2025-1015 Recollection ‘First Encounter’ by Adrian Vasiu, Vestal, U.S.A.

In April 1990, my mother went to Bucharest to get a visa for me for Japan. In Bucharest, my mother stayed with a cousin of my father. She had just attended few Public Programs of Sahaja Yoga that were organized by very few local Sahaja Yogis with the support of a few visiting French Sahaja Yogis. So she took my mother also to attend some sessions. My mother, being a great seeker who was daily reading spiritual books of all cultures and religions of the world and in multiple languages (Romanian, French, Hungarian, English, etc.), was always telling us that, `Mother Mary will come and teach us everything.' So my mother instantly recognized Shri Mataji as being Mother Mary returned to tell us everything during the first session. Being fluent in French, my mother interacted a lot with the visiting Sahaja Yogis who were impressed to see a lady recognizing Shri Mataji at the very first meeting.

When my mother return to Cluj Napoca, she had a Photo of Shri Mataji (the classic Dhanvantari Photo taken during the 1984-0207 Pūjā) with her but very little knowledge on the subtle system and Sahaja Yoga techniques. So I ended up doing right away bandhan to myself in front of the Photo but without feeling anything much - if any - so it didn't trigger any motivation or deep connection, besides the fact that, if my mother refers to Shri Mataji as the one who is going to teach us everything, there must be something I have to keep my mind very open to.

Busy with mathematics and with a more than a month long trip to Japan, the spring and summer went fast.

In September 1990 came the news via a phone call that Shri Mataji will give two Public Programs in Bucharest on October 7 and 8. I already had a flight purchased for a round trip from Cluj Napoca to Bucharest to meet a professor of mathematics at his apartment on October 13/14. My mother insisted very much that I should change my flight so that I will be in Bucharest one week earlier. I was very adamant in doing that, as I felt extremely uncomfortable to ask the mathematics professor if he could meet me one week earlier. Her overwhelming insistence and my adamant reluctance in making changes that might offend the math professor produced a lot of friction.

Everything dissipated when the news came that Shri Mataji postponed her visit to Romania by exactly one week. So, it was agreed between my mother and me that I will meet the math professor at the scheduled time and my flight ticket will be changed so that I can stay in Bucharest until October 17 and attend both programs with Shri Mataji on October 15 and 16.

There a few things I remember from the two Public Programs I attended. The hall was absolutely full, the estimate being 5,000 people each day. There was complications with the translation, especially the first day when 2 or 3 translators were replaced one after the other. Also there has been a lot of disturbance from foreign protestants attending the program. Due to this, parts of the English message of Shri Mataji did not reach me. Nevertheless, I had a powerful experience. In particular, the most important thing was: I understood that, 'Nobody before or after had or will speak as Shri Mataji does.' As an output, from that very moments onwards I never had any doubt in Shri Mataji, to the extend that I cannot even truly understand the doubts of other seekers and why they need time to settle done after hearing and seeing Shri Mataji. These two Public Programs changed my life completely.

The first test of my lack of doubts was during the exiting time after one of the programs, presumably on October 15 but I am not entirely sure, on the stairs of the hall. One Hatha Yogi was there trying to convince anyone exiting and eager to listen to him that Sahaja Yoga is not OK, that Shri Mataji is not divine, that Hatha Yoga is the solution, etc., invoking that Shri Mataji was blowing Her nose multiple times while he never had a cold, etc., etc. I did stop to listen to him to understand what's the problem with him. His arguments had absolutely no impact on me but I reached the conclusion, which much later on I came to know that Shri Mataji often speaks about, that this Hatha Yogi is a very 'dry' person, without any love or understanding of divinity.


After returning to Cluj Napoca, I had to wait until February 1991 when a group of 7 Sahaja Yoginīs and Sahaja Yogis came to teach us Sahaja Yoga at the invitation of my mother. I learnt all mantras in the very first day, and since second day I never missed a meditation, morning or evening, except when sick or traveling. In particular, from the second day on I would get up at 5:30 a.m. and meditate with chanting all mantras. So my daily life changed also completely the very second day.

By far the most touching and overwhelming part of the first encounter with Shri Mataji unfolded about 11 years later in Los Angeles area during Shri Mataji's visit to the U.S.A. I was in front of Shri Mataji in Her house in Calabasas, and Shri Mataji asked me if I attended the first Public Programs in Bucharest. When I confirmed that I did, Shri Mataji turned towards Karan Khurana, and said to him: ``Imagine, I remember his face." I completely melted down: 'There were 5,000 people in the hall on October 15 and 16, 1990, I was nowhere in front, I was nowhere in the center, and after 11 years, God Almighty Herself mentions that She remembers my face!' Each time I recollect this I have tears. Many-many times it gave me strength to face all kinds of difficulties and injustices.

I am eternally grateful to Shri Mataji for each and everything, including wife, two daughters, pens to write, shirt to wear, job in Up-state NY, etc.

Jay Shri Mataji!