By Kalpana Mewara, USA
Upon landing in Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela, the travel team informed me that Vasu and Mihir were waiting outside the terminal. We would travel together to Mohanji village. Mihir, a vibrant bundle of joy, surprisingly remembered me from our time together at the MCB in Virginia. While waiting for our transport, we were told that a few more people would be joining us for the ride. Eventually, we packed into the vehicle and began our journey. Stories of others who had taken hours to reach their camps—or had to walk long distances with their luggage—didn’t faze me. At a few checkpoints, we were stopped, but humility, persistence, and the guidance of Mohanji carried us through.
At the final barrier, the driver warned us that the security was tight, and most people were asked to walk from that point. Immediately, the Mohanji Gayatri mantra came to mind, and we all began chanting. I rolled down the window, hands folded, my expression weary, Mihir clearly fatigued from his long international flight. Our honest plea must have touched something because we were allowed through. Thank you, Mohanji.
At the entrance of the village was Sai Baba’s temple. He was welcoming each one of us with love and warmth. To the left were the homa area and Mohanji’s cottage; to the right, the canteen and the vegan café. Cottages and tents were spread across the area. A warm, fuzzy feeling spiraled down my spine. The mornings in Mohanji Village unfolded like a sacred ritual: Baba’s aarati at dawn, the crackling of the homa’s fire, and yoga with Devi before breakfast. As the village stirred to life, many braved the 5 am chill of the sacred river. Though I joined the mid-morning dip, the icy water sent a sharp shock through me. At that moment—shivering, breath catching—I thought, “How did I come to be here?” And the answer emerged clear and unwavering: Guru’s grace.
Throughout my stay, I felt a curious internal stillness. Outwardly, I engaged in every ceremony and even led an introductory Empowered session for newcomers; inwardly, I watched myself as if from a distance. I was there—yet apart. Each evening, I awaited Mohanji’s satsang with eager anticipation. On February 22nd, the entire village joined Mohanji and Deviji for a collective dip. When Mohanji gently poured water over my head, I sensed the blessing but witnessed it as an observer, deeply touched.
Mohanji’s birthday brought laughter and song, a celebration of his life and teachings. He reminded us that this is the Path of Fire: a continuous purification through surrender, a burning away of ego to remain anchored in Supreme Consciousness. His words echoed: to stay connected to a living Master is to be shielded by his energy; nothing else can disturb that field.
As I moved through each aarati, homa, and river dip, I realized these acts were not merely rituals but profound invitations to surrender—to let go of control, to immerse in grace, and to witness my own journey without attachment. The cold river became both a symbol and a tool of purification, washing away habitual resistance. By the end of my time at Mohanji Village, the sense of internal numbness had softened. I returned to ordinary life bearing the memory of a still, observing mind and the confidence that comes from grace. Though the waters were cold, the transformation was warm and abiding—an imprint of the Master’s love burning brightly within me.
Kailash within – My journey with Mohanji
I once shared with Mohanji my desire to travel to Kailash in 2026. Due to my back condition, trekking isn’t an option, and Mohanji had mentioned that he would only go as far as Kathmandu. But to me, Mohanji is Kailash, and Mohanji is Parabrahma; he is the Source for me. When he visited the MCB in Virginia last year, I asked if I could walk around him three times instead. He said yes, and I felt a deep peace. Again, at the Kumbh Mela, I was moved to ask him the same, and he graciously allowed it. After completing the three rounds, I knelt at his feet. When I looked up, I saw Shiva—pure stillness. I couldn’t walk properly for days, but inside, I was quiet and fulfilled.
Mohanji has given me everything. My faith in him has been unwavering from the beginning. The moment I met him, I felt I was home—no more searching, nowhere else to go. His presence in my life is a pure blessing and grace in abundance. But life tested me after I returned to the U.S. My ego, intellect, and integrity were repeatedly challenged. I was literally enduring a trial through fire. Though I didn’t react outwardly, I struggled until I surrendered to Mohanji. In silence, I began to understand. The circumambulation of Kailash (Mohanji), the dips in the holy river, the homas, and his divine energy brought about a deep release. But patterns remained. I still clung to attachments, even while praying for liberation.
