“The Mahalakshmi Power,” Diwali Puja. Hampstead (London), 9 November 1980

…English, in the sense that we sat down together and translated Sanskrit puja into English and tried to make it more understandable by you people.

It’s the day of Mahalakshmi puja they say, not only of Lakshmi Puja. There’s a difference between the two.

Mahalakshmi is one of the powers of the three powers, main powers, of Adi Shakti. As you know: Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, Mahakali. Now these powers have powers at a material level also, at a subtler level also. So Mahalakshmi power is achieved after Lakshmi power, as they say.

So, the Lakshmi…there are eight powers of Lakshmi. This Lakshmi was born, who came out of the sea, the great sea, which was churned thousands and thousands of years back. And She came out of the sea because She is the daughter of the sea. That’s why She’s called as Neeraja. ‘Neera’ means ‘water’ and ‘ja’ means ‘born out of’.

This has happened thousands and thousand [of] years back that She was born. So what is that? What is this Lakshmi symbolically, what is it expressing? It is expressing the awareness. Lakshmi expresses awareness, and She came out of the sea, you know that. The awareness first started growing in the sea. The life started existing in the sea, to begin with, and then it grew out. Without the life there is no awareness. First the life, because everything is jada (inanimate matter), everything is dead. And when it becomes life it means it has awareness. So the awareness started growing in the sea. This is the symbolic expression.

In the gross level you can understand this way. But actually in the subtle level, it is the other way round. And because we see things from the gross level, we say that, that is symbolic. But actually from the other side if you say, “This is symbolic.” Do you understand this point? So for me it is symbolic to see how the life came into being in the sea and that it became aware. For me it is symbolic. And for you it is symbolic the other way round. I mean if I see something from this side, I see this way and while you see from that side you see this way. To understand this, if you want to paint something on a glass, how do you paint it on the glass? Have you any idea? You start painting first the outermost things that you have to paint. For example if you are painting the Goddess, first you will paint Her ornaments, then Her sari, then Her body. Like that it will be moving deeper from this side, if you are painting it on the glass, because you have to see it from the other side. But supposing you have to paint it on a canvas, you’ll paint it the other way round. You first paint the body, then the sari and then the ornaments. So to one thing it is symbolic because they think this goes from their angle. To the other person who is from the other angle this is absolutely symbolic.

And it’s surprising that everything is so symbolic and so much just the same that, whatever you may say, the subtle remains subtle and the gross remains gross. The one who is at the subtle level sees the gross as a symbolic expression of the subtle.

Now She was born in the sea. She was called as Niraja. She was born in the sea. Now Nira, that means ‘water’. My name is, one of them is, Nira as you know. Out of Nirmala one name is Nira, Nima and Nira, like that I have got three names, four names I should say. The big one is Nirmala.

So this Nira part means what? That She was born in the sea. The name of Mary is also the same. Maryam or Mary, I don’t know how you say in English. But Maryam this comes from ‘marine’. The word ‘marine’. ‘Marine’ itself comes from the word Mary. So this Mahalakshmi, Mary, is named and She is because She was born in the sea and that’s how Her name was Mary. Mariana they call Her, some people call Her Mariana, sometime call Her Miriam. All these words are indicating that She was born in the sea.

So She is Mahalakshmi. Now Mary is Mahalakshmi and Ganesha is the child. Now see how symbolically it works, that only in Diwali the Lakshmi and the Ganesha are worshipped, only these two personalities. Can you understand that?

The symbol of Mahalakshmi, for me, is Mary. For you it is Mahalakshmi is the symbol. And the symbol of Ganesha outside is Christ. He is symbolising Ganesha. So, both of them are worshipped only on a Diwali day. So actually this is the Christmas. This is the real Christmas that was before also, and this was the time baby Christ was born, not the 25th of December. Though it’s a misunderstanding, doesn’t matter, keep it up. Doesn’t matter, whenever He’s born. Because there used to be a very big festival, and after the festival He was born. It’s called as Valanan. I don’t know what you call in modern times. That time it was called like that. And then this child was born and that was the time Christmas was celebrated. It was just tallying with that, but somehow it shifted. I don’t know how, how it shifted. And there might be somewhere you will find out that the real Christmas was shifted.

