Editor
February 12 is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Shri Mataji recognised Abraham Lincoln as one of those special people who were born-realised souls and who have contributed so much for the good of humankind. Here is a collection of comments that Shri Mataji has made about Abraham Lincoln over the years. They help us to understand the significance of the contribution he has made, and how much it has affected our lives and the societies in which we live.
We have had so many great people who were born-realised before. Also Abraham Lincoln was a born-realised fellow. We had people everywhere in the world. Like I would say that Michelangelo was a realised soul, Mozart was a realised soul. I mean … so many people were realised souls, but nobody knew about them.
They were effective because they were above all that, and they created these tremendous things because they were one with the Divine Power that is creative, that is not only creative — it is protective. It is the one that thinks, that understands, co-ordinates, co-operates and works out.
Shri Mataji, 1985
And you have Abraham Lincoln. What a man! I think his blessings should work out one day in this country [United States of America]. What a saint. What a personality. And that’s what you had, people, great people in this country, and that greatness, that vision is lost now. Have confidence in yourself.
Shri Mataji, 1984
I was a child, very small. When I was in school I used to go to the library and read about the lives of great men who have created some great things for us. So many of them. And I was so impressed how some of them were so simple, so child-like. For example, Abraham Lincoln for whom I have tremendous, tremendous respect was a man tortured by his wife also. She said, “You don’t know. You are very clumsy. You don’t know how to dress up. You don’t know how to behave”. And she actually was very harsh on him, all the time torturing him. Ultimately he was also killed. So one can say, “You see, what’s the use of being Abraham Lincoln? Because he was killed, he was not successful.”
Until today, all over the world, people know who was Abraham Lincoln. They don’t know his wife… But they knew who was Abraham Lincoln, everybody. Clumsy man, according to her, and all sorts of degradation for him. But nobody respects her, nobody thinks anything about her. Who is respected today, is Abraham Lincoln. Why? Actually, he was murdered. He was killed. That shows that he had no strength to survive, but he survived through ages. So many years have passed; still he’s surviving.
Take the case of all the great people who have been innocent; and that’s why they had ideals. To them their ideals were more important than anything else, even their lives.
Shri Mataji, 2001
(Photograph: lincoln.thefreelibrary.com)
I sit; head bowed and enjoy the shower of pure chaitanya,
Golden, cooling and pure.
It washes every impurity in my being
As powerfully as the Ganges rushes from the Himalayas,
Yet as gently as a mother cleanses her child.
A witness to this event, I enjoy.
I raise my head and see Your face, Our Holy Mother.
One glance and all the cares and tensions are dissolved.
Yet this is not the miracle, Holy Mother.
I sit amongst thousands all over the world,
All who are being cleansed and cared for by You
As if they, not me, are the only one.
All are Your children.
All You care for, as You do me.
Yet this is not the miracle.
The miracle is You, Our Holy Mother
Who chose to come to us now in these days where we are at our worst.
You came to bless us and to bring us all home.
Lisa Barron
(Photograph: tripadvisor.com)
When you forgive a person, what do you do? You accept the situation, to begin with. And secondly, you forgive what you think has been done wrong to you. But because nothing wrong can be done to your spirit, you just forgive because you are the spirit. And when you forgive, you have found that your tension goes away.
So even to your thoughts … say, “All right, forgive this thought,” because thought is also not to be punished. Forgive this thought, forgive this thought. Forgive everything. Not forget – forgive. Because then you will even forget that you are the spirit.
“Forgive all the thoughts that are coming to me.” Just go on saying this. It is a mantra. What is a mantra? It is that power of the word that expresses the spirit.
So this is a very important thing Christ has given us – the weapon of forgiveness. Everybody has that weapon. Everyone can use that weapon. You don’t have to put in any effort for it. You don’t have to pay for it. It’s just you have to say, “I forgive.” You’ll be amazed. Your nerves will soothe down. This tension, this pressure of these modern things will be reduced if you just go on saying, “I forgive. I forgive them.” …
What happens when you forgive someone? That means you do not react. The power to react to somebody’s injuries, insults is finished. And when that power is finished, you become a powerful person because nobody can now overpower you, because nobody can kill you, nobody can hurt you, nobody can do anything to you.
Shri Mataji, 1984
The festival of Vasant Panchami is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha (January – February).
This “Panchami” is also known as Saraswati Day, because it is believed that on this day the Goddess was born. As Diwali is to Shri Lakshmi and Navaratri is to Shri Durga, Vasant Panchami is to Shri Saraswati, the Goddess of art, creativity, knowledge and learning. She represents the free flow of wisdom and consciousness. She is the Mother of the Vedas, and chants to Her often begin and end Vedic lessons.
Saraswati literally means “the flowing one”. In the Rigveda it is said She represents a river and the deity presiding over it. In later mythology, Shri Saraswati was identified with Vach or Speech. The “flowing one” in an allegorical sense may mean speech also – perfect speech which denotes intelligence.
On this Vasant Panchami day, Lord Brahma is said to have created His consort Goddess Saraswati, infused speech into Her and bestowed the Veena in Her hands. She was thus named as Veena Vandini (veena player) and Vani Dayyani (recipient of speech). As the spouse of Brahma and the Goddess of wisdom and eloquence, She is known by various names such as Veenapani (holding the veena), Sharada (giver of essence), Vagisvari (mistress of speech), Brahmi (wife of Brahma) and Mahavidya (knowledge supreme).
The colour yellow is given special importance on Vasant Panchami. On this day, Shri Saraswati is dressed in yellow garments and worshipped. Books, articles, instruments of music and arts are placed before Her. In the evening after the Puja is over, the idol is immersed in the sea with serenity.
In all educational institutions of music, arts and science in India, Saraswati Puja is observed with great reverence. Saraswati Puja is also performed during the Navaratri or Dusshera. In India, Hindus prefer to wear yellow clothes on this holy day. Sweets of yellowish hues are distributed among relatives and friends.
Children are taught their first words on this day, for it is considered an auspicious day to begin to learn how to read and write.
Vasant means “spring”, and Vasant Panchami heralds springtime in India, a time of renewal and creativity of life in nature.
(Photograph: freewebs.com)