Guru Puja. Shudy Camps (UK), 12 July 1987.

Today, it’s a great day that you are here to worship your Guru in the realm of the Heart of the Universe. If we can do that in our domain of the heart, we don’t have to do anything else.

Today, also, I feel I have to tell you about Sahaja Yoga and its value, which is related to other Yogas which were accepted in the olden days all over the world. They called it, one, as the Yoga – not Sahaja Yoga, Yoga. It started with various types of practices of ‘Ashtanga’ [Sanskrit/Hindi meaning ‘having eight stages/parts’] Yogas – eightfold yogas – with a Guru. And one had to go through lots of hardships. Nobody who was married was allowed into that Ashtanga Yoga, and they had to give up their families, give up their relationships. They had to become absolutely without any attachments, to go to a Guru. All their property, all their possessions were given up. Not to the Guru as is done in modern times, but given away. And this was called as Yoga.

The another style was called as Sankhya. Sankhya is where all your life you have to gather things with detachment, and then to distribute them completely and take to a Guru, in a way completely surrendered, and then get realization.

Sankhya was the left-sided behavior. And the Yoga was the right-sided. Where the Gayatri Mantra was used was the Sankhya. Because they were left-sided, they used to use Gayatri Mantra. They went so much to the left side – that is to gather things, to gather possessions, to gather properties, to gather all kinds of friends and relations and societies – that they were afraid that they may be completely lost into all those things. They would go to Gayatri, the Mantra of Gayatri which teaches you the essences of all our Chakras – the centers.

I have told about this before also – ‘Bhu’, ‘Bhurv’, ‘Swaha’. ‘Bhu’ stands for the essence or the ‘Bija’ of the ‘Mooladhara’; ‘Bhuv’ for the universe that is created that is Swadishthana’s ‘Bija’; ‘Swaha’ is the ‘Bija’ of the Nabhi; ‘Manah’ is the essence of the Heart Chakra. Then, ‘Janah’ is the people, collectivity, is the essence or the ‘Bija’ of the Vishuddhi Chakra. Then,  ‘Tapah’ is the one where you go into ‘tapasya’, into renunciation, into hardships – is the essence of the Agnya Chakra. And then the ‘Satya’ is the truth, is the essence of the Sahasrara – not the truth that we think as truth, but the truth that is expressed in our central nervous system. So, this is discovered at the seventh stage of the Sahasrara.

So the people who did Sankhya were, sort of, not so much respected as spiritual people, because they thought these are all involved into worldly things and worldly possessions and worldly happenings. So, they were regarded as something secondary. Or those who were yogis of the Gurus were regarded higher, because they had already given up everything, and they have gone to a Guru giving up all the things that they have. But here, these Gurus had a problem within themselves because they found that those who came to them gave up everything – no doubt – but still there was lurking attachments. In their own ‘Ashramas’ [Hindi/Sanskrit meaning hermitages] they found, these people had their own attachments to things. Though outwardly they had given up, but inside they had not given up. So, they were still sticking on to these ideas that, ‘Oh, its all right. But still we can have little things like that, doesn’t matter.’ Like that, there was little compromises going on. Like, as we have here nunneries and all that.

So both, in a way, were artificial. The one side, is the Sankhyas, were trying to ascend with all the luggage they were carrying. And another were trying to descend with all the ambitions of ascent.

So, it was a very funny thing in every aspect, in both these styles of Yoga. As you can see that now, if you go to America you’ll find, ‘Oh God, what is this America? It’s not democracy, it’s demonocracy.’ But if you go from that in the realm of another country like Russia, you find – what is this? You are working here under complete pressures and fears. But as soon as a Russian comes out of that country, he can become worse than an American. So what is this? One theory works here, another theory works there. So which is the theory that is all right? Same you find about religion. Say, a religion, which believes in many Gods, like the Hindus, they are also believing now into the ‘Bhoots’. And they are also following the path of possessions. If you go to a temple, every temple has got nice arrangement for you to get possessed.

