Learn: The Nature of the Spirit

Mountain

(CC) licensed photo by philipbouchard

I see a mountain from my window
Standing like an ancient sage
Desireless, full of love.
So many trees and so many flowers
They plunder the mountain all the time.
Its attention is not disturbed
And when the rain pours like
Many pitchers of clouds bursting
And it fills the mountain with greenery.
The storms may come soaring,
Filling the lake with compassion
And the rivers flow running down
Towards the calling sea.
The sun will create clouds and
Wind carries on its feathery wings
The rain on to the mountain.
This is the eternal play
The mountain sees
without desires.

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

East Meets West

I am just beginning to recognize the face in the mirror, though I have seen her endless times. Know Thyself. It is in the Bible, in the Koran, in all the religious scriptures of the world. Why this should be at the heart of spiritual ascent is a mystery. As we move into the global awareness of the twenty-first century, where multi-culturalism is an everyday occurrence, and Anglo-European rationality meets eastern mysticism, what happens to this journey of self-knowledge?

The subtle realm is no longer the exclusive domain of eastern philosophy. Physicists all over the world are now doing research into unseen dimensions, illusive quarks and vibrating strings of energy. Yoga classes are as American as apple pie. My own personal story of cultural and self-integration began twenty years ago, when, as fate would have it, I found myself in the Himalayas, a Jewish girl a long way from home, learning to meditate.


I was on assignment for the Jaipuri Times of India. My husband, one-year-old daughter and I were staying on the family estate of an Indian lawyer in the foothills of the Himalayas. I find India to be a deep and aesthetically beautiful culture, albeit with social problems we are lucky enough not to have.

What it lacks in material comfort is made up for in the generosity of the people, and the general feeling of glee inspired by walking down a street in the company of two camels, three cows, an elephant and a wall mural that is probably a thousand years old. Once you start gaining altitude, the terraced slopes are dotted with wild goats and stone huts, and ringed with dense jungle. The mountains tower up all around, surreal; misty-peaked and sharply etched against the sky. Our friend had just met an extraordinary woman, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

(Mahatma Gandhi had sought her advice as a child; now, as the founder of Sahaja Yoga meditation, she has become Spiritual Mother to millions.) In 1981, Sahaja Yoga was slowly growing in India, attracting the attention of restless westerners like us, searching for a spiritual place to call home.

I took to it right away. One unusual aspect that struck me was that Sahaja Yoga starts with the awakening of the spiritual energy Kundalini and self-realization, instead of ending with that. Traditionally, first one's chakras are completely cleansed, which takes ages, and then the Kundalini rises. Maybe. Old-style gurus used to pass on this experience to one or two disciples at most, after years of arduous lessons and privation. Offering this experience right away is pretty outrageous; it implies a bunch of normal people walking around in an awakened state, not just saints living in caves who have practiced severe austerities for lifetimes. The premise is that once you have the light inside yourself, you can see your own problems clearly, and are then better able to work them out. You get in touch with yourself. More than that, the process is expedited, so what used to take people five or ten years to figure out, can be seen much more quickly through meditation and introspection. After learning about Shri Mataji's meditation, I was lucky enough to go to her house in Delhi.

I was standing in the doorway, holding my infant daughter in my arms. Putting her hand lightly on my shoulder, Shri Mataji's eyes sparkled as she said, "Kundalini has risen. They've both got it." It was a fabulousfeeling, like a cool breeze blowing gently over the top of my head.

The basics of Sahaja Yoga are simple. There is Kundalini, a spiritual energy. There is the subtle system of energy, chakras (a Sanskrit word meaning "spinning wheel") and the three channels of the autonomous nervous system. It's not hard to understand. The truth of the matter is that all of our quirks and problems and all of physical reality can be addressed at the level of energy.

Reality is what it is; energy once created is never destroyed…so once you have an understanding of how you are put together in this way, you can really get down to the business of self-knowledge. For example, let's say you suffer from chronic guilt syndrome. Jewish? Catholic? Whatever. That particular problem involves the chakra located on the left side of the neck. By working on that spot, you can really alleviate the problem. Moreover, you start having insights into the inner workings of the situation, and as things start to become clear, you become more and more the master of the situation. Most importantly, you start to transform yourself
from the inside out. You can begin right now. Close your eyes, and imagine a coiled up twist of silken energy threads at the base of your spine. (The Greeks called this the sacrum, the sacred bone: they knew what they were talking about.) Now ask yourself, do you want this energy to waken? Ask yourself the question, "Am I the pure Spirit?" Now hold your hand over your head. Do you feel a cool breeze coming out at the top? This is the Kundalini, newly risen. Now, you've got it.

