Shri Lalita puja, the significance of puja, Paris, 20.04.1980

I have told you before also but again today I want to tell you the significance of puja. The significance is this, that when you do the puja you recognize Me. By your recognition and your surrendering the deities get happy. They’re overjoyed that you have recognized it. You are fully identified yourself that you are understanding Me in My full form, that you are coming closer to them. And I tell the like elder brothers feel happy when the younger ones are coming to meet. So, they start releasing My vibrations with a greater force – much greater force.

You have seen that after puja sometimes when you do not absorb the vibrations, I get little tired because the vibrations start coming out of all the chakras and you do not absorb, so the give and take process is not balanced. The identification in the west is very slow because of mental activity. Your attachment to your mental activity and to your rationality is very great. With puja, the vibrations try to detach you from your mental activity, from your rationality and then you are stationed into the realm of divine existence.

Anything else, even My lecture, which is really mantra – but even that gives you a mental activity. You start thinking about it. Then by thinking about it, you think, you know about Sahaja Yoga. Then by thinking that you know, you become egoistical. You think you know such a lot about Sahaja Yoga. That again it, in a way, helps to bloat your ego. That you start thinking that you know so much about Sahaja Yoga. The greatest grip on the western being is that of rationality – analysing. You start analysing everything. Which is only through puja you just you are blown off, like when the fruit is ready, the petals of the flower out of which the fruit has come out, blow off and the fruit remains.
This complete detachment is possible in even one puja. But that too takes time, because even puja is rationalized; puja should be done with your heart, feeling the love within you, that you are worshipping your Mother, who is an incarnation of Adi Shakti, is a very great thing. Do it with your heart, not with your mind. That’s why you know we do not allow many people to come for puja, because that creates another whirlwind of rationality.
Once you are detached from yourself, all your problems become so tiny as you see from the sky, from the aeroplane all the farfetched things which are not so important. And the problems that are going in the houses down below do not touch you. You go beyond clouds and you live in the area of that space of divine love. Then all your petty things irritating things, all your so called problems of live, all disappear and then only you can be effective more, much more effective, because you become a source of divine love. Puja is the only way I feel you can stop your mental activity. Sahaja Yoga cannot be understood trough rationality. Mentally it may be, but to become you have to detach yourself completely. You have to go beyond it, because this limits your movement.

Everything that you are doing here is significant, but it’s not a mental significance, it has a divine significance. For example, even painting My feet now. What you do is to recognize Me first of all. Then the importance of these feet. These feet have been working, have been dancing for thousands and thousands and thousands of years.
Shri Mataji: Where is she gone? Linda? She must be missing at the right moment. Where is she gone? She’s not yet here?

Like we use lemons. Rationally we cannot explain how lemons can cure a person, but they do, you have seen. People being cured of mental troubles, of possessions. You cannot explain rationally. In the divine way one can explain, that it has got a coefficient which can absorb the possessions which are foreign. But why and how? That’s beyond your mind. You do not understand, you do not have that instrument. So, it comes that Sahaja Yoga is to be accepted. It’s the only way you can be a Sahaja Yogi. Acceptance is the only way. Go on accepting it, so that you can develop. Like a little plant starts accepting whatever the Mother Earth gives it and grows. It does not try to understand the Mother Earth. It does not. It just wants to grow on the riches of the Mother Earth.

That is what is puja by which you are blessed by the Divine so that you shoot off should of from all your physical, mental, emotional and the so-called spiritual being, which was seeking into the realm where you have sought.

So, today we must determine that we’ll have no rational activity about it, otherwise you want won’t have the joy of Sahaja Yoga, which is your achievement. Stop rationalizing it. With your heart you do the puja. All these things that you are going to do has very, very great significance, which I’ll explain to you some other time, but that explanation cannot take you too far. It is too minute to enter into the gross understanding. So, best is to absorb it and absorb it and enjoy it. Why do you want to enter into the whole machinery of electricity? You just use the electricity. All machinery is done for you, is prepared for you. Don’t try to envisage it, to conceive it in your little mind. You must know that you have to become the ocean and not try to understand the ocean with the drop of your brain. If you realize that, then you can become the ocean. Your limits are broken by puja and you become one with the unlimited. It blasts you limits and your limitations. Tell your mind not to come and trouble you during puja, then it will work out.
May God bless you!

