Pre-wedding talk, Founex Ashram, Switzerland, August 24, 1984

Shri Mataji [to the children]: Ah! All the beautiful people are here? Good! All the little children are, let’s see!
Hello, come along, come along. Now.
Arnaud: Should I ask, Shri Mataji, if I could translate, maybe.
Shri Mataji: Yes, yes.
Arnaud: Not so many. Should we translate?
Shri Mataji: Yes, yes.
Arnaud: OK.

Shri Mataji: Now today, especially, we meet here for a very special, joyful program. Now the first thing is that we had, in Switzerland, a very important function: Guru Puja. This is the proof of your achievement to have such a great puja over here. Second is to have Shri Ganesha Puja itself is another great, very great blessing. This puja can only be performed in a place which is very pure. And the mountain that we have seen is such a pure symbol of that purity. Maybe the innocence in that country is flowing through that mountain. And the whole place is filled with vibrations, I could see. So, to have a puja there is a very big privilege and also will definitely help this country to achieve their lost innocence. So, now, I am looking forward to that puja. But the most joyous thing that should happen in this country, is the marriage of twenty-four persons.
[Applause]

Oh, twenty-four couples! Now she got a fright, poor child. Oh, no, no, no, no. It’s all right, you should also clap. You should also clap. Poor dear, you should also [Shri Mataji smiles] She’ll get used to our madness very soon. All right, take her up. No, no, no, no. All right, all right, she got a fright.

Now these marriages are of twenty-four couples not persons, but twenty-four couples. Now the proposal was that we should have the marriages on the mountains. So, we didn’t know how to arrange it. In the Sahaja Yoga marriage, there is first the girl has chosen the boy, it’s called ‘svayamvara’. So, she walks up to the boy and garlands him first. And then the boy garlands the girl. But there is no place which is so plane. So, we thought that we will place them on top of the mountains and they will come skiing down, and garland each other.
[Laughter]

And there is a custom of applying that ‘haldi’, a kind of a yellow powder. It is very good for the skin, if you have any, sort of problems on the skin, or any-what you call- scratching or anything you are comforted during the wedding time otherwise you’ll be uncomfortable.
Arnaud: Mosquitos.
Shri Mataji: Mosquitos. So, because of all these problems, we did not know how to manage it on the mountains. So, we thought of having the weddings in here, in the ashram. Already, there were forty-five couples who wanted to marry. But, I requested them if they can wait till India, it would be better for me. But some are re-marriages. Now this marriage, we have quite changed for our use, for our Sahaja Yoga use: the marriage system. Of course, basically, we have used the system of India because it is a very joyous style of marriage. It’s not a very serious occasion.
Arnaud: Black and white.
[Laughter]

Shri Mataji: So, but we have changed it for our use, for our own purpose. Now, in this marriage, we have avoided all that was funnily introduced by our priests. Or all of their useless rituals which were no good, but keeping all the delicate points, that give a little sweetness to the temperament of the people and a feeling of involvement to everyone. Even to, you see, perform this kind of a marriage in Bombay, was also very difficult. Because in a real traditional marriage, you need seven days. And so many small things are there, that it is impossible, you see, to comply all those necessities.

But our family is very traditional and my husband’s sister was very particular on traditional marriage. We had to have seven days marriage for both my daughters in Bombay. But people were so kind because they were so attached to me, all of them, that they were very, very helpful. They were not Sahaja Yogis, but they helped us in so many ways. For example, we had our cooks in Lucknow, in my family. And I go very seldom to my family people. As it is, I am busy with Sahaja Yoga. And in little time, I see some of my friends in Bombay or Delhi. So, you can imagine, we had about two thousand people staying with us for about one month. [Laughter]
And for the reception, we had about 16 thousand people. But in India, the thing is, everybody thinks marriage is a very auspicious thing and everybody must help. So, we had a guest-house in one big building, and when they heard that we are going to marry our daughters, they all others vacated the house and gave all the seven floors to us. Because it is regarded as very, very great punyas, great achievements of spirituality if you can do or give or donate something for a marriage of a daughter.

And I had written to my cooks also that they should come for the wedding of my daughters. So, they sent us a telegram, “Bring two trucks to the station”. My husband keeps off everything, so he was quite amazed at this demand. So these cooks, you see, they came with huge, big utensils and huge, big – what you call them – ladles and all that, very huge, big things, in such a big number, they thought if my daughters are getting married, there would be about thousand people at least. So, they brought such huge things with them, the two trucks were filled with them. Another fellow came. He said, “You bring a big car or some sort of a very huge van”. And he brought for me, chicken’s bred [unsure] in one year. Because my daughter’s marriage, engagement, it took one year to marry them, between marriage and engagement. So, he developed so many chickens, you know, I think, five thousand chickens during that time.
[Laughter]

And then one fellow bought fifty-one goats. But the worst was, I told one gentleman that I will need some cow dung because it’s regarded as very pure to do the little of the havana to be covered with it, you see.
Arnaud: Cow dung?
Shri Mataji: Cow dunk. So, I told him, “Little bit, I will need”. And he brought one truckload! [Laughter]
It’s only good relationships, what could I do? You see, one truckload of cow dung! And then a very touching thing was there, that when I came home, I saw, I smelt beautiful fragrance in the house. So I went up and I asked people, “Who are- how do you get this fragrance?” They said, “There are some people who have come from some village and they said that, ‘We are just doing it to express our love’ for me because I have helped them a lot. So, I said, “Who are those?” He said, “They are just wearing one little linen cloth and they are from some forest”. So, I went down to see who they were. I was amazed that about 12 years back, I was a chairman of a committee in which they collected lot of money for the emancipation of the poor people in that area, who are living on trees to make sanitoriums for them. And I did not know, I had forgotten about it. But they had brought by tonnes those incenses, in tonnes, by tonnes. And the, what we call the Halva are the sweet makers of Bombay. I never knew they liked me so much that when they heard about my daughter’s wedding, every gallery was filled with sweets. And the guest said that, “Whenever you open the outside door, you find all the big, big – what you call them – baskets of sweets put there”. I mean, so much it came that we didn’t know what to do really it was so great, that we are- somebody sent us five trucks load of bananas! In India, they launch a ship with bananas. So, my husband said, “We can launch a ship with it”. I really did not know how the whole thing went on. And so many people came and they had food and when my daughter went back, you see, she sent me a letter that as if the Annapurna has filled us up: they all were carrying big, big baskets of sweets and this and that. I said, “Who gave them? ” I don’t know all the people who had come for her wedding.

Even at a station, where they were to change the trains, you see, actually this train was one bogie they were going in, but they were changing the train. And they wrote to me that, “At the train somebody came with lots of ‘puris’ and ‘mincemeat’ and this and that”, and fed all of them. And the name of the person they said, wrote to me saying that, “This was the gentleman who brought and he said, ‘You don’t know how kind your mother has been’”. And I don’t know what kindness I had done to him anytime in life!

