Talk at Los Angeles Ashram. Los Angeles (USA), 3 December 2000.

I've been here for now quite some time, I think. And, I want to really tell you something important that Los Angeles is a very, very important area. And, compared to all other counties and states, Los Angeles has not taken such a big stride the way it started. And especially when I had a program here, very few people came in after that. What is the reason for that? I tried to find out.

First of all, you must realize your own personal responsibility, that you all have got Sahaja Yoga absolutely free; but you have a certain debt and that debt is that you have to give Realizations to others. If you just have it for yourself and leave only to your leaders to work it out, it'll never work out.

How many people have you given realization? You have to count it. Because after a certain state of your achievement, you become very creative, extremely creative. At this age also I am working, but what I find, once you get your realization, you are settled down with yourself and you become like a monk. We don't want to have monks and priests.

What do we want to have? Sahaja Yogis who will talk about Sahaja Yoga to people, who will develop Sahaja Yoga and create more Sahaja Yogis. So you have to count how many Sahaja Yogis you have created.

Yesterday, you saw Anand. Anand is of course my grandson but the way he got his Realization. I find him everyday he tries to find somebody if he could give Realization. Everyday! Yesterday again he brought two people.

So, you see you don't have to feel shy about it. I have seen people who have false gurus. Once I was traveling with some lady. She was very hot. So, I asked her, "What's the matter, how are you, who's your guru?" She told Me the name. Horrible guru! "Oh my God" she said, "So great. He's done this; he's done that." And, I was amazed; how is she talking so much about that guru? But Sahaja Yogis feel shy. They don't want to tell.

There's nothing to feel shy. If you have got realization, it's the greatest thing you have got. I mean you don't understand the value of it perhaps, and you don't want to also talk about it to others, like you want to preserve it to yourself - I don't know why. But you have to talk to other people, otherwise Sahaja Yoga won't spread in Los Angeles. Or, I should say, California on the whole.

Now the reason is also, I personally think, that you not only feel shy, but you are quite satisfied with yourself and you have no confidence about others. You think, "What will they think?" What will they think out? What will they do to you? What will happen to them? I mean, if you tell them they are not going to prosecute you, take you to courts. But I find this very much here, I don't know why in Los Angeles. And, at the same time, we have very deep Sahaja Yogis here - very, very deep. They have achieved quite a lot, but for what?

It's like a miserly person who has lots of money, good for nothing. This is one of the reasons you all have to decide. It's your personal responsibility, your debt to the Divine. It looks after you, it protects you, it helps you. So many of you can say how it has protected you, how it has helped you, how it has cured you. In every way it has done so much for you. Now what have you done for Sahaja Yoga? One has to see to it, introspect, find out.

Another thing, from organizational point of view I have talked to Dave and others also, that first you should try to concentrate on one center. Now, you divide among yourselves. All of you should decide that fifty percent people will go on Saturday; fifty percent will definitely go on Sunday. You see, there are more new people than the Sahaja Yogis. When I found out, I was surprised. What are they up to? It's a Saturday and Sunday.

This is your job. This is everything you have to do, otherwise what's the use of your life as a Divine personality? I just don't understand how such deep people in Sahaja Yoga cannot feel that others are lacking this depth and they need joy. They need everything that you have got and you have to do it. So, on superficial things if you waste your energy, it's not doing any justice to Sahaja Yoga.

Los Angeles is one of the first places I came to. And, at that time here, there was this sixteen-year-old guru who was befooling everyone. And, I just felt, "These are stupid people. I don't know what will I do here?" So, I didn't come for nine years.

So, you have to take to Sahaja Yoga in a proper way - in your family, with your children, with everything. Now, there has been something they wrote in Internet. I think it's very poisonous thing because it has no meaning. It's all absurd. Now, we have got the answer written down. We were not sending it yet. But you all should know it so you can answer it.

At this age also, you see, I'm so anxious that I have to complete My projects which are thirty-six in number - so far we have got, may be thirty-seven. And, we have to complete this, all this, for which I'm not asking your help or anything. But it's very important projects we have got, some are in India, which I started earlier; and then some are in England, some are here, some are in Canada, like that.

What I'm saying that you, too, should have projects about Sahaja Yoga; but at the same time, I would like to warn about certain things. Like you send some book on this thing. First of all, her - she is never to be depended. I don't know why you take him so seriously. Do you know he brought some horrible medicine to sell in Cabella? You don't know. He brought it. Chinese. And he sold it for a very high price there to all Sahaja Yogis. But Gregoire's tongue became absolutely green. So, imagine! Nobody has business to sell anything without asking Me.

