She Dedicated Her Life to Humanity

She was a visionary willing to share her view of a better world that includes a place for each of us, side by side, as one. She was also the founder of Sahaja Yoga, a unique meditation technique and a worldwide movement in over a 100 countries. Sahaja Yoga Meditation is the practical application of her vision.

Unlike many other visionaries, Shri Mataji had a practical solution to turn her vision into reality. Her experience was deep. From her days in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi to her nation’s fight for freedom, she showed that she very much understood this world. She knew who we were and where we were going. She knew our culture better than we do, our souls and our dreams. In short what she offered was something very simple. This something is Self-Realization.

 

In 1970 Shri Mataji discovered a technique to trigger the awakening of the primordial Inner Energy within each human being. Since then, She traveled extensively to educate and enlighten people all over the world. Her unique discovery has already transformed millions of lives and many more transformations are to come.

 

Shri Mataji’s humanitarian and spiritual work draws admiration not only from countless individuals across the globe who have personally benefited from her teachings, but also from governments, dignitaries, educational institutions and organizations. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize twice and received The UN Peace Medal, in addition to having a large number of other international awards and recognitions.

Accepting award from Claes Nobel

Enlightenment, attainment and vision are not just the property of the distant past, nor the promise of a remote future.

 

One day promises have to be fulfilled. We cannot always live in the realm of future hope. As Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi would say, “It can all happen now”.

Read about life and work of the Great Spiritual Leader on http://shrimataji.org/

 

The Inner Pluto

In recent days, humanity has managed to gain unprecedented access to Pluto and her neighborhood. This achievement of human seeking endeavor reflects our inner evolution.

Our inner subtle system of chakras and channels maps to other sysetms in the universe, including our Sun’s planetary system. Mars corresponds to the first chakra, moon to the left channel, sun to the right channel and 6th chakra. Pluto corresponds to the crown chakra.

The crown chakra was a mystery, much like Pluto. This mysterious region of our subtle system was demystified with the revolutionary work of Shri Mataji, that resulted in the en masse opening of the crown chakra, the Sahasrara. This phase of our inner evolution began with Shri Mataji’s opening of the collective crown chakra in 1970, and as all external achievements follow inner achievements, human’s destiny to reach this heavenly body was on course.

Let us celebrate the external achievement that acknowledges what humanity has truly achieved in recent times: unfettered, unrestricted access to the 7th heaven within – the Sahasrara Chakra.

 

 

May 5th World Realization Day

May 5th Declared World Realization Day in Honor of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Founder of Sahaja Yoga Meditation

The Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi Sahaja Yoga World Foundation proclaimed the May 5th as World Realization Day, also known as Sahasrara Day, in honor of the work and vision of the founder of Sahaja Yoga meditation, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. The date marks the day in 1970 when Shri Mataji managed to transcend significant cosmic barriers through her deep meditation under a Bilva tree on a remote beach in Nargol India, and open the seventh Chakra known in Sanskrit as the Sahasrara.

Recalling Her unique experience Shri Mataji explaines: “That was the day I told myself: ‘Somehow or other, I must open the last chakra…’ So the whole night I sat under a bilva (bael) tree near the seashore. I was just thinking, “How will I manage this en masse realization?”… I was all alone and felt very good… I felt that the time had arrived… At that moment, I noticed that the Kundalini rose like a telescope within me, opening [the chakras] one after the other, traveling upwards. I felt that whatever energy was above suddenly entered within me like a cool breeze from every direction. I saw a big torrential rain of breeze flowing through my head all over. I felt that I was lost, I was no more… There was only the grace…”

By effecting this momentous change, Shri Mataji opened the door to a new era of universal emancipation through spiritual growth, and most importantly, She enabled the opportunity for large numbers of people to receive their spiritual enlightenment quickly and easily. Instead of having to retreat to mountaintop austerity, anyone could energize the vital Kundalini energy inside of them and become connected to the cosmic spirit through yoga meditation.

Shri Mataji made this process, called Self-Realization, into the root of a form of yoga meditation she called Sahaja Yoga. Uniquely among practices of this kind, the key is ‘thoughtless awareness’, which elevates through mental silence, rather than through using visualization or other kinds of mental focus. This form of meditation has grown massively over the past 40 years and is now practiced in over 122 countries. Practitioners come from all walks of life and cultures, and typically discover the kind of peace, satisfaction and general well being that modern society tends to degrade.

