Inspirational stories
General contributions
The following is a beautiful talk by Baba Mama, Shri Mataji’s beloved brother who brought the creative arts, especially music, to the forefront in Sahaja Yoga. He encouraged and inspired Sahaja Yogis to greater and greater creative heights.
You believe that God is omnipresent, omnipotent and all-pervading. In fact, you believe that He is in every atom. As natural corollary of this belief, you must also know that God knows what you want or what your need is. If the first proposition is true, then second proposition has to be true. It would follow, therefore, that those who know that God is omnipotent and all-pervading are bound to accept that God is all-knowledgeable and therefore is aware of all your problems.
In spite of this fact, we always go to God with certain expectations. Expectations can be of various types, but are basically self-centred or are pertaining to people or relations you are attached to, and then you pray to God that He should grant you a particular relief, or a job promotion, or some benefit to you or your near ones, etc. When you go with this frame of mind, then most of the time you are disappointed. Hypothetically speaking, if your expectations are symbolised in A and what you get is, let us say, B; then A minus B is your disappointment. And then you have to attribute this disappointment to someone. The pessimists will attribute it to their bad luck and will always curse themselves for not being worthy of God’s favour.
The optimists will straight away blame God Himself, and they say that this God is not good and that we should shift to some other God. In this way you keep on shifting from God to God, but disappointment is always there. This may even make you anti-God and an atheist, ultimately. Now take a case where you do not go to God with any expectations. Therefore, the expectations are zero, and let us say that you get B as the reward. Therefore, B minus zero is B which is always surplus.
You should also distinguish between your expectations and desires, and pure desires. Pure desire is always for the benefit of the other, and therefore you are entitled to carry pure desires to the Divinity. I once remember, I was travelling with Shri Mataji from Sydney to Canberra, and it was very hot and the air-conditioning of the car was thoroughly inadequate. Shri Mataji was sweating and I was fanning Her with a newspaper, but I somehow felt that the heat was oppressive and that the weather should give some respite to Her. Reading my mind, She asked me a question as to what I was thinking, to which I told Her frankly that I was unable to see Her suffer because of heat. So She told me that I should make a pure desire and the weather would change. So I closed my eyes and made a pure desire that the weather should change.
Within five minutes, dark clouds gathered from nowhere and it started raining, and the intensity of heat was thus reduced and Shri Mataji said, “See, if you make a pure desire then it will always be fulfilled.”
Coming back to expectations, I may mention here that once you are connected to your Divinity through your Self Realisation, you should feel assured that you have been admitted into the Kingdom of God, that you are His subject and therefore He is duty-bound to look after you, irrespective of what you expect of Him. So please do not expect… Only pray to Shri Mataji that She should make you what She wants you to be.
Baba Mama, 1999
About six years ago we had the desire to know more about the traditional culture of Australia. The real Australia! We went to an Aboriginal philosophical farm two years in a row. Aboriginals and Maoris were sharing some of their knowledge with any interested foreigner to this sacred land. We had the opportunity to give Self-realisation to some of the people attending this event. At that time we knew we were not really ready yet to share our knowledge about Sahaja Yoga, as we were not aware of their important protocol such as acknowledging the traditional owners of the land, their ways of teaching/sharing so different from our Western ways.
In 2002 I met an Aboriginal Elder at Sydney Town Hall in front of the Queen Victoria Building. Spontaneously I asked, “Is it true that each and every human being has the Rainbow Serpent within himself?” Surprised, she replied, “Yes!” I continued, “Is it true that we can feel this Rainbow Serpent as a cool breeze in our hands, on the top of our head and in our body?”
Even more surprised, she agreed and said, “The Rainbow Serpent is the Beauty, the Emerald City each and every human being is looking for. Go to Northern Territory. Go to Uluru, but do not climb the Rock.”
I absolutely agreed as we all know that Uluru is sacred. I told her that in Sahaja Yoga we teach about the Rainbow Serpent known also as Kundalini, Holy Ghost, Tao, Ruh, for free, to anyone interested, to help people to reconnect themselves with the Land and their roots. She was happy, and while she was shaking my hand on leaving, my body became suddenly completely cool and remained cool for a few hours.
Two years later we went to pay respect to Uluru and It was beyond our imagination. Incredible vibrations, depth, gravity, innocence, silence, joy and a deeper respect for the guardians of this Land are some of the unforgettable feelings you get in front of His majestic presence.
As in the outstanding movie “Ten Canoes”, it is another never-ending story! But everything comes when the time is right. A week before the Western Tour in November 2006, Kelly organised a meeting with one of the Elders of the Wiradjuri People. Her name is Aunty Jill. She runs the Kelso community centre where we were going to hold the Bathurst program. I told her my encounter with the Elder from Sydney, and she confirmed that the Rainbow Serpent is the Kundalini, that the Rainbow Serpent has nothing to do with Aboriginality but with our Spirituality. The Rainbow Serpent is our Connection.
