May letter, 2010
Dear Sahaja yogis!
In the last half a year the situation in Russia is getting worse – more and more yogis are going out of the collectivity. Many yogis get together and do not come to collective programs anymore. They do not want to support the policy of Russian council which converts Sahaja Yoga into totalitarian sect. Also many yogis are being thrown out of the collectivity. Local councils encourage grassing (squealing). Local coordinators are trying their best to identify those who disagree with them. They are trying to put pressure on such people and to discredit them, spreading pathetic rumors. Councils are afraid of independent groups which can take the collectivity out of their control.
(read more)
The reaction of the Russian coordinator on the correspondence between world leaders in which they criticized his way of leadership and his behavior is surprising. The Russian coordinator declared them traitors of Shri Mataji and he is trying to turn our collectivity against them.
Dear leaders – we doubt that world leaders could change their mind so fast and so significant. These apologies were wrenched out of the context and corrected to “prove” world leaders’ support of the Russian coordinator. He is ready to do anything to keep his power.
Apart from that we would like to notice the inefficient and sometimes even ignorant waste of money which belongs to the Russian collectivity. The beautiful example is so called “Togliatti health center” and “Togliatti music academy”, they are building with violations of construction procedures and will not last long. The sahaj camp place long-term contract is still not signed. The camp was built with the help from yogis from all over Russia, lots of money was spend and now we find out that we do not own or rent this place. And the short-term contract can be dissolved any time.
We also have an ongoing propaganda campaign about how great is the Togliatti – the totally unique, chosen and ideal center of “proper” Sahaja Yoga. Only there you can learn how to work on yourself, how to meditate, how to sing etc.
Few yogis visited Vashi hospital and wanted to tell people how great it is but they were told to keep this information to themselves because “Togliatti health center is much better”, “each sahaja yogis should go there at least once a year”.
Togliatti method includes many hours of workshop, they replace Sahaja Yoga with workshops. They suggest that you need to clean yourself constantly because by this you are cleaning the whole humanity. By this they pump people’s ego and destroy everything spontaneous in Sahaja Yoga.
Some time ago there were letters signed by Shri Mataji that it is good to replace leaders each 3 years and that national council are not under control of the world council. The Russian council was very happy to know that they are not under control anymore. And the Russian coordinator reelected himself and all his team for a new 5-year term. They declared it as Mother’s will although according to the published letters it is not so.
We need to make a reform in the Russian Sahaja Yoga. Only replacing the coordinator will not change anything. He created the system where one hand is washing the other. He infected council members with the idea of their superiority over “ordinary” yogis. That’s why it is neсessary to change all the team every two-three years. In this way coordinator of Russia may be elected once a year from the members of the Russian Council. By doing so, we are going to minimize the importance and Self-glorification of coordinators. Such reform can give a new impulse in development of Sahaja Yoga and fulfill the vision of Shri Mataji about spiritual transformation of the humanity.
With respect, Russian Sahaja Yogis. May 2010.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
The letter. Part 2. October 2009
Jay Shri Mataji!
From the time we wrote the 1st part of this letter few months passed. Some events happened which changed the politics in Russian Sahaja Yoga. This changes brought the impression that everything in Russia became normal, but in fact on the inside nothing changed.
We know that for some time a lot of letters from Russian sahaja yogis were sent to the World Council in which the performance of our coordinators and the Russian council was exposed. Although none of those who wrote letters got any reply the World council members have shown their concern about Russian situation in discussions between themselves.(read more)
At the time of summer seminars in Italy, before Shri Krishna puja, the coordinator of Russia gathered those Russian yogis who were going to go to Cabella and gave them instructions how to behave in Italy. He declared that from this time he needs only one legal Sahaja Yoga organization. All the connections of Russian sahaja yogis with foreign sahaja yogis should be done only via this organization. Visiting pujas abroad can only be done with the approval of this organization. He also said that some people tried to «infiltrate» to Cabella by themselves and he promised that from this time he will take actions against these people. He promised to call the local police for these people.These people do not have official sahaj invitations (which were promised by Italians to be sent only to those who inquire them via coordinators) so according to his words these people must stay in some hotel outside Cabella otherwise they break some Italian laws. He told us that in this case the police will deport these sahaja yogis from Italy and they will never again get a European visa. He also declared that no one outside his organization is allowed to act on behalf of Sahaja Yoga, and he specified that by this he means giving realizations, spreading Mother’s talks and sahaj literature, conducting programs. Our coordinator and his team are registered as founders of this organization so now even if one day he will not be a coordinator anymore he will still have the control of the organization. As far as we know this fully contradicts with Shri Matajis wish to choose coordinator for a small period after which he should be replaced with another person.
In those days also some events took place in Cabella.
One sahaja yogini who was thrown out of Sahaja Yoga by a coordinator of Russia came to Cabella. The coordinator in a conversation with her requested her to leave, but she refused. At night time the same day when everybody went to sleep his sympathizers and he came to the personal tent of another sahaja yogini, also thrown out of Sahaja Yoga by him. He asked her to leave immediately and threatened to call the police. She replied that if he will continue his threats she will call the police herself. He understood that he can’t bluff her and left. She stayed for puja but she felt very insecure these days.
As far as we know the next day the coordinator of Russia, Dmitry Korotaev together with Alexandr Solodiankin were called for a discussion in the World Council where they were asked to change the way of administration in Sahaja Yoga. From the next day they changed their behavior. They stopped pressing yogis and were showing fake friendliness to those they were threatening a day before.