Or even a church, or a mosque – where God has to reside, you find suddenly you get attacked and you come out absolutely puzzled about yourself, ending up into lunatic asylums.

So what sort of worshipping places are these, where you go to find God and you get the horrible satanic forces acting on you?

That’s why, in the modern times, people have become so very confused. We do not find truth in anything – in any ideologies, any philosophies, anything that started… say, Confusius started humanism, Socrates started another thing, Mohammad Saheb started another thing. Like Mohammad Saheb said let us not worship God as an idol; let us worship Him in the ‘Nirakara’, in the formless God. But you see the formless? How they are killing each other now? I mean, after seeing the Muslim countries, you can’t believe there could be any formless or formful God existing anywhere – all must have run away – the way they are fighting. Then you see the Christian countries. Wherever they have gone, they have tried to dominate other people who were not Christians, just as if they had a right to do it because they were Christians. The Disciples of Christ, who said, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

And I have to say the same for all the Christians,  “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” And when you are shocked at all these things, one must sit down and think what is to be done, what’s the problem is. So, it is neither Sankhya nor Yoga; then what is it you have to achieve? That is Sahaja Yoga. Sahaja Yoga is a system in which first you are not given a theory, but the light in your hand to see for yourself in which both things look the same. For example, now you have got this beautiful house made for your Mother, while your Mother doesn’t know how to get attached to even a pin. It’s a funny situation.

Everybody has to remind Me, “Mother it is Your house.” “Oh I see.” And I have to be reminded I must thank you all, specially the English, specially the leaders of English Sahaja yogis, for making full effort to get this house. But then, I think why should I thank? It’s not mine, it’s theirs – and that’s what it is. So a new type of confusion starts, and that’s what I felt that this confusion is very sweet and beautiful. It’s a fact that nothing belongs to us, but every thing belongs to us.

When I think about how beautifully you have done this place, it belongs to Me, all right; this house belongs to Me; England belongs to Me and above all, the whole world belongs to Me.

That’s how we see Sankhya and Yoga become one in Sahaja Yoga. And it’s said that when you see Sankhya and Yoga as one, then only ‘Sapaashyati’ – that’s the one who sees; that’s the one is the witness.

So, for normal people it could be that how is it your Mother is supposed to be a Guru and She wears all ornaments? But what to do? She’s also a Mother and She is also a Goddess. Another confusion. How to make these two things be? You see a Guru has to be a very angry person, wearing only single dress either upwards or downwards, I don’t know how, with a big thick rod in the hand, never smiling – laughing no question – smiling. And the Gurus have to be very long faced, developing big, big beards, and no ladies allowed.

In such a situation, where the women are not to be seen at all, I mean I shouldn’t even see My face – it’s like that. There is a big discussion in all the scriptures – not scriptures, I would say the critiques, whether a woman should be allowed to do the spiritual practices or not – imagine. Not only among Christians, you’ll be surprised, even in Indian scriptures – whether is woman is allowed or not to do spiritual practices.

Now when your Mother is a woman and She is your Guru, what will you do? This is another confusion because it is wrong, the whole thing is falsehood, based on no basis at all. You may try anything to say that women are not meant for spiritual life, try any argument, it fails.

The other day I met one big John in a University, big fellow, I might say really hard nut, and he started saying, “We Christians cannot accept a woman to be God.”

I said, “Why?”  “Because…”

So to put all these upside-down stories right, your Mother had to come on this earth as a Guru. I got to this point out of one little confusion I had about Myself.

The other day, somebody was after My life that I should buy a bracelet. I said, “I have no money anymore; I don’t want to buy.”

“All right we will give it in Puja.”

I said, “But now there is only Guru Puja.”

Said, “All right, we will give it in Guru Puja.”

I said, “To buy a bracelet in Guru Puja is something funny I have done.”

