A new job through grace, Mai-Tri, and volunteering.

By Angela Strezoska, Macedonia

With this blog, I want to share my experience about how Mohanji’s grace through the Mai-Tri Method and volunteering for Mohanji Foundation helped me get a job.

I already had a job in which I was not happy at all. At some point, I even felt like a prisoner there. By the end of my working experience in that place, I had already applied to many places and had some unsuccessful interviews. After one year and a few months of struggling, I decided to resign, and before leaving, close people around me said to wait and not to make hasty decisions without first having another job and not staying jobless. Okay, I said to myself. I would give it a few more days or some time and see how it would go, but I had decided I would resign soon.

After a few days, I got an interview with a company which I really liked. When I got a chance for an interview through the email, I was crying with happiness. Before attending the interview, I called my friend, who is a Mai-Tri practitioner, and told her about the situation and the interview I got. We agreed to do a Mai-Tri Method session before I went to the interview.

In the morning, I got ready to go, and she did a Mai-Tri session for me exactly before I went to the interview. Before I entered there, my heart was beating fast, and I didn’t know what to expect. Before the interview, I had an exam to complete, which I wasn’t prepared for. I didn’t know I would have a physical exam with pen and paper. At that moment, I thought nothing would happen now; my chance was gone because I didn’t answer all the questions.

When they called me for the interview after the exam, I was already disappointed because I thought I had missed my chance, but as the interview started, I saw that they gave me a chance by asking me questions, and I got one more interview on the same day. Usually, the second interview is a few days later. But I got the two interviews on the same day. As the person was interviewing me, he was reading my resume, and I had put on the resume that I did volunteer work for a charity, etc. I had also written that my volunteering work was for Mohanji Foundation.

He kept asking about the volunteer work. The interviewer remained on that part of my resume, and he kept asking more details about it and questions as to why I did it. As I was a young person, they didn’t expect something like that, why, how long, what the feeling of volunteering was, who it was for, and similar questions. While talking, he had a printed paper of the resume and underlined the part where it was written volunteer and charity.

At the end of the interview, he called the other manager and said if you agree, I would like to hire her. They hired me on the spot! I didn’t even wait for some days to pass or wait for an answer. He said one more time before I left, you have some experience but not enough years of experience for us, but still, because of the volunteer and charity work you did, you will get the job.

When the interviewer kept asking me about the part where I wrote about Mohanji Foundation volunteering, it was a clear sign to me that it was Mohanji’s grace that helped me get a better job. When I left there, I was crying from happiness, and I reminded myself to be grateful every day, to spend time in a day just to feel gratitude for everything. This difficult time reminded me to increase my faith and also to have unwavering faith. I have to add here that this job is in another country, not where I am from, and it is very difficult to get into this company and position. It was made possible because of Mohanji’s grace.

When I left the company, I returned to my accommodation and waited for the contract letter. They told me it would take some time for the documentation to come through. Even though I knew that it would take two weeks for the official email, I became anxious. I began to worry that they might change their minds about hiring me, and I became increasingly stressed.

During that time, this thought came to my mind: okay, Mai-Tri healing happened, an obvious sign at the interview happened; at this moment, I need to have faith; I should stop stressing and relax. As I took a breath of faith again, I let my worry go. I can’t worry about something that I can’t control anyway. I relaxed and focused more on faith and trust. After a few days, I got the contract. I felt bad I lost faith at some point, but I took it as a lesson to never lose faith again.

When I finally resigned from my existing job, the company wanted to slow down the resignation process. But the circumstances worked out in my favour. My roommate knew someone from the company, and she assisted in speeding up the resignation process. I was also to pay some amount to the company as I would have been unable to complete my notice period. But miraculously, that was also waived off, which usually is unheard of and never happens in this country.

Also, once I resigned, I had to return to my country – Macedonia, to renew my passport and get a new visa for the country where I would be working. Again, there was a massive hurdle as there are some new rules in Macedonia, which makes it difficult to get a date to renew the passport before the visa process. But again, the whole process happened surprisingly fast, and I got my new passport in a remarkably short time. I learned that some passports of other girls were lost, and the visa process took many months. Apart from all these, I happily attended my sister’s wedding, which was next to impossible. Could all these things happen without grace? There were too many synchronicities.

Amidst this chaos of documentation and renewal of my passport in Macedonia and attending my sister’s wedding, I even got to participate in Mohanji’s programmes in Serbia and spend time with Mohanji, which I never dreamt of at this time of the year! Mohanji’s grace just flowed, removing all obstacles.

Soon, when I reached the new country, during my training, the company offered me accommodation, which is normally shared with someone. I met the person with whom I was likely to share the accommodation. Both of us went through the resumes of others and felt that we would not be able to adjust to others. We realised that we suited each other, which was taken care of without much effort.

I am still amazed they verbally gave me the job opportunity, which is difficult to get only because I volunteered for Mohanji Foundation. Mohanji, Mai-Tri Method and volunteering for Mohanji Foundation helped me get this job. I was surprised the key part of acceptance for the company was volunteering, that itself was a clear sign it was grace and that Mohanji stood behind it.

This does not end here! I also learned from others working in a similar field that it took them two years to get an interview, not even another job in this country, when they resigned. But again, I applied, waited two, three months for an interview and got accepted into a new company. This was unheard of and had never happened before as I had only about a year’s experience while others had more than five years of experience.

As the blog was published, the very next day, I met the interviewer in person, and he told me the main reason was not just volunteering, but he felt incredible positive energy when I walked into the room. He said we want such positive people in our company. We all know who’s that energy is, Mohanji!

One of the tasks during the training was writing a letter to myself on what I would like to achieve and how I would like to be in a year. I had written about things that were important to me, such as being stable, being in a good space and so on. I also added that in a year, my goal was to help others with my salary and engage in volunteer work. The interviewer was surprised when he read that someone as young as me wanted to share my salary with others! Others in my situation had written that they wanted material goods such as a car. This was yet another revelation that the interviewer shared with me!

Yet another interesting thing happened, which the interviewer shared with me three weeks after the initial meeting. I couldn’t believe my ears! There was a HR person who had all the files of all those interviewed. He suddenly asked the manager about the girl who had gone to India to do charity work. He wanted to speed up the hiring process as he wanted people like me in his company. The manager also told me that he wanted people like me who would spread the light and help others. He was using phrases that I have heard Mohanji use! I was shell-shocked and had to pinch myself to believe this. It felt as though Mohanji was speaking through the manager. It was a language that I was familiar with but never used in the corporate world. The icing on the cake was that the manager told me, “Be yourself!”

I could see and feel how Mohanji worked through these people, from the visa and the passport renewal to the interview process! It was a miracle that the entire process happened so quickly, and getting accepted on the spot for the job, which never happens again! All these were huge miracles happening one after the other. The way the people spoke and the language used (Mohanji’s speaking style) confirmed that Mohanji was with me and helped me through the process and each situation.

My gratitude to the Mai-Tri practitioner for the timely Mai-Tri session. My deep love and gratitude to Mohanji for being there for me, not just in my time of need, but always!

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 19^th December 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

I have always loved you

By Mahantesh Math, India

It was the beginning of the first Covid wave in March 2020. I was to battle a crisis in my family during the same period. Shirdi Sai Baba assured me all the time that he was with me and he had never left my hand in any of the crises. I had been a devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba for many years. All that came into my life after he made me aware of his presence – call it mundane or spiritual, always bore his stamp. There was nothing that was really wanted. Yet, in those times of crisis, I needed some clarity on whatever that was happening in my life. 

