Holi Celebrations, (Hindi), Delhi (India), 29 March 1983.

On the auspicious occasion of Diwali- oh, yes, it’s Holi. I realized, I was saying something incorrect. But yesterday, I talked about Diwali that’s why this thought came, that on the auspicious occasion of Holi today, Diwali will be celebrated.

As you know, on the day of Holi, Holika was burnt. Agni [the God of fire] had a very big blessing and task, because Agni Devata had given Holika a boon that in any circumstance, she will not burn, that death could come to her in any form, but not by fire. And after giving this boon, he regretted a lot because she took Holika in her lap and sat in the fire. And Agni Devata had a big dilemma, that “I have given this promise to her, that I will not burn her and how can I fulfil this promise? And Prahlad, is Himself innocence personified, He is himself an incarnation of Shri Ganesha and how can I burn Him? Nobody can burn him. And He is also beyond my powers. He is formed from my power.” So, he thought, “What is this ego?” that in front of such a great power what can I talk about my power? I have no such power which can face Him. His power is so great that I cannot burn him whatsoever I may try. But at this time I have a very big dilemma in front of me”.

So, in between “duty” and “dharma” the dilemma is in between these two. In this situation we must understand that dharma is higher than duty. The duty of dharma is higher than a normal duty and even higher is the dharma of the Atma (Spirit). It means that the one with a smaller importance, whatever could be the importance of our goal, the goal which is higher, which has a higher importance, if you have to achieve it, then the smaller goal must be given up.

And this is what Krishna preached. Krishna said, that if you have to lie for welfare, then you should. To speak the truth is correct, but for some higher thing, the lower thing has to be given up. For example, somebody comes in and wants to kill someone. First of all, this is illegal and if he asks you, “Is this gentleman upstairs?” if you say, “Yes, he is”, you have said the truth. Then he will go and kill him. But to save his life it’s a much higher thing. It’s a very important thing, it’s a big thing. For such a great thing, for such a higher goal, the smaller things have to be renounced to. This is what Shri Krishna taught us through his life.

Very few people have understood the life of Shri Krishna, because in those times the dharma was in such a state that people were treating dharma with extreme sternness, they made it into a very serious and old-fashioned thing; Dharma was a very serious thing! The person following the dharma, had to do everything very seriously, because he had to do the rituals. And to perform rituals is very troublesome. If you lit the lamp in one place instead of another, then God is angry. If you lit the incense stick in one place instead of another, then God becomes angry. If you have done something with the left hand, then it’s no good. Because of all these things, people developed conditionings, and because of that people started practicing dharma very seriously. They became so serious, that the joy, the enthusiasm, everything, was finished.

The main power of Radhaji was to give joy. Her main power was to give joy to everyone. And that’s why She then started this festival of Holi. When Krishna came, he stopped all the pujas. And He said, “Now you don’t perform any pujas. Go towards the Atma which you have to achieve. And don’t get lost into small, small things. We don’t have to get lost in insignificant things. But you have to set your sight to higher things.

Now such a man who says, “I never lie” sometimes, such a person becomes [overtalkative] but he shows off his ego to others. And if not, then his life is wasted in this thing only. Why to speak the truth also? Why to practice dharma or duty? Because you have to become the Atma. And because of anything if you get shackled and you get serious because of that, then you get old, this is called “getting old”. It has no benefit.

So, this dharma makes a man completely, absolutely frozen person. Like the ice-cream gets frozen, similarly, he also gets frozen. Then how will the energy flow? How will people enjoy it? Then He started playing with colours and so on. All the colours also, if you see, are the colours of the Devi Holi is played with the colours of the seven chakras. Put all the colours of the chakras onto you! play with joy, enthusiasm and happiness. What is the need to be so much serious? If you have achieved God, then why are you not happy?

Once Surdas ji went to Vallabhacharya ji. He started crying in front of him, poor thing, Since, he was not realized, he would cry all the time. So, he started crying. And Vallabhacharya was Shri Krishna Himself, He was a “amshavatarana” (a partial incarnation). So, he could not resist and he said, “Why are you sobbing?”. He did not understand why was he sobbing all the time?

