Jay Mai Jay Mai Jay Mai

ABRIDGED MAI-ISM

PART 1

CHAPTER 1

MAI from MATAJI

Jay Mai Jay Mai Jay Mai

The Founder of Mai-ism and President of Mother's Lodge (Mai Mandal), MAI SWARUP MAI MARKAND (Rao Saheb M.R. Dholkia, L.C.F.) began his devotion of Hindu Mother since his tender age of twelve. He began his sadhana साधना from the very first rung of the ladder, with shouting in solitude, “Mother. Tell me, dost Thou exist or not? “at that young age in Petlad, his native place in Gujerat, near Cambay.

He had proof of Mother's existence by being saved from the attack of two robbers on his way home from that place of solitude to that of his home, one night, through the intervention of a tall, fearful woman. She walked over between the boy and the two robbers for a few furlongs till the boy was safe near the outskirts of his village. Most wonderfully, the same terrible black woman disappeared in the air immediately after the boy's safety.

The incident did not go beyond creating a suspicion and a wonder, but at least the idea of the possibility of the existence of God, deities, angels, spirits, other worlds etc., took its roots. It took three years of strong devotion of Jagadamba जगदम्बा Kali काली and Chamuda चामुण्डा one after another to make the boy ripened enough to have a doubtful belief about the existence through the second incident mentioned below.

The boy in a busy crowd in Ahmadabad अहमदाबाद was shoutingly warned by a dog-cart driving European pair, to set aside. The boy failing, the European took of his long whip determined to beat the boy out. The merciless man however lost the grip of the whip, the whip encircled the foot of the horse and the dog-cart fell to the ground. The boy terribly afraid, ran away from the crowd and tremblingly concealed himself in Bhadra Kali भद्रकाली temple corner, the nearest safe place.

With his whole frame shattered, the boy had the very night, a dream in which the whole scene of accident repeated itself and ended with the daily repeated question, " Mother, does Thou exist or not?" The Mother (The Bhadra Kali Image), in the dream, answered," I DO NOT EXIST ". The boy asked," Who is then speaking? “Mother then smilingly asked," Whom then are you asking this question tiring me and yourself for the last over the three years.? "

The boy got confidence about the existence of God at the age of 15. He began to believe it was the intervention of Kali that had saved him from robbers. The boy was busy trying to secure God's grace and recognition as devotee through devotion to any of the usually worshipped Hindu deities, viz., Rama, Shiva, Krishna and others. He was however, as it were, passed on by one deity to another without retention till; he concluded MATAJI alone would accept him.

The conception of Hindu Devi or Mataji is that of sternness, terror and destructivity though united with benignity and mercifulness and everything-asked-givingness and all-desire-fulfillingness. Mataji is restricted to Hindus alone and She is personification of Power. Mai or Maijee is Universal and a Personification of Mother, God himself as Mother and not God's Power. Mataji is mostly a Goddess of fear and power, where as Maiji is the Goddess of parental love and permanent welfare. Except the common element of the feminine-sex, the conceptions of Mataji and Maiji are entirely different and dissimilar, if not contradictory.

The mention of this distinction becomes indispensable here as otherwise it would not be realised how much terror-stricken the boy was at the idea that the none of the Sattvik deities as Shiva, Rama or Krishna had accepted him and that on the other hand he was so much favoured and cared for by Matajee, the most prominent feature of whole traditional mythology was the destruction of demons and terrible fighting in the battle-fields. The boy had none of the requirements of a fearful sadhana.