After my meeting with Shri Mataji in India, I had another serendipitous moment. I was in Jaipur, riding in a horse-drawn wagon with my daughter on my lap. On the sidewalk market, among the red and purple turbans, the richly hued saris, the shining brass plates hanging mirror-like behind pyramids of oranges and mangoes, there appeared a young Muslim woman covered from head to toe in swaths of cloth. A black cotton scarf covered her mouth. Only her eyes were revealed to the world. These eyes caught mine, and my breath as well. We were from completely and utterly different worlds. Her life was unfathomable to me, and mine to her. Yet here we were, on the same side of the world, the same street, the same square hundred feet of red Indian earth between us. Somehow for a fraction of an instant, we made a connection. Everything, the barefoot children laughing behind the long silken braids of their mothers, the cows and camels sauntering insolently among the chaos of India, the fragrance
of earth and incense and spice, everything blurred into formless color, leaving the two of us alone in sharp relief. I could barely breathe. Then she did the outrageously unexpected, an act of
courage: she undid her scarf so that I could look directly into her face.


Her face was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, by any standard of beauty. What could I do? Wave, or yell out? I could only stare back at her, and it seemed as though she looked triumphant. I felt her femininity, her strength. Her look said, "I may be bound in cloth and fierce tradition. But inside, I am intelligent and present. I want you to see, that, to see me." In one blinding moment our cultures collided, and then it was over. The horses clopped on, we turned a corner, and she was gone. I ponder that moment sometimes. In one way its meaning has remained a mystery, like an archetype, as pure and necessary as a prime number, too deep to plumb. It is evocative, however. As we two made a connection, so a bridge needs to be built, and then crossed, between borders and boundaries, linking us all together. The spiritual path finally is not about eastern mystical paradigms meeting western rational thought. It is about self meeting Self, across all cultural values and interpretations. In today's world, we must bind our hearts to a new pattern, an integration of east and west, giving birth to a modern world free from fear. It will take intelligence, and great courage, to gain possession of our collective ascent. Yes, it is time to drop the veils that blind us to our essential self, that place where we are one beyond individuality, beyond cultural definition. Change is possible. The intelligent beauty of that young woman's face comes back to me clearly now. Her challenge to me is one I put to the mirror, to the face I am coming to recognize, to my daughter grown so quick and fine, to get to work, connect to life, and hurry up! For time waits for no man, or woman, no matter what color earth lies under their feet.

-- By Nancy Partridge


Creative Commons Licensed Photos by Nagesh Kamath, Soqotra (Yemen)

Looking for Links to Mother's Visits?

Here is the place:
http://sahaj-az.blogspot.com/2008/11/visits.html

Audio Podcast 1.1 from GLM

The audio podcast for the new programs has begun with the first 10 minute installment of music and mother's words here:

Programs in USA, Australia - Weekend of Diwali

AUSTRALIA November 7, 2008
9:00 am	to	4:00 pm

Sahaja Yoga is again holding a Self-realisation Stall in Chatswood Shopping Mall, Chatswood in Sydney, on Friday 7th November, from 9.00 am till 4.00 pm.

This will be held as part of the twice-yearly Charities Day held in Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, just down from Chatswood station.

USA (Michigan)

Catch us in the bodyworker area of the Phenomenews BMS festival!

The Body Mind Spirit Festival Fall 2008: November 8!

MACOMB COMMUNITY COLLEGE - SOUTH CAMPUS
SPORTS & EXPO CENTER

Directions: TAKE I-75 FROM EITHER NORTH OR SOUTH TO I-696 EAST TO THE HOOVER/SCHOENHERR EXIT (24)
GOING UP THE THE RAMP TO THE LIGHT AT HOOVER.
TAKE A LEFT TURN ON HOOVER GOING NORTH TO 12 MILE ROAD
TURN RIGHT ON 12 MILE GOING EAST TWO MILES TO HAYES
AND FOLLOW THE YELLOW SIGNS THAT WILL SAY
BODY MIND SPIRIT FESTIVAL.

JSM!!

