There are several experience of music and dance in Mohanji’s physical presence and I would like to share a few with insights I got, along with transformation which happened. Because every single step or word is with purpose and with a reason from the highest perspective, I therefore consider it precious, I appreciate and cherish it a lot.
Mirror
First I would like to share my experience from November 2012, when I was organising the first retreat in Vrdnik and we also had several activities before and after that weekend retreat. At that time Devi had just had a baby and she was with baby Mila in Oman. And at that time we still didn’t have a team in Serbia, just meditants out of whom several were regular. We didn’t organise anything apart from weekly meditations. So, I was blessed to be like a personal assistant, going around, helping everything, assisting and organising. Mohanji was staying with his in-laws, mother-in-law and father-in-law.
Once, we were doing some shopping such as clothes for cold weather, as November in Serbia is much colder than India and other necessary, “earthly” everyday things. While we were driving back from the downtown in Novi Sad, one tune started through the radio. Actually, along the way by car, I had a spontaneous satsang with Mohanji. I was asking him, how is it that teenagers really pay all their attention to their beloved, including me when I was a teenager. They are completely focused on the loved one, all the purpose of life becomes their object of love, a girlfriend, or a boyfriend. So how is that? Because first love cannot usually survive, it is usually not sustainable. How is this to be gone through so that when it ends, teenagers do not lose their stability? If their focus is on the beloved, and they lose him or her, a huge vacuum and pain as well as hopelessness and helplessness occurs. Then he gave me a clear explanation how we need to nurture children from young age and prepare them for it. To nurture the highest values in them, and make them be always aware that divine will, divine energy, divine flow is that which never stops, it never ends and continues all the time. When we are firmly established in that, when we stabilise in that love, then we can add other “loves” i.e. terrestrial relationships. And thus make them even better, make them long-lasting. Because we are established in something permanent and then we build something else impermanent onto it. We do not lose ground. We are always grounded and stable whatever happens.
We were also talking about other things, e.g. he mentioned that he is here to unite all the paths that are there. We have a lot of divisions, we have a lot of splits, comparisons, which path is better, which one is worse, but it is actually One. One is the highest consciousness which we on the white path are striving to realise. We are all humankind, human beings. We are beings of the earth, “Earthlings” only minds create divisions, separation based on differences in form. However, there is no difference in the eyes of the Highest Consciousness. In that context, there is no difference between children, animals, people…
And along the way suddenly there was a tune which I recognised as one of my favourite songs called “What a Feeling!” composed by Giorgio Moroder. That was the last dance song from the dance romance “Flashdance”, made in 1983 in the USA. The main actress was starring Alex Owens who amazingly performed jazz dance to it. My heart was dancing, but it was all happening silently. I did nothing on the outside. I was driving looking as if I was not paying much attention to it. I recognised the music piece and was thinking, “Oh, look at that! I am sitting next to Mohanji and someone is playing one of my favourite songs on the radio, haha. Who orchestrated all that?” That was pure Grace. Not only that, my heart was like playing, dancing from joy, and suddenly Mohanji started dancing. I was amazed at what was happening. It was not a big dance, how can you dance in the car. He made some movements in the car seat, obviously enjoying the song and singing, tapping his fingers on his thighs, moving shoulders a bit… I was really surprised at what was happening. I didn’t understand. I was thinking, “How is it possible that Mohanji is enjoying this song as much as I do?” I thought it was impossible. Especially because he is from India and “What a feeling” is not the song which is played there, at least not very often. And it is an old song, from 1983. It did earn big awards, for the best original score, outstanding actress, the best editing… but I doubted that it could be famous over there, in India. Especially because why would someone like Mohanji bother about some song like this. It is about dancing, and he is not usually a dancer. Hardly ever he dances. Actually never, the only exception was once with Avadhoota Nadananda in 2016. As it is an exception, we all remembered it well!
