On 20th November 2020 – I had penned down thoughts on Facebook – ‘When you are on the path of truth and light, people trying to silence you is only a test. Naturally, the universe provides another avenue. The universe always listens. Power of pure intention! Stay positive and hold on to hope. Naïve, I had no idea the gravity of this statement and the possibility of my life changing.
How did this statement arise? Let me take you back to 2019 when I started to find that I was detaching from the Foundation I was associated with. I was starting to understand the unity of the Guru Mandala. I felt like all Masters are One. I found myself letting go of the Outer Guru and started focusing on the Inner Guru. As this occurred, I started to let go of seva roles associated with the Foundation. And when the living Master came to my doorstep, I was physically unable to attend his program.
On an occasion in 2020, I found myself in a situation where I was being silenced by members of that Foundation. I was disgruntled. I was already looking inward, and this was the final push to cut ties. Hindsight shows that I wasn’t being silenced, but I was, in fact, guided towards silence, and I was taught to stand by my truth. Standing up for my truth didn’t mean that I had to argue with anyone. It just meant trusting myself.
However, with everything that happened, I was deeply hurt, and I started to believe that the Master’s teachings were separate from the Foundation (disciple-led). I didn’t want to ever belong to any Foundation again. Truth be told, my time was up there, and I was no longer aligned with that frequency.
During that time in 2020, NellyAnne directed me towards Devi’s podcast. Devi gave me hope. She gave me a glimpse into her life, empowering me to ask more from my life. I was tired of my mundane life. I deserved better. Somehow, I thought that I could do this with my own practices. The presence of various Kaliyug Datta Avatars was coming to my awareness, and in particular, I started connecting to Sripada SriVallabha.
It was May 2022, and my friend Jumri excitedly told me about Mohanji’s upcoming visit. When she asked me to come with her, I couldn’t say no. There was no hesitation. There was no doubt. I just had to go. I met Mohanji on 15th June 2022 in the beautiful Skanda Vale Ashram in Wales. He acknowledged my presence from the very first meeting. And this wasn’t just my experience; everyone I know had the same experience. He takes the time for each and every person. It’s his sheer kindness acknowledging every person who comes to him who wants to be in his presence.
During this trip, while conducting a Satsang, Mohanji mentioned Sripada and having recorded the Siddha Mangal Stotra. I was gobsmacked. Mohanji was talking about the Stotra I had grown to love. I was fervently asking around for this chant in Mohanji’s voice, but no one knew what I was talking about, and no one heard Mohanji talking about Sripada in the Satsang. Mohanji was, of course, up to his usual mischief, drawing me in.
Attending the June 2022 Retreat in St Albans, UK, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the sincerity, solidarity and transparency of the UK team. Shyama became my go-to person; she patiently helped me answer many questions, always with a smile on her face. Her gentle nature glows with the epitome of selflessness. Inevitably, I found myself engaging and participating in activities every so often.
In January 2023, I signed up to go to the Divine Trails of Puri. I was dissatisfied with the accommodation; I felt I was being cheated and messaged Subhasree regarding this. I was ready to cancel my trip even if it cost me. I felt I had to stand up for myself and speak my truth. Subhasree called me up and spoke to me. She cleared every single doubt for me with kindness and compassion. I was not being silenced. I was given a choice to reconsider my planned trip.
She is a pure, selfless being who wanted to give the participants the best possible experience as per Mohanji’s direction. I was witnessing Mohanji’s teachings being followed in their entirety! The impression inside me of the Foundation being separate from the Master was firmly wiped clean. For completion, Mohanji ensured the dissolution of this impression as I was invited to join the UK team actively a short while later.
Honestly, I was sceptical of the trip, but I trusted Mohanji, and I walked with his hands onto the divine abode of Jagannath Puri in February 2023. The trip was beyond special. The care, love, and kindness the Mohanji volunteers showed blew me away. This was my introduction to the Mohanji Global Family.
The memory that I must share about this trip involves the visit to Shri Jagannath Temple. Only Hindus are allowed to go into the famous Temple, but as I was menstruating, I couldn’t go. Most participants left to eat dinner or go to the Temple. Somehow, I could do neither, so I went back into the Satsang hall and surprisingly saw Mohanji giving Shaktipat to some people leaving the program early. I sat down and watched him and suddenly started crying in complete admiration, inwardly begging for liberation. I cried to my heart’s content.
When Mohanji was leaving the hall, he was looking the other way as he passed close by me. I didn’t attempt to stand up; I was glued to my chair. Before I knew it, boom, I felt a hand land on my head, blessing me! It was Mohanji’s hand. I couldn’t believe it. I was so surprised. I was in awe. In awe of Mohanji. In awe of the Tradition. What divine, perfect orchestration! I’m so grateful!
Two evenings later, there was no Satsang. And the opportunity to go to Shri Jagannath Temple arose. Miraculously, there was no sign of my period that day, even though it was my third day. Temples don’t normally interest me, but being so famous, I thought it was best not to miss the golden opportunity. Boy, was I glad because, 1km perimeter away from the Temple, my heart started to expand multifold, full of light beaming within, and I became acutely aware of the energy of the Temple.
I didn’t feel this before when I did the parikrama from the outside with non-Hindus a couple of days before. I was amazed at this Leela. It was close to 10 pm when we got to the Temple, and the energy was simply ginormous. It was amazing. It was incredible to sit and meditate inside the Temple. I was beaming with an energy unknown to me in this lifetime, yet so familiar, feeling so bright and alive. I am so grateful to Mohanji and the Tradition for giving me such an experience.
There were no signs of my period the next morning, but later that night, I found my period returned. It’s still mind-boggling and scientifically unexplainable. Mohanji took care of everything intricately. What did I do to receive so much love? I’m just so grateful for each and every experience. Only writing it all out has shown me how interconnected these moments were.
It’s funny; for several years, I’ve had all these wishes of being in close proximity to a living Master; I can barely muster the courage to say anything to Mohanji in his physical presence. Embracing his teaching of ‘Be You’, perhaps it will happen soon.
As I looked back on the quote of 20th November 2020, the universe did indeed open new doors for me, so benevolently, if I may say so. I have found my home. I offer my complete gratitude and obeisance to both Mohanji and Devi, who represent Lord Datta and Anagha Laxmi to me. They have changed my life. Thank you to each of the beautiful Mohanji family I have connected with – you have changed my life. May we all merge into the consciousness of whom we love so dearly.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 21st 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.
This is a testimonial of my experience during the Mohanji retreat held in Puri in February. I ought to have written this much earlier, but I’d kept postponing it for some reason in the last few months. Then I happened to watch snippets of the Rath Yatra online on 20th June, and after that, I couldn’t stop thinking about that retreat and how deeply it had impacted me.
A few beautiful experiences came my way during those days, all thanks to the immense grace of my beloved Guru, Mohanji. But for now, I’ll write about my first visit to the Shree Jagannatha temple during the retreat.
I’d wanted to visit the Jagannatha temple in Puri for years, so I was thrilled when I heard that a retreat would be held there. The icing on the cake was that the retreat would include Mohanji’s birthday celebrations. It is hard to describe how I felt during the retreat. Being in Mohanji’s powerful presence, listening to his transformational satsangs, attending the beautiful, sacred homa, and pilgrimages to power spots in Puri and nearby areas – all this together made it one of the most unforgettable experiences for me.
However, on the night that we were to visit the Jagannatha temple for the first time, I was not feeling as excited as I had thought I would. Maybe it was because I’d been a little unwell since morning. While sitting on the bus that would take us to the temple, I was in a somewhat blank state, with no particular expectations or thoughts. The bus couldn’t go up to the main entrance, so at one point, we all got off the bus and began walking to the temple.
As we drew closer to the temple, I looked up at the Neel Chakra (a blue wheel at the top), and after that, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Every time I had to look away from it, I would feel restless. I didn’t want to keep walking. I just wanted to stand somewhere and stare at the Chakra for some time. But I had to keep up with the group, so I continued walking. And as I neared the main gate, the Simha dwar (lion gate), I realised that something had changed in me in the last few minutes. I felt pulled and overcome by something that I can only describe as a powerful energy vibration.
My mind was empty apart from one word, one name reverberating within me loudly and unceasingly – Jagannatha, Jagannatha!
I felt as though the air and dust in that space were trembling with the force of that name. My eyes continued to dart to the Chakra whenever possible, and for some inexplicable reason, I also kept scanning the night sky above the temple.