Even my elder brother remarked that there is a cinema actor called Rashkapur. He married his son and he spent 65 lakhs of rupees and it was not so grand! So, the whole thing was such an involvement. But that is the basis of Indian marriage: everybody must be involved. Like the barber, now, every family has a barber and the barber has to come to dress up the boy. And the barber’s wife has to, on the wife side, all the ladies of the barber’s family have to come. Then the washerman: his wife is to be given five ornaments either of gold or of silver.
Arnaud: Washerman.
Shri Mataji: Washer woman, you don’t have. Doobies we call.
Then the lady who sells these things [bangles], all her family people come and make you wear the bangles. And you are not to count or anything or find out the prices you have to give a lump sum of quite a big amount, at least 10 times more than the price. And then the one who makes the haldi, you see, prepares the haldi, you have to give her a sari and some ornament. Everybody is involved even – what you call- silversmith and the goldsmith and ironsmith, everybody’s involved.

Now another thing is, you have to have leaves of at least 21 trees. This is sometimes not possible from one village or from some other village. So, you have to have those 21 leaves. But the worst of all, you have to have water from, at least, from seven rivers of India. Then you have to have the water, the leaves, and flowers of all kinds. But the worst is the condition of the mother of the daughter. [Laughter]

On one side, she has to sit on, with a ‘dholki’, singing songs. On the other side she has to take all these ladles like a sword and go to the kitchen rushing and doing the work there.
And practically, every day she has to change three, four times her dress. Now this dress also is not of the same type. Like the sari that we wear, has to be from, say, from Benares or the lenga, that is a skirt, a big skirt very well carved. That is, say, from Rajasthan. And now the top of it has to be from another place. Then sometimes you have to wear a south Indian sari. Sometimes, you have to wear a north Indian sari. Sometimes, you have to wear a sari from Chanderi [Madhya Pradesh]. It’s another central part. All kinds of complications. And all that you have to do it for seven days. But it’s nice in a way, you get lots of clothes. [Laughter]
Because your brothers have to give you and your relations have to give you. For every occasion they have to give something.

Our marriage was done with the North Indian style. There is a kind of a thing with which you clean the rice, some sort of made out of kale, we call it ‘soup’ [sieve]. And the Bombay soup, they would not accept. You see, in Bombay, they don’t even use it, because you see, they are too modernized now. So, one lady who was my friend she thought of it that I might not get this particular soup. So, she decorated it beautifully and brought one for me.

But Sahaja style marriage doesn’t have any tension. But not in this marriage, you see. My husband was very particular about time. [Laughter]
He made these poor people, you see, run up and down for the time. “Now time, have your breakfast”. They would eat fast. “And run for your bath”. They would have baths fast. [Laughter] And he achieved his result that the boy has to reach our house exactly at five o’clock and he did reach. He didn’t come on a horse because my husband thought horse may take more time. So, he came by car. Or it may go wrong with the horse, you don’t know, sometimes it starts running the other way round. [Laughter]

And all with him, you see, all my family people, my brothers are very meticulous you see. And they fixed that the girl should start with her garland at about 5 45. [Shri Mataji speaks in Hindi] I’m repeating all this to remember if anything is missing in your marriages, so I’m telling him now one thing more I remembered. [Laughter]
So, when the boys arrived, you see, at the gate, you are supposed to receive and garland them. And they do a little puja there, the boy does.
Arnaud: Bridegroom.
Shri Mataji: Bridegroom, bridegroom. [Shri Mataji speaks in Hindi].
But he came all right, the puja was all right, and the boy was about to walk to the stage, you see. And exactly at 5:45, my daughter started walking towards the stage. Because it was only one daughter, we had arranged very dramatic stuff, you see. We just went up and all that and she started walking. But there was no boy on the stage. [Laughter]
So, you see, poor daughter was putting her head down, she was not supposed to raise her head. And walking slowly, I just looked at the stage, it was all vacant. So, I brought her back. And I rushed up: I found that the boy had gone to the toilet, you see. Because he was feeling uncomfortable with his dress, so he wanted to put it right, you see. So, half an hour it took more and my brother got angry he said, “Did you play any tricks in this?” [Laughter]
“No, no” I said. The ‘bandwalas’ have not yet come, so it’s all right, the band players. Because as soon as you garland, they are supposed to make a big sound with the band and all the crackers have to go up and all that. But it was all very timely, I should say. So, that’s how the marriage was a great fun.
Arnaud: I’m sorry Shri Mataji, there is no word for ‘fun’. You cannot translate in French.
Shri Mataji: Fun? No ‘fun’? [Shri Mataji makes a serious face]
[Laughter]

So.
It so happened that marriage went off very well. In the same way I hope, these marriages will go in a very collective way. All of us should be very generous and giving and we should try to give whatever we have, to help them out: not necessarily money, but in every way, one should you try to give them. So that you will have the greatest joy of giving in the marriage. And everything will work out very beautifully, spontaneously, because marriage day is a very important day and it fulfils you with such joy and such happiness. And nobody should be a spoiled spot or to get angry or to be misunderstanding. But that is only, I have seen, happens in marriages which are not Sahaja Yogis. So, we have now got a priest for you from India. I give him a hand. You are quite in safe hands, you see, Damle is by cast a Brahmin and he comes from Pandarpur, which is the very holy shrine of Maharashtra.

But he’s the one who first told me about the horrible priests who are there and trying to be dominating, who are just rogues. As a result, I shouted at them and now most of them are count down, because government has taken over. By profession, he is an engineer, a civil engineer. He’s building bridges and things for our Bombay municipality. But he is the first who wrote the book on Sahaja Yoga in Marathi. That means he is a scholar. And so many songs you sing are written by him like ‘Amhi bhi ghadalo tumhi bi ghadana’ [Marathi 2]
And the English Sahaja Yoga books are based on his books. So thus, we have here among us, a very great Sahaja Yogi from India. And that he should come for the marriages, I think, is a big blessing for all of us.

Now the greatest thing is that we should thank all of you for going for this venture in Founex. Then we must thank Bridget for going to India and getting everything done in that dramatic manner.
Arnaud: It is her birthday today.
Shri Mataji: Ah! Happy birthday.
[Applause].
So now, that’s a very great thing that today, it’s all sahaj, that on her birthday we should really be thankful to her, for doing the needful to go all the way to get it done with – what’s his name – Mario, with Mario. So, we are very much thankful to Mario also for doing all these things.
[Applause].
And our thanks are really overdue to Ruth who through her diplomatic powers, has been able to smuggle all our things in. And we must also thank her husband Kingsley who is such an astute Englishman to allow her to do that.
Child: ‘Astuto’?
Shri Mataji: Astute? Her husband is astute, means a straightforward, you see, very astute.
Arnaud: Shri Mataji, especially because when she gets into Switzerland the Diplomatic Immunity does not work out.
Shri Mataji: You see, that’s all my ideas, I must say, that I got the idea that Ruth should be pinned in, because I know the diplomatics are really free masters. Absolutely! They don’t pay for anything!
Arnaud: Gregoire is not here.
Shri Mataji: Yes, very true, you see. And Gregoire, once, parked my car in the wrong way. I said, “Gregoire, put it properly”. So, he said, “No it doesn’t matter she’s diplomatic”. But I said, “But my husband is an astute Englishman”. He pays all the fines, you see. And that day only his car was taken away. Now, but you see, this is not illegal because Ruth is a family member. And she can she can uh import anything for her family. So, under law we are all right.

