The Tenth Incarnation

Volume I

“I will incarnate myself as a complete human being to understand these problems, and with my love and compassion I will achieve what was never achieved before.”

H.H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Dedicated to Her Holiness SHRI ADI SHAKTI MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI

Where the emerald green lake washes the feet of the Almighty. Where the Almighty Goddess spreads a cloak of green forest and blushes in myriads of flowers.

Where enthralled by Her splendor, time stands in awe.

Where cool winds of the Spirit whisper sweet odes to the Primordial Guru.

Where iron opens its heart to love.

The Guru Tattwa of the universe opens.

Here come a thousand pilgrims to anoint the Mother of all the Gurus.

O Devi, we offer our gratitude from the inner most core of

our hearts,

Again and again.

You have opened our hearts

But give us also the iron tattwa to strengthen our love.

Bless us with wisdom.

But also give us humility to sustain the wisdom.

You have showered upon us your choicest gifts.

But also teach us how to share them.

Please keep us forever like the yonder emerald lake Sparkling blissfully at your Lotus feet.

Narrator’s Note

It was the end of a pilgrimage. It was the beginning of a pilgrimage. On arriving at the destination, I was far from it. Upon crossing Her threshold, I was transfixed—it was the fulfillment of a thousand pilgrimages. She was a Divine Incarnation, Her Holiness Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

Since 1976, I was blessed to attend on Shri Mataji. I got a sense of what the Prophet meant, “Heaven lies at the feet of the Mother”. When I sought her outside I failed to find her, but no sooner than I opened my heart, she was enshrined in it. A single visit to the heart transformed me without any mental deliberations. The wine of her love was so intoxicating that by drinking deeply I became sober again. By losing myself, I found her. Drunk with the wine of love I wanted to ablaze the spirit of my brethren.

It was a treasure the world could not hold! Each day, nay, each moment was lost in her mirthful play, brimming with laughter, joy and celebration. It uplifted us desperate seekers from the illusion of our egos into the blissful realm of the spirit. She neither pampered nor fractured our ego but simply allowed us to witness it. She bathed us with such motherly love, it felt like babes being washed in rose water by the tenderest hands.

I sought her permission to etch those eternal moments in her biography. With her grace her biography, “Face of God” was published in 1994. Since then Sahaja Yoga had taken a quantum leap and triggered the tide of human evolution towards its epitome. A new consciousness evolved and coalesced the global Sahaja family into one Being. Once again I sought Shri Mataji’s permission to record the steps of this grand evolutionary process in a book titled “The Tenth Incarnation”.

The Tenth Incarnation (volume 1) narrates those blissful moments in the realm of her heart. The first Volume is a narrative till 1990 and the second volume titled ‘Shri Kalki’ shows how gently she unfolds her power of Shri Kalki from 1991 to 2001—the power that would ultimately destroy all that is negative on earth and save all that is positive for the Satya Yuga. The third volume ‘The Last Judgement’ unfolds events from 2002 till 23 Feb.2011, when She fulfilled her earthly ^rd mission & assumed her Virata Form.

These volumes could only be completed with the help of the founding members of The Life Eternal Trust, Sir C.P.Srivastava, Roalbai, Sanjay Mane, Sandeep Gadkary, Michael Forgaty, Eduardo and all the brothers and sisters who nurtured the seeds of Sahaja Yoga in the sacred soils of all the countries. However, this narration should be taken only as a wee glimpse of our beloved Mother’s infinite expanse of compassion. Were I to narrate her Divine realm, it would be beyond my finite perception to paint the infinite and perhaps take another life time. I humbly beg her forgiveness for my limited perception. But one thing I did truly perceive—no one returned empty handed from her threshold, and she never abandoned those who ensconced her in their hearts.

Yogi Mahajan

INTRODUCTION

After creating this beautiful universe, God did not abandon it. He protected and nurtured it with his feminine power, Shri Adishakti. As Shri Adishakti began enlightening the path of evolution, God Almighty remained a witness to her mirthful play of creation, sustenance and transformation. For the sustenance of her creation, she established dharma. Lord Krishna told Arjuna that whenever Dharma was imperiled, he would incarnate to uphold righteousness and vanquish evil. Likewise, in modern tomes Shri Adishakti incarnated to save her creation.

Shri Adishakti, the Mother of the world incarnated many a times as Durga, Bhavani, Jagadamba and Athena. Foremost she incarnated as the power of Shri Vishnu, as his consort, Shri Laxmi. Next she incarnated as Shri Rama’s wife, Sita, and thereafter she incarnated as Radha.

However, it is not possible for the finite human mind to envisage the infinite Divinity of an incarnation. But when the devotion of a seeker becomes infinite, the infinite reveals itself, like Shri Krishna revealed his Virata form to Prince Arjuna.

Today, in Kali Yuga, we may not be as fortunate as Prince Arjuna to have the vision of the Virata, but with the incarnation of Shri Adishakti Mataji Shri Nirmala Devi it became possible to experience the joy of the Virata in our Sahasrara. Her incarnation is the most significant event in human consciousness of universal awareness, because under her guidance human consciousness began to expand in the realm of collective consciousness, which is Divine love.

Moreover, in modern times through her compassionate action, the incarnation of Kalki has emerged as the Collective Being, formed by all the realized souls who coalesced with God’s consciousness.

Chapter 1

When I was born, there was darkness all around. I thought, how to tell the people and how to give them realization. Then I felt I must awaken them en masse.”

She was the incarnation of Shri Adi Shakti. It was the single most important event since creation. Her birth marked the end of Kali Yuga and the advent of the Aquarian age described as ‘Krita Yuga’. In this new age the vibrations or Param Chaitanya was imbued with consciousness to pave the way for the manifestation of the Tenth Incarnation. It was also empowered to destroy whatever hampered the enfoldment of her mission. Her mission was to spread the power of Divine love and thus usher the golden age described as Satya Yuga.

The world was still reeling from the aftermath of World War I, and the grey clouds of World War II loomed over the horizon. Mother India was suppressed under the tyranny of the British Empire. But at the precise noon hour of the day of spring equinox, March 21, 1923, the hand of God intervened, and a silver lining appeared in the clouds. It was the dawn of a new era of hope, Shri Adi Shakti took birth—a baby girl was born to Prasad Rao Salve and Lady Cornelia in Chindwara. Looking with awe at the smiling and radiant baby, the grandmother exclaimed, “She is ‘Nishkalanka’, i.e. without any blemish. Nishkalanka being a boy’s name, the girl was named ‘Nirmala’, meaning immaculate.

On Easter Monday the miraculous child was baptized amidst great rejoicing.

The great sage of Maharashtra, Gagangarh Maharaj, who had mastery over the elements, was meditating in his ashram, Gagan Boara, near Kolhapur. Suddenly he saw the most beautiful sight of the complete Shri Chakra coming down upon earth. He described his vision as the birth of Shri Adi Shakti. Seated on his lion he followed the Shri Chakra to seek the blessings of Shri Adi Shakti. It stopped outside the Salve home in Chindwara. Shri Adi Shakti Nirmala Devi blessed him but asked him not to disclose her identity to anyone. When the time would come, she herself would come to his ashram and inform him.

The newborn Nirmala did not want to reveal her divinity yet. All her powers remained hidden within her. She knew Sahaja Yoga from birth. No one taught her. She did not consult any books, and all her knowledge came from within.

“When I was a little girl I found the world was completely ignorant about how to find the truth, whether they were Hindus, Christians or Muslims. They were lost in all kinds of so called religions and rituals. All the seekers went to the wrong people and to wrong directions because they were really seeking from their hearts. So they were misled into such horrible areas that they did not know what they were seeking and what they were supposed to seek.”

It was a unique knowledge with which she was born. It was not easy to reveal it. She had to find a method to accomplish her mission. To do so, she wanted to understand human nature first. Hence, she chose to be absolutely human, to feel like a human being and to react like one. She wanted to experience the complete human cycle of childhood, youth, marriage, motherhood and a doting grandmother. She led a full life, going out shopping, building beautiful homes, entertaining, watching movies and embarking upon several ventures.

“I was very anxious that I should lead a very normal life. I should not be like some Himalayan fellow or something like that because this is needed for the common man.”

Nirmala spent a happy childhood in Chindwara. Her birth brought unprecedented prosperity and great wealth to the Salve family. She was adored as the darling of the family. At the age of four, the family shifted to Nagpur where her father led a flourishing legal practice. The freedom struggle was gathering momentum, and Mr. Salve, who was an Indian Christian, joined Mahatma Gandhi. The Christian community was enraged and threw him out. But he was undaunted and sacrificed everything for the freedom of his country—renouncing his title of ‘RaoSahib,’ burning all his suits and taking to spinning khadi. The British imprisoned him several times. From palatial houses the Salve family was reduced to living in huts. Each family member had only two sets of clothes and slept on thin floor mats without even a pillow. Shri Mataji had only one coat throughout her education to brave the bitter winters of Lahore. But she never grudged or grumbled. She was very happy that everything was sacrificed for the country. In fact she was very proud of it.

Nor did her father feel that he was making any sacrifice for his country. He thought it was a great privilege to serve his motherland. He was a rare combination of noble values from which he never budged. A lawyer by profession, he was a master of 11 languages and knew the dictionary by heart. He translated the Koran from Arabic to Hindi. Well versed in the arts, he also loved cricket and swimming. He swam for three miles daily.

She was only seven when the Christian Missionary School expelled her due to her father’s anti-British agitation. As her father was in jail, Gandhi ji took her under his wings. ‘Nirmala’ undertook ashram duties like the other inmates. Gandhi ji recognized her and loved her very much. He used to call her ‘Nepali’ in reference to her half-Indian, half-Mongolian features. She joyfully participated in all the Ashram activities. Her innocent ways relaxed him and her divine vibrations nurtured his spirit. She inspired him to compose a book of bhajans based on vibrations called ‘Bhajanavali’. In the bhajan she expressed her Divine vision, “You have to do good to others; what a beautiful responsibility it is!” She envisioned that the purpose of human life was to enter the kingdom of God, to become the spirit, to enjoy the bounties of God and to enjoy peace, harmony and love.

She revealed her mission to him. He advised, “This is not the time. This is the time to fight for our freedom. We have to get out of the clutches of these imperialists first.”

In 1942, she spearheaded the student freedom movement.

“I saw Hitler coming up, and our country also was in complete bondage. So the first thing was to make our country free. It was very important and that’s why I took a very, very active role in the movement that was for the freedom of our country; same with my father and mother.”

Her heart wrenched with pain as she helplessly watched the atrocities of the British tyranny. Her soul went out to the martyrs and her torn heart expressed its anguish in tender songs:

Glory to Mother India.

Victory to Thee!

The whole universe resounds with Thy name.

Even the green pastures of your village sing Thy praise.

When my eyes are filled with tears,

And my throat is choked with grief,

My heart is crying out for thy victory.

The smoke from the martyr’s pyre rises to meet the sky; Even there his spirit hails thy glory. Victory to Thee! Victory to Thee!

The veteran freedom fighter, Vinobha Bhave, tried to dissuade her from participating in the freedom struggle, but her father warned her not to pay heed to “the old man’s advice”. Many young people gave up their studies to join the freedom movement along with her. People from all walks of life worked day and night, shoulder to shoulder. It was not easy; it was a very difficult and a long drawn out struggle. Thousands of patriots sacrificed their lives. She was jailed several times, put on ice, and tortured brutally, but it could not break her indomitable spirit. She did not care for her life and was proud to sacrifice it for her Motherland.

No sooner had she came out of jail, she presented bangles to the son of the Director of Public Instructions who had opposed her freedom march. The college authorities expelled her. However, the principal who had great respect for Mr. Salve advised her to voluntarily withdraw her name from the college. Though it jeopardized her career, she did not bend. When the news reached her father in jail, he sent her a congratulatory note hidden in a coat pocket.

There was no choice but to seek admission outside of Maharashtra. She enrolled in Ludhiana Medical College because she wanted to talk to doctors. “The kind of blindness in medical science attracted me to medical science also. I thought I have to talk to doctors, I should know their terminology, their methodology and also their problems.”

Before she could finish her medical studies, her marriage was arranged. On April 7, 1947, she married Mr. Chandrika Prasad Srivastava. Mr. Srivastava was selected in the Indian Foreign Service. She persuaded him to apply for the Indian Administrative Service instead, “Just now we have got our independence. This is the time we have to build up our country.”

Though the prospects in the Foreign Service were better,

he agreed, “I will try if I can get into IAS.”

Luckily he was selected. Mr. Srivastava was the only son of an aristocratic family owning some hundred acres of land in U.P., but after the Land Ceiling Act he along with his many cousins lost the bulk of their land, and were therefore considerably impoverished. But after marriage, wealth and prosperity flowed profusely into the Srivastava household.

Shri Mataji instantly endeared herself to his large family and spared no effort in providing them with every comfort. Within a short time the Srivastava home became the abode of

Mr. Srivastava’s 20 young cousins. She supported their education, found them jobs and even suitable matrimonial alliances!

They vied with each other for her affection. One day, when Mr. Srivastava returned from his office, he saw them hovering around her, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you all the time sticking to your aunt!”

It was her genuine concern. One niece claimed how she felt closer to Aunt Nirmala than her own mother. The glow of her love protected each one, attended to their minutest needs and nurtured them. All her relations whether close or distant, high or low never left her house without a meal and a generous gift.

She was never concerned about herself but always of others. Mr. Srivastava remarked, “You are a true socialist because you always share with others. You are so collective.”

She smiled, “But you have to understand that we are collective! You may not be aware but you can’t exist alone anywhere. Once you become aware of it, you are so surprised that you are part and parcel of the whole!”

Chapter 2

On 14th August 1947, the yoke of the British tyranny finally lifted.  With tears of joy streaming down her

face. It was the most intense moment of her life, “I saw the Union Jack coming down and I saw the Tricolor going up. That was the moment… it was beyond me. I can’t tell you what was the feeling that covered me. Such a feeling that truth has overcome untruth! That justice has been shown over injustice! That feeling is still so much; I can’t even see the flag! I see it and I remember the whole history, the whole thing that how many people sacrificed! How many martyrs were there! How much people have fought for it! The flag stands for all that.”

But that was political freedom where as her dream was the freedom of the spirit. Moreover British left their legacy behind.

“When we got the freedom, somehow, after some time we got lost. People started talking of all kinds of modern things which were wrong, which were so called entertaining! In their parties, I was quite amused the way they used to talk about things, and I used to keep quiet. So, they thought I don’t know English or may be I am so quite because perhaps I am good for nothing!”

Mr. Srivastava adored his wife and cherished her versatility and many talents. Whatever the problem, she never complained and had a knack of making the most of a situation. They were frequently transferred and changed over twenty houses. If their furniture did not arrive, she enjoyed sleeping on the floor, turning wooden crates around as tables and chairs, setting up a minimal kitchen and still turning up an amazing meal. The personification of Shri Gruha Lakshmi, she knew exactly the tastes of her dear husband. Mr. Srivastava loved her cooking and often skipped his official dinners to enjoy her food.

If she was busy, he patiently waited; he would never eat till she joined him.

They were allotted large government bungalows with sprawling lawns. She was very fond of gardening and converted the back yard into a vegetable garden. She activated the potential of the seeds with vibrations to increase their yield. The extra-ordinary size of the vegetables won her many prizes. Her garden yielded bumper crops and the harvest was distributed to the neighbors and the needy. Thus, despite the limited salary of a government servant, she succeeded in making her kitchen self-sufficient. Moreover, there was always a surplus at the end of the month!

She enjoyed doing all the housework, but as the pressure of official entertainment increased with Mr.Shrivastava’s promotion, she resorted to domestic help. She treated them as part of the family, and they loved her more as a mother than a mistress. Her personal requirements and expenses were minimal. She dressed very simply, and yet there was a daintiness and a regal bearing of divinity.

Shri Mataji had two wonderful daughters Kalpana and Sadhana. Both of them were fonts of love and wisdom, a source of joy and support to their parents. “They really supported me very much and I gave them all the company they needed.”

Mr. Srivastava’s subordinates adored her, and she was very much endeared by their wives. Apart from being very hardworking and honest himself, Mr. Srivastava pulled up lax subordinates. Then she comforted them over a soothing cup of tea and savory snacks.

If someone was sick in the office, he sought her healing touch rather than the doctors. A neighbor in Mumbai, Mrs. Batra, who lived six floors below, recalled, “Whenever my children fell sick, I phoned her and she readily came. The lift in our building was perpetually out of order, but she was so full of energy that she would run down six floors to cure them. Her healing touch worked miracles. I have never met someone more wonderful and more compassionate than her. Not many people knew about her healing powers, and she never talked about it. She had not started Sahaja Yoga yet.”

She wanted to start Sahaja yoga and confided in her father who she fondly referred to as her first Guru, “It is my desire like the stars in the sky; many people on earth should also shine and spread the light of God.”

He was a realized soul and recognized her incarnation. He counseled, “Supposing you are born on the 10th story and everybody is on the ground floor; you must at least make them climb two stories so that they know there is something above, otherwise there is no use of talking about it.

“It is possible you find a method of en masse awakening of people. But don’t talk about any reality till you find out the method first. Most incarnations thought whichever way they received their realization the same should be followed for giving others realization. But that was not correct. For instance, Buddha got his realization by penance, so he propagated the path of penance. You should not make the same mistake. First, study human beings, find out the permutations and combinations of their mistakes and understand why they are like that. Previous incarnations did not know much about the intricacies of the human mind. They simply preached the gospel of truth but did not understand the mind barriers to practice them, thus the essence of their message was lost. I don’t want the same to happen to you. So before you have found a method of mass awakening just don’t say a word, don’t give lectures, don’t write anything or else you will have created another Koran or Bible! And that will be a thing to fight about.”

“So the first thing I did was to study human beings for about 47 years.”

She was appalled at the state of all the religions, “In the beginning, all the religions came to bring people up to a point of balance. Then some people took charge of it and tried to enforce morality. But they failed because by forcing they could not bring morality. Religions became superficial; they merely talked about God but had no connection with Him. Without the connection, people began following the labels of religion and left its spirit behind. They did not know how to come out of their fixed ideas and started fighting in the name of God. Thus religions derailed and became power or money oriented. They formed a kind of puddles… so you really needed this river of life to fill up all these puddles and make them one.”

She revealed to her father, “How can the seekers reach the infinite with their finite mind? When they try to ascend, they can only ascend in the left or the right sympathetic nervous system which terminates in the super ego and ego respectively. Hence, it is necessary to find a method to give them realization first.”

Chapter 3

In 1964 the Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, invitedMr. Srivastava to join him as Joint Secretary. Lal Bahadur Shastri took over as Prime Minister at a very crucial moment of Indian history. Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India had suddenly passed away. His death left a vaccum in the Indian leadership as no one could measure up to his towering personality. His mantle fell on the unassuming Mr. Shastri. From day one, he was besieged by titanic problems. To make matters worse, Pakistan began knocking at the country’s doors.

“Of course, I couldn’t do anything because my husband was in the government service, but through him I could see we could work out many things. And it was so interesting how things worked out by him and how he was so much engrossed into his work. He never took leave, for I think, all the time when we were there, not even one day! It’s very surprising and Shastri ji always felt that he is sacrificing his family life and all that – but no! Not at all! I never felt that way. I felt that it is our duty now, as Indians, to build this country to become the most excellent performing nation —we can, we are very intelligent people!”

Shri Mataji recalled her first meeting with Shastri ji, “The first time I saw him, I knew he was a very highly evolved soul. To have such a person in politics was a great vision for me.”

Mr. Shastri too recognized her. When she blessed him with realization, he humbly touched her feet. Whenever he was overworked, she relaxed him with vibrations. He always sought her blessings before embarking on any important venture.

He asked her, “What should we do?”

She said, “The first priority is that my children must get food and drinking water. Secondly, they must get a house and thirdly, education. But foremost, they must have a good character.”

She empowered him to face all the impossible situations in a short time, most amicably. He was such a humble person that he turned all his opponents into friends and succeeded in bringing every one together.

“He succeeded in creating beautiful relationships between people of different places, religion and ideologies. His style was so collective and he worked diligently to improve the country. Whatever he could do he tried. He was so full of love and patriotism.”

But when the need arose he roared like a lion and successfully thwarted the Pakistani aggression. Thereafter he signed a peace pact with Pakistan in Tashkent. Unfortunately he died of a heart attack the same evening.

Though Mr. Srivastava was himself so shattered, he stood like a pillar by the bereaved family. Shri Mataji comforted them and never left Mrs. Shastri’s side. She suggested to her husband to write a book about Mr. Shastri’s life of dedication and adherence to truth, so that it could be a source of inspiration to all his countrymen.

In 1966, Mr. Srivastava was transferred to Mumbai as the Chairman of The Shipping Corporation of India. Shri Mataji took great interest in decorating the ships in the ethnic style and filled them with vibrations. She cooked meals for her husband’s subordinates and with her motherly love integrated the Shipping Corporation into a close-knit family. “My husband had hundred people working with him and he told me that you have to look after my people—not only hundred of them but hundreds of their relations. I tried to help as far as possible. This was something so satisfying; you created a community of your own.”

In those years Mr. Srivastava was very busy turning around the losing corporation into a profit making one. Hence she was often lonely but she never complained saying, “It is not necessary to spend long hours together but to deeply enjoy the few short moments of togetherness.”

In the words of Mr. Srivastava, “Ever since we have lived together constantly Nirmala has been a dedicated wife, standing rock-like in periods of difficulties and crisis, which always recurr in everyone’s life. Her attributes are numerous, but I would mention only a few of them. First and foremost is her straight forwardness and innocence. She cannot sometimes understand the tortuous ways of others. Her heart is full of genuine compassion for the poor, the needy and the afflicted. She cannot bear the sight of hungry children—tears flow out of her eyes. She is generous to the extreme and gives away her belongings to others with sincere pleasure. She is not attached at all to any material possessions. Her personal requirements are minimal and her personal expenditure almost nil.”

The employees of the shipping corporation said, “She is precious like a mother to us. Because of her we always felt we were all family members.”

With infinite patience she was always willing to understand other’s problems and give herself completely to any noble cause. She took active interest in several welfare organizations. Upon becoming the chairman of the Blind School, she realized that even though people did social work, their hearts were closed and infested with pettiness. Hence, it was important to open their hearts. Thus she began to ignite their Kundalini. As their kundalini rose, the petty problems resolved and blessings poured into the organization!

In her prestigious position she led a hectic social life and came across a great cross section of people. Mindful of her father’s advice, she used the opportunity to study human nature, its permutations and combinations. “I used to remain like a witness and tried to understand human beings—what are his problems and faults, why does he think this way. Then I reached a conclusion that man has either too much ego or super ego. Because of this he has no balance. How will the kundalini rise—this was a great problem.”

After her daughters Kalpana and Sadhana had finished

their studies, she arranged their marriages. With her daughters happily settled, she contemplated on finding a method to accomplish her mission.

She was greatly disturbed by the way religion and false gurus were cheating seekers of truth. In 1970 she went to meet her brother in Jabalpur. He introduced her to a professor of philosophy called Rajneesh. He prostrated before her and addressed her as the Adi Shakti. She did not want to reveal her Divine identity yet but he kept pursuing her to see his work, assuring her that it would meet her endorsement. He persuaded Mr. Srivastava to send her to Nargol for his seminar. On May 4, Mr. Srivastava arranged for her stay in the bungalow of a Parsi friend and asked two of his nephews to escort her to Nargol, about 150 miles from Mumbai, on the western sea board of India.

She sat under a tree and watched him mesmerize the seekers. “I was in a dilemma as to what should be done. Then I understood if I do not open the Sahasrara then the real seekers who are searching God may land up God knows where.”

“I realized I was overwhelmed because I knew this is the only trouble, it is the only obstacle that human beings are having—because their Sahasraras are not open, that’s why they are going in the darkness, that’s why they are having wars, that’s why they are having all kinds of problems. But if their Sahasrara opens, and if they become one with the Divine power; all their problems will be solved and they will be very happy people. Without giving them self-realization there would be no transformation. One can talk for hours together; nothing works out unless and until you are transformed.”

On Tuesday, the fifth of May, she sat the whole night under a Cypress tree, on the seashore and completely receded within her divinity. In the very early hours of dawn, the Truth and the way was flashed on her by the Grace of the Supreme. It was the revelation of the “Touch Method” of awakening the Kundalini.

“As soon as I desired the Brahmarandra should open, I saw the kundalini within myself. She rose like a telescope making a ‘khat’ noise through each chakra. Her color was like many colors, like when you heat iron and the many colors that flame from it.

“The whole atmosphere was filled with tremendous chaitanya, and there was tremendous light in the sky, and the whole thing came on this earth as if a torrential rain or a waterfall with such tremendous force as if I was unaware and got stupefied. The happening was so tremendous and so unexpected that I was stunned and got totally silent at the grandeur. I saw the primordial kundalini rising like a big furnace …and the deities came and sat on their golden seats. They lifted the whole of the head like a big dome, and opened it, and then the torrential rain completely drenched me—I started seeing all that and got lost in the joy. It was like an artist seeing his own creation. And I felt the joy of great fulfillment.

Then the kundalini arose and pierced through the Brahmarandra. I understood now I could begin my work because the problem finished. I became completely free from worries. There’s nothing to worry about, I have to do this because I have come into this world for this job, because I had to awaken collective consciousness.”

May 5, 1970 was the commencement of Sahaja Yoga, the mission she had come to fulfill, which only she, as the Adi Shakti could accomplish.

Chapter 4

With the secret revealed, Shri Mataji started out on her mission ofmercy and true service to humanity. The

river of love descended upon humanity without asking anything in return. She did not ask their name, creed, caste, religion, race, color, gender, nationality, rich or poor, intelligent or dull-witted, educated or illiterate. Sinners were free to wash their sins in the Holy Ganges, but she was not polluted by their sin. Only, to draw her water the pitcher had to be empty!

The river flowed to Aurangabad where a young boy tried to draw her water. But his pitcher was full of doubt; he had read that Param Chaitanya was beyond feeling and non-feeling.

She realized that by explaining him about the Param Chaitanya, his pitcher could not draw her water; he had to experience it. Unless he could plug into her Shakti of Param Chaitanya, her task would be impossible. She reflected, “It is not my anxiety that’s going to help him fill his pitcher unless he is anxious to fill it.”

In her infinite compassion, she began helping his pitcher to draw her water, “It is true, but you should forget about what you have read and just try to feel it. They spoke about the kundalini in metaphors or poetry but nobody wrote about it clearly. Perhaps they felt the time was not yet ripe. For instance, the Nath Panthis diligently guarded their knowledge and only passed it in the lineage of a master to a disciple. Gyanadeva could not give realization to anybody. Same with other saints like Kabira, Tulsidas, Raman Maharshi, Sufis and others. They were undoubtedly very great saints. Whatever poetry they gave, people were singing, but that’s all—they did not know thyself. It was a very difficult situation because in modern times, like you, people only accept what is written in a book.”

He argued, “Can you give me a book by which I can know the self?”

She gently stroked his Sahasrara, “I cannot just give you a book by which you sit and read, and say, ‘Yes, I know the self. I have got it, I have become!’ To know Thyself does not come from rituals or reading books; it has to be experienced on your central nervous system. It’s a real becoming, ripening, maturing, and living process. No doubt the books give a description of a person with self-knowledge – how he behaves, how his style is, but none of them explain how you become that. Perhaps most of them didn’t know about kundalini. So it came to my lot!”

Formerly, the Param Chaitanya was not manifested. It was not expressed by itself. Those who had managed to reach it lost their human consciousness like a drop that dissolved in the ocean. It could not be verbalized. It had to be experienced. Very few people experienced it. So far nobody had actualized the experience by feeling it on their fingertips or on their senses or on their central nervous system. That was the reason no incarnation talked about vibrations so clearly. They could only describe it through similes and parables. They spoke of the formless state (Nirakara), to be enjoyed. It made no manifestation in the mundane world.

So far nobody had given en masse realization. She knew she had to do it alone, because she was the Adi Shakti and she had come into this world for this task. To accomplish her mission of transforming humanity en masse, it was more important to become a cloud from the ocean and soak every one with its rainwater. Thus the seekers could receive Grace without losing human consciousness, and thus pass it on to others.

The time had come for the clouds to soak humanity with their rainwater. The Adi Shakti herself incarnated the Param Chaitanya as a whole. The Param Chaitanya formed a cloud. The cloud showered its Grace to ignite their Kundalinies.

She remembered her promise to unfold her plan to Gagangarh Maharaj and decided to visit his Ashram near Kolhapur. His Ashram, Gagan Boara, was on top of a hill and the climb was steep.

Her attendants asked, “Why do you want to climb this hill just to see this man?”

She asked them to feel the vibrations. Cool vibrations cascaded from the top of the hill and revealed he was an Avadoot. As they started climbing, torrential rain started pouring down and Shri Mataji was completely drenched. She could see the silhouette of the guru frantically gesticulating, trying to stop the rain.

When he saw Shri Mataji he lamented; “This wretched rain always used to obey me but this time I could not stop it. Mother, why have you taken away my powers?”

Shri Mataji smiled, “You have purchased a sari for me. Now I will have to wear it.”

The saint melted away with her love. He also understood that the water dripping from her sari was vibrating his Ashram.

He proclaimed to his disciples that she was the Adi Shakti and had incarnated to give en mass realization. The word of her advent spread and when she returned to Mumbai one Gujarati lady, Raul Bai, who was obsessed with the idea of seeking, begged her for realization.

“I did not have to think whether I should do it or not. I just started on my own, worked it out on my own because I had complete confidence in the truth. I was so sure about Sahaja Yoga that it worked out. I worked on her by touching each centre one by one and then opening her limbic area.”

Raul Bai’s kundalini rose to her Sahasrara. The experiment of self-realization was successful!

Shri Mataji felt very light, “When the kundalini awakened in her, I saw a very subtle power came into her and she started understanding me with that subtle power.”

Raul Bai recalled, “When my kundalini rose, there was an increased awareness of vibrations. I felt a new state of consciousness. Through this new consciousness, I felt the cool vibrations on the palms of my hands and on the top of my head. A bright light sparkled in my eyes, and I recognized that the source of the vibrations was Shri Mataji. I felt connected with her through my spirit. Physically, I felt very relaxed and joyous. I touched Shri Mataji’s feet and thanked her for blessing me.”

Shri Mataji was delighted when Raul Bai’s spirit permeated her personality. She wanted all humanity to permeate their spirit. She knew that if one person got her self-realization, others would get it too. The right time had come to begin her divine mission! A program was held in Bordi where she gave realization to a Gujarati gentleman, Chandu Bhai Jhaveri.

Chandu Bhai Jhaveri brought Mr. Adarkar and gradually some more friends started meeting at her flat in Jeevan Jyot. They in turn brought their friends and relatives. Before long, the group expanded to 12. Shri Mataji saw the permutation and combination of their chakras and observed these 12 people had 12 different natures, “One had one kind of problem, another has a different problem and a third had a third kind of problem. If one has to do collective work then only by one session of realization everyone should benefit.”

Chandu Bhai offered, “The permutation and combination of our chakras are different because perhaps there are different reflections of God.”

Shri Mataji smiled, “No. The spirit is the reflection of one God, Sadashiva, and naturally all the reflections have to be the same. So the effect of self-realization is the same on every person. That is how first he starts feeling this cool breeze in his hands, then out of his fontanelle bone area. All of them feel the collective consciousness in the same way because everybody is the spirit. Whatever you have got in your evolution is expressed on your central nervous system. So you can feel their body, their mind.”

Chandu Bhai : “When did this knowledge come to you?”

“I knew about it since I was born. I knew about myself. If I have done anything it is to understand human beings. What’s their problem? They follow Christ, they follow Mohammad Saheb, they follow Rama, they follow Krishna, and they follow everything but nothing inside. What is the matter? Nothing penetrates… that was the thing. I thought they were not connected. They are to be connected to all this. Only what I have done is to work out the permutation and combination of human beings. That’s not difficult because there are mainly seven chakras one has to work out and how you can raise the kundalini to break the Sahasrara.”

She put her attention on tackling the different natures of these 12 seekers and how to tie them in one thread, “Let them have a little light, then they would change. Supposing I am obstinate; I have a snake in my hand and I’m standing in the  darkness, I don’t want to listen to you. You go on telling me that I have a snake. I will not leave it till it bites me. But if there is a little light, immediately I will leave it myself. Human beings if they get a little light, they will immediately change.”

She guided them how to meditate on her Kundalini. As they became thoughtless they experienced a deep connection with her. “After realization I was surprised their eyes started shining and they started observing everything. A strange experience came into them by which they could feel.”

