The Three Mothers who birth, nourish and liberate every human being.

--- In shriadishakti@yahoogroups.com, "jagbir singh"
wrote:
>
> The Sakti or Devi is thus the Brahman revealed in the mother
> aspect (Srimata) as creatrix and nourisher of the worlds. Her
> first name in the Sri Lalita Sahasranama is Sri Mata. The reason
> such names are taken from that sacred text is because the Great
> Adi Shakti Herself acknowledged during Guru Puja at Camp Interval,
> Quebec, Canada on July 23, 1994, that Her original name is Shri
> Lalita Devi. Thus the 1000 names of Shri Lalita Sahasranama are
> attributed to Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in the www.adishakti.org
> website. ...
>
> That is why my daughter once told me that we humans have three
> mothers - the physical mother who gave birth, the spiritual Mother
> within who nourishes and guides us, and Mother Earth who sustains
> all life. (But such knowledge is only admissible if it is
> experienced and cross-examined against the religious texts.) It is
> the Sacred Mother within that we now pay attention to and not Her
> external manifestation. His Shakti (Holy Spirit/Ruh) within is
> indeed the Seer, the Seen and the Seeing within all beings.
>

The Three Mothers who birth, nourish and liberate every human being

The most ancient Eastern spiritual texts, the Vedas, of India, tell us that the process of spiritual awakening by which one attains truth -awareness is called 'Self-Realization'. The Self Realized person lives in direct experience of reality -- this is called "Jnana" ( a traditional sanskrit word meaning 'knowledge' or 'Gnosis'). Such a person is called a "Jnani" ('knower ' or 'gnostic' ) or "dwijaha" ('twice born'; first from a human mother to the earthly plane then secondly as a child of the Goddess, or Divine Mother, who gives the seeker their second, spiritual birth, Self-Realisation, into the plane of mystic awareness-gnosis! ).

'Divine Mother', as the Cosmic Matriarch, is bestower of the highest treasure of Self-Realization upon Her deserving children. Many Indian mystic traditions say this same goddess is represented within the human being as the divine feminine power called Kundalini.

So, Christ seems to be telling us that the kingdom of Heaven, which is a state of God-like perfection and child-like innocence is attained by some inner phenomenon. In the Gnostic Scriptures Christ spoke directly of this as an inner transformation, self realisation. He also told us that the Holy Ghost or Divine Mother is the power by which this is accomplished.

Saktism a basis for a religion for our age

"The most characteristic teaching of Saktism, however, comes close to Advaita Vedanta. Saktism is considered to be identical with Brahman. Sakti is the creative force which creates the world and the creation is one with the force which pervades it. The earliest evidence for Sakti-Advaita can be found in some Puranas, in which Devi is explaining her own identity with Brahman. . . .

Since Sakti is both avidya and vidya, matter and spirit, the sadhana taught by Saktas often emphasizes the oneness of bhukti and mukti, the merging of matter and spirit instead of their discrimination (viveka) as advocated by other systems. The perfection of the jivas is achieved through an assumption of all the different forms of Sakti into their own subtle bodies, thus becoming one with the force that sustains the universe. . . .

Saktism has deeply influenced many recent movements of religious and philosophical renewal. . . . Many people find in Saktism a basis for a religion for our age, a religion which takes material reality as seriously as spirit. As V. S. Agarwal writes: "Mother Earth is the deity of the new age . . . the kalpa of Indra-Agni and the yuga of Siva-Visnu are no more. The modern age offers its salutations to Mother Earth whom it adores as the super-goddess . . . Mother Earth is the presiding deity of the age, let us worship her." [1]

"Many Faces of the Earth Goddess

In India, the land of Gods and Goddesses, not only is the water of the Ganges holy or the plants of the Himalayas sacred, but the tradition of worshiping our planet as Bhumi Devi or the Earth Goddess is as old as folklore. Shiva (consciousness) and Shakti (nature) are two aspects of the Brahman, the Supreme Being. In Shakti yoga, therefore, we unite our inner self with the outer nature.

In the Hindu scripture, the mother and the motherland are greater than the heaven. More than 12,000 years ago, unlike in any other religions of the world, the God was worshiped as she in the Dravidian mother goddess religion and women were placed on the top of a pedestal in that Indus valley civilization. In Sanskrit, earth is pronounced "Dharitri" which is derived from the root word "Dhri" meaning "to hold". Therefore, Dharitri means one who sustains the lives of the organic and inorganic world. According to the Hindu cosmology, the Supreme Being, with the help of consciousness and nature, created three universal gunas or attributes - Sattva (pure), Rajas (movement) and Tamas (inertia)- from which were manifested the five elements of nature: ether, air, fire, water and earth. From the soil were born plants that become seeds for human lives. Thus, the Hindus praised the mother earth through their Vedic chants saying "let there be peace on earth." " [2]

Since the Earth is a living organism then she too must be mindful like ourselves.

