SYNOPSIS OF 'MAI-ISM'
The said Book is a ' composition ' of the autobiography of the Founder of MAI-ISM and the gospel thereof, both interwoven together - in the Founder's words, his ' summation ' of the teachings under Mai-ism for the present day suffering world. Full of details, it is exhaustive and, at the same time, full of originality, and clarity fresh, intensely - spirited - no vague and conventional old stereotyped expressions - so as to be complete in itself and invigorating, to any layman or woman, who knows English. His own personal experiences and anecdotes are very striking.
(2) No question of ' Proselytism ' at all. Anyone, even an atheist, can be a ' Mai-ist ' without interfering with one's birth-religion. ' MAI ' means ' Universal Supreme Divine Mother of the whole Humanity ' - GOD, conceived as Mother of all, propitiable on living the life of Love and Service to all, and on Devotion and Unconditional Cheerful Self - surrender. The nearest in the recent Indian History of a similar conception of ' Mother and Child ' attitude and the relationship was, perhaps, in Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's life and sayings.
(3) Maiji ( as the Founder is popularly called ) is for the natural, spontaneous, gradual, spiritual advancement of oneself through ' Sadhana ' under God's and Guru's Grace. At whatever level one may be, he prescribes systematic practice, with dispassion, and non-attachment, in the midst of temptations - easily said - but a practice which is steady and sure, though slow. He is not for throwing away any worldly duties and responsibilities, or for running away from home, family and world, but for living above worldliness; and he advises the strongest preparations before entering the world. He attaches no special value whatever to one ' living the home 'and assuming ' Sanyasin - garb '.
(4) About ' Wealth ' he is not for renouncing the same in the present age ( Kali-yuga ), - barring rarest exceptions - but for making the most righteous and benevolent use thereof, remaining ever alert about ' entanglement and neck catching '. About ' Woman ' he is not for hating or shunning ( evading ) woman, but for developing the motherliness eye. I commend the perusal of Chapter XII ( pages 651 to 663 ) to those who speak of ' Kanak and Kanta,' or ' Kanchana and Kamini ' under the traditional religious license, and to those who condemn womankind sweepingly.
(5) Maiji's highest emphasis is in living one's life ( no matter, in what circumstances one is placed ) in universal minded manner, with love and service. The six tenets of Mai-ism lived out in every moment of life ( as far as possible ) are sufficiently powerful remedies against all miseries, and for the attainment of all spiritual grades, right up to ' Salvation '. He remarks that we have greatly neglected the ' preliminary grounding ' and a highly- developed character and that the practically - lived life and the honest work and service, are much below our talks and imagination. ' Self - dying', ' making your own mansion with your own hands ' under God's and Guru's Grace are indispensable and are insisted on.' You can not succeed unless you yourself exert and die '. ( I quote from Maiji's sayings).
(6) Here is one whom we call the 'New -Mother's Child- Messenger' of an entirely new and Universal Intense Faith; and for Hindus, of what can be termed ' Renovated Hinduism ', suited to the Modern Age, after the amalgamation of the Eastern and Western ideals. For the new world, with all its new circumstances and innumerable problems and miseries, here is a straight, direct, short and speedy approach to the Almighty.
(7) Maiji just looks and lives as an ordinary, simple worldly man; no insignia of a Saint or a Guru or Sadhu; he assumes no 'high-brow dignity'; very amiable and accessible to anyone and at all times; no formalities, no ceremonies, never tired of talking or writing and corresponding direct. But, he has the Prophets and Messenger's 'outlook' and has a Universal Mind; there is no question that he is a fully God-realised person or a God-man, a (motherly) Saint, a Perfect Master. His expositions of 'Annihilation of the Mind' ('Mano-Nasha') and of ' one pointed concentratedness in one's devotion and faith, as Sadhana', in such a marvellous and practically helpful modes, are admirable. Notwithstanding the general miseries in this world, if the nectar of Divine truth that flows through him from ABOVE being assimilated, and if the Infinite Resourcefulness of Universal Mother (Mai) be probed, the world would undoubtedly be a ' Heaven in itself ' at least for the select individuals. At a time, when the lights of all Religions appear to have dimmed, when every shadow portends unforeseen inhuman calamities, the Founder, in the name of Mai, and under the inspiration, guidance, Divine Force of Authority and protection of Mai, has come forward to raise the Clarion-call of Love, Service, Devotion and Self-surrender ' You will never be happy without Religion and God's Grace'. It is also the Founder's faith that Mai can and does if Mai so pleases and wills, disregard or overrule, in rare and exceptional cases, the Laws of Karma, Fate, Prarabdha, of Action and Reaction, of Evolution, of planetary influences, and can and does work miracles.
