DEATH MUST DIE

Chapter 26 - Words of Wisdom

by kind permission of the Editor, Ram Alexander

published by Indica Books, Varanasi

 

 

 

Varanasi, 10th October, 1957

 

An Irish journalist, Mr. Fennell, and a research student at the Benares Hindu University from Malabar (South India), Mr. Panikkar[1] came for an interview.

Panikkar: When there is only ONE why are there so many different religions in the world? What have you to say about those who insist that only one religion is the right one?

Ma: Because He is infinite, there is an infinite variety of concep­tions of Him, an infinite variety of paths to Him. He is everything, every kind of belief and also the disbelief of the atheist. The belief in non belief is also a belief. It implies that you admit belief when you disbelieve. He is in all forms and in the formless.

Panikkar: From what you have said I gather that you con­sider the formless (Nirguna) to be nearer to Truth than God with form (Saguna)?

Ma: Is ice anything but water? Saguna is as much He as Nirguna. To say that there is only One Atma and all forms are illusion would imply that the formless was nearer to Truth than form. But I say every form and also the formless are He and He alone.

 

1st February, 1960, Kumbha Mela

 

Question: Is it right to eat meat?

Ma: You should eat according to what is helpful in your sadhana and abstain from that which hinders it.

Question:     But meat is tamasic [dulls the mind —making it less receptive to the spiritually subtle].

Ma: Exactly, that is why I said what I said. You can think it out for yourself.

Question: When someone kills to eat won’t it affect him adversely?

Ma: Certainly it will.

Question: What about animal sacrifice? It is advocated in the shastras (ancient scriptures).

Ma: This body does not comment on what the shastras enjoin or forbid. But one has to understand what animal sacrifice means: namely the sacrifice of one’s own animal nature.

 

Later:

Kriyananda[2]~ What is the purpose and the fruit of puja and japa?

Ma: For puja particular asanas, mudras and bija-mantras are used according to the particular aspect of the Godhead that one worships. One has to ‘engage’ in [the outer ritual of] puja, so that real puja may come about. Just as one takes sanyasa (outwardly), in order that real inner sanyasa may come. What now is real puja? To give oneself en­tirely to the object of one’s worship. Then the proper asanas and mudras come about spontaneously. The object of the puja is the darshan of Him whom one worships. When one’s dedication becomes complete, then He reveals Himself. To find Him means to find one’s Self and to find one’s Self means to find Him. It is said that the worshipper has to be­come one with the object of his worship in order to be able to perform real puja. So the object and fruit of puja is that the one who worships and He who is worshipped become one. The purpose of japa is the rev­elation of the essence of Him whose name one repeats, then the japa has been fruitful. The object of engaging in the japa of Rama is the revela­tion of what Rama is in reality. The same holds true for every mantra, be it of Krishna, Shiva etc.

Question: May women practice siddhasana [a particular medi­tation posture]?

Ma: When this body played the play of sadhana, siddhasana came about of itself. Therefore it may be performed by women as well as men. When an asana comes about spontaneously as a natural expression of one’s interior state, it will be perfect, that is to say the position of the legs, hands, arms, head, the gaze —everything will be exactly as it should be. Performing an asana by an effort of will can never have the same perfec­tion. Asanas are connected with the rhythm of one’s breath and the breath with one’s state of mind at any particular time. When asanas are done as a yogic practice, that is to say for the purpose of attaining to the revelation of union with the ONE which eternally exists, then only will they bear the desired result. If only done as physical exercise they will bring about health and fitness but that is all —not true union (yoga). Even when one has attained to perfection in a particular asana and its essence has become fully revealed, one should feel: I have attained to this fully, but what of it? It is not the ultimate goal. This attitude is ‘vairagya’ [inspired discrimi­nation]. One then goes on striving for the next stage and so on, further and further. One must keep up this attitude until nothing remains to be reached, then only will the Ultimate be attained. Otherwise one is apt to linger for a long time at a specific stage rather than proceeding rapidly to the final goal. Together with asanas (hatha yoga) one has to practice raja yoga[3], otherwise it is merely physical exercise.

