Inroad

By a Mohanji follower, H

I wasn’t looking for a Guru. I just wanted that elusive road map to the heart. To that wide, split-open channel through which the source charges. Forcefully. Endlessly. Lovingly. Shining upon every conceivable thing and being. The source of love. God. I wanted that. It was a place I had briefly, powerfully experienced in a dream.  

I was 19 then. I’m 46 now. Through the years, the desire for this map waxed and waned but never quite dissipated. Lately, it was pulsating like a deep point of pain. Especially now that I was a parent. 

I had always assumed I would be a loving parent. 

I am. 

But along with love, what I didn’t realize I would also cultivate was a blossoming field of expectations. There’s nothing unconditional about love in the relationships we’re accustomed to in our daily lives. Love holds them together, no doubt, but what it holds turns from desire to expectation to disappointment to resentment in predictable ways, in predictable cycles, repeatedly. And the deepest disappointment, the deepest resentment, is continually, steadily, pointed inward and expressed outward. We judge ourselves harshly and condemn others for it. 

But I didn’t know this then. All I knew is, I was tired of being angry. Of being disappointed. Of being furious in love. I tried all manner of meditations and esoteric studies. Each attempt, each avenue I had explored so far, felt like a little vein bearing the pulse of something familiar, something essential. But where was the heart? 

In early Autumn 2021, I caught sight of a poster on social media in a language I couldn’t read – someone had written a brief English translation. Two words caught my attention: Self Realization. A person named Mohanji was going to guide folks through 11 days of transformation online. It struck me instantly: this is just what I’m looking for. 

But who was Mohanji? 

The beloved relative on whose social media page I had seen the poster was a follower, but I had never discussed their engagement with their spiritual mentor. I toyed with the idea. Let it rest. Toyed some more. Before I knew it, the workshop was beginning the next morning. I called my relative, but I couldn’t get through. Not that evening. Not the next day. This was unusual. (Now, as I think back, I chuckle. The leela, the leela.)

By the next evening, I left an urgent message. Finally, I had a response. Calls were made, payments dashed off, and on the third day, I sat at the computer, listening to this bearded man exuding love, humility, and patience. So much love. So, so much love. 

It was clear. He was there. In that Godspace. He was channeling pure love. He was Love. 

Empowered 1 changed me. It caused me to drop some things easily and overnight for good. Some things were temporary, but the change was palpable. 

Several months and a couple of more Empowered workshops later, I recall telling my sister over the phone, “You know, I feel happy for the first time. Truly happy.” Depression is a secret that courses quietly through my family. We don’t talk about it. We just cry silently behind closed doors and ache deeply under broad smiles. 

More than a year later, I can say for sure that this happiness is real. That being happy is possible. Even when other emotions rise as they do every day – irritation, disappointment, anger, frustration, the deep undercurrent is one of satisfaction and happiness. Life feels bearable. Enjoyable even. And most significantly, it feels meaningful. 

But the anger. It was still there. Nothing had diminished it. It rose as frequently, as powerfully as before. And it swept me off my grounding each time. I was still far from even a glimpse of that place saturated with peace and love. 

By the end of Empowered 4, I felt I understood exactly what Mohanji was trying to ingrain in us. If you’d ask me to explain it, I could. Easily. I could see the map now. Clearly, but I hadn’t walked it yet. I didn’t know how to walk it. The practices so far had brought me to a point of deep insight, no doubt – but that subtle shift into actually experiencing the Self, even momentarily, beyond mind, body and ego was proving to be elusive. 

Months ago, my local Acharya had reached out as part of an initiative to make a video on how practitioners felt transformed through the practice of Consciousness Kriya. I told her then, “Ever since meeting Mohanji (virtually), I definitely feel transformed. But I don’t notice a shift through Kriya specifically. And I can’t bring myself to make an exaggerated claim – that would feel like a lie.” I respectfully bowed out of submitting a testimonial. 

Cue Empowered 5. I couldn’t make it to Serbia to attend the retreat in person. But I committed fully and wholly to participating online. Arrangements were made. People were informed. My partner took full responsibility for everything in our home. I switched off my phone and entered my cave. Doors shut. Ears shut. Eyes shut. The only thing I kept on was the zoom call. I let it stream through all 8 hours each day. Even though there was mostly silence, keeping it on brought in a shared energy with the satsang and a sense of being in Mohanji’s presence. 

Day 1 ended. I didn’t feel particularly successful with the practice. I had kept my eyes covered, my ears plugged, and I did the breathing as instructed. But nothing. I felt nothing. No shift. 

That night the dreams arose. Vivid. Incisive. Showing me a clear mirror to the things that drive this person called me. Hidden things. Unacknowledged little traits of vanity and pride, desires, and the subconscious projection of a carefully cultivated personality. 

On day 2, the breathing was slower and longer. I struggled with it a bit. But I practiced steadfastly – again, with little sense of success. There was no conscious, waking breakthrough. I hadn’t seen my family in two full days. I hadn’t checked my phone in 48 hours. I didn’t know what I was doing. It all seemed a bit pointless. I was weepy and exhausted. And I wanted something to hold on to, something familiar. Again, that night, more dreams. More hidden desires and traits revealed. 

Day 3, by now, the dreams were arising during daytime naps as well. (I was waking up at 2:30 am in my time zone to catch the start of the program, so I was quite drowsy by 6 am). For the first time, I felt I was getting the hang of it. Don’t expect any breakthroughs. Just power on. Breathe. Just breathe. No expectations. Just put in the work and connect with Mohanji. The breathing was even longer and slower. At some point, without realizing it, I switched to doing Kriya because it somehow made the breath less laboured. It felt natural. 

At some point, I dozed off again, and there they were. More dreams. This time bringing to light issues of shame around certain aspects of my life. Interestingly enough, there was time travel. Beings that existed outside of time (a Master) and from other timelines (some friendly, several hostile) made appearances.

That evening I had every intention of getting to bed, falling asleep, and receiving more insight through my dreams. But I tossed and turned. And every little sound in the house brought me out of my effort to sleep. At some point, the agitation was so high I directed it at my children and partner, accusing them mentally of sabotaging my ‘great spiritual effort’ by walking loudly, resenting them for willfully being in the way of my big awakening with their clumsy footsteps. 

There it was. The trap of expectation. Followed immediately by its beloved bedfellow, guilt. This time, during the brief couple of hours of fitful sleep, the dreams revealed some of my hidden fears. This was getting more and more unpleasant. 

Day 4, during the morning satsang, I learned that many people hadn’t been able to sleep the previous night. Mohanji smiled mischievously and said, “Me neither”. Aha! (A stab of guilt resurfaced for my resentment towards my family).

Mohanji explained, “What happens is, this whole thing is churning you. Your usual patterns, habits are changed… the toxins are leaving. It’s all connected to the expulsion of toxins”. Mental apologies were beamed off to my beloved family immediately. It wasn’t them; it was me. It always is. The flavour of every experience originates in one’s own mental state. Of course. Didn’t I already know this? 