Gavin Brown: Yes it was. That’s known.

Shri Mataji: All right.

And symbolically in this lifetime also, in the Kali Yuga also, same thing happens that Mahalakshmi and Ganesha were born, and that’s why they are worshipped.

Now you ask anyone, why Ganesha and Mahalakshmi are worshipped, after all, on a Diwali day? And it was the darkest night. It was the darkest night, and that night a star was there. And because it was such a dark night that star was very much noticed by everyone. It was a cold night, very cold night, and a dark night. So the symbol of Diwali is very great for Sahaj Yogis.

First of all you have to know there are four days that are celebrated in Diwali. But there is one more day added to it in Maharashtra. The first day of Diwali is called as Dhanatrayodashi: is the thirteenth day of the moon. Because that day is the first day when Lakshmi, the first one, was born on the thirteenth day.  That means She was born as a Gruhalakshmi, as a housewife. Now there are eight Lakshmis, which she will read it out. And I will tell you later on what is the meaning of them. One of them is Gruhalakshmi.  So the first is the form of a Gruhalakshmi. She is born as a Gruhalakshmi to begin with. That means the awareness of human beings also, started really getting into evolutionary process when they started their family life. When they were vagabonds moving about, then the awareness was just like animals. Though they had become human beings, but they were like animals. Then when they established their families, then the Gruhalakshmi started working and that’s how the first advent of Gruhalakshmi was felt.

So, She’s the first Lakshmi who was born, and that’s why on that thirteenth day is the day of the Gruhalakshmi, of the housewife. And so one has to go in the market and buy some utensils or something that she uses for cooking in the house. In India on the thirteenth day everyone goes and buys a pot or, we can say, what you call, a cooking utensil or something. Or they may buy a sari or something or gold or something for the Gruhalakshmi. That is the day of the household. So, to reach the Lakshmi one has to understand that motherhood is very important. The motherhood, as a Gruhalakshmi is important.

Then the second day is even more important because Narakasura was killed. Horrible Narakasura, as you know him. But actually that day many rakshasas are killed in many… That’s a day fixed for killing rakshasas! And then they are put in the hell. On the fourteenth day they are put in the hell. So that’s called as Naraka Chaturdashi. That is the day when the hell is opened out. That day Sahaja Yogis are supposed to sleep in the night while everybody does all kinds of tantrikavidya and all that on the fourteenth day.

Then the fifteenth is that darkest night. That’s the darkest night when there is no moon. Absolutely that’s the day when they celebrate Deepawali, Diwali day. But symbolically, in India also, Shri Rama returned to his place (Ayodhya) on that day and was crowned on that day. So the significance of Diwali is expressed in this manner: that this is the day when Narakasura, and all of them are killed, they have all gone to Narak, they have gone to the hell, and the people now are saved from them and they are celebrating the joy. And that is the time when Christ was born. That’s why lights are to be put in the night, because He was born at twelve o’clock in the night.

So,  the next day to that, is the day [which] is celebrated in India only in Maharashtra. I don’t know [if] people celebrate otherwise. I don’t know.

Shri Mataji: Do you celebrate the next day?

Yogini: The next day?

Shri Mataji: That’s the first day of the moon. That is the forefathers of your Mother, Shalivahanas, they started a calendar, from that date. And so on the first [day], that means the first day of the moon, the new year is celebrated here.

Now see symbolically, Christ is born and a new year is celebrated the next day. As soon as He is born the new year should start. So next year it starts, the new year. That is a new year in many parts of our country where Shalivahana ruled there. The Shalivahana was my forefather, I should say, they were just a dynasty. And this dynasty ruled in India since very long. Even in the old puranas it is written that they helped Krishna in their war.