(8) He abhors showiness, shuns dead routinism, long ceremonies and everything that is not solid substantial work; he craves for a living spark in them that approach. Saints and Yogis are to be practical workers for bringing redress and relief to the suffering individuals and the aggrieved public. He is keenly intent upon a standing, constitutionally formed steady and strong Religious Iron-Machinery, with only the most general and broad notions around one Comprehensible Unit, its aim and object being retaining and rising of the all-pervading 'religiosity', before all the Saints' eyes. Maiji has fearlessly recorded his experiences, views and opinions, without mincing matters, whether they be palatable or not, being fully familiar also with the trends and subtleties of the modern life and thought. I quote him below, again : -
' Believe me, when I say that the man who LOVES and SERVES others, who is DEVOUT, and who lives the life of SELF-SURRENDER, is many times much MORE POWERFUL even in altering his own circumstances, environments, tendencies etc.THAN the man who has learnt all the SCRIPTURES, who has mortified himself by sitting in the midst of FIVE FIRES, who has mastered PRANAYAM ( breathing exercises ), who has shut himself up in the CAVES, who has awakened his KUNDALINI AND WHO HAS REPEATED MILLIONS OF DIFFERENT mantras million times and who has performed most mysterious, expensive and elaborate CEREMONIES for the fulfilment of different specific DESIRES ' .
(9) Though incapable of perception, at first sight, he is a ' Mystic ' of a very high ' order ' with ' continued communion ' with Universal Mother, and had his ' initiation ' direct from Divine Mother Herself. To quote an eminent person, he is verily ' the Accredited Representative of Mai '. ' What he assures or promises or wishes, must fulfil. 'But, he has an extremely rational mind. keeps clear and separate ideas of Mysticism and Rationalism, Devotion and Divine Knowledge, Dwaitism and Adwaitism, Personal and Impersonal aspects of Almighty, and, on the mass-plane, of the Eastern and the Western mentalities, his mind and outlook are wide and universal; he has no prejudices ; he is an independent thinker and a reformer, but' in no sense, one who tries to upset customs, manners or traditions of any family, community, religion and country. He advocates no zigzags, or roundabout rambling, but direct approach to God, under the guidance of Guru, through the most natural, easily accessible and approachable, and most familiar relationship of ' Mother and child '. Who is to be 'Guru '? Anyone, although only a little superior to you. He is dead against all mischiefs under the name of Religion, and also what he, discouragingly calls ' Choo-mantars '.
(10) Few, there are, in this world who have no miseries or wants and who no need to request anything of the Almighty. Maiji is for each one asserting the claim of a child on a mother or all legitimate, reasonable, morally-justifiable demands, through intense prayers, worship, thanksgiving, sadhanas, meditation, and communion, etc. He plainly concedes that unless soul passes through' Sakama Bhakti ', ' Bhuktrupti ' ( satiation of all desires ), and Personal God's perfected Grace, there can be no genuine ' Nishkam Bhakti ', or the worthiness of ' Mukti ', or the attainment of Impersonal God.
(11) One who finds the time and the inclination to go the pages of any chapter or any few pages or paragraphs of the book will notice how deeply Maiji has penetrated into the mysteries and diversities of human nature and of Religion. If asked to state which are the important Chapters, one can point to Chapters I, II, VIII, XI and XII. ' Religion ' he says, ' is much higher than logic or intellect '.' Religion ' is the unshakable conviction of the head and the heart, in perfect unison with the Supreme Will and Divine Laws. 'Religiosity is the practice of Religion and the attainment of the fruits and benefits through the practice '.
Mai-ism revers all religions, but principally, it is science and religious machinery of attaining true religiosity.
(12) To Maiji, Religion is mostly ' Reunion '. Faith is only the sublimated stage of the heart that has once tasted the spiritual sweetness and has attained full conviction about the infallibility of the Divine Laws. He draws the very subtle distinction of the various gradations and requirements, from time to time, on the ladder of spirituality. He does not vainly believe in large fantastic golden promises, for example, of the world automatically getting better, and better, without our efforts. ' Unless there is an upward Divine push or pull, no drowning man has risen to the surface.'
(13) The world by itself generally, as a whole, may go up or down, but millions of men and women have, nevertheless, each individually, so often collectively also, been saved through Religiosity, on constant contact with Saints, Sat-purushas gurus and perfect Masters, and on each such individual living a religious life ' with religiosity ' of Universal Love, Service, Devotion and Unconditional Cheerful Self-surrender.
(14) Many ' misconceptions have been sought to be removed; clear, explanatory and thought-provoking, are his impartial and considered expositions on all problems and subjects and on the conflicting views in modern practical life ; there is, so-to-say, a fresh and a new, optimistic, brighter and larger vision for tackling the modern day problems or questions. Mother bless us all!
JAY MAI JAY MARKAND MAI!!
IN ALL HUMILITY MISS. S. MYTHILI, B.A., M.Ed. ( Servant and devotee of Maiji ).
~ EXTRACT FROM:- MOTHER'S MESSAGE
PUBLISHER - UNIVERSAL MAI-ISM TRUST, MAI NIWAS, SARASWATI ROAD END, SANTA CRUZ (WEST), MUMBAI 400054. INDIA
