Connecting with Swami ji and Sri Maa
A former acquaintance introduced me to Om Swami ji. While I now regard Om Swami ji as a true monk and the saint with a pure heart, this wasn’t always the case. I discussed in the previous post how I had lost faith in monks as a result of the development of bogus gurus and when I saw Swami ji wearing ochre, I immediately judged him which I accept, was wrong on my part.
We are often told not to generalize about others, but because I was ignorant, swayed by the selectively “progressive” philosophy, I did just that. Well, by Divine grace, I am out of such a notion. I can say confidently that I hold Om Swami Ji in a high regard. I extend to Him my sincere pranaam! Thousands of people throughout the world, including me, are guided and helped by his amazing content online like the divine nectar!
When we used to share our writings on os.me, I got in touch with Sri Devi Om ji (Sri Maa). Communicating with her was easy for me. It was reassuring. It never occurred to me to question her back when she described her experiences. She was a knowledge tree, and my heart knew she was telling the truth, so that was all there was to it. While it took me a little while to connect with Swamiji, Shri Maa was much easier for me to do so.
Allow me to quote from Om Swamiji’s memoir IF TRUTH BE TOLD where he writes about his first meeting with his guru, Naga Baba.
The first glance he threw at me didn’t just see me but saw through me, it imprisoned me. I surrendered then and there. The authority in his look said he owned the place. Actually, he looked as if he owned the Universe and everything in it. I knew I had met a siddha.
This incident demonstrates Swamiji’s superb intuition. He didn’t go around enquiring as to whether or not the person seated in front of him was a siddha. He avoided bringing up theories and presumptions about his guru’s abilities or how high he was regarded by others. It never happened. After listening to his heart, which was able to “surrender” itself with ease, Swamiji took Naga Baba as his guru.
In a similar manner, my heart also felt at ease with Sri Maa, and I trusted her. However, despite everything going well, a dumb notice alleging false accusations against her was published on November 1, 2022. People publicly dissed Sri Maa by writing posts and gossiping against her, and despite this terrible character assassination, I saw that her responses in the comment section weren’t nasty. Well, a whole group of people was determined to boycott her because they were unable to have the same experiences she had.
It certainly broke me that not a single person publicly expressed their support for her in a genuine way. The supposedly wise and caring individuals who were older than me, had white hair, and had children snapped at me. People publicly warned me not to trust her as they trusted a notice more than anything. It all caused me great confusion. My gut instinct and emotions both told me to believe in her, yet the words I could hear were only warnings and even a threat, once.
This tussle was too much for me! I felt choked for months. Whom to trust- Sri Maa or the notice?
I had no choice but to trust Neem Karoli Baba ji after he visited me in my dream and gave me lovely evidence of his presence in my life. I offer my sincere pranaam to him!
I took some time to connect with Swamiji and people’s experiences and positive words about him assured me that I am in safe hands.
I loved Sri Maa naturally just like intuition but suddenly it felt like all the tongues were against me! I was left alone with my heart, my mind and my intuition to do what it wanted to do. Nobody was there for faith-building and after all questioning and counter questioning with Sri Maa, I concluded that the people were telling a lie. They have no solid proof of what they blamed her against.
And like that, first, my intuition trusted her, then my heart. But Mother Nature made me use my mind and reasoning too. I loved her twice- once effortlessly and once after brainstorming. And yes, I trust her no less than Swamiji or Baba Neem Karoli ji! I Offer my pranaam to Sri Maa, my spiritual mentor.
This tormenting incident strengthened my faith even more. It taught me to act in my own best interests without consulting others, especially when it comes to topics pertaining to my own spiritual development. And at the same time, it’s not bad to check whether a spiritual guru or a mentor is trustworthy or not. One should always follow one’s own heart. Nobody’s approval matters, young or old. It only matters that you advance!
-Chitra Om
