Fearless and free in Kailash

By Asja Dupanovic, Bosnia

As soon as I felt that beautiful, clear and strong calling to go to holy Mt. Kailash, my mind stepped in. In the very next second, I thought to myself that I must be crazy, thinking that someone with my physical challenges could even dream of undertaking such a journey, not to mention enjoying it. On second thought, fear stepped in. What if it is too challenging and I just make problems for the organizers and the rest of the group, I thought. Then, back to mind – isn’t 2026 the best time to go? I could wait until then. 

That same afternoon, I had a very sincere conversation with myself and boldly decided to, pardon my French, cut the crap. I admitted to myself that I am healthy enough, strong enough, have the means, and have the time for this journey. What I did not have is any argument to postpone. There shall be no waiting, I told myself decisively, as who knows what will happen until 2026. 

I also decided, then and there, that there was no way for any physical challenge to stand in my way of making such a journey of a lifetime. No way. I am ready. I am ready to face all my fears, ready to fall apart completely in order to pick myself up from the ashes of all my former limiting beliefs and everything that ever held me back. I am ready to let myself off the hook, spread my wings and fly. In my own way, I communicated my intention, determination and bravery to Mohanji and Shirdi Sai Baba, in the depth of my heart, humbly asking for their blessings. 

Among others, I have this cute habit of writing messages to them and leaving them on my altar. This time, that message simply read: “A dip in Mansarovar and a darshan of Kailash. Thank you!” Call it however you want; expressing my wishes and intentions to them in such a way triggers some sort of magic for me. It not only makes me feel held accountable, but I feel their blessing sets a whole flow in motion, making me feel empowered beyond words. 

And so it was, the intention was set, and two months of preparations started. Throughout this period, I was simply happy and excited. There was no panic, no fear or worry. There was enough time to think about everything, to ask about everything, and even to read the Kailash with Mohanji book, The Inner Kora, which contains testimonials of pilgrims who went to Kailash with Mohanji in the years 2014 and 2016. 

As soon as I applied for the pilgrimage, I bought the flight ticket to Kathmandu way ahead and slowly, in peace, collected the other items I lacked (like a proper backpack, thermals, etc.). During this period, I faced some tests, all concerning money. The moment I signed up for the pilgrimage, I had 250 EUR for it. As soon as I would earn some extra money to add to my Kailash envelope, a super strange bill would reach me. 

Like one from the Tax Department, punishing me for something that my accountant did wrong in 2020. It realistically wasn’t even mine to pay but I paid it anyway, no questions asked, just moving on. It was not the time for conflicts, tension, or being upset. I had some sort of really wonderful respect for the sanctity of preparing for such a journey as a pilgrimage to Kailash.

The day came to pay the last instalment for the trip. Just like with the trip I made to India this February on the occasion of my (and Mohanji’s) birthday, the money simply happened, the grace of Mohanji and the Tradition, who else. I put it all in my bank account and waited for the monthly salary, which would also arrive that afternoon. And it did. I had all the money I needed to pay to the organizers. That was exciting! The transaction, however, was strangely unsuccessful, and what followed shocked me and made me laugh my heart out. 

The transaction was intercepted by hackers from a country far, far away, and my whole bank account was emptied. The whole of it. Not a penny was left. I soon snapped out of my initial shock and surrendered the situation to Mohanji and Shirdi Sai Baba with a smile on my face and peace in my heart. I sincerely shared with them that this situation is beyond me and asked them to handle it. Sure enough, you guessed it; I also left them a kind note on the altar, with a small heart drawn on the paper too. 

As I said, I found this period not to be suited for any conflict, and I had none with the bank that decided to pretend like nothing had happened. I paid a visit to a lawyer and, smiling, asked the lady to handle the matter graciously and with a non-violent attitude, telling her that I was off to a super sacred journey and simply said goodbye to her. She must have thought that I was crazy to be fluttering my wings just like a butterfly in such a situation. We were just at the Kriya Intensive retreat with Mohanji in my home town of Sarajevo those days.

I shortly told Mohanji what had happened and only asked if it was okay to ask my brother to pay for the trip instead of me. Mohanji confirmed it, and Filip made the payment the same day. I was going to Kailash, just as I knew I would be. I also knew that, in vertical time, this whole journey had already happened; Kailash yatra had already happened for me; I only needed to go there physically now.

Even with the bank account incident, everything went so smoothly for me the whole time. What I have experienced right from the moment my heart decided to go on this pilgrimage, I can only describe as happy, happier and the happiest of Asja. I was so happy the whole time! Happy, joyful, relaxed, at peace, fully surrendered at Mohanji’s feet and in sheer acceptance of everything that presented itself on the way, my arms fully open to embrace everything and anything.

Time in Kathmandu

I absolutely loved the five days that we spent in Kathmandu with Mohnaji in satsang, chanting, meditating, detailing the trip, sharing meals and becoming a family. Mohanji gave us his undivided attention and embraced us all with so much love and care. He inquired about my eating all the time. In his super sweet way, He would walk into the room asking, “Is Asja eating?” 

Kailash with Mohnaji group 2023, with Mohanji in Kathmandu

I sure was eating plenty! And laughing all the time! Laughter was to permeate all the days this group had spent together, only adding to my daily joy and happiness. I do not remember ever having such good laughs and being so perpetually happy like the three weeks of this journey. My endless gratitude goes to the other 26 Yatris for their part in the feel-good atmosphere that we shared those days. We were a small and sweet group glued together by a silent pledge to succeed in our desire to make this a trip of our lifetimes, to be there for each other, take care of each other, carry, empower, and support each other in all ways possible (laughing all the way whilst at it).

Kathmandu was special for me in more ways than one. I was there once before, in 2009, in the midst of a super challenging period of my life. Here I was, 14 years later, in front of those same prayer wheels in Swayambhunath Stupa, in a position to express nothing but gratitude. This time, I was healthy and happy in Kathmandu, not to mention on my way to Kailash with the most amazing group of people, guided and supported by none other than Mohanji, sprinkling his golden dust all over me non-stop. What a life!

In Kathmandu’s Swayambhunath Stupa

All the grace at Kailash Yatra

Happiness continued as we drove from Kathmandu to and through China. The first darshan of Kailash, just before we reached Lake Mansarovar, still takes my breath away when I think of it. Had that been the end of our journey, it would have been enough. My heart was full. 

The group’s first darshan (view) of holy Mt. Kailash

The day at Lake Mansarovar deserves a book on its own, I feel. Overwhelming are those instances when you simply cannot believe your fortune and wish for each moment to last forever. Such was the experience with the group on the shores of Mansarovar, whose sacred waters are fed by Kailash glaciers and are said to have celestial beings bathe in them during the night. 

Again, had that been the end of our journey, that would have been totally enough. When I thought that things could not get any better than they already were, we gathered around the fire for Homa, the sacred fire ceremony, most graciously led by our fellow pilgrim Kannaiah from the Netherlands. Each of us offered to the fire a stick of wood dipped in ghee, along with a deep intention. 

Homa, the sacred fire ceremony graciously led by Kanniah

I have no idea how long the ceremony lasted, but every moment of it was super special and super powerful. I was mind-blowingly happy to be there, grateful beyond words to share those moments with the group. We were all one, and the grace was felt as if it was pouring over us from everywhere. After the Homa, someone looked above, and we saw this scene in the sky. Indeed, it was no ordinary moment on the shores of Mansarovar! 

Above us, during Homa

The next morning, we started the three-day circumambulation (parikrama) of Mount Kailash. I bowed down after going through the Yam Dwar gates (The gateway of the God of Death), the starting point of parikrama), surrendering everything that used to hold me back – all my roles, identities, limiting beliefs, fears, all the baggage I did not even need to carry on my shoulders. I left it all behind to enter the world in which a new life was possible.

Yam Dwar, “The gateway of the God of Death”, the starting point of Kailash parikrama

Those three days were full of joy. Everything went easy and smooth for me. Until that point, nor later, did I feel any sign of altitude sickness. As if all the gifts thus far were not enough, I did not feel sick even for a moment. I experienced no lack of oxygen, felt no headache, nothing. Laugh if you wish, but my only trouble was with Mr. Pony! The first day, I was literally trying to survive it. I had no idea what I was doing wrong, but whenever I looked at my fellow pilgrims, they all seemed to me to be enjoying their ride and fully in control. 

I laugh now, but it was really not easy for me to stay on that horse. I patted it and thanked it many times, very grateful to its owner, who proved to be a very nice guy, always smiling, helping others, and expressing kindness to the horse and everyone we met on the road. Having heard all kinds of stories about ponies and porters, I was mostly asking myself if I was grateful enough for this kind of grace showering on me without stopping.

I struggle on the pony (yellow backpack), with Moushumi fully in control (behind me)

The second, most challenging day of the parikrama passed away, mostly in awe. Everything that unveiled itself before my eyes was simply stunning. From the most incredible landscapes, the absolutely unbelievable deep blue colour of the skies, the whitest clouds one can imagine, the way that the pony managed to climb Dolma La Pass (the highest point of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra at 5630m), the magnificent Gauri Kund (believed to be the lake in which Goddess Parvati bathed), all the way to the hundreds of meditation caves on the hills on both sides of the last stretch of the road. 

Most precious moments were those in which I was completely alone, coming down from Dolma La Pass. I was taking my time as if trying to make each moment last longer so that I could engrave it deep in my memory and soul. I walked for a long time above Gauri Kund, chanting Om Hrim Namah Shivaya (the Sanskrit mantra invoking the spirit of both Shiva and Shakti), with Lord Shiva & Goddess Parvati next to Mohanji in my heart. The sheer experience of those moments was mesmerizing and overwhelmingly beautiful. I experienced myself as fearless and completely free (no mind). 

Climbing Dolma La Pass (1)

Dolma La Pass (2)

Gauri Kund

At some point, the porter lady caught up with me and rushed me down the hill, completely spoiling the beauty of the moment. I don’t know why I didn’t tell her to go down without me, as I was fully immersed in the experience, which perhaps did not mean as much to her. 

I reached the guest house before my friends Ivana and Sanda. I took a room for the three of us and decided to have a rest before they came. They were among the five from our group who walked the whole 52km of the Kailash parikrama (without using the horse), and I thought it would be nice to do some reflexology on their feet as they finally reached the bed. Eventually, they joined me in our room, smiling and super happy. We were all thrilled about the day behind us. 

In the middle of our joy, I realized how badly they smelt of sweat, and we all burst into laughter as I told them to please have a shower first before I touched their feet. There were no shower facilities anywhere near, and we could hardly stop laughing. It was day seven since we had our last proper shower in Kathmandu. It was an amazing feeling to welcome everyone who came afterwards, have tea, chats about our day, perform Mohanji’s aarati and sing bhajans (our daily evening practice). 

Day three started while it was still dark outside, and it was going to be a short and easy horseback ride. I continued with my fascination and daydreaming over the meditation caves, which were everywhere to be seen. At one point, we reached a cliff, and the gentlemen walking the pony told me to get off the horse. I almost uttered inwardly: “No, you know that I can’t walk much; don’t spoil my day!” (I was a successful skier in my youth and in 2007, something inexplicable happened with my legs. Ever since, I get very tired when walking, cannot run even if my life depends on it, and feel quite unstable on my feet.) 

I caught myself in this negative thought and immediately decided that, at that moment, in that most amazing place on the planet, nothing would spoil my day. I will walk as slowly as an ant if necessary, but I am going to be happy taking each and every step along the way. In one instance, I realized that I was feeling super light in the body and having no trouble walking at all. In fact, I was walking quite fast, which was unreal. It’s so incredibly unreal that I added even more speed. I was going faster and faster and faster, out of this world thrilled with this body which resembled my ‘once upon a time body’ – strong, fast and able to withstand any physical effort. 

Let’s say that felt like nothing short of a state of bliss for me. I could not believe what was happening. Having reached a small hill, I was simply gliding over it, as if having some engine in my legs. Checking in with this incredible new/old body, I realized that I was walking fast uphill, and my pulse didn’t change at all, nor was I experiencing any shortness of breath. Simply put, that was just surreal. I wished to go on like that for long, as far as those amazing legs could take me. Unfortunately, in about a kilometre, the parikrama ended. It was finished, and I had to stop. At least to say that that was the last thing I wanted to do!