The breathing was even longer and slower. And again, Kriya did the magic. By now, it was dawning on me that there really was something to the cleansing powers of Kriya. Earlier, I had to drag myself to go through the preparatory steps of Kriya – now, I couldn’t wait to do them. 

By the end of the day, the first waking realization occurred. Everything had quietened down a fair bit. The inside of my body felt like a vast dark emptiness. Everything else was outside it. Every sound, every physical thing. The only sound that lay within was my heartbeat, pulsing loudly. Boom. Boom. Boom. And further inward was the dot of awareness that was noticing this. Noticing everything. 

That’s it. Then it was gone. The briefest moment of cognition.

The whole day, my head felt strange, and my eyesight felt different. Like I was looking out through several layers of reality. This was likely due to wearing an eye mask for most of the day. Sudden re-exposure to light was perception-bending. A potent reminder that one mustn’t always trust in sensory perception or rest in the comfort of seeing things only in certain accustomed conditions. It was incredible how each aspect of Empowered 5 brought in so much insight!

That night I went to bed with fewer expectations. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was also excited at the prospect of being reunited with my family soon – it was the last day of isolation. I felt so much love and gratitude for them. I missed them. I felt their preciousness so intensely. But I also felt a familiar pain at the imminence of not being in satsang with Mohanji after the next day. Though this time, the tears were not so much from the pain of separation but from gratitude. This time, I was able to fully trust in the ever-present knowing that my Guru, the Guru Tattva, is ALWAYS available in the spiritual heart; that I can access it anytime, anywhere. 

This realization has a lot to do with Devi’s group Mai-Tri sessions during Empowered 5. In the past, whenever I had been part of group Mai-Tri sessions, I would eventually feel completely disengaged because of my intellectual discomfort with the heightened emotionality of parts of the practice. The moment I’d hear emotion rising in the instructor’s voice, I’d be jolted out of the experience by a snarky voice in my head. “WHAT?! This is so dramatic! How can this be spiritual practice?!” the voice would say unkindly. That’s it. I’d sit there, eyes closed, fully in judgement mode. 

This time, just as I was beginning to feel discomfort from hearing deep emotion in Devi’s voice, something urgently asked me to trust. Just trust the process. That’s all it took. The snarky voice in my head was quietened by the revelation that drama IS the very nature of existence. Of the Divine Mother. Isn’t ALL of it drama? Aren’t we all here, mired in Maya because of the Mother? This is all the play of Shakti, and if She’s sitting here, guiding me Herself, then sit back and bask in it. Feel each bit of the instruction. My deepest gratitude to Devi for her sessions and for bringing the grace of the Divine Mother to our practice during Empowered 5. 

The second session with Devi revealed the biggest gift of all. It removed the veil of duality between all the beloved Gurus empanelled in my heart. During one of the early Empowered workshops long ago, I had asked Mohanji, “What if you hold more than one Guru dear in your heart?” and he said, “That’s fine, as long as you’re not connecting to the form.” I couldn’t fully comprehend it then. When Devi guided us to connect with the Tradition during Mai-Tri, even though not all of my beloved Gurus belong to the Datta tradition, I felt each one’s energy melded inextricably with that of the Tradition. 

The Tradition was a gateway to my Gurus, and my Gurus were a gateway to the Tradition. I truly felt what it means for all Gurus to be an expression of one Consciousness. Now Mohanji doesn’t just sit with Babaji and Baba in my heart; they transform into one another playfully, one speaking lovingly through the words of the other. They still have their forms, but they are one in love.  

That night, the dream was hazy. I was hovering above the ground (not walking on it) with a group of others who, like me, were dressed in white. We were all connected, and there was uniformity in our appearance. I wasn’t even in my current form or body anymore. There was a sense that we were upholding the very fabric of order. Fighting an ancient fight, not with weapons, but with an indwelling strength that was inherently loving. But it wasn’t a happy dream or a victorious one. There was uncertainty and strife on the ground. 

It wasn’t surprising when, the next day, Mohanji reiterated the need to create a strong community of brightness and positivity in each region to prepare for an uncertain future. During Mohanji’s satsang that day, I noticed a feeling of agitation rising. The online participants couldn’t have many of their questions read out and answered. Though I didn’t type any questions for Mohanji in the chatbox, many others did. And most of them seemed to be going unasked. Were the onliners being overlooked?

This feeling was short-lived. It soon became clear that this was another instance of Mohanji’s leela. Even though he would occasionally ask if there were any online questions, he didn’t need this drama of physical-world engagement. He was meeting each one of us exactly where we were in our hearts, in our homes, through every channel available to our senses. However, we still needed the drama. And so, he played along, turning to the online coordinator every now and then to check, “Any online questions?” 

How could I even entertain a doubt? Of course, I know he knows every heart. On my best days, he’s the one beaming out of mine. 

I found EACH of my questions was answered. The moment I felt I needed an answer, someone in the audience in Serbia would raise their hand and out trotted the very words that were in my head, followed by his loving answers. A few weeks later, when I met one of the in-person participants, I grinned and thanked her for asking my question. She laughed, “So it was you! I was wondering who prompted that question because I’m usually too shy to speak in front of Mohanji, but at that moment, I don’t know how the urge to raise my hand took over.” 

When Empowered 5 ended, even though I hadn’t yet experienced what I’d been looking for all these years (through lifetimes, likely), I did have the deep conviction that I had placed my first foot forward. Beyond all ideas and notions I had gathered along the way on the ‘how’ and ‘why’, I had taken my first step into actually experiencing this ineffable realm in my waking hours in a way that only this set of mental lenses called me could truly appreciate or comprehend. 

A lot of fundamental things became clear in a tangible way during those hours of seclusion and silence. Witnesshood is one such biggie. Thanks to Empowered 5, it isn’t just limited to the times I practice Mohanji’s Feel-the-Feelings process. I find I’m being able to cultivate it in my daily life – with shorter and shorter gaps between occurrence and witnessing. 

I’m able to see the cycles and patterns of unlove and closed-heartedness in tense interactions. I’ve become quicker at accepting the role of personality and conditioned defensiveness at these moments. Because of this, I’m also quicker to seek the ever-outheld hand and love-drenched embrace of my beloved Guru at such times to make a rapid recovery and to make amends that were beyond the reach of my ego earlier. 

I’m deeply flawed, but I’m beginning to get past the frustration of its endless drag. Because when the weight of the ego gets too heavy to carry, there it is, my beloved Guru’s grace, love, and acceptance. All I need is to let go, allow grace to take over, and retire Sisyphus for a moment. 

To briefly loosen the suffocating grip of this karmic garb and let the cool breeze of grace waft in for respite, lightness, and a whiff of what it could mean to be free. 

Most significantly, very slowly, I’m beginning to allow others their own perfection. To reduce the distance between my resistance (and consequent suffering), and their roles in being instruments of grace through their karma-garbed perfect presences. I see this now, clearly, though mostly still in hindsight. I’m yet to learn to be present to this Truth in the moment. 

I’m not an accomplished cartographer of the heart by far yet, but with my Guru’s infinite grace, I’ve made my first firm step into an arterial inroad. 

