Offering love in Ukraine

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

By Cathy Johnston, UK

Deliberately flying towards a war zone would appear, on the face of it, to be a completely insane, grown-up choice to make. For some people, yes, but not, however, for the people connected to the ACT Foundation.

Driven by a supreme desire to serve others, these selfless people shine as a beacon of bright light into the darkest of human corners, setting examples for us all to follow. Totally unafraid and stridently stepping forward over the borders into the terrified and desolate arms of those Mothers and children who’ve fled from the bombs and rubble.

More than 7 million displaced Ukrainian people, to date, are living in makeshift homes as far away from the noise of shelling as possible throughout Ukraine. Mostly these people are women and children who’ve also had the added, unimaginable heartbreak of having to bid farewell to their menfolk (and sons of fighting age), never knowing for certain if they’ll ever meet again, leaving them to face destruction and possible death.

Impossible to empathise with this group of people; the only thing left to do is to bring a glimmer of light into their sorrowful lives in the way of genuine, heartfelt kindness and compassion. Helping to make their children smile again and, by default themselves.

The ACT team arrived in Ukraine with truckloads of food, clothing, medical equipment, toys etc. and a plethora of psychological tools to help these once normal, everyday citizens – just like you and me – cope just a little bit better: simple, relaxing, traditional yoga, walking meditations and conscious dancing that all go towards taking one’s mind away from its imminent worries and off into a calmer more peaceful place.

The displaced children are focal to the ACT team’s efforts as they attempt to reignite some sparks of fun in the shape of new toys, face painting, craft making and playground games. Witnessing the unnatural strain and mistrust etched into their young and once innocent faces is something awful to recall.

Six of the ACT4Ukraine group are aged between 11-22, with four adults in tow, one of them me! I was completely blown away by the unexpected joy I felt, witnessing, day in, day out, heart-melting small acts of spontaneous love and kindness from the younger team towards all of the displaced, no matter the age or disability. Their innate and unsullied ability to connect with other children despite the obvious language barriers was a miracle to behold. Once again, smiling became effortless for the displaced children as their trust was reassured in the most authentic ways.

These young people were testament to the natural goodness and love inside us all. A love that’s sadly eventually plastered over as we navigate the rocky pathways of life. The difference their unabashed, compassionate embraces brought to the faces of the less fortunate we encountered as we travelled through Ukraine will be etched onto my memory box for all time.

Coming away from this experience, some find it strange that my feelings aren’t sorrowful (as one might imagine). But on the contrary, I feel a renewed sense of hope, having had the privilege to be part of this selfless team, with the younger gang leading the way, demonstrating a purity of heart that’s a welcome reminder to us all.

Back in the UK …

Having previously received a £250 donation towards the July ’22 truck of Ukrainian aid from our local golf club in Ormskirk, Julie and I were delighted to be asked to their women’s golf presentation event on 16th August. The General Manager, Lee, would present us with a huge cardboard cheque to help garner some publicity for our cause.

The afternoon was well attended, with a festival-like atmosphere; lots of families with younger children came along to support their lady golfers’, and of course, there was plenty of free food – and a free bar!

Julie and I were excited to be representing ACT4Ukraine (T-shirts duly donned and keenly aware of the implications, responsibilities and privilege attached to such a uniform), and saw this as an ideal opportunity to mingle, help spread awareness of the ACT foundation, and perhaps, find some spare moments to highlight the upcoming Acharya event we’d booked for early September at the same venue.

Following the formalities of the awards presentation, Lee informed the assembled crowd as to how the club had supported Act4Ukraine and that Julie and I would be visible in the crowd, wearing the Act T-Shirts should anyone wish to approach us.

Slowly, a trickle of people began to drift towards us, their interest now piqued, as Julie and I continued to engage. One particularly friendly young man (I’d spoken at length to earlier), watching from the side lines as donations of money changed hands, began to ask probing questions about the set-up of the organisation. And just who this ‘Mohanji’ guy was – as was illustrated by Mohanji’s signature on the back of our shirts.

My hackles began to slowly rise, perceiving an overt tone of cynicism as I attempted to quell the growing defensive senses rising within me. Like a lioness with her cubs, inwardly preparing my armour for this unexpected attack, yet, also keenly aware of the alcohol tainting the breath from this once very amiable chap.

Confusion began to cloud my judgement as I wrestled with the instincts of reaction versus the wisdom of responding, as the bubbling emotions, begging for the freedom to defend my best friend and hero, came frothing towards the top. My feelings, lost in their footings, stumbled to navigate this mean, yet ultimately, unconscious and intoxicated assault.

Irrational and as petty as this alcohol-infused onslaught was, in reality, this was the moment my ego decided to march in, shoving down the door of resistance in the face of this perceived slight: masking his so-called concern for the sake of my naiveté, brought forth my tightly held, snappy retort, to put right his ridiculous wrong, but inside, I was crumbling, knowing for sure, I was letting the side down.

(How foolish I felt: own-goal scoring, wearing the sacred team kit, under the divine gaze of Mohanji, in the face of such ignorance. I’d bitten the bait!) Eventually, managing to gather my senses and divert the focus of this attention, the heat, most thankfully, began to abate.

Not, however, the simmering, inner feelings of disappointment; having failed to respond with more conscious composure, with less defensiveness and with more grace, of reacting with confused emotions, peppered with anger, and of momentarily losing my hard-won and well-practised ‘Mohanji cool’ whilst wearing the team kit.

Finally, seizing an opportunity to extricate myself from this sticky situation, I swiftly found fresh ground with another group, eager and willing, with money in hand, wanting to share in this common cause and felt far better armed for any further probing curiosity.

Yet inwardly though, still smarting from the last unpleasant encounter, suddenly, I became aware of tapping on my forearm and, looking down, saw a shy little girl, holding up a tiny black serviette for me to take hold.

Upon closer inspection, Bella had painstakingly chalked/scrubbed the shape of a heart (copy of our ACT4Ukraine logo) with her wonky, child-like writing of the word ‘Ukraine’ written above.

This spontaneous display of innocent love shoved the dark clouds of the previous encounter into their rightful place (out into the ether) and stood loud and proud, as yet further proof of what truly lies within.

Time after time (during my relatively short public journey, volunteering for the ACT Foundation) I am privy to witness such simple, heart-felt episodes recurring, again and again, hammering home the real meaning of our time on this earth, and that are usually delivered by the most gentle, unassuming and innocent of hands.

Volunteering for ACT has been immensely rewarding, enriching my life in so many ways and helping to cement some life-long friendships with memories to treasure.

