Spiritual Growth in Sahaja Yoga
Vijay Kapoor
Dear All, Jai Shri Mataji
In 2009, I was asked to write a brief article on Spiritual Growth in Sahaja Yoga for the first issue of Sahaja News magazine (March - April 2009) published by the Trust. The same is given below for your information. You may share it with other Sahaja Yogis and with District/City Coordinators if you so desire. New SYs can learn from the points compiled in the Appendix. The points given are useful in understanding the process of growth in SY i.e. the issues that one should bear in mind as we progress in SY.
All points have been adopted from our Divine Mothers talks and HER advice to SYs. References/Bibliography is given below the article.
Love and Respects
Lt Gen VK Kapoor (Retd)
Spiritual Growth in Sahaja Yoga
Lt Gen VK Kapoor (Retd)
Our Divine Mother has spoken at length on the manifold aspects of spiritual growth in Sahaja Yoga. The talks, which include subtle nuances of the various facets of an individual’s spiritual growth, are the priceless possessions of all Sahaja Yogis, and are available in different editions of Nirmal Yoga which were published earlier as well as in The Divine Cool Breeze which is currently published as a bi-monthly Sahaja Yoga magazine.
After realization, all Sahaja Yogis/Yoginis usually have a strong desire to achieve their spiritual growth so as to accomplish their aim of becoming the spirit and to comprehensively understand the subtler side of their higher benevolent life which not only sustains us but gives us the ever loving company of the Bhagwati Mata, our Beloved Mother. Achieving and retaining this state results in the higher stage of our evolution, and is generally referred to in the Indian scriptures as “Turya” state or the fourth dimension of a human being.
Nirvikalp State
By the Grace of our Divine Mother we have got our self realization by which we experience two dimensions of consciousness, namely,the Nirvichar Samadhi and the Nirvikalp Samadhi. The latter is a deeper, a thoroughly joyful and blissful experience in which the physical body loses significance and a Sahaja Yogi experiences the bliss of Nirananda (Nirmal Ananda). The physical experience of this state includes the continuous flow of the nectar of divine love (Chaitanya-vibrations) from the talu (fontanelle bone-Sahasrara Chakra). Our Divine Mother has said-“It is so precious that no words can describe the greatness of these moments which we are spending together. You have to feel it within yourself, the assignment that is given to you through your own spirit, through your own state. You can fulfill the assignment. But lack of faith in yourself cannot give you surrendering powers. Surrendering is the opening of the Sahasrara, keeping it completely open so that Nirvikalp State is established within us. There should be regular progress of improvement, regular progress of the opening.” In the Nirvikalp State, the Sahasrara remains open and the state of the individual keeps improving. The Divine Mother adds-“The area of Sahasrara is the realm of God. When the Brahmarandra opens fully then the heavens open within yourself. The Kundalini which has risen up and given you realization creates the subtle opening by which the Divine starts pouring all its subtleties inside your brain. But if you are pressing it from both sides with these balloons (ego and super-ego) sometimes opening, sometimes closing, the Divine recedes its attention. You must know that. The attention is receded back and if it is done many a time, the Divine doesn’t bother. So it is you who has to achieve that state and all of us can achieve that state of Nirvikalp. In that there is just progression. After Nirvikalp you cannot come down.”
In this state, a SY has no doubts left about the fact that the Mother is divine and that he/she is the Mother’s child and the entire philosophy of Advait (oneness of man and God) of Adi Shankracharya becomes a reality within. This is what drove the Saints of the yore to ecstatically exclaim- Aham Brahmasmi! (I am Brahma). Once this state is experienced, an inner discipline sets in. He/she looks the same but an inner transformation occurs which alters our pattern of life. Thereafter we do not enjoy the company of non-spiritual people and our priorities change and our conduct in life changes. We become far more tolerant, peaceful, and truly dynamic. Hereafter our only desire and yearning is to obtain a deeper and deeper state of Yoga and we remain connected with the Divine (Our Divine Mother) in the Nirakar (formless) state irrespective of our physical or mental undertakings. We then transcend time, dharma and gunas (Kalateet, Dharmateet and Gunateet). In this context our Divine Mother says: “You will fizzle out into thin air unless and until you are in the Nirvikalp State”. This is a big warning for all of us.
Complete Dedication
Our Divine Mother had said-----“You have to dedicate yourself completely to me; not to Sahaja Yoga but to me. Sahaja Yoga is just one of my aspects. Leaving everything you have to dedicate. Complete dedication-otherwise you cannot ascend any further. Without questioning, without arguing.”
Devotion and dedication implies complete surrender from our hearts which can be achieved through meditation which is the only way. Only through meditation can we be completely cleansed and blessed. In the words of our Beloved Mother “You have to be fully blessed by the divine, clothed by the love of God-----------. We have to become the wheels of the chariot of God.”
The Power of Spirit Within
Shri Mataji has said that the source of our comfort is our spirit and the more we see to the comfort of our spirit “the problems of outside comforts will drop off”. She has particularly warned us – “For that it is important also to see that we take ourselves to task and don’t get into mediocre living and mediocre thinking. We are people of very great potential. Not only that we are blessed with Gods Divine Power. Try to use that within yourself and try to be one with it”. We must avoid loose talk and try to assimilate more within ourselves. We must also avoid inner talk which leads us to analyse and criticize our actions. Shri Mataji has said-“So this kind of inner talk should be stopped; they are called murmuring souls. But these murmuring souls exist within us. So beware of them and don’t listen to all kinds of non-sensical talks, and try to keep a good eye on that and be alert, so it will help you.”