So, you see, one should not have anything to do with it. Then also, I saw the book. But you should not write any book like that. You see, this book is not to be given to anyone. Those who want to cure people, they should cure, but it's not important. That's not your duty. If you want, you can cure, but it's not your duty. Main duty is to give realization to people. So that book is to be cancelled completely, out of question. Such a book should not be written, because I have to spend some time reading it and all that. But there's no need to write such a book. First take My permission. If I say "yes", write it. Otherwise without writing Me, if you write a book. I can't understand. And, then you send it to Me to read it. It's wrong. First you ask Me, all right? You ask Me the contents, you ask Me if you want to write like that. But otherwise my time is so limited, in that you want Me to read the book, this thing.

These are all small, small things. Now, the smallest thing is writing letters, all the time writing letters to Me. There are so many letters like that. Now in that letter what do you write? You never write how many people you have given realization. No one! They will write, "My husband is not all right, my wife is not all right, and we are having a fight and this and that and that and that." It's not important.

Now you have become Sahaja Yogis. You are masters now. Why should any problems make you suffer? Why should? You are contented within yourself. All these problems, useless absolutely, should not bother you. That means you are not yet come up to that level which we can call a master. I call you masters. You are like Zen masters. But see the Zen masters, how they are; Tao people, how they write, what they have to say. Boldly they'll say everything and they're so satisfied within themselves. They don't talk of small, petty nonsense. Not that you are not intelligent. You are all very intelligent people; and, in that intelligence, I find that if the attention goes to all nonsensical things, it is absolutely going to be detrimental.

The another thing you must have noticed that so many people are now coming from India. Why? What is so great about India? Why don't they have people from here? What is the reason?

The first reason is that parents neglect the education and discipline of children. Children must be disciplined. That's the job of the parents, otherwise they would hang from some trees. But they are your children, you have to discipline them. They should know how to behave; they should know how to talk to people.

This so-called freedom idea of America has ruined your country. First of all, children must be brought up in such a way that they're disciplined Sahaja Yogis, they have proper sense of protocol; otherwise you'll be creating just useless children.

Thirdly, so much accent on money - money orientation - for children also here as I have seen in the education. Children are asked to clean the car. They'll pay five pounds, five dollars. Then he does something, but don't pay them. That's their work, that's their job, that's their responsibility. Otherwise if you start doing like this, you'll spoil your children with it. At a proper time you can give them some presents or something, but don't start giving them money like this. Then money becomes important.

I have seen many Sahaja Yogis who came to Me and they said, "And we don't want to do graduation, Mother, we don't want to study. We want to become garbage cleaners."

I said, "Why?"

"Because you can get lot of money in garbage cleaning."

Can you believe that? So, the whole attitude is towards getting money at any cost - no dignity, no understanding, nothing.

So, children are to be told of sublime ways, of nobler ways, of higher ways. You already have got Realized children, but if you don't tell them, then I don't know what will happen. They will become garbage cleaners.

First and foremost for children is discipline and their education. You must pay all money, whatever is needed, all your attention, to educate your children. Now with that, no education, what's happening is the children have no breeding. Either put them in some profession, if they want. Put them in anything where they can learn something. That's the age when one has to learn. Not just leave them because it's freedom, let them have their own time. It's a wrong idea. That is how this country is ruined, I think, and then the family system also is nonsensical. I have bought this house. It's very interesting, but what I find that there is a huge, big room for husband and wife; and small, small room, and two-three bathrooms for it. I bought it because it was just for my own sake; it was all right.

But from the very beginning they have idea that children will go away at the age of eighteen years. Why should children leave you if you have a proper house? Even if you don't have a proper house, if you have all the love and convenience, they'll never leave you. Our India - it's difficult. We had Avdhut, you must be knowing him, Mr. Pai's son. So, Mrs. Pai was very much caught up on the left. Very sweet, he is very innocent boy. He came to Me and he said, "Mother, if you leave your parents at the age of say, eighteen years, then will their bhoots leave you?" They asked Me a question. I said, "It may; it may not." "Then why to leave parents, you know. Parents are very useful." I said, "How?" He said, "Firstly, my father is there. So I will never take to smoking, because he'll scold me. I'll not do wrong things. So, it's better to have father." So, I said, "Really?" "Yes", he said. "In a carriage, if there's nobody to manage the horse, horse will go wrong", he said.

And very intelligent also, very deep. But see the innocence of his heart. He said, "No, no, then no use leaving the parents. Nice! They should be there to tell us. Otherwise who will tell us?" So, you see, this should be perpetuated in your children also to understand that somebody has to tell, somebody has to guide.