The boy, then eighteen, was shuddering at the idea of being a devotee of a terrible deity. Said he," Let me cast the gambler's throw.I will perform hundred repetitions of Saptashati. If Mataji accepts me as Her son with no displeasure, no freaks, no terrible wrathfulness and no vengeance for consciously or unconsciously done offences, I become Hers. Otherwise, I live my life as an atheist or an agnostic, with all goodness, morality, broad-mindedness, fellow-feeling etc. "

At eighteen he began the experiment. On thirty repetitions, he had a telegram, at Poona (Pune), where he was studying in the Engineering College, from his maternal uncle who was the Revenue Collector of the Baroda State of Mehesena मेहेसाणा near Ahmedabad. It was about his mother's illness and asking him to start immediately. On the way railway station, where his uncle had come to receive him, the former received the telegram from the Baroda Government to immediately proceed to Bahucharaji Mataji बहुचराजी माताजी (the second most popular Goddess worshipped in Gujerat) as the Revenue Collector of the district and to do certain arrangements. The young lad was taken directly to the place, as his mother become fairly all right, as soon as he has started from Poona (Pune) by Mother's Grace. The illness was a pretext utilised by Mother to force him to come down as he had determined not to leave Poona (Pune), although all students had left in their vacation. He had refused going home, as he was determined to finish the experiment at the same place, without any break or interruption. There, in the temple, the boy was given an assurance by Matajee in a dream that She would be to him purely and unadulteratedly a loving and living mother. He returned to Poona full of hair-erect bristling joys.

Since that day, supernatural and occult powers of prediction and blessing which were inherent in him from the very childhood became more effective, intense and acute. He could bring two persons at daggers drawn going to a criminal court for cross suits to be friends in a two hours talk. Once he wanted 63 rupees (his Money Order, not arriving at proper time from parents before the last date of college fee payments). He prayed at 9 p.m. and at 11 p.m. he had a heap of about Rs. 800 because the Bengali and Gujarati quarters took a fright at 10 p.m. (there were some robbers preparing to loot the quarters from behind, seen gathered on desolate railway lines). Though a big cipher in drawing (the most essential subject in Engineering), his drawing to be finally examined with marks-giving at the annual University examination would be prepared by the best students with the full permission and cognition of the very supervisors and even the principal. Once Mataji dictated to him the whole of the chemistry paper the previous night.

He was voracious reader but he was more of a mathematician, a poet, a thinker, a philosopher and a songster than an engineer by his very birth. What did he care after he had Mother's protection? His repeated failures in spite of his hardest work trained him to realise nothingness of himself and life and left no drop of cheerfulness about life with all its varied pleasures. He ceased to be a responsible actor of the world and became a superficial spectator of his own life, allowing it to be drifted as Mother desired according to his past Karmas, with nothing as the goal of life, at such a tender age, - usually full of follies and passions, spirits and storms.

At twenty-two, he had the most calamitous, and yet the final hardest hammer under which he would have succumbed, but for Mother's Grace. He happened to read Yoga-Vasistha योग वसिष्ठ and Vedantism वेदान्त, the terrible teaching of "AHAM BRAHMA ASMI ' अहं ब्रह्मास्मी and his head turned. His intellect got clouded with controversy of the new teaching. He thought he was all along under a delusion and pitiable victim of a huge cheat by Mataji, the Maya deity. He threw away his deity picture, scriptural Saptshati सप्तशती, wooden seat, worshipping materials and vessels in the river Mula-Mutha Sangam मुळामुठा संगम behind his living place. He changed his course from devotion to Divine Knowledge. He began repeating "AHAM BRAHMA ASMI" day and night and interviewed so many religious teachers on the subjec t.

Some decades ago divine Knowledge and Devotion were at daggers drawn. It is now,things have now changed and religious teachers have accepted the policy of harmonising both. The Advaitists have seen that unless they equally appreciate and preach devotion, their popularity and maintenance of Ashrams would be an impossibility. That deprecating manner of saying," Devotion is only just a stepping stone, which has now disappeared, was it then at its shouting pitch. It is now only very recently that Sanyasees and Yogis and Karma Margis all have gradually pitched their tents in the open airy yellow lawn of devotion. That preaching of one-ness of Atma and Parmatma, that idea of inferiority of devotion and deities, that sophistry about the fruitlessness or unreality or the delusion of the Universe and all allied teachings, so very forceful then, were more than overpowering for the young boy of twenty-two who had seen nothing of the world in its true natural colours.