Thank you, Mohanji, for the ACT Foundation. Thank you for supplying the balm to soothe my furrowed brow. With love from my heart to your heart, my dear, dear beloved Mohanji, for all of eternity.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 25th August 2022

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

Just keep moving

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials
just keep moving

Anonymous Testimonial. Translated by: Maja Otovic 

How I rose above the suicidal thoughts with Mohanji’s help…

Since 2015, I have been feeling tired of this life. I was only 23 years old. University, family, and private life all seemed all right, but nothing was ok upon a deeper look. All of these aspects of my life were filled with hardships, struggles, problems and existential uncertainty, creating anxiety in me. 

For that reason, I did not feel like living. Just thinking about the future, I could not imagine myself as someone who was graduating from university, finding a job, a partner, having kids, working until retirement and then dying. It all seemed to be forced and unnecessary.   

Who gave me this life? Who has forced me to live in this world full of suffering, selfishness and danger? Who conditions me to leave this world through some natural or destined death? Out of that feeling of impotence, the best solution seemed to be to take things into my hands and take my life away.

That’s how it was in my head, and to make things harder, each time I’d think about it, my heart would hurt, and I’d start crying. I wanted to crawl out of my skin, hide in solitude and wait for those thoughts to pass by. I knew that was not the way and that thinking this way was unhealthy, that the people who love me would suffer.

By the way, from 2015 up to 2018, this was on my mind almost daily. As if two people were living inside me: one that does not feel like living, and the other one suffering from such thoughts. Since 2018 it has been happening less and less, and up to this day, I watch my thoughts closely so that I don’t fall into the same trap. 

How has Mohanji helped me free myself from those disturbing thoughts?

I heard about him at that same period; that is in the year 2015. I investigated about him trying to draw certain conclusions, as there was a peculiar curiosity in me to meet this man. I understood from my investigation that he is an authentic person and a humanitarian with a firm belief that the world can be a better place and that he is working on it. 

It was in May 2016 that I first saw him. As he entered the room where some 50 people were waiting for the satsang to begin, I started crying all of a sudden. As the tears were rolling by themselves, in my head, a thought appeared: ‘The world is saved.’ Mohanji is someone who has made a decision, proven through each word and action of his, that he will serve the world, that he will shed light, peace and love on everyone who comes to him. And to this day, he sticks to his decision. 

A4H - Mohanji Foundation

After that first encounter, I had an opportunity to attend various satsangs and personally talk to Mohanji. He gave me good advice that was applicable to all situations, offered a solution to my difficult state, and in the end, warned me about something that indeed came true. 

I realized that the suicidal thoughts often ensued from the expectations of others, my expectations from myself, problems, existential fears, etc. I wanted to run away from it all. But, through understanding and accepting its root cause, I stopped feeling sad and instead focused on the true values. I’d ask myself: “Does that really matter?” The reasons for not living became irrelevant, secondary, imposed and ‘in my head,’ while the reality was different.

The purpose of serving the world has helped me, pushed me forward, and given me the strength to do even more than I thought I could. There is so much to do here, and I’ll give my best to make the lives of future generations better and happier. 

As of our first conversation and up to this day, my life has been filled with purpose thanks to Mohanji, who is my friend, support, and guardian angel. In my free time, I volunteer in ACT Foundation, a humanitarian organization that Mohanji founded. It provides basic resources for all people and beings of the earth. ACT gives support, solace, hope and spreads love. Many of those close to Mohanji are not only my friends (and how much that means when you need a friend) but are available to the entire world (through Acharya programs, online chat on mohanji.org and other platforms founded and supported by him).

May be an image of 2 people, sky and text that says "We can carry nothing from here when we die except the residue of the goodness of our hearts. The residual goodness travels with us beyond our death. Be good. Do good. Love all. Serve all. Mohanji RESPECT & RESPONSIBILITY"

Nowadays, there seem to be difficulties, problems and struggles in my life, but it is not all that bad, and my heart is joyful. I have faith in dear God, and I’m grateful to him for giving me a life full of challenges and filling it with even more help and support. 

A piece of advice for those who feel suicidal: for determining the cause and finding the way to rise above such thoughts, you can look for help from a psychotherapist or a spiritual master/priest. It goes deep, and one needs to dig deep within oneself and light up those dark corners. That’s why it’s important to have stable support and guidance.

And in the end, I share with you some of Mohanji’s quotes that were most important to me and that have been my refuge:

“Never give up on life.“

“Just keep moving.”

“You are love.”

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 20th January 2022

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

An Eye Opening Mai-Tri Session

Posted on by mohansuniverse

By Preeti Duggal

The world is reeling under the COVID pandemic. Millions are affected and many are dying. There is a huge scarcity of medicines, hospital beds, oxygen, and so on. There is chaos everywhere. The second wave has been like an explosion in India. 3 hundred thousand people are getting infected daily. The Maitri practitioners are also inundated with healing requests. Yesterday, I received a healing from a person from Delhi. A very well known figure in his profession who also works for our foundation. He had tested COVID positive and was worried about his wife and three children. He requested healing for his family. I immediately agreed.

To understand the degree of infection, we usually scan the aura of the person during the mai-tri session and look for patches that penetrate it. But what unfolded was truly an eye opener and amazing. In this session, I could see a white layer like a protection shield around the family that was saving them from the COVID effects. It looked strange because I had never seen it before. I prayed to Mohanji for clarity. I saw various animals (cows, dogs, cats, pigs, goats, and so on, encircling them and and giving them protection. These animals were absorbing all the effects of covid virus to keep the family safe. On further enquiry, it was disclosed that this family has an animal shelter on the outskirts of Delhi where they take care of abandoned, old and sick animals as their own family. Some are rescued from butchers. Some are disabled and diseased. All are well taken care of as family members. In fact, the wife knows each of them by name and the animals respond in kind to her loving attention.

It was revealed that these innocent and beautiful beings came forward to protect the family in return to what the family had done for them. This was overwhelming and I had tears rolling down my eyes. It was an eye opener. The infection level for this gentleman was very high but he has no symptoms except for low grade fever for thirty minutes three days ago. None of the other family members had any symptoms. Someone may ask why would they get infected in the first place if they were protected? Mohanji showed me that this person had fear of the pandemic which weakened his protection shield allowing the virus to enter the body easily. Now I realise why Mohanji stresses on connection to Mother Earth and its beings, and doing annadaan (food donation) for the hungry and needy.

Our misplaced ego of superiority has completely detached us from Mother Nature and our fellow beings. We torture and butcher animals for the paltry pleasure of a few mins. These innocent ones cannot even complain about the heinous torture that they have been suffering at the hands of humans for years. Animals, forests, oceans, mountains – none have been spared by humans. It’s time to wake up and look into the mirror. Nature has turned the tables on us. The fear and pain we gave and still continue to give, to the beings is coming back to us as COVID. The isolation, pain, suffering felt by these he[pless beings for years is now being felt by us for the first time. We are forcibly confined to our homes just as we confined poor helpless beings in zoos for our entertainment. The virus is almost like nature’s vengeance that has shaken the entire human world. Have you wondered why none of the other beings are affected?

