Diwali Puja. Dollis Hill ashram, London, England. 20 October 1979.

….On the 14th day, he was killed by Shadanana, Kartikeya, was the son of Parvati and Shankar who was a very powerful expression of Rudra Shakti, is that He is the killing power of God. And He was created specially for this purpose, to kill Narakasura.
Then the – this one was, this rakshasa, was such a menace and he had ruined so many people’s lives. He has done such a havoc and people didn’t know how to find protection.
That time, when Narakasura was killed by the Shakti in the form of Shadanana, Kartikeya, there was celebration all over.
People celebrated the next night and the next night was the darkest night of the whole year, is tonight.
The 15th day of the waning moon is called as amavasya [new moon]. So this is the darkest night. There are always dark nights every month once, but this is the darkest night of the whole year and just before this Narakasura was killed. And all the lights are put in the house and lots of these lamps are burnt.
Of course electricity lights are different from these, as you know, that they burn badhas all the time.
So, after the death of Narakasura, he had a big army of his own when he was very powerful and he had hypnotized many people, so to get rid of the residual ones altogether, they lighted all these lamps, so that all those devils who were still roaming about should all be burnt off; and you can understand in Sahaja Yoga how a lamp burns and how a badha is taken away by a lamp.
But still all the lights of the house must be lighted. Will you go and light all the lights in the house.
Outside and inside, there should be, everywhere there should be light. No room should be kept in darkness because they hide in the darkness.
So no corner should be dark.

Then you know that Rama killed Ravana on the 10th day of the rising moon – that was Dussehra – and he was burnt. And then He returned back by an aeroplane called as pushpak to Ayodhya, to His own capital, where He was crowned as king on this day.
Now we have got astrologically, there are 3 and a half auspicious days where you don’t have to consult any books of astrology, which are called as panchang [Hindu calendar], to find out whether it is an auspicious time or not. For any puja, for any… good work you have to do, people consult in India the panchang, is the book to find out which date is auspicious, which is not.
One of them is today, is the day you can do anything good, you decide anything good.

Today is the day to take an oath, to think of something great, to visualise something big, to ask a boon, to do a big puja, is one of the greatest day.
One of the – we call them muhurtas – which where you do not consult these books.
And that’s why Rajyabhishek [coronation] of, I mean the crowning ceremony of Shri Rama took place on this day.
So there are so many aspects for this, that after Rama had killed Ravana, another satanic force, this Diwali was celebrated.
Also this was celebrated much earlier when Narakasura was killed.
And this is how we express our joy and happiness, our gratitude to God that He has protected us always with His power, with His Shakti, and has destroyed all the rakshasas and all the evil forces of this world.

This is the time of Thanksgiving. On this day we have to go to our elders and give thanks to them for whatever they have done for us.
To all those people whom we have to give thanks today is the day when we have to ask God to bless all these people.
For us also to be very jubilant and very happy, is the day, because now I feel from tomorrow Sahaja Yoga is going to take new strides.
From tomorrow starts the new year. And the new year of the Shalivahana, vahana calendar – there are two calendars, one is Vikram, another is Shalivahan – of the Shalivahan.
And that is the dynasty, you know that, that they were My forefathers, who started this shalivahan.
Now there are two stories about Shalivahan. One says that this gentleman was breaking a branch and was standing on it, and that’s why he was called as Shalivahan. But actually it means the shawl. The shawl is called as Shali in marathi language and the one who carried the shawl of the Mother is called as the Shalivahan.
And when some sahaja yogis went to India, if you remember in Rahuri, that is the place Rahuri Nandgaon, you have also seen where My ancestors lived and all that place. They gave you the shawls to wear. And I asked them, “Why did you give them shawls? So they said these are the shalivahanas. All of them are shalivahanas now. That’s why we have to give them shawls”. And they were very happy to do that.

So tomorrow is the new year day. Now, why is it necessary to have a new year day in our life? Why – last year those who got realisation were very lucky people, but plodding through the path of Self-realisation one loses all the enthusiasm and idealism that one has when you get realisation.

You think of doing so many things about it. When you get realisation you are so much engrossed into it, you enjoy it so much that you think that, “Now the time has come for me to do this and that and that. And I’m going to contact these people, and I’m going to give these news to this one, and I’m going to do this work, I’ll show to Mother that what She has given me, I have made it many folds.
Because it was a new experience, great experience, the only experience that you have been waiting for. And that you also decide that I am going to now become the torch bearer of this great light that has come into me. And I am going to form one of the lights of this Deepavali. Deepavali, deep means these lights, avali means the row of lights. So I’m going to be one of them. And we are going to enlighten the path of the people who want to have Self-realisation. All these great ideas come to us when we touch our depth. And we feel responsible for all the rest of the humanity.