The young boy had never had to pass through a more terrible time. He experienced that, as a result of his faithless desertion of Mother, the whole world has changed to be worse for him. Even his best friends and relations disliked, displeased and deserted him; no miraculous powers, no happy meditations, no devotional effusions, no good-lucks. His morality, goodness, character, religiosity all stood before him threatening him with leaving him a as a corpse. The contrast of his faculties before and after, all led him to the highest desperation. One day, in Petlad, he tore of his garments and sacred thread, threw of his shirt and dhoti and cap in the street and ran away from the house as one determined to mend or end his life, to be Sanyasin or or to commit suicide. What might have been the climax of his sorrow, disappointment and disgust of life and world, at twenty-two, can be better imagined than described. He was however caught by his most revered father who ran after him with all the force he can command in the street, weeping and shouting out on losing his son and by his mother, weeping and madly running after his father. He was brought home and confined in a room for a week and greatly smoothened and solaced by his parents. After a promise not to be a Sanyasin, he was permitted to return to Poona for studies. His mother with tears in her eyes said," You have never been telling a lie. You never break your promise. If you are determined to be a Sanyasin, first stab me and then go. If you wish I may live, promise me, you will never leave home." This promise did not leave him undisturbed whenever he got the idea of taking Sanyasa.

One idea alone, about his greatest ungratefulness to the Mother who had been protecting him all along, and without whose protection what the world would be to him, he had experienced and realised, that one mania seized him. This one idea acted like the most violent attack of an unbearable shock. He decided to drown in the very same river unless Mother reaccepted him. In the midst of the excruciating pains he got an imaginary idea like lightening in the darkest cloudy night. "Will not Mother save me? Will She not tell me She has re-accepted me?" All this was a matter of few hours, before determination and preparation for action. He went to commit suicide in the river. He ran in towards the river water depth with a speed which had never before used. Just then, he was caught in the sweetest trans-heavenly Embrace of Mother - The Visible, The infatuatingly Beautiful Mother. She admonished him strongly never to be so reckless and senseless in future and assured him he was never disowned by Her, although his head had turned. Not only that, but She told him, She was carrying him through certain experiences which were indispensable. Mother knew his fickle mindedness and did the preventive needful. Retracing to his room, he expressed to himself, though most stealthily, wishing none to know it, not even his own mind to hear him, his inmost suspicion which proved his greatest ungratefulness even after Mother had been merciful enough by saving him from committing suicide. He asked himself," What did I see? What did I hear? Is this not all a mental derangement? Is this all not a false vision because of a mental despair?" Mother had anticipated this and had kept the answer ready to convince him of Her Embrace and Her Word and Her Promise.

Most surprisingly, on opening the room he saw the very same deity picture, the very same scriptural book of Saptashati, the very same wooden-seat, the very same worshipping articles at the very same place as they were and where they were before, the very same things which he had thrown away in the river with contempt about six weeks before.

From this moments onwards, he linked himself with and riveted himself to Mother. His conception then was a Hinduistic one, viz., that of power, although with the additional personally secured concessional advantage of Mother's protection to him as Her son. That was however just as a lioness has her love to her cub though not with a devouring ferocity. "Mother" was however to him an honorific name for a feminine sex deity with no conception of a mother-and-child relationship for one and all.

The period from this event in 1907 up to 1932 was that of a common man's living with a gradual progressive development in religiosity. Hindu Mataji (Power) was gradually transforming Herself with him to be the Universal Mother Mai. Universalization of one's ideal is not merely a matter of tongue-twist. Universality means a complete absence of the idea of one man being different from another exactly similar man on the mere ground of such two man's belonging to two different religions. Universality to be effective must be the supreme quality of one's whole vision and entire intellectual outlook with a belief and a conviction about its highest value. Universality should not be outcome of a policy, a temporary acceptance, or a delusion creativeness, for some specific object in a view. It should be an impossibility to assume a different colour after some attainment or after a lapse of some long time.

