Lessons living with Mohanji – Days 195 & 196

Posted on by Mohanji Editorial Team

by Christopher Greenwood

Day 195 – Melting of Layers

The other day Mohanji was speaking in satsang at the program in Serbia named “The Truth Called You,”- that being our innermost essence, beyond all our identifications of personality, beyond the mind, habits, patterns, fears or phobias, all these types of things. What is the innermost essence with which we can connect? 

He shared a great metaphor, which had me thinking this morning, and this was about the connection that people have with Mohanji. When you come into connection with him, transformation automatically begins to happen. I’ve mentioned in some previous recordings that a Master is an external projection that points you back to your inner guru, which is your innermost reality. That’s what you’re coming into connection with. As Mohanji explained this, I reflected on the previous year I spent with him and connected with him before that. 

He described that coming closer to him is like a candle coming closer to fire. So, if you imagine a candle, it will slowly begin to melt as you bring it closer to the heat. Like that, the layers of wax, the coatings of wax melt. Similarly, for ourselves, our layers and our coatings begin to dissolve in that connection. Those layers are being removed! That’s the shedding of our patterns or habits or even desires.

In retrospect, before meeting Mohanji, I had typical Western habits like eating meat, drinking, etc. Although I was eating less red meat then, soon after meeting him, I realized that these began to drop off. It seems like that connection was something that didn’t allow that anymore, or it wasn’t necessary. So, they left. Not that it became pressure, they just dropped off.

As I’ve spent more time with him, with that proximity or that connection increasing, these things have become more intense and subtle. Rather than some outward habits, hidden insecurities start to surface, fear of what other people may think, fear of society, and these types of things. These are typical things most people have, and then other things like emotions, such as anger and maybe some jealousy; these layers start to melt away. 

I’ve also witnessed this with others who connect more closely with him. The candle metaphor mentioned earlier does not necessarily imply physical proximity. It’s instead the intensity of the connection. So, although people might not be physically around him, the intensity increases when that connection increases and this shedding of the coatings of layers happens in people’s lives. For me, this helped crystallize experiences that occurred previously and over the past year.

Day 196 – When we compromise, we are weak, and when we complement, we are strong

“When we compromise, we are weak, and when we complement, we are strong”; this was something that Mohanji said yesterday. The quote caught my attention and stuck with me. Often when I look back at the person I was, I understand the lessons and transformations that have taken place. 

Yesterday was the last day of the Serbian retreat “The Truth Called You”. It has been fantastic. Mohanji remarked on the high level of receptivity and level of understanding of the participants, which meant that most of his satsang was liberation orientated. People had a strong desire to know, to have more profound realizations. 

Mohanji asked some good questions. One of them prompted writing and recording this daily message. It was, “How much time do we spend on someone who doesn’t care or love us, and because of that, how much do we compromise ourselves?” It was a good question. I was thinking about this as he spoke. As I peered into my past, I realized that I was often trying to bend, adjust, and do cartwheels; all sorts of tactics to make some people love and accept me. In that process, I would bend myself completely out of shape and become unnatural, not in alignment with who I was or what I wanted to be doing. 

I know now that it doesn’t work when we try to be something else. So, a clear message is that we become weak when compromising. It’s beginning to dawn that being my authentic self is my true strength. And chasing after others or compromising my own life makes me weak and unstable, with higher insecurities and complexes. I truly understand that my authenticity is my strength, 

On the other hand, complementing each other has brought strength. Accepting myself and allowing others to be themselves entirely, gave all stability. In Mohanji’s talk, he said that what naturally follows is our commitment and responsibility towards those who love and care for us.

If people don’t like us, it’s no problem. We must live our own life, who we are, our truth, and our frequency because that’s the best we can give. He stressed that we must remember to be ourselves and connect to ourselves. It’s been my experience that as I’ve changed naturally, my relationships have had to adjust too. As my journey unfolded, my relationships with family and friends had to adapt somehow. It was a difficult time. 

It’s crucial to have that stability and security inside so that you’re still stable no matter what happens outside. No storms can bother you, and it’s possible to sail regardless. It’s the idea of not compromising too much. People will love you or hate you, but you can always be okay, stable and content with yourself. So that was my reflection and lesson from the satsang yesterday.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 5th February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Experiences of Empowered 5 – Part 3

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

By Linda Abrol, Netherlands

In the final part of this testimonial, Linda shares some of her beautiful experiences with Mohanji in India after the Empowered programme.

The moment I got home from Serbia at the end of October 2022, my existing problems worsened. It was as if the Kailash challenge had come home with me. And not unsolicited or unwanted. It was welcome but also extremely painful. 

Energy prices were skyrocketing, and our popular vegetarian Indian restaurant, where energy is used in abundance for the tandoor oven, the big gas stove, and all the refrigerators and freezers, the dishwashers, the grease filtering system and lighting, was quickly heading toward bankruptcy. 

My husband’s depression worsened together with our marital problems. And that to an unbearable point where my husband and I began to discuss divorce seriously. Since I didn’t have a job, ageing and osteoarthritis made the chance of finding a job difficult – living on my own seemed virtually impossible. Not wanting to depend on others, I faced the worst-case scenario of becoming homeless.

I simply witnessed the possibility and was amazed at how balanced and empowered I felt beneath the emotions and mind games. I kept my back straight and continued to practice my focus on alignment by concentrating on Guru Consciousness, self-acceptance, Kriya, inner silence and, in extreme situations, Pause Technique. 

The same issue I faced during the days of the Empowered retreat in Serbia surfaced again and again – misunderstanding – but with more intensity. To the extent that I thought that no one really understood my pure intentions. Many loved ones seemed to look at me through a veil of their convictions, colours, ideas, and opinions and judged me for almost every decision I made with a pure heart.

My decisions seemed totally egoistic in the eyes of nearly all my dear ones, and their judgment seemed final. I felt extreme loneliness. Kailash and Empowered 5 energies seemed to intensify my challenges. Shiva takes everything and leaves you empty, but only with your permission. It is like buying a ticket for a rollercoaster ride and yet being surprised by its ferocity.

Fortunately, I didn’t resist even the deepest feeling of desperation and fear of the unknown and stayed considerably stable. Both Kailash and Empowered didn’t only trigger the trials. They gave the ‘medicines’ as well in the form of a deep underlying peace, acceptance and a feeling of absolute safety, no matter what happened.

In the midst of all personal trouble and trauma, I bought my ticket for India to attend Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s birthday celebration, which was being conducted yearly on the 23rd of November 2022 in Sri Soma Sai Skanda Ashram in Nidugatha, Maddur taluk, near Bangalore. This was the first time the celebrations were held without the presence of Swami Gopal Baba, who took samadhi in 2020.

After his samadhi, covid prevented any celebration in the ashram. While still in the body, he had asked all of us devotees to keep attending the celebrations even after his samadhi. I couldn’t disappoint my Guru, and although our financial situation seemed to be under immense pressure, I completely trusted that the universe (the Tradition) would take care.

But the deciding factor to go was the chance that Mohanji would attend the celebrations. A few months ago, I woke up with a strong feeling: how wonderful would it be to celebrate our beloved Sathya Sai Baba’s birthday in Swami Gopal Baba’s ashram in Mohanji’s divine presence? 

Experience has taught me that those ‘satwic desires’ tended to come true. I called my friend Sita and told her of my vision. She said that her husband Nico had a dream in which he saw Mohanji in ‘Kalyanpur’s room’. Kalyanpur was a businessman who donated the money for many constructions in the ashram. He had an apartment in the ashram where he would stay when construction work was going on. This sounded wonderful to me. We decided that B. was the best person to invite Mohanji to the ashram personally, and Sita asked him if he was prepared to do that. He loved the idea and said he would consider it.