Achieving Spiritual Growth
Some suggestions for achieving spiritual growth in Sahaja Yoga are given in the Appendix below, attached to this article. These have been adopted from our Divine Mothers instructions given from time to time over the past 38 years and through the experiences of a large number of Sahaja Yogis.
Our Divine Mother fulfills all our pure desires. Let us, from the core of our hearts, where our beloved Mother resides, desire the Nirvikalp State.
Appendix
Suggestions/ Recommendations for Achieving Spiritual Growth in Sahaja Yoga
1) To achieve spiritual growth, we must Meditate regularly. Meditation is the only way of achieving spiritual maturity in Sahaja Yoga.
2) Early morning meditation (between 4 am to 6 am) is the most beneficial as it cleanses us…. “Until and unless you are cleansed how can you be completely blessed?
You have to be fully blessed by the Divine, clothed by the love of God.”
3) Meditation essentially means surrendering to the Divine Mother in complete freedom. “Freedom in subtlest form is complete egolessness, no angularities, complete hollowness, just like the flute; so that the melody of God could be played well –that is complete freedom –no hang ups”.
4) The Divine Mother does everything, hence surrender to Mother and invite Her to come in your heart. “Only through Bhakti (devotion & dedication) can you achieve me”.
5) Sahaja Yoga is to be worked from the heart and NOT from the mind. The Divine Mother says-“Sahaja Yoga is to be worked out, not thought out. You have to purify the heart by looking at the photograph and putting all loving feelings about your Mother, understanding Her work and putting Her in your heart.”
6) Spiritual growth occurs only when we are in thoughtless awareness (Nirvichar State), hence after clearances, mantras, affirmations and treatments, we must sit in thoughtless awareness for some time to allow our Kundalini to continue her work to deepen our spiritual state.
7) “Meditation and Introspection are two methods of human growth. In meditation Chaitanya makes you grow and by introspection you remove all your negativities.”
8) Depth in Sahaja Yoga is measured by the way you keep joyous and happy.
9) Try to give self realization as often as you can. If possible, give self realization daily.
10) Ask the Divine Mother to take away the negativity which prevents you from giving self realization. Ask for opportunities give self realization.
11) Open your heart fully to Sahaja Yoga, in a doubtless way. “If you are not worried about yourself after realization, about your spirit, you will have all the problems of the world………Open your heart 100 percent”.
12) Listen to at least one of Mothers talk daily.
13) Study ancient scriptures, and lives and work of the great saints.
14) If you are experiencing anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, then with full awareness observe what is happening to your subtle system and chakras, then clear it out.
15) Involve yourself in SY work. Work on other Sahaja Yogis who require assistance.
16) Lead a meditation.
17) Take under your wing, two or more new SY and help them in settling down in the collective.
18) Invite new people and Yogis to your home for socials and deep meditation sessions.
19) Always try to leave someone feelings better than when you first encountered them.
20) In doing “Bhakti” we express our love for the Divine Mother but simultaneously our actions must be such which please our Mother. We must remember this point as we perform our daily duties.
21) The desire to be one with the divine is the purest and the highest. To achieve that, we have to keep our Divine Mother pleased and this occurs when we use all our material things and our material being in such a way that we please our Divine Mother. We have to keep our Mother pleased by pleasing other Sahaja Yogis and not other people.
22) Meditate collectively as often as you can. Collective meditation is essential for spiritual growth.
23) Use Mother Earth to purify yourself by walking bare feet and by sitting on the earth. Clearing the “Mooladhar” by reciting Shri Ganesh Atharva Sheersha while sitting on the Mother Earth is beneficial for clearing the entire system. “And without a strong Mooladhar you cannot rise high”.
24) Wear Mothers badge or pendent, visibly, when out in the public,at work.
25) Cook for SY. You get great vibrations yourself; you pass them on to create happy Nabhi in others.
26) Every time you attend a meeting or a collectivity, make it a point to meet a new Sahaja Yogis you have never met before.
27) Try to meet other Sahaja Yogis everyday and if possible exchange vibrations.
28) A reaction to anything or any situation is our problem. We must humbly accept it and not try to attribute it to other persons or situations.
29) Praise, motivate and encourage each other. Be honest and respectful to each other. We must have compassion and love for all Sahaja Yogis.
30) Foot Soaking - “everyone must have a sitting in water everyday” (foot soaking).
31) Spirit shines on an “attention” which is steady. Steady it by balancing. Balance your thoughts, balance your eyes, balance your desires. Balance your ego and super-ego.
References/ Bibliography ( Source: Shri Matajis Talks/Advice)
1.Her Holiness Shri Mataji’s Advice Nirmal Yoga (NY) Nov-Dec 1983.
2.Complete Dedication-The Only Way NY,Nov-Dec 1984.
3.Every Sahaji has to becomes a Guru, NY, Nov – Dec 1984.
4.Sahaja Yoga Works only by keeping Mother Pleased, NY,Jan-Feb 1985.
5.Nirvikalp, NY,Sep-Oct 1985.
6. Sayings of Shri Mataji, NY,Sep-Oct 1985.
7. Sahasrara Day Puja, 05 May 1985.
8. The New Age (Seminar in England) NY, Nov-Dec 1985.
9. Mooladhar Chakra, NY, Nov-Dec 1985.
10. Gudi Padwa Puja, 05 Apr 2000, The Divine Cool Breeze (DCB) Jan-Feb 2001.
11. The importance of Dedication and Devotion, The DCB Jan-Feb 2001.
12. Achieve the Power of Spirit Within NY, Nov-Dec 1985.
Note
The above article was published in the first issue of Sahaja News, Volume 1, Issue1, in March-April 2009.