Shri Mataji's Arrival

Visit Website: http://www.sahajayogauae.com/aug2007/

vidya suresh – uae collective describes Her arrival in Dubai, poetically:

MOTHER’S ARRIVAL INTO DUBAI

It was a warm night with very little or no breeze

All my sahaji brothers and sisters had gathered outside the airport

To welcome our dear loving mother

And to steal a glimpse of mother’s beautiful face and glittering smile

We were all singing – mataji , mataji, your face shines like a thousand suns

Joy, excitement and happiness filled our hearts

A feeling of bliss enveloped all of us

As we were all going into thoughtlessness, we could feel

The sudden increase in the flow of vibrations

We knew that mother had arrived

A waft of cool breeze swept all of us

We kept singing mataji, mataji, your face shines like a thousand suns

We saw a beautiful car coming out from the insides

Yes, our most dearest loving and wonderful mother was in it

With our dear loving papaji and a few sahaji brothers

She was so radiant, like the rays of the early morning sunshine

Not a trace of fatigue on her moon lit face

I do not have any words to describe how very beautiful she was looking

Tears of joy welled up my throat and kept flowing like the deep waters of a waterfall

It was like seeing a mother after aeons of separation

She was full of smiles and with her hands together saying namaste to all us

Her smile was so full of warmth and love and compassion

I was just mesmerized in it; she kept smiling ………………………..

She was so happy to see all of us

As mother slowly went past us in her car to the house

I was still choked with joy and happiness

And tears still continued to fall down my cheeks and face

She is the sweetest mother that anyone of us could be blessed with

Her dazzling smile and that love that was glorifying her face

Will always remain in my inner self.

Video from a previous visit:

Easter Sunday- the day of resurrection

Via Chris K

If ever there was a truer reflection of a day of great spiritual
import, a day which lived out in events its own true meaning, it was to be
this day. Coming to the end of an incredible weekend here in Pune,
the 60th Anniversary celebrations. Today was an incredible day, we were
meeting with Sir CP discussing ISPS, plans, buildings, and the future, then word
came that Shri Mataji wanted to see us. When we entered the room Our Mother was
sitting in Her chair with a broad smile beaming and we were ushered in and we
began discussing the ISPS plans.

Shri Mataji was incredible, She was asking about the buildings, their sizes,
where the children would be playing, safety issues with heights, teachers,
staff accommodation. Then she said to come tomorrow with larger plans and to
have a think about the size of the buildings which she said was too
small. Many of us came out of the room with tears of joy in our eyes, the
emotions were such. Sir said it was probably the longest conversation in five
years. Totally amazing, transforming, incredible. If possible this day was
to become even more incredible. We meet a few hours
later for an impromptu Easter Puja. We were fortunate to perform Puja to Shri
Mataji, the auspicious offerings were made, the vibrations incredible.

Shri Mataji asked for the microphone, and She smiled at us all and for
the first time in many years She spoke in a clear lucid tones, words of power,
awakening the kundalini, affirming, reassuring, joyous revelation. Tears of joy
again began to flow around the room, and through many water filled eyes were we
privileged to again sit as humble devotes before the Feet of our Guru, and
listen to Easter Puja discourse. Please forgive any inaccuracies in their
re-telling for this humble instrument is full of faults. Shri Mataji began
by saying that it is a very important day, the day of Christ resurrection, He
resurrected so that he could transform people but now we can do that work and we
should not be afraid, and have no doubts about yourself and your self
realization, you should respect your self realization it is something very
special, something unique. Shri Mataji said if you have any doubts
then you should come in front, in fact come now and talk to me, you should not
have any doubts, for you are all special beautiful people, when I look out I see
so many beautiful faces in front of me, you are all so beautiful.

We have to confirm our self realization we have to respect our
self realization and we have to pass on what we have received
to the world, we have to give what we have achieved in Sahaja Yoga to many
more people who are waiting, there are so many good people who have
not received their self realization, they are all waiting, you have to take up
this work. Shri Mataji said you should all go out and take a lead,
spread Sahaja Yoga so we can give a chance to other people who have
not received their self realization, there is nothing more important
to do, there are many good people in the world who have not received their self
realization and if you see around the world is in chaos, there is a lot of
chaos, the world needs this. Sahaja Yoga is the only solution. Shri Mataji
ended with something reduced all to tears again, she said "I am
sorry if I have not helped you all enough to finish this job, in many
things perhaps I have not finished off what I have started …. so far " That
was the moment, the beaming smile, the words of encouragement, tear filled eyes,
all around faces wet with tears of joy.

