Christmas Puja, Pune (India) 25 December 1986.

[English Transcript]

Today we have all been waiting to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's so much significant that we are in a place here, the same type of a hut Jesus had when He was born, and the wind was blowing from all sides and it was difficult to keep the room very warm, though if it is correct He was not born in the month of December, in a warmer month, not so very cold, maybe this much as you see; so maybe that the climate of today is quite significant, with the climate that He must have felt.

As for you people, you don't feel any discomfort in this climate, nor in these surroundings nor in the Spartan living. He never felt any discomfort, nor His Mother.

When our attention is on our Spirit, then we do not feel the discomfort of nature or of worldly things.

This is the first sign when a Sahaja Yogi starts complaining about comforts, then the first sign is that he is not a Sahaja Yogi as yet. To begin with you just get absolutely acclimatized with the climate and enjoy the style, the speed, the way it is molding you. There's no friction between the nature and the body because the Spirit which is synchronizer, helps you to become one with this nature and enjoy the best part of it. The way you are enjoying it shows that you are great Sahaja Yogis, and that goes to My credit, I think, that you people have accepted all the discomfort as enjoyments.

Christ coming was a great event as I have told you to establish Agnya Chakra. And He was born on this Earth but much before He was born in the consciousness and that absolute consciousness itself took birth as Jesus Christ.

To explain His life is only possible if you are Realized souls, otherwise you cannot explain Christ - what He was, how He worked - still it's very difficult to explain many things in Sahaja Yoga as you know, you just go on seeing things. Today you saw fountains coming out of the lake, which nobody can explain, even the engineer said that they can't explain, nobody can explain it.

It just happens that the water gets excited, feels the Divinity and starts pouring out its love in a bubbly manner.

Can you imagine that even the water can feel it?

You have seen how the light can feel it, in the same way every element can feel it. All those elements are within us, the highest of all, as we say, is the light, because light has an effect and that is governed by Jesus Christ.

Light has an effect, light shows things that are correct. That's the one which makes us understand all the dimensions of worldly things and ultimately when this light comes from the Spirit and is enlightened by the Spirit, then you start seeing the other dimensions also which sometimes make you laugh, sometimes make you smile and sometimes make you cry also.

Such a beautiful new dimension you have achieved through Sahaja Yoga, but it was all built in within you and you had to achieve it. People on the other side had to work very hard, like Jesus Christ was born in a small manger to show that Divinity need not be born in royal families, can be born in a manger, can be born anywhere, makes no difference to the Divinity.

But that has given some funny ideas to people, that they are saying we should make ourselves miserable and we should give away everything to God. God doesn't want anything. He cannot have anything, and you cannot give anything. Is a wrong idea that you become like a pauper and give everything to God.

He doesn't want that. What He wants that you have to be happy, joyous and enjoying.

That's the main point. Also if you give a little bit, very little bit to God, then He gives you hundred times more. That's why you have to give a very wee bit to God.

But you don't have to hang yourself by the trees to prove that you want to sacrifice. Christ has done everything for you. That's the beauty of His life is that from the very beginning of His birth He has shown that He has enjoyed no material well-being, as we call it. He has not enjoyed any worldly things as we know of but that just means that He has done that for us to see that there is no need for us to hanker after worldly things - they will hanker after us. You don't have to worry about these things. What you have to worry is the Spirit, the main thing.

All His life, which was very short I should say, He has been trying, He was very much interested in evaluating people because He didn't know what sort of things these human beings are. He was a foreigner for these human beings. So He tried to evaluate and in that evaluation He said many things which are very remarkable, and one has to understand.

One of the things He said that don't throw your pearls before people who do not want to understand you. For Sahaja Yogis it is important to understand that you should not talk about Sahaja Yoga to people who are anti-God. Now he may be your brother, may be your sister, may be your father, he may be anyone, there is no need to convince them about Sahaja Yoga because they are not your relations.

Many people have only this worry how to convince my husband or how to convince my brother, there is no need at all for you to work it out, just give them up on this point.

The another thing He has told us which is very important I think, that we must forgive.

He has given the greatest weapon that we must forgive. Now it's such a practical thing to forgive. If you just forgive, the person doesn't exist anymore and the person doesn't trouble you anymore, nor is he in your attention, just to forgive is a simplest thing to do and the highest thing to do to get relief from worldly or mental tortures that we get.

His life has been a story of spirituality, going through all kinds of turmoils and tortures, all types of troubles that the Spirit can go through, to show that nobody can kill that Spirit, as it’s said in the Gita: "Nainam chidanti shastrani, nainam dahati pavakah, na chainam kledayantya apo, na shosayati marutah" It cannot be killed, it's an eternal life and He tried to prove through His life the eternity, from the beginning to the end He showed that Spirit is above matter, that nothing can dominate Spirit.

