The Difference Between East & West

The Difference Between East & West 1978-06-19

Location
Talk duration
62'
Category
Public Program
Spoken Language
English

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19 जून 1978

The Difference Between East & West

Public Program

Caxton Hall, London (England)

Talk Language: English

The problem of our Western society is this....

You see, the Eastern society has its own problems and Western society has its own problems. Basically they are two different problems, absolutely two different problems, and to discuss about the problems of the East will be of no use to you.

For example, in the [Bhagavad] Gita, Shri Krishna has said that, "Yoga Kshema Vahamyaham." "I look after your yoga," means the union with God. 'Vahamyaham' means: I carry that, carry that process or I'm the person who has to do that process. And 'kshema' , kshema means the well-being, "I look after the well-being".

But in India, people absolutely believe that God looks after our salvation. I mean they do believe, I mean that's the faith they have. Which is a very big advantage, they don't believe that they can do anything about it. Most of them, I mean except for a very few westernised, otherwise normally they think that is only God who is going to do it for them. In whatever way possible. He might send an Avatar, or an incarnation, or somebody who will redeem us. They don't believe that they can do anything about it, and they are right, they are very right, absolutely that's the correct attitude about things that, Yoga cannot be managed by - 'yoga' means the union - by anyone but for the grace of God. That is no doubt. Like Adi Shankaracharya has said clearly that, "Na yogye, na sankhye" (meaning: neither by yoga nor sankhya you can achieve it). By anything, by doing this, you see, acrobatic things or taking postures or doing anything, you cannot achieve your salvation. By doing any, sort of a sanyasa it is called - asceticism - you cannot achieve it. He's very clearly said it: by doing all these tricks you cannot achieve anything, but by the grace of the Mother. He believed in the Divine Mother, so he said by the grace of the Divine Mother only it will work out.

Those who try to do it by themselves, will be landed themselves in the hell, and will be very hard. He has very clearly said it, but nobody reads Shankaracharya, they don't understand Him, you see. He's too high for them, they think. They don't read him. Because he is at such a plane, from where he talks, people don't understand, at all. Like that everywhere, in every religion, all great religions, all the great scriptures, this much is all, everywhere said, that, it is God who gives you the salvation. You cannot achieve it. You can be in the dharma, means you can be in the central path, you can be there, you can keep yourself clean, you can keep yourself ready, but the salvation is given by the grace of God.

But Western mind is different, is differently made and has come out in a different style. The second part of kshema means 'well-being'. Well-being means He looks after your well-being: this part Indians don't believe into, at all. The first part, the Westerners do not believe into, the second part Indians do not believe in. The second part is that He looks after your well-being, He is your father. So they do all kinds of thieving, they do all kinds of ...I mean, material problems they create for themselves. And even rich people in India are quite capable of taking out black money and smuggling things and all those things. I mean they are all interested in money, absolutely in that, they have no other interest! And if you go to India, people are told that you must keep everything locked, otherwise they will be stealing your things. But it is not to that extent, but, still I would say, that people have their interest in money, all the time they are thinking, even if they come to Me they'll say, "Mother, will I get my daughter married? Will I get my house? Will I have food to eat?" All these things they ask. So their question is different from yours.

Now, your first question is of your salvation, and salvation, you think you can do it! I don't know from where, which bird has come and told in your ears this thing! That we can do our evolution. It is something like a seed thinking that it can become a flower by its own effort. It becomes, but not by its own effort, but because it is built in that way. And a gardener is needed to pour water and put it right and to bring it to that stage. So this misunderstanding, I find, is responsible for people not to take to Sahaja Yoga much. A kind of a terrible obstinacy about it is there. Why? Why this thing works out, let us see now. The thing is, the whole society, as in the Eastern society and the Western society, they have a two absolutely different problems. They are based on two different sides of life. The first one perhaps because you were worshippers of surya, worshippers of the sun and you wanted to show something to the world. You wanted to show that you are nothing ??, and you had to work it out, so you started working out your problems. Your material problems you worked through science and you worked out many problems that are called , say economic problems and the worldly problems. But the one side of your life is completely neglected. In the same way, in India, we can say that, one side they worked out well, is their society, their family life, their emotional life, but the other side they neglected completely.

Now, because of this loss of family, from very childhood you are being taught to be on your own. I mean, it would be something like a little leaf saying, "I will be on my own." How can you be? You are a part of a big tree! To think you are on your own, to be on your own, is wrong. You have to depend on the big tree, which is going to sustain you. Now, 'on your own' is being taught from your childhood. That may be helping your ego to be satisfied, maybe your parents have helped, maybe something happened. We have to be on our own.