Now what has happened, I think, in the West is that people have advanced. Now, say, the central line is here. They came from a developing state and now they are over-developed. So now to come to Sahaja Yoga, they have to come back. They have to come back, which is very difficult for developed people to come back. But for people who are black, say, people who are not so developed, they are very good, because once they start developing, they can be sucked in. So very easy to get the black people to listen. So, I would say, you all should work among black people. Skin is not something I have seen is so important. So this skin-deep problems that you have should be completely given up. You'll find such beautiful, such nice people among them. So you have to talk to them, and you have to look after them. Now I can't do that myself, but you can do it as my children. Try to see the good points, good points of all these people - of all the people.

Even now, say, some people who go to India like Indians very much and they praise them. I said, "What's so special about Indians?" "Mother, they will sleep on the ground but put the guest on the bed." It's fact, yes. You don't put your guests on the ground, you see, in India. No, you don't do that. And, that is the correct thing. If the guests are there, they are given the first priority. It's the other way round in America. If the guests, you take them to some, say, restaurant, first thing you'll say is "We are sharing." You know it shocks people. Sharing means what? I mean, they are your guests.

So the sense of guests, the sense of people who are not your family, has to be developed. Then they will understand that there's something special about it. But you see selfishness - this open, strikingly horrible selfishness - is so much exhibited. So there should be some sort of a, we call them maryadas - must be the protocol - and let the people see how you behave.

That is how Sahaja Yoga will spread. They'll see you in the society. They'll see you everywhere. I was told the Governor of Nevada went to Bulgaria and there he saw some Sahaja Yogis in Bulgaria. He was so impressed by their behavior that he wanted to meet Me - but just now I don't know if I'll have time or not - but, he wanted to meet Me.

So, our behavior should be such, should be very humble, sharing, caring, so that people are impressed by it. And there's no need to have any shyness about it. Some people think we are very weak. We are not. You have got the powers. You are not weak any more. One thing. In the same way, you are very strong and that's why you are very humble. Only strong people can be humble. People who are not strong always are aggressive. We have solved some problems in Sahaja Yoga, like morality and all that. Of course, I agree. But still, still I think the attention is not so correct as it should be - absolutely pure. We worship Ganesha, and the power of Ganesha must show because, as I have told you, that innocence is not lost, it's only covered and it can be cleared out.

The whole world we can save. We have to save the whole world. My vision is too big; and you are My children, you are My hands. I cannot ask anybody else to do it. And that's why I have to tell you that you just be worried about the people who are around, care for them, show them love, and I'm sure they will understand that you are something really different from others.

It's not difficult, because some of the value systems in America are so much convoluted, so much perverse that if you just go against it, people will be amazed. "How are they like that?" You have capacity. What I'm saying, you have powers. You are just like diamonds. Diamonds can be seen anywhere. Only thing, you should chisel out yourself a little bit. Chiseling out is very important, and that's possible through your meditation, introspection - simple things like that.

What am I doing for Sahaja Yoga? What am I working for Sahaja Yoga? All this has to be seen, and has to work out with great love and understanding, that our Mother wants the whole world to be Sahaja Yogi - whole world. It's not only a few people here. But Los Angeles has this problem, I don't know why, since long. So I would request you to see this point.

Now, my suggestion is very practical, as we have done in India. Now, forget about whatever has happened in the past. But in India, what I did was I took one hall on my own in Dadar - one hall. And all the Sahaja Yogis I said, "You come there." You can have it twice. You can have it Saturday, Sunday. You can have some people for Saturday who are new comers like that, who are not yet, and you can have Sunday for all the Sahaja Yogis. Two days you must spare, and the first day you have to take into account that these people are not yet matured. So you have to mature them.

Only thing that will really impress is you, the way you are, nothing else. And also you should not spend too much time in talking too much, or talking in this thing. But if they have any questions, you can answer at the most. But they will take to our tapes and things very deep, I agree, the tapes are very deep. But if they listen to it again and again, they'll understand.

So many things are there for you to see and to tell them. Whatever impresses them, you have to talk to them. Now the time is coming that many false gurus will be completely exposed. I know that. But then you all have to come up. But what I feel that Sahaja Yogis are like mushrooms. They get their Realization, finished. Then they have nothing to do. How can that be? So, what I'm trying to say - you must have complete faith in yourself. It's very important. "I am a Sahaja Yogi." Have that faith. "What have I done?" Ask yourself the question. "What do I have to do?"

So, all your behavior, all your sweetness, all your kindness, everything will impress. Not only that, but negative forces won't act. If you try to be positive, negative forces will not act. They will have no effect on you. They will have complete protection for - complete protection - and they'll look after you.