While browsing the internet, I chanced upon a YouTube channel, ‘Sai Baba Devotee Speaks,’ through which a person named Mohanji appeared. The video, though it did not make any particular impression on me, aroused my curiosity in him, which led me to the official website, Mohanji.org. My mind, in its ignorance, took him to be one of those feel-good Gurus who catered, particularly to the Western seekers. You can find many these days. 

My mind began creating one barrier after another until I started to read his blogs. Mohanji from the blogs was different from the one in the videos. When I began going through his blogs, one after another, the amazing clarity and the stunning conviction took me over. I was feeling a gut-churning kind of sensation, and a shift was happening in me. One of the blogs was about the sense of ownership and doership. 

I could not hold myself any longer and felt that I might get into sobs uncontrollably anytime soon. I just rushed to the bathroom in the house so as not to cause any misunderstanding with the relatives at home and went into uncontrollable sobs. Then, it dawned on me that Shirdi Sai Baba and Mohanji were no different. It has been my experience that whenever I visited Shirdi and came back home, more often than not, I used to get into such uncontrollable sobs. I was converted.

I wanted to explore more and more about Mohanji. As I had less work to do because of the Covid pandemic, this gave me ample time to explore about him. Strangely, in those days, while reading the blogs, the name ‘Mohan’ would crop up in unexpected ways. On the first day of reading, a relative was muttering to himself about a wrong call that he had received and that the name of the person on the phone was ‘Mohan.’ 

On the second day of reading, another relative was telling someone that a person from the medical lab had come to collect her blood for tests, and she added, even though it was not necessary, that his name was ‘Mohan.’ On the third day, my little daughter came to me and asked me in all her innocence, “Isn’t the name of Gandhiji, Mohandas?”

I had to go for a long trip, 9 hours of driving in those days of the pandemic, and I still remember, throughout the journey, his words that I had heard from the YouTube channels kept hitting me, where they were supposed to hit. I was enamoured of him. Then, as I was getting to know more about him, I began practising the ‘Power of Purity’ meditation that was available online, which affected me strongly.

Initiation into Consciousness Kriya

“Autobiography of a Yogi” was a book which I was aware of but was never curious to read until then. One fine day, when I began reading the book, my interest in Kriya was aroused. I also happened to come across the testimonials of Kriya Yogis – “Journals of Liberation” by Gurulight, at the same time. I was not sure whether I was really meant to receive it in this life or otherwise. 

I applied, and I submitted this dilemma to Shirdi Sai Baba. I prayed to him that if it was meant for me, then let the application be accepted; otherwise, let it get rejected. I would be okay with whatever was given. The application was accepted, and I undertook the Kriya training online in April 2020 and then made it a regular practice.

One fine evening, I had done the Kriya and listened to Shiva Kavacham, which was quite powerful. It was then that I heard a bird chirping in the silence of that evening. Strangely, I felt that the bird was within me, and everything around me was within me. At that moment, when I looked at the portrait of Mohanji, something within me strongly felt that he was indeed Shiva. 

Then I burst into sobs, and the floodgates were open. I kept telling him and pleading with him that if he allowed me to stay near his feet like a particle of dust, I would be indebted to him forever. It was at that moment that I heard the voice, “I have always loved you, Mahantesh.” That was so overwhelming that it took a while for me to grasp what had happened. All his grace! On the one hand, it was an emphatic reassurance of the past connection, and on the other, it was a reminder that I might have strayed away from the path in my past lives.

In Shirdi

It was destined for me to have Mohanji’s first physical darshan at the Shirdi retreat in December 2021. That was a dream come true, as it was in the same retreat that the Kriya initiation was supposed to be held. The initiation turned out to be a surreal experience in his physical presence. When I sat with closed eyes, I almost lost myself in that magical atmosphere. While waiting for my turn, a volunteer patted my back gently to remind me that it was my turn. 

When I went to him, I found him to be in an expanded state. While I kept looking into his eyes, he uttered some words that escaped my attention. The eyes, I felt, were like deep caves and that I could be lost forever if I entered them. The whole atmosphere was charged with gentle energy, and tears kept flowing down my cheeks while a beautiful bhajan sung by Natesh kept playing in the background.

The next day or so, everyone at the retreat was allowed to have individual interaction with him. With that gentle smile of his, he beckoned me to come when it was my turn, and that smile appeared to be something special – a smile of recognition. During the course of the conversation, he looked away for a while, and then his gaze turned towards me. All of a sudden, I felt as though my mind was put in a grinder, and my thoughts were running helter-skelter like popcorn. And it took a few seconds for everything to start settling down peacefully.

I can never forget that first retreat when I was welcomed to be a member of the M-family and allowed to flock with the birds of the same feather. I felt I belonged. I am grateful to Mohanji and the M-family.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 14^th December 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 – A journey of faith

By Harish Thottungal, UK

My initial inclination to embark on the Kailash pilgrimage alongside Mohanji began as a modest aspiration. The desire prospered significantly as I delved into accounts of past Kailash with Mohanji journeys and absorbed various testimonials recounting profound experiences. It became apparent that a pilgrimage to Kailash was inevitable for me; otherwise, it would linger persistently. In 2019, I resolved to undertake the journey. However, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kailash Yatra was put on hold. The next opportunity arose in 2023 when the program resumed. Without hesitation, I promptly applied.

During this period, a few individuals also mentioned Dev Kumbh. Completing a parikrama during Dev Kumbh is equivalent to doing it 12 times, rendering one eligible for the Inner Kora. The next Dev Kumbh was scheduled for 2026. The suggestion to wait until then crossed my mind, but uncertainties about the future compelled me to seize the present opportunity.

The program was meticulously organised, providing details about essential items to purchase, their purpose, and the situations in which they would be used. The organising committee of the Mohanji Foundation offered clear explanations during Zoom sessions, addressing doubts and questions about the program. Equipped with this information, I felt prepared for the Kailash Yatra. Interestingly, I did not undertake any specific fitness preparations for the program.

We had 27 individuals expressing their desire to embark on the pilgrimage, hailing from diverse locations such as the UK, USA, South Africa, Australia, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, and more. When all the participants gathered, it was remarkable how we instantly felt like a cohesive family – a unified group with a beautiful sense of togetherness. The atmosphere consistently radiated positivity, contributing to a fantastic experience.

Our time in Kathmandu was delightful as we explored local temples like Pashupatinath and the Vishnu temple. Mohanji’s presence was a constant guiding force, answering our queries through satsang. He shared meals with us, including breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner. Even when he skipped dinner, he would sit with us for a chat, creating a terrific sense of camaraderie. This marked the first program where Mohanji spent extensive time with participants, ensuring everyone was mentally prepared for the journey and addressing all inquiries.

Several key points from Mohanji are worth highlighting:

●      Completing the pilgrimage involves visiting Mansarovar, taking a dip (if possible), and gazing at Kailash. Anything beyond completing the parikrama is considered a bonus. Participants were reassured not to worry if they couldn’t go beyond Mansarovar.

●      Considering the higher altitude and reduced oxygen levels, Mohanji advised a cautious approach. From walking to other activities, everything should be done slowly to conserve energy and prevent over-exertion.

●      Mohanji emphasised the group’s participation in a Homa at Mansarovar, selecting Kannaiah for the ritual and ensuring he was well-prepared.

Participants had numerous questions, and Mohanji patiently addressed them with clarity. He also underscored that while individuals had varying fitness levels, mental stability and willpower were the crucial factors for the Kailash Yatra and completing the parikrama. This sentiment resonated with my own experience.

