There was gradual development of the Mother-Movement as a whole. The ideal of the outer form of the Founder’s activities had arisen from that of a society of the Mother’s Lodge. From a lecturing hall for the public with a private personal worship in his own home in Poona , arose the public worship on large scales.From the prayer-house of some few individuals came forth a Religious – Relief – Home, with worship, mantra repetitions etc.
Mai-ism says,” No man that is born is perfect as God; but that does not mean you should lose your reason in the matter of deifying and worshipping and serving the greatest God-like men, with usual argument,” He too is imperfect, just as we are ; he is a bit less, we are a bit more imperfect, that is all “. Great are great and small are small, even though great do small things and small do great things. Great men are to be followed in their great acts and no to be judged by their blunders.
The wise man who binds himself with ropes of devotion and self-surrender and prays to God and Guru to pull him upwards is never lost and sure to rise to the highest point in course of time and as speedily as it can be , so long as he does not with his own hands sever himself from the protective and pulling powerful ropes. Catch God and Guru , never to leave , come what may, that is the highest secret of success Mai-ism gives. Set no big values as to how you fare. The opposite pairs of pleasure and pain, success and failure , rise and fall etc., are sure to play their parts. Fix up your eyes ever constant on your relationship with God and Guru, and the rest will automatically follow.
Idealism and ideal living is no doubt the purest sublime-most condition , but there is the other force of practicality, which is co-existent and remains un-alienated. I refer to the constant struggle between matter and spirit. Matter so often weakens and subjugates the spirit. What is required to be done is therefore the gradually acquired proofness that is attainable only by being alternatively within and without the mud mire of worldliness for times without number.
As a parallel to the development of the outer form of the Founder’s activities , it is interesting to note the inner development of his mental changes as he passed through several stages. Without losing his own universal-mindedness, he had to stoop to the greater utilities of a defined religion for all practical training of the people and making them interested in true religiosity. The substance of a religion must be there to churn out religiosity. To make people interested in sweetness , any substance, say sugar, honey, grapes, jiggery or any such thing has to be most familiarly dealt with. What substance would in natural course be selected , would be the one that the people to be dealt with are most familiar with . Because on leaving Poona [ Pune], he could not get the outer universal skeleton , he had to choose the most easily available and utilizable Hinduism. Not that his universal-mindedness was any less. And he turned to Hinduism. The universal-minded man took up Hinduism because he had to deal with Hindus. If he were in the midst of Christians the selected substance for increasing the popular craving for true religiosity would have been Christianity. Even now the doors of Mai-ism are open to all varied types of religionists. The spirit of the Founder’s universality would take , say, the Christian or Mohammedan colour even now, if the followers in large wieldable and countable groups belonged to Christianity or Mohammedanism . To understand more clearly, Mai-ism is the sweetness itself or the true religiosity itself and not a certain substance or a certain religion. The abstract conception required a concrete substance. The substance however brought its lights as well as shadows. Mai-ism in its outer form became Hinduistic, although no opportunity was allowed to pass without awakening and maintaining the public consciousness of the requirement of ” Universal mindedness “as Mai-ism’s true understanding . The abstract conception brought in the substance .The substance brought in the shadow , the shadow brought the Founder face to face with people’s darkness and blackness of head and heart , ignorance, utilization for selfish ends and exploitation. The Founder was gradually pulled by people to tolerate their actual ‘below-mark’ stage and was dragged to descend from abstract supreme devotion to the practical work of relieving the distress of the people , from advising Nishkama Bhakti to admitting the Sakama Bhakti , from a general Mai Sadhana to the same for one’s own purpose, from people’s grateful humility to their worldly business tendency and finally, from their fair and honest business attitude, to the worldly natural plane of easy cheating and exploitation even in the realm of religion.
The Founder had to descend , step by step, to meet people on their own plane , which was found to be lower and lower as the Founder went deeper and deeper into the bottom layers of people’s natural plane. He however persisted because in any case , he was not for abandoning hopes or his life long avowed Mai-Mission work.
The more he came into contact with people , the more disillusioned he became about the real value of the so much tom-tombed religiosity of the Religion. He saw very little of a practical nature beyond passing liking or a taste and nothing like love for religion with sacrifice. Religious living did not mean a different mode of actual living . He saw hat even the so-called universal-mindedness of many was, on analysis, nothing more than a courteousness, a little tolerance , a little broad vision , a little goodness and a royal talk. That by itself could not stir up the inner soul.