So, that’s how we have today all these beautiful things from India which we could not get in England. And the prices were double, triple. But in saris, I played a trick. I told Warren let’s go and see some saris in Leicester, of all the places he said ‘why Lester’, I said let’s go. And we got beautiful saris for much less price than in India itself. And they will be good for your light hair also the colours some of them are so light that they will be good for your light hair. It is such a remarkable thing that is Sahaja Yoga that to believe into it, it is just to see how things work out. Last time, when they said about my saris, I said, “Nothing doing, you buy me ordinary saris but 700, because these saris got six, seven hundred”. I said, “Nothing more than that. You’re not to spend more than 600, 700 rupees”. Seven to eight hundred, I said. So, Modi, you see, he said, “All right”. Seven to eight hundred, I said, at the most. So, we went to a shop and the shop was gutted with fire. So, we went to another store, where they had stored it. And then we went and we asked them if they had saris, good saris. And they said, “No, no more, anymore here”. But I saw some nice tinctures lying there, you see, a kind of a thing that you gave me for last year’s pujas.
[To Arnaud] All these, recently you gave me one for this puja. You see, Guru Puja, you remember the sari?
But Krishna Puja is even better, I mean with saris, because Guru Puja has to be simple. But all these saris individually cost about 3000 rupees, some of them even more. And they said, “It is for 700 and something”.
[To Arnaud] You got one sari, you bought one sari?
Arnaud: I mean for this, the sari
Shri Mataji: For Switzerland?
Arnaud: That we purchased in India for each, yes we have the sari.
Shri Mataji: You have that sari? Can you bring and show. You won’t believe that these saris are not less than 3000 rupees today. And I myself bought, about two years back, for 2700 myself. And it was for 700 something I was – I could not believe my eyes! I mean, these [Shri Mataji shows her own sari] you get for 700 and I was surprised!
So Modi said, “Now your condition is fulfilled, Mother. Now you can’t say anything”. I said, “All right”.
[Laughter].

But I said, “Afterwards, no more any one of these! Just 700 hundred ones only. And will not- I’ll not allow to pay anything more”. So, he said, “All right we’ll have chance again”.
And imagine, in that London, we went to a shop where we got saris 760 rupees, which are worth more than 3000! Let Warren tell you the story. It is so great!
Warren: They were not 760, 670.
Shri Mataji: I’m sorry.
[Laughter]

Yes, I ‘m sorry, 670. Less than 700 sorry.
Warren: They’re just amazing.
Shri Mataji: And he started calculating on the calculator 10 times. I said, “What are you doing?” He said, “I’m seeing, I can’t believe it Mother. How can that be so cheap? ” And every sari is more than 3000 rupees. And we have exactly 11 pujas and there were only 11 saris. I could not believe my eyes and he could not believe his uh calculator!
[Laughter]

Because, you see, this is Sahaja Yoga, you cannot imagine how things work out. It works on me also.
[Laughter]

If I say 700, it comes less than 700. Now how am I to do it? I don’t understand. [Shri Mataji speak in Hindi] Just see this one.
Sahaja Yogini: For the Ganesha Puja.
Shri Mataji: This is the one they bought for Ganesha Puja. This is a general sari, that is one of the 11. Can you imagine? This [the one Shri Mataji is wearing] is the same price.
This is with the with the blouse piece. This is the one from Switzerland that they bought, This is a general sari, same price. Same price, I’m telling you. H much is 700 rupees about? In their dollars. See, this one is from Switzerland. Can you believe it? It is- how many francs it is?
Sahaja Yogi: 150 francs
Sahaja Yogini: 50 francs.
Shri Mataji: 150 francs.
Arnaud: Non, no, no, no.
Shri Mataji: No?
Arnaud: 160 francs. It’s nothing.
Shri Mataji: How much is a rupee?
Arnaud: One franc is about four forty-eight, four comma eight rupees.
Shri Mataji: Four rupees.
Sahaja Yogi: Four twenty.
Arnaud: Four, four …
Shri Mataji: ‘Ne’, ‘ne’, must be more. How much is pound?
Arnaud: One pound is three comma two.
Shri Mataji: Then 15 Rupees is equal to. Fifteen Rupees is equal to one pound how much is 700 for a pound? [Laughter]
Arnaud: I’m not a banker Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji: Is this 51 pounds? So, it is about 100 and 50.
Arnaud: Yes
Shri Mataji: 150 francs. Just see the colour. You can have a look. Let them have it, because this is going to be given by you. All of you should touch it. And do you know this is the colour of your country?
Arnaud: Blue? Why?
Shri Mataji: It is blue they told me?
Arnaud: Blue and, no red.
Shri Mataji: Red and?
Arnaud: No, the flag is red.
Shri Mataji: Oh, they told me this is the colour. I don’t know. Blue is not the colour?
Arnaud: The colour of the of [inaudible] the country, it is red and white.
Shri Mataji: Oh. Then it must be this one, they must have said.
Arnaud: Ganesha.
Shri Mataji: Hm. Ganesha, red.
Warren: Shri Mataji, there’s a couple of examples.
Shri Mataji: And the ones we got recently you must see those. The silk is even better for 670. Can you believe it?

[A child shows the price tag]
Shri Mataji: Yes, price is here. I mean one better than the other. See this one and give it to her. She’s got. Just imagine for the price!
Arnaud: And the quality, Shri Mataji, is so heavy, so fit.
Shri Mataji: The quality is not so, you see, this is a special type of silk you don’t get normally. That’s something very, very- it’s very traditional.
Arnaud: The pattern must be very traditional.
Shri Mataji: I tell you really, they are so remarkable that I can’t believe my own eyes.
Arnaud: This one is out of the blue, Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji: Out of the blue, this one is, really. Complete chakras, this, that.
Arnaud: Everywhere, Shri Mataji, all the saris on the outer surface.

Shri Mataji: It’s the limit. Now I’ve given up, it is too much. I mean, how can you fight it? Now I even if I put 200 rupees, it will become like this I think.
Arnaud: I’m sure, Shri Mataji. It is your deities who would like you to have the best .
Shri Mataji: Yes. They are the ones who are trying to.
Arnaud: Yes.
Shri Mataji: [Shri Mataji speak in Hindi] Impossible! It’s a miracle and in London! In India, no question, it’s in London. It has a blouse piece that’s coming out. Now can we put it with the other sari this one? [To a child] Keep it.
This must be the one they must have said the colour.
Arnaud: Yes, because it’s white, white and red.

Shri Mataji: It is the limit.

Now after this, I must say the brides also had a good luck. Not like mine, I would say, but quite good. [Laughter] It’s very good, I mean for the price, whatever saris you have got also is very good, excellent. Some of them are really half price. Some of them are. These are one/fifth price, but others are more half price. All right.

So, now we- I was thinking of telling you in short, how we are thinking of arranging the marriages and how you all are going to be involved. Can you open the windows? I think it’s a good idea. Now the thing is, how many are brides here? Get up.
Count number.

