I just couldn’t put down Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I read this book in three days. Chinese domestic life in nineteenth century is so intriguing. I thank God that I didn’t have to bear the torment of footbinding. Also, the concept of laotong is interesting. All of us need a friend who is like a sister or a brother and with whom we can share most of our inner thoughts.

Although the story is set in the nineteenth century China, it seems to be an in-depth inspection of the temperament of all women in general. I think I’m kind of like Lily and so, it was interesting for me to learn about her shortcomings. It led me to introspect. The history of nu shu (“women’s writing”) is enchanting.

During one of the visits of Shri Mataji to Calcutta in 1980s, my father requested Her to invite all the Sahaja Yogis from the West for dinner at our house after the public program. At the end of the program, Shri Mataji invited all the Sahaja Yogis, Indian as well as Western to our home which created a logistics issue. Whereas there were about twenty or so Western Yogis, there were about hundred Sahaja Yogis in total.

I could see that my mother was a bit worried for there wasn’t enough time to increase the quantity of food. She instructed the family cook to quickly make some potatoes and I noticed my mother praying, “Shri Mataji please enter the kitchen as Annapurna and take care of the dinner.” Read the rest of this entry »

I was very much a loner in school, I had no friends, I was scared of teachers, I could not understand all that I was studying and every one of the teachers commented: “She is capable of performing better if she worked harder.” It didn’t make any sense to me except that I felt real bad inside.

I met Shri Mataji for the first time when I was in fifth grade. The moment I saw Her I felt my heart fill with Her love. I don’t know exactly what happened but the sadness within me disappeared. Immediately after, my class ranking rose to fifteenth! Not impressive, I agree, but it was the best I had ever managed and somehow this gave me a lot of confidence and, for the first time, I felt interested in the subjects I was studying. Lessons began making sense, teachers started showing me a little love and now I had friends. I knew that Shri Mataji had changed my environment - but in retrospect, was it my environment that changed or had I? Read the rest of this entry »

By: Shalini Singh

Shri Mataji is the one with the highest frequency
All the deities and incarnations have their own frequencies
They have their own but they float in Mother’s frequency
They came at different times to evolve us to a higher frequency
So that One day we get closer to Mother’s frequency

Every chakra and channel has a different frequency
On every chakra she has talked with a different frequency
Step by step for us to rise higher to feel her frequency
For us to fully receive divine vibrations like hers
Listening to her talk is a journey towards her
It opens us inside and our understanding of this creation
No matter how much of it we absorb and do remember
Listening again and again it clears, clears and does wonders
Changing our attitude and our ideas to seek higher frequency
So that One day we get closer to Mother’s frequency Read the rest of this entry »

I felt that Maya Angelou in “The Heart of a Woman” has indeed opened her heart to the reader. She seems to be honestly revealing her feelings without any fear of being judged. I don’t know how do people like her are able to write an autobiography with such honesty. I don’t think I can do that. Hence, she has won my admiration. I plan to read rest of the series of her autobiography eventually.

This is the first time I read about struggle against racism from an activist’s perspective. It’s fascinating. Also, it’s amusing to learn about the expectations of an African husband, Vusumji Make. It sounds same as Indian husbands especially during that era. It’s inconceivable to know that Dr. Angelou’s had to sit through the palaver to find out if she was right to leave her husband or not. Above all, her dynamic, enterprising and versatile personality has left in awe.

tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom is one of the books I would like to read again and again. If I’m fortunate enough to have some time to say good bye and reflect upon life before my death as Morrie then this is one of the books I would like to read. One of the aphorisms in this novel that resonated with me is: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” Wow, that’s profound.

I envy teacher-student relationship between Mitch Albom and his coach, Morrie Schwartz. Morrie offers profound lessons on detachment, forgiveness, love, marriage, money, family, aging, death, culture and so much more. This requires numerous readings in order to absorb the teachings. My favorite story in the book is about the wave that is concerned about crashing and becoming nothing. The lesson for this individualistic wave is that it is a part of the ocean and not a wave.