[Shri Mataji gives order to somebody]
But you’re small children, so it does no matter.
It’s a pleasant task. Little understanding must be developed, that there is a protocol of this Incarnation and you should not try to pass over it.

The greatest protocol is humility, is humbleness. Humility is the only way you are given this great opportunity to worship Me. If you are not humble, you cannot worship Me. It’s not a ritual, it’s the growing within ourselves. Stop your mental activity now, just don’t think, then only it will start working.
May God bless you!

Sit down, sit down, sit down, sitting down will be, sit down, you need not stand up. Now, you put your hand outside and stay.
[Hindi] [Shri Mataji starts reading]
This name stresses the excellence of Dakshinat chara [?] by implication, all right. It’s all right for them. The names 99 to 108 describe the Kundalini Yoga briefly, you see. The individual soul which has used a form of ‘Jiva’ loses its sense of identity with the cosmic soul and identifies itself with the body and mind. The Kundalini Yoga helps the individual soul to regain its identity with the Divine Mother, which is the Cosmic Consciousness.

Individual consciousness in its lower state is the wakeful state. The Jiva’s name in this state is ‘vishwa’. In this, the individual is mostly body conscious. It is normally difficult for the individual to transcend this state consciously.
The next one is the state of consciousness of the individual in a dream: ‘sushupti’. Here the impressions are all mental. The body consciousness is mostly replaced by mental configuration or ordinarily an individual cannot get into this state or transcend to higher levels of consciousness through one’s will. The Jiva is here called ‘tejasa’. Tejasa is the light.

The next higher state of consciousness is one in dreamlessly. Here Jiva is beyond both, the body and mind and is called as ‘pragnya’, which is enlightened. Here the body and mind are both inactive. The Jiva be freed of body and mental activity has reached a higher level of consciousness. But here, though this consciousness is nearer the cosmic, it is still limited. It is only when he transcends this ‘pragnya state’ and becomes ‘turiya’ – turiya means the fourth – that he regains his identity with cosmic consciousness.
In Kundalini Yoga, the devotee through the grace of guru and Shri Lalita as Iccha Shakti [Power of desire]– as the Desire Power of the guru. But actually, here Shri Lalita is sitting before you. So, it’s such a great thing for you.

Stays dormant Kundalini coiled up as body consciousness in Mooladhara and by conscious effort of will makes her pierce through the six chakras from Mooladhara to Agnya. Once the Kundalini rises and goes beyond Agnya the devotee becomes cosmic conscious or turiya [fourth dimension]. The transition from one state to the next higher state seems to be similar to opening a difficult gate or undergoing a tied-up knot: granthi.
The body consciousness of vishwa seems to extend up to Swadishthana and there is placed the Brahma-Granthi or knot. Brahma-Granthi is there. From this the next state of consciousness of Jiva called Tejasa extends above Anahata, where the Vishnu-Granthi is placed. See, Brahma- Granthi and then Vishnu-Granthi is placed. ‘Granthi’ means when two things bind together. So, it is between Vishuddhi and Heart this Granthi takes place – Vishnu-Granthi.

This state of consciousness of Jiva called pragnya, similar to dreamless, extends up to Agnya, above which is Rudra-Granthi. Between this is ‘turiya state’, where individual and Cosmic Consciousness unite.
Now see, all this three you cross and then the last granthi you cross also. The Kundalini rises just like a jet as you know in this, because of Me. But the gurus have to do it one by one. They have to open every granthi, they have to work it out and put it up there and keep it down, then again and this, this.

