An Ocean of Grace in Scotland

By Michael Draper, UK

In a testimonial published in November 2023, I described the divine grace expressed and transmitted by Mohanji and Devi on my first physical experience with them and how that grace continued on my first visit to MCB (Mohanji Centre of Benevolence) Scotland during the inauguration and Prana Pratishtha of Lord Ganesh idol, Shirdi Sai Baba idol and Lord Dattatreya idol.

At the divine inauguration, the Mohanji Acharyas and volunteers at MCB Scotland were very kind, attentive and eager to serve. As an example of their openness and alignment with Mohanji’s consciousness, I would like to share their role in another act of supreme grace.

I wanted to purchase a set of Padukas for my shrine at home and approached the volunteers who were serving at the stall, where various items, including Padukas, could be purchased. I might have simply been sold a set on display, and that was my expectation, but in the discussion, the volunteers had an inspiration. 

There was a set of Padukas that had been acquired by the team for sale but had happened to find their way onto the altar in the Shirdi Sai Baba temple and had been worshipped as part of the Shirdi Sai Baba temple inauguration. Enquiries would be made of the officiating priest, Shri Sulakhe Maharaj (former chief priest of Shirdi), as to whether these could be transferred to me. I was taken aback but extremely grateful for the generosity of spirit that was being demonstrated in going the extra mile (and then some) in this unexpected turn of events.

Grace flowed.

Following an exploratory discussion, Maharaj approved and agreed to transfer the Padukas to me after the final completion of all ceremonies. I was informed that I should attend and meet Maharaj in the temple accordingly.

This was and is an incredible honour and certainly unexpected. It is an expression of how, at the right time, divine grace delivers more than actually sought or even considered possible, but only if the agents acting in delivery and expression of that grace are open to play a role in transmitting the flow.

I attended as instructed, and Maharaj gave a big smile (we can all picture that) and a hug by way of welcome. He then moved to hand over the Padukas with reverence. He positioned me in front of the now-living Shirdi Sai Baba idol and instructed me to wait. He then reached for a Shirdi Sai temple shawl, placed it around my shoulders and then handed the Padukas to me in the presence of and view of Baba.

By ‘chance’ Selma and Peter witnessed this, and Dirk also appeared in the temple. Peter had his mobile phone with him and took a picture to record the event. I was awestruck.

I have no conscious memory or understanding of why I was eligible to receive this grace and honour. Prior to meeting Mohanji, my connection with Sai Baba in the form of Shirdi Sai was through my experiences with Sathya Sai Baba. Many years ago, I was unexpectedly given a small photograph of Shirdi Sai Baba in Prashanti Nilayam. 

I was told by the individual handing it over that I had a connection with Shirdi Sai. I was very happy to receive the photo but was perplexed by what the connection could be. I placed the photo in my passport for ‘safe-keeping’, but it subsequently disappeared. I don’t normally lose items and certainly not pictures of avatars. Why I chose my passport as a fitting place to keep the photo is loaded with meaning. The seed of my connection to Shirdi Sai had been planted in my waking consciousness, ready to grow at the right time.

What do the divine feet of Mohanji and Sai Baba represent?

When Sathya Sai Baba declared his avatarhood, he walked out of his family home to the garden of a devotee and sat upon a large rocky outcrop or boulder. His close devotees soon gathered around him, and Sathya Sai Baba led them in the beautifully poignant bhajan of

“Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam Dusthara Bhava Saagara Tharanam.”

[Oh, mind! Meditate on the Feet of the Guru. This can take you across the difficult ocean of existence, birth after birth.”]

A photographer recorded the event, and when the photograph was developed, the small rock formation in front of the young Sathya Sai emerging from the larger boulder had taken on the form of a Shirdi Sai Baba idol. The supreme consciousness of the Masters is one, even though the forms may differ.