For two years she worked very hard on their chakras to strengthen their foundation. She asked them to meditate regularly for their kundalini to settle down properly.

She found that though their Sahasrara opened, they got lost in it and were unable to communicate it to others. The whole experience remained individual rather than collective, “Whatever was discovered for one person had to be for the masses. Otherwise, just one person knowing it would not be accepted by them. That’s why they crucified and poisoned the previous incarnations. After their death they built temples in their names but during their lifetime no one accepted them. The religions that formed after the death of the incarnations, failed because their followers did not get their realization and become the spirit. Without self-realization it was not possible to absorb spirituality.”

Moreover, most incarnations made the mistake that whatever way they received their realization they propagated it; for instance, Buddha achieved it by penance so he thought that the path followed by him was ideal. But that was not the case. Those who got their realization lost their human consciousness. Lord Buddha dissolved into the state of enlightenment but there was no communication about it thereafter. The whole experience remained individual but not collective. Shri Mataji did not want this to happen to the seekers of modern times. She felt that there was nothing unique about evolving from the ocean and dissolving into it. Seekers had done that before. The only thing that would work out was the transformation of humanity. Once they were transformed, things would work out spontaneously, and they would enjoy the Divine bliss.

After self-realization, it became possible to explain Lord Jesus, Prophet Mohammed, Lord Krishna, Shri Buddha and all the incarnations on the central nervous system because they were not apart from it.

To spread her mission she wanted to find out a method by which she could raise the kundalinis en-masse. “Once any discovery is made and that discovery is only for one individual—it has no meaning. It has to be en-masse.”

She meditated deep into the night to find such a method. “I turned my Kundalini in all directions. I put the grace of my kundalini on others and no one knew what I was doing. No one knew what powers I had within me, who am I, not even my family. I never told anyone because it is very difficult for the human brain to  absorb. Everyone is sitting in their own egos—who could tell them? Like Kabira has said, ‘How do I tell them? The whole world is blind.’

She realized the world was not blind but ignorant. People had no awareness about what they had to find. They wanted to find something that was unknown, but they did not know what it was or what to find. They were ignorant about themselves, about their surroundings and about the purpose of life.

“I found it very difficult to convince people that you must take your self-realization because they thought it was something imaginary and farfetched. They only believed in gurus who taught rituals and karmakanda. But they did not know that the purpose of life was to know thyself. Moreover it is a very slow process, and they did not understand why they should know themselves. I was quite disappointed because nobody understood me.”

Finally, she receded in her Sahasrara and discovered the method whereby she could tie their kundalinies en-masse in one thread.

“I started this work only in 1970, not because I could not start it earlier but because I was waiting myself to be deft in dealing with all kinds of kundalinies. I had to work out all the permutations and combinations that were there, and then I thought if I could get hold of a way by which all these combinations can be worked out in one line, then only kundalini will rise. And it worked. It happened.”

Little by little, the group meetings at Jeevan Jyot grew to about 35. But with it the collective negativities also started surfacing and they starting forming separate groups. One group complained about her partiality to the other. She was upset and shouted at them, “After coming to Sahaja Yoga you should not indulge in backbiting, small petty-mindedness and getting angry with each other, but being sensible and wise. Nobody should form groups. It comes from politics!”

The negativity fled! Fourteen people got their selfrealization.

In the first flush of their enthusiasm, they felt goaded by their individual tenacity and egotism to persist in their effort to obtain self-realization. But, once having obtained it, they thought that, that was all there was to it; they lagged a little at first, then lapsed into lethargy and lost themselves back into their old grooves and ruts of thinking and living, meandering along the beaten tracks of existence, without even giving a thought to what was gained by them, in the spirit.

She realized that for en masse realization she would have to take a leap. She discussed the matter with Chandu Bhai Jhaveri and he volunteered to organize a public program. However he found it difficult to book a hall, as they had no organization or name. Shri Mataji closed her eyes and receded within her Divinity. Then she pronounced, “Sahaja Yoga; Saha + Ja means born with you. Whatever is inborn, manifests without any effort. It is spontaneous”.

“’Sahaja’ was the only word I could think of when I started to manifest the Sahasrara, that’s easily understood by everyone so far. But you have realized that it is today a different style of yoga where first enlightenment is given and then you are allowed to look after yourself.”

Chandu Bhai Jhaveri was drenched in vibrations at her pronouncement, “I felt as though a seed had suddenly sprouted and nature was singing with joy. I asked her what should be the norms, rules and regulations of Sahaja Yoga.”

Shri Mataji answered, “None”. Once you get your realization, you see you are catching a big snake in your hand; you just drop it by yourself. I don’t have to tell you…I have nothing to do. I am just a catalyst.”

She did not want to enforce any strict rules or disciplines. She wanted her disciples to have complete freedom; the choice whether they wanted to transform or not. She felt that freedom was necessary if they had to have the ultimate freedom. She wanted everyone to enjoy complete freedom because she believed experience was the only way a human being could understand.

Chandu Bhai Jhaveri suggested a legal format should be given to the organization so that programs could be organized on a larger scale. He asked Shri Mataji for a name to be given to the Trust.

Shri Mataji spontaneously said “Anant Jeevan” It was translated to English as Life Eternal Trust.

Mr B. G. Pradhan, a devotee and a lawyer, undertook the task of formalizing the Trust. But she did not want any one to organize Sahaja Yoga or mould it into any pattern that would divert it from its purpose of spiritual growth. She wanted it to grow naturally through the innate Grace of the Divine power. She warned that too much organization would reduce it to a business. She was particular that no one should charge money for bestowing self- realization.

The Trust was registered on March 8, 1972.

The search for a hall ran into another problem—there was not sufficient money to meet the high rentals of Mumbai! Chandu Bhai suggested, “Why not raise money by charging an entrance fee?”

She reminded him, “How can you pay for God? God does not understand money. How can you pay for your evolution? Did you pay to stand up on your two legs? I do not need money. I do not accept money.”

She gladly gave them all her savings, and finally they succeeded in hiring Cowasji Jehangir Hall.

They could not afford newspaper advertisements and the news spread by word of mouth. More than 150 seekers turned up at the program. In her address she openly denounced all the false gurus and exposed their devious ventures. Chandu Bhai was worried for her safety.

She reassured him, “Love is much more powerful than all the hatred of the world. Do not worry; there will be no crucification in this life time. This time the drama is going to be different. Why are you afraid? Have you not seen how evil people shake before me?”

Then she raised her own kundalini and in her kundalini itself she lifted their kundalinis. In the process she sucked all their problems. Absorbing their catches was painful for a while but she had to put them in her body. Thereafter she worked on each person individually till the cool vibrations started flowing from the Sahasrara.

“And this really surprised people. It was no magic. It was not storytelling, but it was the truth. They could feel it on their finger tips and on their fontanell bone area.”

Even after getting their realization they had so many problems in their chakras. For days she worked very hard on different chakras and nadis to cleanse them. She also started curing people because that was helping them a lot. In her compassion she took upon herself their suffering.

Mr B.G.Pradhan had a court case on the day of the program; however, he was so absorbed in organizing the program that it eclipsed his attention. The next day his client came to thank him for winning his case. But he said he never attended the case. The client thought he was joking because he had witnessed his brilliant argument. Then it dawned upon Mr. Pradhan that it was a blessing of Shri Mataji that he appeared in both the places at the same time!

The false gurus, whose business thrived in the name of God, got worried and tried to malign her by giving money to newspapers. But she was undaunted and continued fighting the falsehood. She fought a lone battle to expose their deception—what they had been, how they practiced it, how they managed their disciples and what happened to

them—everything. Her heart was wrenched at the plight of the true seekers whose kundalinies had been damaged and chakras wrecked by the false gurus. To save her children she had no option but to denounce them. She did not give up on the seekers but worked very hard, day and night to save them. Most of the false Gurus closed their shops and disappeared.

The episode also gave the diffident disciples a practical experience of her Divine power. They began to take vibrations to revive and invigorate their lethargic immune system. The transformation was astonishing. They were inspired to take care of the large inflow of new seekers from the program. Jeevan Jyot could not handle the large flow of seekers and the weekly meetings had to be shifted to Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan.

Shri Mataji found that the attention of the newcomers was still lost in the glitz and glamour of Bollywood, “It’s a very sad affair for the whole country because people try to follow Mumbai, whereas the people of Mumbai like to follow an actor or an actress than to follow God. This is the trouble with their superficial temperament.”

The first step was to wean their attention away from the illusion of Bollywood and yoke it to their spirit. When Shri Mataji was not present, realization was given from her photograph. The newcomers asked how it was possible to get realization from her photograph. Chandu Bhai asked them to find out for themselves by putting their hands towards her photograph and praying for their realization. They felt the cool breeze. However, the intellectuals were not convinced and the matter reached Shri Mataji.

She said, “It’s me. My photograph has got my desire in it. Your highest self has come as your Mother. It is necessary to recognize me. This condition is fixed in my incarnation. I cannot change it. When they get vibrations they will know who I am, I don’t have to explain. Apart from being a collective being, the spirit is also an absolute being. If you put your hands towards a photograph of a realized soul immediately you will start getting the vibrations.”

Thereafter, her photograph was kept for giving realization and thousands of seekers got their realization before it. Gagangarh Maharaj proclaimed that Shri Adi Shakti was in Mumbai and that the seekers should go to her, not him. It became possible by her powerful vibrations to discover that she was the Adi Shakti.

A well-known gentleman from Baroda, Diwan Sahib, who got his realization, requested her for a program in Baroda. The program was very successful and many seekers got their realization.

Another new seeker, Vishnu Mahataney, was dying of cancer. By the time Shri Mataji reached the hospital his heart had stopped. The doctors declared him dead and were preparing to discharge his dead body. Shri Mataji gave him vibrations and he opened his eyes. The doctors were stunned.

She modestly said, “I do nothing. Many people get cured in my presence. It is very difficult to explain how this energy works. I don’t ask any questions. I don’t try to find out. I do not analyze. It just works automatically. When I see somebody, I know what he is suffering from. My connection with the Divine comes just like that and tells me what’s wrong with the person, and what should be done. And it can be cured in no time.”

The yogis prayed to Shri Mataji for permission to offer Durga Puja near the sea.

After the Puja they bowed reverently to touch her feet. But such torrents of powerful currents gushed from her Holy Feet that they were unable to hold them. However, the sea absorbed her vibrations and started roaring with joy, but the yogis did not understand.

On her birthday the yogis gathered in her flat for a small Puja. One maidservant, who was possessed, began an impromptu recitation of Saundarya Lahiri in Sanskrit and called her Jagdamba. Thus the Sahaja Yogis came to know who she was and prayed to her as Shri Adi Shakti. Henceforth, they wanted to address her as “Shri Mataji”. In her bashful modesty she was hesitant but with persuasion finally consented.

But to her husband’s official circle she remained an unassuming Mrs. Srivastava. “I am too simple, ordinary, mundane type of an Indian house wife. How are you going to understand my position?”

She travelled with her husband to Delhi and gave realization to a small group of friends. A family friend, Mr. Madappa, who was the secretary to the president of India, organized a program for government employees.  The Raja of Mandi and a Commissioner of Income Tax, Mr Venugopalan, felt the cool breeze and recognized her. Mr. Venugopalan was so deeply transformed that he wanted to leave everything and dedicate his life to her. She told him that she did not believe in sanyas and that he should practice Sahaja Yoga while leading the life of a householder. However, his wife was not so convinced and decided to consult her guru. The guru started trembling and said, “Don’t you know she is Adi Shakti. She has come to destroy all the false gurus like me.”

After that this guru simply disappeared and the Venugopalans never heard from him again!

The Assistant Collector of Delhi Municipality, Mr. F.C.Verma, came to her feet. She warned, “You must give up alcohol if you are interested in entering the spiritualistic fold of Sahaja Yoga.”

He was taken aback ‘how she knew his secret,’ and gave up alcohol. By Shri Mataji’s grace, his wife, who had been bed ridden for several years due to a damaged spinal cord, miraculously recovered.

On Shri Mataji’s return to Mumbai, Mr.Rajwade who had recently got his realization, requested her for a program in Pune. He wanted to hire a big hall for her program, but the owner of the hall was a Brahmin. Upon learning that Shri Mataji was a non-Brahmin, he refused to let the hall. Mr.Rajwade threatened to report the discrimination to the press and he finally relented. There was a tremendous public response. Shri Mataji felt the raising of their Kundalinis was like raising a mountain because false Gurus had damaged their chakras. After they got their realization, they would not let Shri Mataji go unless she revealed everything about Sahaja Yoga. Only after Mr.Rajwade promised to start a centre in his wada did they let her leave.

Apart from attending to her husband’s social functions, Shri Mataji was preoccupied with several social welfare projects. A co-social worker, Mrs. Viren Shah, accidentally discovered that Mrs. Srivastava and Shri Mataji was one and the same person. Mrs. Shah was spiritually inclined and was drawn by Shri Mataji’s compassion. The next day she brought her son Rajesh Shah for her blessings. He got his realization and became an ardent devotee. He was studying in California and started introducing Sahaja Yoga to his friends.

Shri Mataji told Chandu Bhai, “There are many great seekers of truth in America. I want to give them what they have been seeking since lifetimes— their self realization.”

Her heart pined to save her children from the false gurus who were destroying their Kundalinis. In 1972 she sold her gold bangles and with that money she set sail for America. During the voyage, one sailor got caught in the freezer room and got pneumonia. They tried to get a doctor by helicopter but to no avail. Shri Mataji had given realization to the captain and directed him to give vibrations by putting his hand on the heart of the patient. The captain followed her instructions and the patient was cured. After that everyone on board the ship requested her for realization.

She felt a great anguish at the plight of America, but America was not ready for self-realization. “I was shocked how the things were going on there. But I couldn’t help it because they were so mentally ill-equipped, they could not understand what they have to have, and that you can’t pay for the truth. I gave realization to many but they didn’t care for deep things so we lost many Sahaja Yogis like that. Then there were some people who were sick; they wanted their treatment, that’s all. Then came some who were taken away by bombastic gurus who told them lots of stories. Though they were seekers, they had that restlessness, but they were not ready for Sahaja Yoga. They didn’t know what to see, what to get, that was the part I felt very sad.”

The American Yogis suggested, “America is a consumer society. Unless you take money they will not value their realization. They will stick to it because they have paid for it.”

Shri Mataji replied, “This is going too far. I have too much respect for humanity.”

They argued, “Then you won’t be successful. All the gurus accept money and that is how the American Ego gets involved with them.”

Shri Mataji said, “How much did you pay for being born? How can you pay for God? I cannot build the house of God on a foundation of falsehood. At the advant of ‘The Tenth  Incarnation’ Sahaja Yoga is going to be established in America. Even if there are ten people in the boat, God is not bothered; it is only my botheration as a Mother! As a Mother, I want many people to come up in the boat, but not by dishonest means!”

On board the ship to India her heart was crying to save her lost children. She wrote:

“To My flower children.

You are angry with life

Like small children,

Whose mother is lost in darkness. You sulk expressing despair

At the fruitless end of your journey.

You wear ugliness to discover beauty.

You name everything false in the name of truth.

You drain out emotions to fill the cup of love.

My sweet children, my darling

How can you get peace by waging war with yourself With your being, with joy itself.

Enough are your efforts of renunciation; The artificial mask of consolation.

Now rest in the petals of the Lotus flower.

In the lap of your gracious Mother. I will adorn your life with beautiful blossoms And fll your moments with joyful fragrance.

I will anoint your head with divine love

For I cannot bear your torture anymore.

Let me engulf you in the ocean of joy

So you lose your being in the Greater One,

Who is smiling in your calyx of self

Secretly hidden to tease you all the while. Be aware and you will find him

Vibrating your every fibre with blissful joy,

Covering the whole universe with joy,

Covering the whole universe with light.

Chapter 5

Upon Shri Mataji’s return from America, Raul Bai requested herfor programs in Dhulia.

Soon word spread that Shri Mataji was staying with Raul Bai. In the early hours of the morning, there was a knock at her door. Raul Bai answered.

A young man enquired, “Is the Adi Shakti staying here?” “Yes”.

“Is it true she awakens the kundalini?”

“Of course!”

“My Guru would like to invite her to his ashram in

Amarnath.”

“I don’t know. I will ask Shri Mataji.”

A week later the guru came to her program but was disillusioned to see a simple housewife. He thought this cannot be that guru. However, when she gave realization, he saw that everybody’s kundalini was awakened and he prostrated before her.

Shri Mataji consented to bless his ashram.

She sat on the bare ground of his ashram. As the attendants protested, she asked with a smile, “Why can’t I sit on the floor? I am in the palace of a king!”

One of his disciples prayed to Shri Mataji to cure his Agnya. She asked the guru why he had not cured his Agnya.

He answered, “Who cured my Agnya? I worked on myself! Let him work on himself otherwise he will be a spoilt man. You do it because you are a mother. You are nothing but love and that’s why you are doing all this for others. But not me! No guru will open the Agnya of his disciple.”

She asked, “Then why are you a guru?”

He answered, “Because I have to guide them. I am a guru; I can only give them the ladder to climb up. It is they who should work very hard to climb up. If you give them everything so easily, they will never value their self realization.”

She explained, “It’s not so. You have to give them a chance. You have to allow them to rise and become something like Mother Earth. What she does? She sprouts the seed and then the tree comes up.”

He argued, “But they are not trees. You see, they are human beings and they have freedom to become devils also.”

She smiled,  “Alright, if they are devils, you just see how I can manage them.”

A few years later he met some Sahajis and asked, “Do you know what she has given you?”

They affirmed, “Yes we do.”

Then he said, “How many of you are willing to give your life for her?”

When the episode was narrated, she laughed, “There is no need to give your life or anything for me! Perhaps he used to ask his disciples like that! Once you know yourself, you will know me.”

On August 28, 1973, Shri Krishna Puja was held in Mumbai. The yogis used plastic utensils for performing the Puja. The vibrations of plastics were horrible, and Shri Mataji was very disturbed but she restrained herself from saying anything that would hurt her newborn ignorant children.

Later, she told them the importance of the elements used in the Pujas, explaining that silver had the best vibrations. She revealed, “With this Puja you get the Mother’s protection to begin with. And my chakras when they start moving, they give you special powers of love, and bless your chakras and fill them up completely.”

Chapter 6

In 1974, Mr. Srivastava was appointed the Secretary  General, International Maritime Organization, and the family shifted to London. Shri Mataji assumed the new role of a diplomat’s wife, entertaining and attending receptions. She was rather uncomfortable with their ways, “They always have drink parties and shake hands—your hands will break. I used to get such heat! Mostly they were hot people and I didn’t know what to do. I used to stand on one side, feeling shy… but worse than that is the French method to be kissed whether you like it or not, or to hug somebody.”

Despite everything she was a charming hostess and was adored in the diplomatic circles. At a dinner, the French Ambassador seated beside her commented, “What are you women doing talking to women only?”

She modestly replied, “What are we to talk to you? We don’t know anything about shares, banking or stock exchange.

”She felt very awkward with the western custom of being seated with somebody else’s husband, “There is no need for a man and a woman to sit like that. How can you have intimacy? It is most surprising those who are supposed to be the cream of the society—the most sophisticated people are the most superficial and petty-minded!”

She narrated an amusing incident, “Once at a party they were offering drinks and I had a soft drink. The valet was wearing a bow, white shirt and black pant—dressed similarly to the Ambassador. I couldn’t tell who was who. So I finished the soft drink and gave the empty glass to the Ambassador!”

Amidst the hectic social life, she always found time for her mission. Whenever Mr. Srivastava was travelling abroad, she

At a diplomatic reception greeting Queen Elizabeth

took the opportunity to address public meetings. In between she used to visit India for three months every year.

One day in England, while she was shopping, she found a young boy lying on the pavement. He was very sick and had no money to feed himself. She took him home and cared for him. He hadn’t washed for days, so she told him to take a bath and gave him her husband’s clothes. When Mr Srivastava returned from a trip, he was astonished to see a stranger in his clothes, sitting on his sofa. The stranger looked at him and asked, “Who are you?”

Mr. Srivastava was taken aback and asked, “Who are you!”

Shri Mataji was very amused and introduced them. She nursed the sick boy for several weeks. He introduced his other hippie friends. They were instantly drawn by Shri Mataji’s compassion. After they got their realization, they gave up drugs. With her motherly love, she nurtured their chakras, cooked for them, gave them money and found an ashram in West London. She paid the deposit as they had no money. Her house was always open to them and they were free to help themselves to her fridge. Mr. Srivastava saw the amazing transformation of seven hippies under her care, and he fully supported her work because he knew that she was working for God. His heart and purse opened for her mission.

She realized that these seven hippies were trying to project themselves as something that they were not, because they had no identity or self-esteem. She asked them to desire from their heart for their self-realization.

After their Sahasraras opened, they felt the joy of the spirit. The experience of the Param Chaitanya restored their confidence in their Atma.

Shri Mataji symbolically washed the feet of each disciple, so that they too would be humble to the seekers.

“I became a kind of support that they left drugs because of Sahaja Yoga. To put drug addicts right was not easy. In a way it was good because the hard work I did on them gave me an experience that even the most difficult of human beings, when he really desires that he should get self-knowledge, then he does get realization.”

For three years she worked very hard on their chakras, which were damaged by drugs. The power of Shri Adi Shakti was miraculous and they emerged out of their lethargy. Shortly thereafter they found employment. They moved to a better place in Finchley. Shri Mataji was invited to talk at a Christian Old Peoples Home in Cambridge. She encouraged the hippies to work on the people and little by little they turned into the pillars of Sahaja Yoga.

They wanted to start a membership and collect subscription.

Shri Mataji responded, “In Sahaja Yoga there is no subscription, there is no compulsion, there is no membership. There is no way of aligning you with Sahaja Yoga. No Nothing! It’s your freedom—complete freedom!”

On her return to India in December, Mr. Venugopalan arranged a series of programs at the Constitution Hall, Delhi. He complained that despite his kundalini awakening, he had not attained any sidhis, whereas, according to the scriptures, kundalini awakening bestowed sidhis.

Shri Mataji smiled, “You want your ascent or the sidhis? You can have what you want.”

Over the next six days she introduced the subject step by step—kundalini was the pure desire, and unless one got rid of all the worldly desires, the attention would fall in their trap. She cleansed the attention of the seekers and enabled them to rise above their money and power hankerings. On the seventh day, she bestowed self- realization.

“The atmosphere in Delhi was such that people used to run after power and money. I used to ask myself a question that when will these people go for the attainment of their spirit? I found it very difficult. In the beginning it certainly took a while. I would break my hands trying to give them realization. To raise some one’s kundalini was like trying to lift a mountain and then it would fall down again. They would ask strange and stupid questions. When I would give them the answer, they would be amazed as to how does she know so much? They would test me all the time because ego is tremendous there.”

She blessed Mumbai with a Puja on February 9, 1975. She revealed how to become thoughtless, “If you cannot become thoughtless, pray to God; ‘Forgive me for what I have done and forgive those who have done harm to me’.”

As the sensitivity of the yogis grew, they started catching from the new comers. Shri Mataji explained, “You are just recording, but when you are in the witness state the catches will not stay.”

After her Birthday she returned to London. Rajesh Shah phoned her from America, his Swiss friend Gregoire de Kalbermatten was very anxious to get his realization. She asked him to come to London and blessed him. Thereafter, he introduced Sahaja Yoga in Switzerland and hence it spread on the wings of love to Europe.

At the first program in Rome the yogis had asked someone to make arrangements. When Shri Mataji arrived she found no postering had been done. She took it lightly as a play and began pasting the posters on the walls by herself! However, as it was too late, no one turned up. But she enjoyed the experience and said she would come back soon to save her lost children.

In March 1976 the Sahaja programs in Delhi were advertised as ‘Kundalini Awakening.’ One skeptic who read the advertisement thought Shri Mataji was just befooling the public and came to the program to make fun of her. But his kundalini rose. He felt the cool breeze and became very peaceful. He felt very ashamed and wept, “Despite my skeptic ideas you have blessed me with realization. Please forgive me.”

Shri Mataji gave him a loving pat and graciously allowed him to attend Gudi Padwa Puja on March 30th.

She revealed that the Puja, prayers and mantras had been devised to release her vibrations, “To make my body vibrate, extract the essence from my body. It makes the infinite release itself through this finite being… so at the time of Puja you must know that you, all your attention should be in reception.”

Chapter 7

A series of programs were held in Delhi in mid-February

1977. A student of Vedanta argued that there was no need of self-realization as he was already in the Turya state.

Shri Mataji replied, “If you are in the Turya state, then you have to feel the kundalini of another person.”

He confessed he was unable to do so. Shri Mataji blessed him with realization and he felt the vibrations. It was a humbling experience and he fell at her feet.

On the March 21, Shri Mataji’s Birthday was celebrated with great devotion. She was so overwhelmed by the love of her children, “My vibrations are flowing from my eyes as tears. I can’t help it… my love acts on its own. It goes on working. It is beyond me to control myself from loving all of you.”

Upon returning to London, she found a kind of inertia had overcome in the yogis. Though they had felt the vibrations, they had taken self-realization for granted. But the vibrations were too subtle and those who did not pay attention to them or did not use them, lost them.

They failed to recognize her because of their ego and those who did claimed, “She is too great for us. We are too weak and have to get rid of our sins.”

She reflected, “I have to work very slowly, gradually, at the right time and at the right point.”

She was extremely patient and led the new born babes only as far as they could crawl, “But who is going to cleanse you? Who is going to care for you? Who knows the art of Divine Love? You must take to your task and responsibility. Remember, this is the time of collective consciousness where all your channels must be put together, flowing God’s Grace as vibrations.”

She kindled them so tenderly that they did not even feel the struggle of the sapling growing into a tree. When she felt the collective foundation was strong, she began building the pillars of Sahaja Yoga. Then on the pillars was cast the roof of Sahaja Yoga to give refuge to thousands of seekers all over the world. Some Australian seekers got their realization. On returning to Australia, they started spreading Sahaja Yoga.

A unique relationship developed between her and the seekers. It was not a relationship of a strict guru but of a loving mother tenderly nurturing her infants. Up to this time it had just been a small group of people going around with her to different houses. The newly built pillars were ready for the first Sahaja program on October 24th, in Caxton Hall. Over 200 seekers were drawn by her love and basked in its glow. She worked on them individually for a long time. In the course of the evening, Sahaja Yoga entered a new dimension.

They became cells in her body! She worked on them, strengthening their foundations, nurturing their chakras and made their attention steady. The cells in her body followed the cycle of nature; first the seed was sown, then it sprouted, took roots and finally the saplings emerge. She tenderly protected the saplings in the folds of her sari. To give birth to the saplings she had to bear the birth pangs but she did not reveal her pain to any one. She was Mahamaya and she decided to take it upon herself.

She knew once the Kundalini established at the Sahasrara, it would give them a new awareness through which they would understand their own complexities, and thus rise above them.

The love of their kundalinis gave them the strength to do the right things.

“Somebody’s chakras are catching, so I put my chakra into play—it works out that way. But you know how much I have to struggle? How much I have to work hard? It’s a task, giving realization. My kundalini doesn’t need anything, but still she has to carry your heavy kundalini on herself and raise it. It’s a very heavy thing; only a person of real love can do that. That’s the only criteria. The one who doesn’t have love can’t do it. It is too much a thing to do! The whole body… if I break into, every center vibrating, it’s not easy. But it’s just the love and the compassion between you and me…”

In a Marathi letter she wrote, “I worked for three days cleaning the collective Ida Nadi. I vomited nearly 50 times every day, and it is nice that the cleaning has become possible.

This physical being has to be used for the mission for which it has been taken and therefore I am not bothered by the illness and other troubles. On the contrary all such and different experiments with this incarnation will have to be performed.

Why are you so anxious about it? What else is the use of this body? I never have any pains. All I want is that in the laboratory of this body some work or the other must go on. Time is short, while the work to be done is very big.

You cannot do the cleaning of Ida channel only on the strength of your realization. I knew it had to be cleaned from within.

In ancient days all seekers had to do this kriya constantly, right from their childhood at the Guru’s ashram in isolated places. The seeker had to do it individually in many lives. Because now you have attained the state of collectivity I have done it in collective consciousness.

After cleaning the Ida Channel I am awakening the Pingala Nadi… With the awakening of collectivity, you will have many people to share your work which you are doing.”

When asked about the do’s and don’ts of Sahaja Yoga, she smiled, “The do’s and don’ts of Sahaja Yoga are very simple. Firstly, if one is not connected, one should get connected. And if one has not got connected, one should not behave as if one is connected. If you are not connected with the mains and are trying to dial someone on a dead phone, it won’t work.”

Some yogis started new mantras and methods. She warned, “Do not try to create new things in Sahaja Yoga. ‘Something new must be started’, is in the modern mind. Sahaja Yoga is traditional. Now you have got the fruit, what is new to be done about the fruit? I have told you exactly what to do and how to do.”.

Chapter 8

On her return to Mumbai at the end of November 1977,

Shri Mataji learnt that a yogini, Mrs. Mahtani, had recently undergone an operation of a fractured hipbone. The doctors told her that she would not be able to walk. Shri Mataji put her Lotus feet on Mrs. Mahtani’s hip and she started walking. Jai Shri Mataji!

So far Shri Mataji conducted en-masse realization meetings personally. The yogis were not confident to give realization. She was going to Nasik for a program when her car broke down. A very large crowd had gathered at the program and it started growing restless. The yogis did not know what to do, so they started giving realization. Thus they realized they too could give self-realization. Shri Mataji was very happy that her children had finally recognized the powers of their own kundalini.

It was time to take the children to the next step. In March 1978 Shri Mataji took a group of about 40 children to Haridwar. They stayed with her in a Dharamshala on the banks of the Ganges. Mornings and evenings she led them deeper in meditation. She said, “The kundalini is flowing just like the river Ganges and as you allow yourself to flow with it, you enjoy all the nature around you and you become thoughtless. You mature in meditation by nirvicharita. Sahaja Yoga only works in thoughtless awareness and the present is thoughtless awareness.”

And they allowed themselves to flow with it. The flow continued during cooking, eating and walking. But their attention always remained alert on her.

She smiled, “You have entered the river of Tao. Its thoughtless awareness will give you peace, and a witness state to enjoy the drama of life.”

Little by little, she stepped in the Ganges at Har Ki Pauri and allowed her children to wash Her Lotus feet. Suddenly the Ganges rose and circumambulated her Lotus Feet.

A similar miracle occurred in Goria Creek (near Mumbai) at Sahasrara Puja 1983. Most of the yogis had left after the Puja, and the sun was setting. Shri Mataji appeared on the beach in a white Gadhwal sari. She took a few steps toward the sea and looked very deeply at it. The yogis offered garlands and a coconut from the Puja to the sea. Shri Mataji stepped into the sea and began to playfully make a Ganesha with the sand. She then fondly put kumkum on it and blessed him. The star of Venus followed her and steeped the sky in a pinkish hue. She intently addressed the sea in an inaudible communication. The sea instantly responded and suddenly rose from the distance to kiss her Lotus feet. Then it receded only to bounce back with greater joy. She withdrew a few steps to escape its exuberance but it rushed to touch her feet. The sea worshipped her seven times. It would rise, come rushing, but upon washing her Lotus Feet it would completely surrender and calm down. The seventh time, as it carried away the mould of Shri Ganesha, Shri Mataji’s expression lit into a divine smile, as though she was pleased to send her son to his grandfather.

On December 18, 1978, Shri Mataji opened the collective English Agnya at Christmas Puja, London. Shortly thereafter she departed for Delhi. In January 1979 Shri Mataji’s programs were held in Delhi. She stayed with her daughter Sadhana and her son-in-law, Mr. Rommel Varma, at Sarva Priya Vihar. He recognized her and respectfully took care of all the arrangements.

But Delhi’s seed was still locked in the shell of the ego and Shri Mataji wanted that it should crack, “It was really my desire that there should be some keenness in the people—just a little bit. If they gave me a little chance, this divine love is so subtle, it will just penetrate into their hearts, but they would not. They were just like stones—you couldn’t talk to them. You couldn’t tell them anything. And they thought no end of themselves— that’s the worst part of it.”

In her compassion, she decided to open their hearts with a Puja. The Puja was held on the terrace of the Varma household. A German lady practicing Vipasana wanted to attend the Puja. Shri Mataji graciously consented but said she ought to get her self-realization first. After working on her for over an hour, the yogis gave up. So she could not attend the Puja. Later on it was reported she died of cancer.