"The wise men of yore regarded Earth as a living organism worshipping her as a symbol of fertility and as the Nurturing Mother. As long as the Earth was held sacred, alive and sensitive, it was unthinkable to exploit her: As one is not aggressive and domineering towards one's mother. Modern man suddenly became aware of this intimate relationship when astronauts were able to look at planet Earth from outer space. Their perception of her beauty and vitality was such a traumatic experience that it transformed their relationship to a new dimension. Needless to add that many primitive tribes and traditional groups in both America and the East practise the worship of Mother Earth to this day.

Scientific investigations have led the chemist James Lovelock and the microbiologist Lynn Marguilis to regard the planet as a whole, as a single living organism.

Observations of its environmental properties such as the atmospheric composition, the salt content so the sea and the distribution of trace elements among plants and animals show that they are regulated by intricate cooperative networks that manifest the properties of living self-organising systems.

He properties and activities of Mother Earth cannot be known from the sum of her parts as every one of her tissues is linked to every other tissue and all of them are mutually interdependent. Her many pathways of communication are highly complex and non-linear; her form has evolved over billions of years and continues to evolve. Recognising that this was Renaissance of a powerful ancient myth, the two scientists named it the Gaia hypothesis, after the Greek Goddess of Earth.

Every living process has a mind. Since the Earth is a living organism then she too must be mindful like ourselves. That which is mindful is also conscious; consequently the Earth can be regarded as a conscious being. The first centre is made of this conscious element of Mother Earth within us." [3]

"So when the Kundalini ascends through the central path — you see the subject is so great that even if I give thousand lectures I cannot cover it, so the thing is I'll try to cover every point little bit here and there — when the Kundalini ascends, I told you the Cool Breeze starts coming out of your head. So what happens to you? For the first time you feel the Cool Breeze of the Holy Ghost!"

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
USA — September 16, 1983

"Today we are going to do the Puja of Adi Shakti . It's a difficult subject to talk about Adi Shakti because it's not easy to understand that Adi Shakti is the Power of Sadashiva. Sadashiva is the God Almighty. She is His Breath, as they some people call it. Some say She is the Desire and some say that She's the entire Power of Sadashiva and Sadashiva cannot do anything without Her Powers.

This subject has been described by many people in various books in different ways. But actually we need not go to the background of the creation of Adi Shakti for that, at least, you need seven lectures but we'll come to the point where Adi Shakti started working on this Mother Earth.

The first thing is, we must know that She created a Kundalini in the Mother Earth itself and She created Shri Ganesha out of the Mother Earth. It's very interesting. So the Mother Earth becomes a very important thing for us. If you do not know how to respect the Mother Earth, we do not know how to respect ourselves. The expression of Adi Shakti within you is the Kundalini, no doubt. That is the reflection of Adi Shakti in you. But the reflection in the Mother Earth is also expressed, as you all know, in different places, different countries, different cities as the manifestation of Chakras and Adi Shakti's creations. It was very important first to create a very holy Mother Earth for human beings to be born on them."

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
Cabella, Italy — May 25, 1997

A Self Realization experience that is 100% verifiable

"I have been practicing Sahaja Yoga for the last two years and have most definitely gained knowledge through direct experience. However, it is the only yoga I know that actually provides union (yoga) with the Divine from the very first day. And via a Self Realization experience that is 100% verifiable.

In years past, a true Master of Yoga (of which there have been very few) would work on his disciple(s) chakras (energy centers) until they were cleansed and balanced. He would then give him his Realization by raising the Kundalini. The Kundalini is the residual life force left over from our creation and resides in the sacrum bone which is located at the base of the spine. This Kundalini energy is a reflection of the Primordial Mother which is the Power of God that does all the living work and creation. She is like your own individual Mother and when awakened, will heal and enlighten your chakras, your brain and fully awaken your spirit, which resides in the heart, and is a reflection of God Almighty.

In Christianity, Kundalini is known as the Holy Ghost (yes, the trinity is actually the Father, the Son and the Mother). The Father is the source of all, but is the witness. The Mother is the creative aspect of God, while the Son is the object of the creation. Hence we are all children of God.

I realize I'm digressing from the point of this newsgroup, knowledge through experience, but I would like to say just a couple of things about Sahaja Yoga before I share my own experiences, which I'm sure many of you will find hard to believe - and yet they happened!

First of all, the founder of Sahaja Yoga, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, has devised a method whereby seekers of truth can get their Self Realization en masse, spontaneously; meaning you don't have to do anything for it, e.g. penances, pay money, study scriptures to no end, etc. I think the following quote of Shri Mataji sums it up best:

"You cannot understand the meaning of your life until you connect with the power that created you. It's my job to help human beings make that connection - then they will do the rest."

And once you have established the Self Realization (a.k.a. second birth, resurrection) through daily meditation and cleansing of the chakras, you can give the Realization to others - like one candle lighting another.

And now for my own experiences.

It all started by a very earnest prayer to God for a change in my life. I had been seeking and studying religion, philosophy and metaphysics, but nothing seemed to "stick" and really make a noticeable change in lifestyle or behavior.

