Day 219 – The simplicity of practice and teachings
This morning, I was reflecting on Mohanji’s teachings, his practices, and how he demonstrates those throughout his life. Some of the major characteristics of both are simplicity and practicality. For example, one of the significant principle teachings is acceptance. Accepting ourselves and others can be very challenging, but it has a specific attribute which, if practised, brings real benefits that can be experienced.
One of the main practices that Mohanji recommends time and time again (besides the meditations and besides the Kriyas) is the feeding of beings – beings of the air, water, land and human beings. This is why Mohanji formed the ACT4Hunger platform to cater to all these beings, and it’s a great platform where the hunger of all species is alleviated.
Mohanji recommends this because it helps remove many blockages in life in the current, previous and coming generations. When people have passed away, this is one of the first things he recommends to people. You are feeding to help their transit, and in our own lives, this also can be practised and experienced.
The other day I posted that we went to feed the birds nearby. We all went together, fed them, and immediately felt lighter as if a weight had been lifted. Birds represent the air element and space. Anytime there are feelings of heaviness, feeding birds can help reduce its effects; it brings lightness.
So, that was this morning, thinking back on how simple some of Mohanji’s practices and teachings are.
Sometimes, in general conversation with Mohanji, and just when we’re discussing other tasks, he’ll share something which is beautiful and poetic. The other day, he shared a very beautiful differentiation between a truth and a lie.
It reminded me of the character meters that were used during the Mohanji boot camp, which was run by the Invest in Awareness team. These tools were scales. On one end, you had an option, and on the other end, you had another option.
For example, “Am I reliable, or am I unreliable?” You could gauge between that. The idea was to enable you to measure your character so that you could understand yourself better, and then you could decide what best steps to position in the future.
One of those was to rate ourselves on a scale where one end was “Always tells the truth”, and the other end was “Always lies” – a simple yet helpful measure of character.
Mohanji shared that truth is beautiful as naked, whereas a lie needs to have a wrapper. It has to have a cover because inside it’s ugly. The lie needs covers, wrappers and dressing up. Lie also needs to be maintained to be sustained.
Whereas truth, it can simply stand beautiful, as naked – it needs nothing else. Then he shared something else, a Sanskrit phrase from the Upanishads, and I hope I pronounced this correctly. Please excuse me if it’s not quite exact. It was simply Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Truth and eternity are one; truth is eternal and beautiful.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 28thMay 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.
Yesterday was our final day in Bosnia, and Mohanji had agreed to take part in a short film that was being made by the M House Media team. Mohanji has been acting as himself in the scenes over the past few days, and yesterday was the final filming on one of the famous bridges in the city. In everything he does, he gives his all; it’s really admirable to watch and a real lesson too.
So today, I re-share an observation about Mohanji, which I know that anyone working closely with him would also say, and that is, whatever he’s doing, he gives his full application. The filming itself went incredibly well. We had planned a few hours to complete the scenes, but with Mohanji, as usual, it was done in the first take. It was finished in a matter of minutes rather than hours, and we could also add in some extra scenes.
This is a small example of how he applies everywhere, and it’s a real pleasure actually working with him because whilst the pace is quick, everything is always done well and promptly. That momentum and movement are really motivating. So, that lesson of giving full application to everything that you do is something that I’m learning to cultivate.
It’s actually probably more of an attitude and an awareness to constantly think, “Okay, I have this activity; I have this task; I’m involved in this. What more could I do to take it to a different level to explore different possibilities? What else is possible? Is there anything that could improve?”
Whether it’s a solo task, planning some activities, having meetings with people, and how the interactions are creating an attitude to explore what else is possible – it’s really something quite amazing to watch because Mohanji always takes what he’s given, interacts with people, and provides the unexpected too – a new, higher, and more positive level.
So, doing the bare minimum is always an option. But I’ve found that exploring those extra possibilities also brings rejuvenation to work, which creates a new motivation and a difference as well. Also, it’s a very important attitude when actually working with Mohanji because the bar only ever gets higher. It’s only ever raised; nothing is ever settled. It’s always what more can we do, what more can be done.
Day 218 – Call for liberation
Yesterday, Mohanji had a really strong calling to feed the birds. He mentioned this a couple of times in the morning and again in the afternoon. So, we arranged to get some food, and we went to a place where many birds had gathered – many pigeons.