We took that as a ‘yes’ and assumed that Mohanji was officially invited. Every time I thought of my coming journey to the ashram, I felt the joy of Mohanji being there. Both Sita and I sent an unofficial WhatsApp message to Chris Greenwood, Mohanji’s EA, and I mentioned in a message to Preeti Duggal – still assuming that Mohanji was already invited – our sincere prayer that he would be willing to be present at the coming celebrations in Sri Soma Sai Skanda Ashram.

Mohanji was in Delhi and appeared to have extended his stay there beyond the expected arrival time in the Sri Soma Sai Skanda Ashram. He was North, and we were South. Somehow, I knew he would change his mind. There was no fear, doubt, or desire, simply a happy anticipation. And a prayer that all Swami’s disciples would feel Gopal Baba’s love through him.

Always when a great Master takes samadhi, and there is no appointed successor, a situation arises where there may be confusion about future plans, convictions, positions and opinions, mixed with intense feelings of mourning about the Master. As far as I could see, despite this turbulent time, Swami’s boys and sevadals did an amazing job of upholding the Guru’s will and maintaining the ashram according to his liking. They never missed performing a ritual that Swami Gopal Baba would have done, even if no attendee or visitor showed up.

A few days before the birthday celebrations, my travel companion, Yvonne, and I visited Mohanji’s ashram in Bangalore to join in the noon aarathi and to embrace Amma and Acchan, Mohanji’s parents. Rajesh Kamath was home and told us that Mohanji had changed his plan and cut his visit to Delhi short to come to the ashram in Nidugatha. I was over the moon with joy, as you can imagine.

On the 23rd of November, I heard Mohanji’s voice inside me: ‘… therefore, I was sent (from Delhi) to the South to look after my children.’ I experienced it as a confirmation of my prayer that Gopal Baba would bring clarity and happiness in the form of Mohanji. Swami Sri Gopal Baba was the embodiment of the divine Mother and – although occupying a male body – would call us her children. Now it was absolutely clear to me that she had come on this auspicious day to look after her children in my beloved Mohanji’s form. 

When Mohanji actually arrived, and I got the chance to express a few words of gratitude, he simply said: ‘I had to come!’ What a blessing it was, and what a confirmation! Mohanji was received by Swami’s disciples with all regards, was invited to the sanctum sanctorum of the main (Kamakshi) temple, had lunch in Kalyanpur’s apartment, just like Nico’s dream had already predicted a year earlier, visited Swami’s house, walked hand in hand with the main trustee of the ashram, inaugurated the newly built dispensary and made each and every disciple happy by his unconditional love.

Beautiful pictures of this joyful occasion can be found on Mohanji’s official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MohanjiOfficial/posts/pfbid028ApVHoTyYQ5bYromd7Fn8mm3rHXtSYZHJaogaub8h2PCwwJuSd82P4WiEPWbD4awl

After the celebrations, the real mystery evolved. Who had officially invited Mohanji? It appeared that our assumption B. would do it had not come true. B. had not been able to invite Mohanji for some understandable reasons that he explained to us later. But he told us that Dinesh – one of Swami Gopal Baba’s devotees from Delhi, who happened to have walked the Outer Kora with Mohanji – had invited him during his recent stay in Delhi.

My Sherlock Homes instinct woke up. I sent a message to Dinesh. He answered: ‘No, I didn’t invite Mohanji. I only mentioned the celebrations to him. Mohanji then told me that He had heard about the celebrations from Preeti Duggal and a few others, and He ‘impulsively’ decided to attend them while talking to me.’ I was stunned to hear this.

Then who invited Mohanji officially? How did The Mother come to her children? Was it simply the innocent and sincere prayer of two of her children and a dream of a third that invited her all the way South? Dinesh and Sita said: ‘It was the Tradition that invited Mohanji.’ My inner voice had already confirmed that statement. Which mother needs an official invitation to come to her children? The mother is simply drawn towards her children when they need her. She knows every need, even before her child cries. 

Miracles do happen, but it is not a good thing to assume things without checking facts and turning them into a miracle. Therefore I didn’t end my search here. I asked the managing trustee of the Sri Soma Sai Skanda ashram, and the missing part of the mystery got solved.

After hearing from Dinesh about Mohanji’s change of plans and his intention to visit the Sri Soma Skanda Ashram, they officially invited him for lunch and the inauguration ceremony of the dispensary, despite the intern rule of the Trust to not invite any spiritual Gurus or Masters to the ashram during major functions like Swamy aradhana, and Sathya Sai birthday. The reason was understandable and simple. They all would be busy with function activities and probably would not be able to receive their official and holy guests with proper rituals. 

So, the actual miracle was that for Mohanji, the Trust members made an exception to their own rule. A miracle was that Mohanji came spontaneously, despite having other plans in Delhi. That it so happened that he had another function in Bangalore on the same day and could combine them conveniently.

Nico’s dream was part of the miracle, and our prayers that came true were part of the miracle. Our hearts being filled to the brim with love and joy was part of the miracle. Kannaiah’s presence and his being able to officially welcome Mohanji and attend to all his needs while Swami’s Indian disciples were busy with the function was part of the miracle.

Seeing Mohanji humbly bowing down in sincere respect to our Guru’s picture in his house, despite his own immeasurable spiritual status, was part of the miracle. Mohanji’s remark during our goodbye was that we were welcome in his ashram in Bangalore during the remainder of our stay in India was part of the miracle. 

Sita, Nico, Yvonne and I were blessed to spend three afternoons with Mohanji before we flew home, with many hours of satsang. And with blessings and hugs of dear Amma and Achan, his parents who felt very very close, eating with the family, attending aarathi, watching Mohanji in the set up for a live zoom session, meditating in the guestroom while he was doing some other work.

On the day before our flight, Mohanji served us our meal like a divine Mother. He served every item with his own hands and didn’t forget anybody or anything. Once again, during this journey, he proved that he is not only the embodiment of the Divine Father but the Divine Mother as well! 

These were sheer miracles and completely unexpected. On how we deserved this grace while Mohanji had such an incredibly busy life being involved in activities in 91+ countries, He answered (as I remember): ‘It is not easy to get to me like this. You have been involved with sadhana and with Masters for many years.’ 

We experienced so many blessed miracles on this journey that we had to ask ourselves: are we able to digest all this? As soon as I heard my limited thinking, I recognized the mind talk and directed my mind towards more elevated ways of watching the course of events: being with our Guru involves being open and limitless. There is nothing to digest. Digesting is limited to a person.

Being in divine presence requires simply flowing and experiencing the grace of every living moment. In the best-case scenario, there is only Him. My sincere prayer is: May we all be able to flow in Guru Consciousness, where there is no mine or me. Experience moment by moment. And as soon as we forget, may we wake up to his presence once again.

Experiences of Empowered 5 – Part 2

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 4th February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Consciousness

Posted on by Mohanji Editorial Team

by a Mohanji follower

After experiencing a myriad of wonders and pleasures, there came the point where I was at the lowest ebb of life. All that was held precious until then started collapsing. It dawned that every privilege and experience came with an expiry date. Then a question arose, “What is it? What is the ultimate nature of existence? What is it that lies at the core of everything?” This question pierced in such a way that life seemed to have no value without experientially knowing it.

One night, while sitting on a sofa in a relaxed mood, something took over, and the awareness started travelling inward. So many things ranging from magnificent to ugly began to surface within the mind at an overwhelming pace. So many impressions that did not make logical sense were coming to the awareness and leaving. It was as if something was purging the mind and the intensity of it was unbearable. 

Sometime later, the awareness went beyond the muddle of thoughts and emotions. As a result, the mind appeared like a third person and was unbelievably complex. To give an analogy, the mind appeared to have a million chambers, and each chamber seemed like a world in itself. It also gave the impression that multiple lifetimes could be erased with the awareness trapped just within a few chambers of the mind. 

After this, the awareness reached the energy layer. Here it looked like the entire being was occupied with various energy patterns. These energy patterns seemed to be the repository of information. These patterns were actively moving and dispensing the information to the body and mind, making them work in a particular way. At this point, it was also visible how a meeting of two beings/entities results in their energy patterns getting mixed, merging and growing in complexity.