When this body performed asanas they occurred spontaneously, the legs assumed the right positions spontaneously actuated by an in­ner power, which was not the power of another but Atma Shakti.[4] Once, I willfully moved my leg and injured it thereby. The injury has remained, it is still there.

 

Allahabad, 2nd February, 1960

 

The Chinese professor of Allahabad University, Mr. Chow asked: “Once when meditating in a dark room, I had the impres­sion that the room was full of moonlight. But when opening my eyes I found the room dark. What was this?”

Ma:    To see light is a good sign. Unless the path becomes lit up, how can one see anything? Just as in the physical world unless there is light, you cannot distinguish anything. At present there is outer light and inner darkness. When inward light comes, then this outward light seems dim and dull. Just as we see the tree, but can’t see its roots as they are hidden in the earth, so we perceive Prakriti (manifested crea­tion), but we don’t know from where it originates. The root of all that we perceive is hidden within. We see the tree but we don’t see the seed from which it came. However when the tree is fully developed it again yields the same kind of seed. When we look at the seed we see only the seed, yet infinite possibilities of development are contained within it.

The One is contained in the infinite and the infinite in the one. When light is thrown on the inner world, the outer fades into insignificance. However at that stage there is still differentiation between the inner and the outer. But there comes a state where there is no more inner and outer, but all is seen as one whole.

 

Vindhyachal, 19th February, 1960

 

Miss Ray, a young French lady, who had lived in America for four years and is now touring through India on her way home, found out by chance about Mataji from Miss Sydney, who advised her to take a taxi and see Ma at Vindhyachal. We went this morn­ing and stayed for just two hours.

She asked: Is it one’s duty to do what one’s parents want one to do or live one’s own life?

Ma: If it is a life dedicated to the search of Truth then nothing else matters.

Miss Ray: Well, it is not exactly a life of this kind. But I am asking on principle. Is it my duty to conform to my parent’s wishes, or should I live my own life?

Ma: I have already told you —this body speaks only of the Su­preme Quest. There are two kinds of seekers: one wants to dedicate his life to that highest Goal and for him there are no other duties; the other wants to live a religious life but is not fully committed and thus still sees obstacles. If you choose the spiritual path and then have a bad conscience for having left your parents, your thoughts will dwell on them and you won’t be able to meditate. One must make a definite decision one way or the other. Even then there will be difficulties at times, but they can be overcome if the decision has been made once and for all. But if one feels drawn in two directions one cannot proceed.

Question: Will I ever find peace and happiness?

Ma: Peace and happiness are found on the path to God, never in the world. In the world one gets a little happiness which is invariably followed by its shadow —sorrow.

On parting the young lady said: “I shall never forget this day and I shall never forget what you told me!”

Ma: Forget? It is not a question of forgetting. You must meditate. Meditate at least five minutes daily along the line prescribed by your own religion. Not less than five minutes, but if you can give more time, the more the better. Try to give at least a quarter of an hour of every day, no matter what kind of life you may choose —and don‘t forget your friend. This is your friend [pointing to Herself]. Better to think first and then act, than to act thoughtlessly and then regret it afterwards.

 

Kishenpur, 23rd April, 1960

 

Two blind men came. One asked: “How does one get the vi­sion of God? Tell me the easiest way to it?”

Ma: By seeking Him for His own sake.

Question: Which is better, devotion or the path of knowledge?

Ma: Adhere to God’s Name. Repeat His Name day and night and get engrossed in the sweetness of His Name.

The second blind man: Mataji, give me your blessing.

Ma: Pray to God and you will feel His blessing.

A lady: You said: “Seek God for His own sake”. But if one seeks Him with selfishness, will he also attain to Him?

Ma: Of course, if you seek God —with whatever motive— you will get something of Him, and if you pray for anything of this world you will also get it. But these things are not worth asking for. One should not seek God with any motive, but only for His own sake. Seek God because it is your nature to do so, because you cannot remain without Him. Whether and when He reveals Himself to you is His affair. Yours is to call out to Him constantly, not to waste your energy on anything else.

