there would have been no need for all the trouble [pasara].

You people should put in big efforts. In this process your cooperation is also needed. Now you are on the stage, not me. Take my powers and use them. But you have to be on the stage. That’s why you are [worthy of worship, adorable: pujaniya]. You are special [wishesh ahat]. As the Adi Shakti, I have already done this work since long times. There is nothing special for me. But you have to use it, you have to get it. You have to master it, you have to be impressive. This is the true desire of the Adi Shakti. This is Her pure desire [Shuddha Iccha], that you should all reach this level, accept it with pleasure, progress in it, then I’m satisfied. In this satisfaction I forget all the troubles. How much trouble I had to go through, in those earlier times how much I had to go through, as Sita, Radha or Mary how much trouble I got. All these past stories I forget. Now nothing is left of this, what is happening now only matters.

We should remember in this present incarnation that Mahalakshmi’s principle took a human form. Manavi swarupat means in human form. But the Goddess, which is Mahakali, doesn’t incarnate in human form, but only as a Goddess. It is easy to come in the form of Goddess, but it is a difficult work to incarnate in the human form. To reside amongst the people, struggle with them, to pay attention to all the human limitations [maryadas] is extremely difficult. All this work has been done in human form by these Goddesses, and today is the time we see the result of it.

It is my pure desire to have programmes in Ganapatipule and I would like to tell you to continue it for at least three or four years. And you can’t imagine how perfect the work is going to be from Ganapati to the Sahastrara. It is so great that you cannot express it in words. It is my pure desire that you take all my powers. If it can work out I don’t need anything else.

Shri Rukmini

In Maharashtra, and specifically at the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur, Vitthala is worshipped as the Lord; and Rukmini is his consort, or power. At Pandharpur, Rukmini has her own temple. In some traditions, Vitthala (or Vithoba) is said to be derived from Vishnu, and Rukmini (or Rakhumai) is derived from Lakshmi.

Now when we have our Vishuddhi problems we have to know what are the deities on both the sides and what were their qualities which are lacking in us – that’s why we are suffering. Let’s see the right side Vishuddhi when we catch. Shri Krishna’s essence is sweetness – madhuriya. And His power was Radha. Ra is energy, dha means the one who has sustained the energy. And Her power was, She was called as Ahlada. Ahlada means joy giving qualities She had. So Shri Krishna’s qualities were that He was Yogeshwara, so He was the witness and sweetness. Now a person who shouts and screams and talks loudly and loses his temper in a very loud voice, or who speaks very loudly all the time, they all suffer from the right Vishuddhi. So one should understand that even when you have to scold somebody, you have to just say, “What are you doing? Why are you doing like this?” Otherwise “I give you, oh do like this?” Finished! Right Vishuddhi over. It’s finished now.
So for the right Vishuddhi we use the mantra of Vitthala and Rukmini, these two persons. You see it is very significant that also, because they say that there was a Pundalikaksh, one boy who was serving his parents. And his parents were sleeping, he was pressing their feet when Vitthala and His power Rukmini, they appeared in the door. But he said, “Now keep quiet. My parents are sleeping so you stay there!” So he had one brick near him which he threw and asked them, “You stay on that.” So They kept quiet, They kept quiet because they are sleeping. Now this is the thing. On the right side if you are talking loudly, if you talk too much, if you intimidate people with your talking then you catch on right Vishuddhi. So for that best is to take some rest and give some rest to your right Vishuddhi by stopping your talk. Go into mauna they say, just don’t talk. For some time if you don’t talk you will see that your Vishuddhi will be improved, your problems will be improved.

H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extract from Shri Krishna Puja 1989, England (1989-0814)


Today I think is a very great day for all of us because this place is the place of Virat, of Shri Vitthala. Is the place where Shri Vitthala appeared to a devoted son and when he asked Him that "You better stand on a brick," He stood there. And they say that He stood there waiting. Some people say that the statue that we see came out of the Mother Earth on this sand and that's what Pundalikaksh carried saying that "These are the ones who came to see me and my parents; I was busy with them, so they are standing on the same brick which I threw." Now the whole story has to be taken in a very sensible way, with the common-sense in it. That God Himself is capable of all kinds of miracles. ...
My idea of coming to Pandharpur for Shiv Puja was this: that Shiva represents the Spirit, and the Spirit is residing in all of you in your hearts. The seat of Sadashiva is on top of your head but is reflected in your heart. Now, your brain is the Vitthala. So to bring Spirit to your brain means enlightenment of your brain. Enlightenment of your brain means the limited capacity of your brain has to become unlimited, in its capacity to realize God. I will not use the word understand – to realize God - how powerful He is, how miraculous He is, how great He is.
(extract from Shivaratri Puja 1984, Pandharpur) (1984-0229)


Panduranga Vittala of Pandharpur

Vithoba of Pandarpur

Pandharpur Yatra, Glories of Lord Vithal/Vithoba

Queen Maria Theresa

Austrian queen and Dowager Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, Maria Theresa (1717-1780) was a key figure in the power politics of eighteenth century Europe. She brought unity to the Habsburg Monarchy and was considered one of its most capable rulers. Her sixteen children included Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France.