I have seen children of 12 years, early in the morning when we were in Oxted, in a very terrible cold, you see, our neighbour's children, quite well-to-do people, very well-to-do I should say, some of them were lords and ladies and things. Their children would come up driving on a bicycle, distributing newspapers. I was amazed! And I asked their parents, "What are you doing to your children? Such small children, young girls of 16 years, early in the morning, going about distributing the things." So the mother says, "What's wrong?" I mean, I couldn't answer the question, you see. But to an Indian mind it cannot come, because, "Oh God, a 12 year old child, early in the morning to get up and go?" It's too much to bear, to understand, to feel that your own child, which is 12 years old, has to earn for his own living, at this small age when he has to play about. That's the time for play. To be on your own, at that time, is not, that is to be on your own to play. That's the age to play, to enjoy, to see the nature. But from 12 years of age you put the child to be on his own. So he's on the bicycle, already his heart is catching. Such a strain on the heart. And then the child, what does he want? He wants to feel that somebody wants him and somebody loves him, and also pampers him a little bit. It doesn't go wrong. Nothing is going to go wrong with a child if you pamper him. It's a wrong idea, absolutely wrong idea. If you do not pamper your children, whom are you going to pamper? If you don't love and kiss your children and hug them and take them to your heart, [to] whom are you going to do it? Are you going to get a dog? And they do it! I mean, they really do it! They will have dogs and cats in their bedrooms and the husband, wife will be sleeping separately from children! It's wrong.

They must be given love. They must feel they are very much wanted. They must be important, very important. While husband and wife are fighting among themselves, you see! Or the wife is a bride and the husband is a bridegroom. Even [if] he's 80 years old, he's a bridegroom! Still ready for marriage! I mean, what sort of a thing! Absurd it is! The attention is not on the children at all.

The children have to get complete love from their parents, complete assurance, and a picture and a model that marriage itself is a boon. The integrity and fidelity between husband and wife, in love and harmony, gives them that feeling. But, it is not so. I don't know how it works out, that, people do not want to show their love to their children, they are afraid. Perhaps maybe somebody has brainwashed you?

Our children in India, that way, take too much liberties with us. They have our keys, they can take away whatever they like. They can use any one of my saris. There's no problem. I mean, they have to do it, but then they feel responsible. They don't waste so much money as the children here do. If you keep them fulfilled, I mean they never ask for anything. But this is the basic problem: from the very childhood, to be on your own. So even in yoga you become on your own!

First, the first cutting point comes here, first of all, that you really do not know how to depend on love. Only through your parents do you know what is love. So I hear many cases like this, that, the father ran away, the mother ran away, this thing happened. Now what should the poor children do? I mean, it's a very sad affair, it's a very sad thing that could happen to children, that, the parents are separated: no love. Then, you fight with your parents, you fight with your parents, get out of your families. I mean, this is another great satanic thing, I can tell you, because in the family, only, the auspiciousness and the blessings of God exist. So, you'll find faults with your mother. But on the contrary, if you tell anything to My daughter against Me, she will be be your greatest enemy, she can't tolerate, she says, "Whatever it is between me and my Mother." But even her father cannot tell her that, "This is this". So, we say our mother is bad, our father is bad, and also your psychologists teach you that, morning till evening, that, "Something wrong, Blame the mother, blame the father," so another sensation starts.

Now, those people who do not have that assurance from their parents are just like orphans, believe Me! It's an orphans feeling of terrible desolation, complete desolate to feel, you feel so lost in life. I mean, mother and father are part in yourself, within you. You know that, we have seen now, in Sahaja Yoga, how we have to correct your mother and father chakras. They are within you, you cannot get rid of them! So this is one big problem is facing us is this, that, you have lacked love. Without love, the seed of human being is dwarfed, in a way. You may be, because of ego orientation, you see, this gives rise to ego. You are on your own, so, you are on your own. Big ego starts working out. "Oh, I'm going to do this, I am going to do this, I am going to be like this." The ego orientation starts, then, even when you come to spirituality, the ego orientation is there, to such a great extent, you'll be amazed. Such a great extent!

The other day we had one boy, Andy Kerr(?), his friend had come and we had another American gentleman with, his legs were sort of absolutely paralysed and he was in, what do you call them? Crutches, you can say, crutches. But they were attached to his knees. He came to Me and then I treated him, he was alright, he threw away his crutches, he started walking, and I was talking to this boy. So, still he was on, "No I would like to do my own meditation, I can do my own!" I said. Now look at this one. Now he's seeing that I've cured this fellow! There are so many people who are realised. Still he doesn't want to see this is the Truth, one has to accept the Truth. He was not willing, he was arguing with Me. Because he's on his own!

So, you have to realise you are not on your own at all. You are a part and parcel of a Primordial Being, one Primordial Being, you are part and parcel of that. The moment you think that you are on your own, you become arbitrary. Like a cell in the body, how the malignancy sets in. If you are a doctor, you'll understand, that one cell starts feeling on its own and starts growing, growing big and big and big. By this growth, what happens - that's what we call as malignancy - by this growth, it oppresses the other cells that are around it and becomes out of proportion. For example, the nose, if it doesn't meet the base with the whole body, it will become a big nose like this, you see. Or one ear, imagine, coming out like that! Or one hand going like this! No proportion, no harmony, no relationship to the whole body. So how will you look like? Apart from that, what's the use of such a big hand which goes up to that? You can't even scratch your head.

