Meditation
Shri Mataji, founder of Sahaja Yoga
One night I found myself in a very difficult situation, and in desperation and as a last resort I appealed to God, in whom I didn’t believe, saying, “If there is such a thing as God, you’ve got to help me”.
I had been brought up in a Christian family and had to go to church most Sundays but I’d never felt it helped me or gave me any peace. I felt worse for going, actually, as the idea of original sin and all the rules meant I could never feel good about myself. Because of my negative experiences with the church, which was Protestant, I found it difficult to believe in Jesus Christ and God. So I considered myself an atheist, I suppose, although I was idealistic and had high moral values.
I still had an interest in spirituality, however, and thought that there must be some metaphysical answer to the ills of the world and I was searching for the key that would unlock the door to the mysteries of life. I felt that there was some force (which I thought of as the life force) which looked after all the animals and plants on the earth without them doing anything. I thought that as I was, surely, just as important as the plants and animals then that force was, hopefully, looking after me too. I felt that if I could be more in tune with that force, without thinking, just like the plants and animals, then I could be healed as well.
So I started looking for a Buddhist meditation group. Buddhists don’t talk about God, I thought, but they seem to be people of integrity and very much at peace in meditation. But it wasn’t to be. All the groups I rang didn’t answer their phones. Eventually I decided to go to Sahaja Yoga, which I had heard about from a friend.
As it happened, Shri Mataji, the founder of Sahaja Yoga, was coming to my city the following week. Her lecture was extremely interesting and covered a wide range of topics including God and Jesus Christ. I thought, “Oh, no!” I was surprised, however, to find that rather than urging us to go to church and become Christians, Shri Mataji openly stated that many Christians were not as loving and forgiving as they should be and that their intolerance and hypocrisy had turned many people away from Christianity because they were not following the teachings of Christ as they should. That had been my experience! When Shri Mataji spoke about God I thought, “I’m not interested in having anything to do with God or religion”. But I was so impressed with Shri Mataji and she spoke about all sorts of other interesting aspects of spirituality as well. I decided I would put aside her references to God and try Sahaja Yoga.
I have never regretted my decision. Sahaja Yoga has been the most wonderful experience of my life. Over time I have learnt that the original teachings of Jesus Christ are quite different from the teachings of the Church which has twisted and distorted many things over time. I have also discovered the mystical aspects of Christianity, some of which were recorded in the Dead Sea Scrolls and kept secret by the Vatican for many years. I do not have to follow the dictates of priests or ministers who interpret spirituality for me, tell me what to do and have power over me. I find real comfort and peace from meditating and from a personal connectedness that I never felt in the church. And, yes, I have learnt from my experiences that God does exist, and has taken many forms over the millennia, not just the form of Jesus Christ.
So if you, like me, have had bad experiences or have become disenchanted with the Church and feel nervous about the mention of God, don’t worry about it. Just put it aside and try Sahaja Yoga. True spirituality involves much more than the narrow view of God and religion that has been promulgated by Christian churches.
And if you like, you too can ask the question, “Does God exist?” or “Is there such a thing as God?” and see how the answer unfolds in your life.
Kay Alford
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)
I had tried a few of the New Age therapies around in the early ’90s, including affirmations, re-birthing, kinesiology and counselling, among others, but none of them seemed to fill the void, or answer my questions, or explain the mysteries of life, or even help me to feel better.
I wanted to learn to meditate so I could find peace of mind and equanimity, to improve my health, to become a better person and to satisfy a longing for knowledge of the truth about life, about the world. As Sahaja Yoga was free, I felt like I had nothing to lose.
I went to a program at the local Arts Centre. The people at the program were friendly and helpful, and I could see that some of them were very impressive in that they were very nice, kind, sincere, balanced, and strong within themselves without being egotistical or aggressive. I liked the fact that there were no rules to follow, and that you find the truth within yourself in Sahaja Yoga. It was different and interesting and I really enjoyed the Indian classical music. I was keen to find out more about the chakras and how to meditate.
Shri Mataji came to Canberra and gave a public lecture shortly after I went to my first meditation class. I was very impressed and thought she was an amazing person – strong, compassionate, wise, intelligent, funny, witty, passionate, knowledgeable, kind, refreshingly honest and direct, and I was surprised by her independent and original thinking. I felt inspired to give Sahaja Yoga a serious trial.
My curiosity was aroused and I was intrigued by Shri Mataji’s lecture at the public program, as well as by her talks on the videos we saw at the local programs. I was particularly interested in what she said about Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, and about Lao Tse, Confucius, Abraham, Moses, Zarathustra and Socrates, and about realised souls like Mozart, Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Einstein and Gorbachev.
I was amazed to find that the techniques I learned at the meditation classes really worked! I was very motivated and in the beginning I used to meditate for five minutes every morning when I woke up, and at night I would footsoak, use candles to clear the left side for five minutes and then meditate for five minutes. I found that I felt better! I felt better physically. Emotionally I felt stronger. I was worrying less, sleeping better, felt happier.
