The Newsletters
A peasant noticed that his wallet with money had disappeared. Searching throughout the house, he couldn’t find the wallet and concluded that it had been stolen. Thinking of those who had recently visited him, the peasant decided that he knew the thief: it was the neighbour’s son. The boy had dropped in at the peasant’s house just before the wallet disappeared. It was obvious that nobody else could have committed the theft.
On meeting the boy the next time, the peasant noticed a lot of signs in the boy’s behaviour, confirming his suspicions. It was obvious that the neighbour’s son was embarrassed; he turned his eyes away and looked like a mischievous cat. In general, every gesture and movement proved he was a thief. But the peasant hadn’t any exact evidence and he didn’t know what to do.
Each time he met the boy the boy looked even guiltier and the peasant’s anger grew stronger. At last, he was so irritated that he decided to meet the thief’s father and bring him an accusation. Unexpectedly, his wife called him. “Look what I’ve found behind the bed!” she said and gave him the “stolen” wallet.
The next day the peasant cast a look at his neighbour’s son again: none of his gestures and movements gave witness that he was a thief.
Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, has recorded his first album of modern pop songs in 28 years. The album will be released by Atlantic and the artist’s Ya Records label in November 2007, on the 40th anniversary of the release of the first Cat Stevens record.
Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman said, “He is one of the greatest singers and songwriters in history. Yusuf’s new songs are as moving and timeless as the classics that inspired a generation. His spiritual quest is one of the most extraordinary stories of our time – a life journey marked by courage, devotion, and transformation. We are all truly fortunate that Yusuf has chosen this moment to return to contemporary music, delivering a deeply heartfelt album that addresses peace, love, and the higher self.”
Stevens became a British pop star in the mid-1960s, while also writing hits for other artists, including “Here Comes My Baby” and “First Cut Is The Deepest.” In 1968, his blossoming career was suddenly derailed when he contracted tuberculosis. He spent a year recovering from his illness, and when he returned to recording, it was with new introspection and sensitivity.
Stevens reemerged in 1970, and the following year he made his US chart debut with the acclaimed “Tea for the Tillerman”. Over the next seven years, he had seven top ten albums, including such classics as “Teaser and the Firecat,” “Catch Bull at Four” and “Buddha and the Chocolate Box.” Having reinvented his music, he wrote and performed such personal and reflective songs as “Wild World,” “Father And Son,” “Peace Train,” “Moonshadow,” “Morning Has Broken” and “Oh Very Young”.
In the midst of his career, Stevens nearly drowned in the Pacific Ocean off Malibu, and experienced a spiritual turning point. Shortly thereafter, his brother gave him a copy of the Qur’an, and he was inspired to remake his life. Converting to Islam, in 1978 he left the music world entirely, changed his name and devoted his life to charitable and educational work.
Yusuf has received a series of awards for his life’s work, including the 2004 “Man for Peace,” given by a committee of Nobel peace laureates. Most recently, he has been invited to attend the upcoming PeaceJam 10th Anniversary Youth Conference in Denver in September 2007. The goal of this historic event, to be attended by three thousand teenagers from thirty-one countries, is to inspire a new generation of peacemakers to transform their local communities, themselves and the world.
Of his return to the pop music world, Yusuf says, “I feel right about making music and singing about life in this fragile world again. It is important for me to be able to help bridge the cultural gaps others are sometimes frightened to cross.”
Dear Readers
Our newsletter is now three months old, and we thought we would celebrate by choosing a new name. Ideally, the name should reflect the aims of the newsletter – to let people know about the Sahaja Yoga message of realising the Self and bringing balance into our lives, to provide a forum for discussing spiritual matters related to self-realisation and to share our experiences.
Please write and send us your ideas for a new name for our newsletter. For the most suitable suggestion, there will be a prize – a CD of beautiful, Sahaja Yoga music.
You can write to us at [email protected], or you can simply add a comment below. We look forward very much to your input.
Editor
In December 2006, 165 Sahaja Yogis from all around the world gathered in Mumbai, India, for a ten-day tour through the beautiful state of Maharashtra. Among the eleven Australians who went on the tour were two lucky people from the newsletter team.
In Sahaja Yoga terms, different countries of the world represent different chakras and aspects of the subtle system. India represents the Kundalini. Indeed, if you look at the shape of India, you will see that it is a similar shape to the sacrum bone where the Kundalini resides.
Maharashtra literally means “the Great State”. It is also known as the Land of Shri Ganesha, the elephant-headed God worshipped by the Hindus. In Maharashtra there are eight places where natural rock formations known as “Swayambus”, shaped like Shri Ganesha, came out of the earth. The picture shows one of the eight Swayambus in Maharashtra.
Australia is also called the Land of Shri Ganesha since it, too, contains a Ganesha Swayambu: Uluru, when seen from the air, looks like an elephant.
At the beginning of the tour we visited two of the Ganesha Swayambus, at Lenyadri and Ozar. This was followed by visits to Alandi where the poet Gyaneshwar took his Samadhi, and to Dehu, the birthplace of the saint-poet, Tukaram.
Many sacred sites and temples were included in the itinerary. We went to the Bimashankur temple at Tulajapur, the Bhavani Mata temple at Yamunachala Hill, the Shri Vithal Rakhumai temple at Pandharpur, the Mahalaxmi temple at Kolhapur and the Ganesha temple at Ganapatipule.
An important place of pilgrimage for Sahaja Yogis is Brahmapuri, a tiny village on the bank of the picturesque Krishna River. In the early days of Sahaja Yoga, Shri Mataji brought groups of western Sahaja Yogis to stay at Brahmapuri. Here, She gave practical training to the seekers in ways of spreading the Sahaja Yoga message to different countries of the world. At Brahmapuri, tour members enjoyed the cool vibrations and footsoaked in the fast-flowing Krishna River.
We spent some time in the beautiful mountain area of Mahabaleshwar, which is like a cross between the Grand Canyon and the Blue Mountains, in New South Wales. Spectacular scenery, cool nights and warm, clear days ensured that our stay at Mahabaleshwar was especially delightful. Like the Blue Mountains, it is a favourite place for honeymooners. As our stay in India coincided with a very auspicious time for weddings, the place was filled with newlyweds.
The tour ended with a stay at the seaside township of Ganapatipule, with its beautifully carved Ganesha temple. This is another place of pilgrimage for Sahaja Yogis. For many years, seminars were held at Nirmal Nagari near the beach during the Christmas and New Year season. Sahaja Yogis journeyed from all over the world to be with Shri Mataji in this sacred place.
The tour was a very special and blissful experience for all the participants, with many vowing to go again next year. The blessings from the tour remain with us, even though we have returned to our homes in different parts of the world.