ABRIDGED MAI-ISM CHAPTER III MAI WORSHIP POPULARIZATION JAY MAI JAY MAI JAY MAI The next shift goes to Ahmedabad where the Founder was transferred. The news about Sisters' social and Mother's Lodge had already preceded him, through papers etc. The Theosophical Lodge came forth with its co-operation for the sister institute of Mother's Lodge and a large gathering was held in the Theosophical Hall in Manek Chowk as also in the Hansraj Pragji Hall. Mai-ism was well explained to the citizens of Ahmedabad. Here the Founder was dangerously ill and had to be operated upon and to remain as indoor patient of the Government Hospital. He had wonderful experiences of Mother's Grace in the Hospital. Mother Herself attended by two female deity-assistants appeared before the Founder every night [This was 13, 14 and 15 September 1934] for three consecutive nights , untied the bandage , cast a benedictory glance which removed all the pains and tied up the bandage and disappeared with a fortitude-pouring look. This incident got a great popularity as another patient (one Thakore, the previous inmate of the same room) on the night the Founder was taken there, actually saw Mother alone entering the door and immediately leaving after seeing the Founder in unconsciousness. He broadcast-ed the wonderful experience the next day to the vast number of his own visitors. The Founder was burning with rage against Mother because She discontinued Her attendance after three nights, for the simple reason that while She was removing the bandage to heal, he had the human weakness of no confidence and had moved his hand over his open parts to make sure he was not in a delusion. As soon as it became possible for him to crawl without any outside help, his first work was to drag himself slowly in sitting posture to the Mother's picture in his solitary room. Right from 10.30 p.m. to 5.30 a.m. he was profusely weeping and giving most provocative accusations to his dearest Mother, in the highest spirit of love indicated by the torrents of tears and yet in the bitterest quarreling mood. He pierced arrows," YOU can not excuse a single human weakness ? Why did you come at all to heal me if you are so very touchy and take no time to make any the smallest thing to mean a grave offence ? Who had called you ? You are not Mother but demoness of Maya that creates and swallows up her own children. Were it not for Thee there would have nothing like a Universe and nothing like millions rolling in miseries. They are the happiest who know nothing of Thee, or if by chance they happen to know , who spurn Thee. You get only the weakest and most docile men in your clutches. Has anyone in Thy clutches been made happy by Thee ? If Thou art so very spiteful, mind , I will also take revenge . When Thou art full of love-surge for me , I too will evade Thee and run away etc." His blaming, accusing, quarreling all along weeping profusely and bowing to the Lotus Feet again and again continued right up to the morn when cocks began to crow and birds to chirp and milkmen began to run on their bikes on the public roads. Just then, Mother Herself in living and moving from sprang forth and stood before him and spoke most wrathfully thus, " Blame, scold, accuse, abuse; but from this second without a single drop of tear. If one drop anymore now falls, I am never never never Thine and thou art never never mine ". And with these words She disappeared. The most inconceivable ultimatum gave him a heart stop. A wonderful compulsory change.A change indescribable. He feared he may just die of heart-failure and die to be born a permanently abandoned and discarded soul, expelled from Her. The very first speediest precautionary thing that his soul so very speedily decided, climbed and sprang to , was the humblest and highest apologetic praise line : " Oh Mother, Hasne Hasane Wali , Oh my ever smiling and ever making to smile Mother ! " He prostrated with a determination never to get up till Mother raised him or permitted to rise." "Thou art always smiling and always keeping Thy devotees smiling ". First thing he laughed an artificial loud laughter that thundered throughout the room. From the mind and moment of the deepest lamentation and sorrow, to that of the highest laughter, though artificial. Raising a spiritual 'Maginot Line' of self-surrender against Mother's permanently leaving, catching the Lotus Feet preventing them to go away, with the most piteous invocation for pity and pardon.From the scorching heat to the freezing cold. Mother be thanked, the heart-glass did not break due to extremes, as one doctor said. He continued his songs : " How can I imagine that with me Thou art also weeping ? I was all along under the belief that Thou art busy with washing off my sins by making me weep. I am wrong, blunderful. Please excuse , I assure