Puja in Pune (extracts), India, 3 December 1990.

So, welcome to all the Sahaja Yogis from abroad. So we start from today our Maharashtra Tour, which you can see is full of these hills and dales. Also, the atmosphere is going to be extremely rustic. Of course the comforts of this place have not been up to the mark, but next year it will be much better, I’m sure. We have decided to purchase even this plot of land, but as you know we have a land on top, there on the hill at the top. That’s one of the highest peaks in this area. That land we have already purchased, and we are going to have an Ashram there, and this will be the place used for parking. I hope you like the atmosphere here and the surroundings, the nature.

People in Maharashtra are blessed by great saints and people who were Naths, like Gyaneshwara; and that’s why they have a tremendous base of spirituality. But still they are to be guided to get their Self Realization. As you know that without spirituality, the life is very much in, is in imbalance. It does not have a totality of enjoyment. I don’t know if there is any enjoyment otherwise also; because if you just live with your machineries and materialism, they cannot give you joy. And that’s what you have discovered, the emptiness of life. And that’s the reason you want spirituality, to give a complete expression to your personality, which has happened. Luckily it has happened. I’m very happy to see so many people who have felt it. And this is what has to be understood by Indians also, because they think that you people are so well off materially and while they are not, they are spiritually well-off and you are materially well-off. And both the things are so important. The foundation has to be strong, of spirituality, and then you can build whatever type of building you want to build on top of that. But if you do not have that foundation, then the whole thing collapses. Like a tree grows, and it doesn’t touch the source of its nourishment, it will definitely collapse. This is what Sahaja Yoga is, that you are touching the source of your nourishment, nourishment to your civilization. And once this nourishment starts flowing, you see what’s wrong in those countries where people have gone headlong, gone to the extremes, and what they are suffering. The people here have no idea about it. Also in this country of ours we have lots of problems because people are so simple, very vulnerable. But dealing with the problems of the West, I feel that there’s no way out but Sahaja Yoga. As many as we can save, we should try to save them. Whatever may be the achievements in the West, they are going to boomerang, and they may destroy the whole society.

So when you are starting the first day here you should ask for spirituality, the blessings of spirituality, but also the promise that you will help others who are getting drowned into the dry materialism of the West. That’s a very important task you have to do. You are all enjoying this beautiful life, and you are at peace with yourself, but this wine of spirituality has to be shared, otherwise life becomes very selfish, self-centered. I know you are frightened of those people, because you think you may catch from them. In this Tour I hope most of you will be made badha-proof and fearless. As I told you, you have to touch your depth. If you live with superficiality, any superficiality in you must be thrown away, then you will sink down. There are all kinds of superficialities which have come to us as a “blessing” of this Western civilization, as also in India we have another. But as I’m talking to you I’ll, I would like to tell you about the superficialities that we have in the West.

First of all, the another style is our norms and ideas. Actually it’s all a mental activity, as I’ve told you that the whole art of the West is finished. We cannot have a Rembrandt any more. We cannot have a Michelangelo any more. The reason is, criticism of this art has been so much in the modern times that nobody wants to produce anything which will be criticized, and now only situation left is that our critics are criticizing critics, that’s all; no art, because they have no work to do. So this mental activity of putting everybody down and mastering that art, is very dangerous and extremely destructive. And this is what is happening I feel, in the field of every kind of activity: industry, music, art, everything that you find; buildings, any enterprise, even politics. Everything has become so superficial that you have to be prepared for facing all kinds of oppositions and troubles. But still, as you have your own depth, you can master them all by your tranquility, by your temperament, and by your powers which you have got. When you are not afraid of that society, and when you have that tranquility within you and the courage, I’m sure you can do a lot. Of course we have some very dynamic people in Sahaja Yoga in the West, and very dynamic women also in the West. What may come they never deter, and they have worked very hard to do everything possible to see that Sahaja Yoga is established. So they should be your ideals, and all of you should try to follow them and do the best.