You know all the story about Shalivahana, quite a lot. And so the new year starts. So for us that is the new year. For Sahaj Yogis that is the new year and you have to accept it. And your Mother is of that dynasty. I mean no force on you but if you like you can have it.

Then the second day is also very important: is the second day [of] the moon. That is [when] the moon came out of the sea. According to this mythology, the Lakshmi came out of the sea and with Her this moon came out, which was only a two day old moon, the new moon but a two day old moon. And this was regarded as the brother of Lakshmi, because they were born at the same time, from the sea. So He is the brother of Lakshmi. It’s all symbolic. It’s very, very symbolic.

Now the Left Side belongs to Mahakali, and a brother had to be on this side, on the Left Side. But actually you will be amazed that He is the brother of Lakshmi. He is not a brother of Mahakali. But because He’s the brother of Lakshmi he is accepted as a brother of all the goddesses: one brother for all of them. So He is the only brother, who is this moon. So He is your uncle, He is your maternal uncle. It’s very interesting. Because we have a special right on our maternal uncle, we can always ask for His help.

And it’s a big story about this churning that took place that Shiva saw all the poison also coming out. So He drank the poison because He was the only one who could drink the poison. And He got so heated up in His head, in His neck that He wanted something to cool Him. So He took to this moon and put it on His head. So, the crowning [of Shiva] is the moon.

Now if you see, on Monday is the day of Sahasrara. Monday is the day of the Moon. Monday is the day of Sahasrara because Sadashiva has put it on His head. And that’s what people tease Him that, “Your brother-in-law is sitting on your head!” (laughing) It’s very interesting. It’s very symbolic for you — not for me, but for you — that the brother-in-law is sitting on the head.

This brother-in-law is very important, and if brother-in-law is in any way angry then even Sadashiva has to think twice. An all very special relationship, which is very sweet, and which is very expressive. And if you want to understand it, that your brother-in-law — is a naughty little thing — is the brother of the wife. If you have to keep your wife pleased, that is the power, you have to keep the brother-in-law quite happy. So He said it’s better to keep him on His head. If there’s a naughty child, what do you do to a naughty child? You put him up somewhere there so he doesn’t move. Always you take a child outside, you put him out there. And He is very dear to Sadashiva, who really loves Him in a special way.

And that day is the day when all the sisters worship their brothers — it’s very important it is. [On] Raksha Bandhan day they give a symbolic expression to their desire that their brother should be good, but on this day they worship their brothers, they actually worship them. They are invited at home, they are made to sit on the special type of a seat, then also aarti is done to them. Sometimes if they are very small, younger brothers, then they are even given bath nicely. If they are older brothers also they’ll cover all their body, but water will be poured on them as a symbol and they are given new dresses to wear. And very special food is cooked that day. And then they are served special food ahead of their husbands. Always husband is served first, but that day a brother gets the food first. And then the brother-in-law is teased a lot, and the younger brother-in-law teases his sister’s husband. And it’s a very nice function. It’s called as Bhau-Beej. And that day the brother gives some things to the sister as a present. He will give even if you don’t have anything, you can give anything, whatever it is. But you give something as a symbol of your love to your sister. And this day, today, is that day. It’s such a nice day to do puja. This is the day when we all adjust together.

But for a Gruhalakshmi, the brother is very important. And the brotherhood and sisterhood is the base of our Sahaj Yoga collectivity. If you understand that brotherhood and sisterhood is love which is very pure. There is no expectation. It’s just love. It’s giving love and taking love. And absolute purity within us should exist between our relationships when we call them as Sahaj Yogi brothers and sisters. And as there is understanding, complete understanding, between the brother and sister in a family, one has to know we are all part and parcel of a family, born of the same Mother.

Nobody has to shoot off or nobody has to become something great, nobody has to correct others, nobody has to say that, “I’m something unique!” All of you have to work it out together and find out a solution working out together in complete friendship and unison. Anyone who cuts off himself and goes out or becomes anything else, goes out of circulation and is useless for Sahaj Yoga. Such a person is completely useless! The one who tries to get out of the family. All of you have to be supporting each other, helping to each other, not shouting at each other or getting angry with each other; trusting each other, not finding faults; treating each other with respect and love.