And it was fun! Sahaja Yoga is fresh, alive, always different, never boring, never the same. It is always interesting and full of variety. I found small miracles started happening, making my life flow more easily. If I needed to speak to someone, they’d phone me, and if I became aware that I needed to buy something, it would be on special.
After doing Sahaj meditation for thirteen years, I spent seven weeks at the Sahaja Yoga International Research and Medical Centre at Mumbai in India. Here I learned more clearing techniques and had the opportunity to spend each day in clearing, meditation and introspection. I learned a lot from the teachers or doctors at the Centre and admired their dedication and selfless work in helping the people who went there. Since that time I feel I have gone through another deepening in my meditation and in my understanding.
I continue to be inspired more and more by Shri Mataji, by her selfless and tireless work for the spiritual evolution of all people, to help them find love and truth and genuine happiness, to help them become better people and to relieve their suffering. I have been helped so much myself that I want to help others find the same peace and joy that I have found. I enjoy listening to her lectures and am always finding new things I hadn’t heard before.
I continue to feel better, emotionally stronger and to have better self-esteem and more peace of mind. I sleep well, worry less and cope better with stress, I’m not buffeted around by my emotions and I’m less affected by others’ opinions of me. I am more optimistic and hopeful.
I enjoy meditating more and more and find it more and more helpful in my life. I find the clearing techniques helpful and have got to know myself much better through clearing and through meditating: why I react as I do, how I can act differently and more constructively.
I have better judgement, I feel more certain about the right thing to do, have better judgement about people and situations, and am not swayed so easily by other people. I find meditation helpful in finding the right solution to any problems that arise.
I feel satisfied and content with my life. Material things are not so important and minor inconveniences don’t worry me so much. I feel like the emptiness inside has been filled by the knowledge of the whole. I feel like the mysteries of life have been answered.
I am still fascinated by learning more about Sahaja Yoga and about how it fits into the scheme of things, the way it is an integral part of the intricate web of life, how it permeates into everything, how it is the basis of life itself – science, nature, the absolute, the ultimate truth.
It’s continually heart-warming to see the wonderful qualities in the realised souls, the Sahaja yogis – the love, the kindness, the integrity, the truthfulness, the simplicity, and each one’s particular talents and abilities. I enjoy seeing the variety of their different life journeys, all leading to the same destination but travelling there by many different roads.
The love, kindness and blessings showered on me, the love I feel for others, the nice feeling of being able to forgive, and the warm feeling of seeing others express their love towards me and towards others never cease to amaze me.
I enjoy seeing the myriad ways beauty is expressed by realised souls in music, dance, literature, art, craft and architecture.
In a world where there is so much cynicism, so much dishonesty and trickery, so much cruelty and hatred, Sahaja Yoga gives me the strength to continue to behave with integrity and honesty and kindness. It also gives me the strength to cope with adversity and to maintain my equanimity in the face of so many threats – natural disasters, climate change, wars, disease, terrorism.
Sahaja Yoga gives me hope for the future. If many people take to Sahaja Yoga all the world’s problems can be solved. Just as Sahaja Yoga has transformed my life it can transform the lives of others. Sahaja yogis don’t add to the problems of the world; they help to solve the problems. They are also able to help and support others.
I heartily recommend Sahaja Yoga. Try it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Kay Alford
(Photograph: Vishnu Bonneau)
Sahaja Yoga Meditation Program is now at a new time of 9.30 – 10.30am each Sunday morning on Radio 2SER 107.3FM.
The Sahaja Yoga Meditation Program first went to air in 1995 on Radio 2SER at an 11.00 – 12.00 timeslot and was the initiative of two Sahaja yogis. What a great initiative it has been! Thirteen years later we are still on air, offering a unique program where people can experience the state of meditation over the airwaves. To the best of our knowledge we conduct the only program of this type.
Each program always includes at least one substantial guided meditation to enable listeners to deepen their meditative experience in the comfort of their own homes. The content is at the discretion of each presenter. Included are diverse descriptions and discussions/interviews about the many aspects of Sahaja Yoga, including ancient traditions, the religions of the world and history’s great spiritual personalities. Also we make use of music conducive to the meditations, or to illustrate points being made. The music is varied and often original, sometimes performed live in the studio or from recordings made by Sahaja Yoga practitioners around the world. Occasionally, we have a delayed outside broadcast, wholly with live performances.
All programs to air have been paid for solely from contributions volunteered by Sahaja yogis, rather than by sponsorship.
The aim of Sahaja Yoga, in Australia and worldwide, is to offer the experience of Self-realisation to everyone regardless of race, creed, religion or age. This is something that has never happened before in the history of human evolution. Traditionally, achieving Self-realisation was very difficult and perhaps only one person in a hundred years would receive it. It was also always a one-on-one practice of guru and disciple. However, the guru who was able to give Self-realisation had disappeared in these modern times until the coming of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, the founder of Sahaja Yoga.