Much More Than a Book

Dear friends, I would like to share with you some of the testimonials that I have been receiving from many of you over the last couple of months. I have decided to share them via this blog (which will be updated with new testimonials that I receive) so that they don’t disappear in the ocean of my emails and messages.

To read the main book reviews shared on Amazon (a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who took the time and effort to do that), please visit:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/9394642188#customerReviews

TESTIMONIALS

This book is Devi Mohan’s love letter to humanity…

-Pat Ruth, USA

Dear Devi, we just finished reading the book and– wow! We had to call you to share our impressions! Every evening I read one chapter of the book to my wife Ideke until we finished it just now. We both agreed that we felt we were literally WITHIN YOUR HEART in each chapter of this energy-imbued book. It is incredible the kind of resonance it creates within the reader’s heart. We feel that everyone should read this, especially men – they should understand the heart, true power, and higher potential of a woman. Many years from now, this will become a standard book for everyone to read.

-Dolf and Ideke Zantinge, Netherlands

Your book and your journey inspired me so very much, in so many ways. It also started some inner processes which were very needed. For me personally, it made me realise that I have essentially forgotten that the world and life itself are really, truly magical. Although I have had many “magical” experiences of my own (samadhi states, blissful states, out of body states), I realised that somehow my mind had imposed a limit on them and some dose of skepticism was there. Your book made me free from such limitations of the mind. I started feeling the magic and the endless possibilities of life again, much more than before. Another thing the book revealed was the attitude of victimhood. Although I have worked on that aspect a lot, it just hit me in the face when you explained so many things and situations regarding this topic. I feel that this book brought me the strength to see them and go beyond them. What stood out to me was your feminine nature and the boost and upliftment that I felt from all your processes regarding the sacred feminine dimension. I honestly feel that it required a LOT of vulnerability, openess, and going beyond the ego to write this book – and I am very grateful that you wrote it! Every single page had its own wisdom. Thank you so much and don’t hesitate to write the second part of it.

-Elena Ristovska, Macedonia

Dear Devi, I finished reading your book at 4:00 a.m. I’d been reading it on my Kindle while on a flight from the US to Israel, where I am for the first time in eight years. I was reading it pretty much non-stop. As when I listened to your podcast series, I could not stop. I am a generation ahead of you in age, and immensely blessed to have experienced a childhood free of war, but not free of the shadow of it, being a post-holocaust Jew. A long journey of spirituality and mysticism landed me at Sathya Sai Baba’s feet in 1999. Devi, I have so very many experiences that parallel yours. I have felt connected to you from the moment I saw you and said to myself: this is Parvati, and later, seeing your “Mother Mary” photo, recognizing that energy as well. I am fairly sure we knew each other and spent time together in that house on the Mount of Olives. It is always a great gift to be in the light of another who, as a friend once said to me, “hears the music.” The story of your name change moved me in witnessing your process of accepting your worth… especially against the background of your Balkan culture. Devi suits you perfectly! Yes, all women are Devi! But some especially embody the Goddess and you indeed are one!

-Nettie Spiwack, USA/Israel

BOOK LAUNCH EXPERIENCE

There were many divine leelas associated with this book from the onset. As is always the case on the spiritual path, the downs we go through are followed by upliftment and grace.

I have to admit that I really struggled at the very end of the book writing. Continuously sitting and writing proved to be really challenging. I even stopped eating and went on my favourite Neera Detox Diet so that I would save time spent on cooking and eating. Every waking minute was invested into the book.

The deadline to submit the finished manuscript arrived and it was nowhere near ready. I pushed the deadline back day after day and finally reached the date I was booked to travel to India with Mila. I spent the entire flight to Dubai typing the last chapter. My eyes were fatigued, but the typing continued at the Dubai airport, during our 5-hour stopover before continuing to Mumbai. I was even typing in the taxi upon reaching India. I lost one full night of sleep and the night before I barely slept three hours. Needless to say, I was exhausted and badly needed rest. However, that rest was not in the cards.