Worshipping the feet of the Guru is considered one among the 9 forms of Bhakti or devotion: the Navavidha Bhakti Marga. However, a close former student devotee of Sathya Sai Baba has disclosed from an intimate conversation with his students that:

“Swami said that people often thought Padasevanam only meant service to the Guru’s feet. This was the reason why everyone felt it was the easiest route to God because all one had to do was to get the opportunity to press and massage his feet. But that was not the actual meaning. Swami said that Padasevanam means walking in the footsteps of a Guru. To walk the path that the Guru walks is true service to his feet.”

To walk the path that is walked and shown by the Guru – that is the invitation and the truest expression of service to the feet of the Master. In the book Mast: the Ecstatic given by Mohanji, a probing, exploratory conversation takes place between Maharishi Shantananda and his prospective follower, Vamadeva, whose heartfelt desire is to be accepted into the Master’s Gurukul (a residential school where students live as part of the Master’s family):

Maharishi: The path is right here within you; why not walk?

Vamadeva: I am param buddhu. I don’t know the way, respected Master

Maharishi: Final destination?

Vamadeva: My Self, the Supreme Self, respected Master

Maharishi: Where shall you walk from? (Read: Where will you start? When can you start?)   

 Vamadeva: At your lotus feet. (Read: Right here! Right now!)

There is evident genuine camaraderie, friendship, and humour at MCB Scotland in a very welcoming and divine environment. When walking past Mohanji en route to the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Mohanji quipped, ‘Nice T-shirt’, to which I replied, ‘Yes, it is’. 3 words each but with profound meaning in the space between them. My Mum would probably roll her exasperated eyes at the depth of emotional expression in my acknowledgement.

As a ‘newcomer’, it was more than heart-warming to be acknowledged. Inclusivity was also the foundation of the closing events following the Shirdi Sai Baba temple inauguration through two satsangs with Mohanji.

At one closing satsang, a number of individuals spoke about their experiences, being encouraged by Mohanji to do so. The sharing of experiences benefits both the experiencer and those listening on a number of levels. Mohanji is also keen that those reluctant to speak, go beyond their comfort zone as this helps to dissolve restricting and limiting ideas and leads to further expansion. 

Mohanji and Vijay made sure that everybody was acknowledged and valued. Blessed miniature statutes of Shirdi Sai Baba were presented on a personal basis, with the opportunity to express love and gratitude to Mohanji when receiving the grace of Baba from Mohanji’s hands. Everyone agreed that the food consumed during the divine inauguration event (on all levels) was awesome.  

Mohanji gave his concluding satsang in the Datta garden in the presence of Lord Dattatreya. There are no ‘accidents’, and nothing happens by chance. We were all meant to be here at this time for the inaugural event. Mohanji asked us not to bring mental interference into play with ‘why?’ Let the grace and experience flow without obstruction. 

Mohanji then gave everyone gathered the opportunity to seek their own clarification to personal questions. In responding to some of those questions, Mohanji explained that the establishment of MCB Scotland and other centres was to provide connected portals or spaces for the expansion and expression of consciousness in a divinely inspired environment which could also inform and inspire personal practice wherever we happened to be. I asked how best to maintain personal evolutionary practice. Faith, connection and consistency, Mohanji responded.

There was just enough time for a group photo. A genius was operating a drone with a camera that took a wonderful ariel picture of those gathered. That picture has since been published.

On returning home, another miracle occurred. At Dirks’s request, I opened up my first-ever WhatsApp account. I could not say no to Dirk. Dirk kindly sent some articles about his experiences with Mohanji and a beautiful picture of himself and Mohanii on a train, which I subsequently printed and framed; a family photo that I placed on the shelf sitting next to me.

MCB Scotland then announced their Rise and Revive retreat in September 2023. To be continued…

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!

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 3^rd 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

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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

In the company of Masters

By Eric Elbers, Canada

The story of the MyDattatreya website

KEEPING GOOD COMPANY

It is often said that travellers on the spiritual path should keep good company. Being an avid reader and living in a household where the members generally have other than spiritual interests, I found reading about the life and teachings of spiritual masters an inspiring and enriching experience. Paramahamsa Yogananda, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Anandamayi Ma, Amritananda Mayi Ma, and many other elevated human beings became my daily company, my teachers and my spiritual nourishment. 