After all, in a Guru Puja you don’t give a bracelet to your Guru, do you? You can give, say, a big rod; or you might give him a sandalwood ‘Khada’ – what is it called – ‘Chappals’, or you may give him a shawl. But here it is… I have asked… all right give it in Guru Puja. What was the reason? And I became aware of My own confusion and I thought of it. I said, “This is what it is, that it has to happen this way that, on a Guru Puja you have to give a bracelet to your Guru.” Let us change it over. The whole thing has to be brought up this way that everything faces reality. All these false ideas have to be given up. Like, if you have a carpet upside-down, the whole design is upside-down. But, if you put the carpet right, everything falls in line. And that’s why you needed a Mother to give you realization, and a Guru as a Mother to teach you that for ascent of God nobody can be prohibited.

That is how the Sahaja Yoga today is working out. In all directions, if you find, to put all upside-down things into right direction, to expose it to reality, to bring all real values, to abolish all rotten value systems, all political, economic systems, all spiritual theologies, all psychological and all such nonsensical ideas into its proper direction.

How in one incarnation it has worked out, you can imagine. How in one incarnation all these ideas have been put right.

Another idea exists, among Hindus, that if you are a religious people, you should be a vegetarian. All the Brahmins believe this, and even the non-Brahmins. But we had a Brahmin working in one of the places where I was living, and they said that for Mother we have to give meat, She doesn’t eat anything else. She has to eat proteins. She said, “Yes, yes, Of course. For a Mother, She must have.” Whether it’s a Brahmin or a non-Brahmin, all understand that Mother has to eat proteins. Because She has to drink the blood of all these ‘rakshasas’ [Hindi meaning demons], how can She be vegetarian? And if She has to kill so many devils, how can She be non-violent? So the contrast that you see in the description of the Mother – that She is the one who is the most furious personality when it comes to the killing of the people who are of the negative land, who are trying to destroy Her creation, Her own children; and She is the sweetest and the mildest person for Her own children. These two contrasts should be seen. Even in animals you’ll find the same contrast, but very evident in an incarnation like this. And today, through Sahaja Yoga, we have been able to prove that Sankhya and Yoga are the same.

Whether you collect things, whether you have possessions or whether you give away, makes no difference to a person who is detached from within. If you collect them for others, even better. But if you collect for yourself and then give away, that’s even much better. Because first you collect for yourself then you think, “Oh it’s good for me, I will use this one for myself, will be a good idea” – so the self is there – but then, that you give away. That means your detachment is complete. Or the third personality could be liking [not clear]… which just goes on collecting and just goes on giving. Without thinking it collects and without thinking it gives because thinking is not My job. That is one thing I have given up – is to think. I don’t want to think – that’s your work, not Me. And without thinking, how many things we have achieved through Sahaja Yoga. Yoga and Sankhya both are products of thinking, not products of spontaneity. This house itself is a product of spontaneity. I mean, as we call the English as ‘Saabloge’*, you see. So I took some ‘Saabloge’ with Me around to see some houses and they wanted to (see) some houses with some character – means something must fall out, something must be crooked, this should not be straightforward. I said, “Now please, I can’t bear all this crookedness.”

So, “No, no, but it has character.” I said, “Now, this kind of a crookedness I don’t want.” Straightforward it should be. So they were rather disappointed at Me. And the ‘Saablog’ had some other ideas also that, say for example, if you go to, say, to a place called Windmere, it’s a posh place; if you go to the Northside, little less; then if you go to the east, it’s useless – like that. I said, “Let’s go the north, northest as far as we can go.” Because, you know, the Goddess has to be ‘Dakshinamurthy’. She has to be on the north side to be on the – Her eyes on the south. That’s the reason She has to be… I mean we could not have been in Scotland – that would have been too much for you. But that would have been the ideal for all of us because then our ‘Drishti’ is towards – our vision is towards the south and we see the whole universe under our own beautiful visions.

So that’s how, spontaneously, we found this place. And ‘Saablog’ were, “Yes, No, No, Yes.” But spontaneously we got it. And then we found out it has a history; then we found out its beautiful vibrations; then we found out the potential about it. Whatever you get spontaneously, it is full of potentials.

