1985-1026: Sahaja Culture, New Jersey, Ashram, USA Today I was thinking of talking, telling you about the Sahaja Culture. Now we are formed in dharma, Vishwa Dharma. But it must have a culture. So far in all the religions there is no combination of religion and culture. No religion has. That's why everywhere you find different cultures. Say in India, people who follow Hindu religion have different cultures in different places. They are living in Lucknow, or say in U.P., they have a Muslim culture. More Islamic style. They'll eat in one plate, do all kinds of things which normally a South Indian won't do, and the South Indians have a different culture from Maharashtrians. So even in a religion like Hindu religion where culture is important, very important, we find varieties. So the cultures get influenced by the neighboring cultures or surrounding cultures, and that's how people get lost. When you establish a religion like this, Vishwa Dharma, it's not like any other religion. It's the real religion within us, and this reality comes to us because now we are one with the Spirit. So when we talk of Sahaja Culture, it is the culture of the Spirit. Now what is a culture? First of all let us see what is a culture is. So the culture is the pattern of behavior we have with others. Is a common pattern of behavior we are supposed to have with others. Like in English language, for example, we'll say "Thank you". Even if somebody murders, you may say, "Thank you". Or the person who murders you can say, "Sorry". On the phone one may say, just if they say something you can't hear, "Sorry?" Every time, "Sorry". As if "sorry" is a word so easily to be used. I mean if you are sorry, why are you sorry for that? "Sorry?" On the phone they used to first say, "I beg your pardon?", was sensible; but now I find everybody, A to Z, says, "Sorry?" I mean, it has no meaning, because what are you sorry about? Says "Sorry?" For everything they are sorry. Or we can say in English language, when we speak, "I'm afraid". You see, it's very common, "I'm afraid". What are you afraid of? The whole world is afraid of you. So this is the culture, what we talk of, any culture as such, becomes artificial, is not spontaneous, doesn't come from reality. It has no meaning; sometimes it is pointless, absolutely pointless to stick to certain cultures. So the culture of the Spirit doesn't change. It's universal, and is higher than any other culture. Apart from that it integrates all the essences of all the cultures. So it emanates from the spirit. Now, spirit has two sides. One side which you see, the another you don't see, like the moon. The side you see is outside with other people, other Sahaja Yogis, other people, other societies, which are not yourself, absolutely. The other side you don't see is the relationship with God Almighty, relationship with your Mother. If the other side is not all right, the behavioral side outside could become artificial, could become crooked and not Sahaj. So it's the other way round than any other culture. To know any other culture what do we go? We see how they talk, what is their language, how they speak, how they behave: all the outside things we get. We must know "thank you" if we want to know English language, must know "thank you", "please", all that. But if you want to know the Sahaja culture, you have to know your Mother, and you have to know God Almighty. And the relationship between your Mother and the God Almighty has to be absolutely perfect. Then there's no problem. But that, the relationship, if it is not all right, you cannot have artificial Sahaj culture. That is one thing for sure. Artificial Sahaj culture is not all right. I would say that India has, in its basics, the culture of the spirit, India has; because for traditions and traditions in India, and for ages, people have been seeking the truth. Spiritually they are endowed, because of the saints. They are blessed specially because they have been seekers, not of material things, but of the spirit. Specially in Maharashtra, we should say, because the Kundalini is there always like a magnet. People are attracted because Shri Ganesha being the magnet, attracted towards God and spirit. So they form a pattern, but there is lot of artificiality in that also has grown. We must admit that there is lot, lot of artificiality, falsehood, nonsense that has grown into it, because the religion fell into the hands of, spiritual religion fell into the hands of gross, horrible so-called Brahmins who were not realized souls. So the whole culture has become so nonsensical sometimes that you don't know where to look. But to have the culture, first of all, culture is developed through meditation, by facing yourself. First of all you should face yourself, how you feel about your Mother and about God Almighty. First of all, how much liberty you take of your Mother? How much granted, take for granted your Mother? She's a Mahamaya. Even the first "M" is difficult t