Therefore, it was only a matter of time until I would learn about Shirdi Sai Baba, his life story as penned down in the Sai Sat Charitra, and next, the amazing story of Sathya Sai Baba. When reading about these masters, they would, as it were, come alive for me and indeed did become my daily companions. It was also a time when I was in transition from a spiritual path that had centered on the Sound Current and the Radha Soami teachings to more broad-based Hinduism. I felt attracted to Amritananda Mayi Ma and her teachings on compassion. I recognized that my reading, to a large extent, was an intellectual occupation, and I felt drawn to more heart-based spirituality shown by the amazing ‘hugging saint.’

MEETING MOHANJI

Then, in 2017, in an honorary magazine issue dedicated to Sathya Sai Baba, I read an article by Mohanji, in which he told his life story and his relationship with Sathya Sai Baba, who had been a turning point in his life. I felt immediately attracted to Mohanji and saw an opportunity to help an up-and-coming spiritual master in his mission. With time, a master attracts a core group of devotees around him who help and support him. A master who has been teaching for decades may have thousands of devotees and a hierarchical structure in the organization, but a master who is beginning his mission may still be approachable and welcome devotees to help him in his work. Such a Master was Mohanji. I emailed Mohanji and requested permission to start a meditation group based on his guided meditations. Very shortly, I received a reply that Mohanji had already become aware of my request even before it had reached him and had given his blessings.

In the summer of 2018, Mohanji came to Canada to dedicate an ashram in Ontario with a prana pratishta ceremony to inaugurate and empower the Ganesha, Dattatreya and Shirdi Sai Baba idols. That became an opportunity to meet face-to-face with Mohanji, who was very kind and enquired about my spiritual journey and how I had learned about him. I told Mohanji that it was my desire to serve him in his mission and become an ’outstanding’ disciple to him. This wish was fulfilled the following year when I was invited to participate in the Acharya training at the Canadian ashram, led by Mohanji himself. Mohanji told us that the correct way to measure living masters is not how many devotees they attract, but how many new masters they develop. The Acharya program was designed to develop such ‘budding’ masters. What a blessing to have been invited to participate!

DATTATREYA TRADITION 

During the Acharya training program in the summer of 2019, which lasted four days, I heard Mohanji many times refer to ‘the Tradition.’ I had no clue what tradition he was talking about, but it sounded intriguing to me, and soon thereafter, I learned about the Dattatreya tradition. That’s when I realized my love for Dattatreya. Even though I had grown up in a devoted Christian family [the Dutch Reformed Church], my intense reading had groomed me to recognize the immense stature and power of the Dattatreya tradition—the tradition of Avadhutas and liberation. To me, Dattatreya was not just another spiritual master, deity, or a great story, but I recognized him as the original, divine, spiritual teacher [Adi Guru] taking on many embodiments. This teacher is Divine Consciousness Itself, Supreme Reality, taking many incarnations to engage with souls to guide them back home. All the Masters I had read about were part of Dattatreya, the Supreme Teacher. This Teacher is Supreme Consciousness Itself, loving his emanations, Souls, and guiding them to Himself.

I felt I needed to give expression to my love for Dattatreya and wrote to Mohanji that I wished to work on a website dedicated to Dattatreya, documenting the great masters of the Dattatreya tradition to let people know about their lives and sublime teachings. Mohanji replied back “Yes, this needs to be done.” Encouraged, in November of 2019, I started a Facebook Group dedicated to the ‘Peerless Masters of the Dattatreya Tradition.’ Since its start in November 2019, this group has grown to more than 2250 followers, sharing news and stories about the Dattatreya Masters.