Arnaud: For the time being, there are ten, Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji: Ten all right. Ten is quite a big number already to handle, you see. Now, for the ten brides and the ten bridegrooms, they are not here. We have to select people now. We have to have the father and mother of the bride. Now you must offer your services or father or a sister.
Now for all these 10 brides, let’s see how many are willing to become the fathers? Raise your hands, all married people.
Arnaud: Should they be involved or should they be outside?
Shri Mataji: No, they should they be outside. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Some more. Eight.
Arnaud: Married, married.
Shri Mataji: Married, married.
All right seven, all right let’s have seven of them who are now, please stand up. Let’s see, seven of you. Eight.
What about you? Behind you, let him up. Yes. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, we have!
[Laughter. Applause]
I think nine or ten I don’t know. Now every one of you should take someone as your daughter, let’s see. No fighting.
One, all right, come forward.
Arnaud: They should go together, Shri Mataji, so that we can see.
Shri Mataji: Yes, two. Good.

How everybody has got it? Now you come here, you can come yes. You come here. All right, you come along. No, you come here and you can go there. Yes, it’s all right. It’s her, with her. She has? Everybody has? How is it we have extra, extra, father? There is no extra father?
Ah, he is your father, then what about him? What about you? She hasn’t got, she hasn’t got a father. Come along here one person. All right, you come along. Yes, you come along. Arnaud: Marie?
Shri Mataji: Marie has got it all right. Let- you come along, yes.
Arnaud: This is a father-in-law.
[Laughter. Applause]
Shri Mataji: That’s a good thing that the father-in-law should become her father, so the whole attitude changes.
All right so now we have 10 brides here and 10 fathers. N now you sit down, all of you, I’ll tell you now, what is the next.

Now you know the name of the girl who is your daughter. Please give them 10 papers, to the father. Can you get the saris?
Arnaud: Isabelle has not got one.
Shri Mataji: You didn’t get a father?
Arnaud: Mario?
Shri Mataji: Mario, yes, good idea.
[Applause]

Arnaud: Shri Mataji, we are [unclear] because there are two missing.
Shri Mataji: All right now give them a paper all of them. I’ll tell them what they have to do, the father. Now if you have got your wives, the men, if they have their wives, they can join you. If you don’t have, doesn’t matter. All right.
Shri Mataji: Can I have some water please? What is it? What have they said?
Arnaud: It’s all right.
Shri Mataji: Now I mean, we’ll decide about the 10 at least now. Then 14 we’ll decide when they arrive, you see. So, just now let us decide about something. Now, what about the saris? Now the job of the father is to find out the husband. Now please find out if the husband has come or not. Find out who is the husband.
No? It’s missing? Whose husband is missing?
Sahaja Yogi: Bridget’s husband.
Shri Mataji: Hm? Bridget’s husband is missing. Then Bridget, how are you marring?
Bridget: He is coming.
Shri Mataji: He’s coming all right. So, he’s coming. All right so now you must know- the husband is there? Where is your husband, he is coming? All right
So, now the job of the father is very important. The first thing he has to do is to give to the girls the ornaments and saris which are to be given.
Now where are the saris?
Marie: In your room, Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji: Just bring them along.
In my room! Very safe, you know [Laughter].

So, the father has to get hold of the sari, the clothes, and keep the mangalsutra with him. But first ceremony is of haldi, that will commence about three o’clock. That time , you have to give a sari and a -where is that ‘saats’ [unsure], sari, ‘saats’, and ornaments of decorations and everything to the bride. I think the father-in-law won’t look nice. You’d better exchange, you see, this won’t be good, because the father-in-law and- you can exchange it with somebody else, can you? It’s not proper I think, to have her father [inaudible]. So, we can exchange with someone.
Arnaud: We can exchange? We can have a Vivian I don’t know Vivian with –
Shri Mataji: No, why not have Ruth or someone also. Anyone, exchange it, it’s better.
Arnaud: OK.
Shri Mataji: Yes, yes. Mario could come and you should take her over. Yes, it’s better because, you see, it will little complicate.
[Hindi conversation]

So now, now for 10 Brides, you have given the names?
Warren: They have already been allotted.
Shri Mataji: All right allocate them, the saris, to the fathers. What is the name? Sophie? Now, who is Sophie’s father should come.
[Hindi conversation]
Now I must tell you, be careful on this. These two things are to be made to wear her after her haldi is over. This is the haldi will be applied here to the girls, then they’ll have a bath outside somewhere, there’s a hose and with a hot water. And then they’ll go inside in their dressing gowns, inside the room where they will rest for a while if they want to. And then they can have a bath and get ready. So, once they are ready for it, then these things will be given by the father. So, Sophie, for Sophie I am giving to him. So, you have to keep it sari. And this is one of the ornaments and this mangalsutra, you have to keep it in the pocket, when the marriage time comes in, then you have to give. This is mangalsutra. Just a minute, all right.
And this is for the feet you have to wear after the haldi when you are getting ready, you see. And the ornaments.

Where are the ornaments? Just, just a minute. Now, just a minute. Ornaments? Just a minute, still. What about you? You didn’t offer?
Sahaja Yogi: Myself? I am leaving on Friday.
Shri Mataji: What time? Oh, you should live on. Now see this one is so beautiful
Sahaja Yogi: I just booked, Mother and kids start on the 9th, school.
Shri Mataji: One day, if you could postpone, you would see such a beautiful ceremony.
Sahaja Yogi: Yes, I know. But there is no way…
Shri Mataji: Airport is quite close from here. You can go.
[Laughter]

Shri Mataji: This one and what else? These two. These are one, two double. And what else? This and this one – blouse, everything. Of course, yes. What else? With every sari, you put this. Hello?
With every sari, you put everything, each. These are double these two this. With every sari, you put it together.

Nothing should be lost; you have to be careful. These are ornaments.
Arnaud: Shri Mataji, if I understand everything, what we give now is to be kept carefully by the father.
Shri Mataji: Father.
This is the ornaments for the hands. These are the ornaments for the nose and for the head.

You write it down the complete set.
Arnaud: Yes, yes.
Shri Mataji: Now you write it down a sari and a blouse. Now what is the blouse?
Sahaja Yogi: I’ll take it. I’ll take it.
Shri Mataji: Fix it up.
Sahaja Yogi: Yes, ok, I’ll find it. It’s for who?
Shri Mataji: Sophie.
[Hindi]
Just a minute. I’ll give you a petticoat also for that. You mix it up. Just now you mix it, make it up for the people who are here.
Arnaud: What is Shri Mataji, what is, what is this necklace for?
Shri Mataji: Like this. One for the bride.
Arnaud: Who is to keep that?
Shri Mataji: Yes. One for the bride. Hello? This is for the bride. Now all the things you write it down, you see. From top to bottom. First, is the golden thing. Golden for the headdress for the girl, yes. And for the nose. And for the nose; give me everything, I’ll give him the list.
Then [Hindi] Just make it here. [Hindi]
‘Accha’, now, they can have one plastic bags each so they’ll keep everything together. See now this is for the nose and for the head here.
There are two together? Hello? These are two together.
[Hindi conversation]

How many are these packets?
Sahaja Yogini: It‘s from the last time, for Maie-Martine.
Shri Mataji: Maie-Martine. What’s that?
Sahaja Yogini: We bought it in Bombay.
Shri Mataji: All right. So, now this one, you keep her things together, all of them.
Arnaud: Shri Mataji, may I repeat the list?
Shri Mataji: Just a minute. I’ll make the list just now.
[Hindi conversation]
Now, you see they are three. Now one is for the headdress. One for the nose. One for the hands. One for the neck, it’s the ‘saaz’; ‘saaz’ is for the neck.
So, here we make. What is that? Bangles. Now this one you can keep it just now. So one for the – one ‘mundawali’ [forehead ornament]. ‘Mundawali’, we call it ‘mundawali’. You call it anything. So, one blouse, one petticoat.