The difference, the superiority and inferiority complexes, prejudices and prepossessions, likes and dislikes, as a result of different persons following different religions, require be uprooting, wiping out and forgetting as if they were never in existence. The Founder brought about a reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims over a mosque question at Nasik in a few hours, which was a standing cause of unrest for 12 to 15 years. That was possible only because the Founder was Universal-minded, in every moment of his living, after 1932 and because he was a Mai-ist, the Founder and follower of a religion which has Universal-mindedness as its main-most commandment.

The subtle difference is to be noted here. It is not that some few Hindus or Muslims are not there that are universal-minded, but the presumption holding sway in the minds of both the communities in terms of millions of hearts, is that Hindu is a Hindu and a Muslim is a Muslim, during butchering riots. When the knife is raised is to be plunged, it is not possible for one to know or to inform that he is not an enemy, at the moment of life and death. Mai-ism emphasises the need of a solid working through organisations during peace periods.

There the whole difference comes in. To be the known follower of a religion (or even a society) which makes no distinction of that nature, on the one hand, and on the other, to be an exception to the usual beliefs about a religion or a society by the co-religionists or members are poles asunder. That you are above such animosities must have been a proved fact known to the world at large, much before an incident.

That supreme stage of Universal outlook, once attained, along with other sterling virtues, carries with it, its own wonderful silent supernatural power over the hearts of average men. The man appealing to brotherhood must have actually lived in that spirit and with that belief as the maxim of his life. Reconciliation between two antagonistic forces become possible only when a much superior force makes each of them to be reminded of its comparative nothingness.

The spiritual force of a Religious Universal-minded man is of a much stronger powerful-ness than that of the Life force or the Will-force or Soul-force. It derives its strength from the divinity itself.

During the college sub-period (from 1908 to 1912) there were many convincing proofs of Mataji's Grace.

During his second-year examination, one day he was in devotional mood, which made him entirely uncomposed to be able to attend the examination hall, in Bombay [Mumbai] at the appointed hour. When he could compose himself in his home, the examination hour had passed. He washed his face dressed himself in his home and took a tram. In hot haste, his T-square which was shoved in the drawing board the wrong way fell off on the ground. Some Seth picked it up and ran in a victoria after the tram and caught it at the next halt. The boy was overwhelmed with gratefulness. The Seth said," Mataji, bless me with a son ". Said the Founder," Mother Grace shower Welfare ". The devotee ran to the hall and found that he was 40 minutes late. Soon after him came the Registrar with the question paper packets. He was admitted to the hall. The printing machinery unprecedentedly had gone wrong to give the boy sufficient time to recover his normal plane.

The second instance was in respect of the special train carrying the students on a geographical tour in the final year. The students had encamped in Agra and were awaiting the arrival of a special train expected to arrive within an hour or so. The boy got flying news that Mathura was near. Said he," I must go for Darshan of my beloved Lord Krishna." The train time that day to Mathura had passed away. Like a mad man he said," I will go to the station."Two friends accompanied him. First station, the station staff laughed at their ignorance of the scheduled timings. Second station people called them mad. Third station, the engine was lying "sick". On purchase of tickets and hurried sitting in a coal wagon, the engine came to order and whistled. The despondency that has arisen on the booking-clerk advising not to purchase tickets as the engine had gone useless turned to cheerfulness with joyful hurrah. However the cause of standing suspense and anxiety did not altogether cease. They would be detected on the arrival of a special train as absconders and be even punished. They had not enough money to return Bombay [Mumbai] from Agra with fresh tickets. From 4 P.M. to 9 P.M. of the next day, the special train could not be ready in spite of the repeated telegrams by the influential professor-in-charge of the tourists, till they returned. The in-charge was hot with the boy for having bolted away but his popularity came to his aid.