We had the highly sacred Mahaprasad before going for darshan, and while eating it, I was frequently overwhelmed with tears, and I felt so grateful for every morsel, as if I had waited for so long for it, and something in me kept saying this was “food from home”.
After that, we hurried to the main shrine, and I felt intense love, gratitude, and excitement with each step. I couldn’t wait to see Jagannatha. It was extremely crowded in the main hall, but I made my way through it with the experience of having travelled by public transport in a bustling city.
At the first glimpse of Jagannatha, I felt a burst of joy and devotion, and I couldn’t stop smiling with happiness despite the crushing crowd. There were initially some people before me, but then I somehow found myself at the front suddenly, with a clear view of the inner sanctum. The priests began to do aarti, and until it lasted, I could have wonderful darshan of the deities.
Then I went towards the back of the hall, where there was the Garuda Sthamba, which devotees were touching and embracing with reverence. On the wall behind, we can still see the indentations of Chaityana Mahaprabhu’s fingers, where he had leaned against it to look at his beloved Jagannatha, and the stone had melted under the heated fervour of his love and devotion.
One devotee was singing a bhajan beautifully, and though it was in an unfamiliar language, there was such deep love and yearning in his melodious voice that it moved me profoundly. In a corner, an emotional young man was talking nonstop to Jagannatha with what seemed to be a mix of anger, pain and love, tears flowing down his cheeks while his fingers moved on a japa mala. So many devotees were craning their necks and jumping up to get a clear view of Jagannatha. The air frequently resounded with jubilant cries of “Jay Jagannath!” with everyone raising their hands joyfully.
Though I had long wanted to visit the temple, I hadn’t had any deep emotions towards Lord Jagannatha until then. But that had changed in a matter of minutes. I was now experiencing a surreal joy and love for Jagannatha while standing there. I could suddenly understand the devotional frenzy he evoked in people. I could understand why thousands and thousands of pilgrims face numerous hardships to participate in the Rath Yatra.
Only Jagannatha existed for every person in that space. He wasn’t a deity whose idol was made of wood. He was their most adored one, more real to them than beings made of flesh and blood, much closer to them than their family and friends and even their own selves. He was everything to them – without him, they had nothing.
I felt this was love in its richest, most exalted form, and just witnessing and sensing it caused tears to flow down my face continuously. Also, the energy was unbelievable. The atmosphere was pulsating with it. And beneath all the sounds, there was a powerful silence. Overall, it was a realm of pure love, pure energy and pure consciousness.
And then a crystal-clear realisation flashed within me in that sacred atmosphere.
This is Mohanji in his unbound form. This is Mohanji’s true form. Beyond creation, beyond time, beyond attributes.
Mohanji is Jagannatha. He is Shiva. He is pure energy, pure love, pure consciousness.
Mohanji is in everyone; he is in everything; he is everywhere.
These thoughts echoed repeatedly in my mind, inducing a profound stillness within. It was as if a veil was pulled from the truth briefly to help me get an inkling of Mohanji’s true form and stature. And I knew the entire unforgettable experience in the temple had come my way only because of Mohanji’s causeless compassion and grace.
Those moments I spent in the temple are still alive in me. And when I feel upset or frustrated about anything, I only need to remember those moments to feel a shift in my emotions and an upsurge of gratitude at having found refuge at the lotus feet of Mohanji, who is the embodiment of supreme consciousness.
Like Lord Jagannatha during the Rath Yatra, Mohanji walks among us; his arms outstretched to embrace everyone, loving and accepting us just as we are, his eyes watching all beings with intense compassion and lighting the flame of liberation in hearts with a merciful glance.
Om Parabrahmane Vidmahe Shree Jagannathaya Dheemahi Tanno Mohana Prachodayat
Editor’s note: Currently, the Rath yatra is happening in this power center – Puri, from 20th June to 2nd July. Mohanji Bharat and Ammucare Charitable Trust are doing Annadaan through a stall. Our dedicated volunteers serve water, Mahaprasad, and first-aid to the millions of people visiting this place.
Join us in spreading love and kindness as this service continues until 2nd July. To donate, please visit
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 26thJune 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.
I have carried a portion of India with me even here. Indeed a unique trip, especially as a significant part of the time was spent in the presence of Mohanji in power centres, enveloped by his grace. I still feel charged by the energy of Mohanji, which I was basking in throughout the trip.
My wife Ivana and I started our journey on 17th Feb from Cork with a 3-hour bus ride to Dublin, a 4-hour flight to Istanbul and a 6-hour flight to Mumbai as our first destination in India. Actually, this trip started a long time ago with planning the flights, stops, logistics etc.
Ivana and I laughed about how different we are in this matter; I like to plan ahead, and she would just go with the flow on her previous travels to India. The whole trip worried me about how I would manage the budget, seeing all the sites I planned, work balance (as I took only five days’ leave), is the internet good etc., you name it. Writing this seems like I managed successfully. It was a blessed trip.
Before it all evaporates, it really feels like we were in India a month ago, and this is probably my last effort to write it all down before I forget it. The funny thing about experiences is how fast they are gone, and life doesn’t wait for one to dwell on that moment but pushes you into new experiences. Alas, I didn’t feel like going, but being a stubborn Taurus, it was very hard to move; it was a miracle that I started this trip in the first place. All praise goes to my wife Ivana for bearing with my moods.
Mumbai, Ganeshpuri and Shirdi
Day 1, Mumbai – Going from the airport by a cramped taxi to our accommodation downtown with Marjan and Jelena, whom we met in Istanbul, was probably the first impression I got about India, which confirmed my expectations of India that I saw on TV or heard from friends. Huge, crazy traffic, tonnes of people roaming on streets, slums with extremely poor communities, fully developed parts of town, flavours in the air, vast scenery of everything in sort of a mist, one cannot comprehend and process in single view or thought. I was in awe and smiling all the time. We got to see a little bit of Bandra, part of the town where we were residing while searching for a SIM card to get the internet.
The journey commenced as it should. On the same night, it was Mahashivaratri, a night dedicated to Lord Shiva, so we wanted to experience local ceremonies in one of the temples. Google Maps took us to a slum in one part of the town, with locals welcoming us to participate in their devotional singing and celebration.
Though it was a little scary initially, it was a unique and original experience. I would recommend a magnificent place for eating, Earth Cafe, which we highly recommend as a pure vegan place with the best food I have ever tried and smiling service.
Day 2, Ganeshpuri – While leaving Mumbai, one sees the town, suburbs, and vastness of this big human dwelling – how we organise our lives and the places where we live. It reminded me of hive-like behaviour. Ganeshpuri was totally different as it is a holy place, the abode of the great saint Bhagwan Nityananda. We first visited the Muktananda ashram and then the samadhi of Bhagwan Nityananda.
Marjan from Iran joined us as her flight came a day later, and our group grew slightly. We also met Monika and Nemanja here, and it was nice to see familiar faces on the other side of the globe. We were in time for darshan and received prasad queuing with many others, feeling we belonged with them. One guy from the crowd took us behind the temple on the riverbank to see the place where Bhagwan Nityananda meditated under a banyan tree and where he bathed in hot springs. The whole complex resonated with me, and I felt at peace. Some special moments such as these made us realise the unseen hand of the guru guiding us.
Day 3, Shirdi –The trip to Shirdi was about 5 hours from Ganeshpuri, through rural parts of India. This powerful centre allowed me to taste real India. I tried coconut water, sugar cane juice, samosa, tea, and coffee. My travel mates were not that enthusiastic, though.
Various people in colourful clothes were on the side of the road, where all the fuss was happening. Selling fruits and vegetables, making bricks from the earth and drying them in the sun, funny trucks with crazy ornaments on them, cows on the road, people stacked driving on motorcycles, no roads, then highways, then no roads again. All in all, an enjoyable 5 hours trip. Coming closer to Shirdi, I felt different energy as the land was more fertile and flatter than we had passed. In Shirdi, everything spins around the temple complex of Shirdi Sai Baba, the avatar of the Hindu God Dattatreya.
I have heard so much about Shirdi Baba. He is staying in my home, right when one opens the front door and in a few other places around the house. Seeing in-person how big and respected his temple is, I understood why he is so popular among believers and spiritual seekers. It takes a lot of queuing and scheduling with tickets to enter the shrine, but once inside, it’s worth it. Seeing all these people and devotees from 7 to 77 years kneeling and lying on the floor in front of his statue makes you wonder how big his demeanour actually is. In the Mohanji family, most people connect to Sai Baba, and he has a special temple space in all the Mohanji Centers of Benevolence.