One petticoat, one blouse one sari. See, one blouse, one petticoat, one sari. All right.
And where is that? Another thing I gave you, a packet like this.

Arnaud: You have got a decoration for the head, for the nose and for the neck.
Shri Mataji: And here in this one, is the ‘mangalsutra’. This is for the marriage time, you have to give the ‘mangalsutra’, every father should have.
[Hindi conversation]
There were two of them. [Hindi conversation]

And these are for the ‘toe rings’ these are ‘toe rings’ for the Vishuddhi chakra. And this one is for the neck. All right? So now, did you write it? Neck, one mangalsutra and toe rings. And the Bangles. Except for the mangalsutra, everything is to be given.
[Hindi]. So, every everything should be carefully given to the girl. All the things. Now we have got one for the nose, one for the head, and another one which is specially for the bride, that you have called ‘mundawali’ of this kind.
And one for the neck is this mangalsutra and one for the toe rings.
Arnaud: May I repeat the complete list?
Shri Mataji: And the bangles. You repeat the complete list.

Now, every bride should take one each.
Whose is this?
Sahaja Yogini: Martin from Lausanne.
Shri Mataji: Martin from Lausanne. Just have one, not the whole of it. You see, they are.
Sahaja Yogini: Ah, there are two.
Shri Mataji: There are three in one.
Have you given it to someone?
Sahaja Yogi: No, I didn’t.
Sahaja Yogini: André.
Shri Mataji: André is all right.
This one is for who?
Sahaja Yogini: Martine from Strasbourg.
Shri Mataji: All right.
Now you all see for yourself. All the brides must see if the things are all right or not. And the father and the bride.
Who is your daughter? All right, come. Just see yourself.
So, all together how many kings, ornaments are?
Arnaud: How many?
Shri Mataji: How many things
Arnaud: I didn’t count. I will count.

Sahaja Yogi: Shri Mataji, there are three sizes of the bangles which she bought.
Shri Mataji: All right.
Sahaja Yogi: So, I think we have to be a little careful.
Shri Mataji: She, is that a small size?
Arnaud: If I’m right-
Shri Mataji: I think I gave her the right size. Are these bangles all right for you?
Sahaja Yogini: OK!
Shri Mataji: She has a small size.
Sahaja Yogi: Too small.
Shri Mataji: The small won’t fit anyone.
Please, take out and see later on. Bangles, you can see later. Is it small for you?
How many you brought how many dozen? How many dozen you brought? How many dozen bangles?
Sahaja Yogini: Twelve dozen, Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji: Twelve dozen. [Hindi] But how many small?
Sahaja Yogini: Four dozen small, four dozen medium, four big.
Shri Mataji: But the small do not fit anyone. Who are the small hands? Oh, this is too small, it won’t fit in anyone because you people don’t have.
[Hindi]
This won’t fit in, you see, people don’t have these, your hands. Will it fit her? Just see,
Arnaud: Maybe with a soap.
Shri Mataji: Maybe. Let’s see. It won’t fit her. We can give them then four only.
This fits her? It won’t fit. Or it doesn’t matter. Let us take the big ones, first of all. If you can have only four, we can manage.
Did you tell him to bring my bangles? In any case, they are coming, so it’s all right.
[Hindi]
Have these bigger ones. Now who are the big ladies? Big ladies come forward. This you must keep handy with yourself.
Come along all the brides, come along you. Take. Just keep it safe. That will fit in?
Come along. Who else? You can put it with soap, maybe.

This might fit you. Just see, try these. Hello? Maybe these might fit you.
Arnaud: Please keep silence.
Shri Mataji: Give me that small one.

Try.
Sahaja Yogi: Shri Mataji, two lots of medium size required to replace those.
Shri Mataji: Medium size, she doesn’t have. These are here.
Arnaud: Are there not the smaller ones?
Shri Mataji: These are the small ones. Is there medium size you brought ?
Sahaja Yogini: Yes, Mother.
Shri Mataji: All right, I’ll see the medium. Now these are the small side. Let us put them out so we’ll know. Hello? You put them there.
These are all big size.
Sahaja Yogi: Shri Mataji, they ordered the medium size.
Shri Mataji: This is what you want. First of all, let us do with the big size, then take the medium size. These are all big size.
This is the medium size, I believe. Medium size. Medium size. Medium size. This is the big size.

How many more we have?
Sahaja Yogi: How many should be?
Shri Mataji: Because –
Arnaud: Shri Mataji, how many each?
Shri Mataji: You see, we should have more. But now, as it is, I don’t know because – how many there are? Medium size we have? Are these medium-sized? Just see, compared to those.
Same size. These are? Just see. This is big size. They are all big size here.

They are small size. These are medium-sized I believe. For my hands, everything is all right. Just see, these are medium-sized. Just see them, compared to that.
Same size. Mostly they are big size.
Arnaud: Shri Mataji, should we all keep back the bangles? Or should they keep the bangles they fit to them?
Shri Mataji: I think better keep bangles with yourself. These are medium-sized. Who wants medium-sized?
Sahaja Yogi: Here.
Shri Mataji: You give it to her, let her try.
Sahaja Yogini: Small-sized.

Who wants small size? She’s small size, Martine? Try. Just see this.
All right, all right, let’s see.
We have many small sizes. [Shri Mataji tries those small-sided] Difficult. Very small it is. Anybody who needs small size?
All of you have got bangles, all the brides? Now what are your sizes you just see.
This is all right. But I think we have to keep now for others who will be coming now. Just now, you give them four each.
This is the big size. Is it fitting you? All right.
Just now you, you have four each and then we’ll see tomorrow. For the time being.

Now the fathers must verify. At the last minute, there should be no problem with the fathers, that’s important.
Now those fathers who do not have wives, raise your hands, who are not attending the program; those fathers whose wives are not attending the program
All right. So, three of them. So, there should – Mario.
So, you should have three sisters of the bride. Three Sisters, three young girls can join.
Andre, you have a wife? You bring her along.
Now you two don’t. Two sisters. Two sisters for the bride. Have you got two sisters?
Madeline, you’ll be. Madeline will be one sister. Another will be who?
Geneviève. All right.
Sahaja Yogi: Jacqueline.
Shri Mataji: So, yes Jacqueline your sister. And Madeline, you should be with whom? He is here.
Who doesn’t have a – you don’t have a wife? So, you should join him. Raise your hand, please. You have her, Madeline. You join him.
So, now you come here and see for yourself. Come along [unclear]. Madeline, you come here.
Geneviève, there are many others [who] are coming, so you have to look after that side.