In the spring of 2020, during a Zoom Call with Mohanji Acharyas, Mohanji suddenly asked, “Is Eric there?” When I responded, he asked me to start working on the website for the Dattatreya tradition. Then, with the help of the Acharya Board, an international group of nine Acharyas was formed, and we started working on the documentation of the life and teaching of the Dattatreya Avatars and Masters. Thus, the MyDattatreya website was born. Seeing the success of the ‘Friends of Dattatreya’ Facebook Group, a Facebook Page about the Dattatreya Masters, named ‘MyDattatreya’ followed in the summer of 2020. This Page has now attracted 1348 followers.

Lord Dattatreya with Mohanji, Contemporary Datta Master

SHIRDI 2022

Due to the Covid pandemic from 2020 to 2022, travelling was restricted, and very few events were organized. So, as soon as it was announced that a Mohanji-led trip to Shirdi, India, would be held in December 2022, I decided to attend. It had been a long-standing wish of mine to visit the home of Dattatreya Avatar Shirdi Sai Baba. This was the chance. I also had desired to meet with Devi Amma, a living Saint in Bangalore, and spiritual daughter of Sage Agastya and Mother Lopamudra, and seek her blessings. Fortunately, I was able to combine both visits and was graciously welcomed by Devi Amma during a 30-minute private visit.

When we were speaking about Lord Dattatreya and the Masters of the tradition, Devi Amma shared a very interesting insight. She said that the incarnation of Dattatreya, as the embodied trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, had occurred due to the Divine Mother, the Shakti energy, requesting Supreme Consciousness, Shiva, to take birth as the trinity, so devotees could directly connect with the trinity of creation, sustenance and dissolution. Shiva agreed, and the well-known birth story of Dattatreya enacts this. It illustrates that it was the trinity which visited Anasuya, the pious wife of Sage Atri, during lunchtime while her husband was absent and tested her piety. And it was at Anasuya’s request [symbolizing Shakti] that the three gods agreed to be born to her as the trinity; hence, the child was named Dattatreya [Given Trinity].

BABA’S LEELA

Baba made me do an involuntary parikrama (circumambulation) when visiting Baba’s Samadhi Mandir for the first time in Shirdi. I entered the temple around 4:30 pm and, as is the custom, took off my shoes at the entrance I had arrived at (there are five gates) and placed them in a nearby rack. It was extremely busy in the temple with long lineups, and it took about one hour to complete paying my honours to Baba. By the time I got out, it had become dark, and moreover, I exited at a different location which I did not recognize. 

I had never been to Baba’s temple. This is a large place with buildings and crowds everywhere. It was very, very busy, but I had no choice but to start walking around the temple in my socks, looking for the rack with my shoes. Many different entrances, crowds everywhere, but no shoes I recognized. So, I made another round, and then another, and then another. No easy walking on socks on the very uneven, pebbly pavement. Clumsy and uncomfortable. After about an hour, I became more and more confused and shared my plight with a guard. Actually, three guards [trinity?] and it was the third guard who took pity on me and took me around the temple (again), visiting all places with shoe racks. And there are many! 

Finally, I was ready to give up the search and buy flip-flops for the rest of the trip, assuming my shoes had found a new owner. However, after another half hour of walking around the temple, right at the very end of the search, I spotted my shoes near Gate 3, where they of course had been from the very beginning. I was elated and relieved but also exhausted from circumambulating Baba’s Samadhi Mandir on socks for 90 minutes. Only Baba knows why he wanted me to do a 90-minute parikrama around his temple on socks, but in the end, he had mercy upon me.

SURPRISES

Another interesting and very heart-touching experience happened on the final morning in Shirdi, on the day of my departure back home to Canada. During the previous evening, I had met a group of Mohanji devotees from the Philippines, and we had discussed returning early in the morning to visit Dwarkamai, the place where Baba had sat next to his Dhuni [sacred fire] and receive visitors. I had not been able to find the place yet, but it could be challenging to schedule a visit because to be there at a quiet time, one has to start very early in the morning. And it was going to be a long day of travelling. 

But, surprisingly, I found myself awake and quite alert at 2:00 am, so I decided to make my way to the Temple. I was very happy to see my Philippine friends again; the temple grounds were still very quiet, and we had a wonderful time walking the grounds and spending time sitting and meditating in the Dwarkamai. 

