Feel the Feelings

by Aditi Sahai, MCB Scotland

Feeling Mohanji’s subtle presence

In June, Mohanji visited the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence (MCB) in Scotland, and I was fortunate to be part of his PA team – responsible for looking after his food, clothes, medicines, and appointments, and ensuring his overall movements were smooth and efficient. Having been a resident of MCB Scotland for the past year, this was a significant moment for me. Mohanji would be in the UK for nearly two months, giving me the chance to serve him once more. Although this wasn’t a new task for me, the opportunity had come after a long time, and I couldn’t be happier.

The story I want to share happened after we had just finished a week’s worth of programmes with Mohanji, including the grand ceremony for the temple’s anniversary. Hundreds of people visited during those days, coming from all over the world and nearby cities. On the day of the story, most visitors had left the centre to see nearby places, leaving the space quiet with only a handful of people around. Seeing this, Mohanji decided to take a walk to the temple to see Shirdi Sai Baba, a short walk through the beautiful green Scottish nature from the main house. Thea (Mohanji’s photographer) and I, the only ones present, hurriedly accompanied him.

Mohanji paid his respects to Baba, and on our way back, he strayed from the usual path that led back towards the house and walked down the road away from the property, seemingly leaving the space. Uncertain of his actions, we quietly followed. The day was gloomy, without even a breeze to stir the leaves. As we followed him, Mohanji stopped at the main MCB sign that marked the entrance to the MCB, lifted his hand to the sky, and waved. Suddenly, a gust of wind whistled and blew through the trees, as if Mohanji had summoned a storm to the MCB. The wind picked up where there had been none, and the trees began to shake. We rushed inside the house to escape the storm.

Inside, we asked Mohanji what had just happened. He casually replied, “Since the space was empty, I just asked my people sitting at their command centre on top of the MCB board to come and clean up the area of any leftover not-good energies.” This was obviously a surprise, as Thea and I couldn’t see these ‘people’. He explained that in all our centres, he has beings of subtle nature there to protect and cleanse the space. Just as he has a team to manage the centre and foundation activities, there are also people supporting him metaphysically and energetically.

He further explained that when people from different places come to a place of high energy like the MCB, they shed and leave behind unwanted energies. It’s the job of these subtle beings to clean the space. Like we tidy the house after guests leave, they tidy up the space energetically. He then asked us to watch from the window in his room, where the trees continued to rattle, affirming that his request was being fulfilled and they were doing their job.

This was an experience I had never seen with Mohanji before, and I was amazed. Though he would often make us see unusual things subtly, this event was anything but subtle. The physical differences in the trees and leaves were abundantly clear! This made me think back to the times before and after his arrival, when there was usually heavy rain that I understood to be cleansing the space too. It was something else to both witness this and have the explanation first-hand.

It was this experience and the time serving Mohanji on this trip to the UK that made me notice more such subtle occurrences, realising that more than just what we see, he was always doing his work, both physically and non-physically. I’m sure this was always the case, but this time I felt I was more alert and aware to notice them. Despite experiencing this, my mind often overpowered my feelings that Mohanji was always here, even if not physically. This made me equate all my experiences with him being physically present. I would tell myself, ‘If I was around Mohanji and I was attentive enough, THEN maybe I could catch some of these subtle inferences.’

But on several occasions when asked for his presence at events and celebrations, Mohanji repeatedly said, “I will be there, you will feel me.” I kept thinking about that one line. How does that work if he is not physically around? Will I feel him like that when he leaves Scotland? Or will I even feel at all? I really was unsure what this meant and how I would feel him if he wasn’t physically here in Scotland.

After dropping Mohanji at the airport at the end of his visit, I came back to the MCB with clear instructions on maintaining his room, making sure that everything was put back in order, bedding washed, and such tasks. When I opened the door and walked into his room, that’s when I felt his presence. As I hovered around, there was a distinct feeling that he was there, present in his chair. I quickly finished my work and left, unsure if I was hallucinating.

A few days later, I entered the room to present the aarti lamp to the room and pictures there, a routine we follow after each aarti in the house. I noticed a familiar scent. Typically, Mohanji has a routine when he gets ready for programmes and events. Once he’s showered, and dressed, and just as he is about to go out of the door, he sprays a particular perfume. I could smell this clearly, and it felt as if Mohanji was ready to leave for a programme. The scent in the air was unmistakable. Initially, I thought it was a lingering scent from his departure, but it vanished in subsequent visits.

As I pondered upon this, letting my mind take over and not going with what I was feeling, I received a message from Thea, who was travelling with Mohanji, asking how I felt entering his room now that he had left. This confirmed everything I had been thinking and overthinking—this was Mohanji subtly making sure I knew what he meant when he said, “I am with you always.” This was his way of ensuring I understood that feeling his presence wasn’t only limited to his physical presence. All you need to do is feel your feelings, leaving your mind aside, to truly see how he works.

I realised that using my analytical mind to understand why the trees move when Mohanji raises his hand, why the clouds part when he looks at them, or why the sun shines brighter on Scotland when he strolls – is simply futile. As the mind only creates more doubts, boundaries, and bindings, leaving very little room to actually experience such extraordinary events!

Mohanji’s physical presence gave me a glimpse of these subtle phenomena and helped me move beyond analysis to simply feel them.

I am deeply grateful for Mohanji’s presence and this experience. It has helped me understand the meaning of presence without presence, deepen my connection with Mohanji, and feel beyond the mind.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 11^th August 2024

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