Mohanji has said that we have to start walking backwards. Connect with nature and start to respect other fellow beings. Think of becoming vegan or at least vegetarian so that we eat with awareness and ensure that our food is not the cause for another being’s pain or suffering. Imagine babies being snatched away from their mothers and kept hungry so we can consume that milk and milk products. I feel that if we lose this chance, we will be left with nothing for ourselves and the coming generations.

I thank Mohanji from the bottom of my heart for this beautiful experience.

On this apt occasion of Earth day. let’s pledge to do at least one good thing for Mother Nature and its beings everyday.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 22nd April 2021

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

 

Miracle at Kumbh Mela 2021

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

By Soma Seal, Ammucare President, India

Annadaan – feeding hungry stomachs is beyond any boundaries of species, caste and creed. When one feeds hungry beings, purification happens. This is why Annadaan is considered as Mahadaan – a donation of the highest stature. Especially when done on certain auspicious occasions, Annadaan brings immense fulfilment.

In my role as President of Ammucare, I have been fortunate to be in the middle of continuous Annadaan for a long time. Especially since the onset of the Covid pandemic, I have witnessed and observed several miracles. I would like to share one such amazing incident that happened yesterday (19/4/2021) in Haridwar, the venue for this year’s Kumbh Mela festival. 

With Mohanji’s guidance, Ammucare has organised daily feeding for the Sadhus (wandering saints) at the Kumbh Mela as this is a divine opportunity to serve. Especially with the challenges due to the Covid situation, doing this seva consistently has been a challenge; several hurdles have come up. However, our determination to continue this seva (service) has been strong since Mohanji explained the purpose of this seva in clear terms. The Kumbh Mela is a special occasion when several elevated saints, otherwise deep in their sadhana in the Himalayas and elsewhere, come down to mingle with the common folk and shower their blessings.

Mohanji also guided us on the right attitude to conduct this seva – “Serve everyone like you are serving a Royal or God. The food should be of the highest quality. The attitude should be of complete reverence and respect. You never know who could be receiving your food – it could be Sai Baba, Mahavatar Babaji or any other deity. Don’t be deceived by outward appearances. Thank everyone you are serving from the bottom of your heart.” 

Thanks to the dedication of our local volunteers and our generous donors, we have been serving food to people for almost ten days now. I must especially call out the contributions of Savitri Chitrapu, our Ammucare coordinator, and Mr Vasudev Sharma (Sharmaji), the Ammucare coordinator on the ground in Haridwar, in enabling this noble seva. Whenever we have not been able to serve, we have arranged for food packets to be made and distributed to people at various locations in Haridwar. Within a week, our team had managed to serve over 1000 meals. 

Once we started our Annadaan at Kumbh, Mohanji advised us to serve the Sadhus at Har Ki Pauri, the most auspicious bathing Ghat in Haridwar. He guided us that saints of the highest stature would tend to congregate there, and we should not miss the opportunity to serve them. However, as we started working on this, the government imposed a weekend lockdown, and our activities were delayed. 

Yesterday (on 19th April 2021), it became possible for us to arrange for this Annadaan at Har Ki Pauri. Sharmaji and a few other volunteers prepared around 100 food packets and took an auto-rickshaw (three-wheeler) to deliver this to the Sadhus at Har Ki Pauri. Sharmaji narrates his experience below. 

“It was about 6 pm and getting dark. Shortly before we were about to reach the Ghat, on a quiet and dark road, we spotted a Naga Sadhu by the roadside, next to a forest area; he was calling out to us ‘Hey, where are you taking the food; bring it to us. This food is for us.’ Not taking him seriously, we turned a deaf ear and continued on our journey. However, a few moments later, our auto-rickshaw stopped, and even when we tried to push it, it would not start again. We noticed that the Naga Sadhu had come close to our auto-rickshaw and was repeating what he said earlier, “Your auto will not move forward. Food which has been sent for us cannot go to Har Ki Pauri!”

By now, we realised that this call was not to be ignored. There was something electrifying about that person. So we parked the auto-rickshaw by the side of the road, took the food packets out and followed the Naga Sadhu into the forest. As we walked deeper into the jungle, it became darker, and suddenly, the few street lights went off too. Soon we saw a group of 11 Naga Sadhus gathered there! They were waiting for the feast! They were chanting and singing songs on Lord Shiva and Lord Dattatreya. 

We were totally mesmerised to witness this divine atmosphere. After offering prayers, we quickly served the food packets to all the Naga Sadhus there. We took care to offer the food with respect, and the sadhus blessed us as they accepted the food. Some of them even had second servings! While serving the food, I just mentioned to them that this Annadaan was happening with the guidance and advice of Guru Mohanji. 

One of the Sadhus said, “He is an Avadhoota. You will never understand him. He is beyond your comprehension and understanding. You do not know his grandeur. We know your Guru is far away, but wherever you look, you will see him. He is everywhere. Yes, he will come to Haridwar next year. Good that the food has reached us.” 

I had goosebumps after I heard the Sadhus speak such high praise about Mohanji! The Sadhu then asked, ‘Where is the dakshina?’ We immediately offered dakshina (respectful offering of money) to all the Sadhus. Then one of the Sadhus said, “Child, you give us dakshina today but remember it would reach someone by tomorrow. Hmm, the food was meant for us.” 

After feeding the Sadhus, we walked back to our auto-rickshaw on the road. It was very dark by now, but we were in a different world altogether, still trying to assimilate this miraculous and divine experience. The experience was not yet over, though! As soon as we started the auto-rickshaw, it started immediately, without any further push or effort. The same auto had refused to move sometime back when we were in a hurry to reach Har ki Pauri! Just as it had stopped automatically, it started automatically too!

With absolute awe and contentment, we returned home safely with just one expression – Thank you, Mohanji, for giving us this opportunity.”

When Sharmaji narrated this incident to Savitri and me, I had goosebumps too. This place is not unknown to Sharmaji or the others, but no one had spotted these Naga Sadhus there before! In fact, Sharmaji and the team went to the same location today (20/4/21) to serve the Naga Sadhus again, but there was no trace of anyone there, just a few dogs in the vicinity. 

