What is the purpose and meaning of yoga? 1996-07-07
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7 July 1996
What Is The Purpose And Meaning Of Yoga?
Public Program
National Palace of Culture, Sofia (Bulgaria)
Talk Language: English | Transcript (English) – Draft
1996-0707 Public Program, National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
17.13 onwards
I (Shri Mataji) bow to all the seekers of truth. At the very outset we have to know that truth is what it is. We cannot change it, we cannot transform it, we cannot describe it. It is the experience of the truth. I am very much thankful to this association of yoga which has invited me very kindly to talk on sahaja yoga. And in a place so far away from India that there is an association I was really quiet surprised. Now we have to understand that why do we do yoga. What is the purpose of yoga and what is the meaning of the yoga. The meaning of the yoga is that you have to unite with the all pervading power of the divine love. In sanskrit it is called as brahmachaitanya, in the quran it is called as Rooh/ruh. Also in the bible it is described as the cool breeze of the holy ghost. And what has to happen to us is our evolutionary breakthrough, the last breakthrough. All kinds of yoga we started in India according to different times. First of all we had three types of seeking. One created vedas. But the first stanza of vedas says that by reading all this if you do not get self knowledge, it is useless. People have been seeking the truth so they took to another , which we call as the bhakti marga.
Now this bhakti marga was nothing but like saying praise of Gods, praying to God and devotion and dedication to God almighty. So this two, you can say the paths started, but there was another path in India which was the central path of seeking; and that was done by very few people and they were called as naths , nath panthi. Their searching was very deep, started with hatha yoga to begin with. Ha and tha meaning surya nadi meaning sun channel and the moon (tha) channel; balancing between the two. Then also what happened that it was really very difficult to follow the path, one side the sun another side the moon. So they started following the sun by which all importance was given to body. You must look after your body, you must build up your body, you must see able to stand on one leg for hours together like that.....stand on your heads and they also went to Himalayas and all that.
Buddhism also had two beautiful flowering one was called as Zen system and another one in China, Lao Tse has written is Tao. When they took to the sun side the development started I think in a very imbalanced manner. If you go to right side too much then what happens you become extremely hot tempered. You can become very aggressive. You can develop powers of sort of destroying others and be very powerful warriors and all that. But it has a reaction. Because such become became emotionally dried out. like we can say like Germans are supposed to be very high up in IQ, its in the intelligence coefficience. I couldn’t understand what happened to their intelligence, how could they kill children, how could they do all this horrible things. So I started telling them there has to be a compassionate intelligence. Then only the balance can come. So in the hatha yoga the path that was compassion was finished. Just body building becoming very strong people, but for what?. That can take you to the extreme , your conscious mind can become extremely active and then you get paralysed. Now in America a new disease that has started called a ?? disease. They become like reptiles, they cant walk they cant stand up but thinking is alright, brain is alright; and they have to be carried like some big fish on the body. So now, you see we have many types of yogasanas ?? with this is that another was people thought that they have to do certain things which they have read about like bandhas and all that they do in Raja yoga. They said it is for kundalini, but you see it was artificial type of Raja yoga. For eg. If you don’t start your car, and start moving the wheels, will the car move ? you have to first start (engine) the car. So when the kundalini as you have seen is awakened then these chakras themselves tries to sustain it, go into complete closure; that is known as bandhan. But just putting some sort of exercise and closing the chakras, whats the use, the kundalini is not moving, what are you holding. Then, I was surprised by one organization in America when I went there, some doctors had gone from India they had cut there this little thread under the tongue and there tongue was wagging just like dog’s tongue you see; could not go inside. They couldn’t speak. This was yoganandas self relisation association. So I asked them what have you done. They said we are doing raja (actually kriya as per other lectures) yoga and there is a thing that has to happen called khechari, so you take the tongue and push it back here, so we have to cut it. But for what? They said for stopping the kundalini. But kundalini is not there. Of course kundalini rises automatically, spontaneously. All this thing happened within us within our body.