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 23^rd February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Traveling with grace

Getha Padmanathan, Malaysia

I would like to share my recent experiences with Mohanji in Shirdi Program, 16 – 18th December 2022. As soon as I signed up for the program, I started to face a few challenges and obstacles until the day I reached Shirdi.

At first, I had a tough time getting the passport ready and then went through a messy way of booking the flight ticket. On top of that, my sister, who usually helps me with flight bookings, complained and was very stressed, but I needed her as I was unfamiliar with flight bookings.

Finally, we managed to book the tickets (Kuala Lumpur – Chennai – Shirdi) with my sister’s help and input from the Mohanji Malaysia family, not knowing the challenges we had to face this time. During the journey, we were supposed to transit in Chennai, but unfortunately, the plane could not land due to cloudy weather. 

We were told that we had flown round and round 9 times before the plane decided to land at Hyderabad airport. After waiting for an hour or so, we flew back again to Chennai. By then, we had missed the connecting flight, and there weren’t any flights to Shirdi on that day. So we booked the earliest flight available on the 16th, arriving in Shirdi at 10.45 am, and sadly we missed the half-day program, which I was not happy about.

Initially, my plan was to visit the Samadhi Mandir and Dwarkamayi first before attending the program. But this did not happen and I prayed silently in my heart that by Mohanji’s grace, I wished to see him first before going to the program. 

Once we arrived at Shirdi airport, we rushed to our hotel, which was near Samadhi Mandir, and when we came out to look for an auto, someone near the mandir handed over two packets of Udi to us. Wow, we were surprised and so happy and took it as a sign of Baba’s darshan. And I thought, as I could not visit him at the Mandir, Baba himself came to me. Thank you so much, Baba.

Then we got into the auto and went straight to the St Laurens Hotel for the program, and when we reached there, we were again surprised. Mohanji was standing outside the hotel entrance, smiling as if waiting for our arrival. We immediately bowed down at his feet to seek his blessings. I was so happy Mohanji fulfilled my wish. We were indeed grateful to be blessed by two great Masters. Thank you so much, Mohanji and Baba, for this wonderful darshan.

 Thank you, Mohanji, for your grace and protection as I was able to walk even though I fell and injured my knee a few days before the trip. The pain was there, especially going up the hotel staircase, but it was bearable and also Thank you, Mohanji, for protecting my family members and me on our way to the airport when the car accidentally went onto the oncoming lane, but we managed to make a quick u-turn back to the right lane. 

Thank you, Baba, for your love and guidance and thank you, Mohanji, for all these experiences and the wonderful and amazing opportunities I had during the program. And Thank you so much, Mohanji, because all your teachings, meditations, chantings, Consciousness Kriya, Empowered program 1-4, and others which I have attended since 2022 have helped me so much in my spiritual progress. I was able to witness my own strength and stability in accepting the above situation with calmness and with full clarity.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 18^th February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Nila Aarti with Mohanji

Surya Sujan, India

Surya Sujan, a dear friend and follower of Mohanji shares her recent experience with Mohanji during the Nila Aarati that took place in Kerala in January 2023.

For participating in the Nila Aarti, Sreeja, her son and I travelled from Kannur by the 5 am train. Sreeja and her son were there to get the Shaktipat and meet Mohanji. We reached the Nila Aarti venue by eight o’clock. Devadas, his family, and I helped set the stage at the venue. Mohanji also reached the hotel, which was near the venue where the event was going on. Soon the guests and those who had registered for this event started arriving. 

By 9 am – 9: 35am, I went to the hotel with Vipin Kudiyath because I wanted to meet Mohanji. I wanted to welcome him.   I was planning to surprise Mohanji, as Mohanji didn’t know I was coming to Palakkad for the Nila Aarti and this was the third time I was going to see Mohanji, so I didn’t tell him I would be coming. When I knocked on the door and went in, Mohanji was sitting alone. We had a great hug with lots of love from Mohanji. I was so happy. I felt the love as if it came from my mother, my Guruji, or my friend.

We then went to the Nila Aarti event. The Nila Aarti is celebrated on the banks of the Nila River located at Cheruthurti, Paangavu Shiva Kshetra, Trichur, Kerala. From that time onwards, I was with Mohanji. I managed the entire program as Mohanji instructed me to take the lead. We were seated in the first row. After the ‘Ashtapathy’ rendition, Mohanji was seated in a grand chair on the stage and the satsang began.

Initially, I was sitting with Mohanji, and I felt uncomfortable sitting in the same level as the Guru. I slowly tried to sit at the second-level seating position. But Mohanji indicated for me to remain seated next to him. The Nila Aarti was powerful to witness in the presence of Mohanji.

We had our lunch together at Mohanji’s insistence and were the first to have lunch. Then he told me that he had a meeting with Moksha Trust and I (Surya) should go to the room and wait for him there. I said I’d be waiting for him at the banks of Nila because I wanted to arrange the lamps – to pour oil on the wicks. I went straight from there with Sreeja. It was a huge surprise for me that Sreeja, with her four young, vibrant team from Ernakulum had come to volunteer.

Chitra, myself, Sreeja and her teams arranged the earthen lamps on the banks of Nila by 6 pm. Around 6.15 pm, Mohanji arrived and we welcomed Mohanji. A good concert of music and dance highlighting the importance of river Nila, followed by a Kathakali recital on Ashtapathi padam was organised. Mohanji then gave a brief speech that was direct, and precise regarding the importance of a river, the importance of a river to a human being and how it affects our lives etc. It was a powerful and succinct speech by Mohanji.

I had booked my return ticket along with Mohanji, but my booking was in another coach. Mohanji called me over the mike and said it was very late. Devadas came to say that Mohanji was calling me for dinner. I sat next to Mohanji for dinner as well. I feel so blessed and touched that Mohanji assigned various tasks that needed to be done and he wanted me next to him. I don’t know what connection I have with him that he gives me so much love and importance in front of everyone. After we had dinner, there was cake cutting. I washed Mohanji’s plates and we left together for the hotel where Mohanji and I had an important talk regarding some other things. After the HSTY yoga trainer left, I told Mohanji to rest or take a short nap. I set the alarm and took care of the other needed arrangements.

While Mohanji was resting, I read the small Gita book he had gifted me. I had just finished the preface and the first chapter when Mohanji woke up. It was 10 pm. Mohanji said, “Let us go. The train is at 11pm.” Soon Vipin, Mohanji and I came to the railway station, got into the train, and settled in our berths. My stop was Kannur, and the train would stop there at 2:00 am. Mohanji said it was an odd time to get off the train and that I should join him and go to Udupi. But I had not told my family about this and my car was parked at the Kannur railway station from the previous morning five am. So I said, “Mohanji, I’ll meet you at Palakkad on January 31.”

At two o’clock, I got down from the train after prostrating at his Lotus feet and quickly got into my car. While I was starting the car, somebody came and asked me to slide the window down. He said, “Your left wheel has a puncture.” I was shocked! He said, “Actually I was waiting for you, chechi. Your car was punctured early in the morning itself. We didn’t have your number. How can you go at this time? So I got a number from some other guy who can change the tyre with a spare tyre. I said, “I can’t sit here. Nobody’s here.” He said, “No. Don’t worry. You sit in this tent, and in the meantime, we’ll call the car mechanic and get your car fixed.”

