I N T E R N A T I O N A L M I S S I O N
1997 - 2021
A FEW WORDS ON THE MISSION OF SWAMI AJAY
Swami Ajay aims to share a spirituality that is simple, universal, accessible to all and above all adapted to our times. He does not seek to attract disciples or to convert : the message he conveys is not limited to one religion or community and he shares a basic teaching for all. These concepts and principles are the foundations on which the right behavior is built. This teaching can be applied at any age, for any belief or tradition, and is especially based on self-knowledge and simplicity. It reconnects everyone to the golden thread of all beliefs: devotion, respect, values, righteousness and sincerity. Swami Ajay instills all of this with patience, with the aim of helping one to feel more free, lighter, more aware of the world around us. In the long term, the goal of his work is to help everyone understand life and spirituality so that everyone can, in turn, help others and transmit this light - For what humanity desperately needs is to come together not to divide.
Swami Ajay conducts satsangs (conferences) in many countries where he also organizes meetings and sacred fire rituals called 'Yagyas', every year. The quality of his work is confirmed by the inner transformation that is triggered in his entourage...
Swami remains very discreet about the manifestations that continue to unfold through him. He takes every opportunity to put God first, claiming : " I am only a servant of God. And to all of you, I'm a brother. I don't want publicity and I'm not here to take your money. Never welcome me like the miracle man, because I am only an instrument... What we want to help you develop is your heart-to-heart relationship with God, to make you understand that there is no middleman in this. God doesn't speak through somebody, he doesn't possess someone like a spirit would, to speak. On the other hand, he uses certain souls to do his work and to guide others... We are instruments in his hands. As far as manifestations are concerned, everything depends on our Karma. We do not know. In this sense, we can all be instruments of God ! "
FINANCE MANAGEMENT
Swami Ajay: " People often ask me how I live in Mauritius, as I have a car and seem to lack of nothing. I can't explain this because I don't understand it myself.
I have often tried to calculate... But I do know how to save up though, dear brothers and sisters. We keep aside all the money received here and we use it when the time is right. We finance all the activities in Mauritius ourselves, without depending on anyone.
Compared to the activities we do at Bhajan Hall, Mauritius as a country is 50 years behind. Because we are applying what we have learned in Europe. All the sophisticated equipment or projectors come from Europe... The sound system was purchased by Belgian and french devotees. We have very professional equipment, as in Puttaparthi. The Reunionese people who installed the equipment in the Bhajan Hall first went to India to study the installation made in Puttaparthi. Everything was done for free... We have a sound systems to record Bhajan CDs and for the past six months, we have had three projectors.
For Swami's birthday, more than 1000 or 1500 people come to participate. If there is not enough space in the Bhajan Hall, people can still follow the program from outside thanks to the projectors, which are permanently installed. Few people could do the activities that we do in Maurice : you have to have His Grace, you have to cry every day, you have to love your neighbour, agree to give your time, be available to help everyone, not just for the family but also for the family that is outside. Even if you have a problem, you always have to be smiling, so as not to discourage the person who comes to see us with their concerns. The way we welcome and the smile we give: these two things can make half of his problems go away.
It can't be learned in a day, especially when you're young. People don't realize all this. "
THE MARRIAGE OF SWAMI AJAY
In 1997, Swami Ajay saw Bhagawan in meditation.
He seems to be sitting on the chair in Bhajan Hall, suddenly his form changes and transforms into that of a young woman whose face is familiar to him. This vision recurs during the Arati… He recognizes the sweet face of the young woman, whom he knows from the circle of devotees with whom he sings Sai Bhajans. Then, her name appears in the form of a coded message in Vibhuti on one of the frames, twice: the first time on the glass... the second time between the glass and the photo in the frame. The message leaves the young Swami Ajay perplex, but he interprets it and understands it. Everything happens very quickly, in a few days... Swami Ajay contemplates, thinks long and hard about the meaning that seems obvious to him. On November 23, he hosts Sai's birthday celebration at Bhajan Hall, dressed in his garment donated by Sathya Sai Baba. The young woman in question comes to dance a traditional dance from northern India… They are dressed in the same colour: a dazzling fuschia pink, the color of the Lotus. Time stands still: he realizes that he is deeply in love with her! He then speaks about it to the people closest to him, who are not in favor of any marriage whatsoever. But the young Swami Ajay, guided by his heart and his inner love for God, decides to propose anyway. He goes by taxi to the girl's father and asks for her hand, a proposal she will accept! They finally get married in July 1997. His marriage brought him great stability thanks to the dedicated help of his wife and his in-laws, in the accomplishment of the immense work entrusted to him...
Swami Ajay: “Before 1997, people came to see me or wrote to me almost every day with marriage proposals. Girls were writing to me that they were going to commit suicide if I did not marry them and some were calling me saying that Swami had told them to marry me… others were going to my auntie to tell her that I had taken their hands. But it was all lies! It was getting very difficult… this situation was becoming untenable and I had to make a decision. If I did not marry, I ran the risk of being blamed as happened to other Swamis in Mauritius, as they had several wives in their ashram. When a bad reputation is created, there's nothing you can do about it even if you are innocent. I prayed a lot for everything to coexist harmoniously because I had to continue the work, even once married. I always explained to people that I didn't get married for personal reasons. It was necessary that during my absence, someone should remain on site for the continuity of the work in the Bhajan Hall. Until now, a person was doing half-time and then had to go home, but that was not enough. Someone was needed here permanently, in case of problems and to take responsibility when I was not there… And this family was perfect to continue Swami's work because they are devoted, they sing Bhajans. Many people think that a married life is not good especially when one leads a spiritual life. But before the wedding, I explained to Beena how to live because we must not waste the energies that Swami gave us, otherwise we could not control the Bhajan Hall anymore.
Everything was built with a lot of courage, energy and Love - and wecontinued to lead a discipline of life. The activities here are for God and the bhajans begin at 7:15 p.m. precisely, whether people come or not, because Swami is there every day. We don't do this for people, we do it for God. Everyone sings for Baba, not for his friends, and I can't force people to come... but the door is always open. I think Swami is testing a lot of people, trying to see how long they can stay here. Some came, worked for two years, did seva and left. What happened? I don't know, it's Swami who decides for everything. I know that we do good things to make people happy, to relieve them, to make them light. If they have problems, we give them prayers. But if they don't come, we can't do anything for them and the activity must still continue..."
THE DAILY WORK OF SWAMI AJAY
Testimony of Yan, a French devotee living in Portugal, who spent several months with Swami Ajay in Mauritius in 1996 :
" It is true that miracles touch the heart, as they trigger a kind of awakening in those who witness them. But ultimately, what stood out to me the most was Ajay's dedication to the children in Bal Vikas classes. As I was driving the car, I got the opportunity to accompany Ajay to school. He regularly discusses with the Director of the school about the programs and the difficulties encountered by some children. He follows each of them and meets the teachers, to find out where the problems come from and how to remedy them. After the Bal Vikas classes or after the bhajans, he also speaks directly with the children and asks them what their problem is, what they did not understand. He talks for hours with them, sometimes with severity but always with a lot of love. I saw him teach children to count while playing board games. When he finds a way to convey a message while playing, he seizes this opportunity all the time. If a single child has difficulty in school, he insists that he passes his exams. One day, these young people will be recognized as coming from Sai Baba's school and Ajay says they cannot afford not to succeed. So he spares no time or effort to help them and even visits families to discuss with parents.
People come to the Bhajan Hall with family or health problems, with all the difficulties of humanity that one can imagine. Ajay is always there to receive them, to help them, to lend them an attentive ear, to pray together. He spends hours with people: giving them advice, showing them how to pray or do a puja. During my stay in the Bhajan Hall, my room being close to Ajay's, I could see that he does not sleep until three in the morning. He writes letters, prepares song programs or the next religious festivals, organizes the next day, does the accounts of the Bhajan Hall... At night I often found him leaning against his doorstep, lost in thought, but at five o'clock in the morning he was the first one up. When Ajay goes in a group to do bhajans in Mauritius, people usually ask him for advice. He responds to them with great love and sincerity. He does not prepare his speeches in advance, he speaks very simply, from heart to heart. He systematically puts Sai Baba forward, but never himself! Ajay places Swami above everything. When I went to the beach with Ajay, he sang his Love for God in the water. People looked at him but he was happy to sing for God. In our eyes, Ajay may look special... but in God's eyes he is an instrument, who probably has the ability to do more work than others. For him, the work for Swami is important, the rest is secondary. He is centered on Sai Baba all the time. I want to tell his detractors that Ajay is trying to the maximum of his ability to live Swami's word every day of his life, in word and deed. For example, during the construction of the Bhajan Hall, he always took on the hardest and most dirty work. He removed the stones, made the cement or sieved the sand, under the thirty degrees in the shade of Maurice. I often wondered how he could work so hard because I couldn't see him sleeping. Although he only sleeps two or three hours a night, I never heard Ajay complain.
The Bhajan Hall did not come about by itself, it came about with a lot of work and care. I really want to pay tribute to Ajay because he does not take any credit for himself. When all goes well, he thanks Swami saying that his task has been successfully accomplished because of Him. I've never seen him come forward for any reason. Ajay tries to apply all the recommendations given to mankind by Sai Baba. I have rarely met someone who thinks so little of himself and all the time of others. "
(1998, Yan's testimony)
THE BASIS OF THE TEACHING TRANSMITTED BY SWAMI AJAY
Over time, the activities of the ashram developed as well as its infrastructure. In 2005, an extension project of the ashram began on a large plot located about 15 minutes away from the Bhajan Hall, near the sea. In 2006, Swamiji built a large villa on a plot very close to the Bhajan Hall. It will be intended to welcome the foreign devotees. In addition to these projects which occupy him a lot, the activities continue in Mauritius and extend far beyond: the mission in Europe begins. Local groups, with his blessings, establish several Bhajan Halls and centers. A large Yagyashala (wooden structure for Yagyas) is built by devotees in Portugal, providing a sheltered and fixed place for the annual Yagya. Swami Ajay goes on a European Tour every summer, giving all his love tomankind regardless of their creed, religion, ethnicity or age.
His wish is to contribute to Peace in the world and to the blossoming of devotion in hearts.
The depth of his words purifies all who attend satsangs and helps them to progress in their spiritual quest. He makes himself accessible, answers questions and allows everyone to come and find what they are looking for. Swami Ajay covers many subjects – and most of his lectures are recorded and then transcribed in writing, which allows them to be preserved. As with any sacred word, they contain multiple layers of meaning and symbolism that one discovers and rediscovers throughout one's life. As a servant of mankind, he's mostly interested in feeling the love of God through humans, through their simple and sincere love, as he sees God in each and every one of us. Showing us the way, he gives without counting or expecting anything in return.
