Puja at India Tour. Pune (India), 17 December 1988.

Translation from Marathi – MISSING

English Transcript

So now welcome to you all for this Puna place. In the Shastras is described as Punya Patana, meaning the city of Punyas. That’s the reason I wanted to stay in Puna, thinking that people are very auspicious and full of punyas, and I am sure I’ll find them very soon, all those who have come to this place will be there available for Sahaja Yoga.

Yesterday you must have seen there were so many people who had come for Sahaja Yoga and were very much impressed by your beautiful music, and the rendering in Marathi language and what we call is they felt the kautuk. Kautuk is the, there’s no word in English, but what a father or a mother when she sees the talents of her children feels, you see, that feeling is a kautuka, and that’s what they were all feeling very much enamored that how these people have taken to Marathi language, and they were very happy about it. I could see on their faces writ large their joy and a kind of a fondness for it, such an endearing thing for them. First of all is the language, another is the music because, you know Maharastrans are very fond of Indian music so they were very much surprised how you could sing in such a beautiful way the tunes and the different talas that you use. They were very much surprised and very much enamored.

Now for Puna puja, there’s nothing special as such but except we are doing here the puja for our punyas, is to ask for punyas. Now what are the punyas? How do you get punyas? We have to know about it. We have certain dharmas within us, and these dharmas are to be observed to get punyas. For a Sahaja Yogi, the first dharma is to be innocent and to be a holy person. He should not have his attention on wrong things; he should not be distracted by wrong things; he should not try to justify anything that is inauspicious. And he should feel the vibrations of another person, and should feel relationship with the Sahaja Yogis and not with non-Sahaja Yogis. Between the non-Sahaja Yogis and the Sahaja Yogis, a Sahaja Yogi must always stand by a Sahaja Yogi and never by a non-Sahaja Yogi, even if he is right. Even if another person is right, you should not, in confrontation with a non-Sahaja Yogi, stand by him.

The second dharma is to appreciate and understand the beauty of nature, to live with nature. I am very happy that you love to live with the nature, and you don’t want artificial things; that you understand the creativity of human beings and you try to create more beautiful things with them. For that you need not spend too much money. It should not be bought just for resale or something like that, but it should be bought for your own enjoyment and must be kept as a piece of art with yourself. But all that must be auspicious, has to be holy.

Anything unholy is not an art. It is … I always feel, that if there was art they would not take recourse to these nonsensical things. When they try to express something in a, this kind of a obnoxious expression, then be sure it is no art. Otherwise why do they take help from these obnoxious things? So one has to understand that if you have to appreciate an art and all that, just shun all that is unholy, shun all that is ugly, anything that suggests some sort an obscenity cannot be art, because they have to take help from obscenity to make it more interesting for people who have weaknesses for obscenity.

There was gentleman whom I knew and were gone to an exhibition to see things. There were lots of paintings people were selling. This fellow was a known drunkard and his wife was a known drunkard, both of them. I mean, people used to say that whenever they are there they will never leave the party till everybody’s finished, then they will go. And I was so surprised that they wanted to buy some painting, and they bought the paintings of all the drunkards, you see. So is very surprising that fraternity of drunkards was so much I just couldn’t understand, how did they take to drunkards, you see. And all the photographs, how they are sitting in a pub or in the house they are drinking and all such stupid type of things they bought.

And we both started looking at each other that “these drunkards look so horrid, all their wrinkles you can count one by one, and the falling on the road and the streets and all kinds of faces.”

They had no way they were beautiful – none of them, neither the women nor the men. They looked something out of this world, and they were all were appreciating it so much, you see, everything they were appreciating. So we thought even when they were not drunk, you see, there was some sort of a drunkenness in them. Otherwise how could they like such a nonsensical thing?

So the fraternity of obnoxious things and fraternity of ugliness works with ugly people. Ugly people always like ugliness, and those who are violent within will say that “We want to look violent and we want to look like wild people, we want to look like people who are aggressive, we must have a …”

In India nowadays they are advertising that if you wear this kind of a dress, your ego will express itself. At least in the West people are ashamed of their ego, but in India they say if you smoke, then the ego shows better. We are following your footsteps till we fall into the same ditch, blindly.

Now regarding the dharma of Nabhi is very important. The dharma of Nabhi to begin with is, as you know, that you have to be a good householder. You have to be a
gentleman in the sense you should be a gentle personality, should treat your family, your children, with gentleness. If the men become gentle, that doesn’t mean you become henpecked, just become a sort of a tail of your wife, as they say. We have had very bad time with such men who really listen to their wives. To them Sahaja Yogi is nothing, their family is everything, their wives are everything. That’s going too far.