I asked her what was the protocol for the welcoming ceremony. She told me a few sentences to say. Then she offered to come herself if another Elder, Uncle Bill, was not able to come. We were so thrilled!
Back home we contacted Uncle Bill who accepted our invitation. We met Uncle Bill a few years ago. He showed us some of the Bathurst sacred sites. One of them is Mount Panorama! When we all were together on this sacred hill, so many vibrations were coming from Mother Earth that I had to remove my shoes. He told us that now there are only two tribes meeting on Mount Panorama. Can you guess? They are Ford and Holden!
On the actual day of the program we waited for Uncle Bill to perform the welcoming ceremony, along with Merenia, a Maori lady. Some Aboriginal children would not come in until Uncle Bill was there. In the meantime we started to give Realisation to some of the children. They could feel the cool and their eyes were glowing. After the welcoming ceremony we found Uncle Bill carrying the sorrow of his people and at the same time astonished by the powerful Maori welcome by Merenia. The children went to sit around him and on him. They were waiting for the music and the stick dance, especially a little girl, 7 to 8 years of age. Dancing with her was such a joyful experience as one could see and feel the inner strength of the Aboriginal community in her big, happy eyes.
Uncle Bill was very content and mentioned that he would be interested in coming back as his people need a lot of healing.
For anyone in the Bathurst area who is interested in finding out more about Sahaja Yoga, programs are held at the Kelso Community Centre, 24 Bonner Street, Kelso every Saturday at 10.00 am.
Madhavi Rome
(Photograph courtesy of the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage)
Everyone wants less stress. And every week, all over Australia (and worldwide), people are learning how to meditate with us. Sahaja Yoga meditation, founded by Shri Mataji, is very easy to learn and is free of charge. You’re welcome to join us to experience the peace it can offer.
We asked people from one of the Sydney, Australia, meetings why they enjoy coming along each week. Here are their replies:
• Frank (attending 1 year)
“This style of meditation has really helped me to find that sense of balance that we all look for. It provides refreshing and interesting ideas about finding new pathways around old problems. I really look forward to the meetings each week. I especially recommend the footsoaking if you have trouble sleeping!”
• Sunny (1 month)
“My first experience about Sahaja Yoga weekly meetings is the pleasant feeling of rest and encouragement. The instruction is easy to understand and you simply flow along without any pressure. You do not even notice the time is ticking away.
The profound words of Shri Mataji make so much sense about life itself and strengthen many private thoughts you have wanted confirmed.
The teachers are genuinely dedicated individuals with the deep sense of commitment to impart the technique to the path of peace and happiness. It is great to share the wonderful sentiment that you are in the right place to achieve spiritual wellbeing.”
• Julie S (6 months)
“The first meeting I went to, I was unsure what was going to happen. Any hesitations I may have had faded as soon the program started. During meditation I felt my heart open and fill up with this most divine love. And I knew – I had finally found it! My true self. Since then when I go to weekly meetings, I feel elevated as soon as I walk into the room. The sense of peace engulfs me and I feel completely contented. I am empowered.”
• SW was inspired to write this poem after her first night:
FOOTPRINTS
Raindrops gave chase to the sultry evening
Incense turned into white smoke
Danced upwards to heaven
Sandalwood lingered with each breath
Candle light lay waiting at the seventh path
Ended the pilgrimage of restless searching
Accessible and so far away
Kundalini be my guide
I forgive everyone
I absolve my wrongs
I am not guilty
Heavy heart lifting
I’m my own master
Smile perpetuated with each affirmation
With pure knowledge, thoughtless and free
Forgotten calmness transcends
Insolence dissolved into nothingness
No longer in abeyance, a spirit awakened
Journey of awareness began
Buoyant footprints, dependable
Followed where peace and enlightenment dwell
SW, Feb 2007
Interested to attend?
Their responses say it all. If you would also like to learn how to enjoy the peace that true meditation can offer, come along. Beginners are also welcome – Sahaja Yoga is very easy to learn and everything is explained. Depending on locations, our weekly meditation meetings may be about 1 to 1.5 hours long, and might include practical sessions, recorded talks by Shri Mataji and guided meditations. Sahaja Yoga classes are offered free of charge throughout Australia (and worldwide). It is meditation based, not exercise yoga – no special clothing is required and chairs are provided. We look forward to meeting you!
• List of our free weekly meetings (Australia & international)
Kind regards from Sahaja Yoga Australia
I happened to see a documentary on Martin Luther King. It showed the last speech he gave before he was assassinated. That speech was said to be the most powerful speech he ever gave. The last paragraph interested me the most. During the last paragraph, as he was giving his speech, Martin Luther’s voice was very strong and shaky. And at the end of the speech he lost his balance and had to be held by his supporters. Martin Luther knew that he was going to be killed the next day. It seems the Divine had revealed the plans to him. But he was also shown the Kingdom of God. This is the last paragraph of his speech:
Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountain top. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
Meghraj, Canada