But, will you stop that now or you go out? Everybody is catching on the heart now! Why do you do like that every time?
Sahaja Yogini: [Inaudible]
Shri Mataji: There’s no explanation for it; Just the position and you get into it very easily. It’s just a position that you have. Why do you get into it? You should have put some will power. You’re so anxious to go out always. You should not have gone. You should have asked somebody else to go and do that for you. Must you go in the market every time? There’s nobody else who can go? And then come back with a problem for everyone, it’s not a good thing. Now, put a bandhan onto yourself, that’s all. And now you don’t cry, just stop crying. And tell yourself that, I’m not going to cry anymore. Everybody is catching on the heart, in the centre. You can’t spoil everybody’s puja.
Sahaja Yogini: [Inaudible]
Shri Mataji: Was he?
Sahaja Yogini: [Inaudible]
Shri Mataji: But why did you go? You should not have gone. You could have sent somebody else. You must always jump for a market. I’ve seen you, what is the need? You should not go. First day, you have suffered. Then also I was watching. Second day, you wanted to go. Third day you wanted to go. Every time, why do you want to go to market? There is some bhoot there, sitting down. At least today, you could have asked somebody else to go and get it. But you never do that! If you ask, anybody will go and get it for you. [Inaudible]. It’s all right. You could have asked Douglas. He’s all right. Just now you are still sick. Be careful. And you sicken everybody. Everybody is catching on the heart. Is it the way to behave? Now hold your breath. No, not to feel bad now please, for heaven sake, hold your breath.

Just it’s all right, it’s all forgiven, washed off, clean out [unsure]. See, this flower was absolutely dead yesterday. When I touched it, it’s coming back to life. I can do everything except for giving you sense, that you’d better heave. Every time you go and catch, every time you come back here, catching. So, when are you going to give up? I was just watching.

I play on you to see how far sensible you have become. All right? Doesn’t matter, it’s little bit my fault too. Now, smile it. It’s all right. Now everybody’s heart is catching. Now, don’t be silly, there is nothing serious. Ah, look at that! Now, better. You are better. By scolding, the bhoot has run away. You should be alert that’s the main point is. Why should you go out for shopping every time and you are catching? All right now. I feel sorry the way you people are not wise. Now, you have understood this or not?

From this the next state of consciousness of Jiva, called – I hope you have not recorded My scolding [Shri Mataji laughs].
Sahaja Yogi: This, I’ve done [unsure]
Shri Mataji: All right. – where the Vishnu-Granthi is placed.
You give her a bandhan all of you. Give yourself a bandhan. Finished. Just give her a bandhan. She’ll be all right. Every time she goes, she catches. [Shri Mataji laughs].

And where you have to go, you try to avoid. Ah! All right. It’s better? Now, don’t cry.
[Hindi]
So, beyond this is ‘turiya state’, where individual and cosmic consciousness unite.
Now all this from 99 to 108 is Kundalini Yoga. You should remember these names by heart, it’s good idea. It’s not much from 99 to 108 how many they make?
Sahaja Yogis: Nine names.
Shri Mataji: None names, so, not difficult for you to know. And all the- they have given the chakras on this, you see. Now, nobody knows Hindi. She can read it.
[Shri Mataji speaks in Hindi]
Shri Mataji give something to the Yogis: Give it to Linda. You all put it too, is good for all of you. Better put it. Just put it in your eyes and also smell a little bit of that, the badha will run away. [Shri Mataji laughs].
Now, smell it, come along! See, if you have ladies as your disciples, at the slightest, they start crying, it’s the big problem. [Shri Mataji laughs]
Sahaja Yogini: It’s my love for my child which makes me cry.
Shri Mataji: Love for your?
Sahaja Yogi: Child.
Shri Mataji: Why? What’s the problem? Your child is perfectly all right. And he’s going to put you right and many other so don’t you worry. I put a solid stuff there. You don’t worry about your child. You’d better cry for yourself, not for him.
All right. It’s correct? Now

Now, read it. Read it, it’s not so difficult. And just the meaning of it. Keep it there.
[Shri Mataji speaks in Hindi]

Ganesha puja. I think you’d better say about Ganesha, the mantra of Ganesha because of that, you see, this Vigana starts. Vigana is the [?] between you and the puja. You take the nae of Ganesha. Om twame wa sakshat shri Ganesha. All of you.
[Twice]
Shri Mataji: Again.
Now, better?

