Identity

A talk on identity given by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga, in Sydney on the 22 February 1995.

“Actually there’s such a big desire to have an identity, but the identity lies within yourself, not outside. For example, we can find clubs of any kind, cults of any kind. They wear funny dresses just to show that they have a special personality. The other day in Chicago it was very cold and I found a gentleman who came as one leader of one of the cults, was chanting, chanting, chanting like mad. I asked him, “Why are you wearing this dhoti in this cold? It is so very cold you are shivering.” He said that. “My guru has told me that I should wear a dhoti so I’ll get my Self-realization.” I said, “Really?” I said, “Eighty percent people in India wear dhotis or they must be already there. You may not get any room there.” Then second thing he told me – he had shaven his head and was having a, some pigtail behind – and he says that, I told him, “Why did you do this?” Quite a young man. He said, “My guru has told me that I have to shave my head and I have to have all these things. That’s how I’ll get my nirvana.” I said, “Really? So Kabira, a great poet, has written that by shaving if you can go to heaven what about the lamb which is shaved twice a year? That will be there earlier.”

So like this, you see, all kinds of stupid things have been told and people have been following it. I don’t know in the West specially, people are very vulnerable. I don’t know why. Not in India, you see. It’s difficult. The people are solidly grounded, I think, in their tradition. For example now, if they say skirt which is six inches is in fashion, everybody will start wearing six inches skirts. All the long skirts will vanish from the market and what you find, all of them wearing six inches skirts. But in India they brought some mini sari. They said, “Get lost. We don’t want all this nonsense here. It’s too much for us we are not…” So like this, you see, we take to these entrepreneurs and things. It’s sometimes so absurd I don’t know how people accept all this nonsense. But I feel that once they develop their own being and understand how great they are, then they will have a proper divine discretion to do things which are very constructive. Normally we take to destructive things but with this discretion we do constructive things, not for ourselves only but for the benevolence of our family, for the benevolence of our city and for the benevolence of the whole world.

This is a special time, as I told you, very important when you should not miss it out. So in our awareness we have a new dimension which I call as collective consciousness, where you can feel others and you can feel yourself. You don’t have to judge a person by his dress, by his gait, by his talk but his divine vibrations. You will know that what sort of chakras he has, what sort of centers he has, and thus once you know what’s wrong with him you can – after certain development in you – you can cure yourself and can cure him.

So the second thing apart from the thoughtless awareness is that you become doubtlessly aware, doubtless. There’s no doubt. Once you have learnt it, once you are an expert, you have no doubts about it. You understand what you are, what you are capable of and what you can achieve. There are no doubts left. So the second stage – some people get both the stages together – I have seen there have been so many seekers that they just get to doubtless awareness. But doesn’t matter. It takes time for some people. Some people may not get realisation if they are, I would say, not well or maybe something, they have been to some wrong people. Also, maybe that they are doubting something, doubting themselves. So the first and foremost understanding should be that you are all capable of achieving this. You shouldn’t doubt yourself. You must really respect yourself because you are a human being at the epitome of evolution. You are the highest. We have nothing to learn from birds or from dogs but we have to know that we can ourselves become so sensitive that we’ll understand nature, we’ll understand animals, everything we start understanding.

The sign of a Sahaja Yogi, that he is absolutely honest, he is very kind, tender and compassionate. This is the minimum of minimum a Sahaja Yogi has to be. Of course, because a door is open sometimes some mad people also walk in, can’t help it, but most of the people who are taking to Sahaja Yoga – I was amazed – are so much changed. They have dropped all their bad habits. I never tell that. Supposing I say, “Don’t do this,” half of the people will walk off. Just I say, “Get the light of the Spirit within yourself.” Then you will become your own master. Then you will become your own guide and you understand what is right for you, what is good for you and what is to be done. There is no rule or regulation like “don’t” in Sahaja Yoga. But automatically you all accept it and do it together collectively also.

It is very remarkable that it has worked so well also in Australia. Australia is a special country. I call it a country of innocence. Uluru that you have is a symbol of that. Gradually in Sahaja Yoga you will learn about your country and you will respect it. As you learn about yourself you will also learn about this great country of Australia. I respect it very much and every year I try to come here. Many countries I can’t go every year but Australia I always try to come here every year. I hope you all will get your Self-Realisation tonight. Now, only request is that it will take hardly ten, fifteen minutes, but if you want to go you can go now and don’t disturb people when they are about to get their Self-Realisation. I will be thankful for that. Thank you very much.”

HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi