Childrenbook ‘the child she accepts that defect as her own and she works for it. She works very hard. So sacrifice because you enjoy it, you enjoy doing that. You enjoy working for your children and if it was not so, this ‘world would never have existed. ‘You know what I'm told, things mother has to bear when the child is (o be born. Actually it's a test of her love, I feel, at that time. Still he goes on with it because she wants a child. But when this motherhood is spoiled in its image, when the mothers are no more mothers, they are not respectable, then they are not respected, And when the children don't respect their mothers, because they have no respect for anything else whatsoever. ‘The first thing and the last thing isthe respect for the mother. If one does not respect the ‘mother or the motherhood that means he has no respect for himself either. So how does he exist? He exists through his mother. So mother is a very, very important institution for the whole creation, for your creation and for the creation of your childeen and all the progeny that has to come. Now let us see what does the mother provide us with? What part of our being she is. 1 would say that she is everything. But your personal mother who has given you this birth, this body , your own mother who you know very clearly that she is your mother. As you know she gives you the nourishment when you are in the fetus state. And later on when you grow up, she gives you all the physical nourishment that is needed for your growth and she enjoys it. Otherwise she fecis overburdened. She wants to give it and everyone appreciates that, Its a collective enjoyment, It's going on and it could be seen from all the paintings of the world, all over the world in every language, in every country, every religion. ‘The mother and the child has been the main theme of paintings and expressions of the most joyous moment for painters, Poets also have written such a Tot on that. Every way of manifestation of joy in all the human endeavor has been on this thing, we've all been on this thing. But the mother who is your own mother, ‘whom you know as your own mother, who gives you physical birth is the mother who gives you much more than you know of. Because her blood has a vibration and when she gives you her blood, she gives you her vibrations. She gives you her sustenance, she gives you her desire and also she gives you a push in your evolution if she is an evolved person. Now in mother and child relationships, mother gives a lot, ‘She makes your complete left side. She creates all the Ieft side in you because she has desired for you so she creates that. On the right side she gives you all the beauty of delicate things and also the hunches that, you get in your business, are all the flexible moments of your life that you think from where unknown 1 {ot something, That's your mother's blessing on you. You choose your own mother to0, when you are bom, Sono use condemning your mother because she's like this, she's @ horrid woman, she's this and that. Now you have children so better have it, And she is a very big part of you I must say, But she has to be also something to be a mother. It’s a most responsible position is that of the mother. I is even much more responsible than that of « king, (o bea mother, Because a king can only go up to material level or up (o physical level. And up to rational level at the most a philosopher can go. And the emotional level may be fulfilled by the wife. All these things may be done by other people but spiritual level you can only achieve from your mother. Any hampering you get in your spiritual ascent could be from so many other problems, But basically it could be from your mother’s side. So mother also can give you her nervousness. She can give you her irritated nature. She can give you her bad temper. She can give you a very cunning nature. She can give you all that is bad in her, just in a bundle. But you can also give her back something special. Supposing a child which is a realized soul is taking birth in a mother. And if the mother is not a realized soul then the child will uy to clear the nabhi of the mother and give her lots of vomiting by which she clears out, or diarrhea, fo something like that and try to clear the nabhi and the void of the mother. If she has been going to some guru and all that, the child will take full care to see that she gets rid of all the bad things she has received from a bad guru. And tremendous things happen when a woman conceives a realized soul. Buteven anon-realized soul when a mother conceives, her face just starts glowing. You can see she's creating something. It's the special blessings of God come on her. But as Sahaja Yogi, when you are rebom as Sahaja Yogi, you have your vibrations, Then what you do is to give back to your mother by giving her realization. Giving realization is an obligation which cannot be repaid. Every obligation of this world can be repaid back. And the last obligation is the obligation of ‘mother giving you birth on this earth, can be also repaid back by giving her her own second birth. You becoming the mother of your mother is the best way you can repay her back. And so though itis a difficult thing under the circumstances as they are. Tknow you are all quite worried about this, i's not easy. Because due to war or whatever itis in the western countries, the mothers have lost theie position, they have lost their moorings, they have lost their significance and they think that they have not been alright as mothers, They think that they have not been very helpful to the society by only being mothers, But they can be brought round gradually by showing that you'te so significant yourself and that they are the mother. They are the mothers who have brought you to this world, Once they start realizing that significance within themselves, Im sure it will work out, And that's how you are going to pay it back. ‘And once you have done it, you have done the job. So you don't have to worry about other things, you have repaid it. So be happy about it those who have done that and those who have not done it, will be doing it, So on this day of Mother Day I would like to bless you, that now you have to give birth to so ‘many thousands of people. So the power that Your Mother has of giving birth, the spiritual bith, was bestowed upon all of you so that you do this work with the same grace and with the same patience and Tove and enjoyment May God bless you. On Childhood, 1980 ‘A woman is the strongest point of the houschold. Like this Mother Earth, she takes all the problems. "upon herself because she is the strongest, Who else can withstand this kind of weight on her? It is the ‘mother. In the same way, a woman in the house is the mother and she has to bear. You see, it nice to have a husband who comes home and says whatever he likes and takes out all the filth on you, than to hhave a husband who is very sweet: "Hello, hello”, and outside he goes like a bumptious tiger on everyone Such a man has to be you see, they are like children I would say, they are like children. They have to take ‘out their tensions on their wives only and you should then absorb all ofthat, And that’s the sign of a ‘woman. A strong woman doesn’t get easily disturbed by these things. She is not bothered. She says: "All right, you little baby come along. Now I have had four babies, now this isthe fifth one which is the smallest has come.” Let him shout and scream. Even with the children, you have to be patient. They'll hit you, they'll do anything. T would say, that way in India children are treated very kindly, and they are Special. They will do what they like when they are children, but when they grow up we do not have {cenage problems, We do not have the problem where the children don' respect. When it comes to giving, give it with your full heart. Just feel that love of giving, and you feel so happy. Because you feel so big about yourself. Like an ocean that's giving so much of clouds and again itis, receiving these rivers into it, and again making it into clouds. It’ sort ofa circle of a beautiful conversion into beauty after beauty stars, itis so beautiful. And that's what we should try to become. A part of that circle which is so beautiful and which is so joy-giving. To yourself also, and this is what itis, and this hand is for “ashrays,” means for the protection. You must protect the people who are your subordinates, who are dependent on you, your children. Like it's a very ‘common thing to insult your children from their childhood: "Why did you spoil that carpet? Why did you do that? You should not have said this! Why did you?" This is a very wrong thing of disciplining. The best discipline is to put dignity into children. You see, a good home in India is known by the way children are addressed in the family. Like in a good family we address the children like "Sit", litle bit like that, ‘means "Sir". We never address the children with indignity, and we put them on a dignified level. And it's a very nice thing. 1°11 tell you about My own granddaughter, that somebody was telling her One day thatthere is a very: "... this boy and why don't you marry him?" She said: "Why do you want to talk about marriage’? I'm not yet grown at all to think about marriage. And we have to be dignified about things. How can we think of marriage when we are not to think, And my Grandmother will marry me and 1 want to bea dignified person". A litle girl of seven years said this to this woman who was very, sort of pseudo- intellectual type. And she tried to tease My granddaughter. She said: "I's not dignified". Just think of that, At the age of seven years they have their sense of dignity. If you tell them, see you need not tell them: "Don't spoil the carpet". But give them dignity, and they'll never spoil it. You'l be surprised, because we all the time cut them short. They become so bad they want to... they think they are good for nothing. We don't know what fo do. All the time they are telling us like this. Or even if you have to tell them, tell about somebody else, like: "That boy, you know. He was absolutely useless, he didn't know what to do, He spoilt the whole carpet, I went to his house and he slipped out”. The child immediately gets the thing. But directly all the time hitting the child, you see, gives him a personality which does not hold anything substantial within, He might later on become a very arrogant person, taking a cue from his parents and he may behave the same manner. But he would not be that dignity, which just is silent, and expressing and manifesting. It should be a silent dignity which just manifests. And when people see such a person with hight, people see and say: "Oh, what a man! What a dignity”. You sce that's what. And they become sort of ideals for society. think this correcting the children is not the way, itis not... never have teenage problems, never have teenage problems, you'll be surprised. You put them anywhere. They'll be so dignified and so mature that people will be amazed. You won't have (o tell them, Even small little children Tve seen. If you keep your house very clean and also always look after it, children themselves will clean it. They'll lke it, because children are really the budding beauties. When we cut them, we cut them at the root. They expect so much from us, you see, they loose all their dignity. And I'l tell you, you try this with the children. Give them dignity, You'll be amazed how they behave. We say: "They are spoilt”. [Rave never seen children being spoilt when they are dignified. But we must give se I've seen, in England I've scen even an eighty-year old woman behaves like a bride. I mean, she docsn't get over her feeling that she was a bride. Like one of the great expectations, you must have read, of, Charles Dickens, that there was a bride who was sitting all the time, thinking she was a bride. I see that picture even today. All the time they are in bridal mood. You see, you are a mother, and you have to treat your children with that dignity and with that ove that a mother should give. Its very difficult for some people to accept the position of a mother. They think, “Why women should be the mothers"? I say this is the greatest thing. Look at Me. This is the greatest thing to be the mother, (© love everyone, that they depend on you for love and guidance. Just for love. Such a great thing to feel: "Oh God, you see, how much I can give. How many cups I can fill", It's such a great feeling. I wish you would know what a mother is.. And the motherhood you have to learn from your children and grandchildren and expand it (o the whole universe Marriage and Collectivity, 1980 (Note: There are a few revisions in this lecture which were made in 1984 by Her Holiness Shri Matai ‘Some notes given by H.H. Shri Mataji at that time have been added at the end.) For all the parents who have children, Sahaja Yoga children have to be extremely well disciplined. If you don't know how to discipline your children you are sadly mistaken. Your children must know how to bbchave themselves, they must know bow (o answer, how much they must talk, Do not spoil them with presents. Give them presents atthe right time and tell them how they should behave. You have to discipline your children. This is your duty to discipline them. ‘This is the time they should be disciplined. Iisa very important time. The conditioning here is that people don't say anything to their children, Theydon't even scold them. They don't even teach them anything. And by the time they are sixteen, seventeen the children are absolutely like v © oteach them, That is your duly. But here everybody wants to shirk the responsibility. You want to shirk. It's very easy to love your children and not to say anything. Let them grow up to sixteen years and throw them into the winds. No. You have to be extremely strict with your children when they are growing up. The grandparents can spoil them, not you. You are not their grandparents. You are parents ‘You have to discipline them. You have to tell them how to behave. Sit down with them for one hour and. talk to them, not in the presence of others. Tell them that: "You are like queens and kings." You put self- esteem in them, so they behave themselves and they learn how to go about. If they do not do that means you have unnecessarily produced a problem for yourself and others. It is necessary, if necessary. I've never beaten my children. Idon' like to, But if you don't know how to treat them and how to control them, you may use sometimes a slap. Doesn't matte, for boys especially, once in a while doesnt mater, if they don't understand what to do. So you have to discipline. You see, discipline is one thing lacking in the westem countries. Children don't know how to behave, how to be respectful and they misbehave and they will start tomorrow answering you back and ill-treating you and the whole society will suffer. It is very important, No use spoiling your children. Here they will see something on the TV, you get it back for them. No. You must tell them: "What you want is not what the TV tells you, but what you need is this, and keep it" If they break the toys and all that tell them that: "If you are breaking toys you are not going (o get them.” Keep them properly, arrange them, let them organize. This is how you train, Ihave seen my grandchildren they hhave got things that I bought for them when they were litle babies, still just the same, kept very carefully. “Who has given them whal, what is where, they know everything. Not like a mess of toys, plastic toys, that you give them. Give them few toys but know where they are, where are they. Give them the list. Ask them to keep the list to understand. Respect. Respect is the thing. We do not respect our possessions, We just indulge in them, Do we respect? We throw our clothes here and there, That's why the children are born, when they grow up, they have no discipline. ‘They'll throw all their clothes here, untidiness, then you shout at them, then you'l say this. Another habit children must form is to get up early in the morning. The parents must get up in the ‘moming. Give them bath, get them ready. Do not give tea to children, but milk. Tea is not a good habit Ifthe children do not get up and wash, itis because the parents do not discipline them. And also the parents must be ideal about it. If the parents do not have that then the children are not. So the whole responsibility of spoiling children resides with the parents and nobody else. Even Sahaja Yogis should not spoil the children. Ian spoil because I am the Grandmother. You must take your responsibility. I did not spoil my children. You have to tell your children til they are sixteen years of age, everything that is good, righteous, how to behave, and how live. You have to teach them, Otherwise they become vagabonds, and you see, they take the whole thing upon themselves. ‘They think: "Oh, we can do whatever we want, what's wrong, what's wrong?” You (cach them what's wrong. Don't give them money. Don’t spoil them, Make them starve one night, They'll be alright next day. Let them do the work. Of course you should never pay for your children's work. If they work they are working for themselves. It's 8 very bad habit to pay them for doing some work. They are not laborers. All this training must be given, that's a very good training. Our social side is very weak. We do not know how (0 discipline, “Too much interest in children is also not allowed, that all the time run after the children. Do this for your children. It's important because once they know they are dominating you, they'll sit on your heads. They should know where they stand with you. Gradually they will leam and behave. See, children are not human beings. Either you make them human beings or you make them devils. Itis in your hands. Theyare wrong. You should not be unkind by any chance but you should not be in any way dominated by them, In Sahaja Yoga it is necessary to understand parenthood. So, as he said, that you must have children and don't hurry up, that's very true. Tink it over properly and then have children when you have a proper place to live in and all that. Then have children, its a good idea. Notes: Children should know that you love them. Do litle things that show