History will be made in March 2007

Shri Mataji's birthplace will be the venue of Her birthday celebrations in 2007 as per the SY India circular.

http://www.sahajayoga.org.in/NewsInDetail.asp?NID=164

http://www.sahajayoga.org.in/NewsInDetail.asp?NID=163

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Diwali Puja Miracle Pics

Punit has blogged some great Diwali Puja Miracle Photos here:

http://miraclephotosdiwalipuja06.blogspot.com/2006/11/diwali-puja-06-miracle-photo.html

Samples:

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Morocco Mole Enlightened!

Sahaja Yoga Picks up in Morocco in just a few months... It was amazing when the first seeds sprouted when Shri Mataji was on Her way to America. And now...

(via Bilge)

SPEAKING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD



 

I was one of the blessed sahaja yogis on the September 2006 Morocco Tour. When I arrived in Casablanca, my first concern was how to speak in french. I had learned some french years ago, but had never been fluent, nor ever used it in the last 15 years. To recover, I had taken a month of courses before coming to Morocco, but it was almost an issue for me, that how will I be able to speak..

Well, I arrived at the Hotel de Paris, said “Bonjour” to the receptionist, to my surprise I found that I could speak and he actually understood what I was saying. At first I thought I am doing something special, but it was not, not special, it was a natural thing, and so this new ability became natural in me. I felt like a bird flying for the first time! The wings and all, everything was there, and it was happening!.. It was so nice, so nice a feeling, yes I can speak now, and it’s ok now. I enjoyed it. It felt like, you see, Shri Mataji can make you do things, and you need not be afraid whether you can do it or not. Because She is there, God is there. That was it.

In fact, throughout the nine days I was in Morocco, that was the major experience I was having all the time, everywhere, with seekers, with sahaja yogis, alone.. The presence of God was so much there.

Those of us who have had the chance to be in Shri Mataji’s house will know this, it’s like She is so much there, so much in everything. You breathe in, and Her love fills your lungs and fills your heart, and you breathe out, you dissolve into the surrounding as you have become one with that love. And you look across to another sahaja yogi and you see that they are in it too. Everything merges, and your heart is so full, you feel only the gratitude that She has let you be there, but can’t even say it, you are so full of it. Such a satisfying, such an absolutely satisfying state it is.

With that kind of a heart we went to the public programs, and we found seekers who had the same heart full of love. You can’t imagine the joy it gives, to see that in these far fetched cities of Casablanca, Marakesh and Rabat we found that that is where our hearts are opened, and that is where we found people with open hearts.

 

 

 

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

 

The Moroccans are amazing people. Each program at Casablanca, Marakesh and Rabat.. Words fail, but I will try to give you an idea.

 

The programs usually began with a few bhajans – as David at the guitar and Irene at harmonium began, the sahaja yogis were transported to a higher realm, that this is The Self Realization in the land where Allah is worshipped, like mountains, watching and witnessing, we were there to see the Divine work take place. Everyone seemed very aware, most of all the seekers, they seemed to be very aware of why they were there.

 

As soon as Bernadette (and Marie Martine at the final program) started speaking, the whole attention was on her. Completely. I have never seen programs like this before. They absorbed whatever was told, one could see that, the lecture, the meditation, the music, everything.

 

At the last program in Rabat, when Bernadette said now we will start the self-realization experience, someone among the audience asked if they can come and sit on the floor. Bernadette said, “yes, of course if there are any people who want, they can come and sit on the floor.” Instantaneously, maybe 60-70 percent of the people stood up and started coming to the stage to sit on the carpet!.. It was specatacular. Those who were sitting also came forward and sat on the front rows. Nobody wanted to miss a thing, they were there for their realization and it was clearly valuable for them.

 

A unique phenomenon, at many programs, after about 45 minutes to 1 hour of starting, when Self Realization is about to begin, a new group of 20-25 people arrive and join in. Then in some places, people continue coming in large numbers, very late also, after 1 hour, 2 hours. At the end of program. And they stay too, in Rabat there has been a time when all the fourteen sahaja yogis were busy giving realization to late arrivals in small groups at different corners of the hall, after the program was over!.. To me it seemed like because they are sensitive to vibrations, when the Self-Realization is done, the seekers who are not in the hall sense this event and come by that power.

 

As we sang bhajans young people came and sat with us on the floor also, they sang along with us, some clapped, some meditated while listening, a few of them danced. In Casablanca at the end of the program when Irene asked them if they would like to sing a song of their own country the reply was “No, those things we hear all the time. We prefer to sing from your songs. Can we sing the Ganesha Ganesha again?”

 

When the programs were over, nobody left the hall. They sat with us, asking questions, learning, chatting, laughing, enjoying. Once we had to vacate the hall upon the kind reminder of hotel management – nobody wanted to go!..

 

The question from the university students was, “When are you going to come again?” and “How can we learn this meditation better?”

 

We really saw and learned from them – the beauty of Sahaja Yoga once more.