When Shri Mataji came to the festival in Togliatti the Russian council under the pressure of the World council was forced to let all sahaja yogis visit the festival. But in the newsletter in which they were supposed to invite everybody they wrote that the local coordinators will take the final decision and the decision will be positive only if the yogi requested the permission to attend puja is “honest and obedient [to council]”. They were trying to show their tolerance to everybody but in fact from those yogis who were not loyal to them they took a written notice that they “recognize Dmitry Korotaev as the coordinator of Russia, selected by Shri Mataji and blessed by Her for the decisions he is taking”. They were taking these notices in front of the festival entrance, surrounding “non-loyal” yogis with guards as if they were criminals.
Shri Mataji’s arrival to Russia was used by organizers to show the collectivity that Shri Mataji fully supports their actions. They didn’t understand that Shri Mataji came for all Russian sahaja yogis, not only those from the council. A lot of work was done by sahaja yogis from all over Russia in the camp, but all the credit went to the council.
Our coordinators are using the well-known methods of brainwashing which are used in intelligence agencies like CIA, FSB (KGB) and others for manipulating the public opinion. We could notice that those who earlier saw the falseness of their methods after coming from the festival for few days or weeks were in the some sort of emotional rejoice state, praising the coordinator and his surroundings. The spiritual state after being close to Shri Mataji was used by council to justify their behavior, to justify the selected course. For us it is hard to believe even in our thoughts that in the presence of Shri Adi Shakti deception and vicious behavior can exist. Many yogis believe that Shri Mataji controls coordinators and that’s why whatever the coordinators do is righteous. Therefore they stop watching the situation with open mind. As we see it is not what Mother wants from us. She wants us to become our own guru. She doesn’t stop people from destruction, She is waiting for sahaja yogis to become mature enough to fix everything.
We would like to bring to your attention another fact. The coordinators in Russia are trying to use Shri Mataji’s husband in their own purposes, trying to get his support. They do not understand that involving him in their actions they can harm his reputation. After the festival they started to spread the rumor that Shri Mataji told sir C.P. that he is Shiva and same as Rama he doesn’t not remember his divine nature. The rumor also claimed that sir C.P. didn’t believe Shri Mataji that’s why She also told this to Dmitry Korotaev. The council started to spread this information in different cities and in many places they started to put sir C.P.’s photo on the altar. These rumors did exist before but they never get support among yogis causing only bewilderment. Coordinators are putting a lot of efforts to guide the collectivities in directions they want. The attention on the puja in Togliatti was often switched from Shri Mataji to Her husband.
Another rumor started by the council in Togliatti was that Shri Mataji put Her hands on Dmitry Korotaev’s head and said that after Her departure he will be the world leader.
“Simple things I will tell you what. They asked Me Mother, what do You think of starting a Vishwa Nirmala Dharma in Melbourne? I said alright. I didn’t know it is going to be an association, there is going to be an election and all, nothing. Vishwa Nirmala Dharma is everywhere. But they don’t have any association nothing. It is just a kind of a society, which is just spreading Vishwa Nirmala Dharma. There is no sort of any organization about it. We only have Trusts. And we don’t want to have any electioning or all that. Again, if some wrong type of people get in, then sahaja yoga will be ousted completely. So you can only have Trusts. And if you want to do something else you can form it separately but it should not be Vishwa Nirmala Dharma or sahaja yoga. Nothing doing. Because I said yes that doesn’t mean that you should go that far with forming this, that, association and all that. It is a news to Me.…
It will definitely grow, no doubt. But do not try to organize it. You cannot organize. Once you start organizing, then the growth can be stunted. Like you have seen bonsai. Bonsai when they cut it and organize it, it becomes a small tree. But I haven’t seen any tree, which grows; if it is organized grows more. At the most you can nourish it, at the most you can water it, at the most you can see the needs of this. But you cannot just, make it grow more. …
All organizations cut the growth. In the beginning it may look that by organizing it, it has increased. Even religions like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc., when organized and grow artificially is empty and hollow. We really want substantial people, substantial dharma – innate, within ourselves. We don’t have to take to these artificial things.”
SHRI MATAJI’S TALK TO SAHAJA YOGIS on 1ST MARCH, 1992 At Glenrock, Australia
These days in Russia, India and some other countries we are witnessing the attempts to transform Sahaja Yoga into an artificial organization and this negative experience can spread to other countries also. Sahaja Yoga can be altered, only the fine outer shell will remain but the base will be replaced to achieve other goals. The same happened to other religions. In order to avoid it in Sahaja Yoga case we need to try to correct the situation according to Shri Mataji’s wishes. As we know in the World council the opinion about the situation in Russia divided and there is now clear idea what needs to be done. Some world leaders after visiting the festival in Togliatti were charmed by how everything was organized, praising the organizers for this. Others empathize us but do not know how they can help.
In conclusion we would like to share our vision of Sahaja Yoga evolution. First of all we need to abandon the idea of creating a controllable organization. It is important to move from the hierarchic form of management, common for Kali Yuga, to communal, where all the decisions are taking by all the members of the collectivity. Coordinators and councils will be required only for organizing big events. They should work for 1-3 years and it is better if it will be new people each time, whoever wants to try. The short term is required so that the feeling of self-importance will not have time to develop. The spreading of Sahaja Yoga should not be under any control. It is good to have a lot of groups controlled by no one, spreading Sahaja Yoga, perfecting themselves and methods of spreading Sahaja Yoga.
October 2009,
Sahaja Yogis of Russia.
From the time we wrote the 1st part of this letter few months passed. Some events happened which changed the politics in Russian Sahaja Yoga. This changes brought the impression that everything in Russia became normal, but in fact on the inside nothing changed.