This is the most important thing the Sahaj Yogis don’t understand — that you are saints and you have to respect each other. For example, you cannot doubt each other, you cannot. That’s not allowed, it’s prohibited. You are not to doubt each other.

Here where, I would say that: if somebody slaps you on one cheek, turn the other. That will work out here. In this Sahaj Yoga one has to do it. Not to criticise anyone, not to put down anyone. You are all Saints, why don’t you recognise it? How can you insult a saint?

You are men of God, do you realise that? How can you put down anyone and say, “They are not good,” and, “They are good”? If you start doing that, somebody else will take advantage of you and will really push you down and you will be in very great trouble. Never get into such funny ideas, that you are better than the others, that you can do better than the others. The one who starts doing the better is doing the greatest harm. There is no competition in Sahaj Yoga.

Give up this idea of competition. You are brothers and sisters. You have to support each other, help each other. Anybody is going down, try to work out on them. If you find somebody is going down too much beat him with shoes.

But anybody who thinks he is very great, he has this special quality or that quality: supposing somebody thinks he is very neat, he should hang himself by the nearest tree! That’s what I sometimes feel. Because on this point there are so many quarrels going on!

But somebody who thinks he has a right to be untidy also should hang himself by the nearest tree! And should know that, “I’m making an inconvenience of myself to others.”

You must respect! If there is no mutual respect, this brother and sister relationship is not there. It’s a very sweet relationship which you have not enjoyed unfortunately. But in India we have. Our brothers will give up their lives for us. And we will give our lives for our brothers. And our brothers have so much faith in us that if we tell them that, “You should not do this!” they know that this we are doing only just to help him out, not to show off our great importance or giving a big sermon, but it is just because we love him. The love is so established and if that love is not established, what are you showing off about?

Today is, in a way, a very great year, in the brothers and sisters relationship. How do you express your brothers and sisters relationship? I do not like to hear complaints, but I see that it is full of ego. The reason is, people are behaving in such a manner that I cannot understand that you are saints! What has happened to you? How can you be individualistic?

I’ll give you a simple example: we have got in our house some sort of plants, which could only grow inside the house, but when it was summertime, we put them outside and they were growing well. But when the winter came in suddenly one night they all became absolutely dead you can call it. So, the servant got upset he said, “What to do now?” I said, “You bring them inside!” Now he said, “They won’t grow.” I said, “They will.” I said, “You get four [or] five of them, put them together in one thing.” And they started growing well.

Because whatever is missing in one person, you support from the another person. And this support is so natural and spontaneous which flows. If you try to correct others then you are draining out your energy and the energy of another person. Just try to support that person. That’s how it works out. And that’s how it sustains, it’s nourishing. I mean it’s an experiment you can try also, at home. If you put four five trees together when they are in delicate condition they grow better. Why, when we grow our saplings we put them together? Why don’t we put them separate? You see, when we have got a small seed and we have to make them into saplings, we never put them separately we put them together, in a small block. If you put them separately they will never come up. Then they are kept in that condition together, till they grow. When they are grown, then only they are taken from that collective group and put separately. Have you not seen this happening? And this is what is collectivity.

At the delicate point when Sahaj Yoga is coming up, we have to be much more closer together. Later on when you are very powerful it’s all right because you will have greater rapport. But it’s such a vicious circle that at this time when you are weak you are also falling off. And this collectivity is all-embracing.

Of course these are due to your ego, superego, whatever problems. But only together you are going to be. But I have seen, when you are mesmerised, you fall in love with each other, absolutely: when you are mesmerised.