This Tour is a festival for us. It’s, of course I say it’s a pilgrimage but there are no signs of pilgrimage it looks, because if you see the pilgrims, horrible they look, while you are looking like roses, all of you. So it’s a festival for us and you have to feel that festivity within your heart, that joy within your heart, and small, small things you should not worry, because these things cannot be provided in all the places. Gradually we’ll be building ashrams in all the places wherever you have been visiting, but you know how difficult it is, in those days where the India is passing through such a bad phase for so many years, where everything is delayed. So the attitude should be that: “We have come here for our ascent.” We have to work out everything with that attitude, that we have come here for our ascent, and every moment of our ascent is a festive occasion. Everything is a festival. If you understand that, I am sure you will see the beauty in everything, you will enjoy everything, whatever may be the rustic style. Maybe you may not like the color of these lights, I think, because you may not enjoy it so much. You might get much better things in your own country. But whatever it is, it’s not your conditioning that should stop you from enjoying. So please remember that you are now the member of the universal society, and we cannot have our conditionings to mar our happiness and joy. I want you to enjoy this trip fully, absolutely, in a way that you have never enjoyed anything before.

May God bless you.

[English translation from Marathi]

Marathi speech starts at 16:49.

[English translation from Marathi]

Yesterday, I have told you in detail that we have got so much treasure of spirituality; you should have some appreciation for that. When we do not have respect for ourselves, how will we be appreciative of our treasure? Every person in India, in that also a person from Maharashtra should be reckoned as an image of ardent love for God. We ourselves don’t have any idea about ourselves. If we are staying in a village and are facing lot of troubles, then we feel that we are insignificant beings. It is not like that. You are going to be of great use; only thing is that we should remember certain things. First and foremost thing is that we should be completely aware about religion (“dharma”). Every religion that is prevalent in our country or in any other country, in all those countries we can say that, it is only been mechanized or in all it has been made as a means to earn money. This cannot be religion (“dharma”). God does not understand money, cannot understand bank, nothing. If someone asks me to write a cheque, I do not understand it, I ask someone else to write it and I will sign it. The people here who plunder your money in the name of God, to give them even a single penny is wrong, this is the first thing. And any person who wears a saffron robe and comes, we start prostrating in front of them. The person has come here after being released from jail and is now wearing a saffron robe, this thought does not come to anyone’s mind. We directly start. The people from villages are simple (“sadhe”) and straight forward (“saral”) – if he  says “See,  if you give so much money, then so much good will happen to you”, he will start giving money to such a person. Sometime back, I had gone to a village, everyone started coming “we have to take darshan (see) of Shri Mataji”; one woman came and she gave me twenty five paise. I told her that I don’t take money; she said okay, then I will give you one rupee, Mataji. Means it does not go out of their minds, it is fixed in their minds that money has to be offered to God. But does that God understand anything money? All that is filled in our minds should be taken out first that any person who asks for money, such a person is definitely not close to God. This should be explained to all the villagers by everybody. We have many simple (“saadhe”) innocent (“bhole”) people and that is why anywhere if you just place a stone, coat  it  with vermilion (“sindoor”)  then  someone sits in front of it to make money. Anyone who comes and goes will start prostrating (“lotangan”) in front of it, offering two paise to him.

       Saints like Nrusinha Saraswati have done a lot of work on this. They have lambasted everyone and tried their best but nobody understands it.  Saints have, amongst them, a Brahmin, Nrusinha Saraswati used to thrash that person, used to throw away the stone laid out by him. Eknath (a saint) was troubled a lot by people because he partook food at Mahaarwada (a dwelling for low castes India). Do monks (“sadhu”) and saints (“sant”) have any caste? Who is a Mahar, who is a Brahmin? And if you see our scriptures (“shastras”), if you peep a bit deeper, you will come to know who has written Shri Rama’s character? That fisherman, Valmiki. That fisherman had written the character of Shri Rama, not any Brahmin. So all the madness that is within us regarding caste and creed should be removed. There is no meaning to it. It is an indication of stupidity.