Sometime later, the awareness penetrated even deeper. Here it was pure, dynamic energy, which was formless and flowed like electricity. It was moving effortlessly and activating all the energy patterns present within the being. It came across as the root energy whose graceful dance within an individual keeps them alive and functioning. 

For some time, only this dynamic energy remained in the awareness and nothing else. A little later, the awareness advanced further and touched the source of this dynamic energy. The source appeared to be just Nothingness. The moment the awareness came in touch with that Nothingness, it occurred that this is my true self (it is like a self-revelation, not that you think and say, this is me). I was screaming in awe, that’s it? That’s it! This Nothingness appeared to exist at the core of everything. 

We commonly refer to this as Consciousness, as it is conscious of everything. At that very moment, the awareness grasped the fact that an individual is never born, never dies, but always remains in its essence as the eternal Consciousness. This is why all the Masters say, “You are Consciousness,” “You are what you are looking for!” or simply put, “You are that!” 

Consciousness looked absolutely still, with no movement whatsoever. In the lap of that absolute stillness, there was no experience of time but that of just timelessness and being one with everyone and everything around. Only at the surface (physical level) was there an experience of separation, but at the core, there was only union. There was no such thing as multiple Gurus, Guru-disciple, good or bad, and superior-inferior; in other words, all duality disappeared at the level of Consciousness. We are, in our truest essence, that Consciousness; in reality, we are all one.  

Consciousness was like an all-pervading canvas that projected many forms and bodies which interacted with one another. Although it is the source, it appeared non-interfering, still, and as a witness to the entire creation. This glimpse of Consciousness gave me an opportunity, and a peek into the process of creation. 

To briefly summarize what was observed, pure dynamic energy emerged out of Nothingness/Consciousness. Then it took various geometric shapes and patterns, repeatedly forming to a certain point where it became multiple concentrated energy patterns. It was indicative that these concentrated patterns transformed into the physical matter over time. When the dynamic energy flowed through the newly formed physical matter, it activated it, and a new life was born. Thus, the overall impression was that all the physical creation we see emerges from that Consciousness and dissolves back into it.  

After tasting Consciousness, the awareness returned to its previous state in the early hours of the next morning. A few hours later, the following was posted as Mohanji’s quote of that day. 

In retrospect, it was quite apparent how much love and work goes behind a transformation of a person when he/she connects to a Master (one with Consciousness). Mohanji’s work resulted in my awareness hurling inward, peeling layer after layer of creation until it touched the very source, the Creator. This is the inner Master, or the true self, that lies in all of us. Once a person finds it, his/her search comes to fruition. Many questions a seeker encounters on the path simply crumble or cease to exist.

A seeker, at some point in their life, might experience a feeling of stagnation. The mind can give a false impression of no progress, or worse, it can make one believe there is no such thing as Consciousness and that we have been chasing some mirage all along. 

This brief experience of Consciousness uprooted all such doubts and uncertainties and led me to walk the path with absolute conviction. The reality is that every seeker is moving towards Consciousness, a state of unfathomable freedom. This should be a reassurance to all of us walking on the path. A Master who has already attained Consciousness is working out every possible way to move the seeker toward Consciousness. We should just hang on to the Master with immense gratitude for carrying us. 

I want to thank Mohanji and all the other great Masters and evolved beings who have given themselves, held my hand and led me to experience the all-pervading Consciousness. Truly grateful to all of them. 

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 2nd February 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Lessons living with Mohanji – Days 193 and 194

Posted on by Mohanji Editorial Team

by Christopher Greenwood

Day 193 – Learning to Forget

Today, I wanted to talk about one of the simplest lessons, yet one that can also be the hardest; at least, that’s what I found in my experience. This is simply letting go and forgetting any wrongs, injustices, hurts, and all the bad things that people may have done to me throughout my lifetime, the most hurtful or unpleasant experiences in life.

Like many, I’ve experienced them, and although I’ve never really been someone to hold on to a grudge or go to any extremes to seek revenge, those memories would stay, and they would be quite painful. The specifics of those aren’t important, but they mainly involved relationships, family, work, or something unpleasant that had happened to me. But after being with Mohanji and learning from him, and observing him, my perspective on forgiveness has completely changed.

Now, I have more appreciation for the power of forgetting. Once I began to forget these events, “Okay, I recognise that this happened; this was the situation…” it brought the awareness that I’ll never truly know why that event occurred. I’d have my perspective, I’d have my view, based on my experience, but I would never understand the full picture, the full past of what brought that event to life, but there was no need to carry it either; completely letting go meant that I felt light inside.

There are some great meditations and processes now that are available for this, which really helped that cleansing inside, the inner cleansing, The Power of Purity being one, and the specific forgiveness process is available too.

Also, what is interesting is that I’ve heard Mohanji say that forgiveness itself can actually be a subtle mind game. Almost a subtle play of the ego because who are we to actually forgive? We make statements like, “Okay, I forgive this person; it’s okay. I’m happy now; I’ve forgiven them, I held on this long, but now I forgive.” But really, what’s happening in that situation is that nothing has changed the event that took place, but you’ve created some sort of satisfaction because you’ve come to a point where you are saying, “I am now forgiving,” which has an element of the ego and ownership of the situation. But forgetting generally, Mohanji said, is very important because as we move through life, we can collect and hold on to too many events, emotions, and situations, and these can really bog us down.

He says, in quite a funny way, that we often then become walking trash cans, or we carry so much junk from these events and simply live as a hangover of the past, not knowing what burden we’re carrying. So, simply forgetting has a lot of power. Now, during a recent satsaṅg, somebody asked a very good question; I think in their culture, their language, there’s a phrase, I can’t remember it now, but they actually emphasise the importance of “Don’t forget: A bad situation happens to you, but never forget it”.

We clarified that this has some value or merit in it. It’s not that you’re not forgetting what that person has done or what the event was or what the situation was, and holding on to it. It’s more that you don’t forget the lesson that you need to learn from that. You take the lesson, and you remember that, but you detach from the situation itself.

So, those were some short words on the lesson of forgetting.

Day 194 – Increase Self-dependence

Today, I share a lesson on increasing dependability on ourselves. When you look at what Mohanji has established in the world, he is incredibly impressive, especially when you consider the circumstances that he has had to go through in life, such as the loss of his daughter, being betrayed in business, developing illnesses; essentially, he was reduced to nothing, he had to start again from fresh.

If you look at all the platforms that he has created, these are powerful platforms, a collection of organisations that are serving the world in many diverse ways. Many people have helped him over the years, and he really, truly appreciates everybody’s contribution and what everybody gives to the organisation. But what I see is that it has been his strong willpower and determination that have given life and energy to all of these activities.

When you observe him, you realise that he’s not afraid at all to walk alone because he has done that before and he would happily do it again. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy the support and the teamwork; he will regularly say, “If we’re going to do something, let’s do it together, let’s walk together. At the same time, if you feel it’s not for you, then no problem, but I’m still walking”. That’s the attitude he has, which means that whilst he appreciates everybody, gives respect to everybody, and gives opportunities to everybody, he’s not dependent on anyone.

That’s a very powerful way to live life. It’s a fierce way to live life, and over time, I’ve been learning this on various levels. In the past, I would be reliant on or have a subtle need for approval or validation for happiness. For example, I’d like to know that I’ve done something well or be recognised or for someone to comment on my work, which I think is natural for most people. But now, living with Mohanji, it’s like living with a mirror, which is showing you all the aspects of myself that I would tend to ignore, or I would tend to push away.

It is not comfortable to confront them. Generally, the action and the behaviours will do everything to highlight those, so you can push through them; it’s not nice. This was one of the subtle dependencies that I realised I had, which was a need for approval or recognition. How did I know that I had that dependency? When I would feel affected if it didn’t come, and with Mohanji, it rarely, if ever, comes, especially for me, and especially if there’s an expectation. If I believe I’ve done something well, and I think there’ll be praise, it won’t come. So, a good job or work completed would often be met with just one word from Mohanji: “Good,” followed by: “Okay, this is what we need to do next.” It’s always on to the next steps.

