Maryada_Purshottam_29 Mohini_Didi September 29, 2022
Om Shanti!
Happy Sadguruvaar and also happy Navratri to each one of you! Today, Baba beautifully explained that all these Goddesses are your images. It's so beautiful with Baba, I felt He was invoking each one of us as Goddesses with all eight powers. Baba said that it's very important to have all eight arms because you cannot be worshiped with seven arms or five arms. It's only when you reach this stage when you have all eight arms, that you become worship worthy. Baba also explained why these weapons are shown because all the devils in the form of obstacles will come in front of you and you use all the weapons. Different weapons are shown but also, your image is not only free from obstacles, but also giving blessings. So, that's the image where all other ornaments and beautiful things are shown. You know we offer Baba flowers, fruits, and even cook our Bhog for Baba because it's nature, elements that sustain us. So, there is God, then there is nature, then there are souls. So, whatever we are sustained with, we offer also to God. We also bring beautiful flowers and beautiful fruits. What should our face be like when we go to Baba? A lot of contentment, joy, being full. So, it was a beautiful experience even for a short time. Baba also keeps reminding us that this birth is elevated and very valuable. You get God's love, you are able to meet God, and it's like Baba was saying, “I meet my original children.” You feel so lovely when you hear God calling us his children.
So, we have this beautiful feeling of what we are becoming and who is making us. So, we are very fortunate. This birth is a very valuable, most elevated birth. We are very fortunate, but then what do we have to do? Baba said that while doing actions, simple actions, whether you are walking, talking, cooking, doing anything, we should have elevated awareness and an elevated stage. Then the atmosphere will also become very elevated. Wherever you are, in whatever atmosphere, because of your elevated awareness and elevated stage, not only if there is an adverse kind of atmosphere, it won't affect you, but also you will create a beautiful atmosphere. I really like it very much that if we pay attention to our awareness and our stage during the day, then you will look alokik, and you will not be like others. So, I think one day, what Baba is saying, we should be able to do. These days, we still get very ordinary because our intellect is born with the action, then with Baba. Having the intellect, awareness of Baba and doing Karma Yoga, I think that's the goal, that's what we have to attain. Awareness and stage, elevated while doing ordinary actions, simple actions.
I think when we came to Baba, we used to have intoxication and all the time we kept saying ‘Baba’, we kept talking about Baba. Now service has become like when others come, you have to serve, but we have to prepare ourselves also. It's important. Then the maryada we are taking is cleanliness of mind, body, our surroundings, everything clean and also orderly, organized. If suddenly someone goes and looks at your desk, suddenly someone appears and looks at whatever you have around you, mostly we will say, “Oh, I did not get time”, but when it gets accumulated you need time. Anything you do regularly, properly, doesn't take extra time. When we just say to leave the paper here, leave things here, leave things there. I mentioned before about Dadi Janki, we all have to follow because there must be something deep in that. We should keep everything very clean and organized. When I say something it has an impact, and you know clearly every day whatever has to be done. It might take an extra 10-15 minutes but it's worth it. I remember that one woman used to come from Jewish family, and when she would go home, she would start cleaning. So, her husband asked, “Why you come from the center and start cleaning?'' She said, “Because it's so clean, so when I come home, I feel like I need to clean.” I have experience of houses being offered for centers just by seeing the place clean.
Today, so many important people are coming to Shantivan, to Gyan Sarovar, to Pandav Bhavan, and one of the things they say is that it's so clean. Not only clean, but they say that the management about food, about programs and gifts, everything is so organized. So, it's not only spirituality, it's not just lectures but our real life, practical life. These two qualities play an important role. Everyone is mentioning the clean place and how organized, how beautiful it is, how well managed it is, and just imagine that they had about 20 conferences in a month. So many important people came in, many ministers and everyone. They had saints and sages, they had scholars, now they have painters, artists because there was only a limited time in the month of September. They had to do programs for all the wings because then Baba's season begins, and in August there is so much rain, they can’t do it. Amazingly, generally, I never noticed but one after another five days conference, but still they are able to maintain cleanliness and also everything is very organized. So, this is part of our discipline, maryada, image of organization, personal life wherever you are, in your family or at the center. So, we will see, look at this tomorrow.
Om Shanti
Questions and Answers
Question - I really appreciate how each night you've taken the idea of destroying and creating because of the goddess. I was thinking of this maryada of cleanliness and orderliness. Of course, we destroy chaos and create order, we destroy mess and create a clean space. This maryada is such a practical expression of purity, how pure we are inside, and we express it externally. I'm curious from the Goddess perspective, which powers do you feel are most connected to this maryada of cleanliness and orderliness?
Mohini Didi - I think that everything is connected with our state of mind. That means if we have a habit of sorting out, that means whatever is not needed you keep sorting out and keep whatever you need. Sometimes we keep accumulating a lot of stuff. For me, I just say, “No, these are my clothes”, very orderly. Not keeping a lot of stuff around us is very important, and that power is sorting out. So, when you are sorting out, then actually it happens with your thoughts and actions also.
Question - I was just thinking, for me it takes the power to face to open that closet, and then the power to discern and decide to know what to get rid of. I feel like all the powers are involved, but maybe for each of us it's different. For me, it's the power to face.
Mohini Didi - I agree, because you know it will be a lot of work especially if you've accumulated. If we do it every day, then I think it's not that much, because if we are not consistent, then suddenly after eight days, one month or six months, we don’t know where to begin. So, I think you have to do it consistently, that could help.
Question - I've noticed that there are some who are very clean and orderly in here, but then externally not so much. Then we have others that are externally so clean and also internally. Why is that? They're a reflection of each other so often, the internal and the external.
Mohini Didi - Actually, it should be both. It should be natural, because what I used to notice with Dadi Janki was that she worked a lot on her mind and the thoughts and you could see that cleanliness and orderliness in her every action. Anything she takes, it has to be put away, in her room, with all her stuff. So, I think if you pay attention, it should be both. It should be internal and also external. I know there was a time when people were doing a management course and they were not managing their bags. Everything management was outside, not in their own lives and I always told them that if you do not manage yourself, there won't be an impact of external management. So, each one of us if we pay attention that internally I have to be clean, and I have to be more orderly externally. So, we definitely need both.
Question - As we're purifying, internally, we are becoming cleaner. How does cleanliness of the exterior world influence my purification process?
Mohini Didi - When you see things outside that are not clean, not orderly, then it does have some effect on the mind also. So, I think it's very important that we do both internal and also external, then life will be very beautiful. You can enjoy more, and not only that, but it also inspires others because you are setting a good example. Baba always used to tell us that you have to be a good example so that people can learn practically from you. If you want others to be like that but you yourself are not doing it, it won't help. So, I think it's good to be a good example for everything.
Comments