Shri Mataji
The film about Shri Mataji’s life, “Freedom and Liberation”, will be screened in Bowral, south-west of Sydney.
Date: Sunday 31 August 2008
Time: 2.00pm
Venue: Empire Theatre, Bowral
Everyone is welcome to attend and see this wonderful film about Shri Mataji who is the founder of Sahaja Yoga. Admission is free.
Sugar cane in flower
I received my realisation in 2005 and the joy and the love have been steadily growing ever since. I was fortunate to be in Sydney when Sri Mataji visited Australia in both 2006 and 2007, to feel the vibrations and share the joy with many yogis from around the world. However, now that I have listened to Mother’s talks over the years, I find my attention is focused more and more on the spirit and that Mother is always with me.
The other morning I woke at dawn with the sun just rising – and Mother is there. I had my morning meditation – and Mother is there. I look into the brown eyes of innocence in my brown dog, waiting patiently for the moment we go for our walk – and Mother is there. We walk across the paddock with the 360 degree view, and I as I look up to the sky, a bird flies overhead – Mother is there. When we arrive at the beach, the sun is about a metre above the sea – Mother is there. I feel the warmth of the sun, the caress of the sea breeze – Mother is there. The sea is glistening as the sun spreads over it – Mother is there.
On my way to work I ask Mother to keep me in the centre and become the detached witness. On the drive home I notice a sugar cane field in flower, the afternoon sun dancing on the shimmering flower tips – Mother is there. A traffic jam – the heavenly strains of a Mozart concerto plays on the radio – Mother is there. Time is just a concept and I always get where I’m going on Time – Mother is there. Life can be such a joy when we keep our attention on the spirit.
Mary Cabrall
(Photograph: portal.unesco.org)
An outdoor realisation session in Lebanon
From 4 to 6 July 2008, a series of Sahaja Yoga programs were held in Lebanon. Three Sahaja yogis from Turkey, one from Cameroon and one from Lebanon conducted the programs.
During this time, 311 people received their realisation. Programs were held at Manara, Sioufi and Unesco Palace. Realisation was given on the street in Hamra, while we were putting posters in different places.
Fear seems to be the worst thing against spreading Sahaja Yoga in the Middle East, even though it is the most stupid illusion inside us.
People in Manara, next to the sea, are from different social castes and we exchanged with many the addresses and phone numbers so that we can be in touch soon when we find a centre in Beirut to meet. It was not in our program to go there but we decided at the last minute to go to Manara instead of Sioufi, for only two hours. Lots of people were very happy to receive their realisation.
At Unesco palace it was my first time to be in front of people translating into Arabic for the audience who don’t understand English. In the beginning I was kind of shaking but when the attention was on Shri Mataji’s photograph things became much better. Before Sahaja Yoga it was impossible to do such a thing without lots of fears. Never, never had this courage been felt before, even in front of students in the classroom.
The only program held indoors was at Unesco Palace and about 20 people came.
Today there was an interview on the government radio, “Lebanese Radio”. Rita, the interviewer, gave an introduction about music therapy. Then for about ten minutes the discussions were about Shri Mataji who discovered the Sahaja Yoga technique, the Kundalini as a positive energy, a little about chakras and being in the present state. Rita will announce future Sahaja Yoga programs to be held from 8 to 10 August 2008. We have booked one date already: on Friday 8 August the program will be at Unesco Palace at 7.00pm.
With lots of Mohabbat from Lebanon
A Sahaja yogini
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
The following extracts are from various talks by Shri Mataji, the founder of Sahaja Yoga, where she discusses the meaning of the Guru Principle.
“The word Guru comes from the one that is magnetic, the person who is magnetic, the one who attracts the attention of the seekers, is the Guru.”
“This gravity has to be in a Guru. Gravity means a kind of a serious understanding of oneself and one’s own responsibilities.”
“So you get a magnetic temperament, magnetic character, magnetic personality. And this magnetic personality that you develop, immediately shows that it is manifesting its power. Try to understand. Like the light now is coming on Me. It is just giving light, but it is not manifesting anything. We can see the Sun’s rays, is the best example. Sun’s rays, when they fall onto the leaves, the rays, which look simple, manifest their power of making it into chlorophyll. In the same way when you are at that height or at that state, then without saying anything, without doing anything, even a glance, you manifest; but not only that, you record everything.”
“Manifest our gravity to reach the depth within – through witness state. Introspect to achieve the self-esteem of a Guru.”
“But we are much above all these ordinary instruments, even the most complicated, even the most advanced and developed by science. Because we reach a state where we ourselves become the science, science of truth, an absolute truth.
So what is needed for a Guru is self-esteem. This is a very important point people don’t realize, the self-esteem. To achieve the self-esteem we have to introspect and know that, ‘Today I am not what I was before. I am a realized soul; I have got powers. Of course I have powers. Powers of love, powers of compassion, powers of grasping things, powers of creativity, powers of giving realization to others.’
Nobody had these powers, but somehow or other in Sahaja Yoga you are not self-conscious, and we should not be self-conscious because that can give you ego, but we should have self-esteem.”