I could only then think back to several other occasions where grace has made the toughest of sevas possible – be it Annadaan or disaster relief or clothing drives or so many other activities of Ammucare. It also served to remind me of a couple of important lessons:

  1. Like many others, I may not recognise or fathom Mohanji’s stature. However, statements about his stature and grandeur from a Naga Sadhu are a timely reminder that there is much that my eyes can’t see or my mind can’t process. After all, this saint has never met us before, and neither are we likely to see him again. He is a renunciate with no interest in the material world. So what motive could he have in describing Mohanji? Perhaps it was just to open our eyes to higher dimensions and piece together facets of Mohanji’s grand plan to raise the entire Earth’s vibrations.
  2. It gave me greater clarity as to why Mohanji gives certain directions. Time and again, I have seen that his directives often seem extremely challenging at the outset. But when we take the right steps with full faith, doors open, and the road ahead becomes clearer. After all, if I had not persevered with the effort to serve at Har Ki Pauri, this entire experience might have been lost to us. This additional clarity not only helps us serve better but, more importantly, helps us receive much more grace and blessings. Before I conclude, I would like to pose a few questions for your contemplation:
  • Why was the Naga sadhu waiting by the road, just when our vehicle was to pass by?
  • Why did he stop just our vehicle? How did he know us?
  • How did the Sadhu know that food was being taken in the auto (when it was not visible from outside, and certainly not from a distance)?
  • How did he say, “This food is not meant to go to Har Ki Pauri”, when we had not told him our plans
  • Why did the auto not move at that moment but moved easily later in the evening from that same spot?
  • How did the Sadhus recognise Mohanji? Or that he is far away? (Our coordinators had not told them that Mohanji was currently in Europe)
  • What made them describe Mohanji as an Avadhoota? Was it sheer chance that they were singing songs on Lord Dattatreya, the Tradition that Mohanji represents?
  • What did he mean by saying the dakshina would reach someone by tomorrow?
  • Who were these Masters? Where did they come from? 
  • Why was nobody there today? Did they go somewhere else? Or did they vanish?

I have been thinking about this since yesterday. I came to the conclusion that these Sadhus were divine for sure, however unbelievable it might seem to my thinking mind. We have heard and seen that all the great Masters come for Kumbh ever since it began. I have experienced this in earlier Kumbh Melas (Nashik in 2015 and Prayagraj in 2019), and this experience was another confirmation of that experience. It was also a reminder that Mohanji is at the Kumbh Mela through us, and he is doing his work. 

Do contemplate a little, and you will understand what we witnessed, and you will experience it too. 

My deepest gratitude to Mohanji, for giving us this eye-opening experience. 

PS: If anyone would like to contribute to the Annadaan at Kumbh Mela, you can do so at bit.ly/ammucare or contribute via Paytm https://paytm.com/helpinghand/ammucare-charitable-trust. For any other questions, please write to us at donations @ammucare.org.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 20th April 2021

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 – Day 8

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

Day 8 Lesson: Service brings purification

By Christopher Greenwood

I have always wanted to use my talents and skills for a positive impact in the world, and I’m happy to be able to do that with the Mohanji Platforms. I’ve been able to meet beautiful people and full hearts from all over the world and contribute something positive to the world.

Besides the outward results, I’ve learned that this work brings deep purification for our karma, including our lineage karma, i.e., our ancestors, our children and our children’s children. 

We inherit the merits and demerits of our family lineages. If our ancestors did good things during their lives, we receive this, and if they have done badly, we also take the share of that burden. We essentially inherit more than we know. 

Sometimes it is the lineage that can hold us back in life. Selfless service or Karma Yoga brings strong purification, and Mohanji has founded various platforms for the world where it is possible for everyone to serve in their individual capacity. When we are serving in any of the platforms, we are both serving the world and ourselves. 

It’s good to remind ourselves that Mohanji does not need any of it. It is not for him. It is for us, our lineages, our purification, our liberation, and for the benefit of the world.

—

Good morning everybody. Today, I wanted to talk more about Mohanji platforms and Karma Yoga because Mohanji said that one of his greatest achievements would be the Mohanji platforms. This isn’t because he wants any recognition or praise. It’s because of the benefits the platforms bring to the world and the people working selflessly across these platforms. If I put the ideas and thoughts about Mohanji being a spiritual Master, it’s really his work, and the platforms are something I connect to. It’s what he talks much about because he’s actually putting into practice what he speaks and giving back to the world, adding value every day. 

I’ll just quickly run through these platforms one by one because maybe there are some people who don’t know the extent of them; we have the Mohanji Foundation itself, which is focused on the programs, the teachings, the practices and methods that Mohanji has provided. There is Ammucare and ACT Foundation which have been established since 2003. They provide education, hunger relief, health, disaster relief, serving the helpless, giving dignity to the poor and much more.

Side by side, we now have Act4Hunger, which is purely a food distribution platform. We also have the disaster management platform, which has been set up mainly in the Delhi region, in preparation for any major natural disasters, such as earthquakes or even man-made calamities such as riots. They’ve got a response team and a training program to support that. 

We also have the World Consciousness Alliance. This platform is raising awareness about human consciousness through the performing arts, entertainment, and interviews with notable speakers. The Early Birds Club cultivates strong, stable people through a powerful morning routine of waking up early and doing positive affirmations. It is subdivided into Early Birds Clubs for adults, teens and kids. There is also the Mohanji Youth Club, the Himalayan School of Traditional Yoga, Language, Dance, and Martial arts, which are teaching these modalities (yoga, language, dance and martial arts) based on the original authentic teachings. 

And then we have other platforms, too, such as the Altruistic Association of India, focusing on performing altruistic activities. There’s Invest In Awareness, the corporate program bringing the teachings to the business world and creating ethical businesses. We have media outlets, such as Guru Light for pilgrimages and book publications, the Awakening Times, an online magazine, and finally, M House Media. 

When you see the range of platforms, it’s really extensive. I think anyone working for these platforms can tell you that it brings a real sense of self-esteem because we’re working for a much higher cause. Actually, something I didn’t really know until living with Mohanji is that there are many subtle benefits of being a part of these platforms, benefits which are not so obvious to us with the eyes. This is especially important when you consider karma yoga, the act of serving selflessly. 

I definitely won’t be able to tell you the finer details of karma. But let me attempt, please, to share some basics, which I’ve picked up from Mohanji. When I say I’ve learned or I’ve picked up, I’m essentially repeating my understanding of what he has told me. He said that broadly speaking, as human beings, we have three main strands of karma that make up our body. I wouldn’t say our body, but our being. There’s the society karma – the karma of the society in which we’re born into. And then we have our own individual karma, what we’ve brought from previous lives, what we’ve earned, our merits and demerits. And then we have our lineage karma, which is based on our family, i.e. the lineage of the family we were born into. 

Mohanji said that when we have large karmic baggage, it’s normally associated with our lineage. It feels like we can put in lots and lots and lots of individual effort, but sometimes just the weight of that burden can pull us back. He described it as us having a body that is essentially a rented house. We’re born from our mother. We’re born from our father. And as the individual soul enters, it has mixed, like milk and water, all three aspects of karma. So you’re never really sure what’s yours individually and what’s your lineages’. And if within the family, even generations and generations back, there’ve been some very dark people, heavy people, for example, torturers, that stays with the lineage. And so we share that burden. 