So one thing about dharma is that it has its own limitations. and its own grace, and its own style. For example a man should behave like a man; not like a devil, of course, but also not like a henpecked husband. So there’s some maryadas to all the dharmas and out of that this is a very important dharma one has to follow. I know some people who get married just get lost. Where are they? One year you
never see them.

“Mother, they are still with their honeymoon.”

That’s not a sign of a yogi; that’s not the sign of person who has achieved that enlightenment. On the contrary, in India the other way round. As soon as the wife comes they think, “Now we’ve got some sort of a person who can be the target.” Husbands won’t talk to wives, won’t have anything to do with them. They’ll just run away, or even if they have to talk or do anything, you see, they’ll say something very harsh – or the mother-in-law will make up, or the father-in-law, if not all others.

The wives then become very cunning and they try to play around and play games with their husbands. The whole thing is nonsensical; it has nothing to do with the grahasta’s dharma, means the householder’s dharma. We have to respect each other, you have to respect your children, you have to respect your household, you have to respect your family. Respect is the way you can follow that dharma very well.

Now the another dharma is the Raja dharma where you should not behave in an illegal manner, you should not break laws. There’s no need. For the heck of it people do it, just for the heck of it. There’s no need to break laws. For Sahaja Yogis as you know customs never bother you, toll people never bother you. You don’t have to bother much about anything, but don’t try to make problems for Sahaja Yoga. There are many people who break laws and create problems for us. So you have to be law abiding people, pay your income tax, pay your things properly and don’t put us into trouble, because people will say tomorrow that “These cheats are Sahaja Yogis.”

Money ways you must know that all this money belongs to your Mother, though She may not need it and She may not have it, and should be kept for the use of Sahaja Yoga whenever it is possible, and not for other indulgences into which we get. Because whatever money you give to Sahaja Yoga is going to help others to develop themselves into Sahaja Yog; and too, in many ways, is a very punya-giving thing is to donate or to be generous.

Actually I enjoy My generosity more than anything else, and this generosity must be enjoyed thoroughly, otherwise we are not doing the dharma of our Lakshmi Tattwa. So to be generous, to be friendly, to use matter to give to others, is such a beautiful thing; and that gives such a beautiful personality to you – so much love, little little things you know sometimes.

Once a lady had come to see Me. She married, she was an English lady married to and Indian boy; and she felt very unhappy in her family because they would not accept her. So she came down to see Me to Bombay and I gave her a – I mean it’s nothing much – a necklace, of pearl necklace. And for many years I never met her. Then in one party she came to know that I was coming, so she wore that necklace. I had forgotten all about it, everything.

She came, “Do you recognize this necklace?”

I said, “No. What is it about?” I couldn’t understand much.

She said, “Do you know when I came first to Your house, You are the One Who gave me love and You gave me this necklace. I always carry it with me, and when I heard that You are coming, then I wore it. Otherwise I never wear it.”

It touched My heart so much. Just see a small thing I did for her. The generosity of every kind is very helpful, it’s very energy giving.

Once I was sitting outside and knitting some sweaters for My children when a lady came from Pakistan – the children were not born, but I was just knitting.

So they said, “Mother will you give us a …” They didn’t know that I was Mataji and then they said, “Will You give us some place in Your house?”

My father had a big house in Delhi and it had one room outside.

I said, “All right, you can come and stay.” Immediately I said.

They said, “We are refugees from Pakistan.”

And My brother came in. He said, “What do You mean? Do you know these people? They could be thieves, they’ll do …”

But I said, “But what are they going to steal from you? The room is completely outside, they have nothing to do with us. What is there? Poor things are in need, tomorrow supposing we become refugees.”

He wouldn’t agree, was shouting at Me. Then he asked My husband to come, and he also told him and brainwashed him, and the both were after My life.

I said, “Nothing doing they are going to stay here and this is My father’s house and I’m going to put down My foot there.”

And they didn’t know what to do, and they wrote to My father. And My father said, “Whatever She says is all right, you don’t bother Her.”

So then they stayed, these three persons stayed in My house. One of them was a Muslim, and there was a big reaction to the way it had happened in Pakistan, people started killing all the Muslims. And they came to My doorstep and said, “There’s a Muslim staying with You and we want to see him.”

I said, “There’s no Muslim.” I told him a lie.

He said, “How is it?”