Then you realise it is not about human characteristics or what you see in him, but you can understand if you need to put it in the context of Hindu tradition and God. Aside from the “official” part of visiting Sai Baba, we experienced many other lovely little moments with people wanting to take a picture with us, kids hanging on our arms begging for money, and people looking at us and smiling – a warm feeling of acceptance.
Ivana finally took four little girls, following us around for lunch; we have a picture of them being the happiest kids in the world. So, rewarding. We also visited another smaller and much calmer temple of Sakori, which I liked because there was not much crowd and fuss around. The place is dedicated to Shri Upasani Maharaj, the main disciple of Sai Baba. He locked himself once inside a small bamboo cage, even though he was tall and cramped inside. He said he suffered for the release of his disciples and was standing as a surety in the divine court for their release. He confined himself in that small cage for over thirteen months, practically fulfilling all his daily needs from there. The disciples performed his aarati and listened to his discourses from within the cage. At last, on 31st Jan 1924, Maharaj released himself from the cage and stepped out of it to greet a small child named Godavari, who would later become his inheritor and the keeper of the spiritual wealth of the Sakori Ashram.
Puri retreat, 22-28 Feb
This retreat with Mohanji was the main reason for our trip.From day one, the ambience and satisfactory feeling of being welcomed by the program and events that one could not do on his own without outside help were enough for me to feel warm and safe and willing to give back. I went with the flow and let myself emerge with experiences this retreat allowed me to avail of. All praise goes to the Mohanji India organisation team for holding such a humongous event for so many people, and thank you for that.
The retreat is another world in itself. As everyone knows, who attended previous ones, or first timers, there is almost electricity in the air, filled with enthusiasm and curiosity in people’s eyes, raising expectations of what blissfulness we are headed towards this time. And heading we were. For me, it was a special treat of great fun, enlightenment, understanding and completion, and easiness of existing.
I met Mohanji for the first time in Istanbul when I visited Ivana after one of the retreats. I had never attended one, and we met outside in some restaurant with a few others from the Mohanji Family. When addressing me in the first introduction, I was asked to pay attention to what he told me. He told me a story about the lion, which I interpreted as that attitude greatly matters in people’s lives. If you don’t have one, you are making your existence harder because you open yourself to a vulnerable position of defending your beliefs, thoughts or any feelings and conclusions you might have, but usually not sharing with a wider audience.
It’s like playing video games and choosing a character to represent the best you strive to be. I lacked a lion attitude.
When I wrote this today, I understood I could learn much from thisunassuming man (Mohanji). This is not just a hoax or sect (as a typical label would immediately follow) but practical selflessness by one man trying to share the truth with the world.
Later on, I realised it’s much more than that, and I am happy that in this journey of learning about myself and the world around me, I have taken my first baby steps. Puri was my second retreat, as I visited Divcibare retreat for the short two days program. I dive into the depths each time, learning and connecting with Mohanji.
Puri was the first full retreat that I attended. I notice the people’s happiness at seeing each other again over the last year. It’s like an annual gathering of similarly minded individuals coming back from missionaries to share their experiences and new conclusions of knowing the self and reinforcing their beliefs in the pure presence of Mohanji with his positive attitude and smile; you just feel that you belong there.
For the program itself, if I must choose, I was touched by Tota Gopinath Temple, where I experienced the outer body realm during the chanting. I was transported somewhere else. Preeti Duggal later told me that when she saw me, she could see that I was smiling and blissful, which made her also happy. It’s nice to have such confirmations. Later Ivana explained to me that even before, I used to react to the path of Krishna and that it explains some of my features. That is another confirmation I wouldn’t know by myself.
The Homa/fire ceremony for purification was very powerful, especially with Rajesh maintaining the fire and Lenart, Dejan, and Graham chanting the Veda. Sun setting in the beautiful tent with a fine wind blowing over the wavy cloth ceiling again transported me into my childhood. As a kid, we visited my grandparents to help with countryside errands over the summer. One of them was picking up dry grass into hay kind of cones and later driving them into a hay barn with a tractor where we would all sit on this huge pile of hay after a long day of work, sweaty, red in the face but happy, smiling and contented – breeze in the face, straw in the mouth, surrounded by my family. I could swear that I was not just remembering, but I was really there at that time and moment. This feeling started there and was with me throughout my trip to India.
Pitru puja/ceremony for the lineage – It was a magical scenery next to the water tank of Pancha Tirta. Aditya explained to us what to do. People were bathing. It all made this sacred ceremony even more profound.
Even though, as foreigners, we could not enter the magnificent and huge Jagannath temple, we were blessed with the beautiful presence of Patajoshi, the chief priest of the Jagannath Temple. I felt when I first saw him as if he knew me, and I knew him. His gentle smile appealed to me, and I wanted to spend time in his presence. I felt he was much more than a chief priest, a powerful holy presence.
Tota Puri ashram, Sri Yukteshwar samadhi, Konark Temple, Dhauli Stupa, Satsangs with Mohanji – I can’t even remember how much of “golden nuggets” of experiences this event portrayed in front of us. My gratitude once again goes to Mohanji and the organisers. To explain all of it smother the narrative here, but in a nutshell, I felt like I described above – out of the body, blissful and transported to another realm.
On our final day of the retreat, we visited KISS in Bhubaneswar, an education institute that does inclusive education, women empowerment, tribal uplift and sustainable development for over 30000 tribal children. Without me spoiling all of their successes and achievements by describing them, I am attaching a link, as there is so much to learn and appreciate in the enormity of this institution—about – Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Bhubaneswar (kiss.ac.in).
I was surprised when we entered the room filled with thousands of little children sitting on the floor and doing OM chanting. They gathered there to welcome Mohanji and hear him speak. I was not prepared for that. Tears started watching this sight, and one can’t describe it with words. This was our last event before we flew to Delhi that afternoon.
After finishing the event, as everyone was returning to their own ways, one suggestion was to keep that feeling and experience from the retreat and head straight home with elevation inside you.
Cherish what you have been given. Travelling elsewhere as we did to Delhi is another level of experience that can’t be combined with a spiritual event like this. Yes, the Taj Mahal was beautiful and Delhi, even if we didn’t have time to really see its beauty, the retreat makes you travel inwards, and the whole idea of such events holds inner travel more important than what you see by your own eyes (which can be delusional as we know from the crow story of Mohanji).
We came home to Ireland on the 4th thinking about where we were, who we were, and where we are now – like coming back in the body after an afternoon sleep.
My takeaway from this trip would be that life is short. Of the many diamonds of truth by Mohanji, one is being present, knowing your purpose in life, and what you can do now between A and B. What one remembers as the most crucial experience in life is not what you see through your eyes but the inner feeling you carry – like my resemblances of India and childhood. I will take from India trip a few such memories, and the feelings will stay with me for life.
India is a place of liberation and peace that leaves us without ignorance, where we unbind from ourselves and our programs in the mind. We should flow and feel life more. The preconceived point of view is blocking our liberation.
Thank you to all who have crossed my path in India, the new and old friends, acquaintances and people I don’t know. We were all there for a purpose, and our short existence there, next to each other, helped with some karmic growth and liberation.
Special gratitude to Mohanji, without whom this all wouldn’t be possible, my new/old friend that I openly welcome in my heart from now on.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 1stJune 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.
Radha: Sathya, can you tell me the significance of the Puri Jagannath Temple?
Sathya: Jagannath, as the name denotes, is the Lord of the Universe. This sacred Dham is one of the four holy abodes revered as the Char Dham. These comprise Jagannath in the East, Dwaraka in the West, Badrinath in the North, and Rameshwaram in the South of India. Legend has it that the universal consciousness radiated its presence in the Nilanchal caves, condensed to an embodied presence as Daru Brahma, and revealed itself with the auspicious symbols of Lord Vishnu (Shanka, Chakra, Gadha, and Padma), in the sacred waters of Mahodadhi, to king Indradyumna.
The idols of Lord Jagannath, Bal Bhadra, and Subhadra were carved out of this wood by the celestial architect Vishwakarma himself. He undertook the mission under the condition that the doors to his workplace remain closed until he completes his work. However, the queen’s curiosity rose as the days passed, and she persuaded King Indradyumna to unlock the doors. On opening the doors, they saw Vishwakarma had vanished. The promise had been broken, and the work was left incomplete. Therefore, we only get to see the semi-manifested forms of the deities. This allows one to perceive the Lord according to one’s devotion and understanding. It lets the devotee unravel His mysteries in myriad dimensions, unique to the one witnessing Him.