So, that kind of an arbitrariness, when it sets in, in the mind, that "I can be on my own in everything!" a very subtle type, very subtle type I should say, of blindness sets in, very subtle type of blindness. You just cannot see the Reality. The other day I had a boy from, British wife, now he is not an English, his mother is English his father is a British (??) And he came to My house, he's only fifteen years of age, and he came and sat down. He said, "Do you have any good music?" Very rude, you know, he came there just to see My husband for something. I said, "Yes we have, what do you want to hear?", "I don't like very much Indian music, but if you have something in sitar I would like to hear." I mean, this is extremely rude. "I don't like this! I don't this thing!". I said, "A 15 year old boy!" Even My husband, who is 60 years now, he wouldn't raise his eyes before his own brother. But I mean his brother doesn't cut his throat: what I'm saying, nothing, on the contrary, they are friends. I mean, they are funny, it's something like respect. This subtleness comes in.

Because the main point of your respect is finished. The sense of respect is finished. You think you are everything, you are very correct and the rest of the world is all imperfect, you are the only perfect person you know. It is a very subtle understanding. Though you'll be saying, "Mataji, my ego is very troublesome," you will say that. You say that to Me - quite alright! You have said it many a times, but again I find the Mr Ego coming from somewhere and sitting down there in front of you and you are behind. What do you say Patricia, is correct or not?

So many of them. Now why is it that you do not feel the ego but you can feel the superego? Means if somebody possesses you, there's a possession on you. Immediately your neck will go like this. You see, if there's a possession from the left side, your neck will go like this, or you'll get a pain, you won't be able to sleep, you'll be scratching your head, you'll go mad. Or you'll be jumping, or something will be happening to you. But if you are egoistical, nothing can happen to you but to others. You'll be dominating others. You wouldn't even care for your own wife, for your own husband, for your own children. You wouldn't. And you wouldn't know that you are not caring. You see, sort of a narcissism. You can say it a narcissism, like a love, self-love. You are on top of everything. Self-love! You will see in the mirror ten times, you'll groom yourself very well or you may not groom. The other side is, can be, that you'll become so extraordinarily funny also. You may put a round, here, red thing and you'll put a red thing here and put something in the ears and, you see, I don't know what sort of a thing you will do: just to show that part. It is all self-love, try to face it. We wouldn't care even for the nearest and dearest. It is self-love, and self-love is such a subtle , such a subtle kind of, that we do not see it. But it starts like this, "I don't like it!" Now who are you? Some people talk to Me as if they are Duke of Norfolk. I have not met him so far! I've not met him, but even he would be humbler than those people I can assure you!

So, the ego-oriented societies lose their faith, that's the way it happen. Think of it. That's a very important thing, is faith. They have no faith in their own parents. Now on whom will you have faith? You don't have faith on your own children, then on whom will you have your faith? That's a vicious circle we have. First the parents had no faith in their children, so the children have no faith in the parents. Where to cut it? Let us cut it at this point and see, wherever we are, let us have faith in ourselves. Faith in ourselves. And when we have faith in ourselves, faith is not the same thing as ego.

Faith in yourself is a thing which is born out of wisdom. It is not born out of rationality. Faith is born out of wisdom. Wisdom comes out of balance of the heart and the head. Ego orientation is only cerebral, is only brain. You see a horn coming out like this, malignant. What do you think Bogdan? (laughing) Yes, there are horns! We become unicorns sometimes you know. We do not know we are. In a crowd we go and we really hurt others very badly. Like in the way we say curt things to people, I mean we cannot believe that we can say such things but we do, and we should not. There is no care, there is no concern within us about others, because it is self-love, the whole circle is our own.

"My own domain, my own room, my own house, my car, my, my, my, my, my"! But it is not, it is Thy, it is Thy. Kabir says that when the goat is living she says, "Mai, mai, mai" means "I, I, I" (in Hindi), but when she dies and when her intestines are taken out and made into a part of the...you don't have that kind of thing...we use it for spinning the cotton, then she says "Tu hi, tu hi, tu hi" (meaning) "you are the one, you are the one, you are the one".

So we have to face ourselves. Now why should we face ourselves? Because we have to be our Selves. Because if you go too much with this also, there will be a relapse and the relapse will be so sad, we will start thinking "Oh God, what a horrible world I have created of my own!" So you throw it on one side and you go to the other side of superego! Then the drugs and this and that and escape. You see? You want to escape from yourself. I'll give you an example of an international, or you can say a universal, or you can say an international example. People created atomic bombs, alright? They created. God did not create atomic bombs, human beings created them. They created a big monster of a atomic bomb, they put it there. Now they are afraid of the same bomb! Ego also acts like that, it also acts like that, and then the second phase of thing starts.