Shri Mataji explained the Puja protocol. There were about 25 yogis and it was their first Puja. It was mid-day but from nowhere the clouds emerged and shielded them from the sun. Shri Mataji looked radiant. Suddenly her eyes widened and penetrated each soul. Each soul woke up from a deep slumber of many life times!

During the Puja she blessed each soul to wash her Lotus feet with offerings of milk, ghee, yoghurt, honey, sugar and water. The ladies adorned her with flowers and jewelry. All the souls thanked her with a sari offering. After the arti, she stood up and blessed the collective with one palm towards it, and with the other hand she granted protection. She was pleased and asked for every one to make a wish and graciously granted boons. Every atom in the collective body resonated with the source of its being!

Thereafter, she left for U.K. The yogis were faced with angry parents at home, and the Ashram was harassed by the neighbors. Shri Mataji revealed the secret method of how a ‘change of heart’ could be achieved in those who are obstinate. Speaking at a program in London she said, “First of all you must humble down yourself in your heart, and from there you work on the heart of others. Just put a bandhan there and you will see a person melts away. We melt our intelligence, our ego, everything, even our superego in our hearts. So it’s a very easy thing if you know how to approach people through their heart. And that is only possible if you are genuine, because genuiness is something the heart recognizes.”

In October Shri Mataji returned to Mumbai for Navratri. At a program on the 23rd she revealed the relationship between kundalini and Kalki. She described its 11 destructive powers

placed in the seeker’s forehead. “If the chakra of Kalki is caughtup, the whole of the head becomes a blockade and does not allow the kundalini to rise… Such a person is about to collapse in a calamity like cancer…If you are doing something wrong, and you know in your heart of hearts that ‘I am doing something wrong’, please, don’t do it! Otherwise your Kalki will go out.”

Chapter 9

In December 1980, the first India Tour of Western Yogis pitched their tents in Mr. Dhumal’s sugarcane fields in Rahuri. Shri Mataji’s forefathers had ruled in Rahuri. She revealed that the Nath Panthis worked there.

Dhumal asked who were the Nath Panthis.

She revealed, “I have so far told you how the evolution was led by Vishnu and his incarnations on the earth. Apart from this there was a unique incarnation of the Primordial Master, Adi Guru, in the void or Bhavasagara. He incarnated many a times to guide humanity to cross the void. These Masters evolved new personalities endowed with the principles of disciples or shishya tatwa, who manifested as great disciples of this Adi Guru. The disciples created by Adi Guru were human beings but they achieved salvation with the help of their Gurus or their own efforts. They were not divine incarnations and are known as Avadhuts.

“They incarnated on this earth as other personalities; Solomon, David, Guru Vasistha, John the Baptist, second and third Zoraster, Markendeya, Gagangadh Maharaj and the nine Naths. The Nav Naths knew that kundalini awakening is the only way you can get your self-realization. Their attention was enlightened, and they could just put it on matter or anything and it would work. For instance, ChangDev would put his attention on heat and cook on it! They had the true knowledge of the kundalini and went as far as Bolivia and Ukraine to bestow kundalini awakening.”

Dhumal : Are they to be worshipped?

Shri Mataji : Only Deities are to be worshipped.

Dhumal : Are there any Avadhuts born in India?

Shri Mataji : Now Sahaja Yoga has created the environment for many great souls to take their birth.

In the evening Dhumal drove Shri Mataji to a nearby village for a program. Just before the village she asked him to stop at a derelict hut of a very poor widow and thoroughly enjoyed a little meal offered in a mud pot.

Back in the car Dhumal enquired why she spent so much time with this beggar.

She answered with pain in her voice, “Oh my child, do not talk like that for she is the widow of one of my dearest sons.”

When they reached the village he learnt from the villagers that her departed husband was an ardent devotee of the Goddess.

His vintage diesel Ambassador jostled her on bumpy dirt track roads at 30 miles an hour to the next village. Oblivious of the conditions of the country roads, her attention rested elsewhere, “Look at the beauty of the rambling hills!”

Dhumal asked, “Where is the beauty? The hills are so dry; there are not even any trees.”

Shri Mataji smiled, “That’s the beauty; just see the patterns!”

Where there were no roads; she enjoyed travelling in bullock carts to remote villages. If there were no toilets; she did not mind going outside.

“I don’t mind sleeping anywhere. I don’t mind eating anything. I am not bothered about all these things. It’s a fact because it is not very important, I think. But without thinking, I am like that. But Sahaja yogis have become like this—this is the miracle that human beings have turned their attention to their spirit!”

Returning from a program on New Year’s eve, a light from the sky followed her car. Around midnight it became very bright.

Pointing to the pink hue covering the sky, she observed, “Today the sky is full of vibrations; Kali Yuga is working its pangs and Satya Yuga is trying to come out. The Param Chaitanya is becoming excited with the dawning of Satya Yuga and is filling the sky with vibrations creating this pink hue. The Param Chaitanya was never so active before but in Krita Yuga it has become very effective and is doing all these beautiful things to suggest its love. Now Sahaja Yoga would spread far and wide.”

In the morning Dhumal reported two thieves had broken into his farm during the night. To his surprise, they came to him in the morning to beg his forgiveness. They reported two of his heavy weight watchmen had soundly thrashed them as they broke in. But Mr. Dhumal never kept any watchmen. On hearing this episode Shri Mataji broke into stitches of laughter, “You don’t have to worry, but you must recognize that I am always with you. My Ganas are protecting all of you”.

With folded hands Dhumal thanked her for keeping him in her loving bandhan.

After this episode the other yogis also narrated their miraculous stories. A bus had overturned and taken a somersault down the hill. Yet nobody was injured. The driver said there must be somebody in the bus because of whom the others were saved. Then they noticed a Sahaja yogi wearing a locket of Shri Mataji. They thanked Shri Mataji and got their realization.

Dr. Nigam jested, “Thanks to my paralysis; I took to Sahaja Yoga!” He went on to narrate how he could not move after his paralytic attack. Several months later some friends suggested trying Sahaja Yoga. After he got his realization, he was up and about.

Pran Mahajan, a fight engineer on board Indian Airlines, narrated his experience when terrorists hijacked his plane to Lahore. He was inside the cockpit and bolted the door from inside. The terrorists fired several rounds of bullets to blast the door. The bullets grazed past his body but none hit him. He kept praying to Shri Mataji. Eventually they succeeded in breaking open the door. They were so angry, they charged at him with knives but miraculously the blades missed him. Finally the ground security overpowered the terrorists Pran Mahajan was hospitalized. Upon his discharge, he thanked Shri Mataji for saving his life.

Shri Mataji smiled, “I really don’t do anything, actually I am Nishkriya but there is a reflex action. Whatever is happening is in a reflex action. After I give you realization everything is managed like a computer. There is a complete organization working for me, so why should I worry. But one thing is there, I am witnessing. Whatever I witness is reported to the power of Param Chaitanya and it acts on the reflex like a computer.”

A yogini asked her about the miracle photograph taken at her program at a village ‘Miya ki takli’.

She explained the light was coming because he was pouring grace. The Sufi saint, Miya, was buried there. He had become the light and when she gave realization, he started throwing light on her. The light appeared in six photographs taken in succession. But in the seventh photo she put her hand up to stop the light, and the light disappeared.

Shri Mataji returned to London in March 1981. At a program in Chelsham Road she reminded the yogis, “Nobody should think they love me more than anybody else. Some people know more about rituals, others know more protocol, but it does not matter. I know the one who loves me. The one who loves others loves me the most.”

During Guru Poornima, a Puja was arranged to initiate the statutes of the guru. She was pleased with the devotion of her children and wore the sari offered by them. She advised them to improve their void by establishing Her in their hearts and cautioned them not to take any liberties with her. “I am extremely elusive; next moment I make you laugh and forget about it, because I am testing your freedom to do it – I play with you in such a manner that you will be forgetting every moment that I am your Guru… I am desireless and absolutely sinless. I don’t know what temptations are. But despite that I have made myself very normal because I must appear before you in such a manner that you understand what are the statutes.”

In autumn she took a short trip to Vancouver and America.

On December 23, Christmas Puja was held in London. She urged the yogis to overcome their emotional bindings and achieve their ascent through meditation, “The only emotional binding should be compassion… Master your mantras. Please the Deities, then your mental bindings will drop off.” Shortly thereafter she left for India.

On Jan 17, 1982, the International Rotarian Club invited Shri Mataji to address their conference of Harmony at Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi. The conference was presided over by Lord Templeton, the Chief Justice of Great Britain.

The president of the Rotary club, from Pune got his realization. Shri Mataji was traveling to Pune the next day, and he followed her for healing his heart. Shri Mataji gave vibrations to his heart and in fifteen minutes cured it. But he could not believe that he could be cured so easily. He left for Houston for his bypass surgery.

When the surgeon examined his X-ray he asked, “Why have you come?”

He replied, “Obviously for my by pass surgery.”

The surgeon was surprised and said “You are in perfect health; there is no need for surgery”.

Only then he accepted that Shri Mataji had in fact cured his heart. He thought Sahaja Yoga was for curing diseases and started sending swarms of patients to Shri Mataji. She told him there was no need to send her any patients. They should go to the Sahaja yoga center and get their realization. They would be cured before her photograph. However, he could not surrender before her photograph. She saw his ego trip and kindly invited him for Mahakali Puja in Lonavala on the 25th where she sweetly explained, “I don’t want anything from you except that you accept my love. Surrender just means that you open your heart to accept my love. Give up the ego, that’s all and it will work out.”

Suddenly he was drenched in cool vibrations and in his heart he recognized she was the Adi Shakti. He humbly bowed down and begged her forgiveness.

On Janurary 27, at the Solapur program, she affirmed the prediction of her advent made by the great visionary, Acharya kaka Bhujandar Sattvachari, 2000 years ago. “A great Mahayogi will be born who will be completely ParaBrahma. He will possess all the powers to do or not to do.” (Powers of Mahalakshmi, Mahasarawati and Mahakali)

According to the visionary, a new age would commence in 1970 and by 1980 it would lead to Krita Yuga. (On New Year’s Eve 1980 at Rahuri, Shri Mataji had announced the dawning of Krita Yuga)

On February 1, Shri Durga Puja was held in Rahuri. She pointed that the Devi does not need the Puja but the collective needs it. Only if she was pleased did she sit in a Puja. She beckoned the yogis to beg forgiveness from the Devi and take a vow that hereafter they would not repeat their mistakes.

By now yogis from Australia, U.K., Europe, America and Canada joined the tour. A convoy of a hundred Western yogis traveled with her to the remote villages of Maharashtra. Programs were held in village schools, public squares and open grounds with improvised canopies for her. She left in the mornings for remote villages, giving realization in two to three villages en route. Then again she travelled to the next village. When darkness fell, she camped at the nearest village.

After a hot day of bus travel, a foot soak in the river was such a relief! A city of tents was pitched for the night halt. Food was cooked on open wood fires. The sublime nature of

Maharashtra cooled the collective’s right side.

Days passed like magic. A joyous session of bhajans and dancing followed dinner. By midnight every one turned into a bliss casualty! During these sessions Shri Mataji cleared the collective catches. “There is too much liver. You should go to the river in the morning and foot soak.”

“Tell the cook not to put chilies.”

“There is no need for you to feel guilty. All of you should say Allah hu Akbar.”

“Why is your Agnya catching, better shoe beat. Put this vibrated kumkum on your Agnya.”

“The vibrations of the swayambhu are good for your mooladhar. Sit on the mother earth and pray to Lord Ganesha. Sleeping on the floor would clear your catches.” (Maharashtra is the seat of the kundalini where the swayambhus or peethas of Shri Ganesha emit tremendous vibrations.)

“Don’t put too much attention on the food else your Nabhi will catch.”

“Your heart will not catch if you keep me in your heart.”

“Always keep your attention on your Sahasrara.” “Take a bandhan before starting in the morning”.

Shri Mataji’s loving attention protected at every step. During the extensive pilgrimage of Maharashtra there was not a single mishap.

The programs commenced with bhajans by Western yogis in Hindi, Marathi and Sanskrit. After the self-realization, the yogis joined in clearing the chakras of seekers. Deep affection and love grew in the Sahaja community—Australian, English, Italian, Austrian, Indian, American and African. The western yogis neither spoke nor understood Marathi but there was such a rapport between them. They bonded in the single thread of their Mother’s love.

She encouraged the yogis to clear their doubts and ask questions.

Question : How often should we meditate?” Answer : “Every moment.

Question : What happens to karma after self-realization?

Answer : When you become one with the Divine, all your karmas get dissolved. Christ suffered so much; do you think he had bad karmas?

Question : What about family life?

Answer : It is not difficult to combine spiritual life with family life. It is very easy. Once you get your realization, if you are honest; you go deep. If you are not, you fall.

Question : What about fear?

Answer : Fear can damage a lot, but it can be cured completely with Sahaja Yoga.

Question : Is love not enough?

Answer : Your love has to be Divine love that does not expect anything. It just flows. Love is limited before Kundalini awakening and afterwards it becomes like an ocean.

Question :  How does the attention work?

Answer : After Realization just put your attention and it works. It works through the Param Chaitanya… Not thoughts but attention should go. Thought is dead. When you work with thoughts you can only do dead work. Thoughts cannot work. Attention is cosmic consciousness.

A unique feature of the tour was the procession taken out by the villagers. They seated Shri Mataji on a chariot drawn by bullocks and escorted her with Lezium, drums, shehnai bands and dancing with “Jai Shri Mataji” on their lips. A display of fireworks heralded her arrival at the village gates. She was ceremoniously welcomed with a shower of petals. The streets were lit with diyas (earth lamps), rangoli and welcome arches made of banana leaves. The village headsman garlanded her and escorted her to the dais.

It was what C.S.Lewis had envisioned in the ‘The Great Divorce.’

From 18th to 28th February, the tour of 84 western yogis moved to Delhi. Over a period of 10 days, programs were held in different parts of Delhi— FICCI Auditorium, Constitution Club and Santana Dharma Temples. A Supreme Court judge, Honorable Raja Jaswant Singh felicitated her at the Constitution Club. Shri Mataji spoke with such love and renewed vigor that everyone got self-realization during her speech itself. The program ended with a question answer session. She was an authority on all the scriptures and knew them by heart. She patiently stood for hours and answered every single question.

Question : How did you develop kundalini awakening?

Answer : This is a divine heritage, and I am only an instrument for mitigating the suffering of humanity through the same.

Question : What are vibrations?

Answer : Vibrations are a part of our heart. Atma is the flickering light that is burning all the time and is the reflection of Paramatma in our hearts. When the kundalini rises she opens the Brahmarandhra and there is the seat of Sadashiva—the peetha. The peetha is at Sahasrara. The peetha is created because it receives the subtle energy that is all pervading. The responsive one will catch all the mysterious hidden tunes, but for a common man, provided he has a receptive attitude, these vibrations can be communicated at any time and anywhere.

Sahaja Yoga had come of age in Delhi; there was a huge turn up at the follow-ups. The home centers were bursting at the seams. The Delhi collective prayed to Shri Mataji for a permanent centre. She gave a bandhan. On the auspicious occasion of Shivratri, February 21, a Sahaja Yogi gifted an Ashram at 78 Krishna Nagar, Safdarjung enclave to Sahaja Yoga. Shri Mataji was pleased to inaugurate the first Sahaja Yoga Ashram in India.

She blessed 12 marriages held in Edward Square, (Gole Market). A local newspaper reporter enquired how the Sahaja marriage system worked.

She smiled, “The work of the unconscious is very delicate. If people have a good marriage system with the consent of collective consciousness, it makes the choosing of the respective partners much easier. The marriage system should be based on the understanding of the working of the unconscious.”

The paper reported, “Will this model, simple and dowryless mass-scale marriage under the guidance of Mataji, become a mass movement and spread to every nook and corner of India and abroad?”

On March 2, 1982, Shri Mataji left for Australia. She returned to Mumbai for her birthday. Thereafter she left on March 23, for birthday celebrations in London.

She was very concerned about France as it had been cursed and neglected by all the Deities because the people had gone very wrong. She knew that once its Sahasrara was opened, it would be saved. Sahasrara Puja was held in Le Raincy on May 5. She blessed, “Let all the Deities be settled down in this country…if this Sahasrara day in France establishes a new dynamism in the country…their unconscious will transit it into their beings and they will start thinking afresh.”

Programs were held in Portugal in June. One of the ladies who got Self-realization showed the photograph of her delinquent son who was in prison and asked, “Mother what you can do for my son?”

Shri Mataji said that the only thing to be done was to raise his kundalini. Later he was given freedom under an amnesty. He came to Sahaja Yoga and his vibrations improved tremendously.

Shri Mataji settled the self-realization of the English Yogis at Guru Puja held in London on July 4. They had many questions on the creation of the universe. She promised to answer them in a book on creation—“The Eternal Play”.

At Shri Krishna Puja in U.K. she mentioned, “It does not matter how old or young I am. I am what I am.”

Shri Ganesha Puja was held in Geneva on August 22nd. Shri Mataji revealed, “In this advent of mine it is made compulsory that you have to recognize me.”

On September 26, Shri Mataji blessed Vienna with Durga Puja. The weapons of the Goddess were offered and Shri Mataji held the sword. The first group of Austrian Sahaja Yogis got their realization in the public program the next day. In the course of that evening the seeds of Sahaja Yoga took roots in Austria.

On her return to London the Indian Ambassador requested her to give vibrations to Shri Sanjeeva Reddy, the President of India. He was passing via London after an open-heart surgery in U.S.A. The journey had exhausted him and he was very unwell. Shri Mataji gave vibrations to his heart. He was so relieved that for the first time he had a sound sleep. He and his wife expressed their deep gratitude and invited her to stay with them in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Shri Mataji thanked them for their kind invitation but declined to stay with them, as she did not believe in accepting the hospitality of some one she had cured.

However, when she arrived in Delhi in December the President personally called on her and requested her to bless Rashtrapati Bhawan. He specially got a sandalwood chair made for her. He welcomed her with flowers and humbly sat at her lotus feet. Shri Mataji in her bashful modesty was most embarrassed and said, “Sir, what are you doing? You are the

President of India, why are you sitting on the floor.”

He replied, “I may be the President, but you are a saint.”

1983

Chapter 10

The New Year was celebrated with Shri Mahalakshmi Puja in Kolhapur. Shri Mataji revealed that Mahalakshmi was the essence of everything for creation to take place. “Inside there are three cores… inside is the half-one, the Ganesha. This Ganesha tattwa ultimately overpowers everything and permeates through everything.”

The following week while touring Vaitarna, she spotted a beautiful piece of land with a stream and suggested it should be bought for Sahaja Yoga. She praised its vibrations and said they were most conducive for meditation.

India Tour camped at Vaitarna. Shri Mataji revealed that Sahaja Yoga did not work on the mental level but on the spiritual level, “People still live on the mental level and try to solve problems on the mental level and that is why all the problems start coming up.”

On the 13th, a program was held in Dhulia followed by Shri Saraswati Puja. Shri Mataji explained that Dhulia meant dust. It reminded her of a poem she had written when she was seven years old.

“I want to be smaller like a dust particle which moves with the wind.

It goes everywhere.

Can go; sit on the head of a king.

Or can go and fall at the feet of some one.

And it can go and sit on a little flower. And it can go and sit anywhere.

But I want to be a Particle of dust,

That is fragrant, that is nourishing, and that is enlightening.”

Each heart was inspired to become like the dust particles that could embrace the whole of humanity.

Once again she counseled, “Everybody must do whatever they like to nurture the whole, to help the whole, to emancipate the whole.”

From the 1st February onwards, programs were held in Delhi. The organizers held the program in the open cold as they did not have funds to cover the area. Delhi’s winter caught the collective Vishuddhi. Shri Mataji gave them the money to provide a cover for the programs.

At the Jangpura program on Feb. 9, she pointed that though Sahaja Yoga had grown in Delhi, their hearts had not opened. It being the seat of Agnya, people were more interested in the healing aspect of Sahaja yoga and not concerned with their ascent. So far she had paid for all the programs from her own pocket without any support from the collective. But now the time had come for them to open their hearts.

Questions followed.

What will be the end of the entire world and of human beings?

Answer : Let’s not talk about the end. Just now is the beginning. When the child is born, we just don’t think about his death.

The seekers wanted to touch her Lotus Feet. She told them that by touching Mother Earth, she would bless them. They touched Mother Earth reverently and their kundalinis rose!

She desired the Western and Indian Sahaja yogis to bond deeper and also for the westerners to experience Indian hospitality. She asked the Delhi collective to arrange for the westerners to stay in their homes instead of renting flats for them. But the organizers thought that it would be more convenient if they all stayed in the flats together and so they hired fats. The next day it rained so heavily that the fats leaked and they had to shift them to their homes. Shri Mataji playfully explained that when she said something, there was a purpose behind it. Had they heeded her advice they would have saved all the rent. It brought down their ego, and they begged her forgiveness. At the next program the pearls of her wisdom shifted their attention from the Agnya to the heart. Their heart finally opened at the Holi weekend. To everyone’s surprise she did away with all the Puja rituals and asked the collective to dance. Amidst the sprinkling of the Holi colors, the yogis were transported to the banks of the Yamuna where they were lost in the Ras leela of Shri Krishna. Shri Mataji gifted a brass Shri Ganesha to Australia; the land of Shri Ganesha.

The waves of love riveted into an ocean; Shri Mataji blessed the ocean to wash her Lotus feet on her 60th Birthday. Dr. Nagender Singh, justice of the World Court at Hague, was invited as the Chief Guest at the Birthday felicitation program held at Aiwan-e-Ghalib. Apart from being a family friend, he recognized Shri Mataji. She praised him and said he was a very great soul. She expressed her feeling of loneliness, as she could not talk about God to any one. But she found so much solace and hope in such a person as Dr. Nagender Singh who was at the helm of affairs, and yet so enlightened and humble.

Mr. Venugopalan continued his felicitation address in the vein of the Gita saying that though he was a devotee of Lord Krishna, it was Shri Mataji who gave him realization and not Lord Krishna!

Shri Mataji modestly said, “I am what I am, I will be the same… neither am I getting old nor young. I am just the same.”

She opened Delhi’s Sahasrara at the Puja, the next day. She proclaimed that Krita yuga had to be finished for the dawning of Satya Yuga.

Thereafter she flew to Mumbai for another Birthday celebration. She went to the locker and drew her ornaments for the Puja. The Bank manager was surprised, as she had never worn these ornaments before.

She said, “I have never worn these ornaments anytime in life, and today, as the time has come, I have to wear. I just thought, ‘It’s just for my children. If I have to wear them, what does it matter? Just to make them happy, if they feel happy, my happiness is complete.”

During the celebration the vibrations flowed through the music of Bhimsen Joshi and the collective’s kundalinis danced in ecstasy.

Chapter 11

Shri Krishna Puja was held in Geneva on August 28, 1983. Shri Matajimentioned that the knowledge of Sahaja Yoga was much deeper than what the saints of all ages had revealed. The Virata Shakti that was manifesting in modern times was not the power of Shri Radha or Mother Mary but that of Viratangana and gave the sense of collective consciousness.

“… the Virata Shakti takes another form. The weapons of killing become the weapons of forgiveness. Every sort of destructive power is used for the construction, as if it is tricked.”

Next month Shri Mataji’s attention returned to the land of Virata. Over 200 seekers turned up for the programs held in a Methodist Church in the heart of Hollywood. She told them to raise their hands and ask a question, “Are you the Holy Ghost?”

With the Bible in one hand, an angry fundamentalist charged towards her, “Are you saying you are the Holy Ghost?”

“Yes, I am.” The audience applauded and he disappeared into thin air.

A young boy shyly followed her to the car and whispered he had been deaf since childhood and could she do anything for him.

“Of course my child!” comforted the Mother.

She put her little finger in his ears and after a while asked a question. With disbelief he answered the question.

In the evening when the clippings of the program appeared on the local T.V.; the viewers remarked, “When she smiles, the whole screen lights up!”

At the San Diego Program a person from the audience, who had met her 10 years ago, came to return the 11 dollars, he had borrowed from her in 1973.

She laughed and invited everyone to dinner, “Now no one should object to my paying for the dinner!”

A seminar was held at the Boy Scout Camp in Santa Cruz, where Shri Mataji was hosted in a cozy little cabin nestled in the pristine Redwood forest. As the sun rose to kiss her Lotus Feet, she looked out of the window at the beautiful lush green landscape and remarked, “The vibrations remind me of Vaikuntha.”

Little did one know that she had envisioned the future Vaikuntha in Canajoharie! 

The San Francisco program was held at the Sausalito Church. The seekers suffered from severe  Agnya blocks caused by visualization.

Shri Mataji counseled, “When you concentrate on your Agnya, you move to the left or right. If you put a hole in a cardboard and put a candle there, your attention moves to the right because of the light. But then as a pendulum, it moves to the left. If you concentrate on Shri Rama, you will begin seeing Shri Rama. If some one puts his eyes on your eyes, the negativity accumulated in his eyes moves to your eyes. It can work like that through T.V. and also flirtation.”

At a Puja in a beautiful Mill Valley home, overlooking the Bay, a fight attendant, Ursula, complained of being besieged by a volley of thoughts. Shri Mataji said, “You are jumping on the cusps of thoughts. You cannot see the rising of a thought but you can see the falling of one. Thought is dead, whereas attention is cosmic consciousness. Thoughts cannot work. When you work with thoughts you can only do dead work. Whereas enlightened attention works, it acts. When you put your enlightened attention it works though Param Chaitanya.”

Ursula’s head emptied. She went into deep meditation. When she opened her eyes, she felt a pure desire to welcome Shri Mataji to inaugurate an Ashram in the Bay area. (In 1997

Shri Mataji blessed her pure desire and inaugurated the Oakland

Ashram.)

At a T.V. interview in Vancouver the lady interviewer asked her who she was. Shri Mataji replied, “The comforter and counselor promised by Christ and the manifestation of the Holy

Ghost.”

At the Boston program, Gandhiji’s grandson got his realization. He sought her blessings for his teaching job at MIT.

While addressing the C.G. Jung society in New York on the 16th, she praised Jung for the realization of the unconscious. However, she clarified how the unconscious was understood according to Sahaja Yoga. While Jung had laid a lot of importance on the interpretation of dreams, but dreams were confusing. However, through vibrations one knew everything clearly.

She described the present age as the Age of Aquarius, which is the age of the kundalini, because kundalini is the one to be called as Kumbha in Sanskrit, meaning Aquarius.

On the 17th, Shri Ekadasha Rudra Puja was held in New York. She cautioned, its power should be used not for destruction, but for transforming people, “Unless and until the transformation comes in, it will not work out; you cannot talk to people, and you cannot communicate with them.”

It was the only way to open the American heart. But despite her whirlwind tour hardly any seekers came to the follow-ups. At the weekend seminar she reflected, “I faced many people who just came to listen to my lectures and that’s all. They would not take realization, and some of them who did, got lost. Somehow this was such a funny story for me that I am giving them realization, I am taking no money for it and I travel at my own expense. I was thinking how these people who were lost here and there under some sort of seeking—how will I be able to give them self-realization.”

Suddenly she turned sharply at the clouded sky, “Lord

Krishna must stop playing his games!” Lo and Behold! The rain stopped.

On October 10, Shri Mataji blessed Toronto. A havan was performed to clear the vibrations for the program followed by a Puja.

Chapter 12

In November, Shri Mataji returned to Delhi to search for a suitableland for an Ashram. The efforts of the collective turned in vain and they prayed to Shri Mataji for her bandhan. She directed Mr. Venugopalan to meet the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Mr Jagmohan. Mr. Venugopalan was pleasantly surprised at the warm response of the governor, who received him like an old friend. The governor had great reverence for Shri Mataji and showed Mr. Venugopalan the map of vacant plots. Mr. Venugopalan took the map to Shri Mataji and she felt strong vibrations from a corner plot. Her bandhan worked and within ten days the same plot in the Qutab Institutional Area was allotted to the Life Eternal Trust for a paltry sum of Rs. 1.2 lakhs. In her infinite generosity, Shri Mataji donated the amount to Life Eternal Trust.

She bestowed her Mahalaxmi blessings at Delhi with Diwali Puja. While the Puja mantras were being intoned, she suddenly stopped the Puja, and said, “Do it again, but this time say it from the heart”.

Without the connection from the heart, the mechanical chanting of the mantras could not reach her. The potential of the mantras was hidden in the petals of the heart. As the mantras were taken from the heart, the potential became dynamic, and the mantras were churned into passwords.

Shri Mataji smiled, “Now the Deities are pleased! The vibrations are flowing”.

In her infinite compassion, her grace cascaded from the Sahasrara and drenched the collective chakras with ambrosia. The chakras became empowered and threw out the lurking negativity.

Where her Divine Grace flows, even before a desire is expressed, the Param Chaitanya manifests it. It is Ritumbhara PrAgnya; the blessings stored by the Mother for her children begin to flow spontaneously!

Another blessing of her Divine Grace unfolded—for the first time the yogis felt Shri Mataji on their central nervous system. As they felt her within, it became possible to feel her everywhere! —In the innocent smile of children, beauty of nature, fragrance of flowers and deeds of kindness.

At the program on the 15th, she dwelt on the parentchildren relationship. She envisioned a Sahaja School, where she would sow such seeds which would flower and fill the world with her fragrance of love!

On 23rd December she arrived in Nagpur for the unveiling of the memorial bust of her father, Shri Prasad Rao Krishna Rao Salve, at the Salve Square.

Tears rolled down her cheeks when Mr. Hidaytullah, the Vice President of India unveiled the bust of her father.

“I remember the moment when my father climbed the dome of the Nagpur High Court to hoist the Indian flag. We were standing below, inspiring him with ‘Vande Mataram’. He kept climbing amidst a rain of bullets, there was blood pouring down his shirt but he resolutely climbed to the top and hoisted the Indian Tricolour.”

Shri Mataji kindly invited all the yogis to celebrate Christmas Eve with the Salve family. She gave Christmas gifts to all her brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, family friends and old servants. She led the family in singing Marathi hymns. When she came to the line, “Christ the Saviour is born,” every one’s kundalinies started dancing!

The next day she attended the morning service at the ‘1840 Church’, situated next to the house where she had lived. She listened attentively to the Presbyterian bishop’s sermon. After the ceremony, she walked down the aisle to the main portals when a miracle occurred. She cured a crippled man who had served her father. He recalled that when he last saw her she was ‘chhoti’- very little.

She put her hand on his head and blessed him. The Bishop could not believe his eyes when he saw the doddering old man happily walk away without his stick.

An old devotee Rajesh Shah was facing severe problems in his steel factory in Mumbai. A notorious labor union don had jeopardized the functioning of his factory by prolonged strikes. Shri Mataji counseled him to work through the kundalinis of the laborers. She asked him to perform a Ganesha Puja. “Lord Ganesha is the presiding deity of Maharashtra; whatever be the differences everyone will unite in his name.”

Rajesh Shah followed her advice and raised the kundalinis of the laborers during the Puja. Thereafter, the collective kundalini staged her own manifestation; the labor union eagerly switched over to Rajesh Shah’s side and the strike ended amicably.

In deep gratitude, Rajesh Shah built a Ganesha temple in his factory. The power of his devotion spread Sahaja Yoga not only in his factory but in the whole area up to Thane. Even the mayor of Thane embraced Sahaja Yoga. The Ganesha temple became a place of pilgrimage.

Chapter 13

1984

On February 12, 1984, an International seminar was held in Bordi. Shri Mataji asked the yogis to take a vow that they would behave in a manner befitting their advent. Five thousand yogis took the vow. The power of her love dissolved the collective differences without the slightest pressure. She encouraged each one to become free, to develop discretion and become his own guru.

An inner transformation took place within each being. Inch by inch they sensed the realm of their own spirit. Sahaja Yoga entered a new dimension where they became the spirit.

Those who desired to get married made an application along with their photograph and bio-data. Shri Mataji paired them on vibrations. The Sahaja family was electrified with the wedding announcements. On the 14th, Shri Mataji vibrated the fragrant Mehendi for decorating the hands of the brides in myriads of designs.

Before the wedding, she counseled the brides on the auspicious role of Gruha Lakshmi. The grooms were also advised to respect their Gruha Lakshmis. The wedding was performed with circumambulating around the sacred fire. After the seventh round, Shri Mataji removed their collective nazar (evil eye).

Thereafter, Shri Mataji left for Brahmapuri. The Vithal Temple across the River Krishna was a place of Pilgrimage. According to Legend, the Pandavas performed great penance to attain a boon from Shri Mahadeva for victory in their battle against the Kauravas.

In the evening, Shri Mataji blessed the River Krishna. It was the spot where Shri Ramdas Swami had found the idols of Shri Rama, Sita and Devi Angalai.