As we reached Mumbai I was enjoying the idea of sleeping endlessly on the beautiful bed in the 5-star Trident hotel where my sister lives. My fantasy was dashed when I received an urgent message from Mohanji stating that Acchan, his father, was admitted to the hospital and that Mila and I should immediately come to Palakkad, Kerala. Acchan’s condition was serious.

I couldn’t believe my ears! Of course, I could not say no, so off we went on another flight to hot Kerala. The house was crowded with people and I knew my dream of endless sleep would remain wishful thinking. Luckily, our Acchan recovered over the next couple of days and we were all really happy and relieved, but Mohanji got a bit sick and asked me to represent him at the Abhishek ceremony of Shirdi Sai Baba at the Baba temple in Palakkad.

Again, how could I say no? Aside from being chronically tired, I was also jet-lagged and could not sleep at the normal time. Bedtime finally arrived around 2:00 a.m., but the Abhishek was to start at 4:30 a.m.! All in all, no sleep.

The second day of the program was the main day and Mohanji was well enough to join me as that morning. It is always special and so beautiful to experience such profoundly sacred rituals at Baba’s feet. We reached the third and final day of Baba’s abhishek and my exhaustion was beyond description. I felt that I was slowly getting sick as well. “Maybe I could skip this last day. Yesterday seemed to be the main one,” my mind suggested. However, I immediately remembered the first 3-day experience with Baba in Dubai, which I described in my autobiography. We tried to skip the last day and Baba scolded us, kicking us out from the cinema. Deep inside I knew I had to attend that last day as well.

When I came to the temple around 5:00 a.m., dear Pratibha was there and told me that this is the most important part of the entire ceremony. I smiled from within, glad I made the choice to come. She then said, “Oh, I can’t believe it. I somehow forgot my golden ring. We were supposed to use it during this ceremony. Each one of us on the dias are to place that ring, one seed and one flower onto Baba’s third eye. Do you mind if we use your ring instead?“ She pointed at my ring, a golden band with ruby. I have been wearing this ring since 2015, when one old and wise astrologer from Jammu told me I should wear it to strengthen the Sun (symbolizing success and recognition) in my natal chart. He said I should never take it off and I followed that, but this occasion was something special.

The ceremony started and at the moment when my ring was being placed on the forehead of Shirdi Baba murti, I suddenly realized what Baba’s leela was about – he was energizing my success and recognition! I knew this was connected with my book. Just as in the movie Foreignchi Patlin, in which I acted in 2008, it was only Baba’s grace that could ensure the unseen fame and success of that movie. I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that people would love the movie so much. I knew that, through this ring energizing, Baba was empowering the book as well. I smiled and surrendered it all to Him…

Then came February 23rd 2023, the day of Mohanji’s birthday and my book launch.

Book was launched on stage, during an extensive and highly energized program in Puri, by the sacred hands of Shri Sushilji Maharaj, who heads the Interfaith Dialogue Conferences in India, and our dear spiritual brother Syed Salman Chishty, who hails from a rich Sufi tradition of Ajman Sharif. UNITY in consciousness is one of the main themes of this book and the launch couldn’t have been more symbolic and amazing.

The moment was absolutely beautiful, crowned by my two-minute speech and dedication of the book to my beloved Mohanji.

The only issue was that a limited number of my books reached Puri and most were gifted to the VIP guests during the launch. Many people were disappointed, as they were eager to buy the book and get it signed by me that day. They kept approaching me with the same question and I felt helpless about launching a book that was not there. Yet, as always, there must have been a higher reason for that to happen.

Then started the divine leelas – our sweet Bhavani from New York was the first to get a copy and approach me to sign it for her. I wrote a short dedication to her from the heart. She decided to read it right away. While reading it, her heart exploded and suddenly some deep emotions connected to Sacred Feminine got triggered – she simply couldn’t stop crying. In the end, Bhavani was the first person who read the book (right after this event, as soon as she reached New York).

Then I met Rashmi Mishra, wife of Ramakant, one of the main priests who supported us during the Puri Retreat. Rashmi prayed earnestly to meet me and get the book from me. We happened to run into one another right in front of the Gurulight merchandise table.