There was no policeman around. Nothing was there on that quiet night besides a shed in the parking area. As I sat in the tent, after about 10 to 15 min, the mechanic came to fix the car. It was just the parking attendant, the repair guy and me in the parking lot. And this was because I had told the parking attendant man who was on night duty the day I boarded the train that I would arrive at 2 am early the next day, and the kind man was waiting for me after finishing his morning duty. He waited for me in the parking lot, not only to inform me that my car tyre had a puncture but also had rallied someone to repair my car. He said, “If you can repair it now, it will be fine. Otherwise tomorrow in the hot sun and this heavy traffic you can’t do all these things here. So I waited for you!” In 10-15 minutes, the repairman changed the car stepney.

Early that morning, we travelled to Shornur and were in the AC coach of a train, the 15th coach from the engine. Two elderly ladies aged 79 or 80, somehow got into the AC coach with three big bags as they could not locate their coaches. The elderly ladies sat down and desperately tried to figure out their seats, not knowing they were not in their allotted coaches. When I saw their tickets, I mentioned that their coach was closest to the engine, 14 coaches away from the current one. It was difficult for them to make their way to their coach with their pieces of luggage on a moving train.

As the elderly women reminded me of my mother, I carried their bags to their coach, helped them to their seats, and then returned to my seat. Everyone watched me walk up and down to help these elderly women including the Governor of Goa, Sridharan Pillai. I came back half an hour or 20 minutes later, fully drenched in sweat, but I helped them.

One of the elderly ladies told me, “You are like God to me!  Jesus himself has brought you to help us.” I said, “You deserve this help. It could be Jesus or Allah or any God! But you deserve this help because you are like my mother,” and returned to my seat. What you sow, so you reap! That’s probably why the guy in the parking lot waited for me till 2 am and also arranged a mechanic to change the car tyre.

I wonder who is orchestrating all this behind the lines. In Mohanji’s talk, he said, to accept our karma, accept ourselves and be a role-model to the society and our children. The parents should be role-model to children as children imbibe or follow the actions of the parents. This was a wonderful opportunity to serve two elderly people considering them as my parents.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 16^th February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Lessons living with Mohanji – Days 197 & 198

by Christopher Greenwood

Day 197 – Dare to be Different 

Yesterday, Mohanji attended a fantastic panel discussion here in Belgrade, which was organised by the Vlade and Ana Divac Foundation. This panel discussion was really good. The title of it was: ‘The role of an individual in overcoming conflicts in a polarised society’. Many distinguished guests attended. There was an NBA Hall of Famer, a motivational speaker, the head of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and a Harvard professor. Obviously, Mohanji was there too, and many other guests, and Vlade Divac too.

Here is the link to the whole event. Mohanji’s speaking time starts at 19:08

https://fb.watch/5MgWlSdPkh/

Mohanji’s speaking slot opened by answering a question from the host, who shared Mohanji’s quote: “Dare to be different. That is your signature in the world,” and he asked, “Is it easy to be different in today’s world?”

The answer to this question was a good one for me, so I wanted to share this, almost in its entirety, because it also left me with a question that I will share in this morning’s message. So, it’s dare to be different; that’s your signature in the world, and how easy is it actually to be different in today’s world. Mohanji answered this nicely actually. He started by saying that the whole world is actually unique. All creations are unique; we’re all unique. So, we’re already different by birth; by nature, we’re neither higher nor lower nor equal to anyone else, which is a really good reminder.

Our thumb impression is unique; our eye retina is unique. So, each of us has something unique with an amazing potential for expression in the world. But we refuse to accept that, and society, how it’s constructed; mainly, its education is provided to compete and compare. And this could be for positions, money, space, or anything, but that’s the predominant teaching, to beat the other. And then this is where all the other divisions happened. Then we become attached to the positions and the relations. So, if anything becomes a threat to those or affects those things that we’re attached to, we become upset. So, Mohanji also explained that, now, within the world, fear is given in bulk to people, with COVID especially. With all the changes and all the turbulences, there’s a really destabilising atmosphere in the world at the moment. So, there’s a big fear also of losing those positions and relations. But we forget, as he reminded us very nicely, that we are all here on a tourist visa. We came with nothing; we leave with nothing. Everything is temporary.

So, in also explaining this, against the quote, we realise that there is something beyond all these things, and we realise what we are, minus all these temporary attachments. There’s a power there, where there’s no need for fear. And this gives us that dare or that Lion’s heart to face the world. So he explained the real reason, or the fundamental reason that you can trace it back to, is that there are polarities in the world because of that education, wherein we’re taught to compare and beat and win against the opponent. But the real victory is winning over ourselves. So this statement left me contemplating yesterday and this morning, so I know what that means for me. And so, I’ll save any explanation of what I think and leave this space so that you also can think about what that means for you, winning over yourself. Daring to be different because that’s your signature in the world. Hope you have a great day ahead.

Day 198 – The benefit of extreme action 

Mohanji’s mode of work is extreme action. We were speaking the other day, just a general conversation and Mohanji shared a story that made me laugh. It was at a time when we were passing through the security at Delhi airport, and the security guard asked him what he does as a job, and he told him that he teaches meditations and yoga, so the guard said, “Oh, so basically, you do nothing.” Then Mohanji asked, “Well, how many hours do you work? Eight? Well, I’m pretty much working 24 hours,” and I think the conversation shifted slowly.

But this was a good prompt to share a bit more of my understanding, now that I’ve spent more time with Mohanji, about the benefit of being in the presence of that state, of that energy of extreme action, even though it can be quite demanding. It’s related to the guṇas that we are made up of: the tamasic – the sort of slow sluggishness, the laziness – rajasic action; and sattva – the peaceful, stable state. I’ve shared before that the pace of working with Mohanji is really relentless; it’s constant. There’s not much time to think. The level of activity is so high that there’s very little time to think, in fact, and what I’ve learned and confirmed with Mohanji is that that’s exactly the point. Because when you’re working with Mohanji, and also he said, any other Master for that matter, you’re pushed into a state of hyper action. Because you need to move from the usual easy, sluggish, downward energy, or tamas, which is your procrastination, laziness, doubting, criticising, gossiping, comparing, all that type of stuff, and shift into a mode of action, where you’re beginning to do things.

That’s like a momentum building up over time, one activity, another activity, another, and then another, so that it’s really speeding up that state of action, and the idea is that it becomes so intense that eventually it becomes a state of sattva, where it’s an extreme action, but actually inside, you’re completely calm. Things are happening, but you’re not fully attached to them. So, until you’ve reached that state, there are obviously peaks and troughs; you’ll move up into a state of action, where things are really going well, and then fall back down to tamas. In the presence of Mohanji, that’s when the butt-kicking happens, and your butt is kicked so that you get moving again and are pushed up into that rajasic state.