But when there is freedom, you cannot enjoy your collectivity. In freedom people find it very difficult: then somebody behaves like an ascetic, some behaves like a madcap, somebody behaves like a hot-tempered fellow, another behaves like a city consul. I don’t know. When it is freedom you do not grow in a healthy way together. You must know there must be something within you which is keeping you out from collectivity. At this stage the best thing is to surrender and beat yourself with shoes. Any such ideas come into your head you just do that way. That’s the way it will work out.

Today is the day you have to promise, today, here.

Shri Mataji: Where is Cooly? I can’t see him. Is he there?

Yogini: He wasn’t allowed to come, Mother.

Shri Mataji: Hmm? He’s not come

Yogi: I think you said he wasn’t allowed to come, Mother.

Shri Mataji: He’s not come?

Yogini: He wasn’t allowed to come, Mother.

Shri Mataji: He was not allowed?

Yogi: I think you told him that he wasn’t allowed.

Shri Mataji: All right. I did say. I’m sorry. I did, I had to. Certain things had to be done. I am sorry.

But you must know you are people who are chosen specially. What prophecies are made for you if you read that ‘Milton’ (by William Blake) you will know — the English people. What prophecies! “The Men of God will be there and they will have their own heroes and they will not follow these Romans and Greeks and their horrible heroes. They’ll have their innocent heroes, and all those things.” And here I find that there’s a kind of a passion for falling down.

Keep together. Keep together. Love each other. Understand them. Love not of mesmerism, but of freedom. In freedom you must love each other. I never take away your freedom, that’s one thing, whether you fall or rise. First thing is for your freedom. That is the thing on which you are going to move.

So today is the day where you all have to promise and pray that, this brotherhood and sisterhood will be established. Ask for it in this soil of England, this is the Jerusalem. Ask for that, that this will be established on the soil of Jerusalem. That’s the most important thing. And you will be surprised that once this is established, Lakshmi is established.

Now Mahalakshmi has eight aspects. Now read about these eight aspects. How many there are, let us see! First follow!

Yogini: Om Twameva Sakshat Shri Adya Lakshmi Namoh Namah.

Shri Mataji: Adya Lakshmi. Adya Lakshmi means Mahalakshmi. Adya Lakshmi. Adi, Adya. Adya Lakshmi: that’s the first one. You say now, you repeat it!

Yogis: Om twameva Sakshat, Shri Adya Lakshmi Sakshat, Shri Adi Shakti Sakshat, Shri Bhagawati Sakshat, Shri Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi, Namoh Namaha.

Shri Mataji: Now, second one.

Yogini: Om Twameva Sakshat Shri Vidya Lakshmi Namoh Namah.

Shri Mataji: Vidya – vidya is the art of Sahaj Yoga, which you know. That is vidya. The rest is all avidya. How to raise the Kundalini; how to awaken all the deities; how to cleanse yourself; how to cleanse others. All the knowledge; all the science about that is called as vidya: the Lakshmi of that. Lakshmi is the grace, is the grace. The awareness that is gracious. The awareness that is gracious.

So that Lakshmi should be with you, not only to know the vidya, you know that, but to have grace about it. The way people do things, for example: some people will just go on. All that kind of a nonsense you do. Sometimes the way we go on working [on themselves], and I’m giving a lecture and people are just working out. All that is most disgraceful and disgracious (ungracious).

So not to do these method of making the thing look so disgracious. I mean you need not be serious people at all, because Sahaj Yoga is not a serious thing. It is a play. It is a play of grace. You have to be gracious; you are not to be disgraceful, that’s very important. If you are disgraceful then your vidya is useless.

I have seen many people all the time doing like this, doing like that; they think that it’s their left hand job, you see, and they have become now masters of this job. There’s no grace about it. One has to see how to do it graciously. Do you see your Mother, how She moves Her hands and feet. Not one day, one time, even in one action you will find me doing something ungraceful like that except when I copy you! (laughter)

So this is what it is, is the Vidya Lakshmi. Lakshmi is the grace to do everything.

Come, second one, third.

