Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Cabella Ligure, (Italy), 9 May 1999.

“Sahastrar, the word ‘sahastr’, in Sanskrit language, means ‘one thousand’. And there are one thousand petals in our brain, which get enlightened.

Thousand-petalled lotus and Kundalini represented in ancient traditions

…Now these petals are kept ready for our enlightenment, and these are really the nerves, one thousand nerves, which are there for the enlightenment of the brain. So when the Kundalini rises, she enlightens those one thousand nerves which become like – as you see here, the shape of these flames, like a petal, and that is why it is called as ‘Sahastrara’ – in the centre of Sahastrara.

…You cannot become your Self unless and until this Sahastrara – this brain – is opened out, and the Kundalini becomes one with the Paramchaitanya. Before that, you are in complete ignorance about what is good and what is bad. Whatever you think [that] – for this brain – is good, you do it. But whatever really [is] good, you do not know, because you do not know the Reality.

…So, what is important that [is] that you should know reality, you should know exactly what is right and what is wrong. For that, as I told you, there is this great power of Kundalini within you. She’s the one, she passes through all these centres [and] enlightens them first of all, so your awareness gets enlightened. And when she pierces through Sahastrara, she joins you to this All-pervading Power which is knowledge, which is love, which is truth.

Enlightened Sahastrara and Kundalini represented in ancient traditions

So what are these vibrations, is this Param Chaitanya, we call it ‘Brahma Chaitanya’, which starts flowing through your finger tips. Now you start feeling what chakras are catching, whether they are right or wrong, and your discretion improves immensely. The brain, which was putting you in delusions and wrong type of life, immediately corrects itself.…Now once you want to know about something, whether it is right or wrong – absolute right and wrong. It’s not [a] question of relative – you just have to put your hands towards that person, or towards that thing or whatever it is: immediately on these vibrations you will know.

For example, I am walking in a place with my eyes closed, and there is a big ditch. I can’t see it. I am just walking. And suddenly I open my eyes and see the ditch, immediately I know it’s wrong and I give up and come away. In the same way it happens to you when your Sahastrara is enlightened. Whatever you had gathered knowledge, whatever you think was right, whatever was your dream and your aims of life, all these aspirations, they melt away. And then you take to reality and you start seeing the reality of everything.

Enlightened Sahastrara and Kundalini represented in ancient traditions

Unless and until you see that reality, you will be going with other crowd: “These people are saying so, so let’s do that.” “They are saying so, so let’s do that”. But you cannot see whether it is correct or not, it’s good for you or not, or whether it is going to help you. This kind of thing is so common in the whole world and that’s why there is so much problem. Because they don’t know the reality.

Once you know the reality, most of the problems can be finished, because this brain itself is creating problems. First of all, it commits all kinds of atrocities, violence, everything; then it also justifies itself, and then it does even worse things. All this, they used to call it as ‘sin’, but now in Sahaja Yoga, that’s finished now. Whatever your brain was contaminated with is now cleansed, it has got the knowledge and through the knowledge you can make up what is right and what is wrong.

…Now when you are one with that All-pervading Power: It’s a pure power. It’s a nirmal power – absolutely pure power. That gives you complete sense and complete understanding as to how you should move, how you should live, and what you should have. This is what is Self-Realisation, they say.

Parama = all-pervading, Chaitanya = energy, vibrations.