that you care. Express your love, The only fear they have is that they will loose that love, Love must be expressed. This is the main thing. that they have to be given all the time. And all the time they are to be respected. Address them like someone higher. Respect and love, that is the point, rather than beating them. To give alot of love is the first priority, then the discipline. Ifa child is fond of something you should go out of your way to get that for the child. That is very important, Always teach children to be generous. If they give something away that belongs to the house you should praise their generosity. Do not put so much stress on discipline but on love. Children should not be allowed to form habits. ‘They should not get used to too much comfort. They should attend to others, bring things for others, and always be busy with someone. We should not make the children work too hard, Another point which Shri Mataji has mentioned on several occasions is the way in which in India the whole society trains the attention of the child by continually pointing the attention to the correct things. ILis not wise to make the child agitated all the time and enter into a sort of competition. Let the child grow normally. ‘Take it easy. Children, Parents, Schools, 1985 AAs parents and would be parents and also the relations ofthe children, in Suhaja Yoga we have a great importance of looking after our children because mostly those who have been marred in Sahaja way have got children who are realized souls. That means they are children ofa very high category and these children ae t be looked after, with very great care and understanding. First ofall all these children will not have so many problems but gradually they may develop. Because when they come in contact withthe society they will start feling the different catches and theyll start expressing it by crying or by putting their fingers in their mouth or by shouting, screaming. So many ways they will ty to express the problems they have. Mostly the two Swadisthanas. Children fecl the balance severely. When they have Jeft and right Swadisthanas they try to show you by putting that finger in the mouth of by seratching that. particular, specially the thumb as you know isthe Swadisthan, Particular type ofa catch and she should hot neglect ita all. Fist ofall she must see that she isnot suffering from this one. If she herself is Sulfering.from the left side Swahisthana or right side Swadisthana, then itis very necessary for her to see that she corrects it. Mostly the right side Swadisthana is weak because the women are overactive, they do not know how to relax. Even when they meditate they are quite agitated. So is for them to find out ‘what's the problem in life and what are they suffering from: The parents’ behavior is extremely important for the children. Before the children you should not shout, you should not hurry up, you should not get angry. So the child becomes quieter. If the child is not aquiet child then understand there's something is wrong with you. Definitely with the parents, something ‘wrong, maybe in the Nabhi, in the stomach, maybe on the Swadhisthana that the child is all the time restless, Now the agitation around is also quite a lot, leave alone the parents. Today you must have heard about the news of forty persons killed in this death, you can call ita death valley of this soccer match, Then 130 persons were injured yesterday in another soccer match in Birmingham. Shows that people have no control over their anger, temper, and they start behaving like hooligans when they combined together. And when they showed it, itis so horrifying that one can't understand what makes them go amuck. This is never in animal groups, you find, nor do you find amongst civilized people, But they are all civilized, well-dressed people and suddenly I don't know what happens to them that the anger reaches such a peak. As soon as one goal was made, they started getting angry, and they are so much identified with that group which is playing the match, They are not playing the match. The parents are just watching and because they are identified, their ego is identified with that particular group, they get so agitated that they just go amuck and start throwing things, and this and that, then the police comes forward. As soon as the police comes, instead of feeling afraid of it or controlling themselves, they go into another fury. Now I would not so much blame them as I would blame their parents to begin with. Because parents have ‘not been able to handle their children in a proper way. The child, ifhe is so agitated in childhood, he gets, that thing built in within himself and that's why they behave in such a funny manner that they kill forty people on the spot. There is no war, there's no fight, nothing, Just anger and this anger comes from various reasons which we all should try to understand, why so much anger we get in the West. What is the reason? Why we are not quiet people? What makes us so agitated and angry? Simple thing is the ego. But in ego also, one should understand that why that itis so uncontrollable that your conscious mind itself cannot control it. Maybe they were wanting to control their temper but somehow othe other you find. So from childhood one must notice the children what they are doing, In one Sahaja Yogini's case, she is the one responsible for getting her child like that. She knows that Now everyday one has to clear out yourself, Now the child, poor thing, what can it do? It becomes a frantic child. When this child grows up, though realized soul cannot bear it, it becomes irritable and irritated, because the mother is a left-sided person. That's why I suggested the mothers should not carry the child so much. ‘Those mothers who are like this should not carry the child all the time. Allow the children to play around, leave them alone, so that the mother’s catches at least don't go to the children, ‘When the mothers are like that, they must accept it. ‘That we are like this, this is the problem with us, so Tet us not put all the time child on our lap, so that the child goes on catching on the chakras, because poor child has done no wrong. The child isa realized soul and why should the child suffer? Its fighting your catches. So to be kind to the child, better to leave the child ata point where the children are left to themselves and are happy. So this is what is the secret. But another thing I wanted to mention (o you as Sahaja Yogis, I cannot tell this to everyone but [can tell ‘you, that too much accent is on sex life in the West, too much accent. I am not saying there should be abstinence and nonsense of what the Catholic church is doing and all that, but too much accent. Marriage means sex is a very wrong idea, Mother is to receive the pregnancy and the father isto ereate it. But as far as possible ty to abstain from all the time thinking about sex life. If you are that way, too much towards it, then what happens, that your mind starts building up and the children suffer because your atmosphere, your vibrations affect the children. So when you are married it does not mean that all the time you should think of that, Itis so common that people, for them as if itis a big achievement or some sort of a big entertainment, Itis just a thing which should happen to you spontaneously. And the amount of attention we pay to this nonsense is so much and so frustrating sometimes that people get that frustration within themselves. Then the children also build up the same frustration, without knowing why they are so frustrated, When they become frustrated then suddenly, say, they'll see a football. The ego comes up and that suppressed, frustrated feeling of the parents star expressing. Al the time thinking about itis one of the reasons why our brains go off, We cannot think about it. We should divert ourattention if we think about it. But i's a spontaneous happening. So in Sahaja Yoga we are not against sex life or anything. But this kind of life that you have led so far before must be cut down, that our mind should not have any sex ideas. Our mind should be clear cut, It should be peaceful. There should be no such ideas about sex. But spontaneously it should happen and it should not bear any mark on the brain That is very important. Because the brain which indulges into these things suddenly gets heated up when they see a situation like this and they start bursting out with all tempers because whatever done through the brain is very limited and joyless. It is absolutely joyless. Its a joyless pursuit and when that joyless pursuit, you see, ends up into a kind of a brain damage we can call it, that damage works out. That's why it happens, Ihave not seen these things happen much in India like this, Now see, you left him alone, he’s happy. There was no need for you to keep him on your lap. Just uying {o..he'sa sensible boy. Alright. Now sit down, sit down. He's such a sweet thing. You were wying to push him down for nothing at all. Let them be alone, they are very good. They are all sitting nicely. Aren't you happy? They are very sweet children here. Sec, all of them are playing together. Let them be alone. There's no need all the time to grab them near. Come along, come along, come along, come here. ‘You give me hundred children and I can manage them. Alright, now let's sce who is going to sit here nicely with the litle litte babies, You have to look after. You are big sisters, aren't you? So you have to look after the little babies. Ha, now how many big sisters there are? Let's see. One, two, three, four. No, No, no, no, no, no, its alright. What happened? Nothing. The big sister is looking after. You must allow them to play with each other and be together. See how they, come along, come along, let him come, let him come, He wants to join the line. Let them all join the line. Very sweet children. Now come along and sit down here. Let's see how you, come along, sit down, come along, come along. Now sit down. ‘You also sit down, everybody should sit down, Alright? Look at that, everybody joining the line. Sit down, sit down, please sit down. See now, who is crying? See all the children are so sweet, He's so ‘much better. Isn't he? His agnya is better now. Now that's it, told you if you people catch on Agnya, the poor children suffer. They suffer, you must understand. Your behavior is the most important thing of course. You are not, I would say that you are not people who are just some sort of a Sadhu Babas silting somewhere, that kind of a thing. But you have to be normal people. Or abnormally excited people will have abnormal children despite the fact they are realized souls, they are all realized souls and big johnnys, they are not small and they can manage things ‘on their own and can entertain you all the time. ‘You don't have to go anywhere for entertainment, But let them feel the confidence. But all the time, if the mothers are the brides, what will the children do? Forget it, Soon Mother's Day we must understand that we are mothers and mother have a special responsibility, to be so placed that they should not be irritated, hot tempered and also unkind. They ean take up lots of things if they understand they are mothers. After all, look at the Mother Earth. How much she suffers. In the same way, all the mothers can take up a lot of things about them and the children remember all that {that how much our mother has done for us. How much patient she was. How kindly she was. How she looked after us. All these things they understand, But also doesn't mean that you go and spoil your children, Specially when they are ill-treating other people. You must stop them, You should not allow the child to go about ill-treating other people, pulling their hair or doing something like that. You must say: "No, not to do that way." So there's a way of handling by which you make your children good and sweet children. Ttell you, it not difficult to handle the children. It's a very easy thing. Only thing you must understand, what's the problem with them, what problems we are giving to them and what is troubling them. Tl tell you about one litle girl. When I went to see her first, she was erying all the time. And I discovered that it was her bed. ‘There was something ‘wrong with the bed and as soon as we removed the bed, the child was alright. So you must find out what is troubling the child to begin with, Let him be comfortable and happy and conveniently enjoying lifeThen you yourself should be thinking about noble things. Specially when people are pregnant they are supposed io read something very noble. Like you can read Geeta or Bible or Koran or something so that your thoughts are towards God and when the child is born, the child also thinks of the same things. All ihe conditionings of the mother starts the day she conceives the baby, and since that day the child is conditioned. So all the good conditionings you take upon yourself, all the good things you think about the baby you work it out and that is how a child ean be a very quiet, obedient, sensible, natural personality. 1 have seen with my grandchildren themselves that they are so matured and so sensible that we don't have to tell them anything. Just they do it, whatever is the right thing to do, they behave in a manner whatever is 00d to do, But it is the responsibility of the parents. I don't blame anybody. Now maybe the people who were so agitated, there must have had parents who must have done this, what you call, divorce business or maybe some sort of a perversions they might be having. All kinds of things you find these days. And it's so surprising when the people get perverted how hol-tempered they become. So absurd they become. Stupid they become and that, the children have to face. Children have to face unknowingly. Without knowing what is the reason they become like that and then the temper starts coming out. They start throwing things and misbehaving in such a manner that you don't know what is the reason, why the child is behaving like that. Even, there is no need for you to spend time away from child when the child is in the house. I's alright, the child is there, When the child is sleeping, its alright you spend time together. But many people also have this habit, that they keep the child in another room and the husband, wife are sitting in another room. All the time the child should not feel that the parents are separate, He should fee! he's a part and parcel of the family all the time. When the child sleeps, then you go and talk to each other. But also some people fight and quarrel in the presence of children. That also is something horrible. So the whole thing is depending on your behavior. As Sahaja Yogis I request you, you are special peo nik it a sacrifice, that your children should come up as very good citizens, as very good Sahaja Yogis, as very good babies. Everything you can do so, look at that! What's wrong with him? And look at this one. Yes, good, good, good. Have you started walking? Just look at them. They are not fighting. They are not doing anything. All of them sitting nicely and quietly. Nobody is woubling anyone. You see that they are good children and all of them are playing together nicely, without any problem, create people who will appreciate peace. Not by talking about peace. Having organization of peace. So today is a day of our understanding, and a promise to me that you will try to be good mothers. May be sometimes, say the husbands comes from outside are in a temper sometimes, tell them not to loose temper in the presence of children. Alright, and you have to bear it up, doesn't matter. Because you can, as mothers you can, Mother has a special personality that she can preserve the child, she can digest lot of| things. She has a special personality and that's why @ mother must come up (o that point. Moreover I ‘would request the fathers and other relations of the male ones to respect the mother. Motherhood is the highest thing. Tell you the race, any race which does not have superior mothers cannot exist, cannot exist. Any country which doesn't have mothers of a great quality cannot exist. IC will perish, no doubt about it. The mothers have to look after the preservation, not only of their own children, but of the whole race, of the whole nation. Itisa very important thing. Wherever the mothers have failed, the nations have failed. So try to understand that itis the mothers’ duty (© do this. If the mothers themselves are small minded, mothers themselves are selfish, the whole nation will be. Everything passes through the mother, (o the children, Father is just there to witness, he doesnt do much. So itis for the mothers to look after the children. Every action of child must be seen properly, must be observed properly, must be appreciated properly, and if you can develop that, I am sure you will give such a great asset to Sahaja Yora, Most ofthe children will grow up very soon, it's only a question of five, ten years more. They will be all grown up and you will see a army of great people coming up as Sahaja Yogis. So it's a big responsibilityin you and a trust, that you will look after them and render that what is needed, the peace, the joy, the bliss, and enjoy their company as well... That's also an important thing. When they are young itis important that they should look after the children, They should manage the children, bandle the children, Itis their job. When they are grown up, of course, they will have much more time. As you know, Itold you that tll my daughters got married I did not start Sahaja Yoga. ‘The reason was, it was a responsibility. ‘Though it looks a tiny little bit, but it was very big responsibility. Once they were married I started Sahaja ‘Yoga, and the right time came also to work it out. ‘That's what itis. But that does not mean that you give undue importance to children. Again I say, because you go to another extremes, IF you give undue importance then they all the time want to have importance. And when they try to have undue importance, then again this ego comes. So in these countries where people are already ego-oriented, when there are all ‘kinds of other problems, everything, we should uy to purify our minds, keep it clean, have the thoughts of higher visions, higher things, greater