His reputation as a devotee of Mataji had become widespread and established. In the direction of Divine Knowledge, he took a very active part in all religious matters. He was in close touch with Theosophy both in Ahmadabad and Poona and wrote several thought-provoking and instructive articles in "Meher Message मेहेर मेसेज " such as " Ignorant Adverse Criticism", " Misfortunes of the modern mumukshus मुमुक्षु ", " Facts for the fatigued ", "Divine Love", "Happiness " etc. and " God and God attainment Remedies " in "Kalyan" कल्याण of Gorakhpur गोरखपुर and "Dharma Darshan" धर्मदर्शन in Sharada Peetha शारदा पीठ etc.

He had several occasions to have a personal eye-to-eye vision of the Divine Mother, in waking state, oftentimes in the most painful mood and moments. One of them may be narrated as a specimen.

His services as a municipal engineer in Surat were to be discharged as a result of a new fad of Government to lend engineers along with the Municipal Commissioners. He resigned before a notice is served. He was anxious that he had an appointment somewhere, before his leaving; but nothing would come forth in reply to his applications. It was Navaratra 9th day. Brahmins were on the wooden seats for dinner after all the ceremony. He sent word to his wife and relations that he could not join the brahmins. "Serve them with all heart and liberality," He told Mother," What more do you want? Should I break my head at Thy feet? ". Just then the door was knocked. A telegram of appointment was there. The whole scene was changed. He ran up to weep out his gratitude to Mother. And what did he see and hear? "Will you not at least now come with me down for the dinner?" The form and the sound both disappeared in less than a second; leaving him again lost in labyrinth, Divine meditation and ecstasy.

The year 1932 was a turning point in his religious life. The period 1912 to 1932 was that of preparation with lots of troubles and sufferings to be fitted up religiously and spiritually for the work he was to be charged with. His belief till then consisted of increasing proportions of "Mother-element" in the Power Mother-basic mixture from time to time. It was reaching the culmination point of the full Mother-hood of God to which Universality became automatically a corollary. Said he to himself," If your God is Father or Mother of the whole Universe and if whosoever resides and is worshipped in Hindu temples is not a mere Hindu God, but a Universal God of one and all, there can be absolutely no justification for " entry-refusal " to any one (Harijans or Mohammedans etc.) What Hindus alone can worship can only be a Hindu God and not a Universal God.

ABRIDGED MAI-ISM

CHAPTER II

MAI INSTALLATION

JAY MAI JAY MAI JAY MAI

The most important incident wherefrom the history of Mai movement starts, took place in the latter months of 1931 (September and October) in Poona (India).

The wife of Founder's college friend and boss (Late Revered Sister Taraben Soparkar) was on death-bed suffering from Septicemia. The friend got the Founder (Markand Dholkia) transferred from Ahmedabad to Poona to help in the calamity. The wife was lying upstairs. She said to her husband, I am hearing the Mantra repetitions from some Matajee's devotee. I am on death-bed so please find him out round about our bungalow streets and let me have his Darshan". The friend took the Founder and went round in search and assured her that there was none:"Not only I but even 'Dholkia Kaka' accompanied me for the search". She exclaimed,"What, has he come? It must be than he. Please call him up". She repeated the same shloka of Sapta Shati fourth Adhyaya which the Founder was then repeating mentally unheard by anyone. This shloka was repeated by her to assure the Founder that he was a recognised devotee and that she was worthy recipient of his Darshan and blessings.

A drawing professor was coaching the friend's daughter. He inquired of the future of the lady from a Pandharpur saint. The saint foretold, that her days were finished but added, "There is however a saint in his house, out of courtesy to whom She is not being taken away. The day he leaves the bungalow. she would expire." The friend enlightened by the first experience suspected that the saint in his bungalow was none other than the Founder and as he was the head of the department, kept him all hours confined to his bungalow by way of precaution. asking him to do his official work at that place.