Life after Kailash

The days we spent on the bus returning back slowly to Kathmandu were spent in beautiful contemplation. For all those eleven days, I had no phone with me. I left it behind in Kathmandu. I needed that time off, and my deep desire was to feel the place and experience it fully. I saw my phone as just a distraction. Driving back through those incredible landscapes, bathed by beautiful sunshine, I spent hours on the bus in deep clarity about what I love and want to do in my life. The sheer satisfaction of these insights filled my heart with incredible joy. I was so happy. 

Happy on the road back from Tibet

Being back home, I did not experience the heaviness and grossness of energies. I did not feel bad or sad about returning. Life after Kailash only seems better than what it was before. Equipped with what I came back with, it most certainly is better and easier.

Ivana and I sending love to the group from back in Sarajevo

Final remarks

This testimonial would not be complete without mentioning the most incredible sherpas who travelled with us and took care of us. Six incredible beings, which I named ‘Mohanji’s army,’ made all the difference in the success and feel-good atmosphere of this trip. They made us feel safe, made us laugh, prepared the most amazing food for us in the most incredible conditions, and the list could go on and on. 

Sunil, Tashi and Nigma sherpas serving us lunch on the road when one of our buses broke

Lastly, there is an endless list of gratitude for me to express to Mohanji. Only he knows what he had to go through for this whole experience to go just the way it did. I remain forever grateful and surrender fully at his lotus feet.

Mohanji’s heartfelt blessings at bidding farewell to the group in Kathmandu

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 30th November 2023

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A piece of heaven called MCB

by Elham, Mohanji Acharya

“Gratitude opens the door for grace to flow.”

Mohanji

One of the ways to express gratitude to the Guru is to speak up about the grace that happened to us; in this way, we acknowledge it. Otherwise, time can wash away those blissful memories, and we may not remember how much Mohanji helps us, and we may forget his miracles that time and again gave us the experience of a blissful state. But when we express it solidly, it stays; the mind cannot deny it, time cannot wash it away, and it may inspire someone in the same situation now or even many years later.

I would like to share some of the experiences regarding my last trip with Mohanji to the Mohanji Center of Benevolence (MCB) USA. My husband Farshad and I were blessed to serve in Mohanji’s office team during this trip; we could observe Mohanji from a much closer perspective.

First, a little about this new center in the USA. In a word, it’s divine! It’s like that part of Power of Purity meditation when Mohanji talks about a serene land where you would like to sit for meditation forever! While driving towards the center for the first time, we were amazed by the area’s beautiful landscapes, serenity and peacefulness. Every early morning, driving from the hotel to the center was an amazing journey. It was a foggy, beautiful road, like movies, and we had the chance to see many deer and baby deer along the road, cows and calves, rabbits, horses and baby horses and crows peacefully sitting on the road. Mohanji says connecting to Lord Datta is not easy, so when people asked Datta how to connect to you, he said look at nature. While looking at that beautiful and peaceful nature, you could tangibly feel Datta deep inside. It was the first time I could feel or connect to Datta, and Mohanji himself could be felt as Datta during this trip. As Mohanji says, “I am an empty pot. I reflect what fills into me, time after time.” 

On the very first day, when Mohanji arrived at the center, a female black dog appeared (confirmed by Lata Ganesh), and even though it had a collar, it seemed to have no owner. Her eyes were full of love! She was looking at us with so much compassion. She also came inside the hall and attended Mohanji’s satsangs. We told Mohanji about the dog, and he said, “She is Gauri, wife of Shiva.” We all left in awe! This land started attracting divine beings immediately because of Mohanji’s presence. During his lunch, Mohanji gave me a handful of food from his plate to feed Gauri. 

For those who may not know, Mohanji always offers his food to divine beings in many dimensions and lokas, so this food becomes blessed by them, and it’s so nurturing and called Prasad. I am not scared of animals but don’t like to get very close or touch them, especially always avoiding their licking. Meanwhile, going out to feed her, I was thinking what to do! I don’t feel good to drop the food on the ground since it’s blessed food (Prasad). Then I gathered all the courage I had to feed by hand! Gauri was standing there, waiting, and I offered the food by hand and to my surprise, she took the food in a way that didn’t lick my hand at all! Obviously, the food was very nurturing to her, not only physically; she was very pleased. The next day, she brought her three kids, all in black! 

When we told Mohanji, He talked about the four dogs of Datta, which are the four Vedas. He said, “Feed them.” When Mohanji wants to eat, he keeps telling everybody to eat and asks if the animals outside have been fed. Once at lunch, He suddenly stared outside from the window near the lunch table and said, “Nobody should go hungry from here, nobody, no being.” Mohanji walks the talk; he always speaks about feeding the hungry, and he does the same in his daily life. Also, he doesn’t only eat for himself, as I had an experience of this. When he ate, my stomach was full; I wrote about it in the Guru Leela book, Volume 4.

Before coming to the USA, Mohanji had some programs in MCB Scotland, and since then, his feet have been swollen and painful, but he still proceeded with the schedule. When he arrived, his feet were very bad, and standing was not easy either, but you couldn’t see any mark of pain on his face; people were trying to touch his feet, and he was pulling them back. He did not request the people not to touch his feet! 

Once, after a meeting, he went out and sat on the terrace, and I took a tea for him and noticed a wheezing sound coming while he was breathing. I asked him what happened, “Father, this was not there a bit before”. He said, “I had to cleanse these people.” Our limited mind cannot understand that he is already in so much pain, and god knows what he has taken on to himself, but still, this can’t stop him from helping people by removing blockages and what else! This situation with the feet happened around the time of the earthquake in Morocco, and I felt there was a connection, and he saved many by taking things to himself.

When the retreat started on September 22, many meeting requests came up, and Mohanji’s team did their best to accommodate everyone. Being a witness to all these closely gave me much more understanding and respect for Mohanji and his team. It’s really not easy to manage these many requests, especially when Mohanji’s health is not well. He gives all of himself. He was fulfilling everyone’s wishes. Sometimes, people wanted to say something but might have felt shy. Then, Mohanji, with a smile, would ask, “You wanted to tell me something,” and they would open up. He does one thing constantly, non-stop: “Giving”. I told him, “Father, you gave a lot to everyone even though you are in pain, and you even fulfilled people’s expectations.” He said, “I’m here for this.” So simple, so selfless, without thinking of himself. He said, “I can take care of you, but I can’t take care of myself. I am always looking after you, right?” Absolutely, this is true, not me only; everyone who is connected to him has experienced it, he’s also taking care of many who are not connected but praying intensely. Sometimes, we have expectations that Mohanji will take care of everything. We should always remember that in this life, anything we experience now is the product of our deeds; nobody should be blamed for it, and nobody should take care of it. The Guru is not here to clean up our mess, but if he removes things out of compassion, it’s all his grace, nothing else. 

There was a very important event at the MCB: Homa. A sacred fire ceremony ritual that Mohanji himself was supposed to conduct. Many people joined, almost 200. As soon as Mohanji joined and started the ritual, the shift of energy was felt. There were thick clouds, and based on the day before forecasts, it was supposed to rain that day, but the map started changing, and there was no rain! Mohanji kept gazing at the sky several times during the 3 hours of the homa, probably each time with a different purpose. One of his gazes parted the clouds, and beautiful sunshine emerged. He was instructing what mantra to chant at times, and the presence of the deity connected to each mantra could be felt powerfully! When Mohanji said to chant the Vishnu mantra, soon after, a huge eagle appeared in the sky, flew above Mohanji’s head in the sky and then disappeared. Maha Vishnu himself came to bless the homa. When Mohanji instructed to chant the Hanuman mantra, the energy got so intense, and fire flames became tall and violent. Each deity had its flavour and sign. All deities came because Mohanji called upon them. 

After the homa, everyone felt super light, happy and joyful. There was so much kindness and love between everyone, and the land was much more vibrant. It felt like a higher realm, another dimension. After the homa was done, Mohanji was very satisfied and said, “It could not be done better!” So, the deities accepted the offering, and this is because of his purity; who cannot accept his pure offering? After this powerful homa, MCB USA felt like a powerful portal of light and energy, ready to give stability and awareness to anyone looking for it.

Most offered coconuts got burned sooner or later by that evening, but a couple of them were more resistant; they were still burning until noon the next day. Mohanji had eyes on them to make sure all would go. He always does his job perfectly and much more than that. He said one of these coconuts was about someone who committed suicide life after life, for 6-7 lifetimes, thus not completing a lifetime fully. In this life, too, the person tried to commit suicide, and that’s why it was tough to burn.

Despite a busy schedule and daily satsangs, Mohanji attended a school to donate some shoes to kids that some of their families might not be able to afford. This happened through ACT USA. The school was far, and it was a long drive, which meant it was not good for the feet, but nothing could stop him from making someone happy. Little kids were waiting in the hall, and they didn’t know who Mohanji was. The principal introduced him as the founder of ACT charity. Mohanji spoke to them briefly, but I felt he touched their hearts. He spoke about being kind and not selfish. Then, he took their attention to their breathing and body and encouraged them to feel themselves. Then they had the chance to select their shoes and were so happy and excited. Some of them couldn’t find their size, and one child was so sad, but nothing was missed from Mohanji’s eyes. He instructed the team to write their names and sizes, get their correct size, and deliver as soon as possible; such compassion and attention to detail!

He fulfilled many of my wishes on this trip. He has many ears and hears the hearts well. At the end of one satsang, someone tied a bracelet on Mohanji’s wrist, and when I saw that, just this thought passed through my mind, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”. A few hours later, after satsang, Mohanji was speaking to someone in the hall, and I was in the next room, so he called me to open this bracelet. By the time I could get there, he could open it himself, give it to me, and say, “It’s yours!”. I was so surprised, like a child, because first he heard that thought and this was sitting on his wrist for a few hours!! Such a blessing! I was so happy going around and showing others what I got!

My feelings about the time were very odd during my stay with Mohanji. I felt time go very fast, and at the same time, one day felt so long because so many things were happening in just one day. This cannot be explained in words because, from the mind level, there is a contradiction. But in simple words, time was fast and slow simultaneously!

Mohanji always goes the extra mile! Two days before the end of the retreat, Mohanji’s arati happened at 6 pm to his picture, and whoever was there in the MCB joined, and it was so powerful. People asked to meet him and have a satsang. His feet were not good at all, very swollen and painful, and he had a flight in two days. Yet, he fulfilled this wish! Mohanji had to keep his feet up to prevent more swelling, but he did not hesitate and preferred to bend his leg and have more pain than sitting in that position. 

On the last day before leaving for the airport, we met Mohanji in his room. He always asks us how we go back home, and he clears our way back, and if we experience anything, we know that Mohanji already made it a lot lighter. This time, without us telling him anything, he said, “Your flight is 8 hours, right?” and asked for the complete route back home. I felt it meant something. We started driving to the airport after receiving his blessings and a warm and lovely goodbye with everyone at the MCB. It was amazing to see eagles all the way to the airport constantly; Mohanji’s people (as he calls them) who were protecting! When we arrived at the airport and got our boarding passes, I heard another agent telling some other passengers that there was a delay in the flight, but I didn’t pay attention and thought it should be another flight; otherwise, this agent would inform us. We proceeded to the gate, and as soon as we arrived, they announced that there had been a 1.5-hour delay! 

The agent who served us was there, and I went to him and asked him why he didn’t inform us earlier about the delay. He started justifying himself that they just heard about it, but I couldn’t believe it because I had heard it from another agent. I was upset because if we had known earlier, we could have waited and seen Mohanji again since his flight was from the same airport but an hour later. 

After some unpleasant conversation with that guy and when the guy started shouting because they didn’t have any plan or explanation of what would happen if we missed our connection, we left the argument and waited for the flight. If we missed the connecting flight, that meant we may not even get home the next day, and Farshad had to be at work the next morning! So we could only surrender to Mohanji and wait. They announced boarding, and when everyone boarded the plane, it felt warm and suffocating with no AC. 

After some time and no movement, the captain started saying that there was some issue with the plane, that they needed to shut down for 10 minutes, and that it would get too warm in the plane. After a few minutes, a cabin crew member said that if it was warm and suffocating, we could get off the plane and leave our stuff inside but not go far away. After a few more minutes, another crew member asked everyone to get off the plane and take all our stuff! It was so weird. 