Was I becoming complacent? Taking grace for granted? That’s when I realized why the fire. Mohanji always reminds us that a Guru does not walk the path for us. He holds the light, but we must walk. Our patterns are ours to overcome. Mohanji, tirelessly and selflessly, continues to guide us—through teachings, platforms, seva, and the Empowered series—to become Masters ourselves. His love is fierce and transformative, pushing us out of comfort and into growth. The “trial by fire” shattered the victimhood I’d unknowingly embraced. It was a soul nudge—to surrender fully, drop resistance, and dissolve the ego. Deep down, I was beginning to feel that I no longer fit in here, though my love for nature and other beings was growing deeper. My time spent alone in contemplation was my time to listen and be in dialogue with my own soul. Perhaps I was waiting for something.
Split the mind
Then came the Beyond Empowered – Split the Mind session. It was profound. Nothing more to discuss, nothing to ask for. Mohanji’s love flowed through those three days, piercing the illusion of separation. Only Supreme Consciousness, Parabrahma, can provide this. I experienced a silence I had never known. Life continued outwardly the same, but I was slowly becoming the observer. Just perceive and contemplate; it is not meditation, as Mohanji said. Perceiving energy as part of each element individually is not something the mind allows easily. Yet, I felt it—gently, unmistakably—as I transitioned from one element to the next. There was a natural cohesiveness in the flow, an intelligence in motion that brought me into a space of profound stillness and balance.
Mohanji’s words echoed clearly within me: “You are just an energy body.” These words carry a silent power. They help the mind step aside from its habitual attachments to form and identity, loosening the grip of perceived separation. Though I sometimes falter—especially in the realm of relationships and attachments—the awareness of detachment, even in fleeting moments, is enough to draw me back. The taste of inner freedom has become a compass. Mohanji’s quiet guidance of looking back at where you were when you started and seeing how far you have come reminds me to keep going, to stay aligned.
What Mohanji gave was a priceless gift. Many of us experienced shifts that transcended language. Some spoke of beauty, others of insight and experience. For me, it brought deep calm and unwavering clarity. There came a moment in the practice when I felt everything inside my physical form placed outside of it. In that stillness, the emptiness within the shell—the body—mirrored the silence awakening inside me. It wasn’t emptiness as lack but emptiness as presence. A sacred space beyond noise.
Except for a day or two, I’ve remained consistent in practice. And I see now how many things that once felt urgent or significant are quietly losing their importance. This shedding has helped me turn inward to observe and release old patterns that are ready to dissolve. In this evolving stillness, my growing emptiness has become companionship. Silence is beginning to feel like home. Don’t feed into what I don’t need by taking the mind there; it is my greatest lesson. I chose to write and share my experience as a living reminder of what Mohanji always says:
“Remember, human birth is the only birth through which one can attain the highest consciousness. This birth is very important, and this life is very important. If you focus on what you want to achieve, your purpose should be very clear.”
Time is our greatest investment—one that we must spend wisely and with awareness. Above all, being in the presence of a living Master carries a profound purpose. In my struggles with the push and pull of terrestrial life, when I feel caught in the webs of duality and a lack of clarity, I hold onto Mohanji’s words: “One who has come to you will guide you.” This isn’t just comfort; it’s truth. Mohanji, with every word, every silence, every action, continues to guide us. His grace shows up in ways that transcend the intellect—in teachings, in seva, in art, in techniques, in the sacred healing space of Mai-Tri, and in the lived example of unconditional love and equanimity.
Let us then invest our time purposefully, dedicating ourselves to embodying the very essence of what the Guru offers. There is no time to waste. I know I will stumble. I may falter and fall through the cracks of my own patterns and distractions. But I trust that awareness and the grace of the Guru will always guide me back. Just as Mohanji says: “When Guru, the shining guide, creates that space for us to step in, there is a purpose. It is to bring forth the Guru aspect in us.”
To my beloved Mohanji and to the sacred Guru Parampara, I offer my deepest gratitude. Your grace overflows in every step I take, and your guidance lights every shadowed path.
I love you, Mohanji.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 12th June 2025
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