Another dependency, which has been a really big lesson, is trying to complete the work in the office because it’s great to work together as a team. I really enjoy achieving something as a team. But in the office, it can be a very challenging situation because timelines are very, very, very tight, and the pace is quick, which means the work is dynamic. There’s a pace that has to be achieved, and sometimes, it’s not possible to rely on or be dependent on others to work at that type of speed or have that kind of flexibility. If someone can do it, great, but what we do, and what I’ve learned, is that we should try not to have a dependency on someone. If something’s not happening, then okay, no problem, that’s fine, we’ll find another way, or we’ll find another option or outsource the work. That even applies to my activity; when Mohanji has given me tasks, and if he sees that I can’t do something, it will go to somebody else.

There’s no dependency anywhere, and I include myself in that. The lesson from this is that I find great stability, which comes from an increased self-dependency or self-reliance because it forces a connection to the potential within, and the realisation that there’s always a solution to every situation, and we have the capacity inside and we can expand that capacity too. That’s what’s happening now; I’m exploring and deepening the potential for what is possible, and that is actually fun to explore as well: looking at what I can handle myself.

Not that life has become a solo endeavour, but it has become much smoother and much more free and enjoyable, as the happiness and the corresponding successes are also coming and being developed within. Some of the dependencies that people could think about as well are dependencies on places, materials, and even events.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 29th January 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Experiences of Empowered 5 – Part 2

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

By Linda Abrol, Netherlands

In part 2 of this testimonial, Linda shares her wonderful experiences during the Empowered 5 program and her journey afterwards.

For me, the absolute highlight of the event was the following experience which I am so happy to share. In the week before the event, I started the translation of the book Kailash with Mohanji, The Inner Kora. On the evening of the third day, I suddenly felt inspired – and this came from an intense, deep longing from somewhere inside – to write a small note for Mohanji and place it between the cover and the title page of the book. 

Having had the opportunity to dive into the vastness and stillness of the Himalayas by translating the Miraculous Days by Rajesh Kamath, a longing to experience the life-changing pilgrimage had occurred. I wanted to honour the authenticity of the experiences described, and what would support that purpose better than becoming an experienced expert? Since it was likely that I would never be able to make the pilgrimage in this life because of a life-threatening blood disease, I asked in my note if Mohanji would bless me to walk two circumambulations around him: one for the Outer Kora and one for the Inner Kora experience. For I suddenly felt very deeply and clearly that He represented both. 

Waves of emotions arose from inside of me at the very thought of it. I received his short and sweet answer the next day. He wrote underneath my request: Definitely Linda, Mohanji. I was thrilled and anticipated the feeling of making the rounds and feeling so much freedom, but I had no clue how and when this would happen. 

Day 4 arrived. This time, I joined the line of people waiting for a word or a blessing from Mohanji or for a personal question. My heart was pounding with the beats of a sledgehammer when I thought of the question I had already asked in the letter. I literally thought for a moment that I would die on the spot. What would people think of this action? It scared me. But I decided that no fear would stop me from doing what my heart clearly dictated. 

The blood condition I was diagnosed with in August, which caused my blood to attack itself, made me vulnerable to a heart attack or a brain infarct. This was not a time to get guided by fears for anybody’s opinion. So I told myself what I learned from my daughter when she was young: be afraid but don’t stop. 

When it was my turn to spend some moments with Mohanji, I touched his feet with all my love. He looked at me with bright eyes and with a big smile he said encouragingly: ‘Linda! You wrote me a letter?!’ ‘Yes, Mohanji,’ I smiled back. ‘Repeat your question,’ he said. ‘You are my Kailash, Mohanji, would you kindly permit me to…,’ before I could even finish my sentence, he said: ‘I will stand up,’ and he positioned himself right in front of the stage on the floor, giving me ample space to walk around him. 

I bowed down at his feet to receive his blessings to finish the journey safely, for I considered it as The Real Thing. And very reverently, I finished the first circumambulation for the Outer Kora and inwardly asked blessings for the Inner Kora round. It was an intense experience, and I thanked him from the bottom of my heart after the last round. I sat down on my chair to meditate, but my teeth started chattering profusely as if I just came from the coldest of places. 

I ordered them to stop and tried to relax to allow it to happen, but it continued with regular spastic movements of the whole body. A clear sign to me that it had not been an ordinary journey. Bodies never lie. Even the next two days, the spastic movements happened but only when Mohanji looked my way or when I felt the Kailash experience. I have no words to describe my gratitude for the immense grace that fell upon me, and I can only thank Mohanji times and again for his consent. 

When the alarm rang on the morning after the five silent days, my body was still tired, and I felt like pulling my blanket over my head and continuing my sleep. I said to Mohanji inside: ‘I would like to catch some more sleep.’ His immediate answer came unexpectedly: ‘Better put your mind to sleep.’ But my mind went off enthusiastically, louder than the alarm clock. Again I heard his voice: ‘Better give your mind a break.’ With this valuable advice, I went back to the world of noise. Absolutely sure that my life will never be the same. 

On the way home from the Empowered 5 retreat in Zlatibor, we were ready to check in at Belgrade Airport, and I suddenly remembered that I had my fanny pack with my passport in my check-in luggage. I searched my entire suitcase, but to my horror, the passport was not in its usual place in the bag. My friends asked if it was still at the reception desk of the Zlatibor hotel. 

In the hustle and bustle of meeting dear acquaintances, I had not noticed that I hadn’t gotten my passport back when I got the room key. At check-out, the receptionist hadn’t mentioned anything. To summarise, I was not allowed to fly and stood like a bunny in the spotlight, trying to control my heart rate with the pause technique. Two conflicting currents ran through my system at the same time. 

The current one was an expectant ‘Just move on to the next most effective step. Everything is ok. Maybe it will even be an exceptional fun detour with a possibility of extra satsang and a nice chill with Mohanji family members.’ Stream two was the fear stream, and it was slowly trying to overrule stream one. It succeeded quite well. A whole arsenal of questions shot through my head in a matter of seconds. Realistic and fearful and mixed. Mohanji would have been fine with the realistic ones. 

Who to call first? How do I reach people if I’m somewhere with no wifi and I’m in a pickle? How does my passport get from Zlatibor to Belgrade? Can I rebook my flight? If not, will I manage to pay for a new ticket with my credit card this time? It didn’t work out the last time when I was in India. What will be the extra costs? When will there be a new flight? Is it dangerous in this country for women alone? Mohanji help! This is very much out of my comfort zone. India is already so familiar, but Serbia is so unfamiliar to me. 

Meanwhile, an empowerment participant, Jesus from Mexico, cast himself as an unexpected guardian angel, and I immediately saw Mohanji’s hand in the play. On the one hand, I was once again faced with the consequences of ‘not being present’, and on the other hand, there was immediate relief in the form of help. My friends spoke words of support. My friend and roommate in Zlatibor, Sylvia, stayed beside me with Jesus until they were assured that the most important questions had been answered through Jesus’ phone calls to the right people. Then he ran from counter to counter for information. 

They kept supporting me until they almost missed their own flight, but when they saw I was fine and under the covers, they ran to catch their own. If this is not divine intervention… That touched me immensely, and I told them so at length afterwards. Mohanji’s intervention did not end there. I found a desk with a friendly ground staffer who arranged a new ticket at a very reasonable price for me with KLM, and payment went smoothly. 

Cecilia, a friend of Jesus from Belgrade and Mohanji Angel number three, picked me up by car and gave me the key to a studio where I could sleep. How cool is that? I didn’t even know her. Only the connection with Mohanji was enough for her to offer her hospitality and full support. Unfortunately, she herself didn’t have time for satsang and had to rush home to manage her urgent affairs. 