Even if there is the most beautiful music which he loves, he would enjoy, but he wouldn’t stand up and dance. People physically close to him can confirm that.
So the main character, the Alex Owen, a teenage girl who was struggling with her several jobs and along the way overcame challenges by her persistence and grit, especially passion for dancing. Finally, in her last dance, she gave her all – all the passion, energy, love and strength. She was so positive and dynamic. She put in all the skills that she learned and mastered, overcoming pains and pleasures, overcoming suffering, being in the mergence, one with the dance itself.
Therefore, I was thinking, how is it possible that Mohanji is almost dancing to it, enjoying it? Actually, this has an explanation. Mohanji is actiually a mirror. He is totally empty. If he is sitting in front of you, he will be a reflection of you. He will not project himself onto you. That’s why when he was sitting next to me, he was just mirroring myself. When my heart was dancing from joy to that music, his heart was reflecting what was happening in my system – body, mind, intellect, ego. He was mirroring that to me. Imagine how this is possible! I had never thought before that this was possible. How can a person be a mirror to you? There is always some personality, some mindset, mindstyle, mind map… everything related to the mind, haha. Then that person projects that to you, gives you advice, tips, philosophy, everything like that – something from the outside. In Mohanji’s case, as he is completely empty, all my impressions, expressions, likes and dislikes were projected from me and he was mirroring that to me.
Familiar Song
A few years later, there was another situation, apart from this “I have a feeling” dance romance “Flashdance”, also in Novi Sad. We had an informal Mohanji team gathering. Volunteers met Mohanji and we were talking casually and enjoying this time together. Then we were going to listen to music. We asked Mohanji, “Which music would you like to listen?” Because we knew he likes sacred tunes, various songs in sanskrit, then Guru Paduka Stotram, Hanuman Chalisa, even bhajans, especially Garuda Gamana from people with bhaav (strong devotional feeling). We knew he likes that, music which is sacred, elevating and music which comes from deep devotion. On the other hand, we were asking, out of terrestrial groups, can you find anything that you may like? And he immediately said, “The Beatles.” So The Beatles is the group which he really likes and appreciates. As this group has lyrics which has survived the test of time, which has common general messages of love with famous song “All we need is love” and songs similar to that, we were playing these.
During these seemingly casual moments, he was working on us. We were melting, but I also felt some bubbling feeling in the stomach, then something like emotional yearning and pain of separation. Then came the song “Across the universe”, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song is actually famous as “Nothing’s gonna change my world” from its refrain, although it is The Universe which is important in it. In that moment, I expanded, my heart opened, I was jumping out of joy. That was really a WOW feeling. I hadn’t heard that song for a long time actually. The first time I heard it was twenty years before that. I was an adolescent, and my first love was playing it to me on the phone. So there are several aspects why I love this song, haha. Maybe I heard it in the meanwhile from time to time, but I wasn’t paying attention to it. But then, when I heard it after such a long time, extremely surprised, I was thinking, “Look at that song! My first love was playing it to me and now we are enjoying it together with Mohanji. How is it possible? While we were listening to it, Mohanji also started singing that. “Nothing’s gonna change my world… nothing’s gonna change my world… Jai Guru Deva… Om” When you see the lyrics, you realise that it is actually a devotional song. I would say the most popular devotional song in the world, without many people realising it is devotional.
Can you imagine that?
This spiritual aspect of The Beatles surprised me really a lot. On top of it Mohanji seemed very connected to it as well. How does it happen that such sacredness is involved in the rock group such as The Beatles? I don’t actually know. I was looking for more information and found on the Internet that there are pictures of 4 spiritual masters on the cover photo of one of their most popular albums titled “Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band”, published in 1967. Among a lot of people, these 4 masters are of George Harrison’s Guru Paramhansa Yogananda, his Guru Sri Yukteshwar Giri and his guru Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya and finally his Guru the immortal saint Mahavata Babaji. These pictures were present in the Autobiography of a Yogi.