We know that for some time a lot of letters from Russian sahaja yogis were sent to the World Council in which the performance of our coordinators and the Russian council was exposed. Although none of those who wrote letters got any reply the World council members have shown their concern about Russian situation in discussions between themselves.(read more)
At the time of summer seminars in Italy, before Shri Krishna puja, the coordinator of Russia gathered those Russian yogis who were going to go to Cabella and gave them instructions how to behave in Italy. He declared that from this time he needs only one legal Sahaja Yoga organization. All the connections of Russian sahaja yogis with foreign sahaja yogis should be done only via this organization. Visiting pujas abroad can only be done with the approval of this organization. He also said that some people tried to «infiltrate» to Cabella by themselves and he promised that from this time he will take actions against these people. He promised to call the local police for these people.These people do not have official sahaj invitations (which were promised by Italians to be sent only to those who inquire them via coordinators) so according to his words these people must stay in some hotel outside Cabella otherwise they break some Italian laws. He told us that in this case the police will deport these sahaja yogis from Italy and they will never again get a European visa. He also declared that no one outside his organization is allowed to act on behalf of Sahaja Yoga, and he specified that by this he means giving realizations, spreading Mother’s talks and sahaj literature, conducting programs. Our coordinator and his team are registered as founders of this organization so now even if one day he will not be a coordinator anymore he will still have the control of the organization. As far as we know this fully contradicts with Shri Matajis wish to choose coordinator for a small period after which he should be replaced with another person.
In those days also some events took place in Cabella.
One sahaja yogini who was thrown out of Sahaja Yoga by a coordinator of Russia came to Cabella. The coordinator in a conversation with her requested her to leave, but she refused. At night time the same day when everybody went to sleep his sympathizers and he came to the personal tent of another sahaja yogini, also thrown out of Sahaja Yoga by him. He asked her to leave immediately and threatened to call the police. She replied that if he will continue his threats she will call the police herself. He understood that he can’t bluff her and left. She stayed for puja but she felt very insecure these days.
As far as we know the next day the coordinator of Russia, Dmitry Korotaev together with Alexandr Solodiankin were called for a discussion in the World Council where they were asked to change the way of administration in Sahaja Yoga. From the next day they changed their behavior. They stopped pressing yogis and were showing fake friendliness to those they were threatening a day before.
When Shri Mataji came to the festival in Togliatti the Russian council under the pressure of the World council was forced to let all sahaja yogis visit the festival. But in the newsletter in which they were supposed to invite everybody they wrote that the local coordinators will take the final decision and the decision will be positive only if the yogi requested the permission to attend puja is “honest and obedient [to council]”. They were trying to show their tolerance to everybody but in fact from those yogis who were not loyal to them they took a written notice that they “recognize Dmitry Korotaev as the coordinator of Russia, selected by Shri Mataji and blessed by Her for the decisions he is taking”. They were taking these notices in front of the festival entrance, surrounding “non-loyal” yogis with guards as if they were criminals.
Shri Mataji’s arrival to Russia was used by organizers to show the collectivity that Shri Mataji fully supports their actions. They didn’t understand that Shri Mataji came for all Russian sahaja yogis, not only those from the council. A lot of work was done by sahaja yogis from all over Russia in the camp, but all the credit went to the council.
Our coordinators are using the well-known methods of brainwashing which are used in intelligence agencies like CIA, FSB (KGB) and others for manipulating the public opinion. We could notice that those who earlier saw the falseness of their methods after coming from the festival for few days or weeks were in the some sort of emotional rejoice state, praising the coordinator and his surroundings. The spiritual state after being close to Shri Mataji was used by council to justify their behavior, to justify the selected course. For us it is hard to believe even in our thoughts that in the presence of Shri Adi Shakti deception and vicious behavior can exist. Many yogis believe that Shri Mataji controls coordinators and that’s why whatever the coordinators do is righteous. Therefore they stop watching the situation with open mind. As we see it is not what Mother wants from us. She wants us to become our own guru. She doesn’t stop people from destruction, She is waiting for sahaja yogis to become mature enough to fix everything.
We would like to bring to your attention another fact. The coordinators in Russia are trying to use Shri Mataji’s husband in their own purposes, trying to get his support. They do not understand that involving him in their actions they can harm his reputation. After the festival they started to spread the rumor that Shri Mataji told sir C.P. that he is Shiva and same as Rama he doesn’t not remember his divine nature. The rumor also claimed that sir C.P. didn’t believe Shri Mataji that’s why She also told this to Dmitry Korotaev. The council started to spread this information in different cities and in many places they started to put sir C.P.’s photo on the altar. These rumors did exist before but they never get support among yogis causing only bewilderment. Coordinators are putting a lot of efforts to guide the collectivities in directions they want. The attention on the puja in Togliatti was often switched from Shri Mataji to Her husband.
Another rumor started by the council in Togliatti was that Shri Mataji put Her hands on Dmitry Korotaev’s head and said that after Her departure he will be the world leader.
“Simple things I will tell you what. They asked Me Mother, what do You think of starting a Vishwa Nirmala Dharma in Melbourne? I said alright. I didn’t know it is going to be an association, there is going to be an election and all, nothing. Vishwa Nirmala Dharma is everywhere. But they don’t have any association nothing. It is just a kind of a society, which is just spreading Vishwa Nirmala Dharma. There is no sort of any organization about it. We only have Trusts. And we don’t want to have any electioning or all that. Again, if some wrong type of people get in, then sahaja yoga will be ousted completely. So you can only have Trusts. And if you want to do something else you can form it separately but it should not be Vishwa Nirmala Dharma or sahaja yoga. Nothing doing. Because I said yes that doesn’t mean that you should go that far with forming this, that, association and all that. It is a news to Me.…
It will definitely grow, no doubt. But do not try to organize it. You cannot organize. Once you start organizing, then the growth can be stunted. Like you have seen bonsai. Bonsai when they cut it and organize it, it becomes a small tree. But I haven’t seen any tree, which grows; if it is organized grows more. At the most you can nourish it, at the most you can water it, at the most you can see the needs of this. But you cannot just, make it grow more. …
All organizations cut the growth. In the beginning it may look that by organizing it, it has increased. Even religions like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc., when organized and grow artificially is empty and hollow. We really want substantial people, substantial dharma – innate, within ourselves. We don’t have to take to these artificial things.”