Shri Mataji, who as a young student worked with Mahatma Gandhi in the non-violent struggle for India’s independence, was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and received the U.N. Peace Medal in 1989. She spent more than 40 years traveling the world to spread her message of peace and unity through her soothing form of meditation. Uniquely among the so-called gurus of the time, her key message was that every person carries the seed of their own mastery inside themselves. They can in effect become their own guru, without need to resort to dogma or ritual. The meditation would provide all that anyone needed to unlock the reality behind this material universe, and help them find purpose and enjoyment in their existence once more.

Shri Mataji passed away in 2011, but Her legacy lives on in the lives and community work of her followers around the world. She repeatedly explained that every person has the right to obtain their Self-Realization, and the process of giving Self-Realization to anyone who asks for it, free of charge and with no obligation, carries on today as strongly as when this extraordinary personality was alive.

The tree on the beach in India which was the only witness to the cosmic breakthrough has now been designated Nirmal Tree, named after Shri Mataji, and is officially recognized as a place of deep spiritual significance. It is hoped that the 5th May, a date which one day may rank as the most important anniversary in the history of mankind, will serve as a universal and suitably loving memorial to the guru of gurus and teacher of teachers, who brought tangible, meaningful spirituality to a world lost in fear and confusion.

More information can be found at www.shrimataji.org

 

 

Eternal Attraction of Mona Lisa

Today we are celebrating the birthday of the great polymath of the Italian Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452). Born-realized, with his Inner Energy awakened, he is one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. Among his paintings, the Mona Lisa is the most famous, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied portrait in the world. Let’s see what stands behind such brilliant artwork.

In the course of the talk, Shri Mataji mentions many times that people who get their Self-Realization are able to identify real art easily because they can feel the cool vibrations it emits. “So those who become higher persons have higher aesthetics, higher values and higher type of compassion. The higher aesthetics come with the feeling of these cool vibrations. Like Mona Lisa is a beautiful painting because she emits vibrations.”

“…those who get Realization start feeling the knowledge which is absolute. Seeing the knowledge, knowing the knowledge… The whole aesthetics are worked out through vibrations. All the beautiful things, as I told you last time, of the world, real beautiful things have vibrations. Like Mona Lisa I told you the other day, if you go and feel her vibrations, she has vibrations. Now the one who has made her has put his joy into her and she emits vibrations. And that is the thing that gives joy to you because you are at a level where you can feel those vibrations.”

“When you see a beautiful picture, say you see a Mona Lisa, you think this Leonardo Da Vinci what he must have done, how much it will cost, this, that, all those things. But a realised soul does not think, he just looks, looks at it without thinking. The joy of the creation of that beautiful painting absolutely is reflected in his mind like in a ripple-less lake; all that is surrounding it is completely reflected. That’s how the sense of beauty and aesthetics change absolutely. And we have had so many great people who were born-realized before.”

Unveiling The Mystery of Gioconda’s Smile

Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503 or 1504 in Florence, Italy. The woman in the painting is Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy Florentine silk merchant. The portrait is also known as ‘La Gioconda’, which means “jocund” (“happy” or “jovial”), or literally “the jocund one”.

Shri Mataji explained the story behind Gioconda, “I’ll give an example of Mona Lisa. If you see Mona Lisa – I mean I don’t know, she cannot be an actress, she cannot win any beauty contest, I think. She… her face is very serene, very motherly, very pure her eyes. And why is it that she’s eternally so much appreciated?”

The reason is in the pure principle in her. Shri Mataji said, “She’s a mother, and the story about that one is that this lady had lost her child and she would never smile, she would never cry. And one little child was brought to her, and when she saw the child then the smile that came on her face of that love for the child is being depicted by this great artist. And that’s why people are appreciating it.

And you have seen in the West, though the people don’t show much interest in the mother-child relationships, anywhere you go, is the mother and child theme is the best… They have to have mother and the child principle acting otherwise that picture is not regarded as something great… I haven’t seen any picture, as such, of those days where these principles are not there. Even Picasso has used it. Even people who have been quite modern had to use this principle to popularize… Despite the fact people have lost their morals, but still they would like to have Rembrandt, they will have to have Leonardo da Vinci, they would like to have such artists who have done mother and child…

So this principle is the most pleasing principle, is the most pleasing principle for human beings to see the children, to play with them, to enjoy their company. Why? Because it has that sweetness of a child. It’s really, I should say, tickles joy within you when you see a child. Immediately, the face becomes different.”