But then we gradually realize that there are lots of problems with our ascent, own being, and the Kundalini goes back into it, comes up again and you realize that you have to correct yourself quite a lot.
Then this correction portion starts, you start thinking about yourself more than about others. And also other things which were identified with us like our own personal problems, our own personal ideas, ambitions, professions and all the things that, with which we have been enamored so far start peeping into our minds. And we start forgetting that moment when we got our realization and all that we promised within ourselves to do.

So, the new day comes to remind you, doesn’t matter whatever has happened has happened, is finished. Today a new day has come to you again for you to promise again.
Again start your journey, know the sun has come, and now be refreshed, the newness brings the freshness of life – and then you again start with greater enthusiasm on the new day, with new ideas, with new promises, with new vows and with greater understanding about Sahaja Yoga.
Those who have got now realization, they have to know actually what happens as you mature. You start changing your attitude.
Today only, somebody asked me a question, and that’s what should happen to all of you.
After sometime the attitude is changed, changed so much that you know that you are no more seeking, now you have to give.

You just talk of giving and not of seeking anymore, because you have found it full.
Till the pitcher is filled, the water can be poured into it, when it has come to the brim, it says no, add in (unclear) nothing. Anymore you pour in will go to others. So this attitude when develops in you, you should know that you are matured.
This attitude is the only test to see that it is matured. No questions, no problems, only thought that really covers the entire space before us is how to bring others to this great heavenly atmosphere of divine love.

First one has fears, then he develops protections. He is worried about giving all the time bandhans to oneself, looking after one’s own vibrations. Then he catches, he is worried, he doesn’t want to meet some people, he condemns others and he says that “you are not alright” and he shuns some people.
All these things happen, gradually you become absolutely one with your satisfaction. And then the question starts: how should I love this person?
How should I give my love to this person? How should I express that he also jumps into the same heavenly bliss?

Then the attention becomes stable. You don’t pay attention here and there. All your attention is on this. You become thus the Gurus of Sahaja Yoga.
This attainment has taken place in many of you.
You had ups and downs, no doubt, but forget all that. And it’s so gratifying, so beautiful to see that in My own lifetime I’ve seen this thing happening within you, that you feel so responsible about it.
You cannot force others about Sahaja Yoga. That you must know. There cannot be any coaxing about it, but only your love should convince another person.
Your love should make another person feel that he should also follow the same path which leads to such beautiful life of love.
Your example itself would show it.
The whole priorities change. The whole atmosphere changes. And you become something very, very different. If somebody asks what happens when you enlighten the light? Then it gives the light. What happens to it? Till it was not giving the light was the problem. Now, it is enlightened for giving the light to others. But the light goes like this in the beginning.
So those who have got realization should know that it will happen. First thing that will happen are doubts that you become into it. Because you belong to a society which doubts everything, especially sanity. (Laughter, Shri Mataji laughs)

And you start doubting it, but doubting or thinking about it, you never got it. You got it just like that. Why did you get? You got it because somebody has loved you very much and has been gracious. Because you have had this seeking in your previous lives, when you have done lots of goods which have been rewarded. Your checks have been cashed in the bank. How are you doubting it? And that means you are doubting yourself, nobody else but yourself, because you cannot believe that you have got it.
So don’t go into another trip of doubting.
By doubting you will go very slow. And sometimes it reaches such a point that I start doubting also for a change (laughter, Shri Mataji laughs) about your capacity, and your calibre as to how far you are going to go in Sahaja Yoga.

Because Sahaja Yoga is not the job of useless people. They have to be a very, very special type. If they are ordinary people they can never take to Sahaja Yoga.
They’ll come up little bit again go down, they’ll again come up and go down. But once you come into it you are not to be goaded much really – if you start enjoying it then you will go on with it, you cannot give up. Because that is the source of all enjoyment.
So today is the day of enjoyment.
Let us be happy that we have killed the darkness within us and we have put our lights out for others to be enlightened, to give light to others of God’s love.

May God Bless you all.

Now, what would you like to do? You want to wash My feet or something?
Yogi: We… If You do the puja.
Shri Mataji: Alright.
Yogi: If You do the Ganesha.
Shri Mataji: Now, when you say mantras and all that first of all, then they’ll also take it.
Now let their … now see… Malcolm has not come, isn’t it? Malcolm, did you come for any puja before? No, Malcolm has not come. Who else here? You haven’t done any puja, isn’t it? You haven’t done. I’m asking you.