SHRI MATAJI’S TALK TO SAHAJA YOGIS on 1ST MARCH, 1992 At Glenrock, Australia
These days in Russia, India and some other countries we are witnessing the attempts to transform Sahaja Yoga into an artificial organization and this negative experience can spread to other countries also. Sahaja Yoga can be altered, only the fine outer shell will remain but the base will be replaced to achieve other goals. The same happened to other religions. In order to avoid it in Sahaja Yoga case we need to try to correct the situation according to Shri Mataji’s wishes. As we know in the World council the opinion about the situation in Russia divided and there is now clear idea what needs to be done. Some world leaders after visiting the festival in Togliatti were charmed by how everything was organized, praising the organizers for this. Others empathize us but do not know how they can help.
In conclusion we would like to share our vision of Sahaja Yoga evolution. First of all we need to abandon the idea of creating a controllable organization. It is important to move from the hierarchic form of management, common for Kali Yuga, to communal, where all the decisions are taking by all the members of the collectivity. Coordinators and councils will be required only for organizing big events. They should work for 1-3 years and it is better if it will be new people each time, whoever wants to try. The short term is required so that the feeling of self-importance will not have time to develop. The spreading of Sahaja Yoga should not be under any control. It is good to have a lot of groups controlled by no one, spreading Sahaja Yoga, perfecting themselves and methods of spreading Sahaja Yoga.
October 2009,
Sahaja Yogis of Russia.
The letter. Part 1. June 2009
Dear brothers and sisters!
Respected world council members!
We would like to share the following information on the development of Sahaja Yoga in Russia for the last 4 years.
In 2005 in Russia the leadership in Russia was changed. All sahaja yogis were told that with the blessings of Shri Mataji there is no more leadership and coordinators will be elected for 1 year. However after some time we understood that the “new government” is nothing new, there is no election is meant to happen nor in 1 year, neither in 3 years.(read more)
Very soon the organization with a strict “chain of command” started to form with strict rules for submission. The “proper” understanding of what is right in Sahaja Yoga and Mother’s lectures was enforced. First ex-leaders were thrown out and then their relatives and friends. All they were declared as “enemies of Sahaja Yoga”. Communication with these people was forbidden. Those who continued relations with outcasts were asked to leave the collectivity. All who were not agree with the new “management” were counted as some mythical opposition.
Today we have a system when all the decisions are taken by the coordinator of Russia. Coordinators of other cities and local councils only implement his “recommendations”. For the last few years the majority of clear-headed sahaja yogis left councils or was thrown out from councils.
For the accrescence of coordinator’s power the new reform was performed recently. The number of sahaja yogis in local councils was reduced and only those were left who support the Russian Coordinator in all his deeds. It was make in order to avoid leakage of information about further actions meant to form strict organization totally under control of the coordinator. For some time past the voices of critics rose in the address of the coordinator and the Russian council.
Due to their activity for the last 4 years the negative public opinion about Sahaja Yoga appeared in the society. Many people now think we are a totalitarian sect. The amount of those who want to receive a realization and to practice Sahaja Yoga is reducing, many collectivities are getting smaller each year. Even in Togliatti, from where the whole collectivity of Russia is ruled, some sahaja yogis do not agree with what’s happening and they are leaving the collectivity.
They are meditating apart of the main collectivity of necessity. Many of them practice Sahaja Yoga since the time it started in Russia. They cannot have a compromise with what’s going on in our collectivity and at the same time they do not want to become an “opposition”. In spite of the fact that they practice Sahaja Yoga they cannot attend pujas or seminars. In Russia we have a strict “permission” system for going to pujas and seminars. The yogi himself cannot take a spontaneous decision to go to puja. Yogies need to get a special permission in advance. The list of those who are allowed to go to puja are published in Internet.
Although the majority of yogis can get a permission this control and the lack of freedom of not comply with Sahaja Yoga. The examples of those who were not allowed to go cause a fear that anyone can be treated like that.
Our coordinator is explaining himself that only 10% of yogis disagree with him and 90% agree. In fact this is not so. Currently many people see what’s going on but accept this situation. They think it is wrong to fight.
Also we would like to raise a question of financial activity in Sahaja Yoga in Russia. The money collected all over Russia is going only to Togliatti projects. Rarely the Russian council diverts a small sum for concerts in other regions. In other cities it is not allowed to make sahaj seminars and festivals. Before for the last 15 years we were having seminars all over Russia. It is very reasonable considering the size of our country.
The movement of money is impossible to track. For example there was a seminar in Togliatti in 2008. The money for the seminar was being collected for at least half a year. The accounting was not always made properly and some part of this money was spent without any accounting at all. The situation repeats itself with new seminar.
The coordinator of Russia is telling us some stories that one day the land in Togliatti will be bought for Sahaja Yoga and that’s why they need money. That’s why they need a lot of money! But time passes and nothing happens… Again we want to ask – who will be the owner of this land> Sahaja Yogis were building the camp there and a small house for Shri Mataji but to whom this house belongs according to the law? The seminar (or festival how we call it in Russia) takes place for 3 days only once a year and the rest of time we are paying for the camp?