So, I have to make now a very, very request as a Mother to all of you that you have to be worthy of my children. Say, now I'm going to be seventy-eight and still I am working very hard. Since I have come to Los Angeles, I have been sick. What is the reason? I am never sick. But I felt very weak; I couldn't walk. Why? Well, what has happened? Because you people are weak. You are my children. You are part and parcel of my body. You are not only that, but you are cells of my body. If you are weak, I'll become weak. So, I request you again and again that you got such a great blessing which people don't get normally. Very difficult! They go to Himalayas, spend years together and then they get the blessings. So, now you got it so easily. Just strengthen yourself, tell yourself, be confident that, "I have to do this work."

So, as I was saying we can have - what is this center called? - in Santa Monica, you can take two days. One day you can have it for the new comers, and one day for all the Sahaja Yogis. And, at least twenty-five Sahaja Yogis must go to Santa Monica on the first day and should be all of you next day. Because, unless and until you do that way, it won't strengthen. We call it ''sangha shakti'', is the collective power which you should have. And, you see, if somebody has problems - if somebody is say, I would say, that is not understanding, is not going deep, is new comer and all that - so let them come on Saturdays. You can answer them; you can explain to them; you can make them understand.

And, you will be amazed that even things like this Internet business - I'm very happy in a way, because all those who were useless have gone. It's the Last Judgement! So this is the best way, that they have gone away. Now new people can come. But it's a very good thing that has happened; but still these people wanted, so we have written a very beautiful answer to it and that we'll read it.

So, now you have to just now promise within yourself that you will attend Santa Monica - or any one center that you have. Is a simple thing to understand that if you have to dig the well, you don't go on putting holes everywhere, but in one place only you make a big effort. And there is a center which everyone knows. They all come there, and you meet there. But you have to be extremely positive, extremely positive with the new people.

Now you can imagine in a place called Benin. They were all Muslims, and nine thousand have become now Sahaja Yogis. And in - I mean just imagine - and Ivory Coast the President is a Sahaja Yogi. How could these black people achieve all that and while, with all of you with white skins, what are you doing?

There's a some sort of a - I think - drawback power - I think - this getting white. All right, I expected because they are seekers. Best part is they are seekers. Black people are not seekers; they are not such seekers. But white people are seekers, but they are seeking into this nonsense, that nonsense, that nonsense.

And now, we have an article about this horrible gentleman, Mahishasurah. Everything is exposed. And, whatever I have said about him is there in that. I didn't tell them. But they have got it from other people. And now, you see, all his castle will fall down, because that is truth. It has come in the newspaper. It's authentic. It's not like sending in the Internet. But despite that, your faith is challenged.

[Shri Mataji talks to a person on the side]

You have seen everything. You have seen so many miraculous photographs. I mean Paramchaitanya has never done that. Nobody has photographs of that kind, I mean imaginary these artists must have saw to put it there. But you have seen, so many have seen Ganesha standing behind Me. I mean such miraculous photographs you have seen, and still your faith is so weak. What else should it go? Paramchaitanya asked Me, "What should We do now?"

[Shri Mataji talks in Marathi to someone personally on the side]

I have given a nice lecture on Devi Puja. You just see "Shraddha rupena samsthita". Very big difference between just a faith and shraddha. So, shraddha is when you think of that person, the whole being becomes full, just like a garden.

'''[Shri Mataji asks a person to read the letter]'''

And so many miracles, so many miracles have taken place. I mean it's to be seen what miracles take place.

[A Sahaja Yogi reads the response to the allegations against Sahaja Yoga on the Internet]

Sahaja Yogi: This is a response to the allegations - which was published on the Internet against Sahaja Yoga. This is a response by Sahaja Yoga to these allegations:

"There has been some recent material on the Internet which contains allegations made against Sahaja Yoga and its founder, Her Holiness Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. All of these allegations are coming from a group of very few people who are supported by some false gurus or by some criminal organizations. It is such a bundle of falsehood that it is rather difficult to pay any attention to such nonsensical allegations.

All kinds of people come into Sahaja Yoga because the doors of Sahaja Yoga are open to all. Some of these people were thrown out, either because they were immoral or they were cheating other Sahaja Yogis. Sahaja Yoga is the absolute manifestation of Divine reality and truth. To begin with, the greatest miracle is that there are thousands and thousands of miraculous photographs of Shri Mataji. Most of them were taken by very ordinary cameras and by amateurs. One photograph appeared in Brisbane in the sky as a painting of Raphael, which was a painting that Shri Mataji liked very much. In the actual painting..."

Shri Mataji: This Raphael paints mostly the Mother and Child. And, I was told there's a exhibition here of Raphael. I would like to go and see that.

