The electronic copy of this version of Divine Reality was placed in the hands of Shri Siddhi Ma in Rishikesh Ashram in 2003. There were many place-holders for Baba's photos in the book. When the first edition of the book was published later in the same year many of the photos were omitted to reduce the publishing costs. These photos have been added to this downloadable PDF of Divine Reality. Click on the link to download.
The PDF is less than 6 MB so it is easily downloadable to PC or Smartphone. There is no cost for the download, only our very best wishes to all who read and enjoy this book. We hope Baba gives you his Darshan through reading it as he gave Darshan to us when we helped edit it.
Love to all,
Tara and Bali.
2003 is the year that this book’s editing was completed and we gave the book back to Sri Ma. It was her wish that Rajida’s book was translated into English for the Western devotees but also, as she herself said “It is also for Indians that don’t speak Hindi.” I remember being surprised when she said this, I think I thought all Indians speak Hindi, but now I understand that she meant it for all the many Indians who live outside of India and their families being brought up where the prevailing culture is not Indian.
“It is also for Indians that don't speak Hindi.”
When I handed it back to her I knew that our involvement in it was complete. We were in Rishikesh, she was sitting with Jibanti Ma just outside the kitchen, and she said “Now it is mine.” I smiled and agreed. I knew it was as she wanted it, and that made me happy. It was Rajida’s book, I was careful to keep it that way. We had had all the discussions with her, lilas, paper quality, size of font, photographs, etc.
One of our discussions with Ma involved photographs. We were asked to choose which photographs of Maharaji we would like to include. I asked Ma how many we could choose, because the more photos, the higher the print costs would be. She said to me, with Vinod translating, “Tara, just choose the ones you would like to include, and later, if necessary, we can remove some.” We were in photo heaven with access to so many lovely photos, we generously included them into the text. Later, when the first edition was printed, we saw that some had been removed. We kept the original format and Bali has now included in this free download, all the photos in the text as it was originally given to Mataji.
From when she first gave me the big heavy tome that it was, hugging it close to her heart, with the request to “Have a look at it and see if there is anything you can do with it”, that was in about 1996, it took me 5 years to type it up onto a computer, in readable English. It had been written in Victorian English with many flowery repetitions, difficult to read.
Then followed a visit to Chennai and Veerapuram in 2001, at Mataji’s request, to begin the final edit and crosscheck of the translation. That process was begun then, accompanied by many lila, including a hair raising ride through 6 lane traffic on the back of a motorbike, to get to Microsoft to sort problems with the laptop. It continued in 2002 in Kainchi, with 3 weeks of intense daily work and again in 2003 in Rishikesh, a most memorable trip, not least because Ma arranged for us to stay with the then Conservator of Forests and his wife, at Muni ki Reti, outside Rishikesh, beginning a valued and lasting friendship. Every morning, after breakfast, the driver would take us to Maharaji’s temple, where we would first have darshan and then get to work with Jaya. It was very intense and we worked hard, interrupted sometimes by moments overcome by emotion, at Maharaji’s kindness to his devotees or as we wept over the Mahasamadhi lilas, unable to continue the work, tears making the pages unreadable. The Blessing that Ma gave us while doing the book was the darshan we received from doing it. We had no idea how profound and emotionally exhausting it would be, and how grateful we still are for the Grace of the experience, all these years later. I did not see Baba in his physical form, but through this book he gave me his darshan many times, and continues to do so now.
The Blessing that Ma gave us while doing the book was the darshan we received from doing it.
This is the reason we are making this original version available as a free download. So that you too can have His darshan through this form, by His Grace.
Offered at the feet of Sri Ma and Maharaji on this day, Anant Chaturdashi 2024.
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