I felt seriously lost once I was alone. The energy of the city hung over me like a heavy blanket. Eating alone in a restaurant was not very helpful. I kept trying to connect inwardly and feel what I was feeling. What I felt stayed with a dreary frozen-bunny-in-the-spotlight feeling because I was alone and uncomfortable, but it was what it was. ‘Take a breath and be present’ was my advice to myself. Then came a redeeming app from Tijana, who was on her way by bus from Zlatibor with my passport because she had to travel to Belgrade anyway. Wherever I would be in Belgrade, she would come to me, was her promise. That was Mohanji Angel number 4! 

She appended that just around the corner from my studio happened to be the weekly meditation evening being held that evening at Belgrade’s Mohanji Center. A Mohanji Center is around the corner! In a giant city of over a million people where even regular residents lose their way! And the start time was in half an hour. What a synchronicity! After a curious search (I had been given the wrong address) where, in the spirit of ‘don’t give up before you are defeated’, I had to ring the doorbell of total strangers to tap into Wi-Fi for a while, Finally, I found the Center and was warmly welcomed. 

It was not until the meditation that I discovered a strong inner resistance to my fear of being alone in a strange city. The fear had been obvious during the afternoon, but the resistance to the fear had not, and it was the very one that caused a blockage in my flow. Fear in itself is not a blockage. It is natural. But fear of the fear or resistance to the fear is. It makes you not really allow yourself to feel the fear. With Mohanji’s ‘feel the feeling’ in mind, I was able to feel and embrace the fear and through that softening, it finally gave way to the enjoyment and gratitude that lay underneath. 

Mohanji Angel number 5 – she had a difficult name – gently translated the Serbian spoken information into my ear before and after the meditation. After a lovely Bliss of Silence meditation, we took fun group photos, and someone ran away, only to reappear after a few minutes with bags full of yummy goodies. “Why don’t we make an impromptu Happy Tuesday instead of Happy Wednesday?” he said enthusiastically, establishing himself as Mohanji’s Angel number 6 to materialize the chill-satsang that I had imagined at the airport. 

Everyone was so sweet, and when we started translating ‘I love you’ into two languages, all the remaining Mohanji Belgrade angels laughed very much at the sound of the Dutch word for ‘you’. To them, it sounded like a cat and ‘you’ conveniently became ‘meow meow’. Two days earlier, on the morning of the Diwali celebration, I woke up feeling: Mohanji is the manifestation of the Wish-fulfilling Tree as the Sathya Sai Baba devotees among us know it from Puttaparthi. Thank you, Mohanji! 

My most delicious recipe for manifesting my vision: I imagine what would make me very happy and what is within my purpose. I offer it at the feet of my Guru. I feel joy and gratitude in advance. Then let go of any outcome and stay with a sense of expectant joy, and remain curious as to how the Guru will manifest this or something better. The taste and outcome of this recipe are sheer grace.

After arrival at Schiphol Airport, while driving home with my husband, I received a phone call from the hospital. The result of the latest blood test of my ‘incurable’, ‘untreatable’ and life-threatening autoimmune disorder was negative! I was completely cured. The diagnosis of the illness and my miraculous way towards this result are described in three previous blogs about my treatment in the ayurvedic hospital Vedasudha in Kerala. The only thing that I could do that moment in the car was a loud and extremely joyful: Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Mohanji!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I started editing the above experiences, one month after the retreat, Cecilia came to my mind and my gratitude towards her. I opened WhatsApp, and who was writing to me? Cecilia! Saying: ‘You came to my mind, and I thought of writing you…’ 

I decided to keep the above testimonial with me for a while to experience the post-Empowerment effects and to add them to my testimonial. 

Part 3 to be continued…

Please click on the link below to read part 1 of this testimonial.

https://mohanjichronicles.com/2023/01/21/experiences-of-empowered-5-part-1/

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 28th January 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Mohanji within me

Posted on by Mohanji Editorial Team

by Meghan Rose, USA

During the evening part of my daily sadhana, I face a tapestry of Shirdi Sai Baba and an image of Mohanji. Around the last week of December, when I would do my sadhana, I would look into the tapestry and get the feeling that Baba is myself, and I am Baba. On December 28th, Baba’s presence was with me the entire time I did the sadhana.

The next night, I was in the car driving back from my dad’s, and I got the similar lovely feeling I had the night prior. I parked my car, closed my eyes and took in the beautiful sensation. I began to feel Mohanji inside of me. I had a vision of him sitting inside my body; he was meditating in this blue ball or aura. It disappeared quickly.

I tried so hard not to get my mind involved in this experience. My mind began wondering what if my neighbours saw me sitting in my car, but the feeling was too lovely to leave! At one point, I even tried to turn my neck, and it was like my spine wouldn’t let me. I knew I could move but at the same time…. Could I?

I simultaneously felt that I was in Mohanji while Mohanji was in me. I started to get the sensation that I was Mohanji.

I then felt this sensation on my scalp, like something was about to be pulled away. I wondered if my personality was going to go. I felt that it would be like death; my mind/personality would be gone. Not a death in the sense of me leaving the body. I could feel something in my head physically, almost being removed. My mind presented its concern about what would happen if it was not there, and at the same time, I was begging to continue feeling that connection. I didn’t want the feeling of Mohanji inside me to leave.

I then felt from my heart Mohanji say he would never leave me. It wasn’t an auditory experience. In fact, there was only silence. It was something from inside me that I was able to know. I could also feel the sensation of wanting something to be pulled away from the back of my spine, too, like the sensation of taking off a tight t-shirt. I wanted it to be gone! Get it off me! Please. It may not be time yet.

I couldn’t help but not want to move and continue with my experience. Still, I felt I should go upstairs, as if that was the solution preventing my mind from bothering me about the neighbours seeing me sit in my car with my eyes shut. I came into my room and stood before my photo of Mohanji, then closed my eyes. I could see myself in white clothes and Mohanji also in white clothes; he was standing a little behind me, to the right. We were in bright white light!

If you have met me, you know I am very short. I am only 4 feet 9. But at that moment, I felt BIG, taller, and expanded. Even though I am shorter than Mohanji in height, it felt like we are energetically equal. I felt more of myself; it was different again than how things feel in the waking state when I am distracted by something outside of me. The waking state is so heavy and dense. Things go fast. But in this sensation, there was no sense of time. I noticed it was only my mind keeping track of the time because I still needed to do my daily sadhana!

Before, I couldn’t understand how to look inside and see the Master there. After seeing him sit there in my chest, I understand why he says don’t look for him outside. Since this night, things have been changing inside me. Things have been changing for a long time, but after this night, a series of events kept occurring. After I saw him meditating inside me, I started to feel his presence more and more from within.

The following week, January 5th, I started a new part of my sadhana. I had a candle lit as I did mantra japa. I gazed into the flame and laughed, remembering how Mohanji said he did the same when he meditated. I felt I’m following in the footsteps of my Master. I then got the sensation of a hand on my head. I could feel the fingertips along my scalp. The grip became strong. I closed my eyes and knew it was Mohanji. This love pierced my heart, and I cried. Love was growing in my heart; I also began to do the Power of Purity. My heart has been expanding over days and weeks. I feel a sense of peace and stillness inside, and I feel very connected to all from my heart centre.

As some may have noticed, I also became insanely inspired out of the blue. I started to make videos of Mohanji and his quotes. I did not plan this out prior. I just did it spontaneously. I am falling in love with spontaneity. When I began making the posts each day, more internal changes inside me would take place, and other quotes would appear that matched exactly what I was processing the night before. Some synchronicities have been occurring.

When I have a realization from within, not long after that, I would see Mohanji’s quote posted saying the same thing. So I make a post out of it. For example, I felt very empowered to begin speaking about Mohanji. Talking about Mohanji is something I do almost 24/7 with people who talk to me. But this is the first time I have done it with a social media platform. I felt really good to be showcasing it more online.Talking about Mohanji is talking about my own self, life and heart. We can make our Guru’s message and presence available everywhere without expectations. We can do it out of the sheer love that we have.