It is in the centre, it is in the centre that you find your Self. It is neither on this extreme or that extreme, but in the centre, in faith. But faith doesn't mean church going, by any chance. There is no rationality about it. Church going has no rationality, it's mad! You see a priest, who is just selling God! Why should you go to church? It's correct. How can you listen to a priest? It's correct. But then you cannot go to a pub [either]! This is another extreme. Either you go to the church or to the pub. Is there something in between or not? This is the point. That we have to be in the centre, we have to come to a point where we find our Selves. In the centre, where we started wondering. Where the faith works. Start wondering about faith.

See anything, it's so wondrous stuff, you see! See this Universe: we take it for granted, we take it for granted. See this Universe, see these stars, millions and millions and millions and billions and of billions of years they have been there. And look at this Earth, Mother Earth, how She's creating things, how She's producing things, how She's so beautiful. Even if you see your eye, which you have taken for granted, this eye that is here you'll be amazed [that] it is one of the greatest cameras you could think! Nobody has been able to make a camera like this with all your ego orientation! Just watch this body of yours, just see this being yourself. It's so great, to marvel at how have we become like this. And there must be some purpose of God, that he has made us from amoeba to this. But what are we doing about it?

We have to have that faith within us, that, no, there must be some reason why Nature, if you don't like to call it God, has created us, why we are here. And that is only possible when you really respect your Self and love your Self, in the real sense. When you love your Self immediately you will love everybody else. Immediately. If you really love yourself. I'm saying really. Because you'll find, everybody is connected. It is such a joyous thing to enjoy: being with others, feeling your Self in others, is the most joyous thing. See them laugh and you laugh. See them enjoy, you enjoy. It's such a beautiful thing to see, that others are shining through you.

But no, we don't go there. If something good happens, nobody turns up. People are jealous. You see, everybody becomes very unhappy. Somebody gets a promotion in the office, for example, that person who gets the promotion also doesn't smile out of fear. The rest of them are very serious, but if somebody dies, there will be hundreds of them going down there to cry and weep.

So try to enjoy others within you, by not arbitrary behaviour, never! But by feeling that they are all within yourself. They are part and parcel of your being. If you are doing good to others, you are actually doing good to yourself, to nobody else you are doing good. Please remember that. You will find this very true in Sahaja Yoga that, in Sahaja Yoga, this doesn't become a lecture, this is not brainwashing: then you become that. You'll jolly well, you'll have to do it with others, otherwise you'll be unhappy. You'll become collectively conscious. You actualise it. It's a reality which you feel. So lecturing is not going to help. It's the feeling, the actualisation of this thing. But the what thing [which] comes in between, is the ego in the beginning. It's very difficult to push people who are egoistical.

So, what happens? The gurus come here. They pamper your ego, very much, they pamper. First the ego is pampered by saying, "Alright, five pounds, if you pay me, I will do it." So your ego is a little bit satisfied. "Alright, I can purchase this guru!" Purchase!

Secondly...you see, then they cheat you, you see, this is one of the ways of pampering your ego, I really tell you. I went to America: there, one gentleman was charging $275, for what? For initiating one spirit into that person. They asked Me also, they said, "Mother, they will not understand unless and until You charge them." I said, "This is too much." I mean, this is an insult!

So this is how, first of all, they pamper your ego. Then there are so many other ways by which they pamper your ego. Or they try to completely neutralise you, make you so weak that you just surrender to them. Both are wrong things. Enticement, hypnosis, all these things are absolutely wrong. If you have to be your Self, you have to be in complete awareness, in complete freedom, in complete choice. It cannot be forced on you. Even if there is one person, I can't help it. Even if there are three persons I can't help it. Even if there are thousands it's alright. But it cannot be forced onto anyone. It has to be asked for! Then, only...It should be your choice then only, you can do it.

Now, one more point I would like to press and then we'll have session for checking up on you.

Let us see now, how do you really do it, and how we want to get it into ourselves this...because of this problem, what happens to us and how we deny it. And it continues for some time, people will say that, "It continues for some time." That's why it is difficult to retain it, because it is a very subtle thing and the point that I want to make is that God has His own protocol. You cannot treat Him shabbily, you cannot treat Him cheaply, you cannot treat Him with indifference. Then, only, it stays, otherwise it can pass out, it can go away.

It is a very subtle thing. And that's why I would request, because the whole society is charmed like that! In India I have to tell them another thing, is that, you don't worry about your money problems, you don't ask Me for money. You see, that's a different thing, forget about that part. But this part, this is the point [that], though materially you are affluent, you are alright, you don't have to seek food now. But still for spiritual food you have to ask for it, otherwise you do not get it. It's a very, very subtle thing, and, as a Mother, you can say, or as a mediator between Divine and yourself, I would like to tell you, very frankly: it is a very subtle thing.

And that's what happens with our Sahaja Yogis: they come here, they get Realisation and then they disappear. Then after three, four months they come back. "Mother, I got caught, caught up again." So I just tell them that, "How many times did you come to the program?" They said, "Mother, we had no time, we couldn't come, we couldn't do this and all that. This happened, that happened." But I said, "Then, you do not expose yourself to Sahaja Yoga, you do not keep yourself, then you do not retain it. It goes down." And that is very important!