You may have seen some of the photos. He was very happy feeding the birds, as he is while feeding all animals. He loves animals, and people who’ve spent some time with him, have travelled with him, and been on trips, will know he regularly stops to feed the local animals.
As he stood there feeding the birds, I couldn’t help but be reminded or prompted about the book Sri Sreepada Shrivallabha, which is the book, Mohanji said; if I read it, I’ll be able to understand him much better. But actually, after reading it, I realised that I understood him even less because it’s really a remarkable book and testimony.
It’s about the first incarnation of Dattātreya in Kali Yuga, which is one of the Indian cycles of time, and it’s the present cycle, the cycle of darkness and corruption, where good and evil exist within one person. It’s an account of one man named Shankar Bhatt, and in one of the chapters, he was facing all sorts of calamities.
He was persistently attacked by crows until they drew blood, and I think he was attacked by snakes, and all sorts of things happened to him. So, these crows were diving and pecking and drawing blood from him, and there were many other incidents. He eventually collapses and is taken care of by a cobbler, Vallabhdas, who then tells him that he knew he was coming and also knows his story and the reasons why all these incidents happened.
In the book, the crows were actually great scholars or pundits in past lives, and because of the merits of chanting the Vedas and names of the Lord, they had achieved the possibility to reach one of the heavenly realms. But because they hadn’t recognised the divine nature of Sri Shreepada as an incarnation, they’d actually argued with him and abused him in their discussions, and it meant that, while they would be able to stay there, they would always be suffering from hunger.
So, they had that option, or an option to remain as crows until they drew blood from someone who was purified from chanting the name of Shri Sreepada Shrivallabha, and that person was Shankar Bhatt, so they’d attacked him, and through that, they’d become liberated.
I hope I’ve told that story well because it’s been some time since I read it, but it came to my mind because of the beings, the birds. The beings who had incarnated as crows had the opportunity for liberation. Intellectually, it’s not something I could grasp. But for some reason, as Mohanji was feeding the birds and because he’d had that strong call to go and feed them and he’d asked about it many times, I had shared that story with him.
I wondered and asked the question if he’d had that similar call because by feeding birds, he could potentially be giving them liberation. He obviously would never say that openly, but he said that he couldn’t refuse a call, or he couldn’t refuse a really strong call for liberation.
For many beings, it’s not possible to take a human form, so they take the forms of other birds or other beings to reach him. Through that, they can achieve liberation or become close to it. For me, it was, what can I say, another glimpse into something which is simply beyond my perception, but it was a strong feeling or intuition that his strong desire or call to go feed those birds would have been something of that nature, to liberate something, or to do something much bigger.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 21stMay 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.
Day 23 Lesson – Types of connection and the importance of consistent connection
Good morning, everybody. I hope you’re doing well.
Today I share an observation on living with Mohanji. This is about how people connect to him, the different types of connection, and the importance of consistency in connection. This is from the conversations which Mohanji has shared.
As a general statement, Mohanji is available; his position is that he’s a friend to the world. This means that the world can connect to him, and the world has a variety of people who have different orientations. So they connect to him as they are, and he allows that.
My own connection with him is very much that of a mentor and a guide (to a learner/disciple). He gives me practical advice, steps on how I can become more efficient, more productive. And, in a way, this is why a large portion of the voice recordings I share have a theme of motivation or practical application in life.
But for others, even in the house, it’s very different. It’s completely a personal connection. And what’s nice about that is that he asks nothing of anybody, and he allows everything. For Mohanji, there’s no right or wrong way to connect or to be; it’s all about us being us. And he values people’s expressions, their personal expressions, and their own experience. So, if people are satisfied with their interaction with him, he feels he’s done his job. That’s because his ultimate goal is to take people to higher awareness and ultimately to liberation. If they’re experiencing fulfilment, if they’re experiencing completion through that interaction, it’s helping them achieve that goal.