There is another question to discuss. The coordinator of Russia creates the hierarchy in Sahaja Yoga collectivity. On the top there is a Coordinator of Russia – the spiritual leader of Russian sahaja yogis. The Russian council is under his control. The council is divided into 2 pieces: the spiritual and administrative. The Russian council is controlling the coordinators of other cities and they are controlling local councils, also divided into 2 parts. The decisions of the Coordinator of Russia cannot be placed in doubt because he is appointed by Shri Mataji Herself and that’s why he himself is also Divine. These people are not confused even with the fact that Shri Mataji was telling in Her lectures that all yogis are equal and the leadership is not a big position in Sahaja Yoga. And a caste system of India was criticized by Mother many times, telling that this system enslaved the Indian society and slows down its development. In fact the same caste and religion system is now being created in Russia
Any critics in Russia are suppressed by the coordinator. In these latter days sahaja yogis were talking a lot in Internet and in Social networks creating groups there and telling their own opinions on what’s going on. In particular one sahaja yogi created a forum “SY Friends” in the Russian network “vkontakte.ru”. He invited other yogis there. When the number of sahaja yogis there reached 200 and the critics started to appear there the coordinator’s supporters entered the group, took the control over it and deleted all the messages with critics. The creator of the group was called to council and he was told that he has a lot of problems and he must go and clean his chakras (they didn’t name the real problem – this forum). They tried to accuse him officially but they were a bit afraid – the creator of the forum is known as a person who can not be accused of anything dirty. But they tried to intimidate him by not allowing him to take part in any sahaj activities for 1 year.
The later “I love Sahaja Yoga” forum was formed. The critics appeared also there. Coordinator’s supporters wrote in this group that the founders of this group are not sahaja yogis and they informed others that they should leave the forum forever within a few days. They were told that if they do not leave the forum the actions will be taken against them. The coordinator is afraid to throw everybody who is left in the group because many people are unsatisfied with what he is doing.
There are a lot of other small confrontations. Let us tell you one more example.
During the last Indian puja 2 Russians were invited to Anand’s (Shri Mataji’s grandson) marriage. The coordinator of Russia was unhappy that someone else apart from him can come close to Shri Mataji or Her family. When these 2 yoginis being on the marriage on the other side of the hall didn’t come close to the coordinator to greet him and to show him respect he resented. Now he suspects in connections with the opposition all those who are not greeting him. He is telling that the negativity is working through such people.
The leaders who were there before 2005 are considered to be “traitors” (and rakshasas), who destroyed the organization. He sees himself as a spiritual leader of all Russian sahaja yogis. When he was 1st introduced to Shri Mataji dr. Boghdan said that this is the leader of Russia. And Shri Mataji corrected him: “No more leaders, only councils”. But not the role of councils in Russia is zero – they just fulfill Coordinator’s orders.
In one of Her lectures in Australia Shri Mataji told that Sahaja Yoga is a living spontaneous process and we cannot make an organization out of it. Or else the wrong people can come and destroy everything. Now we see that this happened in Russia.
All the abovementioned facts and many other facts of breaking the dharma laws by the coordinator of Russia led to split-up in the Russian collectivity. The part of the collectivity formed an opposition to the Russian council. The other part makes realization programs and festivals. The 3rd and the biggest part of sahaja yogis is taking part in some activities but have a disagreement with the politics of our coordinator. There are also people who support these actions and they are trying to get a position in this new hierarchy. This leads to tension in the Russian sahaj collectivity.
In connection with all this facts we are asking the World council to replace the current coordinator of Russia.
With respect, Russian Sahaja Yogis.
Jay Shri Mataji.
Respected world council members!
We would like to share the following information on the development of Sahaja Yoga in Russia for the last 4 years.
In 2005 in Russia the leadership in Russia was changed. All sahaja yogis were told that with the blessings of Shri Mataji there is no more leadership and coordinators will be elected for 1 year. However after some time we understood that the “new government” is nothing new, there is no election is meant to happen nor in 1 year, neither in 3 years.(read more)
Very soon the organization with a strict “chain of command” started to form with strict rules for submission. The “proper” understanding of what is right in Sahaja Yoga and Mother’s lectures was enforced. First ex-leaders were thrown out and then their relatives and friends. All they were declared as “enemies of Sahaja Yoga”. Communication with these people was forbidden. Those who continued relations with outcasts were asked to leave the collectivity. All who were not agree with the new “management” were counted as some mythical opposition.
Today we have a system when all the decisions are taken by the coordinator of Russia. Coordinators of other cities and local councils only implement his “recommendations”. For the last few years the majority of clear-headed sahaja yogis left councils or was thrown out from councils.
For the accrescence of coordinator’s power the new reform was performed recently. The number of sahaja yogis in local councils was reduced and only those were left who support the Russian Coordinator in all his deeds. It was make in order to avoid leakage of information about further actions meant to form strict organization totally under control of the coordinator. For some time past the voices of critics rose in the address of the coordinator and the Russian council.
Due to their activity for the last 4 years the negative public opinion about Sahaja Yoga appeared in the society. Many people now think we are a totalitarian sect. The amount of those who want to receive a realization and to practice Sahaja Yoga is reducing, many collectivities are getting smaller each year. Even in Togliatti, from where the whole collectivity of Russia is ruled, some sahaja yogis do not agree with what’s happening and they are leaving the collectivity.
They are meditating apart of the main collectivity of necessity. Many of them practice Sahaja Yoga since the time it started in Russia. They cannot have a compromise with what’s going on in our collectivity and at the same time they do not want to become an “opposition”. In spite of the fact that they practice Sahaja Yoga they cannot attend pujas or seminars. In Russia we have a strict “permission” system for going to pujas and seminars. The yogi himself cannot take a spontaneous decision to go to puja. Yogies need to get a special permission in advance. The list of those who are allowed to go to puja are published in Internet.
Although the majority of yogis can get a permission this control and the lack of freedom of not comply with Sahaja Yoga. The examples of those who were not allowed to go cause a fear that anyone can be treated like that.
Our coordinator is explaining himself that only 10% of yogis disagree with him and 90% agree. In fact this is not so. Currently many people see what’s going on but accept this situation. They think it is wrong to fight.