Shri Mataji explained that the word Angalai was derived from Angla and Aai. Aai in Marathi meant mother, when the two words were joined together they meant the mother of the Anglo race. The river Krishna blushed with the compliment and riveted sweet melodies in praise of the Adi Shakti.

Shri Mataji sat for a long time enjoying its soothing melodies. The yogis drank deeply from the cup of her ambrosia and were intoxicated by it.

She looked deeply at the river, “This was the place where the deities congregated, that is why it is called Brahmapuri”.

Mr. Kenjale asked, “Do deities have an ego?”

Answer : “The Adi Shakti is ego less. She is the all pervading power of Love of God Almighty.

Then she turned towards the sky and it blushed as her vibrations spread into a pink hue.

On February 29, Mahashivratri Puja was performed at Pandharpur. Pandharpur is the place of Virata (Shri Krishna). Shri Mataji explained the significance of performing Shiva Puja in Pandharpur. “Though it was the place of Virata, the seat of Sadashiva is on top of our head but is reflected in the heart as the Spirit, so to bring the spirit to our brain meant the enlightenment of our brain.”

From the 12th of March onwards, a week-long program was held in Delhi’s prestigious Mavalankar Hall. On the 11th a program was held in Meerut. The vibrations of Meerut were very cool. Shri Mataji explained that the vibrations were so cool because she had lived there in the early years of her marriage. She had a huge bungalow with a large compound. She grew vegetables in such abundance that she distributed them to the neighbors.

“Such big size of brinjals, tomatoes and cucumbers that one could not believe! This is the manifestation of Goddess

At River Krishna Shakambhari.”

In Kali Yuga Shri Adi Shakti manifested as Mahamaya. A Mumbai yogi got lost in the maya of her human form and broke maryadas. During the Birthday celebrations in Mumbai, she pulled him up for his misdeeds. But he took amiss and left Sahaja Yoga.

A few years later his son had an accident and went into coma. The doctors gave up hope. His mother desperately begged Shri Mataji to save her son. She immediately came to the hospital and brought him back to life. The father of the boy fell at her feet and begged forgiveness. Shri Mataji revealed that in her Maha Maya manifestation, she had to make corrections when necessary. But the corrections manifested from her intense love to save her children and not to hurt their feelings! He realized he should not have taken amiss her correction and begged her forgiveness.

On her birthday the following week, she asked for two gifts. The first, that her children should express peacefulness through their character. Secondly; peace should express in their love for others.

At Raksha Bandhan in London she further dwelt on the maryada to be observed between brothers and sisters, men and women, marriages, children, money and more importantly, Herself;

“If you ask me something – ‘Mother, should I do it?’ You really force me into it. I have to say yes because I cannot be very strict with you because I am your Mother. But you should be sensible, what to ask me—how far to go! This is the biggest maryada you have to learn… try to see you don’t take advantage of Me.”

On September 16, Shri Ekadasha Rudra Puja was held in Italy. Shri Mataji urged the yogis to develop their Ekadasha Rudra with compassion to expedite their ascent. “The more collective you become, the more powerful the Ekadasha Rudra… When Kalki will start acting—means the destructive power that will destroy all that is negative on earth and save all that is positive.”

After Shri Ganesha Puja in Switzerland, Shri Mataji returned to India in October. Her tour commenced with a program in Solapur on October 31, followed by a program in Hyderabad. While the program was in process, riots broke out in Hyderabad as news of the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi’s, assassination spread. An armed mob broke into the hall and advanced menacingly towards Shri Mataji. The yogis tried to stop them but She intervened and allowed them in.

As they came before her, suddenly they froze like statues and dropped their weapons. Gently, She calmed them down. She expressed her deep shock at the sad news and called off the program. They fell at her feet and begged forgiveness. However, the seekers would not let her go without receiving their realization and pursued her to the car. Finally, she stood under a tree in the car park and bestowed Self-realization upon 200 seekers.

Chapter 14

1985

As the movement of the sun shifted to the northern hemisphere, Shri Adi Shakti’s attention too shifted to Maharashtra. The New Year ushered with Makar Sankranti Puja on January 14. Jaggery and roasted sesame seeds were distributed for sweetening the Vishuddhi.

India tour followed her through Maharashtra. On the 17th, she shopped for the marriage silver in Nasik.

She arrived in Bordi on February 6, for the marriages. A Puja was held under a coconut grove where she proclaimed the birth of her new religion, “Vishwa Nirmala Dharma”.

The following week She blessed Delhi with a series of programs. The vice-principal of Lady Harding Medical College, Dr. U. C. Rai, approached her for curing his grand daughter. With all his degrees he could not cure his own grand daughter. However, Shri Mataji assured him that she could cure her. But he was not convinced and said, “First you scientifically tell me what you are going to do?”

Shri Mataji smiled, “Doctor, you have already had so much of scientific knowledge. You want your grand child to live or you want to have scientific knowledge? I am not going to do anything to the child. I assure you the child is curable. I will raise the kundalini of the child and the child will be cured. And you don’t have to pay anything to me.”

He was skeptical but the child’s mother was anxious, “Why not try, I want my child to live”.

Shri Mataji raised the child’s kundalini and she started running about in three days. Dr. Rai was baffled, “This is not in our medical science.”

Shri Mataji smiled, “You cannot reach that point because science has its own limitations. But now you verify what I am saying. If it is true, then you have to accept it. Why not do research on Sahaja Yoga. Take up three, four subjects and I will tell you how to cure them and how it has worked out medically.”

Dr. Rai plunged into the research in right earnest. He started practicing Sahaja Yoga intensely; his asthma got cured. Three doctors joined him in the research. They first researched on epilepsy; another on asthma and the third on physical fitness (blood pressure, heart etc). They worked on hundreds of patients and found positive results.

Shri Mataji asked him to record his findings in a book. (In 1995 Dr Rai published the data of his research in a book, “Medical Science Enlightened”. On May 8, 1995, the President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, released the book at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. A few years later Dr. U. C. Rai headed the Sahaja Yoga health and research center at New Mumbai for healing through Sahaja Yoga.)

At the Mahashivratri Puja on February 17, the yogis forgot to offer Bhel leaves at Her Lotus feet. Her body broke out in a rash and she said that to cool the fire of Shiva it was necessary to offer the cooling Bhel leaves at Shiv Puja. The collective begged forgiveness and offered the Bhel leaves. The rash instantly vanished. This gave the realization that every object, flower, element, fruit offered during the Puja was essential as it had an effect on her body, just as water offered to a tree was essential for it. Her chakras responded to certain fragrances, elements, tastes, mantras, chants and offerings. Thus it was important to make these offerings to propitiate them.

When her chakras were pleased, the collective chakras cleared and the collective Sahasrara opened. A dew of sweet nectar trickled down the petals of the collective’s Sahasrara.

The following week Shri Mataji visited Jaipur. One day while she was shopping, a lady came up to her and introduced herself as Mrs. Pardal. She had been cured of asthma by Shri Mataji in Pune. Mrs. Pardal requested her to bless her house. Shri Mataji graciously consented.

Mrs Pardal invited some of her Rajput friends who requested for their kundalini awakening. The moment they asked the question, ‘Shri Mataji, are you Goddess Durga?’ their Kundalinis rose.

Shri Mataji smiled, “The Rajputs recognize me easily because they traditionally worship the Goddess Durga.”

They prayed to Shri Mataji for public programs in Rajasthan. She promised, “Next year.”

She returned to Delhi for her Birthday Puja. After the joyous birthday celebrations, she boarded the night train for Pathankot. On the morning of her arrival a public program was held at the ancestral Mahajan House in Mamoon village outside Pathankot. The 200-year-old ancestral house was offered at her Lotus Feet. She graciously accepted it and donated it for a Sahaja school.

In the courtyard there was a caged parrot. Shri Mataji patted him and he respectfully said ‘Jai Shri Mataji’. Although he was free to roam around, he never ventured beyond the courtyard. Shri Mataji lovingly stroked his wings and suddenly he took a fight to freedom. The collective’s spirit rejoiced at his freedom but also cried for theirs. They prayed, ‘Please let our spirits be free.’

Upon reaching Dharamsala Shri Mataji greeted the Himalaya, her father, joyfully. She stood before the majestic Dhauladhar Range and addressed him fondly;

“When Rama incarnated, you sent Lakshmana for his support. When Krishna incarnated, you sent Arjuna as his instrument. But you sent me all alone with nobody to help. It does not matter, the love of my children is enough for me to accomplish my mission, and I shall not leave this earth till my last child is saved!”

The compassion from her eyes melted the glaciers and brought Himalay’s tears of joy to bless the valley.

The next evening the Lions Club in Dharamsala requested her for a program at the Dhauladhar Hotel.

Shri Mataji stayed at the Mahajan cottage in Talnoo which had been dedicated to her. After her visit, she blessed it to be turned into a museum for preserving her vibrations.

A pregnant cow freed herself and followed the vibrations to Shri Mataji’s bedroom. The cow then pushed open the door and paid homage to Shri Mataji. Shri Mataji blessed her and an hour later the cow delivered a beautiful calf. Such cool vibrations flowed from her. Shri Mataji said she was born realized and named her Dhira. The same night the watchman’s wife delivered a boy, Shri Mataji christened him ‘Chiranjive’.

The mountain folks trekked for days across the far reaches of the Himalayas to worship her as Shailputri, (the first incarnation of the Devi was Shailaputri. She was born as the daughter of Himalaya from where she could view the whole world).

On March 29, Shri Shailputri Puja was held at Purushotam

Hall, Talnoo. The mountain folk adorned her with Rhododendron flowers and sang joyful songs. Shri Mataji observed their songs were full of enthusiasm and love, without any complaining strains. Nor were there any supplications for the grant of desires. Because of their pure hearts, they could achieve this joy. They had the innocence to see her in the bounties of nature, and they glorified her in the snow-clad peaks, lush-green forests, singing streams, beasts, birds, hills and dales.

Shri Mataji was pleased with the innocence of their devotion and blessed the Sahaja Ashram with a portrait of her father and a shawl woven by him during his imprisonment by the British.

After the Puja, she walked from the Purushotam hall to her cottage. It was a full moon. She pointed to the snow clad Dhauladhar Mountains, “Look at the vibrations coming out of the Himalayas.”

In all humility, the yogis confessed that they could not see anything. Then very graciously she put them in her Divine attention, “Now can you see?”

They were amazed to see the vibrations appearing like luminous inverted commas. Waves after waves, the vibrations cascaded down the Himalayas.

She smiled, “The Himalaya is a swayambu. His vibrations cleanse the whole universe. Talnoo is the back Agnya in the Sahasrara.”

After dinner she fell into a deep sleep and did not wake up till the following evening. When she woke up she seemed 10 years younger. She commented, “I have finally rested for the years of travelling. The saints meditating in the Himalayas sucked my vibrations. I feel completely relaxed.”

Two days after the Puja, it was reported that the Puja prasada would not finish.

She laughed, “It is the blessings of Annapurna, so how can

it finish! Better pray to the river to accept it.”

A program was held at Dal Lake for the 5000 mountain folks who had come for her darshan.

She said, “You see, they have worshipped me for ages. I did not have to say anything because they have already recognized me from within.” She simply raised her hand and blessed them and they got their realization. The vibrations coming from the Lake drenched her.

As she was returning to the ashram, she was drawn by the vibrations emitting from a spot from where the road forked to the Ashram. “There are such tremendous vibrations at this spot; a Sahaja temple should be built here.”

She drew the design for the temple and shortly thereafter it was constructed.

She revealed that Durvasa Rishi had come here from Maharashtra to cool his right side. Pointing to a slab of stone, she said Durvasa Rishi had done tapasya on this shila (stone slab) and that is why the city was called Dharam shila, but the British pronounced it as Dharamshala! (Originally this area was named after Durvasa Rishi as ‘Durveshwar’. The British changed it to Dal Lake. A center has been opened at the Dal lake Temple.)

She spent a day at Grace Cottage to bless the seekers of Dharamsala. Thereafter she traveled southward and visited the shawl-weaving centre in Nurpur. Shortly before Nurpur, she suddenly felt a gust of strong vibrations. The yogis reported there was a temple of the snake Goddess called Nagini, where the sick were taken for healing. Shri Mataji revealed that Nagini was the Kundalini.

At the Nurpur Handlooms, an 80-year-old woman humbly bowed in obeisance to Shri Mataji as her rough hands attempted to wrap fine Pashmina wool around a large spindle. She struggled to cover her head as a bitter wind swept her frayed shawl off, yet she looked peaceful and continued to weave.

A yogini attempted to cover her with a warm synthetic shawl. She politely declined, “I have spun this fabric out of my own hands. My mother and sister have woven it. The warmth of so many fingers has gone into this. How can a machine make anything warmer?”

Shri Mataji wrapped her in the warmth of her love and bought all her shawls.

Chapter 15

After blessing the North, Shri Mataji’s attention turned to the East.In early April, the Param Chaitanya arranged for the devotees of Shri Durga to receive her blessings in Kolkatta. Her suite at the Park Hotel was on the first floor; the yogis were staying at the opposite end of the second floor. Suddenly they felt a gust of vibrations cascading from their Sahasrara. They rushed to her room and found her giving realization to a new seeker. She remarked, “What a great seeker. He has tremendous vibrations.”

The yogis narrated their experience. Shri Mataji smiled, “This is collective consciousness! You can share every one’s joy in the Sahasrara.”

It unraveled a whole new world of Param Chaitanya. When Shri Mataji cleansed the chakra of an individual, the Param Chaitanya spontaneously cleansed that chakra in the collective.

Only two people turned up at the first program. The organizers were crestfallen and wanted to cancel the next one, but Shri Mataji was very enthusiastic. She commented, “Bengal was the battlefield where the Goddess had slain Mahishasura, I have to work harder here.”

She addressed them with such fervor as though she were speaking to all mankind. As a matter of fact, she was!

She poured out her love—spoke for an hour, jested, prodded them to ask questions, gave them realization and proclaimed that they were her two sons who would be the pillars of Sahaja Yoga.

Her enthusiasm electrified the seekers of Kolkatta. The next day, there was a full house! The collective left side suddenly became very heavy, as though there was a heavy burden weighing it down. The followers of Rani Sati did not feel the cool breeze. She asked them to question, “Shri Mataji, are you Rani Sati?”

As they asked the question, their kundalinis rose, cool breeze swept their hands and the load on the collective left side lifted. It was another lesson on collective consciousness, on how to release collective catches on an individual’s chakras.

As she was leaving, one very poor student prayed for her protection, “O Mother in your Kingdom there is no place for a poor soul. I cannot even get a square meal or a job.”

His plight flowed as tears in her eyes, and she asked him to come to her hotel in the morning. Before breakfast she emptied her purse and put its contents in a packet for him. Unfortunately, he turned up late, and as the Puja preparations were underway the organizers did not let him in. But all along her attention was on him. When she heard that he had been turned away she felt very sad, “When yogis start organizing, they go too much to the right side and forget that Sahaja Yoga is the power of compassion.”

But nothing could stand in the way of her compassion. When she returned from the program the next day, the student had left a note at the reception thanking Shri Mataji for his new job.

Shortly thereafter, Shri Mataji left for London for Easter Puja celebrations on April 8. The English collectivity sought her blessings for buying a property outside of London for an ashram. Shri Mataji named it Shudy Camps.

She blessed Austria with Sahasrara Puja on May 5th. On Friday morning the clouds were thick and dark. Some very worried Austrians prayed for her bandhan. Fifteen minutes later, a hole bored through the clouds hanging over Vienna and started dispersing them, creating a Sahasrara of blue sky and jubilant sunshine. Shri Mataji spent Mother’s Day in Germany buying beautiful pink crystals for all the ashrams.

On the 14th, the seeds of Sahaja Yoga were sown in Milan, followed by a program in Venice on the 22nd.

She left for America on the 26th. Programs were held in New York, Los Angles and San Diego. The response was slow but Shri Mataji beamed with joy, “First comes the season for sowing and then comes the harvest time.”

On June 29, the Mother of all the Gurus was worshipped in the beautiful garden of Chateau-de-Chamarande on the outskirts of Paris. The disciples inadvertently failed to accord the protocol of welcoming the Primordial Guru. Her face darkened as if she were overwhelmed by something unbearable. And her attention receded away as she was not in the heart of her children. It was the Mother hurt by her children, and in no mood of accepting an unfeeling Puja.

The human race had built temples and churches in the glory of God, longing for a glimpse of the Divine, and awaiting for the Messiah to come. But when the Messiah came, they did not honor her. Was history going to repeat itself? Was the human race going to miss out on the last chance!

They had the greatest fortune to have someone who loved them so much, and they had taken her for granted! Throughout the night her children ensconced her in their hearts, and fervently prayed for forgiveness.

After breakfast their prayers were answered with an announcement that the Puja would take place. But the moment she entered the Puja tent her face appeared saddened and tired after a long night of struggle. Her children held their breaths in heavy silence. The distant look in her eyes was more agonizing than any scolding. It made them realize what happens when the Mother recedes from her children, and they broke into sobs. The awesome and austere God began to return from an infinite distance. The motherly ‘vatsalya’ reappeared in her eyes as she sweetly explained, “The Deities got angry as the proper protocol was not observed. Of course, I was not angry but I had to appease them…listening to someone is not important. It has to enter your being.”

The warmth of her motherly love overcame in the gifts to her children; beautiful carpets to the Rome and Austrian Ashrams, and pink crystal vases to each country, “You have to be transparent, beautiful and dignified like these crystals.”

Normally a Guru is not supposed to give gifts during a guru Puja, she laughed, “But I am a Mother out and out.”

On the 30th, she blessed the first program in Brussels. The hall turned out to be too small for the sea of Belgian seekers and a simultaneous program was conducted in an adjacent hall. She again pulled up the seekers in Gent the next day.

On July 3, she came down to the low land of Hague, below sea level to pull up the seekers! She reminded them, “I have come down to pull you out. If you do not drag me down, I can pull you up very fast. So please don’t drag me down!”

They pulled their ears for dragging her down at Guru Puja.

She, finally accepted the sari at Trigunatmika Puja, which had earlier been refused at Guru Puja, and smiled, “It is a special place where the Guru has surrendered to the Mother.”

Her children thanked the Param Chaitanya for conjuring the coincidence in such a symbolic place where the sea, the Guru, had taken refuge in the Mother Earth! As the three saris were offered for Shri Mahalaxmi, Shri Mahasaraswati and Shri Mahakali; the low land transformed to a holy land.

In the summer Shri Mataji traveled extensively in Europe. Shri Vishnumaya Puja was celebrated in London on August 4. Thereafter, she established the Ganesha tattwa of Brighton and Rome at Shri Ganesha Pujas.

Before her departure for India, the Swiss thanked the Goddess for blessing Europe with Navaratri Puja in Weggis.

Shri Mataji blessed Kolkotta with Mahakali Puja. A havan was performed with the thousand and eight names of Shri Mahakali. It started at 1 p.m. and continued till 4 p.m. To cleanse the collective left side she put her feet on the palms of the yogis. Tremendous heat came out of their left side and their palms dripped in perspiration. Shri Mataji absorbed all the negativity and her feet swelled to double their original size. When she went to rest, she could not sleep a wink. Only after the yogis took out her vibrations, she slept. She woke up looking absolutely fresh!

On December 17, Bhoomi Puja was held at the land selected in Vaitarna. Shri Mataji revealed that Maharashtra was the kundalini and in its three and a half coils Saptshringi was the ardha (half) matra—the Adi Shakti herself. She arranged for the tour of 200 Western Yogis to visit it. Thereafter, the Tour proceeded to Brahmapuri via Dhulia.

Upon arriving in Brahmapuri, the yogis were overjoyed to footsoak in River Krishna. In the morning just as every one had finished washing, Shri Mataji blessed River Krishna. She sat on a large rock and placed her Lotus feet in the water for several hours. She allowed all the yogis to wash her Lotus Feet. Despite the heat of the afternoon sun, they were drenched in cool vibrations. They passed a blissful day playing in the holy waters of River Krishna.

Shri Mataji asked Mr. Kenjale to buy the land by the river. (In 2002 the land that Shri Mataji had blessed was donated to Sahaja Yoga.)

After enjoying the hospitality of Kolhapur, the tour finally reached the shores of Ganapatipule. It was by her Divine play of coincidence that Shri Mataji discovered this beautiful seaside place. A few years ago she had gone to arrange her younger brother’s marriage in Ratnagiri. On her return from Ratnagiri she saw a big star beckoning her to turn left from Hath-khamba. She asked her brother to follow the star. The star led them to the temple of Ganapatipule. She was amazed by the beautiful dawn glowing in the light of the Param Chaitanya and said, “This is the place where all the Sahaja Yogis should come.”

She asked Mr. Magdum to look for some land near the Ganesha Swayambhu. According to the local custom no one sold land. Hence, he returned empty handed. He prayed to Shri Mataji for a bandhan. A few months later someone donated one acre of land.

At Christmas, Shri Mataji matched 54 couples. The yogis belonging to the Hindu orthodoxy wanted the marriages to be performed on the auspicious day according to the constellation of the stars.

Shri Mataji reminded them, “The Spirit works out auspiciousness, not the calendar. First the Goddess is worshipped. When she blesses, that is the most auspicious moment.”

At the most auspicious moment, arrangements were made for Christmas Puja. A rustic earthen stage with a thatched roof was put together. Shri Mataji was very pleased with it, as it reminded her of Christ’s birth in a rustic manger.

The collective prayed to Shri Mataji for establishing Nirmala Nagri at the camp site. Shri Mataji gave a big bandhan. (Shortly thereafter six-acres of land was purchased, Nirmala Nagri—the first city named after her was established there.)

On New Year’s Eve, Shri Mataji blessed the marriages. Henceforth, Pujas preceded all events like programs and seminars.

Chapter 16

The New Year ushered in with the blessing of Shri Ganesha Puja atGanapatipule. On January 6, Shri Mahalakshmi Puja was held in Sangli. Shri Mataji revealed that the power of Shri Mahalakshmi was the central channel and after crossing the Agnya, it manifested as the Viratangana.

On the 8th Devi Puja was held in Pune.

On the auspicious day of Sankranti, Shri Mataji commenced the construction of her farmhouse on an 11-acre farm on NDA Road overlooking Pune. She named it

‘Prathisthan’—after the capital of her ancestors who ruled over the province of Paithan.

Her husband was contemplating retirement in a year and she was keen to have the house ready by then. Though the architects recommended several contractors, she decided to build it herself. She said the blessings of the Param Chaitanya showered when the yogis undertook the work themselves.

She did not want an imposing structure but envisaged a welcoming facade to encompass the warmth of her motherly love, and a home for the solace of her global family. It fulfilled an ancient prophecy describing her incarnation as a ‘Comforter.’

She moved into a two-bedroom flat in Kothrud to supervise the construction. Within no time, the Shakti gained momentum—she was everywhere; one minute she was seen climbing the roof and the next minute she was on the ground floor inspiring the artisans with a word of praise, innovating their skills, nodding approval of new experiments, remixing colors, coats and finishes.

The excavation of the foundation was obstructed by a huge rock formation. Despite the extensive excavation, it was unending. The architect brought the matter to her attention.

She said, “How can you unearth a swayambhu!”

Thus the foundation of the audience hall was built without unearthing the swayambhu. According to legend, this was the site where Shri Sita lived in sage Valmiki’s Ashram during her exile. The Samadhi of the great sage Valmiki rests about 30 miles from Pratishthan, in the village of Velhi near Saswad.

Shri Mataji was the art and the artist! Her divine vision unfolded like a poem. A team of five architects were employed to rhyme it. They showed her pictures of several palaces. She asked to check their vibrations. They felt cool vibrations from the Gwalior Palace. She affirmed its founder was a realized soul, “A realized soul’s vision, rhymes with his spirit. He expresses the joy of his Kundalini in the exuberance of his poetry.”

The team of five Sahaja architects had first to rhyme with the poem within before they could rhyme the poem of her great vision!

She gently prodded them on. Day by day the doer in the architects dissolved and the poet rhymed her poem.

The Divine Poet rhymed vibrations with architecture. She mellowed the straight lines and the sharp turns. The lattice stone windows were rhymed to bring mirth. The back of the house was tiled with terracotta tiles. The interiors were exuberant with elegant pillars supporting intricate cornices.

She had an innate feeling for natural materials. She could tell a natural material from a synthetic one from its vibrations. The architects suggested tiles for the floors but she preferred to use marble, “Marble absorbs the vibrations the best”.

“No steel or aluminum windows, wooden frames only.” Her son-in-law Rommel Varma sent a container of special rose wood from Bihar for the frames.

She was aware of the huge maintenance problem for such a large house, so she clad the walls with slate. It enhanced the

Shri Mataji Cooking interiors!

The walls were covered with glazed satin falerics in huis of  blues, burnt pinks and lemons. The rooms were adorned with artifacts from all over the world. A music hall was built specially to display her precious collection of antique musical instruments.

(This collection was later donated to the P.K. Salve Music Academy, Vaitarna.)

Amidst the programs in Mumbai and Pune, her attention rested on the welfare of the artisans. She built huts and provided pure drinking water for them. On festivals, she bought clothes and toys for their children. She attended to their health problems and instructed the yogis to give them Sahaja treatments. In the absence of any formal lessons, it was the beginning of training in Sahaja treatments.

The Pune yuvas sought permission to join the work force. She insisted on paying their wages. They protested but she said, “This house is being built from my husband’s money and he would never step inside if he came to know that I accepted your services free of cost.”

Apart from paying handsomely, she cooked the most delicious meals for them. At the crack of dawn she went to the wholesale fruit and vegetable market (Mandi) and hand picked the choicest fruits for them.

It never occurred to them that they were working for her; it was the flow of pure love! They were their own masters. There were no frantic dead lines; the inward journey itself was so fulfilling that there was no worry about reaching any destination.

When the first slab was being cast, the architects were rather nervous as the area was very large and could not be manually cast in a day. She gave a bandhan. She was resting in her flat. Around 5p.m. she suddenly woke up and said, “Let’s go. The slab is cast!”

The architect asked how she knew it was last. She said, “I

can feel the vibrations, let’s go!”

Sure enough! Upon reaching Pratishthan, the newly cast roof was shinning in the sun and the workers were long gone. It was cast in half the expected time!

When the next slab was being cast, the scaffolding ran short. There were only 16 poles against a requirement of 26. Shri Mataji assured, “That’s the number of Shri Krishna’s kalas (arts).”

And the scaffolding sufficed!

When the last slab was being cast, the cement ran low. Shri Mataji gave a bandhan and told the masons to carry on.

The cast not only turned out to be better than the previous one, but there were still seven cement bags left!

There were miracles after miracles! She recalled another, “While building my Lucknow house, I bought an entire kiln. The lot turned out to be not only enough for my house but a surplus was left. So I sold the surplus and recovered the entire cost of the kiln!”

Then she turned to the yuvas, “Always aspire for

excellence. It is its own reward. It is so fulfilling.”

No sooner than the last slab was cast, Shri Mataji moved to an improvised room. The dust, the lack of privacy or amenities, did not bother her. After a day’s work the yuvas sat around her to rhyme their poems. Bhajans followed dinner. At the end of each evening, Prasad was blessed and there were always lavish gifts for everyone.

But the poem did not always rhyme; especially when there was interference from the yuvas’ chakras. A fire from an individual’s right side would spark the fires in the collective or a left-side catch would pull down the collective. However, her attention was constantly on the collective’s chakras—a smile, a few words of encouragement and a touch full of vibrations!

Hours passed into days, days into weeks and weeks into months, before they learnt to love each other. Then the poem rhymed because it was a poem about how to love others…

Still, if it failed to rhyme, then she resorted to her versatile power of Mahamaya. The Param Chaitanya enacted a drama to expose the discordant notes. Through the prism of her love, it was possible to see more clearly the discordant notes and also to correct them. Her correction was like a leaf, which softly falls on the ground…

Thus the Divine Poet composed an anthology of poems in a galaxy of Sahaja projects to rhyme her creation. Though poetic; they were innately pragmatic. She converged the blessings of Mahasaraswati and Mahalakshmi. For instance, she had never studied finance, but she had an innate feeling for the value of things. She could always tell their worth. If she felt the price out of proportion, she could not be persuaded to buy.

In one Puja a large amount was spent on decorations. In a fleeting glance of the accounts she could tell the expense was out of proportion.

She ended up building Pratishthan at half the price than quoted by the contractors. Moreover, there was so much material left; she donated it to Sahaja Yoga. The architects discovered if there was a surplus left after the completion of a project; it was a sign of her blessing. The phenomenon is best captured by a Hindi word, ‘barkat’; a little goes a long way…

Chapter 17

On January 31, the tour camped in Rahuri. There were the usual health problems and Shri Mataji instructed on how to apply vibrations for curing the various problems.

Brimming with vibrations, the tour proceeded along the Neera River where Shri Mataji had purchased land. After the Vani program, Shri Mataji returned to Mumbai.

While serving tea, the maid accidentally spilled some on Shri Mataji’s sari. The maid died a thousand deaths.

Noticing her discomforture, Shri Mataji poured the whole cup on her own sari, “See, I spilled it too!”

She patted the maid with a reassuring smile, “Don’t be so upset, it’s such an old sari. I was going to give it to you. Come now, pour me another cup.”

The color returned to the maid’s face but she could not hold back her tears. Shri Mataji changed her sari and gifted the old one to the maid (It was in fact brand new!).

Thereafter, Shri Mataji left for the program. In the confusion, a yogi staying with her got left behind. Half way to the program she discovered he was missing. Even though it was a long way and she was getting late for the program, she instructed the driver to turn back to pick him.

Early February, the Lions Club of Kolkotta invited her for programs. They were anxious to woe the wealthy business community. She said, “God does not understand money. A seeker cannot be measured in terms of money but by the depth of his seeking. In Sahaja Yoga what do you need money for? You cannot raise anyone’s kundalini with money! No doubt, money is a big attraction, but not in Sahaja Yoga!”

She wanted to reach out to the masses. Accordingly, programs were arranged for the public in the open lawn of Safari Park. In the mornings she led meditation sessions and in the evenings she gave talks. From a handful of yogis just a year ago, the numbers swelled to a hundred. She was very pleased, “Golden Bengal would be the gateway to the spiritual transformation of India.”

On the 17th, the Lions Club of Jaipur invited her. She mentioned that the Lions Clubs were the first to recognize her because the Lion was the vehicle of the Goddess.

She proceeded to Delhi on the 20th. Delhi saw a shift towards quality seekers—mostly bureaucrats, professionals, students and some doctors. The yogis were in awe of VIP’s and urged her to accept invitations to their homes. Shri Mataji was surprised to see their awe for VIP’s as if they were Gods! She pointed that they had not yet recognized the dignity of their spirit, and that is why they were so impressed by outward appearances!

It was their conditioning from the slavery of the British.

“If they are real seekers it is important for the sake of their seeking to attend the public programs with the rest of the public. VIPs only want their egos to be pampered. And the rich people think they can buy God. I don’t accept money from anyone. The Kundalini does not understand money. It will not rise if you pay for it.”

Little by little, the true seekers among the VIP’s realized that she was not like other gurus and did not care for their status or wealth. They came to her programs and got their realization.

On February 24, the Students Union of the Delhi University invited her to their function ‘Harmony 86’. Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, a cabinet minister honored her as the International Personality for spreading peace. She gave guidelines for the formation of an International Sahaja student association.

On her return to Pune she found the poem had gone out of rhythm; instead of a wide staircase, the architects had built a narrow one. She pointed, “How could you build such a narrow staircase for such a palatial house. It is completely out of proportion. It is incongruous with the character of the house.”

To the dismay of the architects she got the massive staircase pulled down and rebuilt a grand staircase for the grand house!

“The key is balance. The pillars should be proportionately larger at the base. Doorways should be in proportion to the size of the room.”

Her innate sense of proportion was the secret behind rhyming the poem. While choosing saris for yoginis, she spontaneously differentiates the colors that were suited to older women from those to the younger ones. Her persona freely receded in the mundane. And that is when the yogis slipped!

She was very particular about respect to the elderly, traditions and sentiments. The trick to keep in rhythm was to get the message across without hurting the other person’s feelings. “I know it was not his fault but he should not have answered back like that to someone elder to him”.

Chapter 18

After the Birthday Puja, Shri Mataji returned to U.K. for finalizing the Ashram in the Cambridgeshire countryside. At the Bhoomi Devi Puja she named it ‘Shudy Camps’—a retreat for self-cleansing ‘Shuddhi’. She revealed how the Param Chaitanya found Shudy Camps. She was reading a magazine on board a plane, suddenly she felt vibrations from an advertisement of this property and that’s when she bid for it!