Given the nature of my role, I see various types of people. Broadly, they fall into four main categories. The first would be those who are more devotional in nature. They have more of an emotional connection; the Bhakti; connect to Mohanji through songs, drawings, paintings, or worship. Then, there are the more intellectually inclined people, and it’s the teachings of Mohanji that they’re connected to. They are the Jnana Yogis. Thirdly, there are the people who love service. And they, the Karma Yogis, are working and contributing through the various platforms involved in organisations like Ammucare, Act4Hunger, or the ACT Foundation. Finally, there’s a very small number of people who connect to his consciousness, the consciousness behind the form of Mohanji. They are the Raja Yogis.
These are the four classifications. People may be a mixture of categories, but this is generally the orientation that you can see in all the people connected to Mohanji, throughout the foundation and the family. And he’s not putting a judgment on any of them, he is allowing everybody to be as they are, and he wants to leave people free, with no bindings. Once people have a connection, what we were speaking about this morning with Mohanji, is that one of the most important things is having consistency in that connection and being focused on one point because that’s what will bring the transformation.
He spoke about this in two ways. The first is that many people can come with an expectation, a condition when they approach Mohanji. They may have some type of situation in the family that they need to be resolved, something to do with a marriage, or they would like to get a job or expect a change in family circumstances with a husband, boyfriend, wife, something like that. There is generally something they’re looking to get or something to be solved by Mohanji. That’s conditional, “I come to you because I need this”. He says those types of people need to be very careful because if their expectations aren’t met, then quickly, that connection being weak, they can drop off, people leave.
And then the second type is those who haven’t yet set their full focus in one place. Mohanji uses a story to illustrate this: you can only find water when you finally settle on one position in the ground and start digging. If you stop digging to try and dig somewhere else, you’ll never get anywhere. Similarly, people go to multiple Masters. They may feel like they’re getting more from all of them. But this is misleading because the mind is entertained. Actually, there hasn’t been sufficient connection developed for any real transfer of clarity or understanding to take place. It’s important to connect sufficiently consistently for that to happen. And so, if people are moving from Master to Master, they’re not giving it enough time for that to happen.
And, from my own experience, it’s only now that we spoke about that this morning that I could think back and recognise the point when I decided to connect with Mohanji and avoid any other distractions fully. That’s when I felt real progress was made, including me being here now and sharing a voice message like this. Because at an earlier time, when I first connected to Mohanji, I was searching, I was seeking and finding my way on who all these people were, what the world of Masters was, what a living Master was, who a guru was, etc., all those questions were all very new to me.
And I saw many people doing things in different ways. And I remember one other Master that I was connected to, who I trusted because other people were there also. So there came the point where I was between Mohanji and this other person. Not that it was that type of comparison or judgement, but that is what was available to me. And what changed for me was when I had the opportunity to speak to Mohanji. And I asked him, “What do you do in these types of situations?”. Because I remember him saying that the right person for you, the right guide, the right Master, the right guru, however you would classify that, is the one that came to you. And so for me, both of these came. So I asked what happens in these situations? And he just said, didn’t answer it directly, but said, “One master, one tradition, one practice, that’s all you need to reach the ultimate“. And then I asked again: “But what if I didn’t ask for any of this, it just simply came?” And again, very clearly, concisely, he just said one word: “Tests”.
So for me, that was the clear message that I, at that point, had to make a decision. And I did, I went home, I thought about it, and then set my intention and focus on increasing my connection with Mohanji. And from that moment, a lot has changed.
So now I’m here, remembering that consistency of connection is important as well. However challenging, however tough it can be, going back to that goal, going back to that connection, is very important. So, the message that Mohanji gave today, I think, is useful for everybody: if we have a connection, it’s the consistency of connection that’s going to lead to transformation. So, if that’s conditional, or if we’re not strong in one connection but going to various other places, then it’s not likely we’re going to get the transformation we’re expecting. Because various others may bless us, but they won’t be able to do much because the pot that we hold is always moving. So it’s never steady enough for it to be filled.
Thank you for listening. I hope you have a great day ahead.
Day 24 Lesson – This is why Mohanji advises feeding beings of the air, Earth, water and humans
I want to share something that I learned today, which is a deeper understanding of why feeding the beings of nature and our species is beneficial for us and those in whose name we do the feeding.
This is something that Mohanji has always advocated as a ritual for people for nearly all troubles that we face. It’s only today that I understood a little bit more about how this benefits us.