Just as you start any car, all machinery starts working. There are so many such yogas about which I have heard and know how people have been hurt with it. I have met many people who have suffered a lot because of misleading ideas. The time had to come for you to get self realisation to awaken the kundalini, that time is now. Before this there was no time that people could get mass evolution. Normally also in the evolutionary process, one fish came out and started crawling, then about few came out and then ?? of fishes came out. Seeking today is the maximum, it was never so before. But it gets diverted and deviated. The happening of yoga is a living process. Is a living process of evolution. Like this mother earth you put one seed, it sprouts by itself, its a miracle. Who does that ? Who creates this flowers? Is this paramachaitany this all pervading power of divine love. So this separation of two things, one side is this physical growth and physical working out and on the other side the emotional working out through bhakti could not balance human beings. I say that if it is your evolutionary process, if its a living process, how can you pay for it? How much do you pay to this mother earth ? It is built in the earth that she can sprout a seed and also in the seed it is built in that it sprouts. So firstly you cannot pay for any yoga. You can pay for the hall, you can pay for electricity. But can't pay for a evolutionary process which is spontaneously within you works out your las breakthrough. And if you are sincerely seeking it works in no time. Even the nath panthis who were quiet depth in it and travelled to so many countries, like Macchindranath, Gorakhnath; they too could not raise the kundalini of the masses. Actually the tradition was that one guru have only one disciple. And it was hazardous we have to go through so much of disciplining and all kinds of fasting and all kinds of things that people got fed up with it. Recently I have read a very interesting book by an American called as “Peaceful Warrior”, is a story of a athlete and the person who took to this zen system of ascent. And he has to, really if you read that book you get such a fright because this poor fellow this young fellow had to go for years together for various things and do all kinds of horrible things; ultimately he receives his realisation. This is he says that I reached my “Satori” state.
So that we call as the self realisation. So all these things though were there let only one single soul into realisation. Now today's sahaja yoga is different. It is the compassion of the God itself wants that you all should get your realisation. He must have been now very much overwhelmed by the way people are asking his blessings that people get realisation in no time. Is the other way round, first you built the top of the house and then the house. First you raise the kundalini and enlightened the brain. Now suppose it is all darkness here, I cant see, I have a snake in my hand and I am very obstinate. And if you tell me throw away, I wouldn't, I wouldn't because I am obstinate. But if there is slight little light somewhere, immediately I will throw it away. So by the awakening of the kundalini what happens people see what is destructive, see themselves, no body has to tell. Now is I tell you ?? this all the ten commandments, all you will run away.
But once you get this light then you become your own master. You yourself will become your guide and you give up everything that is destructive. Not only that, but you know everything about yourself, you get the self knowledge, you know what centres are catching, where is your problem. For eg. some sahaja yogi will come and will say “mother please remove my Agnya, very bad, troubling me”. Actually it means “I (seeker) am very egoistical, there is ego in my head, please take it out”. But normally people will never see that. When you start feeling your own problems you try to solve them. Also you know how to solve them. You yourself become knowledgable. Then you will be amazed how you transform completely. With sahaja yoga so many diseases, I am told we had a doctor's conference here with you last time and so many diseases are cured automatically. You dont have to do any diagnosis, on your finger tips you know what chakras are catching. Now if you know how to correct this chakras you can correct yourself, you can correct others also. Also on finger tips you know whats wrong with another person. You dont see what clothes, what nationality but you just see the chakras and you can cure another person also. You can raise the kundalini of others. All this blessings are there because of this modern times. In our sanskrit language we call it Kaliyuga, modern times, Ghore Kaliyuga. Ghore Kaliyuga means the worst time for human beings. But also promise that at this time only those people who are seeking the truth in the himalayas, or in the jungles the forest, will become householders and they will get their realisation. These are the special times, I call them the blossom time. Because there are so many flowers, like lotuses the brains are. Only this lotus has to open. This is the last judgement. Now if you want to go to something wrong, to something stupid, you can. Also you need not have blind faith in me, not necessary. But if you experience, this all pervading power on your finger tips as cool breeze, then don't doubt yourself. Because you are born at the special times. All this centres that you have seen here are responsible for our physical, mental, emotional being; and also out spiritual being. This centres, if they are in jeopardy; then you can have physical problem, you can have mental problem, you can have emotional problem, you can have spiritual problem. So now we have seen this kundalini awakening, so many physical problems are cured, mental patients have been cured. So many people who were lost in spiritual seeking are cured. And they are also powerful; powerful in love and compassion. (speaking to sahaja yogis). So if you have any problem on human level, the same problem takes its own course in the collective. Now if I say sahaja yoga can cure cancer, all doctors may come with their short guns and ??. But it can. Why not give it a chance. But the modern mind is very complicated. Actually the mind we have is the myth. 48.00
it is created by our conditioning or by our ego. Now, if you have to go to reality you ti go beyond the mind. That means you have to become thoughtlessly aware. One thought rises and falls, another thought rises and falls, these thoughts are coming to us from the past or the future and we are jumping on the cusp of the thought; but we cannot be in the present. When kundalini rises she alongates this thought and the space is created ?? the space for the present. Thus you get rid of your stress and headaches all all your disturbing problems, then you feel absolutely peaceful. Its important that individuals become peaceful so the whole world will become peaceful. At that stage you become one with the whole. And who is the other to fight. Any divisive methods all fail before such a person. Today they are fighting in the name of God and religion; can you imagine ?. Actually Moses, Abraham was absolutely respected Christ. And Mohammad sahab respected Christ and his mother much more than in the bible. So this is step by step how the religious idea has moved. Now how can they fight among themselves and kill each other. It is absolutely stupid. But once you become your master, you understand that all this religions in essence are the same. Actually it becomes the fact with you because once you get this vibrations in your hand of the divine, you can ask any question and the answer comes like a computer. You ask any question. Those who dont believe in God, let them ask question “is there God?”; immediately cool breeze will start. Was Christ the son of God ?; it is not mental, it is not discussion, it is not argument; it is just a reality. So this compassion, this love is divine, is the giver of truth. The compassion and the truth are the same. Supposing you love somebody you know everything about that person. So there is no difference between the two. But this truth is full of compassion. Only through this real yoga, real spiritual yoga you can feel that within yourself. You can feel it, all of you. There is no problem on that. But people who are still obstinate will have to go on till snake bites them.