people who are able to come to Sahaja Yoga. Those numbers that we think of, let us have, how many we are going to have, how many we are going to receive. All these things, you see, they make you sublime and all these sublimation of the brain gives you that kind of a power by which you really help your children, A father is a drunkard, supposing, but the son never remembers it, he doesnt want to remember. A father who is a murderer or a thief, though son feels very happy about it, though he may say he's my father. But a father is the idealism, father who is sacrifice, a father who has something special about it, every child will remember him. A father who is hot-tempered, who is angry type, the child may agree or succumb to him, but ke will not remember that father much. He will have no respect for such a father. So i's such a mutual thing to have respect, to have anything. You smuist behave in a manner which is respectable and the idea of a mother is that she should be worshipable. So you mothers, you will aspire to be something much more higher than the rest of the people. May God bless you. Now have you any problems or any questions, you ask me, that’s better. (Could you say a word please about education and if possible the type of education that is likely to take place in the schools in India?) Oh, Isee, that’s very important question. ‘The idea of the education is that to instill in them, first of all the sense of self respect to begin with. ‘That ‘we'll have to teach them what is self-respect and how to understand the importance of self-respect, And. then they will be taught on those lines various things, like: "We must learn to keep our things properly, to keep the place clean and to respect it.” To respect your school, to respect your teachers, to respect all that is there, how to respect from the Mother Earth you should start, Its said that first you must touch the Mother Earth because you touch Her with the feet, on those lines. First of all the sense of respect must come in children, that's very important. ‘Then once that starts, then i's casy to instill any other ideas into them, So we are not going (o get them completely, sort of deconditioned type, or we are not going to say that there's not going to be conditioning. But the conditioning will be on the path by which they become children of some unique qualities which are required today in the world. They might develop into very great leaders, they might develop into great orators, or they might develop into painters or artists, according to their aptitudes, which we will look after. But the first and foremost thing, a person must know how to respect himself, Once they develop the sense of respect. Now the main thing about children is that they should feel completely secured in a place. Security is a very important thing for children. If they do not feel secured in that place then we won't be able to balance them much. Now Ido not want to put too much restrictions on children in the name of discipline, in the beginning, because children are themselves very much disciplined. But discipline has to be there. So for certain things, I tell you, if you follow the practice, say, of getting up in the morning time, slowly you will findchildren cannot sleep after that time, once they. All these good habits can be done. To sleep earlier, to get up early, to not to talk too much, not become also absolutely deaf and dumb sort but to talk whatever is necessary, what is not necessary, not to talk rubbish, not to be frivolous, not to be sarcastic. All these things can be watched very carefully. ‘And then there is a way of correcting children. I mean, I don't like that punishment, you can correct the children, never. But by telling them stories, by telling them, talking to them, by sorting out with them, you can work it out very well. Because they are all realized souls, they are not ordinary children. And if ‘you talk with them, I tell you, these days the children are so wise, that they immediately take to wisdom, immediately. When they talk, they talk wisdom. I mean all of them sometimes, if you talk to them, you feel you are amongst grandparents or great-erandparents, the way they are lalking about things. So you have to understand that these are special children, are to be treated with respect and to be brought up with respect and instill in their mind that: "You are special children,” that "You are children who have to change the world. You have come on this earth for a very great purpose and that's why you have to be brought up like that." And then the disciplining also comes in children when they understand that they are they themselves discipline. So first thing is to instill in them the sense of security and a sense of self- respect. I think this isthe most important thing we have to do. Now another thing is that about food and all that. Children should be from childhood taught, taught not 10 be very fussy about food because if you fuss about their food then children become fussy. But if you do ‘not fuss, then children can eat whatever you give them. But of course the food should be good, on that 1 am very particular, thatthe food, taste and all that should be good. But it doesn't mean that child should become so fussy that in later lives he wants (o have this kind of food or that kind food. All kinds of food the child should be able to enjoy and we should have very healthy way of doing it. And Iam sure some doctors will help us. There's also, that we'll give them food which is healthy for them. But I am not for some sort ofa, like Gandhiji used to give us just boiled food with the mustard oil on top of that to eat, because he said that's how you develop a non-taste, you see, “asswad.” He said you must not have a tasty thing because, I don‘ think, I can do it, but I don't think everybody can do that way. So we should not be hard on them, We should not be very hard. Because I have seen those people who have come out of Gandhi ashram are very hard people, you know, over-strict and sort of, not so congenial with others. And they become absolutely so very strict with themselves that others, you see, don't understand them. So they should be people because they have to do public works, they have to talk to the public, They have to be people who are congenial, who know how to deal with others. Not something sitting in Himalayas and sort of not touching anybody else. So they have to be brought up in a way that they should be normal children,normal. Not that they have to eat all raw food, and these health food and all kinds of things are not needed. But normal good food so that their health improves. 1 tell you one of the reasons why the health improves, is if you keep the timing. Timing of the food. I've scen that when I used to go home I used to get sick, when I was in the hostel. Though the food was horrid, I used to keep better. The reason. ‘was, at home, everybody would spoil me. "Now she's come from the hostel, so let her have this, let her have that." All kinds of food was served. And no timing was kept. But in the schools, stictly you have to keep to the timings. And that’s how your health was better. So, timing is one thing we'll improve there. ‘Then the education as such welll give them about Sahaja Yoga education. Slowly, slowly they have to be trained in Sahaja Yoga and that is one of the most important thing. «(Would you then anticipate them going on to universities around the world, Shri Mataji?) Now the trouble is, you see, universities as they are, you know what the situation is. According to some Sahaja Yogis, universities are the places where all the destructive is... hough I am sure the children who are brought up in that school, wherever they will go they cannot change. They will change others, but they will not change because they will be so well developed in their own personality that their personality willimpress others. They will not change, even you people, Sahaja Yogis, you won't change, you will change others, but you won't change yourselves. Developing Childlike Qualities, 1985 ‘A Tide child can show you how we are stupid and foolish and how we behave. So many times you must have seen children come out with such utterances that the elders are put to shame. So the childlike temperament can be developed if we awaken Shri Ganesha’s principle within ourselves, which is a very, very powerful, very very powerful deity. Very powerful deity. Because a child, supposing one child is lost. Say a child runs away or if a child is hanging somewhere on a tre, the whole community will rush to take out the child. The concern will be there. Even in the Western countries I have scen, if one litle girl is tortured, everybody is worried about the child, Everybody opposes that. Maybe some, there are some horrible people, no doubt. Maybe there are more than there are here, but one gets concerned. Soa child itself isa very, Sort of a source of getting all the protection from everywhere. Because the child is growing. The child is growing. Everybody wants (o help the child So in the same way when this Ganesha principle is developed into you, you realize that you have to grow. ‘You are still growing. A litle child learns so many words in such a short time that we cannot learn. Afierwards when we are grown up, say after sixty, if you have to leam even three sentences, is impossible. So the child is growing and his curiosity and his capacity to know more things is also very much sharp and he starts learning more, He doesn' think he knows everything, The ones who think like that are not yet bom properly. Idon’t know anything, I have to know that, [have to know that. I don't know anything so far. And the children do it so easily you must have seen. Little bit you do, this way or that way, they immediately follow you. So what you have (o do is to know that you are still in a child stage, you are growing. We have to humble down and we have to know a lot. And from wherever we have to know, we have to know. The arrogance, the idea that we know a lot, itself is very dangerous for the growth, very dangerous. And that is what onc has to give up. And we should know that we do not do anything, but we have to know. Many people who come to Sahaja Yoga settle down as we are Sahaja Yogis but don't know a word about Sahaja Yoga. Especially the ladies, I am surprised. They do very little about Sahaja Yoga is rather surprising. Now in Sahaja Yoga there is nothing like women or men. Everybody has equal rights. ts’ not the job of womien just to sing songs. No, i's not. They have to know each and every thing about Sahaja Yoga. They have to know what are the diseases, how they are cured, what are the mental problems, how are these chakras are made. Everything. They have to know the medicine. They have to know the psychology. They have to know the divine powers. Everything they have to know, how it works out ‘And that ignorance will never be forgiven because you are the ones who have to talk about it to others. “The third thing is, a child is never a silly person, never silly. He never does something in a silly way. While you see many people who are brought up in a very strict way become suddenly very silly at an old age. Very silly. This phenomena I've seen much more in the West. Suddenly they become trying to be very youngish type and just they'll clap like this and start behaving in a very funny manner. I used 10 ‘wonder what's wrong with them why are they behaving like this you see. But itis I think, they're bottled up and then suddenly they try to behave but they are not. A child is never a silly person. On the contrary if somebody is silly, they say: "He's a clown.” They come and tell Me: "He's a clown. He's not alright” Or: "He's a buffoon.” Whatever words they know, they'll express. They don't like it. They start ‘wondering what's the matter with this person. So all hese things come (o us because we have no idea that we have to grow in a steady understanding awareness, awareness. Not in how you express yourself in Sahaja Yoga, how you do things in Sahaja Yoga. It is how you are aware of it inside. In the same way, emotionally. When I see something, I don't think people understand what I mean, Now I've said that you puton bindis. Again I find you are just the same. Atleast here you should, This is Ganesha's mark.They would not put it, So many times I've said. How much time does it take to put it on? Now this is a very common things that are going on, ‘Now another thing is that, you see a child doesn't want to be disheveled at all. Today one child had gone for a bath and he was coming back. His father wanted to bring him to see Me. He said: "No, my clothes are not alright. My hair are all disheveled. How can I see Mother?” So he went back, he put some oil in his hair properly. He dressed up smartly. I mean when we were young we always knew all the Western people were very smarily dressed, properly groomed. They would never come with disheveled hair. But he said: "No, my hair are disheveled, how can T go and see Mother?" So we have to give up all these funny ideas of fashions and all that because this will all go away. You'll lose your hair. You'l all become bald-headed, to look very funny. There's no wisdom in it, Buta child bas a wisdom, he wouldn't come. He dressed himself up properly. Then he came and stood before me. And this is what we have to understand, that our appearances are the expression of our inner being. And we have to do certain things because we do not know how to accept things, how to do things like a child does. A child, if you tell him anything, he obeys and he listens. Otherwise the child is nota normal child. In India, if there's a child who doesn't obey, they just thrash him nicely, put him in the room for three days, make him starve and put him right. Nothing doing. That doesn’t mean that people are harsh here with children. Nobody kills children or anything. But you have to be very, very careful with your children. You shouldn't allow them to be lousy, to be untidy, to be languid, like lotus-eaters you see, or like people who have no smartness about them. They're all Sahaja Yogis and you have (o be like tha, in that way. A child's another attribute is that he hits always the principle of everything. Always the principle. A child sees to the principle of everything. And the questions they ask sometimes is so remarkably collective that am surprised how they go to that knowledge. ‘They never waste time in frivolous things. Never. Never ‘waste time in frivolous things, talking of frivolous things, nothing of the kind, Thaven't seen children talking about their clothes, or about the seeds they have got, or the houses, nothing of the kind. They are busy doing some construction, very busy you see. You ask them "What are you doing?” "You see, we are trying to tic up the whole of the airport or the whole of Bombay.” Like that they will take it. They are very busy people. Ifyou see realized souls who are children they are always worried about the collective, And that’s what should be your situation, that you should be all the time worried about the collective as a child is, that: "How, how i will help the collective?” But not worried about yourself: "What is my personality. Am I that impressive? If [go to people will they believe that Iam something, a realized soul (Or am I like other women or other men who are going to the hairdressers and having all kinds of hair dressing up and wearing all kinds of funny dresses to impress others? Am I looking like a saint? Am behaving like a saint?" These things should come to you very easily. If you tell a child: "You are a Sahaja Yogi," they will say: "So, Tam a Sahaja Yogi. can't do that.” See, all the nonsense starts after they develop their ego and then they start behaving in a funny way. And it develops much more in the West earlier. But here it takes a while and the children are just accepting whatever God gives them. To them, alertness is so natural. If there's an aeroplane who's going, they say: "Bye-bye, aeroplane!” Then there are ships are going, they'll say: "Bye-bye." To the sea, they'll say: "Alright, sea, we'll come and see you tomorrow you see." Everything is within their mind. ‘To them everything is there, they'll come. You ask them: "How did you like it?" "Oh, we liked the grass very much. Itis so nice.” And everything they will tll you the details about everything. So alert. And then they'll say: "Ob, why did not you do this? You could have put some flowers here. You could have done some flowers, would have looked nice for the hut," of something, a suggestion they'll give. Very particular on cleanliness and anything And in childhood children get up very carly. All the children in childhood get up very early. It's a nuisance for mothers but they get up very early. That's how I also get up very early. Getting up early is a childlike behavior. Because the birds are singing, the sun is rising, such beauty in the sky, and why am Isleeping? They'll wake up the whole house. But people don't like it. You see sometimes, you see, they beat. Nothing in India. In India people try to get up carly in the morning. [tis regarded something very dharmic and good. Even if we sleep late, we'll get up early in the morning. Thats one thing. Then you can sleep in the daytime. But nobody sleeps over this thing like nine o'clock, ten o'clock. Nobody sleeps like that. I mean, Ihave a problem. I don't know what to do with Myself. You can sleep in the daytime for a while if you want to overcome the nights sleep. You can be quite fresh. You can be quite alright in the evening if you sleep for a while. Buta child doesn't think too much. He doesn't plan too much. You see, he makes fun out of everything. You take them anywhere. Say you take them to an airport, there's nothing to be played about. They'll find ut some grooves somewhere, They'll jump on that, They'll get hide there, They can make play out of any geoss stuff that we think is useless, they'll make out of it. ‘They're very constructive and playful and that is what we have to be. Make play out of your life. Everything is meeting people, talking to them. It should come naturally, not artificially. Also some people I have seen a habit of pulting up an expression all the time like a smile or a frown or this thing. Children are never