Shri Mataji Interview at the Apollo Theatre Harlem NYC 07-06-1985

Anchor–   What led you into a path to follow the spiritual pursuit to develop a yoga system.

Shri Mataji:  Kundalini yoga is not a modern thing, it is a very ancient thing used to in India many a times to give realization to people. But at that time there were very few seekers of truth and very few people got self realization. Any discovery when it is not made collective it is of no use. And those people we call saints are those who have got spiritual powers, all who have got self- realization. So, I thought that in this modern times, people are in such a hurry and do not have time to sit down and meditate so find out a method by which people get a quick awakening of the kundalini.

Anchor:  What is the difference between Yoga and Meditation.

Shri Mataji There is no difference at all, because yoga means your union with the divine power which is all pervading. That’s real yoga other are just physical and things like that. The real yoga means that and the difference is that, the people who are doing any kind of other yoga must know one thing that everything is built in within you like in the car, unless and until you ignite the car and start it no use moving the wheels or moving the steering. In the same way, when there is no awakening of the kundalini, when this union is not established it is not admissible at all to move other things, like your centres in with something artificial, because it harms.

Anchor: How is Sahaj Yoga different from other yoga like hatyoga.

Shri Mataji. As I told you Sahaj means born with you, Yoga is your union with the divine is the right. But the difference is just in understanding that Haatyoga  for example if you read the whole book of Patanjali you will be very surprised that it is …(couldn’t understand).of exercises and these exercises according to him should be used only when the Kundalini is awakened, this power within you is awakened, not before that. But people have just started using it even before that. All these things even Raaj yog and other things are built in things within us which works out the awakening of the kundalini and the actualization of your realization which is actualization of baptism because the  cool breeze of the holy ghost start coming out of your fontanel bone area and you feel absolutely relaxed and on your figure tips you feel all-pervading power and when you develop it properly then you can cure other people  you, can cure yourself. mentally you absolutely become peaceful and all the time this energy flowing in you of  love so you become very dynamic and as well as very compassionate. This is the last breakthrough of our evolution. So far we are human beings but at this human level we don’t feel or understand the absolute truth, that’s why there are differences, but ones you feel that truth on your central nervous system which is also called Bodha or …. If you feel that then there is complete integration and you understand that you are a part and parcel of the whole. Not mentally but your being becomes part and parcel of the whole. It’s new dimension of awareness awakens within you.

Now for example you say that the Christ was the son of God. It is a fact and truth, now we can prove it. Put up your hands after realization and ask question. Was he the son of God? You start immediately getting very cool breeze, but if you ask about somebody else who is a hypocrite then you might get some burning or get a blister for a while. So you know this is not the truth. You know your truths on central nervous system. And its also described in the Quran that at the time of resurrection your hands will speak very clearly said, but people do not open their minds or pay heed to it. They are satisfied with what ever little things they are doing in the name of spirituality. As a result of that you get rid of your diseases your bad habits. You become a very dynamic and beautiful person. It is good for everyone.

Anchor: This photo you had in Australia with people raising their hands what was happening there.

Shri Mataji They all are saying that they have felt cool breeze on their hands. I asked them after the session did they feel the cool breeze they all said that they have felt. It has really spread in Australia and also in Russia. Russians are tremendously wise people I must say.

Anchor: This is interesting that you have done this in Hongkong, Malasia Saudi Arabia, Egypt, it seems you have taken it all over the world.

Shri Mataji Yes. This is true, I am working in 40 nations. Its working very well. These people who get it who become that can enlighten other people. So I don’t have to work myself. If you get it, you can also do it.

Anchor: Your workshops are completely free, is that correct?

Shri Mataji of course. You can’t pay for all these things, it’s wrong. If you think that you can pay for it then it must be some false person. You can’t pay for God, you can’t pay for divine. It does not understand money. Money is our headache not of divine.

I will explain to them what is the kundalini where it resides, how it works and what are the advantages. Then I will give them self realization. 