Around this time, I saw a quote by him saying, “The easiest thing to do for liberating oneself in this world is to spread the message of our loving Guru while spreading the love with our very existence unconditionally. Your personal wealth has nothing to do with it. If you are afraid to talk about your Guru, who gave you himself, you are a hypocrite. Grace will not enter your doorway. Hypocrisy prevents grace.” That is a big confirmation for me that I will keep going.

I made a video out of that quote I mentioned above, and as I was making it, I asked Mohanji to select the music because I couldn’t decide. Somehow it got picked, and I thought to myself how much better it feels when there is a sense of togetherness, Mohanji making the videos along with me or even through me! Again, I saw a quote not long after that where Mohanji mentioned the joy of togetherness and non-doership.

One night this week, I was asking Dattatreya, Mohanji and the Tradition to protect me, cleanse me, and do something with me! The Tradition is my family, and I wish to be part of it, doing something for the Tradition. Hours later, a Mohanji family member saw my posts and asked me to make some for MyDattatreya platform. I agreed! I made the first video for it and started to feel very connected to Datta, from the heart and not the mind. Actually, the feeling of connectedness I get in my heart about Mohanji and Datta is the same. There’s no difference in the feeling in my heart.

A couple of days later, I was walking home and decided to cross the street, meaning I didn’t use the crosswalk to get to my apartment. A couple of moments before that, I thought about how we shouldn’t be scared of any negative forces as we are protected. I didn’t see any cars, so I took a few steps. What I didn’t notice was the fact that to the left, a car was making a turn towards me. But a parked mail truck was on the way, and I couldn’t see the car coming. I thought the road was clear. The car came right towards me; her car was going towards the sidewalk and not straight into the road. I backed away, and the lady even had to turn her wheel quickly not to hit me.

In the past, when such things happen, I would feel a sense of guilt or worry after that. “How could I have been so stupid?” But this time, things were different. I felt an insane amount of peace and stillness inside my heart. I felt that Mohanji had just saved my life. I asked for protection, and I truly got it. I could feel this certainty inside my heart. I was actually so happy to have experienced that. I really feel it inside my heart. I am changing. I can’t describe the feeling and will leave it at this for now. I’m nothing but a child of the Tradition. My life is for them! 

Mohanji, I wish to dedicate this post to your consciousness. And I really thank you for your presence which is turning me towards my true nature. You sparked inspiration inside of me, and I’m grateful for you. I love you so much. You are my life. Spreading the word of God has sparked so much joy and courage inside of me. This sensation that has awoken my heart makes so many other silly things not worth anything. The words of George Harrison from his song, ‘Your Love is Forever’ describes what I mean as well, “I feel it and my heart knows you’re the one guiding light in all, your love shines on, the only lover worth it all, your love is forever.” 

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 26th January 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Lessons living with Mohanji – Days 191 & 192

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

By Christopher Greenwood

Day 191 – God is a presence 

Today I share a lesson, which is more of an ongoing exploration. Mohanji shared with us that God is a presence. He shared that God is everywhere and that this presence activates all of life, including us. As humans, we can connect with that presence inside, which is always there. He has described this as the oil inside the almond seed: it exists, but it’s not outwardly visible until the almond is squeezed, and then the oil comes out.

He’s not suggesting that we need to be squeezed. But there’s a way to connect to the presence inside through silence beyond the mind. He also shared that this is difficult as, in the waking state, we’re addicted to all our – thoughts, activities, possessions, experiences, and outward actions in the world.

I used to find this difficult to understand and what helped me was a metaphor used based on the sun. The sun as a presence is always there, always giving light. It’s only because of the earth’s rotation that we see, or it appears to be, that the sun rises and sets. But it’s there all the time, providing nourishment and energy for life to exist. The light is always there. But individually, if we decide to close ourselves behind doors, or windows, shut the curtains, which we could say is our mind; our patterns, habits, or identifications, and we decide to sit in darkness, the sun will have no problem. It’s still there; it still does its job completely unaffected.

This then also prompted me to ask, “Okay, well, how do I know? How can I if I am connecting to the presence inside? Is there a measure of progress which I could use?” For me, it’s one thing to hear this and to understand it logically or intellectually as a concept, but how can that translate into experience, something that I can hold, taste, or say, “Okay, I understand something’s happening, and this is true.” 

These are a few benchmarks I picked up from Mohanji, the signs we can recognize connecting to that presence. (For me, it’s still an exploration that’s in progress) 

1. Reduction in thoughts and overall chatter of the mind – your thoughts are reducing; the habitual ones which used to come are no longer there. That could mean increased silence within. 

2. A clear reduction, or a complete avoidance, of any criticisms, judgments, gossip about others or other negative interactions. This naturally happens because there’s an increasing acceptance of my own life and that of others, recognizing that we don’t really know what makes up a person. The best we can do is to accept them as they are, as another being. This has been the most tangible for me. 

3. A reduction in the usual desires and patterns that I once had. These patterns and desires would push me to do things in the world, like interacting, going to places, and doing things I was attached to. These have dropped off completely, or their intensity has reduced. And I’d put that down to detachment.

Day 192 – Acceptance unites & doubts separate 

We are here at the Serbian retreat and at the program called “The Truth Called You”. So far, it’s been a fantastic series of satsangs. Mohanji has shared some great insights; understandings of the path of liberation. Yesterday in satsang, he was asked a very honest and sincere question, which became another solid understanding of the importance of acceptance. 

Q: “How can I increase my connection?”

Mohanji: “Imagine a bridge between you and me, and there are maybe five steps across the bridge. What brings you closer? 

Acceptance. Acceptance of him (Mohanji) as he is.”

Q: “What takes you away or separates you?” 

Mohanji: “Doubts, criticisms, judgments….” (Just doubts, but it extended into criticisms and judgments.)

I’ve always loved how simply Mohanji can put an answer across. He shared that anything else is really a play of the mind. The level of connection he speaks of means it’s always there, and it’s the mind creating that separate identification purposefully, so that separation is created. 

He continued to speak more on acceptance of people and shared a funny story, which made me laugh, yet also contemplate on acceptance of others, especially people in my own life. It’s much easier, he said, for us to accept animals and nature, very easy for us to like a cat or a dog or any other animal, but other humans… That’s where it becomes a bit difficult. 

I include myself when I say that we are quick to form opinions of others, to judge and criticize. It’s something I’m becoming much more aware of from my past, and now seeing it, observing it with other people, is that people can be quick to buy the opinions of others from others. People talk or give their opinion on somebody else and then hold it as if it’s theirs. This can even turn into future conflicts and even more intense impressions about that person. 

He shared one man’s approach to accepting others, which I really liked. It was a story from his shipping days. Mohanji worked in the shipping business, managing freight from various countries as a Country Manager. Whenever there was an important shipment or cargo, he would personally go and supervise.

He’d spend time on the ship, and he would be with people, with the crew, and one man Mohanji said, used to call everybody by an animal name.

“Oh, look, here comes the tiger. He’s angry again.” Or, “Did you see what the monkey has done?” Like that, every person had an animal name. Mohanji asked the man, “Why was he calling them animals and not by their name?”

The man said, “Well, I find it much easier to accept him that way. Because I know a tiger will always be like a tiger, a monkey will always be like a monkey, and an elephant will be like an elephant! Although they are like this, it is fine; I can accept them more easily.” I found that approach very ingenious – interesting thought of what also stops me from accepting others.

To conclude, the message from Mohanji was: Acceptance is what unites us, and if it’s difficult to accept others, as Mohanji always says first, we can at least begin to accept ourselves. 

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 22nd January 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Experiences of Empowered 5 – Part 1

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

By Linda Abrol, Netherlands,

Honestly, this was the most challenging retreat I have ever attended. And I can tell from experience, for I have been attending holistic retreats ever since 2004. Now that the time for comfort zone spirituality (quoting Rajesh Kamath) seems to be over and the real thing is being chosen by many, we all plunged into an unknown zone of sitting for hours without much sensory diversion (apart from snoring – a so-called zoo according to Mohanji), fully focussing on our inner world. 