 It is said about the Devi “yaa Devi sarva bhooteshu, jaati roopena Sansthitha”. What does this caste mean? What is a caste? Caste means something within you which you like or your inborn intelligence is what caste is. If any person is in search of God then that person is a Brahmin. Das Ganu says “Amhasi mhanati Bramhan, Amhi jaanile nahi Bramha, Amhi Kasale Bramhan?” – (“I call myself a Brahmin, I have not known the Brahma principle within me, then how can I be a Brahmin?”) He himself being a Brahmin, says so. So all this issue of caste and creed should be forgotten. In Sahaja Yoga we do not believe in any type of caste or creed. We do not believe in widowhood, first thing. Women are widows, and men? They are never reckoned as having lost a wife (widower).  By doing this, we have subjected women to a lot of atrocity. To oppress can never be righteousness. Any kind of atrocity is Iniquity and any kind of injustice is also Iniquity. So when you come to Sahaja Yoga, you need to bear in mind that all these atrocious practices, due to which Hell has been created in our country, we don’t believe them and will never believe in such things. 

In the case of caste, we have a very horrible situation. And to speak of marriages – now we don’t have any missions to accomplish, we don’t have to climb Simhagadh (name of a fort in Maharashtra which means the “Lion’s fort”), we do not have to conquer any fort, nothing like that. So what else can one do sitting idly – just arrange our sons and daughters marriages. That’s it. There is nothing else to do. It is very surprising.

      I realized that they put me in 96 Kuli Maratha community when I was born. I asked, why did you put me in that 96 Kuli Maratha community? In that clan, all are drunkards and they torture their women so much; and in case of marriages, it can happen only within the same clan, the 96 Kuli Maratha community; all are useless people. If any girl is given to a well-educated boy then finished. Searching takes so much effort – but they subject the girl to so much torture. What is this behaviour? Are this 96 kuli created by God? Everyone’s nose, face looks the same, everyone’s issues are similar – when the way of laughing and talking is similar, when they are children of the same mother, how can it be said that this person cannot marry that person, that person cannot marry this person. Then take dowry, take this and take that – Sahaja Yoga has come to  cleanse all these dirty  things in our caste/community. To make everything clean and tidy. See how much trouble it is to do all this. Today you have a daughter so you face these issues. Tomorrow if you have a son, you will trouble others similarly.

      Although, Sahaja Yoga belongs to sages (“sadhu”) and saints (“sant”), it does not belong to Ascetics (“sanyastha”). Being in the society, helping society to progress, helping in refining the thoughts of the people in the society – Sahaja Yoga is such a catalyst.

In your life, those who call themselves as Sahaja Yogis, if they are also having a narrow vision, then they need to realize that they have not yet understood Sahaja Yoga. This is a work of the universe, we have set out to unite the world, instead of that – we belong to this city, you belong to that city, this and that  – Has this given any benefit? Has anybody benefitted from this? What is the benefit from this, first you should first observe this. Has anyone benefitted by marrying in the same community? The other day, one woman came to fight with me on this issue. I showed her 10 of her relatives, said now see these people, your relations by marriage. But Dnyaneshwar has mentioned in Pasaydaan that “Techi Soyarika hoti te” which means “these are your relations”.  What was mentioned in Pasaydan that indicates Sahaja Yoga? Sages, saints have not accepted this; how much they were tortured because they were the children of ascetics . Ascetics had children.  Did anyone’s father tell them to do this? How much they have been tortured, how much Tukaram was tortured, how much was Eknath tortured as he ate food at a low caste person’s place. It is like this. While staying on the land of sages and saints, we should behave like them. Look at their preaching’s (“abhanga”), what have they told – what has Tukaram said to Vitthala –(“Tu mahar jhalas he bara jhala” ) “It is good that you became a lower caste person”. Vitthala didn’t assault him for that. “Zala Mahar Pandharinath” – “Pandarinath (Vitthala) has become a lower caste person.” He has said such a profound thing, but does it get into anyone’s head? If Pandharinath can become a lower caste person, then who are you? Just chanting the devotional songs of sages and saints and banging the discs but the essence of it should percolate.  All of them worked on the superstition and herd mentality. Dnyaneshwar told about the path further and then said (out of frustration), I don’t want to do this and then took his entrancement (“Samadhi”). These idiots won’t listen, sometime later when they realize, they may read these very books.