Thus, we’re all connected to our lineage, but it’s not visible. However, when we do good work, good things, it serves and benefits us, our future life and future generations, and the previous generations. I myself can’t prove that to someone, and I won’t even try because personally, this is where faith comes in, in my opinion. I trust the people who practice Mai-Tri and Mohanji Transformation Method, and I trust Mohanji himself as well. After living with him for eight months and having been connected to him for even longer, I can see that all these activities are completely for the benefit of the world. There’s nothing for himself. It’s just giving. When you realise what they see, they can actually see a person’s karmic implications through Mai-Tri and Mohanji Transformation Method. 

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, if it’s not something that you generally believe, that we do have karma, and that we have lineage karma, what’s the best way to reduce it? The answer is through service, through Karma Yoga. The advantage of service is that it heavily purifies. It’s complete purification. Mohanji told me, imagine if there were some feudal lords in your family, and maybe they snatched money from poor people, they made people suffer, they were greedy, or nasty. When we start serving selflessly, we’re sharing and giving. Doing the opposite of what was done before reduces the burden of what other people have collected within our lineage. Thus, serving someone, as simple as feeding a bird that feeds its children, you’re then feeding the bird and the children as well. This is how activities of a positive nature can help. Now that I’ve shared this, I’m really asking the question, and I think it’s a good question: Who are all these platforms I mentioned before for? And why do they exist?

Well, it’s definitely not for Mohanji himself because he doesn’t need anything. They exist for us. They exist as opportunities and places where we can come with our gifts, we can come with our skills, and we can serve the world selflessly. In that bargain, we begin to purify ourselves and our lineages, all those people that existed in the past and all those people that are to come. Mohanji also said that if you’re doing great work in this life, those people who could be born now from that lineage will also benefit. So I think when you look at that, the Mohanji platforms are like a big purification machine. 

For me, when I see it that way, it’s a whole other dimension of how this can really help people’s lives. I hope I’ve explained that well because it’s a topic that I’m repeating from my understanding, as best as I can, because I can’t actually see karma. But I feel that through my efforts, working with the Foundation and Mohanji, there’s much more lightness to life. I’m personally experiencing a benefit, and I’m sure many other people within the platform also feel that. 

I hope you enjoyed this lesson today, or this insight about the real purpose of Mohanji Platforms is – they are a place of service, and of purification for the people working through them, and the benefit of the society.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 28th February 2021

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

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Lessons living with Mohanji – Day 7

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials
sandra 4

Day 7 Lesson: Get it moving!

By Christopher Greenwood

“Get it moving” is a phrase you hear Mohanji say a lot when you are working closely with him. He is practical, and rather than discussing ideas, he wants to see action. Results. Because that means people in the world are being benefited. 

“True wealth is what we give to this Earth and not what we take” is one of my favourite quotes from Mohanji, and I’m learning by living with him to increase my capacity to move into action.

I have also learnt that he has a vision, a purpose and a mission to fulfil. He is uncompromising in this. He does not judge anyone, but the work has to happen, which means if I’m not willing, able, or delaying, then the task will be done another way. The first time he asks, and I agree, the details will be given with full clarity, all the details. The second time he asks will be a reminder. The third time the task is with someone else. 

This is not a nice feeling as my ego takes a big hit, but it shapes my attitude and understanding that we all have a job to do together, for a higher purpose. The more we can apply, the more people are benefited in the world. 

Also, none of this is to benefit Mohanji. It’s for the people. 

Less discussion, more action, “Get it moving!”

—

Good morning everybody. Today, I wanted to talk about an aspect of Mohanji – an attitude related to his sheer relentlessness of activity, driven by a very clear sense of purpose, a vision to raise people worldwide with the highest awareness possible. The highest possible qualities that a human can have is kindness and compassion. If you observe Mohanji, he acts more than he speaks; he does more than he says. All his platforms exist, and they’re each powerful in their own right. The philosophy is very simple, and that’s action. Get it moving. ‘Do it’ and ‘Get it moving’ is something that we, the people close to him, more often toggled. Just get it moving, move, get the momentum going. For him as well, if you can’t do it, then there’s no point in talking. In fact, he will quite often say to me if I come for an idea: ‘Don’t speak to me, they’re just words. I want to see the action.’ That’s how he is. He doesn’t entertain just chitchat, discussion, theorizing philosophy; he’s more about practical action. Are you doing something? Especially for me: ‘What are you doing? What more are you doing?’

So, everything that he talks about in his teachings, he’s actually doing himself. The platforms that he’s created, if you look at them, are so vast and varied in number that it’s amazing witnessing what he’s done. And this is living by one of his quotes, which is probably my favourite – ‘True wealth is what we give to this Earth and not what we take.’ 

red jacket

And every day, he’s delivering this. People will be aware of the main platforms we have, such as the World Consciousness Alliance, EBC, Mohanji Foundation, the teachings, the meditations, etc. But right now, as we speak, there’s much more being planned and executed too. For example, on the 23rd of October, he signed the land registry in Ganeshpuri, on which the first ashram or Center of Benevolence will be placed. Since then, he has been giving absolute clarity on how that can be set up, how it can be established, and how it will be a complete reference point for the Tradition. 

When he gives vision to people or has an idea, he’s giving absolute clarity. It always comes with something new, something innovative that’s bringing value. So again, he doesn’t just philosophize; he gives direct, actionable clarity. He is uncompromising when it comes to getting work done. And what that translates for me, here in the office, working closely with him, is fast-paced, dynamic. It’s completely aligned to a purpose, which means he’s going to make it happen one way or the other. But this doesn’t mean he thinks bad about anybody or that he judges people; that is definitely not what he does. But with or without you, with or without me (I include myself in this), he’s clear about what he wants to achieve. 

So how he generally works is that he’ll ask me once, and that first time he’ll give me all the vision, everything that needs to be done about it. I love the opportunity to ask any questions, clarify everything. The second time, he’ll remind me: ‘Have you done this?’ And then the third time, he’ll speak to somebody else and get it done that way. There’ve been some small tasks that I may have forgotten, or I didn’t give as much importance as I should have. And sooner or later, I see that someone else has done it. 

So that’s when I get the message: First time, asked, given the clarity, opportunity to ask all the questions. The second time reminded. The third time, it’s gone to somebody else. Sometimes, he will even take it on himself, which is not a good feeling when you know how busy he is already. I know how busy he is, and then, because I forgot something, I find him having done it himself. And it’s a message in itself. 

So, this reminds the close team and me that we have to have movement – we’re creating movement, and it’s phenomenal, really. And it’s all under that one sentence: ‘Get moving.’ If you look around at the platforms, each of them has that diversity. And if you take ACT Foundation, or Ammucare, which has been running for over 17 years now, serving people all over the world, it’s based on those three principles: First, focus on the right action, do what needs to be done now. Second, the right presentation of the activity, which can become an inspiration for somebody else. And thirdly, we discuss, talk about what we can do. So, first is always the right action. 