Initially, Mohanji supported huge inner cleansing by asking for two group Mai-Tri sessions on consecutive days. We were blindfolded, no eye contact or communication was allowed, we had earplugs, and while walking to the diner room or the toilet, we looked down to the ground in front of us. The simple fact of being ignored by the other participants brought up a lot of stuff for me. We tend to take everything personally and attach the energy of the present moment to some past traumatic experience. In the past traumatic event, we took some conclusions that were actually meant to prevent a similar painful feeling in our futures but, in reality, transformed into convictions and patterns that only prevent living a life of wholeness. 

During the start of Empowerment 5, these convictions and emotions initially rose quickly to the surface. But since I have done so much emotional and mental cleansing over the years, they didn’t cause huge inner turbulence, only discomfort. With the help of the instructions given by Mohanji, I could simply watch them. But I couldn’t escape the restlessness that arose from the feelings. Later I found that it was because I didn’t really allow myself to freely feel what I was feeling. 

I mentalised my feelings by witnessing them. It was another form of suppression. Witnessing is great as long as one doesn’t resist feeling the feelings which I did unconsciously. The restlessness caused by feelings of worthlessness, misunderstanding and ‘being tolerated instead of loved and appreciated’ came up for me because I was being ‘ignored by others.’ The inner system – because of past trauma – translates the fact that somebody didn’t look at me as ‘being judged and being considered as trash’ whereas the truth is that they didn’t ignore anybody but simply focused inside as per instructions. 

The feeling of discomfort invited me to think: what do I miss most in this setting? I wrote down in my writing binder: Acknowledgment, exchange of love, touch, and a loving glance. I carried some inspiration cards in my suitcase, and in the evenings, I would randomly pick one, and the first one read: ‘Stay happy with yourself’. It shifted my focus from looking for an outer acknowledgement to allowing inner safety to surface. The simple text turned into my ‘mantra’ for the rest of the week whenever I caught myself in self-judgement. 

I had come with high expectations of breaking through everything that kept me away from the deep silence and consequently elevated experiences, but they seemed, except for a few wonderful moments and hours, to remain out. I noticed that when my mind would drift off from the breathing technic, we were instructed to do, I tended to tighten certain facial muscles. After loosening them consciously, my mind reacted by relaxing a bit as well. 

Fortunately, I was quite balanced during the rest of the five days. Only initially, the restrictions of sensory input caused some adolescent feelings of rebellion. When Mohanji advised us to focus on our purpose and vision instead of resisting the rules that were made to benefit us, I was able to remember that I was there because of my deep longing for total liberation. 

Yet, the silence and closure to the world of the senses seemed to bring me little except muscle pain and resistance, and I wondered what shift was already taking place subconsciously; for after all, Mohanji had promised: no one would go home empty-handed. The resistance kept playing tricks on me no matter how I tried to relax into it and accept it. I could not find the switch to turn. As we had been advised, witnessing’ was what brought us closest to (relative) peace. 

But the various energies of other participants, the noises, the snoring and the emotions of the people around me caused my head to be always active and in vigil mode, except when Mohanji spoke and the period shortly after He left us to meditate till lunchtime. Then I sank into bliss. Not the deepest form of ‘total dissolution’, but a wonderful calmness, love, acceptance and relaxation and the feeling everything is ok. 

So, when I started asking myself what were the benefits so far, if any, I found to my surprise, that there were quite a few:

I felt lighter because of the simple – and, in my opinion, tasteless – food. 

I was getting clearer in my head by the day.

I was again taking every step and making each movement with conscious attention, just as I had done for so many years after meeting Sathya Sai Baba in 1991 and before mobile phones made an appearance in my life.

It was not until that moment that I consciously noticed how I had grown in ‘being a witness in difficult circumstances’ over the last six dramatic years – during which my life had been turned quite upside down by moving house, by a completely new business venture, two accidents with chronic, physical consequences, two parents with dementia and their transition to the other world, the parting of my parental home and more. I started to consciously feel gratitude again. A Mai-Tri session during the retreat allowed me to sit without back pain. More gratitude.

On the morning of the third day, a shift seemed to happen. Both in me and in the group energy. I woke up with an inner message from Mohanji, asking me: ‘Absolute calmness, what is your trigger to come out of that calmness?’ I replied automatically, as if from a higher knowing: ‘Misunderstanding.’ I parked the message in some part of my brain and proceeded to the event hall. 

Two days of group Mai-Tri had cleansed a lot of clutter from the entire group’s energy, and the air felt lighter. Mohanji watched us with happiness, mentioning both the cleansing and the determination of the whole group, young and old. I am highly sensitive to group energy, so, together with the group energy, my own energy got elevated. And the high energy frequency that emanated from Mohanji stayed with me until lunchtime. 

Soon after lunch, the restlessness came back, but this time I watched the rising thoughts with more interest to find out their origin. I discovered that more than ninety per cent of the disturbing thoughts that kept me away from calmness were about misunderstanding indeed! That was a revelation. It was all about mentally trying to make people understand my good intentions and trying to avoid their anger and irritation. And the more I tried, the more misunderstandings showed up in daily life, making me feel insecure, lonely, unloved, useless, etc. And why did I do this? 

Because deep down, I was still afraid that misunderstanding would cause a whole village to stand up against me and throw me from a cliff. The anger on their faces never left me, and the incredible pain of knowing that these were my loved ones whom I had tried to make happy and healthy but now seemed to hate me so much. This was a previous life memory, of course. And every time I see anger in anybody’s eyes, the cells in my body fear I will be murdered. The good news of this revelation is that when this one memory will be desensitised one day – and I firmly believe help will come my way – ninety-five per cent of my restlessness will be gone! 

Part 2 to be continued …..

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 21st January 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Empowered by Silence

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

By Ranjana Balagopalan, India

It’s going to be about two months after the completion of Empowered 5. I’ve tried to write this testimonial several times since then, but it has been difficult because I’m yet to fully understand my experience. 

To put it in a nutshell, in that immensely powerful space that Mohanji had created for us, I was able to experience only the present moment for all of those five days and was unable to think of anything in the past or the future. It wasn’t that there were no thoughts or that I had slipped into deep meditation and lost track of time. During those hours I’d spent in the hall, I’d tried my best to do the breathing exercise as many times as I could, but my mind had wandered now and then. 

However, the thoughts were connected solely to Mohanji or the occasional chill in the hall in which the programme was being held, or any aches/pains I was experiencing at that particular moment. There were no reflections about the past or future or anything that was not related to the programme. 

The only thoughts I occasionally had about the outside world were connected to my elderly parents, who were alone back in India for those few days. But then, there was a detachment, and the thought never escalated into worry because of a strong faith that Mohanji was taking care of them in my absence. 

Overall, there was an intense quietness inside me during the programme, and even the casual thoughts that popped up occasionally met a quick demise at the hands of the energy in that space. There were no emotions as well. When Mohanji asked us to release old/childhood traumas and negative patterns, I couldn’t think of/recollect anything related to those things, even though I actually have a rather impressive collection of both. It felt as though I was trying to recollect what I had heard long ago about someone else’s life. 

There were no thoughts or emotions about the future as well, not even of the next day or the next hour. My past and future appeared to have become nearly blank slates, and the only moment I could access was ‘Now’. I’d been unhooked from the outside world, and placed in an invisible bubble, firmly separated from my memories, hopes, doubts, and anxieties. 

In fact, until I began listening to the participants on the evening of the last day of the programme, I hadn’t thought at all about what I had experienced. And even after that, it took me some time to get some sort of a handle on it. And it might take me longer to truly understand and assimilate it.

I now feel, during Empowered 5, an energy cocoon had been created around each participant, be it in person or online. And the energy was attuned to our unique constitutions and needs and helped all of us in ways that cannot be deciphered by the mind. 