When I found that out, then I realised it is not surprising as Mohanji knew who was blessing and empowering The Beatles “from above”, who was pulling the strings from the highest realms of Consciousness so that they become a true asset to the world. So that they give to the world more than they take from it and that the humankinds benefits from it. Mohanji unites all the paths. He knew that. He felt that. He resonates with that.
Ecstatic dance
I remember one situation of ecstatic dancing in front of Mohanji. It happened on Andrevlje, Fruska Gora Mountain in Serbia, at one retreat. Towards the end of the retreat, Mohanji encouraged us to express ourselves through free movement, unstructured, unchoreographed dance. It was long before Devi channelled Conscious Dancing. In retreats it often happened that we had certain processes where Mohanji was working on us, cleansing our inner space while we were moving, dancing, without being inhibited by self-conscious feeling. Being free from worry how we would look, how we would appear in the eyes of others. In some retreats we would put eye bands, and in others we would just dance freely without them.
So in one of the retreats, there was just music played. It happened after huge releasing processes were over and after the heat in the retreat was raised up. Then I somehow couldn’t join the group. Although I am keen on dancing, I have been a dancer for all my life. Especially since my young age, when I was 5 years old, I remember mother was telling me that we used to go to the seaside as a family. In the evening, when the music was playing in the outdoors restaurant for the hotel guests, my parents were sitting at the table. Then I would go out near the music band and dance, dance, dance. Thus dance is in my blood, I don’t know since when.
I wasn’t sure how I couldn’t dance in that group. Devi started calling everyone. Again, I didn’t feel like joining. I felt bound by that “Hey, come let’s dance like this” it was too orchestrated to me, at least it felt like that then for some reason. It probably had roots in some subconscious impressions, something in my constitution, but I felt I would be very suppressed if I stand up and join the group. A lot of people joined and danced, 4-5 together in one line, then also in a group in a circle. So I said, ok, forget it. I don’t want to participate. This is too binding and unappealing to me, so I am going to skip it. Then the next day, everything went on, in the same rhythm – water therapy, morning yoga, breakfast, morning satsang… When we finished satsang, while we were still in the hall, Mohanji said, “Now move the chairs away,” and we moved them. There was a big hall, a lot of space in front of him. I thought he was going to create some new activity, thinking that he was definitely not going to repeat the dancing because we had done it the day before. Nevertheless, I left space for unpredictable decisions as he always makes decisions based on the group on which he is working, regardless of what the pre-planned schedule was. He told Dragan who was at the sound system, to play the music. And he told him to play the best songs, the most powerful, heart-opening, energetic, dynamic and strong. I thought, “Oh, look at this, how powerful music, super!” Something like Govind Damodar Madhaveti from Pandid Jasraj and the best of all for me was Om Shiva Hom Full Song – Naan Kadavul Movie. Beyond all my expectations, what he did was, he invited me to step out and dance solo in the empty hall!!! I was just looking with jaw dropped surprise, thinking, “WOW What!?” then smile from ear to ear, as I realised that was exactly what my heart desired. And he knew it. He understood my resistance and my struggle the day before. And he fulfilled my true wish. How could that happen? Then I could just feel the music and dance in a big space where I could move freely, without worrying that I would hit someone, can you imagine this freestyle energetic dance to loud Om Shiva hom! That was my cup of tea. I felt like a fish in the water. Mohanji knew every single vibration of it, what was happening in me, my unexpressed desire to show my fullest dancing passion, movements without any restrictions, especially in front of him. And not only that he knew it, he orchestrated that part of the retreat, so that it satiates my desire, that it helps me be happy and peaceful, probably overcome something as well as during the dance releasing was happening as well. There was no end in dancing and dancing, swirling, twirling, jumping, hopping, twisting and turning, then stretching my arms, waving them from side to side, rotating them, all my body was in trance. I simply disappeared in the dance… I made some movements which I had already done before and some new movements which I had never made before.