Getting Realisation is not that important as I would say, because it will work. At the first shot it works very fast, because your Kundalini is waiting, just waiting for a chance. As soon as She sees Me, it goes. Kundalini awakening takes place, I see that, very clearly the Kundalini suddenly rises up like, you see, like the rivers flowing towards the Ganges, with a fast movement. But it goes back. You get your Realisation alright, but the Kundalini again goes back and corrects at different places.

So you have to follow Sahaja Yoga in total, and understand that. Still, if you are going arguing about it, it doesn't work. It's not going to help. So you have to know what you are seeking, what you are trying to find out, and I would like to know before we start anything else: what are you seeking? What are your problems? You should tell Me, and then I will tell you how Sahaja Yoga can answer all your questions. All your problems can be answered only through Sahaja Yoga. Of that, I'm sure. Hundred percent sure!

But only problem is that we do not take guidance from our unconscious, we take guidance from our ego. As long as we are having our guidance from our ego, it is going to mislead us, because the mind, if it is ridden by ego, it won't work for us. We have to ride the mind, and not the ego. When the ego rides the mind, the mind goes hither and thither. But when we are on the mind, mind is also happy and it is the mind which takes you there and which leaves you there at that point. Because, you see, when you have reached your destination you have to leave your mind also. So, one must know that we have to ride our mind, and not the ego or the superego. Superego is the one when people get possessed. That's the one, that's the point.

So I would say that, for retaining the vibrations, you have to do certain things. And some of those things could be that we have now got some tapes here. You should bring your tapes and get them taped for yourself - that's a good idea. And you must learn how to give vibrations and give Realisation to others. At a point wherever you can. And work it out! All of you can get the tapes from here. You yourself can start it in your own friendship in your own circle. Like that, you see, it will work out fast. In India it works out that way. But here you know, it's such a slow movement and, I mean, as soon as a Sahaja Yogi starts talking, any Western Sahaja Yogi talking about Sahaja Yoga, people say, "Oh shut up, you are no good." Immediately! "Mataji must talk to them, otherwise they are not convinced." Because the ego clashes with them, such a clashing goes on. But in India it is not so because the ego part is less. That's why it is not so.

Supposing there is one man, whom I gave Realisation say, in Pune, he goes to his village and he tells them, "I have found it! I have found it! I have found it!" They say, "Really? You have found it?" "Yes!" So all of them gather near him. Then he tells, "This is the thing I have found, this is the thing, you just verify and you see for yourself " and goes [away] and, finished, that village is finished and that village, I don't have to bother. When I go there, all the villagers will come to a big village somewhere where I live. It's so simple. But here, you see, nobody is easily convinced. You have to break your heads and I have to break My head, morning till evening. Today I broke My head, for how many hours? Tell Me. Hours together! Convincing that please try to retain your vibrations! But for small, small things they give in. Even things like, if I say, "Take out your shoes." Even that hurts them. I mean, this is bit too much, isn't it? I mean, they think that God should come with a garland and with a candle light and garland them and put candles around them. Is it possible? Do you expect God to do that? It is too much to expect! Isn't it.

I do pamper you, as My children, I do. I know, I pamper you, as My children. But I would not like to pamper you to that extent that you lose your vibrations. That would be wrong, you see, because My motive is just that you keep your vibrations alright and you be there, which is a subtle thing, and you rise gradually. If you start losing your vibrations then gradually your position will come down.

Today I said that I will be little informal because very, very few new people are here and I could talk about it to you. So, I would also like to know if there are any questions or anything. Before that we would like to see these three people getting their Realisation. Now, put your hands like this, alright? Let's see. Like this. Now Pauline, are you feeling any cool breeze in your hands? She's very much in the centre, because she came walking with Me, I could see. She's a person very much in the centre, very much, no extremes she has. Now, what about you? Are you feeling anything? What do you say? Left heart.

Shri Mataji: Now, what work? You are a very hard-working person are you?

Seeker: Sometimes, not always, sometimes.

Shri Mataji: Sometimes. These days? What are you doing?

Seeker: Cleaning.

Shri Mataji: Cleaning. Cleaning what?

Seeker: Cleaning a factory.

Shri Mataji: Oh God! That's it. Too much of imbalance. Don't you have machines to clean the factories?

Seeker: No.

Shri Mataji: You see, if you use too much of your activity on the right hand side, physical labour and things like that, then the left side, you see, is completely neglected. And that's why your left side is weak. But it will work out. So you put your right hand on your heart, alright. On your heart, on this side. Yes, little lower, yes that's all. Now, what about him? David, can you tell? Today I don't find Philip here. He didn't come? Liver, heart?

Yogi: Centre heart.

Shri Mataji: What's it, what's the problem? Are you feeling secured in life?

Seeker: That's a difficult one.