Two notable surprises occurred on that last morning in Shirdi. The first one happened while we were circumambulating the beautiful and graceful Neem tree, still alive, under which Baba had chosen to sit during his first visit after arriving in Shirdi as a young lad well over one hundred and fifty years ago.  He sat there in meditation, rain or shine, and appeared to Shirdi inhabitants as an introvert yogi, having arrived mysteriously from an unknown source. While we circled the tree, suddenly, a few Neem leaves gently whirled down and landed at our feet. Excited and deeply grateful, we collected and shared these few precious leaves from the otherwise bare pavement since they are such a rare and prized possession for Baba devotees!

Next came a really big surprise. While ready to leave the grounds after having spent time meditating in the Dwarkamai, a Temple Guard suddenly appeared from nowhere and handed me a large gift bag wrapped in orange cloth. “Here, this is for you,” he said and walked away. I was stunned and surprised. My friends excitedly said, Oh, look, you have received a gift from Baba! What a blessing!” When I opened the bag, I found it was filled with diverse prasad: flowers, coconuts, fruits, sweets, gift cloth, etc. Indeed, a sweet blessing and departing gift from Baba.

Gift from Baba: A leaf from the Neem tree near Dwarkamai

NADA, THE SOUND CURRENT

We all have different constitutions, unique talents and weaknesses, and unique histories. On top of that, we travel different trajectories towards our shared destination, a complete merger with Supreme Consciousness, also called The Divine or God. Some of us are quick-witted and quick learners; others are sensitive with a great capacity for feeling and compassion. Some of us are visual, some auditory, some intellectual and some intuitive. For me, the journey has never been accompanied by great visual experiences or cinemascopic adventures, although at times I wished it would be like that. Instead, the Divine has come as a cat on quiet feet. He has come as a whisper, an insight, a calm knowingness. While others report remarkable meetings with a diversity of Masters, to me, the Divine Presence, the Master, and Mohanji in particular,  came as a quiet companion, a deep feeling in the heart, a nudge, a wink. Rumi called this Presence ‘The Friend.’ I call it my Companion. It is Consciousness Itself, also represented by Dattatreya.

There is no way we can separate ourselves from Consciousness, nor can Consciousness separate Itself from us, since Consciousness is what we are. We ARE THAT, Consciousness Itself. We are living, breathing and moving consciousness. All talk about Self-Realization is about removing the veil of illusion that we are something else. There is no need to grow into anything, to change anything, or to become something, because we are THAT already. We are Dattatreya.

In essence, we are victims of identity theft, the mind having stolen our true identity. Therefore, it can be said that we are victims of misidentification. We identify ourselves with an illusory personality produced by the mind. The master helps to lift this veil of illusion when our legs are strong and stable enough to carry the weight of our true nature.

My spiritual journey started nearly fifty years ago by connecting with the Audible Life Stream, also known as the Sound Current, Nada or Shabda, the Voice of God resonating through the universes. This sound of creative energy is always with us. It sings through creation in a divine play of creation, sustenance and dissolution. It starts as the primordial sound of AUM and branches into the Music of the Spheres, God’s Voice resounding in His Creation. 

Nada, the audible Life Stream, the light and sound of God

Over time the Sound Current has become my constant companion, a high-pitched eeee, at a slightly different pitch in each ear, merging in the centre of the head. It is the flow of the creative energy, the kundalini through the nadis.

During Dattatreya mantra chanting on Zoom, each Thursday morning at 7:00 am [PT]], at some point, the Sound Current ‘descends’ and becomes a presence that takes over. Hands and feet start tingling with the live energy flowing through the body system. It is like being plugged into a high-voltage electric wire. That is the Sound Current, the presence of Dattatreya.

These chanting sessions are open to all, and participants have reported also experiencing this high energy. By connecting to the chanter and the chanter connecting to the Sound Current, together we are wired to this Divine energy that flows through the universe as the creative, sustaining and dissolving force. The force of the Trinity. The Energy and Presence of Dattatreya.