It is not right to compare and reason saying: “Such and such a person has done sadhana for so many years and yet has not got anywhere”. How can you judge what is happening to anyone inwardly? Sometimes it seems that a person who does sadhana seems to have changed for the worse. But how do you know that this tendency has not always been in him and has now come out so that it may be dealt with and purified as a result of his endeavours? To say: “I have done so much sadhana but have not been transformed”, is also the wrong attitude. Yours is only to seek God and call out to Him unceasingly and not look to the result of what you are doing.

The Lady: Sometimes I feel desperate because I don’t seem to be able to progress.

Mataji: You get desperate when you have desires and they remain unfulfilled. But when you aspire to God for His own sake how can you be desperate.

 

 

Kalyanvan, 21st July, 1960

 

Mataji asked me to take the 1-2 a.m. meditation. Last night when I did this for the first time, I seemed to be with Her in Her embrace and remembered Her reply to the question “What does God do?”: “He eats the ego”. I felt that this was actually happening and it was so blissful that I did not get up, but sat till 2.40 a.m. and then lay down in that mood. I felt that I had really nothing to worry about, that in any case Ma was doing everything neces­sary and all I had to do was to surrender. Night meditation is really wonderful, unequalled. Since Ma has come here She talked to me a lot in the Satsang, so I did not feel the need to ask Her for a private.

Mataji talks often to me about anger. The other day I saw that it is intrinsic dissatisfaction about myself that makes me burst out for small reasons. Whatever happens is His doing, it is for Her to look after my welfare. What does it matter to me. Whatever hap­pens does not concern me, so why should I get angry.

One day Ma gave me first a red flower, then a white one and said: “Safed hojao!” [Become white] and put Her hand on my head. Today She wanted to give me a garland, but two stuck together and She said: “1 won’t give you a pair, for you did not get married. You remain alone”. Then She gave me a garland with red and white flowers. I said: “Ma, you are again giving me red”. She said: “This red will take away the red of your anger.”

 

Kishenpur, 22nd July, 1960

 

In the course of Satsang Mataji said: “It is well to remember that whatever one enjoys of worldly happiness, be it good food or whatever else, uses up that merit (punya) that one has accumulated. Therefore it is good to think always of God and to enjoy whatever comes as coming from Him. One should also remember that whatever suffering one has to go through expiates one’s sins and evil deeds”.

 

Kishenpur, 9th October, 1960

 

Question: How can sadhana become uninterrupted since it is necessary to sleep?

Mataji: When one becomes established in ceaseless practice it con­tinues also during sleep.

Question: How can one know this?

Ma: If one meditates before retiring and wakes up in the same kind of state with which one fell asleep one can presume that it has gone on throughout the sleep.

Question: But during sleep one does not know.

Ma: No, not in this case. Although there is a much higher state when one is conscious even in sleep.

Question: Should one undertake a spiritual practice or penance with the expectation that this will atone for a wrong deed or sin?

Mataji: The best thing is to do everything only for God, for the realization of Him alone. That will blot out all sin as well. Some people acquire money by unrighteous means and then give away a large sum for charity or some other good purpose in order to be cleansed, then they start sinning all over again. In this case they will reap the fruit of their evil deed as well as of their good deed. It is like bathing in the Ganges and then smearing mud all over one’s body. Therefore everything should be done with the one motive only to realize God or one’s True Self

 

Kishenpur, 10th October, 1960

 

Question (a French lady): If everything is God’s leela, there seems very little scope left for human freedom. It seems as if we are marionettes and He is pulling the strings. Is there any free­dom for the individual and if so how much? Have we not the free­dom at least to choose at every moment whether to go towards the world or towards the Truth?

Mataji: Everything is God’s leela, but because you do not know this, you ask questions; but even your questions are within His Leela. The world is gatishila [perpetual movement] and the jiva [indi­vidual] is that which is bound. But the bondage is not lasting because it is of the world, which is constant flux. You may lock your room and go away, but the lock cannot last forever, neither can the door. It is a question of perspective. Jiva is also Shiva [God]. In reality you are actually free and therefore it is natural that you desire freedom. When you are going towards God it is difficult to go also towards the world and vice-versa.