On 3-October-1931, the case was entirely serious. Three eminent doctors declared she would die within an hour or so. The worst news was broken by the husband to his friend who tried to strengthen his courage to meet the calamity. The husband vociferated, "What a coward talk? I am sure, if you heartily pray, she will at least live longer and give me sufficient time to prepare for the worst." The Founder had a very little of confidence in the efficacy of his prayers for the most impossible change, but he had to follow him upstairs. He prayed with his whole heart and devotion standing near the pillow of the lady in midst of nearly twenty weeping relatives. The pulse, speech and vision had left the body. On prayer, the Founder's tears fell in her mouth, the pulse speedily went up, vision and speech returned and the eyes opened. Her word were,"How can I like to leave this world leaving behind me the un-cared-for children? I see Mataji standing before me. She says if you fast for a day she will give me a week's extension. Will you not promise doing that for me?" The promise was given hand in hand and the improvement began with most unimaginable speed. Just half and hour after, she asked for milk, fruit-juice etc. It was an unprecedented family joy.

Some believed, and some did not, in God's hand in all these. But almost everyone including husband thought she was saved permanently. On the 7th day, the temperature however rose up from the morning. The husband was too shrewd to remain any longer under delusion. The whole story looked true. She was to go that day. He had a hysteric fit from he was made to recover to composure after consolation by his friend. At 3 p.m., there was a phone from the Secretariat asking the husband to send certain confidential office files under lock and key. He could not possibly leave her. The Founder was given keys and the motor driver was ordered to drive fast and the Founder was given strict orders not to waste a single minute in the office. On reaching office, the head clerk informed him that the lady expired as soon as he has placed his feet outside the bungalow.

Here was a continued episode which baffled all human solutions. She was a great devotee of Matajee. She actually heard the Mantra which the Founder was simply mentally chanting. The prophecy of the Pandharpur saint and its fulfilment were wonders. She saw Mother and heard Her words. A fast of a particular devotee earned the Mother's Grace of the boon of a week's life extension.All these happenings began revolving in Founder's mind, finally resulting an overpowering sense of his ingratitude to Mother.

Said he," Should I be simply living pleasure-dipped and fully ungrateful to my Mother? She has so often protected me all along and shown Herself to me and I have not breathed a single syllable to the world about Her mercifulness and Her dying for Her devotees. This one idea drove off all other ideas, even those required to sustain himself in daily routine. He became semi-lunatic, weeping day and night and beating his forehead, sometimes against walls rolling on ground and saying only one thing, I am a wretch, most ungrateful creature, Even such a simple thing glorification of Thyself, I have not done."

He had to go on a long leave.Doctors consulted diagnosed that he had no disease whatever. He had divine madness. The best medicine was constant talk about Mother and Mother's occupation within his hearing and seeing. This was a furnace period, during which there was a wholesale drastic change, in the Founder's religious outlook. All the pride of Hindu-ism, Vedas, Brahmins (he himself being a Nagar the highest Brahmin in Gujerat) and the belittling of other religions evaporated. Strangely and wonderfully. Mother finally commanded him to install Her as Mai The Universal Divine Mother.

"God as Mother, Mother of all, propitiable with universal love, service, devotion and unconditional cheerful self-surrender". These six words and expressions he would often hear in the air and would read written on walls and on the ceiling between joist-gaps and on closed doors and windows. He pleaded his full unworthiness to such an innovation. The more he tried to evade, the more did Mother sit on his heart and head till the sweet talk became artificially embittered and wrathful. "What do you prefer? Installing me as Mai with the dictated six tenets or life-long present semi-lunacy?