It's a very big thing He has done for us is to create such a big confidence in our Spirit. He has proved it beyond doubt.

I hope you people will understand and will not bother Me or bother yourself with small petty things here and there, is nothing important.

Ask for bigger things, eternal things, valuable things.

Also I am very happy that you like this place and you are enjoying yourself here very much and today we have declared so many marriages. There have been so many events in this short time.

So I would like to bless you all for this Christmas Eve and I wish you all very happy Christmas and Happy New Year.

[Shri Mataji continues in Marathi for another 15 minutes]

[Translation from Marathi]

Today intentionally I have spoken in the English language. Since all Pune Sahaja Yogis know English, I do not have to explain further. On the Christmas day something has to be told to them about Christ. Therefore, I have spoken to them. Owing to our conditioning, we do not have much knowledge about of Christ, but it is not correct. It is no use following the past conditionings. These people have come from the Christianity religion but have learnt all about Divine incarnations that were born in this country and work they did here. In some respects, they are more knowledgeable than we are. So we should also learn about Christ, Mohammad, and other great Satgurus. The reason for you to have this knowledge is, when you become Gurus in the future and you are dedicated to the Brahma and you know what the Brahma is, this knowledge will enable you to talk to someone. Then you can clearly tell about each of them and correctly explain stories about them. Without you being knowledgeable about them, Sahaja Yoga cannot spread in the modern times. Sahaja Yoga's advent is in modern times when all the people know about all. All people know about great personalities. Now that we are not in our individual ponds, but have come in the big ocean, all Sahaja Yogis should acquire information about all the peoples, about the people from all communities, about the people from all countries, about the people from all religions, and understand where they have gone wrong and where we have gone wrong. Only then can we become real Sahaja Yogis and Satgurus. A little study is necessary for that and I adivise you to do it sincerely.My blessings to all.We shall have today's Puja with vocal music.I have already told you that Radhaji, meaning Shri Mahalakshmi was Christ's mother. Although She was Shri Mahalakshmi, She silently bore everything so that example that Christ was going to set up was absolutely without any flaw or shortcoming, which people would attribute to his mother. The way Mary, the form of Shri Mahalakshmi, bore everything, the way She sacrificed Her son, the way She witnessed Her son's crucifixion, and the way She endured all these things. From Her example we should realize that we should give up our attachment to our children, like my son, my son and instead observe, “How much my son has progressed from the view point of Spirit, what he has gained in Spirit”.All of us have become Sahaja Yogis and have gained a lot on coming in the Sahaja Yoga. So, now we should see, “What do we have which we can give to our children.” Only thing that we can give is the knowledge of Spirit. All should give that and all should receive it. I have purposely called you to this far away place, because I wanted you to see what hard work the people have to do for their living. You are troubled by small things. You are not ready to make even a little sacrifice. For everything you have to be cajoled to do this and that. With this nature, how will you become experts in Sahaja Yoga and how will you grow further? The people are not prepared for even a small sacrifice! This is not correct. I hear a lot about the Pune- Sahaja Yogis that they want everything for free and they never spare even a paisa. Unless you change your attitude how will other Puneits change? You are their examples; they will see and take you to be special people. And when they see you haggling for small amounts of money, they will think,” What is the use of practicing Sahaja Yoga? These people are also like us”!Secondly, as I have repeatedly pointed out, feuds among brothers. It is a curse to us and I find it is there again. They quarrel over money. “Where has money gone? Why did they spend so much money? Why this, why that?” All disputes are over money. I am surprised. I am ready to do all for you but you want it free! One should have self- esteem. Shri Mataji has to spend on our food! It is not correct! Money can easily become available by saving small amounts through the year. These people spend money and I also spend, but it does not look good and is not in keeping with self-esteem.If you go to any village, like I had been to Narayangaon on the other day, the people over there had cooked all food and kept it ready. They seated me and offered food. Nobody asked for money. Such was their hospitality. When guests come we have to keep our attention at them. I am astonished; even now Sahaja Yogis appear to be under the curse of quarrels amongst them. The people quarrel over small issues. This has happened about this and that has happened about that!Suppose a leader is told that he is not thenceforth leader and another Sahaja Yogi is leader their feud starts. If a Sahaja Yogi is told that he has no vibrations and hence he should stop going to the collective he starts squabbles. In everything they are cantankerous. They fight in marriages. The people think that when there are quarrels at auspicious place like a marriage, there is nothing bad in quarreling. However, it is very bad. It is very bad in the eyes of God and it should not be done. Christ has used the words,” Murmuring souls” for such persons. They indulge in backbiting; speak against this person, that person in their absence. They also play one against the other. They are extremely mean. I call