Thee. Not a single drop shall now fall. Why should I, the dearest child of Thee, weep when the whole world has begun smiling (at dawn) ? Oh Mother, Thou smile, make me smile.Forget and forgive my having made Thee to weep. All have been smiling now in Thy Universe. Oh, dearest Most Merciful Mother, Thou art the embodiment of smile. I am laughing now. Thou too laugh." The Founder's teachings were entirely different and contradictory to Hinduism. " No prohibitions to Harijans in Mai-worship ", was something which was surely to upset any Sanaatanist and ordinary average Hindu ( in 1935 ). Once large meeting was to be held for which Bhadra Kali Hall on River Sabarmati was sought to be employed.The answer given by the authority was," We know Markand Bhai ( Founder ) as a great devotee who has personal relationship with Mataji, but his views are entirely eccentric. He would allowed even Harijans to attend Mai-worship. If he undertakes to put a poster " Harijans are not allowed " we would be extremely glad to give our hall free for not only once but every week for Mai-worship ". The universality of Mai-ism was a contradiction to the " Nothing so great and sublime as Hinduism " of an average Hindu . People of Ahmedabad loved pampering. " Is there any Harishchandra in any other religion ? Show us." There will be thunderstorm of claps and cheers. Their own blood-sucking black-marketing of the present day should not be in sight or referred to."What has that to do with religion ?" , an average black-market man astonishingly asks. He tried to get sympathies of some Parsees and Mohammedans and some Jains to try to form a cosmopolitan institute of the Poona type. He tried to bring about the different sons and daughters of different religions together and to concentrate their attention to the need of creating oneness as the children of the same Universal Mother. He had the sympathies of two Muslim brothers, Mr. Hakim and a Sufi gentleman Mr. A.G. Usman who had travelled over the continent and who had written books , a Zoroastrian brother, Mr. Meherjibhai Ratoora and a Sanatanist brother Mr. A.S. Iyengar, a learned follower of Shri Ramanujacharya , who had a universal outlook with every tolerance, and was an officer in Labour Department . The Founder started with a desire to caret a collection of people who were universal-minded ; he wanted a congregation of various souls who would be believing in securing their welfare by fostering the spirit of sisterhood, brotherhood and performing staunch devotion and living a life of love, service, devotion and surrender, He had not had the success in collecting together such souls , mostly for the reason that there were few and those few also not in favour of an institutional activity . they wanted only personal relations with the Founder. When practical, intellectual and ordinary worldly working fails , spirit has to work, it is here that the miraculousness acts its wonderful part, as it has often done in the case of all religious movements and religious Founders. When work, labour, money, logic, philosophy, intellectual exposition or contractual or natural sympathy fails, such superior qualities as Faith, Sincerity, Honesty of purpose, Spirit of service , God's Grace, Intensity, Ardour and Zest, all are put to severe test. When what a man explains , does or has done, fails to appeal, the subtler issue of what he actually is, inwardly a sa soul rises up in the minds of people demanding the satisfaction of a personal practical indisputable test. It is a test of inner qualities and supernatural powers and God's Grace. There the Founder was strong by Mai's Grace. In 1935 the Founder came in contact with late brother Kantilal Desai, a truely religious gentleman. Bro. Kantilal Desai introduced the Founder to Rev. Kaushikram Mehta. The latter was a man of highly scriptural lore, a Sanskrit scholar and writer and a highly religious man of the old Sanatan school with a sense of moderation and tolerance superior to that of usual Sanatanists. The latter often tested the Founder like this : " In my Dhyana of Hindu Mother the Founder's figure must appear ". " He must come just now to see me ." " When I return from Surat, I must meet him at Bhadrakali temple square during office hours, when he can not be away from office." Tests became stronger and entered the realms of financial, social and physical reliefs as they were satisfied, till Kaushikram and others came by experience to at least one conclusion viz., that whether his views and philosophies be agreed to or not, one thing was certain that the Founder had great influence with Mai and had most wonderful powers , of helping people in distress. Powers much greater than the highest and most effective worldly powers , with their possibilities. The popularity of Mai-ism in Ahmedabad was full