I would also like to share some other experiences that I had during those five days. 

On the first day, shortly after we had settled in the hall, I started to feel extremely sleepy and fell into a light doze, during which I kept seeing Mohanji moving through the hall. I woke up with a start after some minutes and began to do the breathing exercise that Mohanji had given. Someone gave a firm pat on the crown of my head, and then I felt them walk past the back of my chair. Energy zipped through me. I instantly felt more alert and sat up straighter. I could focus on the breathing exercise much better after that. 

My first thought was that it was Mohanji. But then doubt crept in. In the evening, when I got up to leave the hall, I saw that there was very little space behind my chair. It would have been hard for someone to stand up comfortably in that space, let alone walk through it. And I checked with a few people later to confirm that the volunteers had not been walking around to thump the heads of unsuspecting folk… 

The second experience was that of a rudraksha mala. I purchased a rudraksha mala on the second day, and the volunteers helped me get it blessed by Mohanji. On the first day, after the powerful group Mai-Tri by Devi Mohan, I developed excruciating pain in my shoulders and neck, with the pain radiating to my arms. The pain subsided by evening, but the next day, there was one more group Mai-Tri that was even more intense and powerful, and the pain flared up again, and this time too, it subsided by evening. 

On the third day, after the cleansing exercises, I started to get the pain again. I felt I couldn’t sit for one more day with that excruciating pain. But I was reluctant to seek Mai-Tri, as I felt I needed to experience the pain as it was. I impulsively reached into my bag and took out the rudraksha mala that had been blessed by Mohanji while telling him in my mind that he needed to help me with the pain. The moment I wore the mala, the pain vanished, leaving only stiffness in my shoulders. It was not a gradual reduction. The pain had disappeared like a switch had been turned off. It was unbelievable.

After my return to India, the inner silence reduced gradually, I regained access to my impressive collection of negative habits/patterns, and the mind reopened its drama club. But there continues to be a small space inside me that is silent, calm and stable. Also, there is much more awareness about my thoughts and feelings, and it has become easier to impersonally witness internal and external drama or at least view situations objectively after a short while. And I’m also able to regard myself with more kindness and understanding than before. 

There have been some other small changes too. I stopped having coffee some months ago but had not been able to give up tea. However, after returning home from Serbia in October, I started to dislike the taste of tea, and after throwing away most of it for about four or five days, I decided to give it up completely. I had a headache for a couple of days, which went away by itself on both days. I also experienced intense nausea on the second day, but that, too, subsided by itself. And I haven’t had tea or coffee since then.

The Empowered series as a whole has been immensely transformative for me in more ways than I can describe. As in the case of many seekers, the Empowered series came into my life when I really needed it, and each Empowered programme so far has caused a marked difference in my inner landscape. Yet, when I signed up to attend Empowered 5 in person in Serbia, I did not have any particular expectations. I only knew that I needed to be there. And what I received was beyond anything I could have hoped for.

When I think about the person I was more than a year ago, I can sense the changes – some notable, some very subtle – that has happened slowly but steadily, all due to the divine grace and compassion of Mohanji. 

Before I went to Serbia, I frequently yearned for the opportunity to do the Kailash parikrama with Mohanji under his grace and guidance. It had actually become a chant of sorts in my mind – ‘Kailash with Mohanji’. 

But after Empowered 5, there has been a change in that contemplation. It is now ‘Kailash is Mohanji’…

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 19th January 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team

Lessons living with Mohanji – Days 189 & 190

Posted on by Mohanji Editorial Team

by Christopher Greenwood

Day 189 – Understanding our Realities

A few days back, Mohanji held a satsaṅg for all the participants who had been participating in the 21-day ‘Beat your Tamas’ challenge, run by the Early Birds Club. In short, he shared something very simple about the Early Birds Club – that, at its core, it is about transformation. As I listened, he said some really good points I wanted to share today.

When we want the transformation to happen, there are two things that we need to consider. The first is that we have to walk for it to happen; we have to take steps; we have to take action if that’s what we want. The second is that we need to know where we’re walking to. This is the path of liberation, freedom from all the usual bindings, patterns, and everything that keeps us bound within the mind. Mohanji is there with us, energising us and smoothing the way, but only we can walk. That really stuck with me because whilst he’s here, he’s giving the guidance, the support, and the suggestions, which are coming from a higher awareness of what’s good for us, what’s specific for us to exhaust our karma and take us towards those steps. But we have to walk, and we need to know where we’re walking to.

I also found it interesting that he said, in this talk, that it’s important that we understand our realities and how we interact with the world. For example, he mentioned that we’re eager to love something outside of us, to interact with the usual world with all its entertainment, things that the senses can enjoy, and the mind can roam around. Because we like what gives us pleasure, and we find that in relationships, materials and experiences.

“But in those activities,” Mohanji asked, “are we truly satisfied?”

For me, this was a question that came to me many years ago before meeting Mohanji. In fact, that’s probably what prompted me to search and then eventually come into contact with him.

I was involved in many things in life: relatively successful, travelling, and doing everything I wanted to, but it was empty. I also thought that many people are eager to rush back out to the patterns that we once had, how we used to live life, and because of that, it’s creating a lot of frustrations because the reality in front of us is that it’s not possible anymore. The COVID situation has really created a different world. That resistance is bringing challenges for people. In that talk, Mohanji shared again that this is a good time for us to go within to connect with something that is much more permanent. He posed a really good question, which I was contemplating too: “Are we more committed to our patterns or to liberation?” This was a really good question, I thought, especially now, because there’s a lot of fear, worry, and anxiety.

He also made the point that liberation is the opposite of fear. It’s love, and that’s enough to be able to take steps to progress. He shared that that first starts with ourselves, spending time with the person that we wake up with every day: our own self, appreciating ourselves, respecting ourselves, accepting ourselves, and that’s actually love in action.

So, for me, it was a really good message, a really good reminder, and it also brought a new depth and understanding of the power of transformation that’s possible through the Early Birds Club and that morning routine of waking early, connecting with yourself, being with yourself, and then taking that stability into the world.

Day 190 – The Inner Guru is our Ultimate Reality

Today, I wanted to share something that Mohanji said recently, which became a real point of contemplation for me. This was about external gurus, and I’m sharing what I took from that conversation.

Mohanji said that we all have an inner guru, a personal guru inside us; we have that essence. That inner Guru is our ultimate reality, then the waking state guru, whom we connect to and identify with in the waking state. I’ll say that again because it was an important distinction for me: in the waking state (we have three states: the waking state, the dream state, and the deep sleep state). In the waking state, the external Guru is a reminder of our inner Guru. All external gurus are purely reminders of what’s already inside us. He continued that our job, really, of a lifetime, is to find that inner Guru and fully connect with it, and if that’s our job, then the job of an external master is simply to point their finger towards what’s inside us, our inner Guru.

That, he said, is a reason why it’s important to connect with ourselves, understand ourselves, spend time with ourselves, respect ourselves, and come to understand that what we are habituated to connecting to outside, all the things which the mind loves to enjoy is something that is pulling us away from that, keeping us outside.

This was a small statement, but for me, it left a deep impression and required much more contemplation because I feel that the connection inside is also reflected outside; at least, that’s how I’ve experienced my connection with Mohanji. Over the time that I’ve spent with him, it has changed, and it’s because of an increasing connection within. He continued that the moment that happens, we fully connect with ourselves, we understand that there’s no conflict, and if there’s no conflict within, there’s no conflict with the outside world. At that time, there’s no fighting, no criticism, no judgments, no anger, no hatred, no jealousy, and no competition. Because at that point in time, once we’ve reached it, we will see ourselves in everybody, in everything. In order to become spiritually mature, that’s what we need to reach.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 15th January 2023

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these blogs are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Mohanji, Mohanji Foundation, it’s members, employees or any other individual or entity associated with Mohanji or Mohanji Foundation. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on our blogs and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.

Mohanji Testimonials team