Several English Yogis volunteered to undertake its construction. Shri Mataji said they were the Golden Builders.

Sahasrara Puja was held in Medesimo, Italy on May 4. She observed that a kind of lethargy had come in the yogis, which prevented them from accepting Sahaja Yoga the way it should be accepted. She urged them to rise above their half-baked consciousness whereby they continued living with their conditioning and ego, “You have to be conscious of what you are doing… so the point of the brain which is working out the unconscious part of the brain has to be made conscious. That is what evolution is. The consciousness that I am doing it from my heart is what I want you to achieve.”

The Puja stirred a new movement in their consciousness whereby it became possible to become conscious of the unconscious. Thus the working of the autonomous nervous system started reflecting in their consciousness. It evinced that strengthening the connection with the kundalini was the key to becoming conscious of the ‘Auto’ behind it. Shri Mataji proceeded to France for Devi Puja.

Shri Ganesha Puja was held in Madrid on 24th May. Shri Mataji explained how to spread Sahaja Yoga; love had to be expressed first and only then the knowledge should follow.

On June 2, Shri Krishna Puja was held in Englewood, New Jersey. Ten years later the blessings of the Puja manifested as a beautiful Ashram in the neighborhood.

On August 5, Guru Puja was held in Austria. Thereafter, Shri Kartikeya Puja was held in Germany. She returned to Shudy Camps for Bhoomi Puja to depart on the 23rd for Krishna Puja in Switzerland.

Again, in early September she blessed America. They were still arguing if her photograph should be placed in the drawing rooms! She said, “If you have recognized me then why this diffidence?”

The world collective reinforced the efforts of a handful of American yogis to organize programs in New York, San Diego, Los Angles and East coast. The collective desire for spreading Sahaja Yoga in America bore fruit. The halls were full and Sahaja Yoga took roots. At Shri Ganesha Puja in San Diego on September 7, Shri Mataji established the Ganesha tattwa of America.

Later in the month she returned to Europe for Pujas and programs in Holland and Belgium. She revealed how both the countries were related to each other in the play of the Virata where they formed a part of the left Nabhi. Whereas, Belgium stood for world peace, Holland stood for justice. The two qualities were interdependent. If there was injustice, there could be no peace.

A Dutch Yogi asked, “How is it that in spite of momentous negativities, Holland has not yet sunk into the sea.” She smiled, “Because Holland is producing the flowers for the Adi Shakti and you know she is very fond of flowers!”

To a question at the Hague program she clarified that she had never described Kundalini as serpent energy. And if others had given such a description there was no need for her to give an explanation for them.

On the 17th she spent an intimate evening with the Dutch collectivity. To a question on how to influence people, she answered, “Actually by not influencing others you influence others. Art lies in hiding art. There should be no deliberation…”

On October 9, she arrived in Kolkatta for Navaratri. It had been raining relentlessly for the past one week and the yogis were worried about the Puja arrangements. No sooner had Shri Mataji’s plane touched the ground, a radiant Sun peeped out to greet her.

Shri Mahadevi Puja was held on the 10th. She recalled her ties with Bengal were ancient; she had overcome great hurdles to save her devotees and destroyed the demon Mahishasura. But now, Tantriks besieged Bengal, and were the cause of its abject poverty.

She was very pleased by the offering of Lotuses. The devotion of her children brought huge crowds of seekers to the Ice Skating Rink where the Lions Club International had organized programs for three nights. She provoked an inner enquiry, “who are we”, “what is our source”, and “how are we connected to it”. She concluded, “The answer is Sahaja Yoga—it is the solution to all problems.”

To help seekers dwell deeper into Sahaja Yoga, she personally led meditation sessions.

She returned to Pune for establishing its Lakshmi principle. Ganesha and Maruti temples had established like kiosks at every street corner by false gurus to mint money, giving rise to Alakshmi. In the first week of November, Diwali Puja was held at Pushpak Mangal Karyalaya, Pune. She dispelled the misconceptions of the Lakshmi principle and revealed its true essence.

She kindled a flame in the collective. Like the Diwali lamps, it burnt to give light to others and glowed eternally to behold the Mother.

In the moonless night of Diwali, the Goddess Lakshmi moved silently from place to place to ignite the light of the spirit.

In such a night the city of Delhi was paved with lights for beckoning its inner awakening.

Dr U.C. Rai was keen for Shri Mataji to introduce Sahaja Yoga in the field of Medical Science. He arranged a Medical Conference where the doctors heard her in spell bound silence. Many asked to be cured. She smiled, “Have your realization first then you would be cured spontaneously.”

Chapter 19

On the auspicious day of Vinayak Chaturthi, Pratishthan was completed. The joyous music of Shehnai welcomed Shri Mataji to her heavenly abode. The pond by the entrance was filled with rose petals and floating diyas. The passages were decorated with rangoli of turmeric, rice and kumkum.

During the Poornahuti ceremony, her Lotus feet were anointed with perfumed oils of Jasmine and Henna. With loving hands she placed a sweet white marble Shri Ganesha on the threshold of her house.

In the evening, Pratishthan was lit in festive colors. The Sufi maestro, Baba Zaheer from Hyderabad composed couplets in praise of her heavenly abode, “No one returns empty handed from your Divine heavenly threshold.”

No sooner had he concluded, she began lavishing presents; the ladies were given beautiful saris and the men, silk kurtas. She distributed silver coins filled in silk purses to all the artisans. Above all, she re-wrote their destinies on the palms of their hands…

A sumptuous dinner awaited the yogis in the garden. The magical evening ended with fire works.

On the December 21, India Tour commenced with a Puja by the quaint coast of Alibag. The exuberance of nature cast its spell, “This beauty that is created cannot see itself. In the same way God who is the source of this beauty cannot see his own beauty…He needs a mirror. That is how he has created this beautiful universe as a mirror. Human beings cannot also see their own beauty. They are in darkness, they are in ignorance. The struggle to get to reality is such a lot that as a result they destroy themselves. Now a mirror has to be created for them to see for themselves how beautiful they are. That mirror is their spirit. That Spirit is to be brought to their attention. If it comes in their attention, they can see their image.”

It was up to each seeker to cleanse his mirror to reflect his Spirit; and thus enjoy the beauty of his own nature.

At Christmas Puja, Shri Mataji blessed yet another opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Spirit in the serenity of Pawana Dam. As they drank in the tranquility of Pawana Dam, suddenly a fountain spouted in the middle of the lake. It kept rising higher and higher. Shri Mataji raised her hand and it subsided, “Water feels my divinity and bubbles out with love. All the elements can feel me, especially light, which can be seen in  vibrations.”

After the Puja, Rajesh Shah showed her a miracle photograph where eight hands appeared holding Nag Champa flowers. She explained that at the time the photo was taken, she was telling him that flowers symbolized the Sahasrara. He said, “Shri Mataji you are holding the Sahasrara of all the Sahaja yogis in your hands.

She graciously gifted copies of the miracle photograph to all the countries.

At the Pune program, Dr. Krishnamurthy, the former principal of Govt. College, Nagpur, where she had studied, came up to the stage. He was so overwhelmed; he could not hold back his tears. He recalled, “In August 1942, Gandhiji launched quit India movement. She was just a 17 or 18-year-old girl. Government authorities had imposed a ban on student meetings near the college gate. Undaunted by the presence of a large contingent of armed police, she defied the ban and on 9th August addressed the students. I could make out there and then that she was not an ordinary person, but must be an incarnation of Shakti. Of course she was arrested and I was ordered to rusticate her. I refused and was transferred. She was much tortured in jail but they could not break her spirit.”

With the blessings of the Pujas in Brahmapuri and Sangli, the tour reached Ganapatipule for New Year celebrations. Shri Mataji’s vibrations flowed through the music of renowned musicians and nurtured the collective’s chakras. By the time they rendered her favorite Rag Darbari, the collective Sahasraras were already singing!

Chapter 20

1987

Shri Mataji invited her first guests to Pratishthan in early January. Shewarmly received 300 yogis in her garden. She was very fond of gardening and had planted exotic flowers from all over the world—English Roses, Dutch Tulips and Thai Orchids. Dr. Hamid, an agro-scientist at the U.N. had brought some special plants from Austria. She asked their names but nobody seemed to know! As if to draw their attention to nature, she recounted their names and asked every one to remember them, “It would be a good idea to learn the names of birds and trees too.”

Pointing to the large size of the grapes, She was reminded of  her mother. She was a great freedom fighter. She took a pledge not to eat grapes till India got her independence and the common people would be able to afford them. Now I am happy that grapes are being produced in abundance in Maharashtra and every one can enjoy them. I would like to grow more trees but there is not enough water.”

A Professor from the Agricultural University suggested rainwater harvesting. She had already thought of it and revealed her plans to build a small dam for harvesting rain water in the ravine below.

“I would like to fill it with lotuses and gold fish.”

A delightful morning was spent plucking vegetables. Pointing at a large Sunflower, she remarked, “See how big they have grown. It’s vibrations. Now that you have got your realization you can vibrate the seeds too. I produced 1700 kgs of high quality Basmati rice from only 60 kgs of vibrated seeds!”

The Professor enquired if the milk yield could also be increased with vibrations.

“Of course, I am getting some local breeds soon and will show you how to increase their yield. So next year when you come there will be plenty of fresh milk.”

The sun was too hot for the liver and she beckoned to the shade of an Almond tree. Her attention shifted from agriculture to the collective catches. “Put your left hand towards me and the right on the Mother Earth. Keep your eyes open.”

Attending to the Nabhi catch, she enquired what every one would like for lunch. The Italians promptly piped, “Pasta”.

Pasta was not common to the Indian kitchen but by coincidence the Italians had brought 10 packets. Though it was not enough for 300 yogis, when Shri Mataji finished cooking, the Italians ate to their heart’s content, and yet there was enough left for another meal.

She smiled, “It’s the blessings of Shri Annapurna. When you cook from your heart, you touch the heart of the others. It is most satisfying. When you learn how to mix the ingredients, you develop the sense of proportions. I am building such a large house but I am enjoying because I understand the proportions.”

Whether food was cooked for 10 guests and a 100 turned up, the phenomenon always reoccurred in her kitchen; food never ran short! After lunch she arranged the buses to take her guests for shopping to a handicraft exhibition.

In the evening, Shri Mataji and Sir C.P. invited them to Dinner. She was delighted at the shopping of Terra cottas,

“When you decorate your homes with these, they will relax you with their beautiful vibrations.”

She praised the handloom saris. “Feel their vibrations. When you buy them, you give employment to the poor weavers. Look at their art, their creativity makes me thoughtless!”

She heaped the plates with pound cakes she had specially baked from her mother’s recipes. Then she disclosed her new device of mixing colors for a stone finish. It magically transformed the concrete pillars in the courtyard to antique ones!

After a sumptuous Dinner, she called for her harmonium and taught a song she had composed during the independent struggle “Maa Teri Jaya ho.” In the moment of dismay, it inspired the spirits of the freedom fighters.

She made comfortable arrangements for their night halt in the large halls of pratishthan. There was an amazing experience at night—the group was asleep yet in meditation. Every one woke up absolutely fresh. The grass was still a little wet from the morning dew as the collective meditation took place in the lawn adjacent to her bedroom. A sense of complete harmony with nature prevailed. The inner agitations quietened and the right-side grew peaceful. A feeling of oneness in her cosmic body enveloped the collective. They could have stayed in her cosmic body till eternity but the breakfast call broke the spell!

The following week, boxes containing a treasure of artifacts gifted during her global travels were unpacked. She never thought of their value but treasured the love behind them. “These are my most precious possessions. They have been gifted by my children. Whether big or small, be very careful while handling them. I don’t want anything to be damaged.” She built special glass cupboards for their safe custody. There were curios, statues, carvings, inlays, china, weave and embroideries. “See how intricate the embroidery is. We should learn from the Chinese how to do such fine embroidery. It would match my bedroom wall.”

A small clay pot, gifted by a peasant from Ukraine, was given the place of honor in the center of her drawing room. She fondly showed it to guests. Though there were over seven hundred gift offerings from the last 16 years, but she vividly remembered the occasion and the country which had offered them. When the Italian box was opened, she narrated the miracle behind the purchase of the Chinese vases; “It was a jackpot! I was going to the airport and suddenly I started getting vibrations. I turned to see where the vibrations were coming from and I spotted a shop selling Chinese vases. The shopkeeper was having a sale at 25 percent discount, but when I offered to buy the whole shop he gave a 40 percent discount. My attention was on China and I was worried about its economy. So Param Chaitanya worked it out that I should give vibrations to Chinese handicrafts. I have no desire but the power of your pure desire reflects on me and Param Chaitanya works it out.

Next, as the Venetian porcelain lamps were unpacked, she recollected, “The Sahaja yogis wanted to offer me lamps for Diwali but they were frightfully expensive in Rome. On the way to Venice we passed a small town where they were on display. It turned out to be the factory that was supplying to Rome. We bought them from the factory at quarter the price. Again I should say, it is the power of your love that brings these blessings upon you.”

The Divine marvels kept unfolding till three in the morning! Finally, Sudha didi brought her dinner. Shri Mataji smiled, “Now you see why I have to build such a large house—to keep your gifts. Now stop giving me presents otherwise I would have to build another house for them. From now onwards I will not accept any individual presents anymore. There should be only one collective present.”

Next day she arranged for them to visit Ajanta and Ellora. She remarked, “You can love God without seeing him. Like those who never saw Buddha, created such wonders in his

glory. They were inspired by the power of  love .”

Chapter 21

On January 11, Shri Mataji blessed Paithan (ancient Pratishthan) with a Puja. She revealed Paithan was the ancient capital of her ancestors, the Shalivan Kings. (The Shalivahanas ruled Pratishthan for four centuries, from 230 B.C. to 230 A.D. Their empire covered most of central India.) Their reign was renowned as the golden age of the Spirit, described as ‘Ram Rajya’. Their spiritual prowess blessed their subjects with peace and prosperity.

Shri Mataji narrated Christ’s visit to Kashmir, “He met one of the Shalivahana kings who asked him where he came from. He answered he came from the land of Malechhas.”

She was happy to be back in the land of her ancestors and at the program, she appeared like a regal queen, in the lineage of her ancestors. She spoke briefly, but people seemed to be drawn to her by some inner recognition and got their realization from just looking at her.

The next morning, she watched the weavers spin the traditional nine-yard Paithani sari, traditionally offered to the Goddess. The collective offered her a green Paithani with an exquisite border of peacocks woven in gold threads.

She cautioned the western yogis not to go out in the midday sun. But some of them could not resist the sights of Aurangabad and got sun burnt. She gave them vibrations and covered the burnt area with her sari. Their hot vibrations escaped from her sari and left big holes behind.

Shortly thereafter she left for Aurangabad where she stayed with her brother Justice Salve, fondly called Bala Saheb. He invited his colleagues from the bench to receive their realization. She remarked that lawyers and judges get their realisation more easily because of their pure intelligence.

There was a collective left Vishuddhi catch. She said, “Judges often suffer from it because of their conscience. It constantly pricks them—’Have I delivered a fair judgment?’”

She asked them to repeat, “Mother you are the judge of all the judges.” The catch dissolved.

She recounted the cases fought by her father who was a leading criminal lawyer. He never charged fees from the poor. In one case he saved an innocent from the gallows by producing evidence of the bloodstained shirt of the murderer, which he had retrieved from the river.

The judges requested her to start a center in Aurangabad. A friend of Bala Sahib, Mr. Ghole, offered his house and a center was started there. Thereafter,  she left for a program in Ahmednagar.

On the 14th, Sankranti Puja was celebrated in Rahuri. The yogis poured their hearts out in Marathi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Italian and English bhajans. Shri Mataji sat till three in the morning enjoying the love of her children.

In the evening She addressed the professors at the Agricultural University, Rahuri. She explained how the food problems of the country could be solved through vibrations. “If non-hybrid seeds are vibrated, their yield would increase.”

She invited the professors to join her project of developing fodder seeds for the arid region of Maharashtra. The vibrated seeds would be distributed free to the poor farmers. Five professors volunteered for the project. The Vice Chancellor of the university sanctioned a grant for research.

The next day, she visited the ancient Wada of her ancestors in the village of Nandgaon Shingve, a few kilometers from Rahuri. Except for the facade, the fort was in ruins. She narrated the story of her grandfather who was the Raja. Upon his sudden demise his cousins plotted to kill his infant children and usurp the throne. A faithful servant revealed the plot to his widow. In the cover of the night, she escaped with her children by swimming across the Nandgaon Shingve River. Thus the hand of providence saved Shri Mataji’s father.

A professor from the Agriculture University enquired how her family took to Christianity. She replied, “My grandfather’s sister was widowed at the early age of 20. My grandfather was anxious to get her remarried, but the orthodox Hindu community prohibited widow remarriage. Thus to remarry his sister he embraced Christianity.”

A local politician offered to restore two acres of her ancestral land that his forefathers had encroached. However, the local yogis dissuaded, “Mother we have come to warn you about him. You have to be careful. He is a politician .”

She closed her eyes and receded within her Divinity. After five minutes, she opened her eyes, “Alright. That’s all you know about him? Now, I will tell you about him. This man has not married his wife. She is the wife of somebody else, and he has eloped with this woman. This lady was raped by him and that is how he has got this child.”

They were spellbound, “Mother, how do you know?”

She smiled, “First, you go and find out whatever I am saying is true or not?”

They returned a few hours later, “Mother, it is surprising that what you said was the truth.”

She explained, “On vibrations you can know everything. People think that when I say something about someone, it is because I received a report against him. But if I am the source of all the vibrations, what is there for me to get reported? Why should anybody report to me? If they want to report they may, but I know exactly the situation.” Question : How?

Shri Mataji : “When I see a person, I see his kundalini, and I know who he is.”

Question : But Shri Mataji, there are thousands of Sahaja yogis.

Shri Mataji : “There can be thousands of kundalinis, but I know who is who, because I love them.”

Though she knew about the past, present and the future, yet, she never revealed her powers or talked about them. She blended so freely with the villagers that she was often mistaken for one of them. Little did they realize the Adi Shakti was betwixt them behind her unassuming appearance.

It was not possible to define her, if a yogi got conditioned to one facet; she suddenly baffled him with another and left him feeling as though he had never known her before. In each photograph she looked different. No two photographs were alike. She smiled. “I am like a multi facet diamond that just reflects your love.”

Whatever one conceived her to be; she was not—neyeti, neyeti, neyeti—not this, not this, not this. If one tried to know her from the mind, she eluded it because concept was not reality. But when one sought her in the heart, she was always there…

Chapter 22

On the spring day of February 26, Shri Mataji blessed Mumbai with Mahashivaratri Puja. Later in the evening, she unraveled the Mistry, she spoke about the Brahma Chaitanya, “The Brahma Chaitanya is the Adi Shakti and Sadashiva is also in my heart. But since I am so much humanized, it is not easy to find out. If you tell this to modern human beings, they will not understand. For them the fact I encompass all the incarnations is too difficult to bear.”

A yogini questioned, “Mother, were you conscious of the humanization process?”

Answer : I accepted this growth consciously, not unconsciously. To me nothing is unconscious.

Then she reflected, “I am concerned they have put me aside as a Devi, and then I cannot be reached. Now, it will be you who will stand up and people will see you, and come into Sahaja… Lots of people have personalized it. They want to know what is happening about it in my family.”

On her return to Pratishthan, the garden was in full bloom. She fondly turned to the flowers and they enlarged with her glance. The nightingales came to pay their respects. She heard their woes and comforted them. They poured their love in a melodious ode of Holi. They perched on her arms and she fed them with prasad.

She instructed the gardener to provide a home for them in the corner of the garden with a pond for drinking water.

Her Lotus feet were worshipped with the vibrant Holi colors. She lifted her feet; Lo and behold! An imprint of Shri Ganesha was left on the emerald green grass.

Amidst the mirth and revelry, she jested, “I have laughed so much today, soon I will have to be serious.”

(Not knowing or perhaps knowing the sinister plans of the Mafia against her.)

Her 64th birthday Puja, celebrations were held at Shanmukhananda hall, Mumbai. The renowned queen of classical Indian music, Parveen Sultana, rendered a beftting tribute for the occasion. The audience requested her for a filmy ghazal. She promptly retorted, “Don’t you know in whose presence you are.”

Though she had not yet received her realization, she could sense Shri Mataji’s Divinity. Just as the tide responds to the full moon, similarly seekers sensed her divinity. She did not have to do anything. If they were ripe, their kundalinis responded. People, who saw her at airports, gravitated towards her. They felt tremendous peace in her presence. On the train to Pune, a mother and child where seated next to her. The child kept crying, but despite all the efforts the mother was unable to calm him. Shri Mataji took him in her lap and the child started laughing. Shri Mataji explained to her how to calm the child with vibrations.

On her return to Pratishthan on the 25th, she found a showcause notice nailed on the door for its demolition. She discovered a sinister plan between the builder’s mafia and the politicians’ to acquire all the land in the area under the pretext that it was unfit for agriculture. They wanted to convert this beautiful green valley into the strip of Las Vegas and hence they opposed genuine farming activity. The mafia prevailed upon the administration to cook up a case that Pratishthan was not a farmhouse but a temple. As temples were considered a commercial activity, they were not permissible in an agricultural zone.

Simultaneously, a frontal attack was launched through concocted reports by Sakal newspaper slandering Shri Mataji. The administration even probed her bank accounts to unearth if she had used public money or the funds of Life Eternal Trust for the construction. They found that all the money had come directly from her husband’s earnings abroad. Her husband had served as the secretary general of IMO United Nations for seventeen years and had saved this money for his retirement home.

Unperturbed by the harassment from the powerful politician-administration nexus, Shri Mataji instructed her attorney and left for an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand.

In her absence the mafia induced the administration to post a demolition order at the gates of Prathisthan on May 7. Though her attorney obtained a stay, the administration got it vacated on the 27th ex-parte.

The whole episode had shaken everyone. Perhaps, they lacked the faith or the understanding of the Param Chaitanya and needed to meditate deeper.

On her return from New Zealand, there was barely a day left to save Pratishthan. She sat up the whole night and dictated a petition to the Mumbai High Court. She rebutted each point with such an astute understanding of law that even the lawyers were baffled. Her brother who was a judge was astounded. She prepared the brief herself, and her brilliance reminded her Judge Brother of their astute father. She wanted to argue the case in the court but her brother dissuaded her.

On May 28th, while the hearing was taking place in the Mumbai High Court, she peacefully rested after the long journey. While she was in a deep sleep the court granted an order in her favor. The attorney was so excited and rushed to break the news but observing the protocol, no one disturbed her sleep. However, she suddenly woke up and smiled sweetly, “It’s done!”

Her expression seemed to say, “Its just a little play. The Param Chaitanya organizes everything and looks after everything.”

After a brief rest in Pratishthan, She left for Easter Puja in Rome.

Chapter 23

Shortly after Guru Puja at Shudhy Camps, Shri Mataji left for America. On September 8, she blessed America with Shri Vishnumaya Puja, “When you get your realization, you get a glint… that is the Vishnumaya which shines through your eyes. And she’s the one who takes you through the maya of Vishnumaya.”

The glint in the eye woke up the seekers. Many got their realization but only a few turned up at the follow-ups. She felt it was not working out because their Mooladhara was weak. But she did not give up on them and worked day and night to establish their Mooladhara, “It was too much but doesn’t matter, I went on and on and I worked it out.”

No sooner had she returned to London, she went on an extensive European tour.

Shri Krishna Puja was held in Paris. The renowned Shahnai mastero Ustad Bismilla Khan performed the evening before the Puja. Shri Mataji blessed him; “You have been serving God by spreading auspiciousness. Before every auspicious occasion your music is played… please forgive this audience of yogis if they commit any mistakes in your honor as they are like your children.”

He humbly bowed, “Please, may they commit such mistakes again and again!”

On October 4, Shri Ram Puja was celebrated in

Switzerland. Shri Mataji lauded his qualities, “Let us decide that we are going to have Ram Rajya in Sahaja Yoga, where there is benevolence, love, compassion, security, peace, joy and discipline (maryadas) within ourselves.”

On the 9th, Mahalakshmi Puja was held in Belgium, followed by Shri Mahakali Puja in Germany on the 18th.

Diwali Puja was performed in Italy on October 25th. Before her departure she gathered all the flowers offered by her children and carried them on board the plane. Throughout the long journey her attention was on the flowers through which she nestled the love of her children. When she arrived in Mumbai, the fowers were absolutely fresh!

Chapter 24

On December 12, the fishermen village of Alibag wore a festive look to welcome Shri Mataji with their traditional dances. She stayed in the house of a fisherman and tents were pitched for 300 yogis. The next day she blessed them with a Puja.

On the 17th, Marathwada was blessed with a Puja in Aurangabad. Thereafter the Tour proceeded to Ahmednagar, for a program.

The five professors along with the students from the Agricultural University prayed to Shri Mataji to bless agriculture at the Rahuri Puja on the 21st. The next day they brought their students to the Sangamnere program.

At the Christmas Puja held by Bhugaon Lake, Pune, Shri Mataji found the vibrations very powerful and suggested to buy the land. Unfortunately, before it could be negotiated, a hotel group stepped in. But Param Chaitanya intervened; a few years later it blessed Pune with a much bigger land, above the lake.

After the Puja Shri Mataji left for Kolhapur to buy silver for the weddings. Just outside the Mahalakshmi Temple, she was drawn by the vibrations of a silver shop. The shop owner recognized her, and the very next day opened a centre above his shop.

A new Vaikuntha was created on the shores of Ganpatipule. Shri Mataji used the local red stone to make beautiful huts for her children. An open-air amphitheater was carved out of the hill slope.

On New Years’ Eve, there were presents for everyone. First, all the children under ten were called. She had bought crayons, toys and chocolates from U.K. for them. Then the age group under 15 was presented with stationery boxes. Pens and games, “If some one asks for another pen, let him have it.” Age groups below 21 followed next; there were shirts and ties for men, necklaces and bangles for the ladies.

There were watches for the 30-years age group; Tea sets, pots and pans for the middle aged. “I have bought special wallets for men above 40 and they are pure leather.” “Ah, give the Acropol cups I bought in Paris for the Women in their 50’s.”

Five hours passed but Shri Mataji was lost in the joy of giving. The more she gave, the more her power of love energized her. “When there is love, there is energy!”

Chapter 25

1988

On January 10, Mahasankranti Puja was held in Mumbai. Shri Mataji revealed that though she knew each one through his Sushumna, daily meditation was necessary for its widening.

Shortly thereafter, she returned to Pratishthan. She was keen to develop vibrated seeds for farmers and bought 35 acres of land on the banks of the River Mutha, Shere village, 30 km from Pune. The land was not connected by road, but the seller assured her he would procure the land for an access road. After she purchased it, he hiked the price of the assured land. But Shri Mataji did not fall in his trap and refused to pay the exorbitant price. Rather, she found an alternate route used by buffaloes.

She taught the farmers how to develop the natural immunity of seeds through vibrations. They gave up hybrid seeds and took to vibrated ones. She advised the use of organic farmyard manure as chemical fertilizers increased the heat in the soil. Moreover, it reduced the expense on pesticides.

Between the agriculture experiments and public programs, she cured patients. Dr. Khan form Kolkatta was on his deathbed. In fact, he was declared clinically dead. She asked the phone to be put to his ears and repeated a mantra several times. After ten minutes his pulse returned. An hour later he walked out of the hospital. No one had imagined that a mantra could be so powerful!

Amidst her hectic schedule, she travelled to Delhi for drawing the plans for the new Ashram at Qutub. She had just finished rhyming the Pratishthan poem and now it was the turn of Delhi! Each project was a pretext for rhyming the yogis. Every act of the Adi Shakti was directed to harmonize the mind with the Spirit. She reminded the architects, “A Sahaja Ashram is not a commercial building but the manifestation of your Mother’s love.”

She worked on the architects till the early hours of dawn to rhyme their poem. Her attention went to the minutest of details. Mindful of Delhi’s heat, she planned high ceilings and verandas to keep the building cool. She adorned it with the warmth of her love in pink sandstone. Apart from the cool vibrations of the pink stone, it also solved the maintenance problems.

In February, Mr.Murthy, whose heart had recently been cured by her, arranged programs in Coimbatore, Chennai and Bangalore. The seekers left side conditionings kept pulling their kundalinis down. Shri Mataji advised Mr.Murthy on how to cleanse their left side and said she would have to come again.

On the occasion of her 65th birthday, Shri Mataji laid the foundations of the Sahaja Women Welfare society in Aradgoan, near Rahuri for the welfare of the village women. The Australian High Commission in New Delhi graciously funded the project.

Shri Purushottam Jalota, (father of Anoop Jalota), felicitated her Birthday celebrations in Mumbai. Musicians recognized her because they were specially gifted by God to assist her mission. Despite their busy schedules, they were always anxious to perform for her. She blessed great maestros: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Bhajan Sopori, Anoop Jalota, Debu Choudhary, Ustad Shafat Hussain, Pandit Jas-raj, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Praveen Sultana, Mrs.Rajam and others. After receiving their self-realization, they not only became legends but also vital channels for spreading vibrations.

At the felicitation program, she revealed, “Collectivity cannot be achieved without individuals and individuals cannot gain anything without the collective. We have to develop a balance between the individual and the collective… You get the collective consciousness by which you feel the collective. Not only that but you get the power to correct the collective. For example the Sahaja Yogis can create peace; they can bring all kinds of auspiciousness.”

In April, Shri Mataji left for Easter Puja celebrations in Shudy Camps. Thereafter, she blessed Sahasrara Puja in Rome on the 5th of May.

At the Ekadasha Rudra Puja held in Vienna on June 8, she awakened the Ekadasha Rudra force of the yogis to help them fight their own negativity as well as the world’s.

Thereafter, on July 10 she opened the collective Hamsa ^th chakra of Germany.

At the Independence Day celebrations in Colombia on July 20, Shri Mataji pointed that the true freedom was the independence of the Spirit. The evening program saw 200 seekers receive their independence.

On 23rd, Shri Buddha Puja was held in San Diego. Photographs taken during the Pujas revealed a strange phenomenon showing lights emanating from Shri Mataji. Initially, it seemed like an over exposure. But the phenomenon reoccurred again at Guru Puja in Andorra, Italy on July 31. The phenomenon appeared in a sequence; in the frst photograph, Shri Mataji appeared sitting on a bench in a boat with the yogis. The second photo showed lights glowing on top of their heads. In the third photo, their faces faded and in the fourth, they disappeared all together; only streams of luminous lights remained.

But the interesting feature was that the bench on which Shri Mataji sat remained the same in all the photographs. She explained that as the bench was made of matter, its vibrations did not change whereas the vibrations transformed the yogis when their kundalini rose. As their Sahasraras expanded, the vibrations cascaded in the ether. The camera lens captured the vibrations emerging from their Sahasraras in streams of colors.

More miracle photographs appeared in Shri Krishna Puja on August 6. Shri Mataji commented that she did not do anything. It was the Param Chaitanya trying to reveal her

Divinity.

On the 11th, Shri Fatima Puja was held in Switzerland. She revealed that the principle of the Gruha Lakshmi was specially created to remove from the minds of the people the ‘icy stuff’ called hatred!

Chapter 26

During the nine nights of Navaratri, commencing on October 11, Pujas were held in Pratishthan. On the frst night, Shri Ganesha Puja was performed.

On the second night, the ‘Devi Suktam’ was rendered. The yogis became like innocent newborn babes protected in the folds of their Mother’s sari.

On the third and fourth night, prayers to the nine manifestations of the Goddess were offered for her kavacha (protection). The Goddess graciously bestowed her protection, “It is good for the center heart. The Devi has so many powers to protect. But first you have to surrender to her. I have given you my kavacha as a bandhan. You must take the bandhan before leaving the house, going on a journey and before sleeping. In my case, I do not protect myself at all. I have allowed my body to be very free. So if any Sahaja Yogi who comes to me and has some problem; I first absorb it and clean it. I have to suffer a little bit, doesn’t matter, because I see my suffering as a witness.”

On the fifth night, Shri Mataji explained the meaning of Eknath’s ‘Jogwa’, “Sahaja yoga is what Eknath envisioned—the spontaneous union with the Divine. Now you must introspect and fulfill his great vision.”

On the sixth night, she drew the collective in her boat across the Agnya and revealed how to use her Shakti. Little by little she withdrew into the cosmic silence which drew the collective into ‘nirvichara’. When she opened her eyes they appeared like still pools overflowing with compassion. It was the love of a mother that compels her to save her children, the compassion that compelled the Goddess to battle the demons and the compassion described in the Devi Mahatmya as ‘Sandra Karuna’.