So, that’s generally the benefit of being with a master because that happens much more frequently. Why is it a benefit? For many, it seems like hard work, which it is, because it can be quite demanding. But what’s actually happening is that tamasic tendencies – your laziness, heaviness, being caught up in emotions – bind you to mindsets, and also, ownership is more. Being pushed into that action, there’s no time to think, and when there’s no time to think, there’s very little emotion attached to the activity. There’s very little ownership attached to activity too, and the lack of emotion and lack of ownership means that there’s not much karma that you’re accruing from the work that you’re doing. So, it’s heavy and quick purification whilst not acquiring anything more.

That’s one of the benefits, but at the same time, it’s challenging. This was a different perspective on being with Mohanji, the work, and the pace, with the ultimate goal being to move up towards a more peaceful state of sattva.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 12^th February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

How I met Mohanji

By Jelena Fassbender, Serbia

This year in August, it‘ll be ten years since Mohanji appeared in my life and took me under his divine wings of protection.

Although I shared my story of how I met Mohanji on many different occasions, I would like to put it on paper form as well, as a possible inspiration for others to share their experiences too and as a reminder to myself to sit and write more! Therefore, I sincerely thank Monika Dizdarevic, who inspired me to make this step.

It all started in Berlin in 2013 when my marriage hit bottom. At that time, I was an unhappy married woman who left her homeland Serbia, friends and family and a decade of numerous attempts to pursue a career as an actress, with deep wounds and suppressed pain caused by unfulfilled dreams, broken relationships and poverty.

I met my husband in the summer of 2011 in Berlin. It was love at first sight, and soon after we met, we decided to get married. After seven months of knowing each other, I became Frau Fassbender, ready to start a fresh new life in one of the most welcoming cities in the world.

In the beginning, it all seemed well between us. We were different, our cultures and habits too, but I believed I would be able to accept them, digest them and learn to live with them.

Then reality hit. My long-term depression, fears, painful memories, everything came crashing down on me. I was in a foreign land; I didn’t know the language, I didn’t have friends and contacts, I was jobless, and I was unhappy with my marriage!

My husband loved me but was limited within his capacity, and he could not fully understand my depths and accept me. Little did I know that acceptance from his side wasn’t possible because I was the one who was sabotaging myself. I was the one who was torturing, judging and rejecting myself, unaware of the fact that he was only the reflection of my inner state. I had expectations. I was angry and scared; I was lost. The idea of reinventing myself was creating even more resistance in me. The pattern of victimhood in its peak!

By this time, our marriage became an agony for both. We constantly fought about everything.

One morning, I was alone at home, sitting in the kitchen, with the laptop in front of me, without any solution for my problem. Nothing seemed possible. Divorce was out of the question; I was not ready to accept that my marriage wasn’t going to last, but I couldn’t continue living in such misery either. Why this life? What’s the point of me being alive? I disappointed my family and friends; I was a complete failure, and so many other heavy thoughts ran through my head. Suddenly, I felt that the walls of my kitchen were coming towards me, and it was like the space around me was getting smaller and smaller. I’m going to suffocate; that’s it. The end is near.

I felt a heavy and sharp pain in my chest, but I managed to take as much breath as possible and said loudly: “GOD, PLEASE, HELP ME!”

Then I looked at my laptop and saw a notification on my Facebook. Its title was “How To Heal Your Life”. The video was about the book written by Louise Hay. I watched the video and immediately downloaded the book, and read it that same day. In the book, dear Louise says that the first step on a healing journey is to stop at least one bad habit immediately.

That day LIFE gave me a chance, and I didn’t want to blow it away. I decided to quit 17 years of a heavy smoking habit. If that will bring me out of “living on the earth” hell, I am ready to do whatever is necessary. I was determined.

I couldn’t believe how easy it was for me – like I’ve never smoked. Then I thought coffee doesn’t have the same taste without cigarettes and alcohol as well, so I quit them too. Soon after that, It was the same with meat. At that time, I also had big issues with some strange sort of pimples on my face and by removing all these habits, my face began to look better.

In a recent conversation with Mohanji, I mentioned that many of our people had/have skin issues, including himself. He said to be in the presence of the Master, one has to raise the frequency, and for many, the skin is the way to cleanse negativity; it’s a part of a cleansing process.

Soon after I read Hay’s book, I recognized an enormous hunger to understand the real cause of my suffering and the suffering in general. I thought, whatever is happening, my husband and I deserve better lives, even if we divorce.

I became eager to learn more about who, how, when, and what I truly am. That’s how I got in touch with many important spiritual books. One led to another, and two of them seriously helped me. The first one is the one and only Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda. The second one is A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle.

Therefore, I am and will be forever thankful for books and their authors that opened many doors and put me in a better place within myself, but that was obviously not enough.

After three months of literal isolation from everybody and of constant reading and accumulation of knowledge, on one particular day, I suddenly felt very upset, like an animal before an upcoming earthquake. I was walking nervously from one room to another, not knowing what could possibly calm me down, and no book seemed comforting enough at that moment. I needed tangible proof that I was on the right track and not going insane.

I decided to check FB, and guess what? The first that popped up on the feed was an article with the title “Mohanji, The Guru Who Finds You”. The title immediately caught my attention. That name Mohanji was somehow familiar to me. Then I remembered I heard about an Indian Guru, Mohanji, from Milan Bojic, a friend who opened the spiritual world door for me long ago when I still lived in Serbia. Still, I couldn’t remember anything more than that.

While reading the article, one sentence resonated with me very deeply: “Mohanji says: “The Guru is not a form or a person. Guru is a principle. It could take a human form and talk or come as a message from nature.” ….. or pop up on Facebook!

After I read the article, I went onto Mohanji’s website, and there I found guided meditation called Power of Purity. To my big surprise, this meditation was translated into many languages, including Serbian too. I decided to give it a try.

It was a quiet summer afternoon. I was alone at home and was more than ready to experience the meditation, mainly because I’d never meditated before. Power of Purity was my first meditation ever. I sat down on the bed, put the sound on and started to follow the instructions of the soothing voice of Devi Mohan. The atmosphere was solemn.

The heat overwhelmed my whole body. At first, I felt scared of the unknown feeling, but I decided to continue, no matter what. Then something happened which was beyond my wildest imagination. The moment I put the right hand in the blessing position, I felt a strong spiral vibration coming right out of my palm. I could clearly see how it reached my parents, my brother, and my friends and blessed them with white light. I was in shock and started to cry uncontrollably and continued to cry even when the meditation was over. I couldn’t move out of bed for more than an hour. I was heavy but light, strangely sad but unexplainably happy. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of love, a new kind of love, which was unknown to me until then.

Then I managed to get to the balcony and get some fresh air. To my surprise, all outside objects were very sparkly, and I couldn’t hear the noise from the streets. There was silence everywhere. I was in awe.

Then I felt a need to calm down. I went to the living room and intuitively picked the biggest book from the bookshelf, with the most beautiful architecture in the world and started to turn pages with maximum concentration on the content. By evening, I finally managed to calm down and fall asleep.