like that. Their muscles are so supple. They react all the time. Sometimes when they are happy, when they are unhappy, everything, you see the ‘muscles are all the time, are acting like that. Nobody is tense. That's why we have problems with our faces, you see. Because we keep them in one style you see. And these days, the more miserable you are, regarded as more handsome. That’ finished. Or else some people just go on smiling all the time like this, Its very bad. Or all the time absolutely feeling unhappy. You should allow the action of our emotions to be expressed on your face. 1am told that itis said that there should be nto emotions shown on your faces. Tmean | can't understand. What is the use of such a personality who doesn't know how to show any emotions? When you, you are nol a stone, are you? So all these foolish, stupid ideas which are given to us should be given up. And we should smile. We should laugh naturally. We should talk to people in natural way. And a child is extremely dignified. See Shri Ganesha dances with His dignity. He doesn‘ do frivolous nonsensical things. In His rise and His fall and His movements and steps, is nothing but His weight. So something cheapish, He doesnt do. In the same way there should be dignity throughout. Dignified behavior should be within us. Now you have to judge yourself how far you have become Shri Ganesha within yourselves. Are you innocent? You think of cheating others? Spoiling others? Like my television, I was amazed. I mean I can never think of spoiling a television and this and that these ideas From where do they come in to your heads? Why should we? I've never done it all my life, something like that. I've always paid every duty, everything. Why should we do such nonsensical, to spoil the television and spoil it make it look cheaper. Do all this for what? How much are you going to save out of it? Butall these ideas come into your heads. I just don't know from where. Why cheat? We are Sahaja Yogis. We cannot cheat anyone. Or you can tell the customs: "This isthe situation is. If you allow, welll 20, otherwise we'll stay.” This negative attitude never comes to children. They are so plain and simple. Once we had gone, T must tell you how children are so simple. Once we had gone to inside a port and My nephew gave me two things of cheese you see. And we were bringing it out, so My daughter was very small girl, so when we were coming he asked: "Do you have anything” I said: "We have some two tins of cheese.” "Yes, yes, and we are going to eat it also, see we have opened one and we are eating.” The custom fellow was s0 impressed by her innocence. He said: "For your eating” "Yes, yes, for our cating we have taken it. Is it alright?” He said: “Its alright.” You see, the simplicity and innocence is itself is a certificate for you. Not these cunning methods, what is there? I mean precisely on the phone I tell them: “Ob, Baba, for heaven's sake, I'l pay every duty. You don't have to do anything. Just put this thing there. ‘Tell that it is mine, You don't have to do anything, declare it, this, that.” Why? Where is our mind? I's alright. How much are we going to lose in that? How much have we gained so far? Money? What do we have? Saving money here, saving money there. Children don't do like that. No, they don't. Like My grandsonhhe was saying: "Why do you stay in this wretched place, very bad vibrations in London!" I said: "You see, your Grandfather has to stay here for earning money.” He said: "Money, why do you need so much money. For why do you need money. Why don't you come to India?” Isaid: "You need money.” So when my husband came back, he took out a 2p. "So you want money, have it. Now put in on your head. Why do you want to have money?” My husband dida't know where to look. "You want money, alright have it, put iton your head.” He was a litte boy, you see. But interest in money starts later. As soon as its money you start looking at it, when we grow up. Otherwise we don't. Al those funny interests start growing later on. What is for Ganesha? Money is the dust of His feet. What for Him gold? What for Him anything? Whether He wears a crown of gold or He doesn't wear anything, makes no difference. He is there. His head is just the same, Out of respect, out of adoration, people might give Him gold or anything. Just to feel satisfied. Alright, for Him what does it ‘matter? And any child who is areal child will not accept anything from anybody else. Nothing. But if you take it, he will think: "Well how should I return it?" Always, Tknow, My own grandchildren have ‘done it. You see if you give them something, they'll make a heart put inside that, write it down nicely and ‘when I come out of My bathroom they'll give Me that heart. You see, that: "Thank-you very much for this and that." But when we grow up we forget to even thank people. We take everything for granted, we. We don't have that. We just think we have just to judge everyone all the time: "This is not good. ‘That is not good, could have been better.” We never think: "This is given to us, be thankful. Count your blessings.” But for children it's not so, Ifyou give them even a small thing they'l keep it. "This is given to me by my Grandmother.” Ihave seen this in My own grandchildren. The eldest one, when she was small, I gave her a little sari a very small one, just for her to wear. So when I went there she said: "You see, Nani, I must tell you one thing serious is happening.” Isaid: "What?" "You see, the sari You gave me Thave kept it very carefully. But my mother is trying to be funny.” Isaid: "What happened! know, she didn’t give it to anyone but she showed it to some people she should not have shown it.” seriously. They're so sweet and so beautiful that they say things. Like once see I had given her Wendy house and in Wendy house she made it nicely. She called her mother: "I have made a very nice house for you, come along." So My daughter is rather tall, you see, she found it difficult. She went inside the Wendy house and sat there. And she says: "Ah, so What have you got for me (0 eat?” She said: "Mommy, when you g0 to somebody's house, you don't say such a thing!" And she laughed, and she laughed so much that she broke all the Wendy house. So she came out and she told Me: "Grandma, You have not given any good training to Your daughters. First of all, she comes to my house, asks funny questions and then she breaks my house. Do you do like this to anyone else?” How innocent and simple they are. Few things, I mean, like that there are so many things like that I can tell you. Ihave seen the way they talk and say things and all that, so simple and so good and so collective and so beautiful. In the same way we have (0 be The another thing, a child doesn't have any fear. Child doesn't have any fear. Ganesha has no fear at all. Inthe same way you should have no fear. No fear atall, No fear, As long as your Mother is with you, why should you have any fear? Fear of this, fear of that. "I'm frightened I can't do this, I can't do that." That children never do. They'l try everything if you tell them. "You should have no fear. I don't know what fear is.” In the same way you should have no fear. No fear of anything. Nothing is going to go ‘wrong with you. But don't do wrong things. If you do wrong things it will repel it. It will work out on you. But don't do wrong things. Be straightforward and nothing can harm you. Nothing can harm you. We have had so many experiences of this. How everywhere laid down for you. Everybody is looking after you. There are so many deities who are working out things for you. But you have to be, you have to be extremely careful that you do not develop this fear business. Because fear takes you to the left side and ‘once you go to the left side, you know the problems of the left side is first of all, you go against Ganesha, Ganesha is standing at the base of the left. And then you develop cancers. You develop all these things.Fear, fear, fear and emotional problems and all these things come. In emotions, you should be bubbling, with joy. Joy is your emotion. In action you should be thoughtless. And in ascent, you should be surrendered, That's all, i's very simple, three mantras are very simple for children. They are like that. Shri Ganesha Puja, 1989 Today you bave come here to worship Me as Shri Ganesha. We have been singing the praise of Shei Ganesha before every puja and we have such tremendous respect for Shri Ganesha because we have found. out that unless and until Shri Ganesha, who is a symbol of our innocence, is mot awakened within us we cannot enter into the kingdom of God and even to stay there and to enjoy the blessings of Shri Ganesha we have to have our innocence fully blossoming, So we praise Him and He is very easily praised and whatever we might have done wrong before coming to Sahaja Yoga he completely forgives because He is the eternal child ‘You have seen children when you slap them, sometimes get angry with them, they forgetit. They only remember the love and not what they have suffered at your hands. Till they grow up they do not have ‘memory of bad things done to them. From the very beginning a child is born to a mother, he docs not know what he has gone through, Then gradually the memory starts working and he starts restoring things ‘within himself but in the beginning only he remembers what nice things have happened to him. So we always like to ponder about our childhood what we enjoyed in our childhood. But as we start growing up wwe start remembering all the miseries and all the travailations we had to go through, all the ordeals through which we have passed, we try to magaity it. In childhood, the children only remember the people who have loved them and not the people who have burt them. They don't want (o remember perhaps. Tt looks like that, But when they grow up they only try to remember those people who have harmed them or have troubled them and that's how they make themselves very miserable. But the principle of Ganesha is extremely subtle, It's the subtlest of subtle, And it exists in everything. That it exists in the matter in the form of vibrations. There is no matter which is without vibrations. It has vibrations which are seen even in the atoms and also in the molecules of all the matter that is existing. So Shri Ganesha is the first one who was established in the matter as well. Asa result, we can see He exists in the sun, He exists in the moon. He exists in the whole universe, in the whole creation and He continues to exist in human beings also. Only the human beings have capacity to somehow or other cover up the innocence. Otherwise animals are innocent. Human beings have the freedom. If they want they ccan cover up their innocence. They can shut down the doors of Shri Ganesha and say that He does not exist, They ean cloud it and that is why we find among human beings that they are doing so many horrible things avoiding the existence of Shri Ganesha. But He acts, He acts in a way that He shows natural results of our wrong doings. Like if you do things which are not pleasing to Shri Ganesha He goes up (© point, Forgives you up to a point and then He starts emerging out as diseases, as physical diseases, and in women it becomes a mental disease, also it can create problems in the nature. ‘The natural catastrophes are also only the curse of Shri Ganesha. When people start doing wrong things, behaving in ‘a wrong manner collectively then the natural catastrophes come to teach them a lesson. So in His essence though He exists in everything. Also in He has capacity to assent His will to bring forth the destruction of the whole world. We have Shri Ganesha's idea as a minute thing. We think He can go on a litle mouse then He must be very minute. He is as minute as He is great. He surpasses all the deities because of His wisdom. He is the giver of wisdom, He gives us Vidya, He makes us learn, He is our Guru, in that respect Mahaguru because He teaches us how we should behave. If you try to surpass Him and try to misbehave even the Mother won't support because She knows that those who surpass Shri Ganesha are also the people who will never respect the Mother. So He is the epitome of respect for Mother. Epitome. He does not know any other Gods. He does not know Sadashiva. He doesn't know anybody else. But He only respects the Mother.So He is the one who is the power of devotion and complete surrender to Mother and that's why He is the ‘most powerful deity among all the deities and nobody can surpass Him in His power. We have to understand that as children are growing Shri Ganesha starts growing in them also but as they are human beings they can somehow or other try to overpower Shri Ganesha. So itis the duty of parents, who are Sahaja Yogis to see that they look after their children in a way, in a detached way, (o see that Shri Ganesha in them is settled. The fist sign of Shri Ganesha in a child is wisdom. If the child is not wise, if if he does not know how to behave then that shows that the Shri Ganesha is being attacked by him, And these days, in the modem times, as i is children are very much under attack, innocence is under attack and itis very difficult for people to make a fine line as to know how far to g0 with children and how far not to go. Today's lecture will be more concerning about how far to go with ‘Shri Ganesha as far as children are concerned because that's a very important point. Because He is the giver of wisdom. So the parents must understand that if He is the giver of wisdom there should be ‘wisdom within me. And if Thave the wisdom then Thave the balance and I don't lose tempers with children but I try to correct them in such a manner that they get corrected, On the contrary if you ty to be very harsh with your children, they might react and they might go astray. Or you try to restrict them too much then also they will behave in the same manner. So one thing is to be, talk to your own children as Shri Ganesha Himself does, that respect your Mother. Your Mother means your Holy Mother and your own mother--that is very important. If the father does not make the child ‘espect the mother, the child can never be alright because the authority comes from the father no doubt, bbut mother must be respected. But for that itis very important that mother must respect the father. So in the presence of children if you start fighting with each other, misbehaving and talking in a manner that is, ‘not proper, also will have a very bad effect on the Ganesha Tattwa of the child. This upbringing is of very important in Sahaja Yoga because by God's grace you all have got realized children. So you must know how far to go with your children. To make them wiser, to be moral, to be righteous. First thing is that you should try to preserve their wisdom. If they say something wise, you must appreciate. But they should not also say out of place, out of grace. So the misbehaviour is also not to be tolerated in the sense that whatever is wisdom within has (0 be expressed outside as light So Shri Ganesha establishes within you the higher self, so the baser self which enjoys all baser things of lives are being curtailed down, being cut down, sometimes completely destroyed by Shri Ganesha. I'll give you an example of Mona Lisa. If you see Mona Lisa, I mean, I don't know, she cannot be an actress, she cannot be in any beauty contest I think. Her face is very serene, very motherly, very pure, her eyes, and why is it that she is eternally so much appreciated? ‘The reason is, there is Ganesha principle in her. She's a mother. And the story about that one is that this Indy had lost her child and she would never smile, she would never ery and one litle child was brought to her. I mean she saw the child then the smile that came on her face ofthat love for the child is being depicted by this great artist and that's why people are appreciating it. [And you have seen in the west though the people don't show much interest in the mother-child relationships, anywhere you go, is the mother and child theme, is the best. They will show you a photograph, this is mother and child. This is Christ's Mother, and child. When the Christ was brought down the Mother is there. They have to have mother and the child principle acting otherwise that picture is not regarded as something great. Or you have to have actually Christ who is a Ganesha principle Himself to be shown. Ihaven' seen any picture as such of those days where these principles are not there. Even Picasso has used it. Even peaple who have been quite modem had to use this principle to popularize. But some people had used to popularize not the Ganesha principle, just anti-Ganesha, principles.Al such things have vanished into thin air, And I see now gradually it's all going down and down and down and down. Despite the fact people have lost their morals but still they would like to have Rembrandt, they would like to have Leonardo da Vinci, the would like to have such artists who have done Mother and child. Is very surprising! Even I went to Austria this time I said what statues you have? Said vwe have got beautiful Madonna and the child. So this principle is the most pleasing principle, is the most pleasing principle for human beings. To see the children, to play with them, to enjoy their company. Why? Because it has that sweetness of a child. It's really I should say, tickles joy within you when you sce achild, Immediately the face becomes different. I have told you that I have seen even a crocodile cracking her eggs, I mean they showed it in a film and you should have seen the eyes of the erocodile at that time, how carefully she was cracking, so beautiful her eyes were, full of such love pouring out of her eyes. Tcan't believe these are the eyes of the same crocodile and so slowly she is cracking with her mouth all the eggs and the litte litle crocodiles coming out and then she brings them on the shore and washes them in the mouth all the time, so carefully like a bathroom she uses her mouth you see. You should see how animals also act to their children, But when you become sort of modern, so called, your actions are very funny and there are people who are killing children, there are people who are abusing children. I mean itis worse that rakshasas. Even rakshasas have not done, pischatchyas have not done, the Ganas are surprised what sort of these new creatures have come up from where? That they have no love for their children, that they can kill their children, murder them, break their hands, which are their own children. If they do this to their own children what will they do t other’ children? So love for your child has to be absolutely important. But you should not as Sahaja Yogis have only attachment for your child, first thing. And the second thing is ‘you must know how to give a complete margin to your love, The margin is benevolence. Is it benevolent Tor my child? Am I spoiling my child? Am I too much encouraging my child? Am I playing into the hands of my child? Or lam managing the child alright? Because in childhood the father and mother have to manage the children, They have to tell children and children have to be obedient and they have to listen to parents. But these days children are not obedient. They are not. Because they find that the parents among themselves are not obedient to each other, also they find that the society is such that children go on pestering the parents. So they also become like that, But doesnt matter. You are Sahaja Yogis. So you should bring up your children who should be obedient, who should be wise, who should be sensible with the same love that the crocodile has for her little crocodiles. Those who are younger to us, those who are not so well off, or those who have not so much talented or those who are not so much equipped in knowledge of Sahaja Yoga or who are not so much senior in Sahaja Yoga, we have to look afler the others like in a very fatherly manner or we can say as a motherly ‘manner, that they are not equal so alright, we have a Ganesha tattwa, so excite their Ganesha tattwa. They should feel dependent on us for achieving the mastery or achieving the higher state as the Guru principle is absolutely bound by Ganesha principle. Ifa guru does not have a Ganesha principle he becomes a horrid, horrid, horrid fellow and nobody wants to stick on to him and they all run away from him. Though hhe may punish, he might also get angry with disciples but basically whathe thinks, he is my progeny, Tam developing him, Iam building him, But in the modern thinking, itis that let them be individuals, Let them be independent. So the father and mother do not look after their children in that manner that they should, that: "See, this is my son. Thave got a talent. I must teach him. He must come up. He is the one who isa continuation of my own self." So this idea of having every individual--"you are individual, at eighteen years you get out of the house, you do what you like, stand on your legs.” No! Life is a continuous basis, Itis not just you stand on your legs. Itis a question of one has to be all the time connected with the whole. Unless and until you are connected completely we cannot understand collectivity of innocence. The collectivity of innocence. | see sometimes, I am very happy that a child of somebody is in the lap of somebody, sitting very sweetly, coming as if he is your own father, coming and sitting just on your lap, without knowing that he is not myfather. But still that consciousness is not there. So this breaks the feeling of "my" and possession that “this is mine”, "this is mine", "this is mine”, and what makes you the fecling that we are now a means, & ‘means we can say, an instrument, a media by which we express the Ganesba tattwa all over that is vibrations. So the vibrations itself about which you are asking, these vibrations themselves are nothing but the principle of Shri Ganesha, is Omkara. And that fecling as I told you of "vatsalya’, a feeling of love between the child and a mother. That feeling, itis the one that is vibrations between the child and the mother. The distance between the two is vibrations and that’s what one has to feel that he is a child still, and there's the mother and mother is bringing the child, giving all the powers to the child, bringing up, loving the child, understanding the limitations of the child, looking afler, all that, all the sweetness, all the wisdom of the child to be appreciated, that is vibrations. And if you see the subtle side of things, i's not “my” child. Its not only a limited thing, because it is eternal, it's everywhere. So you cannot have it limited. In everything you do, I have seen, people the way they handle things in the west. We Indians have to lear also from them. So we have to accept for them, what is the way to handle also beautiful things. How to look after beautiful things, how (o manage beautiful relationships. See, you shouldn't be harsh, You shouldn't be unkind, You shouldn't say things which are insulting to others, so that the relationships are grown, so all the relationships that are between human beings and God, are through the Ganesha principle. So when it becomes the relationship between you and God then there are vibrations And then that same relationship should extend to everything that you have. You should see what things are good, whatever has vibrations hope today’s lecture you have been able to assimilate within yourself, That's very important to assimilate, to know that you are in the Paramachaitanya. And that's how you will become very sweet, you will become very considerate and very loving, affectionate and wise. That's very important. May God bless you. Shri Hanumana Puja, 1990 itis very surprising how a deity ike Shri Hanumana who isan etemal child, because He was like a monkey, His head was that of monkey, if not of an elephant, So He was an eternal child and He was the One who was used to run the right side of human beings. He was told that: "You must contol the sun." To begin with, He has to contol the sun that the sun in the people, if there is too much sun, then He must try to conttol it and make it cooler or smoother. So He was a child after al, so as soon as He was born, when He knew He has o look after the stn so why not eat it off So He ran up the Viratas body and ate up the Surya. There He had to be told that: "No, no, no, you have to control him. You dont have to put it inside your stomach.” Beeause He thought that this sun wil be controlled better if He has it in His own somach So the beauty of His characteris that He is a child and the childlike behavior of Shri Hanumana has (0 control the right side. If there's a right-sided mother or a right-sided father, Normally, right-sided people don't get children. Normally. They're over right-sided. Then even they get children but they are really not liked by the children because they have no time for children. They all the time are very strict with the children, they shout at them, they do not know how to handle the children. Or they are over-indulgent because they always think that I never got this, so let me give it to the child. So these extreme type of people who are right-sided have got this Hanumana who is nothing but a child,Mahavira After Talk, 1991 Now, our children are here. Now what [find that we do not know really what are the balanced means of looking after children, So some things that when I said: " They are realized souls,” they said: "Alright, let them do wha they ike.” That's not tue. Otherwise, if that isso, they would have been born out of a we you see. Why are they born out of you? "You have a responsibility whether they are realized or not. You have a responsibility about your children. And you have to sec that you correct. I's very important. Some people I have seen allow their children to go just so mad, go so amuck. So this L would say: an Indian parent isan ideal parent. What he will o, he will lok after the child. Also in a way the love, expresses his love and all that but if he finds anything wrong with the child immediately he corrects. Immediately Not spared. Inthe presence of others, Now if another person comes and tells about the child, what this child has done, immediately he will seold the child. He will never get angry with another person: "Why did you say that about my child? " But thank him, that: "Thank God you have seen. Because he might be a spoiled spor.” Like TIl tell you we had one Sahaja Yogi, now he is a grown up boy, when he was young one day he asked ‘me that: "Ifyou leave your parents, the badhas of your parents they leave you or not?" Isaid: "No, they‘may not leave, the badhas of your parents. Then what is the use of leaving the parents?" But I said: "Who is leaving parents?” He said: "No, 've heard that in the western countries, people, children, leave their parents when they are 18 years of age. I would not like to Ieave the parents.” said: "Why? You can be free.” He said: "Then Tl be free to do wrong, who will correct me? If ltake a cigarette in my hhand, who will correct me? Who will tell me: "Dont do it.” I mean ifthe child takes a cigarette in the hand, immediately the father will take up the cigarette and bumn it. Also: "The next time I see you, Ill burn your tongue.” Finished. But the child knows that the father loves me. And loves me in such a way that I should not lose my father. But he must know that he can lose the kindness of the father. If you allow the child just all the time to behave the way he likes all his life, then it will sit on your head And (oday only I was discussing with him and I told him that I was traveling one day with one lady on the train, one of the Sahaja Yoginis, and her child was there. Not very old, must have been about seven years of age. She was trying to talk to me and this fellow was all the time: "Mommy! Mommy!" And then: "Why? Why?" and going on all the time. [told her: "Why must you answer all these questions?” She said: "He's just making inquiries." Isaid: "Nothing sensible inquiries, just responses. He wants t0 attract your attention. So why do you want to pay so much attention to him?" She said: "Mother, how to stop it?" I said: "Yl stop in one way.” I said, I asked him: "You should not ask so many questions." He said: "Why?" "Because," I said, "You are stupid. You have to lear a lot slill, And if you go on asking questions like this you will be very very stupid and one day you will have to g0 like a mad man. Do you want to become a mad man?” He gota fright of his life - he'll become mad! Imean you see if you and your children are there, you have to tell them some stories. T'l tell you how. ‘Some children have a habit of beating others or doing something. And you said: "Now, if you beat then a tail comes out of your bottom like that, you see, like dogs.” And someihing like that, they believe it. They believe it, Next day they'll ask: "Is there a tail coming out” "Yeah, maybe, maybe somehow you are going to grow.” You see all these tricks have to be played with children. They are very clever. They know hhow to make you doubt, how to make you there, sort of displaced, sometime. You know, for everything they will demand: "Do this, do ths.” Now because they are realized souls, I was surprised that when I went to London, you see, there was a newspaper that started things about children, That every week in London city only, two children are killed by parents. And that was too much for me. So I just blasted all of them, and I said: "Nothing doing, you must love your children," As a result all the children sat on their heads. And they couldn't come to the programs. If they came to the programs their children were to be kept outside like doggies. Tied together for something. And in England, I don't know maybe here also they do, have a leash just like a dog. You see they hold their children just like this. I said: "How cruel itis.” But now I know how children can be in the West, I don't know if its white skin or whatever you may say. AU first we started a school especially for them because there was no school available, they were in a mess. So we said: "Alright, in Dharamsala ‘welll slarta school.” So we started a school in Dharamsala and these children were brought because they had nowhere to go anywhere. So in a hurry they started it you see. So there must be something also if you just started school in a great hurry, maybe some things are left out But these children were terrible because they saw these teachers were lenient so they came and started ‘punching them, they started showing tongues to them, sometimes spitting at them, sometimes pinching and doing all sorts of things, you know. So the teachers got a fright. They said: "Baba we can't look after these bounders. God knows what they are up to. One day they'l bring a knife and push it through us. We don't know what to do. And we have had a very bad experience in Shudy Camp about these children. ‘That they have no sense of proportion, nothing. They are not cautious at all. And then I said: "What will you do? They have alreadystarted jumping from different places. hope they are not jumping there.” So, and one boy broke his leg. They gota fright. So I said: "Alright, now you do one thing. They are already spoiled. So take one foot ruler and keep it and say that if you misbehave, this is the thing. And once or twice could do little bit like that." That doesn't mean you go and beat your children, I mean everything should not be taken to an extreme, but there should be a balance, you must understand, So there was one boy who had come as a cook from Austria and one Yogi had asked him, he thought that he is a westerner, he'd better look after the children, He started thrashing them left and right. Not Indian ‘women. Indian women don't thrash so much, you see they don't beat. mean I have slapped my daughter, ‘once one daughter and the younger one twice in their lifetime. We don't believe in thrashing. But you see, they are afraid of our eyes they know what you want, what is good. III tell you my younger daughter, when she went to college in Delhi, she found all the girls were wearing sleeveless blouses. So she came and asked me: "Should I wear sleeveless blouses? Because all the girls are wearing sleeveless blouses.” I said: "Go ahead if you think so.” She says: "Well, Mommy, why don't you wear sleeveless blouses?” I said: "I feel shy. if I've not wom it, I don’t like to expose my hands like that, I don't like it, it's not good. ‘The arms should be covered I think." Immediately she said: "Then itis no criteria if I say I ‘want this and all, that you should say ‘yes’ to everything. You should have said ‘No! No!” to me. I would have been very happy So this wisdom is there among Indian children. They like. Like that one Sahaja Yogi as Ihave told you he said that: "Then who will correct me? Who will stop me from doing wrong?" But that's not with our children here. So you see, because I don't know why, but maybe that our roots are too deep or whatever it is that here, itis controlled all the time, And wisdom is very important. Ifyou tell a child: "You have been very unmannetly.” I mean its like saying the most horridest thing to a child: "You are unmannetly.” Or to say: "You are very unwise.” Then the child feels very hurt: "Iam unwise, Lam not...” But the best thing for you to say is: "You are Sahaja Yogis, you are special people, you can't do that! You are Sahaja Yogis.” All the time go on telling them how dignified they should be. What is expected of a Sahaja Yogi. Itis better. But never spoil them! This is one thing you should not do, otherwise it will be a permanent headache for you. Even if they are realized souls, whatever they may be, but please see that you do not spoil them. That's very important. So I would like you to see that you train your children in such a manner that they feel the responsibility of Sahaja Yoga. MAY GOD BLESS YOU! aster Puja, 1991 "You have to guide your children t a proper sane morality. For that you must behave properly. You Should not go romantic inthe presence of your children, you should not try to put them in a way that you Jock up your rooms and do all kinds of things but behave in a manner that is dignified, otherwise children vl pick up from you to begin with. Then also you should be careful ast the television and things that thoy show all what children see, you have tobe careful and talk to them tht ths is wrong, ths is very ‘wrong, and this will bring problems to us, Ifyou have a proper rapport with your children you won't have any problem. "You see here they have so much of this education, despite that how many problems you have with children. While we do not educate children inal these things but we. dont have these problems in India because we are kept just innocent about it, the children are kept innocent, they never indulge into itand never never get into any problems which are created by curiosity. Never make them curious. You will feel happy, the children will fel happy and they'l start their life from the very beginning on the basis Of morality. ‘This is what you have to give to your children ia proper moral sense.Bhavasagara Puja, 1991 Then when they come home from work also they sit down together to meditate, thats the collective part of i. Or discuss whatever is to be done, how are we to propagate Sahaja Yoga. They just alk about Sabaja Yoga or they decide what should be done, what isthe best way to solve the problems of Sahaja Yoga. And then in the night before sleeping invariably, all of them, all of them, one and all, even children before sleeping, soak their fect inthe water, sit for meditation and sleep. That's why T find Austria has come up so well, and Germans. You know Germans are like that. If something gets into their heads, for thom that’s the most important thing, then they do not sort of fickle out, they don't have any compromises on those points. And they make their body work hard. Now what is the tapa in this thing, the penance? That our body is used to some sort of a life. India, also we all are like that. In India everybody will et up in the morning and they will st for puja or they will sit for meditation, I mean that goes without saying, you don' have to tell them. Because thas the traditional thing to doin India, always when they get up, have their bath, you always do some puja, all of them. If they are Christians also theyll sit down and pray Muslims, they do namaz. That's a kind of a practice and the breeding ofthe family. Here I find thatthe parents do not take the responsibility to pass on any information to children about