By Christopher Greenwood
Day 77 Lesson – “What are you doing for Earth?”
Good morning, everybody. I hope you’re doing well.
Yesterday was the final and third day of the seventh annual celebrations for the consecration of the Sai Baba temple in Palakkad. It was a really special event. Sulakhe Maharaj, the chief priest from Shirdi Sai temple, came to preside over the day’s rituals. It was great seeing him and Mohanji together because they have such a great connection. Obviously, both also have a very deep connection to Sai Baba.
In the morning, it started with a Maha Abhishekam: the ritual bathing of the Sai Baba idol. Around the idol, there was tangible energy, and I don’t usually feel energies. The most profound earlier experience of that was during our Acharya training in Serbia, when masters were present, even physically so. That was a very intense and powerful feeling for me. Yesterday was similar, which shows to me that Baba was probably there. That’s how I could feel it; there was intensity.
The ceremony was really beautiful; after Mohanji and the priest were finished, everyone had their turn to bathe Baba, take the blessings, and make their offerings. It was great to see Mohanji because once he finished his work, he went right at the back as a devotee, smiling from a distance, looking at everyone come past him and give their offering to Baba.
It was similar throughout the day because there were a few other rituals that took place. Then, there’s a room there where Mohanji sits, and people come to visit him. There’s a constant stream of people. Yesterday was busier than the previous days.
Although I can’t understand Malayalam, I can get a feel of what people are saying. Some people may have problems; some come for just a short blessing; others just do a pranam and leave. It’s a mixture.
Then there was a planned Satsang with Mohanji where he gave a discourse to everybody. After this, we travelled back to Mohanji’s parents’ home, where we rested a bit. Other people and devotees came there too, so it was like an informal Satsang, where people either ask their private questions, or Mohanji speaks to everybody.
And whilst I’m here, I’m also busy doing the other work which is pending. So, in between serving people and being on hand for Mohanji, wherever I can get 5-10 minutes, I do a bit of work while listening as well. It’s multitasking, really, which is not the most focused way to get work done, but it’s the only possible way when travelling because it’s back-to-back activities and meetings.
One of the conversations that caught my attention yesterday was something that I’ve heard Mohanji speak about before, but yesterday, there seemed to be a different intensity. There was also a shift in his general state yesterday; it was much more intense after all the rituals. It was a simple question that caught my attention and stopped me from doing my work: “What are you doing for Earth?” The way he said it was profound. He continued it in the Satsang, and I thought it was an interesting perspective that I wanted to share.
I was contemplating it again this morning, and it’s quite deep for me, from how I was living my life before and what I’m doing now. Mohanji said, “What right do people really have to complain if they’re not doing anything for the Earth; if they’re just consuming, eating, drinking, leaving their waste, and also disturbing the habitat for many other people?”
He used the example of a nature area close to here. People wanted to build a home, and when they started digging, they realised it was actually a sanctuary for snakes; there were hundreds of snakes living there. He said that mothers with children and fathers also killed them all, completely destroyed them, and built houses. After this, they encountered many types of problems in life, with health, with cancer, all this type of thing.
So, the question that he asked is: “What are you doing for Earth? Why should Earth support you?” In that way, he was speaking that many people come to a Guru like to a plumber; when there’s a problem, when there are some leaky pipes, when there’s a flood or something else that’s gone wrong, they’re expecting a quick fix.
As people might have their own situations and problems, he was just asking the question openly: “In the past ten years, what have you done to give food to hungry people? In the past ten years, what have you done to be kind? What has been your contribution? What are you doing for the Earth?”
For me, the intensity really stuck. Mohanji emphasised how many people are looking for grace and blessings, but how will the light come in if their windows and doors aren’t open? I think that this is why he sets things quite simple for us, especially with the Act4Hunger platform, where people can serve all four types of beings on Earth. The four categories of beings correspond to four elements of the body as well: beings of the air – birds; beings of the land – all the animals of the Earth; beings of the water – fishes, tortoises; and human beings as well: the sick, the elderly, women, children.