The next day, I wrote to Milan Bojic, hoping he would have an answer to what actually happened to me. Milan was visibly excited about my story. He said: ”Well, your Guru has appeared. There is nothing more important and sacred in life than to meet your Guru. You have ridden the wave, Lela! Don’t get off it, ever!”

So it was—the life before the Guru and the life with a Guru.
My rebirth happened that afternoon in August 2013.
Mohanji introduced himself in the most unusual and unconventional way. His way!

Since then, everything in my life has changed. EVERYTHING! Heavy baggage of lifetimes, full of expectations, anger, fears, unfulfilled desires and many other emotions, became so light.

At the first retreat, in a one-on-one session with Mohanji, he told me: “We have a lot to do together for this world, you’ll see.” Back then, I didn’t understand what he was talking about. Is he going to direct a movie or produce a movie? OMG…how limited our minds can be!!!

Now, after 10 years with Mohanji, I understand what he was talking about. His deeds speak for themselves! Mohanji is a platform. He created it for all of us. It’s on us to use it well and contribute with our talents to make this world better. Since I met Mohanji, I have lived a life of abundance. I have friends all over the world. I have a home and a family. I have clarity, mission and purpose!

Yes, people, that’s life in the presence of a living Master. One has to be, to live, to experience all those blessings, to be able to try to understand the love that the Guru has for each one of us. The unconditional love that he showers on us, regardless of how many times we fall.

What does he need from us? Nothing. He is presence, a mountain, the brightest sun that is always shining and is always available. It’s up to us whether we want to be plugged in.

Through all these years, I’ve learned that consistency, conviction and connection to the Guru (in my case – Mohanji) are the most important for grace to flow. Life is difficult without grace, and we all know how painful it can be. With the Guru’s grace, life is like a big pillow. Even when we think we got some bruises, they vanish within the shortest period, taking us one step closer to the final destination, total DISSOLUTION.

Mohanji’s grace, please, be with me always to make my human birth purposeful.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 9^th February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Lessons living with Mohanji – Days 195 & 196

by Christopher Greenwood

Day 195 – Melting of Layers

The other day Mohanji was speaking in satsang at the program in Serbia named “The Truth Called You,”- that being our innermost essence, beyond all our identifications of personality, beyond the mind, habits, patterns, fears or phobias, all these types of things. What is the innermost essence with which we can connect? 

He shared a great metaphor, which had me thinking this morning, and this was about the connection that people have with Mohanji. When you come into connection with him, transformation automatically begins to happen. I’ve mentioned in some previous recordings that a Master is an external projection that points you back to your inner guru, which is your innermost reality. That’s what you’re coming into connection with. As Mohanji explained this, I reflected on the previous year I spent with him and connected with him before that. 

He described that coming closer to him is like a candle coming closer to fire. So, if you imagine a candle, it will slowly begin to melt as you bring it closer to the heat. Like that, the layers of wax, the coatings of wax melt. Similarly, for ourselves, our layers and our coatings begin to dissolve in that connection. Those layers are being removed! That’s the shedding of our patterns or habits or even desires.

In retrospect, before meeting Mohanji, I had typical Western habits like eating meat, drinking, etc. Although I was eating less red meat then, soon after meeting him, I realized that these began to drop off. It seems like that connection was something that didn’t allow that anymore, or it wasn’t necessary. So, they left. Not that it became pressure, they just dropped off.

As I’ve spent more time with him, with that proximity or that connection increasing, these things have become more intense and subtle. Rather than some outward habits, hidden insecurities start to surface, fear of what other people may think, fear of society, and these types of things. These are typical things most people have, and then other things like emotions, such as anger and maybe some jealousy; these layers start to melt away. 

I’ve also witnessed this with others who connect more closely with him. The candle metaphor mentioned earlier does not necessarily imply physical proximity. It’s instead the intensity of the connection. So, although people might not be physically around him, the intensity increases when that connection increases and this shedding of the coatings of layers happens in people’s lives. For me, this helped crystallize experiences that occurred previously and over the past year.

Day 196 – When we compromise, we are weak, and when we complement, we are strong

“When we compromise, we are weak, and when we complement, we are strong”; this was something that Mohanji said yesterday. The quote caught my attention and stuck with me. Often when I look back at the person I was, I understand the lessons and transformations that have taken place. 

Yesterday was the last day of the Serbian retreat “The Truth Called You”. It has been fantastic. Mohanji remarked on the high level of receptivity and level of understanding of the participants, which meant that most of his satsang was liberation orientated. People had a strong desire to know, to have more profound realizations. 

Mohanji asked some good questions. One of them prompted writing and recording this daily message. It was, “How much time do we spend on someone who doesn’t care or love us, and because of that, how much do we compromise ourselves?” It was a good question. I was thinking about this as he spoke. As I peered into my past, I realized that I was often trying to bend, adjust, and do cartwheels; all sorts of tactics to make some people love and accept me. In that process, I would bend myself completely out of shape and become unnatural, not in alignment with who I was or what I wanted to be doing. 

I know now that it doesn’t work when we try to be something else. So, a clear message is that we become weak when compromising. It’s beginning to dawn that being my authentic self is my true strength. And chasing after others or compromising my own life makes me weak and unstable, with higher insecurities and complexes. I truly understand that my authenticity is my strength, 

On the other hand, complementing each other has brought strength. Accepting myself and allowing others to be themselves entirely, gave all stability. In Mohanji’s talk, he said that what naturally follows is our commitment and responsibility towards those who love and care for us.

If people don’t like us, it’s no problem. We must live our own life, who we are, our truth, and our frequency because that’s the best we can give. He stressed that we must remember to be ourselves and connect to ourselves. It’s been my experience that as I’ve changed naturally, my relationships have had to adjust too. As my journey unfolded, my relationships with family and friends had to adapt somehow. It was a difficult time. 

It’s crucial to have that stability and security inside so that you’re still stable no matter what happens outside. No storms can bother you, and it’s possible to sail regardless. It’s the idea of not compromising too much. People will love you or hate you, but you can always be okay, stable and content with yourself. So that was my reflection and lesson from the satsang yesterday.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 5^th February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Experiences of Empowered 5 – Part 3

By Linda Abrol, Netherlands

In the final part of this testimonial, Linda shares some of her beautiful experiences with Mohanji in India after the Empowered programme.

The moment I got home from Serbia at the end of October 2022, my existing problems worsened. It was as if the Kailash challenge had come home with me. And not unsolicited or unwanted. It was welcome but also extremely painful. 

Energy prices were skyrocketing, and our popular vegetarian Indian restaurant, where energy is used in abundance for the tandoor oven, the big gas stove, and all the refrigerators and freezers, the dishwashers, the grease filtering system and lighting, was quickly heading toward bankruptcy. 

My husband’s depression worsened together with our marital problems. And that to an unbearable point where my husband and I began to discuss divorce seriously. Since I didn’t have a job, ageing and osteoarthritis made the chance of finding a job difficult – living on my own seemed virtually impossible. Not wanting to depend on others, I faced the worst-case scenario of becoming homeless.