The very next day I saw a posting on the Internet that Shri Mataji was coming to Seattle to talk about Self Realization and meditation. I guess seeing this posting the very next day was the first of many "coincidences" that I would experience over the next few months.

Shri Mataji gave Self Realization that night in a process that took about 10 minutes. As usually only a few strands of the Kundalini actually make it through all the (usually clogged) chakras, the experience for most people is somewhat subtle or maybe even non- existant. For those that do experience Kundalini awakening, you can feel a cool breeze on top of the head just above the fontanale bone or on the hands. Sometimes it is hot, especially if the chakras are damaged. The chakras (means wheels in sanskrit) start to spin off negativity once they have been pierced by the Kundalini. This feeling of the cool breeze is what Christ meant when he said first you must be born of the water (womb) and then of the wind (Self Realization).

In my case, I felt intermittent cool breeze and hot. Shri Mataji also said our shoulders may hurt if we are feeling guilty (a catch of the Vishudhi, or throat chakra). Well, as I left the hall, my shoulders were really aching but the soreness left after about 20 minutes. This is a typical clearout of the chakra.

I continued to meditate every day, twice a day for about 15-20 minutes as recommended. However, I wasn't really sure if I was feeling anything until about 4-5 weeks later. It is really difficult to describe, but during the meditation that night, I felt like a tornado of energy circulating on top of my head! I was overcome with a feeling of joy, satisfaction and bliss like I never knew existed.

The seven chakras are also mapped via our hands, e.g. the five fingers, palm and heel of the hand. Once you start the cleansing techniques, the chakra "catches" manifest themselves as tingling on the fingertips which are then decoded so you know which chakra needs to be attended to. The causes of these catches as well as the techniques for cleansing and clearing them are taught through the Sahaja Yoga centers.

In the Koran, Mohammed Sahib said at the resurrection time (right now) the lips will be sealed and the hands will speak. It is all built in. We will judge ourselves. We will not go before God like a magistrate and plead our case.

The beautiful thing about Sahaja Yoga is it happens spontaneously, it is all built in each and every one of us, it costs absolutely nothing to do it, and other than the initial Self Realization experience, you are dependent on no one to ascend spiritually. However, I'd like to add that as you become aware of being part of the collective consciousness, you realize that the spiritual ascent is happening collectively, you just aren't dependent on what human beings do "externally" to yourself to achieve spiritual growth.

I've had some pretty amazing experiences on a physical level as well, but they are a byproduct of being connected. The first "experiment" I tried was when I had a sore throat. I circled the throat chakra seven times and held my right had there, with my left hand towards Shri Mataji's photograph. I felt a cool breeze on my left hand and heat coming from my right. After about 5 or 10 minutes, my sore throat was completely gone.

I've had a severe hay fever allergy, which I've had for 24 years clear up instantaneously using Sahaj cleansing techniques. I've had two sinus infections cleared using the cleansing techniques. In the past I had only been able to get rid of sinus infections using antibiotics. I must emphasize that Sahaja Yoga is not a health clinic, but your health improves as a byproduct of meditation and cleansing.

On a mental level, I have a clarity of thinking like never before. My performance at work is at another level. Sounds somewhat arrogant I know, but I have received so much recognition from those I work with it is almost embarrassing.

Emotionally, I am practically stress free. I feel a level of joy and satisfaction like I never new existed. I am so very fortunate to have a profound spiritual experience, everyday - twice! At least.

Once you start to bring down your ego and let go your conditionings, you start to experience absolute Truth. It is our ego and our conditionings that blind us from Truth. The ego and superego (conditionings) are what medical science calls as the left and right side of the brain. We bring down the ego by forgiving others absolutely.

When Christ said, through the narrow gate you must pass to enter the kingdom of God, he was talking about the channel between our over- inflated ego and superego. Christ is the deity that looks over the agnya charka (at the optic chiasma) and by his dying on the cross for our sins or karmas, he opened the cosmic agnya chakra, and he collapses the ego and superego so the Kundalini passes upto and beyond the sahasrara chakra (limbic nerve area of the brain) so we can have our yoga with the Divine All Pervading Power.

While I have talked a little about Christ and Mohammed, the teachings in Sahaja Yoga include and respect ALL the holy scriptures. Truth is truth, nobody owns it, there is only one source of it (God), so why fight over whose truth is best?

One important thing to note, and I cannot emphasize this enough: Spiritual awakening and subsequent growth is NOT a mental process. I'm not saying don't read and study scriptures, but you will never achieve your intended purpose for being here at this auspicious time in human evolution, which is quite simply to become the Spirit, by doing anything on a physical or mental level. You can only perceive the Spirit, your true eternal Self, in a state of thoughtless awareness after the thoughts drop out and the physical sensory inputs are ignored."

M.M., Washington, 10/1/1994

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REFERENCES

1. Klaus K. Klostermaier, Hinduism: A Short History, OneWorld Publications, 2000, p. 217-8
2. www.connexion.org/
3. Yogi Mahajan, The Ascent