disciplining themselves because children are also extremely aggressive. They don't want to know about it. So the parents also dare not tll them that itis good for you. "Please do it this way. Ibis better that you meditate.” They are afraid that they may lose their childcen if they tell them like this. Or: "You pray,” or: "You get up at this time," you dare not tell them. That you get up at this time. This isthe greatest crime in the west, if you tell them that you have to get up at four o'clock. Ama! Itis like the worst punishment, But once you start getting up inthe morning you'l get the abit and then you'l sleep eafly. Then you can sleep ealy. Getting up inthe morning really will help you forthe whole day. So start this kind ofa practice ‘And once you start manifesting, see your temperament, how itis. We'll look after your children, don't worry, Shri Ganesha Puja, Australia, 1991 So the fist thing is that we should understand that Ganesha gives us mariadas, Limits. Iis innate within us, Ibis not imposed on us. Itis innate. A litle gl if you see, she is shy, she knows how (o protect herself. Even the boys they ate shy and they try to proiect themselves. But that innate innocence we ty to flaunt. Because ego is there: "What's wrong?” You tell immediately: "What's wrong?" And you do not know how devastating its [Who's child is crying? Will you please take back the child. What's the matter, there must be some possession. Otherwise why should the child ery so much. Take it out. Take him out. There's some sort of a possession, Remember if children start crying in front of my photograph or in my presence, then know there is some possession, otherwise they won't cry.So for women especially it is very important to have a great sense of chastity. And if they do not have the great sense of chastity then they develop all kinds of funny ideas and mentally they become very imbalanced. And the children that they have also become very funny and you have all these problems.Diwali Puja, 1990 Even in Sahaja Yoga Twas surprised that people inthe West who were not attached to ther children get very much attached to their children, and they just think about ther children and nothing clse. This is another kind of selfishness, If you just think of your own children only and nobody else then the same children will become devils and teach you a lesson. And you will say next time, "Ob, God! Don't give me any children! Had enough.” But if you make the child collective, and teach child to give others and to enjoy tha, then from the very childhood the child becomes extremely generous. And the generosity is the quality is ofan incarnation. "Ashwarya"~-ashwarya doesnt mean only the money, the wealth, but generosity excels the money and that is ashwarya, And that isthe sign of an incarnation and sign of a Sabaja Yori. [A person who has Lakshmi, he has family, he has children, he has everyone. The worst thing Ihave seen that in the west the parents don't give any money to their children when they grow up, then don't look after them, But they are so possessive. On the contrary in India, we give all our lives to our children and we are Ieast possessive. And they are even possessive of the grandchildren! That's why the families are like this here. So the whole system has gone in a funny way chaotic. So itis important for Sahaja Yogis to understand that they will first of all look after their children, give them whatever they need, nourish them, give them guidance, don't spoil them, and secondly, once they are married and have children, they will not tuy to possess them, and possess their children, their wives.Then the third one (incamation of Mahalakshmi) came as the Mother of Christ. She gave Her child to be crucified. Would we just introspect ourselves? How much we are attached like hawks on our children? If anybody says anything to the children, people don't like it. Ihave got reports from Swiverland, that if anybody says anything tothe children the parents don like it. No. Nobody should say anything to their children. Here She gives Her child o be crucified forthe emancipation of humanity. Lean even look at the cross! While we are so much attached to our children. What are we teaching them? Are we teaching them any sacrifices? Are we teaching them any sharing? Are we teaching them any tolerance? Are we teaching them forgiveness? On the contrary if anybody says anything o the child you don't like it. Leave alone crucifixion, leave alone even litle punishment, the child has now become the biggest ordeal for Sabaja Yogis. Ian tell you. Ian see iso clearly. The atachment to children is 0 great inthe west that Tam surprised. Everybody gets children. What's so great about it? The greatness is what kind of children you are. Tomorrow these children. Please move the child that side, don't do that, get out, Please get out and don’t do like that in the lectures, I don't like women standing here moving their carts. Show some respect. Can you do that in the church? ‘Something, you see, sometimes I do not understand that a certain protocol also women don't understand, Please take the child out and don't keep the thing here, go out. Please tell her. You don't take your perambulators in the churches do you? Where there is no Adi Shakti siting. Because the principle is mainly your own child. It's grabbing you, 1 tell you. Its grabbing you. Your children are grabbing you and you are grabbing them. So we must understand, Are we allowing our children to grow big? Are they jealous? Are they saints? Are they beautiful? How do they talk (© others? Are they confident? Tomorrow they are going to be the leaders of Sahaja Yogis. Like Shiv mother, like Jijamata, how she made the son great! It's the mother who makes the child great. And if she ‘wants all the time to Sort of grab the child and the child to grab the mother, then itis suicidal. Suicidal for you and suicidal for the children. What have we done about our children? Its the duty of every Sahaja Yogi to see that their children grow, grow as great people. Greater than you. They have to look after the world. If you spend time with your children, see that you mould them, you nourish them with love and tell them that they should give love to others, that they should behave in such a manner that everybody should feel that Tight. Otherwise they will become devils. Like Ravana, Ravana was a realized soul and spoiled by his mother became a devil If you don't want your children to be devil, first of all understand that they are not your children, they are my children under your trust and you are not to make your children dwarfish and small. This is a new temptation I find in Sahaja Yoga, people are developing, so be careful. 1 wanted to wam you, because Wwe have to make our children like lights. Light bums for others, not for itself. We talk of lights, Diwali, alright what? These lights are burning for others every moment, do we learn from them, are we burning for others? Are our children going to burn for others? We are making them so selfish. So thousands and thousands of children are going to come and even when they are born-realized, I ave seen you spoil them, I mean if you take a diamond and put it in a gutter, it will be lost, jus like that, Even if you have the best children you can ruin them by this kind of stupid idea, that: “that's my child, this is mine. Expose your children to good things, tell them what is good. Tell them how to be good to others, tll them, to look after them, tell them how to press the feet of others, how to comb the hair, how to give food to others. Teach them, let them carry littl trays and feed others, to the birds, let them give water to the flowers, Don't make them small. Some of the children are really dynamic, great saints born to you, but you are ruining them and I have to warm you about it that in Mahalakshmi tattwa if you have to now give itto them, please remember that all these great incarnations of Mahalakshmi had to go through such ordeals.‘So what isthe incamation of Mary teaching us? Many people say “Oh, what was Mary afterall, She was just nothing.” Look at the incarnation of Mary, what does She teach us? You're supposed to be Christians, are supposed to be Hindus,"supposed.” But what do they teach us, these Mabalakshmi principles? ‘The last Mahalakshmi principle came as Fatima. Fatima was Gruhalakshmi, She stayed at hhome, She didn’t show off. She's not the one who went out. Stayed at home, looked after Her household, looked after Her children, and made them two great warriors. Her children and Her husband, they fought for the right, they fought for the truth. She was a Gruhalakshmi. I've secn, Lam sometimes very much amazed also that if you see a television, a child is lost. It’s the mother who speaks, the father does not. He ‘seems more shocked than the mother. Mother is trying (© show off because she thinks in the television she'll be seen, she's forgotten her pain, she's forgotten everything, she's the one who is speaking, the father is quiet. He's much more shocked than the mother, is a common thing you see, Normally a mother should be shocked. So what is the principle of Mahalakshmi, i that first is of sacrifice. Sacrifice their own children on the altar of truth. Of course that is not necded in Sahaja Yoga. You'e all blessed people, you don't have to sacrifice anything whatsoever, but if you do not develop your children into proper ways, they will hold you responsible and they will say: "Why did you not give us a full scope to develop?” If you find your child is obstinate, if you find your child is miserly, if you find your child, he doesn’t know how to share love with others, or dominating, try to curb it down immediately. Children are very clever, extremely clever, the moment they realize that they will loose your love, they behave themselves. So this Mahalakshmi principle has to grow among men as well as in women. We have families now, and this has 0 work out. That does the whole family sit down and meditate? Do we teach our children the proper protocol of Shri Mataji? Like a lady bringing a perambulator in the hall, is absurd. I mean, can you take a pperambulator in the church? ‘This is more than a church. Do you realize whom are you facing? And this is what you have to tell your children, because this isthe greatest time, this is the greatest time when you, are here, the greatest time of spirituality of the complete manifestation of the powers of the Goddess ‘When your children have to be the real flowers of beauty, please don't try to cover them up with their souls dying out there under the cover of so-called love for Me,Part I: Practical Advice Talk to Mothers and Babies, 1983 Shri Mataji Yogi Shri Mataji Shri Mataji Yogini Shri Mataji Children are very happy in the nature. They are so full of joy, children are, just They've all been down in the mud, in the river. Look at them, the children. How they feel one with nature immediately, you liquids, like soups and things. (One month old? Yes, you should start. Little bit soup is alright. Nothing wrong.Yogi Strained. Shri Mataji Strained. Absolutely strained, just water. But litle soup and things like that will be good for them, Yogi Barley water? Shri Mataji Barley water is very good. Barley water, or you can start with juices if you like and then go to soups and then to, I mean the system must get used that, you see. ‘Gradually ‘you must bring round children to food, not suddenly the heavy food, Yogini This baby, six months, he hasn't had anything yet. Because we got the message that ‘You said that it was six months that they should have food for the first time, Shri Mataji Food is different. I mean food means solid food. You can give them rice and dal cooked together. If you train up the system properly, first you start with juices, then come (0 soups and then come to solid food, in the sense that itis semi-solid. You can cook rice and dal together, make a khichaddi, thin it out and give it to the child. ‘That you can do, but not this dal. Moong dal. Moong dal and rice you can cook together and start with that after six months. Food means when there are solid parts. But juices and soups you must start, Important Yogi And water. Shri Mataji ‘And water you should start immediately. After a month you should start water, boiled water. You must start. Bui I saw your child getting , isnt it? Your child was having water alright? Yogini Yes, Shri Mataji Shri Mataji Yes, what is her age? Yogini Ten months. Shri Mataji But when you started? Yosi At what age? Yogini They always had water right from the very beginning, Shri Mataji, Shri Mataji They had water, so that’s good. Now what else you wanted to know? Yogini The baby waking at night, Mother. What do we do to get them out of waking up at night time? Shri Mataji Because they wet in the night, that’s why they get up, isa it? Or for no rhyme and reason? Yogini Yes, no rhyme and reason. Shri Mataji Alright, so what you have to do is to massage their body with oil and massage their head with oil, put lot of oil in their heads, you see. And then put some powder and clean it up. Give them a massage in the night, they will sleep very well. They won't get up. In the night you should give them a massage in case they are restless, in the night or something ike that before sleeping. You give them their last meal, say about what time you give them last? 8 o'clock or 6 o'clock? Yogini Well it depends on their age. The two older children have their dinner at about 6 O'clock. The baby, he goes to bed at about, his last meal at 7:30 or 8 o'clock. Shri Mataji Alright, so what you do, at 6 o'clock you give him one feed, alright? And So'clock another one. ‘You can give like that, one, one more in the night so they won't be hungry. But in between you can do the massage of the body, say about 7 clock, you can do the massage. Alright? So 7:30 then he goes to bed, 9 o'clock in his sleep he must have. In his sleep. And then in the moming he'll get up about S, that's all. Its very simple, at $ or 6. But I think you people don't massage the body so much of the child. You have to massage it wice in the beginning, twice. One in the night, one in the day time. Alright, now what else? Yogi ‘When do they stop breastfeeding, Shri Mataji? Shri Mataji Ten months. Gradually they should take to bottles. ‘Ten months they can stop, (en, twelve, you see. In India they used to stop after three years, nobody bothered. Buti’s better stop it by ten, eleven months or so. Yogi If they don't get the mother’s milk, say they have to cut it shor.Shri Mataji Of course, of course you should take the bottles, no harm in giving the bottle milk. Do itproperly. But you sce, if you do not give the nipple of the bottle in the mouth of the child, from the very beginning or say about one or two months or three months at the most, they won't take iteasily. So best isto give one feed after three months, start giving them one feed. When the child is sleeping you give one feed, then the child is used to the nipple, you see, You have to understand that the child has to get used to everything. Then they easily move, but otherwise, you suddenly. Yogini Yes, yes, Shri Mataji that was started at six months, But they just don’t want to eat the food that’s given them, some of the other babies that have been eating solid foods for a while Shri Mataji Because the food is not tasty. Yogini Is not tasty Shri Mataji ‘Ah, you must make it tastier, you must put proper salt. Salt must be properly putanda tle tasty it must be made, you see. A litte bit of butter, little bit. You see, you must make it tasty, otherwise the food is not tasty they don't like iton the tongue. Just Tike us. Yosi ‘You told them, Shri Mataji, in Sydney, they must have salt in their food, Shri Mataji Ah! This is very funny idea, not to have salt, Do you all suffer from high blood. pressure? You sce, without salt you cannot do your respiration, ask any doctor. If there is 1no sodium chloride in your blood, see, your respiration will go down. These things are essential for life but not too much of everything. Salt is needed in food. I mean these are all funny ideas that are coming up. The worst thing is that you are so naive, just ike children, I mean, if anybody tells you don’ take salt we'll just be saying; “Oh, you must be coming from lunatic asylum.” But if you are suffering from high blood pressure, if there's a __prolem of that or something, then it's different. Salt is very important for teeth, for everything. To feel relaxed is the best way to reduce the blood pressure, What else? Yogi There's also a belief that if you give children sweet food as a small baby and child, that it will grow up and have blood sugar problems. So they give very sour lemon, sour fruit Shri Mataji ‘See how I told you that how blood sugar comes in because of diabetes. Isn't it? Not because of sugar. It comes only because of diabetes and diabetes comes because of thinking (oo much. Ifyou make your child agitated all the time, you want him to think, and do this very well in the school. At the age of five years, if you want him to do’0' level, then what vill happen? You see, you want to make the child do competition, what is left over by you? Take it easy. Let the child study as well as grow normally. Yogi Is it wise for the baby to sleep in the same bed as parents, and up to what age, Shri Mataji? Shri Mataji Very small, six age, not every time, it's not proper. I don't think is good, all the time, but lite bit while, and then the child must sleep always in his bed. Always sleeping in his bed is the best, but in the same room, Not in some other room, But then you should take he baby with you when you are nursing or anything, for a while, thats all. But mostly the child should be in the bed. Ts not with the parents, Ilis sleeping between the two parents, he'll be crushed. Yosi Until what age should young children be kept in the same bedroom? Shri Mataji Of any age. Even now my children sleep with me. So what can I tell? You see wwe are different type of people. We don't undress ourselves when we sleep. That’ the problem with us. Thope Sahaja Yogis are not sleeping like that. Please don' sleep without clothes, bhoots will enter into you, Must wear your clothes and then sleep. I'm telling you don't sleep without clothes. That's the best