indebted to the sincere efforts and simple sermons of Rev. Kaushikram whom the Founder had respected all along and who enjoyed pleasure in prostrating to the Founder even in congregations as Praytyaksha Mai. The Rev. K. began to take most lively interest in Founder's next burning desire to bring into existence a small institute for the propitiation of Mai. It did not take a long time for a man of his religious repute to make the Mother's Lodge a very popular institute with success and its admirably working till today. The Founder declared him to be president of Mother's Lodge, Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad and Poona [Pune] showed their own individualities and point of excellence. In Poona Mai showed the intellectual beauty of Her tenets. Mother shouted jumped and ran.In Ahmedabad Mother showed the practical utility of Mother's Grace , sang lullaby to various suffering children and worshiped Herself in vast functions. Poona was theory; Ahmedabad was practice. Poona brought fame and popularity, Ahmedabad brought Mai-Mataji proximity and practical relief to people. In the words of Rev. Kaushikram, it will require a big volume to recount all the wonderful experiences that people attained as a result of Mai devotion. The Founder saw now the clear necessity of dealing at much larger length with the subject matter of Mai-ism and that of practical instructions for persons wishing to pursue the religious path on the lines of Mai-ism.He began to write and print several leaflets and booklets : " God as Mother ", and " Theory and Principles of Mother's Lodge " in English ; " Salient features of Mai Dharma ( Mai Dharma Mukhya Tarka Bindu ) in Gujerati ; Further things were " Mai Tattwa Pujaan and Mai Kumari Kavach " in Gujerati " Heaven and Hell " ( Swarga and Naraka ) and " Mai- Shakti " both in Gujerati printed in pieces in " Shakti " of Nadiad. A word of Mai Kumari Kavach.If we wanted to raise up the spirituality, morality, religiosity, sociability and nobility of a nation or a community, the female world would have to play the most glorious part in that nation lifting work.Home discipline and home education under the watchful superintendence of mothers and parents is the very foundation of national character formation. The idea set forth in Kumar Kavach was that of the most disciplined Mai-worship, as if Mai temples were regular schools , on Tuesdays by Kumaris ( unmarried girls of different ages ) in presence of their parents , teachers and conductors of worship. The Mai-worship itself would take a small. almost negligible time, but the actual training imparted as in a school would be the main most purpose. The untaxing easy playful free and frolicsome way of teaching would be that in the shape of readings of useful practical instructions and lessons for virtuous religious and moral living , by each one of the Kumaris present, turn by turn and under the blessings and sanctity of the parents and Mai. Today such practice may look ridiculous. Once it is started and brought into full swing, it would be appreciated as an indispensable moral necessity and the institute will have the reputation of a training ground . Imagine before you a vast meeting of girls from eight to eighteen reading prayers , teaching highest practical life truths and being blessed by a huge congregation of all mothers and fathers in the presence of the most Merciful Divine Mother Mai. What a tremendous lifting work that institute would be doing can not be imagined. All new things are first ridiculed and then considered indispensable by virtue of their benefits. The most important and exhaustive work of the Founder was " Mother and Mother's Thousand Names " covering over 750 pages. http://maiism.blogspot.in/2014/04/mai-lalita-sahasranam-mothers-thousand.html That mostly includes all that is of importance in " God as Mother " and " Theory and Principles of Mother's Lodge ". Next came Mai Sahasranama with Mai prayers and " Mai Guru Ananya Bhakti " in Hindi.Then came forth English " Mother's Message ", Gujerati " Mai Sandesh " and also Tamil translation of the same ( Thai Myi Vazhi ). The Mai Sahasranama volumes are believed to be have been dictated to the Founder by Mother Herself as stated by Rev. Ananta Krishna Shastri, commentator of and writer of many religious books . These volumes have the wonderfulness of giving correct guidance to persons who repeat Mai-Sahasranama. On 17-3-1950 a devotee asked Mother to relieve him of his financial difficulties and on opening the book after nine repetitions of Jay Mai Jay Markand Mai, had the funny answer : " People living on much higher standards than their legitimate earnings and means permit , at the cost of others, by deception, borrowing, stealing etc., need a rod. " [ Page 56, Volume 2 Part 3 ]. Once the Founder, in a