Humility, gratefulness etc. are foundations of true Religiosity.

The next day, the Founder informed all concerned about his having gone to stay at Mai – Niwas, stating especially to his outside Mai-ists that a great facility was now made for them in as much as , so long as he was not out of Bombay [ Mumbai ] he would be found all the twenty-four hours  in Mai-Niwas and that none would have to go back at any hour for the reason that he was not at the certain place . He never stirred out from 4 March 1949 to 12 September  1949 when the taxi took him to the V.T. station for going to Madras [ Chennai ]. At Madras too , where he went fulfilling Mother’s Command , he was for over a month in one house only, without having a single look at anything of Madras, except some four places where Mai Worship was conducted on grand scale. The Founder began to say to others ,” If you want real peace of mind, true understanding and overflows of devotion, confine your body in a particular place , your tongue in the mouth and  your eye-pupils within their eye – lids, as far as you can. Then alone you can have  introspection, self-control and true understanding  of Divine wisdom and super-natural powers  to afford relief to others, as curing illness etc.”

The first lesson which Mai Swarupa [ the Founder himself ]  gives is  : First create amplest leisure of time  by withdrawing yourself from  so many useless physical and mental activities. Humility, gratefulness, forgiving, pleasure of giving  , truthfulness, mercifulness etc.  these are the very first foundations of true religiosity. Next preserve your sexual energy. Third thing, you establish a saintly contact.  Contact with God and Guru. If nothing can be done, see that you are for the maximum hours in a  day, in presence of one superior to you in any realm, religious, social or even professional.

The Founder was for making the walls of Mai-Niwas speak for what principals it stood. In a poor man’s way , he cut out important pieces  from all his writings and graced the wall pasting these printed extracts on cardboards  and nailing them on the walls . He further purchased a cupboard in which he placed all the copies he had and with bold letters  put up a slip on the cup-board , ” FREE FOR ALL : DEMAND ANY COPY “.

Just near the main entrance , he affixed typed copies of the following :- Rules and regulations regarding Place , Persons and Programmes :- 1] Don’t pollute the purity of this place of Mother-worship and Mother’s residence , by worldly talk, idle gossiping or business.  2] Your coming here must be for some specific purpose of dealing with Mother as , for Prayer, worship, Mantra, solving difficulties, true religious understanding etc.  3] Observe as much as silence as possible. Your talks about even the casual things  with your friends should be in a tone of whisper and only when inevitable.  4] Don’t seek forming acquaintances here  or ask questions of self-interest or curiosity. 5] The only talk permissible here is that of God, Mother and Religion. Politics is strictly forbidden here.  6]  Leave the place as soon as your specific work or programme is finished Don’t waste precious time of yours and of others. 7] None is permitted to sleep here except servants and outside visitors  coming for Mother’s worship from Mofusil places  and persons that are specially permitted  for specific reasons. 8] No outsider who is not a known Mai-ist is permitted to halt here  and the latter for three nights only and with his own arrangements for everything. 9] Everyone standing, sitting or stopping under this roof has to pass his time with best behavior and practically in devotional mood with strict observance of this Mai-istic  tenets : – a) Spirit of practical sisterhood and brotherhood b) No distinction of cast, creed, colour, community, parentage , sex, literacy, position, status, means etc.  c) Love in the form of  reverence, helping co-operation, kindness etc. d) Activity of selfless service. e) Devotional approach and attitude. f) Unconditional cheerful self-surrender to Mother’s Divine Will.

Re : Attainment of Mother’s Grace : – [1] Everyone needs Mother’s Grace at every step, in this tempestuous time. [2] God approached as Mother, is more suited for Grace as ‘Mother ‘ is Mercy , while Father is Justice. [3] Speaking about worldly benefits alone  ( not to speak of spiritual benefits ), Mother has wonderfully fulfilled desires of Her devotees. Mother is at their beck and call  as She wants to teach Her sons and daughters the simplest, straight and speedy Royal Road to health, wealth, peace , prosperity and happiness, through the observance of the fundamental  principles preached under Mai-ism. [4] The poor have become prosperous, patients of incurable disease have become healthy, lunatics have become wise , the homeless have built bungalows, the unemployed have become officers , unmarried have got suitable matches, marital disunions have been reconciled, connubial relations have been relishing, hearts breaks have been healed up,  worries of impending calamities have been tided over, barren women have delivered sons, downfalls from great heights have been hurtless, business have flourished, litigations have succeeded, relief of solid help and entire removal of miseries have happened and many other miracles have happened on staunch devotion to Mother. [5] Persons desirous of attaining Mother’s Grace  should approach Founder for  along chat by previous appointment. [6] Detailed study of ‘ Mother’s Message ‘ and serious reading of ‘ Mother’s Thousand Names ‘  will enable the aspirants to decide   if the path and philosophy of Mai-ism will suit them. Truly religious persons will find Mai-ism  to be most suited. People with unprejudiced open universal and straight mentality  with modernized way of living, judging and believing  will immediately accept Mai-ism as it does not in any way interfere with one’s own  ancestral religion and worship. [7] Once the aspirant feels to be in natural waters under Mai-ism, he has simply to climb up by leaps and bounds.  [8] He has to make up his mind to set aside certain hours for daily spiritual work of devotion. [9] The Sadhak will be himself wondering  at the most favorable happenings  and at his spiritual progress. He will feel indescribable joy and beatitude-ful breeze of Mother’s Grace. He will see he has some super-natural powers , is helped by unseen in every detail. He will be sure he is not the same person as before , that he has sublimated his soul. In a word, he will have a conviction that mother has showered Her Grace  on him. [10] What is true for one man is true for another, and equally or much more true  for a woman, under Mai-ism,  as a woman has a softer heart , more suited for devotion and Mother’s pity-invocation.