And another thing I’ve learned in this, which was a real benefit for me, is that it doesn’t always mean perfection; it means getting moving. That means that once something has started, we can always change it, it can always be improved, and it can always evolve. I used to get stuck on really making sure that everything was right; everything was correct; I had everything in place before starting. This habit is gone now, which brings a real sense of esteem. Because, if I think back, and maybe people listening can also think back, how many times you would have put off starting something, or made up a reason why we couldn’t begin: like believing that you don’t have the skills or worried about what others will think. It’s often those times when if we just moved and got something going, that something would have been created, and we don’t know how it would have evolved. 

For example, the Early Birds Club, which is running now, was formed based on this principle. I think it was conceived as an idea, as a concept. And then launched within a day, I think one or two days. And obviously, it was rough at the start getting that all together. And slowly, there’s been improvements made. Now there are many clubs across the world; there are regular weekly events taking place, great speakers are coming on, adding value to people’s lives. The whole philosophy is really fantastic; this idea of waking up early, using those early hours of the morning to connect with ourselves so that we can be more stable in our life and then have more time for society. So that still has some potential to go, but it’s an example where that philosophy of just keeping moving, less talk and more action have brought value to people’s lives, and it can go further. 

This was the lesson that I can take away from this, and I wanted to share today. Let’s take more action and, ‘Get it moving’, as Mohanji would say.

chris and Mohanji

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 21th February 2021

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

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Grace in selfless service

Posted on by Mohanji Testimonials

By Sunita Madan, India

He’s got the whole world in his hands.

He’s got the whole world in hands.

He’s got you and me brother in his hands.

He’s got you and me sister in his hands.

He’s got the little baby toddler in his hands.

He’s got the whole world in his hands.

(Song by Laurie London)

As human beings, our nature is love. Our role as individuals and collectively as human beings is to be compassionate, tolerant, peaceful, non-violent, creative and responsible.

I believe in the path of love, peace, harmony and bliss and the omnipresent higher power which connects all beings in the universe whenever required. I bow in deep reverence to this divine presence which creates this inexplicable connectedness. For me, this divine presence is my Guru Mohanji. I have been in sheer joy and wonder at Mohanji’s leelas which repeatedly shows his deep love for all even the strays on the road.

The last fortnight has been tumultuous where I observed my Guru Mohanji working through me. I was instrumental in a lot of events which occurred one at a time. It all began when we received an email from a lady called Sujatha – who requested financial help. Her case was truly sad.

As Ammucare volunteers, we reach out to many, and it’s all about selfless service to society. So taking it up as yet another seva, I decided to look into the matter the following day. The lady had sent some gory pictures and details about her accident. It was already very late at night, and I was apprehensive of the unknown, so I decided to procrastinate till the next morning. But it was not to be. As I was about to retire for the night, I felt strong energy goading me to make that call to the lady. It seemed to be very intense instructions from an unseen force that I was compelled to call her.

A tired voice was at the other end. The words just flowed as I gently and lovingly spoke to her. She held onto the phone and cried. It was a long call. She purged all her pains, her difficulties, her trauma. I could feel her intense suffering and pain. Here is a first-person account of what transpired the next day onwards in her own words as WhatsApp messages.

“I was touched by the way you spoke to me, and I felt like you were holding my hands and not letting me fall, no words to express my devotion to Baba and Mohanji. I felt it was the angel, who the Almighty had sent after talking to you. Last night I slept peacefully after a long time. I troubled you last evening. I could not share my pain with anyone like this; I feel very pained. People do not respect if we are not financially stable.

I lit the diya in front of Mohanji’s picture and listened to Shiva Kavacham rendered by our Guru Mohanji. The voice is mesmerizing. It made me forget everything for some time; thank you for being there for me. To be honest, the first time I spoke to you, I was sitting with a bottle of pesticide (please pardon me). Your call came at that moment. I wanted to quit. I got tired of this life and struggle. Not a soul to share anything with. I was blessed to have you as an elder sister, mother, friend and guide. Your words are very soothing. Can I call you Amma? I got a mother and Guru after a long wait of hardship. How do I thank you? How do I show my respects to my Guru Mohanji?

Today there was no salt, no oil, nothing at home. I was offering Mohanji just plain rice, and the doorbell rang. I saw two guys standing with many boxes saying they were in my name. I said they are not mine. (For the last three months, I have not had proper food, just porridge.) After seeing all the grocery that Ammucare sent, it took me some time to come to my senses.

Guru Mohanji saved my family and me. I do not know how to react or express my gratitude. All these miracles and blessings are nothing but divine intervention. I was wondering all these years if something good will ever happen to me in this lifetime. Is there any soul on this Earth who will ever care for me? Yes, I have you, my Guruji Mohanji and my Sai. My Guruji’s actions and kindness touched me. Because of him, I have got my prasad.

I will never forget these days if my life. Felt like the sky opened up for me. Wish I could touch Mohanji’s feet. Love you Amma. It was a feast at home today that I shared with Mohanji. I celebrated Onam, Vishu, Diwali, Dussehra, Ganesh Chaturthi, New Year and Sankranthi – all in one day. Post lunch, I slept as if there is no tomorrow.

I will always remember this day. There is nothing more beautiful than someone going out of their way to make others happy. In my case, it is my Mohanji who reached out to me. I feel blessed. This is the second lease of my life. I owe this to you and Mohanji. It was your call that saved my life that fateful day. In fact, I had lost all hope.” Isn’t it amazing how the Guru works through others? Every word I uttered was literally put in my mouth by none other than Mohanji.

Every day the counselling sessions were powerful. Mohanji led every step I took. How beautifully my sweet Father Mohanji eased the situation, brought solace, hope, peace and contentment. It’s been two weeks now, and Mohanji changed everything for this family. Wonderful donors appeared who helped Ammucare to reach out to Sujatha. Deep gratitude to one and all.

Sujatha has accepted Mohanji as her Guru and has surrendered completely to him. She feels his presence often. The Guru Principle, the Guru Tattva, the Guru element watches over us all the time once we surrender. Of course, we need to have unshakeable faith in the Guru Tattva; then there is no need for anything else. The grace of God takes the form of Guru.

Sujatha who nearly attempted suicide was saved in the nick of time by Guru’s grace. There was no food. The Guru provided it all. No money to pay the rent. The Guru blessed her with the required amount, or else they would have been homeless. She could sleep in peace as the Guru held her hand. The Guru truly has the whole world in his hands. He’s got everyone in his hands.