way bhools enter you. What is the need, I don't understand? Yogini Shri Mataji, some of the babies have been experiencing a lot of pain while they're cutting their teeth, while their teeth are coming through. Shri Mataji There's a very old medicine called Stevemen's Powder. Stevemen's Powder, write it down, You get some ivory rings, they are very good for teeth, ivory rings.Yogi Teething rings? Shri Mataji Ivory rings, you get them in India. You get here plastic ones, we get ivory ones. You _ get some of these rings, they are very good for children. Yogini Shri Mataji, another question? What do you think about dummies for the babies? Shri Mataji Dummies? Yogini Yes, you know what dummies ate, they are litle rubber things shaped like a nipple to an extent and Shri Mataji| You sce they might develop that tecth are coming out you see, if you give too much of that. Yosi Yes if you give too much of that, but a little bit of, maybe to settle the baby down to sleep. Shri Mataji Little bitis alright, but try to keep it away. You see best is to give Vishuddhi treatment, and not have it, otherwise the teeth will be running parallel and you will have lots of problem setling them back. But litle bit you can give that. They are called as dummies, are they? Yogini Dummies they're called. Yes, dummy nipples. Shri Mataji There's no harm, Yosi They want to know about toilet raining, Shri Mataji Shri Mataji Now, what is that? Yori How (o stop the babies from wetting their nappies and using the pot basically. Shri Mataji About at the age of only 2 months or 3 months you must start touching the bottom of the baby to apot, you see. Keep alittle pot like that and try to make some sounds, shhhh, like that, and all that. And the child starts doing and he gets used to the touch of the thing. Then he knows thats an impulse you see, in him. That acts as a message, and you can doit Its very simple. Yogini Very early then? Shri Mataji Very early you must startit, very early. Yogini We don't do that. Shri Mataji That's because you have dry Yogi This Me. Froud said we shouldn't do it, S Shri Mataji Why? Yosi Iewill give you a complex. Shri Mataji ‘What, what is the complex. What complex, we all Indians do it, we don't have any complex with that thing. The one who has given you real complex is Mr. Freud himself. ‘What complex? I can't understand, i's beyond my mind, Yogi Al this nonsense, about how you were toilet trained and if you, itexplains why you bbchave in a certain way when you're grown up. According to how you sat on the potty. ‘And really, it's true Shri Matafi, Shri Mataji We don't even know what these things. What a thing you are, what nonsense! (laughs) That's why you people are very addicted to bathrooms also, We are not, You see we're there hardly five, ten minutes. Have a bath, get out of it. You see, the addiction comes from that kind of a thing. You are very bathroom cultured that's why. Yogi All this graffiti business is Shri Mataji Grattiti? Yogi Graffiti, writing on the walls, all this stuff, its all coming from that. Shri Mataji ‘Writing on the wall? You know, the best thing if you are constipated, take a newspaper. Isa simple thing. And horrid news. That's how I see some people, I have treated them. They say: "We are constipated’ I say: "Read a newspaper in the morning.” That's the place you should read newspaper, actually nowhere else, I would do that. T mean T don't get any chance or anything. L would say I better read the newspaper in the bathroom. That's the place is, becausesuch filth in there, No, no tall you he must be a sweeper in the last life. Must be something wrong with this Freud, I think he must have been a sweeper. Yosi Twelve years ago in England, Shri Mataji, there was a man called Dr. Alex Comfort, who is basically a descendant of Freudian psychology, who said that you should have contraceptives available in the market place for children to buy as from the age of twelve. So that’s how far we've gone. Shri Mataji| For what? Yogi Contraception, you know. Shri Mataji Oh, [sée. This is another joke. I thought must be for constipation. Children don't even understand these things. Yori They do here, Shri Matai, in the West Shri Mataji In the West maybe. Here they are over-grown. They don't allow them to be natural Putting all these ideas into the head, twelve year boy. Yogini Shri Mataji, some mote questions. What should mothers do about constipation in the babies? Shri Mataji You see they should not have constipation themselves. Yogini Well they do when they are on the formula mixtures. Shri Mataji We have so many ways of removing in India. Like we take ajwain ka churan and all that with black grapes, dried ones, raisins black raisins. Prunes with orange juice is good, or also milk, boiled milk in the night. Yogini That's another thing. When they are weaned from the mother's breast, are they weaned onto cow's milk? ‘Shri Mataji| Tmean we give cow's milk, because these formulas nowadays, I don't know Yosi It makes black stools, Shri Mataji If you get cows milk, better o remove the cream. Put the water in it and boil it, remove the eream. And that’s the best for children, but boil it together not separately. Always boil the milk and the water together, never separate, Yogi So all these mothers on formula should transfer to cow's milk? Shri Mataji Hmm? Yogi Al these mothers who are feeding their babies on formula, on this mixture, this powdered stuff, should change to cow’s milk? Shri Mataji That's how, I mean if the children can digest cow's milk, nothing like it if they can digest. But you must know what is the amount of water you should put, because that's "more natural, to take to the cow's milk. No, what we do then, for some time you can take formula, Because ‘might be better according to their age group, but say after ten months you can take to cow's milk. Alright, but litle it, one feed you should start, by the time they are about three months, before they are conscious, must start. One feed. Is she giving one feed at Ieast to the baby or not? Is she giving. one feed (othe baby? Yogini No, Shri Mataji, oly breast milk. Shri Mataji You should start now, alright? Otherwise again he will be very angry with the bottle. Yogini He is Shri Mataji, I've tried him on the bottle before, he doesn't like it. Shri Mataji So, better start earlier, always. One feed, you must start earlier. Say one month, you can start, because children here are very adamant type, you see. What other things? Yogini Medication for children, Shri Mataji. A lot of Panadol given to the babies. Shri Mataji Panadol? Yogini Yes, Shri Mataji Shri Mataji For what? Yogini For temperatures or irritability, teething, when the baby is crying or upset. Shri Mataji don't think Panadol isa very good thing. Itcan make the child very bad later on,Yogi iver. It will cause liver problems Shri Mataji| Oh, really? It’s not good. You sce say a child is iritable or anything. You should find out what is exactly the trouble, Is it due to the stomach trouble or anything, Then according to that you should give, but there are natural things that you should give to the baby, and not unnatural Say a child has got diarrhea. Alright, a simple method is to boil fennel seeds and mint together, boil it, keep it ready, and give that with litte sugar or candy sugar. And give — it to the child twice, thrice, the child will be alright. Simple things like that I can give you, so many medicines. Yogini Yes, Shri Mataji Shri Mataji Very simple. You should see why the child is sick. Panadol is something like a sleeping pill only Yogini Yes, itis. Shri Mataji “Thats very bad at that age. Yosi What about gripe water? Do you use that? Shri Mataji For the baby it’s alright, bul what about the mother? Mother has to take it out What else? Mint? What you can get here? You must be having some medicines for wind, Yosi Just the usual ones, What do you use in the hospital? Yogini Water or gripe water. Yosi Its fairly innocuous isn't it Yogini Oh, yes. Yori But do they boil the alcohol off it? Yogini ‘What is that? Yosi It originally has some small volume of alcohol in. Yogini Four percent. Shri Mataji ‘What is it? Yogini Four percent of alcohol Shri Mataji In what? Yogini In gripe water. Shri Mataji| No, we don't give gripe water to the children. We give this ajwain water, and to the mother. And there is another way, is to, ajwain is the only thing I know very well. Tl find out for you if there's something else. Yogini Should the mothers have a diet avoiding wind producing foods? Shri Mataji Ah, of course. They should not eat rice at all. They should not eat rice, they should not cat anything that is grown under the earth, potatoes also they should not. Rice, potatoes all these things must be avoided. Yogini Yes, Shri Mataji Shri Mataji| ‘You don't know this? Rice is never given to a woman who has got a baby. Till about ten months, she must avoid taking rice Yogi So any wind producing food should be avoided in the mother. Shri Mataji Everything that comes from the Mother Earth, inthe sense, from the, down below ‘Mother Earth, and also milk. Milk gives wind very much but milk boiled in a iron pot made out of steel, but not the stainless one, the other one, doesn't give. Yogini Milk boiled in a cast iron pot doesn't give wind. Shri Mataji So you should boil that milk with water, whatever itis, together in an iron pot. Yogini Yes, Shri Mataji Shri Mataji So milk should not be taken like that by mothers, directly, at all. If she has to take ‘milk, then take it with some sort of a porridge or something, at the most. She has to take milk’ no doubt, but she should take it with the porridge or these crispies or something like that Yogini Yes, Shri MatajiYogi What about nappies, Shri Mataji? Some of the nappies make their legs go out at forty five degrees. Shri Mataji Oh, that’s horrible thing that you make the children wear. Its very handy, but its vyery bad. Poor, this girl, has suffered so much, even now she has problems, that plastic stuff But we don't use plastic stuff. We use cotton ones, nice cotton ones and we put little, what you call, absorbent cotton, Yogi 1 think we call them flannelette napkins here. Shri Mataji And then we remove the cotton. If the napkin is also wet we remove the napki ean be washed. You see we can have about twelve or say twenty four, kept like that. It's very simple how to make it, TH show you. Geta soft cloth, some sort of a mulmul or something In India you get such a lot of them ready made. Yogini ‘We get soft toweling, many of us do that way. Shri Mataji Alright and then you must wash them. Hardly it takes any time for you to wash. Say in aday you take about, in the beginning they are small and you need more numbers. Later ‘on you don't need them. But you don't have all these problems of the plastic forthe baby, and the child is allowed to breathe, his body grows. Well otherwise they have their backside, is so pushed in, funny figures, and they also have legs going like that, Yosi Hip joints go. Shri Mataji ts very bad, it's very strong and should be avoided. Yogini You mean the disposables? Shri Mataji Disposables are not good thing. Only if you are going out somewhere you see, this kind of acloth is the best. This is a soft one, itis very good. Stil fora litte newly born it’s thick for us. You sce we don't do all this, we don't seam it, not to seam it at all, its hard Just open it out, just like that, we don't seam it And now put it down, like that. 1¢s too big. For a big child it's alright. Even if you want you can put like this for a big boy, here, a litde fold, But normally for alittle baby it's alright, So the child is allowed to grow. On Children, 1985 Now one of My concerns are the children here, who are very young and I think the children ofthis country or any one ofthe westem countries ae to be looked after in a proper way. Thave already given some notes and I think that s being circulated from London. I hope you people have got those nots. One thing you must insist on is the massaging of the body, that's important until about five years of age, Every day child must be properly massaged. ‘The body must be massaged, then they beconie quict. ‘Secondly I find that this portion of the head of children, if itis not covered properly with oil, then they get into troubles. What you have to do is put some oil on this part of the fontanelle bone area, quite a loton the sides every day, and push it there like that and if you want, you can wash the hair. If you don’t want you need not wash, but it can be washed also with shampoo or something which is not so...something very Soft. Like get some baby shampoo or something, but the best thing would be to put the oil, that’s important; oiling is best done in the area and if you oil them properly you will be surprised they will be very quiet children and they won' trouble you. You have seen Indian children? They are sitting in the program, they're listening to Me. I don't know what they understand, but they feel the vibrations I think So it is important that you must massage their bodies.Also their sleeping times--I think they are rather early you make them sleep, so if they sleep very early you must get them up carly also. Otherwise itis no use, then they will have a long time sleeping. Then if they don't sleep early later on, they get up very late also. So the best thing is to make them sleep ata time, say at about 10:00 p.m. or at 9:00 p.m. If they sleep, they should not sleep more than 10 hours and should bbe awakened after that. If they sleep at about 7:30 p.m., then 10 hours would be about 5:30. That time they don't get up, so put it at about say 8:00 p.m. and wake them at 6:00 am isa good idea. If you do that then they'll be very good and the problem will be solved. 1 think until they are about 12 years of age. At 12 years of age, you see, the sternum bone still is releasing the antibodies and that is important at this time to give them all the securities that they need and all the love they want. Now if they do anything wrong, you must (ell them itis wrong. You're his parent ; as a parent you must {ell him this is wong. This should not be done, not this. So that the children becomes obedient about it and understand what they have to do. Because if you allow them to go the way they like, they have no sense of obedience and whatever itis you should not allow children to have their own way. It's a wrong idea you people have. Till the age of 12 years they must be properly brought up, not too much of love, not too much of this thing or that. All the time they think you can be taken advantage of. So love is looking after them, massaging, servicing, I mean kindliness and also keeping them to yourself. They can sleep with you, allthis is allright. But too much love means is sort of spoiling, they want to do what they like, they want (o get up whenever they feel like, they want to spoil everything. They should not be allowed and then they will be nice, ‘What isthe difference between Indian children and Western children is this, thatthe Indian children are extremely considerate, and the Western children are destructive, I don't know, Ihave experienced it. Now see my grandchildren that come home and really I don't have to tell them. One day the youngest one drops something on the carpet and she was busy cleaning it up, she could not leave it, she said, "But I ‘must clean it up, why did I spoil it?” On her own she was doing it. If they see something untidy they'll put itright, if they see something misplaced they'll put it right. They know what things are there. This is a constructive way of looking at things you see. When the guests are there they'll un off up to the place, get things, they'll ty to open the door for them. But not that they'l open the door of the lift or go and touch. some electrical points, not that. Their mind goes to the right thing, perhaps because of massage and all that their nerves are very soothed down and they understand and they keep very quict. This is one thing one has to lea about children, you have to serve them. Really, when they are young you have to serve them, pay attention to them, but they should not exploit. Like your child, you remember, when he was traveling with Me in the train I thought he was very demanding. All the time she had to talk to him, tell him stories, so this. I said, “Don't do that, you are giving too much attention to the child, making too much out of him and that's why he's demanding your attention all the time. No, he must play, he has to play with himself. He has to be with himself and then he'll improve.” Otherwise, the poor thing, she didn't know what to do, she was trying to please him all the time. Just to see that the child is happy and doesn't disturb, but that's not the way, just don't talk, just stop talking. The questions, also..children should not be allowed to ask "Why?" It's very common here to ask "Why? It's not their job to ask you all the time questions, that's not their style, because its very wrong. That gives very big ‘ego to them from very childhood. What are they asking about "Why?" Why do they want to know about everything? Gradually everyone knows everything. Like on the road you are going, they will ask "What is this? What is this? What is this?” There is no need to tell everything that is on the road. When they're grown up they'll know about it. 1 a kind of pestering that they develop, a pestering temperament, that you should say that this isa tee, this is that. Even when they are grown up you have to tell them. What's the use of telling them in their childhood also, these things that they forget? So too much of knowledge, filling the head, injecting it, is not necessary. The children should not be pushed with too much of knowledge, because if you push too much of knowledge into their heads, they will also become confused and then they will be in trouble, So let them be as they are, tll them whatever is necessary. Ata veryyoung age I feel, in the West, we give them too much of unnecessary knowledge. There's no need to know what name of the grass is this word, what's the name of this grass, I mean they are not going to become gardeners. Gradually let them develop that proper sense. Aesthetics you can teach them, by saying "This is good. ‘That is good." “I like," if they say "No, I