Sir CP was continually wiping tears from his eyes, and through the talk his
hands were raised in supplication, he bowed to Shri Mataji, and to
God Almighty in Heaven above. Of us all he was by far the happiest and
most joyous. Shri Mataji looked around at us all and asked if there was
anything wrong, we should all be happy. We answered we not sad, just very,
very, happy to again hear Her voice. We then performed Aarti and the
music began. Some gifts were given, one being a silver chariot drawn
by seven horses which was presented. Shri Mataji said it was very symbolic, the
seven horses, and the chariot, but the horses were not drawing a chariot they
were pulling the Sahaja Yogis, everywhere the Sahaja Yogis are being
helped.

When we presented the Australian gift she commented that Australia is a very
cut off place, geographically, and it was good that Her children had not
forgotten Her, to which we responded not only Her Australian children, but all
Her children all over the world had never left Her side, and certainly not
forgotten Her. Shri Mataji left but said there should be music and
dancing we should be in joy, the music played and we all
danced and danced and danced.

Sincerely chris

Recollections of Birthday Puja 2007

This is from Rabi in India

...The day was too hot for all of us with dusty wind around
and to beat the heat it was an amazing sight to enjoy the kitchen cum dinning
hall meant for the overseas yogi/nis just at the entrance of the campus.
Icepacks, Cane Juice , Coocnut water and cleansing prayers before the beautiful
altar staged within the pandal . It was like more than shade of trees that
hosted more than 1400 yogis from outside India in the Staying and the non
staying category.Beautiful menus and delicious preparation as blessings of our
Mother in Her Shri Gruhalakhsmi Form added grace to the appatite of the yogis.
There was yet another attraction ...the beautifully creative decorations of
fruits and flowers made the inside of the dinning hall as an Ashram.

Well in the evening amidst 8-8500 yogis which filled the main pandal in
the open air had their seat at 1830 hrs. although the Puja was announced for
1900 hrs and yogi/nis were requested to be in teh main pandal latest by 1800
hrs. The evening heat was gradually getting off as the left view of the open sky
sparked witha contrast crescent moon and a lone star to say we are ready.
At 1900 hrs the meditation staterd with bandhan and mahamantras and then followed a bhajan by Surekha Apte with Naam na Jane...Tum Asha Vishwas hamare...then came the beautful instrumental solo performance by overseas yogis and the hosting country brothers and sisters from middle East, Australia and others.At 1930 the earlier day's events of celebrating the Birthday event in Pratisthan was screened to see our beloved Mother happily seated and watching each and every movements. Then there was the Chhindwara Project overview on the CD. Then there were a number of bhajans rendered at Her Holy Lotusd Feet in Pratisthan with Janam Din Ayo...Bar Bar yeh din Aye...happy Birthday to You..., Chhindwara mein Janam Hua ...

It was probably some wireless message rushed into announce
within bringing in teh news of Shri Mataji's arrival in the Nirmal Nagri, that
suddenly transformed the netire scenario with a bhajan...tere Sahaji Pukar Rahe
Aaj...aoo Meri Nirmala Ma(Your Sahajais are praying today for Your
arrival...please come into our hearts O Dear Nirmal Mother). Just ten minutes
later the sky filled with sparklers and beautiful fire crackers...the fragrance
engulfed the entire milieu....as the bhajnas continued amidst the impatient
collectivity standing with Shri Jagadamba Aye re .....Mahamaya Mahakali...with
the typical chorus voice of MukhiRam from india. It was probably at quarter to
eight that the curtains were opened to the collective for the Holy Darshan of
Shri Mataji amidst thunderous applaud and excitement.

It was immdeiately after that we heard Shri Ganesha Artharvashirsham
being recited and the little Ganeshas flocking around and being helped by Mr.
Pugalia and Mr. Majid to place the flowers at Her Holy Lotus Feet as the Shri
Ganesha Puja was being offered. Mother was complacent with Her gesture ....She
was alter watching also prabably trying to witness the health of Her children
who were away physically for so long from Her Darshan.... The love flowed with
Her divine glance as it could well be seen on teh giant projection screens in
teh campus inspite of the poor audio score . Well it never mattered as we were
inside heart and ears nevers mattered between Mother and Her children to
understand each other.There were bhajans then with teh ongoing Shingar like Jago
Savera Aya...Janam Din Aya AdiShakti Ka... Chhindwara mein Janam Hua ..