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi has commented:

(Austria) was a very great country and regarded as one of the motherly countries. You’ve been a very balanced country. You had Maria Theresa, as a very great, great queen, I think, and all this happened there, there was a Raja-Lakshmi there.
(1984-0202: Talk to Austrian yogis)

Even your queen who lived during the time of Mozart was a realized lady, perhaps you do not know about her.
(1984-0906: Public meeting, Vienna)

If I say that Maria Theresa, the queen, was a realized soul, you can feel it. Your hands act like the antennae of a computer. (1985-0509)

Bibliography
Olivier Bernier, Imperial mother, royal daughter: the correspondence of Marie Antoinette and Maria Theresa (London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1986)
P.G.M.Dickson, Finance and government under Maria Theresia, 1740-1780 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987)

Webpage
Maria Theresa of Austria and her Schonbrunn Palace

Beginnings of Sahaja Yoga in Russia

In 1985, the first Russians got Self-Realization in Switzerland.
In 1989, Shri Mataji conducted the first public programs in Russia after which the first collective meetings started in Saint-Petersburg (called Leningrad then), Moscow and Togliatti.
Sahaja Yoga is officially considered to start spreading in Saint-Petersburg since the summer of 1989 when Shri Mataji came to the city with a Public Program for the first time. But already in 1987 there was the first group of Sahaja Yogis which united about ten people who held meetings in their apartments.
Shri Mataji came to Saint-Petersburg five times – first in 1989, and then in 1990, 1991, 1994-1996. The first meeting of Shri Mataji with the people of Saint-Petersburg took place in the Palace of the Youth in 1989. The hall was overcrowded. Mother told the audience about the subtle system and its connection with the physical body. The ones who wanted could ask questions. Approximately one thousand people got their Self-Realization. Since then, the number of people practicing Sahaja Yoga has been growing quickly. Sahaja Yoga Programs were held at schools, Houses of Culture, medical institutions.
more:
Twenty Years of Sahaja Yoga in Russia

photo: Shri Mataji in Russia 1989

Friendship

Friendship is such that you could share your secrets, you could share your problems. You do that with me. And why not with each other? It’s a question of understanding that Sahaja Yogis are all really friends to each other. I think relationship of friendship is even higher than any other relationship we could think of, because there is nothing to be gained out of our friendship. It never ceases and you just enjoy the friendship, that’s all. Then you can pull each other’s legs, sometimes. You could be little joking with another person, making fun of another person. It’s all right, it’s friendship. But this is the purest form of understanding our relationships with each other. And a friend is the one who is always, for no rhyme and reason, concerned about his friend. Before Sahaja Yoga, you could have only one friend or at the most two. Three meant a crowd, cannot have three persons as your friends. But in Sahaja Yoga we are all friends, pure friendship. Friendship of a very beautiful nature - that you enjoy the joy of another person. In vibrations you do. If you feel the vibrations of another Sahaja Yogi, you really enjoy. ...

I have to tell you that we have to be friends. We have to share, enjoy sharing. There is no seriousness about it. How can you be serious with your friend? Just relaxed enjoying each other’s company. Even if you have to argue - argue, doesn’t matter. Even if you have a different view, it’s all right. But, you should not try to impose yourself on your friend, nor your friend should try to impose. But try to understand each other. That’s how we are going to learn such a lot. You have to learn such a lot from each other. For example, I learnt so much from French you’ll be surprised. Learnt lot of things from French, the way they have their art, their ideas of art, their music, their culture. Lots of things to be learnt. So, you have friends in India, you have friends everywhere, you have friends now in South America. Everywhere you have friends. ...

So, this friendship, just think of it, in this world we have thousands and thousands of friends everywhere we go. And this is what we have to know within ourselves that we have to be ourselves very, very friendly type, very friendly. There is an openness between one friend and another friend. There is no closeness. There is no tension. There is no formality. And, reliance. So much so that you can talk to them about what you want, what is your need and what problems you have.

I hope you understand that love means complete freedom to yourself and to others. If you love someone, then there is complete freedom and understanding. But this love has to be very, very pure. Complete understanding. You have to feel that friendship. And, you will feel very proud that you have so many friends. And real friends! You have so many friends who are real friends. You will be so very - feeling a thing as if you are a great personality that you have so many friends in this world. You are not alone.