This reminds me of Mohanji’s words, “Those who have eyes will see!”
Lord Shree Jagannath has captured the hearts of Mahagyanis, Bhaktas, and Yogis. True to his name, He has a universal appeal and is revered by devotees of both Vishnu and Shiva.
The devotees of Shiva consider Him as Bhairava. He holds a special place for Buddhists too.
Balabadra, Subhadra and Shree Jagannatha
Radha: It would be interesting to share some of the events leading to this trip. It is different for each of us, although we travelled together. For me, the highlight before the trip was choreographing for the Ashtapadi – Chandana charchita Neela Kalebara!
Last year, I happened to choreograph for the Ashtapadi, “Nath Hare, Jagannatha Hare”, exclusively for the opening of the Jagannath Shrine in the UK. This inspired me to work on more Ashtapadis. I took your suggestion of choreographing for “Chandana charchitha” and started exploring its various dimensions. “Chandana charchita” describes the eternal romantic Lord Sri Krishna anointed with the fragrant sandal paste and radiating the bewitching bluish hue.
A friend of Radha describes to her the pastimes of Shri Krishna. As we dive deep into the composition, we realise that Radha, the one who is fully integrated with Krishna, experiences this oneness even though it is the other Gopikas who are actually playing with Krishna. What was very exciting to me was the fact that I was getting an opportunity to perform and record this at Puri, the birthplace of Jayadeva, an ardent devotee of Jagannath! When I expressed the intention, Mohanji blessed me in his style, “Tatasthu! Blessings! Take help from the organising team!”. I meditated on the song incessantly to internalise the Bhaav (feeling) of Radha as we interpreted from the composition – only when we soak into the feeling can we become the dance!
Sathya: Your thoughts resonate with me. I see the divine hand in the making of Chandana charchita in every step. Even your costume in shades of yellow and blue was in perfect sync with the elements describing the shades of Krishna. To me, this trip broke the patterns and barriers that I had confined myself to during the pandemic. I consider the trip a blessing from our Guru, Mohanji.
The abode of Puri Jagannath is Durlabh Kshetra meaning “difficult to attain”. Unless Lord Jagannath himself wills it, one cannot step into the sacred Dham. In the last two years, I was restricted in my commuting, mostly staying within my locality and stepping out only in case of absolute necessity. I was not sure if I would join you even when you informed me about it. When our mother reinforced the invitation, I decided to join.
The stage was set for the pilgrimage with the flight tickets and cottage booked. It was heartening to know that Mohanji’s parents, uncle, and aunty were also joining this yatra. With more elders and children joining the trip, I was certain that it would have a different yet enriching flavour to the trip. It is a blessed opportunity to travel to an abode of such greatness in the presence of the Guru and elders.
On January 3rd, 2022, we took the morning flight from Bangalore to Odisha. As we waited at the airport, I continued the Tamil translation of the Jagannath Meditation given by Mohanji. With our mother adding finer touches, the meditation was taking me into a zone inside. We greeted Mohanji’s parents as we anticipated his arrival. Mohanji arrived. I knelt to take his blessing but was held in his embrace. All members of the group exchanged some greetings eagerly, describing each one’s entry to the trip. I was already lost in a reverie when Mohanji’s voice boomed loud and clear as a seeming instruction to his mother, “Keep the boarding pass ready!”, bringing me back to the ground. Mohanji always teaches us to focus on the present and never take the practical aspects lightly. His teachings are valuable to the ultimate journey of dissolution and easy navigation in the terrestrial world.
“Presence of mind in every thought, word, and action can eradicate karmas. It can liberate you.”
-Mohanji
As I completed chanting a few rounds of the Hanuman Chalisa, we landed safely in Odisha. Mohanji Acharya Subhasree and her Odia team extended a heartwarming welcome to Mohanji and the group at the airport. We were introduced to Manaswee, and we understood that he would be our point of contact and guide during this trip. The marine drive from Bhubaneshwar to Puri was enjoyable. Manaswee exhibited his innate hospitality by offering to buy us tender coconuts on the way. After a short break, when the car zoomed through the road, you alerted him that a black thing had flown past and that it could be his wallet.
Radha: Yes! We quickly realised that it was indeed his wallet! As we drove back, a cyclist told us that another man was getting the wallet for us. As we got it back, Manswee said that the people living in the section stretching between Bhubaneshwar and Puri are extremely honest and truthful and would not act otherwise.
Sathya: It is hard to believe such places still exist in this world of opportunism. The Puri Dham is described in the Purana as Purushotama Kshetra, where the pious and the noble-minded reside. I was moved to find that a fraction of that is still a reality. “The pride in PuriTY” logo was all over the walls stretching across the marine drive. I felt the logo rings with truth and is not remote from reality!
“Purity of thought, word and action liberates man from everything and strengthens his existence. Purity is power. Purity is truth. Truth is pure. The whole universe resonates with truth and purity. When we live the truth, purity happens. Purity liberates. It fills life with faith and hope. It connects us to the Highest of consciousness. The Power of Purity is unfathomable. It is the nature of the Supreme.”
-Mohanji
Radha: We reached Puri by 3 pm, and in the evening, we were surprised to know that we could go to the Temple of Jagannath the same night. We entered the shrine consciously, submitting our obeisance at each step leading to the shrine.
Outside the Jagannath Temple
Mohanji took my hands and placed them on the fingerprints of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which got deeply etched while he was in a trance, enraptured by the Lord. These marks are eternally enshrined on the wall behind the Garuda stambh.
Sathya: That was indeed an unplanned visit to the temple. Mohanji made sure that everyone in the group joined the visit. As we left our cottage, we saw Mohanji waiting for everyone to assemble. Standing beside him, I was filled with soothing, cool vibes. I enjoyed it and wondered if it was physical or metaphysical when Mohanji remarked, “It is very cold here!”
Immediately, the experience of cooling dissolved! I did not analyse it further. At the temple, we were told by Mohanji to keep our arms extended up as if ready to receive the embrace of Lord Jagannath. All of us hugged the Garuda Sthambha.
The first darshan of the Lord was filled with so much excitement. Stepping into the sacred shrine where every stone and pebble radiates his essence is a gift of a lifetime/lifetimes. We slowly moved in, drawing in that divine energy with every breath. The fragrance of sandalwood wafted in the air, and we exchanged glances, recognising it as soon as we entered the temple premises.
As we neared the sanctum, our eyes were glued to the deities trying to absorb all that we could in one go as the Panda/Priest described, “The dark one to the Right is Krishna, Devi Subadra in the middle, and the light-complexioned one is Balabadra”.
I tried to connect what I heard and saw as the arathi flame was burning bright in front of me. I realised that I had come really close to it! I moved to the other side, tucking away in a corner, trying to hold on to images for a while longer. Not for long! A panda waved in my direction to take the arathi and make way for the others.
Coming out from the other side, I saw Mohanji standing there, away from the hustle and bustle. I quietly offered my prostrations to Mohanji with deep joy and gratitude for being there!
Radha: That was such a great darshan! As soon as we stepped out of the sanctum, soaked in Lord Jagannath’s energy, we saw Mohanji standing there and I could only see him as Lord Krishna himself. This is a solid reminder to each of us that the Guru and God are the same. Immediately, you prompted me to get the calendars blessed. We released the HSTD (Himalayan School Of Traditional Dance) calendars just outside the sanctum of Lord Jagannath! Mohanji patiently went through each of the pages and blessed everyone. Can there be a more incredible blessing at the start of the year for the HSTD platform?
Following this, we went to the Shrine of Bimala Devi temple.
Sathya: The shrine was closed. I was told that this temple is one of the Shakti peeths. We waited in front of the shrine. Our mother looked at a figure in a small niche and asked me what it was. I did not want to give a wrong answer. The other niche was Ganesha. So this was Skanda. Mohanji came to the shrine. He, too, saw that the shrine was closed. He had the darshan of the deity in the niche and said, “Skanda!”. Mohanji took Appa’s (Dad) hand and placed it in the niche, and said, “Subramanian, you should see Skanda”. At that same instant, a priest came out of the shrine, the gates were opened, and we could see Bimala Devi. It was just for a few minutes. Mohanji casually stated, “The gates opened”. Amma remarked, “Yes, I saw that!”