Madeline, you do join there. You’ll be the sister.
All right, we have bangles. But tomorrow we’ll see what the situation is. Now have you given them one each to the brides, these? Excuse me
No. So, those who don’t have, please take one each.

Arnaud: This is for the bride and the bridegroom?
Shri Mataji: A bride and a bridegroom.
Sahaja Yogi: One each.
Arnaud: One each.
Shri Mataji: But don’t give to the bridegroom, only give to the bride.
Arnaud: Yes.
Shri Mataji: Only to the bride, one each.
Only one, one. Not two, one. One to the bride
[Hindi conversation]

These things, these are you brought to? Real one. For whom?
Sahaja Yogini: So, Vivianne and myself.
Shri Mataji: Vivianne and yourself, all right. It’s all right. And then, give this to Vivianne.
Arnaud: Shri Mataji, the bangles, they should wear the bangles now.
Shri Mataji: Let them wear, if they want to.
Real one.
Let me see this thing just show me this one.

Now this is something which you have to put. It’s very interesting, it is. Now this has to be done either tonight or tomorrow morning. Those who can do tonight, nothing like it. So, there are two in number. You should take two each. And then it is pasted on the hand like that. Just – the hand should be put like together, you see. Should be done: the mothers or the sisters must do this job for the brides. Some are big some are small. It is for a small hand this one is. So, the mothers. And then, just attach it to the hand. This is a small one but if you have big one for my hand, I’ll show you, it’s better. [Hindi] And this can be repeated also if somebody wants to use it again, you can use it, in case they are not sufficient. But –

[Hindi conversation]

You see, this is the thing, now you just see, it’s very interesting thing it is. Now, I’m taking out one again. It just gets attached to your hands. Now, this one, you just put on your hand, just like that, and it gets stuck, you see, to your hand. My hands are little unusual hands. So, that is how it is to be attached, you see? It has to be brought down for the proper level. My index finger is very big. Of course, it is for human hands, you see. [Laughter]
I don’t know how you do it. Mine, it won’t work out, but in any case. Now, there are two ways [to do mehendi]. One way is to put this stencil like thing on the hand, like this. All right? And now, on this you should put nicely- you should attach it nicely, you see, you must attach this nicely. And on top of this, mine is of course, a funny hand, but you people will have a proper effect of this. So, now with this kind of a thing, you have to put – you can do it tomorrow morning if you want to. This is very soothing, for soothing down the wife. Otherwise, as soon as you are married, you start jumping on the husband, “Why didn’t you do like this? Why did you do like that? This, that, that, that”. So, this suits you down, first of all. [Laughter]
Secondly, it beautifies your hands. All right.

Now, this is the thing [henna] which you have to dissolve in the water, in one of the cups. Little water, like a paste you have to make. And put a little of also, lemon juice on that, you see. Little, not much. And then put it on your hand, just a layer of it. All right? And the portions where it is not open- this will not- but if you are an artist, it is even better. You can use a small little pencil like thing, or some sort of a matchbox thing, and with that, you can draw yourself on the hand anything, the way pattern you want to make. And that pattern, you should put it. And then, it shows on the hand, all right?
Now also you have to put here, on this side. So, first you put it on this side, up to this one. And then you put it on this thing and keep it for a while. It cools you down firstly, all right?

And it beautifies your hand. And thirdly, the best part of it, when you apply to your hand your hand gestures become more ladylike, you see. When you are conscious of your hands, then you don’t talk like, like that, you all. [Laughter].
Arnaud: In a French style.
Shri Mataji: they do?
Arnaud: Oh yes, Mother.
[Laughter].
Shri Mataji: All right. So, then your gestures you see become ladylike you become conscious now you are a lady. And you are a Gruha Lakshmi. All right. So, with that, you see, your vibrations also improve. You see, if you are a radio you have to act like a radio. But if a radio starts acting like a loudspeaker, then it’s a mess. So, a woman is a woman, she has to act like a woman. And a man should act like a man. One of the signs of Kali Yuga, that men wear the dresses of women and women wear the dresses of men. Yes, really, it is a sign. In every way, and you can’t make them out, you see. Once we got confused both of us. My husband said, “It’s a man”. I said, “It’s a woman”. But we asked the driver. He said, “I’m a foreigner, I’m sorry”.
[Laughter].
So, that is the situation. So, this is all to make you beautiful ladies, you see, and to feel proud of you, being a lady, you see. All this is done for that. And the lady is specially dressed. Actually, men look like, a little bit like buffoons. But women look very sensible in a marriage, I tell you, always, isn’t?
Arnaud: Yes, very much.
Shri Mataji: So, one should not try to compete with men in marriage, all right?
[To Arnaud] This part, you didn’t tell them, the buffoon part. [Laughter].
They look so beautiful, you see.

So, now this is what we have got. How many [Hindi] packets?
Sahaja Yogi: A hundred.
Shri Mataji: Now this is to be shared between two persons, or three persons you can share it. It’s quite a lot. But this will be done tomorrow morning when the brides will get up, this will be done. All right?
Sahaja Yogi: Shri Mataji, a little secret. None of the little boys must put this into the haldi, because they’ll be covered permanently.
Shri Mataji: He?
Sahaja Yogi: None of the little toys should sneak and put this into the Haldi mix or they’ll be completely covered, permanently.
Shri Mataji: [Laughter]. That’s good!
Now. So, that is one more.
So, we have done everything now. Just try now.

Now the whole thing is done. But now ‘haldi’ we have to put. Now for the girls, we’ll have to put the haldi about say, three o’clock or ay 2 30. 2 30 we’ll be putting for the girls the ‘haldi’. And then, that same haldi will be taken over and will be sent to boys, you see. And the boys will be put haldi in Tannay. They’ll be in ‘Tannay.
So they will be there. All of you should have lunch separately. The girls will have their lunch here and the boys will have in Tannay. Then after that, you are not supposed to see, after this, each other. All right? Tomorrow, of course, I might just look at them. They are just arriving at one o’clock. So, we’ll take ‘haldi’ to the airport.
[Laughter]
And make them do the ‘haldi’ there! [Laughter]

Look at them arriving at- !
Arnaud: Welcome to Switzerland!
Shri Mataji: [Unclear] difficult. This is the limit of things! Because as soon as they come here the girls have to go into ‘haldi’ and I don’t know if they can put this thing there.
Arnaud: Yes.
Shri Mataji: We can do it with the hand or something, whatever it is. So, now the haldi will be done here. The boys have to shift to Tannay. Tomorrow morning, all the boys must assemble in Tannay, all. Except for the ones who are coming at one o’clock.

