A Warm Welcome in Brisbane

Over two days, Swamiji and Devi Ma conducted three Shakti -filled programs in Brisbane. It was Swamiji’s first visit to Brisbane and he was hosted by Brisbane centre leader Rishi and the Brisbane devotees, who made the Enoggera Memorial Hall seem like another home for us all. In all ways, it was a memorable series of programs.

Puja Workshop: October 13

Saturday morning. The hall was set up with puja trays for everyone. On the trays were a candle, a deity, flower petals and red kumkum powder. The word, ‘puja’ means ritual. And no matter how exotic it seems, as Devi Ma said in her introduction, that pujas are a way of connecting to the higher power. We invoked deities and repeated Sanskrit mantras, and it had the effect of bringing us closer to ourselves.

Swamiji then conducted a healing practise. This was extremely powerful and it involved ‘charging’ a glass of water with the potency of a mantra. We then dedicated the water to healing various organs of the body. People were inspired and Swamiji encouraged people to continue the practise in their own time. While emphasising a practical approach to disease, he said that we can bring spiritual practises into dealing with disease. ‘If you are worried, it is better to turn that worry into a prayer, rather than sinking in the feeling. Prayer is empowered worry.’

Satsang: October 13

The sun was setting on the warm Brisbane night Rishi was the Satsang MC. He rapturously introduced Swamiji, saying, ‘when I first met Swamiji I saw total acceptance within him. If he could accept me, then I could accept myself.’ He further said that by doing sadhana, he has had a better relationship with himself and other people.

Swamiji opened by saying, ‘Satsang for me is the essence of the programs that we hold. Satsang points to a potential within us. When we come here in Satsang, we affirm that potential.’

He spoke about the text, In Tune with the Infinite’, the Kundalini power, and then he spoke about his Guru’s Guru, Bhagawan Nityananda. Swamiji closed his talk by making three points to help us in our sadhana. He said, ‘one of them is from Oprah and the other two are from the great rishi, Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutras:

- Don’t lie to yourself.

-The suffering that is yet to come can and should be avoided.

- Superlative Happiness through Contentment.’

Swamiji and Devi then met everyone in the ‘darshan line’. We lined up to meet Swamiji and Devi and were introduced to them by Rishi. It was an ecstatic ending to the night.

Intensive: October 14

Sunday, the day of rest: a day of meditation and chanting. By 10:00AM, the hall was filled with voices chanting the introductory ‘Jyota se Jyota’ chant. It was going to be a good day.

Quoting the great sage Shankarcharya, ‘ignorance is forgetfulness of one’s own Self’, Swamiji said that the day was dedicated to remembering the Self. And the key method is Shaktipat, the transmission of the Guru’s grace.

Or as Swamiji succinctly put it, ‘today is all about Baba.’ Baba, (Swami Muktananda) Swamiji’s Guru. Swamiji said that Baba told him to ‘hold Intensives.’

Earlier, in her introductory talk, Devi Ma said that Baba told her to, ‘love everyone.’ She spoke about her process of bringing this into reality. By the grace of the Shakti, she said she moved from not being able to understand the instruction, to applying the teaching in her own life: ‘Baba told me to love everyone and Swamiji has shown me how to do that.’

In the afternoon Devi Ma led a powerful Self Inquiry session, where we investigated the energy.

After the day’s final meditation, Swamiji thanked everyone by saying, ‘I want to invite myself back. Keep meeting and keep progressing.’ To close the day, Swamiji and Devi met everyone one final time in the darshan line. By the time we left, we felt as if we’d been welcomed and introduced (or re-introduced) to the Inner Self.