Yogini: Om twameva Sakshat, Shri-

Shri Mataji: …and now you could say it. “Om twameva…”

Yogis: Om twameva sakshat, Shri Vidya Lakshmi sakshat, Shri Adi Shakti Sakshat, Shri Bhagawati Sakshat, Shri Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi, Namoh Namaha.

Shri Mataji: For Left Swadishthana you know this is the Mantra.

Third One.

Yogini: Om twameva sakshat Shri Saubhagnya Lakshmi namoh namaha.

Shri Mataji: Sau-bha-gya, Saubhagnya means ‘good fortune’. The Lakshmi that gives you good fortune in every way. Like She gives you good fortune in money, in your living, in your food, in every way. Any good fortune is given through God. It’s only God who gives good fortune. If you get money say in the racecourse, that’s bad fortune because that will be lost next day or you will go to the pub to be free. But if you get the real one, then you create something out of it which is blissful and great: is Saubhagnya Lakshmi. Now, say it. Saubhagnya Lakshmi.

Yogis: Om twameva sakshat, Shri Saubaghya Lakshmi Sakshat, Shri Adi Shakti Sakshat, Shri Bhagawati Sakshat, Shri Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi, Namoh Namaha.

Shri Mataji: Amruta.

Yogini: Om Twameva Sakshat Shri Amrut Lakshmi Namah.

Shri Mataji: Amruta. Amruta means the thing that does not die. In this world the Lakshmi exists as your wealth. Now the wealth that does not die, which is that wealth? Is the Spirit. So the grace of the Spirit is the Amruta Lakshmi. Grace of the Spirit is the Amruta Lakshmi. The rest of the things all will die out. And whatever is done through the Spirit, to please the Spirit, is the Amruta Lakshmi, for example: loving others. Loving others has a different meaning in the symbolic way as you people understand it. Loving means giving; doing without any expectation. Just doing and enjoying it. The greatest is giving vibrations. That is Amruta. Vibrations do not die. That’s the Lakshmi of the Amruta.

Yogis: Om Twameva sakshat, Shri Amruta Lakshmi Sakshat, Shri Adi Shakti Sakshat, Shri Bhagawati Sakshat, Shri Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi, Namoh Namaha.

Yogini: Om Twameva Sakshat Shri Kaam Lakshmi…

Shri Mataji: No, Gruhalakshmi! You know that, Gruhalakshmi.

Yogis: Om twameva Sakshat, Shri Gruhalakshmi Sakshat, Shri Adi Shakti Sakshat, Shri Bhagawati Sakshat, Shri Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi, Namoh Namaha”.

Shri Mataji: Ha.

Yogini: Om Twameva Sakshat Shri Satya Lakshmi Namah.

Shri Mataji: Sa-tya: [as] I told awareness. She is the one who has given you awareness. Awareness is Lakshmi’s character. Satya means the truth. As you rise in your awareness, you know the truth. Now what is the truth? What is the truth? What are we aware of?

You are aware that you are the instrument of God and that He is working through you. You are aware of that because it’s flowing on your central nervous system. This is the truth of which you have to be aware.

What is the other truth? Is who are you? That you are the Spirit.

And the third truth is, who am I?

And the fourth truth is who is God?

What is your destiny?

If they become your awareness, then you have got Satya Lakshmi.

Say now.

Yogis: Om Twameva Sakshat, Shri Satya Lakshmi Sakshat, Shri Adi Shakti Sakshat, Shri Bhagawati Sakshat, Shri Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi, Namoh Namaha.

Yogini: Om Twameva Sakshat Shri Bhogya Lakshmi Namah.

Shri Mataji: Mm?

Yogini: Bhogya Lakshmi.

Shri Mataji: Bhogya Lakshmi. Bho-gya: ‘Bhoga’ means the one by which you enjoy, by which you enjoy. I mean it’s like the whole ocean of joy is around you and you are like a bird who cannot drink it.