Regarding Prayers and Meditations Etc. : – {1} Persons desirous of offering prayer or practicing meditation should be pre-arrange details on consultation with the Founder. {2} Prayers intensely offered have been mercifully answered. {3} Prayers are to be for :- a) Legitimate gains only. b)Removing miseries only. c) Removal of sins. d) General smooth running of worldly life of oneself and family. e) Seeing and relishing and living the higher life , above money making and sense living. f) Enlisting oneself in Mother’s service . g) Desire of evolution and emancipation, success in striving and struggling  to go higher for introspective powers , knowledge, vision, devotion, meditation, renunciation, progress, peace , relief and happiness. h) Intensifying the spirit of service  to all children of Mother  and to Mother. I) Being prepared for unconditional self-surrender to the Divine Will of Mother. {4} Black-magic about harming or exploiting others results in Mother’s Wrathfulness. {5} Prayers offered here for enslaving others or subjugating them to one’s own will , have been treated most mercilessly by Mother. {6} No purely personal aggressive , illegitimate gains here. No exemption from sexual sin here.{7} Please don’t forget that Mother is the Final-most-Mother ; God as Universal Mother ;  Mother to every one of any religion or to any one  who approaches Her as child with Love and Service to all her children, Devotion and Surrender to Her Will.  {8} Noblest prayers are : – a) Let all be happy. b) Let none suffer from pain and misery c) make use of me , my humble service for Thee and Thy children d) Depute Thy devotees to successfully serve as saviors of this world of ignorance and sin. {9} Prayer for oneself is not most efficacious. Best prayer is for others or for Universal Welfare , as then, others will pray for you  and in case of that failing , Mother will not wait for your prayers and will run down to you , for your relief and to help you, even before you pray.

Meditation : – This can be subjective, objective or through geometrical figures. Consult the Founder.

The following two descriptions , one by an interviewer when the Founder was in silent serious hours  with his associates , and the other when he was in easy-going mood , may be read with interest. The silent meeting interviewer saw him at his temporary residence  on Tagore Road, Santa Cruz  , at about 8 p.m. on a Tuesday in 1940. He describes his interview as under :-

” The Master’s programme on Friday nights  is quite different from that of  silent meetings on Tuesdays , when only the nearest people gathered round him. The Master was simultaneously dealing with about twelve persons  when I entered the place , sisters and brothers.  Here was a silent sitting , without a single person knowing or trying to know  what was passing in other’s minds , or between the Master and each of them, in the powerful authoritative language of silence.  In the midst of a big hall, there was a swing on which Master was lying  with pillows under his head and sides , with a hanging leg  with which at long intervals , he was giving a slight motion to the swing. He ware a loosely tied dhoti and a malmal shirt  which was never buttoned up. Each one that came in , entered with a pin drop silence prostrated and on receiving blessings  took suitable seat wherefrom the face of Master could be seen.

“The blessings differed with every person. Some prostrators, he would at once raise up with a jerk, some gradually and slowly, some he will allow to continue prostrating for over five minutes. Regarding some  , he would smoothly moves his hand  over the prostrating back, some he would raise up with the catching and lifting up the chin, some by patting strokes, some by contacting their heads with pointed and forcefully placed pressing fingers . Some he would raise up by snip of fingers , some by slowly moving the hand over the forehead. No two persons were blessed in the same manner , which made it clear to anyone that the blessing method indicated  person stood with reference to God Guru and one’s self.

The raising by sudden jerk conveyed the idea to the prostrator ” You have come too early.” Gradually and slowly raised prostrators were conveyed  that Mother’s Grace on them was slow  but steady and that they should continue with faith and patience.  Continued prostration without the touch meant, the prostrator must severely repent   for his wrong acts  or behavior before he can be entitled to Mother’s Grace as before. The hand contact by inverted finger nail strokes after a long bending , meant he was forgiven  , but was warned not to repeat the wrong. Smooth moving of the hand  on the back meant , full sympathy in the bereavement for which the prostrator  was not responsible. The lifting by the chin meant Mother loved the prostrator like  a child , although there was enough of folly. Contact on head means sympathy in efforts to understand analyse  and set right the mental  disquietude. The snip of the fingers meant cautioning against the very likely slip. Touching the forehead meant  substitution of sublime thoughts  for routine and rotten thoughts.