depressed mood, was pressing Mother to give him proof whether at least She was pleased. He concentrated and opened the book. It was page 114, part 4, Mai's name Adrisya : " Repeating Mother, Mother , Mother he himself became Mother ". The Founder's depression turned into laughter; he said," who will praise a deformed and deficient son except his own Mother ? " The next shift was to Bombay [ Mumbai ]. Bro. Parixit Raiji, son in law of Rev. Kaushikram Mehta , had come to receive the Founder and take him from the station to his home on his way to Poona [ Pune ]. Raiji spoke to the Founder about the instability of his service in Bombay and a chance of a bit better pay in Ahmedabad; the Founder asked him, did he like Bombay or Ahmedabad life ? " If you like Bombay life , Mother will see that you prosper and have not to leave Bombay, on one condition viz., that you will start Mother's Lodge at your place and conduct Friday worship as at Ahmedabad." Brother Raiji agreed and the Founder installed Mai in his bungalow at Santa Cruz on Tagore Road. Brother Raiji was quite well off in a very short time. This was in 1936. Bombay was the first place where the Founder saw what royal hospitality on the grounds of the high religiosity for an unlabeled man, not in robs with tonsured head, meant. Bombay people were the first who had the idea of a duty to make some return towards the relief of the Founder's financial strain for Mai work., in view of their religious and material benefits received from the Founder. He was given the religious status he had ere long deserved. His arrival in Bombay would be announced at the previous Friday meeting, on receiving Founder's telegram from Poona. The worship was conducted on a grand and magnanimous scale. The function took more than three hours from 9 p.m. onwards. During other hours daily, the Founder would be helping the visitors with patient hearing and administrating righteous advice , solving difficulties, removing religious misunderstandings and initiating desirous and deserved persons into the methods of Mai devotion and Mai Sadhana. Once [ This was in October 1939 ] the Founder was invited at Navaratra big celebration in Vile Parle. It rained heavily and continuously. The celebrator [ The celebrator was Mohanlal of Dawn Mills ] had great devotional respect for the Founder whom he took to the place on the last day. The sacrificial altar worship was interrupted and had to be left uncompleted due to rains. The celebrator was very sorry.Said the Founder," Don't be sorry at all. In these days who is devotional enough to even utter the name of God ? Mother must remain satisfied with whatever possible being done while exerting one's best. If She does not, even that much will be done by none and the final remnants of God and religion will also disappear and will be obliterated." The celebrator modestly said," These are only conventional sweet words. They do not give any assurance or satisfaction.". The Founder stared at him," Do you want really an assurance? Are you so sorrowfully wounded? "The celebrator said with great humility," I am really sorrowful and thinking nothing for the last three days , except that I could not complete this sacrifice due to profuse rains. I am doing this every year and I am afraid , I have lost all Mai's Grace.". The Founder was in high spirits and said," No ! No ! No ! No ! Don't judge the Mercifulness of Mother by our mortal standards ; and were you at fault that there was profuse raining ?" The celebrator sweetly smiled ," No. But is Mother so very merciful ? " Said the Founder," Yes. Only thing is our sincerity and intensity is almost nil. If that is genuine are there not instances of Mother Herself appearing from the Sacrificial altar ? " He stopped abruptly, got up and bent near the altar and prayed in loud words ," Mother, who will be Thy devotee if Thou dost not give encouragement and proof of Thy Mercy in this Kali yug at every step of Thy devotees ? See, here is Thy devotee , he is out and out depressed . The world smashes us and Thou also dost not take any heed.Does it befit Thee ? Does it befit the Divine Mother, the Most merciful Mai ? " No sooner were these word addressed, than there was a blaze of fire as high as seven feet above the altar and that remained there for about 10 to 12 minutes till the Arti was finished. All were stunned and assured of Mother's existence and Mercy and of the Founder's relations of a " Son-to-Mother " whose request She would not fail to grant. This miracle incident spread all over Bombay as there were about 50 persons present. The above instance was a more developed variety of a similar experience at Ahmedabad. After the usual Friday Mother's lodge worship was over, there had remained about 30 persons of the inner circle. Some of them strongly requested the Founder