In practical life universal-mindedness was only a negative virtue. It had its value because with many others the infatuation about their own religion and in some cases fanaticism were there as a contrast. By itself the universal-mindedness as he saw , did not mean much constructively , in the actual progress in religion and Religiosity. The Founder here does not refer to the highest meaning of universality , viz., seeing and treating every soul as one’s own self. That is entirely out of the question in this world , at least the modern one , except for few exceptions who are in the world and not out of the world. The first descent from abstract devotion was towards the Nishkama Bhakti. The Founder went on being faced with bankruptcies after bankruptcies from one surpriseful unhopefulness to another. Going down he could not meet Sadhaks, who would be for increasing their supernatural accumulated powers for public welfare through Mantras , meditations, worships etc.; the average plane was still lower . Religion was found to have some faintest signs of being welcomed , on the Sakama Bhakti plane.The Founder went down and down and welcomed even the out and out Sakama Bhaktas resorting to religion , mantras etc., for a particular specific object . There too the Founder’s hopes were frustrated. Few took up the devotional or religious permanent colour. People licked away honey and left the dry bread . Founder said to himself,” Well I am more than satisfied if people remain contacted with religion even though that be for clear-cut openly declared purpose and only periodically.” However the world was found to be shameless even therein in the lowest requirement , and even feeling grateful to God or Guru was found to be not only absent but out of question and question-barred. God or religion were found to carry no higher value than a stop – cock of a water-pipe to be turned whenever one wanted water.
The Founder would have considered himself blessed , if he had found the world at least at that stage of periodical devotion for a specific object. The world however showed still more wonderful varieties of lower planes. Discontentment underlying demands , and further, even wrathfulness on non-fulfilment of demands , so to say, dictated to Mother. The Founder permitted himself to be down dragged because in any case , he wanted the unwilling horse of the world to drink the celestial waters. He tolerated Religion being made even a matter of business and there too the world most hopelessly failed to be true to its words of recognition even after fulfilment of their specific desires. The introduction of business element murdered the last remnant of gratefulness. The world was found hopelessly poor in the matter of the very first requirement of true religiosity, viz., humility and gratefulness. If he had known the true value in 1932 , and if it were a matter of his own choice , he would not have dedicated his life to this fool’s and mad man’s work. The rub is there – ” If it were a matter of his own choice. “
The Founder would be sitting in the Mai Prayer Hall ( 28 feet by 16 feet ) on an Asan ( Seat ) on the floor in front of his dearest Mother on a pedestal , exactly in square line with the image . The place has breeze from south and west and powerful lights are making the place bright enough for the humble devotee to be viewing Mother most minutely at intervals. The Founder would shed tears and pray to Mother to do any of the two things She pleased,”At least show me some faint phantom of success in my undertaking of Thy work or sweep out the last remnant of desire to raise the religiosity of the religion following world through Thy Mai-ism.” Mother however would do neither.
The paradoxical position, in the matter of God’s attitude, is simply a torture, although a spiritual one.What is the deepest hidden working underneath ? It is a play of God or Mother with His or Her dearmost devotees. They live their most intense life with Almighty, but the world as a whole remains practically unchanged, though with a temporary spiritual flood.
When the Founder would be tired to the last point, Mother would explain the paradox thus : –
Do you think it is the laying down and explaining certain best recipes of a religion, that can make the world happy? No.
Do you think it is ceaseless effort of understanding of truths, that entitles men to be happy ? No.
Do you think the world is unhappy and miserable, without its own evils and sins ? No.
All is delusion.
And yet know this, the secret of secrets. Enjoyment and Happiness proceeds from Relinquishment,to the extent you throw away things of the world. “Love alone is the Teacher of Relinquishment.Service concretises Love. They become happy who love and serve Me and whom I love.The claim to be happy finally rests on Love and Service to me and Mine, with devotion and self-surrender. Neither people can change matters nor you. What is people’s highest self-control before Nature’s urge within ? And what can our highest effort do unless I move the keys of people’s hearts ?
“And yet the paradoxical position that you are weeping about saves the world and is the keynote of the secret working.”
“It was true of every one that was, is and will be dearest to Me.There is no human working that permanently helps. It is only My will. The usefulness of all working of people, or God’s dearest devotees proceeds from quite a distant irrelevant invisible thing.”
To repeat, it is this : “Those who love and serve Me, My dearest and My children, will be saved.”World as a whole will be run on the basis of its collective merit, but individuals will be saved.” The rest is all Maya’s befooling of mankind, through delusions of authorship, ownership, actorship etc., and misunderstandings through networks of causes and effects, distinctions and differences, mine and thine, etc.
” Millions have preached religion. Where is the happiness ? Millions have mechanically obeyed Divine Laws laid down in scriptures. Where is happiness ? The bestower of happiness is I Myself. There is nothing like any person’s claim thereto in virtue of any well earned dues or any deservedness.”
“The Lover, The Server and The Surrenderer to Me or Mine alone wins the highest victory of happiness.” The rest is only a temporary mirage-like satisfaction and a passing talk, a word-froth, a speedy revolving of a motor wheel raised above ground; the meter would read miles but the motor stands where it has stood.
The Founder would jump up from his seat of meditation and lift Mother’s picture and holding Her over his head , would say in highest jubilance ,” Then what else have I been doing and preaching? ” His brains would cool down with an overpowering sleep. He would again have the passion to continue Mother’s work in spite of failures. He would say to himself ,” Failures are no failures except in worldly eyes. Every effort itself by virtue of its being with the purpose of serving Mother and Mother’s work is a victory by itself.”