    All these foreigners read their books. Now their tour of Maharashtra is over. They perceive you people sitting next to God as for them Maharashtra is a great place. They really consider Maharashtra as a Great country (“Maha- rashtra”) and they consider people of Maharashtra as God. Because such great traditions you have, you are sitting in the land of saints. you have taken birth here. Means how great you must be is what they think. But old habits die hard. Again, the same things. Now yesterday, everyone had catch on their Vishuddhi chakra. This chakra. Why? I know, tobacco. In Maharashtra, one cannot do without tobacco, even if it causes cancer or death. From where this evil has come in Maharashtra, I don’t understand. The poor sages and saints, all of them advised not to consume intoxicating substances. Sai Nath had burnt all the tobacco and smoked it up, like Shiva (Shankara), but still everyone is stuck to tobacco. Wherever they go they consume tobacco, even while going to Vitthala they consume tobacco before leaving. Vithala does not like tobacco at all. Vitthala sits on the Vishuddhi Chakra and still why do you consume tobacco and go to (worship) him? You should know the purpose, you should hold to the gist of it. Then you say for the sake of it , Mataji we believe in God so much. Some ladies were telling me,

Lady – We worship the Devi so much.

Mataji – What else?

Lady – Well, my husband drinks alchohol a bit.

Mataji – Is it? And then becomes disgraced.  And your (husband)?

Lady – He likes to play cards.

Mataji -Is that so? So after playing cards, he goes to perform aarati, Devi’s aarati.

 This impurity has increased very much in our society, this is not acceptable to the Goddess, all such things are not acceptable to the Goddess at all.  Then you  get whipped. Then when you get whipped, you will ask why did this happen to us? I am such a great devotee of God, I am such a great devotee of Shiva, I am such a great devotee of Dattatreya, then how did this happen to me?  Hence, first get connected with HIM. Devotees of Dattatreya should definitely be having a trouble of the stomach, take it in writing, I am not lying. Anyone who is having a stomach problem, ask them ‘are you a devotee of Dattatreya’. ‘Yes.’ They should have the trouble of the stomach because Dattatreya, is the deity residing around this area of the stomach which is the place of our righteousness (“dharma”) , called the Void, we don’t have a photo here so you can’t see it. People keep on chanting Datta Datta in vain without getting connected to HIM. In real sense, Datta is actually Mohammed Sahib. So the Muslims will also have the trouble of stomach. Simply chanting Mohammed – Mohammed, Muslims will not achieve anything. Need to be connected. Even they do not understand sometimes, that we believe in God and then how is this coming on us? Why are we in such trouble? The reason for that is that you have still not understood. Mohammed Sahib has told this specifically that such a time will come which he has called as “Qiyama”, means resurrection, resurrection will take place; at that time your hands will speak. His preachings are  about Sahaja Yoga only. One such person will come who will tell everything. Everything has been told. Muslims are not some other people, Hindus are not some other people , everyone belongs to us. But when you have not found the path, you see it this way only. It is the same for the blind. Like blind people cannot see green and red, similarly we cannot see that we all are one. That is why these quarrels, these skirmishes and what not. Does this have any meaning? 

   Quarrelsome nature is very common place in Maharashtra. The other thing is family feuds. If anyone advances even slightly, then (others) start poisoning my ears. I have decided to close my ears now, I say. No one knows this that I understand everything. They will come and tell me that this person is like this, a terrible politician, Mataji, please be careful of this person. I said that I know more about him than you. I will tell you everything later on. They will then look at me with great dismay. How did you know? I can understand, don’t tell me about useless things. This person’s (views) on that person, that person’s (views) on this person, just no end to this. Then how will Sahaja Yoga proliferate? These people don’t have these things. Not at all.  Once these people come to Sahaja yoga, they become so humble, they are so humble – that they have achieved a great thing. We do not have any idea about this. No quarrels, no skirmishes, no badmouthing each other because I do not like it. Speak up right up front, not behind the back. These people, who do not have the foundation, do not have the perspectives of the saints, who did not have kings like Shri Ram , did not have warriors like Shivaji , those people have advanced so much, and where  are we languishing? They have achieved so much then why shouldn’t we?   How great our past heritage (“poorva pithika”), we are people who have sat on thrones and how are we behaving? 