To accelerate the transformation of humanity, he materializes many Lingams and sacred objects for countries and for certain people, with the aim of helping in spiritual evolution and elevation. He then prepares three main Shivalingams which are called " Chaal ", which now travel from house to house, especially in France and Belgium, distributing the Divine energy wherever it goes.
DEVOTION
Satsang by Swami Ajay, European Tour, 2015 :
“ How to create a relationship with God ?
What is our connection to God ?
Who is God ?
Where is his residence ? where does he live ?
God is within us : his house is our heart, our physical body. It helps us achieve everything we have to do. We came to do our homework that we couldn't complete ; this is called 'karma'. One incarnates in the Kalyug to finish something that one could not finish. The only thing that God asks of us is that we should be happy… and we have to know that on this Earth, it is only God who can help us. It is true that we have difficulties... God knows we have difficulties. But we created this situation ourselves. Still, he never let us down ! At some point, we can't accept all that. We see that it is very heavy… By way of prayers we make the effort to overcome the difficulties. But at a certain point, it's so heavy that one cannot manage it. That moment is actually the right time to leave everything at the feet of our Lord. Many times, we can't give it up because we think this way : what's the point ? ... how to surrender ? How to leave all of our problems at his feet ? … I can tell you one thing : don't think about your problems at this moment. It is God who will takes care of everything.
" He takes care of everything ” does not mean that you have nothing to do, no – but God does manifests in the form of a human to come and help you. Someone is coming to help us. We don't think about that… we believe that everything must resolve by itself, instantly and magically. But I have always explained that God helps those who help themselves.
For example, when someone doesn't like you, that's the moment when you have a choice. Either you remain in negativity or you choose positivity and light. The moment you have love, you have belief, by visualizing the person positively you can transform the person over time. You can help person ! Even if there are many problems, many difficulties, you have to feel that you are beyond all that. That there is a new dimension. You say your prayer and believe : that's your role. You must not let your faith be lost. The belief is just about perseverence even if the situation doesn't unlock. You, evolve ! and keep on going.
Why should we experience God ?
So that we can move forward in our lives. Transform our life. We can be even better than yesterday… And there comes a time when everything we're doing isn't for ourselves, it's for others ! For example, parents work. But they don't spend their money on themselves, or very little… it's on their children. To give a future and good living conditions to their children. They sacrifice themselves for their family. But it's important to sacrifice and transform one's own self internally, too. One makes the effort to become a light for others. We often say: “show light for those who are in darkness”. Give light to those who need it... Bring them this good energy, like the parents of a big family. If you see that you have this opportunity to go listen to a satsang, or to be in spiritual conferences that can help you : go ahead. There is always something waiting for you there. And God sends you there because you have something to do.
When you return, you are no longer just a dad or a mom, nor a brother or a sister : you become an angel of this house… because you are filled with knowledge! With consciousness, with love, with beauty. You come in and you become God for this house. A divine instrument for this house ! An angel for this house and this family. It is certain that when you go back home, this energy will manifest itself in your house. And it always stays in our physical body, as long as we stay positive ! I know it's not so easy. To explain it is easy but to put into practice it is not easy. But it's important to put into practice little by little... When we are attached with positive things, even if there is an energy which is negative, it will not bring us any harm because we are beyond this energy. As long as we are sincere with ourselves and as long as we make the effort to move forward in our lives, God who is always there ! And the greatest thing is love. It's the desire to do, the desire to transform, the desire to give, the desire to share...
We talk about " God ", but we don't see Him. We can just feel Him.
Go manifests in many forms… It's very, very, very deep. Parents are a form of God... A true master, a real Guru, is a form of God also. If you have a master in your life, you are in luck. He is the one who will give you more information about God. “ Ishtadevta ” in Sanskrit means your favorite God. Each and every human prefers this or that form, this or that belief, according to his tastes. The master is there to guide you on this path, giving you the true meaning of the scriptures, giving you more information about your preferred form, and instilling in you tolerance for other forms because all these forms are just manifestations of one energy : “ God ”.
The word GURU is composed of two syllables, in Sanskrit : “ gu ” is someone who has knowledge. “ gu ” is someone who has love for the lord. He's someone who exemplifies God's teaching… he's someone in whom you see God. “ gu ” is : “ feel the love". And “ ru ” is : eliminate all difficulties. The person who has the ability to eliminate our difficulties. Not by magic, but by teaching. The person who has the ability to give us light… the person who has the ability to bring us good ! The person who has the ability to help us to clear and illuminate our path. To bring more light into oneself. This is the definition of a “ guru ”.
Somewhere in the sacred text they also explain that the guru himself is God. But you have to know what that means.
“ Guru Bramha, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara ”.
Today, we have many masters… but we have little sincerity. At that time, when we talked about “ guru ”, it was someone very, very great. Someone who was honest. Who would give, give and give ! Who would himself for others. Who does not expect something in return. Who shares… and a guru is not someone who has jealousy. A guru is someone who is always there, always sincere. A guru knows how to tell the difference between good and bad… and he knows how to give us discrimination so that we too can tell the difference. A guru is someone who will always direct his disciple, his students, towards the truth ! The most important thing is that a Guru never expects anything in return. He is here to sacrifice himself ! that's a guru. And he will never tell lies ! A guru is simple. A guru will always associate himself with God ! A guru is always there to share his knowledge. A master is the Creator… he is the Preserver : he builds people. He preserves all the good qualities. He builds and nurtures people. He has the ability to destroy all our bad qualities, but he does not destroy people. A true master has all the solutions in him. Because there is God manifesting in this guru. He is a form of Deva, from the moment when this master has all the qualities of which I have already spoken.
“ Guru sakshat Parabramha, Tasmaye Shri Gurave Namaha”
The great energy of God manifests itself in this master and gives him the power, the capacity, the energy, so that he can speak of the glory of the Lord. Today, in today's world, it is very rare that one can have a real Guru. It is very rare that one can really have a good master. Many have betrayed people's trust. That's why today people don't trust the masters, nor the gurus. And that's why when he arrives, SAI as an Avatar explains to us : create your guru, your own master inside you. Your master who is inside you is sleeping, you have let him sleep for a while. Awaken this master in the form of your confidence, in the form of your consciousness…and begin to work within yourself. "
Satsang by Swami Ajay, European Tour 2016 :
" It's important to know how to differentiate between good and evil in order to make decisions. Feel : Who is God, and who is Satan? God will never influence you. Because you are always in his arms. Satan though, he will come to beg you and tempt you… But God never comes begging or tempting. God is always there ! He constantly gives you ! Why to beg ? He knows when you need something. It's up to you to see... And it sure is difficult : it requires a lot of discrimination and love for God to evict evil. A lot of trial and error. In times to come, Satan is going to be almost like God, because Kalyuga is his time. He wreaks havoc. Swami has already spoken about this. He explained that in the future there would be many false miracles, false prophets and confusion. Because everything beyond us attracts us... It's attractive. Many things will happen, but Swami also explained that whoever puts his faith in God will be guided. It all depends on your faith… It's just the Love of God, of Swami, that will help us. The Love of the Mother, the Virgin Mary… this Divine love is the only one who will help us. It all depends on FAITH.
There is a word in Sanskrit : Ishtadevta. ISHTADEVTA is your favorite God. That is to say, God takes many forms, and everyone chooses the form he likes. It's different for everyone, some love Jesus more… some love Rama more… but it's important to know that all these forms point towards God, towards the One. And all of us were born with a favorite God !!! But we did not have the knowledge. The priests, the masters, they didn't give us this basic knowledge. They did not explain to us what our identity is.
What is the cause of our birth on this Earth ?
What is our importance ? What is our work ?
They left us alone. Without teaching us. Yet with baptism there is also teaching...
The cause, the reason for our birth on Earth.
'Binu Satsang, Vivek Nahoi' – Ramayana
"Without satsang, there is no discrimination."
Swami Ajay : “ Without satsang, one cannot have discrimination. In Sanskrit, we call it: “ Viveka ” - the capacity to discriminate and to understand the difference between good and evil. It's up to us to know what we do, sincerely, with this differentiation. You know something is wrong according to your conscience? don't do it. We received education... So, we have to chose to do what is right !
God gave free will to all. There is a choice to be made between good and evil. And this ability doesn't come overnight : it comes little by little ! it is slowly changing. And when you are honest with yourself, I assure you, God loves you. God sends people to help you. I don't just say that " like that ", or " because it exists in the sacred texts ”. No…I'm talking because I've experienced all of this. I know what I'm talking about because I live this every day ! when there is a very difficult time manifesting in your life, that is the time to give up. And God won't leave you. Swami, he spoke about this : he knows we have weaknesses. But he lets us do it… “ my children, when you see that there are difficulties that you are unable to bear, that are too heavy, that is the right time to leave everything at my feet. I'm here ! You can feel a little bit that I am there. But there is this energy of attachment… "
You just leave everything in his hands and he takes care of it afterwards. Honestly, he is the one who takes care of you, of everything. Throughout time, He manifests in the form of humans and comes to help you. Because God too disguises himself to come and see us, every day. So, without attending satsangs, one cannot have knowledge. But today, satsang has evolved. Satsang is not done just when the Swami comes… You can listen to the talks from a distance ! It is also a satsang. There are your grandparents who are at home and who are giving you a good education, that too is satsang ! Your parents are talking about good things with you, that too is satsang. You, take the time to learn and listen… it's up to us to know how to take these life lessons ! Someone is giving you good advice, is sharing good things, it's satsang. "
SOCIAL WORK AND COMPASSION
Swami Ajay: “ Many times, when we do an activity in Bhajan Hall, there are people who come and sometimes I can feel that the person is not cheerful. I say to that person: " what happened ? … go home. Build your family first, before you come before God. Family is God. ” and if he ever tells me that there are very serious difficulties, then I tell him : " come to our Bhajan Hall with your family. ”
Thus, I'm sure that when the person comes with his family, it's another way of living, another lifestyle.
We build families, we do not break up families.
God, what does he want to see ? what does he want to see in you?
He wants to see that you get to use what he has given you properly. He wants to see the great divine manifestation in you. He wants to see contentment. The love, inside of you... he wants to see it manifest. And if you don't have that contentment, you could still pray… but the mantra you're going to recite will not work. There has to be 'compassion', feeling in the mantra. 'Karuna'. There is this love inside, which is born and expresses itself.
You speak with God shouting loudly: " God, come here !!"
The energy you sent out is the energy that will come back. So, if you say softly : “ God…come, O Lord… ” – then he is definitely coming.