the city of Pune as the Punyapattanam. I say that all the Punya has been brought to this city and praise it and despite that this situation persists.Next year all Sahaja Yogis should make vigorous efforts. Children of this place are wise. They collected money in which all have contributed. Then they gave the amount to me. I was so overjoyed to see them. How sweet they are! They are your children. Then what happens to the elders? Why do they behave the way they do? Let your hearts open a little bit in Sahaja Yoga! You have no burden of Sahaja Yoga. I do not take anything from you and do not want anything from you. On the other hand I have given you so much materially! Even if you see the material gifts that I have given you it is quite a lot. In spite of it, when I have to hear about such things, it makes me sad. So, please do not crucifix your Spirit again. Think that today is the day of your second birth and resolve to live with your hearts open and with your self- respect. Please remember that you have to keep your self-esteem.Today's auspicious day I have to tell this again since I cannot say when you and I shall meet again. So please take care in this respect. You should not behave this way, otherwise all will go down. On this day all should make vow that since Christ sacrificed his life and we have taken him as our elder brother, what we should do to be befitting to this relationship, how we should work it out. We have received so much in Sahaja Yoga. So what should we do in Sahaja Yoga?I do not ask for money from you. But what shall I do if you do not want to pay for your own food and transport? On top of it you pick up quarrels. The next time it should not happen. The people told me that when they asked for money to foot the bills of your food and transport nobody came forward. If you are so poor that you cannot pay even Rs 40-45, you should not continue in Sahaja Yoga, since you will be a burden on us. We have not taken a contract to take care of beggars! If they are in such poor circumstances, they should not continue in Sahaja Yoga at all. Those who cannot afford even this much and want to have free food, we are not distributing free food! If these things are not corrected in time they are never stopped and keep comtinuing. Even your leaders are fed up and do not want it. That has brought the deficit. However, those people think that the leaders harass them and do not allow them to meet Shri Mataji. All these things should be dispensed with. “We are now united. So far we have not done anything for Sahaja Yoga.”I remember, during Gandhiji's time, my mother gave away her bangles, bracelets, and whatever was available in the house. And today people cannot pay a few rupees! Is there so much financial distress? No , ther is not!These people come here from faraway places. You also have assembled in the equal number. But you are not sharing the expenditure. Does it become of you? Pease tell all the Pune Sahaja Yogis that Shri Mataji has told every Pune Sahaja Yogi to do anything but come for the program. The people go to the Himalayas to have a glimpse of God. This is not the Himalayas and you did not have to walk so much as the people over there had to walk. All arrangements are in place. Yet the number who attended the Puja over there has not come here. The people here will come only if the program is in Pune and will not attend if held outside. The people who behave this way shall never improve their financial position. Now you should come to Ganapati Pule with appropriate preparations. A good number of you should come. It is not very expensive. I have made all the calculations. Contribution is essential minimum to meet the food requirements. It is just that and not more! You have to pay only once a year. You are not in such bad shape and can collect a small amount by saving a few rupees every month. If somebody is in such poor state we can bear his expenditure. However, if everybody takes this position nobody will go. This question never arises in villages. It is quite different there. It is only on moving to cities, starts, “ We want everything. We must watch movies every day. We must have bangles, we must have bracelets, and we must have armlets. Does not matter if we do not go to pay obeisance to God, or do not attend a Puja, but we must have all these.” Our attention is more with food, which we must have in plenty and of our choice too. Our attention is never on God. Find out why we do not progress. Today everybody should decide that we will save some money instead of squandering it away. These people have given up all, given up their habits and vices. So they have now plenty of money. Similarly, you all should shake off the slavery which you have accepted all these years and get fully deep in the kingdom of God.I am sorry to tell you this today. But all the history comes back to me and I feel that if not corrected it will go on and on, Hence it has to be put end to. These things have to be stopped. Moreover, quarrels amongst you should completely finish. One against the other and the other against some other should never happen. All should unite and intermingle. Look at these people, who have come from fourteen countries have mingled and are staying together. Whereas here the people who have come; not from one country, not from one state, but from one city, cannot come together! It seems, we were born with battens in hands and we started fighting soon after the births! It is so bad in Pune. Of course, there are many beautiful things in Pune. A number of Sahaja Yogis, especially the young ones, are very beautiful. The girls are also very sweet. I appreciate them a lot. All are so loving! However, the old ones need to work little harder on themselves. So today, all should make a vow that we are Sahaja Yogis. We have joined the path of Sahaja Yoga and shall do whatever is necessary to progress on it. Should make a vow and God shall help all.May God bless you.