This morning, I went to see Mohanji to discuss the agenda for today and take to him the questions that had come overnight. Now, more often than not, Mohanji’s busy when I go into the room to see him. He’ll be on this phone; he’s handling a conversation with somebody. And he’s working essentially with someone to help them remove something. So, he’s always busy. And I don’t interrupt; usually, I sit down, and I continue my own work until he’s ready because I don’t want to disturb him. I know that something is happening.
So, we’re in silence for some time. In the morning, as well, he’ll open his window, sit in the chair, looking out of the window there. And birds and other beings come to see him (for his Darshan). And they don’t ask much; they just take a glimpse of him; the bird will come up to the tree branch and look through, and all the squirrels on the wall do the same. And then they’re happy, and they go.
And when we started talking today, the same happened as other days. Sometimes Mohanji will be in conversation, and then he’ll stop mid-sentence. And today, he was responding, it seemed, to a bird call. He looked out the window for some time, and then we started speaking again. This is generally how it is spending time with Mohanji. He seems to be in constant interaction with everything around him, working on many different levels, which is not so easy to perceive.
Today, I wanted to get clarity on many questions that come to the office, the other teams, and the help desk. What’s the best advice to give to people when they contact us seeking Mohanji’s answer about the more day to day things they experience in life? Because many people want to speak to Mohanji once they reach a problem. And that’s generally when people want to connect and ask for his assistance.
This can be about a personal problem, something happening within a relationship, or about life purpose, feeling stuck in life, or family issues or there is death in the family. And more often than not, they fall into a similar category – there’s been some disturbance, or there’s an emotional situation about a personal relationship.
And in these situations, Mohanji has always been very matter-of-fact; he doesn’t sympathise, nor does he give pity, as he believes that it cripples a person, it keeps them in the state of victimhood. And often, when people seek help, they are still bound with that emotion of the situation. And, whilst Mohanji is always there to help, he is always available for us; he can only help if people want to move beyond the situation. He says that if people would rather keep hold than let go, he completely respects their free will. He cannot and will not take the experience they want to have, the experience of that feeling from anyone.
And in these situations, for me, I always refer to his own life as an example. He faced many tragedies, many adversities, such as the loss of his daughter Ammu. And he approached this head-on; he kept walking with a deep acceptance. And he continued. Like he often says, the scars of those situations on his face show that he survived. That’s the important thing. That’s how he sees it.
I give this context because I asked Mohanji what we can do to help the people whose loved ones recently departed. Obviously, that’s a loss, and they want to have the best transit for them on to the next place. Also, people have general challenges in their lives: the blockages, the patterns, suffocations, maybe some illnesses.
And, for people who want to connect to Mohanji for that advice, I found that the advice from Mohanji is always consistent. I package up this advice for the team so that they can handle it as well. The primary one, with some exceptions, for all these situations is: The best remedy is to give to the world, especially feeding the beings of nature and helping the helpless. That’s the standard advice for all those types of situations we can face in life.
And he gave some extra understanding to me today around why feeding is so beneficial. He said that feeding the beings of nature and our own species is really the most effective way to clear blockages and also to support family members who have departed in their transit. Because when we feed in their name, they receive the benefit. According to the being fed, the grace will flow to that person and help remove any blockages or attachments that they might have had.
We categorise beings into four categories, which is the reason why we have the Act4Hunger platform. Act4Hunger is written the way it is to cover the four beings, four categories:
We have beings of the air, beings such as birds and have the qualities of space, lightness, freedom.
Herein is a variety, the beings of the Earth, I don’t know all of them; these can be associated with the various earthly attributes such as planets. For example, dogs are linked to the planets Rahu and Ketu.
There are beings of the water, with the quality of movement, of flow. Fishes and the water element within us are connected to all the liquids inside, such as our blood.
Lastly, we have beings of our own species, i.e. humans, and the issues here can be related to the attachments that we have, the fears, the phobias. For example, some people may have a crippling fear of old age, sickness, or helplessness, or being abandoned, which can be carried into the next life. Also, some people may be overly attached to their children.