We felt we had lost the connection due to all this delay, and many thoughts came. What to do?! While walking out, we decided to cancel this flight and find another one-way flight, which was at a much higher rate now. I started searching for a flight, and Farshad was speaking with the agent. I found a flight in 3 hours with the cost of more than a 2-way flight. Then Farshad called me to check something with me, and I understood they would not refund the money but would give credit to our account with the same airline for the next travel! I told the guy, we’re not going to fly with them anymore, so what was the use of that? I noticed the guy’s attitude was different than before and trying to be helpful. 

There was a long line of people behind us, and everyone was so frustrated because the next flight would be the following day, and now it was 5:30 pm. The agent came closer and asked, ” Are you okay with me transferring your flight to another airline that flies in one hour? We both were so surprised and immediately said yes, of course. He said, but your luggage might be delayed and come in 1-2 days. I said it’s completely fine. He started working on the computer and called the crew to pull out our luggage and leave it aside for him to go and pick it up. He was working fast as though it was for his own family! He transferred us to another airline without any extra payment and asked me to check in online, but the page was not loading on my phone and kept asking me to pay for the seat. I was about to pay that, but he stopped me. He started checking on his computer and emailed us a boarding pass! At the end, he asked us to run to the gate, which was a bit far. We shook hands with him, and I thanked him a lot. He apologized for his earlier behaviour, and I felt Mohanji cleared something between us. His eyes were very different, and I felt so much kindness from him. 

After a long run, 30 minutes before the flight, we arrived at the gate, which was closed. I asked the agent if we could go in, and he said they’re not boarding yet! Just then, I noticed many people were around and released a big sigh! Something happened that was a sign of Mohanji’s presence in this whole incident. While boarding, we noticed a sign on the body of the plane next to the entrance door saying “One World,” and Mohanji always says “One World, One Family”. Jai Mohanji!! 

The flight was very nice and smooth, and we arrived 3.5 hours earlier than the previously booked flight, which was midnight! The next day, I received an email that the delayed flight was cancelled altogether. It was very obvious who was behind all these miracles. I’m sure we wouldn’t have returned home that day without Mohanji’s blessings. He removed all heaviness and obstacles; we just experienced a breeze instead of a tornado. 

Words fall short of expressing gratitude to Mohanji. Words are too gross to explain his stature and greatness. I keep remembering October 2022 when he had that accident. And he might have left the body, but he stayed out of love and compassion for every being who had hope in him. So I feel grateful every day, every moment he is here on Earth, breathing from the same air and walking on the same Earth. On top of that, we have the blessing to meet him in person here and there. A hundred years later, people will remember us as blessed and lucky ones who had the chance to be in the physical presence of such a Guru even though to me, Mohanji is an Avatar, and I believe it will be revealed just years later. 

A big thanks to Mohanji’s office team for making my experience more pleasant with their love, warmth and support.

Surrender this whole existence, this personality, all experiences and ego at the lotus feet of my Lord, Mohanji Baba.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 26th November 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

To register for the next Empowered 5.0 in India, click here!

A magical experience on foot with Mohanji in Chitrakoot

By Madhusudan Rajagopalan and Thea Klincov

November 2022

Introduction

Chitrakoot is well known to readers of the Ramayana [One of the two major epics of Sanatana Dharma (the Eternal Religion)] as the place where Lord Rama (the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu), along with his wife, Mother Sita and brother Lakshman, spent eleven years out of his fourteen-year exile. Even today, the town seems to exist in that bygone era, reminiscing the lost days with every corner adorning a shrine of Lord Rama’s durbar (royal court)– Lord Rama seated in his darbar with Mother Sita by his side, his brother Lakshmana behind him and Lord Hanuman at Lord Rama’s foot.

Chitrakoot has found its way in many a Mohanji conversation over the years. Mohanji wanted to experience this place he calls Lord Hanumanji’s ‘home’ since Lord Hanumanji is ever present where his beloved Master, Lord Rama’s name is chanted. In November 2022, Mohanji was finally able to visit this power centre. This blog is a humble attempt to capture our experiences and insights from this short yet action-packed visit. 

Chitrakoot – A Background

Chitrakoot is a picturesque town nestled amidst forests and hills. The town is replete with images and chants in praise of Lord Rama. Murals with images of the Ramayana adorn the walls while the sacred chants ‘Jai Siya [Siya is Sita in the Awadhi Hindi language] Ram’ (Hail Mother Sita and Lord Rama and ‘Jai Shri Ram’ (Hail Lord Ram) fill the air. The myriad ashrams dotting the town and the throng of saints and mendicants – both local and wandering- on the streets give this town a distinctly spiritual vibe. The beautiful and holy Mandakini river flows through the town, adding to the ethereal feel of the town. 

The centre point of this town is the sacred hill Kamadgiri, where Lord Rama is believed to have lived. Kamadgiri, in Sanskrit, literally means “one that fulfils all desires”; hence, a circumambulation of the base of the hill is considered highly auspicious. Devotees believe that all the teerthas (holy places) lie along the route. 

Chitrakoot is also synonymous with Lord Hanuman’s presence. As is well known, Mohanji loves and reveres Lord Hanuman as an embodiment of the perfect Master disciple for his unshakeable faith and complete surrender, with full awareness of his stature. Mohanji has explained this beautifully in his blog:

“Lord Ram asked Hanumanji, ‘Who are you?’ Hanumanji replied with total humility, ‘Great Lord, if I knew who I was, I might not be serving you.’ What Hanumanji meant was that if he realised who he really was, then there would be no separation from Ram, as Hanuman and Lord Ram are indeed ONE – two aspects of the same consciousness. There is no servant and no master. There is no expectation. There is no separation. Until this realisation happens, this and that, me and that, he and that, and all other kinds and aspects of separation will exist in the mind.”

Though I knew about Chitrakoot since childhood, I had never visited the place myself. I was excited to experience the place in the presence of Mohanji since that usually unravels some new facets beyond the normal. Thea, our photographer/videographer, was even more thrilled about Hanumanji living in Chitrakoot and particularly the prospect of experiencing Hanumanji in a physical form! Her connection with Hanumanji had happened around a year earlier through a story related by her friend following a Mai-Tri session. Mohanji had recounted this story about the power of Hanuman’s devotion in several of his satsangs, but it clicked and changed something in her only after her friend mentioned it. You can get more details of this story here.

Since then, she has considered Hanumanji as the personification of dedication, selflessness and surrender to one’s Guru. He became both an aspiration and an inspiration. Her friend had told her, “Being with Mohanji, doors open. Without him, they just close in front of us.” She felt we would probably meet Hanumanji due to Mohanji’s presence and grace but was concerned if she would recognise him. In her words, “In this world, the fake seems more real than real itself and sometimes real looks fake. We have to keep our eyes open, ready to perceive the imperceptible.”

Humble Beginnings

Chitrakoot is located on the border of two large North Indian states, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and involves a long road journey (almost 5 hours) from Lucknow airport. One of Mohanji’s followers, who stayed close to Chitrakoot, had been inviting Mohanji to visit Chitrakoot for almost a decade. When Mohanji confirmed his intention to visit, he made all the necessary arrangements and came to receive Mohanji at the airport. We undertook the mostly uneventful road trip after a sumptuous lunch in Lucknow. 

Though Mohanji never seeks special privileges when visiting Masters or power centres, the Tradition ensures to take care of their own. Lord Hanumanji secured extra attention and respect for our group by arranging a car hired previously by local politicians for election campaigning. The ruling party flag on the bonnet with the pictures of the chief minister of the state and the prime minister of the nation on either side was the passport that ensured prompt passage through the intervening checkposts and toll points. Late evening, we reached our cottage in Chitrakoot, welcomed by the gurgling Mandakini stream nearby. Despite the late evening fog blocking the view, the tranquillity was palpable. We settled in, made plans for the next morning and retired for the night. 

The Kamadgiri Parikrama

The following morning brought our first glimpse of the holy Mandakini flowing below our cottages, which were situated on an elevated plateau. The surreal early morning setting of a fading fog permeated with chants from nearby ashrams, the gushing sounds of a flowing river, and the occasional chatter of the people bathing in the river created a serene temple town atmosphere that set the mood for the day ahead. After breakfast, we set out with great anticipation and excitement for a parikrama of the holy Kamadgiri mountain and drove to the starting point, the Shri Kamtanath temple. After offering our prayers, we started our parikrama at 9.45 am and expected to complete the well-paved and largely flat five km path at a very relaxed pace within 90 minutes and return for lunch. 

Mohanji had just returned from his overseas travels and was still recovering from a serious car accident in Europe the previous month, when he has to spend almost 3 days in the ICCU. Despite his weakened state, he continued with his busy program schedule and commitments, which prevented proper rest. This was followed by his travel to India and further travels within India. Hence, we were mindful not to exert him as he was still recovering. Before we started, we asked Mohanji if he would like to take the wheelchair services or similar support. However, Mohanji refused any kind of support and insisted that he would walk the whole path. We reluctantly accepted his decision. We felt there was a greater significance to his decision… this would become evident to us later. 

The pathway of the parikrama begins to the left of the main temple, with many small shrines dedicated to various deities. We stopped to take their blessings; Mohanji’s pilgrimages are always for the well-being and welfare of all the people associated with him and all the world’s beings. We prayed along those lines and started our walk. Interestingly, the last shrine was dedicated to Shirdi Sai Baba – a reassuring sight for all of us, signalling Baba’s presence with us through the parikrama.

Since there were many pilgrims walking along the busy parikrama path, we brought two bags of biscuits in preparation to distribute to sadhus (renunciates or mendicants) and other beings. Right opposite the Baba temple, there were many old people sitting on the floor waiting for alms. Usually, there is a mad clamour as people feel that there won’t be enough. As we gave biscuits to a man, he loudly exclaimed, “Don’t worry. Everyone will get it. This gentleman has brought lots of biscuits!” We don’t know if he recognised Mohanji or was a saint in a beggar’s guise, but his words were a proclamation that there would be no denial to anyone under Mohanji’s watch!

As we started the parikrama, we fed every being in sight generously – be it a dog, cat, goat, cow, monkey or a human being. We had bags filled with biscuits and bananas. Our local hosts walked with us and arranged the food items to be distributed. They told us that monkeys loved raw brinjals (eggplant). We bought a few kilograms of brinjals from a nearby vendor and gave them to the monkeys. Soon, demand outstripped supply, and we had to engage another push-cart vendor. Given the rate of our distribution, this vendor joined our parikrama group and walked with us all through the path, supplying brinjals as and when needed!

Normally, monkeys can be quite troublesome and scare people. However, they were in extraordinarily good behaviour in Mohanji’s presence, taking food from our hands like little children unthreateningly. Mohanji constantly fed beings at almost every step. He mentioned that animals respond to us as we do to them. If we approach with fear, they respond with fear and aggressive behaviour. As we operated with love and kindness and fed them generously without fear, they mirrored in kind and behaved like ‘good children’. Mohanji would throw bananas or brinjals to one side of the path or onto the boundary walls to make it easier for monkeys to pick up and eat. Some monkeys connected with Mohanji and had an eye-to-eye conversation before scurrying off. Throughout the parikrama, we observed various such exchanges where animals connected deeply with Mohanji, and we had the blessed opportunity to serve thousands of them.

Encounters between Mohanji and Animals

A few episodes were particularly interesting. One monkey swooped down the parapet wall from a high roof, watched Mohanji intently, approached him and collected his banana in one smooth move without letting the banana fall to the ground. Mohanji casually commented, “No more monkey lives for him. He will take a human birth in his next life!” Later in the parikrama, Mohanji took a small detour to feed a calf, staying with him for several minutes longer than with any other animals until then.

This calf ate from Mohanji’s hand to his heart’s fill. As the calf ate, Mohanji shared that this calf, in an earlier human life, had denied food to someone, falling down the ladder of evolution to become a bull. By feeding the calf with his hands, Mohanji nullified the negative effect of that act and helped him progress to a human birth in his next life. Mohanji remarked, “There were many reasons for coming to Chitrakoot. Meeting this calf today was one of them!”

We were in awe of the dimensions in which Mohanji operates. What we see is not even a micro fraction of what he actually does. On the surface, he fed a calf. However, there was so much grace and compassion that went beyond the feeding. Mohanji always says, “No one comes within my presence unless I have something to deliver.” Who knows what else is happening when a seemingly random stranger meets Mohanji even briefly – what immense grace or eligibility brings them to that moment?