     People get obligated to useless people and being obligated, they lose  their virtuosity.   In this Maharashtra we have to do a lot of awakening and it will happen because Maharashtra has this heritage (“sampada”) that is not present anywhere else in this world. That is why I am putting in so much effort over here. That is why I have taken birth in Maharashtra and have been putting efforts in Maharashtra since so many years. So people should realize what their responsibility is, what Maharashtra’s responsibility is? 

  Even if you are staying in a village, are uneducated, still your internal state is very superior. So you need to achieve that state and show the whole world that an ordinary farmer from Maharashtra is also of a very high caliber. It is easy to parrot things out, will keep on reading Mahtmya like a learned ass. What are you going to achieve by reading. Revision after revision, one weekly discourse after another. Has anybody gained by doing that?   Whichever village you go, ‘Mataji, there is a weekly discourse going on.’  What will happen due to that discourse of yours? Is it going to do any good?  So you need to get your awakening and being awakened, you need to understand why you are having this plight? Why did we get into all this trouble? And to get your awakening is not difficult; it is a possession (“sampada”) inbuilt within you. The complete power is within you. What is yours needs to be given to you. ‘What is yours is with you’ and it needs to be given to you.  There is nothing here for me to give and take; there is no favor from me.  Does Mother do any favors? You believe if you have to.

     But Mother does everything for her own happiness. Now the specialty of this city is , of this place is that, the land we have taken at Shera is only after seeing the vibrations  and then we took this land. Now (people) are going to come and stay here, so  on behalf  of you all I have informed them that we have purchased the place. These are all devotees of the Goddess, so they need to be looked after. There is a designated location of the Goddess here and in front of them; we should show how deep you all are. You can prosper in all aspects. Only thing is that you first need to achieve depth. Otherwise after you progress, you will again start drinking or will do some filthy thing. 

The first thing you need is that your inner power should be awakened. You should have this desire in you that we need to get our awakening. 

     Today you have come for the Pooja, in the Pooja, energy flows. Usually we don’t allow people who are not Sahaja Yogis. Those who have not got their awakening, we do not allow them to come for the Pooja, because he cannot do it, he cannot understand it. But if you are sitting in humility, everyone will benefit from the Pooja and everyone will feel satisfied. So you have to sit in humility. We should keep in mind that we need to achieve something. This is going to happen through the virtuosity accumulated in you. After that you come and tell me. Then I will get this letter, that ‘Mataji, we are swimming in the ocean of joy.’ To give this, I am moving around villages. Since last 20 years this effort is going on. Now let’s see how much work gets done in Maharashtra. In that way, in Delhi, beyond Delhi in the towns and villages, a lot of work is being done. Same way it should happen here because this is the land of saints and this is your inheritance. You need to satisfy the saints. The saints should feel that these people have got what we have given them. It should not be a mere meaningless blabber and also not just banging the crymbals (discs). The reverberations of the crymbals that should emerge from you and the arrangement for that is very easy. 

[Marathi speech over at 37:03]

The people who are sitting in the sun can come and sit here, there is space here in the front, come and sit here. There is time for Pooja, come and sit here. You can come here and sit, there is space here, come in the front. 37.14 secs

[English] You can sit there, after all you are at a height. 

[Marathi] Come and sit at the front. Come, like this sit in the front. Sit in the shade, it will take a long time for this. Don’t sit in the sun, congregation (“mandali”) don’t sit in the sun, don’t sit in the sun. Sit in the shade. 

[English] It is a nice breeze blowing. Alright. 

[Marathi] Now who is coming for the Pooja? 38.08 secs

[English] A Sahaja Yogi is asking a question to Shri Mataji: Shri Mataji.

Shri Mataji responding to a question by Sahaja Yogi: Hmmm. 

A Sahaja Yogi is asking a question to Shri Mataji: Washing your feet.

Shri Mataji responding to a question by Sahaja Yogi: Yaaa (Yes). Shri Ganeshas. There are how, many children here I think.

[Hindi] Shri Mataji: There will be many children here. Can you check and come?

[Marathi] Shri Mataji: Small children between 5 to 10 years, come and sit here. 4 to 10 years. 

[English] A Sahaja Yogi talking in the background: Children 5 to 10 years old.

[English] Shri Mataji: 4 to 10.

[English] A Sahaja Yogi talking in the background: 4 to 10 all the children.[English] Shri Mataji: Sit down.