A child works the same… If your boss, at the office, tells you in a strong voice: " come here quickly! ” - that will scares you… " what have I done wrong?! "
It all depends on your approach… with God, the relationship is like that also. Because God is not interested in form. God is interested in our approach.
What is the relationship between you and him ? … God is not far from us. "
A GREAT PREPARATION
Swami Ajay's mission gained momentum when the Bhajan Hall opened its doors to the public : After the inauguration, activities officially began. New programs took place, such as Bal Vikas classes and human values classes, seva, as well as Yoga, music, sewing classes… over time, activities in Mauritius developed along with international work. This type of social and spiritual work requires great mental and physical strength, as well as unfailing humility and obedience ; one does not improvise himself a humanitarian and spiritual guide. Swami Ajay went through a deep inner purification, but also went through an intense spiritual search...
Swami Ajay : “ Before getting married, (1997) I used to go to Puttaparthi every fortnight. My luggage was always ready and I was in contact with a travel agency. At that time, I used my aunt's phone because the cell phone didn't exist. When something bad happened at home, I bought plane tickets to go to Puttaparthi (Mauritius - Mumbai and Mumbai - Bangalore). The tickets were ready in three hours, I took my bag, ordered a taxi and told my aunt that I was going to India. Once I left for three months. I didn't have much money : I lived on only sixty dollars. I took the bus from Bombay to Bangalore and the journey took four days ! I ate inexpensively at the bus stops. I always wore my clothes which are like those of India... and everything is cheaper when you are Indian. When you travel four days by bus, without changing, your clothes quickly become dirty due to dust and pollution. When you get off the bus unshaven, with messy hair and speaking Hindi, the meals become very cheap !
Arriving in Bangalore, I did not take the taxi, I preferred to take the bus again to Puttaparthi. At that time, the journey took six hours. Of my three months stay, five days had already passed by when I arrived at the Ashram. Since breakfast was expensive in the European canteen, I learned to live without it and continued not to eat in the morning until now. At home, I stay with my family in the morning, but I just drink hot water and don't eat. During meals, I just take what I need to nourish myself.
I practiced to save money as I was planning at the time to stay in India for a year in case big trouble happened. Upon arriving at the Ashram, I intended to take a bath, put on clean clothes and eat out for a bit because the canteens were closed at that time. Then I wanted to go to Darshan. When I went to the reception desk, I was told : "Ah, you've arrived !", as if I was expected. This surprised me : I had indeed arrived. But all the people are coming, as usual ! I was assigned a room and told I would pay later, not asked how many days I intended to stay. I found this way of doing things a bit funny. Although my clothes were very dirty, I felt like I was considered a VIP. The people at the reception looked for someone to carry my suitcase when I would normally have to take care of it on my own. I thought Swami must be pleased because I had traveled simply. When the seva dal opened the door to my room, I was very happy to find that I was not sharing my accommodation with other people. He accompanied me inside the room to put my suitcase, then he came out putting the key in the lock. He not only locked the door from the outside, he also put the padlock and closed the shutter. I figured he must be distracted, but maybe he'd come back. Everything was dark inside the room. When I wanted to take a shower, I found that there was no light. I thought that the electric meter had been cut because the room had remained unoccupied, but that this oversight would probably be quickly repaired. I did not consider the possibility that these incidents could be intentional, because I was with Swami and the people who work in his Ashram could not have bad intentions. Around 2:30 p.m. I went into the dark bathroom but there was no water either. I felt that something was going to happen but I had a hard time accepting it, because it was very hard ! I thought to myself that Swami is God and things shouldn't be like this, they should be done with Love.
And time passed by. As it was dark, I didn't know what was going on outside and I waited for someone to come and rescue me. But no one was coming and I was getting very hungry and very thirsty. I didn't have a bottle of water and I didn't know what to do. I took off my clothes, put on a longhi and sat down on the floor, leaning against a wall. I closed my eyes trying to sleep, but I couldn't because of the painful feeling of hunger and thirst. I made the effort to visualize Swami. I searched in my memory which was the strongest Darshan among all those I had received. In several Darshans, I saw Swami smiling and creating Vibhuti, coming closer to me or looking at me. I was looking for which memory was the best to manage to concentrate on this Form. I took my clothes off instinctively because I practiced meditation in Mauritius like that, but until now I was meditating with a full stomach and asking my aunt to come and wake me up after fifteen minutes. Then Amrita and Vibhuti would come on my body. When we practice meditation after a good meal, we can return to meditation with contentment. But, in this case, there was no meal and no one to wake me up. I visualized Swami smiling and made an effort to keep Him there. Hunger and thirst had to be forgotten at the same time. After half an hour, I started to feel sleepy. I told myself that I should not move, so as not to disturb this drowsiness. Sleep started to invade me and then, I don't know what happened, I slept. When I opened my eyes again, it felt like only a few minutes had passed. I saw a lot of Vibhuti on my body, on the ceiling and all the walls in the room. There was also Amrita everywhere. At that moment, I heard someone open the door. The seva dal entered the room, accompanied by several people. They told me that I had been there for two weeks !
I stayed in this room, without eating or drinking for fifteen days ! It is for this reason that I am never hungry. I don't have to follow the daily rhythm of meals. I have already meditated for forty-five days... I have no idea where I went all this time and after this experience I started working for Swami.
I wanted to tell you that we need to have much Love for the work we are doing. It is not easy. One will have a lot of difficulty in getting things done and organized, especially the people who are responsible for doing the work for their country. They are like drivers of a bus. However, one has to work and be willing to sacrifice for Swami's Name and for humanity... It is very easy to read the Ramayana but it is mostly important to put the teachings into practice. Many people have sacrificed themselves in order to bring something good to mankind. Our turn has come now. "
- extract of satsangs from Yagna in France 2017
WITH PURIFICATION, PRACTICE
" Personally, in my life, I always wanted to become a professional in some field. With the transformation that Swami brought in 1993, I could no longer do what I wanted. I told myself : "it's over. I have to do the things he wants, now." Because he trapped me with his love… I am forced to follow him alone. He made my body become an instrument and I can't dress how I want anymore, I can't eat what I want, I can't drink what I want. I have to dress as he wants, I have to eat what he has decided for me and I have to drink what he has decided for me. So I can't do anything for myself. And at that time I said : " All the people in my family are professionals! My brother is an attorney clerk, my brother is a lawyer, I am the only idiot in that family. Worth nothing. " We all want to have prestige. name, size, car... house... and if you don't become like that, tomorrow you have a family, they take your reputation also. So, I said : “ at least I will turn into a professional in front of Swami. Not an amateur. I'm not going to say " Baba told me " every time. “ The other one told me ”. No. I need to be sure of what I'm talking about. I have to be serious about all of Swami's teaching. "
Of all Swami's teachings, I must be the example. If I am not the example, I have no right to talk about Swami. I am not allowed to talk about Swami. And it costed me at least 8 to 9 years to put his teaching into practice. To know everything... I had an ego : I like to know everything Swami has talked about. I have done a lot of research, much research until today. All the little details... Why does Swami walk like this ? Why is he moving his fingers like this ? Why does he do that with his hand ? I'm doing all the research to get all the details. Because I think to myself : " how can I love someone when I don't know much about Himself? " and I wanted to know all the details... all the little details, so that one day when someone asks me a question, I can say: “ I have the answer. ” Today you can ask me any question in the world. I have the answers. But not all the answers are propitious to be given to you. We have the right to listen to you… But we are not obliged to give you the answer. Sometimes the situation is not suitable because you would not understand. "
" Now, when you have the chance to come to see Swami physically, he gives Darshan. We are in the front, sitting in the front row and we think " it's only me sitting here ! " because we forget everything that is around us. We then believe that Swami was born “ only for me ”.
But that's not true… You are sitting and there are plenty of souls around you.
Not only that : your karma is ahead of you. The duties that you have not been able to complete surround you. Your duties that are incomplete are before you in the form of an energy. The gestures you have already made in the past are behind you, on your back. What remains to be done is ahead. You came with two backpacks. You have come for the present : to fulfill your incomplete duties of the past in the present. So these duties of the past have come before you…this is the present. Before an Avataar, energy manifests. It wants to break free. The Avatar sees energy in the form of a balloon, a very inflated one. It takes space. The moment Swami passes by you, he does not come close to you because there is karma that has taken over. He doesn't come any closer. We have to make the effort ourselves to go to him. He cannot approach you because he knows that there is no space for him, with his purity, he who is without karma, to come close to you. You don't see, but he sees. And there, he does not approach you. And that's for sure : you start to be sad because Swami bypasses you. Either he didn't take your letter, or you didn't get a chance to touch his feet, and even though you got the first line he didn't approach you. And it's starting to hurt your heart. But, at the same time, he left someone near you ! and the person next to you, or the person behind you, or the person to the left of you, to the right of you… or the sevadal ; there is someone telling you : “ You need to do Naamasmarana. – repeat the name of God. "
And... you don't know how to do it. ISo that person tells you : “ Om Sai Ram.. repeat it." because the most repeated thing in Prashanti is “ Om Sai Ram. ” This is Swami's name. And Swami wants to give you chances. He wants to purify you, he wants to draw you close to him. So he makes you come again the next time. In the afternoon, again. In another place. But there, you are aware… because you are there for 15 days for example and you have understood that you were not qualified. Yet he still gave you a chance. So you start working on yourself. Swami caught you like a vase, cleans and empties you with Namasmarana. And the moment you come for Darshan, you sit down, take the Japa Mala and begin to recite. Om Sai Ram. Om Sai Ram. Om Sai Ram. or the Gayatri mantra…or any prayer ! Our Father, Hail Mary… what you know. You start saying your prayer. And with this energy, in the great hall of Prashanti Nilayam, the karma that you have not been able to accomplish for several years begins to diminish, to become simpler. And it starts to decrease, there is space ! And Swami returns. He comes close to you. There, there is no great effort to be made. But, you are so concentrated that you forget everything. You are so focused, with incredible intensity : Swami came and took your letter ! You open your eyes, Swami is there. You couldn't touch his feet... but you're happy. You come on the third day and you continue to do your Namasmarana. And that distance is starting to shrink between you and Swami. Each time, he comes a little closer. Because there is the energy of this place which helps you, enormously. And at the same time you understand. Now you are aware of what you have to do.