Radha: Opposite this was the small shrine of Matha Ekadashi. There is an interesting story connected with Puri. I was under the impression that this shrine honoured the Ekadashi devi and devotees who fasted on Ekadashi – the eleventh day of the fortnight. As per the scriptures, observing fast on this day grants many blessings and Moksha, too. Here, Ekadashi devi’s hands are tied. She was overcome by pride, and Jagannath tied her hands, symbolically suggesting that partaking prasad in Puri is considered auspicious even on an Ekadashi day, and devotees should not hesitate to do so.
Sathya: Well, that brings us to one of the highlights of Puri Dham – the sacrosanct Puri MahaPrasad! Chappan bhog, comprising 56 dishes, is offered daily to the Lord.
“Puri Mahaprasad can be taken even if it is the leftovers from a cat’s mouth!” Amma exclaimed. Saints and legends have talked so highly of Mahaprasad. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Paramacharya of Kanchi who never partook food without completing the sacred rituals have relished the Mahaprasad.
We were not so conscious of the greatness of the prasad then.
It was pure grace that we could partake of the Mahaprasad. After climbing a few steps, we entered a space that seemed like another shrine. I was surprised to see Mohanji, Mila and the others seated with a banana leaf in front! It then occurred to me that we were going to be dining there. Mohanji’s uncle and aunt sat next to me as I sat down. I told them that I enjoyed watching their interview about Mohanji. One gets to see the house where Mohanji was born in that video.
The priests brought Mahaprasad in earthen pots and served the dishes. Some of the dishes had the flavour of mustard, and the Kheer that was served at the end was really divine!
Another name for Mahaprasad is Kaibalya – that which gives Moksha, salvation or liberation. It is said that if one takes this food of Lord Jagannath, he will have no rebirth.
Radha: I remarked to Subhashree, sitting next to me, “The kheer is nothing but Krishna. It tastes heavenly,” and took a second and third serving, too, without any inhibition!
The darshan was a bonus, and I did not expect the Mahaprasad that evening. Absolute grace! That was the first day at the sacred Dham.
Radha recording the dance
Sathya: The next morning started with a bang and Chandana Charchita was recorded. A big open lawn resplendent with the morning dew as the sun was rising and the birds chirping became the perfect stage for recording the Ashtapadi. After recording, on our way back to the cottage, we met Mohanji, who was on his way to the reception. He told you with a smile, “I knew you were dancing!” We had quite a few unexpected chance meetings with him during the trip.
Radha: The day started with a visit to Bedi Hanuman temple, where Mohanji officially released the Himalayan School of Traditional Dance calendar.
Bedi means chain. The story goes that Jagannath appointed Hanuman to protect Puri from the fury of the sea. Varuna entered the place, and the place bore the brunt of his raging waves.
Jagannath asked how this happened when Hanuman was taking care. Hanuman told him that he was nostalgic about home food and had gone to Ayodhya. From that day onwards, Lord Jagannath ordained that special offerings be prepared and tied Hanuman here, with the love of his Prasad.
Sathya: As we exited the temple, we saw some calves. Mohanji fed one of them heartily. I watched it joyfully as the calf ate the bananas; there were some dogs too, but we had only bananas.
Mohanji feeding a Cow
How could one just feed only the cows and not the dogs? Aditya too had the intention to feed the dogs. I remembered that there were some biscuit packets in the car. We went and brought the packets and fed the dogs. They, too, got their share of food.
We then went to Chakra Tirtha, which is considered the place where the Daru Brahma arrived first. It is known as Adi Jagannath Kshetra.
After spending some time in the shrine, we proceeded towards the sea. Mohanji and a few others had walked ahead and reached the beach. As we got down from the car, the sight of a dog drew our attention. It was in its final moments and was not in the least interested in biscuits. When I called out the name “Mohanji”, it lifted its head up, turned, and looked in that direction. I did it a few more times, and it responded. Manaswee got some water and poured it carefully so that it could take in a few drops.
I was reminded of Mohanji’s teaching. “Every meeting has a purpose.”
We then resumed our walk towards the beach. I saw Appa offering ablutions at the sea. He sprinkled some water on us as a blessing of the sea, and we then walked back to the car, feeling the sand between our toes and the gentle breeze from the sea.
Radha: The next stop was Tota Gopinath temple. As we entered the temple, a priest described the place’s significance in Hindi. He said that it was there that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu felt such intense separation from Krishna that he burned to ashes. Mohanji asked us, “What is the word in English to describe his feeling?” All of us tried to come up with the words – Yearning, Duality, Separation! Mohanji finally said, “Longing”, looked at me and said to the group, “I thought she would be able to tell.”
Tota Gopinath Temple
Sathya: Upon entering the shrine, Appa felt attracted to the painting of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on the wall and anointed it with Sandal paste. What struck me about this Dham was that nearly every priest said, “Krishna bakthi!” when we sought their blessings. May you attain the love for Krishna. We rendered a few bhajans there; we witnessed a powerful arathi at noon. With the drumbeats accompanying the arathi, it felt as though the dance of Krishna and Radha was coming alive. After the arathi, we went to the backyard from where a body of water was visible at a distance. A priest accompanying us mentioned that it was Radha Kund. Mohanji was also with us. He joked, “Radha is idhar, Kund is udhar”, looking at you.
Radha: Later, we went to the chief priest’s house. Mohanji was presented with a sacred cloth called the “Gita Govinda Kanduva”. The priests then blessed Mohanji’s family with the accompaniment of chants. The place reverberated with sacred sounds. Each of us was presented with the Flag of Jagannath.
Sathya: That has to be treasured. It is a dream and a lifetime aspiration for even the people of Puri to offer a flag or receive it as Prasad. It was such a precious moment to be blessed with the Banner of Jagannath in the presence of Guru Mohanji! I prayed that the flag of Purity, Ahimsa, and Truth fly high and let us witness the triumph of supreme love over all darkness.
Radha: In the evening, we had a satsang. After the satsang, we went to the temple of Jagannath. Mohanji asked all of us to sport the flag around our necks while going to the temple that evening. We took a short van ride to reach the temple.
Sathya: As the van zipped through the streets of Puri, the names of the hotels “Guru Estate and Guru Empire” that flashed in the night captured my attention. It so happened that just as we entered the temple, I was next to Mohanji. We entered the space demarcated by the wooden barricades. As I was lost in that moment, I heard the song “Poornam-adah, Poornam-idam!”. It felt so apt as if to describe Mohanji!
Om, That (Visible outer world) is Full, This (Invisible inner world) is also Full, From Fullness comes that Fullness, Taking Fullness from Fullness, Fullness indeed Remains, Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
Mohanji always says just like a mother who delivers a child, a Guru can transfer energy to create many masters, but just like the mother, the Guru remains complete and full.
Radha: We neared the sanctum and had to wait outside for an hour. I went in. It was crowded. I was standing right behind a priest who was sitting down. It was surprising that nobody asked me to move from that place. I felt as though Lord Krishna was embracing me; I was immersed in that for almost an hour. This unimaginable experience was enhanced by the sounds of the drums. I was unaware that we keep our hands raised to embrace the Lord. This I came to know later from Mohanji in the sanctum. This lasted for some time and is one of my most memorable experiences.
Sathya: We were all waiting for the darshan and sat on the steps. Mohanji was leaning on the arched niche, just a few steps below the entrance. I was chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. A little while later, a priest opened the door, and it happened to be Hanuman inside.
The scenes from the temple are still vivid in my mind. The devotion of the pilgrims really touched me; some of them were bringing their aged parents and little children along with them. Family members chanted in chorus “Jai Jagannath!” while ascending the steps to the temple. ‘Sanatana Dharma is so beautiful!’ I thought.
“Hindu tradition trained us to respect plants, trees, birds, and animals as celestial representations. Respect helps preservation. Annihilation is a sign of alienation. When we preserve every being of nature with reverence and respect, nature preserves our life and health too. This is Sanatana Dharma.”
-Mohanji
What I perceived was pure devotion. They were oblivious to any concerns about the pandemic. Only the joy and ecstasy of the Lord’s darshan were palpable.
The sound of the bells and drum beats transported me to a different world. After some time, the priest called us inside. There was a seating area to the side where we were asked to wait again. An elderly person who was carrying the drum blessed us by placing it on our heads. The powerful vibrations were from the same instrument. He also gave us sweet prasad, which he had kept safely tied to his dhoti.
Finally, we had Darshan of Jagannath a little while later. The decorations were in progress, and the Lord was being decked up in a new set of garments. Subhasree was standing next to me. I asked her if it was the garment we offered Jagannath, and she said she didn’t think so. We later found out that the special garments that Mohanji had offered would be draped in a later ceremony.