Om Dram Sri Gurudeva Datta

Humbly submitted at the feet of my Master Mohanji and my Lord Dattatreya.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

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

Disclaimer:

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

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

Mohanji Testimonials team

Experiences of Empowered 5 – Part 3

By Linda Abrol, Netherlands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Experiences of Empowered 5 – Part 2

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

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

Disclaimer:

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

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

Mohanji Testimonials team

Skanda Vale and London – Part 1

June 20, 2022

by Linda Abrol, Netherlands

‘We booked tickets to Skanda Vale and got a room even though everything was said to be full!’ Sita is clearly touched when she shares the good news with me. For it was in Skanda Vale that she married Nico, during the time when Swami Subramanian was alive, more than 45 years ago. It was the most beautiful time of their lives. They preferred to live there permanently. 

I had not made a decision to go to the UK until then because the excitement of Mohanji’s stay in the Netherlands (early June 2022) a week prior to this call was still tangible in my cells, and I was integrating all experiences. But there were only a few days left, and I really had to decide now before everything was full and sold out. Still, I was relaxed because if Mohanji wanted me to come, it would work out anyway. 

Skanda Vale had a certain attraction for me. Why? I did not know. I had never even seen a picture of the ashram or Guru Subramanian, the inspirator and initiator. But the sound in Sita’s voice when she told of her desire to visit Skanda Vale again and the prospect of a week in divine and natural surroundings sounded very attractive to me. It felt special and familiar at the same time. And when I heard that they would most probably be on the same plane as Mohanji, who would also go to Skanda Vale, I was convinced. 

For over thirty years, with countless blessings from my beloved Masters, it had never happened that I had been on a plane with my Guru. Only a few small problems to tackle:

• A plane that was full.
• No place to sleep.
• A ticket sale that could come to a close at any moment. 

I decided to call Selma – who was very familiar with Skanda Vale – to ask if she would know of a place to sleep somewhere near the ashram since there were no more available rooms in the ashram. Selma liked the prospect of us coming so much that she immediately offered that she and Peter would sleep in the camper and I could sleep in Peter’s room. She had even spoken to him about the possibility beforehand! 

‘And you should book the June 24 event soon because Vijay is about to close ticket sales as we speak this afternoon. He’s just waiting for you! I will then bring you a comforter, pillowcase, towels, thick woollen cardigan, and anything else you might need. It’s a very small wooden shack with no bathroom or toilet, though. Do you mind?’ No, of course not! I had no expectations, so everything was a bonus. 

How could it be that she had already talked to Peter about the possibility of my coming, and how could it be that Vijay was waiting for my ticket request? And how could it be that Selma and Peter were willing to squeeze themselves into a camper with three children to grant me a room at the ashram and that she was also willing to arrange bedding, towels and clothing for me? If this wasn’t a higher plan?

The cold was a bit worrisome because just two weeks before, I had received the diagnosis ‘cold agglutination’ from the haematologist, a fairly rare condition that belongs to the autoimmune varieties. The blood attacks itself when it gets cold. It will then start to clot, and red blood cells get destroyed. But with all the help Selma so spontaneously offered, it could only work out well, right? It was too surprising for words. 

Within the record time of half an hour, I had a room, a ticket for the event at the end of the week in London, about the last plane ticket to Manchester, and an extra night’s accommodation on the night before the event. And someone was showing so much care for even the smallest details of my comfort! Being able to book such a complicated trip so quickly and surprisingly felt like a warm welcome and divine grace. 

My husband took us all to the airport on June 20. There were huge crowds at Schiphol Airport due to major staff shortages and long lines blocking the counters. Due to physical problems, Sita had booked airport assistance for Nico, so we sailed with the help of a friendly assistant along each row and were at the right gate in no time. 