Also we would like to raise a question of financial activity in Sahaja Yoga in Russia. The money collected all over Russia is going only to Togliatti projects. Rarely the Russian council diverts a small sum for concerts in other regions. In other cities it is not allowed to make sahaj seminars and festivals. Before for the last 15 years we were having seminars all over Russia. It is very reasonable considering the size of our country.
The movement of money is impossible to track. For example there was a seminar in Togliatti in 2008. The money for the seminar was being collected for at least half a year. The accounting was not always made properly and some part of this money was spent without any accounting at all. The situation repeats itself with new seminar.
The coordinator of Russia is telling us some stories that one day the land in Togliatti will be bought for Sahaja Yoga and that’s why they need money. That’s why they need a lot of money! But time passes and nothing happens… Again we want to ask – who will be the owner of this land> Sahaja Yogis were building the camp there and a small house for Shri Mataji but to whom this house belongs according to the law? The seminar (or festival how we call it in Russia) takes place for 3 days only once a year and the rest of time we are paying for the camp?
There is another question to discuss. The coordinator of Russia creates the hierarchy in Sahaja Yoga collectivity. On the top there is a Coordinator of Russia – the spiritual leader of Russian sahaja yogis. The Russian council is under his control. The council is divided into 2 pieces: the spiritual and administrative. The Russian council is controlling the coordinators of other cities and they are controlling local councils, also divided into 2 parts. The decisions of the Coordinator of Russia cannot be placed in doubt because he is appointed by Shri Mataji Herself and that’s why he himself is also Divine. These people are not confused even with the fact that Shri Mataji was telling in Her lectures that all yogis are equal and the leadership is not a big position in Sahaja Yoga. And a caste system of India was criticized by Mother many times, telling that this system enslaved the Indian society and slows down its development. In fact the same caste and religion system is now being created in Russia
Any critics in Russia are suppressed by the coordinator. In these latter days sahaja yogis were talking a lot in Internet and in Social networks creating groups there and telling their own opinions on what’s going on. In particular one sahaja yogi created a forum “SY Friends” in the Russian network “vkontakte.ru”. He invited other yogis there. When the number of sahaja yogis there reached 200 and the critics started to appear there the coordinator’s supporters entered the group, took the control over it and deleted all the messages with critics. The creator of the group was called to council and he was told that he has a lot of problems and he must go and clean his chakras (they didn’t name the real problem – this forum). They tried to accuse him officially but they were a bit afraid – the creator of the forum is known as a person who can not be accused of anything dirty. But they tried to intimidate him by not allowing him to take part in any sahaj activities for 1 year.
The later “I love Sahaja Yoga” forum was formed. The critics appeared also there. Coordinator’s supporters wrote in this group that the founders of this group are not sahaja yogis and they informed others that they should leave the forum forever within a few days. They were told that if they do not leave the forum the actions will be taken against them. The coordinator is afraid to throw everybody who is left in the group because many people are unsatisfied with what he is doing.
There are a lot of other small confrontations. Let us tell you one more example.
During the last Indian puja 2 Russians were invited to Anand’s (Shri Mataji’s grandson) marriage. The coordinator of Russia was unhappy that someone else apart from him can come close to Shri Mataji or Her family. When these 2 yoginis being on the marriage on the other side of the hall didn’t come close to the coordinator to greet him and to show him respect he resented. Now he suspects in connections with the opposition all those who are not greeting him. He is telling that the negativity is working through such people.
The leaders who were there before 2005 are considered to be “traitors” (and rakshasas), who destroyed the organization. He sees himself as a spiritual leader of all Russian sahaja yogis. When he was 1st introduced to Shri Mataji dr. Boghdan said that this is the leader of Russia. And Shri Mataji corrected him: “No more leaders, only councils”. But not the role of councils in Russia is zero – they just fulfill Coordinator’s orders.
In one of Her lectures in Australia Shri Mataji told that Sahaja Yoga is a living spontaneous process and we cannot make an organization out of it. Or else the wrong people can come and destroy everything. Now we see that this happened in Russia.
All the abovementioned facts and many other facts of breaking the dharma laws by the coordinator of Russia led to split-up in the Russian collectivity. The part of the collectivity formed an opposition to the Russian council. The other part makes realization programs and festivals. The 3rd and the biggest part of sahaja yogis is taking part in some activities but have a disagreement with the politics of our coordinator. There are also people who support these actions and they are trying to get a position in this new hierarchy. This leads to tension in the Russian sahaj collectivity.
In connection with all this facts we are asking the World council to replace the current coordinator of Russia.
With respect, Russian Sahaja Yogis.
Jay Shri Mataji.
Friday, 7 May 2010
The news of Sahaja Yoga, No 45, 29 January 2010
Here is a translation of the news of Sahaja Yoga (issue 45) from so called an official web-site
http://news.sahajayoga.ru/index.php?paged=2
(read more)
Contents:
1. Newsletter of the Russian council about actions of Perezhogin’s grouping
2. The World Foundation Vice-president Aldo Gandolphy’s letter about Perezhogin’s grouping.
3. A letter of Shri Mataji’s grandson where he presents his apologies to the Russian council.
4. Gregoire’s explanations
5. Shri Mataji’s letter about Perezhogin’s grouping
1. Newsletter of the Russian council about actions of Perezhogin’s grouping
Recently there have been more and more emails sent by some members of Perezhogin’s grouping to sahaja yogis of Russia. The emails include translations of letters (messages) supposedly written by Western yogis. All the negative letters mostly have a general information trend that has remained unchangeable for the last fife years – those people press charges against Sir C.P. and Shri Mataji’s daughters Kalpana & Sadhana, try to discredit an activity of members of the Russian council and its coordinator Dmytryi Korotaev. For several month past after the last visit of Shri Mataji to Togliatti the grouping has been trying to mount a mass negative information campaign in Western countries to discredit the Russian council and its coordinator in the eyes of western yogis. For this purpose the site in English was set [http://sahajayogainrussia.blogspot.com/] through which they sent letters to tell about situation in Russia western yogis using fictitious names (for example ‘Victor Pravdin) [translator’s note – Victor is a common name in Russia that originates from the word ‘victory’, surname ‘Pravdin’ traces to the word ‘pravda’, i.e ‘true’].
