Australia is very far off. But this is the land which is the land of purity. This is the land in the universe, is the first centre that you see there, and Uluru that you have – Uluru means, as I told you, is the Chaitanya, is the symbol of that purity. So you stand for the innocence of the world. You are such a great nation here that stands for the innocence … so you have to be careful and understand your own identity as innocent people. And I am sure it will work out very well for all of you. And this country which has many problems will be solved by your own purity, and the whole world can be helped with your own purity and beautiful lives. May God bless you.
Shri Mataji, Sydney, 1990
It’s important to rise very much above the rest of the people. Why not be like Martin Luther? We can do it. Why do we not create people of that kind who speak of something great, who bring the attention of people to something higher, raise their necks upward to see … with their heads higher than the others, and see something great within us – something so idealistic, so impossible for them to understand?
We have to have unique people. And that’s what we have to work out in our ascent – in individual and in collective ascent…. So we have to be very solemn about it and get to that state where the whole thing becomes a leela [play] because you are so powerful – like Shri Krishna.
Shri Mataji, 1990
There are those who know
the time has come
that their hands can speak the truth.
There are those who comprehend
the powers of auspicious magic
and hold it dearly at every moment.
There are those who understand
they are the creators of the New World,
who can see now the age of Aquarius unfolding
as the Lotus above their heads.
There are those who accept
the responsibility laid upon their breast,
rewarded tenfold in joyful blessings
bestowed upon their lives.
There are those who realise
the meaning of surrender,
the fickleness of this world,
and the subtlety of their spirit.
There are those who see
only the present, who hear the songs of every bird,
who comprehend without a thought
the nature of each moment.
There are those whose faith
takes them on serendipid journeys
into the lightness of their being,
and adventures in a world unimagined before.
There are those who are blessed
to gaze into Her infinite eyes,
To bow at Her Holy Feet,
knowing who it is before them.
Melissa Richard
Forgiving others, while often difficult, is one of the most important things we need to do for our spiritual growth. Shri Mataji, the founder of Sahaja Yoga, has said that if Jesus Christ had not come on the earth, we would not have been able to have the spontaneous attainment of Self-realisation which has been made possible through the methods of Sahaja Yoga. The reason is that the quality of the Agnya Chakra is forgiveness. By forgiving those who crucified Him, Jesus opened the Agnya Chakra. If the Agnya Chakra had not been opened, it would not have been possible for Shri Mataji to open the Sahasrara, the last Chakra in the human evolutionary process.
If we do not forgive, the Agnya Chakra remains closed, and we cannot experience the full blessings of Self-realisation. If the Agnya is not fully clear, we are dominated by our thoughts which come either from the past or the future. If the thoughts are coming from the past, we are governed by the Superego or conditionings. If our thoughts are of the future, we are governed by the Ego, the notion that we are responsible for creating what is going to happen in our lives. It is only when we are released from both the Ego and the Superego that we are able to be in the present. In the present, there are no thoughts, and we can then enter into a state of thoughtless awareness or true meditation.
One way of opening the Agnya Chakra is to recite the Lord’s Prayer which was given to us by Jesus Christ. The key phrases are:
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”.
Thus, the Lord’s Prayer is actually a mantra specially designed to open the Agnya Chakra.
Jesus also said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Light.” Another way of opening the Agnya Chakra is to use light. Thus, looking at a candle flame or a fire is an effective way of clearing the mind of thoughts and opening this chakra.
This, then, is the true meaning of forgiveness: letting go of thoughts of the past or of the future, in order to prepare the Agnya Chakra for the last great breakthough in our evolution. When we do this, we are no longer burdened by guilt, regret or anger, but attain a peaceful state of mind where we can experience the joy of being in the present. Of great significance, however, is that this state also paves the way for the attainment of Self-realisation.
(Photograph courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)