At the exact moment when Rashmi voiced out how much she wanted this book, our Chai (who volunteered to sell the merchandise) said: “Devi, I happened to find one book in the hall. It was still in the gift wrapping, so one of the VIP guests must have accidentally left it behind.”

I immediately recognized a Divine nudge to gift this copy to Rashmi. She was deeply touched by this divine synchronicity and started reading it the same evening. The next day, she continued reading it and at some point felt like taking a nap. What followed was a vivid astral encounter with Mohanji, who showed her multidimensional aspects of consciousness and spoke to her telepathically.

She came to our hotel that evening and asked to see me. She tried to share the experience, but tears prevented her from speaking for quite some time. After she shared her story, tears kept welling in my eyes and had to pinch myself that this was really happening. I secretly prayed that this book would be much more than just a book about my life and my transformative experiences. I prayed for it to be ALIVE with the Grace of Guru Tattva and the mighty consciousness that expresses through beloved Mohanji, to whom I dedicated this book. I prayed that it create resonance in people, that it touch, enrich and transform people’s lives in amazing ways – just like the most amazing living book “Autobiography of a Yogi” transformed mine…

I always believed in the transformative power of deep experiences shared from the purest space of one’s heart – this book is alive in my heart and please know that, when you are reading it, we do get to share that most sacred space of Love through consciousness.

PROFOUND INNER EXPERIENCE OF DR. RASHMI

Here is a detailed account of Dr. Rashmi Mishra’s experience, as she shared with me via email:

Sri Jagannath, the Supreme Personality and the all pervading Consciousness, appears in different forms to different individuals.

I am sharing here one of the most vivid experiences of my life. In February 2023, we were happily waiting to celebrate the auspicious birthday of Sri Mohanji in Puri, the home of Lord Jagannath. I had the good fortune of meeting Him one year before in Puri itself for the first time when in that short meeting I could very much feel the emanating spiritual vibrations of His presence and the depth of His merciful glance which directly connected to the soul beyond the frameworks of time, space and matter. I also fortunately met Devi Mohanji, the closest friend, wife, and life partner of Mohanji. I immediately felt natural warmth and love in her charismatic aura.

In February 2023, after their arrival in Puri, I had a brief talk with Deviji on the phone before meeting her wherein she told me about her autobiography, Home for a Refugee, which is going to be released as a gift to Mohanji on His birthday, adding that she would love to gift one copy to me. I was thrilled to hear about this and overjoyed to receive this blessing. After the celebrations, when we both could get some time to converse, I came to know that all the copies had been distributed.

However, in middle of our conversation, a beautiful lady called Chai, who is one of the volunteers in Mohanji’s foundation, told us that only one copy appeared (it was wrapped and probably forgotten by one of the VIP guests). Deviji immediately took that copy and handed it over to me after writing a personal heartfelt note. I knew that everything happens for a reason.

Sri Jagannath Puri is also known as Durlabh Kshetra, meaning a rare place not easy to enter. It is by the mercy of Devi Subhadra, the divine potency, Yogamaya, that one can enter this zone. Similarly, I felt Deviji, the feminine essence of pure divinity, guiding me into the zone of Mohanji’s selfless love for one and all. Just after receiving the last copy of this book, I walked into the zone of becoming a recipient of Mohanji’s grace and mercy.

While reading the book the next afternoon, I came across a few incidents of Deviji explaining her realizations of interacting with Mohanji. I naturally went into a calm, resting, trance-like state. My eyes closed and sealed off the outer world as I went deep into the inner world. This is when I experienced a very lively spiritually awakening incident.

I saw Mohanji in His usual calm, composed stature, as a Yogi who has a focused mind, fully settled in his own realized state. I saw him cooking a sweet dish which is called “Suji ka Halwa” in Hindi language. It appeared that He was preparing it with love to be distributed to some other very special souls. While I moved into another room, I again saw Him in the same posture and like that in the third room also. He was simultaneously present in three different rooms.

While I was absorbing all this, something even more astonishing happened. He transformed from this present form to a twenty years younger stage and gazed at me as if conveying to me to realize the truth beyond the mind. Before I could comprehend this, He again transformed into another twenty years younger youth form, looking at me intently, as if cleansing some blockages from my subconscious.