The Founder finally gave the promise to Mother and so to say escaped, on giving a promise, in order to avert semi-lunacy.His recovery was marvellously quick after promise and he returned to Poona (Pune) and rejoined his service. He had a world of reminders from Mother almost every week. But he was too conscious of the crushing responsibility, to so easily yield. He went on procrastinating.
Two persons one in Calcutta and the other in Mysore (Shimoga) were given command in dreams to go over to the city of Poona (Pune) and deliver Her Message of Installing Mother.

The Calcutta message-bearer came over to Poona (Pune). Finding no place in any other hotel, he had come over to the hotel where Founder resided. With great despondency as how to find the man in such a large unknown city, he fell into sleep at 10 p.m. He had a dream; "Don't be afraid and losing heart. I have brought you to the man. Just at twelve midnight, you see things through the slit of common door between your room and the front room. You have to hand over the message to the man there in the morning. Make a bold statement". The man saw the Founder at the said hour in communion, full of solicitations to Mother," To find some other man to install etc." In the morning he delivered the message and left.

The Mysore devotee who carried the message happened to come to the hotel as a casual visitor. The Founder by chance went to the dining floor at the time the man was dining. As soon as that man saw the Founder returning to his place, he suddenly left his half-meal and ran after the Founder. Most abruptly he talked,"Are you a devotee of Devi?" Founder also made no delay: "Yes, not only a devotee but a passionate, most uneasy devotee". Still most abruptly the man said," I come from Mysore. I have a message to hand over to you from Mother." The Founder got dumb-founded. "Yes please come to my room. The man followed: the message was communicated. Said the man," I have come so far. Would you not favour me with the spark of Love for Mother? I have enough of divine knowledge for my purpose (this was only his modesty). Said the Founder," Are you prepared? Would you sit with me on the bench of the Sheikh Sulla bridge during night hours?" He agreed.

The Founder was sitting with him from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. on wooden bench. The man went to his place. He was at the highest pitch of desire that he may have a vision of Mother at least in a dream. He had a dream in the sleeping. Mother appeared and said,"You are now longing for my Darshan. Who was talking to you for hours on the bridge? That was myself. You have not only seen me but talked with me". The man narrated the event to the Founder at early dawn.

Two persons coming down for only the purpose of delivering the message was something too great to be taken lightly. That put the Founder to an indescribable shame about his obstinacy and suspiciousness. Said he with a sigh," I am surely a man without faith. I have a faith in reality what I have seen and heard, but I have no faith in Mother making me fully fitted for the uphill unique task". He was extremely nervous and terribly afraid of how people would consider his act and of their defaming him by attributing highest impudence, hypocrisy and blasphemy.

He decided to be tricky with Mother and to get to Her agree to let her fad go once for all, but he could not succeed. On the hand Mother directly repeated Her treat, "Tell me in one word once for all, what do you prefer - Installation or lunacy?"

The Founder had no go and with a sorrowful laughter he set down to stipulate terms with Mother, as he had done before, when he had begun hundred repetitions of Saptashati. He made a Sankalpa (a resolution) pouring sacred water offering to the Mother, " If there is an entirely new building of which the first in-dweller is myself, if I enter it on a Friday, if by evening there is a dazzling light, if there is a basket of 'mithai' and fruits received that day,if three girls and two men knock my door at 9.30 p.m., if they press me to install Thee, if at 10 p.m., I find Mother's picture in any shop, if at 11 p.m., I find some shop open wherefrom I can purchase worshipping materials and lastly if at 11.30 p.m.. some 'Mali' (garland hawker) brings me a most beautiful garland befitting Thee and the occasion, then I shall not hesitate and I shall not fail to Install Thee and declare Thee and Thy Religion.

Each and every condition was so very wonderfully and admirably fulfilled. He was getting surer and surer as one condition after another came up attaining fulfilment and when finally a hawker shouted out "Har Har' (Garland, Garland), he burst into tears on hearing that shout. He began to beat his breast and forehead. "Mother, Thou hast finally caught me. Could you not find any other man, who is more worthy than myself? "The five persons consoled him with the sweetest words, "She would do Her own work. Who is more blessed than yourself? Why should you loose heart and courage? Where is the question of your worthiness or unworthiness, at all sirs, when She Herself has chosen you?"