After the darshan, we had the opportunity to soak in the sacred aura of the temple. Mohanji sat near the steps facing a tree. The priest was explaining that it was the Kalpabata-The Wish-fulfilling Tree. I associated what he was saying with Mohanji. Our Guru is indeed a Kalpavriksha, fulfilling the righteous and innocuous desires of all of us.
A white flag offered by Mohanji was flying high on top of the temple tower. The Neel Chakra and the flag were a spectacular sight to behold.
A little while later, we were called again for another Darshan. Lord Jagannath was draped in the special clothes offered by Mohanji. As Amma and I gazed at the deities intensely, trying to identify if it was Mohanji’s offering, Mohanji, who was right behind, confirmed it for us by saying, “These are our offerings!” The bright red garments dazzled and it was a visual treat to behold Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Balabadra in splendid Besha.
Radha: After a fulfilling darshan, we prostrated at the “Mukthi Mantap” on our way out. As we exited the temple complex, the Narasimha, enshrined at a towering height, caught our attention. We prayed for his protection and left the temple.
We were informed that we were going to the chief priest’s house again as he was hosting us for dinner. We were not hungry after the sumptuous lunch, but the thought of kheer was inviting!
A sumptuous meal with Mohanji at the Chief Priest’s house
Sathya: We were served snacks that day – Puri, Dal, Kachori, and Kheer. It so happened that we were dining next to Mohanji that night. Preeti came suddenly and offered to clean the leaf for Mohanji.
He said, “I have cleaned. You can do it for your satisfaction. I don’t want you to have a birth for cleaning leaf!”
Mila, sitting on the other side, was aghast when she heard that. “A life for cleaning leaves?” she asked.
“If a thought is so overpowering, it becomes the main agenda for the next life”, explained Mohanji.
As I was eating, I had a desire for a picture. Mohanji’s explanation was also working in my head at the same time. All our phones were in the car, as we were not supposed to carry it to the shrine. I was trying to drop the thought as we had almost finished and were ready to leave when Mohanji said, “Get the camera!” Another desire was fulfilled instantly!
Presenting HSTD calendar to Devi Mohan
Radha: After dinner, I presented the HSTD calendar to the chief priest. Your desire ended up with many pictures being captured that night to record those precious moments.
Sathya: The following day, we went to Totapuri Ashram. Totapuri Maharaj was the Guru of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and guided him to use the sword of wisdom and find Goddess Kali within.
“Every prayer should become another inner communion and a deeper connection to the truth within until you recognise that what is inside you and outside of you is indeed the same. There is no prayer, and there is nothing to pray to except an inner activation of omnipresent truth through external symbols and representations.”
-Mohanji
Mohanji bowing at the feet of Totapuri Maharaj
When we walked into the ashram, it radiated peaceful energy. At the ashram, before entering the samadhi, we all wanted to take a group picture. I was still soaking in the Jagannatha experience, and to me, the dual camera on the cell phone appeared like Jagannath, with two round eyes and a nose!
As the others entered the shrine and prayed, I stepped away to buy miniature Jagannath dolls from two kids at a stall outside the Mandir. A while later, when the crowd inside subsided, I went in and prostrated at the feet of the idol. We were also shown the treasured cot of Maharaj.
Nowadays, I feel like the mongoose whose body became half-gold after eating the leftovers of a pious Brahmin. It rolled over on many leaves but was only half gold. After rolling on the food left on the leaf of Lord Shri Krishna, it finally turned fully into gold.
I have had some amazing energy experiences connecting to Mohanji, and most other things don’t give me the same feeling. It feels like I am always in a quest for that indescribable ecstasy, that energy surge that fills me now and then at times when it is most unexpected.
Any object or place could also start vibrating with the magical touch of a Siddha.
We were now on the other side of the cot. Mohanji smiled and patted me gently as though he was reading my thoughts.
We stepped out and sat before the shrine. A spider on a wall opposite where we were sitting caught my attention. The spider was oscillating between movement and stillness. I wondered, “Is this my state?”
In the Dattatreya tradition, every being is significant and can reveal the mysteries of our magnificent universe if only we align with it. On returning to Bangalore, I was surprised to read a quote from Mohanji that was related to a spider.
“As a spider gets trapped in its own web, man gets trapped in his own thoughts. Spider makes the web with the thread from his own body. Man makes his trap with thoughts from his own mind. His reality is a product of his own thoughts. He creates his own destiny. He can change it too. Only the one who made the trap can untrap himself.”
-Mohanji
Another thing that caught my attention was a picture of Totapuri Maharaj on the outside wall of the Shrine. The picture with his intense eyes gazing up was powerful. There were four conches placed beneath a portrait of Totapuri Maharaj.
I wondered aloud, “What could be the significance of four?”
Amma, beside me, responded, “What do you think?” and I suggested, “Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha, maybe?”
Radha: I was also moving about in the ashram without many expectations. I went in and came out since many were inside. I then circumambulated the Samadhi mandir. By now, the group was sitting in the Samadhi Mandir. I wanted to attend the Darshan of Padukas. At that time, the doors were closed. I thought if I was fortunate, the doors would open. The Priest came from nowhere and opened the door. I went inside and placed my forehead on the padukas. I felt a strong energy and had no thoughts. This had happened so vividly once before at Vashita Guha when I went on the Badrinath trip with Mohanji. It was so magnetic that I could not take my head off the Padukas. All that I could hear vibrating in my inside were the words, “Neeye Naan! Naane Ne! (You Are Me! I am You!).”
I came out and took a couple of pictures opposite the well. We left the place, and then you remarked, “Did you read the words inside the shrine? Aham Brahmasmi!”
Although I did not read the words, the feeling of oneness and no mind did last for a short while in that powerful presence. This was not an imagination or my projection either. Because I came in just like you with zero anticipation, but one person can just do a quick reality check on all of us. That is our mother.
“If this is the oneness you feel, be ready to eat whatever I give without complaints!”
We went to the Sankareshwar temple next. Mohanji and Devi performed Poojas there. I enjoyed the chanting of the priest in a mellifluous voice.
Pooja at the Sankareshwar Temple by Mohanji and Devi Mohan
Sathya: A cow constantly moved about in the outer area and stood between Mohanji and Devi like a child. The story of the temple itself is connected to Kamadhenu, the celestial cow- which spontaneously bathed the Shiva Linga with her milk.
One of the priests described the significance of Jagannath Dham. As he explained, I was drawn to the description of Lord Sudharshana. At Jagannath Dham, the deities are worshipped as a quartet. Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshan. Now I perceived another relevance of my observation of the four conches earlier. It was also visually so evocative when the priest explained. Before Lord Jagannath appeared as Blue Light or Neel Madhav, Lord Sudarshana came as fiery red rays, purifying everything. I was connecting that with Kriya. Purification at all levels should happen before presence is revealed. I meditated on the glory of Lord Sudarshana.
What we both thoroughly enjoyed was the final song after Sri Rudram.
“Hey Shiva Pati, Parvati Pati Trahimam Bhava Sagaram!”
The priest asked the entire group to join the chorus of these few lines. Some sanctified rice was sprinkled on us, and we were asked to keep it tied to the tip of our sarees.
In the evening, we went to Ganga Mutt. Mohanji addressed us all and said we were all part of a special group to have had this experience.
Painting on the wall of Ganga Mutt
He summed up the trip as Grace in Abundance.
Appa called it Oceanic Merger, for which Mohanji said, “Sagara Sangamam!”
After the talk, when the assembly dispersed, I was engrossed in penning down my takeaways from Mohanji’s speech on a sheet of paper when I saw Mohanji, who had been walking, pause in front of me. I was curiously watching, wondering what he was pausing for, when I noticed that there was an insect in his way. He looked at me.
I realised that he did not want to step on it and tried to take it out of his way quickly, but it had already moved away. That was an exhibition of ultimate compassion! Conscious walking of the highest degree and perfect awareness at every step.
The Priests with Mohanji at the Ganga Mutt
Radha: The next day was an open agenda. None of us really wanted to see Konark and the plan was fluid. Amma mentioned the Sakshi Gopinath temple. This was on our way back to Bhubaneswar and we decided to go.
At Sakshi Gopinath, the cows actually knocked on the window of our car when we arrived. Appa was so moved that he bought a lot of bananas and fed them heartily. An old man guided us to the temple.
