Evolution of love

MATRI BANI

One may well say: What harm can there be in doing kirtana, japa, meditation, etc. together with others? But to feel the at­traction of company constitutes an obstacle. It will naturally bring about unsteadiness.
Moreover, if a desire lurks or arises in one to be the head or leader of the congrega­tion, it is also harmful. This holds good in the case of both women and men. If you ask this body for advice, it will tell you to stay quietly in one place, and practise sadhana as a sincere and earnest aspirant and first of all to fill your own emptiness; then the treasure you have accumulated will of its own accord seek an outlet and thus communicate itself to others Whereas, if you start distributing right from the begin­ning by serving and giving spiritual instruction to others, you will soon be empty yourself and repentance is bound to follow. Of course, if serving and teaching is your aim, then it is quite a different matter. But if you want to attain to perfection, your method of proceeding is not right, for it creates obstacles. This body [ Mataji ] maintains that you should abide by whichever of the two paths you prefer. To change one’s mind again and again will not lead anywhere. Whatever one does must be done one-pointedly. Having turned away from worldly enjoyment and started advancing towards the Goal of human life, one should endeavour to arrive at Self-realization.
142
It is by seeking to know one’s Self that the Great Mother of all may be found.
143
Your mother may not show her affection outwardly, yet she is and always remains your real mother. Even though you may want to put God the Mother aside, She will not leave you. Are you not Her offspring? Keep in mind that everything is under Her dispensation; She provides, for each the right thing, at the right time, in the right way. Yes, certainly, it is to be welcomed if the desire for the Real awakens. A mother is she who has the capacity to know precisely and measure out to her child exactly what he needs. It is because she knows how to make allowances for Her child’s mistakes, how to forgive, that she is called ‘mother’.
144
Yes, if you can observe silence and be in harmony with everyone all round, it will be excellent. Try to remain without the help of signs and gestures for as long as possible.
145
To begin with keen up your habits regarding bath and diet, so that you may get undisturbed sleep. This will make it easy for you to think of God and meditate. When the body is healthy it helps to fix your mind on Him. As you progress in your sadhana, your diet and sleep will automatically undergo certain, necessary changes.
146
According to one’s strength one should try to set apart a day for self-restraint (samyam), if not once weekly, then once a fortnight or at least once a month. On those days strict control is to be exercised as regards food and drink, speech and conduct, going to see places and people —in fact in every respect whatsoever. In this way one may gradually succeed in developing self-mastery and be able to live according to these rules quite effortlessly, or at any rate with some measure of ease even for two or three months every year. Later it may perhaps become possible to sustain permanently such an attitude of life, which will set in motion a current leading to Self-realization. The consequence of indiscipline and self-indulgence is sorrow it means moving away from one’s own true Self.
147
To see Mahadeva appear and dissolve Himself into your body, accompanied by a manifestation of light are undoubtedly good signs. Even the faint vision of a spiritual form [ cinmayia murti] is very auspicious. The appearance of Kasi Viswanatha in the centre between the two eyebrows does happen to those who practise meditation. The seeing of figures from the waist up to the neck in a great variety of shapes and presenting themselves in many different guises is quite common with sadhakas [ spiritual aspirants] . When you have ho definite proof as to the identity of a particular apparition, you Must not, at the mere sight of his form, take it for granted that it is the one you assume it to be and no other. The fact is that the sadhaka’s spiritual Energy (sakti) manifests itself in countless ways according to his special method of approach. If contemplate the form seen, which represents the outer manifestation — although in an obscure way — of that spiritual Energy which is intimately connected with man’s innate urge towards God (bhagvad bhava ] it will lead you to God-centredness and help you towards the things that favour a consecrated life. It must be borne in mind that He manifests Himself in everyone in this way through the development of His divine Energy (Tat Sakti).- Heart and soul have to be put into the attempt to convert religious practices such as puja, japa , dhyana into living experiences so that their inner significance may be revealed.