Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi - Founder of Sahaja Yoga

Testimonial of Sebastian Vlasceanu, Ploiesti, Romania:

"Know Thy Self !"

How many times have I heard this phrase?

Still, it took me so long to realise its deep meaning, because I used to think it wasn't such a difficult thing. After all, everyone knows so many things about themself. But this is one of the basic mistakes that everyone makes – taking things superficially and this lack of depth prevents us from seeing Reality as it is.

I have to say that I never was a believer. I always expected the answers from science and never believed anything unless and until it was proved scientifically, or by my own experience. I am not used to taking a theory as the truth only because it is written in a book. This was helpful in a way, because I was keeping my mind open. So I studied lots of books to find help in searching for the truth, but then I became more confused than ever – I couldn't even see my way through all these mixed theories, couldn't see the forest because of the trees.

Anyone who wants to share his own view thinks he is the one who has found the genuine truth and that everybody else's truth is unacceptable. I could never understand this kind of attitude, so I was disappointed. Then I realised that it is only your own experience that really matters to you – it came so naturally to me. I even started to wonder why it took me so long to understand a simple fact. Of course it is impossible to know yourself from outside in. This is something that comes from inside – it is an inner process. How can anyone come from outside and change my inner self? But it was obvious that I needed the technique to realise my inner self. The problem was "How to find it – and even if I find it, how do I know this is it?"