· Mother was installed at 12 midnight on 2-9-1932. Said he to all that had gathered, " From today, I am a Mai-ist, from today my religion is ' God as Mother, Mother of all, propitiable on living the life of universal love and service, with devotion and unconditional cheerful self surrender'. Krishna, Mohammad, Christ, Jarthost, Buddha and every Founder of any religion is my Mother's (Mai's) illustrious son. From now, Bible, or Koran is as venerable and worshippable to me as Geeta. A Mohammedan lady will find the same shelter in my home as a Hindu lady under communal riot (This actually happened).

I will continue to pray God as I have prayed till now, whether in a Hindu Mandir, or a Mohammedan Masjid or a Christian Church or a Zoroastrian Agiari or an Israelite Synagogue. No more religious differences; the devotion of Mother is necessarily the devotion of Mother's Children. I am a changed religious man from this moment." Said the Founder," I install Mai today. I declare Mai-ism today.Let it be to known to one and all of my friends. Let the world if so minded now commence the work of ridiculing, defaming, censuring, suppressing, harassing and crushing me and the Mai movement."

News spread around. The nearest people were Theosophists and Harijans. Some educated Harijans had the most reverential regard for the Founder, the man who was Love and Mercy himself with an innocent childlikeness and who was happily blessed with the most intense devotion. People began calling him "Second Ramakrishna", 'Mother's child', 'Mother', or 'Mataji'.

The Founder had a terrible exhaustion after the installation night which lasted for three days. On the third night he had a pleasant dream, in which he saw a vast open lawn in which there were innumerable ladies of all religions. He interpreted this to mean the Mother desired a congregation of ladies in strict purdah (with no gents and or boys) of all religions, in commemoration of Her installation.In spite of so many difficulties, a sisters' social of over 300 sisters of all religions presided by Mrs. Choudhary of Bengal on Dashera day (9-10-1932) became a fait accompli. By one and all that attended, it was called "Mother's Miracle".

The Founder attaches great religious importance to this novelistic idea of a congregation of all ladies without distinction of caste, creed and colour, in strict purdah without any gents or boys, meeting together in the spirit of religious sisters to have religious discourses and thought exchanges, prayers, worships, refreshments, prasads etc, on a Dashera day. The requirement of a purda has a deep significance to provide safety against any unusual custom or belief. If that provision is not there, Muslim sisters stand precluded; so also Hindu ladies of royal orthodoxies as also ladies whose husbands and relations are strictly against their womenfolk freely with men.

Soon after, the Founder (Saint Shri Mai Swarupa Mai Markand) was deputed to go Belgaum, Dharwar etc., for official duties.In the very train, Mother was worshipped at Belgaum by a large number of ladies, with garlands, sweet offerings and Arati. “Prasad " was carried away by people right up to Madras (Chennai). The Founder was entirely joyful. One has never heard of an instance of a Divine worship on a railway station in the train by the varied (unknown-to-each-other) train travelers, including especially ladies.

At Belgaum the Founder was taken to a Ganpathi-devotee-Sanyasin whose predictions were reported to be wonderfully correct. The Founder had his turn and the Sanyasin told him, “ Believe my words if you start within one month from now, a religious institution ".

On return to Poona (Pune), he was pressed by all that had seen Mother's miracle of the sisters' social, to start an institution for universal prayers and lectures on different religions and spreading Mother's conception. In less than a month from the meeting with the Mahatma of Belgaum, a Mother's Lodge was started on 27-3-1933. Meetings were held every Sunday with printed handbills distributed and mention in the local papers. Lectures were mainly about Devotion, Love, Service and Surrender as emphasised in different religions. The Founder dealt with Harijans by various lectures and Mother's worship in the mission.