like. is not good. "I should like...” You see they must not learn to say "Llike, [like it." Also, in the morning. time you give them too much choice: "What will you have?" Nothing doing, whatever is good for every child should be eaten by everyone. "What will you have?” They will say, "I will have rice thin Another will say, "I will have this thing.” What's the difference? Iti the same. "I will have popcom. I will have that." - all ego developing. That is how people become so egotistical, ego orientated, suddenly they jump onto a horse, I mean, can you understand? If you are kind to somebody you should be obliged and you should feel that they have been kind. Instead of that they feel “Oh, I must be the Lord of the whole world.” It happens. The reason is this is from early childhood they have not kept to themselves. ‘Why should they have choices? In the morning whatever is cooked they should have. Why should there be choices? Choice is the one thing that leads you to ego. I mean in America, as I told you, every tile is different, it’s all like that. Itlooks nice, doesn't matter, but I like it, another fellow won't buy the house because I don't like that tle. Ilike this very much, I do not like this, Like yesterday, the gentleman said that if somebody doesn't want to have or like to have a personal God. 1 ‘mean if he doesn’t want to have, let him go to hell. Thats all one can answer. You cannot say "I like this," or" I like a God like this..1 want God to hang by a tree." Is it going to be done for the liking of a person? That's how a person becomes absolutely arbitrary and out of the collective. So this is what one hhas to teach the children: "Tlike..” is not allowed, "Thate..” is another word should not be allowed. " hate," this is a very wrong word. Children should never learn such a bad word. It should be told that our language has to be very good. You are all Sahaja Yogis. We are..we have to use very good language and wwe are not to get angry. We have to have gracious language, that's very important, Even Thave seen grown up Sahaja Yogis sometimes behave in such a funny manner when they get into fights you see. They oppress others, they dont use their claws, but stil... am amazed that they talk like this. How can you talk when you are understanding that we are Sahaja Yogis, you are Saints and you have to talk like Saimts in a gracious manner, not in a temper. Not in a degrading manner or in any way putting them down. Even with your children, if you talk to them with dignity. Like you see even we have to scold the children, we give them more dignity. You say like in English, thou. "Now thou will be seated." So the child gets a fright: "What have I done?" Instead of using you we use thou you see. "You the Sir, come here.” So the Sir’ gets a fright and says, "Why, what have I done?” That's how we spoil. Our servants also we spoil like that so they get a fright, " Why? Why is it today itis said?” But not to use abuses, not to use anything bad, not to beat children. If they're extremely funny, arrogant, itis alright. Once in a while it's alright, sometimes you need to slap them. Some of the children are really really very sinister type. Thats alright but, that's very rarely because most of them are realized souls and they won' trouble you so much. I'm sure they'll come round. Shri Ganesha Puja, 1985We don't have relationships with others, we are kept extremely protected in childhood. 1 think the parents hhave the fear in this country that 'we'l lose our children, It's the biggest loss. After they start getting older ‘most of the children leave their parents and go away. Parents are left high and dry, they feel that our children will leave us at the slightest. So they teach them not to talk to anyone, to be away from everyone and cuddle their own children all the time, look after their own children and they can't see a child talking, to another lady. They feel jealous and they feel that the child will be lost because they feel they cannot give adequate love. If anybody can give love to that child, they feel that that child will be lost. And the child also becomes such an individualistic child that it takes liking to a particular type of a person, and then, after some time, that person starts overpowering that child, and the parents lose the child. I's a very sick society in that way, As far as the children are concerned, it’s a sick society. It doesn’t know how to bring up their children. Just the opposite is in India, just the opposite. I think thats one of the reasons why Indians become collective very fast, is that in childhood, when we are raising children, or people have children, itis regarded as bad ‘manners to take your own child in the presence of others, absolutely bad manners, Say now Thave My daughter, and when they are taken to My in-laws, we couldn't take the child in My lap except for the milk. Also when I was nursing the baby. So they have to say: "Now you better nurse.” I would never demand that: "Give me the child, Il take her.” Never. Is regarded bad manners. And now I see why it was that. It ‘was bad manners to take the child in the presence of others in your lap and say: "This is my child.” Was regarded as something very crude and ill-mannered and as if we are not from good family, that we don't know how to behave before others. And even to say that: "This is my child" was not normal. Would say that: "This is your child, is your child.” Is something surprising. Now I am realizing why it was so in that society of ours, we are not supposed (o say, "This is my own child.” If you go anywhere: "That's your child.” Even in the house, we would not say "This is my house," to anyone, "Will you come to your house?" The whole, you sec, cultural background gives us that collectivity. Now, Ihave told this before also, why people are so sex-oriented. I mean, they are so sensitive to the touch of another person. Anybody who touches them, they get a funny feeling. The reason is, other sensations are not developed within them. That is also because you always cuddle your own child. Child only knows the mother or the father. All the time the child is with you. As a result ofthat, what happens, the child never feels the other sublime relationships with others. Anybody who is the other is an identity which is something different. And when you grow up, then you suddenly touch somebody, then you cannot feel the sublime things. When you are innocent, when you are a child, ! mean we never slept with our parents. I mean we, i a very common thing in India. Now supposing 1 am in the house, My daughters will give their children to sleep with Me, or with My husband, with brothers, ..sif My brothers are there, or their brothers are there, then they would give their children to sleep with them, not with themselves. The psychological reason was that, perhaps they understood it, because it's a very traditional country so they understood it. That the psychological reason behind this was that the child gets used (© another man, another woman and at that sublime situation, at that sublime consciousness, when they are innocent. So the relationship of innocence is developed. Nobody feels anything funny if anybody touches you or does anything. This is the reason if you see, a man touches a little boy, he gets funny sensation, The bboy gets a funny sensation. Its absurd because you must believe in the principle of collectivity. Now, Ihave seen that, that people cuddle their children too much in this country. And that's a very wrong thing to do, all the time earry the child on your lap, carry the ehild on your, this thing. Its too much. If you overdo it you will find the same children will hate you, Because in childhood they develop a sensation ‘that they are overdoing the things you see, and they canmot express it, Allow the child (o play as much as they like. Take the child whenever itis necessary. Let others take the child, not you. We have such a big community of Sahaja Yogis here but what I find, mothers are carrying the child or the father is carrying thechild, not give it to other people. Let the children be with other people, sleep with other people, enjoy others’ love. And don't have fears. They'll love you much more, And that's how I think we first of all built in them a kind of a stigma, a kind of a funny feeling that develops later on into these perverted relationships, that they feel to be with some another person is something bad. All these things can be given to children in a very easy way if you try it in childhood. Another thing is, that I find, ike in my husband's office I was surprised, everybody is called by name. Like this deputy of C.P. is called "Tom." Even a driver will call him "Tom". But you see we are very particular. I mean my husband specially is very particular. He will even call his driver by his name: "Mr." So they dare not misbehave. The relationship must be established in childhood, like I have seen the people calling (this yogi), little children calling him (by his first name). I mean, we would never call like that. Or even if you have seen My grandchildren, they say "Uncle," atthe most. It comes to more formal relationship, they say "Mr." But they won't call (by the first name). That's not done. "Auntie," "Uncle," the relationship has to be established. It's not only your father and mother are important. But you snatch your children, I've seen, from others. You want to hold on to your children and just grab them all the time. That's why they run away from you. Overdoing it. There's no need. Children are very independent. They can look after themselves, they can manage themselves. And just to keep them pleased you take them to shops, let them buy things, get things and then they get used to it. You want to satisfy them that way. No. ‘You must know that child is very intelligent and you have to bend the child's mind according to your own understanding of collectivity. And if you do not do that they'll become like all other children who are just vagabonds, ‘You must learn to discipline your children from love. Why can’ they sit inthe program quietly? What's the problem with them? From the very beginning they must be made to feel the vibrations. They must be ‘made to sit with other people. I's because they find that their parents are their own, the rest are not. That’ how racialism also develops, because they think the other people who are not fair are not normal. Al kinds OF these Scotland type of temperaments, or you can call as snakelike temperaments, these secretive temperaments develop. Then you start keeping them exclusive, to ‘yourselves. On the contrary if you allow them to be open, talking to everyone, opening their hearts to everyone. Even the people who are grown up shudder from touching another's child, Ihave seen. They'll ask: "Should I take the child ‘What's the harm? I mean in India, you go to anybody's house, they'll just. pick up the child. And now they say itis for protection of disease and all that. But on the contrary, children develop more immunity. Overprotected children are very dangerously placed because they have no immunity for anything. Imagine, in that country we have all kinds of parasites living, all kinds of parasites. SUill we exist better because we have immunity to so many things. And that's how you people become very weak health wise. Imagine, | went to Australia, And we have three, four Indian boys there. They came to help me with the kitchen, lifting all the big things here and there. So I asked one of them, I said: "Why not ask these boys to do something?” They said: "They are only nice to look at, Mother, but they have no strength. They have no strength.” ! have seen that, And it happens more in countries like the U.K., England, where it's such a bad climate, you keep your children inside, they don' go out. You all the time shut your children, they become selfish. They become very weak, and very short-sighted. Open them out. Now you have a community. You have a trustworthy community, But you don'. Then one person will just, a dominating person will come up, catch hold of your child, and use that child, blackniail you for the child, do all tha, But if you just allow the child to play about with everyone, just allow, diseases will disappear, youll be surprised. Also, supposing you have a problem, say even with the back agnya. If others are handling, it disappears. Because somebody has better vibrations, the bhoots leave, But if you just all the time hold, you are also suffering from back agnya yourself, you are holding onto the child, so the child has to suffer. We actually send our children (o other people, in very childhood, trusting them. And they love the children because here people don't believe that you can love the children, So here we have to trust others with our children. And that's the reason I think that children become so exclusive, they stick on to you, they cannot go to anyone. But if you, you Sec to India when you go, T don't know if you have visited any homes or not. The children will be the first to receive you. They'll say ‘Alright, sit down.” Then they offer you something. Even somebody's not in the house, they will look afteryou. And they know everything about you, what you said, what you asked for, what you wanted, everything. So sweetly. Everything is on the record. And they have names for every uncle, for every auntie, And they remember all those things all their life. I met such children whom I looked after in my childhood, in their childhood I would say more, and they remember all that [told them, the stories I told them, and how I looked after them. Every litle, litte thing they remember. It's so sweet to know that they know all those things still. One of them is now working in the World Bank. She got a big job in the World Bank. She came down the other day and she just started crying like litle baby in my lap, you see. I sai: "What's the matter?” She said: "Auntie, I remember those days, you sce.” And so fond of me, that she ‘once went to a shop and she saw a sari which Tused (© wear the same type of sari, even the colors what she saw. She said: “that's my Auntie's sari” and she went and bought that sar, She said: "That's my Auntie’s sari.” Quite grown up. all these litUe, litle things children remember. All the sublime things, all the noble things, all the things that are very pute. But you don't expose them. You just overpower the children too much. And also then the children try to attract your attention all the time because they are used to you. They'll ask ten questions and talk too ‘much. They will say things and you will be tired. I now that when T was coming by train, [had a lady traveling with Me. She was traveling with Me and her son. And poor thing, she couldn't talk to Me because she had to tell stories to him and give this to him. She wouldn't leave. I said: "You just forget him, Just neglect for a while." And the child is better. And the same advice I gave to another Sahaja Yogini Her son is very good ... When he was there, he went to every person. He went and asked everyone. He ‘went round the whole hall and would touch everyone. But in India, children do that. They are worried about everyone, they will go and see their vibrations. This exclusiveness and overpowering, you really hate your mothers and hate your fathers when you grow up if they are very over possessive. It is, possessiveness, and a fear that well lose the child. Actually we'll really lose, if you have this kind of a fear ‘and if you overpower your child, That's what I've seen, that children who would like to be in the program. No, ali ladies are standing outside as punishments. Why?. Make them sit. They'll be all right. They'll sit quietly. They won't make any noises, But this overpowering attention to your child, And Ihave also heard that in the ashrams the ladies who have children don't do any work. They just don't do any work, they are looking after their children, finished. And the rest of the work of the ashram there's somebody else, To produce a child you don't take much, do you? There's nothing great that you have produced a child, first ofall. They are Sahaja Yogis and they are in My trust, not in yours. And don't spoil them. No mother should sit with the child in the house or in the rooms, whatever may be the case. Allow the child to play with others. Sit in the drawing room. But they will take the child, sit in the room, feed the child, look after them. They have only one work is to look after the child. Finished. It's like an emotional, blackmail, I think, that you just take the child to yourself and sit down there, and say that: "Oh, Iam ooking after the child.” So others say: "Oh, allright, she's a mother.” I have so many children here. This ‘motherhood should not give you such a funny idea that you have become so great that you should sit down and do nothing else. » Yesterday [talked (0 you about Mooladhara, Let the children have a healthy, trustworthy Mooladhara, Let them meet other people, be friendly with others, play with everyone, go round everywhere, allow them, But, otherwise they are very negligent about their children, What do they do”? They don even. ‘massage their children, they dont even clean their children, they don’t keep their clothes clean, they don't give them baths regularly, they don't give them proper food to eat. This is one point we have to see, that ur children should be made collective and very strong in their Mooladhara from very childhood Now the another point one has (o see about asbrams which I need not have said before but now T must tell you, that we have to be responsible people. That is also there. From childhood if you don't have sense of responsibility, you can never develop it later. Like electricity bills, goes up like a, people never put off their lights. I mean there is a switch which is to be put on and also put off. It's not only for puting on. ‘Small things like gas or electricity thing, once they are in the ashram, they don't bother. It's your ashram, Then, food. The amount of food that is thrown away is something surprising. No value for food. No understanding how to organize. Because there's no Gruha Laxmi, there's no housewife's qualities, because they are sitting with the child not doing anything else. Supposing you have your own house, then