Shri Mataji: Why? Come here. Come here. Is she alright? She's alright. Just sit down, turn round. Sit comfortably, absolutely comfortably. Are you comfortable? Sure? Alright, now hold your breath. There's one compulsion in Sahaja Yoga. You have to wear a singlet inside the shirts, you cannot wear shirts without singlets. You see, this gives you catching of the cold. I'm mean, it's a simple thing, you know, M mother has told Me, I feel so funny but it is true. You shouldn't wear only shirts. I know it is very hot, but in India you wouldn't find one person, even children. They will wear always a singlet, because when it is warm it is more necessary. Because what happens, that you perspire and you catch terrible cold. It can lead you to pneumonia. I hope you are not feeling hurt, if I say that?

Seeker: No. I came in a jumper.

Shri Mataji: Alright. Even with a jumper you must wear a singlet inside, alright? Now, how about this one. He's alright. Now, hold your breath, can you? Alright. Please. What do you say? Hmmm. Your shoulder has some problems?

Seeker: No, I've broken my neck.

Shri Mataji: When? When did you break?

Seeker: Six a years ago.

Shri Mataji: Oh God! She's alright, I think she's got it. She's alright. She is also very hard working. They are all feeling you. Pauline, you are also very hard working?

Yogi: She's been a teacher of yoga.

Shri Mataji: Oh! Teacher of yoga? How long?

Seeker: years, years.

Shri Mataji: Oh! That's the thing...heart. Just put her into balance. I'll tell you about yoga, alright Pauline? I'll tell you, it's no good, no good. It's meant for an actress or for wrestlers, not for yogis, it is not. It's good now. It's better. Ha! Still on the Sahasrara. Let's put it out. But you see, if you have been a yoga teacher, I can tell you, it will go back to your heart again. So be careful. I mean, where is the yoga teacher gone? He has not come today? Oh God. When will he be coming? Tomorrow?

Yogi: He's working for two weeks continuously, early in the morning until late in the evening.

Shri Mataji: Is it? Very bad neck he has there. How did you break your neck?

Seeker: I was in the parachute regiment, in the army.

Shri Mataji: Parachute? Human beings have developed all kinds of funny things in this world I tell you! I just can't understand, what is the need to do parachute? Why do you do it? What is necessary? Even our prince is going there to do the parachute. I mean, you better tell him! It's no good. I mean, it's all absurd you know. Why do absurd things, morning till evening?

Seeker: Yes I know

Shri Mataji: Oh God, you'd better write to the prince that, "I broke my neck", I don't want to have a king who will have a broken neck. Why do all these horrible things? I can't understand what. There's no need to parachute. It's better now. But you promise you'll never do that again.

Seeker: Oh I won't.

Shri Mataji: Then I will cure you, otherwise I will not. Because here I cure you, again you go back and break your neck and come back, you see! Because it's a mania also with people. You see once they parachute they cannot stop it, I'm told. (laughter)

Yogi: It's probably the first case, Mataji.

Shri Mataji: No, I mean, I'm told like that. That once you start doing something... (break in tape)

... who are having parents and all, they don't join you. You see, they just don't do it, because the parents put a restriction on them, you see. When I asked my daughter what sort of husband she would like to have, she said, "One thing, we'll not have someone from the military, from the navy." So, that's what it is. That's all, that's it. What to do? It's a horrible thing, this hatha yoga. You know, I'll tell you about hatha yoga now Pauline. You know these, hatha yoga has come here through one gentleman, who was in India, Shivani. And he started it, I think, about twenty years back or so, maybe little earlier. Because he went to Himalayas to get his salvation and he couldn't get it. So, you see, there are six things that are to be done, with a guru. First of all, you have to be absolutely celibate, brahmachary. Then there is yama-niyama, but they are hard. Ishwara prananidhan, mana. All these six things you have to go through together, under a realised soul. That is the compulsion. If you read Patanjali, who has introduced hatha yoga. You go and read him! Now [in hatha yoga] all that is left out.

This fellow came out from there, most frustrated. So he knew certain asanas that are to be done. Now these asanas are related to your chakras within you. We have got certain chakras in our body, they will tell you, seven chakras, and these are for those chakras at a particular time. To be done when the chakra is in danger. For example, you have a headache and I start pressing your hand, what will happen, your hand will also pain! There is a big science about it. Now, this fellow brought it down and because of these so-called exercises, you see, you will definitely lose weight, quite a lot. But there are other problems that develop, and you go into such imbalance, that the left hand side the heart, is caught up.

We do not have here Alex. You should ask him, he has a friend who is a hatha yogi, and he just can't bear it. Because such a people, you know, too much of left side neglect become so much dragging that they become absolutely dry. And most of them will have divorces with their wives, because they become dried out. They go so much to the right that they become absolutely dry.

Now, this is nowhere in the medical science described, that you must be emotionally also strong, you should be physically also strong, and you should be mentally also strong. There should be a balance and integration. Nobody thinks of that. A doctor is a doctor and he'll just look after your body. Psychologist is a psychologist he'll look after your left side. That's why the balance, he's not bothered about. Then what happens? These problems come.