This word “ghighiyana”(sobbing), you will not find anywhere else. What is the need to cry all the time? In the love of God, a person is submerged in joy. But this is something which comes from within, a joy giving power which makes it happen, not like many people nowadays, picking up a drum and playing “Hare Rama, Hare Krishna”. It’s not like that. This is exactly what I said yesterday that there is a big difference between reality and the concept. In the truth, a person is completely submerged in joy. There is no obscenity in it, no indecency in it. In it there is no deliberate falseness, the person is happy from within, he feels joyful and delighted. And the same thing later, caused many injuries, became troublesome. Same thing happened in all the religions. Like in, like you have seen in Islam, that they are hitting themselves saying, “Oh Hussein, it wasn’t me”. You must have heard.

So, any religion of crying, is no religion at all. If you have to cry in a religion, then why to go there? Anyway, we are crying!

So a religion which gives pain and sorrow is not a religion. But such things have crept in all the religions, in Hindu dharma also. It means only a person who is absolutely shrivelled is considered a great saint. He should be absolutely emaciated; his condition should be such as if he has some hardships in life. And he should be in such a condition, absolutely half mad, anytime he can start dancing or sometimes he can sit down to cry. Like a skeleton, with a sunken face, with many wrinkles on the face, eyes popping out just like buttons, agitated, with a terrible health, and all sorts of predicaments on him. Such a person can never be dharmic. You should always have a happy temperament, your mood should be welcoming, with an open heart, and like the light is flowing through him.

So, with Holi after dahan (conflagration), like I said yesterday, let us decide today, that now Holi will be like Diwali. The joy of it should be overwhelming. Why the joy of Holi? Although we burn just one Holika but afterwards, the joy flows in the collective consciousness, whether he is a sweeper or a garbage collector or even any other person working in the house. Like in my family, in Lucknow, from where my family belongs, these people are landlords. So the sweeper does not dare to enter inside the house. People don’t like them coming even their threshold, to that extent. They reprimanded them.

But on the day of Holi, any person, whether he is a master or a servant, anybody, they all play Holi together. Even if you tear the clothes of the master then also no one will reprimand you on the day of Holi. This is the way a social and collective celebration of happiness started in our country. But then in Holi also human beings, started to go down to a lower stage. they come down to immorality.

The same thing happens everywhere, everything starts to rot. It rots, because it’s living. If a thing is living then it will rot. Similarly, when it starts happening then the same thing becomes dirty and very bad. When the Holi festival started being celebrated in Maharashtra people opposed it a lot, because people were swearing, using dirty language. Because people from UP (Uttar Pradesh) are called as “bhaiya” and in Marathi there are no such words as swearing and all these dirty profanities, so Marathi people are also using Hindi swear words because as they don’t have such words, they have imported them. Most of the swearing are from Hindi only and Marathi language has almost none. Otherwise Parsi people also use lots of swear words. And our Punjab region also has some swear words they are also quite used in Mumbai. They say that these swearing and all, take out the inner frustrations or something like that. And they think it’s beneficial but actually it’s a very wrong thing. If it gets on your tongue, you can never get rid of it. I have noticed.

My husband is from a family of landlords. Except my husband, no man talks without swearing there. Even when they are amongst elders, they don’t mind swearing. Straight away they will swear. Only My husband doesn’t do it, really a man of great character. I have never heard him swearing for anybody. I have never heard him swearing till now. It’s a very significant thing. But in his family, while talking to someone, if they don’t swear a couple of times, they think they have not expressed their love! And when they meet a friend, they will use at least 50 swearing before hugging him.

This is the way these swearing get onto your tongue. It’s also very harmful if they get onto your tongue because the power of the tongue is destroyed. If the tongue is not respected whatever you say is falsified. A person who doesn’t swear has power in his tongue. You must have noticed many times, that while speaking, while saying something, I stop abruptly, and that should not happen. It’s like what Christ has said that in front of a swine one should not throw pearls. But in English, the word swine is an insult, and it’s very offensive but not in Marathi. It’s just a little bit, but not a lot. But while speaking in English language, I don’t use this word. In Hindi it’s all right if you address someone as a pig maximum it means that he is stupid. But in English it’s a very dirty word.