They may not realise it, but it is a reminder that we should. Every moment and interaction with Mohanji is an act of grace and an opportunity to raise one’s awareness and operating levels. Taking Mohanji’s friendly behaviour or casual demeanour at face value and taking his time for granted is the biggest mistake one could make. If we miss the bus, he would be none the lesser, but we would have missed an opportunity that we craved for lifetimes!

Another lesson from the above episodes is treating every being with kindness. Mohanji often says that the Tradition of liberation is so powerful that if even one being yearns for liberation, the Tradition sends a Master to fulfil that desire. When we see a being and dismiss it as just another animal, we are unaware of the karmic background. It could have been an elevated human in a past life that reincarnated as an animal due to karmic pulls.

Perhaps a divine being taking an animal form to meet Mohanji and take prasad (consecrated offering) from him. Or just a being going through the daily struggles of survival, hoping for food from a kind being. The bottom line is that our ignorance has no limits, just like Mohanji’s compassion! Hence, the safest bet is to treat all beings with kindness, or at least with no rudeness. Another of Mohanji’s constant reminders is “Never miss an opportunity to serve another being. God and Guru can come in any form!”

During this walk, Mohanji’s kindness was not limited to feeding animals. Our group encountered several sadhus. Mohanji enquired if they needed anything and a few mentioned blankets, given the onset of winter. Mohanji instructed our local host to arrange for a blanket distribution drive to all the sadhus and elderly beings on the parikrama path and other places in the town, which was subsequently completed within a week.

Mohanji also noticed that the monkeys and other animals were often in conflict with the pilgrims. He felt the hill couldn’t provide enough food for the animals, forcing them to stray into human territory. He asked our local team to arrange fruit tree plantation on the sides of the hills so that the monkeys and birds had plenty of food, removing their dependency on passing pilgrims. This project was taken up by our local team in coordination with the local authorities and completed a few months later, post-winter. In this way Mohanji’s parikrama benefited the beings not just on that day but also on a long-term basis. 

Connecting with the Ramayana

We also had the opportunity to experience the most sacred historical places and stories from the Ramayana. When we began our walk, Mohanji mentioned that he felt Hanumanji would grace us with his darshan (holy sight) during this parikrama. He didn’t specify how or when, so the unsaid message was to keep our eyes and ears open. Stay ‘alert, aware and active’ as Mohanji often reminds us. The parikrama path is dotted with various temples and shrines of either Masters or deities, with many dedicated to Lord Rama and his darbar.

Midway through the parikrama, we entered a big temple out of curiosity. The temple had the square structure of a traditional house, with living quarters around the perimeter and a spacious central courtyard open to the sun. One had to bow down to enter, due to the low height of the door and cross the courtyard to see the main deities.

There was a niche to the right of the house where an old saint was sitting. We went to him and struck up a conversation. We were amazed to discover that he had custody of the original Rama Charita Manas – the translation of the Ramayana from Sanskrit to the local language by the great saint Goswami Tulsidas that made the great epic accessible to the masses! It was an unbelievable surprise as we were not even aware that the original manuscript was intact.

The book was many centuries old. The saint explained that the Rama Charita Manas consisted of multiple books (referred to as kaand in Hindi, which means section) dedicated to different stages of Lord Rama’s life. These books were preserved in three locations. This temple had 2 kaands, while the rest were distributed between the Tulsi mandir (temple) in Varanasi and a temple at Tulsidas’s birthplace, Rajapur. 

The saint fetched the manuscript from his cupboard and laid it on his table, allowing us to touch the well-preserved pages (encased in special sleeves to protect them from decay). He became deeply engrossed, telling us stories of Lord Rama and Lord Hanumanji. Mohanji gestured for us to click pictures of him speaking and particularly to take close-ups of his face. His blue eyes glazed over, becoming almost transparent as he continued talking.

Mohanji listened to him with rapt attention, and a few minutes later, the saint looked away and ended the conversation. We offered him dakshina (an offering to a holy personage, in this case, money), took his blessings and left. As we stepped out, Mohanji asked with a twinkle in his eye, “Did you notice how his eyes changed? Hanumanji spoke to us through him and blessed us.”

I had noticed a change in the saint’s body language, but my awareness was not strong enough to pick up the subtle changes. When we saw the camera photos, the changes were clear, yet it took time for this incident to sink in. Hanumanji had just spoken to us directly! People spend their lives connecting to Hanumanji and yearning for a sign from him. Our proximity to Mohanji allowed us mere mortals to listen to Lord Hanumanji! My head spins at this thought. Though ignorant of this encounter’s import and impact, we knew a deep transformation happened within us!

Outside, to the left of the entrance, were shrines dedicated to Tulsidas and his Guru, Narhari Das, on an elevated platform that required a short climb. Due to paucity of time, we paid our respects, bowed down from afar and continued on our parikrama.

Our next stop was at another non-descript-looking temple. The name board ‘Bharat Milap Mandir’ informed about its significance. This is where the younger brother of Lord Rama, Bharata, met his elder brother during his exile and requested him to return as Ayodhya’s ruler, discontinuing his fourteen-year exile. Being under renovation, we couldn’t see all the shrines.

However, the main attractions in this temple were not the shrines but the gopuram (pyramidical spire) structure in the open courtyard that housed rock slabs with the imprints of the feet of Lord Rama, Bharata, Mother Sita, Lakshmana and Shatrughna (another younger brother of Lord Rama), and Lord Rama’s mother, Kaushalya. It is said that the fiery intensity of mutual brotherly love melted the stones, capturing their footprints for eternity. 

At first glance, one only sees a few stones with imprints. But the story behind the meeting carries incredible lessons. The crown prince, Lord Rama, was asked to go into exile a few hours prior to his coronation by his heartbroken father (King Dasharatha) on the wishes of his second queen, Kaikeyi, to fulfil a promise he made to her. Treating his father’s word as a divine command, Lord Rama instantly leaves the kingdom without a second thought.

His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana follow him since their life had no meaning without Lord Rama. His other younger step-brother, Shatrughna, wants to follow but is asked by Lord Rama to stay behind to take care of his father and his mothers. When his step-brother Bharata (Kaikeyi’s son) returns to Ayodhya and finds out that his mother sent Rama to exile to make him king, he curses his mother and leaves for Chitrakoot to convince his exiled brother Rama to return to the kingdom as the rightful ruler.

Lord Rama, known as Maryada Purshottama Rama (Rama, the lord– epitome or gold standard – of right conduct), counsels and consoles his brother that his father’s words as a parent and king are divine commands for them and cannot be disobeyed. He has to finish his exile, and Bharata has to rule the kingdom. Obeying his elder brother’s words, Bharata agrees to rule the kingdom but decrees that only Lord Rama can be Ayodhya’s king, and he will remain Lord Rama’s mere servant.

He declares that he will serve as Lord Rama’s regent and rule the kingdom on Lord Rama’s behalf until his return from exile. He requests Lord Rama to give his padukas (footwear), carries them on his head with utmost respect and reverence, installs them on the throne in Ayodhya and rules Ayodhya on Lord Rama’s behalf, eagerly awaiting Lord Rama’s return. These padukas are now on a pedestal in Nandigram. 

This story exemplifies the highest principles of right conduct:

  • King Dasharath honouring a promise made out of gratitude, no matter the personal cost
  • Lord Rama’s complete detachment from the trappings of power
  • Lord Rama’s absolute respect for his father and king’s words 
  • Bharata’s absolute love and surrender to his elder brother
  • Bharata ruling in absentia, keeping duty and purpose above personal desires

Through these lessons, the place transports us from the mere physical location to a portal of profound insights – it just depends on what we choose to see. It also struck me that Mohanji espouses and exemplifies the exact same principles in today’s world, not through mere words but through his actions and his life. This does not require the study of scriptures or epics to understand, but merely listening to Mohanji’s words, watching his actions and following his guidance like our life and beyond depended on it! Though it is really that simple, how much do we really practise? Food for thought, indeed…  

We continued on our way and eventually completed the parikrama. We lost track of time amidst the grand festival of feeding. A mere parikrama and temple visits became a full-fledged interspecies celebration with sadhus, beggars, children and other beings (monkeys, cows, dogs, goats and birds) participating in the festivities, enjoying in unison the food being served to them. In Mohanji’s words, “Feeding the children of Mother Earth is the best way to visit temples and pay respect to the deities.”

We realised that it took us almost four hours. Besides the temples, we had not taken any breaks or rested anywhere. Yet, we felt incredibly light and happy and not the least bit tired. The cleansing in this high-energy location probably explained it. Mohanji seemed visibly contented and happy! He shared a profound message, “Hanumanji is happy, as we made his people happy. I fed these beings generously without any denial, thus cleansing all our people of the sin of denying food to any being, knowingly or unknowingly, at any point in their lives, past or present!” We felt happy hearing this and also for making so many beings happy! A powerful completion for us and for many in our community!

Conclusion

The Chitrakoot visit and the Kamadgiri parikrama provided an opportunity to connect to the Ramayana epic at a very personal level. Living in big cities, we lose sight of the incredible spiritual heritage of ancient, sacred Bharat. Chitrakoot reminded us that wealth is ever-present and accessible to those who make the effort! It was also a gentle yet powerful reminder of Mohanji’s oft-repeated maxim that the purpose of our life is to add value to the world with every waking moment. When we do that, we change the world through our practice, not precept. Practice what you preach, and then your practice becomes the preaching. Go not in search of Masters or God. Touch the lives of all those who come your way, and Masters and God will come in search of you.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 20th November 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

To register for the next Empowered 5.0 in India, click here!

A shield of protection

by a Mohanji follower

Always there for me & family! All I need to do is call out!!

It was April 2020 when I first came across Mohanji’s video accidentally during one of my worst phases – professionally. ‘Surrender to Sai Baba and Don’t Look Back‘ – how that video just flashed in front of me out of the blue when I was looking for some motivational video by Deepak Chopra to cheer me up, is another story altogether.

Since then, I have never looked back. Like many of us, the first thing I thought of during troubled times was Guru Mohanji ( I am consciously refraining from using “My” Guru in my attempts to reduce ownership). 

“Mohanji”, during the most tough times, you held my hand and have never left my side.

I lost my husband in a very unexpected, tragic manner. Never did I ever think this would happen to me. That one week, when he was in the ICU, was the longest week in my life when I was hoping against hope and praying that he would come out of a coma after a head injury and haemorrhage. Mohanji called me and did whatever he could. 

Sadly, my husband’s soul chose to leave this world. But on the day he left his body. I would never have imagined I would react in the calm and composed manner I did. I stoically accepted his passing away and filled out the requisite forms right before his lifeless body. Despite the magnitude of my grief, I maintained my composure during the post-mortem and cremation. It was as though an invisible force was giving me the inner strength to accept the inevitable. (all this along with my then 15-year-old daughter). Mohanji also ensured that I got a pandit to do the last rites at the crematorium, which again is another leela. 

After the cremation, when I was back home trying to sleep, I suddenly felt a pat on my cheek, which I felt was a communication from my husband. It was his typical gesture of appreciating or giving a light high five. 

I also got a job in a good company within two months of his passing on a Thursday when I had yet to apply. I have experienced many more instances of grace, which have been humbling experiences for me. 

He continues to guide and be with me whenever I think of him or reach out. He is a guiding force for my daughter, too. Only with his grace have we put the grief behind us and get our lives back on track. Otherwise, I would have been a broken person with no will to live.

A little before 7 October 2022, I almost met with an accident which could have caused grievous injuries to myself and the people with me. “Miraculous” is the only word that comes to mind when I think about the incident that could have had a tragic outcome if not for his grace. 

It was like a suraksha kavach (a protective shield) around me, minimising the effects of the accident. 

Coincidentally, Mohanji, too, met with an accident around the same time. To my mind, it seems like he took the impact of my accident on himself. The thought has shaken me up as well as filled me with a plethora of emotions which I am unable to express. I can only bow down in gratitude to Mohanji for his unconditional love and protection.

“Gurudev, your physical presence is vital for us. It is our lifeline. Please don’t deprive us of the joy of being able to see you when our hearts long to be in your presence. It is the essence of existence.”

Guru Mohana Nayanam Sharanam, 
Guru Mohana Vadana Sharanam, 
Guru Mohana Charanam Sharanam,
Bhava Sagara Taranam!

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

To register for the next Empowered 5.0 in India, click here!