Learn more about vibrations

 

Ancient Indian Legend

According to an ancient Indian legend, there was once a time when all human beings were endowed with divine powers, but they abused their divinity so much that Brahma, the chief god, decided to take it away from them and hide it where it could never be found. Where to hide it was the question. So Brahma called a council of the gods to help him decide.

“Let’s bury it deep in the earth,” said the gods.

But Brahma answered, “No, that will not do because humans will dig into the earth and find it.”

Then the gods said, “Let’s sink it in the deepest ocean.”

But the Brahma said, “No, not there, for they will learn to dive into the ocean and will find it.”

Then the gods said, “Let’s take it to the top of the highest mountain and hide it there.”

But once again Brahma replied, “No, that will not do either because they will eventually climb every mountain and once again take up their divinity.” Then the gods gave up and said, “We do not know where to hide it because it seems that there is no place on earth or in the sea that human beings will not eventually reach.”

Brahma thought for a long time and then said, “Here is what we will do. We will hide their divinity deep in the center of their own being, for humans will never think to look for it there.”

All the gods agreed that this was the perfect hiding place, and the deed was done. And since that time humans have been going up and down the earth, digging, diving, climbing, and exploring — searching for something already within themselves.

As Shri Mataji said, “Now we all have realized by this time, that within us lies the peace, the beauty, the glory of our being. There’s an ocean of all that. We cannot seek it outside, we have to go within, what they call in the meditative state, you seek it, you enjoy it. Like when you are thirsty, you go to a river or you go to a ocean, and try to quench your thirst. But even the ocean cannot give you sweet water. So how can anything that is spread outside give you that deep thing that is within you? You are trying to find it outside, where it does not lie. It is within us, absolutely with in us. It is so simple because it is your own; it is within your reach, just there…”

 

Free Yourself from The Shell!

Do you know the meaning behind the tradition of giving out eggs for Easter?

The egg is very significant because it is a symbol of rebirth. In Sanskrit language a bird is called as ‘dwijaha’ – twice born. The egg resembles this rebirth because the bird is twice born, first when the egg is laid and second when the bird emerges. Christ resurrected and he is therefore twice born.

Human beings are eggs before Self-Realization. In the sixth energy center, which corresponds to the brain area, the Ego and the Super-Ego collide, and the fontanelle bone area gets completely calcified, separating us from the Supreme Power of Creation. Like the bird, humans are also reborn when our Inner Energy is awakened.

Forgiveness plays an important role in the process of Self-Realization. If we don’t forgive, there is no passage for the Inner Energy to go up between Ego and Super-Ego. Shri Mataji said, “What a message Christ gave us that the greatest weapon we have got is to forgive others and forgive ourselves because God forgives us and this is the message we have to know, that we have to forgive ourselves… The larger the Power of Forgiveness, the more powerful you will be. Forgive everyone. Only the one who is Big can forgive…”

They say if the egg is broken from within – you will get Inner Growth, if it is broken from outside – you will get scrambled eggs. Make sure you’re getting scrambled eggs only for breakfast, and start your inner journey right now!

 

The Water Element in Us: Qualities and Powers

1. 

   Rocks at Forresters beach (2)

   dicktay2000

   October 15, 2011 7:10:17 AM EDT
2. Imagine still water. It will soon stagnate and become a candidate for landfill. Now imagine flowing water, any flowing water. It has dynamism, it nourishes, it glistens in the sun and it satisfies the thirst of others. That is the difference between having a quality and developing a power.

   So what are the powers granted to us through meditation? This article focusses on the powers granted to us at the third spiritual center, the Nabhi Chakra. The expression of this subtle chakra is the solar plexus in our nervous system. The primary element associated with this center is water.

3. Power #1: Be the Cool

4. 

   Too cool for pre-school

   Kris Mouser-Brown

   November 12, 2011 7:45:54 PM EST
5. Water element allows us to cool others. It helps to soothe others, and bring them to a cooler state. Are you able to calm down the anxiousand the angry? Then you’ve really got the power of cool.