After completing the visa formalities required to enter Tibet, our Yatra commenced from Kathmandu. The bus journey to the Tibetan border at the Friendship Bridge spanned nearly eight hours, beginning in the morning with Mohanji’s blessings. By evening, we arrived at the border after a challenging 10-hour drive. Some of us, including myself, experienced motion sickness during the journey, but we were given Mai-Tri by our fellow traveller, Moushumi, which definitely had a healing effect on me as I felt better once we settled into the hotel.

The following morning, after a restful sleep, our task was to proceed to the border and complete the necessary formalities, which took some time with the Chinese authorities but was accomplished relatively smoothly without any complications. We all took a sigh of relief, with a silent thanks to Mohanji. Subsequently, we crossed the border, and a Chinese guide joined our group, accompanying us full-time in Tibet. Our journey continued by bus to Gyirong (3000 m), where we aimed to acclimate to higher altitudes daily. Gyirong provided a picturesque setting with abundant vegetation and good oxygen levels. We kept active by going for walks and maintained high energy levels through nightly sessions of Mohanji aarati and bhajans.

As we progressed, the journey to Saga presented a significant challenge due to its higher altitude of around 4660 meters and the absence of vegetation, resulting in lower oxygen levels. Several participants, including myself, fell ill, grappling with symptoms of altitude sickness. Following Mohanji’s advice to conserve energy, I navigated the challenges at a slower pace, combating doubts that surfaced about my ability to continue the Yatra. This phase marked my first moment of uncertainty, but timely support from the group, particularly from Bhavani and Zoran, reinstated my faith and determination to complete my journey. I realised that it was Mohanji who was speaking through them. He wasn’t giving up on me yet!

The subsequent day proved even more challenging as we embarked on the journey to Mansarovar, enduring a nine-hour bus ride. The journey had additional challenges, including a breakdown that required hours of waiting for repairs. While stuck inside the bus in my frail condition, the chanting and bhajans by our group maintained the spirit high, never missing Mohanji’s presence with us, even for a moment. Despite worsening physical conditions, reaching Mansarovar brought a sense of satisfaction as Kailash became visible.

The majestic Kailash was in front of us! The first sight brought the feeling of being at the abode of Lord Shiva. Basic accommodation near the lake meant shared rooms with minimal heating, but resting was prioritised. As attending the aarati and chanting in a tent proved challenging, my mind grappled with whether I could complete the parikrama. I could feel the onset of fear despite my faith in my Guru. I was slowly bending under the physical weakness.

Medical assessments revealed my oxygen level at a borderline figure of 60. Now, the decision was left to me – to proceed with the parikrama or not. I faced two options: either stay at the hotel and refrain from continuing the journey or undertake the parikrama with uncertainty. The realisation struck that my sole anchor point was faith in my Guru, Mohanji, and his grace. It was his grace that helped me to make the right decision! Despite physical challenges, I trusted that his protection and support would enable me to complete the parikrama.

I recalled Mohanji’s analogy of Kailash parikrama as a software upgrade, a transformative experience that requires the right conditions and awareness, all of which Kailash provides. The upcoming day held immense significance as it entailed participating in the sacred rituals at Mansarovar, including a powerful Homa ceremony. Mohanji had emphasised the importance of rituals in Mansarovar, gazing at Kailash and setting one’s intentions – a pivotal aspect of the parikrama.

Despite my worsening condition when I woke up the next morning, I held onto the faith that Mohanji was with me and that he would take care of me. While struggling to consume some breakfast, the importance of nourishment was evident. Our plan was to walk south along the shore of Mansarovar to conduct the Homa in an open space and, if possible, engage in sacred rituals. A 10-15 minute walk along the lake was on the agenda. However, at that time, even 10-15 steps seemed almost impossible to me. I brushed aside my fears, remembered Mohanji and was about to set out on the journey.

Just then, the Sherpas noticed my condition and expressed concern, suggesting that I join them in the car that was transporting the necessary items for the Homa and the tent. Seated in the car, I thanked Mohanji for taking care of me and also contemplated the challenges ahead. Upon reaching the site, situated next to the lake, doubts lingered about how this would unfold. The freezing lake and my compromised physical state posed considerable challenges. The fatigue was extreme, including fever and severe headache; every bone in my body was shivering with the cold. I was barely able even to stand straight.

Nevertheless, I was determined to do my sacred rituals, trusting in Mohanji’s care. Positioned at the shore, I observed fellow participants slowly gather and engage in their rituals. I struggled to stand and engage in the ritual. This was my second point of uncertainty. Almost giving up on the ritual, I was considered a quick retreat from where I was to a comfortable space. Just then, I heard my name being called out! I felt as if Mohanji was calling me! I turned around and saw Moushumi, who encouraged me to endure and even offered to support me if I struggled. I recognised this was Mohanji’s command, his direct support.

I gathered my strength and decided to proceed. Surprisingly, within a minute, my pain disappeared. Encouraged by this shift, I ventured further into my rituals and completed them; I expressed gratitude to Mohanji for allowing me to complete these crucial rituals. I also carried a Shivlinga, small murtis, and a Rudraksha mala, along with larger malas for the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence Scotland. I dipped them in the lake to energise them. It was later confirmed that upon reaching MCB Scotland, the malas emitted immense energy, as felt by our MCB Priest Jack Barratt.

Soon enough, I realised I was free from pain and fatigue, and I wondered why. The revelation dawned – it all transpired after the transformative ritual. Surely, it was none other than Mohanji who kept his promise, “I am always with you. I am taking care of you.” My heart was filled with gratitude; fear was receding, heaviness from my head was disappearing, and the brightness outside was appearing inside, too – light and bright.

As Kannaiah and the team arranged for the Homa setup, I took a chair near the Homa kund, grateful to be part of this unique ritual. The Homa was extraordinary, and the feeling of participating in it beside Mansarovar was unearthly. Each participant received a small wooden log to symbolise letting go of aspects of themselves, burning it as part of the Homa. After the Homa, someone urged us to look up at the sky, revealing a remarkable sight – a big circle around the sun and a triangle within the sun, a divine blessing.

Returning to our accommodation by car, I later boarded the bus for a parikrama around Lake Mansarovar. We collected clear water from the lake and marvelled at Kailash. Moving to a hotel at the base camp, we stayed overnight, continuing our rituals with aarati and bhajans. The next day marked the beginning of our parikrama and preparations, including booking porters and ponies as advised by Mohanji. He always emphasised taking a pony, even if intending to walk, as acquiring one halfway through the parikrama could be challenging.

The next day’s dawn brought a mix of excitement and contemplation on the uniqueness of our pilgrimage. Despite being in my weakest physical state, the parikrama had yet to begin – an ultimate test of willpower and faith. We packed our backpacks with essentials for the next three days, and the entire team gathered for breakfast. My health condition showed no improvement, and doubts about completing the parikrama loomed in my mind. Following breakfast, as we stood in a circle to receive instructions for the journey, I recalled Mohanji’s teachings on the power of pure intentions.

Seizing the moment, I suggested that the team join hands, connecting to Mohanji’s consciousness and collectively expressing our intention for everyone to complete the parikrama successfully. A minute of silence ensued, during which some participants reported experiencing a surge of energy and goosebumps, fostering a positive attitude within the team. Mohanji’s presence was felt by all, which brought this sudden surge of energy.

We took the bus to the starting point, where we acquired our porter and pony – symbolic allies on this journey, akin to Shiva’s Ganas, aiding us in completing the parikrama. The parikrama commenced at Yamdwar, a point signifying the shedding of aspects of ourselves that we wish to let go, marking the start of a new life. Setting my intention on what I wanted to release, I began the journey, alternating between walking and riding the pony. The day was strenuous, with intermittent glimpses of Kailash, accompanied by the chanting of “Om Namah Shivaya.”