So you keep doing and Swami comes back. Over three or four days it gives you first place in several places. He comes back, he approaches you, and now he stands in front of you for a few seconds. And you don't know what to do. You have a lot of hesitation… positive hesitation ! You can feel and breathe the perfume of Swami's robe... but you can't touch his feet. And he leaves, but still you are happy. The next time, Swami comes back to you and now there is a force behind you pushing you. Because with the Namasmarana that you have done, you have diminished the space in front of you. You have diminished this energy which is not appropriate for you. And it comes true… the moment Swami is in front of you, it's always like that, you have that hesitation. But, there is a force behind you pushing you, to touch his feet ! And you realize there's someone pushing you in the back. And there it forces you to touch the foot of Swami ! And you touch Swami's foot, but just before there is a word coming out of your mouth because the person is telling you: “ you have to ask permission." so instinctively, you say: "Padnamaskar, Swami ?" and ultimately, Swami raises his robe as a message : “ okay ”.
For at least 2 seconds, your forehead rests there, on His feet. Time slows down, it stops... and that's the moment we'll never forget. That's what always stays in our memory. That's what we use to evolve, what we often visualize when we're in very difficult times. The following darshans get different. Swami keeps coming because you have made the effort. So he materializes the Vibhuti and you see it : he is giving it to the other person and he is giving it to you too. You are in Paradise, you swim in an ocean of love that makes you forget everything. On the sixth day of sadhana, you start going a little further back. Swami gives you the second line, then the third line, the fourth… fifth line, sixth line, seventh line, eighth line, ninth line, tenth line. It's over, it's already been 15 days for you. It's time to go. But he knows that he has worked on you : now you must continue your Sadhana at home. This is a way of evolving that all of us were lucky to have went through in some way or the other, when we went to Prashanti Nilayam: he helped us, each in his own way, in the appropriate way at the right time, chosen by himself."
European Tour in 2016, France
EUROPE AND THE YAGYAS
After meeting many Europeans in Prashanti Nilayam and Brindavan, Swami Ajay realizes that they must have something to do together. He begins to think, to think… he wants to go to Europe to spread the message of SAI. He does not speak French fluently and the majority of French speakers who know him do not immediately take him seriously. Still, he remains determined. He knows there is something to do...
Swami Ajay : “I have no devotees. Swami Ajay has no disciples or devotees. I do not like it.
I came to France only because I love you ! I am nothing. Verily, it is Swami who does all things. And to be honest, it took me a long time to come to France. I worked myself, it didn't happen 'just like that'. When I met the French devotees in 1994 in Puttaparthi, it was the group from Toulouse and the group from Clermont-Ferrand. They are the ones who asked me : “ Swami, when are you going to come to France ? Can we come to Mauritius ? " and I didn't know anything at that time, I didn't even know how to do Swami's Arati.
At that time I said : " I want to come to France, to do Yagyas. "
- They said : “ what is a Yagya, Ajay? ”
- I said : " it's a ceremony, we'll make a fire and you'll sit down… "
- " This is not our culture… it is not done in France ! "
- " And afterwards, I intend to make an Ashram. "
- “ An Ashram ?! in France ?! you are going to have a lot of obstacles."
- I said : “ yes, maybe… but one day it will happen. God willing. "
And... it took me a long time. It took me a long time to be able to do that. I came to France several times with Frédéric and Mireille, to look for places, to see places, to see what to do. As Mauritians, at that time, we didn't think France could be so big as a country. What we see on the world map is quite different from what you see when you set foot in the country. It was not as small as we thought… "
In 1996, he organized his first trip to France but failed to obtain a visa. He learned later that the announcement of his arrival had raised controversy within the Organization in France…
Swami Ajay: “I had difficulties to obtain a visa, but at the last moment the situation was unblocked. Then I learned that the reason I didn't get the visa initially was actually more complex. The French people were divided because of me, some wanting to receive me and others not. So I just gave up coming. I don't want to cause trouble in France, where would love be in all this? If I come, it's always with relatives and without advertising. These are French people who are trying to make contact with me in Mauritius, who love me, who want to see me. It's no coincidence that I still meet French people in India… since 1994! We had and we have a lot of work to do in France but the time had not come. So we encouraged the French people to meet more often, in the meantime. "
Excerpts from an interview of Swami Ajay:
“ So many things happened. And there are so many people who ask me so many questions about all these things. But I tell them the truth – it's not easy to do this type of service, this type of work. It's really not easy because to do all that, you have to have a great inner transformation. I am not telling you that I have been completely transformed. But day after day, we need these qualities. What I am trying to tell you is that it is very difficult for me to fully explain everything to you, dear brothers and sisters, about everything that has happened with me. But in my case, talking alone is not enough. We also need to have the teachings integrated and put into practice in everyday life.
And Swami (Sathya Sai Baba) said : " it is not enough just to do the activities. Be an example of these activities. Don't just give speeches, be an example of those speeches. Don't just preach, be an example of everything you preach. "
So…I have always struggled to be an example of these teachings. Still. And I will continue to work very hard for that.
After the Bhajan Hall opened, I felt relieved that everything had stabilized…but you have to know that everything did not stabilize so easily. We had a lot of trouble. So many problems, too. I cried so much to reach this level… but Swami was always there in me, inside me, above me and behind me to give me this courage, to succeed in reaching my goal. I must thank Swami, each time, that he gave me this honorable chance to be able to accomplish this Divine work… And when so many foreigners came to Mauritius to see the activities that we did there, they always asked me to come to Europe. So for the first time, after we finished setting everything up, that is after we came back from India, I started to prepare what was needed to go to England. At that time, I had no idea what we were going to be able to do in England. Mauritian devotees living in England, who love us very much, invited us to come. And they also paid all the expenses for our trip to bring us to England. They are like our family. So we came for a month, the first time. And when I arrived in England, so many things happened… materializations happening on my body, honey flowing all over my body… from that moment the activities started. And so many people invited us to do Yagyas !
Yagya is a spiritual activity where we use wood and fire to purify. It is a ritual of purification of the environment, but also of the people who participate and who take this opportunity to purify themselves inside using the name : “ Swaha ”. At that time, I didn't know how to officiate the Yagya but I just had an idea… because we had already done so many Yagyas in Mauritius, through priests and Acharyas. When I came to London, we did a lot of Yagyas through the houses of several devotees, about 11 Yagyas in England. And I came back a second time, too. We've been doing Yagyas all over England because we've been officiating Yagyas even in Cambridge…at Wimbeldon, Kennington, Kenton, Wembley, Edgeware…a 7 day Yagya at Edgeware. And we did a lot of Yagyas, even the second time. And that was the last time we did yagyas in England. It was in 1998 or 1999, something like that, the last Yagya. After that, we returned to Mauritius. Those were the two times I came to England to do the Yagyas. The first time was in a group. And the second time too…I was in a small group but I learned how to do the Yagyas then, so I personally officiated all the Yagyas in England the second time. "
After this failure to come to France, Swami Ajay does not give up. He was invited the following year to England by relatives and then began the work of transformation in Europe, without really knowing where to start... He let himself be guided by his inspiration like a bird. Organizing prayers in small groups, satsangs and Bhajan sessions with Sai groups, he quickly made himself known and was invited to all corners of England! He learned to speak fluently several languages, particularly French and English (languages for which he already has a solid foundation). He interests himself in the local culture of each country and tries to understand what he can contribute… without imposing religion or rigidity, but by injecting spiritual teaching into local habits. He brings with him a spirit of tolerance and universality, insisting not on the perfection of the rituals, but on the love, the intention to do well, the discipline and the devotion that one puts into the practices.
Swami Ajay becomes a guide for many Europeans… they quickly recognize him as a spiritual mentor, although he always withdraws himself, trying to lead everyone to understand themselves in order to move forward towards God. It is little by little and with a concern for constant improvement that Yagyas, satsangs and devotional songs took on such importance in his worldwide mission. Indeed, they allow people despite their differences and to convey the teaching by touching hearts... creating sweet memories filled with happiness for those who will have the grace to live such an experience. France was therefore not the first country to welcome Swami Ajay: in 1997, he left for England and performed eleven Yagyas there officiated by priests.
LEARNING FROM INDIAN MASTERS
Swami Ajay : “ Before doing the first seven-day Yagya in Mauritius, we talked a lot with the Masters, not to learn how to do direct Yagyas but rather to learn… In the meantime, I have done several small Yagyas of one or three days, for Baba.
I took a lot of information from the Masters for a year and a half, to avoid mistakes. Especially when this Energy knows that you are sincere, it shows you that it is not happy if you make mistakes. So, this makes us experience the power of the Yagya ; we correct mistakes and we understand that we need to have a little more discipline. For example, in a seven-day Yagya in Europe as in Mauritius, one must not let the Fire go out. When we did the first Yagya in Mauritius, a Master told us that we must always keep the Fire alive. Don't let it go out because you can't use matches after lighting it. In some places like Rishikesh, (in India) they are not allowed to use matches at all. They light the Fire by rubbing pieces of wood, one day in advance. They cannot start the Yagya until the Fire ignites naturally. As for us, we light the Fire once with camphor and we try to keep it lit for the duration of the Yagya, so as not to use the matches afterwards. When the Master said to keep the Fire always alive, I wondered how to keep people near me – because they will say that they are too tired to stay up at night. So I suggested we play Monopoly. Since people always want to win, a game can last four or five hours. The activities ended no later than 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. Everyone left and only four or five people remained near the Fire. All the people played Monopoly, all liked to win and some cheated... (laughs) At the same time, I told them to add some wood to the hearth. From three o'clock in the morning, those who had lost were sad and wanted to go to bed. So we put in two or three big logs and the fire could last up to six hours. It is thanks to the game of Monopoly that we have come this far today, in order to be able to help humanity!! "
FIRST EVER SEVEN-DAYS-YAGYA & PUBLICATION OF THE BOOK « DE SAI AU SOI » - 1998
The book “ De Sai au soi" (from Sai to self) was published in 1998.
It tells the story of Swami Ajay and the experience of the authors who lived many experiences with him since 1994. In this book, there are also various testimonies of unforgettable experiences with Swami Ajay, told by people coming from several countries. This book is a very valuable resource which provides a lot of information about the life and mission of Swami Ajay up to 1998. Not only that, it gives much informations about Sathya Sai Baba's work and mission. Since he is very well known and worshipped in Mauritius, the publication of the book was broadcast on television news and a press conference were organized in April 2000, with the authors. The manuscript, written in just three months, was signed and blessed by Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Prashanti Nilayam.