I said, “You see My this thing? Why will I tell you a lie? After all if there’s a Muslim, I would not keep Muslim in My house.” And somehow or other with My cunning I convinced them, and they went away and the fellow has saved.

Later on long time back I heard that the lady who was there has become a very well known actress and the gentleman whom I saved had become a very great poet. And they wanted to see Me and meet Me; but I was frightened that, you see, it’s bit too much. They might think, I mean it’s rather embarrassing for Me.

One day suddenly they had started a film institute and they asked Me that, “Please come for that because we want You to be the Vice President and all that.” And they said that, “If you can ask these two persons, they will help us.”

I said, “Never tell them that this is our work, otherwise I’ll be very embarrassed and they’ll be forced to do it, there will be no freedom. So then they suddenly, you see, these people came and the shooting started. And she’s looking at Me and she just looked at Me, she couldn’t believe I was there. She just came and hugged Me and started crying.

She said, “How are You here?”

They said, “Do you know her?”

She said, “Of course, I know Her very well.”

They said, “This is Her work.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t want anything. I’ll do anything for Her.” And the whole thing came back, you know. I also had tears in My eyes.

So generosity always helps you. So this is the dharma one has to do for getting
the punya. Another is you must have a very kind and sensitive heart, is very important. That is the way the dharma of the manna works out. Very kind, never to be harsh, never to be punishing, never to be judging others; but you have to be very
kind and gentle with others. Unless and until it is very necessary to tell them sometimes, you should do it. Otherwise, normally you should be extremely kind to people.

Then comes the dharma of collectivity. In collectivity you should understand how to behave. You must understand how to carry on with the collectivity. Also you must understand how to make everybody happy. Never talk ill of others; never come and tell Me ill of others. I know everyone very well; but if you tell Me, immediately I will know you better. I don’t like people telling Me against anyone; I like the person who always says good things about others. So if you try any such tricks with Me, immediately I will know what’s wrong with that person, but may be some people think that “Somebody has told Mother something against me, that’s why this has happened.” Nobody can befool Me on that point.

So you have to be careful as to how you deal with other people. If you are harsh or if you are intriguing or if you are sly, if you are mean, if you are playing tricks and all that – that’s the worst thing that can happen is that you will have no love from anyone. Nobody is going to trust you. Some people have a habit I have seen that, that if they find somebody who is available or is willing to do some work for them then they make a slave out of that person. I’ve known this happening. Some girls have done that to another girl that “You just become a slave, you do this for my sons, you do this for my child, you do this for …” – like that. If the girl has no children then she’ll have it.

This kind of thing is absolutely against Sahaj. You should do all your own work, and whatever is possible you should do for others instead of telling people, “Do this and do that,” make them slaves. This is one of the dharmas of the manna, which one should understand is to be done properly, and then in the collectivity also if you use the same understanding of love and the maryadas of love, you can do a lot of things good to others and to yourself. It’s very joy giving, very joy giving. To love others itself is very joy giving, and to know that you love others is even more. And even when they are harsh to you and troublesome to you, still you love them, then it is even better. It’s much better to forgive others, and this forgiveness should come to us so spontaneously, because it is just you forget it, just forget.

Sometimes people say things to Me and then next day they say, “Mother, please forgive us, we said such and such thing.”

I said, “I’ve forgotten. When was that?”

“Yesterday.”

“Yesterday? It’s lost now, yesterday is lost from My memory. I don’t remember all that.”

So I just forget it, and that’s how you can feel happy. If you go on remembering and thinking about it, “Oh he has said it like this, now I am going to bite him,” then you are a snake. So best is to forget and forgive, just forgive. Forgiveness is the best way you can punish others and can put them right, because they will get corrected by that. You must learn to forgive. Their correction is the greatest punishment and is the greatest benevolence for them.

So now you come to the Sahasrara. In the Sahasrara you know that you have to surrender your ego and your super ego in Sahaja Yoga. If this surrendering is done without thinking, automatically then you are all right. It should be done automatically, spontaneously. In the beginning you’ll have to make efforts. You have to see yourself in the mirror, you have to see why you think no end of yourself, what is so great about yourself. Put somebody great in front and say that “Am I greater than this person? What is that I think I’m so great? And the second point is the conditionings that I have.” Just count them. “What do I do morning till evening, what kind of conditioning I have got?”

And some people have very queer, funny conditionings. See like if they give their little bit of cream to use, they’ll take it back home. Or if they bring a little … say a spoon or something, and they’ll say, “Where is my spoon? I must get my spoon back” or some sort of a box or a bag even. “Last time when you came we had given you a bag or a box, that’s lying in the junk thing – you know, somewhere – so you must find out that.”