” Between the arrival and departure , and the prostrations and blessings , there was nothing but a silent pause and exchange of eyes and the respectful obedient demeanor. The spirit imbibing  process began for each disciple with an earnest profound  staring at the figure of the Master  and keeping the eyes closed  with meditation , except at long intervals , when the eyes opened for  a few seconds  again to close.

” New visitors coming for the first time were looked upon by the Master by a visible turnoff his deep-reading eyes, from the toe to the top.If the new visitor were proud of their wealth, knowledge or devotion, the Master would pamper to their vanity and dispose them off quickly. To the wealth proud he would say,’ It is nice to talk about religion and to boast about Jnana and Bhakti, but the wealth possessor is the real Vishnu on earth. ‘ To the Jnana proud , the Master would say ,’ Mere devotion is blind. Real thing is Jnana which you have acquired.’ To the devotion proud he would say ,” You have your Istha-devata in your fist. What a small creature am I, for you to have come down all the way ? ”

” After one hour meeting silently dispersed. ”

In the other case the visitor went to see him at Mai – Niwas in one of the evenings of 1949. He soon recognized the building, but to his surprise it had neither the augustness  nor the silence of an Ashram. What does one find ?  Out and out rowdism of more then a dozen boys and girls below fourteen , simply a noise, an indiscipline crowd of them.

The stranger had the courtesy of not going in straight. He could infer from all that shouting, running, quarreling , mutual chasing etc. was going on with the presence of some elderly person of that place  who was  simply seated on his cot as if he were deaf and dumb and lame. In the open spaces around the building , cows  and bulls and dogs and goats and crows were in their full mischievous playfulness.

The visitor had a feeling of disgust. He said to himself , ” What sort of Ashram is this  and what sort of saint he is ? ” The disgust abated after climax and turned to a scoffing curiosity of seeming things.  Some boys were running up on the terraces. Some boys were simply switching on and off all the lights. The visitor was sick of the scene. His modern living mental set up of , ” Who are you to touch  my things ? With whose permission did you enter this place ? Don’t disturb me . Get out . “, was overpowering him.

Just then, some cows and bulls climbed up the steps , made their way to the kitchen door . All were disturbed, the gangs were broken and every one of them, boys and girls ran away.

The visitor said to himself ,” All are gone. I loose nothing in seeing the man.” Suddenly he heard a musical voice singing. It looked the man was coming out. Out he came. He welcomed the visitor, ” Come in , please “.  The visitor stepped in. But where does the former inquire his name , place or purpose ? He turns to the image and sings. [ The Founder was Honorary Examiner in Music for Bombay Government. ]

” Bazuza Khairata Kucha Apna Nahi Hai .” ( Except charity absolutely nothing is ours. )

The visitor has evaporated from his eyes and mind. The man sings the same line over and over , with different modulations; his feet are with great difficulty prevented from dancing, by his own body heaviness.

Tears flow. He wipes them with the end of his dhoti. Feet loose all shyness.  They joins the hands to make the music more beautiful. There is a choking in the heart. He weeps. He sits down.   Gets up, applies his head to the feet of the image , lifts up the image , puts it back. The zazba ( spiritual effervescence ) is slowly coming down with the repetition of the line.

It took about 15 to 20 minutes. He ran into he bathroom, not minding the visitor , washed his face and came to welcome the visitor. ” Come in , Sir ,Come in. I am sorry  I had to keep you waiting. But I was helpless. ” He effort fully composed himself , to be on the normal plane.

The visitor was lost in the ocean of spiritual emotions. He did not think of any formality. He could not raise his tongue  to create a jarring noise to disturb himself and to pull his mind to the mental plane  from the ocean of undreamt  sweetness and wonder ; the wonder was gradually transforming itself to reverential worshippingness.

Said the Founder , ” One Friday night, the last devotee getting up to go, found a thief concealing himself, caught him and brought him to me asking me  if he should hand him over the police. I said No, and told the thief, ‘ to take away whatever you like from here. ‘ The thief was put to shame  and was let loose. Except what Mother permits and enables me to enjoy, nothings belongs to me ; not even my own body, mind , heart and soul is mine. ”

Pointing his finger to the Mother and unable to utter even a single syllable , the Founder could not hold himself erect and standing. He dropped himself down simply sat  on the ground and began starring at visitor , speechlessly, as if busy with the work of sublimating and  reconstituting the visitor’s soul.

Jay Mai . Jay Mai. Jay Mai.

EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK : MAI-ISM , WRITTEN BY THE FOUNDER ( OF UNIVERSAL RELIGION MAI-ISM ) MARKAND R. DHOLKIA, [ EDITIONS 1952 AND 2007 ] , PUBLISHED AND PRINTED BY UNIVERSAL MAIISM TRUST, MAI NIWAS, SARAWATI ROAD END, SANTA CRUZ [ WEST ] , MUMBAI 400054, INDIA