Similarly, wherever it’s the tradition, one should keep the decorum, one should do like that. Otherwise the power of this tongue gets destroyed. The power of tongue, which is of Shri Sarasvati, gets destroyed. That’s why even in speech it’s called chattering, with chattering and vulgarity the whole talk is very cheap.

So, firstly, we belong to a decent family, and people from a decent family should have a kind of decorum and dignity. And having dignity we will not swear. It is said that during Holi you should swear. If you didn’t swear, then you have not celebrated Holi. And people also use cannabis during Holi. Many people say, “What’s wrong using cannabis for a day? There is no problem as such. If you have cannabis for a day, you don’t become addicted. But if you ask Me to take, I will refuse. The reason is that I am already drunk. I don’t need to drink. And people drink it because if they are very serious, they think they can become a little lighter. Like ego-oriented people, if they drink cannabis, they move slightly to the left side. So, they loosen up a bit, start talking nonsense. But cannabis is quite terrible.

Like, when I went to my in-law’s house, I didn’t know they used cannabis. These habits are not in Maharashtra. In this matter, Maharashtra is more decent. Ladies don’t even know about it; they don’t like all these things. So, when I reached their house, I didn’t know that they all have drunk cannabis. They said, “Let’s eat” so I sat down to eat. So, in “Kaystha” community it’s a tradition to eat on a very big plate. And you know very well how much I eat. Since it was a festival, I ate a bit more. But they kept on eating so much. I didn’t understand what was happening. Ad they kept on laughing and eating. So, one of my sisters-in-law was a widow. Widows are not drinking cannabis. It’s forbidden for widows. So, I said, “Sister, what has happened to them?” They all kept on eating and laughing. I didn’t understand what is going on. Afterwards she told me that they all have drunk cannabis. So, I got up, kept my plate away, did namaskar. washed my hands, took my suitcase and boarded the train. Didn’t even touch the elders’ feet, as the tradition is, just left. Everyone asked, “Where is She?”. So, from Lucknow they sent the message, “Where is the daughter-in-law?” I said, “They all had cannabis, what could I talk to them? So, I left. Let them drink cannabis.

There is no need to drink cannabis for Sahaja Yogis. When you want, you can have it in your heart only. The use of cannabis is to go to the left side. We are doing it without it. Means, if there is someone very ego oriented, very dry, very cold and very serious, there is a full setup for him in Sahaja Yoga, if he clears his Agnya chakra, if he can get his Agnya chakra opened, by some means. Getting his own Agnya chakra healed, he can come to the left side. Before sleeping, if you rotate your Agnya then you can have a deep sleep. And if he wants to get out of that state, he can tighten again his Agnya chakra and move to the right side. So, if everything is in your own hands, if all the powers are within you, if you have the complete knowledge, which switch and when to rotate, there is no need to follow external things.

So maybe at that time cannabis was justified, at the time of Shri Krishna, but He also didn’t drink it. Or maybe it is eaten? I don’t know what they do. So, He didn’t take cannabis, but others needed it. Those who were serious needed to drink cannabis because of the misidentifications, like, “I am the King”, “I am the Queen”, “I am the master.”, “I am such and such. How can I meet the servant? The servant cleans the house.” To get rid of this, first you drink cannabis, then you and can become one even with the servant. You forget that you are master and he is the servant. That’s why they consume it so they are not aware who they are. Because they have identifications that “I am such and such”. After drinking cannabis, they are all one.

On the opposite, Kabir Das ji said that when people get intoxicated with “surati” (Kundalini), they all become one caste. They thought that when people eat tobacco, they all become one caste. So, they called tobacco as “surati”. They couldn’t find what surati is, so they called tobacco as “surati”, because when one eats tobacco, when someone has a craving for tobacco then even if he is a king or a poor man he will ask him for some tobacco. He will ask for it. So, they said that tobacco can be “surati” because the rich and poor are the same regarding it. This is a special trait of human beings that what associations they make, they only know.

But we have to remember the specialty of Holi, that if we want to make it “Diwali”, then there should be decency in it. There should be no indecency, there should be no obscenity, and if there is, then it’s not the Holi of Shri Krishna. It’s the Holi of such people who are not Realized. When people are Realized, while playing Holi, there is no form of indecency. Like in Sahaja Yoga, men and women don’t play Holi. Men play Holi with men and women with women.