But we have to get the ultimate isn't it? Why you do not want to do it, for any other reason but to get to God. Spiritual yoga should be asked for, and for that, this hatha yoga, you have to be with a guru for years together. From very childhood you are taken down there and they do the cleansing. Now there are two ways out. One method is that there is darkness in the room, you come in the room and I'll tell you, "You put this right, you put this right, you put this right and you do it like this." Another could be that I put on the light and then tell you, "Now put it right." So Sahaja Yoga is that system by which, first of all, the light has to come on, and then you can put yourself right. Alright?

So these hatha yoga and this has a basic difference. And that was a very difficult yoga because only very few people could do that, very few people achieved it and it was to be done before the age of 25 years. Despite that, very few people got Realisation. But, with Sahaja Yoga, you get your Realisation first and cleansing later. This is the difference. Alright? Now, this difference is there. You are asking for what? You are asking for bliss, joy, happiness in life. You are asking for the divine life to come into you, to be able to emit that life to others, to help others to get that life. If that is [what] your seeking is, then Sahaja Yoga is for you.

But if only seeking is that you reduce weight of people, say for example, you see, you have to create actresses now, they are all anxious now they haven't got some measurement, this should be the measurement, that should be the measurement. And even the old women of My age are working hard to be that! I mean, I don't know, we lose our purpose completely. I mean, what is the purpose of life? Is it to actresses somewhere? I don't know what is the need of such a thing. Even the doctors are, I'm surprised at them. Everybody will, they will say, "Don't eat sugar!" I mean, this is absurd. Sugar is very much needed for liver and in this country especially where it is ego-oriented, your liver gets spoiled and if you don't eat sugar, what are you going to do then? Your attention is going to be all mad. No wonder people land up in the lunatic asylum. They start thinking they are suffering from paranoid troubles. I mean, sugar is very important for liver.

So, general prescriptions are there for everyone. For a housewife, for a woman who is going to lead a normal life, there is no need to go into such drastic stuffs. Only for women who want to make money out of their body, which is a dirty stuff. Why to make your body that attractive to every man? Spoiling his attention and your attention. What's the need? The whole ideology is wrong. Nobody feels attractive actually. Now that it has become such a mundane stuff. And even that attraction, it's so temporary and so useless. It spoils your attention, it spoils others attention, all your life you become nothing but a nail painter all the time morning till evening. I mean, we must value our lives much more than this. You are very precious people.

But perhaps people don't realise in this country, or in the western countries, that they are mostly saintly people born. Really saints, they are seeking God. They are not seeking anything else, even when they are doing hatha yoga they are seeking God only, you see. But they do not know. They're all seeking God. They are not seeking all these cheapish things at all in life, they hate it. But somehow the society is such that they fall a-trap into it. But you get out of it, and see for yourself.

You have to seek God, you have to meet Him and you have to be that. That is the main thing and main thing and main thing. That's the only thing to be asked for.

"Twamevam shanranyam, Twamevam varyenyam" It is only You who is to be sought after, It is You only to be surrendered to.

Nothing else we want in this world. Then everything comes, you get it. Alright? Pauline, do you understand? This is the role of Sahaja Yoga is. We have to make it very clear to you. To all of you. This is the role. Better now?

Seeker: Yes.

Seeker (who's not paying much attention): Can you do hatha yoga for balance?

Shri Mataji: No, no, no, no. You see, I don't mind, sometimes you see somebody who is suffering too much from possessiveness, you see, possessions say. Somebody is possessed. Then if he takes you little sort of exercise, walking about and all that, he puts the right side. May be little balancing. But the trouble is, you see, we are extremists. You see, like a pendulum we are, we are real extremists. We are like a, what you can say, a spring. We go this end and try to go to the other end we never stop in between. We just go to the other end. And that has started, that phase has started in this country already. This hippyism and all this is the second phase. From first to the second has already started. So you see, if you start using hatha yoga. I mean, once in a while, of course I tell you, how to, for example Vishuddhi chakra can be cured by bastika (a breathing excercise). But Vishuddhi chakra is only needed, and at that time you should do bastika which is a very simple exercise, which can cure him. But that should not be an addiction. That is only till he gets cured, once he's cured he need not do it. But if you overdose yourself, what will happen is a simple thing! Are you better now?

Seeker: Yes, but you started the shoulder now, I've dislocated that too.

Shri Mataji: Now I'm massaging you well. Alright, now let Me see, put your hands under feet nicely. Now close your eyes. Now very good, Still? Now how is Pauline? Is she better? Yes, see , they are showing two Chakras! (laughing)

Yogi: It's very cool on the right hand side.