How many are coming? How many marrying people are coming tomorrow one o’clock?
Sahaja Yogini: They are arriving on Friday, Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji: That’s it. I’m saying Friday morning one o’clock.
Sahaja Yogini: All the English and the Italians will arrive in the morning.
Shri Mataji: Italians are all right. So, all of you should shift from tomorrow morning. All the boys should be there.
Sahaja Yogini: On Thursday Shri Mataji or on Friday?
Shri Mataji: No Thursday, you see, the girls should not come tomorrow to the program.
Arnaud: May I say in French Shri Mataji?
Shri Mataji: And the boys also need not. But if they want, the boys can come but not the girls. Because the girls will be applying this and should sit down with the full idea that, “Now you are marrying in Sahaja Yoga and the responsibility is much more on a girl than on a boy.

And one must know, in Sahaja Yoga, marriage is for a special purpose, that we have to have Realized souls as our children. So, we have to behave ourselves from the very first day. We should not have romantic ideas about marriage, you see, because people have very funny ideas here, playing serenade, this, that, nonsense. And I was surprised to hear that the French romantic idea is such, that you love a person whom never you achieve. You go on carrying laments in it [unsure].
Now in Sahaja Yoga, it’s complete integration of your heart, mind, and liver. [Laughter] There should be no disintegration, like you love the person, you marry the person, and you live with that person. Not to marry someone and think of somebody else. That nonsense doesn’t exist in Sahaja Yoga.
That’s not a sign of Sahaja Yoga at all. All right?
May God bless you all.

So, those who want to come tomorrow can come but the girls should not come. They should rest here. They should be restful. They should be meditative, restful, they need not come for the program at all.
So, we have just solved the problem of ten people.
Now, Austrians. Now Austrians are coming in the morning?
Sahaja Yogini: Tomorrow afternoon, Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji: Who?
Sahaja Yogini: Austrians are arriving tomorrow afternoon and tonight.
Shri Mataji: Solve their problems tomorrow.
Sahaja Yogini: Yes, Shri Mataji.
Shri Mataji: And then solve the problems of the-
Sahaja Yogini: Italians and English.
Shri Mataji: English. English, at the last minute, tell them, “No entry”. [Laughter].
Now what to do with English? How many are marrying in English couples?
Arnaud: Shri Mataji, may I say to the couples that they have to pay a hundred pounds to Warren, because it’s quite important.
Shri Mataji: Hundred pounds. 100 pounds?
Sahaja Yogi: Yes, all together.
Shri Mataji: All together. For all ornaments, everything included. Between the two, every couple.
Sahaja Yogi: Per couple.
Shri Mataji: Per couple, means 50 pounds each.

Sahaja Yogi: Except honey moon [unsure] hotel.
Arnaud: This is a honey Moon hotel Shri Mataji. [Laughter]
Shri Mataji: Ah, good!
Arnaud: It is in pink. It is a pink hotel; pink-red, very nice.
Shri Mataji: What did you say, ‘san’ [nasal vowels]?
Arnaud: Hundred.
Shri Mataji: And it’s ‘san’?
Arnaud: It means too, ‘ without’.
Shri Mataji: But in India, in Hindi language, we say, “Soo’.
[Hindi conversation]
Shri Mataji: He said they speak more in the nose.
Arnaud: Yes. It’s true. Therefore we are bad with Vishuddhi.
Shri Mataji: Hum. Either you speak here [in the throat] or in the nose. But what about the mouth?
[Laughter]
And this one, [the mouth] you don’t even use for laughing, then what are you going to use this mouth for?
Arnaud: Because we have no fun.
Shri Mataji: No fun! Can you imagine? No fun!
[Hindi]
They are serious. ‘Les Misérables’ like. Hold on.

Arnaud: Ten coming from England.
Shri Mataji: Ten marrying people.
Sahaja Yogi: Ten all together. Ten people.
Shri Mataji: Ten people. How many are marrying?
Sahaja Yogi: 1,2,3,4,5,6. But there is Gillian marrying Gunter. Monica is marrying Laurent. Mariana and David Withers. And Inga for sure.
Shri Mataji: So, most of them are boys, from there.
Sahaja Yogi: Steven and Val, Sean, Nicholas, David, Derek, and Laurent.
Shri Mataji: All are boys.
Sahaja Yogi: Jillian is- Jillian has to come.
Shri Mataji: All right. So, all the boys’ coming, so no problem. Only one girl.
Sahaja Yogi: No, no, two. Joy and Lisa. Joy and Lisa and Val. Four. Four.
Shri Mataji: Four girls. And six boys.
Sahaja Yogi: Yes.
Shri Mataji: So, only the question is of four. The rest of it you should solve organising. So, I leave it to you now to count it, measure it, keep it and do it.
[Hindi]

Sahaja Yogini: The chains [unsure].
Shri Mataji: For who? Bridget? For you? You bought this.
Sahaja Yogini: Yes. It is not matching [unsure].
Shri Mataji: Did you tell him to buy for me these from London?
Sahaja Yogi: To bring them? Yes.
Shri Mataji: Gavin, you’d better tell him. So, he’ll be going-
Sahaja Yogi: Your own [unclear].
Shri Mataji: Because, you see, mine are in- they’ll be bringing all the puja things. In any case, are they?
Sahaja Yogi: Yes, Mother. But it doesn’t’ include these;
Shri Mataji: Yes, they have that. I don’t know, but ask them.
Sahaja Yogi: I’ll check up.
Shri Mataji: You check up.
Sahaja Yogi: All right.

Sahaja Yogi: Mother, tonight you don’t want to present the ‘kurtas’ and things for the men.
Shri Mataji: Why not? If there are boys. Who are the boys to be married?
Sahaja Yogi: And ‘dhotis’.
Shri Mataji: Better. Better do. Boys to be married.
Boys are more shy than the girls!
Arnaud: We would lie to see them.
Shri Mataji: Oh, quite a lot! Because we’ll make somebody in charge of that also. Once you give it away, once. Now let’s have it.
One each of these for the boys.
Arnaud: Who has to take care of that, Shri Mataji, the mama?
Shri Mataji: The mama. But no, no. Not the mama, the father. Father for the boys.
Arnaud: Father. Do we have a father for the boys?
Shri Mataji: A father or a mother.
Arnaud: Mother of the boys.
Shri Mataji: You can find out some mothers for these boys? It’s there?
Now let’s have mothers.
[Name unclear] is there.

By name.

So, you’ll be in charge of all these things. You both. You’ll be in charge of the whole thing. You don’t get involved into these things. Let them in charge, the girls.
[Hindi conversation]

Arnaud: They have to be with their mothers Shri Mataji now.
Shri Mataji: Hum? They have to be, yes. How many mothers you can get? Let’s see.
In any case, you give them just now. But we’ll get some more mothers.
Arnaud: OK.
Shri Mataji: But we should have some unmarried boys, for them, to be ‘best man’. Unmarried boys.
Get up now. Get up, get up.
This one, come along, that’s there. You stand up, I think it’s better. Stand up.

Unmarried boys. Australians are, please. Then there’s one there. What about him?
Now next to him. This gentleman, is he married?
Arnaud: Who?
Sahaja Yogi: The boy from Italy.
[Laughter].
Arnaud: What is your name, what is your name?
Sahaja Yogini: Enzo.