Shri Mataji’s grandson Anand was among those whom the letters had been regularly sent to. In the very beginning Anand being under torrential flow of negative information expressed his rather sharp opinion on the events occurring in Russia. Despite the fact all the letters were a private communication, Perezhogin broke basic principles of decency, posted them in the Internet and used compiled fragments from them for the negative attack on Shri Mataji’s family members and the Russian council.
As a necessary explanatory work was carried out, all western sahaja yogis who unwillingly had become participants of the dirty tricks presented their apologies to the members of the Russian council and made out in real intentions of that person. Perezhogin and his people finally unmasked themselves in the eyes of yogis both Russia and Western countries.
Here are some extracts from the letters sent to the Russian council in this connection.
2.The World Foundation Vice-president Aldo Gandolphy’s letter about Perezhogin’s grouping,
[translator’s note – the text below is not an original letter written by Aldo. It’s a retranslation of the text in Russian - http://news.sahajayoga.ru/?p=237]
8 January 2010
’I visited Russia twice last year. In was the end of July when I had my visit there. I was invited to a seminar held in Togliatti to present a project of the World Foundation school. So I took the opportunity to get my own opinion after the strong attacks on the Russian council that had occurred in Italy before Guru Puja and come from a Russian woman living in Italy. In Togliatty I was impressed the level of devotion shown by the thousands of Russian sahaja yogis before Shri Mataji and the level of skills of Togliatti academy’s students while they were playing Indian music and dancing as well. No one of the followers of ex-leader Sergey Perezhogin hadn’t come at the seminar. So I asked Sergey to meet with the oppositionists of the [Russian] council. A few days later in Saint-Petersburg I managed to see Sergey, his wife, ex-leader of Saint-Petersburg (Vyacheslav Ivanov) and two more sahaja yogis from Moscow. As a result of the meetings in Togliatti and Saint-Petersburg I got the general impression that:
- on one hand, the Russian council appointed by Shri Mataji in 2005, is obviously one whole, tried to protect legitimateness of its work and most part of Russian sahaja yogis;
- on the other hand, a group of people that are in a significant minority, attempted to collect all the complaints about the council, concentrated on disputes with the Russian council on how it was formed, why the leadership was taken from Moscow and given to Togliatti, thereby trying to have another parallel Sahaja Yoga with their own website, associations and so on.
I prayed everyone for finding a way to solidarity, I prayed Sergey for stopping the attack on Shri Mataji’s family that still were on the Internet. When Shri Mataji decided to take the invitation of the Russian council I sent Sergey and oppositionists an appeal to come toTogliatti. Sergey didn’t reply, no one of them came to Togliatti on meeting with Shri Mataji in September that was surprisingly in itself. Thus, I realized that they were not interested in finding a way to reach solidarity, but tried to use any ways to attack the Russian council and make the situation more complicated.
With love,
Aldo.
3. A letter of Shri Mataji’s grandson where he presents his apologies to the Russian council.
[translator’s note – the text below is not an original letter written by Anand. It’s a retranslation of the text in Russian - http://news.sahajayoga.ru/?p=237]
25 January 2010.
‘Dear Dmytryi!
Please, relay my sincere apologies to all the yogis in the Russian council who suffered due to the letter I had sent.
Jay Shri Mataji!’
4. Gregoire’s explanations
[translator’s note – the text below is not an original letter written by Gregoire. It’s a retranslation of the text in Russian - http://news.sahajayoga.ru/?p=237]
27 January 2010.
‘Dear Dmytryi,
Pereshogin was much wrong when he joined Gvido’s attack on Shri Mataji’s family, us, the doctors. I always believed that and still believe it. That is why I have never talked to him since then, haven’t sent him any emails and have no idea how he’s got them.
Best regards,
Gregoire
5. Shri Mataji’s letter about Perezhogin’s grouping
[translator’s note – the text below is not an original letter written by Shri Mataji. It’s a retranslation of the text in Russian - http://news.sahajayoga.ru/?p=237]
Italy
Cabella Ligure, Palazzo Doria, Via Martiri della Liberta 11
7 July 2009.
For presentation to state authorities.
I, Nirmala Shrivastava, the founder of Sahaja Yoga, report that the following non-government organizations registered in Russia are not to act on my behalf, use photos of me, my name and the method of Sahaja Yoga I developed personally. Heads and members of the following non-government organizations are not sahaja yogis:
1. Autonomous non-profit organization – ‘The world philosophy of science, health and ethics’, head – Perezhogin Sergey;
2. Voronezh regional public movement ‘Sahaja Yoga’, head – Korzun Tatyana;
3. Tver region center ‘Sahaja Yoga’, head Suschevskaya Ludmila.
All other regional and city non-government organizations formed in Russia for an official spreading of Sahaja Yoga should be united in one association of non-government organizations under control of the Russian Council and a Coordinator Korotaev Dmytryi.