Swami Ajay explains in 2014 : “ This book is something very big for me because it does not let me commit errors in my life. Since this book was blessed by Swami, whom I love very much, I read it often. I check if what I am doing is really correct, compared to what is written. This book is not only about the past, but also about the future. We are making a lot of effort to achieve what we talked about in the book, but there are still things to do. The book helps me a lot to continue my work, especially seeing Swami's signature every time. I didn't pray much in this incarnation and never thought that Swami would bless this book. I had a lot of difficulties, so the book helped me a lot. "
“ When they went to Puttaparthi, they phoned me telling that Swami had seen the book, but He had not said anything and He had not blessed it yet. So, I wasn't sure what was happening to me ; it was possible that all was an illusion or that I lost my reasoning. If Swami did not bless the book, I would have had to quit as there was no point in continuing. I thought I had to go back to my past life and look for a job... It wasn't really easy to find a job with my dress code because I couldn't wear ordinary clothes anymore. I have often tried to change the way I live, so that I can take walks with my family in peace... I manage to wear pants and a shirt for about fifteen minutes or half an hour, but then my skin starts to itch and it hurts a lot. I have to put a lot of Vibhuti on my body to calm the burns. That's why I always wear this type of clothes, even to work, in Mauritius. "
(Swami Ajay wears a long, long-sleeved tunic with a matching shawl over a sort of matching loincloth called the Dhoti, or trousers.)
“ When Swami finally blessed the book, it gave me a lot of encouragement. We did the inauguration of the book when Frédéric and Mireille returned to Mauritius in 2000. Journalists and television were invited to cover the event and bring information to the public. I was the first person to have this manifestation on me, in Mauritius, but other people came after me. However, I am the only one who has remained faithful to Swami's work in Mauritius, because the others have dispersed to various places in Europe. Other people who have had these miracles happening to them have not been able to carry out their role until the end because it is not an easy life. This is different than the role of a priest ; one must be very serious with Swami. One can't make mistakes. He takes care of everything... It is difficult for me to prove to you how God is. I have been on this path since the age of twenty-two. I turned forty-five this year, and I had many experiences in that short time. I didn't go to college to learn this work. God gave me everything ; it is Swami's Grace. But we must always remain simple, so that the ego does not take over. You have to take a lot of precautions, especially when you are still young. It is above all necessary to avoid temptation and desires. In this path, if one seeks greatness, publicity, name or popularity, one loses devotion. Without devotion, you don't really feel like organizing anything for others, you don't feel like talking with God or singing Bhajans. So, we do Bhajans just to make the place work, to please people, but we feel that God does not correspond to our conscience and our heart. At that moment, we feel lost ; God does not want to talk with us because we are not connected with Him. It is as if we were sitting on the front line in Puttaparthi but bad energies prevent Swami from approaching us."
(PRASADAM 2014)
FIRST YAGYA IN PORTUGAL
Then in 2000, he set foot in Portugal for the first time :
Extract from an interview : " After completing the mission in England, we called with a friend whose name is Yan. He came to Mauritius at the time and stayed with us for a while and painted everything in the Bhajan Hall himself. I said : “ I am ready now, to do the Yagyas. ”
But at that time, I didn't really know the seasons in Portugal. I just asked him : " It would be nice if we could do a Yagya in January. ” and everyone complied with my request because they don't tell me “ no ” . They said : “ ok, Swami Ajay is telling us to do, we will accomplish what there is to accomplish." And I really had no idea of the Portuguese climate. I just thought it would be nice to do Yagyas and I thought : “ january, that's a good date " because at that time I was choosing according to the Holy Book. Now it's not the same.
So me and my family, with my stepfather, we went to Portugal in 2000 to officiate the Yagyas. In Portugal too, people welcomed us with great love and humility. Each time, we thank Swami very much for that… and we started to perform the divine activities of beloved Bhagawan. In truth, it was not easy to get a VISA to come to Europe. It's not an easy thing to get. But with the divine grace of Swami and with the divine help of our brothers and sisters in Europe, this task turned out to be a success. We did all the activities in Portugal including several Yagyas : starting with a 3-day Yagya in Sintra. We also gave a lot of interviews, with so many people… we visited houses, we also visited other houses to bless them… we did Bhajan sessions and after that, the same year, we went in Monchique, Karuna center. We did a 7-day Yagya there, in Karuna. "
(Spiritual retreat center located in southern Portugal, founded by an Indian and his wife. Subsequently, a location on the land is reserved for the Yagyas and a wooden structure is built there, allowing the participants to be sheltered from the rain and sunshine. Since the year 2000, Swami Ajay performs a Yagya there every year, lasting 3 to 7 days.)
" Every year I kept coming to Portugal for about 10 years. During these ten years, I also went to Belgium to do 3-day Yagyas, the same year. Around 2000, 2001, something like that. And we came back a second time to do a 7-day Yagya in Belgium, in Bellefontaine. After that we started the Yagyas in France : Montpellier, Marseille… and the organizers then invited me, taking on them the cost of the expenses and all that there was to organize for to be able to do the first Yagya in France. We also did a 3-day Yagya in Reunion Island and a 3-day Yagya in Rodrigues and we also opened a Sai center in Reunion, in St-Pierre. We even opened a Sai center in Port-Mathurin, Rodrigues. With the Divine help of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba and the Divine help of the devotees, a Sai center was opened in Marseilles. And also a Bhajan Hall in France, as well as a Yagyashala – the place where the Yagyas are performed – in Portugal… and a lot of discussions. Many talks, so many Yagyas... and Bhagawan's teachings. Everything has been done and preached in Europe, even up to now. "
" Afterwards, we also started doing the " Maha Sathya Sai Yagyas " with the names of 1008 beloved Bhagawan three times a day. In seven days, one performed this Yagya of beloved Swami. And then after, we did the " Saraswati Yagya ". We also did a " Ved purusha Saptaha Yagya " and then, year after year, we gradually organized the " Maha Rudra Yagyas ", " Laghu Rudra Yagyas ", Maha Abishekam, Rudra Abishekam… all these activities and all these Yagyas, we did them. And at that time, the Yagyas like the Pujas were performed by the priests. At the same time, we began to learn how to officiate. What are the qualities needed to do, to officiate and achieve all these things… and even starting with all this, all this Divine Grace, I only got it by the blessing of our beloved Bhagawan. From the year 2000, I started to do all the Yagyas entirely by myself. I had already started to organize some in England, but to a lesser extent.
And then I started organizing 7-day Yagyas.
How did I get all this energy, how did I get all this love, how did I get all these ideas and even all this inspiration ? – it's not easy for me to explain it. But one thing is sure, I received everything through our beloved Master : Bhagawan Baba. And… to receive all this love, it was quite difficult for me. Because I am not someone who knows all these principles. I had only asked Swami to " help me ". And he always helped me through these activities, even today. Now I organize all kinds of prayers. With His Divine Grace, I officiate all types of Yagyas…and I have always enjoyed doing Yagyas. Even all Pujas. I've always really enjoyed doing it. Not just Yagyas and Pujas but also the practice of beloved Bhagawan's teachings… all of his teachings. Live his teachings, be his teaching. And practice, feel and transform myself inside by receiving so much love from him. Today, all I am is only by the Divine Grace of our beloved Swami. Only Swami has given me all these opportunities to become someone and do something for others. "
YAGYAS IN FRANCE
In 2001, he officiated the first of a series of Yagyas in France.
Swami Ajay : "After England then Portugal, Frédéric and Mireille told me : " Swami, we want to do a Yagya in France. "
I said to Frédéric : “ you know how to prepare for a Yagya ? ..."
And Frédéric told me : " we learned and we observed in Mauritius. "
So they paid for my ticket, we arrived in France, they came to pick me up at the airport… I'm arriving in France and we have to look for places. I noticed that the country was very large, very huge. I said : " it's a big country, here." and I asked Frédéric : “ but, how are we going to work ? We have to do something to attract people ! how to ? ” - Because at that time there was already the organization that existed, in France ! And it was difficult with the Organization and the cult stories at the time. It was very, very fragile, at that time, to get the visa. Besides, I didn't know that France was so big. You know, when we live in Mauritius everything is close, it's small. But in France it's expensive to organize things, people travel a lot, it takes time, and it's not done like in Mauritius : it's different. How to propagate the teaching ? How to talk about love ? We had to organize something where people would come out of curiosity. Something very big, to draw new people into Spirituality. So, after visiting a lot we found a place and we started the first Yagya. There has been miracles everywhere. Out of a hundred people who come, fifty people are really interested in the work we do. In about fifty people who are interested in it, we choose about ten to really work…. It is like the fisherman who goes to the fish. At each house where we go to do Bhajans, there are miracles in the pictures. And we give the lingams like eggs. And we give the Rudrakshas like marbles… and we share the Vibhuti. To make people happy. We accelerated everything and in this way, we managed to start the work. But inside, what happened was that we saw people's devotion. The devotion hidden in the depths of these people. And now, we no longer need to perform miracles.
Education on sacred bathing… education on ingredients… education on Bhajans… education on discipline. Education on sharing. There are many ; it is not only a Yagna that was done at this time and until now. That's huge ! Lots of sacrifices. Never did I think it took a lot of people… no, very few. I always said : " quality is important, not quantity. " I wanted that they experienc Divinity… in that form. And since we were in France, we didn't focus everything on Hinduism. I had to use the tools that I already have in me as a Mauritian. But we did not want to impose or oblige people in France. We tried to keep and preserve the local culture. Not to destroy this quality. Not to influence people. We have always tried in all speeches to talk about love. To maintain the family, and if possible to keep the family, and to talk a little about the things that existed in this country.
Because, what was our goal? – the goal was to start something good. To re-train people. To share the love. To transform people, if possible… and if possible, to give a good education in the form of protection. Teaching. Give encouragement to people, to live. And there we thought of doing the Yagya.
It was not easy at that time. Financially it wasn't so easy… we had a lot of difficulties, like people who say they're going to come and help and who don't come. Because people, they come looking for what ? – significance. They are always looking for a position of importance, always in appearance. We are looking for people who have this quality... Knowledge. dedication. And without the miracles, without the Leelas, it was not possible – and I knew in advance that it was going to be like that. When we started in Portugal and we started in England, that's what attracted people. Because they didn't have Prashanti so they come here for that. But after a while it doesn't matter anymore. It is just to make people come and then the transformation begins. Now, we have started to build people at the teaching level. At the level of prayers. Towards the sacred baths… and we built something. If we imagine that in a Western country, in France, we managed to do all that after 20 years, it's huge. With ups and downs of course... But I know and I tried, with the help of all of you, to get this far. To share what I wanted to share. And there is still a lot to do… We are just there to catch people, put them in places, transform and make them work. You become an instrument of Swami. Now you decide. You want to stay with Him, it's up to you. Do you want to become a very serious instrument for Him ? He didn't tell you to leave your house, he didn't tell you to give lots of gifts. No. What does He want from you ? YOUR LOVE. Your time.