Shri Mataji: So, you find out a bridegroom. Now bridegrooms, you raise your hands? All right.
He joins them, all right.
Arnaud: There are seven if I count it right.
Shri Mataji: All of you have got brothers? You have got brothers. These are ‘best men’. All of you? No?
Sahaja Yogi: Not yet.

Shri Mataji: Best men, you don’t have. You can get some- those who haven’t got should try to get tomorrow, some from Austrians and from other people.
Day after tomorrow.

You are you are already a father. You are a father now? You are a father. Yes, he’s there. There is one, Chris- Geneviève, you come and become his mother. This.
Geneviève: I am already a mother.
Shri Mataji: You have? Whose mother?
Sahaja Yogini: Denis.
Shri Mataji: All right, good.

Now this little boy there? Whose best man?
Sahaja Yogini: This best man.
Shri Mataji: This best man, all right. Denis has got the mother and the best man.

Shri Mataji: But there are different sizes.
Arnaud: No, I thought it was Enzo.
Sahaja Yogi: Yes, but there is another available here.

[Hindi conversation]
Shri Mataji: So, these are ‘dhotis’. One each. Take it from him, all the bridegroom. And one, this one. You take it, all of you.
Arnaud [towards a Sahaja Yogi]: Best man?
Sahaja Yogi: Not yet.
Arnaud: You can be if you like.
Shri Mataji: One ‘topie’ and one ‘kurta’.
And one kurta, hello? One kurta also.
Sahaja Yogi: Oh, yes.
Shri Mataji: Tell the name. Christian.

Arnaud: Alexandre, can you be the best man of Raymond?
Alexandre: Of course.

Arnaud: Shri Mataji, say, we announce the best man and the marrying?
Shri Mataji: No [unclear]. But if they are the fathers already, they should not become best man.
Arnaud: No, no, no. They are not.
Jose, Giuseppe. Denis, Mariano. Michel, Gabriel. Philippe and Paul. Frederico and Enzo. Raymond and Alex.
Shri Mataji: Take your five things, you see. One is a dhoti another is a pyjama. No, no ‘dhoti’ and one ‘this thing’. And one ‘topie’- head. And one of these and one of these. Five things all together? No six things.
Sahaja yogi: This included.
Shri Mataji: No. And a cap. Five, five things. You should have five things.
Arnaud: Yes.
Shri Mataji: Now pass it on.

Shri Mataji: This one is a cloth on top.

Michel, you have taken?
Now give him.
Now what is the name of the bridegroom?
Sahaja Yogi: Denis.
Shri Mataji: Hum. Denis. See the name of that, Denis.
Sahaja Yogi [to someone]: It’s been distributed. The kurtas have been distributed.
Shri Mataji: Denis she will give you. And this one, hello?
One, one. There are two or one?
Sahaja Yogi: One, one.
Only one.
Shri Mataji: Done.
Have you given to all the boys? Kurtas have been given?
Sahaja Yogi: Yes, Mother.
Shri Mataji: Everybody has got kurta? No, not him. For whom?
Sahaja Yogi: Kurta has been given to Frederic.
Sahaja Yogi: No, no not Frederic but for the rest.
Arnaud: If all the people would have been there tonight, because we could have given everything. That would have been a good point.
Shri Mataji: It’s all right now. We’ll do it tomorrow. Half of them will be done tomorrow. So, only about six girls are left.
Arnaud: Anyway, I’ve got the list.
Shri Mataji: Four girls are left and six boys, not much.
Arnaud: Can we keep all the things here, Shri Mataji, at this place?
Shri Mataji: Yes, you can keep it in my room, to be on the safe side, on one side.
Arnaud: It doesn’t disturb you.
Shri Mataji: No, no. On one side, it doesn’t.

[Conversation between Sahaja Yogis about the organisation]

Shri Mataji: Five things, yes. But tomorrow they are coming again, you can select out of that. So, you have to have one sister; sister is not necessary for the boys so much as the one best-man. And one mother or a father, anyone.

Now we have to have flower girls and page boys. You see, we have to – these little boys could act as best-man.
Sahaja Yogini: I bought this for the little boys.
Shri Mataji: Little who?
Sahaja Yogini: Boys.
Shri Mataji: Good.
[Conversation between Sahaja Yogis about the organisation]

This one, he can be. Lawrence you can be, yes? You could be somebody’s best-man. He could be somebody’s best man, he’s all right. Yes, Laurent could be. He could be. Where is Vincent gone? Vincent’s age, to Vincent’s age it’s all right. You can put some of these boys also. Where is Vincent?
One of this is not there, hello? This is not there. Who needs a best-man?
Sahaja Yogi: Etienne’s best-man.
Arnaud: This is Pierre.

Sahaja Yogini: She’s coming.
Shri Mataji: She’ll be coming for themselves. Now what about him? He could be somebody’s best man.
Arnaud: Yes, of course, but-
Shri Mataji: You need?
Arnaud: We keep them in reserve for the people coming, because we’re off of best-men now.
Shri Mataji You are all right?
Sahaja Yogi: Yes.
Shri Mataji All right. Keep them in the reserve.
Arnaud: I need a mother for Michel and Gabriel.

Shri Mataji: Two persons, you two, should be in charge here. At least, two, three persons, you, Doris, in this, in this. Three persons should be in charge. Otherwise, you see, it will be a mess because everybody is involved now.
[Laughter}
No, Ruth is a mother.

All right, they could be. All right.
Actually, those who are married should not be- should be with the husbands, it would be better, I think we’ll see tomorrow, in case. You see, we will see tomorrow if we don’t have sufficient mothers, then we’ll switch them over. But just now, it’s nice that they are with the husbands.
Arnaud: I got the whole list for the ten.
Shri Mataji: All right so, good. Now tomorrow half of it will be again over. So, there will be about few people left for day after.
Sahaja Yogi: We’ll do it progressively. Tomorrow they-
Shri Mataji: Now you know how to do it. Now all this can be kept in my room, it can be done there. All night.
May God bless you all.

Arnaud: Shri Mataji, can we say the three mantras?
Shri Mataji: All right.
[Sahaja Yogis stand to say the three great mantras of the Sahasrara.]

May God bless you
[Sahaja Yogis do their bandhans.]

Vibrations are too much today. They are increasing. I mean, I speaking from here and resounding from there. The vibrations are so much.
May God bless you all.

So, be careful on these and you can keep them carefully.

Shri Mataji: Did he become a valid mother? [Unsure]
Sahaja Yogini: No. He said, “I want to know”.
Shri Mataji: No, who said? No
Sahaja Yogini: My sister. When I wanted to [unclear]
Shri Mataji: What am I to say that? Who told you?
Sahaja Yogini: Oh! I don’t know.
Shri Mataji: No, no, not at all, you can be a sister. Why not? Now come along. No, you have to be.
Did I say something to you? I never said it. Who heard that?
Sahaja Yogini: I looked at you and going up [unclear]
Shri Mataji: No, no. Never get [unclear] Don’t think like that.

[End of tape]