My deep gratitude to Mohanji for everything. My prayer is that – may each step of mine be a circumambulation of you. May all that I consume be offerings to you (prasad). May all my thoughts, words and actions be offered as flowers at your feet. Bless me so that my life is complete. Bless me so that at death, I merge with you.

|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||

Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 18th February 2021

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

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Mohanji Satcharita – Chapter 7 – “A Royal Vision”

Posted on by Testimonials Team

We begin the next chapter of Mohanji Satcharita, chapter 7, with a story based on a divine vision shared by one devotee to another.

The vision and explanation are quite descriptive and we urge you to read through this to experience this royal vision!

A Royal Vision

Written by Subhasree

On the 29th of March 2019, a follower of Mohanji (name withheld on personal request) from one of the Gulf countries, sent the following message to me. This is the period when Mohanji was busy serving the Shiva bhaktas as part of Ugadi Seva in Kurnool.

A Royal Vision_Mohanji with the Shiva Bhaktas

This testimonial is of a vision that the person had, while being in a meditative state. Reading the message, I was shocked. This was not an ordinary vision. Besides the fact that the vision matched the activities that Mohanji was actually performing at that point, the vision revealed the royal truth behind the seemingly ordinary form of Mohanji.

The message was quite clear! If I could witness it, feel it, I am sure all of you could feel it too. So here you go. Below are the exact words that I received in the description.

“This morning I had a clear vision. I saw Mohanji with a great glow coming from Him, massaging the legs of Bhagawan Shankar (Lord Shiva). I was quite intrigued with this vision. The vision was very clear. I saw that He was wearing saffron clothes. There were many people around Him and all looked like aliens. Mohanji was sitting on the floor, but had the airs of a king, perhaps an emperor. I thought that perhaps I am given to witness a past life of Mohanji because I know that Mohanji has lived a few lives as a royal and it shows even in this life in His attitude. He has royalty in Him. What was strange was that, alien like people were asking something and Mohanji was removing whatever clothes He was wearing or they were removing His clothes from Him and Mohanji never cared. Finally Mohanji gave away all His clothes. He was still occupied with massaging the legs of Lord Shiva in a bliss state. 

Later, I came to know that Mohanji was at Ugadi Seva and was massaging the feet of the pilgrims. Unlike on other days, on this particular day, as soon as He came to the venue, He went straight for massaging the feet of pilgrims instead of going to His room.

Perhaps sitting so far away, I was given the true vision of what actually happened. Hence, I wanted to share. Apologies if all this is in my fertile imagination. Do forgive me.”

I am sure, everyone who has seen the photos and videos of Mohanji from Ugadi Seva, can understand the reality of the expression of this vision. This surely is not ordinary imagination. Someone sitting thousands of miles away, getting the vision of what was actually happening, unfolds the real truth beyond this vision.

So, here is what I understand the truth to be:

A Royal Vision_Mohanji the incarnation of brightness

1. Mohanji is an incarnation of the Supreme Brightness that represents the state of Lord Shiva (brighter than a million Suns).

2. Mohanji massaging the feet of the Shiva bhaktas means the Infinite Brightness is massaging the feet of the finite – respect for each manifestation, as well as recognizing the manifestations as one’s own expression.

3. People asking Him for His clothes indicates that regular people only ask for temporary things, including our temporary existence.

4. Pure Energy has nothing to do with clothes and Mohanji easily gives away all He has, because clothes or for that matter any terrestrial possession means nothing to Him.

5. Mohanji shedding His clothes means leaving a temporary state where clothes represent impermanence.

Sitting in another continent, even further than the person who had this vision, and just by reading this sincere expression, I could feel the power of this truth. This is indeed yet another Guru Leela (divine play of Guru) that allowed me to experience truth with an honest testimonial sharing.

The vision was pure as sunshine, the power of the vision was divine and will brighten the lives of everyone who is able see the truth behind this vision. I am certainly cherishing every bit of it.

Just to clarify, these are my own understandings and interpretations, not Mohanji’s claims. Mohanji has always maintained His simplicity through ‘Mohanji’ as His only identity.

Jai Mohanji.
Subhasree

A Royal Vision_Mohanji the eternal companion

||JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||

Compiled, Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 3rd April 2019

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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.

— Testimonials Team

The Saga of ‘The Blanket’ Seva

Posted on by Mohanji Editorial Team

By Rekha Murali

Ammucare Charitable Trust has volunteers across the globe carrying out selfless service activities of various types to reach out to as many people as possible. Through each seva, volunteers have wonderful, transforming experiences. Two such experiences are given below.

Blanket distribution in Chennai

You are expressing your highest. Let that highest be compassion, selflessness, sharing and caring. Let those be your highest expressions on earth so that you have no regrets.” –Mohanji

 

These words by Mohanji are very precious as this is what I truly experienced as a volunteer of Ammucare.  I have tried to put into words the actual incident which taught me so much.

With the onset of winter in early November, Ammucare India decided on a ‘blanket drive’ campaign to distribute blankets to the homeless. I dismissed the idea immediately in my mind, as I lived in Chennai: a place where it is hot, hotter and hottest! I spoke with my friend Kishore too and we decided that we would focus on annadhan (food seva) and not on distribution of blankets. While in a conversation with Soma Seal (President of Ammucare, India) for some other matter, I casually mentioned this to her and said that it was not feasible for the Chennai team to participate in this blanket distribution. She too agreed and asked us to continue with our other seva! I could not have been more wrong and so far from the truth of our Master’s plan!

 

During the first week of December, with gusto, Kishore, Murali (my husband) and I planned to execute our monthly annadhan. One pleasant and windy Sunday morning, we set off for our food seva for the homeless. We came across a group of nomadic people who had pitched a tent in an open area. They eagerly accepted the food served and in their strange dialect communicated to us that they wanted blankets for their entire group as it was very cold! Coincidentally, it was a cold, windy day and Chennai recorded the lowest temperature for the year 2018! Our hearts melted in spite of the cold weather outside and we decided immediately to procure some blankets.

This is how our blanket drive seva started. Promptly, we began making enquiries to procure cotton blankets which people could use throughout the year and not just for the few days in December. This had to be done immediately as it was the need of the hour! During the week, Kishore and I went around to different shops to buy blankets at a reasonable cost.  Finally Kishore zoomed in on one shop and we were able to purchase 25 good quality blankets! Feeling very happy, we decided to distribute them the next day itself to complete the seva. The urgency was because this was the first time that the temperatures had dipped a little and people required them now!

pic-3

 

Late in the evening, three of us (Kishore, Sreenivas and I) set out to distribute the blankets. We drove around for two hours and managed to distribute only 7-8 blankets! Some people even refused to accept the blankets. We also carefully looked for people who had no belongings including old women and men sleeping on the streets.  As we did not make much progress, it was decided that I would distribute the remaining blankets during the week as the other two volunteers were travelling.