Turning towards a young sanyasini [woman renunciate] who was learned in the scriptures, Ma asked:

What then is the freedom of the individual? What do the shastras say?

She said: The individual is like a cow tied to a post. It cannot leave the post, but as far as the rope goes it is free to move as it pleases.

Mataji: Yes, this is a very beautiful analogy. But when the indi­vidual makes use of the whole of his will power in anything that he undertakes, lie gets into touch with  the Mahashakti [supreme power] and then where is the boundary? Just as when a tree is planted it is surrounded by a boundary of bricks or a fence, but when it grows strong it breaks the boundary and grows beyond it. So the cow sometimes digs up the post and runs away with it. In some cases the Guru may destroy the boundary.

 

Kishenpur, 11th October, 1960

 

This morning a French girl, 20 years of age, arrived here from Kabul, where she had been working on a film with Arnaud Desjardins[5]. She was so impressed by a film he showed of Mataji that she decided to stop in India only to see Her. She has ten days here. She left Kabul only yesterday and took the night train from Delhi. After an hour of Ma’s darshan —which was mostly taken up by people bringing presents and doing puja to Ma— followed by a half hour’s talk in Hindi and Bengali of which she could not understand a word, I asked her how she found Ma. She replied: “I expected very much, but I have found much more”. At the ques­tion as to whether she wanted to see anything more of India, she simply said: “No, I want to remain only with Ma”.

 

12th October, 1960

I asked: Mataji, Mrs. Desjardins wants to know what you mean by: “Vipad dilen tini vipad haran koren” (By adversity He de­stroys adversity). For various meanings are possible.

Mataji: Since you say that, first disclose which meanings are in your mind.

I: To be an individual is by itself pain since it means bondage, separation from the One. But immersed in worldly happiness, the individual is not aware of its suffering. So God sends sorrow and adversity so that one may wake up to the fact of one’s innate misery.

Ma: Yes, you see that the happiness of this world is always short-lived and so you begin to search for lasting happiness. What other meaning do you see?

I: It also may mean that He sends misfortune to prevent a greater disaster.

Mataji: Yes, it also happens at times that a great disaster is karmically inevitable, but is blotted out or mitigated by a smaller one. Then also whatever suffering is due to a person due to his karma has to be endured, but then when it is exhausted, it is finished. In this way also suffering is beneficial. Then also if a very great difficulty arises, one is obliged to turn to God, since one feels utterly incapable to cope with it. Although one may doubt whether God exists, yet he will start praying to Him in such a case.

This again reminds me of an incident. Mr. Modi  told me about. Once he was in an aeroplane and some engine trouble arose. The travelers were told that they would all be lost, since the engine could only work for fifteen minutes more.  A panic broke out and people started lamenting and bewailing their ill luck. Modi said: “Why lament? You are fortunate. This is the time to pray to God. If you die with the thought of God you will go straight to Him”. So everyone started praying with great fervour and somehow the aeroplane managed to land. Even though the engine was then repaired, Modi and some others got out feeling intuitively that it was better not to continue. When the plane went up again, it hit an electric wire, caught fire and instantly went up in flames with all those who were still on board.

 

Kishenpur, 13th October, 1960

 

Mataji replied at length to a question. The most important point was: “It is difficult for the householder to always find time to sit down for his prayers. It is also difficult to always cultivate the com­pany of saints or to attend religious meetings. But it is easy and always possible to keep company with God in the shape of His name or the mantra received from the Guru. One cannot always have an image or picture of a deity in front of one’s eyes, but the vigraha of God as akshara [the indestructible Divine sound inherent in the mantra] can be one’s constant companion under all circumstances.”

 

 

Naimisharanya, 26th October, 1960

 

Question: It is said that in 1962 the planetary constellations are very bad and that there will be a great disaster in the world. What is the means to save ourselves from it?