On the seventh night (October 17), a prayer was offered from the Atharva Veda, ‘Devi Atharva Sheersham’. Shri Mataji revealed how to evoke the Beeja mantras, “The Adi Shakti is referred to as ‘Ei’ in the Vedas.” When the Beeja mantras were evoked by a realized soul they opened all the knots.

The eighth night was very special; Shri Mataji revealed the process of creation. To quench the mental thirst, she kindly allowed questions. But cautioned, “The thirst of the spirit is quenched by Bhakti. When you are in the ecstasy, there is nothing to ask.”

The futility of mental fiction dawned upon the collective and it surrendered to her in devotional hymns from Devi Mahatmyam (Mahalakshmi Stotram) It dawned upon the conscious mind that, Shri Adi Shakti, as the source of creation, not only transcended everything but was also underlying it.

On the ninth night, the meandering of the Agnya ceased and a seamless connection established with her. All the prayers, hymns, bhajans and mantras were contained therein. Those who dared to analyze, fell back into the meanderings of the Agnya!

For nine nights, the Goddess fought the collective negativity. And on the tenth, she triumphed!

The collective prayed to the Devi to destroy the negativity of the world. She shot an arrow from her bow and set the three effigies symbolizing the devils ablaze.

Chapter 27

On December 16, India Tour commenced with the Pune program. The devotion of the Western yogis expressed in Marathi bhajans electrified the public. Shri Mataji thanked them for doing her job!

Shortly thereafter, programs were held in Sangli. The tour camped by the Krishna River. Shri Mataji stayed the night at Sangli. In the morning, she was suddenly taken ill by the negativity coming from the camp. Apparently, the yogis had caught a chill in the morning after taking a hot water bath in the open. Shri Mataji gave them a bandhan and they felt better.

Her words sunk in, “You are cells in my body and I have awakened you. If you degenerate, my body generates.” It was a lesson never to forget—the body was the shrine of the Holy Spirit and each one was responsible to maintain its auspiciousness.

The following day the tour eagerly boarded the buses for Ganpatipule. Their spirits lifted at the sight of the azure ocean—it was a homecoming! Each night was a celestial feast; the wine of divine melodies kept the children awake in their dreams.

Each dawn brought pearls from the depths of the ocean and enriched their spirits.

On Christmas Eve, Shri Mataji fondly remembered her crucified son. The collective prayed for his resurrection within. He beckoned to the Lotus Feet of his Divine Mother.

The following evening the weddings were announced. Each yogi was attached to the family of the bride or the groom. The elders played the role of father, mother or the maternal uncle, while the younger ones; the brothers or the bridesmaid. The couples exchanged couplets during the wedding feast. Shri Mataji bubbled with laughter at their amusing couplets and the collective rejoiced in her mirth.

Chapter 28

1989

Early January, Shri Mataji commenced her Gujarat tour from Baroda. The city of art, music and culture welcomed her enthusiastically. Next, at the Ahmedabad program, she felt a strong Nabhi catch, “It is not diffcult for me to give realization, but the Gujaratis must overcome their attachment to money.” Throughout the three-hour drive to Rajkot, she kept her hand on her Nabhi to clear the collective catch.

At Rajesh Shah’s ancestral home, Chorwad, maidens bedecked in traditional costumes paved Shri Mataji’s path with rose petals across a beautiful pavilion set in a coconut groove. Thousands of villagers performed an arti in Gujarati. Plantain leaves were placed under her Lotus Feet. After, they escorted her in a beautifully decorated bullock cart to the public meeting. Later in the evening, she cured a terminal cancer patient. By the end of the music program he jubilantly joined the Dandia dance.

After a brief rest in Pune, Shri Mataji left for the airport to catch a flight for Hyderabad. The plane was three hours late. Unmindful of the delay, she enjoyed talking to every one—enquiring after their family, children’s education narrating anecdotes, laughing. Despite their long wait at the airport the Hyderabad yogis looked so fresh. They said “Mother we were singing bhajans and enjoying the cool vibrations. It felt like a Puja. Three hours flew in the fraction of a second!” Shri Mataji smiled, “My attention was on all of you because I was so concerned you were waiting at the airport for three hours.”

The devotion of the yogis brought many seekers to the program. A well-known saint Vira Bramhendra Swami had predicted her advent and had written about the Kundalini. The public awareness about the kundalini helped mobilize their left side.

But on arriving at Chennai, she found its left side had yet to be mobilized. To mobilize the left side it was necessary to steady their attention first. Accordingly, she blessed them with Shri Chitta Shakti Puja.

As she proceeded to Bangalore, the movement of the left side became more complicated. It had become more complicated because in modern times the Rakshasas had entered the brains of the devotees. Hence, Shri Mataji felt it necessary to establish the Ganesha principle with Shri Ganesha Puja. At the next program, the Hall was full! The experience taught the yogis to pray for her blessings before each program.

On the March 3, Shri Mataji visited her hometown, Nagpur. The warm welcome of her relations and childhood friends was overwhelming, “I felt I have come to my mother’s place. May be they have some inner knowledge and force that binds them to me and helped them to recognize me after so many years.”

She narrated sweet anecdotes from her childhood. The conversation shifted to the problems of new sahaja yogis and she advised the collective not to cure patients directly but use her photograph instead. She enquired after her Father’s house in Chindwara. Baba Mama reported that a doctor had opened a clinic there. She said it would be a good idea to buy it back.

A fanatic organisation called ‘Andha Shraddha Nirmulan’, tried to disrupt her public meeting. They accused Sahaja Yoga of blind faith and superstition. She clarified, “On the contrary Sahaja Yoga is against blind faith and superstition. Sahaja Yoga is enlightened faith!” She asked the police commissioner to verify for himself. He got his realization and felt the cool vibrations. He disbursed the mischief mongers and the program ended blissfully.

The mood lightened by the evening with a delightful rendering of classical music. Her dinner was interrupted by an emergency call from a patient who had an attack of paralysis.

She felt an agonizing catch in her left vishuddhi. The center leader reported that the patient was in the habit of telling lies. She said the attack was its consequence. However, in her compassion she gave him a bandhan and he recovered. Thereafter she warned of the temptations that yogis fall into and the adverse consequences on their health.

The following day the yogis journeyed down the memory lane of Shri Mataji’s childhood. The sound of her childhood laughter rang everywhere, as though it was eternally etched in the collective unconscious—the echo of the silver bells on her bare ankles walking from school to home; the music of her singing in the parks where she played; the tears she shed; watching her father climb the dome of the Nagpur High Court amidst a rain of bullets to pull down the Union Jack and hoist the Indian Tricolour.

The yogis visited her father’s house in Chindwara. Tremendous vibrations cascaded from a small room. When they mentioned it to her, she modestly smiled, “I was born in it.”

All too soon, she flew to Delhi and left behind the sweet childhood memories. On March 6, she drenched Delhi in the ocean of Lord Shiva’s love. The yogis were so empowered that they were no more worried about catches at the programs and took the new seekers into their hearts. The more their heart opened, the larger it grew and the greater the joy poured. Like the sun’s rays do not differentiate between the good and the bad, similarly, during the programs, Shri Mataji embraced the sea of humanity in her heart.

For the next 10 days, her love just poured upon the mammoth gatherings in Delhi, Noida and Pritampura, without wanting anything in return. In the mornings, she attended to their individual problems. It was impossible for any individual to cope with her hectic schedule and the yuvas divided themselves in relay teams to keep up with her.

And more blessings were wrapped in the warmth of her love—the gift of Qutub Ashram. The yogis prayed that their ardent gratitude would reach her in the devotion of their bhajans. She advised the retired yogis to take care of the Ashram. Mr. Venugopalan requested her to stay in the ashram. She reflected, “My husband will not allow me to stay unless you accept rent.”

He was in tears—how could it be! Firstly, she built the Ashram with her own money. Next, she donated it and now she insisted on paying rent for it. He pleaded, “Why such modesty, Mother, you always keep nothing for your self and give everything to us. But this time we will not eat till you agree to keep the upper floors.”

The lumps in his throats melted when she relented. Two floors were marked for her residence but she chose only one floor with the smallest room for herself. (However, when she stayed there, Mr. Srivastava gave a handsome donation to Sahaja Yoga, far more than the rent she had stipulated!)

Shri Mataji was overwhelmed by the elaborate arrangements at the Noida program, “You should not have spent so much! Your love has drawn me to Noida and now I will have to build my house here. In 1982, a housing plot was allotted to my husband on Yamuna embankment but it has been lying vacant since.”

On March 17 the call of the Noida musicians echoed in the ^th lush green Doon Valley and Dehradun spread a carpet of spring flowers to welcome the Holy Mother. It proclaimed, “The blossom time has come.”

Thousands of seekers gathered to celebrate ‘the blossom time’ and Shri Mataji showered her choicest blessings upon them.

Shri Mataji’s 66th Birthday was celebrated in Delhi on March 19. Each petal unfolded its sweet fragrance and rejoiced in the glow of her love. The Birthday celebrations were also held in Mumbai the following day. Mrs. Kirti Shiledar embellished the felicitation at Suryavanshi hall with her exuberant Sangeetnatya. Shri Mataji was pleased with the beautiful floral offerings from her children, “When I see all these flowers you have brought me, I think of you who were flowers before and have now matured into fruits. This gives me the greatest pleasure.”

She blessed the floral offerings and gave them back to her children for vibrating their homes. They thanked her from their hearts and vowed to bring 51 new sahaja yogis on her next Birthday. Thereafter she left for Kolkatta.

On board the Kolkatta flight the renowned playback singer Ravindra Jain got his realization. As Shri Mataji alighted from the plane, he insisted on helping her carry her vanity case. She was reluctant, “It does not look nice that men should carry a lady’s vanity case.”

He was in tears, “Because I am blind I cannot even carry my mother’s case.”

She did not want to hurt his feelings and allowed him to carry it. As she got into the car, he whispered in her ears, “Mother I have written a bhajan for you.”

She asked him to come in the morning. Humbly, he sang ‘Vishwa Vandita’. She was drenched in vibrations. She made corrections so it could be offered before the arti at Easter Puja on the 26th.

At the programs, Golden Bengal hailed her advent, “Come, the Mother Calls”. Poets, writers, artists and musicians heeded the call and flocked for her blessings. The billboards proclaimed, “In Sahaja Yoga it is compulsory to be happy” – how else could it be!

Chapter 29

An Austrian yogini, Lisa, living in Nepal prayed to Shri Mataji for programs in Kathmandu. On March 29, Shri Mataji blessed Kathmandu. En route from the airport as she crossed Pashupati Nath Temple, she fondly recalled her previous visit in March 1977, when Rajesh Shah had the vision of her as Lord Shiva. When he stood at the threshold of the temple, he saw her rising from infinity and entering infinity. The experience transformed him and he became completely surrendered.

Lisa enquired about the erotics built on the outside of the Pushupati Nath Temple.

Shri Mataji replied, “The Tantriks told the artists who were decorating the Temple that the Goddess of Thunderbolt (Vishnumaya) was a virgin and if they put erotics on the outside then she would not come there and thus the Temple would be saved from rain, wind and lightening. In India also they befooled the artists by creating a superstition that erotics distract the evil eye, and under that pretext they built them in Khajuraho and Konark. They tried to connect every human endeavor with sex because they claimed that God could be reached through it. They indulged in pornography and wrote texts like Kamasutra. Thus they started fertility cults.”

Lisa : Is Linga the sign of fertility?

Shri Mataji : “When the Adi Shakti separated from Sadashiva, then she took his pradakshina in an elliptical movement to garland him. Thereafter, in the abstract, Shri Sadashiva, the eternal witness, was symbolized as the lingam, and his shakti making the pradakshina was symbolized as the yoni. It represented the path of ascent.”

Lisa : Could you please tell us a little about these Tantrikas?

Shri Mataji : “Tantrikas followed satanic practices and they fooled seekers into believing that they could reach God through secret methods of sex excitement. When the kundalini is thus insulted, she freezes, and the attention of God Almighty who is watching through the deity of the chakra ultimately recedes. The dead entities from the collective sub-conscious and the collective supra-conscious start entering the conscious mind of the seeker and overpower him. Then like an obsessed soul, the seeker starts taking the orders from a guru who has hypnotized him.”

Lisa : How do they hypnotize people?

Shri Mataji : Tantrikas do tratak. They put their eyes on your eyes, means whatever negativity they have accumulated in their eyes moves to your eyes. This is how negativity passes on. When this negativity enters the person he feels very powerful. It is nothing but a possession. Flirtation also works the same way.

Lisa : What is the relationship between sex and spirituality?

Shri Mataji : “Absolutely none! At the outset it must be realized that the kundalini is placed in the sacrum bone at Mooladhara. Much lower than kundalini, the Mooladhara chakra is placed in the prostate gland outside the spinal cord. It controls the pelvic plexus, which also controls sex. The deity of this centre, Lord Ganesha, guards the protocol of the Mother Kundalini. Thus there is no entry from sex point to kundalini. Deliberate attention on organisms is very harmful to spirituality and causes possession.”

She drew the chakra chart to show how the desiring force manifests through the Mahalakshmi channel. “The sex desire occurs under special conditions prevailing in this channel; primarily, the natural desire of husband and wife to come closer. In its privacy, the sex contact gives fulfillment.”

Then she pointed to the Pingala nadi, “In the Pingala, there is no special condition which awakens the natural urge. On the contrary it is awakened through eye contact. Eye contact is sex appeal where any imagination can stimulate sex. The Mahasaraswati Shakti is nurtured by the Swadishtan chakra. When sex is in the mind then we operate through the Mahasaraswati Shakti and it enters the brain. Hence it cannot be fulfilled because it is through mental projection. This is damaging and results in impotency. Christ has said ‘Thou shalt not have adulterous eyes’.”

“Nepal was specially made for spirituality to shield India, which is the kundalini of the universe. But it deviated from the Sushumna and took to the falsehood of tantrism. That is why it is cursed with so much poverty. But now I have come to establish the Lakshmi Tattwa.”

During Shri Lakshmi Puja held at the Ashram, Shri Mataji’s attention was drawn to Nepal’s economic problems. Prior to her visit, the relation between India and Nepal had soured. India refused to extend its trade treaties because of Nepal’s arm deals with China. Thus Nepal went without salt, sugar, petrol and kerosene. The Nepalese king retaliated by banning all Indian events. Minutes before Shri Mataji arrived; the Royal Academy Hall shut its gates on her. It was ominous for the Royal family. Lisa pleaded with the Palace that Sahaja Yoga was for the emancipation of the Nepalese people and had nothing to do with the Indian politics. But it was of no avail and she returned crestfallen.

Shri Mataji asked, “What’s the matter?”

Lisa reported that the Royal Academy had shut its gates.

Shri Mataji was unperturbed, “Where is the problem! We can have the program in the Ashram garden!”

Little did the crestfallen Lisa realize that Shri Mataji was supremely in control of the situation!

Shri Mataji smiled, “When you look at the problem from the Sahasrara then you will be surprised there are only solutions. Problems are like bubbles, created by our own mind.”

Then the power of Kalki took over! The kitchen pendal transformed into an enclosure for Shri Mataji, the dinning tables turned into a stage, a sari draped around a chair turned into a throne and the lawn expanded into a perfect open air auditorium. Before Lisa knew, she heard Shri Mataji’s voice loud and clear, without a mike, addressing 1500 seekers, “I am not a politician but a saint and I have come to show you how you can achieve self realization, nothing else.”

The episode sparked her playful mood. After the program the yogis sat around her for hours enjoying her subtle jokes and sparkling wit. One of the least expected and yet most delightful of her traits was a prodigious sense of humor.

The seekers returned the next day with their families and friends in double the number. With her blessings not only did the seekers get their realization, but the problem between India and Nepal also resolved amicably. Moreover, the Nepalese economy took an upward curve.

While shopping for terracotta at Machindranath Chowk, she suddenly felt a gust of vibrations. She was pleased and observed there were a lot of vibrations in Nepal because the ganas were created there.

Chapter 30

On April 23, Shri Hanuman Puja was held in the seaside resort of Clintonville, in the south east coast of England. In the Puja talk Shri Mataji advised the collective to venture forth without any fear, forgetting as to what will happen, confident that the Param Chaitanya would integrate and sustain their effort to transform the world.

At the Naples Airport on May 4, over a thousand Yogis from 35 nations welcomed Shri Mataji. There was concern about the weather as it had been raining incessantly since the previous day. However, the moment Shri Mataji’s plane landed, Lo and Behold! – The sun beamed a welcome smile!

The Sahasrara seminar was held in the seaside resort of Sorrento. On the sunny morning of the fifth, the yogis accompanied Shri Mataji to the Isle of Capri. The ocean was very rough; Shri Mataji silently gazed at it and the ocean began aiding her in calming the agitated minds of her children. Her eyes beckoned them to the distant horizon, reflecting her infinite form of Param Chaitanya. To witness it, it was necessary to rise above personal problems and take to solving the collective ones.

Upon approaching Capri, her attention rested on the two rocks jutting out of the sea, “This is how the Zen masters used to take the help of nature to guide the seekers to achieve thoughtlessness.”

Photographs taken of the boat trip showed lights cascading from Shri Mataji’s Sahasrara. It appeared like the thousand petal Sahasrara described in the Devi Mahatmayam. The Param Chaitanya left no room for doubt about her Divinity—the streams of light were none other than vibrations cascading from the thousand petal Lotus, the Sahasrara of Shri Mataji. When she saw the photographs, she smiled, “This is what you see inside my brain! When the photographs were taken, you were singing ‘Sitting in the heart of the Universe,’ hence, you evoked the heart of the universe within me and its vibrations poured out in all directions from my Sahasrara.

The Mayor of Sorrento offered her the keys of the city and invited her to bless the traditional folk dances and songs. The following day she miraculously saved a child who had fallen from a height of 18 feet on to a concrete floor.

The Puja commenced just after the dark phase of the moon was over. Suddenly she stopped the bhajans and asked the yogis to put one hand on the heart and with the feeling of awe to pray, “What a great privilege it is that we are singing in the presence of the Adi Shakti, herself.”

As in the miracle photograph the vibrations gushed from the hearts to the Sahasrara. The collective thanked her for incarnating on this earth and prayed that she may eternally remain enshrined in their hearts. She answered their prayers and the flow of her love became so tangible that it started singing in the hands of the Sorrento seekers during the program.

En route to Naples, Shri Mataji was saddened by the devastation caused in Pompeii by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. She observed it was an expression of the Ekadasha Rudra checking the oversized ego of the place.

On her arrival in Naples, the television crews interviewed her. She greatly praised the good heart of the people of Naples who had so much love and regard for their mother. A lady suffering from vertigo approached her at the program. As Shri Mataji cured her, every one’s kundalini shot up.

Shri Mataji arrived in Rome in the wee hours of the morning. Despite the sleepless nights, her face shone like a thousand suns and she cured a lady of liver cancer at the program.

Chapter 31

On Mother’s Day, flower offerings poured from her children world over. She was moved to tears, as she read their sweet cards, “It is a great blessing that in this westernized world people still remember and thank the mother.”

She wanted to thank each one personally, but with such a busy schedule she could not reply individually. However, she conveyed her heartfelt thanks and blessings through a note from London. She preserved all the cards, letters, gifts and photographs in her personal archives.

Her attention was on how to save the innocence of children from the permissive attacks of the modern society. Something had to be done. She thought of her wonderful visit to Talnoo, Dharamsala and the vibrations surged, “Yes, why not send them there.” She telephoned Yogi Mahajan in Dharamsala and he was honored to donate his land for a Sahaja school. On May 21, the school opened at his house with seven children.

On May 18, a double rainbow appeared in Madrid to greet Shri Mataji. It rose from the site of the program and arched to her residence. Observing the program posters on the streets, she suggested, writing on them, “If you stretch your hands towards the photo, you can feel the cool breeze.” Thus for months after her departure seekers could get their realization from the posters.

A cancer patient got cured at the Barcelona program. On May 20, Buddha Puja was performed in the Buddha-like ambience by Hotel El Farrell, near Barcelona. As the nature basked in her vibrations, it reminded her of the Saptshringi Temple at Vani. She humorously referred to herself as the laughing Buddha, “Now that I have given you realization; it is up to you to maintain it. You should not get caught up in the ego, and above all be truthful to ourselves.

The Spanish collective offered her a copy of El Greco’s ‘El Pentecostes’. Pointing at the little fames painted above the heads of the saints, she exclaimed, “Look at their kundalinis!”

On May 24, Shri Athena Puja was held in Athens. Shri Mataji recalled an earlier visit with her husband, “The wife of the Prime Minister came to receive me, because she had heard from her husband, of Mrs. Srivastava’s immaculately feminine and serene personality!”

She revealed that Athena was an incarnation of Shri Adi Shakti. Greece was Devaloka, but the Greek tragedy was that they had humanized their Gods and thus got lost. Greece was the centre of the Nabhi and Shri Athena, the Holy Ghost, had to be awakened for it to become an integrating force for balancing Europe.

At the program at Hotel Grande Bretagne, she greatly praised the Greek heritage, “The Greeks already had the knowledge of the sacrum bone. Though they had been blessed with prosperity, they lost it because they didn’t keep to spirituality.”

Later in the evening, the conversation turned to the quality of seekers. Shri Mataji mentioned that seekers could be oriented by family, money or power. But these pursuits did not bring any joy, only misery. “One cannot know God through the intellect, Bhakti is the only way.” Kabir bhajans followed dinner. She sat till three in the morning revealing Kabir’s depth.

As she prepared to leave, the Greeks had a great desire to accompany her to Istanbul, but the fight was full. She gave a bandhan and seven seats got vacated. She gave another bandhan and there were twelve more cancellations. Thus all the children few blissfully under the wings of their loving Mother!

An Italian yogini, Carla Mottina who was posted in Istanbul had arranged a program at the Hilton Convention Centre. She was a bit apprehensive about Islamic fundamentalists. But as soon as the surah verse from the Koran, which glorifed the Mother, was quoted, cool vibrations cascaded the hall. Shri Mataji was surprised at the sensitivity of the seekers. She attributed it to Attaturk Kemal Pasha, who was a realized soul and had succeeded in separating religion from politics. Thus he ushered Turkey from its medieval moorings to a modern nation.

A small Puja was held in Carla’s fat overlooking the Bosporus. Watching the Bosporus shimmering in the sun, Shri Mataji comforted, “My love is like the sun which shines for everybody. I have no preferences for individuals. It is up to you to turn towards the sun and move closer to me”.

Chapter 32

On June 11, Shri Mataji commenced her American tour with Virata Puja in Bantam, Connecticut. She urged the American yogis to work hard for Sahaja Yoga, “Get rid of the fear of being right sided, become disciplined. Get up early, bathe, do Puja, change the life style and lead a spartan, dynamic life.”

The next day she blessed a public meeting in New York. Thereafter, she cooled the Canadian right-side at the Toronto program by first quenching their mental quest for questions. A seeker enquired who paid for her air-tickets.

Shri Mataji smiled, “I should not pay for your salvation, should I? It does not give you self-respect. But in the beginning I have to do it, I know. It is not good. There is no harm in paying for my ticket. By God’s Grace my husband is rich, I should say from a rich family—they do not mind spending this money because they know it is for the emancipation of humanity.”

Her love melted Toronto’s right side as she sweetly said, “It is not mental knowledge. It is the love of God. I am here to introduce you to his love.”

Thereafter, her attention turned to America’s left side. To cleanse the American left-side it was necessary to yoke the Mahakali channel to Shri Adi Shakti. She yoked it at the Mahakali Pujas held in Vancouver on the 17th and San Diego on the 19th. For harnessing the Mahakali power, it was essential to strengthen the Mooladhar, but the weak Mooladhar of America was susceptible to all kinds of catches of immorality.

The following week, programs were held in Los Angles, Miami, Bogota, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. She returned to New York on July 3. In recognition of her effort for World Peace, the United Nations awarded her the Medal of Peace. She left for London the next day.

On 9th July, Shri Mataji blessed France with Devi Puja. The French collective was rather worried as the time was short for making the arrangements in Melun. Shri Mataji immediately picked up their tension and tried to relax them otherwise they would not be able to absorb her vibrations. “I have suddenly arrived. Perhaps you were not prepared with formalities—lined up together like the military. It makes no difference to me. I was so happy to see you all because I love you all and you love me. It’s a family and there are no formalities in a family”.

She stayed up till 2 a.m. at the program, cleansing their chakras. Next day, she left for programs in Belgium and Holland.

On July 19, Param Chaitanya Puja was held in the south of Munich. The children  ardently prayed, “We should be more and more aware that we are the part and and parcel of the Param Chaitanya; we can feel it, we can use it and we can work it out.” The Param Chaitanya delighted and drenched them with vibrations.

On the 22nd, a thousand yogis assembled at Lago de Breis to worship their Guru. The majestic Alpine glacier welcomed the Primordial Guru with floral offerings of rain petals. The program commenced with a humble invocation to the Divine Mother followed by traditional Austrian folk dances. The Austrian songs, music and dances uplifted the spirits. Shri Mataji requested an encore of the Blue Danube. The great joy she felt in the collective hearts, reflected in her heart, “It was a rare moment—a beginning of a new world, the vision of which I had long ago.”

In the Puja talk she revealed how the whole moment of the Guru principle took place in the Nabhi. “When we are in our Mother’s womb, the first nourishment comes to us from our Mother, so a Guru must have the Mother’s qualities. The nourishment has to be retained within.”

The joy of seeing the reflection of her love trickled down every nerve and fibre of the children.

Chapter 33

After establishing Sahaja Yoga in Europe, Shri Mataji’s attention turned towards the Eastern Block. It was shrouded by an iron curtain and not easy to penetrate. But the Param Chaitanya transcended all man made barriers and arranged a sequence of events. It transpired that a yogi gave realization to a Soviet diplomat posted in Delhi. Not long before, his chronic knee problem got  cured. The diplomat informed his friend in the Kremlin of his miraculous cure. His friend, Mr. Khotsialov, communicated the miracle healing to the Soviet Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health became anxious to learn about the science of Sahaja Yoga healing and offcially invited Shri Mataji as a state guest.

After a century of slumber, the Russians awoke to the call of their Mother. On the historic day of August 4, 1989, Shri Mataji showered her love upon Soviet bureaucrats, politicians, experts, scientists and doctors in the conference room of the Ministry of Health. She revealed how psychosomatic problems could be cured by the power of the kundalini. “This is metamodern science, above modern science.”

They had never felt so much motherly love before and yearned for self realization. Shri Mataji opened their hearts and blessed them with collective love.

The Soviet Ministry of Health and The Life Eternal Trust signed a protocol for a joint venture in research and application of Sahaja Yoga curatives. A prophecy came true! (June 29, 1985 at Guru Puja in Paris, Shri Mataji said, “Russians and Chinese will take to Sahaja Yoga in no time.”)

“It is indeed surprising, that a country that did not acknowledge God should be the first one to officially recognize Sahaja Yoga! They are scientists with open minds and such a thirst for the truth that they got their realization. Because of their quality of pure intelligence, they had the capacity to recognize the absolute truth.”

Chapter 34

On the August 6, Shri Bhairavnath Puja was held at the Garlate kindergarten, Italy. Thereafter, a program was held in Milan. The Milanese adored her as the “Grande Madre” and would not let her leave till she promised to return soon.

On Monday evening, Shri Mataji arrived in the quaint village of Les Dia-blerets in Switzerland. Shri Ganesha Puja was held on the 10th in the Salle Oles Congrhs. She explained the quality of motherly concern called “Vat-salya” which yogis should imbibe.

After two programs, Shri Mataji left for Shri Krishna Puja scheduled in England for the 14th.

On the 17th, Devi Puja was held in Finland. Shri Mataji remarked that Finland was the end of lands where all problems came and settled in the end. Because there were so many seekers, there was more attraction for the negative forces to come and attack them. Despite the catches of false gurus, they felt the cool breeze.

Meanwhile her children in St Petersburg were long waiting with tears for their Holy Mother. To wipe the tears, Shri Mataji arrived in St Petersburg.

Thousands came to her program. They kissed the hem of her sari, worshipped the earth on which she walked and wept, “Mother, we waited so long.”

She was amazed that in a country where nobody had heard her name nor were there any books on Sahaja Yoga, what could have brought them? She never told them she was the Adi Shakti. How did they know? She asked, “What made you come to my program?”

They answered, “Mother it was so obvious—your photograph!”

She was overwhelmed at their sensitivity to spirituality, “They could feel the spirituality from my face! The collective unconscious worked it out.”

Though no posters were put up in St Petersburg, once again, the Param Chaitanya worked out everything—the local T.V. channel beamed the clipping of Shri Mataji’s arrival at the airport. Ten thousand seekers turned up at the program. The Palace of Youth had a capacity for only 1400. Thousands waiting outside asked, “What about us?”

She assured, “Please wait till I give realization to the ones inside, then I give you also.”

The seekers had waited for a hundred years just for this day. Shri Mataji was touched by the hundred years of perseverance by their spirit and blessed them from her heart. She was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the thousands waiting outside and from the steps she told them to ask, “Is Russia going to lead the world in spirituality?” The cool breeze blessed them.

In the birth pangs of the spirit of Russia, five thousand Sahaja Yogis were born!

The joy of giving them birth dissolved her tiredness; “I had never imagined so many Russians will take to Sahaja Yoga in my lifetime!”

In the love of her children she forgot the comforts of her body. It was diffcult to find hotel accommodation in Moscow, but she was more than happy to share a one-bedroom apartment and a common toilet with a Sahaja family. Where she stayed or how she traveled was the last thing on her mind. When she discovered that her hosts were running short of food, she phoned some English yogis to bring food. She travelled in taxis and paid for everything as the yogis were barely living from hand to mouth.

In Communist Moscow, entry to all cultural events was by way of tickets. There was no separate category for spirituality and hence the public had to buy tickets for Sahaja programs. Days before the program all the tickets were sold out for the Moscow program and they were being traded at premium. To bless their pure desire Shri Mataji graciously consented to a second program. No sooner was it announced, all the tickets sold out! Shri Mataji suggested that next time the programs should be held in the Olympic stadium with a seating capacity of ten thousand.

The union with the Holy Spirit brought tears of joy and the seekers danced in exultation. The Holy Spirit assured them the blossom time had come and their woes were over. They kissed the hem of her sari in deep gratitude. So many were healed of all kinds of mental and physical ailments. But the collective centre heart was not free from fear, “What about Stalin?”

She comforted, “Forget the past.”

The next morning the Param Chaitanya revealed her Divinity. Trud, the largest local daily, carried a report of her miraculous cures at the program. People followed her wherever she went. At the super market, Gumps, the sales girl recognized her, and within minutes, the floor of Gumps transformed into a self-realization session!

Thousands of seekers came from Ukraine and invited her to Kiev. They welcomed her in traditional costumes with bread and salt. They wore their hearts on their sleeves and offered her their most precious store of fruits, flowers, nuts, embroidered handkerchiefs, chocolates, homemade cookies, small wooden carvings and family photographs. Her heart yearned to give them presents but she was not carrying anything and hence gave away her ornaments and all her saris.

They showed her relics bearing images of the Mother Goddess and the symbol of the kundalini. She remarked, “The Ukraine people were the descendants of Luv, the son of Shri Ram and Sita and that’s why they have such deep feelings for me”.

In the cruel winter of suppression their spirit had cried for her and now that she had come, they did not want to miss even a moment of her love. Throughout the night they kept a vigil under her hotel window and poured out their hearts. Their songs of love were a soothing balm to her tired body and she fell into a sweet restful sleep.

Navaratri Puja was held in Margate on October 18th. Shri Mataji revealed, “It is not how much you pray or how many words you use, but how deeply you touch the feet.”

Even the praise of the Goddess was not enough if it was not from the heart!

Chapter 35

The  miracles of Shri Mataji’s healing reached the ears of the SovietPresident Gorbachev; and the Soviet Ministry of Health invited her as the keynote speaker of its First World Conference on Yoga scheduled for October 19th. But Shri Mataji’s family asked, “Why do you want to go there only for two days?”

She explained, “I have to go there, because I have to break the Eastern Block. People of the Eastern block will come to the conference and when they get realization and go back to their countries, then Param Chaitanya will start doing its work there.”

She addressed the conference for about forty minutes. The audience requested for the practical experience of kundalini awakening. They affirmed, “Yes, we can feel the cool breeze on top of our heads.”