   
   

   Power #2: Nourish
6. 

   Lithops watering and care

   yellowcloud

   February 15, 2011 11:25:22 AM EST
7. Water has the innate ability to quench the thirst, supply the necessary support for growing food and ultimately satisfying our hunger. At the spiritual level, a person with an enlightened water element quenches the spiritual thirst in others. If your water element is flowing, others who seek the spirit should feel satiated in your words or just by your presence.

8. Power #3: Purify

9. 

   Fire of Life

   Lel4nd

   August 22, 2011 4:42:05 PM EDT
10. Water purifies. It makes our presence wash over others and make them forget about the illusions of their burdens.

11. Power #4: Permeate

12. 

    30 Days of gratitude- day 4

    aussiegall

    November 4, 2011 12:41:04 PM EDT
13. Think: Water on soil. It quickly gets to the roots. A person with their water element enlightened can quickly and easily get to the root of any given problem.

14. Power #5: Reflecting

15. 

    Mirror, mirror on the car door.

    KaiChanVong

    November 12, 2011 10:46:15 AM EST
16. This is one quality that can be a bit tricky. The water element within you makes you a mirror that reflects the truth around you. So a person who gets to know you starts seeing their own reflection within you. This is a double edged sword: if the person is innately good, they will love you with all their hearts. If they have darkness within them….
17. The rest…
18. 

    Avila Beach Sunset

    www.Photobotos.com

    November 26, 2010 5:27:26 PM EST
19. The above were the top five qualities which become powers when they act upon others. There are certainly more. When you think of powers at the solar plexus, think water. What are some other powers of water that you see within others? Please reflect and respond in the comments area. 

 

What did you let go of, to grab the treasures?

Pebbles in Hands by Mike Johnson @ flickr

A student, while progressing through high school, was given some great advice by her Math teacher. Explaining metaphorically, the concept of  unlearning old skills before learning new ones. “When we come across a treasure, we need to let go of the pebbles, so our hands can be free to take in the more valuable stuff.”

Indeed, when it comes to spiritual seeking, our hands are made so that we can take a little bit more than we need for a day from the treasure of our enlightened spirit, but small enough so we have to come back every day to re-connect and scoop up some more again.

Light Hands by melbow@flickr

Blessed are those who carry back the spirit’s treasures and redistribute it without judging the recipients. Thus the giver recognizes the infinite nature of the treasure. Even more praiseworthy are those who bring others to the infinite gold mine, without constraining their selection of people they are connecting to the light.

There are always those who hold back on connecting others, citing priorities and limited nature of their own self. Since the infinity has not registered in their understanding, they have not realized the eternity of the spirit’s gift. They are still hanging on to the pebbles from the past and occasionally giving fractions of those in the name of spiritual light.

When you reached the treasure of the spirit, what did you have to let go and unlearn?

 

 

 

Neutralizing Difficult Emotions with Sahaja Meditation

Lately, I have been neutralizing difficult situations with a more peaceful mind. Instead of reacting to a circumstance with bitter emotions, I try my best to accept what is happening. Though a challenging scenario might trigger memories that would be rather forgotten, or a tinge that might affect our self-esteem, we can see past these obstacles.

image: Loungerie

I realized that these thoughts and emotions that come and go are much smaller than the human family. Underneath these currents of frustration is a great love for each other. Try to see and feel the love between each other rather than what separates us. For what separates us is merely our thoughts.

 

William Blake’s “Good and Evil”

During my first stay in Pune, India, I was just beginning to learn how to meditate.

A friend from the Sahaja meditation class recommended I check out the works of William Blake. As I browsed one of his books translated into modern English, I found myself intellectually unprepared to fully appreciate the genius of Blake’s words and his reverence for the arts. As I was about to take the book to the library return bin, I noticed this amazing painting titled “Good and Evil” on the back cover of the book. This stunning visual captured my imagination:

image credit: Simone T

This painting presented a simple yet powerful key to the mechanism of human liberation: the good angels will always rescue the children of the world from clutches of negativity, because they, themselves, are truly free. (Notice the clamp on the evil guy’s leg). No matter how seemingly powerful dark forces are, only the enlightened triumph in the rescue mission, as they themselves are truly free.

The dark side may look very powerful on the outside — but it is limited, hollow and temporary.