Here too, He did not tell you to give all your time… Because He knows very well that you have a family. He knows that you have to work ! But if in an hour that you have given, there are lots of mistakes, that's not good… You have to take your work really seriously, because it's not for you: it is an example for others. A small error, if there are a hundred people who follow you, is equal to dropping down a hundred people. Because you are the driver of this Mission. This is very important, all of you are taking on some very serious responsibility. "
- Excerpts from satsangs from the 2017 and February 2020 tour
The organizers of the Yagyas explain : " Portugal is currently the only European country with a fixed location, which has the advantage of finding the energy generated in previous years in order to gradually raise the vibratory level… In 2001, a French couple also invited Swami Ajay to do a 7-day Yagña in the South of France. Since France did not have a fixed place, 4 ceremonies of 7 days were organized in different places of reception.
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In 2001 and 2002 in the GARD, at the Château de TERARGUE,
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In 2003, in the HERAULT at the Hameau de l'étoile,
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In 2004 in Ardèche, at the Lou Capel estate.
The itinerant Yagyas were able to be carried out in France thanks to a completely removable covered structure, making it possible to accommodate a hundred participants in any weather. Over the years, the structure has evolved, always offering more space and comfort… The interest of the mobile Yagyas is to be able to carry this purifying energy in several places. The Yagyas carried out in France from 2001 to 2004 were considered as spiritual retreats, during which everyone could be accommodated on the spot, thus making it possible to remain continuously in positive energy... 108 people were registered for the 2004 ceremony. thus had the opportunity to learn about this type of Vedic rituals, as well as the practice of sacred songs, Bhajans, mantras and Abishekam. Those who wished could perform an Abisheka on a personal object of worship, which they then took home. All the material necessary for the practices was provided, and the organization, entirely carried out by volunteers... "
" From 2012, Swami Ajay again celebrated Yagyas in France for a period of 3 days, at the Hérault mill located in the GARD. During these practices the participants were able to reap all kinds of benefits such as a better state of health, more energy, more inner peace, and more concentration... The benefits of Yagyas also concern the environment, because the vibrations permeate the place and purify the atmosphere. The air saturated with the mantras and the smoke of the sacred fire cleans the pollution in Nature… The positive energy which is thus brought also circulates throughout the whole country. The energy of the ritual penetrates the energy of the Earth, because the Sacred Fire is in contact with the ground and helps it to bear the sufferings caused to it by modern Human activity. The Yagñas were therefore requested in France for the greater good of the greater world. All the Yagya sessions were led by Swami Ajay, who recited the sacred formulas while continually ensuring the smooth running of the ceremonies which required a high level of concentration and meditation... the Yagya requires offerings of clarified butter over the sacred fire while participants could in turn offer a mixture of seeds prepared in advance called “ SAMAGREE while speaking the prescribed mantra : " SWAHA ". The powerful energy released by this process generally released most of the energy blockages in the participants. When it was necessary, Swami Ajay sometimes granted certain people a private interview – in order to give them special help. In the evening, during Satsangs, Swami Ajay also gave advice and answered questions concerning the rituals, or shed light on spiritual matters. »
- 2015
Swami Ajay : " In France, I want people to receive me as a brother, not as the miracle man. I'm just coming to help you all to build something. For example, if a person wants to build a house in France, he can bring a mason from Mauritius who will build according to the decided project, then leave. In the same way, I will come to explain the work that is done in Mauritius and that you can do in France. All the suffering that I have been through since my young age is a sacrifice and everyone can receive God's blessings in this way. God can manifest himself in any way. I don't plan to come to France to talk about miracles, that's not the goal. Remove Ajay, only Swami remains... think of Swami, only Swami. The miracle is Swami and I could only do the work with His help. "
“ With all these years, I see how many Yagnas we have done and today there are the rituals on the Shivalingam… there is no difference between India and France, in what you do here. When the devotees went to Puttaparthi, it was a dream for them : they saw the Yagna in October but they could not t approach ! The Yagna which is done at Poornachandra Hall, people are very far away, they do not see closely. Today this Yagna is in your country ; it happens every year. And you have the chance to approach ! to participate… to live this moment. It's the same ! You look at the sacred baths in India… and today, without a priest, with all the explanations and your work, you manage to do the sacred bath ! And I'm not telling you this to please you, but what we practiced is not at a " amateur " level. It's professional. Because if a priest or a master comes to see you, he will see how you are doing and he can't tell you anything. Because the principles are in it. The way, the explanation… love, devotion, belief. "
SWAMI'S RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPE
Swami Ajay : " Coming to Europe is not an easy thing ! Even after all these years. Each country is very big, they are capitalist countries, with a lot of openness too, quality education… and the ups and downs, as in all countries. But even in Asia, people all want to come to Europe to learn something. And even financially, it's very well established… there are a lot of opportunities for work, for education, everything. And detachment. So it's all there. But coming to Europe is not an easy thing for us, from Mauritius… it's kind of a dream.
And when people find out that we're going to do rituals, it's another planet for them.
Because “ Hindu rituals are only in India and Asia. ” so people ask me :
- “ Why are you leaving ?"
- " We are going to perform Yagyas in Europe. "
- “ And the wood ? and leaves ? and the ingredients ? and the utensils ?! " … And this, and that, and that.
For me, coming to Europe was a joy. I was happy to come to Europe because for that you need the blessing of our beloved Bhagawan. The first time I came to Europe, I said : “ ok, we are going to Europe. ” and I asked Swami if, really, from the bottom of my heart, I asked Swami if I was really ready.
“ I only want to go there if, really, you feel that I am ready, if you feel that I have this quality to preach your message over there, in Europe." - Because to come to Europe, honestly, we need to know the different languages. English, for England. Good French, for France. French for Belgium, too. And we, in Mauritius, we speak Creole… we don't necessarily have the practice of other languages. Even when I was working as a legal professional, people spoke Creole. In the office, most of the time, we speak Creole. So you also have to think about all that.
And even for that, I said to Swami : “ help me. If you really want me to go to Europe, you have to fix it all Swami."
It was also not easy to get a VISA to go to Europe. So again I said : “ Swami, arrange everything however that may be, so that I manage to go in Europe. "
And really, at that time, I had no idea how to come and what to do. But I always kept in a little corner of my mind the idea that “ I would like to do that ”. Because when the French devotees to Mauritius, the English devotees came to Mauritius, they were talking about what they wanted to do. People were inviting me : "come ! If you can come and help us spread the love you have, the same way you preach yourself in Mauritius… We want that too in our country !"
But I had no idea how is Europe, how is France, how is England ? … because Mauritius is a very small country. It's really easy to come and go. And back then I was calling my friends saying : “ Ok, but you can do Bhajans every day! " - and I didn't know that it takes a lot of driving to come and go. The distances…
The first time I went to London and even to France, I didn't know that over there, our ten minutes cost you 3 hours. So it's not the same way to do, that's for sure. But I always wanted to do something good. Explain everything about the Pujas, the rituals. But not only the rituals : also the way of life, the lifestyle. Family stages and all other areas of life. As Swami asked us to do. Because Swami told us to do many things which were not easy. So I didn't have a concrete idea in my mind of what to do. But once I came to Europe, with the help of Swami and people, there I had the idea of what to do. "
“ And even the Yagyas, when we started doing Yagyas in Europe : the first time and the second time, it was not easy. But we received many explanations with divine people, in London and even in France, in all these types of countries, they explained to me how to do Yagyas in Europe. I had the help of Dr. Upadhyay in London, the help of Uncle Vadgama in London, the help of MJK in London… I also had the help of Michel Coquet in France and even in Mauritius, many people came to explain to me what to do and how to do it. And like that, I had an idea of the rituals. We did Yagyas, we even organized them in Europe, but it's not at all the same as what we organize in India or even in Mauritius. Here, they are European countries. They are not used to rituals, mantras, yantras and tantras. So we've always – even now – organized something quite simple for them. That way, it helps them with their own spiritual evolution. And also for the transformation of their own family : how to plan, and love… so much love.
So, I started organizing this kind of thing : without disturbing the local culture. Without disturbing their lifestyle. Just by trying to give a nice shape… our idea is to do something in Europe to help them to continue their life, to fit in their daily life. Our idea was just that. To encourage them with something, to help them transform internally. We came here to perform rituals that can give them more energy… to have more understanding, more compassion, because here, there is everything. But what is missing here is Love. "
“ We need someone to come, but not just to talk ! Not just to lecture. All of that is easy to do. We can do. But not just rituals, rather give them TIME. Let them talk. Let them trust you. Listen to them. Listen to their problems. Let them eliminate all their problems. Let them SPEAK… But no one has the patience to listen to them. And without listening to them, it's really hard to help them. Even when we do the Yagyas, I can't say that it will help or relieve everyone. But we give them all our time because that's what they need. You have to sacrifice yourself for them. What they need is not just rituals. They really need you to talk to them. That you listen to them… "
“ So many conferences are happening in Europe. That's good ! They learn something. But they need someone who can be an example of the teachings. They also need an example that represents what was said in this lecture. They need someone to BE with them… to help them, step by step. To eliminate their problems. We cannot eliminate all problems... But we can give them good advice, tips, which Bhagawan has already given us. We can teach them the right lessons. We have to work very hard at creating this love to give them. Because what they need is love. And this is not an easy task. It's not an easy thing to do. But with Swami's divine blessing, he helped us to do all these activities and actions. That's the work we do in Europe. But we need to do more. "
During his travels, Swami Ajay met great souls like Dr. Upadhyay, Dr.Gadhia, as well as Mr. Vadgama, Phyllis Krystal… all these people inspired him and gave him valuable advice to continue his work in the service of the humanity.
YAGYAS IN BELGIUM
From 2009 to 2012, he officiates Yagyas every year in Belgium.
Testimony of the organizers concerning the very first Yagya in 2009 :
“ The Yagya in Belgium was not planned at all. Originally, it was agreed that Swami Ajay and his family would come to rest for a few days at home, after the Yagya of Portugal. We knew that many people would be interested in meeting Swami, so we asked him to arrange either a 'satsang' (meeting) or a 'pooja' (prayer). It was therefore decided to do a three-day Yagya on the land of Maxime and Séverine (our children), located in the Belgian countryside not far from the French border. It was easily possible to install a tent on their land because it extended over 1000m². On the other hand, there was the question of accommodation : the number of registrations increasing day by day, so we had to find another solution. In 2008, a 7-day Yagya was organized but ultimately cancelled. At that time, the organizing team had quickly gathered and got to work so much so that the metal structure of the marquee was finished, ready for assembly. It was also at this time that we found the holiday center 'Les Sarts' which allowed a capacity of a hundred people and whose managers had been surprisingly open and conciliatory regarding the organization of this Yagya. .
In 2009, all that remained was to make the tarpaulin for the marquee (made to measure by a specialist), the kund (whose very precise dimensions had been given by Swami Ajay) as well as the platform. During April, we went to Paris, to buy samagri, ghee and a good part of the equipment. The more specific ingredients were brought from Mauritius by Swami. Everything was ready.