 

 

 

NAVARATRI PUJA –  MARAKESH

 

On the train I had spoken of my experience when I first met Shri Mataji in Cabella at the Guru Puja of 1997. In fact, that time I had felt a little sad because at this first encounter I had wanted to experience Her Presence, but had not been able to feel much.

When our train landed in Marakesh and we got down, something in the perception began to be increasingly different. I had the impression it must have something to do with the vibrations of the city. Meanwhile, I started pondering over this subject because to meet Shri Mataji for the first time means to really meet Her, and if I had not been able to feel Her that day, it means I did not meet Her then. So when did I first meet Her? I wanted to remember when was it that I had felt Her for the first time, and where.

That instant I remembered one meditation I had had, very long time ago about nine or ten years back, in my home in Ankara. I vividly remembered that meditation. I was sitting across a small photograph of Shri Mataji, and I was feeling that I am nothing, and She is so Wonderful. I remember I was silently praising her. And then as if She was answering me I had felt very strongly that She is in my heart, inside of me. It was as if all the praises that I had offered Her, She had put them in me. And She really was there, in my heart.

Although I always knew I had a memory like that, I had not thought of this much. But there, when I asked myself the question “when have I actually met Shri Mataji”, I found the memory of that meditation come to me. It was like a realization with much more than words could express. The whole thing came back to me, but this time with a full intensity and before I knew it I was carried into my heart, She was there, I felt Her presence absolutely there. I could feel the whole of the heart, (not only the left, but on a wider area covering left, right and center) and I felt myself dissolving outwards from there. It was very curious, as if I was thinner than the surrounding things, so when I walked about I could feel that I am partly passing through the surrounding. People, furniture, walls, anything. And when I was passing like that I could actually feel about the things.

Now this state lasted for a couple of days. I am an architect by profession. On the second day evening in Marakesh, we went to a certain historical building called Palais de Bahia. There I went along with our sahaj group, and I was surprised because now I could actually feel a lot more about the building. I had a sort of an insight, and I felt everything touching my heart because my heart had expanded. The building felt familiar. I was not thinking anything, but I was almost looking at things through the heart.

Bilge

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Shobha Yatra (Processions)

An interesting and fascinating way in which messages are brought to the masses. Here is a beautifil instance...

a shobha yatra wiil be organised on 12-10 06 from Unchahar (Raebareli) to

Mohanlalganj &at Nigohan a public program will be organised at the end of yatra.Pray to Shri Mataji for

the success of the program

[via Sanjay Saxena in India]

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Mother in Turkish Media: The Turkish Daily News

This article was a part of "Answers to Perplexing Questions" section in the Daily News (Turkey) Newspaper:

Message of peace by HH Shri Mataji
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi is a
renowned ambassador of peace and patron of the Sahaja Yoga method of
self-realization
Iain Maynard
Ankara - Turkish Daily News

This is a poem written by H.H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi after her return from her first trip to the United States many years ago as patron of the Sahaja Yoga method of attaining self-awareness through meditation: She had been disturbed that her
message of being able to bring about global peace through achieving individual
balance and enlightenment through meditation fell on deaf ears in the United
States. American culture believes that you get what you pay for and you pay for
what you get. In other words, the more you pay for something, the better that
thing is, be it material or spiritual. Shri Mataji's teachings are free because
she does not believe anyone has the right to ask money for awakening somebody's
God-given spirit, a spiritual energy that exists in all of us (dormant in the
Sacrum bone) regardless of race, religion, age or gender. Her teachings have
brought enlightenment and a profound sense of joy, balance and fulfilment to
over 5 million people in 82 countries. She is also a well-respected ambassador
for global peace and regularly addresses world leaders, military chiefs and the
UN.
You are angry with life Like small children Whose Mother is lost in
Darkness Your sulk expressing despair At the fruitless end of your journey You
wear Ugliness to discover Beauty You name everything false in the name of Truth
You drain out emotions to fill the cup of Love My sweet children, my darling How
can you get peace by waging war With yourself, with your being, with joy itself
Enough are your efforts of renunciation The artificial mask of consolation Now
rest in the petals of the lotus flower In the lap of your gracious Mother I will
adorn your life with beautiful blossoms And fill your moments with joyful
fragrance I will anoint your head with Divine Love For I cannot bear your
torture anymore Let me engulf you in the ocean of joy So you lose your being in
the Greater one Who is smiling in your calyx of Self Secretly hidden to tease
you all the while Be aware and you will find Him Vibrating your every fibre with
blissful joy Covering the whole Universe with light.
Shri Mataji's style of
yoga and self realization is taught at Saglikli Yasam Dernegi branches in
Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya, Bursa, Izmir and northern Cyprus. Shri Mataji will
come to Istanbul at the end of March or beginning of April to give talks and
enlightenment to anyone who wishes it. It is hoped the Culture or Health
Ministry or even the Foreign Ministry will invite her to Ankara in her capacity
either as an ambassador for peace or as a world-renowned spiritual teacher.

Nirmala Cafe in UK: What Joyful News!