On this point, I have to say a few words, is important. I had to get – few points I have to say about spontaneity part which is quite interesting – the way people think spontaneity works. Like, it’s mostly ego part which says, ‘This is spontaneous,’ with so many people. Specially the very old Sahaja Yogis think they are authorities on spontaneity. Like, we had a land in Vaitarna. So one of the older ones went there and he said, “This land is vibrating and this is not vibrating.” So everybody accepted, ‘All right, all right, all right.’ Then they said, “In this part of the land nobody should eat their food.” Now, from where does this knowledge come? Eating food is not a sin, is it? As if it is a sin that you are eating food in there. Then religiously they follow a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, z and again a, b, c, d of Sahaja Yoga to such an extent, ‘ki’ [Hindi meaning ‘that’] I start thinking now they have become another fanatic Sahaja Yogis.

Fanaticism is against Sahaja Yoga – absolutely.

Now they will ask, “How many times we should say this ‘Mantra’?” Then I say, “Zero times.”

“How many drops we should put, the ghee, in our nose?” Then I say, “A full jug.”

Then, “Oh, I should not have gone from the left side, I should have gone from the right side.”

Then, I would say, “You just jump up.”

You have to be like children. But the ideas are so settled down in Sahaja Yoga, now it’s so many years of course, but they should not settle down. If they settle down, it’s not Sahaja; it’s not spontaneous. ‘If you do this way, then it is wrong; that way, it’s wrong’ – nothing of the kind. Nothing is wrong for you people. If you do anything wrong, your vibrations will be lost, finished. What is there to be so cautious? Like, somebody said, “I don’t want to look at the cigarette.” I said, “Why?” “Looking at it also is sinful.” I said, “Looking at it what happens?”

“Then I feel like smoking.” So I said, “Better smoke once for all.”

Or, “I cannot hold a wine bottle in my hand.”

“Why?” “No, holding the wine bottle is sinful.”

I mean, you can swim in the wine. So this kind of understanding should be there. Though I have always said that if I say one thing, you will clinch on to it. So I always say the other side of it – that don’t stick on to something; Sahaja Yoga is not for sticking on to something. Like somebody who had learnt certain say, lessons about Sahaja Yoga in the beginning of it, certain Mantras they had learnt, and still they are sticking on to the same step. No, no, no, no – you have to go ahead. This is just a staircase. Don’t get stuck at a point.

We have had so many such cases here. People get really outworn as they say. They will go on telling you so many nonsensical ideas – “You see, if you do like this, then this happens.”

First of all, you don’t give ideas to others. That’s one thing – if you decide that we don’t give ideas about what’s wrong with another person, half of your job is done. Because you don’t have to do any job, as I don’t do. Anybody who comes, “You are a ‘bhoot’.” You better have it. I get reports from others. They say that your Sahaja Yogis are wicked people. I said, “Why?” “Oh, they tell you, ‘You are evil.’ They tell you, ‘You are possessed’, they tell you, ‘You are this, you are that’; they are very wicked people.”

I am really shocked to hear that Sahaja Yogis – how can they be wicked? If somebody is suffering from something, in the phone they say, “Oh you better have it. It’s good for you.” That’s not the way. We have to be not only humble, very tactful and sweet to new people – if you want any more to come in. But if you have decided not to have anymore, because you will have to put another marquee, then I have nothing to say. But if you want others to come in, then it’s important that you talk to them in a very sweet and beautiful language, the way they understand. Rudeness, arrogance, showing off, is of no use. One should understand Sahaja Yoga is where you are in complete enjoyment about it; you are just lost into that enjoyment.

Where is the time to remember how many times to give a ‘Bandhan’ to yourself? What is the need to give ‘Bandhan’ to yourself? It’s all a joke now for you, should be. A little child sucks the milk from the bottle, all right, because it has no teeth. But what about you people having that kind of a thing? It’s very childish and shows no growth at all.

Sahaja Yoga must grow within. You should not be, anymore, regarded as immature Sahaja Yogis. I would say: a person who is a matured Sahaja Yogi is the one who can combine so many things together, with all beautiful lines, thin lines, thin ‘Maryadas’ [Hindi/Sanskrit meaning code of conduct] maintained. But, you cannot do the other way round.

