Some background to our existence – and what we should aim to become

For thousands of years mankind has tried to understand life and its purpose, to discover its subtle mechanisms and potentials. Many people with a strong understanding of life, or at least strong opinions or characters, have their histories recorded and they have legacies which are sometimes written, sometimes artistic, sometimes presented as philosophies and sometimes presented as religions.

Their names are well known, such as Lao Tsu, Moses, Buddha, Socrates, Mohammed, Guru Nanak, Jesus Christ and William Blake. More recently in the West we had Anwar Sadat, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior. More recently in India, there was Shirdi Sai Baba. Going back thousands of years, in India’s history, there were Shri Sita, Shri Rama, Raja Janaka, Shri Radha and Shri Krishna.

In general these established traditions included guidance about how people should behave and about what qualities of life might be enjoyed by an evolved personality. But what was lacking was the practical side. One had to take certain information or advice on trust, hoping or believing that the future would bring the promised rewards. A form of blind faith was required but the future was quite elusive.

One common theme in the traditional knowledge was that a human being can achieve a transformed state and that the achievement of this state should be regarded as a goal. History suggests that some people did achieve a lot but not very many. And the question needs to be considered of whether or not all the reported progress was real.

But much time has passed and the human race has made good progress, in terms of its understanding of life and its potential to transform. In this age, which is called Aquarius by some, there is a great seeking around the world for spiritual growth. It is a time for revelation and deeper awareness. And to meet that need, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi provided concrete support to thousands of people. She also enabled them to pass on her blessings. She used an analogy of a candle which is alight. It can be used to light more candles.

Experience

What needs to happen is that people become connected to everything around them, to everything on the outside, and energy or consciousness can flow in both directions. This is the achievement of a new state of being, a state of Yoga. Originally the term Yoga suggested a process “to add”, “to join”, “to unite”, or “to attach”.

In the distant past, many fewer physical exercises were used and they were only a very small part of the broad discipline of Yoga. The exercises were not regarded as the central feature and they were not known simply as Yoga. That is a fairly modern development.

There is also an integration and refinement to be established of innate qualities and aspects within the individual. So mind, body and spirit do not get left behind. One discovers gradually how these things operate and how the mind is almost unreal. The brain is real but we need to have some conscious awareness which is beyond and independent of the thinking process.

Comfort and Counsel

This is the most significant time in history. Shri Mataji came to offer a great gift to humanity and to provide some protection from ignorance and self-destructive habits.

People now have a clear choice. They can continue towards confusion, isolation, disintegration and suffering or they can accept and benefit from the final stages of an amazing evolutionary process.

Going back a couple of years, some followers of Shri Mataji proposed an ambitious plan. They wanted to give an initial spiritual awakening to 100 million people. That will take some time, perhaps until 2025. It certainly could be completed earlier. I am not aware of any significant obstacle. Technology – it is there. Finance – it is there. A glorious time is coming!