Surrender – Mohanji Acharyas

by Christopher Greenwood

In the time I’ve spent with Mohanji, one thing I’ve observed and learnt from him is his fearlessness towards life. He faces life and its challenges head-on and keeps walking, no matter what. He has a very matter of fact attitude to all of life’s situations and for some, this can be perceived as indifference, especially when people reach out for help to overcome their sorrows in life. Although life has its share of challenges and people will have their opinions, we keep moving based on our choices as it’s our life to live.

Many people contact Mohanji daily for various reasons. From the early hours until late evening, he’s responding, supporting and guiding each and everyone alongside his other work. Of these messages and calls, a good portion is from people telling Mohanji their sorrows: their father or mother is not well, their cat or dog is not well, some people are in hospital, all these types of situations. Usually, his responses are matter-of-fact, straightforward and unemotional with replies ranging from, ”Okay, do this”, or ”I’ll take care”. He responds based on the situation.

As these messages and answers are direct and to the point, many people think he’s completely insensitive. A lot of people look for his sympathy more than his intervention but he is not one to give sympathy. Not at all. What he has is empathy for the person and situation, in this respect, he always does what he can.

Some people ask him: ”You don’t feel anything at all that my mother is unwell?”

What should he feel?

For Mohanji, life is very matter of fact. If there is a birth, there is a death. It is inevitable. Recently, he has been reminding us that as soon as we are born into this world; our death is also born (we are one step closer to death). You walk together until the right time to part. He has clarity about this; he doesn’t become caught up in the illusions of emotions.

He told me what he often does for people in situations is to reduce their pain and to reduce their suffering. However, if somebody chooses to suffer as their constitution is like that, then he allows them to suffer because they want to feel sympathy for themselves. They choose self-pity and suffering. He says: ‘’Okay, if that is what you want, please go ahead. I will not sympathize. Why should I sympathize with your natural constitution? Why should I sympathize with your likes and dislikes?” Mohanji always respects free will.

This is how he operates. He will do what he can, but he is not interested in the emotions associated with the situation. It’s our father, our mother, our dog, our cat, our neighbour. It’s connected to our relationship. Why would we expect Mohanji to have the same relationship with the same effect, the same emotions? But, he says, if we contact him, he will do what he can. But he can’t save people from death. If they’re supposed to die, they will die. He can only reduce their pain or suffering.

He shared that on some occasions, he has been able to postpone the death but those people have not understood the impact of this; it can be like a newborn state, a fresh birth. In such situations, people do not know how to manoeuver with this fresh leash of life and it actually becomes a burden for them because their continuity is affected.

He reiterated that these points need to be very clearly understood. He is not insensitive but he doesn’t subscribe to the unnecessary emotions of people. This is the same with people’s various expectations as well. He delivers what he can deliver, unconditionally.

When people contact Mohanji to tell him that they don’t have a job, or that they don’t have something else, he will see what blockage they have. Sometimes he can remove it, but sometimes he can’t. Why can’t he remove it in some cases? It is because they are holding onto it, they say: ”Mohanji, please take this away.” He will say: ”Okay, give it to me. Leave your hands, hand it over to me, I’ll take it.” But they don’t do that. They hold on. They don’t leave their hands. So, how can he take it over? In these kinds of situations, he says that he tries once or twice, but if they are still holding on to it, then he will leave them: ”Okay, you hold it.” Then they will contact him again: ”Mohanji, you’re not helping me.”

What is the answer in this type of situation and exchange? We are not helping ourselves. That is the answer. The answer is that we are not allowing that situation or thing to change. If we do not allow that situation or thing to change, nobody can help us.

If we really want things to change, we should surrender it totally (100%) to Mohanji and say, ”Mohanji, take it away, I don’t want it.” He will then remove it for us. He won’t push us, he will not ask any of us to remove this because this is our life. If we want to experience attachment, then we will experience attachment.

When Mohanji shared this, I asked him about the people who want to let go but they don’t realise that they are holding onto something. I asked him, “How can you tell or know if you’re still holding on?”