[Somebody reads the Names of Shri Lalita from the Lalita Sahasranama Stotra]

99 Mooladhara nilaya: She dwells in Mooladhara Chakra as Kundalini Mahim Mooladhara.
100 Brahma granthi vibhedini: She cuts the knot of Brahma. She helps the devotee to consciously transcend his wakeful state.
101 Manipurantha rudita: After cutting the Brahma-Granthi Shri Lalita appears in Manipura to the devotee. Here the devotee feels the unreality of a wakeful state.
102 Vishnu granthi vibhedini: She cuts the knot of Vishnu. If this is done, the devotees perceive the unreality of his individuality as body, mind and life. He loses their consciousness.
103 Agnya chakranta-ralastha: She is inside the Agnya chakra at the junction of the eyebrows. Here the devotee loses most of the sense of individuality, which act is completed in the next name.
104 Rudra granthi vibhedini: She cuts the knot of Rudra. Here after the Jiva loses his individual consciousness and becomes one with the cosmic consciousness Shiva in Sahasrara.
105 Sahasrarambuja rudha: She is the essence of Sahasrara Chakra. She dwells there as Sakshi or Chitkala. In the liberated soul this is Moksha.
106 Sudha sarabhi varshini: She reigns the quietness of the nectar. The devotee feels incomparable bliss in his state. Here culminates the Kundalini-Sadhana.
107 Tatillata samaruchih: She is dwelling like a lightning. This is how She appears to devotes in the sadhana.
108 Shad chakropari samsthita: She is above the six chakras.
109 Mahashakti: Fond of the feast of her union with Shiva as She is his great power.
110 Kundalini: She’s coiled like the serpent. She stays to assume three and half coils, the form in which Shri Lalita resides in each individual in the potential state.
111 Bisa thanthu thaniyasi: As slender as the lotus’ stock.
112 Bhavani: Queen of Bhava, Shiva. The one who gives life to samsara [or Bhavasagara] of Shiva, the universe.
113 Bhavana gamya: Realized by the mental. Here, it may be dhyana.
114 Bhavarani kudariga.

[Cut in audio]
[Shri Mataji explains this name; inaudible] Verify through… how she acts. Like you have seen the flower, how it is formed. You have seen the movement of Kundalini; you have seen how it rises. All these things start making impression on your mind. [Inaudible]

I mean it is not that nothing is happening if you cannot understand rationally [Inaudible]. So, by your rational conclusion, you reach the point. But this rationality can give you the knowledge, it’s not difficult, it’s very easy. So, that this knowledge is called as Dhyana. [Inaudible] There is a confusion, does not matter. Whatever it may be, “dhyana” means you are there, you are born [Inaudible]. But according to them, “dhyana” means mentally to understand the thing. Mentally you accept Me, mentally you accept but the heart you accept Me. When you accept Me with your heart, it’s even better. [Inaudible].

115 Bhadra Priya: She loves to be benevolent.
116 Bhadra murthy: She who is personification of benevolence
117 Bhaktha sowbhAgnya dhayini: Her devotees get all good things and also the best, that is moksha
118 Bhakthi priya: Fond of devotees.
There are various forms of bhakti.
119 Bhakthi gamya: She’s realised by devotion
120 Bhakthi vasya: She gives the swarupa janana rasp of ultimate reality
Shri Mataji: Bhakthi gamya means she’s only knowledgeable through devotion. Gamya. [Inaudible]. We can only go into her through bhakti, there’s no other way.
121 Bhayapaha: She dispels fear. Fear is the motive of many of our actions that obscure the vision of truth.
Shri Mataji: She’s done [inaudible] that show that you are afraid, it’s very good. You always use: “I’m afraid, I’m afraid” What are you afraid of? [Inaudible].
122 Sambhavya: Queen of Shambhu, the Shiva.
123 Saradha radya: She is worshipped by Saradha.
Shri Mataji: Saradha is the Sarasvati. Sarasvati herself worships her because she’s Mahashakti.

124 Sarvani: Queen of Sarvar that is Shiva.
125 Sarmadhayini: Giver of happiness including divine bliss.
126 Shankari: Queen of Shankara, that is the Shiva
127 Srikari: Beneficent.
128 Sadhwi: Inseparable from Lord Shiva
Shri Mataji: [Inaudible] In the left, Lalita, give you Realization, with the right, she can give benevolence.
129 Sarat chandra nibhanana: Her face is beautiful like the full moon in “saradru” (autumn)

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