Only through the grace of Bhogya Lakshmi, you can enjoy that. So, the Spirit, though it is manifesting, you are not enjoying your Spirit – even that. Anything that you see — say you see a flower — you should be able to enjoy. You cannot enjoy because there is thought. Anything you do [if] there is thought, you cannot enjoy. When the Spirit is flowing you get complete enjoyment. Actually I should say, I am the enjoyer of it.

Yogis: Om twameva Sakshat, Shri Bhogya Lakshmi Sakshat, Shri Adi Shakti Sakshat, Shri Bhagawati Sakshat, Shri Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi, Namoh Namaha.

Yogini: Om Twameva Sakshat Shri Yoga Lakshmi Namah.

Shri Mataji: Yoga Lakshmi.

The Lakshmi’s power which gives you Yoga. Lakshmi supports your power of yoga by giving you awareness. The power by which you take to yoga is all combined as Yoga Lakshmi. Like your affluence: you are not satisfied and you want to have Yoga. The dissatisfaction you get till you have got yoga is coming from the Yoga Lakshmi. So Yoga Lakshmi is the power which gives you or takes you to your grace, by which you go to yoga: that’s Yoga Lakshmi. Means the kind of a satisfaction that you seek is manifested in you through this power of Yoga Lakshmi. And then once you have achieved your yoga, you get the grace. Lakshmi is the grace. So you get the grace of a saint.

You should have the grace of a saint. You should look like a saint. You are a saint. I think better write it on your mirrors, “We are saints. We are men of God. We have to behave like saints. We are saints.” You are, no doubt. You are men of God, no doubt, but you have to turn your faces this way.

So, this is the Yoga Lakshmi. For example a person who has got Yoga Lakshmi doesn’t quarrel like a madcap. If he quarrels or dominates someone in a foolish way then he’s still lacking that Lakshmi point. There’s a grace about it, the whole way of talking. How you talk to a saint? All right.

Yogis: Om twameva Sakshat, Shri Yoga Lakshmi Sakshat, Shri Adi Shakti Sakshat, Shri Bhagawati Sakshat, Shri Mataji, Shri Nirmala Devi Namoh Namaha.

Shri Mataji: So these are the eight-fold paths by which one has to grace oneself. This is the attire of Sahaj Yogis. And today you have asked for it. May God give you that power.

One more thing I have to say just before we start doing the thing [is] that around the Lakshmi you know is the Void. And though the Lakshmi in a situation where there is negativity, She runs away, She is frightened. She is a frightened Deity. She is very sensitive. She doesn’t like any negativity. As soon as the negativity comes in She runs away. In the same way those people, those great saints who were born on the Void, have said that, “Those people who try to frighten Lakshmi are the people who are irreligious,” in the sense they drink. Those people who drink, in the third generation lose their Lakshmi completely. You can see the results now: those who used to take one peg (30 ml of alcohol), now are sitting in the pub the whole night. And that’s what it is that, once these things enter into your family or household, they start corroding your Lakshmi.

That’s why we have to understand that Lakshmi is very, very sensitive to this point. And Lakshmi is extremely sensitive to fanaticism, extremely sensitive to fanaticism. Any kind of fanatic ideas you have got, She will run away. She can’t stand fanaticism. As soon as fanaticism will settle down into any country, it will start becoming poorer and poorer. Any kind of fanaticism about religion is to be avoided.

Now so many young people who are aware of fanaticism because, thank God, there are some horrible fanatics which have proved that fanaticism is bad, and they are now coming round it. But when fanaticism works out, the expulsion of all the powers of Lakshmi from within, that’s the sure and certain sign that you really invite cancer, really invite cancer. Also alcohol does, but this is the triggering point. If an alcoholic is also a fanatic, it will trigger much faster. Fanaticism is to be to be avoided like leprosy for Sahaja Yogis. But not only that, we have to stand up in a revolt against all kinds of fanaticism. Just this is the revolution against all fanaticism of life.

That’s very important for the establishment of Shri Lakshmi. Any religion, any fanaticism that collides with another religion or in any way belittles it — because all religions are just the same of one God — belittles another religion or insults anyone is absolutely against Lakshmi’s Principle.