There was no doubt she was the source and they followed her to her car thirsting for more! To quench their thirst, she extended her stay. President Gorbachev wanted to meet her but as Diwali Puja was scheduled for the 29th in Italy, she could not extend her stay any further. However, she sent him her blessings along with some motherly advice.

A little girl welcomed Shri Mataji to the Diwali Puja concert at Monte-cateni, with a giant heart shaped balloon inscribed, “I love You”. Shri Mataji hugged her warmly and carried the balloon. She praised the vibrations of Tuscany, and the fora and fauna blushed with the compliment.

She stopped in Pisa to buy Diwali presents for all the yogis. While admiring the art of Florence, she spotted Professor Debu Chaudhary being sketched at the central Plaza of Santa Maria. The artist requested permission to sketch her portrait. When he finished, Shri Mataji herself gave the final finishing touches.

With blazing torches the yogis escorted her to the Puja. A truckload of gifts suddenly arrived—shirts, kurtas, necklaces, hair ornaments, dresses, bangles, pens and some special gifts for those who had helped in Russia. The Russians were rather embarrassed to accept presents at a Puja, she said, “Oh, it is nothing, something very small to bless your Lakshmi tattwa.”

Shri Mataji revealed that Shri Mahalakshmi does not put her weight on anybody. It drew the collective’s attention to the burden of their right side weighing upon their kundalini. They prayed to Shri Mataji to forgive their right side. As they humbled down, the pressure of their right side lifted and set their spirits free. They spread their wings and flew!

On November 2, a program was held in Istanbul.

Praising the beauty of the Koran, Shri Mataji said that Prophet Mohammed had paved the path for Sahaja Yoga. It opened the heart of the Turkish people.

A Turkish yogini mentioned that after the crucification of Christ, Mother Mary took refuge in Ephesus in Western Turkey.

Shri Mataji’s arm bristled with vibrations and she gave a knowing smile, “The Goddess protects Turkey; there is nothing to worry about.”

Next day, she went shopping at the Bazaar. The hosts pointed at a certain shop but she followed the vibrations to another. It turned out that the same item was half the price!

She admired the fine silver craftsmanship and bought tea sets for the new ashrams in Russia. At each shop she thought of a yogi whom a particular item would befit. After buying for one, her attention shifted to the next, as though there was a list stored in the divine computer. The silver earrings reminded her of the elderly hostess back in Kiev. She asked one of the robust yogis to try the leather belts to make sure they would fit the Russians.

There was no yogi who had not received something from her. Their physical location on the planet did not seem to matter, wherever they were, they were cells in her body. It was no doubt difficult for the rational mind to conceive her global body, but watching her shop, it was almost as if she was talking to each cell all over the planet from her heart. Each one was positioned in her heart, from where she could know his every need and thence bless it.

In fact, her blessings manifested even before a cell expressed a desire. It was not possible for the limited brain to envisage the brain of the Virat, which looked after everybody all the time and brought to them the right thing at the right moment. Shri Mataji described it as Ritumbara PrAgnya, through the prism of its love; it was possible to perceive it.

While collecting the shopping, the Turkish hosts discovered that she had bought presents for all of them but nothing for herself. After a great deal of persuasion, she accepted a set of Pasabche tumblers.

Despite the hectic day of shopping, she was not the least tired. Sipping a diet coke, she smiled, “The only time I enjoy spending money is to express my love for all of you”.

Chapter 36

On December 13, Shri Mataji gave a nation wide realization from the studios of the Indian National Television. As the viewers put their hands towards her picture on the television screen, they felt the cool breeze. It triggered a tidal wave! The phones kept ringing, “What was the cool breeze on our hands?” Thousands of seekers swarmed the Sahaja

Centers all over the country to receive it.

Shri Mataji was very pleased, “The main problem was how to approach so many people. It was a very big problem for me. And now here is the answer! Now you see how the whole science is subservient to Sahaja Yoga! During the broadcast I just asked people to put their hands to the television screen and they got it! My photographs are much more powerful than any statues put together. The swayambhus created by Mother Earth have vibrations, but they cannot give you awakening of the kundalini, because my photograph has got my desire in it. Now all your medias can be used through my photograph. What a blessing it is!”

On the 17th, India Tour commenced with a Puja at Alibag. Shri Mataji gave guidance on how to absorb vibrations during the pilgrimage of the Holy Land, “Witness everything without reacting, turn your attention inwards to yourself and not to others. Forget your strong likes and dislikes and do not fall into the trap of ‘I like’.”

It was the moment of a lifetime, to bask in the sunshine of her love and to love her! Nothing should be allowed to eclipse her love. The key was to keep the attention on her and not allow it to slip to superficial things like comforts or organization.

The key succeeded in anchoring the collective. It actualized the deep experience of being firmly entrenched under her roof in Pratishthan. And now the time had come to actualize that experience under the roof of the outside world. It was not so difficult, because with the attention on her it was easy to remain entrenched in every situation.

In the morning Shri Mataji greeted the tour with a radiant smile, “Did you sleep well.”

“Oh Mother, how else could it be!”

The doting Mother indulged her children in the choicest delicacies. More and more dishes kept coming; she insisted to sample the one, ‘from the special recipe of her mother.’

She drenched each one with so much joy that nothing mattered anymore. Not even, a ten-hour ride on a bumpy road to Aurangabad. Everything appeared to be painted in the color of her love.

‘Maharastra Desha’ and ‘Jogwa’ electrified the seekers of Aurangabad. The sight of the westerners singing in Marathi cast its spell. In the Puja talk, Shri Mataji affirmed that the relationship with the spirit was the key to spreading Sahaja Yoga. The outward growth of Sahaja Yoga was dependant on an inward growth.

The tour reached Paithan on the 19th, Shri Mataji narrated that Shri Sita had stayed there. Furthermore, that Gajendra Moksha had taken place around here. Pointing across the shimmering Godavari River, “This was where Rishi Valmiki wrote the Ramayana. Though the kul guru of the Shalivahanas was Rishi Shandilya, they had great reverence for Rishi Valmiki.”

In the regal tradition of her Shalivahana ancestors, a shawl was offered to her at the Puja.

On the 21st, she left for Shrirampur. On the way she felt uncomfortable with the vibrations. When she put her attention on the route she observed that they were on the wrong road.

The yogis asked, “How do you know Mother?”

She replied, “Just I know! When the awareness starts giving you light, you start knowing everything within yourself. You don’t have to assert, manipulate or to exert yourself.”

Sure enough, they were on the wrong road! With her grace they reached on time for the Puja. In the Puja talk she reminded them, “It is not necessary how many things you give me. It’s not necessary how many offers are there. It’s more important how many people you give realization to. And secondly, how are you? Have you evolved? Have you really become

independent? And can you get rid of all your conditionings, your ego? And have you become a very mild, beautiful, compassionate, collective personality? The question of introspection, to see yourselves, is very important.”

At the Loni program a grand procession escorted her to Akola. She was to mount a chariot drawn by bullocks, but it was far too high for her to mount. Someone rushed to fetch a footstool but before he could return, Shri Mataji was on the chariot. Nobody knew how!

Back in Pune for Christmas Puja, Shri Mataji revealed that Sahaja Yoga was on the crest of a wave and ready to take the next leap but there was a need of ‘tapasvita’ for the inner cleansing.

At the public program a fanatic group, Andhashradha Nirmulan, disrupted the meeting and security had to be called. She addressed the issue of the fanatic group at a press conference on the 27th. She clarified, she did not believe in superstition or blind faith. In 1970 she had openly denounced all the false gurus who exploited through blind faith. She reiterated that her mission of the awakening of the kundalini was an actualization of the human spiritual potential within, by which every human being could know the absolute truth. It was not a superstition as alleged by Andhashradha Nirmulan and moreover, they could not pay for it.

Two architects and a well-known Pune businessman produced medical evidence of being cured by Sahaja Yoga. Also reports of healing effects of Sahaja Yoga documented in Austria, Helsinki, Boston and Soviet Union were presented.

A mischievous reporter tried to provoke her comments on Osho; she said he was not a realized soul. It led to a long controversy in the press; the Osho fans claimed Shri Mataji was his disciple. Of course, she refuted their ridiculous charge and recounted that on the contrary she had warned him in 1970 not to destroy the innocence of the seekers.

At the Satara program the following day, the Andhashradha Nirmulan raised slogans against her. They did not allow her to speak till the police intervened. In a motherly manner she sweetly calmed them down and explained that they were misled; that she would clear all their doubts if they heard her patiently. Despite their rowdy behavior she graciously accepted to meet their representative at the Brahmapuri camp.

It was yet another lesson on patience and forgiveness!

On the 30th, at the Brahmapuri Puja, Shri Mataji spoke with a grave concern about the conditionings that hampered the ascent of the yogis. She urged the collective to work hard for the emancipation of humanity. “Earlier the evil used to prevail over the good, but now evil would be conquered by the good, and the good would spread.”

In the evening, the Andhashradha representative never turned up and Shri Mataji left for the village of Angapur where a procession escorted her to the program.

As she was about to begin her address, an Andhashradha infiltrator jumped on the stage and started attacking her with a barrage of questions. She tried to calm him and told him to wait till after the program. She had given him time for an interview but he never turned up and now he should not disturb the meeting. Meanwhile the infiltrators ambushed two yogis from behind Shri Mataji’s car.

While Shri Mataji was attending them, their leader Dr.Dabholkar signaled to his accomplices and suddenly they rained a volley of stones on Shri Mataji. More than a hundred stones were hurled at her but they all fell inches short of her. Not one touched her. The Param Chaitanya was activated and formed a shield to protect her. The stones could not penetrate the shield of Param Chaitanya, whereas 18 yogis who were behind her were hit.

The miracle revealed that nothing in the world could harm her. She did not need any one’s protection. Her own power of Param Chaitanya protected her. The stones were flying like bullets towards her but fell short of her feet. The time had come for the Param Chaitnya to openly reveal Shri Kalki had incarnated. The prophecy of Nadi Granth about the tenth incarnation of Shri Kalki came to pass. By the grace of the Adi Shakti, Shri Kalki emerged as the Collective force formed by all the realized souls who merged in collective consciousness.

Amidst the pandemonium, the power of Shri Kalki emerged in complete control of the battlefield. It was impelled not by anger but by the compulsion of love to save her children.

Shri Mataji was least concerned about herself and instructed the yogis not to retaliate. She forgave her enemies saying they were misled, “These people were being paid to attack me. They had deliberately chosen this remote village for their premeditated plan and now the Param Chaitanya was exposing them”.

The police finally arrived at 9 p.m. and the yogis lodged a complaint. In retaliation they (ASN) too filed a false one alleging that the yogis had attacked them first. However, medical reports revealed differently, while 18 yogis were injured, there was no medical evidence of injury suffered by any of the Andhashradha miscreants.

Single handedly, Shri Mataji bore the brunt of the battle and absorbed all the pain. Besides, she sat up the whole night attending the wounded. The children were concerned about the strain of the trauma on her. But the next morning they were surprised to find her up early, shining like a thousand suns. With a beaming smile she greeted everybody with a happy New Year. There was not the slightest trace of the night’s battle—only a reminder to leave everything in her hands.

She remarked, “I have taken all your suffering on myself. All the incarnations had to accept their bhAgnya (fate) and suffer. But then they gave up. I have not given up. By purusharth (spiritual effort) one can face it, witness it and not react. The sequences in life do not change, but through Sahaja Yoga the consequence will change.”

She spread her cloak of Mahamaya to erase the trauma from the minds of her children and to usher the New Year anew. They wanted to offer her a gift for the New Year. She said, “I want nothing from you, but that you should meditate.”

At the New Year Puja at Sangli, she electrified the collective mood with the marriage announcements.

Chapter 37

1990

Shri Mataji arrived in Ganapatipule late in the evening of January 3rd.There was a full tide and the ocean hugged the shores in obeisance to Shri Adi Shakti. The waves washed the woes of her children and receded towards the setting sun.

But not for their Mother! Shri Mataji’s attention immediately went to the minutest details for the comfort of her children, “What material had been used for covering the shelters?

Mr. Magdum reported, “Thick cotton sheets.”

“No, it would not do, reinforce it with canvas should it rain.”

“The dinner menu is too frugal; better add more sweets and

fruits.”

“Give this recipe to the cook for the desert. It was my mother’s favorite”.

“No effort should be spared for their comfort. They are my children.”

Even nature was tamed for her children. The scorching heat was brought down with the mantra of Shri Himalaya and raising the left 21 times. Nothing escaped her compassionate attention. She could not rest till her children were rested.

During the evening festivities, she remarked it was not necessary for her to give speeches; the most important thing was to absorb her vibrations. All the festivities were for that purpose. “You will absorb better if you keep your attention on your Sahasrara.”

Mindful of their Mother’s advice, the children kept their attention on their Sahasraras. Her encouraging nod inspired the strings of Debu Choudhary’s sitar to rhyme their chakras with the movement of the ragas. Even as their spirit was comforted, she comforted their body with warm hand-woven shawls.

The following evening the Indian centers presented gifts to the western yogis. Shri Mataji had handpicked the gifts during her visit to various cities. To encourage poor artisans, she had chosen traditional handicrafts. Each gift was so special.

On January 7, a Puja was performed to Shri Adi Shakti. She revealed that during the Puja, the deities within her chakras were evoked and emitted tremendous vibrations. She was pleased that her children absorbed them. She gave gifts of Puja silver to all the countries. She would not accept anything from her children except a collective Puja offering. That too was blessed and returned to their centers as Puja silver!

“I know you love me very much and want to do everything to please me. But even a leaf, a flower or a fruit offered with love pleases me immensely. The devotion behind the offering touches me more deeply than its value, so please don’t waste your money on expensive presents.”

After dinner she opened Kubera’s treasure of gifts, and sat up the whole night  joyously bestowing the choicest gifts upon her children.

As the sun set in the distant horizon of the Arabian Sea, a galaxy of a thousand stars paved a silvery path for the grooms to the holy sanctum of their marriage. Shri Mataji arrived earlier to personally oversee the arrangements. She instructed the Sahaja mothers to welcome each groom with an arti and then escort him to his respective place.

She blessed the marriages with the showering of puffed rice for prosperity. Each couple stepped up the stage to worship her Lotus Feet. The Mahalakshmi blessed them with Puja silver sets. Over dinner, the bride and the grooms composed impromptu couplets to each other. They were so amusing that her laughter set ripples of laughter in the ocean!

The ripples of laughter lifted the cloak of Mahamaya. The

hurt, the humiliation and the anger against the Angapur miscreants who had thrown stones at their beloved Mother, would not let her children rest. They asked their Mother what they should do. She sweetly advised them not to react with the power of hate but instead take to her power of forgiveness and compassion. “Even when I make a correction with seeming outward wrath, my love is behind it”.

The children meditated for a long time in the garden behind her cottage before the larger picture emerged—India was the microscopic form of the Mother Earth and Maharashtra was its kundalini guarded by eight Ganeshas. The demonic forces were attacking Maharashtra and Shri Mataji was shielding it. Hence, they trained their attack on her.

Following their Mother’s advice, the children staged a peaceful march to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The attack on the Adi Shakti had provoked the fury of the Param Chaitanya, and at each step during the march the power of Shri Kalki fought the negativity besieging Maharashtra.

Onward marched 2000 valiant Nirmalights through the streets of Mumbai, carrying banners, protesting against the persecution of their beloved Mother. They handed the letter of protest to the Chief Minister. He assured he would take the necessary action.

The heavy weight of negativity lifted, and the Param Chaitanya rejoiced the triumph of the Goddess. The Noida musicians glorified the victory of the Goddess in a bhajan narrating how the Devi forgave the demon after vanquishing him, and as he died at her hands, he got his salvation.

Another bhajan revealed the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy from Nadi Granth; where the Goddess would incarnate as Kalki at the dawn of the new millennium. She would unleash her power of Param Chaitanya to sort out good and evil.

At Sankranti Puja held at Kalwe on January 14th, the children thanked their beloved Mother for protecting their sacred land of the Primordial kundalini.

But for their Mother, there was still no respite. She could not rest till the negativity in Maharashtra was nipped in its roots. God men had eroded its roots and taken innocent people for a ride in the name of God. They had set up Ganesha and Hanuman temples in every street corner like money wending machines. She issued articles in the press exposing them. She also filed defamation cases with the Press Council of India against Sakal newspaper for maligning her and Sahaja Yoga. Within a short time, Param Chaitanya began exposing the God men.

She also salvaged the grass roots of Chennai and appraised its Press on February 8th. Again, a mischievous journalist tried to divert her attention, but in her playful humor she brought him around. The journalists requested for the experience of realization, and she ignited their kundalinis.

In the evening there was some respite for her at the dance drama performance by Kalakshetra. The ballet depicted the creation of the universe by God. In the beginning it showed the unmanifest God, Sadashiva. Next the unmanifest Sadashiva expressed a desire for creation. He separated his power, the Adi Shakti, from himself for the purpose of creation. But he remained an eternal witness to her play. The Adi Shakti began the play of creation by manifesting her powers of Shri Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati and Mahakali.

Shri Mataji was pleased by their Sahaja caption of the play of creation and went on to describe its evolution.

Shri Krishna Puja was held on the 9th. She revealed that to become the flute of Shri Krishna it was necessary to become hollow, to believe in the self, to have a clean heart and a sincere love for the Divine.

The next day, she blessed the handicrafts at the Tamil Nadu Emporium. The Param Chaitanya appeared to have custom made everything for furnishing Pratishthan—the five full size carvings of the Goddess were just the right size for the staircase, the ornate antique Chettinad doors were the size of the courtyard doorways and the carved furniture was perfect for the guest room. Last but not the least, there were the exact number of Ganeshas for all the children accompanying her!

She smiled, “I am a great shopper. But the difference between my shopping is that I am shopping for all of you. I am going there because I know I will get things much cheaper, and of a better quality. All the good things will be there available, because I am there. I will be able to get things for all the people because I love all of them for whom I have to buy. It always happens like that. When I go out for shopping, even if I have to find things for 400 people, I get the things there all right. That’s why I have to go!”

There were a lot of intellectuals and scientists at the program. One scientist went into such a question-shooting spree that before even one question could be answered he would shoot the next. He seemed to be obsessed with questioning and was not interested to know their answers!

Shri Mataji patiently told him that so far what he knew was at the mental level but now he should experience the truth. Though the hall was full, not many received their realization. She invited them to her house in the morning. For five hours she patiently worked on 200 seekers to mobilize their left side. Late in the afternoon she joyously smiled, ‘it’s done’. Their Sahasraras opened.

In the intensive five-hour morning session, the living process had cleansed the 200 seekers and thus cleared the path for Chennai’s collective ascent. Now the seeds had to germinate.

She reminded them, “The living process cannot be explained to scientists. If you talk about me, they will be shocked. Just tell them that it is a unique method that has come.

It is a living process and we have seen it for ourselves.”

Next morning she left for Bangalore. The seeds sown during her previous visit had sprouted. Twenty-five roses were in full bloom roses welcomed her with their sweet fragrance.

An old friend, Mrs.Mudappa saw the advertisement of the program. Her husband had served as secretary to the President of India at the time when Sir C.P.Srivastava was secretary to the Prime Minister. She was accompanied by an elderly lady who was very anxious to receive her realization.

She thanked Shri Mataji for blessing her and offered a large hall at her residence for the collective meetings. Shri Mataji smiled, “See, how the Param Chaitanya works out everything. It organizes everything. We should leave everything to it and just enjoy.”

It was a humbling experience for Mr.Jaykar who had organized the programs. He was led to believe that he was the doer. He confessed that as he was at the helm of a very large company, he had fallen into the illusion of believing that he did everything. Similarly yogis who were in charge felt that Sahaja Yoga had spread because of their efforts. Without punching their inflated egos she allowed them to witness it. It was easy to see other people’s ego but impossible to see one’s own.

Mr.Jaykar was very angry at his ego, and asked, “Mother, is ego a bhoot?”

“No” she answered, “It’s an illusion”.

“How do we get rid of it?”

“It is just a polarity. You should not try to fight the ego but just witness it. If you fight your ego, it creates a polarity—a parallel ego and you would get horns on your head. Try to introspect, then it will go. ”

As if to further illustrate the point, the imagery on the backdrop of the program stage showed the demon

Mahishasura with horns on his head. The horns symbolized the collective ego.

Then quiet unexpectedly, Shri Mataji announced Mahishasura Mardini Puja on the 13th. It was too much of a coincidence! Perhaps the coincidence was the trick of the Param Chaitanya to unravel her vision!

The Puja backdrop was a painting of the Goddess seated on a lion, armed with several weapons, striking the demon Mahishasura. She looked awesome, full of fury, and yet her eyes were filled with compassion. The demon symbolized the ego that pulled the string of the mind. Her vision unraveled!

The musicians went on to sing a bhajan extolling the triumph of the Goddess over the demon Mahishasura. It described her terrible battle gear as full of rage and fury, erupting like a volcano, mercilessly destroying everything in her path that was not firmly entrenched in truth. After vanquishing the demon, the Goddess was pleased and showered a thousand blessings upon her devotees.

The significance of Mahishasura Mardini Puja being held in Bangalore was not lost on the collective. During the Puja she vanquished him, and with that the collective negativity also vanquished!

Chapter 38

Two public programs were held in Ahmedabad on February 14 and15. The halls were packed but the newborn babes were still in their cradle. Shri Mataji cautioned that their attention was still on money but if they took to Sahaja Yoga, they would get the real blessings of Mahalakshmi.

On February 23, Pune was blessed with Shivaratri Puja. The collective embraced the the core of Shiva Tattwa; the source of forgiveness. Shri Mataji revealed that the Param Chaitanya did all the living work, “Param Chaitanya is the Adi Shakti who is the power of desire of Shri Shiva. It is his light… after becoming human beings you have become realized souls -that is also the blessing of Param Chaitanya.”

The next evening, she boarded the train for Hyderabad. A private compartment was booked for her but she shifted to the general compartment so she could give realization to all the people in the train. As the word spread, the passengers queued through the narrow isle for their realization. A spontaneous program was blessed in the isles of the general compartment! In the wee hours of the morning the yogis begged the passengers to allow her some rest, as she had to address a program in the evening. They took the address of the program and promptly turned up along with their friends and relatives.

The growth of Sahaja Yoga in the South was rather disheartening. On the 25th, at Shri Kundalini Puja she comforted that Sahaja Yoga was a living process and a living thing develops slowly. She gave the example of how a tree grew slowly but surely, and the trees she had planted in the South would grow into a great forest.

To bless the local handicrafts, she went shopping. She admired the metal work of Andhra and ordered 500 statues of Shivaji Maharaj for all the Yogis.

“I have given you the statue of Shivaji Maharaj. He was a great soul and had such principles and such a beautiful life, in his language, in his attitude and everything. With all that, he was a very brave person. Once you have that courage, you stand up for truth.”

Chapter 39

Shri Mataji boarded a plane from Mumbai for Australia on February 23rd. En route she blessed the Malaysian collective in Singapore. She was keen to spread Sahaja Yoga in China, “Chinese are wise people with an ancient tradition and they would take to Sahaja Yoga easily. China had great philosophers like Lao Tze, who taught clear-cut ideas as are practiced in Sahaja Yoga. But one has to be a realized soul to practice them.

Similarly, Zen has been practiced without understanding and has been turned into a mere social activity. There is no more life in Zen and like every religion it has deviated.” The flight was further delayed and Shri Mataji kindly bought chocolates for everyone.

On arriving in Perth on March 2, she felt the vibrations had gone down. She had worked so hard and given thousands of seekers realization, but she was shocked to find that at least half the seekers had been thrown out. The leaders had become arrogant and suppressive. She was surprised that no one informed her. Many ashrams had closed down and yogis preferred to live alone.

She impressed upon the yogis to live together in ashrams and be very kind, gentle, sweet and understanding with new people. “Collective living is an inseparable part of Sahaja culture and absolutely essential for the ascent… The important thing is not to be aggressive.”

At the program, she cured two seekers of AIDS.

She arrived in Melbourne on the fourth evening and again spent most of the time sorting out collective problems. She answered a lot of questions at the programs. Once the right side cooled, it was easy to get their realization. She greeted the seekers warmly and worked on them till midnight. Before leaving for Cairns, she urged the collective to love one another, meditate, and listen to her tapes—not to anyone’s lectures.

The Mayor of Cairns explained that a particular creature called the Crown of Thorn Starfish was consuming the small coral animals, thus destroying the coral reef. Shri Mataji assured him, “Once your powers are awakened, you can do something about it.”

But the Mayor did not register the point.

She visited the Great Barrier Reef, and with a twinkle in her eyes smiled, “Let’s see what can be worked out!”

The following week, thousands of starfish were found dead, floating on the water. Shri Mataji jested, “Tell the Mayor to have more faith.”

The Brisbane press carried great articles that brought many seekers to the program. Later in the evening, she spoke about homeopathic medicine. “Faith in homeopathy is crazy. There is too much thinking involved. Sahaja Yoga works from the inside. If you know exactly what the problem is, then you can work it out. There are seven chakras and three channels—just 21 things.”

She spent a lot of time going through the real estate sections of the newspaper looking for a suitable Ashram.

Next day at the Auckland airport, she was happy to spend time with all her children and enquired after each one with so much love and concern – ‘She is a Mother to so many but it does not diminish her love for each one.’

She gave a live interview to New Zealand’s most famous radio broadcaster. The interviewer was cynical and asked provocative questions about money in Sahaja Yoga. As he was diabetic, She explained the cause of diabetes and the ability to overcome it through Sahaja Yoga. As the interview progressed, he got more and more positive. Then he questioned, “Are you a Massiah or prophet?”

She remained silent, but suddenly he started feeling the cool breeze in his hands. Then he forgot he was live on the radio and started saying, “Hey, I can feel this cool breeze in my hands. I feel I am holding a cool ball of wind. When I started interviewing Shri Mataji, I did not believe a word of what she was saying. Now, I can feel it.”

While it was being broadcast, none of the office workers in the building could believe what he was saying as it was out of character. They started coming from their desks and looking through the studio windows in disbelief. The interviewer then said the cool breeze had stopped. Shri Mataji worked on him, and again he could feel it on his hand. He asked, “What about everyone else?”

Shri Mataji replied, “They can get it too. Just tell them to put their hands out to the radio and they will get it.”

There was an amazing scene as all the office workers had one hand towards Shri Mataji and the other above their head feeling the cool breeze. Shri Mataji was very pleased and in the afternoon blessed the collective with Shri Mahalakshmi Puja.

She addressed the Religious Studies Department at the Sydney University. Two public meetings were held at the Hilton Hotel where more than 850 seekers got their realization.

On the auspicious celebration of Holi, March 18th, she lovingly cooked for her 200 children. She began cooking at 6 a.m. After six hours of cooking, she laid a delicious feast. To every one’s delight she insisted on serving second helpings.

At the Canberra programs, she found the vibrations of the bureaucrats had improved since her earlier visit but still there was too much ego. During her earlier visit she could hardly walk because of the Swadishthan catches.

Tuesday was scheduled as a rest day, but she spent most

of the day sorting out the collective problems. She suggested each yogi should keep a diary and record daily, “What am I going to do for Sahaja and for my ascent today.”

On her arrival at Sydney airport, she asked the video crew to turn on their cameras to record the stream of her beautiful angels coming down the escalator to offer her flowers.

She spoke at length with the collective, “Sahaja yoga and kundalini awareness is a state of Nirvichar Samadhi, which progresses to Nirvikalp Samadhi (doubtless awareness). When we start helping others, spontaneously we touch this state. In this state we become extremely dynamic, powerful and compassionate. We are able to witness everything without involvement. The joy of creation will pour into us and we will achieve the benevolence of the whole of humanity.”

On March 21, Shri Mataji’s Birthday Puja was celebrated in

Curzon Hall—a grand classical Manor House whose architecture reflected the collective jubilance. The stage was exquisitely decorated with a large lotus constructed of wood, draped with colorful silks and chiffon. At the centre of the lotus was a beautiful flower arrangement.

Shri Mataji said, “When the heart is open you see the miracles of the heart— how it emits vibrations by which you become compassionate, dynamic, beautiful and sincere to Sahaja yoga.” She reminded yogis that the tongue was not for saying harsh things, for making fun of others or for teasing others; but for saying beautiful things so that the other person also imbibes that beauty.

The hearts of her children jumped with joy! Each one felt her in the heart and every heart reflected in her heart.

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Mumbaialso celebrated Shri Mataji’s birthday on March 24th. Despite the long journey from Australia, there was not the slightest trace of fatigue. Though there was no time to rest before the Puja, the love of her children worked like magic! Her face glowed like the morning sun. The only balm for her tired body was love. With the balm of love, she could bear months of incessant travel and hardship. But without love, her body suffered.

Though the collective loved her very much, the kind of work that should have been done in Mumbai had not been done. She didn’t want to bring it up on her birthday. For 20 years she had worked so hard in Mumbai, but the yogis had not been able to grow in Sahaja yoga as much as they should have. Their petty bickering had hampered her work. They seemed to have missed the point. They were organizing at the Agnya level and had not transformed within.

She cited the depth of yogis in the Eastern block, where just by getting their realization, the Berlin wall was broken. “The Param Chaitanya needs such deep people for its Divine work. To hate each other is a great sin.”

She urged them to grow in age and become mature, “…to put aside all quarrels and take a humble vow. O Mother this year we will enlighten a hundred people”.

They could not bear the pain in their Mother’s voice and pulling their ears, taking the vow.

At the evening felicitation function, she reminded them of the great responsibility bestowed upon them to be born at such a time and take part in such a great happening of the transformation of the whole humanity. “The personality of our depth is going to trigger the new transformation that human beings will know that they are in the Kingdom of God. It is a tremendous work we have to do. It is the evolution of the highest type. We have to bring forth the change and transformation of people.”

She was to leave for Delhi the next day but there was a request from Maharaja Bhawani Singh of Jaipur, humbly praying for bless Jaipur. The Rajput community was very anxious to receive their realization. Shri Mataji graciously consented to stop in Jaipur enroute to Delhi.

The Maharaja was overjoyed and welcomed Shri Mataji with the traditional honors in his palace. The Rajput community assembled to receive her blessings. Their daughter, Princess Divya, who was a realized soul, instantly felt the cool breeze.

One of the staff members had a tumor in his neck. Shri Mataji put her hand on it and it subsided. Both the Maharaja and Maharani were so wonder-struck, they fell at Shri Mataji’s lotus feet. Princess Divya had tears in her eyes.

The Gangauri festival took place the following day. The Maharani sought permission to worship Shri Mataji as Gangauri. Shri Mataji explained that ancient traditional worship of the idol of Shri Gangauri in Rajasthan was in fact the worship of Shri Ganesha and Shri Gauri Mata.

The Maharani adorned Shri Mataji in a traditional Rajasthani skirt (ghagra) of vibrant colors. The Rajput women worshipped her with flowers and arti. Thereafter, Shri Mataji vibrated the idol of Gangauri kept in their private temple where no one was allowed except the royal family.

A great feast of Rajasthani delicacies were laid out in honor of Shri Mataji. The Maharaja and Maharani kept loading her plate; Shri Mataji modestly told them that she was a very small eater and blessed the heaps of food on her plate for Prasad.

In the evening, the Maharaja personally drove her to the public program at the famous Govindji mandir.

She praised the traditional values of the Rajputs, who maintained their Maryadas and thus preserved their chakras. Being worshippers of Durga, their kundalinis easily recognized her.

The Maharaja was quick to learn Sahaja Yoga techniques. After two programs, he was already giving bandhans to his problems and putting them in Shri Mataji’s Divine attention.

Shri Mataji thanked the royal family for their warm hospitality. The Maharaja offered one of his palaces for a Sahaja yoga centre. Shri Mataji politely declined and said it was better to have the center nearer the common people.

Chapter 41

Delhi welcomed Shri Mataji for her birthday celebrations with the love from their hearts shining in their eyes.

She blessed 1990 as the year where a new dimension would be opened for the yogis to take a great leap, to come out of their surroundings and grasp the new thing. She mentioned that on her birthday, their birthdays should also be celebrated, that they may understand the connection, and fill their life with purity and holiness like Shri Ganesha. Thus they should get firmly settled and change themselves by becoming pure.

Each child prayed to her for establishing the purity of Shri Ganesha. Shri Mataji answered the prayers and a gust of cool breeze rose to purify the collective’s chakras. The ceiling of the tent began swaying with the cool breeze even though there was no breeze outside.

The following week, she left for Karnal and Yamuna Nagar. Enjoying the serenity of the Karnal Lake, she mentioned Karnal was named after the great hero of Mahabharata, Karna, who had camped there during the battle of Kurukshetra.