Catching Mother in Her highest joyful mood , he would gradually creep in with his prayer,” Let my desire of seeing Thy name and the specified name of JAYA MAI repeated by thousands be fulfilled , for that alone can make he world happier, if not now, just before I return to Thee ; if not then, when I am disembodied and am more able to do Thy work; if not then, even after several centuries, through Thy selects.”
The founder would be surprised and annoyed at the inverted arrangement of ” First Mother and Motherliness, and thereafter the world and worldliness “. He would ask,” Why should I be dipped in the worldly rottenness after having known the source of nectar and having partly sipped the nectar ? ” When this questing was causing agitation, the Founder had the Mother’s Grace of having the Life of Paramahamsa , made an offering to him by a Mai devotee in November 1949 at Madras ( Chennai), and there he found the corroboration . ” First God attainment and then the world – entering “.
The ancient Hinduism has also accepted or rather taught the very same truth.What else in the meaning of Brahmacharya Ashram ? Does that not mean, ” First God and then the world “? Did not that mean you enter the world after God-initiation and Divine Knowledge ?
Illumination is one thing.Conviction is the next higher thing; realisation is still a higher thing. And corroboration after realisation is yet a still higher thing. No realisation gives you the perfect joy without corroboration. You may dispense with a Guru upto the last end , if you are vehemently against having a Guru, but at that last stage of corroboration, the Guru is indispensable.
The Founder explains ” conviction ” thus. We talk of God as the Saviour of the most wicked. A stranger comes and threatens you with ,” Is that true ? ” You shiver ; you tremble ; you say, ” We only hear so, so many have said so in the past.” You seek out a way from his clutches , you walk out with a weak platitude , you yourself are overpowered with doubts. In the end it may well be said that you have a consciousness of having accepted a certain statement as truth with usual heard mentality. On the other hand , the realised man stands firm as rock. He has the courage , the conviction of any mother that would boldly say out , with respect to an altogether face-changed son of hers after years , ” Yes. he is my son.” That conviction is there because the son is a piece and parcel of hers . A certain truth must have similarly formed a piece and parcel of the realisation of the realised.
Corroboration. With greatest exertions you have reached Mother’s Mansion. You have been sitting on the very steps of the Mansion. You say ” This must be the place “. But yet it is ” must be “. You require some one ahead of you to say ” Yes, you are right. This is Mother’s Mansion. “. Till then the realisation is not perfect.
In addition to the routine way. Mai- Swarup and Mai-ism declare and reveal the existence of the under-ground passage. There are no qualifications which are indispensable for an aspirant provided he has an unfathomable love for Mother. You love Her ; you serve her; you surrender yourself to Her, every thing including salvation is yours. That is Mai-ism.
The Founder suggests a special attitude towards religious questions , to derive highest illumination. We should not have attitude of summing up everything with ‘ Everything is the same ‘ mentality, nor should we have the mentality of ” Everything is already with us “. Then alone you you will squeeze out the maximum joy of understanding religion.
Help Mother to make the world better and more happy. Not to retire from the world , but to help Mother in the task of ameliorating the world . Not leaving the world to it’s own lot. There, there, is one of the permanent distinctions of Mai-ism.
There is quite an independent path of love . Love between God and devotees.It is as good as a mechanical law of magnet and iron, the iron piece may be rusted or brilliant , it may be anything , of any colour and any shape . It is we who mix up things. We jumble up the up the ideal of God as Mother or Love with God who runs the Universe, who can adjust matters to our advantage. How you fare in life and the world , should be entirely a foreign inadmissible matter in the said independent path of Love. The return of Love is love and not prosperity, power, removal of miseries, subjugation of opponents etc. ; Love means absolutely nothing else. The jumbling is there; don’t jumble up Mother as Mother to Her child and Mother as Creatrix and disposer of Universe. You love Mother but in return you want the whole pleasure and wealth of the world. If you are satisfied of love of Mother towards you, your love and readiness to die for Her in itself is sufficient and is independent of all requirements . There only the plain and scientific law holds. You weep out of separation from Mother, Mother runs to you. She heals you up and your wounds in hospital; She bandages you. But , mind, She runs not necessarily to give you what you want and to help you out of your pitfalls. She runs to you to remove the pangs of separation. She too runs because She can’t remain without running. ” Loving Mother becoming Mother ” That is the second unfailing divine law. Mother’s mandate to Her highest devotees is : ” Be Mother to all as I have been to You.” Do you want Mother for Mother’s sake ? Well , there your way is clear. There is an an dependent path of divine love , which does not make any other achievements indispensable. That is the innermost teaching of Mai-ism.
EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK : MAI-ISM WRITTEN BY SAINT SHRI MAI SWARUP MAI MARKAND , PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSAL MAI-ISM TRUST, MAI NIWAS, SARASWATI ROAD END, SANTA CRUZ [ WEST ] MUMBAI 400054, INDIA
Please also see : LINK AND LINK
God as Mother and Father in MAIISM AND HINDUISM 