Ma: You hear people say all kinds of things and because you are full of fear you are afraid. But there is also a state in which there is fearlessness. You must take the path that leads to fearlessness. This is a pathless path. You must have recourse to the means which is no means and beyond all means. You must have recourse to that.

Question: But what about the rest of the world?

Ma: First become fearless yourself

Question: What is your opinion about this prophesy?

Ma: This body does not reply to such questions.

 

Naimisharanya, 31st October, 1960

 

Akhandananda Swami gave a talk on anger. He said desire was the father of anger and abhiman [ego] the cause of desire. Un­less one surrenders to the Guru completely and serves him, anger cannot go. Anger is a fire which eats up the rasa [nectar] of one’s sadhana and stops the current of it.

Mr. Modi: I have noticed that those sadhus who sit in places like Gangotri[6] can do without clothes or blankets in such ice-cold places are the very ones who get most angry. How is this to be explained?

Mataji: So long as one is not established in the state where there is no longer consciousness of’I’ and ‘you’, where one knows that the Self is One and all-pervading, how can anger be completely conquered?

Question: Suppose I have a picture of Mataji and someone comes and knocks it down. Should I not get angry?

Mataji: No, you should say: Ma herself has knocked down the pic­ture. Whatever happens is Her doing.

Question: Suppose I have a picture of Mother in my heart and someone insults it. Should I not be angry?

Mataji: No, you should feel that Mother Herself has spoken. She is all-pervading. She has spoken in this way to test my endurance, to give me a chance not to get angry even when there seems to be a reason for it.

Someone quoted a sloka from the Ramayana in which it says that when someone abuses your Guru, you should not listen and avoid that person.

Mataji: What you said is very beautiful. At a certain stage this is the right thing to be done.

Question: When Sita[7] entered the earth after having been sub­jected to very humiliating tests, was her motive not anger?

Mataji: No, there was no anger. A condition had arisen under which she simply could not remain on the earth. It was imperative for her to leave.

Question: What exactly did Sita feel?

Mataji: You are not playing the instrument. The reply does not come. But you yourself are Sita, you are Rama.

Jogesh Brahmachari: No, I am not Rama nor Sita.

Mataji: No, ‘I’ is not Rama. Where the ‘I’ is, there cannot be Rama. I did not say ‘I’ am Rama. There is only Rama, nothing but Rama. All is Rama.

 

 

Om Ma, Kishenpur, 24th November, 1960

 

Mataji sent me here with some young brahmacharinis [nuns]. A letter came from Her with instructions for us, as follows: “At every single moment try to be aware of Him, for have you not chosen this path to dedicate your lives to Him alone! Therefore when speaking, speak only of Him; when thinking, think of Him; and when listening, listen to His words. Further, each one of you must try to keep a diary, so as to check your mind from turning outwards. This may also make you watchful and be helpful to you in your endeavour. In order to make ones’ lives beautiful and to fill the new life with a new current, those who are pilgrims on this path must develop great inner strength, en­ergy, mobility and swiftness. It will not do to sit and ride in a rickety, jolting cart. At all times the mind must be intensely vigorous, ener­getic and alert —then only can one forge ahead with great speed. Re­member that everyone has to mould his or her own life. Accept cheer­fully whatever he may bestow on you or take away from you”.

These days I sit for an hour and a half at a stretch without discomfort, in spite of my sore right knee. Also as soon as I close my eyes, warmth flows through the whole body. Ma said when here in October: “Now you are able to do a bit of dhyan. I can see it from your face”.

Today I started at last on the book. I am putting the material in order and making the index. Even if it is not at all exhaustive, it will be better than nothing. At night it is so quiet. I wish I did not have to sleep. In the day there are disturbances. I got three mari­golds from Amy’s garden for Ma.

Keeping a diary is perhaps like keeping accounts —one knows how much one spends and checks when it becomes too much. Here also one can check when keeping count of what one does daily.