to show them some miraculous happening which would increase their faith regarding the existence of Mother and Her readiness to carry out the wishes of Her devotees. It was at that most sacred place that , a year before [ This was in April 1938 ] the Founder was discoursing on Mother's names " Suvaasinyarchanpreethaa ", and there was a powerful breeze of the most fragrant smell. It was so very pleasant that every one began to ask others ," Do you feel the most pleasant fragrance ? This is how Mai wants to assure us about Her love to Her son ". This former experience being talked over again gave a strength to the desire of all present there to make the request more pressing. The Founder asked," What do you want to see ? " Someone said," We wish to see that Mother gives Her garland to you." The Founder prayed for few minutes standing before Mother at a respectful distance. The garland gradually untied itself, flew in the air and fell [ This happened in April 1939 ] on the neck of the Founder. The Founder does not give great importance to miracles , but there is surely a stage when miracles do the eye-opening work for many people who are really of an atheistic mentality. Saints do not count upon miracles to enlarge their influence , but these are casual happenings managed by the deities themselves to enhance the value of their devotees, so that be heard with love, faith, respect and obedience. The Founder says humorously," how do miracles help you and me , if you do not make a point of being the deserving plane in the matter of devotion, love, service and surrender ? I would show you actual Mai Herself, but you are the same person that you were before the Vision. You would be telling Mother," Mother, we, I and my wife are going to the cinema. Please rock the cradle of the child and keep meals ready when we return. " " You would be exploiting Mother, " Mother do this and do that ", yourself doing nothing for Mother except babbling some few words of praise, a little trouble of twisting your tongue to cheat the world, yourself and the Guru. The height of ungratefulness is that you do not even talk about your gratitude or even of the experience to your husband, wife, children or neighbors. You bury your gratitude than and there. She prefers being neglected and ignored rather than be exploited and expelled after your need is served." At Poona after re transfer in 1938, the Founder had at that time much greater contact with Madrasees, especially , of Military Arsenal at Kirkee. Madrasees were not so much for singing and Bhajans but were more fond of intelligent religious discourses with a unique respectfulness and attitude of humble disciple before his Guru and grandeurful worships and Mantra repetitions and rendering humble prostration and service to the Founder. The Founder has in his memory one glorious instance of Mother-worship in Kirkee when not less than 20 thousand rose flowers and jasmines were dedicated to Mai and there was a congregation of 500 persons. It was these Madrasees who had been very helpful in writing down to his dictation, transcribing and rewriting and typing and correcting etc., the manuscript of his Mai Sahasranama. For the latter half of the year 1942 , the Founder was serving in Bombay. This gave him a great opportunity to spread Mai-ism and to give convincing proofs of different people what miraculous benefits Mai's devotion and worship is capable of offering to the suffering world. Some people began to think that the Founder had no higher ideal than relieving the worldly miseries of persons and they hence censured him as on a lower level than the average worldly man. It has been the centuries old mentality, to consider worldly-distress-relieving work to be much inferior variety of religious work. The highest seat would be given to one who bombastically talks Geeta, Vedas , and Darshans ; the next place would be given to the poor and humble Bhakta; the man who advises on practical life matters or helps people in distress is only Mr. So and So. Once a city was flooded; lives were in danger. A circus proprietor engaged his whole self; all worked day and night, it was a tiring work. The proprietor saved so many lives; he could keep his sustaining power only with alcohol. He was standing hours together in sun. What about the religious response and recognition ? The Founder heard of his frequent drinking and his being condemned drunkard twenty times more than his bravery, service and sacrifice. To have both the spirit of service and sacrifice and its observance of religious requirements is surely most commendable. But if both don't go together, Service and Sacrifice should not be unrecognized . Mai-ism wants service to humanity being recognized as not simply a praiseworthy act of humanity but a fully religious act. Mai-ism most emphatically