Sahaja Yogi: In the actual painting, there was a halo at the back of the Holy Mother; but in the sky it was on top of the Mother. In England, they were singing the song "Sitting in the Heart of the Universe" and all around Her appeared many hearts drawn in lines exactly as one would find in a medical text.

Very early on in Switzerland, they saw clouds clustering into a very clear image of Shri Mataji - absolutely perfect. There are deities that appeared in full form behind Her, and angels that are seen very clearly. We all felt the cool breeze of the Holy Ghost on our finger tips. Many Muslims also felt it. This has been described in the Holy Quran, that at the time of resurrection your hands will speak. And after tallying with Shri Mataji's knowledge and Her description of relationships between vibrations and chakras, we were surprised how it was the perfect knowledge of our subtle system.

So many countries have given awards to Mother. In America, Sahaja Yoga is accepted as a religion, and you can be prosecuted for referring to it as a cult. Shri Mataji's achievements are recorded in the congressional archives; and highly respected doctors, scientists, professionals have recognized Her. Leaders of this country from mayors and governors, to presidential candidates have sent felicitations to Her. In America, She has been honored in major cities by dedicating a day in Her name as "Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi day".

Her deep knowledge has stunned people. And, She has been awarded advanced degrees of Ph.D from leading world universities. Fabulous revelations of Her Divine personality are captured on film, in thousands of miracle photographs which manifest the greatest forms of deities and divinity.

How unfortunately stupid they were not to understand the great miracles that the Divine created to convince human beings so that they may not go astray. But this is kaliyuga and they failed to recognize the truth despite all these revelations.

We discovered that one of these few culprits used to sleep with the maid servant in the Ashram, even though he was married and was caught. And, then he was caught and was thrown out of the Ashram. One of them had a car accident with a lady, but blamed another Sahaja Yogi for it. When the lady recognized his picture in a group photograph, the police arrested him. We don't know what the police did to him, but as a result he turned against Sahaja Yoga.

Another one brought money to be given to Sahaja Yoga. But since Shri Mataji never takes money from individuals like that, She refused the money. This was black money from a woman who had died. We didn't inform the police about this because we would not take black money. He got frightened and turned against Sahaja Yoga. Another one had built a house which he wanted Shri Mataji to buy. She didn't buy it because it was of no use to Sahaja Yoga. And so, he turned against Sahaja Yoga and became bankrupt. He was an idle, lazy lump and a drug user; and thought himself to be lord of the whole world - very quarrelsome, arrogant and a stupid fellow. We are relieved that he has left Sahaja Yoga.

They are such nonsensical people because they talk about allegations of tax evasion by Shri Mataji. Shri Mataji is a registered, non-resident Indian and does not need to pay any tax on casual income. These people are illiterate and don't know tax laws. In these allegations, they also spoke about Her husband, who is recognized by the British government for his immaculate and extremely honest work, and was bestowed the title of KCMG. He is such a well regarded personality that these people who are trying to throw dirt on his character cannot even get jobs as peons in his office.

Her brother was also a great soul. He never took advantage of Sahaja Yoga. And, has built a great, a very great, academy of music. These people are not even equal to touch the dust of his feet. They are such low-level people, they are cowards to write such trash on the Internet. There is not even the slightest truth in these statements, only blatant lies. These allegations on the Internet are such cowardly acts. If they claim allegations against Her or Sahaja Yoga, then why don't they come to the court of law?

This theory that Rajneesh has influenced Shri Mataji is another myth. Can Rajneesh or any of his disciples give Realization to people? You can answer this yourself. To make allegations that Shri Mataji makes a lot of money through Sahaja Yoga is absurd. The money for the work of Sahaja Yoga was collected during the first few years by only four leaders. They gulped all the money for their advantage without showing any accounts. So, the senior members of Sahaja Yoga asked permission of Shri Mataji to collect the money in Her name and put it in the bank. Still, Shri Mataji for twenty years has spent all Her money for travel, halls, activities of Sahaja Yoga.

People only paid for their tour in India. For the purchase of Shudy Camps, She spent Her own four hundred thousand sterling pounds, which is recorded and only two hundred and fifty thousand pounds were given by Sahaja Yogis. Approximately hundred people stayed absolutely free at the house for more than four years. Since the house was sold for only four hundred thousand pounds, all that money belonged to Shri Mataji.

By now, we really felt ashamed that why should Mother spent all this money Herself when She has given us health, wealth, balance, peace and joy through Self-realization? Apart from that, She has given us Divine knowledge which is invaluable. And, we felt that it would be parasitic to make Her spend all this money because She would not take any money from any individual.

She has cured many rich people, and they were all trying to give Her money; but She would not accept any. So, we thought that as a practice, we should give some money to our Mother who has worked so hard, sacrificing her life, giving so much love and compassion. A small amount was fixed to give as "Guru Dakshina" as was a practice for all the true gurus of the world.

