Shri Mataji's Message
"What is your message?" a British journalist once asked Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. "Is it peace – peace in the world, peace within people?"
Shri Mataji's answer: "Absolutely. Only peace within," she explained, "will bring you peace outside."
Her concise reply was heard at a press conference in Wellingborough, England. It was October 1982. In the years that followed, Shri Mataji's travels around the globe gave expansion to this simple explanation. Everything starts from within, she explained. The journey – and we are all on a journey – is inward. From within, everything else works out.
-Rainer Maria Rilke 1875-1926
"Try to meditate," she advised at every stop. "Meditate so that you reach your inner being." Introspection, meditation and integration – her message always involved looking within. "This inner being is a vast ocean of bliss."
And the thing to be remembered about Shri Mataji's message is that it is not exclusive or reserved for a spiritual elite. Nor is it by invitation only. It is for everyone. "The ocean of bliss exists in every one of us. It floods everybody's inner beauty."
Shri Mataji knew that for some, understanding her message could be difficult. "Sometimes the wind can be very strong," she cautioned, "and you do not understand that the glory of God is within." Within is the place where our true Self lives and for most people it is hidden by worldly achievement. "When you move inwards, you forget the ideas of your outer glories."
Many people found that through such introspection comes ascent – a real, profound spiritual ascent. What is within us manifests also on the outside. If there is peace within, it radiates outward. To change the world, we have to start within ourselves.
It is this connection, this integration of our physical, mental and spiritual well-being which establishes the truth within us. The truth that in essence, we are all one. With Shri Mataji's message, it is always simple: It is peace. It is the connection. And it is love.
"It is expected that you all will follow my message of love," she offered. "But I do not have to say anything for love. There is no talking about it, discussing about it, nothing. You just feel that love."
Shri Mataji's message is also beyond words. It is not singularly from the brain or from the heart, but comes through the connection that binds us to each other, no longer alone, no longer just individuals.
"This is the most important part one has to realize: love, you can only feel it. You cannot talk about it. You cannot show about it. It is within and you can feel it."
Beyond the words and explanations, there is a silence and a deep, long satisfaction. The satisfaction comes from knowing. And the result is peace.
Shri Mataji's message is contained in that silence which calms all the confusion. That is where she wants us to be, at peace with ourselves, at one with the knowledge. Connected. The blossom becoming the fruit.
"Whether the other loves you or not makes no difference. It is within you, this feeling. This depth is there which you can enjoy."
And that is peace. Absolutely.