Imagine before this what we had, so many saints, so many great souls were born and they were treated like singular people and tortured, killed, poisoned. They were alone. But you are not. You are all - are friends to each other and the greatest friend you have is the Divine power, which is looking after you and doing everything for you. If you have that kind of a relaxed, beautiful alertness within you, you are going to enjoy life. You are going to enjoy Sahaja Yoga and you are going to get many, many more people in Sahaja Yoga.

H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extracts from Shri Devi Puja, France, 1989-0709

Origins of Yuva Shakti

Mr. Pradhan is a very humble person. He didn’t tell you, that we have started a, I mean, he actually brought the idea to start a, another subsidiary you can call it, or whichever way you may say, another parallel movement, called as “Yuva Shakti”. Which is meant for the young people in Sahaja Yoga. For their guidance, for their expression, and for their dedication. And, this is spreading so fast now that I am told we have got Yuva Shakti even in Pune. And may be, it might spread to other places, to other countries, so that they can correspond, have a rapport, try to understand each other. So, this is a new movement, which was really suggested by Mr. Pradhan, and I really heartily congratulate him for putting it into action. (Applause).
No doubt, we must care for our young people. And look after them and give them their due respect and they must know their due duties towards Sahaja Yoga. I found them to be excellent workers, very dedicated innocent hands that I have got. I am very proud of them. And please give them a hand to all the young people. (Applause).

H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Talk on Yuva Shakti, Ganapatipule, 1988-0104

The Yuva Shakti began in India in August 1987.

Witness

It is a very important thing about the power of Shri Krishna that gives you a witness state. This is very important also because, in these days of Kali Yuga and complete confusion of value system, all kinds of turmoil makes very complex conditions to exist. The state of witnessing is only possible through meditation: you reach the state of thoughtless awareness. It’s combined together. Now the witness state is such a state where you just do not react. If you react, then the problem starts. It’s a very simple thing to understand that we react through our ego or through our conditioning. Otherwise there is no way to react. ...

There is no fear at all, once you learn how to have the state of witnessing. Because when you are not witnessing you get disturbed, you get upset, you get excited, you may join also these wrong type of people. But if you are in a state of witnessing, that itself is a power. And that witnessing state helps you to win over so many difficulties of other people. ...

But witness state is not a mental state, it is a state of a spiritual ascent where you become a witness. Best way to practice witness state is not to criticize anyone, not to criticize. I’ve seen people who are all the time criticizing others. They cannot criticize themselves, so they start criticizing other. So much so that they don’t even see what’s wrong with them. They don’t even see what wrong they have done to others, because they think they have a right to criticize others, and they enjoy this criticism very well. Actually there’s nothing to be criticized. You just watch and see for yourself. That’s all is your right. You have no right to criticize anyone or anything. But some people think if you do not criticize, then it will go on like this and it will never stop. It’s not that! Once you watch the thing yourself, only just watch. Your attention itself is enlightened now, with that enlightened attention you can just watch and stop the nonsense that is there. ...

once you start losing your witness state you can fall into negative collectivity. And thus this negative collectivity acts, acts in such a bad manner that all the conflicts of the world, all the problems of the world perhaps are related with this. So as Sahaja Yogis, what should we do?

We should not react, we should not react. If you see something wrong, all right, you meditate on that point, you meditate. If you find anything wrong happening, all right, meditate on that. If somebody is unkind to you, at that moment do not react. Afterwards when that person is quietened, you tell him or tell her, because at that time when he’s so volatile or she’s volatile if you tell, nothing will happen. Gradually, I don’t say always you can win over such people, but gradually you may be able to make them understand that it’s wrong, it’s wrong to do things which they have been doing. ...

So this power of witnessing you all should develop. Try to develop it that when you are reacting, stop reaction, stop reaction about everything. You will be amazed, you will find yourself a very, very powerful person in the sense you’ll have no ambitions, you’ll have no desires, you’ll have no special fondness or anything. But just you are witnessing the drama. It’s very interesting to witness also, because then you understand the humor behind everything, you understand the stupidity behind everything. You understand also how people have been so violent, and you just laugh at it; you don’t get upset, excited, nothing, just laugh at it. After some time you’ll be amazed, your witness state will increase, and when in the collective all of you have that witness state, you can do wonders without doing anything, without saying anything, without acting - only your presence itself can work it out. I don’t say that it will have effect on everyone, no, can’t say; but most of the people. Any person who is in that state, he is the one who brings peace, he brings joy. ...

Once you learn how to witness you will know the myth, you will know the absurdity, you will know the maya. So to overcome the problems of personality the best thing is to witness, practice witnessing everything: before talking, practice witnessing, before giving any comments, just start witnessing. It’s a very, very satisfying attitude.

H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, extracts from Shri Krishna Puja 1998