Shri Mataji has not gained financially at all through Sahaja Yoga; and even though it is absolutely legal to take or give money, it is certainly not a sin in giving and taking money from anyone. Do these people know how many projects Shri Mataji has opened in India, Italy, England, America, Australia and other parts of the world for noble and social causes? There are over thirty-five projects that She has single-handedly funded which you can see on our website at [http://www.sahajayoga.org/ www.sahajayoga.org].

The greatest lie is that Shri Mataji doesn't love children. She has tremendous compassion for children; and the tapes that are quoted are bogus. The tape from Canberra is a complete manipulation of the truth since there was no child crying in the public program. Some lines are correct, but all falsehood is built on that. It's true that Shri Mataji has great concern for Realized children. We have many children in Sahaja Yoga who have received scholarships, awards and recognitions in schools, in many schools around the world. They are outstanding in their education and their moral character, and are extremely loving, dynamic and sweet children.

The western promiscuity and immorality have not entered into their minds. Shri Mataji has gone all out to save the children from drugs, child abuse, alcoholism, gangs, etc. The children in Sahaja Yoga are so outstanding, well behaved and well educated. These people are condemning Sahaja Yoga, while She has saved so many seekers and has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the world of turmoil.

There are some who have also cheated in Sahaja Yoga as leaders. All these despicable people have been thrown out of Sahaja Yoga. Some of these people have now turned against Sahaja Yoga because we don't want them back.

Whatever has been mentioned in these allegations about Sahaja Yoga marriages is absolutely opposite of what really happens. First, the applicants from all over the world fill out and submit their application forms referencing their height, weight, education, income, family background and other important information. The couples are then chosen based on Divine vibrations. These couples then spend a few days meeting each other and getting to know each other in a completely moral manner. Only if they agree, they are then married in a collective wedding ceremony. There are over two hundred marriages per year performed in Sahaja Yoga from all over the world and the success rate of these marriages is about ninety-nine percent, with just one percent of the marriages that are voided. Since they are not registered until six months to a year after the ceremony so they have sufficient time to decide.

Divorce is allowed in Sahaja Yoga since both the parties are adult and have full freedom to make their own decisions. We don't know of any system among the world religions, especially in the West where there is a ninety-nine percent success rate in marriage. Sahaja Yoga glorifies the marriage institution, and we believe that morality can be naturally restored through proper Sahaja Yoga marriages. The cost of marriages in Sahaja Yoga is only about a hundred dollars which includes all the ornaments, presents, meals, etc. Sahaja Yoga culture and its system of marriages have completely abolished the dowry system, which we believe is one of the greatest reforms of the Indian social system.

The calculation of money that they have made is absurd. All the money that is collected in Sahaja Yoga by the organization is recorded with proper accounts, and is spent for so many social, charitable and noble works. All this money is deposited in respectable banks and institutions. There is not even a single cent that is deposited in a Swiss bank or a Monte Carlo type of organization as has been alleged in these accusations. There is a finance committee in every country which takes care of these funds and manages expenses from these funds.

In addition, all the casual income of Shri Mataji is recorded by one committee which spends funds from it appropriately on various noble and social projects worldwide to help helpless people. For the seminar collections, all of these accounts were created in the name of Shri Mataji because we had so many bad leaders in the past that became corrupted with money although Shri Mataji trusted them. All the funds collected in Sahaja Yoga are public knowledge. The money contributed by Sahaja Yogis is kept in the name of Sahaja Yoga. And only by Shri Mataji's consent, is it spent for different expenses and projects. Since 1972, over thirty-six projects, such as land development, buildings, hospitals, schools, ashrams, institutes for social benefits, etc. have been created from these funds only. Progressively, many of these projects have been and are being transferred over to the Sahaja Yoga charitable organization.

Shri Mataji comes from a royal family, and Her husband comes from a family of landlords. The nobility of her vision was so great that in the early years of Sahaja Yoga, She sold Her own jewelry to sponsor programs of Sahaja Yoga. Apart from that, her husband has been working in London for sixteen years and had a salary of over five thousand sterling pounds after taxes in those days. In addition to all facilities, additionally they had very high gains from sale of houses in London. The point is that Shri Mataji is so independently well-off, that She didn't need to start Sahaja Yoga to make money. In the early days of Sahaja Yoga, She paid from her own money even the air tickets for so many new people who came to Sahaja Yoga to travel and experience spiritual places in India.