Mohanji said this is visible in our life as patterns. Our patterns are visible and the same thing repeats itself. The same situation comes back, repeatedly. That is a sign that we are holding on to patterns, emotions, attachments. Life is full of attachments. We get attached to anything and everything. We must be aware and then if we are ready, we can ask a Guru, “Please take it away.” But a Guru will not snatch it from us.

I feel it’s good to be clear on what we are asking for when we contact Mohanji for support, help or assistance. Are we asking for relief from the situation or are we asking for sympathy? Mohanji has been clear that sympathies aren’t his business. He doesn’t sympathize with anyone.

This may sound cruel or insensitive to some people but Mohanji is practical and he looks at life as completely natural. I’ve kept this blog as close to his message as possible because he feels everyone who contacts him about sorrows in life needs to understand how he is and how he works.

Recently, somebody contacted Mohanji to say that he was going through a job loss situation. Mohanji said: ”Work from home. You have your contacts, you have your experience, you have your expertise. Use these three things together and create your own work and earn some money online.” Mohanji provided some good practical advice for the situation and this person went onto write in public groups, ”Mohanji has been very insensitive to me, he was indifferent. He didn’t bless me with another job.”

Mohanji blesses us all the time. He only wishes us well. He doesn’t ever wish that we should have a bad life. It’s important to understand this and to also check what our expectations are.

Mohanji said:

“I am a practical man more than a spiritual person. What I said to him was that instead of being involved in self-pity, he should compile all his contacts, compile all his expertise and experience, and create something which he can sell and earn a living. Isn’t that more permanent than a job? In this volatile situation, getting into a job is very difficult. And you have to compromise tremendously at a job. For example, salary. Somebody can employ you, but you are getting half the salary. And because of your pattern, you will join, but you will feel bad all the time, you won’t like going to the office. Then you will compare it with your past job. But instead, if you build up your own work, eventually you will see growth, and you will have enthusiasm. It’s your job. You’re the boss.

So, am I insensitive, or am I practical?

I tell people what they have to do, and then it is up to them to do it or not. If they don’t want to do it, then it is not my business anymore. So, it’s not indifference or insensitivity. It’s practicality. I try to make everyone practical. You can’t escape from your life. If you lost your job, then use what you have now. When one door closes, another door opens. Or you open it. You have a chance to open it. And that could be more sustainable in the future.

Sympathy paralyzes you. I ignite people, I don’t paralyze them. I don’t want those who are connected to me to be tamasic and lazy. I make them at least rajasic. But if they choose to be tamasic, then it’s best not to be here, because you will only complain all the time.”

The conversation reminded me of the response that Mohanji gave to a question that was asked during a satsang in Serbia (October 2019) where someone asked the following question (full blog link).

Q: What is your recommendation about the emptiness one feels after a loss. Should one grieve or ignore, or how to deal with it?

He told the story of losing his daughter Ammu and how from that he refused to be the victim of other people’s sympathies. He refused to indulge in self-pity and instead decided to serve the world in her name, his daughter’s name.

His attitude was to do something positive out of the situation which resulted in the formation of Ammucare in 2003. At that time, he had no money to form it. When asked by people, “What’s your investment?”, he simply said, “Myself, that is my investment”. This attitude formed Ammucare which is still running today providing food for the hungry, education, skills & empowerment, disaster relief, health and many other activities.

Excerpt from Mohanji’s Answer:

“You can convert every loss into something powerful and positive. This is up to you. This is your disposition. If you sit down and cry, drink alcohol, pity yourself, nobody gains anything out of it; in fact, life is lost. One life is already lost, and your life will also be lost. This is my answer.

I would say never waste your life because you are unique in this world. There is none like you. You are a unique creation. You are neither high nor low or equal, you are unique, and there is nobody like you. You must use your uniqueness in the right way, as best as possible and make a difference in the world. Why not? Why do we have to just live and die? Keep shining bright!”