 

27th November, 1960

 

I feel irritated again. It seems to be an essential knot of my ego. I have a desire to attend some of J.K.’s talks. Perhaps it may help me to become aware of the root cause of this. I still fail to remember that all are manifestations of the One. Today woke early, but had stomach pain in the afternoon and had to lie down with a hot water bag and fell asleep for half an hour. Work with the book proceeding satisfactorily. Immensely enjoyable and enlightening.

 

Kishenpur, 29th November, 1960

 

Early morning before kirtan, meditation is good, time flies.

 

30th November, 1960

 

Woke before 3 am. and got up, so had a quiet meditation for one hour, but then got tired and lay down again until kirtan time, 5.30 am.

I do daily asanas for half an hour early morning. It helps to make the body an instrument.

 

1st December, 1960

 

This morning I was tired and got up only at 4.45 am., but meditation was not disturbed. I sat for over one and a half hours in the same posture. My knee is better. I walked down to the School for the Blind. I enjoyed the walk, hut on returning my heart seems tired. Perhaps I should avoid physical exertion. After all it is not worth it to waste my energy in this way at my age. Better to keep quiet and preserve energy for the inner search.  I am enjoying the kirtan twice daily and the Gita Path (Bhagavad Gita recitation).

 

5th December, 1960

 

Letter from Malati to say that they may go to Varanasi to hear J.K. The letter carries J.K.’s atmosphere and makes me feel pecu­liar about the life I am leading.

 

7th December, 1960

 

I have been reading Lama Govinda’s book, Foundations of Ti­betan Mysticism, which I like quite a lot. At last there was a letter from Miss Sydney, but her handwriting has changed and she seems absent minded. She is still in Almora, was ill, poor old thing.

 

Sunday, 10th December, 1960

 

What a life this is, and I go on quite complacently while death is always lurking around the corner; I am satisfied with the shad­ows. Such dissatisfaction must be J.K.’s influence. Whenever he is in India I feel it.

 

Kishenpur, 13th January, 1961

 

It is obviously the complete concentration on and surrender to God, the “letting go”, that precipitates the transformation.

I read recently The Way of the Pilgrim which I loved and want to read once more. It shows how when one is really intense it takes only a very short time to go very far and also live without any means or comforts in complete bliss. It makes me feel that I am not intense enough.

I have been planning to go to Delhi to see Lisl, and now I hear Mataji Herself will be there. That is also wonderful because I don’t really care whether I see anyone or anything else in the world. Mataji will be there and I can perhaps take Lisl to Her. So there is some sense in my going. Also I may see J.K. I had a wish some­time ago to meet him this year.

 

20th January, 1961

 

Heard J.K. talk. It was nothing special[8]. Lisl saw Ma on Janu­ary 21st and said when She came in, it was as if Bliss itself was entering the hall.

 

New Delhi, 23rd January, 1961

 

Today a young American woman, Markell Brooks, asked questions. She has been in India for only twelve days.

Question: What is the cause for the sense of unreality of eve­rything I perceive, even though I know it is good and beautiful, as for instance a sunset?

Ma: This feeling comes from within you. Whatever is perceived is temporary, ever changing and therefore unreal. Your Atma which is eternal and real gives you this sense of unreality, of the impermanent. It is a good sign that it should come. Turn within arid seek the Atma. Life in the world and all one perceives with the senses is transitory. Only by meditation and coming to know oneself can one reach the One­ness that is the only Reality.

Question: Since the will of the individual is illusory and one does not know God’s will, how can one lead a purposeful life in this world.

Ma: By contemplating the Self one will find out. It is man’s prin­cipal duty to aspire to Self-realization.

Question: What about self-expression in art?

Ma: This also belongs to that which is fleeting. You paint a picture, but it can’t last. The most beautiful song fades away in a moment.

Question: Presuming that the striving goes on no matter what, how can one know how to live —in relation both to human beings and one’s own creative energies?

Ma: A man who is after worldly things and is occupied with the business of this world gets satisfaction out of what he does, for other­wise why should he do it? He feels he is doing well, he gets praise and fame, money and position and  his mind is always occupied with his affairs. If someone is opposed to him and puts obstacles in his way lie gets angry and hostile.