Just when I assumed this was it, He again transformed into a child, but this time into the form of my son. He looked into my eyes smilingly coveying the final truth of the Supreme bliss, the ocean of peace, fearlessness, love, and eternal joy.

I was very much conscious of everything and that I was internally directly interacting with Him. After my eyes opened, the whole day I was in that trance-like state. I maintained silence. In the evening, I got the chance to meet Deviji and, after tears of gratitude subsided I narrated to her briefly what I had experienced. She was amazed to hear about this and requested that I write my experience. The next day, I also happened to meet Mohanji in person. When I mentioned this incident, He replied: “I came to You. Your vision will become clearer and You will be able to realize the truth more clearly.”

What else can I say after this? Words cannot describe the journey I went through in His merciful presence. I am forever grateful to Deviji and Mohanji for their immense love and the compassion that they selflessly poured on this fallen soul.

Humbly bowing down to You both like a child,

– Rashmi Mishra

AFTER THE LAUNCH – THE BOOK TAKES OFF

A couple of weeks after Mohanji’s birthday, we attended a beautiful conference called “Global Business Summit 2023 – The Spiritual Way,” organized by the Amicability Diplomatic Club. Mohanji was the Keynote Speaker at this conference that took place in the beautiful Tent City in Varanasi, right on the sand in the midst of the Ganges River. During this conference, I had another most amazing confirmation that this book has a life of its own.

Mr. Deepak Vohra, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, was one of the main speakers at this conference. Even though he is a very high official, there was a strange feeling of familiarity. After receiving a gentle nudge of encouragement from Mohanji, I felt rather free to approach him and humbly offer the book as a gift.

Before going to sleep, he appeared in my thoughts several times and I had a clear intuition, “He must be reading my book.” This was late at night, after midnight. My mind dismissed that thought simply because of his status – important officials like him usually don’t read books and mementos given to them, especially not the same day, and that late at night.

The next morning we happened to meet Mr. Vohra after breakfast. He was very cheerful and casually offered a passing comment, “Oh, I was reading your book last night. It is quite fascinating.” My jaw dropped and without thinking I replied: “I felt it, I actually felt it!” While talking to Mohanji, Mr. Vohra said some words of very high praise about me – sentiments I am shy to share at this moment, so I will leave them for the Divine to reveal in time.

After this experience in Varanasi, there were encounters with various other VIPs, one after another, and each one received my book into their hands. This was surreal. Mohanji was silent and at times offered his childlike smile, the smile that I knew very well. Deep inside it was more than clear to me that he was orchestrating all this, together with Baba. Kerala was next on our travel list.

We visited one movie star, a big time celebrity from Malayalam movie industry. His name is Suresh Gopi. This tall, handsome man knew Mohanji from the days when little Ammu was still alive and even held her in his arms. I was touched to learn that, just like Mohanji, he also lost his daughter (Lekshmi) in a road accident and started a charity in her honor. Mohanji has not met him for quite some time, until this day when we stormed into his office.

Again, aware that I am standing before a celebrity, I was not sure whether he would be at all interested in receiving my book. “Who am I to him?” I thought. After the introductory conversation, the moment of handing over the book came. Our lovely Tea was taking photos as always, so I stood up to pose for the photo with him, holding the book in our hands. I casually placed my palm on his back while posing for the photo.

A couple of seconds later, I moved away, but he remained silent and still. After a short pause, in complete awe, he said that he experienced indescribably intense and beautiful energy that passed from my palm directly into his spine.

I was looking at him and couldn’t believe my ears. “There we go,” I thought. This is exactly the kind of awe and surreal response I was receiving after Foreignchi Patlin movie was launched – Baba’s leelas are indeed unimaginable and always so uniquely entertaining!

Aside from Suresh Gopi, that same day in Trivandrum, Kerala, we had the honor of visiting two more amazing souls:

1. His Excellency Arif Mohammad Khan, the Governor of Kerala and a man of great wisdom and depth (While handing my book to him, I found it so beautiful to share the photo space with the new President of India, Droupadi Murmu, and the amazing Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, whose pictures were on the wall behind us.)