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 19th October 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

Homa at Lake Manasarovar 

by Kannaiah, Netherlands

While enjoying our satsangs with Mohanji in Kathmandu and listening to the most beautiful experiences of those who had visited Mt. Kailash earlier, Mohanji asked me to come to his room. “We should talk about the Homa at Lake Manasarovar,” he said, “this is very important and auspicious.” 

Although I’ve been performing pujas for Lord Shiva since 1996, in the form of Rudrābhiśekam, I have never done a Homa alone. For me, the journey to Mt. Kailash was a celebration of the darshan of Lord Shiva Himself, a wish I had for a very long time. I probably thought I could stay ‘in disguise’ during the trip and avoid all the duties and tasks. 

Mohanji’s remark about me doing the Homa instantly woke me up from my ‘dreamy’ state. 

In his room, Mohanji spoke about the importance of the Homa and how he performs it. Intention (Bhaav) is the most crucial ingredient, without which the deities will not come. 

Mohanji already knew, without me saying so, that it would be my first Homa ever. Can you imagine a trial by fire right at the most important gateway of the world? It is like running your very first 100 meters at the Olympics. No pressure!

Together with Madhu, Mohanji summed up the directions for the Homa. He spoke about the attributes, ingredients and the mantras that needed to be used. I tried to scribble some notes on a piece of paper that I had brought along but missed out on most of it. “Do you know this mantra?” “Do you know that mantra?” “Uhhhh, yes, Mohanji,” but at that moment I forgot everything. Thank God Madhu recorded the conversation so that I could listen repeatedly. 

Madhu suggested that we sing Mohanji’s Gayathri, but out of his compassion, Mohanji said, “These people have all different Gurus, let them sing the Gurumantra ‘Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah”. 

This really touched me as I had intended to take my beloved Mother Gopala Krishna along with me. 

“My Homas are very simple; normally, the Homas are very elaborate.”… Hmm, simple? But we already spoke for 30 minutes about how and what! I prayed that he would perform through me as I became blank after listening to all the do’s and don’ts. 

Later, back in the room, I told Carla that I needed to do some ‘home(a)work’ and go through all that Mohanji had told me. The recording was very useful, and slowly, I got back my confidence. 

The mantras that I did not know by heart I could practice in the coming days.

Preeti lovingly arranged all the items for the Homa, including wood, camphor and cow ghee. If our intention and bhaav were there, what could go wrong? 

One duffel bag was filled with Preeti’s arrangements and many Rudrakshas to get them blessed at Lake Manasarovar. While crossing the border from Nepal to Tibet, our Homa bag got held up, and the clearance was ultimately denied – it had to stay back on the Nepalese side of the border. 

Bhavani broke the news that all the major items for our Homa were not there and that we had to search for substitutes in China. While in Nepal, you can find wood, ghee and camphor in every remote village, it was the opposite in China. From shop to shop, we went with our guide and finally found some butter in restaurants. Bhavani, ‘the brave’, said she would boil it into ghee. 

Camphor was not to be found, although finally, we came across a somewhat semi-liquid version. In the shop, on the floor, the gooey stuff was set ablaze, and it worked! 

Wood was nowhere to be found, either, and from this town onwards, the tree line would end. We walked back to the hotel and asked Mohanji, inwardly, for help. Just as we arrived at our hotel across the street, we saw, in front of a restaurant, a box with wood sticking out. After much persuasion and a good amount, we were back in business. 

The day of the Homa at Lake Manasarovar started with a severe downpour of rain – not the most convenient weather for an auspicious fire ceremony. 

Bhavani summoned her ducklings to chant three malas of Om namah Shivaya, Shivaya namah Om. After the second round, the rains subsided, and once the three malas were completed, the sun came through. 

Finally, the moment arrived, with a little twist in my stomach, and the Homa started. Throughout the ritual, we could feel the presence of Mohanji and many Masters, Gurus and celestial beings. As a group, we continued to chant despite the lack of oxygen. The waves of the lake licked the shore very gently, and with every wave, I felt divine beings entering the fire. 

The bhaav and intention were within all of us, as well as in our Sherpas. Every participant offered a stick of wood dipped in ghee with a deep intention. 

When we finally did, one by one, the aarati for Mohanji, and we touched each other’s shoulders, making sure we all performed this most auspicious offering, the hairs on my arms stood up, and tears of gratitude flowed from my eyes. 

What a blessing! Later, my fellow yatris explained how the sun gave a special darshan during the Homa.

Silently, we walked back to our accommodations, hardly realising what had happened to us. 

Even now, when I write this, I feel the intensity of that moment. Thank You, Swamiji, thank you, Mohanji, thank you! 

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

To register for the next Empowered 5.0 in India, click here!

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 12th October 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

Swagatam Krishna!

Welcome, Krishna!

by Subhasree Thottungal, UK

“6th Sept 2023 is Krishna Janmashtami – the birthday of Lord Krishna! And Mohanji will be with us at the MCB (Mohanji Centre of Benevolence) in Scotland then. Wow! What an opportunity to have our Mohana with us on the birthday of Krishna!” I was pretty excited with this thought when we were planning Mohanji’s visit to the MCB, Scotland, in the first two weeks of September. What can we do? How can we celebrate that day here in MCB? I didn’t have all the answers. I mentioned this day to Mohanji, and he said, yes, sure, we must celebrate Krishna Janmashtami. 

I knew we must carry some items for Janmashtami from London before we go to Scotland. I requested our dear Jyostna Ben and Pravin Bhai to help me get these items. Jyotsna Ben bought a beautiful baby Krishna (Bal Gopal) idol, a swing, some cute, tiny ornaments, baby Krishna’s outfits, a peacock feather, etc. As we were finalising the day-by-day programme schedule, I had that day as ‘Krishna Janmashtami celebration in the night,’ but I still didn’t have the details of how to celebrate. As days passed by, in my mind, I was getting a bit worried as I still didn’t have the whole plan!

Mohanji arrived on 31st Aug, participants started coming on 1st Sept, the retreat started soon, and I still hadn’t finalised the Janmashtami celebration plan yet! 

This day also had another significance. On Janmashtami day in 2000, Mohanji’s daughter Ammu left her body at a young age. Every year, on this day (Hindu Tithi), Mohanji performs the shraadh (ritual) for Ammu, mainly on the banks of Ganga. This year, Mohanji was in Scotland. Hence, he requested us to organise everything for him to observe this ritual. This was to be a private ritual, a father making offerings to the soul of his beloved daughter, and it needed to be facilitated well with all the proper rituals.

So, as the day was approaching, I focused on organising Ammu’s shraadh. I realised how important this is for Mohanji as a father, and I didn’t want anything lacking in the arrangement of this ritual. Thankfully, a very experienced and respected priest from London came up to the MCB for this ritual and arrived the previous night. He brought all the essential items with him, too. All I had to ensure was to clean the room where the ritual was supposed to happen and keep it ready for the priest. The priest also asked me to prepare a complete meal in the morning to be offered as prasadam during the ritual. 

On the 6th morning, when I took the morning arati to Mohanji, I noticed a deep silence and calmness on his face. I felt Mohanji, as a father, must be missing and remembering his daughter on this day, even after 23 years! 

Mohanji went to the puja room, where the priest was ready to start the ritual. I was rushing to finish cooking the full meal for prasadam. 

At that moment, Kristina told me that Mohanji was asking me to go inside the puja room and assist the priest and Mohanji if they needed anything. This was a private ritual between a father and daughter, and just being there as an assistant with the priest was indeed a great privilege. I quickly took the prasadam with me, went to the room and sat there to offer assistance when required. 

The ritual happened elaborately and continued very smoothly. Mohanji was fully merged into the ritual, following every instruction as requested by the priest and was saying and performing every part with total surrender, concentration, full sincerity and feelings (bhaav). During that ritual, I felt the presence of Ammu, and I could feel her joy, peace and assurance. Ammu was indeed receiving every offering her father offered with so much love. 

When the ritual finished, Mohanji said he was pleased with the way it was organised and how well the ritual was completed. He even complimented me about the prasadam and how quickly I could make all these items! I didn’t know either! However, it was not a surprise for me, as I knew who was doing it all! I surrendered the praise that Mohanji gave me at his feet, as I am not the doer; he is! 

I was still very overwhelmed and in a heightened state of energy, being present in the ritual. I thought Ammu & I might have been connected in the past! Well, I was certainly grateful to Mohanji for giving me this opportunity. I was also very happy and was relieved that this very important function for Mohanji was successfully completed and that he was happy.

Then I again focussed on the Janmashtami celebrations and discussed with Swami Govinda (who was with us during this period from Skanda Vale). He suggested that we carry the Krishna idols and do a procession, going around the entire MCB that evening. I mentioned to Mohanji about this plan. Mohanji suggested that, as Krishna was born at midnight, we should do the celebration in the night starting before midnight with bhajans for Lord Vishnu & Lord Ram (the prior incarnation of Krishna). And at midnight, celebrating Krishna’s birth by doing his arati, singing Krishna bhajans and distributing sweets to everyone with the joy that Krishna has come! 

He guided us with all the finer details, too. His main guidance was to welcome Krishna with joy and happiness, singing, dancing, etc. Then he said that we should take baby Krishna and all our other idols and do the procession the next morning. He even said he would join us for the procession (Nagar Parikrama), too. Wow! As Mohanji gave us all the instructions, my heart was beating faster with joy because this was what I had been waiting for all these days! Now we had the details! Mohanji smilingly said, “Let it all be a great drama!” “Yes, indeed, we will have a great show,” I thought.

I informed all the participants who were still there with us about the plan for the night. Almost everyone stayed back at the MCB after dinner. Around 10 pm, we started the celebrations. Vighneshwara Anna and Swami Govinda placed the beautifully decorated swing with Baby Krishna in front of Baba inside the temple. Baby Krishna’s altar was in a beautiful covering, indicating that he was yet to be born! Everyone gathered, and we started singing bhajans. As the time drew closer, the spirit of all the devotees went higher and higher with joy; many were dancing, too. 

At midnight, Swami Govinda unveiled Baby Krishna, took the idol in his hand and raised it to show us all! We then did a special arati, as was chosen by Mohanji. Everyone offered arati, gently swung Baby Krishna’s cradle and shared sweets. I was totally soaked! Not just with the sweat from all the singing and dancing, but with unlimited joy! Mohana is here! Krishna is here! Though Mohanji was physically not with us at that time in the temple, I knew he was very much with us. His presence was tangible!

You can watch here the Live video of that celebration.

When I took the arati to Mohanji the following morning, I told him teasingly, “You didn’t come to celebrate with us last night; we had so much fun!” Mohanji spontaneously said, “Of course, I came! I was there.” 

After breakfast, Mohanji instructed us on how to start the next celebration – ‘Nagar Parikrama,’ – the procession of all the Krishna idols around the MCB. He gave specific instructions on how to start, where to stop, and which arati to be done; Swami Govinda and others prepared the lamps, etc. Soon, Mohanji and everyone else gathered inside the shrine room. 

Mohanji carried the Shree Guruvayurappan’s idol, someone else carried another Krishna Idol we had there, and Mohanji walked to the Datta temple. He said we will begin from there. The handmade lamps were lit, and Datta arati was done. With bells and mantra chanting, the procession started, moving to Baba’s temple, where our Bal Gopal was swinging in his cradle. 

After reaching there, Mohanji offered arati (a melodious arati that truly opens up our heart chakra) to Bal Gopal followed by the others. I then took the idol of Bal Gopal in my hands and got ready to start the procession around our entire land. We also had the idols of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshana. 

Everyone took an idol, and another person walked in front carrying a handmade lamp for each deity. When we exited the temple, Mohanji called me to stand beside him. I held Baby Krishna – Bal Gopal in my hands, keeping him at my chest level.

While walking with Mohanji, holding Bal Gopal, the MCB felt like the land of Vrindavan. The trees, the leaves swaying in the gentle breeze, the warm sunshine on our faces, the birds chirping, the fragrance of the lamps coming from the front, and above all, Mohanji walking on my right side holding Lord Guruvayurappan on his head felt like Krishna Kanhaiya walking with his flute on his lips blowing enchanting music. 

Mohanji asked us to keep chanting “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaaya” while we walked, and he was chanting too. Since I was walking close to him, I could hear him chanting, adding to the divine feeling I was experiencing already. My feet were not on the ground, and I was not walking; I was just floating. I had no feeling of my body at that moment.