A person who strives after Self-realization will turn to Mahatmas [great souls] for advice, guidance and company. He will start reading books written by such men. He will admire them and wish to become like them and so, since he is searching for Truth, he will come to be truthful in behaviour and speech. The Self is one, so remember the Oneness of all.  Although a dog may bite you, you will not bite back. The man who strives after worldly goods and satisfaction is working for death, because everything in the world is constantly dying and some­thing else is born. The child dies to the young girl and the girl to the woman etc. But the man who is after Self-realization is working for immortality. When living and working in the world one’s creative power is exhausted in the pursuit of sense objects so one may come to feel weak, tired or ill. But by striving after Self-realization one’s creative power is preserved and strengthened.

While the person who lives in the world takes pleasure in parties, meeting people etc etc, the one who is out for Self-realization will take pleasure in meditation, singing the praises of God, reading books of wisdom, listening to discourses by great souls and mixing with those who are pilgrims on the path.

Now about behaviour: The devotee will come to feel that he is the servant of the Lord and therefore become humble, gentle and sweet. Everyone, whatever his line of approach, should become gentle, kind and loving, for the Self is one. The active person will do service —not to others but with the thought that everyone is a manifestation of God and that whomever he may serve, he serves God in that shape. This alone is real service; this kind of service purifies the mind and is there­fore also a service to the Self The one who is striving for illumination will reason that all are expressions of the One and so he also will be kind and loving to all. Just as when the dry leaves fall off a tree, the new leaves come of their own accord, so one’s behaviour and relationship will automatically change with one’s attitude to life.

According to the status of an aspirant he will have to observe cer­tain injunctions. So you [referring to me] with your yellow clothes[9] should live up to what such dress demands.

 

New Delhi, 21st January 1961

 

A French couple from the U.N.O. had a private with Ma. The lady asked: How does the love of God come?

Ma: Don’t you make friends with utter strangers and come to love them? To love God who is your own Self is natural. If you feel attracted to a particular form of God, like Christ or Krishna, contemplate  Him in this form, repeat His Name constantly and think of Him, occupy your mind continually with the thought of Him.

Question: If one does not feel attracted to any particular in­carnation of God?

Ma: Then sit quite still and dive into yourself trying to find out who you are. To find yourself means to find God and to find God means to find your Self

 

Beginning of January, 1961

 

Ma’s letter to one of the ashramites:

“By constant practice one finally achieves the goal. Everyone in the ashram should say to themselves: ‘All right, as our friend has shown us the way, we shall try to follow her advice to the minutest detail’. At what moment His touch will be felt lies with Him —our duty is to continue to invoke Him at all times. Enough time has already been spent in going here and there aimlessly, leaving the Path in order to enjoy the sights of the world and to have fun in various ways in the manner of the world. Now as much time as possible should be dedi­cated to the attempt of finding one’s Self. Vain and useless talk is of no benefit and prevents one from advancing towards Him; it is an obstacle to one’s efforts. Ages and ages have been wasted in this way. Now my friend, return to your own house. By lingering on the way you only prolong the agony of having to endure the troubles and difficulties that are met with on the pilgrimage. Ever remember that one who tries to advance towards Him and practices His name, His presence, progresses whatever his condition may be. To say: ‘I am not feeling His response’ and therefore to seek pleasure in mundane things, can never be benefi­cial. Ever bear this in mind”.

 

New Delhi, 23rd January, 1961

 

Question: Is it necessary to join an ashram in order to find God or can one do it also at home?

Mataji:  God is everywhere and can be found everywhere. The home is also an ashram, namely the grihastha ashram[10]. People join an ashram or sit alone on the banks of the Ganges only to realize that God is eve­rywhere, that there are no boundaries except in the mind. Everyone chooses the life that is most helpful to him in his search.

Miss Brooks: Is freedom an illusion?

Ma: No, man is free.

Question: But man is an individual, an ego, and the ego is an illusion, so how can he be free?