Registrations and withdrawals combined, we had arrived at a total of 108 participants. We had the pleasure of receiving Mr Vadgama who agreed to lead a Laksharchana, Mrs Gadhia (widow of Dr Gadhia, the author of 'Sai Smaran'), Anita and Newtan Ruparélia, heads of one of the largest Sri Sathya centers Sai Baba of London. We had met them in Paris during a Laksharchana organized by the center of Paris IV. We told them about Swami Ajay and the Yagya and offered them to participate if their schedule permitted.
We never thought we would be honored by their presence. What a grace we had to be able to take advantage of the proximity of these personalities !
Note :
- Mr Vadgama had known Swami Ajay for several years but at no time did he mention him. He told us about it much later.
- The packets of vibhuti distributed at the end of Laksharchana come directly from Baba's interview room as it becomes more and more difficult for Mr Vadgama to move to Puttaparthi, because of his health. When a Laksharchana is organized, Bhagavan Baba always conveys the necessary number of vibhuti packets to his home in London through one of his closest friends.
- The 'Les Sarts' Holiday Center has become, for three days, a small Prashanti Nilayam. The festival hall has been transformed into a magnificent Bhajan Hall. The entrance to the center, the refectory as well as each corridor have been decorated in the Prashanti Nilayam style.
- The Yagya ended on Sunday late morning. The organizers had decided to offer each participant a specialty of our Belgium, the famous 'Léonidas' chocolates and it was with joy that Swami Ajay distributed them. Following this, he lent himself to the game of a photo session, accompanied by his family but also by our guests.
- Back home, Swami Ajay announced to us a seven-day yagya for the following year…
He expressed the wish to settle some details for the next Yagya before leaving. He advised us to launch the invitations quickly, to keep the price as fair as possible, to offer payment facilities and finally to take care of the accommodation conditions, in order to allow a maximum number of people to participate. The question now arose in which center were we going to do the next Yagya ! Indeed, two days before the Yagya, we had planned a family outing, especially for the children, but as the weather was not suitable, we went to visit the castle of 'Radhadesh', located in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, place where the community of 'Hare Krishna' has settled. The visit was most interesting ; especially since Swami had the opportunity to speak with Malati, the public relations officer. Both centers had advantages and disadvantages. To make it easier for us, we asked Swami what he thought. "Both are good," he replied, a slight smile on the corner of his lips. We weren't any further ahead with this answer... But we knew that very few times Swami answers questions directly. He leaves it to us to use 'viveka' (discernment). Then he added : "Anyway, it's already decided in the subtle !" There followed several negotiations with the two centers and our choice fell on the castle of Radhadesh. We must nevertheless admit that the organizing team had a preference for the community of 'Hare Krishna' because of its highly spiritual site which had thrilled us from our first visit.
- When Swami comes to Europe for Yagyas, it requires him, a few weeks before, a big work of physical preparation as well as concentration ; especially since he alone manages the whole ceremony.
- These rituals are most serious. It's not about doing anything or reciting anything, because you have to be able to master the elements as well as the deities that manifest themselves. Moreover, the entire responsibility of the participants rests on the shoulders of the officiating priest. Few people realize the effort Swami has to put in but also the fatigue it brings. And yet, he says and repeats : “If you think it can bring good, even for a small number of people, then I will come! " At Rivière du rempart, where Swami lives, the teachings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba are put into practice every day. During his travels in Europe, he helps us to better understand them in order to integrate them little by little into our everyday life ; either through 'Satsang' during a ceremony like the Yagya for example, or if we wish, during a private interview that he always gladly grants us. The acquisition of this knowledge is made easier for us by the fact that Swami speaks French. It is a great chance that we have. "
Om Sri Sai Ram – Dominique and Marie
MEETING WITH PHYLLIS KRYSTAL, 2009
During the annual Yagya in Portugal, the organizing team plans a very special meeting for Swami Ajay with Phyllis Krystal, who was around 96 years old at the time. She comes to give a lecture and attends the ceremony. This meeting in 2009 remains eternally engraved in the heart of Swami Ajay and in the memories of all those who attended it...
An accomplished psychologist and author, Phyllis Krystal devoted her life to research to help souls in inner pain find healing through love. She remains best known as a very great devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and spread his teachings in Europe and in the USA. Mrs. Krystal was born in London in 1914. She obtained a diploma in the field of education and then taught for 3 years. She moved to the USA and then lived in Switzerland. She met Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1973 during a trip to India, with her husband Sydney Krystal. Struck by all that she will live in the presence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, being sure of having found God incarnate on Earth, she writes many books on her experiences and continues to contemplate on the teachings she receives. She develops spiritual and psychological techniques inspired by Baba, to help humans reconnect with the inner source. Her works are aimed at freeing the soul from pain, from past ties and attachments on Earth – to use the divine potential that lies within everyone. She gave many seminars until the end of her life, all over the world and left her body in 2016 at the age of 102, in England. In her book titled " Reconnecting the Love energy ", Phyllis Krystal provides insights into what constitute daily traps, blocking the energy of pure love, based on concrete examples (media, food, etc.). Negative energy is very strong in today's society and makes people think that individual transformations won't make a difference... But Phyllis Krystal explains that if enough individuals open their hearts, visualize and radiate love and kindness instead of fear and hate, the world will be better. Everyone can do their part by allowing love to flow to their neighbour. When enough people practice this daily routine, the world can only change !
THE WORK CONTINUES IN MAURITIUS
From 2006, Swami Ajay's work accelerated and grew.
The Mauritius Ashram develops to the rhythm of Bhajans sung daily, rituals, speeches, shows, annual festivals such as Mahashivarathri in February for exemple. The disinterested service – SEVA – allows the distribution of meals, as well as the setting up of free lessons for children, advice for adults and support for orphans or the elderly. In June 2006, Swami Ajay becomes the father of a little girl. He must now learn to reconcile his role as a father with that of spiritual guide... the birth of his daughter brought him a lot of love and a lot of understanding into the needs of a child, leading him to commit even more to work with schools and the younger generation.
Mauritius is one of the smallest countries in the world : 65Kms long and 45kms wide with approximately 1,400,000 inhabitants… It is not necessary to provide accommodation for Mauritians because they are never far from home. On the other hand, foreigners who wish to come to Mauritius can only be accommodated in hotels or guest houses... Swami Ajay therefore decides to build a Villa located about fifty meters from the Bhajan Hall, to accommodate the foreigners who wish to make a spiritual retreat in Mauritius. They can walk to the Bhajan Hall which is very close. The inauguration of this dwelling called “ Villa of healing ” will be carried out only one year later: in 2007. Yantras were sealed in the base and at certain stages of construction, Swami Ajay placed several dozen lingams directly in the walls of the Villa. These objects create an energy field and a conducive atmosphere that people can benefit from throughout their stay. Later, the Bhajan Hall building evolved. It was extended in 2010 with the addition of a dining room above the Bhajans room. This evolution transformed the Ashram, formerly in the open air, into a large building framed by pink colored walls. Swami Ajay and his family live in the Bhajan Hall apartment, which allows them to be directly on site.
A few words about Rivière du Rempart
Swami Ajay: “ When we came in 1989 to the village where the Bhajan Hall is now located, there was a pub every ten meters. Couples argued almost every day. Currently there is no bar. The village is really good, with groups of Bhajans practically every two hundred meters. People from the village don't come to the Bhajan Hall much, but they do Bhajans in their groups. These groups are invited to Akhanda Bhajans. We started with a Sai Baba Temple in Mauritius, now we have many Sai Centers and people – without seeing the physical form of Swami, but with His Grace, His Teaching and His Omnipresence. Everything works with donations, there is no trade. The Bhajan Hall Sai-Shop (a small shop at the entrance of Bhajan Hall offering devotional items at affordable prices) only brings in about 20,000 rupees per year (about 400 euros). The most important thing is not money… We gave a lot of time, a lot of care and attention to others. With very few resources, we managed to develop this village. Young Mauritians are advised to enjoy their childhood : “Play as long as you can, because you won't have this opportunity soon. " - Parents are told that they must let their children live, so that they can then understand their own children. They need to really experience their childhood. Young people should be encouraged to participate in sports activities. But you have to have discipline to find balance ; to find the time to do everything. When you become an adult, it's time to take on responsibilities, to have a job. I explain to them: “When you have stability and a house, then you can prepare for your married life. You are not going to make your wife work like a slave. You have to stay together with a lot of love, to progress. You have to plan for your future. You need to calculate whether your finances are sufficient to start a family. Is now a good time to have children ? You don't have to make children to make them suffer. You must do your best as parents to give your child everything he needs. You have to plan for the quality, not the quantity of children. This planning will help you in the future, even if difficulties may arise. "
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND ASHRAM
Swami Ajay does all this while continuing his mission in Europe and the rest of the world. It was at this time, between 2005 and 2006, that he acquired land offered by three devotees of Sathya Sai Baba, for the future construction of a new Ashram : the " Sai Karuna recreational center " in Panchvati, Ile d'Ambre in Mauritius – a place dedicated to the new generation, children, orphans, the elderly and to foreigners who wish to make spiritual retreats in Mauritius. The Ashram building will be built in 2016 and inaugurated in November 2019. Activities begin with Bhajan sessions in 2020, then the Yagyashala expands with a giant metal structure which can accommodate several hundred people during the next Yagyas. Swami Ajay regularly organizes distributions of foodstuffs, gifts and basic necessities for families, as well as sports and cultural activities for the children of the village.
STORY OF THE SECOND ASHRAM
Swami Ajay has dreamed of helping others since his childhood. In elementary school, he notices that there are no trash cans in the classrooms of his school ; despite his young age, he collects some precious coins which he saves for months and buys the missing small trash cans for each classroom. He helps his neighbors to build their houses, is known throughout the village as a child with a big heart and tries to give to others what he did not receive, what he would have liked to have... Later, he think about building a place where neglected children would feel safe. He longs for them all to receive spiritual education and thus begins the Bal Vikas classes… continuing to dream, he thinks of the legacy he will leave for humanity. It was thus that he began to draw and made several plans for his project – which would give birth to the Ashram " Sai Karuna" 14 years later.
The fulfillment of a dream is the tree born from the seeds of sacrifice and the nutriment of patience.
