Shri Mataji transformed the lives of millions of people around the world. Here are some milestones of Her life:
1. Birth in Chindwara – 21/03/1923
Shri Mataji came from a royal family of enlightened individuals. Her parents were Prasad and Cornelia Salve. Her mother while pregnant had a dream and felt a strong desire to see a tiger in an open field. At the time, tigers were a threat in the area and Shri Mataji’s father, being an experienced hunter, was called upon to deal with a particularly large and dangerous one. When Shri Mataji’s parents arrived in the field they saw a magnificent and enormous tiger before them. Shri Mataji’s mother was filled with a tremendous feeling of love and compassion towards that tiger. When her father raised his gun to shoot, her mother refused to let him. The tiger disappeared and was never seen in the forest again. The father jokingly asked his pregnant wife if there was a goddess Durga in her womb. Throughout Shri Mataji’s life, there were many other incidents that seemed to defy explanation. She was born without any labor pains and with no blood on Her body. Her parents named Her Nirmala, meaning “pure”, as a result.
Shri Mataji, ORF Interview “Lebensbilder” 9. July 1986, Vienna
2. India’s independence – 15/08/1947
Shri Mataji’ father joined Congress when She was four and quickly shed his westernized lifestyle to embrace his Indian roots.At seven, Shri Mataji accompanied him to meet Mahatma Gandhi, who took a liking to Her and consulted Her on serious matters, such as how to arrange a prayer book.
Shri Mataji: “He was a very, very kind person for children. Otherwise an extremely strict man, with himself and with others, very strict. A big disciplinarian.. He would make everybody get up at 4 o’clock, have their baths and everything be ready for their morning prayers at 5 o’clock – you see – and he used to walk very fast. I also learned to walk fast with him. In his company I had to walk fast. And he had been extremely loving and a very nice person.”
Shri Mataji’s father and mother were imprisoned several times for their active role in the fight for the independence of India. Shri Mataji and her sibling were thrown out of their school by the missionaries and were forced to abandon their luxurious house to live in huts. Shri Mataji became a leader in a youth movement and endured torture at the age of nineteen. After her father was released from jail, he was elected as a member of the Central Assembly.
Shri Mataji, ORF Interview “Lebensbilder” 9. July 1986, Vienna
3. Marriage with Sir C. P. Srivastava – 07/04/1947
Shri Mataji got married to Sir C.P. Srivastava on 7th April 1947.
“I think Divine planned My marriage, because I had to accept it. There were many proposals, and they chose this one, and I was married. In a way arranged, because I had never talked to him about it, he had not talked to Me, but he had seen Me once before.”
Shri Mataji, Farewell Talk. Burwood Ashram, Sydney, 7 April 1994.
4. Opening of the Sahasrara – 05/05/1970
“My father said: “Before you do not develop this technique of giving “en masse” Realisation, do not talk about religion. Let nobody know that you know anything about it, because they will crucify you… or you may write another Bible or Gita – no use.” He always used to give an analogy: “Suppose we are born on the tenth storey and everybody is on the ground. You must at least make them climb two storeys so they know that there is something above. Otherwise no use talking about it.” So I was seeking the ways and methods, working it out inside myself through my own style of meditation in the sense that I would work out all the permutations and combinations and when I met one person then I would see what problems that person had, how you can overcome it, like that I would try to study that person internally.
And I went to many people to find out, but I found they were great hypocrites. I saw so many of these Gurus, most of them. When I saw them, I was surprised they were all money making hypocrites. I went to Rajneesh also to see him. I did not know what sort of man he was, because he was talking about Gita and I thought he might be knowing something about it. There I could see all the things which were going on. And that is the day somehow or another I said: I must open the last chakra!”
Shri Mataji, ORF Interview “Lebensbilder” 9. July 1986, Vienna
“Then I decided to stay the night at the seashore. I was all alone and felt very good. There was no one around to say a word. And then in meditation, I felt that the time had arrived when the Sahasrara must be opened. The moment I desired for the opening of the Sahasrara, what I noticed was that the Kundalini rose like a telescope within me, opening one stage after the other, traveling upward – khat, khat, khat. The color of it was like the mixture of all the colors of these lamps put together, which you used for decoration. It was like the color of melted red-hot iron.
Then I saw the external structure of the Kundalini that kept on rising up, creating sounds at each chakra. The Kundalini rose up to pierce the Brahmarandhra. Piercing mine was not a big deal, but then I thought it would now become easier in the world. I felt at that moment whatever energy was there above, suddenly entered within me like a cool breeze from every direction. It was then that I realized that now there was no harm in starting the work.”
Shri Mataji extracts from Hindi talk at Diwali Puja 1995, Nargol, India.
5. Advent Declaration – 02/12/1979
“But today is the day I declare I am the One who has to save humanity. I declare I am the One who is Adi Shakti (Holy Spirit) – who is the Mother of all Mothers, who is the Primordial Mother, the Shakti (i.e. power) of the Desire of God – who has incarnated on this Earth to give meaning to itself, to this creation, to human beings, and I am sure that through My Love and Patience and My Powers I am going to achieve it. I was the One who was born again and again. But now I have come in My complete Form and with complete Powers. I have come on this Earth not only for salvation of human beings, not only for their emancipation, but for granting them the Kingdom of Heaven – the Joy, the Bliss – that your Father wants to bestow upon you.”
Shri Mataji, London, Dollis Hill, 1979
6. World tours & en masse Realisation
Shri Mataji travelled all over the world to give Realisation en masse. She never charged money for it.
7. Maha Samadhi – 23/02/2011
Shri Mataji took Her Maha Samadhi on 23 February 2011 in Italy.
“Then in the second era, now, you will not desire so much that Mother should be there – you’ll take it over from Me. This is the divine desire I’m telling you about, and you have to work on that from today onwards. I am with you, you know that; but need not be in this body, because I don’t know if I exist in this body or not. But once this desire starts working, you will see tremendous miracles happening. When the child is born to a mother, automatically she gets milk. So nature is so connected with the whole thing. In your divine desire also it is connected. And it is very evident when you are a divine person. You may find Me anywhere: you are walking on the street, suddenly you might find Mataji walking with you. So this is the second era we have started, and you should not be shocked if you see Me sitting on your bed and putting My hand on your head. Or you may see Me in the form of Christ walking into your room, or as Shri Rama. That has to happen, so you should be prepared. “
Shri Mataji, 5th May 1984, Rouen France