For example, you shouldn’t say, “All right, now I will be sweet. Then I will be angry; then I will be sweet; then I’ll be like this; then I’ll be like that.” It will be a hotchpotch. It is a funny personality you see – suddenly I get angry, like that [facial expression?], and then I [presumably Mother demonstrates with facial expression]. People will think you are doing ‘Bharatnatyam’ [a form of Indian classical dance] or something like that. Showing all your moods – in five minutes you show ten moods.

This is the growth within you, which will show. So, we have to have our growth, and for growth, let us be silent within. Let us not react to others – “This person is like that, that person is like that.” What about yourself? Also there… other ways. Like, I tell somebody that, you see, you have this problem. So that person immediately goes to the second person and says, “You see, Mother told me that you too have this problem, better look after it.” I didn’t tell that person; I told you. Keep it to yourself. So, ‘Mother says’ is to be given up, absolutely. If Mother has to say, She’ll say it. Why should you communicate; why should you say? I never asked you to say that.

Understanding Sahaja Yoga is very simple, extremely simple, when you understand one thing – that you have to have your innocence intact. Now, “How to get to innocence?” people will say. How to get to innocence? It’s a vicious circle. How to get to innocence? – It’s a very vicious circle. We have to get to innocence, through what?  Your ego or superego? How will you get to innocence?

Mother says, “Don’t raise your Kundalini.” I mean, I am sitting here – people are just doing like that. What’s happening? I am sitting here – your Kundalini is up there on your head. What are you raising?

Now how to manage is the problem. Very simple it is. In the beginning I said, “Let your Guru reside in your heart.” How to manage – why? Let Mother manage. Mother is managing me. Keep it at that. Your right side will clear. Your left side will clear when you say, “Nobody can manage me but Mother can manage me” – two things together. Things will work out.

Thank God you have somebody like Me, who is sitting here, who can say so. Think of those who never had anyone to tell them, or to be in their presence to say that I can manage this, or you can manage that. That now you can balance. Allow your Kundalini to grow. Everything works out. Like this house when I purchased, or when they purchased, or who purchased – So many questions and complications – How, how, how? But it’s worked; it’s there, quite intact; nothing has fallen off; nothing has gone wrong. I had to shout once, all right. But let Me shout, you don’t start shouting. As soon as I finish, they will take a loudspeaker, shout even louder. “Mother said so, you are this, that.” I am saying about you, (to) whom are you preaching?

But only, you must know that when I tell you something, please do it; please do it. See because I know quite a lot. Because I am Guru, your Guru; because I am the Guru of all the Gurus. And those who is a real Guru, knows that my Mother knows everything. She is knowledge Herself. If She says something, it means something. And even I may test you sometimes, doesn’t matter. That’s how you become the Guru.

Shivaji had a Guru called Ramadasa. In those days, Gurus used to take lot of test of their disciples. I never took your test or anything. But you are testing yourself, that’s all. And his Guru one day said that, “I think I need the milk of a tigress. I have to drink the milk of a tigress.” Half of them died and most of them didn’t hear it. Shivaji said, “All right. I’ll get you.” He went in the jungles. He saw a tigress and there were little little, small little children she had, and those cubs were lying on the side. He went and he just said ‘Namaskar’ [Hindi word meaning salutation] to her. (He) Said, “My Guru wants your milk,” that’s all – because Gurus are ‘Parabrahma’ [Hindi/Sanskrit meaning God Almighty], their orders are listened to by the ‘Parabrahma’. “My Guru, Shri Ramadasa, wants your milk. So please, will you give me your milk?” So nicely she got up, stood up before him. He milked her and took that milk for his Guru. This is what it is. Have you understood the meaning of ‘Gurupada’ [Hindi/Sanskrit meaning the status/position of Guru]?