I successfully completed day one with the assistance of the pony and porter. The location offered the closest view of Kailash, an awe-inspiring experience that captivated the team. At an elevation of around 5000 meters, breathlessness became palpable, requiring me to consciously extend my breath for more oxygen. I was weak but far from giving up.

The Sherpas provided hot soup and delicious food, though altitude sickness made eating a challenge. As day two loomed, acknowledged as the most challenging part of the parikrama, I focused on preparing myself for the physical demands. Despite struggles with breathlessness during the night, I prioritised rest and welcomed the Sherpas’ checks to ensure my well-being.

Later that night, I woke up with severe breathlessness and called out with despair, in a feeble tone, “Is anyone around?” in the pitch-dark room, maybe 4 or 5 of us in that room, I heard a voice,” Harish, get up. Sit up. And breathe.” I felt the command was from Mohanji. I simply followed, and soon enough, I was able to regain my breathing and realised it was from a fellow roommate. Mohanji, once again, was right there with me at the point when I was giving up! The rest of the night was uneventful, and I was able to take some rest.

The second day commenced with Sherpas waking us up with hot tea, followed by breakfast. Prepared and determined, we embarked on what is considered the most challenging leg of the parikrama – day two. This segment involved ascending to Dolmala Pass at an elevation of 5800 meters, followed by a descent and a subsequent walk of approximately 12 km, totalling over 23 km.

Opting for the assistance of a pony, I began the journey, and upon reaching Dolmala Pass, fatigue set in. Despite being drained, the sight of Gauri Kund was breathtaking. Unfortunately, I couldn’t linger due to altitude sickness. Descending on foot, I rested whenever exhaustion set in, accompanied by the ever-present porter. Reaching a plateau, we encountered a few Chinese cafes, although they were dimly lit and cold, lacking power. As we approached the end of the long walk, it was lunchtime. The porter suggested I take my lunch, leaving me momentarily alone and fatigued, unsure of what to do next.

This was my third point of uncertainty. In that moment of need, divine intervention manifested. A voice called out to me from the darkened cafe on my right. Mohanji? Struggling with my bag, I made my way inside, discovering that the voice belonged to Thirushka from South Africa. She and Moushumi were having lunch, and an available seat was next to them. I gratefully joined them, sharing a bit of my packed lunch. Seated with them, I found solace, allowing myself to recover and rest.

The remaining stretch of the journey mostly unfolded on flat terrain, covering approximately 12 km. While I walked for a portion, I predominantly relied on my pony. Upon reaching the base, the team and I felt immense satisfaction, having successfully completed the challenging phase of the parikrama. However, that night brought another struggle with sleep, attributed to breathlessness. I recognised but also knew the M power with me; hence, I felt unhindered by the physical setbacks.

The last day of the parikrama was comparatively shorter, requiring 3-4 hours to complete. Starting early, I primarily walked this segment. Upon reaching the endpoint on day three, a profound sense of satisfaction and gratitude to Mohanji washed over me for enabling me to accomplish the parikrama. The team shared hugs, celebrating the collective achievement. Recognising my Shiva Ganas – my porter, pony, and its handler – I reached out to Tashi, one of the Sherpas, to translate and convey my heartfelt gratitude, acknowledging their significant role in my journey.

Subsequently, we embarked on our journey to Saga, with lingering altitude sickness until we reached Gyirong the following day. This entire expedition served as a touching reminder of the importance of living in the present moment and the power of faith. Kailash, in essence, symbolises dissolution. The experience underscored the imperative of embracing the current moment without undue concern for the future – why worry?

Reflecting on the entire journey, I attribute the completion of my parikrama to one crucial element: faith in the divine, in my case, in Mohanji. Kailash imparted a profound realisation about the significance of being connected to a Guru through unwavering faith. My sincere gratitude to Mohanji for making me realise that when I am alone, I am actually not alone!

Thank you, Mohanji, for being with me in every moment of this once-in-a-lifetime journey of Kailash. Thank you, my dear Kailash family, for being the instrument of Mohanji and making this journey such a memorable one. Thank you, Lord Shiva, for welcoming me to your abode and allowing me to accomplish my desire and intention.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 7^th December 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 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, 20^th 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!

The path and unconditional love

By Meghan Rose, USA

A few months ago, while doing Kriya practice, I realized that in order to live in the present again, I need to let go of my past and the future. When I made that decision, a realization hit me: “Well, I don’t even know how much longer I’ll have to live!” This caused a train of realization that I’d also have to leave my liberation in the hands of Mohanji and the Tradition; everything and everyone in my life can go at any time, and I don’t know when they will die either. 

I had experienced people dying in my life before, and I had experienced grief. I had even thought of my own longevity before. But thinking about it compared to truly realizing that I can go at any moment is different. It was like being in the present moment was a death itself. 

I became very distraught. My mind began looking for something permanent that I could hang onto. I didn’t know how to find it! One day, I thought I’d watch near-death experience (NDE) stories in order to calm myself a bit. This was not the first time I was looking into life after death. Years ago, when someone dear to me had died, I had looked into these things. But this time, it was for my own sake! 

At first, I listened to two of the NDE stories, and they were so beautiful. The first was a man who said when he died or left his body, he felt that he was not the personality he left behind on the hospital bed. He also said he felt everything a human wants to feel: unconditional love, joy and acceptance. 

The second was a woman who had a similar experience. She left her body and felt the presence of guides. They were extremely happy to see her, and she felt all her pains of life being washed away. She, too, described being loved unconditionally by Consciousness or the Supreme Father. When I heard this, I wondered what it was like to feel the things they were talking about. I wanted to feel it while being alive. 

One day, I asked Jack Barratt, who holds weekly satsangs, to please speak about the NDEs. At the end of the satsang, we meditate for 10 minutes. During the meditation, I could physically feel a wave of golden light coming from the front into me, surrounding me and filling every cell of my body. It was then that I felt what those people were talking about. 

I mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually could feel that I am loved no matter what. I knew it with my entire being. This was not a subtle experience at all. I felt and knew that I was loved, and my personality, my thoughts, my words, actions, memories, my body – all that didn’t matter! Needless to say, it was incredible. 

I kept thinking about this for the following week, and it happened again during the next satsang. This experience (along with the lovely help of Mai-Tri sessions) really lifted me back up. It took away the distraught emotions I was feeling. I reflected on so many things throughout this time – it made me contemplate what is important to me and what my priorities in life are. Everything was pointing to the path – to going back home. And to LOVE! 

It made me realize and feel the value of everything and everyone who comes our way, especially those who may give us pain, which makes us grow! Because they are all contributing to our journey towards the ultimate (if that’s what we decide we want in this lifetime). I felt so much gratitude for all the situations and people in my life. Never blame anyone; never hurt anyone, including yourself. 

If it wasn’t for Mohanji, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through all this. I never knew that kind of love was possible. Perhaps all we need to do is be open, love ourselves and feel we are also worthy of this supreme love! Definitely, it was a huge booster for me to keep going, NO MATTER WHAT. 

I have learned so much from Mohanji being in my life so far – the first thing that I ever really learned from Mohanji was the importance of self-acceptance and how necessary it is for the path. And that we CAN accept ourselves. It’s difficult, it’s a practice. I had never really heard of this kind of teaching growing up. The other things besides acceptance have been about not having guilt, letting go, and respect. 

I feel like we all really love each other deep down when we put away the differences, the memories, the situations – everything.