2. Her Royal Highness Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, the Princess of Kerala (It was a great honor for me to place my book in such special hands.

I enjoyed the Princess’s stories of Krishna as the first renowned psychologist – a truly unique perspective. I also enjoyed experiencing her humility. Only with Mohanji does one get used to such surprises…)

Special thanks for that special day goes to our most loving guide and host through Trivandrum, Mohanji’s old friend Unni Bhaskar. I still remember his radiant smile from our Dubai days in 2008. True friendship is indeed one of the most precious blessings one can have.

Here is the intro into the experience: Two months ago, while in St. Ana, Slovenia (our new home) I was surfing online and came across the Facebook page of a locally known bio-energy expert healer, lecturer and writer, Marjan Ogorevc. I never heard of him and found it interesting to explore what Slovenia’s spiritual scene has to offer. After a couple of random clicks on his page, I came across this photo:

MEEETING MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI DEVI

One of the highlights of our trip to India was the unexpected private meeting with one of the greatest living saints of India – Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known as the Hugging Mother (or simply Amma).

She is known for her hugs that transform lives and for her immense humanitarian work (e.g. she singlehandedly helped more victims of tsunami to get new homes than what the entire country of India with its governmental institutions).

Amma was caressing Mila continuously and also gave her a beautiful bracelet – one day when she grows up she will understand how huge these moments were…

The photos that we received from Amma’s lovely personal assistant Shubhamrita are a reminder of just how surreal the experience of meeting Her truly was. With immense love towards Mohanji, whom she had already met in the past, Amma gave us nothing less than one hour out of her unimaginably busy schedule! “This never happens,” we were told. Hundreds of people awaited her outside and by the time we walked out, she was already on the stage conducting a Satsang!

My autobiography now requires an additional chapter about all the blessed hands it reached in record time, right after being published. What divine timing! Indeed, it was such a blessing to have Amma weave her powerful energy into the book’s tapestry – I now know that truly anything is possible through the Grace factor behind this book.

I was also deeply impressed by the radiance of Amma’s closest team members, beautiful souls who have served her for years and whose spiritual transformation is evident. Amma’s personal assistant (Brother Subhamritananda) welcomed us, translated for us, and escorted us with indescribable love and one Australian lady (Swamini Krishnamrita), who kept polishing the apples Amma was about to give us as prasad, told me with the sweetest voice: “During your meeting with Amma, I felt a strong pull to read your book. I felt that it called me.” My heart expanded even more and I literally floated out of the ashram…

Amma mainly spoke about all the charitable work she did and how it all came to life – this was so incredibly inspiring. She spoke in Malayalam and was looking at me most of the time, straight into my eyes. I was hearing the translation as well, but more than anything it was the transmission from her eyes that “hit” me. It dawned on me just how much one woman can do in this world…

I felt deep gratitude towards Mohanji who made yet another dream of mine come true…

Finally, I couldn’t leave India without “closing the circle” with our beloved Devi Amma, who wrote the Foreword for the book. I had to take one signed copy to her and the entire group of our Mohanji family members from Europe joined me. It was an unforgettable day at Devi Amma’s feet.

She asked me to read the Foreword to everyone out loud. Reading “Devi is an angel” made me very shy. She hugged me most lovingly and spoke so beautifully that day. I do not recall her ever spending that much time with visitors. I am so happy I recorded the audio of all that she shared with us.

She referred to Satya Yuga again, the Golden Age millennia ago, the time from which Mohanji and I (and many other souls) know her.

Just before leaving India, Mila and I participated in the Living Water for All Conference in Amritsar, organized by dear Brigitte and Living Peace Projects. One remaining copy of my book was gifted to the amazing Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh.

Thank you for reading this blog and sharing these precious and exciting moments with me. The creative process and launch of this book have been filled with so many blessings and miracles and I am beyond thrilled and delighted to see what comes next.

I surrender the lotus flower of this book to float out on the ocean of consciousness – may it add some love, joy, and beauty into our shared tapestry of life.

-Devi Mohan

To see the original article click here