Slowly walking, we arrived at the “Parabrahma Vriksha” (a special tree within our land, where Mohanji had spotted the presence of Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva and very intense energy during his very first visit to the MCB in Scotland). 

Mohanji indicated for us to stop there and offer arati to the tree. Someone played the Kunja Bihari arati there, and we all sang it together. Since I was standing close to Mohanji, I could clearly hear him singing this arati, too! Krishna himself sang, which truly intensified the devotion flowing from our hearts. Eyes closed, the vision appeared of Vrindavan, Krishna standing under the special Kadamba Vriksha with Gopas and Gopis around him, playing sweet tunes in his flute. Not just humans but the animals, insects, trees, grass, rivers, mountains, forests – the entire universe came to a stand still. 

The air was filled with the fragrance of Krishna! Even though I didn’t know the full lyrics of the arati song, just repeating the chorus part along with Mohanji was ecstatic, devotion beyond all dimensions. When the arati finished, Mohanji signalled us to continue our walk, again chanting the “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya” mantra. Walking through the grassland, the chant coming from everyone together filled the air, our entire space. The sky was beautiful – clear and bright blue. The Sun was shining, pleasantly warm with a soothing breeze. 

After walking for some time, in the middle of the field, suddenly Mohanji signalled for us to stop and asked to play the arati. While we were standing there before the arati started, suddenly my eyes went up to the sky, slightly towards the right side. And I noticed the bright Moon – crescent-shaped. The silver Moon was shining in the clear blue sky with just a few white fluffy clouds here and there. It felt like the Sun on the left and Moon on the right were standing and offering their prostration to the Lord of the Universe! 

Then I looked straight, right up to the end of our land with the natural boundary of lined trees that marks the start of the forest. At that point, I froze with what I saw! On top of each tree, I noticed a shape (unrecognised) with a shining silver lining. After my initial shock, as I gazed at all the trees in that row from one end to the other, I noticed similar silver lines around different shapes sitting on top of every tree! I soon realised that these were not just shapes; these were celestial beings watching the procession! 

Then my eyes went slightly up onto the sky, just behind the trees, and there I noticed a formation of white fluffy clouds, arranged in a theatrical pattern as if all the Devi Devtas (the Gods and the deities) were standing in line to watch this procession. We stood for quite a few minutes while singing the arati, but my eyes were glued to watching this divine vision of celestial beings enjoying this show! After some time, I turned my head to look at Mohanji’s face. With eyes closed, his lips moving, singing the arati song, he was merged in that divine space! It seemed as if Krishna was totally engrossed, his eyes closed and playing the divine tune through his flute. 

When I was standing beside Mohanji, he tapped on my head (at the crown) and said, “Hold Krishna there.” He also kept the idol of Guruvayurappan he was holding on top of his head.  As soon as I put the tiny Baby Krishna idol on my crown, something happened to my entire aura. From there on, I wasn’t myself. I was feeling Krishna. Not just on top of my head or in the idols, I was feeling Krishna right next to me! I captured those moments with open eyes; this vision was unbelievable but true!

After the arati finished, we started walking and reached the Datta Temple. Since the beginning of the procession earlier from Datta Temple, Bal Gopal was not there, and Mohanji told me to go inside the Datta temple and show Bal Gopal to Datta. Aww…. how sweet was that! And like a proud mother, I showed my sweet Baby Krishna to Datta and Anagha Lakshmy. If only I could show my joy, my expanded heart chakra! We did arati there, and once again, I enjoyed listening and singing along with Mohanji, the Kunja Bihari arati.

Then we walked back towards the Baba Temple, and after reaching there, I placed Bal Gopal on the altar. All other idols were placed there, too. Mohanji and everyone did Abhishekam (bathing) to all the idols, followed by the arati to Krishna again. These moments were just filling the entire temple room (and the entire space of the MCB) with a heightened state of energy, joy and celebration. The people present for this celebration did not just include the physically present persons, but all the people connected to Mohanji and our Tradition and even all the celestial beings. That was the feeling in the room at that moment! This place was Vrindavan, and the whole universe was attending this celebration. After all, Krishna himself was there! Everyone was singing bhajans; the tabla was being played, and the spirit of joy was expanding all to the fullest.

Then, it was time for Baba’s arati. Mohanji first offered the arati, and then everyone else offered the arati one by one. After my turn, I came back and stood behind Mohanji. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Mohanji singing the entire of Madhyanna arati of Baba – all the songs, word by word! Wow, I thought in my head, when does Mohanji learn all these, and how does he remember, even though these lyrics are not in his language or Sanskrit! 

Something funny happened during this time. During one of the songs, there was a line which meant, “Baba, I am offering you total prostrations”. Mohanji tapped my shoulder and signalled me to do this, so every time this line came, I kept kneeling down and offering prostration on the ground to Baba. And Mohanji was smiling (teasing smile!). After that, one more song came, and there was also a line that meant offering pranams (but not really full prostration on the ground), but Mohanji tapped my shoulder again, and as I was about to kneel down, he smiled and indicated that it was not needed! I realised that Krishna was playing with me! Naughty Krishna! As always. 

Well, we finished the arati, took Baba’s blessings, took our Guru Mohanji’s blessings, and it was time for lunch. While having lunch and afterwards, Mohanji was quite cheerful and joyful, in a relaxed mood, contrary to how he was the previous morning. He was a serious father then and now the joyful Krishna!

I was still in a state with the heart chakra opened fully. Maybe this is exactly how everyone around Krishna in Vrindavan must always feel! Krishna was born – not just in rituals, but in our hearts, filling us with the divine love that is unfathomable, incomprehensible, and immeasurable.

I still can’t believe we had this privilege to experience Krishna, in flesh and blood, LIVE! Well, all I could say at that moment was, “Swagatam! Swagatam Krishna. Welcome to this abode; this body, this mind, this soul, make this your Vrindavan!”

Love you, Krishna; love you, my enchanting Mohana (Mohanji, my eternal Guru).

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 7th October 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

A goal fulfilled!

by Charley Upton, USA

Experiences from the Kailash Yatra 2023

Devi Mohan told me she saw me on a pilgrimage to Kailash in 2026. This reawakened in me the desire to go on this pilgrimage, which I had always wanted to do. Mohanji has said you can only go to Kailash if called.

On Friday, 7/21/23, right before Pat & my 4 am Conscious Kriya session with Cody Galloway on Zoom, a book fell off our altar bookshelf without apparent cause. The book “Kailash with Mohanji” was perched, ready to fall. I heard ringing in my ears & felt my consciousness rising. Pat & I looked at each other & said, “Oh my God!”

When we were in Bosnia for a Kriya Intensive, we asked Mohanji if he would recommend that Ruth & I go this year. He said that if we have the time & the money to go this year, then we should go, as the future is often uncertain.

Our group of 27 spent five days in Kathmandu at the Hyatt Regency with Mohanji in preparation for the parikrama. This was definitely a highlight. The meals were amazing! Mohanji was filling us with energy & love. We chanted “Om Namah Shivaya” (3 rounds of the mala with 108 beads) every day, along with performing the abhishekam, listening to the Rudram, participating in processes like the Power of Purity & the 360-degree meditation, enjoying Satsangs with Mohanji, Shaktipat, blessings, sang bhajans & listened to parikrama tips from several people. When we left Kathmandu, I was the lucky recipient of a loving hug from Mohanji (another highlight). He watched over us & protected us on the entire journey. What more can you ask for than to have the love & guidance from a Master?

When we were near Lake Manasarovar, it began raining heavily in the morning, right after breakfast. We were all under a tent & Bhavani suggested setting an intention by chanting 3 malas of “Om Namah Shivaya” to change the weather to sunshine. Amazingly, after 2 rounds of the mala, the rain stopped, & after the 3rd mala, the sun came out. This is what is possible when we work together as a group with Mohanji’s grace! Our group was supportive, kind, loving & helpful.

Going through & around the Yama Dwar was a highlight, as this is where we leave our old you, & become reborn into a new you.

At the end of the first day, seeing the north face of Kailash up close was incredible. We took pictures & chanted as a group. We may have had different goals for our Kailash trip, like walking the 35 miles was important to me & not so for others, & it seemed that our goals & wishes were fulfilled (Mohanji says that no one walks away empty-handed from Kailash). Please forgive me for being so brief; this just begins to touch the surface. I am very happy to have completed the parikrama & thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful experience.

It was inspiring to see the dedication & devotion of the people doing prostrations around Kailash. It may take them 1-2 months to complete the parikrama. Their effort & endurance are very admirable & humbling. I counted about 20 people along the parikrama with their aprons, elbow & knee pads doing their prostrations. We offered them some food & wished them well.

Our team of 6 sherpas deserve special mention for their inspiration & service. Our leader Nimha said he had completed about 100 parikramas, & Sunin & Toshi reported about 30 parikramas each. They experienced the same symptoms of high elevation that we did (including headaches & vomiting), yet they worked very hard to serve us in style & with care. They cooked for us, cleaned up after us, watched over us, encouraged us, slept only for about 3 hours/night, moved heavy duffle bags, & treated us like close family. Very impressive!

I was fortunate to take this sacred pilgrimage with our daughter, Ruth. The shared challenges have deepened our bond. I am very proud of her. She walked the entire parikrama, except for a part of the Dolma La Pass. She definitely helped me a lot & made my journey much more enjoyable. Our mutual goal of liberation pushes each of us closer (as Pat also pushes us closer). Our shared memories & pictures are priceless! What a great spiritual adventure to take with your family members! Thank you so much, Ruth, great job! Our pictures in front of the North Face of Kailash & Mohanji in Kathmandu are among my most prized possessions.

We all have vulnerabilities to accept & fears to face. I was one of the oldest & slowest of our group of 27. I had a blister on my heel that I covered with a band-aid & duct tape. I had several close calls about making it to the bathroom in time. I would have been devastated not to make the entire parikrama on foot. We were fortunate to find reasonable airline tickets less than 2 weeks before departure. We did end up spending two nights in airports on our layovers. There is a saying that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

I asked Pat about her experience at home while we were in Tibet. She shared that my father (who passed last year) & his parents appeared to her beaming with smiles, saying they felt great benefits from my parikrama. Perhaps some of their family karma & responsibilities were reduced. They were very happy & proud of me. Mohanji has said that our whole lineage walks with us when we walk the parikrama. I was happy to make them happy. Thank you for taking the time to listen to these stories. I hope you will have the opportunity to take this journey soon.

Best wishes, Jai Mohanji!

Click here to register for Empowered 5.0 with Mohanji in India

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 21st September 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

Be calm and carry on!

By Moushumi Patankar, United Kingdom

Kailash Pilgrimage 2023

The day arrived, 22nd July! The day I flew to Kathmandu via Doha. My day started with conducting the Shree Jagannatha meditation. It was such a divine blessing to begin my Kailash Yatra with this meditation.

I flew to Doha via Qatar Airways, having a connecting flight to Kathmandu with one and a half hours of layover. Everything was perfect; what could go wrong with it?

I boarded the flight. The time started ticking, and we passed our take-off time. The pilot announced some technical problems to resolve in the next 25 minutes. Well, our minds needed some drama to play with. And questions started, will I reach on time? Will I get my connecting flight? Then I started chanting Mohanji Gayatri. Phew, so many things started popping up; well, the mind was the Boss. The pilot announced, “It’s good news, the technical problem is solved, and now waiting for a signal from Air Traffic Control to start the process to fly, and it will take another 45 minutes.”

Oh my goodness, I really felt like laughing out loud. Well, I dropped my mind fully (no more games and thinking process). I decided to watch movies, have vegan food, and relax because that’s the only thing I could do then. In the next 10 minutes, we were told that we were starting. Still, chances to catch my next flight seemed doubtful (I had 30 minutes to come out of the flight, go to the next gate, and catch the second flight). Well, after all the drama, the flight landed in Doha. I had only 30 minutes to catch the second flight, and I did it. I was the last person to go in.

The flight landed in Kathmandu; after all the visa process, immigration, etc., it was time to collect my bag. But the drama wasn’t finished yet. My bag decided not to reach Kathmandu and stayed back in Doha. I was about to burst into laughter. What a way to start this journey! The baggage attendant at the Kathmandu airport did his best to communicate well, and I got my bag the same night.

From the 23rd to the 27th of July, our routine was to wake up early for the Shivabhishekam (as Shravan month was going on), which Preeti Duggal performed daily. Then, our usual routine (breakfast, lunch, and dinner with all participants, Satsang with Mohanji in the evening). Also, the Mohanji Foundation had its first Satsang in Nepal with more than 70 participants. 

