Conversation with Sahaja Yogis, support the art, Pratisthan, Pune, Maharashtra, India. (1991-1214).

But compared to Western countries it's so cheap here, I tell you. See the workmanship of it and really, it's important thing. These great saris when you see the drape is so well done [UNCLEAR].

They may come in India, might be the ticket cheap. But the variation can make it even cheaper, much cheaper for me now with the variation. Last year it was 30 rupees I think or something less - 28 rupees. Now it is paying 48 rupees per a pound.

a Sahaja Yogi: It was 23 in March, Shri Mataji.

Hmm? Where? Per pound? Forty-eight. March it was 23? Really? What a take. Twenty-three it was, eh?

But it doesn't help in the country because they can shoot up the prices, you see. But the average people, they are not having foreign exchange with them, so they put up everything. I don't know why. With the variation everything they have raised, I mean, eating, temples and all this.

See, it’s very impressive. There may be something but .... At least what I always feel that the art should not die, whatever it is - would it be the variation, in-variation, whatever it is - but it should not kill the art of the country. But sometimes it does.

India is so full of art, such a lot of things. But if they get very hard on them, they may just give up and they may become just labours, something labourers or something. They might give up the art. People can't buy if it’s expensive then the art is lost.

Look at this table now, how it's finished. People like the old stuff, liked, for generations. It is carved inside and this metal is just beaten onto it; it's very thin. Inside it is all carved. Tremendous work. Cost you nothing. But if you don't pay for the art then it will die out, it will die out. It's a big problem everywhere, in every country.

We all should buy only the artistic things, as far as possible, made with hand, more artistic things. And plastics and all that you should not buy, Sahaja Yogis. You can have two saris less but don't buy plastics. If you start buying plastics then what will these artists do anywhere? As it is, man-made things are impossible to wear. So, little expensive maybe but take handmade things as far as possible. And they have their own value also.

Whatever handmade must be appreciated. Sahaja Yogis should take to this kind of economics so it can trigger. So many countries there are where there is labourer available, artists are available. If they are not available in your country, you can get them from other country. Like you give them one camera, you can get ten things. For two computers which were sold in Russia I got one house, one flat and one car, all these things. A nice big house, it's a compound - very big house, one car and one flat.

a Sahaja Yogi: this is divine barter system, Shri Mataji.

But the computers are not divine. See, you can imagine. That's how one should understand. And Eastern bloc people have lots of art there, lots of art. But if you don't buy them, if you don't encourage that taste for artistic things then they will die. At least in the Eastern bloc you have so much of art, isn't it. We have seen it, such beauty it is.

But I think people don't like it now, they like plastics. You must take to these habits. Need not have too many things. Have few things but have handmade things and artistic - these two points should be in that. The situation is very bad otherwise for the artists. If the art dies out how are we going to bring it back? I've seen these deaths in many places.

Unfortunately we are not going to Brahmapuri this time.

a Sahaja Yogi: But Shri Mataji, we have seen so many beautiful places otherwise we have never been.

Shri Mataji: And the art museum.

a Sahaja Yogi: Yes, that was beautiful.

Shri Mataji: And how was Salar Jung? Salar Jung museum?

a Sahaja Yogi: Oh, this one in Hyderabad, this one. Oh, this one was tremendous, Shri Mataji.

Shri Mataji: Very different types of things there, isn't it?

a Sahaja Yogi: So many things they have gathered that we got lost in our...

Shri Mataji: In one lifetime.

a Sahaja Yogi: The ivory carvings, so beautifully done.

Shri Mataji: And little, little chairs.

a Sahaja Yogi: These we didn't find, Shri Mataji.

Shri Mataji: But they might have removed. Because they have very small, little chairs where a little sparrow has been. And also they have one for the elephant.

a Sahaja Yogi: We asked the people there but they couldn't tell us where it was.

Shri Mataji: It’s ok. So many things there that they have beautifully created. But chairs you must have seen.

a Sahaja Yogi: Yes, lots of them, in every room.

Shri Mataji: In different varieties.

a Sahaja Yogi: Yes, yes, every style.

Shri Mataji: And one lady standing, bending like this. And on the backside there is a horrible, very hot-tempered fellow standing. It is, in one image they showed two personalities. Did you see that?

a Sahaja Yogi: What is was? A mirror?

Shri Mataji: In the mirror you see the back. You did not you see that? You have to be tall to see things. That's the best thing there [Mephistopheles & Margarita]. And another is the veiled woman [Veiled Rebecca]. That’s also .... Did you see that? That's another good to see [thing]. I saw it long, long time back.

a Sahaja Yogi: There was a statue also of a kind of Goddess touching with her feet the North of Italy.

Shri Mataji: Really?

a Sahaja Yogi: Cabella, I think.

Shri Mataji: I didn't see that.

a Sahaja Yogi: It was you.

Shri Mataji: [UNCLEAR] died long time back .... But the nawab - nizam, it means nawab, the one who is a king - was very miserly fellow, extremely miserly. And he did not spend any money on himself or others, very thin, didn’t eat food, very, very miserly. And he was so rich that on the terraces, big terraces, he had to spread all the furs to be dried and cleaned on the terraces. There were so much, he washed them there and dried them, on the terraces, in months.

And what about Mansur, you saw it?

a Sahaja Yogi: The palace we saw, Shri Mataji. That was really something. We all desired this should be a wonderful present for you by the Indian government. And these huge, big chandeliers they have, they are all from Czechoslovakia.

Shri Mataji: Ah, long time back they’ve got, still there. They lived well in those days. It was peaceful in this country. You saw the elephant made of gold or not?

a Sahaja Yogi: Made of gold? No. We saw one in this temple sitting near the sea made of stone. That was a big one.

Shri Mataji: In Mansur - they might have made others of stone also - elephant is made of the same size as the elephant, of the same weight in gold. He was a great Devi bhakta, Mansur Maharaja. Must have been lots of Devi statues and paintings.

a Sahaja Yogi: Yes. There was in this big assembly hall on the first floor, there were old paintings of the different aspects of the Devi, Raja Rajeshwari.

Shri Mataji: Very fine person. He was very well read but was extremely fat, very fat, so much of fat. Very good person, respectable.

We have palaces all over. This is one of them. All over we have palaces even now and there is one palace of Nyamlaga, one nawab is there. He has got 500 settings, 500 of real gold for dinner - crockery, cutlery, of real gold and also plated. And all set for 500. And nobody steals it. It is very unique design, you can be caught. Nobody steals it.

a Sahaja Yogi: 500 different plates.

Shri Mataji: Many were quite well off people we had once upon a time. People who were artistically made-up, buying things from all over the world, artistic things, paintings. In our museums you can find lots of paintings from abroad.

How did you like the paintings they gave you last time from Bombay? Indian paintings?

a Sahaja Yogi: It was very nice. Very, very nice.

Shri Mataji: Nice. Indian paintings they must have given. I’ve selected them. I had to put aside and all that. They don't know what to give you, what will please you. So I need to buy these saris, I have to do it. Then to buy presents for you, then to buy presents for them. Too much. But for economic growth we have to do it.

Alright. So good night, sweet dreams. It’s a hazardous day, enjoy yourself.

a Sahaja Yogi: Thank you, Shri Mataji.