Loes, Sita’s girlfriend, apprised us every few minutes of the whereabouts of Mohanji’s plane from Belgrade, which she followed via a sky scanner app on her phone. But their plane turned out to be delayed, and with our simple calculation, it didn’t seem possible that they were going to catch the plane to Manchester. I prayed quickly, and then Loes reported that our plane was also delayed. That would solve the problem, I thought gratefully, because once in my life, taking off with my Guru, even if only in kilometres instead of energy frequency, felt like an unexpected blessing I had never had the chance to experience before. 

One often reads in books on Sathya Sai Baba about people ending up in the skies with him, and somewhere deep inside, it must have settled in me as an unconscious wish. And my experience is that the Guru makes every wish come true even if you don’t know you have it. For years I have been trying to be without expectations towards the Guru. My way of dealing with desires was: I noticed them. If it was a good desire, I would picture the outcome, feel the happiness of it and let it go. And it has produced the most wonderful experiences. 

I even thought that my Guru Swami Gopal Baba, who passed away in 2020, had already fulfilled all my unconscious and conscious desires that a devotee can have. He was masterful at that, with divine timing and precision. 

At one point, we heard that we would probably leave at the scheduled time after all, to the relief of many and the sadness of us. Mohanji’s plane had yet to land, and to get out and arrive at the right terminal and gate on time would be a witch’s errand. Would he start running if he had to? Sita got antsy and started walking up and down the hall looking for Mohanji and the team. 

When she came back, I burst out, “Look! Behind you!” I threw everything off – including my bag with all my important papers, passport and cards that I always guarded like a guard dog when travelling – and flew up to greet Mohanji. His arms were immediately wide open, and his smile radiant. What a welcome! And they had made it! Miraculous. When I commented on it, Mohanji said, “I ran.” With which he immediately answered my unspoken question. 

He gave me a second warm hug. What had I done to deserve that? No idea. And why should I wonder? His love has no limits. Because I was so absorbed in his presence, I accidentally went through boarding with him while my section was still far from being called. On board, it felt like the entire plane was sparkling with Mohanji’s energy. 

Even though, of course, I saw nothing of him during the trip. I didn’t even want to read my brought book. Just enjoying the energy because when do you experience something like this? ‘Live like it’s your last day’ became very tangible. At Manchester airport, I lost Sita and Nico. Since they were in front of me on the plane, I assumed they were already at the baggage claim and quickly walked over. No Sita and Nico but Mohanji, who was waiting for his bags. 

Meanwhile, he was fumbling with the Wi-Fi connection, which wasn’t working, and he said it was probably because he didn’t like all that messaging but had to; otherwise others would complain that he wasn’t answering. I mentioned that I had lost Sita and Nico, and as the suitcases began to roll onto the conveyor belt, I wondered aloud which ones were theirs again. Without a moment’s thought, Mohanji looked up from his cell phone for a moment and, pointing to a burgundy suitcase, he said casually, “I think this one,” and continued searching for a Wi-Fi connection. 

To my utter surprise, when I turned the suitcase, I saw that it was indeed the one. Sita had tied a red ribbon to the handle. I smiled warmly and said, “That’s what happens when one travels with divinity.” We both laughed. Sita, who had just arrived, asked why we were laughing, and I explained to her. Mohanji simply added, “I see those things,” – so ‘matter-of-factly’ that you would think it was nothing special.

Masters at airports have something very special. Years ago, when we waved goodbye to Swami Gopal Baba at Schiphol Airport, the clasp of my backpack was tangled in my hair, and my mother tried to undo it gently. It was a hassle. Swami suddenly watched the spectacle with a laser look, and the clasp came loose. 

A seemingly useless miracle but with great meaning. It probably helped me detach from my identification with the personality, whose clues were all in the bag, such as ID, bank cards, etc. What would this suitcase miracle mean except the proof that Mohanji is hugely involved, even in the smallest details, despite knowing and leading thousands of people. A ‘superhero’, Ana Divac (Guru Leela volume 3) would say. 

At the Luton Airport, Mohanji was lovingly welcomed by Vijay, Subhasree and others. Pictures could not be taken since Tea’s suitcase with her camera equipment was missing. In the parking lot, I heard Mohanji say that we should go somewhere for lunch. Because he felt the gnawing hunger of all the people, and he could not stand it. He doesn’t think about himself. He feels what others feel and reacts.

We stopped at a Mexican restaurant after a short drive along the way. Not only flying with my Guru but also driving together (not in the same car, as we were sitting with Rahul) and eating together on the road were unconscious wishes that I thought I had let go of for a long time. Seeing those wishes fulfilled made my heart sing.

At the restaurant, we were all seated at a table. And I realised that this was the second time I ate together with Mohanji at the table. Just like a few months ago in London after the BE YOU event in April. That was enough for me to consider the whole trip a loving sequence of unexpected, beautiful moments. Were they in my stars, or had they ended up there spontaneously by ‘fresh’ Mohanji’s grace? 

Mohanji was seated opposite Vijay, the president of Mohanji Foundation UK, and showed him his hand with a beautiful ring with nine stones. An amazing story followed, which turned out to be really significant. For the world ánd for Mohanji. And a little bit for me, for it turned out to be the answer to my prayer, which I will describe later.

During an interview, Sathya Sai Baba materialized a diamond ring for Dirk van de Wijngaard (different from this ring). But Dirk was not interested in the ring. What was the value of a ring when the Divine Maker, who was infinitely more important to him, was sitting right in front of him? When he found out that the ring was incredibly valuable in terms of money, he cried all night. Not out of happiness but out of sheer pain. He didn’t want gold or diamonds. He wanted only God! 

Please read the beautiful and authentic testimonial of Biljana and Dirk about the miraculous way the diamond ring turned into a nine-stone Protection Ring that ended up on Mohanji’s finger. Dirk, in his characteristic, childlike innocence and modesty, had expressed his sincere desire to remain anonymous as the giver of the ring to Mohanji. But he had not taken into account that Mohanji had different plans. I am getting the feeling that the anonymity thing didn’t work out very well after Mohanji himself told about the divine gift to different people. Then Dirk surrendered to Mohanji’s will and shared the amazing ‘Protection-Ring story’ with the world: 

Click here to read the testimonial about the protection ring.

Let’s look at the amazing significance of this Protection-Ring-event! In Miraculous Days with Mohanji, the book of Rajesh Kamath that every devotee should read and that I am translating at the moment, I have just read: He (Tyagananda) took out a long rudraksha mala (a string of prayer beads) and put it around Mohanji’s neck. He then narrated the story of the mala and the reason for his advent. This mala was worn by his Guru’s Guru, Swami Poornananda. He said that Swami Poornananda had done hundreds of millions of chants on this very mala. Swami Poornananda attained mahasamadhi on April 6, 2000. 

Before this event, he handed over the mala to Tyagananda and said, “One day, you will meet a powerful Master. Give this mala to him.” Tyagananda asked, “How will I recognise him?” Swami Poornananda replied, “His third eye will be like a blazing sun. You won’t fail to recognise him.” When he left Hyderabad, Tyagananda had doubts about Mohanji – whether Mohanji was a real Guru and whether Mohanji was the person to receive the mala. But now that he had met Mohanji, he was convinced that he had to come here to accomplish the task of handing over the mala entrusted to him by his Guru’s Guru fourteen years ago.

Let’s just look at the similarities! A great Master (Swami Poornananda) recognised Mohanji’s divine and omnipotent nature and stature through a gift through his disciple (Tyagananda), many years after his mahasamadhi. 

And here we are; Sri Sathya Sai Baba, a Divine Master and avatar, left a gift for Mohanji to be given to him by a disciple who recognised him. And that too, many years after his mahasamadhi. And like Tyagananda, Dirk had strong doubts about Mohanji at first. Doubts that evaporated after meeting Mohanji in person. 

Imagine this seemingly small event’s significance for many Sai devotees! As a Sai devotee, it might have felt like a valuable reassurance from Sai on the authenticity of Mohanji’s divine stature if I hadn’t already fallen in love with Mohanji completely and wholeheartedly!

sdr

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 4^th August 2022

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