It has to be free, one must understand. it is a living process. that one sows the seed. The seed has the quality to sprout. Mother earth has a quality to make it sprout. How much did we pay to the mother earth.  It is a living process. How much did we pay to become human being from amoeba stage. Nothing then why should we pay to become a superior personality. 

Anchor: Is this the self-realization to get deeper in oneselves, to get direction to what is their purpose/goal or destiny.

Shri Mataji: That’s what Christ has said you have to be born again, but it is not an artificial certificate issued that I am born again. It’s a reality. You become empowered. You must have the power.

Anchor: There are many born again Christians.

Shri Mataji: They are all artificial. Yes, they are not. If you are born again then you have power to give realization to others. And you become very compassionate and wonderful people because this way we all certify ourselves and we think no end of ourselves. If we ask the Jews, they will criticize the Christians. If you ask the Christians, they will criticize the Jews and the Muslims will criticize like that. Actually if you see whatever great all these incarnations and all these great prophets have told us absolute truth but we have deviated and made it more man made. That’s why all these problems. If truth is one, then why should we have differences.

Anchor:. This is what baffles me. There are around 48 different wars around the world and majority of them are in the name of God or religion that seems a contradiction.

Shri Mataji: Religions have become all power oriented or money oriented but not spirit oriented that’s why. One has to get over the conditionings of these and must see for yourself that religion is within yourself. Like Christ had no religion what religion he was born with you can say, in the same way the religion you are born within you and  innate. Such people do not do anything wrong they do things which are righteous.

Everyone is quite capable to get it, because you are a human being, but how many will come to Sahaj Yoga I don’t know. Specially in America people are very conditioned I think. They have taken to all kinds of false Gurus and false things but not to Sahaj Yoga. I have been coming here for the last 18 years but the movement is very slow but in some countries it is very fast.

Anchor: This is a very materialistic society.

Shri Mataji: Materialism is also to be understood through Sahaj Yoga is much better. Then you understand what the value of materialism is. The way we are mad after materialism we have created ecological problem, this problem that problem. We had no balance. But then you develop a balance then we know what is real materialism. 

They have everything but still they are not satisfied so this is not pure desire. Had it been pure desire you would have been satisfied. But you are not. Today you want to have a house tomorrow you want to have a car day after tomorrow you want to have an areophane. You have to have a pure desire. Pure desire is the power of Kundalini. The pure desire is; whether you know or not it is to be one with the divine.

We have so much of plastic so much of nonsensical things that we are using that are not necessary, we are using unnecessarily many things because we go into competition. Choice and things, because we have freedom, but ones you have this you will be sensible enough to know what to buy what to have you will not accumulate junk with you.

Anchor: People ask that if you give something like this free then how do you buy food and clothes. What is your response to them?

Shri Mataji:  You get all the money you want after all, the affluence also comes from divine. Actually whatever we have is blind affluence, whatever you need is supplied for. Divine force looks after you and you don’t have to worry about anything. You are all looked after and you always hit the jackpots. Many have hit also. Those who are in Sahaj Yoga have hit jackpots all the time. They have become big industrialists, big artists, great painters and achieved great names, politician. It’s impossible even for them to believe how they have achieved all this. Because their personality becomes so dynamic.

Anchor: When are you returning to the United States again?

Shri Mataji: I will definitely, next year and I would like to be here for more time. I think America is very important country and Americans are even more important they must know their responsibility.

Anchor: We have prejudices, racialism also the disease from AIDS, syphilis to herpes in US has something to do with way people think and behave in this country?

Shri Mataji:.  I had told in 1973 when I came here. I told them that you will get AIDs and all these diseases and they were very angry with me for that. They didn’t listen to me.  All kinds of false people came here they liked them came because they were exploiting their weakness. I was quite shocked that people are so simple and vulnerable, so  I did not come for 9 years. I am sorry to say that.  This new disease herpes and AIDS I told them 8 years back but they did not pay heed. All these diseases can be cured with Sahaja yoga, you have power within to cure it.