“Love is the effortless expression of a still mind. All other expressions are reactions to circumstances.” ~ Mohanji

One other thing I want to mention, which Mohanji has been talking about a lot recently, is the importance of consistently connecting to one Master deeply. Mohanji has also said that your Master is all Masters, and you only need to focus on the one who came to you. I experienced this recently when I was offering food. As I was getting ready to offer – I thought to myself how I felt connected to Mohanji and the Dattatreya Tradition. 

Then, I looked at Babaji’s photo and had some doubts. When I closed my eyes, I immediately saw Babaji, but even though I saw Babaji, I felt Mohanji! There was no separation between them. There was a wonderful sense of love. Our Master Mohanji is all Masters indeed. He is our gateway! 

This also happened during Ganesha Chaturthi. We were celebrating Lord Ganesha’s birthday. And even though I was looking at the form Ganesha, I felt Mohanji again!  Thank you, Mohanji. For all the support and unconditional love, you have given me. I’m so happy that I’m living this life with you. I love you! Because of you, I am me. You have been my mother, my father, my best friend, and you are my true relative. If anyone ever compliments me, I know it’s you they are seeing. 

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

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 19^th 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

A dream came true

By Swapna Patil, UK

My journey with Kailash virtually started in April 2021 when I got a dream where I was in Kailash on a full moon day, and Lord Shiva was meditating on Kailash with a few sages sitting around him.

After this dream, I started thinking about what my connection with Shiva or Kailash would be. I have been a Vishnu and Sai Baba devotee all my life, and I had never chanted any Shiva mantra nor did any meditation, so why did I get that dream?

In Aug 2022, Sai Baba blessed me to go to Skanda Vale Ashram in Wales and to do some seva. I followed that intuition and stayed for four days in Skanda Vale, where I learned about Mohanji.

While doing the food serving seva at Skanda Vale, I met an amazing lady, Heli, from Estonia. While having lunch together, she mentioned to me that she had come to Skanda Vale to seek blessings for the book that she was about to publish. When I asked her about the book, She said – “Pilgrimage to Tibetan Mountain Kailash.” This, for me, was a sign that I should seriously think about going to Kailash. 

Heli patiently answered all my queries about Kailash, and she gave me a few references for tour operators in Kathmandu. I contacted them immediately, but they mentioned there was no official announcement from China yet about this pilgrimage. Hence, I lost hope.

In the meantime, I decided to go to India in March 2023, and on 5th March, I visited Shirdi. I was attending an evening aarti in Dwarakamai, and I was praying to Sai Baba: “Baba, please take me to Kailash. If you can’t take me physically, then send a Guru to me, only with whom I can do the yatra.” With this request to Baba, I opened my eyes and saw 2 European disciples standing before me, wearing white t-shirts (with Mohanji written on the t-shirts). 

I got a sign that Baba had brought me to Mohanji. I tried to follow the disciples, but as Dwarkamai was overcrowded, I lost them, and they disappeared into that crowd. In the same month, I visited Varanasi, and I happened to accidentally visit Lahiri Mahasaya’s Samadhi place, which also had a beautiful temple for Mahavatar Babaji. In that temple behind Mahavatar Babaji’s idol, in the background, I saw a picture of Kailash. I prayed to Babaji to take me to Kailash.

After returning to the UK, I looked up Mohanji’s website, where I found mentions of a book – Kailash with Mohanji. I ordered it on Amazon, and upon arrival of that book, I read it within two days. Once I finished reading that book, I prayed to Mohanji – “Mohanji, please take me to Kailash.”

On the night of that same day, in my dream, I saw Mohanji unloading my suitcase from a van, and when I asked, “Where are we going?” Mohanji smiled at me and said, “Kailash.” This was in the last week of March 2023 when there was no sign of the Kailash yatra yet announced by the Mohanji Foundation. What a grace!

I was confident that I was going with Mohanji to Kailash one day. But I was surprised when, in April, I saw an advert coming from a social group to save the dates for ‘Kailash Parikrama’, and I was over the moon. I am sure I was the first one to register for this yatra.

Mohanji visited the London Navnat Centre on 27th May for a day retreat. I registered for that event, and I met Mohanji for the first time. I mentioned to him about the dream that I envisioned. He smiled at me and said, you will be fine on Kailash yatra.

I started my preparations for the yatra and reached Kathmandu with my husband. Once I reached the Hyatt Regency hotel, I saw the lobby was the place that I envisioned in my dreams, where Mohanji was unloading my bags. 

The 27 yatris of this group felt like a family from day one. The 27 of us came from all over the world, from different directions, but we all had one thing in common – an immense gratitude that the Guru Mandala chose each one of us for this divine journey called Kailash Parikrama.

Preeti Duggal beautifully arranged the morning Shiva Rudrabhsihek, and we all felt that intense energy in the mornings during those pujas. She also performed a group Mai-Tri for all of us. This was my very first session, and I wasn’t expecting anything. But I saw Mother Kaali of Skanda Vale appear before me during the session, and I felt a touch on my forehead, and she said that she came all the way from Skanda Vale to bless me. A mother’s love is so pure and so kind that I had tears in my eyes. I cannot thank enough Preeti Duggal for this beautiful experience.

The next day, we had a satsang with Mohanji, and the topic was ‘Lord Hanuman.’ As Mohanji was doing the talk, I saw a vision again: an image of Mohanji with three heads: Lord Hanuman on the left, Mohanji in the middle, and Lord Dattatreya on the right. Despite being a vision, it was so clear and realistic that I was able to see the faces of them all for a brief period.

While leaving Kathmandu, we were all emotional about leaving Mohanji and the team behind. We had tearful eyes whilst Mohanji blessed us all with his two hands. I, too, became very emotional but knew that Mohanji would be with us all during this sacred journey.

The road to the Neal-China border was bumpy, and I started feeling motion sickness. I closed my eyes, and I saw a vision again. It was the day of Ekadashi. On this day, I usually fast and worship Lord Vishnu. In this vision, I was talking to someone saying, “It is Ekadashi day, and I am fasting, but I could not do Vishnu puja.” I then saw our group photo with Mohanji outside of the hotel, and I was next to Mohanji in that photo. 

Suddenly, Mohanji disappeared and took the form of Lord Vitthal, a form of Lord Vishnu (standing in the same pose). My eyes were full of tears. Then, I saw another vision where Mohanji turned into a bird, and his body was expanding as if it was ready to take off. In another vision, Mohanji was blessing us all, and I envisioned a cobra around him protecting us.

Our journey to the Mansarovar was not so smooth. We all felt sick, but thanks to the sherpas and the Tibet team, they looked after us so well. After reaching Mansarovar, everyone was tired due to the long travelling. There was a full moon that night, and some of the yatris decided to go to Mansarovar at dawn at around 2:30am to see any celestial beings.

I awoke exactly at that time and could hear the people who were going towards the lake. I was too powerless to lift my body, and I heard a voice in my ears saying, “Do not move.” I felt an entity enter our room, and taking something out of our bodies, it left. Unexplainable yet realistic, and I realised that something which needed to leave us before the pilgrimage had been removed by grace.

On the next day, we started the Kailash Parikrama. I was fine on day 1, and we reached the guesthouse where we could clearly see Kailash. I was tired, but then I strongly wished to go out and look at Kailash. I went out, sat on a rock, and started meditating. Slowly, a few of the yatris joined me, and we had an amazing Shiva mantra chanting session in front of Kailash itself. At that moment, I felt the incredible feeling of nothingness (shunya).