Shri Mataji has made us aware that all the religions are from the same principle and are to be respected by all of us. She has formed a global religion which is the innate, pure religion by giving us self realization. But so-called religions want to stay separate so that they can fight in the name of religion and God. From Her teaching many rituals, false ideas about religion, have been corrected. We respect all the incarnations, prophets and the realized souls of the past. These can be seen in the Sahaja Yoga publications such as Bible Enlightened, Islam Enlightened and Gita Enlightened; and it can also be verified from the thousands of her speeches.

There has never been a charge at the door for Sahaja Yoga meditation. We don't get any charitable funding from any government agencies for doing our programs. How does one expect to have all these programs to be handled without money? Sahaja Yogis contribute freely whenever money is needed for projects. And, that is how it is done. No one in Sahaja Yoga has ever been forced or condemned for not giving money.

For the last thirty years, Shri Mataji has been working relentlessly and there have been no claims against Sahaja Yoga of any kind. At a personal level, She has sacrificed Her financial and family life enormously. These people should be ashamed of themselves to attack such a pure and noble personality who is full of love and compassion.

She has given us the lifelong gift of Self-realization, and we give Her something in return as a token of our love. There's nothing wrong in that. At the puja seminars, our organization offers Her a gift from all of us. But She in return gives gifts to everyone in the seminar, sometimes thousands of people at a time. Shri Mataji is a very pure personality like her name, Nirmala, which means "pure," and is extremely detached about money.

There are so many false gurus and false teachers who have minted money and are still minting money. Why don't these people write about them? An idle mind is a devil's workshop. Shri Mataji has benefited thousands and thousands of us with the blessings of Shri Mataji, while these few people have condemned Sahaja Yoga by their own malicious propaganda. In a way this is good, because as per Her Holiness Shri Mataji, this is the Last Judgment. And the people who follow this kind of falsehood will also miss this opportune time.

Many renowned scientists, professors, artists, prime ministers, presidents, home ministers, etc., have fully accepted Sahaja Yoga, because this is a pure science which cannot be challenged. There are so many signs in thousands of miracle photographs taken by Sahaja Yogis verifying the existence of Divinity in this era. There are scientists in many countries who have verified scientifically that Shri Mataji is the source of cosmic energy, and now many of them are writing books and theses on this.

We as Sahaja Yogis, have full faith that Shri Mataji is the promised Mother and the Holy Spirit which Christ has declared. These kinds of evil-spirited people who have always tortured great incarnations, Sufis and saints. Also, this was the kind of people who crucified Christ. As members of this wonderful organization, we have been asking Shri Mataji's permission for the last one year to write a response against these false accusations, but She has been so compassionate, even towards these evil minded people. Now is the first time that She has allowed us to write such a response because of the pressure from so many Sahaja Yogis worldwide to do so.

Self-realization is the actualization of baptism when the seeker gets connected to this all pervading Divine power called Ruh or Paramchaitanya. And, Einstein has described this as a torsion area. As a result of self realization, a seeker becomes balanced, peaceful and joyous. All of the six enemies of human life - like lust, greed, anger, attachment, jealousy and false pride - disappear. One becomes like a drop in the ocean of compassion and love. Such a transformation, which is described and predicted, takes place which is very much needed in the sinking world of turmoil today.

We don't know how to thank Shri Mataji for this free gift. Shri Mataji is a perfect ideal to follow with so many world wide achievements that Her unfathomable knowledge and yet so much humility. Her motherly love and compassion is ever present even in the midst of thousands of people whose names and problems She remembers very well individually in minute details, as She receives the flower with Her loving smile that warms every heart and fills it with love.

The work of Sahaja Yoga is so tremendous that it cannot be described in this small letter, so please visit our website at [http://www.sahajayoga.org/ www.sahajayoga.org] for more details of her work and her relentless work.

This is the first of many articles that we want to publish to bring forth the real facts about Sahaja Yoga and about Her Holiness Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. Even though we know most of these people who are writing these articles against Sahaja Yoga and their motives behind it, Shri Mataji has asked us not to mention their names as She feels that once they also called Her "Mother".

Thank you."

Shri Mataji: Very powerful! But still there are people, you see, who are weak, I think, very weak people and do not want to become real Sahaja Yogis. There are. And you must locate them, find out, apart from the new ones. But if they're no good, it's better to give them up, you see, give them up because they are so immoral, so immoral. They do such horrible things. And, they cheat even Me, cheat you people.

Like in India, they purchased one plot of land. They are saying that we are making Nirmal Nagri. I never knew anything about it. Nothing. They never consulted Me. The fellow who cheated used to come up and sit in the gallery, and told, "I've asked Mother. She said yes, everything." Such a cheat he was, and he wanted to make a big money out of it.