So, when he was speaking, and I was looking at these categories, I understood that when we have blockages or attachments, we can feed the beings of the corresponding qualities, which brings grace to remove those blockages. And we feel that grace as lightness in our life. For example, say someone in the family has passed away, and we know that they were incredibly attached to their children, that was something they were clinging on to, and they didn’t want to leave because they really wanted to stay with their children. In this case, what can be done is feeding children in their name so that grace comes and helps remove that blockage for them.
The same goes for if they feared disease, then we can feed the sick. With helplessness, then the elderly can be fed in their name. So, we’re doing something in their name to relieve something we know can be relieved.
And I think Mai-Tri Practitioners can see this when they do Mai-Tri for people. For example, if someone had the feeling of suffocation in life, maybe in a relationship, or had a fear, feeding beings of the air can help bring that space. Illnesses of the blood and the issues associated with the water element in the body can be alleviated by feeding the fishes.
If I’ve completely confused you with too much information, then the best advice is just to feed everybody, feed as many people and beings as you can, cover all your bases.
I would also say, please don’t substitute any professional medical help for what I’ve just said. This is just the deeper understanding that I got this morning. And when I heard it, it brought more clarity for me of the power and the potential of the Act4Hunger platform, which stands for the four types of beings: beings of the air, Earth, water and humans. And the vision now is really powerful because the idea is to have regular patrons for the platform who support the activities and whose face will be on the website, and so, everyday food will be served in their name. So, they’ll be receiving the grace from all that service being done in their name every day.
Likewise, for special events such as weddings, anniversaries, etc., people can become a patron for the week. So all that week’s food service is done in their name. And the same is for someone who has passed away; feeding in their name helps them in their transition.
However, the platform is a neutral platform. So obviously, the spiritual aspect wouldn’t be shared openly. But, if this spreads across the world, just think how many people will benefit from that, not just individuals but generations and lineages too!
So, to summarise the understanding I got today, for various blockages and situations in life, Mohanji shared that feeding the beings of nature and our own species is a real, effective way to clear those blockages. This is also an especially beneficial way to support members of the family who departed and are in their transit. And we feed in their name. And by feeding particular types of beings in their name, the grace flows.
So beings of the air: the birds for lightness and freedom. Then, feeding the beings of the Earth: dogs, cats, various animals linked to the earthly element; beings of water: the qualities of movement, flow, blood and our own species, feeding the helpless, elderly, the sick, children.
So that’s all for today. Finally, I think experiencing is believing, as well. So you can experiment with this and see for yourself, maybe try a challenge for 41 days, get a bird feeder in the garden and feed the birds. See how you feel after. Or feed any other beings that are near you. Or, connect to any of the platforms such as Ammucare, ACT or Act4Hunger, which are all doing this service daily.
Thank you for listening, and I hope you have a great day ahead.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 16th May 2021
Discalimer:
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.
When I arrived at the house, I was received with a welcome as a guest. In the early days, I would often sit at the table for breakfast and lunch with Mohanji. Before anybody eats in the house, food is offered to the beings around the house – birds, squirrels, and even ants. One time during lunch, I noticed how clean Mohanji’s plate was – it was spotless. And I made a mindless comment about him having such a clean plate; I was not thinking.
This was when he told me about the karmic implications of wasting food. Even a grain of rice has an impact, as this has the potential to become a field of rice. He shared a story about this.
Whilst I thought I lived consciously, I realized that there is always more I can do, especially as I feel responsible for making this Earth better for the generations to come. Simple but powerful changes can begin at home.
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Good morning, everybody. I hope you had a great day yesterday.
Today, one of the lessons which I’ve learned living with Mohanji is about living consciously. And this is living consciously with our own environment and the impact that we have on Earth. This is from an observation of Mohanji, and I feel it’s a really important awareness to have in our lives, as it’s about the consumption of what we have in the world, of the basics such as food and water.
In a previous recording, I shared that the majority of Mohanji’s teachings aren’t necessarily spoken, and you have to have a keen eye to observe. And they can be incredibly profound. And I’ve also heard somebody say that if you don’t keep a close eye on Mohanji, he could easily slip away. Because he’s not overtly teaching here when we’re in the house – we’re not sitting down in a satsang and sharing. But everything he is doing can actually, potentially become a lesson if we have the eyes to see. And one of the overarchingteachings which Mohanji shared to many is that everything we do here on Earth comes with a price. We have Earth, and we’re using it as a platform for our experience. So, what we think, what we say, what we do – it all has some cost. And he believes that we should be leaving it a better place than when we arrived.