says that selfless service with nothing -sparing sacrifice and without expectation of recognition is as religious and Mother-propitiating as Mother worship, Prasad distribution, Mantra repetition etc., if not more. People lose their head when they think about religion. There are wrong judgments in religious matters. Beliefs, tendencies, like and dislikes play a predominating part in the matter of religion. Unfamiliarity , unapproachability and mystic aloofness become an enchantment to some and a matter of dis-like to others. Grandeur, impressive talks and congenial circumstances to forget the worries of worldliness create an imaginary heaven for some. For some others a certain unhappy mentality spoils the whole picture. All these factors plays an important part in all religious judgments . These factors crates certain once-for-all impressions and prejudices which form the basis of all subsequent outlook. So many inherited and acquired factors and beliefs rush in and gave their color to the whole vision . After all , what counts is one's own individuality and stage of development and spiritual attainment. The very same religious person appears to some as Avatar, to some other as maniac and to still some others as even a cheat. People believe there can be no saintliness without certain externals and settled routine ways of living and stern unapproachability . Commonsense gets occluded and confused. Whom to approach and with what mentality for one's spiritual progress is a perplexing problem. There must be the initiation, the giving of Mantra and instructions and a particular programme and a continued personal contact through visits, letters, dreams, visions etc. The Founder's mentality is this. God, Guru and Religion are going down and down day-to-day. People want relief from all their miseries and greater happiness of the type they conceive. Scripture's teachings , rules and regulations have almost miserably failed. Let us than meet people on their own ground. The Founder has very funny experiences how people can be brought round to a recognition of religious living on being shown that their miseries can be and are removed by undertaking a certain religious process for removal of certain misery. When people get sicken about a religion because it is too old and shut their doors , its external colour should be changed and it should be poured from the sky-roof holes. That is what a Mother and Mother's religion alone would do , just as doctors do artificial feeding through injections. Once the Founder was in the house of atheist as a guest. The landlord who was hospitable and courteous in every way, defiantly said he did not believe in religious thongs. Two days later, the pet son of the man fell dangerously ill. The boy surprise-fully said to his parents , " I won't be cured unless you worship Mai that has come to us and repeat Mantras which Baba dictates ". The man explained the situation to the Founder. Said the Founder," It does not matter you have no faith. Your son has his full faith and that is more than enough . Do this thing for the sake of recovery of your son. We shall see at the end how long you are retaining your atheism." The boy began to be speedily cured and the whole family become changed in the matter of their outlook on religion. Religion is now required to exhibited from home to home and man to man. It is not that Nishkama Bhakti is not preached or held in higher reverence than Sakama Bhakti by the Founder. The fact of facts is the Founder has accepted ' Stooping to Conquer ', like a mother, as She is really the mother that has no hesitation to descend to the plane of Her children , when the latter are disabled to climb up the plane by plane to meet Her. This is what the Founder explains ' practical spiritual diplomacy '. The Founder says," Let there be any amount of Atheism, so long man has a body, he is sure to have physical sufferings , so long he has a heart , he is sure to have disquietude ; so long he has desires he is sure to be in some pressing need. Where can the poor creature escape ? How long can he run away ? Truly capacious religious teachers have to develop their giving power and the world will remain in their fist with folded hands. Few are disbelievers about the existence of God, in their heart of hearts. Fewer are the believers of God that are not his beggars ; and our talks about dealing with God are entirely dependent on how he keeps us. Except for few blessed, none wants God and religion but for their own self-interest. They do not love God. They love what God gives, money, wife, children, happiness, heaven, peace , bliss etc.; they are in fact not loving these things , in the absolute sense. They are loving only themselves. We can't expect the world to be consisting of one and all on the highest plane of dis-interested