In Sahaja Yoga, Holi can be played by sister in law and younger brother in law.  There is a protocol for that as you know, that those women who are elder can play with younger men. And those who are elders, if the men are older and the lady is younger, then they should not play Holi together, there should be no interaction among them. On the opposite, if the lady is older the interaction with a younger man is allowed. This is well known in our country. Sister in law and younger brother in law play Holi, but not the elder brother in law and sister in law. Not with the elder brother in law. This protocol is respected all over India, you’ll be surprised. And it works by itself, it’s established within us. It’s established in the [cells]. Because in India we don’t do wrong things usually.

In England, if you see, an eighty years old woman can marry an eighteen years old boy She doesn’t mind. In our country, nobody can even think of that. It means, we don’t have brains for this! So here, all these things don’t happen because of our upbringing. They are sown into us. They are established so deep into us. Because of this we are saved. If there is an 80 years old lady, she is definitely like your mother. You have to consider her as a mother, actually as a grandmother! So even some stupid person, will not have this idea in his mind. Even the lowest person doesn’t have such ideas in his mind. And such an old lady will never have such ideas in her mind.

So, because of the conditionings we have, the Indian conditionings, we have completely matured slowly, slowly. They have not matured. Their mind is like they are always 25-year-old. They cannot rise higher than that. And we people get matured because the conditionings within us settled us down. Completely, like a tree will mature only if it develops properly. If it’s hanging in the air it cannot mature. Even when they get old their childishness doesn’t go away. And I have noticed, that Indians become like Western people, when they come in contact with them. The old ladies with grown up daughters, will also talk stupidly like the daughters. Even in their understanding and perception there is no maturity. And to achieve this maturity the people need to follow the protocols which have been established. And it’s a great joy, nothing can go wrong, no evils can come in our society.

So, Holi has this aspect, which has to be renounced to in Sahaja Yoga, of obscenity. And the aspect of Holi which is love, has to be embraced, that without taking any cannabis we all are one. You all know this sentiment. This time one should embrace with special warmth because Shri Krishna’s work was of love. He said we should enjoy completely love, because the whole world is Almighty’s play of love. There is no seriousness in it. Lila (play), Liladhar, the One who sustained Lila was Shri Krishna. That’s why He said that everything should be seen as a play. (I have such strong vibrations). Liladhar. And in the play of this Liladhar there should be no obscenity.

Our civilization is very simple and well established. But these people have the brain upside down. Like the women will expose their body, move about, and if some men are there immediately, they button up their coat. What is the need to button up their coat? Ladies should cover up properly. But all of their culture is upside down. It’s settled like this. Now, as they are coming to Sahaja Yoga it will be established. The culture which you people have, please don’t renounce to it. It’s a very great thing for Sahaja Yoga that you are Indians as well as you have a very great culture as a heritage. You should hold on to it. Hold it tight and get established in it. And you should get matured in it. But that doesn’t mean that you become like an [old] person or you become a very serious person. You should be happy. When your Mother laughs, you have seen, I laugh with a very open heart. Everybody is surprised that the gurus don’t even smile and Mother is always laughing and the smile never leaves her face. I cannot be serious for more than one minute. Even when I am serious, it’s just a play. And many people already know this fact now. So, they don’t take it seriously. This is not correct.

So, Krishna wanted that whatever wrong things happened because of Shri Rama’s life. Shri Ram’s life was very ideal, very high, it was very serious. So, he saw that all the people were becoming like Shri Rama. He thought it is not right: “Shri Rama completed his work and left”. Now is the time for “Leela” and everyone will be in [Leela]. And that’s why He taught the lesson of “Leela” to the whole world. And Leela never means obscenity or to cross the maryadas (limits), to renounce to our traditions or our ancient beliefs, which are so beautifully formed till now; it doesn’t mean that. Bad things like fundamentalism, should be given up. But the feeling of purity in our relationships is completely honoured in Sahaja Yoga and should be established. The relations as brothers and sisters….