I simply witnessed the possibility and was amazed at how balanced and empowered I felt beneath the emotions and mind games. I kept my back straight and continued to practice my focus on alignment by concentrating on Guru Consciousness, self-acceptance, Kriya, inner silence and, in extreme situations, Pause Technique. 

The same issue I faced during the days of the Empowered retreat in Serbia surfaced again and again – misunderstanding – but with more intensity. To the extent that I thought that no one really understood my pure intentions. Many loved ones seemed to look at me through a veil of their convictions, colours, ideas, and opinions and judged me for almost every decision I made with a pure heart.

My decisions seemed totally egoistic in the eyes of nearly all my dear ones, and their judgment seemed final. I felt extreme loneliness. Kailash and Empowered 5 energies seemed to intensify my challenges. Shiva takes everything and leaves you empty, but only with your permission. It is like buying a ticket for a rollercoaster ride and yet being surprised by its ferocity.

Fortunately, I didn’t resist even the deepest feeling of desperation and fear of the unknown and stayed considerably stable. Both Kailash and Empowered didn’t only trigger the trials. They gave the ‘medicines’ as well in the form of a deep underlying peace, acceptance and a feeling of absolute safety, no matter what happened.

In the midst of all personal trouble and trauma, I bought my ticket for India to attend Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s birthday celebration, which was being conducted yearly on the 23rd of November 2022 in Sri Soma Sai Skanda Ashram in Nidugatha, Maddur taluk, near Bangalore. This was the first time the celebrations were held without the presence of Swami Gopal Baba, who took samadhi in 2020.

After his samadhi, covid prevented any celebration in the ashram. While still in the body, he had asked all of us devotees to keep attending the celebrations even after his samadhi. I couldn’t disappoint my Guru, and although our financial situation seemed to be under immense pressure, I completely trusted that the universe (the Tradition) would take care.

But the deciding factor to go was the chance that Mohanji would attend the celebrations. A few months ago, I woke up with a strong feeling: how wonderful would it be to celebrate our beloved Sathya Sai Baba’s birthday in Swami Gopal Baba’s ashram in Mohanji’s divine presence? 

Experience has taught me that those ‘satwic desires’ tended to come true. I called my friend Sita and told her of my vision. She said that her husband Nico had a dream in which he saw Mohanji in ‘Kalyanpur’s room’. Kalyanpur was a businessman who donated the money for many constructions in the ashram. He had an apartment in the ashram where he would stay when construction work was going on. This sounded wonderful to me. We decided that B. was the best person to invite Mohanji to the ashram personally, and Sita asked him if he was prepared to do that. He loved the idea and said he would consider it.

We took that as a ‘yes’ and assumed that Mohanji was officially invited. Every time I thought of my coming journey to the ashram, I felt the joy of Mohanji being there. Both Sita and I sent an unofficial WhatsApp message to Chris Greenwood, Mohanji’s EA, and I mentioned in a message to Preeti Duggal – still assuming that Mohanji was already invited – our sincere prayer that he would be willing to be present at the coming celebrations in Sri Soma Sai Skanda Ashram.

Mohanji was in Delhi and appeared to have extended his stay there beyond the expected arrival time in the Sri Soma Sai Skanda Ashram. He was North, and we were South. Somehow, I knew he would change his mind. There was no fear, doubt, or desire, simply a happy anticipation. And a prayer that all Swami’s disciples would feel Gopal Baba’s love through him.

Always when a great Master takes samadhi, and there is no appointed successor, a situation arises where there may be confusion about future plans, convictions, positions and opinions, mixed with intense feelings of mourning about the Master. As far as I could see, despite this turbulent time, Swami’s boys and sevadals did an amazing job of upholding the Guru’s will and maintaining the ashram according to his liking. They never missed performing a ritual that Swami Gopal Baba would have done, even if no attendee or visitor showed up.

A few days before the birthday celebrations, my travel companion, Yvonne, and I visited Mohanji’s ashram in Bangalore to join in the noon aarathi and to embrace Amma and Acchan, Mohanji’s parents. Rajesh Kamath was home and told us that Mohanji had changed his plan and cut his visit to Delhi short to come to the ashram in Nidugatha. I was over the moon with joy, as you can imagine.

On the 23rd of November, I heard Mohanji’s voice inside me: ‘… therefore, I was sent (from Delhi) to the South to look after my children.’ I experienced it as a confirmation of my prayer that Gopal Baba would bring clarity and happiness in the form of Mohanji. Swami Sri Gopal Baba was the embodiment of the divine Mother and – although occupying a male body – would call us her children. Now it was absolutely clear to me that she had come on this auspicious day to look after her children in my beloved Mohanji’s form. 

When Mohanji actually arrived, and I got the chance to express a few words of gratitude, he simply said: ‘I had to come!’ What a blessing it was, and what a confirmation! Mohanji was received by Swami’s disciples with all regards, was invited to the sanctum sanctorum of the main (Kamakshi) temple, had lunch in Kalyanpur’s apartment, just like Nico’s dream had already predicted a year earlier, visited Swami’s house, walked hand in hand with the main trustee of the ashram, inaugurated the newly built dispensary and made each and every disciple happy by his unconditional love.

Beautiful pictures of this joyful occasion can be found on Mohanji’s official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MohanjiOfficial/posts/pfbid028ApVHoTyYQ5bYromd7Fn8mm3rHXtSYZHJaogaub8h2PCwwJuSd82P4WiEPWbD4awl

After the celebrations, the real mystery evolved. Who had officially invited Mohanji? It appeared that our assumption B. would do it had not come true. B. had not been able to invite Mohanji for some understandable reasons that he explained to us later. But he told us that Dinesh – one of Swami Gopal Baba’s devotees from Delhi, who happened to have walked the Outer Kora with Mohanji – had invited him during his recent stay in Delhi.

My Sherlock Homes instinct woke up. I sent a message to Dinesh. He answered: ‘No, I didn’t invite Mohanji. I only mentioned the celebrations to him. Mohanji then told me that He had heard about the celebrations from Preeti Duggal and a few others, and He ‘impulsively’ decided to attend them while talking to me.’ I was stunned to hear this.

Then who invited Mohanji officially? How did The Mother come to her children? Was it simply the innocent and sincere prayer of two of her children and a dream of a third that invited her all the way South? Dinesh and Sita said: ‘It was the Tradition that invited Mohanji.’ My inner voice had already confirmed that statement. Which mother needs an official invitation to come to her children? The mother is simply drawn towards her children when they need her. She knows every need, even before her child cries. 

Miracles do happen, but it is not a good thing to assume things without checking facts and turning them into a miracle. Therefore I didn’t end my search here. I asked the managing trustee of the Sri Soma Sai Skanda ashram, and the missing part of the mystery got solved.

After hearing from Dinesh about Mohanji’s change of plans and his intention to visit the Sri Soma Skanda Ashram, they officially invited him for lunch and the inauguration ceremony of the dispensary, despite the intern rule of the Trust to not invite any spiritual Gurus or Masters to the ashram during major functions like Swamy aradhana, and Sathya Sai birthday. The reason was understandable and simple. They all would be busy with function activities and probably would not be able to receive their official and holy guests with proper rituals. 