One day, we spent sightseeing in Kathmandu and visited the beautiful Pashupatinath and Budhanilakantha temples. All these places were so beautiful and different in structure.

With the grace of Tradition and Mohanji’s blessings, I got to serve Mohanji in Kathmandu. The feeling was wonderful. I want to narrate one incident. I was in the room with Mohanji, waiting to go down for the Satsang. Mohanji was ready and sitting on the chair. I was standing near the window in front of him. Mohanji said, “Look outside and see those birds”. There were so many huge trees outside, but all the birds were sitting on only one tree outside Mohanji’s window! I asked Mohanji about this, and he said, “These are my bodyguards”. The window where I was standing was a glass window. One bird came twice and knocked at the glass window with his beak. Mohanji said, “He is checking who is with me in this room.” All those sentences amazed me.

Then, it was time to go for the Satsang. Mohanji stood and blessed all those birds (his bodyguards). We were about to go, and he stopped at the door and asked to close the curtain. I asked Mohanji, “Why close the curtain?” He said, “Otherwise, they will wait for me to come, but it will take longer to finish the Satsang. Hence, I want to conclude this and not make these birds wait for me.” Mohanji’s important teachings here – NO POSTPONEMENT, FINISH THE WORK TODAY, BETTER DO IT NOW, and FINISH IT OFF. He applies all of his teachings in his own life.

The first five days at Hyatt Regency were busy, yet meeting various people from different parts of the World was great. Except for two people from our group of 27, I met others for the first time, though I felt we had known each other for ages. During those five days, I felt we were raising our group energy by being together and through chanting, Satsang, visiting temples, etc. This bonding helped us all when we started our journey to Kailash.

After five days in Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu, on 28th July, we finally left for Syaprubeshi, a small town near Rashuwagadhi, the border of Nepal and China (friendship bridge). Our group of 27 people was divided into two buses. We travelled for almost 8 hours, with a lunch break in between. Finally, late evening, we reached. Meanwhile, a few people started feeling unwell due to the bus ride. We (Mai-Tri practitioners) did Mai-Tri for them. The whole journey, I was absolutely ok. After a delicious, freshly cooked dinner, we called it a day. 

On 29th July, we walked toward the border, went through the immigration process, etc., and our journey started to Kyerong. This time, we were at an altitude of 4500m (almost 15,000 ft). We stayed at a hotel. As usual, Sherpas cooked delicious food and served us so lovingly. I can proudly say that those Sherpas were our backbone. 

The next day, our journey started to Saaga. After a few hours of a bus ride, we reached the hotel. Though we were travelling and continuously on the road, Sherpas always used to cook fresh, delicious food for us. We were almost at the same altitude, but due to travel, I was a bit tired. I didn’t feel breathless, but I started feeling sick. For the first time, I felt very weak. 

That was a crucial time, as reaching Kailash seemed impossible. The mind starts playing at this level. Fear started popping out. A Sherpa came and checked my oxygen, which was ok. However, I was told to eat. Eating was a must, as we all needed the energy to walk. A Sherpa lovingly got a bowl of rice for me and asked me to finish it. These Sherpas were so caring, like parents. I was much better the following day, almost back to my normalcy. We again packed our bags and got ready to go by the bus. The bus was the best companion in those days.

The following day, 31st July, We left for Manasarovar via Prayang and Mayum La Pass (5200 m) (almost 17,000 ft) and arrived at Hor Quo (4560 m). We were at different altitudes, sometimes high and then down again at lower altitudes. And believe me, you feel the difference. You literally feel your breath and your heartbeats while sitting and walking. We had some problems with the bus; hence, we reached this place a bit late and visited Manasarovar the next morning. However, our accommodation was literally less than 10 meters from Manasarovar. After a delicious dinner (always a three-course meal), we all went to bed and woke up in the morning with bed tea!

It’s 1st August, full moon! (While writing this testimonial, I checked the relevance of the full moon on that day.) It says this full moon is deeply tied to releasing fear and anxiety to pave the way for healing. It’s about recognizing our limited control and surrendering to the universe’s flow. No coincidence at all as I had the same feeling, especially after a few days of journey, altitude, and tiredness; everything just vanished as soon as we touched the Mansarovar water. 

The first sight (darshan) of Kailash was while standing on the banks of Manasarovar, full moon, and the sunny day that followed with a powerful Homa as instructed by Mohanji on the banks of Manasarovar with the chosen 27 participants!

That day, we came out of our rooms to have breakfast. The sky was full of dark grey clouds. We were about to finish our breakfast, and the rain started. Our super-efficient Sherpas immediately put up the tent. Now, the question was how to go to Manasarovar and do the Homa. (The mind started playing games immediately). We all sat in the tent and decided to chant the Mohanji Gayatri Mantra 108 times. We were about to finish, and the rain stopped. We could see the clear blue sky. What was that? A MIRACLE. A clear path, a white path.

Sherpas and the organizers told us that taking a dip in Manasarovar may not be possible as the Chinese Government prohibits it. Most of the time, soldiers don’t allow pilgrims to dip in the water. 

I took out some water in a bucket, which was very cold to the touch. I started chanting and poured the first lot over my head; I felt my crown chakra start revolving within. It was a profound experience. I placed my hand there and stood for some time. I witnessed it and let go of it. I didn’t ask any questions about it. That experience was beyond something!

Homa was another beautiful yet powerful experience I had at Mansarovar. What a powerful chanting and arati! Ecstatic! 

The sun, immediately after the Homa at Manasarovar. A vibrant expression by Nature

We (27 participants), were like 27 Nakshatras in the SKY. The root word ‘Naksh’ means to worship or approach, and ‘tra’ is a suffix. ‘Nakshatra’ is also believed to mean ‘not destructible.’     

Soon, we started our journey to Darchen. Here, we had the darshan of the west face of Kailash. We got our ponies and porters and soon began the Parikrama. This was another different kind of experience I had. 

When I got my porter, the porter took my bag and told me to sit on the horse and relax! Soon, we crossed Yam Dwar, “The gateway of the God of Death”. It is the starting point of the circumambulation of Mount Kailash. Therefore, it has a prominent position in Hinduism. One must pass through Yam Dwar to visit Shiva’s home. It is the starting point of the Kailash tour. As per belief, Yamraj himself guards this home of Lord Shiva. The lord of death is called Yama, and Dwar means gate – therefore, it’s called Yam Dwar.

This Moushumi died then, and a new birth happened; what was that birth is yet to be revealed to me! It is like a rewiring of your whole system, a new software perhaps.

The Parikrama started on a sunny day! On all days, the weather was sunny. Sometimes, it used to rain at night, but other than that, we were so blessed to have a darshan of the sun all the time. Because of the high altitude, we used to get tired; it was a reminder to chant ‘Om Namah Shivay, Shivay Namah Om! Chanting always helped; it was always our medicine, an immediate effect!

After a few breaks, we reached Dirapuk. We rested, had dinner, and slept (or just lay down). It was very difficult to sleep; I almost couldn’t sleep for three nights due to tiredness or high energy, whatever you can call it! 

3rd August, Altitude 5850m (almost 19000ft)

The toughest day of all, we covered almost 21 km that day. The first 6 km to Dolma La Pass was a steep way for those who walked and for horses riding pilgrims on their backs. It was not easy for the horses at all. I could feel the heartbeat of my horse, a very gentle being he was! My horse’s name was Chemu. We reached Dolma La Pass and had a beautiful darshan of Gauri Kund. 

The story from Shiv Purana is famous as it tells of how Lord Shiva beheaded his son. It so happened that when Lord Shiva was away, Devi Parvati went to bathe in a sacred kund called Gauri Kund. To guard against intruders, she created an idol from the soap lather from her body, placed this idol near the pond’s gates and bathed. But before going, she breathed life into the idol, and the idol became her son, Ganesha. She instructed Ganesha to guard the door and stop anyone from entering. Lord Shiva came to the place after some time. Seeing this, Ganesha immediately stopped him from entering the place. Lord Shiva did not know that the person who was guarding the place was none other than his son, Ganesha. Angered by the person, Lord Shiva cut off his son’s head. When Goddess Parvati learned how Lord Shiva had cut off their son’s head out of ignorance, she pleaded with Lord Shiva to bring back her son’s head. Lord Shiva saw an elephant roaming in the forest, cut off his head, and placed it in place of his son’s head. Thus, Lord Ganesha was born with an elephant’s head. The entire story takes place at Gauri Kund.

It was again a steep route as we started downhill for almost 6 km. After a quick lunch break, we started towards our accommodation, nearly a 12 km walk or a horse ride. At this point, the altitude dropped down; it wasn’t that tough to walk. The scenery was just beautiful: water stream, waterfall, yaks, horses, just beautiful. Also, remember the sunny weather.

Soon, I reached the second accommodation and rested for some time until all the people arrived. During those ten days, we always attended all aratis and bhajans; it was part of our routine. It kept all of us energetic. We used to do arati and bhajan as soon as the dinner was done. I could feel the change in the energy at every accommodation.

4th August, The last of the Parikrama. 

This was a relatively easy walk. We started our journey with the porters and ponies who always cared for me like a baby (This is not an exaggeration but a reality). We finished our Parikrama, and we reached Darchen by bus.

On 5th August, we started our journey from Darchen to Saga. And then Saga to Kyerong. At Kyerong, we reached a bit early; hence, we got some time for a walk and relaxed. 

Finally, on 6th August, the journey started at the border of Nepal and China and then to Kathmandu. Meanwhile, we realized that the roads from the border to Kathmandu were muddy, as eventually, there were a few landslides. The skill and experience of the driver brought us successfully to Kathmandu.

I will never forget a few things in this journey: our backbone, Nigma and Tasi Sherpa (who are still in contact and ask about my whereabouts); our Chef, Dil Bahadur, and his assistants who cooked delicious meals happily. Nagmi, Tasi Sherpa, and Sunil served us so kindly and lovingly – true selfless service! Our food is masala chai with yak milk, soup & and popcorn, rice, dal, curry, pizza, pasta, halwa, hot mango juice, and fruits with hot fruit syrup. I will never forget this, and most of all, Nigma Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa, and Sunil Sherpa’s happy attitude and his words, “OOH LALA, COCA COLA”!

While writing this testimonial, I once again revisited the Kailash Yatra. I realized now, though, with this physical body, I completed Outer Kora; I will keep going to Kailash until the last breath of this life mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

My heartfelt gratitude to the team for organizing this 2023 yatra so well. There is nothing to improve. It is all Mohanji’s grace and pure intentions of all 27 participants who joined and completed the ultimate Kailash Yatra.

||Yogiraj Parabrahma Shri Satchitanand Sadguru Brahmarishi Mohanji Maharaj Ki Jai||

Click here to register for Empowered 5.0 with Mohanji in India

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 14th September 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

One with the Master

by Rimjhim Prasad, India

An experience from Empowered 5.0

Before I share my experiences with Mohanji, I bow down to him with my heart full of gratitude for standing by me and letting me complete this ten-day event. Successfully completing the event itself was a big challenge for me as I faced a lot of resistance from my family members, dealing with their emotional blackmail and ignorance. But I surrendered to my Guru Mohanji and sought blessings from Sai Baba to be with me and help me complete Empowered 5.0 successfully. I bow down to them with gratitude. I bow down to Deviji for taking us through the wonderful experience of Yoga Nidra and Conscious Gapless Breathing (CGB).

Yoga Nidra on all the days with Devi Mohan was very intense. But on the fourth day of Yoga Nidra, as I lay on the mat in Shavasana after surrendering all the negative aspects of mine to Mohanji, which he was collecting in a bowl, I felt as if from every nerve and cell of my body, something was being pulled out with a lot of force. I felt an excruciating pain in my entire body, so much so that I turned and tossed from side to side, sobbing.

After some time, the pain subsided, and I felt much lighter from within, but I started to shiver. I was feeling cold. I pulled a blanket over me (despite the heat); shivering continued as if I was running a temperature. I was sobbing incessantly. But after some time, I felt very peaceful from within and fell asleep.

I woke fresh at 4 a.m. (my usual wake-up time). I felt rejuvenated as if a deep cleansing had happened from within, resetting my entire system. I resumed my practice of deep silence as immense peace prevailed from within. Thank you, Deviji, for all your effort to help us align and experience oneness with Mohanji.