On that night, I couldn’t sleep as my heart rate was irregular throughout. The following day, the sherpas suggested that I may not be fit to do the Parikrama and should consider returning to Darchen. The nervousness and the fear started taking over me, so I even decided to give up and go back.

Bhavani and Zoran came to see me, and Bhavani did a Mai-Tri for me. I did get a feeling of regaining some energy with some positive thoughts that indicated I carry on with this journey. Zoran also advised me that it was safe to do it and that it was just anxiety that was affecting my will.

On my pony, I started the journey to Dolma–La Pass. I was anxious that my heart rate was still irregular. At one instance, I lost my will to continue. Suddenly, a boy came to my rescue as he started talking to me in English. He was neither a porter nor a pony owner. He appeared out of nowhere, said that we were about to reach the peak, and smiled. I asked him to stay with me and told him I felt safe with him. 

He smiled again and accompanied me to Dolma–La Pass, where I saw Kanaiyah from our group. I reached Kanaiyah and asked for some water as my porter was way behind. I completely forgot about the boy who had appeared out of nowhere and accompanied me until there, and I didn’t see him again. I then came across Zoran on the way, and he said, “See, you made it.”

Kanaiyah and Bhavani went down to Gauri Kund, and I chose to sit on a big rock at the top of the Kund to take some rest and wait for my husband and the porter. I was looking down at the Gauri Kund and heard Kanaiyah sing a very beautiful bhajan for Mother Parvati. I cherished that from the top. I closed my eyes and said to Maa, “Sorry I could not go to Gauri Kund this time, but bring me here again to take your darshan.” I witnessed a small landslide with a loud noise, to which Kanaiyah said it was Mother’s way of acknowledging our prayers.

My husband and my porter then joined me. My porter gave me a bottle of Gauri Kund water. I wasn’t anticipating it, but he felt he must fetch it for us all. This reminded me of Kanaiyah’s saying that a Mother always listens to our prayers.

I had read before somewhere that when you go to Kailash, even as a part of a group, each member gets a message from the divine. You must understand that message, and you will witness your life transforming. I have received a message, too, and am still in the process of understanding it!

As Mohanji says, “Go to Kailash with nothing with you, and you will not return empty-handed.” Have faith, surrender completely, and everything will be fine.

Thank you, Sai Baba and Mahavtar Babaji, for fulfilling my wish to go to Kailash. Thank you, Mohanji, for protecting me, and I know that it was he who walked with me to the Dolma–La Pass! Thank you, to all the sherpas, organisers and the homoeopathy doctor who looked after us like Shiva Ganas.

Jai Mohanji!

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

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 12^th 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

A chosen one

By Sam Lad, UK

The beginning

I wasn’t supposed to be a part of this beautiful journey initially, but I was destined to become one of the yatris. I followed the footsteps of my better half as I have done for every single journey that we have made together. Her dream about Mohanji’s instructions was an indication that I was destined to do this parikrama.

Luxuries of the materialistic world

I came into Hyatt as a child who would seek answers to his questions from his mother, and Mohanji, as a mother, answered every single question of mine. However, astonishingly, he read my mind and answered some of them even before the questions took a verbal form.

An abhishekam is needed before every sat-karya (a holy deed). The days in Hyatt were truly the days of abhishekams. Not only the abhishekam of the divine lingams that we did on every pure dawn of the holy month of Shiva (Shravan) but abhishekams of us by Mohanji with pure wisdom and spiritual knowledge (the satsangs). What else, if not the beautiful divine bhajans sung by Kanhaiya, could conclude such ceremonies?

The struggles on the way to Shiva’s home

The divine moment, a glimpse of Kailash, comes with a price, yet it is priceless. Nothing valuable can be achieved easily. So, how could a glimpse of Shiva’s home be different? From a bumpy ride to the border to the physical challenges and the psychological roller coasters. Needless to say, there were Mohanji Acharyas around always to help you get through these roller coasters.

The spirits of Manasarovar

Mansarovar is a court (darbar) of Shiva. Although even on the cusp of dawn, we could not witness any celestial bodies descend onto this lake in the form of lights, it has something for everyone. How miraculously, the grey, wet afternoon with our honest chants of Shiva turned into a bright and beautiful one? And how the bright sky glittered with a miraculous circle over our homa at the end of Kanhaiya’s beautiful mantras? The Mansarovar truly rejuvenated me. 

The trilogy

Why my spiritually naive mind tried to correlate these three days of parikrama to the trilogy (creation, preservation, and destruction) or the trigunas (the three fundamental elements of reality – sattva, rajas, and tamas) is unexplainable. However, my mind certainly experienced passing through these three stages gradually.

Day 1 (The creation of ‘you’ – sattva)

While stepping out of the Yam Dwar, I truly stepped into the home of Shiva. You leave behind the ego, the personality, the attachments, and every attribute of the materialistic world that defines ‘you’.

This home of Shiva is a definition of pristineness. You feel all those shackles being broken with every breath that you take, with every step that you take. The ‘re-birth’ of you is witnessed by the Nandi, the Airavata, the sun, air, water, sky, soil, the pancha mahabhutas in their purest forms.

The spiritual infant in me naively started hunting for the signs of Shiva in every direction that I looked in, in every giant structure around me, including the Kailasha itself. Could I be more fortunate than to settle in Shiva’s home and chant out in the open before the mighty Kailash?

Day 2 (The desire for survival, the preservation – rajas)

Life is another form of accepting challenges and surviving through them. This penultimate day, the phase of survival, is an ultimate reflection of that. With the weight of your lineage, the karmic heaviness over your shoulders, step-by-step, make your way forward. Do desire for the apex, but as Mohanji says, don’t hang in there.

The apex, like the utmost success in your life, is your test. Life gives, and life will take it back. This is the utmost reality; this is the naked truth. Embrace the truth, surrender yourself to the almighty.

Throughout this survival, I have been lucky to have the presence of my better half. This is how things fall in order. Hand in hand, a true nuptial knot is made to share the pains and joys of each other. A journey togetherness with a sight of the Gauri Kund that takes all your pains and sorrows away.

Day 3 (The destruction – tamas)

What has been created will be destroyed. It is a law of nature. Tamas is often misunderstood but is equally essential for the balance. Tamas, in this context, would be your dissolution into the divine, the destruction of the ego, the oblivion. This is not the end, though. This is rather a new beginning. The inevitable cycle goes on. I stepped back into the ‘world of people’ with this purity in my heart, thus forth, with a responsibility to guard it against the impurities, as Mohanji says.

The end?

What has the parikrama given to me? … Everything that you cannot buy with money in the fake world… Everything that you would need to survive in this fake materialistic world, to keep yourself rooted in. New friends, a new family, new lessons that taught me how to value everything that I have, and a realization of how, one day everything would vanish in the blink of an eye.

My affair with Shiva has been lifelong, but it certainly has gone through its phases, from my everyday prayers to the ink on my skin and the words in my poetry to my thoughts.

I came to Kailash with the stories and experiences that I heard from others. Only to realize that Shiva has always been within us, within others, and within everything that’s pure around us. I saw a glimpse of him in the innocent smiles of the little girl that I shared my chocolate bar with during the first day of the parikrama. 

I saw a glimpse of him in the honesty of my 65-year-old pony owner, who paused for a moment in the heavy rains to bow down in front of the divine Buddhist monastery located in the mountains. And in the efforts and in the sighs of satisfaction of my companions (sahayatri) at the end of every day of parikrama.

Shiva has always been around me, but I have been blind due to the duties, challenges, and entanglements of the materialistic world. A parikrama like this was needed to open the eyes. What did I ask from the Kailash?… well… one more of such parikrama while my body is capable.