This kind of a nonsense is there, and I remember one case in Delhi where two ladies had brought some ghee in a Dalda tin – you see, when you see the ridiculousness, then you will understand how stupid it is – and they came to ask for that Dalda tin. And I saw Mr. Pai running from the backside and I was angry with him.

I said, “Why did you come this side?”

He said, “Mother, You see these two ladies they have come for their Dalda tin.”

So I said, “Well you tell them, ‘we will give you a full Dalda tin.'”

“No, they want the same, same Dalda tin.”

I said, “Give them any one, how will they recognize?”

“No, they have marked it.”

(Ann, Dalda is a brand name. It’s like what you have Mazola here. So, Dalda is the brand name for ghee that is made by one of the companies in India.)

You see, how stupid people are, shows their nature of smallness, of their very, very low level of breeding. I mean, just imagine, like worms they are, the way they get after Dalda tins, it’s … just think of it! And they justify it.

“Yes, yes we brought it, but you see we needed it.”

So this is the another extreme I’m saying. Another extreme is that you give away everything that you have. Supposing in My head it comes, “I have to give away this.” I immediately do it, because if I don’t give it will go on troubling Me, “Why didn’t I give? I should have given away.”

So you see the mind is that way, “What will give Me happiness is I have given away, thank God got rid of it,” because that feeling that “I have to give away” itself is joy giving. And once I’ve given away, the joy starts bubbling out. So like a load which is on My head just goes out, but not that the thing is a load, but that the feeling that “I have to do this; I have to give this.” If somebody I cannot give then I go on remembering “I have not given this to this person, I’ve given to everybody, but why should I not give it to everyone?” And it’s very joy giving; it’s very nice and because of this I get right things at the right time and very cheap, because it’s for giving.

So it comes from one side and I give. From another side it comes, I give; and people say, “Mother you get such nice things. How did you get it?”

I say, “I don’t know, it was just there and I have collected it and just close.” I don’t have to worry, at the right time I get right things of the right value just like that. Sometimes it’s in My house, I find it’s there. “From where do You get it?” God alone knows.

So this comes from your generosity for others, feelings for others. And do it in a graceful way. Not that once you give something to someone, “Oh, I gave you this, you know, ten years back, and this is I have given it to you ten years back.” Even a cup of tea they’ll remember. It’s horrible sometimes the way people talk about things. After all, you see if you have given somebody – actually, sometimes I give very nice things I should say.

Then I say, “What a nice thing you are wearing!”

“Mother You have given me.”

Then I feel so embarrassed that (laughter). So now I don’t say even that. It’s quite frightened of Myself because if I say something is nice, somehow it turns out to be one I have given them. I feel very bad, then I think it’s very embarrassing to say such a thing.

So a kind of a shy, bashful understanding should be there about oneself. This bashfulness is a beauty of human beings. Those who do not have this bashfulness, who are just … even the animals are bashful. Any animal you take is bashful, even the lion is a bashful animal. If you don’t have that bashfulness in you, then I don’t know what you look like. There’s nothing to compare in this world. I can’t think of anything which is without bashfulness. So there should be certain amount of bashfulness which gives you a beautiful continence and a beautiful temperament.

So at Sahasrara it’s just the surrendering, which we call “Islam”, means surrender. Surrender what? Surrender your ego and surrender your bad conditioning is the point which one has to reach, and once it happens you are off loaded. Off loaded, you are free and the ascent starts, the ascent is very much faster then. You give up “My sister, my brother, my son, my this, my that” – the whole thing goes off, and you become absolutely free and you start understanding.

So this is how we have to look after our dharmas and we have to achieve the punyas and these are the punyas. There’s a very nice story of … I think Namadeva only, I don’t know … Eknath. He went down, there’s a custom that you have to take one pitcher like this – water, and they had to take it to Dwarika. So he went there, carried it all the way; and on the way when they reached the temple, at the foothill of the temple, he saw a one donkey, which was very thirsty and was dying out of thirst. So he took his taavar, he took his pitcher to him and made him drink all the water.

So everybody said, “All the way you brought this, and what are you doing here at the foothill when you have to go to the temple and do the Abhisheka? You finished it here?”

He said, “You don’t know, God himself has come down and is thirsty. I better give Him.”

This understanding of doing things for Sahaja Yoga, of doing things for others and enjoying that is the greatest punya.

May God bless you.