It is with great joy that we write this account of the brief but eternal passage
of Shri Mataji in Paris last week. With less than twenty-four hours notice
(which was the perfect foil for a French tendency to overplan), we prepared ourselves
to receive the Adi Shakti, who would be coming with Sir C.P. on their way to
Bombay.
We were doubly blessed, because as Shri Mataji does not have the habit
of travelling on Wednesday, and as Her flight arrived from Milan Tuesday
evening, we were assured of Her Divine Presence for at least 36 hours.
Having had a good experience a few years ago at the Hilton Hotel at Roissy
Airport, we decided once again to select a suite in this hotel to welcome Shri
Mataji and Sir C.P. With only hours to prepare, yogis and yoginis did their
best to clean, vibrate, decorate, and stay in thoughtless awareness!
At about
eight-thirty p.m., a half hour before the flight was scheduled to arrive, the
hotel “team” put the finishing touches to bedroom, bathroom, and
sitting room, before sitting down in meditation (and in intense excitement)
to await Shri Mataji’s arrival.
At the airport Sahaja Yogis had gathered – those lucky ones who were
not away on holiday and could be contacted at such short notice – and
when Shri Mataji arrived, radiant and smiling, Her first words were “Your
desire was so strong that here I am!” She accepted flowers and then was
ushered into a waiting car which took Her to the hotel.
With all of the worry
and rumors circulating about our Mother’s health,
we were really not sure what to expect. In our mental projection Shri Mataji
would be tired and needing constant rest. Perhaps She would not come out
of Her room during the entire stay. And by no means was She to be disturbed.
Well!
Shri Mahamaya shattered one by one our conditionings and concerned expectations.
Her radiance, energy, and graciousness lifted us up into that world of vibrations
where time stands still and everything is possible.
Wednesday morning dawned with a very pleasant temperature (in contrast to
the unbearably hot and dry summer France had been having), and blue skies.
Shri Mataji agreed to a shopping excursion in Paris, so preparations were quickly
made and two cars set off early in the afternoon for Place Vendome, one of
the most chic shopping areas of Paris.
Shri Mataji chose fabric for several
saris for Her family and Herself, and yogis who were present remarked how they
felt their nabhis open completely as Shri Mataji shopped. We felt the workings
on the subtle level for Paris and for France, a country where generosity is
not a hallmark. With a great deal of determination (and after a “heated” argument),
Majid succeeded in offering Shri Mataji the saris on behalf of the French collective.
A great blessing for this country which has unfortunately been on the wrong
side of the Divine on many occasions.
Shri Mataji rested briefly in the car on the way back to the hotel, and upon
arrival was once again full of joy and energy. After dining, She asked one
yogi where all the sahaja yogis were. He replied that they were at Montfermeil
(the main ashram) meditating. Majid suggested that the yogis could come the
following morning to see Her off. Shri Mataji wanted to see the yogis “now”.
Quick
phone calls were made, and a car was sent off to gather yogis as quickly as
possible, but sooner than we knew it, those of us at the hotel were ushered
into Shri Mataji’s salon where She was waiting to address us. We were
about twenty yogis from France and abroad (There were two Sahaja Yogis, Welsh
and Austrian, who because of their jobs spend two out of every four weeks at
this very hotel – as fate would have it, who should come to “their” hotel
but the Adi Shakti herself!).
Shri Mataji commented on the lack of basic comfort in the hotel, how low all
of the furniture was, how despite the name and reputation of the hotel there
was no real comfort provided. She urged us to write to the management expressing
our dissatisfaction, saying we should do so because Sir C.P., even when dissatisfied,
was so diplomatic, that nothing ever resulted from it. Sir C.P. then told a
little joke about diplomats, how they are always saying "On the one hand
it is like this, but on the other hand it is like that and… So that now the people
are waiting for a diplomat with only one hand."
Shri Mataji
said that She was thinking of buying some land in the area and constructing
a hotel to show the French what comfort really is. Just as our left vishuddhis
were starting to twinge - oh, we chose the wrong hotel, Mother’s not
happy, - Mother soothed us by adding that the hotel was very conveniently located,
that it was a good place for us to meet and good for Sahaja Yoga (the same
two yogis who work there will soon be starting programs).
After Shri Mataji blessed us, we took our leave and Shri Mataji retired to
Her bedroom. But the night was young! After a few minutes She suggested to
Majid “Let’s go out for a ride.” It was somewhere around
eleven o’clock p.m. Yogis who had cars scrambled for their keys at this
news, and those who didn’t ran out to jump into any available seat, as
five cars full of yogis prepared to followed a blue Peugeot 607, destination
unknown.
In fact, inside the Peugeot 607 it was destination unknown as well,
as Shri Mataji asked “So, where should we go?” and Christian (driving)
and Majid asked themselves where could they go from Roissy airport at eleven
o’clock at night on a Wednesday? Christian had the idea of a manor-type
hotel about fifteen minutes from the airport – we only knew of it’s
existence because we had looked on the internet at possible hotels for Shri
Mataji close to the airport.
After getting lost briefly, the group of cars
pulled in to the long tree-lined drive of the hotel. They entered the hotel
lobby, and Shri Mataji observed a display case of antiques. The receptionist
mentioned that everything was for sale, but she then couldn’t find the
keys to the case. After some searching the keys were found, and Shri Mataji
examined many of the pieces in the case. There were other display cases, which
were duly opened, and Shri Mataji purchased several pieces, to the surprise
and delight of the yogis, as well as the very surprised hotel staff!
Shri Mataji decided to return back to the hotel, where meanwhile many more
yogis had gathered having heard the message that Shri Mataji wanted to see
them. They lined the corridor leading to Mother’s suite. Once inside,
Shri Mataji and Sir C.P. took their dinner. The night was not yet over, as
a hindi film was next on the program, lasting until about four or five o’clock
in the morning.
Fresh as ever, at seven-thirty the next (well, the same) morning, Shri Mataji
had Her tea, resplendent in a beautiful white sari with a red and pale green
floral design. The two hundred-plus kilos of baggage had gone ahead to the
airport, with a slightly nervous Majid, as there were only four passengers
travelling. But with the vibrations all went smoothly, as the check-in clerk
was so concerned that each bag be properly labelled with the passenger’s
name, that she seemed to forget to count the number of bags as well as their
weight.
Shri Mataji and Sir C.P. soon arrived at the airport, Sir C.P. commenting
that this trip to Paris had been a very memorable one – understatement indeed!
Shri Mataji smiled at all present and our hearts swelled with that joyous sadness – She
is leaving, but She has come!
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