I felt so much lightness and additional energy. My feet were like feathers, and cushions on the soles felt as if I was not touching the floor at all. While I was swirling and twirling, bending the body, rotating the neck dynamically, the concentration was there, the intensity was there. Not only there was that lightness, I felt as if I was flying full of enthusiasm and although the intensity of dance required physical exertion, I was not getting tired. There was also extra energy available to me. I was fit then, but in that dance I felt about 5 times fitter! All that probably came from alignment in his presence. Because when you are near a person who is aligned, you become aligned too. It was unforgettable. I keep appreciating these moments and will never forget that ecstatic, dancing trance. And not only that it was ecstatic for me. People around who watched it told me how they felt tremendous freedom and power in it and it made them very happy, they enjoyed it a lot.
So that was another occasion when he knew what was happening inside me, something that I didn’t tell anyone or express in some other way. He knew because he is in our hearts and when he says, “I am with you,” he really means it. He sees you with a million times higher resolution than you see yourself. He sees me from such a high perspective, so deeply. The more I try to penetrate into myself, like through a hologram, some new picture, area or dimension opens up. And then there is again more to explore. There is such depth in him. No limits. No limitedness.
Dance is bliss, dance is beauty
I would also like to add another aspect of Mohanji, that he inspired Himalayan School of Traditional Dance (HSTD). It started officially in January 2020.
At Arunachala he said
“Dance is the nature of the universe
Dance is our breath, in and out
Dance is bliss, Dance is beauty
Dance is Shiva and Sakthi
May we become the dance.”
In addition, recently in his blessing to HSTD he said, “When you penetrate into every atom, you see the dance inside and every atom is dancing continuously. In the huge body of Shiva, when every atom dances consistently based on stillness, the root, Shiva becomes the dance.
There is no separation.
The dance and the dancer are the same.
The song and the singer are the same. They are one. This ecstatic dance of creation which occupies the entire Universe, is behind the idea of Himalayan School of Traditional Dance.
It is alignment, perfect alignment. When you are dancing in abandonment, you are perfectly aligned; perfect alignment; perfect assimilation. There is no you and it’s the right of every man to be human. Being human means being complete. Being complete means being aligned; totally aligned; totally in bliss.
This is our birthright. So, the dance, the ecstatic dance of Lord Shiva is the ecstasy of being alive. Beingness. Being alive-ness. And That’s dance. The dance is continuous. It goes on as long as it takes. Through creations, through generations, the dance continues.
Dance is another form of awakening. The state of bliss. Dance makes you, merges you into the rhythm and ecstasy of existence. Dance becomes you, just like songs, music becomes you. There is no separation. All the elements of nature will respond to it; respond to the rhythm, respond to the alignment.”
Not only that he blessed it then, he has a big vision for it, for its team, people who are part of it, but also people who come and attend the courses, as well as people who will come in the future. He wished realisation through dance “I wish Himalayan School of Traditional Dance, and the people who are running it, those who are associated with it, and those who are enjoying it, great truth and reality in this life.
I wish all of you great success, great contentment, great fulfillment, and total merger with the Supreme Consciousness. May you experience the state of being the dance and the dancer together.
May you experience being the dance, as a dancer.”
You can realise how deep and profound, how mature that is. Can you imagine that someone who doesn’t dance could have said that? How can someone say something beautiful like that without even being a dancer!? It’s a miracle. It reminded me of a similar situation where the author of “Kama Sutra”, Vatsyayana Mallanaga, wrote this classic book in Sanskrit on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment without even having sex ever in his life. Like that Mohanji wrote beautifully and deeply about dancing without dancing himself. Only a really powerful spiritual master could do that! I invite you to like the HSTD FB page 🙂
I also started learning Bharatnathyam dance, which you can >watch here.
That’s what I wanted to share with you today, something related to songs, music and dancing.
Lots of love,
Bilja
Mohanji Absolute Truth 