The most streiking and pleasant of all things happened was
spectacular...probably to my recollection...thgis was for teh first time that
Kalpana Did and Sadhna Didi were the two yoginis and the two daughter of Shri
Mataji to adore Shri AdiShakti on Her 84th Birthday together ...smiling and
having a very close contact with their Mother and our Mother...It was just
wonderful a site and we felt it was amidst a universal family play and we were
there where all sons and daughters were there before the Mother and Sir CP later
came up as our father to speak the words of our beloved Mother as Shre would
have desired him to convey to all of Her reliased Children on Her 84th Birthday.

At quater past nine Arti was offered at Her Holy Lotus Feet and then
Birthday felicitation and message from His Excellency President of India was
handede over to Sir CP to be read out to our Mother. at half past nine the
collectivity was blessed to witness the most exciting moment of the cake being
graced and cut by Mother and Sir CP being helped by their grandson with a knief.
It was filled by the joyous moments and fire crakers and ballons beings
released in high air as teh Raj Lakshmi would have desiredfor te cllectivity to
enjoy that moment in Her Holy presence of Shri Mataji.Janam Din Ayo...was again
being sung...Mother seemed to enjoy Her children...as the vening grew coooler
with Her grace the unwanted heat was gradually fading as the cresent moon
vanished into the thin air behind the heights of the backdrop hillocks where
once upon a time Shri Sita and Shri Rama had resided.

It was then the turn for the International gifts to be offered and s it
was and again we heard te bhajan Shri JAGADAMBA aYE RE..... Later the
felicitation messages were read out by Rajesh Shah . They came from President of
India , then diginitaries from Turkey the hosting country...then Texas and
Oklahoma ...the governors and Mayors...with all words that were read out in Her
Holy praise of our Mother.

It was then that Sir CP was requested to speak and he did speak what our
ears yearned for long to hear the holymessahges. It were all the prayers that we
would be humbly submitting...it was the same that Sir CP wasmaking asif we
became all one before one God Who was seated..there was a resolution taken by
Sir CP on behalf of all of us and the world to Mother...that " Mother please
maintain the throne on this Earth until every human being is trasformed.' It was
then a very lovely moment yet very serious one as Sir CP himself tried to invoke
our beloved Mother to address the collective...It was like our father was trying
to compell our Mother inside to address Her children with Her words which She
would not just do it...it was indeed a play...I felt it was te 'Para-Vaani '
from mother that was directly entering and activating our Madhyama
inside...right into our heart. It was the silence that had more powers and
energy than mere words it was subliming to all of us whoever needed to think as
they would take any meaning for that precious moment, It was Mother transmitting
Her vibrations through Her Para Vaani(speech of God)and entering into our stage
of Madhyama and would not just let out of the Vaikahari to be spelt aloud and
become mundane...It was for teh netire world ...the globe...just not for teh
eight thousand collectivity who were witnessing this play.It was indeed a word
that was pleasing to hear Sir CP opening address to us with 'Jai shri Mataji'
.Later Sir congratulated the stupendous works undertaken by teh Pune
collectivity and also Mr. Pugalia to transform this part of the Earth in Heaven
compared to the last yera sceanrio.

Then there was a last request that came o sing the qwuaali
Number...'Mata Ka Karam Hain'''...this made every kunadalini dance..Sir CP
coould not help claping and beating the moments with nods and smailes at his
corner of his lips and speaking to Mother as if saying...Look how joyous are
your Children on Your Birthday...Just bless them...and She raises Her right arm
helped by Sir CP to bless us all children.........Are we all
listening....brothers and sister...Shri Mtaji blesses us all at the conclusion
of the Birthday Puja to enjoy the vollys of cool within as we enjoy this
instruments experience...I darenot revise or revisit what Mother made me
write...I just would subit let Her vibrations flow so that our world could
grow....We are all one child of one Mother and She ois Shri Mataji in Her Mother
Form...some call Her AdiShakti some call Her by Mahashakti...But I love to call
Her asmy beloved Mother within my Heart...She is still smiling as I am saying
and I know is alaso smiling through you and through us as we enjoy this part of
the story before more flows in....

Jai Shri Mataji

Body, Mind & Spirit Festival in Romania

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