At the temple, we were told that Krishna is the witness to the pilgrimage that one makes to the Char Dham. After singing bhajans, we thanked Krishna for the memorable experience.
Sathya: Our last stop was the Lingaraj temple. Lingaraj means the king of Lingas. After having a pleasant darshan, we circumambulated and sat at a place, singing hymns.
“Shiva is Supreme Consciousness, brightness, full awareness. We worship Shiva linga, li or la is connected to Layana – dissolution, dissolving. Ga means vast, unfathomable. So, the shiva linga is an expression of something which is vast and cannot be contained into any form, structure or frame. We are worshipping Shiva, that state of being fully conscious. That is more or less the method of the Datta or Avadhoota tradition. They are fully occupied with Supreme Consciousness. Fully aware of Supreme Consciousness. Every movement of every atom, they feel. They are fully occupied, fully aware. Datta tradition is that aspect of being fully aware, fully conscious but at the same time fully responsible, fully here”.
-Mohanji
Radha: There was a Hanuman shrine just opposite the place we sat. After performing pooja at the Hanuman temple, we were asked to go to the shrine of Baidyanath.
Sathya: When we entered, the priest was struggling with an object. One of the eyes of Baidyanath had fallen off, and the priest was trying to fix it.
You said, “If this is the condition for Baidyanath (Lord Shiva as the Chief of Doctors) himself, then what of the common man?” That was such well-timed humour!
I remembered that Appa had sandal paste. He was hesitant about offering the sandal paste at the shrine as he had very little left, and it may need to be more. I insisted that he should offer it to the priest to anoint the lingam. The priest took the paste, applied it on the lingam, and attached the eye of the Lord to it, and it instantly fell back in place! I left the premises with prayers to heal the world from the effects of the pandemic
One more shrine awaited us in the same temple complex. It was a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva as Vishwakarma, the celestial architect.
The priest at this shrine told us that Lord Shiva himself took the form of the celestial architect Viswakarma and constructed all the shrines. An Akandadeep (Eternal lamp) is kept burning here.
Radha: I visualised the beautiful Mohanji Ashrams that would be built in the future as the priest described the glory of Lord Shiva as Viswakarma!
The entire trip had been such an amazing experience! I remember on our return flight, a co-passenger who had been to Puri shared with me that it had not been easy for him to get Darshan of Jagannath! It made me cherish our experiences even more, and I mentally thanked our Master for it.
Sathya: Last but not least, our pilgrimage culminated with another meeting with Mohanji and a thrilling visit to the airport before he boarded the flight. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Lord Jagannath, Mohanji, Subhasree, and everyone who made this trip truly memorable. Before we knew it, we were back in Bangalore. The following days saw a bit of churning, with all of us experiencing some signs of cold and fever.
But even while experiencing that, some soothing waves constantly massaged my spine. Puri waves, indeed! Jagannath’s vibes were so overpowering that they kept us hooked to Him.
Radha: Truly memorable. I am awaiting the next one now. Will it be Dwaraka?
Jai Mohanji! Jai Jagannath!
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 12th January 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.
My tryst with Puri Jagannath began in my younger days. Listening to the episodes of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Charithra, I learnt about his powerful connection with Puri Jagannath. Those episodes fired my imagination whenever I thought of ‘The Lord of the Universe.’
I was fortunate to be introduced to Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s teachings very early on in life. As I read and internalized them, I understood that the following three things are incredibly precious.
In the words of Paramahamsa, the water from the Ganges, the Brindavana Rajas (sand enshrined with the footprints of Lord Krishna), and the mahaprasad (consecrated food) offered at Puri Jagannath is verily the Brahma Swarupam (God’s form).
I had the blessed opportunity to visit Puri in 1984 with my American friend Dr Tandavan. Being a foreigner, he was denied entry into the temple, but he had the heart to tell me, “You go and have your fill!” The lasting memory of this first pilgrimage to Puri is when I set my sights on the temple tower and the flag from the rear portion of the temple. I stood transfixed for hours together, and that visual feast alone consummated my maiden darshan (seeing a holy person or image of a deity).
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – Pc: Wikipedia
The blessed beads and the ineffable blue
Several years later, I had the blessed opportunity to go to Puri for the second time in 2015, when my younger daughter Radha took part in a dance festival at Cuttack and was awarded the title Nrithya Bhushan.
Before the festival, we decided to go to Puri Jagannath and seek the Lord’s blessings. It was also during the Nabakalebara (the change of the physical form) time – an event that takes place once every twelve years.
As we entered the temple, a priest came on his own accord and guided us to all the shrines in the large complex. One could feel the Lord’s hand in this as it was completely unanticipated and unexpected to get a venerable priest to provide such loving guidance. Strangely, there was little of a crowd. We could all sit in front of the Lord at the Bhoga mandap (food hall) for a considerable time.
I am happy to share two events of special significance during this trip. I was wearing a Rudraksha mala (garland made of Rudraksha seeds), a precious possession given to me at the Chidambaram Natarajar Temple and also blessed by the touch of Sathya Sai Baba as he walked by me during darshan time at Puttaparthi. While sitting at the mandap (hall), I saw a priest whose Thulasi mala (garland made of Thulasi leaves) caught my attention. An urge sprang from inside that made me ask the priest whether he could get me a similar kind of mala, place it at the feet of the Lord and give it to me as a prasad (blessed offering). He asked me to return the following day. Much to my delight, he had entrusted the job to another priest who took the mala inside, kept it at all the sacred spots charged with Bhagwan’s Chaitanya (Consciousness) and handed it to me. I felt profusely blessed. To this day, this Thulasi mala is a constant reminder of my sacred connection with Puri Jagannath.
The second event was when the priest who guided us that day took me to another sacred spot called Rohini Kund. The priest at Rohini Kund asked me to do ‘Pitru Preeti’ (satisfying the ancestors). I was unsure what he expected as his dakshina (offering), so before proceeding, I asked him about the same. His immediate response was, “This is priceless. I am not going to ask you for a dakshina. You can choose to give whatever you want to give me!”
It is pertinent to record here that I had yet to do any prior study on Puri Jagannath then. I was unaware that it is a great Mokshapuri (seat of liberation) and a place for performing ancestral rituals. Only on my return did I come to know through my elder daughter Sathya that Jagannath’s Consciousness originally manifested in this Rohini Kund before it was enshrined at the temple.
Without knowing anything about the aura and significance of the place, I offered my ablutions and performed the rituals. I made a small offering on completing them, and the priest blessed me profusely. As is traditional, I started to circumambulate the Rohini Kund, and the enormity of the occasion dawned on me in the flash of a second. I could see and sense how immensely pleased my ancestors were in my completing the simple rituals on my radar. The joy of my ancestors and the radiance of the ineffable blue stayed inside me for a long time.
The subtle connections
In this connection, let me recount a related incident. The Master who originally initiated me into Mantra Diksha (a sacred word, phrase or sound that a Guru gives to a disciple as part of an initiation) when I was in my teens also foretold that a great Siddha Purusha (perfected being) would walk into my life as my Paramaguru (Supreme Master) if I was steadfast in trotting on the path he had laid for me, without any detours.
This Master came in my daughter’s dream and expressed that I had forgotten to include him in my ablutions and rituals at Rohini Kund. This was within a week of my return from Puri Jagannath. When she related this dream to me, little did I realize that I would get one more blessed opportunity to fulfil this wish that would leave me with a sense of perfect completion! Of course, while Masters do not need anything for themselves, it is incredibly rewarding for the disciples to hold them in their dearest thoughts when any event of this dimension takes place.
Now, let me dwell on the inspiration for this write-up – my indescribably fascinating pilgrimage for the third time, between 3rd January and 6th January 2022, in the company of our peerless Master Mohanji!
Before the pilgrimage, I had the opportunity to visit and spend an unforgettable evening with Mohanji. I have found that every time I hold onto my Master with some intensity, I get an inner call from deities for darshan, and in the same vein, when I hold onto my Aradhya (worshipped) deities, I am blessed with my Master’s proximity.
In that light, Subhasree’s invitation for the Puri trip immediately after this visit felt like it was a gift from Mohanji. During the trip, Mohanji confirmed this intuition when he said that the divine will have chosen every one of us. The subsequent turn of events further corroborated this. The temple had opened for public darshan on 3rd January but closed on 10th January 2022 due to a spike in the cases of Omicron soon after our return. It was another strong reminder that one could not be blessed with this kind of pilgrimage without the will of God and the grace of the Master!