Like yesterday, my brother came, he saw that his Sister is so respected and his eyes were filled with tears. I noticed he was wiping his tears all the time. He was not paying attention to anything else. So, these feelings of purity, feelings of love, one needs to see everything in the perspective of Sahaja Yoga, in the angle of Sahaja Yoga, to see what is dignified from Sahaja Yoga point of view. That should happen. That should be done with sweetness which is dignified. Any behaviour which is undignified discussing about minor things, getting entangled into small-small things arguing about insignificant things demanding something always, “I want this, I want that” any such things, are very shallow. They are shallow, and such people cannot do Sahaja Yoga. One should have greatness, should have generosity, and discover oneself.

Actually, today’s puja… I want to do a very small one. The vibrations are so strong, that no puja is really required and no need to say even mantras. Mantras also put a person in a serious mood. I don’t know why. So, in a very happy mood we will finish saying just two, three mantras. But I will say only that Holi has to be made into Diwali, and Diwali to be made into Holi. Then the integration of Sahaja Yoga will be complete. Diwali also should be celebrated in a joyous mood. And on Diwali also, people spend so much money that they say that after Diwali one gets bankrupt! Means the word “diwalia” (bankrupt) comes from this only, can you believe it? “Diwalia” word comes from Diwali; the one who celebrated Diwali becomes bankrupt! Otherwise this word “diwalia” where could come from? Some words are very beautiful, “diwalia” is one of them! So, you celebrated Diwali? Now you become “diwalia” (bankrupt)!

So, we people don’t have to get bankrupt. No such thing should be done, which crosses the limits. We don’t have to get bankrupt. Do what is in your limits. Beyond that, surrender it to God. No need to get bankrupt after Diwali. And no need to go crazy while celebrating Holi. No such thing should be done which is indecent, which has no decorum, no culture and which is very cheap. We should work in a decent manner. Even in small things you will know the limits.

Yesterday the artists were playing. Nobody should walk that time. We should respect every form of art. You must have seen that when artists are playing I Myself sit on the ground, so that you also learn. Sahaja Yogis should know very well how to respect, because this is the protocol. Artists also, as you have noticed, always cover their feet with a shawl, as per tradition, if they are really artists. Because some Devi-Devatas may be also there and so the feet shouldn’t show.

Our country has so many subtle things, that I can’t tell you. So beautiful traditions in our country. You could say it’s a very beautiful shawl owned by God. Its depth and its creation is so poetic. It’s a very beautiful poetry. But we don’t understand and we can’t bring it into our life. Then it becomes all dirty. It’s about respect and values.

Yesterday my elder brother-in-law was here, so during the entire lecture, those maryadas were there, that my brother my brother-in-law are here and how much can I speak in front of them? Now I am Adi Shakti. For Me, who is My brother or My brother-in-law? But when they are in this relationship, I have to give due respect to them. Every relationship should be respected. You may become anything, even a Sahaja Yogi, even then you must give due respect to all relationships. Not that you should break the relations. And if you do this way, slowly you will understand, that there is a lot of sweetness in this, and it is a very sweet thing.

So, today, on the Holi day if you only say the mantra of “Holika Dahan” then with the mantra of “Holika mardhini” you can wash My Feet. And the children should worship Shri Ganesha and while worshiping Him, they can wash My Feet. Saying the three great mantras you can wash My Feet. No need to do anything more.

Shri Mataji: Have you got more things to wash with?

Sahaja Yogi: Yes, Mother.

Shri Mataji: It’s all right, then with these mantras you can wash My Feet. All right? While saying the “Holika Mantra”.

So, no need to do too much because then the seriousness comes in. Because Shri Krishna stopped all the pujas, and concentrated only on Holi. Leave it, no need for puja, etc. The puja was completely stopped. And similarly, while remembering Shri Krishna we should stop all the pujas. And today being the day of happiness and joy, we should meet each other with love, because today is the day of Holi. And we should enjoy the festival of Holi and make it into Diwali, as I explained to you before, to understand its culture better, in a very harmonious way. We should make a beautiful creation of a new type of Holi. That’s why we must make Holi into Diwali and Diwali into Holi.

May you have unlimited blessings.