All these platforms are there for people to be able to give something to the world. So, the question, “What are you doing for Earth?” really stuck with me. And that’s what I wanted to share today in this message.
Also, just to give you an overview of how it concluded yesterday. There was a ceremony proceeding, and Mohanji came and gave the final offerings of the day. Then in the evening, we went back to the temple. I didn’t expect this and thought it would be a quick visit. But then the small Sai Baba idol was taken out, and it was put in procession around the temple grounds. It was a festive atmosphere with big drums, music, and chanting. Once all that had concluded, Sulakhe Maharaj came back with Mohanji to Amma and Achan’s house. Every year they do this; he does a Pooja and Aarti here in the small pooja room to conclude the day.
I hope you have a great day ahead and will speak to you very soon.
Day 78 Lesson – Awareness is precious
Good morning, everybody. I hope you’re doing very well.
Yesterday we left Palakkad after a stay there for the Sai Baba temple consecration celebrations. After Mohanji had breakfast with Sulakhe Maharaj, the chief priest of Shirdi, we travelled to a location not far away, where we’d stayed before. It’s a really beautiful place out in nature, and we came for an interview with the Altruistic Association of India. They wanted to speak to Mohanji about his life, his journey, what brought him to the path of service to the world, etc. They also spoke about education and its relevance in the world today and about relationships.
Mohanji has spoken about these topics before on this trip as well. And although most of the time Malayalam is spoken here, one or two words, thankfully, will be in English. So, it’s like you get a little clue of what the conversation is about, and you can generally pick up the thread because of most of the topics I’ve heard Mohanji speak about before.
I’m beginning to appreciate much more how precious the awareness that Mohanji is giving to the world is and that I’m picking it up from being with him. Because, although I hear about these topics repeatedly, I understand them, and I can agree with them, it takes some time for me to digest and truly understand them fully.
The learning for me is that what’s been provided if properly understood, is really precious. It’s much more precious than anything I could ask for materially or generally within my life. Yesterday, the areas of education and relationships were used as examples. Rising with a new awareness has given me clarity in my own life; how I can position myself in relation to these topics and reflect on how I was caught up in the societal frames of education and relationships. That caused a lot of trouble for me personally, meaning the usual dramas were playing out time and time again.
So it’s now bringing the freedom of choice, to be able to recognise and have that awareness that those societal frames exist. And we don’t have to fit into them if we don’t want to.
Mohanji speaks about this often. He loves original people, legends, and trendsetters because they dare to be unique. That’s one of the key things he wants to bring for everybody. Each of us has our retina or thumbprint. We’re all unique creations, but how many people live it?
When we talk about the education system, it’s generally just putting people into a structure, the society deciding how people should be—creating another brick in the wall.
Mohanji spoke about relationships a few times, too. He says marriage can be a beautiful thing. If the relationship is for a higher purpose, or if there’s something common that two people have if they’re independent and with their own freedom remaining, and if they’re working towards something with a higher purpose. That brings longevity to a relationship.
However, what you can generally see in this society, is that people come into relationships out of insecurity or an infatuation. And then what gets loaded into that dynamic is a whole load of ownership, of me and mine, and that can cause further complications.
What generally happens then is that people come into something, and then maybe a child is brought into the family, and then the relationship or marriage is all about staying together for the sake of upholding a job, a house, for the sake of a family. So, although people may be physically together, they are already mentally and emotionally separated.
I was reflecting on this as well, and, in some of my previous relationships, that’s why they started. So, using education and relationships as examples, I immensely appreciate the awareness that Mohanji is bringing for us through his teachings and the general work he does in the world.
That awareness itself enables settling with extra clarity and stability. It’s the recognition that there’s the freedom to truly live life, an existence as Christopher Greenwood, and explore it without the worry of the societal standards and frames.
That was my lesson, which I was thinking about this morning. Maybe it’s a good contemplation prompt for everybody here as well: what has shifted in your awareness since meeting Mohanji, and how awesome and precious it is for you?
I hope you have a great day ahead and will speak to you soon.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 21st November 2021
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