It is very simple, it has to be because it is so vital today. Its not talking, its not any kind of argument, any kind of exercise; it is effortless. Because you are so fortunate, you are born in this time and that's the only criteria. You are not obliged to me, its your right to have it; and to get it and to become powerful. So many things will happen which, you will be amazed at yourself. The whole atmosphere will change. I know of very great artists who came to sahaja yoga and now known all over the world. Musicians, artists, we can say doctors; all of them have become so expert because they know the truth. And your mind, is no more, you are clear with the reality. Now supposing there is somebody who comes from the jail from India and wears a dress like a sadhu, how will you know if he is a gangster or a sadhu. Just put your hands towards him, immediately it will start burning your fingers. You can know about diseases, you can know about person, you can also know about situations. It helps socially, it helps politically and it helps in every manner. I don't know in this short lecture how much I can tell. Best is to get your experience and as I promised him that I will send somebody who can give you a kind of courses. But you don't have to pay for it. So if you are ready, I will tell you there are two conditions; the first one is that you should not feel guilty at all. If you have ? Wrong you have done that is in the past. But if you carry it on this (left shoulder/vishuddhi) catches very badly and you develop troubles like angina, like spondylitis, also lethargic. Now, so you have to forgive yourself. Secondly you have to forgive everyone. Now you might say its difficult to forgive. But whether you forgive or don't forgive you don't do anything; what do you do? It is just a myth. So why carry on with the myth and torture yourself. I would say don't think of them whom you have to forgive. Its a headache. Just say in your heart that “other we forgive everyone “. Alright. Another thing I have to request you to is you have to take out your shoes because it help a lot for mother earth to suck in our problems. You have to be comfortable. You don't have to go to Himalayas. Only thing you must forgive yourself and forgive others, that's all. You need not stretch too much, stretch too much, but sit comfortably, straight. It will hardly take ten minutes I assure you. In the beginning it used to take for me one hour. Now I think 27 years I am doing this job. Now it is become very fast, now people are more aware. Alright. So what you have to do is put your both the hands towards me like this. Please put your left hand towards me like this, and right hand, bend your head, and see for yourself if there is a cool or hot breeze like vibrations are coming out of your fontanelle bone area. Fontanelle bone are is the soft bone which was there in your childhood and keep your hand away from it and please bend your head. Now see if there is cool or hot breeze is coming out of your own head. Now please put your right hand towards me and put down your head again see for yourself if there is a cool or hot breeze like vibrations are coming from your fontanel bone area. It is hot because you have not forgiven yourself or not forgiven others. So now please do it. Sometimes it comes close to the head, sometimes it comes away from it. But don't put your hand on top of your head. First thing have faith in yourself, don't doubt. Now once again with your left hand towards me and right hand on top of your head and please bend your head now. Now raise both your hands like this (towards sky) and see upwards. Here you have to ask any one of the three questions, any one of them three times. You can call me Mother or you can call me Mataji; “Mother is this the cool breeze of the holy ghost”; “Mother is this the all pervading power of the divine love”; “Mother is this the paramachaitanya”. Ask any one of these questions. One of them three times in your heart. Now take down your hands please. Put both the hands towards me like this. Higher. Now watch me without thinking. You can do it. Without thinking. Don't think. All those who have felt cool breeze or hot breeze out of the fontanelle bone area or on their finger tips or on the palm please raise both your hands. This is Bulgaria. May God bless you. All of you have felt. Because you are truthful seekers. Just give some time for yourself for your growth.