Ma: Yes, the outer man who is identified with the ego is not free, but actually man is free, the ‘atimanesh’ [true man] is free.

 

Hardwar, 5th February, 1961

 

Today a party of Swiss people came. One of them can heal people by laying on hands and also from a distance by visualizing them. She said a clergyman taught her how to do this. She was afraid, however, that she was not doing it correctly as she felt very exhausted after the healing and also experienced the illnesses in herself of whomever she was curing. For instance, she was blind for ten minutes while trying to cure a blind man, although in this case she could not affect a cure. Swami Narayanananda at Rishikesh asked her to give up this healing as it would arrest her spiritual progress. She wanted to know what Mataji had to say about this. She is the mother of three children and healing is a means of livelihood for her.

Mataji: It is true that this type of healing arrests one’s going be­yond the level from which the healing is affected. If one takes to the spiritual life completely, it is an obstacle. But from the point of view of the householder, who in any case has to do business or earn money in some way to support his family, you may take money for some cures and do others free as a service. People will be benefited, although some may not he cured as it does not lie in their fate [karma]. In any case some good will be done. Householders who have to provide for their children etc inevitably cannot live completely without some compro­mise. But for those who dedicate themselves entirely to the spiritual, for them compromise does not exist; they have to be truthful at all costs, for such persons such an activity would represent an obstacle.

Question: We are trying to found an international spiritual centre in Europe where Yoga of all kinds will be taught, since the spiritual hunger in Europe is very acute and ever increasing. Should we go ahead with it?

Ma: Who is to instruct in Yoga?

Questioner: We are getting people from all over the world to come and do it.

Mataji: If you can secure really competent teachers, then it is no doubt a good thing to found such a centre. But all depends on the ca­pacity and inner qualification of the instructors.

 

Hardwar, 5th February, 1961

 

Stayed with Kitty in Delhi a day and then left by taxi with Markell Brooks for here. I enjoyed staying with Kitty. We under­stand each other quite well. I found the room in which J.K. stayed very helpful for meditation.

 

Hardwar, 17th March, 1961

 

In the evening someone asked about the three naistik brahmn­acharis under Ma’s training. They wear either yellow or gerua and follow a very strict routine. They must get up early, bathe in the Ganges, do sandhya, japa, havan[11], then cook their own food on the sacred fire, clean their puja vessels and then do another kriya —all before eating by which time it is at least 1 p.m. or more. In the evening they do several hours of meditation and take only milk and fruit. They are allowed cooked food only once a day. They must observe strict rules of conduct —praise, blame and even abuse should be equal to them. They have to see everyone as Brahman. All this is to prepare oneself for Self-realization. They have to stay in a place favourable to their sadhana. Hardwar is very good for this because of the Ganges and the walks in the open countryside.

In the evening Mother called an American visitor to sit by Her and said She would give darshan daily at 11.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.

 

Hardwar, 1st April, 1961

 

So many foreigners come nowadays. When Mataji gives darshan in Her room there are sometimes more Europeans than Indians[12]. Today at about midday the Rani of Gwalior and her daughter were in Ma’s room. She called me, Sukriya and an Italian lady. Later two Europeans from Rishikesh also joined. So there were five Eu­ropeans, each of a different country.

Christa asked Her: How should one meditate? Is it better to concentrate on an object such as a flower or should the mind be made blank?

Ma:  There are two basic ways: one is to concentrate on a deity like Shiva, Rama, Kali etc. This is very helpful for those who feel at­tracted to a particular form of God. The other way is to make the mind empty, observing thoughts as they arise and subside, not identifying with them but standing back as a witness until all thought ceases. But to keep the mind empty is very difficult for most aspirants. One can also concentrate on the inner light, the light by which one sees the outer things. Even a blind man perceives light within. Observing the movement of one’s breath is another very effective way to still the mind.

Mataji was then called outside. The Rani of Gwalior told us that she had been wanting to ask the very same question about meditation, but felt shy to do so and thought, ‘perhaps Mataji will say something of her own accord’ and so she received her reply through someone else’s question. She said that this happened very often with Mataji.