The public programs overflowed with farmers from all over Haryana. They were simple people and spontaneously received their realization. A deaf and dumb boy came to seek her blessings. As she opened his Vishuddhi chakra, his speech and hearing returned.

The news of the miracle spread like wild fire, and the next day such crowds thronged to the program that there was a stampede. The crowd calmed down only after she reassured them she would not leave without giving them realization.

It was an incredible moment when a sea of hands went up!

The Param Chaitanya bubbled with joy in the sparkle of her eyes.

A similar bubbling of joy was experienced at the Ramlila Ground programs. The greater the numbers, the more exuberant was the Param Chaitanya. Streams of ambrosia flowed from Shri Mataji and the collective licked it as it trickling down their tongues.

The Param Chaitanya set to work. The Home Minister invited Shri Mataji for sorting out the stone-throwing incident by Andhashradha Nirmulan. As she entered his residence, suddenly a man fell at her feet. He introduced himself as Paranjpe from Doordarshan—the very man accused of being an accomplice in the stone throwing case. He humbly begged her forgiveness. He told her he had been misled by a Mr.Dabholkar and that he held Shri Mataji in the highest esteem. Shri Mataji readily forgave him.

On April 7, Shri Mataji and Sir C.P.Srivastava’s wedding anniversary was celebrated. Sir C.P. lovingly said, “While the love of the mother is no doubt great, I want to assure you that the love of the father is no less.”

Shri Mataji blessed Kolkatta with Shri Adi Shakti Puja on April 9th. She said it was necessary for the Adi Shakti herself to incarnate for revealing God to humankind in the form of the spirit. This work started with her advent and was working out in a very beautiful way. By her taking the form of Mahamaya all this became possible. It was necessary for her to remain in the mild form of Mahamaya so that the seeker could attain the enlightened state.

During a performance in Kolkata, Debu Chaudhary’s finger started bleeding. Shri Mataji healed it with vibrations. He was so inspired that he spontaneously created a new raga, ‘Swanandeshwari’.

Later on, he confessed that he did not know what he was playing, but was lost in the ecstasy of devotion—the notes kept flowing from Shri Mataji. Shri Mataji was pleased and suggested to her brother Baba Mama to open a music Academy in Nagpur.

One sahaja yogini, Mrs. Talwar doubted that Shri Mataji was the Adi Shakti. She prayed in her heart, “Mother please show me a miracle to restore my faith.”

While Shri Mataji was having a meal at Himanshu Shah’s family house, Mrs. Talwar took a photograph. The photograph showed a full moon behind Shri Mataji. Tears poured down Mrs.

Talwar’s face and she fell at Shri Mataji’s feet.

Chapter 42

After a long and bitter winter, the Param Chaitanya ushered in the blossom time. At Easter Puja in Eastbourne, England, on April 22nd, Shri Mataji reminded yogis that the Param Chaitanya only worked if the yogis wanted it to work—It was the energy, and they were the instruments. Only through achieving excellence could they connect with it. There was no place for mediocrity in Sahaja Yoga.

She further dwelt on the subject at Sahasrara Puja in Rome on May 6. Though she was satisfied with the growth of Sahaja Yoga over the last 21 years, she had been waiting all these years for this day, when her children would realize they were not sahaja yogis only for their selfish end, but for the whole world. She was pleased with this new change that had come, as they had become aware of the dynamic forces working within.

The collective dynamic force was already at work in Russia; Shri Mataji blessed Moscow for the fourth time in six months! On May 12, when she arrived at the Moscow airport, the visa was missing from her passport. She sweetly smiled at the immigration officer. He looked up at her and without asking any questions, stamped her passport. She caught the Russian yogis gaping in disbelief, and with a twinkle in her eyes gave a knowing nod, “The Param Chaitanya looks after all the minutest detail and does miracles to show you that it exists!”

The national T.V. caught the twinkle in her eyes and it spoke to the Russian hearts. They rushed for the tickets. There was such a demand for the tickets that the venue of the public program had to be shifted to a football stadium with a 10,000 capacity. Even then, thousands of people squatted on the floor of the football field.

She comforted their spirits and they rejoiced in the music of Nirmal Sangeet Sarita. A mile long queue awaited her darshan. She waited till midnight to comfort her last child. The booking time was long over and the authorities turned off the lights. But the new born babes could not be parted from the comfort of their Mother till she assured them she would return in June. The head of the Communist Party paid his respects. She expressed her anguish over the poverty and shortage of food in Russia. She gave him some valuable advice for overcoming the economic crises.

The Ministry of Health had been running a Sahaja Yoga centre for medico-biological problems. They invited her to address a special conference of 300 doctors from all over the Soviet Union. She revealed the causes of liver, spleen and intestine disorders and prescribed Sahaja treatments. The doctors were spellbound by the depth of her knowledge. Their thirst for knowledge led them to the Sahaja Yoga centres for practical training. She praised their open minds and wisdom to accept the truth, despite the fact that it went against their training. The Ministry of Education also presented her with positive reports from schools where Sahaja Yoga had been introduced.

On May 14, she opened the Russian Agnya chakra at Shri Buddha Puja. She revealed Russia was the front Agnya and China the back Agnya. At the level of the Agnya, there were no thoughts and hence no differences of opinion. She pointed out that a large heart was essential for a good Agnya and asked to repeat the mantra of the Agnya ‘Hum Ksham’.

She was very pleased that her children had absorbed the Puja vibrations. When her vibrations were not absorbed, her feet swelled, but after the Puja there was no swelling. She showered gifts upon her children—colorful saris for the ladies and kurtas for the men, trinkets and hair combs for little girls and toys for the boys. The children were in ecstasy and danced to the newly composed Russian bhajans.

They prayed to extend her stay in Russia and suggested to cancel her forthcoming trip to America. But the land of Shri Yogeshwara held the key at this juncture where history was in making. She envisioned if they could learn to use the power of Shri Yogeshwara, they could do so much good to the whole of humanity!

Chapter 43

On May 28, Shri Mataji blessed San Diego with Shri Yogeshwara Puja. Her madhurya opened the Hamsa Chakra of America and blessed the newborn babes with the power of discretion.

She revealed that after the Hamsa chakra Puja in Germany the discretion of the Germans improved, and they atoned for their past mistakes. They were the first ones to go to Russia to give self-realization. Moreover, after the breaking of the Berlin wall, they embraced the East Germans like brothers. She impressed upon the depth needed in America to spread Sahaja Yoga, and cited how the depth of one Hungarian Sahaja yogi was sufficient to bring about his country’s freedom.

Late in the afternoon, watching the sky from her room, she reflected upon its depth. An American yogi mentioned there was a drought in California. She seemed surprised because invariably the rain welcomed her arrival. The conversation drifted to the program arrangements in Miami for the 2nd and 3rd. She then asked for her chair to be moved out onto the balcony, to enjoy the late afternoon air. While she admired the composition of the roof tiles of the house across the street, the wind rose slowly around her. Gradually, the clouds started gathering above her head and the whole of nature became excited by her attention. It rained and rained for two days, and there was even snow!

Nature followed her slightest gesture. Of course she never desired anything, but the collective desire reflected in her.

On June 4, the Sahaja Yoga Meditation Society was approved as an ‘officially sponsored’ United Nations Society. On the 6th, Shri Mataji she spoke of the need to actualize the collective doctrine of the U.N. through kundalini awakening.

About 50 U.N. officials got their realization. Amongst them was a Mexican diplomat who introduced Sahaja Yoga in Mexico.

The next day, Shri Mataji graced the world famous Apollo theater for a live radio interview with Lloyd Strayhorn. Her love and wit melted the hearts of the seekers. The host thanked her profusely and extended her a carte blanche invitation for future appearances.

At the program in the evening over 400 seekers from a cross section of New York’s black, white, Chinese, Indian and Latin communities got their realization.

Before departing from New York, she reminded her children that now it was time for them to nurture the new comers with love, kindness and care.

Chapter 44

In June Shri Mataji’s attention turned to Spain. Though she had nurtured it for 14 years, Sahaja Yoga had not progressed there as in the rest of Europe. Once again the Param Chaitanya intervened and sent an invitation from the Queen of Spain!

Over luncheon on the 14th, the queen complained of a 14year-old false guru who was mesmerizing the Spanish people. In the evening program at the Hotel Velazquez, Shri Mataji turned the tide and saved the mesmerized seekers.

The Param Chaitanya found the ideal place for Mahavira Puja in the mountains north of Barcelona. Shri Mahavira had described hell very clearly to warn people not to do wrong things. Shri Mataji remarked she did not want to talk about hell; instead she wanted to give them realization first. Thus in the light of the kundalini they could grow and become wise.

During the Puja, she cleansed Spain’s left side, and it  brought the real seekers to the program. She said that the main problem of Spain was that the women had to develop their Lakshmi principle and stop dominating their husbands. She blessed their Lakshmi principles with presents and vibrated the water to be sprinkled all over the country.

The next day she left for programs in Vienna. She worked on the new comers till the early hours of the morning. She felt it was necessary to save the real seekers and blessed Austria with Kundalini Puja on the 19th. The ocean of her love sucked the seekers to the program and quenched their thirst.

In the morning she left for Athens and mobilized the Greek Nabhi at Shri Mahalakshmi Puja. She continued to work on their Nabhis at the programs, but their conditioning was too strong and she said she would have to come again..

Chapter 45

On June 28, at the Moscow Medical Conference, Shri Mataji opened the frontiers of medical science with her Meta Science. She revealed the cause of common diseases and their Sahaja cures which were beyond science. The potential of her Meta science was not lost on the Russian doctors, and they earnestly plunged to collect its pearls. One scientist undertook research on the Shri chakra. He invented an instrument to measure vibrations and scientifically proved that Shri Mataji was the source of vibrations.

Sahaja Yoga had come of age in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The numbers had swelled many times over. As Shri Mataji got up to leave the program in St. Petersburg, the crowd surged towards her. A policeman who tried to hold them back failed to contain them. He lost his temper and started yelling. Suddenly, he came face to face with Shri Mataji and his face relaxed. His hands went up and he began laughing. She smiled, “He’s got it.”

At the Kiev press conference, she declared she was the Holy Ghost. The public response was beyond imagination. They did not want to miss a moment of her love and took a holiday. They rushed for the tickets and gathered in the hall hours before the scheduled time to absorb her vibrations. The connection was so strong; Shri Mataji did not have to raise their kundalinis!

The collective presented Shri Mataji with a ring. She was so moved, “In such hard times you should not have given me such an expensive present.”

They answered, “Because we are so poor, we must give something expensive.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks. She blessed them from her heart.

The next program was scheduled for Sochi. Upon reaching the airport, the authorities said she needed a visa for Sochi. Nobody knew that a separate visa was required for each city. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise; she found a dacha in Rastergeova, outside Moscow, for an ashram.

She wanted to bless the Nabhi of Russia and with her own savings paid for the Dacha. It was an old wooden Dacha with a large garden. The previous owner had used it for a weekend resort to grow flowers and vegetables. The concept of large farmhouses was nonexistent at that time; only small dachas were built by a few who could afford them. The yogis got to work and with Shri Mataji’s grace turned the dacha around into a beautiful ashram.

The Indian musicians left by train from Moscow to Milan at night. When the train reached the Hungarian border they were offloaded, as they did not have Hungarian visas. They sat on the platform not knowing what to do; they did not have any money, nor did they know the language. They gave a bandhan and surrendered everything at the Lotus Feet of Shri Mataji.

The immigration officers started interrogating them. During the course of the interrogation, the musicians gave them realization. Then a miracle happened. The immigration officers drove them across the border in their own cars!

Unfortunately their train had left. They gave another bandhan. Suddenly, an empty Yugoslavian bus stopped. They gave the driver realization, and he offered to drive them to Milan. He dropped them right at the doorstep of the Milan Ashram without charging a penny!

Chapter 46

Guru Puja was held on July 8th in the quaint seaside resort of Avignon, South France. Shri Mataji arrived in Marseille from London where several hundreds of yogis warmly welcomed her. She greeted everyone individually and enquired after their families.

Around midnight, just as the lights were being turned off for the night, Shri Mataji arrived to enquire after the comfort of her children-“Had they eaten? Were there enough blankets?”

Impromptu bhajans followed in Hindi, Russian, French, Italian and English.

The following evening, the musicians spontaneously created a new raga and she named it ‘Chaitanya Purnima’. She observed that the creativity of their kundalinis took over when they became thoughtless. The musicians did not know what they were playing. They were lost in her love!

During the Puja she spoke on how the Guru principle could be awakened through surrender and humility, and that humility could flow spontaneously through the love and respect for her.

Early morning, she took a flight to London, where Sir C.P. was to receive the highest honor of KCMG for his outstanding work as the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization. The honorary knighthood was bestowed on Sir C.P. at a dinner hosted by Mr. Cecil Parkinson, the Secretary of Transport. He delivered a special message from the Queen.

The following evening a concert was held at the Shaw theater in honor of Sir C. P. He told Shri Mataji, “Actually you should have got the award.”

She laughed, “For what? This is my love that is working. I have not paid for it—nothing. It is just my love, which pays me. This love is something, is a feeling of oneness with you, oneness with my country, oneness with your countries, ones with your families, everything. It is something I always feel that you are part and parcel of my being. And that is how I remember you. I remember every person through the picture of their kundalini.”

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In July, programs were held in Poland. Shri Mataji recalled her earlier visit to Ghestochowa, where the Black Madonna was worshiped. Polish TV. aired the program and 2500 seekers got their realization.

On her arrival in Berlin on the 15th, she found the vibrations much improved after the fall of the Berlin wall. Programs were held in East Berlin and Dresden. Though Germany was a very difficult country, she said that “germ’ actually meant the kundalini herself. But for its germination, the yogis had to be very patient and loving with the new people.

She arrived in Prague on the 18th. People in the streets recognized her, and sought her blessings. A few ladies from Armenia, who got their realization while shopping, went and got flowers for her. As 3000 seekers got their realization at the program, such serene peace settled on their faces that the beauty of their vibrations drenched Shri Mataji.

She felt Sahaja Yoga would spread very fast in the Eastern Block, as the people were simple hearted and were not damaged by the false gurus. On returning to Vienna, she requested the yogis to go all out to help the Eastern Block. 

Shri Mataji was to leave by flight for Budapest, but on the 21st she changed her plans and decided to go by ship instead. It was her compassion to bless her children. A ship was exclusively chartered. On the five-hour trip on the Danube, she transported them to heaven.

Huge billboards outside the Budapest Concert Hall announced the programs. A television screen was put up in the central square where loudspeakers broadcast the program. About 800 seekers turned up and she stayed quite late to work on the new people.

On the 24th, a rousing welcome was given to her at the Sofia airport. Yogis in traditional costumes greeted her ceremoniously with offerings of bread, salt and a goblet of water. The hall overflowed at the first program and a sports stadium had to be booked for the next one. Over 4000 seekers crammed in the stadium, and many remained standing. She worked on them for several hours.

At a press conference at the Sheraton, she said that though she was able to read thoughts, perceive the deities and other beings present, her sole interest was to give realization.

On August 1, she arrived in Pune. The Pune University felicitated Sir C.P. Srivastava on the occasion of the KCMG conferred upon him.

Chapter 48

On August 6, Shri Mataji flew to Los Angeles for a Court case she had initiated against the Merv Griffn Corporation.

Five years ago, she had specially flown from London to Los Angeles at the invitation of the Merv Griffn Show for a live interview. However, at the appointed moment, Merv Griffn deliberately kept her waiting in the studio and did not invite her to the stage for the live interview on the pretext that time ran out. Evidently he played into the hands of a negative cult and deliberately ignored her. She had no choice but to take recourse to the court.

Shri Mataji personally attended the Los Angeles Court. After the hearing she spent a long time with the lawyers picking out the finer points of law. She outlined a new strategy to turn the tables. The lawyers were amazed at her mastery of law even though she had never studied it. She laughed, “It is not so difficult when you get to the essence.”

However, before the matter could be settled, the Param Chaitanya intervened—the Merv Griffn Corporation went bankrupt!

A journalist asked her comments.

She smiled, “Of course there were some people who were very cruel and nasty, who troubled me and Sahaja Yogis. All these things should have really tampered my enthusiasm, but on the contrary I started thinking, ‘Why people are like this?’ Then I realized one thing that we cannot have the whole world to get self-realization. This is the last judgment. At this time people have to decide what is important. They have to know themselves and understand what they are doing.”

The next day, Shri Vishnumaya spread her sweet fragrance and the seriousness of the court was forgotten in the joy of Raksha Bandhan celebrations. Shri Ganesha Puja followed. Shri Mataji said Shri Ganesha was the essence of Raksha Bandhan, as the purity of the brother-sister relationship emanated from the innocence of Shri Ganesha. She revealed that during the Puja, she saw Shri Ganesha and the

Mooladharas of all the yogis were shining.

On the 9th, she left for Vancouver. Just before sunset a big thunderstorm developed turning the sky in hues of orange, red and violet. She asked everyone to watch the thunderstorm because her attention was working it out. The evening before Shri Saraswati Puja, the lightning had struck exactly 1600 times, as recorded by the computer and reported in the newspaper. The lightning struck 1600 times to announce the advent of Shri Adi Shakti!

During the Saraswati Puja talk, Shri Mataji urged the yogis to use her powers   within them otherwise the powers might take another form that would burn elsewhere.

After the Puja, an American Indian yogi offered a special mask; American Indian legend foretold that when the sky turns reddish, then the Great Grandmother would come to save the world. That was the color of the sky during the storm!

She praised the seekers at the program, and worked on them till two in the morning! After a short rest, she left for Toronto.

Shri Krishna Puja was originally scheduled for New York, but Shri Mataji thought it would be better to shift it to England. Running against time, the English yogis searched for a suitable Puja site. They prayed to Shri Mataji for guidance. A phone call interrupted the Puja. It was a message from Shri Mataji to look for a field sloping down to a body of water with boats, with trees on either side, somewhere between the Thames estuary and the sea shore.

Not knowing how to find the place, the yogis set out on a search for campsites. After visiting some unsatisfactory sites, they crossed a swath of woods and came out onto the exact grassy sloping feld described by Shri Mataji. Miraculously, the price of the campsite was ten times less.

Shri Mataji arrived at the grassy knoll of Ipswich on the evening of the 17th. In the playful mood of Shri Krishna, she narrated some amusing anecdotes from his childhood. But added that the canvas before her was much larger; other gurus and incarnations had left their families, children and everything, whereas in Sahaja Yoga it was necessary for human beings to get their self-realization while living with their families and working in this world through the power of compassion. Her words resounded in the collective’s Sahasrara, “Compassion not only for your family and country, but for the whole world.”

At noon, she presided over the Havan that was performed for working out America and the Middle East. She asked the yogis to perform the Havan with full attention and effort, to have confidences in their powers and not to harbor doubts. About half way through, she drew their attention to a miracle. Although the wind was blowing, the trees remained absolutely still in respectful attendance. After the 1000 names, she offered many points of negativity into the fire. Her eyes shone with compassion yet she appeared absolutely determined to destroy the negativity completely.

At the Puja, Shri Mataji announced the Kali Yuga had ended and the Krita Yuga had dawned. In the new age, the allpervading power had started acting. Nobody before had felt the cool vibrations. They felt the cool but not the vibrations. She promised as long as she was on this earth, she would see that Sahaja Yoga was fully established.

Thereafter, a wonderful array of musical instruments was offered by various countries. She proclaimed these instruments were going out of circulation but she would revive them again.

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On August 24, Shri Mataji blessed Austria with Ganesha Puja. The Param Chaitanya found a beautiful site at Lanners Bach near a river surrounded by the Austrian Alps.

While the children were offering flowers, suddenly she pointed to the sky. It was clear blue and the sun shone, but Grace was falling. It looked like rain but there were no drops. Grace poured through the Sushumna and drenched all the chakras.

Later in the evening it rained so incessantly; a stream of water flooded a part of the tent. Shri Mataji said it was clearing the Sushumna Nadi. In the morning the villagers were surprised that the river did not overflow as it always did after a storm. Little did they know who orchestrated it!

The Puja commenced in the afternoon of the 26th. Shri Mataji asked every one to pray in their heart, ‘Shri Ganesha be kind, merciful and forgiving and manifest within us.’ She answered their prayers and bestowed the quality of innocence.

In the morning, she left for Munich. She blessed the Gruha Lakshmi of Germany with presents to all the housewives.

At the program a seeker asked her whether the world would be saved.She smiled, “This depends on the Germans. Once Germany takes to Sahaja Yoga, the world will change.”

An audience of 350 was electrified, and hugged her. She was pleased, “The Germans have become the gentlest people in the world.”

On the 31st, Shri Hanuman Puja was held in the grand hall of the majestic Schewtzingen Castle.

Shri Mataji mirthfully described the child-like behavior of Shri Hanuman who looks after the right side so very sweetly, “By playing tricks on the ego, he brings down the ego and shows how to enjoy the very beautiful area of the right side.”

She narrated many amusing anecdotes of Shri Hanuman, to bring down the collective right side.

Thereafter, she left for Paris on September 10th.

She was overwhelmed by the response; 1400 flowers bloomed. She personally   blessed each one and worked out their problems till three in the morning.

However, in the process she absorbed their negativity. Her feet got so swollen and she could not walk. The yogis took out the vibrations from her feet for several hours till the swelling subsided and she could walk again.

She slept till noon and woke up absolutely fresh, ready for the next program. She never worried about her own suffering but could not bear the suffering of her children. Their love compelled her and she could give her life for them. She lived for them. They were her life.

At the second program she turned Paris around! She had absorbed the negativity of the seekers the night before. On the first day she fought the negativity and on the second day she blessed them with Ananda (bliss). At Shri Mahakali Puja, she elucidated, “Shri Mahakali not only destroyed the demons but is also the Ananda Shakti. Also she has the power to purify. Our desire must be very strong and very pure for the emancipation of the whole world.”

Chapter 50

Navaratri Puja was held in Geneva on 23rd September.  To bless the Swiss Nabhi, she lovingly cooked delicious meals for all her children.

The Swiss collective staged a play called ‘The Prince’s Search.’ She enjoyed the depth of the play and requested it be shown again at Diwali Puja. Her Divine attention made certain alterations and raised it to perfection.

At the Puja, she revealed how the powerful Shakti had killed all the demons, but they were back again and had entered the heads of the seekers as false gurus, fundamentalists, churches and temples. She advised to always keep the attention on the connection with this powerful Shakti, for her protection.

All the weapons of the Goddess were offered to her. When she held them, the negativity lurking in the Swiss Nabhi was vanquished.

The Russians thanked her for visiting Russia and offered her a Puja present. After her last visit, Sahaja Yoga had spread like a tidal wave and they requested her for programs in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Shri Mataji graciously blessed their prayers.

On October 11, in Moscow 15,000 people got their realization and another 10,000 in St Petersburg.

Diwali Puja was held on October 21st in Chioggia, an ancient merchant town along the coast of Venice. She spoke very lovingly on how to establish the Lakshmi Tattwa. She had to sacrifices herself, her family, her sleep, comfort and everything possible to establish the Mahalakshmi principle of her children. But she said she didn’t feel the sacrifice because she loved her children. Diwali was a very special time for a mother to be with her children and also for the children to be with their beloved mother!

The children could only express their gratitude in small offerings of Ceramic lamps, symbolic of Diwali lights. She graciously admired each one and remarked they were just what she needed for Pratishthan where their light would always remind her of her children, who were the light of her eyes.

The next day, she gave a public program in Torino. The program was held in a cinema hall of 300, but over 500 squeezed in. With hardly a few hours rest, she woke up early next morning and called for the newspapers. She inspected the real estate column and circled a farmhouse outside Rome. She felt tremendous vibrations from it and observed it would be ideal for a Sahaja pre-school.

En route the Air India fight to Delhi, she broke journey in Rome and drove directly from the airport to inspect the site. At one glance she approved its vibrations and decided to buy it.

Again, she insisted on paying for it from her personal account!

Chapter 51

On November 1, Shri Mataji arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Despite the ban on non-Muslim meetings by the Islamic Malaysian government, the Param Chaitanya brought 400 seekers to the programs.

She revealed, Malaysia was part of the Mooladhara, During Shri Rama’s reign it was joined to India.

Before leaving for Bangkok she went shopping for the forthcoming India tour and healed a shop assistant of a fractured foot.

Arriving from the airport, she was held up in Bangkok’s heavy traffic. She suggested ‘why not turn a disadvantage into an advantage’ and gave vibrations to the city. The vibrations brought 100 seekers to the programs. She was pleased and said that in the beginning there was no need to have too many people otherwise it would be difficult to handle them.

At the program, a young boy fainted at her feet. She was very grieved, “Look! What they have done to my child.”

She revived him with vibrated water. His kundalini had been damaged by the Buddhist monks. The collective got caught up from him and she spent several hours clearing it. Luckily an Australian yogi did not get caught up, because he did not react. She blessed him with a wooden box, “He doesn’t react. He was the only one who didn’t get caught up when I was treating the people at the program. The reason why people got caught up was because of lack of meditation.”

Though the country’s vibrations were quite heavy and it had lost much of its awareness of the maryadas, it was a very special place for her. Apparently, Ayodhya, the ancient capital of Thailand was the place where Shri Rama lived after his separation from Shri Sita. Shri Sita dropped her jewels here while Ravana took her away. That’s why the country was so rich in precious stones and jewelry.

Two yogis left for the airport in advance to check-in the baggage. When she got into the car, they asked her, “Which way should we take, the freeway or the back way?”

“The back way.”

Surprisingly she reached the airport before them. She gave them a bandhan and they arrived two minutes before the fight closed, “The traffic, the traffic!”

Shri Mataji arrived in Taipei on the November 8, and stayed at the majestic Taipei Grand Hotel overlooking the Keclung River. At the programs in the Sword Pond Youth Centre none of the Buddhists felt vibrations. When they asked, “Mother, are you the future Buddha Maitreya?” – Instantly they felt the cool breeze.

Before departing for India, she looked at the sky, “What tremendous vibrations!”

A yogi took pictures of it, and it showed Shri Mataji’s face in the sky.

Chapter 52

On the November 19, Shri Mataji addressed a press conference in Pune to expose the political nexus behind Andha Shradha’s (ASNS) attack on her at Angapur. The mischievous elements tried to heckle her, but her straightforward answers left them spellbound. The truth turned the tables and the Press finally wrote positively about Sahaja Yoga. Some of the journalists turned out to be great seekers and came to Pratishthan to seek their self-realization.

She reminded, “Come what may, we should never be

afraid to tell the truth. Truth has the power to expose falsehood.”

On the 22nd she addressed a medical conference. Five hundred doctors came from all over India. She humorously told them she was not there to take away their jobs, but to help them to find answers to human health problems. Explaining the autonomous nervous system, she asked, “Who is this auto?” The doctors heard her with rapt attention and many took to Sahaja Yoga.

On December 3, Shri Ganesha Puja was held in Shere, Pune. Shri Mataji emphasized that when the foundation of spirituality was strong, then we could build any type of building on it, otherwise the whole thing would collapse. During the Puja, she empowered the collective Mooladhara chakra. It was a rebirthing process for those who were burnt out by the western life style. She arranged a concert ‘Jai Jai Gauri Shankar’ for them.

Returning from the Puja, she spotted some yogis waiting on the roadside as they had missed the bus. She managed to fit them in her car and dropped them all the way to the concert and then returned home.

The following day, 500 of the India Tour were invited to lunch at Pratishthan. She joyfully cooked for them. After lunch, she sat outside in the lawn and entertained them with amusing anecdotes till late in the afternoon.

The Russians were to catch the train to Mumbai in the evening. She accompanied them to the Railway station and blessed each one with a packed dinner packet. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the train rolled on.

Early next morning, the tour proceeded to Shrirampur. Arrangements were made for their stay in the compound of Haregaon sugar factory. The local contractor tried to fleece the organizers and Shri Mataji reprimanded him. He took offence and when the tour slept, he let out snakes in the compound. By her Grace, someone spotted them on time. Shri Mataji reassured that snakes were sensitive to vibrations and would never bite a yogi. She gathered the tour in her bedroom and with amusing anecdotes put them to sleep. They slept like babies in the loving protection of their Divine Mot her.

They woke up to the most beautiful sunrise. The world appeared so peaceful and everyone enjoyed a deep meditation in the veranda across her bedroom.

Shri Mataji had selected cotton caps and dhotis for everyone. Some rhymed and bought them and others were out of rhythm. After breakfast, she enquired why they did not buy them when she had gone to such a trouble. Initially she wanted to gift them, but then she playfully thought of putting them to a sweet test. Those who failed to feel her love in her thoughtful gesture, felt guilty. She absolved their guilt by blessing them with the caps.

She made corrections playfully. Nothing was imposed. There was no pressure, strict rules, do’s and don’ts or a military regime. She gave complete freedom because she felt vibrations were best absorbed in a relaxed state. Moreover, she wanted each to discover his innate sense of right and wrong rather than to superimpose it. Transformation had to be an inside job, and each one had to become his own guru. Where a child was too weak to measure up, she empowered him with vibrations.

Her sweet tests served to remind the children to keep in rhythm lest they miss the stepping-stones their Mother had so carefully laid for them. Even in her sleep, she caressed them. In their limited vision, it was not possible to envisage the movement of her Divine love that nurtured, protected and loved them. Her attention was constantly on their comfort—arranging tours, hiring buses, selecting campsites, appointing cooks, setting menus and working for their ascent.

During the India tour, the collective atmosphere was always relaxed. The schedules were flexible with plenty of room for delays. The journey itself was more important than the destination. It was not about the elaborate travel plans but the state of one’s attention. If the attention slipped from the Sahasrara, the purpose of the journey was lost. In a sense, traveling with Shri Mataji was like playing snakes and ladders—the moment the attention slipped, one went down the ladder and she propped it up again and again! No school or university could have taught those lessons.

Moreover, those lessons became even more joyous with the showering of her vatsalya where she expressed her motherly love in beautiful presents.

The journey to Shrirampur, on the 9th, was yet another showering of her vatsalya. Amidst the dancing and singing of the procession to the Loni program, she prompted, “If you want to know me, know thyself.”

Her vatsalya was a reminder to her children that however badly they scored in their lessons—She was their Mother. Her presence, a glimpse, a smile, a gentle caress or a hearty laugh empowered them.

On the 17th, Shri Lalita and Shri Chakra Puja were held in Brahmapuri. Shri Mataji asked every one to make a wish. The dynamics of collectivity started working and each one sought a blessing for his brother or sister.

On the 20th, the Kolhapur yogis hosted a traditional feast in the Maharashtrian tradition where certain protocols were observed during the meal—no one should get up before the collective meal was over and there were to be no leftovers. The age-old custom of eating in a relaxed manner was peace giving to the Nabhi.

Shri Mataji introduced many traditional customs for aiding the chakras and the attention. But often they escaped the children’s attention.

Shri Mahalakshmi Puja was held in Kolhapur on the 21st. It was an experience of a lifetime. The Puja was held in an adjacent plot to the Mahalakshmi temple, which was a Swayambhu. During the Puja talk, Shri Mataji receded in her divinity and said she did not know what she was saying. She spoke from beyond the Sahasrara and took the collective to new horizons. The collective held its breath lest their thoughts violate the sanctity of that eternal moment!

The next day, the peaceful ocean of Ganapatipule served as a reminder of Shri Mataji’s Puja talk—the Mother Earth has got a mind. She produces Swayambhus and Deities and she thinks. The Grandfather embraced his grand children in his loving arms. He calmed their busy minds and cleansed the clutter from their Agnyas.

At Christmas Puja, Shri Mataji revealed how the Omkara had become Shri Ganesha. In her miracle photographs the vibrations manifested as Omkaras. The lights in her miracle photographs were Omkaras.

The Renaissance artists depicted Jesus and the Madonna but here stood the complete incarnation of Shri Adi Shakti revealed before humanity in flesh and blood!

After the Puja Shri Mataji’s attention turned to the marriage applications, which had doubled. The applications from the yoginis were four times more than from the yogis. She paired the one from a backward country with the one from an advanced country depending on the vibrations. In her vision of a global family there was no room for nationality, color or creed. The color of the skin or the outward appearances was the last thing that mattered. A very dark South Indian girl was matched to a very fair Englishman. Of course the couple had the complete freedom to refuse till the last minute, but the Divine choice was so perfect that it turned out to be the best match!

Eighty couples were married over the course of an evening. It was a soul-stirring experience to witness the Divine Conductor conducting the Divine orchestra. It was past midnight and the time had come to draw the curtains. As the curtain drew on the stage of Ganapatipule, the orchestra moved on to a global stage for the spectacular event of global transformation.

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