In January 2013 we published our 16th communication “Building Up Our Collective”, which touched on the issues of voting, taking vibrations and rotation of councils. Today, almost three years later, we find that a number of countries have established methodologies of selection / election of councils based on taking vibrations from closed envelopes.
The details in procedure vary from country to country but in essence they are based on the same formula. Since we still receive queries relating to the issue of nomination, election and rotation, we would like to contemplate the background and validity of this development together with you.
About imposing vibratory validation procedures
The method of selecting leadership by blind vibrational checking was never mentioned or introduced by Shri Mataji. It is an invention that started during the period in which She withdrew from providing guidance and which expanded after Her Mahasamadhi.
At the time there was a desire to come to the right decision without involving Ego and Superego and to translate the culture of obedience and surrender to our Guru Shri Mataji into a methodology where we would read the outcome as Her divine will. Additionally, in an atmosphere of confusion and distrust of leadership, a method was sought that would convince the collective that the selected council was the result of a process beyond any suspicion of manipulation.
Vibrations were increasingly instrumentalized for procedures that grew more and more complicated until, in some cases, they were imposed as partly sophisticated and “politically correct“ methodologies.
Today we find that these procedures have been adopted in a number of countries. But we also have been told there are and have been numerous cases where the “closed envelopes“ method has either entirely failed, or has sometimes produced unclear / unpleasant results that were detrimental to the cohesion of the collective. Both outcomes prove the ambiguity of the process.
In a community of spiritually advanced and emancipated people, who want to awaken the world to the highest truth of self realization – in an inherited culture of the spirit – is this the picture of our Sahaj culture, which we want to show to the non sahaj public and to history?
Sahaja yoga is for the transformation of the world and not vice versa. In the world out there we know rules and procedures are meant to protect the common good from evildoers. In this sangha however our safety lies in becoming fully the children of the Divine Mother. It means good hamsa but does it also mean diminishing ourselves to conforming with the protocols of self-invented almost oracle like rituals?
Experimentation is legitimate but the record invites us to reflect. Do we sincerely think we must improve on the guidance that Our Mother left with us? Can procedures protect us from our inner shortcomings? Can we not avoid the interference of Ego and Superego by simply opening our heart and by establishing ourselves in Nirvichara?
And can we not find consensus and balance the use of vibrations with common sense and wisdom?
Could we imagine offering to check with closed envelopes when Shri Mataji was asking for our sound judgment?
Or when She told us to ask vibrations by directly stretching our hands towards Her (or Her picture)? Do we lack faith in this simple God given instruction?
We recall how Shri Mataji encouraged good judgment and consultations. For instance She often used to ask elder/experienced SYs of a particular country for appropriate names to consider before She would nominate a leader. Or, she would also ask the yogis what this yogi was like before appointing him. We also recall numerous occasions, where Shri Mataji had mentioned the importance of common sense and how it should always be applied and followed. We can ask ourselves such question as: what is the knowledge/experience of Sahaja Yoga this person has? Is he/she competent? Respected in the sangha? Moral integrity and financial independence? Any personal agenda of wanting to be in position of control of the collective? Etc…
We therefore suggest that the “closed envelopes concept“ or too frequent automatic rotations for the selection and election of councils and coordinators should not be automatically enforced at country level. The record suggests it may not match up to the sense of the guidance we received and the spiritual maxims of our Sahaj culture. Suspicions have to be overcome and procedures inspired by suspicion be replaced instead with procedures that are natural, pragmatic and based on common sense just as we have learned from our Divine Mother.
While there is no generally valid system and while there are different conditions in every country, we strongly feel that in principle it is simplicity and wisdom paired with trust, benevolence and good will, which should be the main ingredients in the process of selection and nomination all over our Sangha. Any change in coordinators on the basis of love between brothers and sisters rather than on the basis of suspicion and political competition, we feel, would please Shri Mataji.
About imposing a rigid rotation formula
Change is a natural process but too frequent rotations have destabilized some collectives and people came to us for advice. In a normal sahaj environment, there is no need for “a one size fits all” renewal systems based on an administrative approach to rotation; instead a healthy mixture between organic renewal and continuation will best ensure a balanced continuation of administrative affairs and a steady transfer of our Sahaj culture within our representative bodies.
We are not suggesting that rotating a council is wrong, just that when we add together forced rotations, closed envelope techniques and all the other methods which have been created, we prevent the organic and consultative approach from taking place.
In conclusion…
Let these matters rest with the collective common sense and not with procedure enforcement. We all wish to avoid the introduction of autocratic leadership structures or methods in a country without the consent of the collective. A sahaj methods will ultimately lead to division and disintegration.
Finding the right people for leadership positions, who possess the appropriate qualifications, who have a balanced and selfless personality and are loved and respected by the collective as deep SYs, is mostly easy and obvious in a benevolent and dignified approach of recommendation and consultation, which always includes meditation, feeling vibrations and asking the question: Would Shri Mataji be pleased?
When offering the outcome of such a sahaj process to the Lotus Feet of Shri Mataji, surely Her blessings will flow and all will feel vibrations and joy.
With love and respect – Members of the CC