So, the actual miracle was that for Mohanji, the Trust members made an exception to their own rule. A miracle was that Mohanji came spontaneously, despite having other plans in Delhi. That it so happened that he had another function in Bangalore on the same day and could combine them conveniently.

Nico’s dream was part of the miracle, and our prayers that came true were part of the miracle. Our hearts being filled to the brim with love and joy was part of the miracle. Kannaiah’s presence and his being able to officially welcome Mohanji and attend to all his needs while Swami’s Indian disciples were busy with the function was part of the miracle.

Seeing Mohanji humbly bowing down in sincere respect to our Guru’s picture in his house, despite his own immeasurable spiritual status, was part of the miracle. Mohanji’s remark during our goodbye was that we were welcome in his ashram in Bangalore during the remainder of our stay in India was part of the miracle. 

Sita, Nico, Yvonne and I were blessed to spend three afternoons with Mohanji before we flew home, with many hours of satsang. And with blessings and hugs of dear Amma and Achan, his parents who felt very very close, eating with the family, attending aarathi, watching Mohanji in the set up for a live zoom session, meditating in the guestroom while he was doing some other work.

On the day before our flight, Mohanji served us our meal like a divine Mother. He served every item with his own hands and didn’t forget anybody or anything. Once again, during this journey, he proved that he is not only the embodiment of the Divine Father but the Divine Mother as well! 

These were sheer miracles and completely unexpected. On how we deserved this grace while Mohanji had such an incredibly busy life being involved in activities in 91+ countries, He answered (as I remember): ‘It is not easy to get to me like this. You have been involved with sadhana and with Masters for many years.’ 

We experienced so many blessed miracles on this journey that we had to ask ourselves: are we able to digest all this? As soon as I heard my limited thinking, I recognized the mind talk and directed my mind towards more elevated ways of watching the course of events: being with our Guru involves being open and limitless. There is nothing to digest. Digesting is limited to a person.

Being in divine presence requires simply flowing and experiencing the grace of every living moment. In the best-case scenario, there is only Him. My sincere prayer is: May we all be able to flow in Guru Consciousness, where there is no mine or me. Experience moment by moment. And as soon as we forget, may we wake up to his presence once again.

Experiences of Empowered 5 – Part 2

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 4^th February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Consciousness

by a Mohanji follower

After experiencing a myriad of wonders and pleasures, there came the point where I was at the lowest ebb of life. All that was held precious until then started collapsing. It dawned that every privilege and experience came with an expiry date. Then a question arose, “What is it? What is the ultimate nature of existence? What is it that lies at the core of everything?” This question pierced in such a way that life seemed to have no value without experientially knowing it.

One night, while sitting on a sofa in a relaxed mood, something took over, and the awareness started travelling inward. So many things ranging from magnificent to ugly began to surface within the mind at an overwhelming pace. So many impressions that did not make logical sense were coming to the awareness and leaving. It was as if something was purging the mind and the intensity of it was unbearable. 

Sometime later, the awareness went beyond the muddle of thoughts and emotions. As a result, the mind appeared like a third person and was unbelievably complex. To give an analogy, the mind appeared to have a million chambers, and each chamber seemed like a world in itself. It also gave the impression that multiple lifetimes could be erased with the awareness trapped just within a few chambers of the mind. 

After this, the awareness reached the energy layer. Here it looked like the entire being was occupied with various energy patterns. These energy patterns seemed to be the repository of information. These patterns were actively moving and dispensing the information to the body and mind, making them work in a particular way. At this point, it was also visible how a meeting of two beings/entities results in their energy patterns getting mixed, merging and growing in complexity.

Sometime later, the awareness penetrated even deeper. Here it was pure, dynamic energy, which was formless and flowed like electricity. It was moving effortlessly and activating all the energy patterns present within the being. It came across as the root energy whose graceful dance within an individual keeps them alive and functioning. 

For some time, only this dynamic energy remained in the awareness and nothing else. A little later, the awareness advanced further and touched the source of this dynamic energy. The source appeared to be just Nothingness. The moment the awareness came in touch with that Nothingness, it occurred that this is my true self (it is like a self-revelation, not that you think and say, this is me). I was screaming in awe, that’s it? That’s it! This Nothingness appeared to exist at the core of everything. 

We commonly refer to this as Consciousness, as it is conscious of everything. At that very moment, the awareness grasped the fact that an individual is never born, never dies, but always remains in its essence as the eternal Consciousness. This is why all the Masters say, “You are Consciousness,” “You are what you are looking for!” or simply put, “You are that!” 

Consciousness looked absolutely still, with no movement whatsoever. In the lap of that absolute stillness, there was no experience of time but that of just timelessness and being one with everyone and everything around. Only at the surface (physical level) was there an experience of separation, but at the core, there was only union. There was no such thing as multiple Gurus, Guru-disciple, good or bad, and superior-inferior; in other words, all duality disappeared at the level of Consciousness. We are, in our truest essence, that Consciousness; in reality, we are all one.  

Consciousness was like an all-pervading canvas that projected many forms and bodies which interacted with one another. Although it is the source, it appeared non-interfering, still, and as a witness to the entire creation. This glimpse of Consciousness gave me an opportunity, and a peek into the process of creation. 

To briefly summarize what was observed, pure dynamic energy emerged out of Nothingness/Consciousness. Then it took various geometric shapes and patterns, repeatedly forming to a certain point where it became multiple concentrated energy patterns. It was indicative that these concentrated patterns transformed into the physical matter over time. When the dynamic energy flowed through the newly formed physical matter, it activated it, and a new life was born. Thus, the overall impression was that all the physical creation we see emerges from that Consciousness and dissolves back into it.  

After tasting Consciousness, the awareness returned to its previous state in the early hours of the next morning. A few hours later, the following was posted as Mohanji’s quote of that day. 

In retrospect, it was quite apparent how much love and work goes behind a transformation of a person when he/she connects to a Master (one with Consciousness). Mohanji’s work resulted in my awareness hurling inward, peeling layer after layer of creation until it touched the very source, the Creator. This is the inner Master, or the true self, that lies in all of us. Once a person finds it, his/her search comes to fruition. Many questions a seeker encounters on the path simply crumble or cease to exist.

A seeker, at some point in their life, might experience a feeling of stagnation. The mind can give a false impression of no progress, or worse, it can make one believe there is no such thing as Consciousness and that we have been chasing some mirage all along. 

This brief experience of Consciousness uprooted all such doubts and uncertainties and led me to walk the path with absolute conviction. The reality is that every seeker is moving towards Consciousness, a state of unfathomable freedom. This should be a reassurance to all of us walking on the path. A Master who has already attained Consciousness is working out every possible way to move the seeker toward Consciousness. We should just hang on to the Master with immense gratitude for carrying us. 

I want to thank Mohanji and all the other great Masters and evolved beings who have given themselves, held my hand and led me to experience the all-pervading Consciousness. Truly grateful to all of them. 

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 2^nd February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team