………. (signature)
Nirmala Shrivastava
http://news.sahajayoga.ru/index.php?paged=2
(read more)
Contents:
1. Newsletter of the Russian council about actions of Perezhogin’s grouping
2. The World Foundation Vice-president Aldo Gandolphy’s letter about Perezhogin’s grouping.
3. A letter of Shri Mataji’s grandson where he presents his apologies to the Russian council.
4. Gregoire’s explanations
5. Shri Mataji’s letter about Perezhogin’s grouping
1. Newsletter of the Russian council about actions of Perezhogin’s grouping
Recently there have been more and more emails sent by some members of Perezhogin’s grouping to sahaja yogis of Russia. The emails include translations of letters (messages) supposedly written by Western yogis. All the negative letters mostly have a general information trend that has remained unchangeable for the last fife years – those people press charges against Sir C.P. and Shri Mataji’s daughters Kalpana & Sadhana, try to discredit an activity of members of the Russian council and its coordinator Dmytryi Korotaev. For several month past after the last visit of Shri Mataji to Togliatti the grouping has been trying to mount a mass negative information campaign in Western countries to discredit the Russian council and its coordinator in the eyes of western yogis. For this purpose the site in English was set [http://sahajayogainrussia.blogspot.com/] through which they sent letters to tell about situation in Russia western yogis using fictitious names (for example ‘Victor Pravdin) [translator’s note – Victor is a common name in Russia that originates from the word ‘victory’, surname ‘Pravdin’ traces to the word ‘pravda’, i.e ‘true’].
Shri Mataji’s grandson Anand was among those whom the letters had been regularly sent to. In the very beginning Anand being under torrential flow of negative information expressed his rather sharp opinion on the events occurring in Russia. Despite the fact all the letters were a private communication, Perezhogin broke basic principles of decency, posted them in the Internet and used compiled fragments from them for the negative attack on Shri Mataji’s family members and the Russian council.
As a necessary explanatory work was carried out, all western sahaja yogis who unwillingly had become participants of the dirty tricks presented their apologies to the members of the Russian council and made out in real intentions of that person. Perezhogin and his people finally unmasked themselves in the eyes of yogis both Russia and Western countries.
Here are some extracts from the letters sent to the Russian council in this connection.
2.The World Foundation Vice-president Aldo Gandolphy’s letter about Perezhogin’s grouping,
[translator’s note – the text below is not an original letter written by Aldo. It’s a retranslation of the text in Russian - http://news.sahajayoga.ru/?p=237]
8 January 2010
’I visited Russia twice last year. In was the end of July when I had my visit there. I was invited to a seminar held in Togliatti to present a project of the World Foundation school. So I took the opportunity to get my own opinion after the strong attacks on the Russian council that had occurred in Italy before Guru Puja and come from a Russian woman living in Italy. In Togliatty I was impressed the level of devotion shown by the thousands of Russian sahaja yogis before Shri Mataji and the level of skills of Togliatti academy’s students while they were playing Indian music and dancing as well. No one of the followers of ex-leader Sergey Perezhogin hadn’t come at the seminar. So I asked Sergey to meet with the oppositionists of the [Russian] council. A few days later in Saint-Petersburg I managed to see Sergey, his wife, ex-leader of Saint-Petersburg (Vyacheslav Ivanov) and two more sahaja yogis from Moscow. As a result of the meetings in Togliatti and Saint-Petersburg I got the general impression that:
- on one hand, the Russian council appointed by Shri Mataji in 2005, is obviously one whole, tried to protect legitimateness of its work and most part of Russian sahaja yogis;
- on the other hand, a group of people that are in a significant minority, attempted to collect all the complaints about the council, concentrated on disputes with the Russian council on how it was formed, why the leadership was taken from Moscow and given to Togliatti, thereby trying to have another parallel Sahaja Yoga with their own website, associations and so on.
I prayed everyone for finding a way to solidarity, I prayed Sergey for stopping the attack on Shri Mataji’s family that still were on the Internet. When Shri Mataji decided to take the invitation of the Russian council I sent Sergey and oppositionists an appeal to come toTogliatti. Sergey didn’t reply, no one of them came to Togliatti on meeting with Shri Mataji in September that was surprisingly in itself. Thus, I realized that they were not interested in finding a way to reach solidarity, but tried to use any ways to attack the Russian council and make the situation more complicated.
With love,
Aldo.
3. A letter of Shri Mataji’s grandson where he presents his apologies to the Russian council.
[translator’s note – the text below is not an original letter written by Anand. It’s a retranslation of the text in Russian - http://news.sahajayoga.ru/?p=237]
25 January 2010.
‘Dear Dmytryi!
Please, relay my sincere apologies to all the yogis in the Russian council who suffered due to the letter I had sent.
Jay Shri Mataji!’
4. Gregoire’s explanations
[translator’s note – the text below is not an original letter written by Gregoire. It’s a retranslation of the text in Russian - http://news.sahajayoga.ru/?p=237]
27 January 2010.
‘Dear Dmytryi,
Pereshogin was much wrong when he joined Gvido’s attack on Shri Mataji’s family, us, the doctors. I always believed that and still believe it. That is why I have never talked to him since then, haven’t sent him any emails and have no idea how he’s got them.
Best regards,
Gregoire
5. Shri Mataji’s letter about Perezhogin’s grouping
[translator’s note – the text below is not an original letter written by Shri Mataji. It’s a retranslation of the text in Russian - http://news.sahajayoga.ru/?p=237]
Italy
Cabella Ligure, Palazzo Doria, Via Martiri della Liberta 11
7 July 2009.
For presentation to state authorities.
I, Nirmala Shrivastava, the founder of Sahaja Yoga, report that the following non-government organizations registered in Russia are not to act on my behalf, use photos of me, my name and the method of Sahaja Yoga I developed personally. Heads and members of the following non-government organizations are not sahaja yogis:
1. Autonomous non-profit organization – ‘The world philosophy of science, health and ethics’, head – Perezhogin Sergey;
2. Voronezh regional public movement ‘Sahaja Yoga’, head – Korzun Tatyana;
3. Tver region center ‘Sahaja Yoga’, head Suschevskaya Ludmila.
All other regional and city non-government organizations formed in Russia for an official spreading of Sahaja Yoga should be united in one association of non-government organizations under control of the Russian Council and a Coordinator Korotaev Dmytryi.
………. (signature)
Nirmala Shrivastava
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