With his relatives, they go to the new building land which is winding and above all totally virgin... on which they start by putting up the fences. They then plant an orchard of fruit trees and thanks to the sale of the mangoes produced there, they build concrete walls to surround the land in front. They have a large ornate metal gate made and establish the Yagyashala : a fixed place for the performance of Yagyas in Mauritius. The land is leveled at three different heights. A few years later, Swami Ajay began the construction of the main building, the Ashram in the colors of Prashanti, which was completed in 2019. They employed local workers and spent all their energy there themselves... The big building consists of twenty rooms, a meditation hall, a small Bhajan Hall and a kitchen with dining room. On the terrace, an outdoor altar is installed with the inauguration plaque and large photos. They establish several small gardens bounded by a gravel path, and put in them ancient and rare Mauritian plants such as red sugar cane. Bushes of flowers come to dress the constructions, then Swamiji adds a fountain and a pétanque court in 2019, before the inauguration.
The official opening took place over 2 days : Friday November 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday November 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
THE OPENING OF ASHRAM
The inauguration ceremonies required a lot of thought and preparation beforehand. A group of French and Belgian devotees had the grace to attend the inauguration – here the extract of a simple but striking testimony of one of them, on her experience :
“On the day of the inauguration, we arrived on site at 9 am and were first able to visit the Ashram. Swami took care of everything and sent a mini-bus for us half an hour before the start of the ceremonies. He also offered us clothes especially for the occasion. He really thinks of everything while he's really busy – and that kind of attention to detail makes you feel deeply loved and cared for. After visiting, we attended the program on both days and stayed the evening to enjoy the venue. What struck me the most was that we were offered a warm welcome, a lot of care, meals prepared with love… but above all an extraordinary experience : like a trip to another world. I saw what is most beautiful in the human being and I saw the power of God in all its splendor. Everything that happens around Swami Ajay is divine, yet he acts with great simplicity and one can really feel close to him inside sometimes. With a simple look or a simple gesture, he can teach you a life lesson. It is a universal, silent, inexplicable energy : a lot of tolerance and Peace emanate from him and his entourage, who is moreover of an impressive discipline.These memories will remain etched in my heart and in my mind forever, and they have profoundly transformed me. I also wanted to say that we saw with our own eyes the work force of Swami, who sometimes worked until exhaustion. I stayed three months in Mauritius and it happened that he left at 6am and only returned at night, because he had worked all day at the Ashram. Often I asked him if he had eaten when he came home. And he said that he hadn't had time but that he would eat later, that we shouldn't worry : he's used to it. On Sunday, the tidying up of the ashram took place. Anyone would have rested for a week after such an event… but he continued to work : because it was his life that he gave up and offered to God. "
SELF-SERVICE ACTIVITIES
Since he put himself at the service of humanity in 1994, Swami Ajay has organized many Seva activities : actions of selfless service (altruistic; without expecting anything in return and without asking for contributions). For example, he organizes a large distribution of snacks and hot drinks for pilgrims who go to Grand-Bassin before Mahashivaratri each year. With his relatives, they rent a big tent and a truck, go there and prepare everything necessary. They also open a small Sai Shop offering devotional items at low prices. During the inauguration in 2019, the activities started directly with a distribution of clothes for the villagers. More than 150 people from the different villages around the Ashram were able to receive clothes, meals, but above all a lot of love… and all this without expecting anything in return. The distributions in Karuna particularly target the villagers : indeed, they are often neglected and considered inferior because of the caste system, as in India. But Swami Ajay explains that “ all human beings are of great of potential and future ".
From January 2020, he began to organize an activity in Karuna every 3rd Sunday of the month with, for example, Kirtans, games for children, Pooja... but the importance is above all given to service. In 2021, Swami Ajay had plans made to enlarge the roof of the Yagyashala and allow the growing number of visitors to be sheltered during the Yagyas, on the model of the temporary tent erected for the inauguration. They get to work and bring in professionals. A few months later, the structure is complete !
AFTER MAHASAMADHI - 2011
Excerpt from an interview with Swami Ajay in July 2011
Interviewer : “ Coming to the present, now that Swami has left his human form… I'm sure it must have had a big impact on you, like this has been the case for all devotees around the world. What are now your plans and how do you envision your work from here ? "
Swami Ajay : “ … ”
“ Swami, physically, is not there. But everyone knows that the omnipresent Swami is there.
To be honest… I can say it's not the same at all. It is good to know that the omnipresent Swami is there, though. Almost everyone has been blessed to be with Swami, his physical form. Receiving the Divine Darshans… touching his Lotus feet… listening to him speak, seeing him every day coming out of his Divine house… walking… Seeing God walking on Earth is not something trivial. We were so lucky… we can say that. We all had this chance. We did something good in our past lives that Swami wanted us to come to his divine abode which is called Prashanti Nilayam, to see him. Because without his will, it's really hard to go there. I think every person who managed to go to Prashanti Nilayam had a great opportunity. He was known and recognized as the living God on Earth. God walking on Earth. God manifested on Earth. God smiling on Earth… God sharing his Love on Earth. It's not an ordinary thing. But one lives in a form of Mahamaya… complete attachment, great attachment. It's not really easy to understand God.
And even Swami, tells us : " Don't try to understand me. Just come. Feel, touch. Experience me for yourself and then you decide. "
He says in his teachings that " problems are a part of life. Pain and sorrows are part of life. Accept them as a game. "
Swami also says : " Life is a game, play it ". What's going on with you or anything going on in life is a game/a play. We have to accept. God doesn't have time to discuss all this with us.
Thus, he tells us : " Life is a game". We are here to play a game and anything can happen in this game. But we have to win this game. So if life is a game, play it and make it happen. After that, you can succeed and win the game.
" Life is a dream ! " - What we saw at Prashanti Nilayam, God coming to Earth… it won't come back !!! We will have to wait a long time. So it's a dream… Life is a dream. But he also said : " Realize it ".
What should we realize ? – the teachings that he left here, we must take these teachings and realize them in our daily life. To be someone… like Him. Even if it's only ¼ like him. The way we smile has to be ¼ like him… our work has to be ¼ like him… This transformation of the inside of oneself has to be ¼ of him. THAT means realizing it.
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Life is a dream, realize it. Everything we see every day is a dream. We have to realize it...
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Life is a challenge, meet it. Every day we have challenges. But yet, one cannot say : " God does not help us. "
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Life is a challenge, meet it. Accept it ! Once you accept this challenge, it is already God.
So life is a game, play it. Life is a challenge, take it up. Life is a dream, make it happen. And after all that ?
Swami says : " at the same time there is a lot to do. help ever, hurt never..."
Swami says : "to be like me, you must see Me in everyone. Once you have accepted me, you accept to see me in every person. So why would you hurt someone ? Always help and never hurt. If you hurt someone, you hurt me. If you help anyone, you are helping me… ”
Swami also says : “ Love everyone , serve everyone. To serve your neighbor is to serve God. "
And he even tells you : " Doing all these things is not easy. You need Love, you need to have confidence in yourself. But it's not worth being afraid… because I'm here! I am always here to save you. I am here to take care of you. Just take a step towards me. You will see : I will run towards you. It is for this reason that I say to you : " Why fear when I am here ? "
This is the work that Swami left for all of us. He is omnipresent. What do we have to do ? We have to keep working. He showed us the way by his example. We had this chance to see God. How he works. How he smiles. How it works… how everything works. It's our turn now. He left some responsibility on our shoulders. On everyone's shoulder. We have a responsibility towards our Divine brothers and sisters, to fulfill... Because they are DIVINE. It is Swami who manifests within them. It's our turn now. During all these years, we have learned everything. We only took, with Swami. We went to the Ashram together but now we are the chosen ones... those who have been selected by God to do his work. Everybody. Every person who says that he is a servant of God or a Sai devotee is elected by God – or by Sathya Sai Bhagawan himself. He gave us so much education… free education, lots of classes. So many opportunities to learn from his Ashram and Himself. Now it's our turn to share this with our brothers and sisters, in all countries. Everything you know, share it. What you learned, share. Do what you want to do. If you have this ability to share love, share. But don't hate anyone. Don't hurt anyone. It's not part of God's rules. The rule of our beloved Bhagawan is only to give Love without expecting anything in return. Share all that you have within you, inside you, above you, below you, around you… without ever expecting a return or a reward. Your only duty is to give, give, give, give.
And after ? – you forgive.
You have to cry for others. That is very important. You have to sacrifice yourself for others. All these years, Swami has sacrificed himself without expecting anything in return. He gave himself completely, he gave everything. Lots of things. It's our turn to give. How Swami left his body, why Swami left his body, when is he going to come back, all that is not important. What is important is the work that Swami left us. That is really important. And we have to seize this opportunity to do this job properly. Because he chose us for that, to do the divine work of our beloved Bhagawan. All that and only that is Swami. If you really love Swami, if you really think and feel that you love Swami, that's the only way. Make everyone happy. If you really think you love Swami, share whatever is in your heart. And if you really see that you love Swami - what people need today is your time. Talk to them. And try to eliminate their pains and sorrows. But make sure you don't create pain and don't give trouble. We are here to eliminate this pain, this pain. We must share this love.
And to share this Love, what do we need ? – one needs to have Love within oneself. If you don't have that love, it's really hard to share the love. So, we have to give everything to have this inner love. And that is Swami. Swami is all love, love, only love. And really, it is not easy, dear brothers and sisters, to obtain this love. But we need prayers. We need Sadhana.
“ Sadhana ” means "positive thinking." This is what the word " Sadhana " means. Good thoughts. Think positively about everything. Visualize all that is best for the whole world, for all of nature, for all of Creation ! This is the meaning of the word " God ".
“ God ” means : smile.
“ God ” means : sharing the best in the world without ever expecting a reward… THAT is God. And God truly means: "to always be content and happy."
Always happy, always happy, always happy. Have complete confidence in yourself. Have complete confidence in yourself. Have complete confidence in yourself. THAT is God. If you do not have this quality of love, of self-confidence, it does not mean “God ”.
So Swami is there. He will always be there. He is in you.
Now, Swami is no longer in Prashanti Nilayam. But every person's heart IS a Prashanti Nilayam. Every country IS a Prashanti Nilayam. If you really want Swami to come to your country, for real, and you want Swami in your heart… if you want Swami to come and visit you at home, what you need is Heart Purification. Inner transformation of yourself. Purification of your mind. It is above all the purification of thoughts. Purification of what we hear and listen to. All that. Purify our tongue. Once you make the effort to do, you do and you realize : God is in your pocket. It's up to you… "
CHILDHOOD
from 1969 to 1990's
HIS ILLNESS
1989 - 1993
MIRACLES
year 1993
THE BEGINNINGS
years 1994 - 95
THE BHAJAN HALL
1996 - 2000
ASSIGNMENT
since 1997
These articles are reduced versions of the full story.
In this biographical collection, several works are quoted in chronological order, trying to reconstruct Swami Ajay's life story. It is important to understand that this does not replace the reading of original resources, which take on a whole different approach.