And I owe this one to Mohanji and the Ganas of Shiva – Mohanji Acharyas, volunteers and the Sherpas!

Om Namah Shivay! Jai Mohanji!

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

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 5^th 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

Amazing grace, how sweet thou art

By Michael Draper, UK

I often remind students of one of the many aphorisms from the film ‘Kung Fu Panda’: the past is history, the future is a mystery, but the Now is a gift (grace), which is why we call it the Present. Are we always aware of the grace that flows at the moment: the Now with its gift and opportunity?

The web of neural pathways in the brain processes information in fractions of time, and our mental interference through emotional reaction or otherwise makes the experience of Now a challenge. When we remind ourselves to focus on being present – the Now – we try to be one with what has already passed into memory. Divine irony.

Is it possible then to become aware of Now by watching or meditating on the rhythm of our breathing? Becoming implies time. Time and Now are mutually inconsistent. 

However, there is one meditation given by Mohanji in which we are directed to the space between our ‘in and out’ breaths to experience an expansive space that is the place of pure awareness of the Self. The promise of possibility can be replaced by the experience of presence.

When we have a peak experience, we are said to catch our breath – that is, for a moment, we forget about the breath or breathing or thinking, and we fall naturally into that space, which is presence and time appears to stand still in a concentrated moment, and grace flows.

One such experience occurred on 9th June, 2023. I saw Mohanji physically for the first time at the holy ashram of Skanda Vale, the Community of the many names of God. This was during the Shirdi Sai Baba temple inauguration and  Prana Pratishtha of Shirdi Sai Baba idol. Skanda Vale and the welcoming and inclusive Swamis, monks and nuns of the ashram have been a divine refuge, an ark in the sea of Samsara, for many years. 

The gravitational power of Mohanji’s presence is to be experienced. Stillness is one of its manifestations, and silence is another. How, then, to describe the impact of seeing Mohanji for the first time? Visually, there is a vibrancy in which Mohanji seems to stand out from his immediate environment. Mohanji is outstanding, so to speak. He is magnetic.

My feeling was one of wanting to be physically close and yet respectful of his space amid my mind’s uncertainty over what was ‘allowed’ or possible. So I watched and observed from a distance, hoping that I might catch his gaze which would invite an approach, in other words, longing for recognition but mentally reasoning in advance against the possibility to avoid and manage disappointment. 

Mohanji responded. I met Dirk.

Dirk is a divine force of love, generous and ever concerned for the welfare of others. I felt an immediate connection with Dirk and was very happy to talk openly with him. We spoke of Sathya Sai Baba and our experiences with Swami – when two or more gather in my name says the Master Jesus there I am, and Baba was with us as we reminisced. Sai Dirk encouraged me to approach Mohanji and Devi to seek their blessings and to request that I touch their feet. 

I had shared with Dirk that this had been a longed-for experience with Sai Baba, but I needed more courage to approach Baba. Self-doubt had led to inertia and a lost opportunity. I explained to Dirk that on one visit to Prashanti Nilayam at Puttaparthi (India), Sai Baba had unexpectedly walked about the ashram outside of the formal darshan setting and timings to pour out his love and grace on devotees that ‘happened’ to be in the right place at the right time.

Naturally, a small crowd had gathered and, like a wave, moved with Sai Baba to the vicinity of the coconut stall in the ashram grounds where I was standing. My heart wanted to move towards Sai Baba and fall at his feet as others did. But would my mind allow that? No. 

Subsequently, I realised that the coconut is the symbol of the ego, and I was at the coconut stall. Stalled – yet another divine irony. That sense that I was separate from Baba and not deserving of him or his love and a doubting mind – ego – meant that I didn’t move and I missed the opportunity.

Deep regret followed. 

With hindsight, the ‘missed’ opportunity resulted in a period of intense sadhana and deeper longing. Baba’s Will, often inscrutable, is perfect in its timing and impact, and with Baba’s loving grace, other experiences followed. Even so, I had not physically touched his divine feet.

With Dirk’s encouragement and reassuring presence, I approached Mohanji and Devi. With some haste resulting from hesitancy, I conveyed to Mohanji my longing and missed opportunity with Baba and requested that I touch his feet. 

I wasn’t eloquent, probably garbled, but Mohanji read my heart. Now was the time, and grace flowed. Mohanji nodded his head with approval, and with Sai Ram chants, I knelt before Mohanji and took padanamaskar. Devi gracefully gave her permission, and now, with more confident ‘Sai Rams’ being uttered, I took padanamaskar from Shakti. With a sense of completion and gratitude but having not yet emotionally assimilated what had happened, I watched Mohanji move along the path.

Are you coming to Scotland? Dirk explained about MCB in Scotland and the Prana Pratishtha of Shirdi Sai Baba idol and temple inauguration at MCB in a few days’ time. This would mean reorganising my work diary and booking leave at very short notice and a very long drive from South Wales. But with the experience granted by Mohanji still reverberating in my system, where there is a will, then there is a way.

Trusting but uncertain of the physical location of MCB Scotland, I approached Peter, another loving and generous soul. I was aware that Peter was somehow connected with Mohanji through his seva activity in addition to that at Skanda Vale. It transpired that Peter was part of the team that had located the property, which was now MCB Scotland. Therefore, Peter was able to write the address and postcode on an empty paper cup that I was holding. I don’t carry a mobile phone.

An empty cup that was about to be filled – Masters emphasise the importance of being your genuine (authentic) self: simply be, accepting yourself as you are ‘warts and all’ and open to receiving grace without any pre-conditions. Be honest but without judgement. The divine knows all anyway. The divine is directing the action through you watching the drama. A cup or conditioned mind already filled and closed to the divine play will simply overflow, and available energy and grace will go unappreciated and unused.

I felt the energy of purpose stir within – Adventure and the Will to venture forth. I began planning the trip in short measure. The inauguration was due to happen on Thursday and Friday, just days following the completion of the inauguration at Skanda Vale.

Almost everything fell into place; I had a work event on Thursday that I could not move but decided that was not going to prevent travel, and I would leave South Wales by car that evening to drive to Scotland and arrive in time for the inauguration event at MCB Scotland on the next day. This would mean driving through the night.

You might expect to feel tired with 12 hours of driving following a workday. Not when Mohanji’s will and energy are with you. At around 2:00 am in the morning, my sensible mind said to pull into a lay-by to rest for a while. I couldn’t sleep, so I eventually drove on, reaching MCB at around 6:30 am in the morning. Almost immediately, I saw Peter and then Vijay, who, in welcoming me, made sure that I had a cup of tea and refreshment. Blessings.

For the sake of brevity, I will leave the June experiences at MCB aside. However, I would like to mention two events in that divinely beautiful location. When walking to his seat in the Datta garden next to the Dattatreya temple for satsang, Mohanji gently but with intention touched my right arm at the level of my chest. To an observer, Mohanji’s hand had casually brushed my arm. 

However, this triggered a reaction in my heart centre. It took some effort to prevent public tears from flowing. I was aware that Mohanji had removed an energetic imprint in my heart chakra that no longer served a useful purpose with the lightest of touches.

When talking with Devi in front of the Shirdi Sai Baba temple, again, a casual observer might have noticed Devi moving her hand in front of my solar plexus as a natural part of the conversation. I felt another energetic imprint being removed from that area.

Grace in abundance was being given naturally without asking or without the need for any acknowledgement. I returned to South Wales with a renewed sense of purpose. I set about the task of discovering Mohanji.