So we go, after all this, when we rise above this, we go to Mahalakshmi principle. Now the awareness that was seeking up to Lakshmi — means you achieve money, achieve position for achieving grace, once you have achieved the grace of this, you want to achieve God. And this new awakening within you that you have to achieve God now is the power of Mahalakshmi.

By the power of Mahalakshmi only, you achieve your saintliness, your Realisation. That’s why She came on this earth as the Mother of Jesus Christ. That was Mahalakshmi, not Lakshmi but Mahalakshmi.

May God bless you.

(Puja commences with discussion and mantras)

Gavin: Gurushaya Namaha. Istadevata Namaha, all those: that we do first.

Shri Mataji: All right. All the names of the Gods or all the Deities.

Gavin: Om Shri Mahaganapati Namah

Shri Saraswati Mataya Namah

Gurubhyo Namah

Vedapurushaya Namah

Ishtadevatabhyo Namah

Kuladevatabhyo Namah

Sthandevatabhyo Namah

Shri Mataji: Sthanadevata!

Gavin: Gramdevatabhyo Namah

Vastudevatabhyo Namah

Shachipurandarabhyam Namoh

Kalkam Parashuramebhyo Namah

Matrupitrubhyam Namoh

Adityadinavagrahadevatabhyo Namah

Sarvebhyo Devebhyo Namah

Sarvebhyo Bhahmanebhyo Namah

Yetad Karma Pradhanadevatabhyo Namah

Shri Mataji: Mmm, very good!

All the Deities within you, see all the Deities within you. You see, all the deities within you have been already…(Mother is interrupted)

Shri Mataji: Why is she taking? Don’t do like that!

Yogi: It’s time to go and feed her soon.

Shri Mataji: Ha? Cover her head. Don’t do like that. No no no no no Cover their heads, Jane what are you doing?

Yogini: She was crying Mother. I’m not sure, you know, whether she wants feeding or changing.

Shri Mataji: No no no. Foment her stomach here.. Take her out. She’ll be all right. Don’t take her outside. Ha. Give her here.

Shri Mataji: Ha. Let’s help her. Somebody can bring just a cheap little cloth or something and a ??

Gavin: Then we make the dedication of saying where is the puja is being held. So: on the ninth of November in the winter season on the fifteenth night of the moon, when the sun in Tropic of Capricorn, we do this puja…

Shri Mataji: Today is the second day of the moon. Actually is the other week has started now. That date was fifteenth. But today is the second day, second day of the moon on the ‘Shukla Paksha’ [waxing moon] . On the ‘Shukla Paksha’ means when the moon is going to become bigger. All of this is very important, is historical, you see, that’s why it would be nice to say that. Come along!

Gavin: We do this puja in Hampstead, in London, in England, in Europe, in this world, on behalf of all Sahaj Yogis.

Shri Mataji: Ask you now… Has she got the flu. Hand to Swadishthan.

Gavin: The third section is called ‘sankalpa’. That means, ‘holy determination’, according to all religious scriptures.

Shri Mataji: Just sprinkle all over. Sprinkle all over. You come here. Just sprinkle it all over. Sprinkle it all over, just like that.

Gavin: According to all religious scriptures, all of us with all our families pray for well-being, for spiritual well-being, for victory, fearlessness, longevity, health, wealth, for the nullification of all badhas of the Sahaja Yogis, to become the master of eight siddhis, to give peace to all who walk on two legs and on four. We pray for health, satisfaction and for all auspiciousness for all those who are handicapped, for the emancipation of all people, to give them the highest knowledge and whatever is my power, whatever is my knowledge, whatever offering I could get through meditation, or by whatever means of sixteen types, I surrender in the puja.

Shri Mataji: Did you follow that? This is the sankalpa. This is the determination; it’s the holy determination you are making. Did you follow that or you want him to read it again? Gavin read it loudly, you get up and say it. You go on reading.