NAVRATRI

Weekly Knowledge #70 Mumbai 09 Oct 1996 India

Navratri means the nine nights and the new night. Creation happens in the darkness. In the womb of the mother and underneath the soil. Nine months in the womb are like nine long nights where the spirit takes human form. Night provides rest and rejuvenation. At night the entire creation goes to sleep including the ashram night watchman. (Laughter) People working come home at night and they really celebrate, rejoice and pray. Nine nights are precious as they have subtle energy. The subtle is enriched. There are 64 divine mother impulses which govern the subtle creation. These are responsible for restoring all earthly and spiritual benefits. They are simply part of one's awakened consciousness. These nine nights are celebrated to rekindle those divine impulses and celebrate the innermost depth of our lives. Jai Guru Dev Cleanse your body and cleanse your soul. Cleanse your body with water and your soul with knowledge and your spirit with pranayam and kriya. There is no penance higher than Pranayam. It is the greatest penance.

B> NEWS FLASH German Ashram had an intense Teachers Training Course. Guruji went up to Minsk and Belarus, where people had come from as far as Siberia. As many people met Guruji for the first time, it was like a dream come true for them. Virtually everybody had a miraculous experience to tell. One family had spent 7 months salary to come to meet Guruji. Another family sold their house to meet Gurudev. Over 1000 people filled the stadium and the auditorium looked splendid and all the teachers had worked hard to make the stadium look splendid and magnificent. People from Lithuania, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Minsk, and many other towns had gathered in a very festive mood. Russian television covered Guruji's arrival in Mumbai. There was a grand reception for Guruji. When he sat on his seat, all the flowers over him seemed to reach out for his Darshan. It seemed as if there was a waterfall of flowers and Guruji was smiling in the center. In the evening, Guruji was presented with two flower s, with which he played around for hours and kept posing for photographs. The conversation was diverted to the lotus flowers. Jai Guru Dev * * * * * * * * International Research Committee An International Research Committee was established by Punditji this summer to coordinate health research around the world on the benefits of Art of Living techniques. Anyone interested in doing health research, coordinating research projects, or writing grants should contact a committee member. People who write grants could receive a percentage of the grant. HERE ARE THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Ronnie Newman Telephone/fax 954-721-7437 Verna Suarez Telephone/fax 310-472-0585 Marielle Bourgeois P.O. Box 50003 Santa Barbara, CA 93150 Telephone 805-687-4247 Fax 805-563-6396 Randy Berlin Telephone 408-626-1600 Fax 408-626-6801