But it so happened - you know, I was quite surprised how they have done it - that a letter came from the government saying that, "This land you cannot build anything because it has floods." I said, "Very good! That's the best way."

Now, so then these people I said, "Now, why did you buy without asking Me?" It was a wrong thing he did, took money from everyone. I mean, I didn't know they were up to something. But luckily, the chartered account was there, Agarwal. He was a very nice man and he came and told Me, "Mother see this much money they have taken from this person, this person, this person." They removed their own money; they were so frightened now I'll do something, they removed their money. I said, "Keep it now and we will sell this land."

Can you imagine? That land was not to be sold, was not allowed to be sold, but somehow this particular land was allowed! And, we made profit of, I think, sixteen lakhs of rupees or like that and everybody got back their money, everything they got back. And, what we got sixteen lakhs we used for buying a land in Delhi.

Because, so far, I have been buying all land Myself. Ashram I'm making, this, all that. So now thank God, they were happy they could buy one piece of land which is quite good in Delhi, which they are working out. And everyone, everyone who purchased the land has got the money back. That's more satisfying, because then I thought if I don't get the money I'll pay myself. But they all got back their money; I'm very happy about it. And, they were so anxious that they should go and beat this man. I said, "Forget it. Give Me one year, if it works out you shouldn't take anything. It worked out."

So, those who try to cheat Me also are in trouble. See, somehow or other - I don't do anything, but they just get in trouble I don't know. Must be the deities try to trouble them. So, best thing is to have a very clean heart about Sahaja Yoga. That's the best way, because nobody gains anything out of it. If there's anything to be gained is the human beings and nothing else is important.

All right, so thank you very much for everything. Now, whatever I have said, it's not only for Los Angeles, for all the Americans, for all the world. But especially for Los Angeles, I found out a solution like that. And, next time when I come, I would like to see much more, many more Sahaja Yogis. We will have a program. And then, you should take down their names, their addresses - get after them. And, it will work out.

I'm sure we'll grow very much here, and nothing to worry that it's very superficial or it's more the cinema and all that. Nothing to do. It will definitely work out, I am sure, but you must have that intent and intense feeling of doing it. It will work out.

Thank you!

I must tell you about Mr. Bush. I don't know how but this Mr. Bush has been very much been impressed by Calin, you know Calin who is from Romania. And he, for the last five of my birthdays, he has been sending Me best wishes. He is a nice man, must say vibration-wise very good. And, I saw this another fellow was, he was a very cunning, I must say. Not only that, but also very shrewd type of a man. And I thought that he cannot win. But you see, there's one of the qualities of the Goddess is that: "''Ya'' ''Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Bhranti Rupena Samstitha''" - means She creates confusion. I have explained in My last puja why She creates a confusion. So, you see the confusion that's going on. And, Rajesh Shah, who is an expert in ''Devi Mahatmyam'', he said that, "Mother, now are You creating confusion there?" I said, "You have a look, see, let us see."

'Sahaja Yogi: Shri Mataji was watching the election as it was happening. The Florida state was given a go in the beginning. Shri Mataji gave it a bandhan and literally two minutes later they said it's undecided.

'Shri Mataji: So, this ''bhranti'' is working very well here. And I think, you see, this country is to be saved. And, he wrote a very nice letter to Me also. He was very sweet. He is a nice man, you know, very I should say, very princely type. He's not cheap like this man. He's very cheap. He's going so far with all kinds of tricks and things. Then the other day I saw him laughing, his wife laughing. I was quite surprised. Then I was told that people criticized that you don't laugh, that's why he was laughing.

With Bush we can do a lot, I am sure.

Another Sahaja Yogi: Shri Mataji, on behalf of all of the Yogis in Los Angeles, I'd just like to say that we understand very well that Your arrival here and Your taking up residence on the West Coast of America is not a casual thing. But it's very purposeful. And that You have a great vision for America and the growth of Sahaja Yoga, not only in Los Angeles but in this whole country. And, that You are here to sort us out and to show to us all the weaknesses and the lackings of both our society and our own growth. And I would just like to make a commitment on behalf of all of us that we will do everything that we can, and in our power to become Your hands, to fulfill Your vision and Your dreams for us as seekers and as yogis, to fulfill and reach our purpose and Your vision of us. We will make every effort to reach the people of this place and to show them the beauty and vastness of Your vision, and to bring them to Your Feet, Shri Mataji. Please give us Your blessings and Your attention so that we can go forth and carry Your vision to the people and fulfill it in the future. Thank you so much, Shri Mataji for coming to Los Angeles and to America, and we hope that the next time You come that You will be happy and You will find us worthy of Your attention.

Shri Mataji: Oh! You are already worthy! All right. Thank you very much. Thank you.

May God bless you.