This just in from UK:

> Nirmala's is an unmissable, brightly painted 3 story building in
> the centre of town near Neal's Yard with an ever open door that
> leads in to a welcoming and comfortable cafe/restaurant, serving a
> range of healthy international dishes in line with the cafés multi
> cultural feel.
>
>
>
> Nirmala's has a wonderful reputation for it's healthy foods and
> juices and for it's great atmosphere and friendly staff. It is also
> praised for its sumptuous interiors with its various book shelves
> from which an interested reader can select from a substantial
> library of spiritual classics; for its wall of exquisitely framed
> pictures of the worlds realized souls, ranging from Gandhi to
> Einstein to Tagore; for its stunning murals and mosaics and for its
> raised stage area which is the site of regular musical and theatre
> performances featuring artists from around the world.
>
>
>
> Nirmala's has many unique attributes that lift it above other
> similar venues in the city but without a doubt its real secrets can
> be discovered on the second floor where from a large wood paneled
> room, that immediately impresses upon you a cool calming effect, it
> conducts its daily classes in Sahaja Yoga meditation; a deeply
> profound but simple form of meditation that has been know to
> transform many a burnt out city worker into a beacon of joy over
> just a short 30 minute lunch break sitting !
>
>
>
> Every night of the week Nirmala's is busy, with 4 to 5 weekly
> meditation classes alternating with the venues other activities
> including a popular pre booked 'open-mike' night, live-poetry
> evening, guest lecture night and nights when the venue is simply
> open as a healthy non-smoking/non-drinking evening café.
>
>
>
> On the third floor Nirmala's has a fully functioning office
> which is the nerve centre for a host of London based Sahaja Yoga
> activities including summer realization sessions in the
capitals
> busy public spaces from which those interested can be directed back
> to Nirmala's to learn more about meditation or to simply enjoy the
> atmosphere!
>
>
> Nirmalas is run by 3 paid office and catering staff who take care
> of all the essential day-to-day business management requirements
> and by a circulating body of part time staff drawn from the various
> London and, whenever possible, national centers. This combination
> of permanent staff and rotating staff ensures that the enthusiasm
> needed to maintain Nirmala's activities is always high.
>
>
>
> As a competitive cafe with fine produce on sale and as an
> attractive cultural hub with a great vibe "Nirmala's" is always
> busy and as a consequence of this makes a tidy profit which is
> immediately reinvested back into the business. The business then in
> turn supports "Nirmala's" real function which is to tap into the
> energy and buzz of the UK's capital city with its millions of
> students, foreign visitors and inhabitants and to offer them an
> alternative route into the ocean of vibrations which is sahaja yoga.
>
>
>
> Indeed, "Nirmala's" may seem to be a cafe, an office, a music
> venue, and other things but in reality, as its name suggests, it is
> a place where thousands of people each week one way or another are
> ascending upwards to Sahasrara and to the lotus feet of the cafes
> source of inspiration and bedrock, "Shri Nirmala Devi"!
>
>
>
> Jai Shri Mataji

Pedro: an inmate in a jail in Helsinki

Testimony of Pedro for yogis April 2006

Pedro is an inmate who received his realisation in January 2004 in a
jail from Helsinki and is meditating since that time . Pedro is
ready to have his name and address published for yogis with his
testimony . He would be very happy also if some yogis are writing
him ! In English or Spanish .

"My name is Pedro, I am thirty years old . I am inmate in a Finnish
jail called Helsingin Vankila . My sentence is : all life in
prison .
"I went to jail in 2001 and the first years I was in emotional
roller coaster . I tried not to show it outside but inside I was
feeling terrible . But then in January 2004 when I had lost almost
all hope , Sahaja Yoga was introduced in our prison .
I immediately felt something wonderful that I never felt before .
Something I couldn't explain in words . But I knew that was
something that I had been looking for all my life . Shri Mataji gave
me my self realization .

After that, I started to meditate every day and little by little our
Mother raised me and trained me with Her endless love and divine
Vibrations . I stopped smoking immediatly, thing I couldn't do
before . I know that I am just in the beginning of this wonderful
journey and I just wish to be a better instrument of Shri Mataji .

Now, we have been meditating since almost two years and a half with
yogis supporting us weekly with their wonderful programs and love .
Mother has blessed also our little collective with the chance to
have got also the permission to meditate every Sunday morning
together 4 or 5 brother inmates and me .

I feel our bond with our brothers is stronger now It is wonderful
to see how our divine Mother is changing things miraculously in this
prison . Several times somebody working here tried to prevent the
group to meditate . But actually what happened is that Sahaja Yoga
is becoming stronger and stronger . And people is now more
interested to know what is Sahaja Yoga because they can see how
wonderful we are feeling ."

My lost smile returned inside of me .I am in peace now and want
first of all to follow this path the rest of my life .
I can see other inmates are as much helped as me .
So I really wish that every prisoner in the world could have this
life changing experience .And I want to help as much as possible
for that .
I should enjoy also to receive letters from my brothers and sisters
from all over the World !"

Pedro Avila Mahkonen Helsinki April 2006