Vlogs, blogs and any information I could find in the time available outside of work and Skanda Vales’ livestream pujas were eagerly assimilated. In meditation, my focus was Sathya Sai Baba and the Gayatri mantra, but Mohanji’s face repeatedly appeared, and I could feel Mohanji’s presence and energy. When simply sitting quietly with my eyes closed, Mohanji would appear before my mind’s eye. I recognised the reassurance. I am in the presence of divine consciousness, a living Master. 

The picture of myself and Mohanji taken with Mohanji’s kindness and blessings at MCB was printed, framed and installed at home, and his picture calling card was installed in front of a picture of Shirdi Sai Baba and Hanuman on my work desk alongside that of Sathya Sai Baba. The forms and pictures may be many, but the Supreme Consciousness is one.

Masters always advise enquiry of the Self or otherwise. Don’t take things at face value – but when knowledge, faith and experience have become established, then commit, be patient and don’t let go. Constant remembrance of the divine or a Master through any means possible is one method of not letting go. Sri Aurobindo has said that faith is never blind – faith is an intuition that inevitably leads to experience. 

I was eager to be in Mohanji’s physical presence again. Sathya Sai Baba once explained to a group of devotees that meditation, japa and the like were useful tools when they were not in Baba’s physical presence, but when the source of all consciousness is with them, then simply be in that presence. To whom in any event are you chanting? 

There is a story of an ancient king who had wasted his life and caused suffering to his subjects through neglect, with the exception of one act of kindness. As a consequence, on death, he was condemned by the greatest teacher, the God of death, Yama, to experience the consequences of his actions before rebirth. 

The King, however, was permitted one day in heaven due to his one good action and was given a choice as to what would come first – the suffering or that day.

For all his faults, the King exercised the discriminating faculty that he had failed to use during his life and chose to experience the day in heaven. On arrival in heaven, the King enquired about the location of the great saints and sages in permanent residence and rushed to sit in their company. 

At the end of the appointed day, Yama came to collect the King only to find that the fire and power of purity of the presence of the great saints and sages had burnt the karma of the King to ashes through simple proximity. The King avoided his fate.

This isn’t a story about getting out of jail free; there are many others in which cleverness has backfired, but a reminder about the value and supreme blessings of being in the presence of a realised Master at one with and expressing supreme consciousness.

Grace once more flowed with the Vel installation at Skanda Vale, and then MCB Scotland announced a retreat with Mohanji in September 2023 – ‘Rise and Revive’ – I signed up immediately. The many grace-filled experiences of that retreat are perhaps for another story.

Offered at the lotus feet of Mohanji and the Masters of the Tradition with gratitude, love and blessings.

Samastha Lokah Sukinho Bhavantu: May all worlds and all beings in those worlds be happy and free.

Sai Ram. Jai Mohanji.

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

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 2^nd 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

A memorable birthday

By Santha Narayanan, Malaysia

My Kailash yatra was the most memorable, with two main wishes getting fulfilled. I totally agree with all the others who travelled with us to Kailash and shared their experiences. With the blessings of Mohanji, it was such a lovely journey with our kind, loving, caring friends with positive vibes and our sherpas.

The most memorable part for me was the five-day stay at the Hyatt Hotel with Mohanji and the homam done on the banks of the Mansarovar Lake. The five days with Mohanji in the Hyatt were blissful and the happiest. The Siva Linga puja, prayers, Rudram chanting & bhajans in the early mornings with Preeti were great. We went to Kailash with all these prayers and blessings from Mohanji, and I know Mohanji was there with us throughout our journey.

The homam was done with so much divinity; no words can describe that feeling. I felt the divinity in each and every one there. The two main reasons for me to sign up for the Kailash Yatra were, firstly, to be with Mohanji; as Malaysians, we hardly get such opportunities. Only once did we meet Mohanji in Malaysia. The other reason was to be at Mansarovar for my 70th birthday on 31st July. I was so happy to be there on that particular day and was able to spend two nights on that wonderful soil. Both my wishes were fulfilled!

Now, the journey to Kailash was a dream come true. I felt so blessed with such wonderful souls around me. It was a wonderful journey, and Kannaiah (another participant) even went to the extent of putting on shoes for me on the bus and made sure that he waited till I got off the bus with ease whenever the bus stopped for lunch or tea.

On the first day of the parikrama, my heart was filled with gratitude. Once I sat on the pony, I thanked Lord Vishnu and Mohanji for giving me such a heavenly opportunity, which I never dreamt possible. It was a wonderful feeling. I loved the gorgeous view as everything looked amazing.

During the journey on the first day, I noticed my pony was taking a very slow walk; she might have felt my low energy level, I suppose. Once we reached Yam Dwar (door of death), I was happy to see my cousin Geetha, Bhavani and Zoran. Bhavani guided us on what to do there. I felt happy to leave something behind and continued my journey.

One thing I noticed after a few hours of my journey was that everything stopped. My thinking mind stopped, thanking God stopped, Mohanji stopped, Om Namah Shivaya stopped, Gayathri mantra stopped. There was emptiness, and I felt like I was just going with the flow. In between, although my porter offered me food and a drink, I just ignored it and refused to drink or eat.

That was the mistake I made in hindsight. Having food and sipping on water was highly emphasized by the sherpas and the Kailash team for overall well-being. When I reached the end of the first day of the parikrama, I felt tired, with a slight headache and weakness. I had difficulty breathing, and almost everyone came to check on me after they returned from their journey.

Oxygen levels were being checked to make sure of each participant’s health. My check revealed low oxygen levels. Just at that time, my daughter called; when she heard that my oxygen levels had plummeted, her advice was not to continue with my journey.

Although my oxygen level was low after the first day of parikrama, I didn’t have any body aches. The only thing that I lost was my appetite to eat and drink, and that made me weak. In the evening, after chanting, I received my first Mai-Tri session from Bhavani. She came in and out of the room to check on my well-being at night. She sat by my bedside chanting the Mohanji Gayatri, and propped me up on pillows to make me comfortable. All these kind gestures cannot be forgotten.

The next morning, as my oxygen levels did not improve, I could not continue with the parikrama as advised by the team. I was to travel back to the hotel in Darchen (base camp for Kailash pilgrims) while the rest of the group continued with their journey forward. The miracle was that while I stayed back in the hotel, by the grace of Mohanji, my health stabilized without a hospital admission.

My co-travellers returned after completing the parikrama and joined me at the hotel. My loving Kannaiah… who went to Gauri Kund (Mother Parvati’s bathing lake) after passing Dolma La Pass (the highest passing of Kailash parikrama), hugged me and said, “Santha Amma, you were with me at Gauri Kund.” It was such an emotional moment for me. I really love him. I was touched as I couldn’t complete the rest of my journey after the 1st day.

Although I was initially sad for not completing the parikrama, I later felt happy that I had spent that one night by the North Face of Kailash. It had been my silent wish, and Mohanji fulfilled this, and I am immensely grateful to him for this. At the age of 70, I set foot on Kailash soil and had the darshan of Kailash and the Mansarovar Lake. I salute our Mohanji and team for organizing such a wonderful, amazing trip to Kailash. Very well organized. Shabas (well done!).

I was blessed to be there with all 26 wonderful souls. I would like to thank Mohanji and each and everyone who travelled with me for the moral support, loving touch and care given. I would also like to thank my dearest Sandra & Asja for giving me a good massage and reflexology therapy even after I tried convincing them I was alright.

Thanking my loving cousin Geetha, who was with me throughout the journey. And Madhusudanji for encouraging me to sign up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you all so much. One of the most memorable trips of my life at the age of 70. 

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 28^th 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, 12^th 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