Nikki sits down with Vanamali Mataji of Rishikesh, India, while she is touring Europe. The scribe of nearly 20 books about God (from Sri Krishna to Hanuman to Shiva), Mataji starts with a powerful mantra and decree before sharing about the relationship between the apparent form and Formlessness, between Divine Ecstasy and quiet-Joy, and on living beyond time and storylines. She recommends practicing Yoga asanas daily to appear as she does- absolutely Radiant.
“You can’t live in a state of ecstasy all the time because the world will pull you down. But, even though it may not be ecstatic, it’s still so filled with joy, not happiness, but joy. Because everything you see is a form of Its Form, or Its Voice. The birdsong, the sunrise, the moonrise, everything is part of that enormous and amazing power that energizes the whole cosmos. Every bit. So you can’t go anywhere. Can you ever run away from yourself? There is no place you can run to. So that it is everywhere. The ecstatic moments may not be always there. As I said, the world will pull you down. But that joy is always there. Underlying joy is always there. That’s why people love to live, even if you’re in the throes of the worst type of disease, say, you still, the longing to live is still there because of that drop of Bliss which is always present in the whole.”- Vanamali Mataji