love. Let the animal-deity mixture with each one be only very gradually increased by truly religious persons to greater and greater strength of the Godliness element. To be the master, one has first to serve as a servant. People have to be served in their own way. Create the feeling of gratitude and a confidence in you by numerous precedents of your having helped them. Mai-ism admits all legitimate moral and harmless desires and their satisfaction through Mai propitiation. Secure the contact with a saint. That requires no particular rare fitness. Serve him. Remain with him as much as you can. He will introduce you to the Divine Power. That Power will give you Vision. There after start the machinery of ' One's self, One's Guru, One's God, One's Guru, One's self ' ad infinitum. Carry the relief to the world and the world is yours. It will join you in the praises of Almighty. God is not hungry of your praises. Praising is a part of the remedies to help yourself for your own good. Study the situation most minutely, meditate deeply and you will come to no other conclusion than the present world needs the MOST MERCIFUL MOTHER that does not weigh the world's action, but forbears , forgives and forgets and relieves the world's miseries out of a magnanimity of Her Own self without even a word of recognition. And that is Mai-ism, the propitiation of God as Mother, with love, service , devotion and unconditional cheerful self-surrender. The Founder's views on this matter can be seen from the following. He was once a famine supervisor in Baroda State [ This was in 1913 ].There was a laid down standard of quantity of excavation and daily wage in proportion to the work. The maximum rate was three annas a day which would help to just keep the body and soul together. After his appointment he soon saw in about a week that more than 80 % could not be entitled to the minimum meal wages. By starvation the coolies became weaker and weaker and doing still less work. The viscous circle started. He was moved to pity. He became extremely liberal in his measurements and saw that every one got the minimum so as not to starve. The shortage of work of 3000 persons was gradually increasing. He hoped it will be made up, but that day never came. A complaint had already reached the head office that he was too liberal and it was ordered that a sub-engineer should give a surprise visit and check measurements and the total amount paid. The Founder had handed over his fate in the hands of his dearest Mother after profound sorrow on hearing the report. During this period of suspense, His Highness visited the place. The technicalities of the work were inspected ( not the finance ). His Highness was quite pleased , but the Founder was trembling within his heart; ' all this satisfaction will disappear on sub-engineers report .' But there was his Mother at his beck and call, ever protecting him. Three days later , Her Highness came over. She expressed great satisfaction at the healthy glow joyfulness and the minimum number of deaths and illness in the Founder's camp. She called him at her royal tents. This was the conversation. Her Highness said," I find your famine work arrangement has shown the best condition of preservation in the whole state . What do you wish me to do for you ? I propose distributing clothes to all your work people ." The Founder said," They will be praying God's blessings on your Highness more and more for the bounty. they are already more than grateful for their very lives being saved." The queen saw there was some deep meaning. She said," Be plain." Founder said," I have been very liberal, too liberal in measurements." " That ought to be , is it not ?" The object in view is to see that poor people survive ." Her Highness guessed more than half things , on looking deeply into the Founder's face." The chief engineer came with the executive engineer to pay his respects. The queen said," I was just talking to your supervisor ; he told me he was very liberal in measurements. I said to him he ought to be , for the object in view for which famine works have been started. " The executive engineer picked up his opportunity," Your Highness, I have been constantly visiting the work and I have found him working best and I have already strongly reported recommending him to our chief engineer here ". The chief engineer took not a second to shake his head as if to convey he has received the report and issued orders which had promoted him . Needless to say, the executive engineer sent a memo to the sub-engineer to cancel the inspection. His Highness would be seeing efficiency . Her Highness would be seeing the preservation and well feeding of the subjects. that is the difference between God as Father and God as Mother. If saints leave their mountain caves, river banks and sea-coasts , if they condescend to just be in the midst of people , try t find out solution for their burning questions ; and guide them and make people stronger in religiosity, the task will be more successfully and happily done. Take up yourself a major part of ignorant, unhappy children's responsibility . Mix freely and be one of them. Familiarity will , I admit, bring contempt or at least a devaluation. None would be awe inspired of you. None will give you big names. You may be considered even below the average and even mad. But you will be doing much more solid work and make a handsome return of what the world has done for you. Don't forget. Your physical needs are supplied by the world itself. What does it matter if a saint's salvation is delayed by some few lives because he has engaged in the noblest and loftiest work of discharging his debt to world ? The latter half of 1942 which the Founder passed in Bombay ( Mumbai ) was greatly useful in the matter of the spread of Mai-ism. Shri. Swami Asimanand having heard about it came over there and gave a thrilling discourse on the greatness of Mother and principles of Mai-ism. Here the spiritual powers of the Founder were getting more exhibited. Some innocent girl, turned away by the husband was received honorably in the house. A radio songstress that was ill of typhoid with all hopes lost , was most speedily cured . One of the devotee got a miraculous lift from the post of Rs. 250/- to be an officer with trebled pay. A lady who had lost her husband who was on the verge of turning lunatic or committing suicide was gradually brought to the normal quietude. An officer who had been degraded for over two years was restored to his former post. So many things gave a convincing proof about the highest efficiency of Mother's Mercy on devotion and straight living and gave a complete idea about what the Founder Mai Markand was to Mai. Mai-ism led many young people who had a contempt for religion to realize its importance. They were brought in direct connection with Religion as Mai-ism is religion mainly of service and Sadhana. Some people did remain selfish and soon forgetful after the calamity disappeared , but then they were raised from the state of total blankness to the stage of periodical devotion under calamities. Some few did rise to permanent devotion and even to Nishkama Bhakti. The Founder is anxious to see that not only the world but the religious teachers and even saints set a high religious value to service and sacrifice. Infuse the spirit amongst people to serve and sacrifice for one another in the very commonest daily routine life . Pull them up in devotion even though they are approaching you for some desired objects. Don't bring the sheltering pretext of the Prarabdha Theory and the sophistry of not dabbling with the Divine Law of human suffering. For heaven's sake don't evade issue by saying ," We have never said service and sacrifice are bad things ." What is wanted is a positive teaching with every emphasis , temporarily throwing all other better things of religion. Begin yourself giving and creating high values to persons that render service and sacrifice for public even in small worldly matters. You yourself set up precedents by coming down to the common man's plane for teaching people to serve others. The world will begin to walk in your footsteps. Teach your religion with service and sacrifice as its very alpha and bets. Mai-ism says there can be no religiosity without selflessness and there can be no selflessness without love. There can be no love unless you begin and have constantly before your mind that you please God as Mother by loving and serving and sacrificing for Mother's children. The said truth can never be permanently set up in your heart as long as truth is not replenished with the strength of a religious commandment. The Founder is not looking for any immediate success and result. He is passionately fond of recording religious experiences and conclusions. He is working not only for some few in this age but for ages to come . There is a time for everything. If there is none , nothing is lost. What could even otherwise have been a better use of his life ? At least he is pleasing Mother. The world fails to profit by its saints during their life time. How difficult has it been to establish the Shishya -Parampara , continued lineage - the relationship of Master and disciples ? " The world leaves the living and decorates the dead. " as was stated in a composition composed and sung by Mai-ist devotee in one of the meetings. JAY MAI JAY MAI JAY MAI EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK : MAI-ISM AUTHOR : MAI SWARUP MAI MARKAND ABRIDGED BY : U.G. MENON MAI NIWAS , SARASWATI ROAD END, SANTA CRUZ WEST, MUMBAI 400054 INDIA
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