So, when I first arrived at the house, there would be some days where I would have breakfast and lunch at the same time as Mohanji. At that time, I was a new guest, and I would join everyone at the food table. Everybody eats each meal together. Before we eat, all the fresh food cooked that day is first offered to all the beings around the house. So it’s placed out for all the birds that come – the crows, the various other Indian birds that I don’t know the name of. And then you have the squirrels come as well. They will then flick over the food on the ground, so the ants get to eat as well. So everyone’s fed before we eat. And the food is also offered to the deities.
And during this time, I observed Mohanji and how he was eating – he only took very little food and was very conscious. He didn’t load the plate – he took a small amount and then would add more, as and when he needed it. I also noticed that nothing gets wasted; it’s all eaten. So everything is gone – the plate is completely clean, even right down to the last grain of rice. I think I just made a thoughtless comment at that time about him having a clean plate. And this is when he told me that everything here has a price and that we should respect everything – all our materials. He said that wasting food actually comes with a karmic price because even a grain of rice (if you’re wasting that grain) had the potential to become a whole field of rice.
He then shared a story of a saint who was found in the gutters, near some grand wedding party. It was a grand event, a really big affair where hundreds of people were dancing, celebrations, and singing. As with many Indian weddings, there was plenty of food there, offered in a variety. When the people who were having food on their plates had enough, they would chuck the remaining food and the plates into the gutter. Normally the cows would come and eat that food. And he (the saint) was there, eating leftovers. When somebody saw him, they took pity on him because they thought he was a homeless man and he was hungry. They wanted to invite him to the wedding to come and eat some of the fresh food. But he actually said no. He said, “No, I need to do this. I’m helping them because they don’t know what they’re doing, throwing all this away.”
So that was the message for me there, and it was quite an impact. He also shared that if someone is serving food and the other person doesn’t eat, that burden goes to the person who served it. It had an impact on me; I instantly had a flashback to last Christmas, to my large family; I think there were maybe 20-25 of us; we had them around to mine and my brother’s house, and we cooked for them. I remembered all these plates coming back from all the kids, all half-full, and myself just chucking all the food into the bin. And I just had the realization that this is probably happening daily all over the world. Most of the time we’re not aware of what we’re doing – that’s overconsumption. And then people are probably overeating too – eating more than what they actually need, and it’s just coming out the other end, undigested. People glorify food; they glorify the amount they eat, the quantity, the size, and the variety of foods they have. And I then also thought that this is not just with food, it’s probably the same with water too.
With Mohanji, we are really conscious of the amount of water we use and everything else like electricity. Since I’m here, I’m using the Indian bucket system for showers and baths – which if you’re not aware of it, is that you fill up a bigger bucket with the water and then use a smaller one to wash. I appreciate that now because I’ve become aware of how much water I used to waste.
So this consciousness, just from that small observation, has completely shifted my awareness to be more conscious about what I’m using. And these are just the basics – food and water. I can apply that same thinking and logic to everything else that I consume here now. Also, to my personal products – how much am I using, why am I using it, where it comes from, where it’s made, and the impact of it. Technology, cars, washing machines, everything that we have, we’re taking things from the Earth all the time.
And for Mohanji, it even comes down to the extent where the other day, I noticed how conscious he is about the use of products and his impact as he’s walking on this Earth. For example, when we do satsangs, he has water and might use a tissue to wipe his mouth. When he had finished for the day, I wanted to throw it away, and he said, “What are you doing? I can still use that.” So even down to that level of keeping a tissue is the responsibility that he feels: We should take good care of everything that’s being used.
That’s the lesson for today, just from a small observation. I hope you enjoyed it. And maybe you can take that into your life. If everybody had this awareness around the world, it would probably be a very different place now. Thank you very much, and speak to you soon.
P.S. I asked Mohanji how we can reduce any karmic burden from food waste. He said by feeding the beings of the air, land, water, and human beings.
P.P.S. I’ve asked my brother to reduce the amount of food for Christmas this year because there’s always wastes.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 7th February 2021
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