Shri Mataji: Good, she's good, you know she's a seeker. She's a real seeker. So you keep to your being, don't take to fashions, that somebody says, "This is this, this is this" No! You are a seeker. You are a seeker of the Truth and keep to the Truth. Alright? This is what it is. Not to listen to anyone. You see because we must have our own personality about it. What I feel, when we have ego, at least we should have our own personality. We must decide for ourselves. Haa! It's better. Because you are a seeker and don't now try to allow others overpower you. No. You should be there to know that you are a seeker and you are a saint. So you must become a saint. You must assume your own powers. Alright? Close your eyes, let's see. Just close your eyes. Now what about him also? Just sit down.

Yogi: He read Aurobindo.

Shri Mataji: Oh, Aurobindo you have read. We have also read Aurobindo.

Yogi: Yes, that's why.

Shri Mataji: Alright, we'll manage him. Now give her a bandhan, she's alright, she's very good. He'll be alright, no problem..this Aurobindo! His ladyship (wife) is building a big, has built, a very big place in France. She was going to become young, you know, old woman. At eighty she was trying to become young!

Is she better now? She is much better. Give her a balance and bandhan. Now, how are you sir?

Seeker: I'm OK.

Shri Mataji: Not OK as yet. I have to press your neck you see. Another parachuting. This parachute should be internationally banned. You see, really, I just can't understand! I mean, I can understand small children jumping from something and you have to tell them [off]. But grown-up people do this like children. I can't understand that. If they take to horse-riding, God save them. Anything, football, like mad. How are you now? Better? Just see her, Mandy, can you see her vibrations. Abdul, how are you? Did you meet our Jamel who is holding his neck because I think he's feeling it, you see, everybody is feeling the neck there. You see, because I am holding your neck everybody is feeling their necks. It will be alright, I'm sure. Now, just keep it like this, loose.

Seeker: Oh, that's it.

Shri Mataji: Alright? Better now?

Seeker: Yeah.

Shri Mataji: Good! See? Alright. Good? Normal?

Seeker: Yes,much better.

Shri Mataji: I had to first loosen it, it's very badly stiff, absolutely stiff, all the bones had jammed together. Better now? What do you think about her? Abdul, can you see vibrations? Come along Jamel now, come along. Don't you worry about your neck, I'll put them right. See him, come here, both of you. No, this lady, this one, just see her vibrations. Your feet should be straight. Ha!, that's right. Is it better here now? Are you feeling any burning or anything? No. In the hand, nothing? Where is it?

Yogi: Swadishthan.

Shri Mataji: Swadishthan, left? Only? That's the only problem?

Yogi: She also has a problem with left Nahbi.

Shri Mataji: Nabhi, what else? You mean right. Right? and Nabhi? Left Nabhi. Better now? Now where is the Kundalini?

Yogi: Nabhi area

Shri Mataji: Swadishthan?

Yogi: Nabhi area

Shri Mataji: Still Nabhi? Why are you so serious? Seriousness doesn't give you health, be light, likeable, it works out. I'm trying to make you laugh all of you, all the time. Joking. Why you look so serious? Pauline, you don't have to be serious. Ha! It's good now, she's alright. Raise her Kundalini she'll be alright, I'm sure, she's good. How is this gentleman? Now, how are you?

Seeker: Good thank you.

Shri Mataji: Good, now are you feeling any throbbing in your hands? Hold My feet, just see. Both the hands? He's got it. Now close your eyes and see is there any thought in your mind.

Yogi: She feels fine.

Shri Mataji: She, fine? I think she's alright, she's great. What's your surname Pauline?

Pauline: O'Donovan

Shri Mataji: Odon? But you have to be little careful or it will go back. I'm not saying, maybe, because all the hatha yogis had a problem, you see, so I must tell you. But they come back, they are do it well. Who else we had, a hatha yogi here? Among you I don't think but...How are you now? That's his pain you are getting, put yourself into bandhan. How are you Dominic now? Everybody is feeling. That is his pain, he has a pain. You see, collective consciousness, that's why, in collective consciousness you feel it.

Better now. Are you feeling the throbbing alright? It's good, now sit down. Is there someone to tell him how to do? Be careful, he's sleeping. Alright? Take your time, sit down on the table, sit down there, ya! That's good. Better now? Now you are not feeling the pain. You see, because you were feeling Me, because I was touching him. But I'm not feeling any. You were feeling it. Now you know. If there is pain in the body, here, all the nerves feel it but the brain doesn't. In the same way. Now you're not feeling it at all. You are feeling happy. Finished! Still a bit there. You had that, so that is your own. That is your own, but his pain is over. Is he alright? Oh, it is to be seen how Sahaja Yoga works. It's a wonderful thing. How is she? Now you can go and sit there and let Pauline come I'll see her. Pauline come here, come. Sit down. Anyway you can take now, because you are a hatha yoga teacher, you can take a padmasana or something that's it! Siddhasana you know? How to? Or sahajasana like this, straight. Like that, straight. And sahajasana is absolutely spread out. Very good. And you put your left hand on your liver, Debbie, on this side, little higher, yes, little higher. Left side. Raise it, put it to the balance.

Caxton Hall, London (England)

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