Contemplating on the turn of events, I realised there was a message and a huge learning through this seva activity. One thing I understood was to be completely devoid of doership and operate with detachment and compassion. The entire seva was ordained through the divine command of our Guru and Master Mohanji! I was however curious about the outcome of this whole exercise.  In the meantime, during my Kriya practice, I saw a beautiful, green, single mountain peak and guessed that it was Thiruvannamalai (Arunachala).  I understood that it was a call to visit this holy place soon!

During the third week, Murali and I drove around every alternate night in search of homeless people. Once we went around the entire length and breadth of Chennai and managed to find only one man who was settling into sleep in front of a shop with a towel and a water bottle. During this week again, we were able to distribute only five blankets.

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I was not perturbed and felt that our destination was Arunachala! This was when the call of the Arunachala Mountain came true. During the last weekend of December 2018, Murali and I set out to the temple town of Thiruvannamalai.  After a parikrama of the holy mountain (girivalam), we went around the town distributing the blankets late in the night. It was extremely cold and there were lots of sadhus sleeping on the platforms along the parikrama path. Initially, we could spot only a few without blankets but later on late at night, we located many more sadhus sleeping bare on the platform with just their dhoti as a cover. The sadhus graciously accepted our offer of blankets and blessed us. As we ventured further, we saw a few people covered head to toe in blue plastic sheets and in deep sleep. I was not aware of who these people were but I just covered them with a new blanket and moved from one person to another. My eyes filled with tears as I experienced non-doership and the person receiving it was also unaware! What we plan and what is executed are two different things! Thus the 10 days of activity ended as a blissful and heart-warming seva in Arunachala, the Kailash of the South!

The next day, while returning home, I did identify a couple of sadhus sitting on the pavement with the new blankets. One sadhu with matted hair had the blanket next to him and was noting down something in a diary. On the way, we stopped to give some fruits and biscuits to an old woman. Suddenly, out of the blue, she asked for a blanket. As I did not have a new one, I gave her the one I had for my personal use. It was such a beautiful and blissful experience that my heart overflowed with gratitude for having been able to complete this seva with Mohanji’s guidance. Thus ended the blanket saga!

This entire seva was an eye-opener and helped me understand the true meaning of giving back to the earth! Sitting in my comfort zone, I did not realise the actual need of the people on the streets. During the course of the seva, there were talks about giving only to people who ‘deserved.’ The question that came up in my mind immediately was: who are we to judge?  Our duty is to give and those who need it will automatically receive. This was probably the reason why we were guided to the right people at the right time! It removed the remnants of doership completely and my heart was filled with only unconditional love. 

Seva is an inner call with immense benefits to the volunteer. These were the few key points which each of us can contemplate on:

  1. Selflessness – Through this entire act, Mohanji showed me how the hand that gives and the hand that receives is the only connection. Doership falls away and the true joy of giving can be experienced.
  2. Promptness – Any seva has to be done immediately and effectively. Although we scouted around the same day for reasonably priced blankets, we could not give them to the people who asked for them as they left town the next morning. However, the seva was completed in a short time and delivered to people who were meant to receive them.
  3. Conviction – This was clearly brought out through my inner vision of the mountain and the annadhan experience changed my thought process within seconds, giving me that conviction that the blanket drive was a necessity at this point in time.
  4. Compassion – When the heart is open, compassion finds a place in it.  All of us as volunteers are compassionate and that is what makes us swing into action immediately when required.
  5. Awareness – With unconditional love as the driving force, the entire seva was carried out with awareness and commitment.
  6. Gratitude – The gratitude that I felt at the culmination of the activity can only be experienced. This was a wonderful opportunity for self- growth and learning.
  7. Healing – It was a process of self-healing as with giving unconditionally, we shed a lot of our baggage and are on the path of spiritual progress

Needless to say, in all of the above, Mohanji’s loving hand gently steered us in the right direction, pointing us correctly to the people who were meant to benefit from this blanket drive. Not only that, Murali and I were blessed to visit a beautiful Vittal temple through Mohanji’s grace. It was an overwhelming and blissful experience where I felt one with the divine. This is how Mohanji showered His blessings on us.

Thank you Mohanji for the wonderful platform that you provide for these acts of giving!

Jai Mohanji!

Another Ammucare volunteer, Savitri also shared her experience of Blanket distribution at Shirdi.

Blankets for the special needs orphan children in Shirdi:

 9th of November is celebrated as Ammucare day in India and as ACT day in other parts of the world. Ammucare volunteers across India were doing selfless activities according to the needs and capabilities in their areas.

 For this special event, Savitri and her husband Jayasurya planned to distribute blankets at an orphanage of special needs children in Shirdi. When they went to procure suitable blankets, they realised that the cost was way beyond the budget! Immediately, Savitri prayed to Mohanji to help them and without any delay, Mohanji’s grace worked as a miracle! The shopkeeper gave them a discount of 50%! He reduced another 20% from the final bill, saying that it was his contribution towards the seva! The ultimate cost of the required number of blankets came well within the budget. 

After procuring the blankets, Savitri, Jayasurya and their daughter (a young Ammucare volunteer) reached Shirdi a couple of days before the 9th. Selfless service with unconditional love is one of the main pillars of the Datta Tradition and the grace of Shirdi Sai Baba is always seen for people involved in any seva activity. It was evident this time too.

 When Savitri and Jayasurya entered the Samadhi temple, they met Sulakhe Maharaj (the head priest of the temple). Upon their introduction as Mohanji’s devotees, Sulakhe Maharaj immediately gave Savitri a coconut and a flower. He also gave her a shawl and a flower and asked her to give them to Mohanji whenever she meets Him. Savitri felt Sai Baba’s blessings upon receiving these gifts for Mohanji and herself.

 Coming out of the temple, she immediately noticed on the TV that Sulakhe Maharaj was not sitting at the Samadhi anymore. It was as if he had suddenly appeared to give this special gift to Mohanji on the auspicious day of Lakshmi puja. Savitri realised that this was a special blessing from Sai Baba! 

 

 

On the following day, as planned, Savitri and her family along with other Ammucare volunteers distributed blankets to the boys at the orphanage. Not only did Savitri feel immense satisfaction for having met the needs of these underprivileged children, she also felt immense gratitude towards Mohanji and Sai Baba, and for the grace of the Guru Mandala! 

Mohanji cleared the hurdle of high expenditure, enabling them to purchase the correct number of blankets at a reasonable price and facilitated smooth execution. In addition, Sai Baba’s blessings came through Sulakhe Maharaj, who gave them the gift of a coconut, which is now a rare prasad inside the temple.   

The message is clear. Mohanji and Sai Baba have shown us how much they love people who do selfless service. Mohanji carries out every selfless ACT with compassion through devotees like Savitri. 

Mohanji’s New Year message (2019) sums up the entire act of seva.

‘If we ADD VALUE to the society, we have value in this life. In this whole life, it’s all about how much we can give; it’s not how much we can take.” – Mohanji

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||JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI||

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