When you become absolutely one with the desires of your Guru, you achieve the position of a Guru. But if you still have certain ideas about it, then Shri Ramadasa has said that then God ‘Alpadrishtapaye* … [not clear]’ sees your little courage [?] – “All right, go ahead. Break your heads and then come back. I’ll fix them up.” So it is important that we should do one thing seriously – is to take your Mother very seriously when it comes to some request.

Of course, in English language I always say, “Please, will you do it?” Or I may even say, “I am afraid will you do it?” But that should make no difference. Other day only, when we were coming for Cardiff, I said that the first class will be coming on the other side. But everybody at the platform said, “No, it is coming on the other side.” I said, “All right.” We sat down, and then they announced that the first class is coming on this side. So we all again walked back.

It’s all right for those people, but what about you? Many a times you have seen. And at the asking of a Guru, if something goes wrong also, it should be always accepted as the law of the Divine – because, Guru is the giver of the law of the Divine, not the worldly laws. The law of the Divine He gives you. The law of the Divine you understand, then you have to surrender to that law of the Divine, and that’s how you will become masters of that law.

Today, for a Guru Puja, I can go on talking to you. But today, I would request you to understand that whilst surrendering, as Islam is called, was so important – that if God is your Guru, let Him guide you; Thy will be done. Let us not guide ourselves and also, sometimes they try to guide the Guru as well. Then the Guru plays tricks, and then you fall into the trap of tricks, and then you find it’s too much.

It is better to listen to what the Guru is telling you, and better to do it. Whatever the Guru says is all right. Gurus can ask you anything. I mean, I am quite a nice Guru. Like, this Ramadasa himself asked his disciples that, “I have got a very bad, septic, big boil and please try to suck it out because it is full of pus.” Imagine. So they didn’t know what to do, you know. How to suck the pus of the Guru is too much. But Shivaji came forward. He took down his hat, sat down next to him, started sucking. People said, “How is it?” Said, “It’s very sweet, very nice.” Actually, he had tied a mango there.

That is how the Gurus took lot of tests. I have never taken your test, and you do not take the tests of others. Leave them to Me, I’ll manage all of them one by one. Whatever has to happen happens. In Sahaja Yoga, to think that 100% will be rich, healthy, wealthy and on top of the world, is a nonsense. If we become very wealthy, then there will be recession because others will be very poor. If we become very healthy then nobody will come near us; if we all look like wrestlers, who will come near us? If we become very wise, then people will be frightened of such wise people; nothing will… they cannot understand anything, it will go over their heads.

So let us be in the center. We should be wealthy, but not too much; we should be healthy, but not too much; we should be wise, but not too much. So far, so good – that’s how we should move.

So we keep to our ‘Maryadas’ and we become beautiful Sahaja Yogis, who will be congenial to others, who will be able to get others to us, who will be able to project an image of magnetic personalities. And this is what we have to do. If we try to show off in any way – like I have seen people try to show off unnecessarily – there is no need. Just be in the background. If you are very much in the background, just be in the foreground. Try to balance yourself. Try to watch yourself and guide yourself and tell yourself, “Become your own Gurus.” Judge yourself how far you are in the center, how far you are growing, how much growth have you achieved. Are you still attached to small things here and there? Are you still bothered about small things? – “Mother, I should have got 80% marks, I have got only 75% marks.” Oh God. Because he got 75% marks, there is something good has to come out. He has to learn a lesson, maybe. Or maybe that he has to take some other course. Maybe something that is good for his ascent has to work out – is to be seen if you have to be Gurus. If you can’t see that, how can others see that? This is to be realized. Not to be put in the mind, but to be realized in the heart. In the realm of your heart you have to realize it; you have to understand it in the realm of your heart.

Nice that we are in England, the heart of the universe, that we are talking about opening our hearts. If you have to put Me there, is the ocean of love, and to contain this ocean of love, you have to have a very, very large heart – bigger than your personalities, bigger than your countries, bigger than this world, bigger than this universe.

May God bless you.

*Alpadrishtapaye: alpa means little, drishta means courage, paye means sees. The meaning is: seeing the little courage you have

*Saab-loge: is the name for English people derived from sahib.