But the most beautiful experience for me was on Day 4 of CGB. Deviji took us through the process of gapless breathing. After completion, as I lay on the mat contemplating deep within, in silence, I saw Mohanji in his most expanded form, standing right next to me, shining brighter than a thousand suns. I stared at the vision, awestruck. Mohanji’s face was not visible as it was glowing in brilliance, shining in golden light, arms stretched out to welcome anyone who surrendered at his golden feet. I wondered if it was for real, or an apparition or a figment of my imagination, unable to move or respond.

Suddenly, I felt like I was being pulled towards the dazzling golden light of Mohanji like a magnet. I looked like a small speck of black dot being drawn toward the golden light, ready to be swallowed in its radiating brilliance. I shuddered for a second before I vanished entirely into him. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I sobbed and sobbed.

Was it surreal? Was it my imagination? I know not! But I feel blessed to experience Mohanji in such magnificence. I felt his deep love in my heart. I don’t know whether he showed me my future or if it was an experience. As Mohanji says, do not think and analyse; just enjoy the moment, enjoy the experience! I bow down to him with love and gratitude.

Genuinely speaking, I do not have enough words in my dictionary to show my gratitude to him. He has changed me from a non-vegetarian to a vegetarian to a vegan. But this is the tangible and the visible part. The unfathomable love I have received from him constantly, his presence, and his guidance have given me new life as if I’ve been reborn.

Love you, Mohanji, as I see Sai Baba in you!

To register for the next Empowered 5.0 in India, click here!

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 4th September 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

‘Kailash’…

by Carla from the Netherlands

The word ‘Kailash’ resonates with us and touches our hearts. 

We did have an experience of hearing such a name in the past, with an impact we had never known before – Belur Math (in West Bengal, India). Belur Math is a pilgrim spot which attracts people of many faiths from every corner of the world. This is where Swami Vivekananda (1836-1886), the most prominent disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, spent the last years of his short life. 

Our calling to go to Kailash was just as strong, which compelled us to reach out to Mohanji. We made it a priority to invite Him to visit our temple in Onderdijk. We also sought His advice on the various programmes that the Mohanji Foundation arranges, out of which the ‘Kailash’ trip was the biggest highlight! 

When He said, “I will definitely come to Onderdijk, and I suggest ‘Kailash'”, it was sweet music to our ears. 

The sheer number of documents that had to be filled planted doubts about my resolve for the journey. 

The age limit for Indians is 65, and 70 for Westerners. Which made me wonder – what is my age as far as fitness was concerned? Hiking has never been my thing, let alone climbing mountains of such high altitudes! 

Though the name ‘Kailash’ may have struck me to the core, while going through the itinerary, I realised that this trip seemed physically impossible for me, Carla. The tour would involve taking a ’round’ around the base of Mount Kailash, so to speak. The ‘Parikrama’ – a 52 km circuit – also covers a mountain pass (Dolma La Pass). 

PROGRAMME 

Day 01: July 23 (Sunday) 

  • Our first meeting with Mohanji and the group, apart from Meret, consists of 27 people. All new faces. (Indians have been denied the visa due to political issues with the Chinese authorities). Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kathmandu (Nepal) Altitude: 1,350 m 

Day 02: July 24 (Monday) 

  • 06:30 AM morning meditation and chanting the ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ mantra 3×108 times. 
  • Visited Chinese consulate to apply for visas (duration: 4 days). 

Day 03: July 25 (Tuesday) 

  • 06:30 AM morning meditation and chanting the ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ mantra 3×108 times. 
  • A day of free time in Kathmandu. 
  • Satsang with Mohanji in the evening. 

Day 04: July 26 (Wednesday) 

  • 06:30 AM morning meditation and chanting the ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ mantra 3×108 times. 
  • Sightseeing tour to the holy Pashupatinath Temple and Budhanilkantha. 
  • Satsang with Mohanji from 5-8 PM. 

Day 05: July 27 (Thursday) 

  • Morning meditation and chanting the ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ mantra 3×108 times. 
  • Orientation for Kailash (continued) and Group Meditation with Mohanji. 

Day 06: July 28 (Friday) 

  • Morning meditation and chanting the ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ mantra 3×108 times. 
  • Kailash briefing by chief Sherpa. Packing the sports bag (duffel bag). 

Day 07: July 29 (Saturday) 

  • Send-off by Mohanji from the hotel. 
  • Kathmandu-Syaphrubeshi Trip: Syaphrubeshi is a small town near Rashuwagadhi, at the border of Nepal and China (the Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge). Lunch on the go. 
  • Overnight stay in Syarubeshi. I had dinner and stayed at the hotel. Altitude: 2,380 m 

Day 08: July 30 (Sunday) 

  • Syabrubesi-Kyerong Trip: After an early breakfast, we drive to the border. Customs formalities are cleared (which takes almost an entire day). Drive to Kyerong. Altitude: 3,700 m 

Day 09: July 31 (Monday) 

  • Kyerong-Saga Drive 
  • Dinner and overnight stay in Saga. Altitude: 4,500 m 

Day 10: August 1 (Tuesday) FULL MOON 

  • Saga-Mansarovar Drive, via Prayang and Mayum La Pass (5,200 m), and arrival at Hor Quo (4,560 m). Lunch on the go. 
  • (Engine troubles caused a 2.5-hour delay, so lunch had to be eaten at the bend of a hairpin curve.) A ride of 13.5 hours was rewarded with the sight (Darshan) of the holy mountain Mt. Kailash and the sacred Lake Mansarovar. Dinner and overnight stay at Parmarth Guest House. Altitude: 4,540 m 

Day 11: August 2 (Wednesday) 

  • In the morning, we were at Lake Mansarovar. Then, a ceremony of fire (Homa) was done with a view of Mt. Kailash. 
  • Lunch. We go by bus around the lake (a two-hour ‘Parikrama’), after which we go on a drive to Darchen, the base camp of Mt. Kailash. Altitude: 4,620 m 

Day 12: August 3 (Thursday, 12-08-2023 = 9) 

  • 1st day of the Parikrama: Getting assigned the porters (backpack carriers) and ponies. 
  • Commencement from the Yama Dwar (gate of death). 
  • Overnight stay at a guesthouse in Diraphuk. Altitude 4,890 m 

Day 13: August 4 (Friday) 

  • 2nd day of the Parikrama: Diraphuk-Zuthulphuk. A 22-km trek which spans 8-10 hours. Early morning trek uphill to Dolma La Pass. After reaching the top of the pass at 5,850 m, we can see Gauri Kund way down below. After crossing Dolma La Pass, you will trek down into the valley on your way to Zuthulphuk. This day is the longest and hardest day of the Parikrama. So, prepare yourself mentally. Overnight stay at a guest house in Zuthulphuk. Altitude: 5,850 m 

Day 14: August 5 (Saturday) 

  • 3rd day: This is the last day of Parikrama. In the early morning (when it is still dark), we trek 10 km down the winding path. Once we arrive at Chongdo, we get picked up and drive back to Darchen. From Darchen, the whole group (three stragglers) travel to Saga. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Saga. Altitude: 4,500 m 

Day 15: August 6 (Sunday) 

  • After breakfast, depart from Sapa to Kyerong with fond memories of Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, Altitude: 2,700 m 

Day 16: August 7 (Monday) 

  • From Kyerong to the Sino-Nepal border, we are the first (open at 10:00) to pass through Immigration / Customs and cross the border to Kathmandu. 
  • Late arrival at the hotel in Kathmandu. Altitude: 1,350 m 

Dag 17: August 8 (Tuesday) 

  • 10:00: Festive closing with the Sherpas, plus coffee and cake in the hotel! 

Every part of the experience is an added “bonus”, being at Lake Manasarovar and getting a view of Mt. Kailash, exactly as Mohanji assured us! My plan was set: I would remain at Lake Manasarovar. 

Mohanji advised me to consider the first day of the ‘Parikrama’. It would give an incredible view of Mt. Kailash from the west side. I “parked” the possibility within myself. With Mohanji’s visit to the Netherlands, we had, after all, a whole programme to go through. Afterwards, we – just like Mohanji – would travel to Kathmandu the next day. We looked forward to a trip of a lifetime but also dreaded it. Everything got connected seamlessly. There was no time to process Mohanji’s visit. In Kathmandu, we got back on track with Mohanji after two days of travelling. 

When it was time to bid physical farewell to Mohanji in Kathmandu, I suppressed the urge to ask Him like a small child if I could make do with the first day of the ‘Parikrama’. His answer might lead to even more questions, I feared. 

I was looking forward to the view of Lake Mansarovar! Sprinkling cold water did not deter me; I had experienced that often enough in ‘De grote Vliet’ next to our home. Clearing the ancestral line was something I had dreamed of.

Mohanji waved us goodbye with the promise that He would guide us at a subtle level. We left in a cheerful mood for the adventure on our bus. 

In the morning at Lake Manasarovar, I was asked if I – as the only one – really wanted to stay behind after the first day of the ‘Parikrama’. A Sherpa would then have to stay behind with me. It felt like Carla had no say, and Lord Shiva was pulling the strings. After consultation and consent from Kannaiah, whom I did not want to distract during his journey, I ventured into the three-day ‘Parikrama’. Although I was part of a great group with Kannaiah, you are still alone! Kailash is, in many ways, an individual journey. (After the first day, three fellow yatris could not continue due to altitude sickness). 

The crystal-clear, cold Lake Mansarovar were an incredible blessing because of the surprisingly sunny weather conditions. We subjected ourselves to a jug of water as ‘Abishekam’! We walked to a quiet area on the shore of the lake where we could do this in peace and with concentration. After all, I had been eagerly looking forward to this part of the journey: clearing the ancestral line and everyone connected to you. 

At the end of the 1990s, I had once made an attempt on my way to the Himalayas to clean the red thread of my roots but ended up in an Ayurvedic hospital. It was now or never.

Mohanji had clearly ‘drilled’ us beforehand. You do the first pouring of water on your head for yourself. Then, for the lineage, the first ring family, the ancestral line, the house deity, the people who love you and God in the form that suits you. 

We couldn’t stop! After 21 pourings of water, Kannaiah said, “Enough is enough”, ha, ha. We have given you a bath: the temple visitors, the neighbours and so on! We were euphoric afterwards. 

Thereafter, when everyone was dressed warmly again, the ‘Homa’ (ceremony of fire) was performed, led by Kannaiah at the request and instruction of Mohanji on the bank of the celestial lake. Up in the sky, the sun was surrounded by a corona – an experience that lingers in our memories. 

I was able to complete the ‘Parikrama’ (circuit around Lord Shiva’s Mountain) many times on a pony as well as on foot, which defied expectations. It shows me that GRACE has descended upon me because I’m not a hiker and haven’t even broken into my new shoes yet. Mohanji had told us that grace, surrender and focus on Shiva were all you needed for the journey, but before the ‘Parikrama’, I felt the tension and doubt building up within me. It became increasingly quiet in the group. The height also meant that there was fear and that overcoming it played a great role. 

The best thing for me was that during the ‘Parikrama’, my attention was so absolutely focused on the breath-taking course that I lived in the moment! Moments with eternal value! Moments of emotion. Moments in which I died, followed by moments of expansion and relaxation, moments of joy and tears at the sight of Kannaiah. 

Mohanji had mentally prepared us to take the journey to Kailash as a tough and true test of our confidence and surrender. He said that during Kailash yatra, “Grace is more essential than oxygen.” 

Now, after two weeks at home, following a trip that is too difficult to put into words, it turns out that we can’t get used to the 3D world, which feels so condensed compared to the frequency around Lake Manasarovar and Mt. Kailash. 

Our three hours of sleep per night notwithstanding, we felt high spirits on the way, and we were surprised that we were suffering and enjoying the trip at a great height without sanitary facilities. 

I am immensely grateful to Lord Shiva, Mohanji, Team Mohanji, Kannaiah, the Sherpas, my pony and porter, my fellow yatris, my ancestors and the entire universe, for this would not have been possible without their blessings. 

As Mohanji put it concisely, what guides you through this journey is simply: “Om Namah Shivaya.” 

We were drawn to that huge Shiva Lingam (Mt. Kailash), a place of immense energy, the abode of Lord Shiva himself. 

“No one can go there unless Shiva calls you. And no one leaves empty-handed. But to win something, you have to be empty first,” said Mohanji. 

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 31st August 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