The summit of sublimity
Before narrating the experiences during the pilgrimage, it is appropriate to record a few of my reflections on Mohanji.
There are testimonials galore about Mohanji’s leelas and benedictions bordering on phenomena. However, another facet of Mohanji is equally phenomenal but not so luminous. The sublime emptiness he exemplifies at all times and his absolute surrender to the will of the Almighty are unbelievable states of being. I can state with certainty that if anyone attains even an iota of this sublime state of self-nullification, they can be assured of being in the embrace of the infinite. It is also my humble understanding that many oceanic merges have taken place in the remarkable journey of Mohanji. The Nath Tradition, the Datta Tradition, and the Akandha Sai Principle have all conglomerated and merged in Mohanji at different stages of his life.
It is well recorded that the Sakthi Tattvam (the Goddess Principle), the Universal Motherhood, was transferred to him as per the directions of Guru Mandala without being asked. Another merger of immeasurable dimensions took place when Mohanji visited Kathirkamam, venerated as Dakshina Kailash (Kailash of the South) and one of the most sacred abodes of Lord Skanda. Mohanji was presented a Vel (Skanda’s Lance) here by the presiding priest. This was a symbolic merger of the SkandaTattvam (The Guru Principle).
The wish-fulfilling Kamadhenu
Getting back to the pilgrimage, we arrived in Puri on 3rd January 2022. There was no plan for the evening in the original schedule of the trip. On arriving, we were pleasantly surprised when we were told that an evening darshan had been arranged! Before this most auspicious evening darshan on the first day of our trip, Mohanji instructed us to keep our arms extended and raised in front of the Lord. It was later revealed that this posture was an expression of embrace with the Lord of the Universe.
Right then, I intuited that an oceanic embrace was taking place in the subtler realms of Consciousness. This was a merger of Atma Chaitanya (the soul Consciousness) and KrishnaChaitanya (Krishna Consciousness). This indicated the great changes taking place at an incredible speed that will resonate for generations to come.
It is redundant to state that whenever we go on a pilgrimage with Mohanji, our deepest, righteous desires are usually fulfilled. One such desire of mine was to partake of the most revered Puri mahaprasad (56 food items offered to Lord Jagannath). I had yet to get this opportunity in my prior two visits to Puri Jagannath. As grace would have it, we were all served the mahaprasad sumptuously within the temple’s precincts during the unplanned visit. Mohanji himself described that darshan as a bonus.
Soon after, as we exited the temple premises, I held onto the flag at the temple tower. As mentioned initially, this has been my most treasured object of veneration at Jagannath. So much of the pulsating energy and the power of Consciousness is concentrated in the flag. As I was transfixed on the flag, in a flash, a thought occurred out of nowhere as to how wonderful it would be if one could get even a little shred of the blessed banner. Of course, I brushed this thought aside and decided to go with the flow simply.
Mahaprasad
Completion of a Master’s wish
The following day, we were taken to a place called Chakra tirtha. Instinctively, I sensed the aura of the place and decided to go to the sea to offer my ablutions to my late Master, who had expressed this in my daughter’s dream, as mentioned above. The innermost desire I had been carrying for six long years was fulfilled when I offered my ablutions in the blessed waters. I later learnt that this was the Adi Kshetra (ancient area or place) where the all-pervading Consciousness manifested as DaruBrahma (the Supreme Lord manifested in the wood idol).
Usually, when I go on a special pilgrimage such as this, I make it a point to carry some personally ground, fragrant sandal paste as an offering to the deities. I was given the privilege of anointing the deities with the priest’s consent in the sacred Chakra Tirtha.
The eternal banner of victory
The same afternoon, we had a grand welcome extended by the most revered chief priest of Puri, Pattajoshi Shri Janardana Mahapatra. He presented Lord Jagannath’s attire to Mohanji, a special gift reserved for the privileged few. Although Mohanji and the chief priest were meeting each other for the first time, the connection was spontaneous and instantaneous. The priest, without any prior knowledge about Mohanji, perceiving him and proclaiming him as Vishwa Guru (Universal Master) really struck me as a wonder of wonders! It is one thing to be connected to a Supreme Master such as Shirdi Sai Baba or Sathya Sai Baba and then be guided to Mohanji, which we have seen in many instances, and another, for a priest whose every breath revolves around the God of Gods, perceiving Mohanji as a Vishwa Guru in his very first encounter. This is such a precious rarity!
Much to our great surprise and thrill, every one of us was gifted with the most vibrant flag of Jagannatha by the chief priest. How does one describe this? An unspoken thought from the previous evening had been fulfilled almost immediately! It really left me dazed. Another instance reminds one that when God’s will and Guru’s grace flow together, nothing under the sky cannot be fulfilled! I consider this flag as an eternal symbol of victory of dharma over adharma, Truth against illusion, and a triumph of our highest self over all the gravitational pulls and viles of the earth.
That same night, Mohanji and the group had the great fortune to offer a very special garment exclusively handcrafted for Lord Jagannath. In fact, it was again the will of the Almighty that we could all have the darshan to our heart’s content. The ‘Vastra Dharanam’ ritual usually has no time specification as it is performed after completing all other rituals and is one of the last rituals performed before the temple closes for the night. Our darshan on that day coincided with this offering. As Mohanji remarked, this was nothing but grace in abundance.
The Puri pilgrimage was replete with so many extraordinary events, but it would be appropriate to restrict myself to just a few more highlights here.
Remarkable revelations
On 5th January 2022, we were taken to another powerful shrine, the samadhi of Totapuri Maharaj, a great Siddhapurusha (enlightened Master). He was also the Guru of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. I had two memorable revelations at this shrine, which may interest like-minded readers.
I have been an ardent devotee of Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra, an avadhoota (a person who has reached a stage in their spiritual development in which they are beyond worldly concerns). His jeeva samadhi (tomb of a Hindu Spiritual Guru whose life force still exists in the tomb) has been at Nerur in Tamil Nadu for many years. When I walked into the ashram of the Totapuri Maharaj campus, I had the same feeling at Nerur. As we walked into his abode, I bowed to the idol of Totapuri Maharaj, placing my hands on his feet, inwardly seeking a message. Instantly, I heard a baritone voice reverberating in my inner ear “He (Mohanji) and I (Totapuri) are one.” I opened my eyes with a start and immediately turned left. Mohanji was seated there, deep in dhyana (meditation). Without giving a second thought that I may disturb his meditation, I held on to his feet and bowed down, still internalizing the revelation.
Soon after, Mohanji took me to an inner chamber which is said to be the actual samadhi (tomb of a saint) spot of the great saint. He touched a tiger skin placed behind a cot and said, “This is where his head is.” In a second, he lifted the skin, and I quickly put my hand and could feel it at the tip of my fingers. This was a rare opportunity that was not available to everyone!
Remarkable revelations and communions happen in such quick succession when we are with a peerless Master. All that is needed of us is to remain receptive and vigilant. The Guru’s grace then takes over.
I got to meet Mohanji again, for a precious moment, before boarding the flight on my return journey. Feeling incredibly grateful for what had been an unforgettable experience, I held his hand of grace. Mohanji looked at me and said, “I bless you..I bless you!”. It may sound casual on the face of it, but it rang with so much power and vibrancy.
Totapuri Maharaj
The blue magnet
On returning to Bangalore, I was ill for about a week. I was down with a fever, throbbing headache, parched throat, body aches and all the telltale signs of the pandemic. I isolated myself for the period of recovery. Going through physical turbulence makes one more sensitive to feeling the hands of grace and divine healing. An indescribable huge blue magnet was holding me in a divine thrall, and I was in a state where there was a pain but no suffering, an oft-repeated observation of Mohanji. The mind was in a zone with an exquisite blend of stillness and rapture. I wondered whether it was a replica in the microcosm of the oceanic merger of the Atmic Principle and Krishna Chaitanya playing in front of my eyes as I had intuited in Puri!
I conclude with a quote from a precious abhang (devotional poetry) sung by the great Yogi Sankevarma when he had the maiden darshan of his Parama Guru, Sant Gyaneshwar.
“Guru dhyayi Guru dhyayi Guru Parathe Sadhana Nahi
Guru sevaa cha Sankalpa Guru tochi, Para Brahma
Meaning:
Meditate on the Guru!
There is no greater sadhana than holding onto the Guru
When the Guru is pleased, the Almighty is mighty pleased
Guru is verily the Para Brahma!
Jai Mohanji!
Jai Jagannath!
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 5th January 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.
Experiences With Mohanji 