INTERVIEWER:
Pranam, Gurudev. Pranam, Maharaj. Maharaj, how did you get the news about Gurudev? Could you please introduce yourself?
SUSHONA BANERJEE:
I am Sushona Banerjee from Behala. My home has a temple dedicated to the Mother [Goddess]. I spend my time worshipping the Mother and performing spiritual practices. I have followed Gurudev on YouTube many times. I thought I would visit the cremation ground at night to meet the Mother. I also had a question for Gurudev. I’ve heard that at the temple of Ma Moulakhi, which is very powerful, no one can stay after 7:00 PM; people have even died there. But Ma Moulakhi told me, "They don't worship me or feed me properly." I asked, "Mother, what should I do?" She said, "They will leave when they see you." After they left, I bathed the Mother in the evening. When I was applying vermilion (sindoor) to her, she told me to apply it to the big toe of my right foot as well. The devotees and the priest there asked, "What are you doing?" I said, "Whatever happens to me will happen, just let me be." I didn’t even know what was happening to me at that moment. I applied the vermilion to the Mother's feet and my own.
MAHARAJ:
Let me tell you something. Siddhi (spiritual attainment) lies in the feet. It is not in the hands or the face; it resides in the feet. So, what you did was correct. We can tell if someone has attained Siddhi by looking at their feet. We don't need to look at their face or their matted hair.
SUSHONA:
I don't know how the Mother granted me Siddhi without me doing much.
MAHARAJ:
If you knew your own power, you would be overwhelmed. There is no need to know. Just let things happen.
SUSHONA:
If I die while performing my spiritual practice for the Mother, I would be happy.
MAHARAJ:
Knowing your own power won't help you. It might even be a burden.
SUSHONA:
I don't know my own power, nor do I want to. I work with the Mother's power. I am just a medium. I believe only a high-level spiritual seeker or a Brahmin can truly "awaken" a deity. I haven't learned this from any guru; the Mother taught me herself. My first gurus are my parents.
INTERVIEWER:
Gurudev, Maharaj, I have a question. A guru is necessary, isn't he?
SUSHONA:
Yes, I have a guru. I was initiated into the Krishna tradition. To me, initiation means purifying the body. Beyond that, whatever I have learned has come from my own desire and the Mother’s will. My parents told me never to let a tantric or an astrologer into the house. They told me to just sit with them if I needed anything, and they would guide me.
MAHARAJ:
I believe in that too. I don't go to anyone else either. When the Mother is with me, where else would I go?
SUSHONA:
People make mistakes and then they suffer. Tantra is not an easy path. It can save generations, but it is intense. I don't know any mantras or complex rituals; I only know "Jai Mata Di" and "Jai Guru Bam." I've been looking for a teacher for a long time. My Mother told me, "Don't go anywhere. Your guru will come to you when the time is right."
INTERVIEWER:
Gurudev also says that when the time comes, the guru will find you. You don't have to search.
SUSHONA:
About a year ago, while practicing at 3:00 AM, Bamdev Baba whispered a mantra into my ear and said, "From today, I am your teacher."
MAHARAJ:
That is right. Initiation and education are two sides of the same coin. If you are on the right path, it will happen. Many people keep changing gurus, but it should only happen once. Life, marriage, and initiation happen once. Nowadays, marriages don't last. Why? Because we do a Narayan Puja and use a Shaligram stone as a witness, but then we serve meat and fish at the wedding. How can that work?
INTERVIEWER:
Gurudev also says that non-vegetarian food should not be served at weddings.
MAHARAJ:
Meat is considered "unholy" (amangalik). It is food for demons and spirits. Why should we eat it during a sacred ceremony?
SUSHONA:
I sometimes even argue with the Mother. I tell her, "If you take everything away from me, I will stop feeding you!" That's my personal relationship with her.
MAHARAJ:
Every seeker has their own way. You shouldn't follow anyone else's path; do what feels right to you.
SUSHONA:
Once at Tarapith, some people and the police tried to stop me. I told them, "You have no power over me because I am following her orders."
MAHARAJ:
Who can say what is inside you? Your path is yours. As I said, Siddhi is in the feet. The "Ashta Siddhi" (eight supernatural powers)—Anima, Laghima, Mahima, etc.—that Hanuman had, are located in the feet. That’s why we look at a seeker's feet first. You are doing it right.
SUSHONA:
I don't care what people say. I see the Mother as the doctor and myself as the assistant. I do what she tells me. If she tells me to touch the feet of a stone or an image, I do it.
MAHARAJ:
Whatever you are doing, do it with your own conviction. Don't listen to others. You have your guru and the Mother.
SUSHONA:
I have Chinnamasta, Chamunda, and Mahakal at home. Even though I am initiated in the Krishna mantra, I believe Krishna and the Mother are the same primal power (Adishakti).
MAHARAJ:
Exactly. When Krishna was born in prison, Mahamaya was born in Mathura. They are the same power. A guru is essential because if you stumble, who will catch you? The guru is above all. If the gods are angry, the guru can save you, but if the guru is angry, even the gods cannot save you.
SUSHONA:
Maharaj, do you think I will be able to move forward? You are a high-level seeker...
MAHARAJ:
I am not a high-level seeker. But I will pray to God for you. A seeker's job is to pray for others, without any envy or malice. I have been here for 32 years. I am a follower of Bamdev too. The whole world knows me, from Canada to Japan, but that doesn't matter. If you hold onto your faith, everyone will come to you.
SUSHONA:
I want to spend my life at the feet of the Mother and serve people. She told me I would be able to sense why people are coming to me even before they speak. She even said if someone has cancer, I should just touch them with my foot and they will be healed.
INTERVIEWER:
I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have run out of time. We have to stop the recording here. Gurudev, Pranam. Maharaj, Pranam. We have heard many valuable things from you today. If you come again, we will look forward to hearing more. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.