Sahaja Yoga wins court case against Belgian state for wrongful classification of Sahaja Yoga as a cult  

In 2008 the Belgian newspapers De Morgen, De Standaard and the Evening reported that the Country Court of Brussels ordered the Belgian state to pay 1,500 Euros compensation to Sahaja Yoga for wrongly labeling the movement as a sect (cult). The Centre of Information and Opinion on Harmful Sectarian Organizations (CIAOSN) had given an unfavourable report on the meditation movement which was found to be unobjective and had resulted in the movement being defamed.  

France and Belgium have been repeatedly criticized at the U.N. and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for fostering religious intolerance and discrimination through state entities and state-funded private entities. Willy Fautré, the Director of Human Rights Without Frontiers writes that up to now, the negative image of Sahaja Yoga has been mainly conveyed by “antisect” organizations and “state sect observatories” without any serious control of the rumors concerning this movement as the Belgian court decisions clearly show.

 Official Response from Sahaja Yoga International to False Allegations

You may have noticed that there are now a few web sites on the internet which contain allegations against Sahaja Yoga and its founder Her Holiness Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. We, on behalf of our organization are writing to assure you that we stand firmly behind the integrity of Sahaja Yoga and its founder. The teachings and practice of Sahaja Yoga, which are offered free of charge, have transformed and benefited the lives of over half a million around the world.

These web-sites are not there by random coincidence. Rather, they are there by way of an organized attempt by a small group of dissatisfied ex-practitioners of Sahaja Yoga. Most of these people were asked to leave Sahaja Yoga for reasons of immoral misconduct or financial impropriety. These people are now used by some fundamentalist groups and are trying to orchestrate an internet media campaign in an attempt to dissuade genuine seekers from finding the truth.

The allegations fall into a number of categories. One is that Shri Mataji personally makes a great deal of money through Sahaja Yoga. She has not gained financially through Sahaja Yoga at all and whatever money is collected at our seminars and Pujas is properly recorded and used to fund projects throughout the world. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi has Herself single-handedly funded over 35 projects in countries including India , Italy , UK , America , Canada and Australia and other parts of the world for noble and social causes. The projects include medical centres, music and art academies, schools, Sahaja Yoga ashrams, seminar retreats and centres to support and help destitute women.

There has never been a charge for Sahaja Yoga meditation programs and all types of people come into Sahaja Yoga because our doors are open to everyone. We receive no funding from charitable sources or from governmental agencies for conducting our programs. Obviously, renting halls, printing literature, preparing and running programs all cost money and Sahaja Yogis themselves contribute willingly and voluntarily whenever money is needed. That is how Sahaja Yoga is funded. No one in Sahaja Yoga has ever been forced to give money for the support of this work, or condemned for not giving. For the past 30 years, Shri Mataji Herself has been working tirelessly and relentlessly for the cause of Sahaja Yoga and has made no financial demands in the carrying out of Her work. We, Her followers are pleased to ensure that She travels in comfort and stays in accommodation befitting her years and status. On a personal level, She has sacrificed so much, both financially and in the forgoing of her family life. These people should be ashamed of themselves for attacking such a pure and noble personality who is full of love and compassion.

The fact is that the Sahaja movement, when seen in the context of comparable movements, owns barely anything. Perhaps a couple of houses across the world host community living or ashrams. Some schools and one hospital serve the community. If the association was in the business of making money, this would be a poor show indeed!

Other allegations are that, for example, practitioners of Sahaja Yoga are forced to send their children to Sahaja Yoga schools or are coerced into arranged marriages against their wishes. There are many more Sahaja children than there are places available in the few schools of the association. It is more likely that parents who want to register their children may not find a place available. With respect to marriages, some Sahaja yogis indeed, but not all, prefer the practice of arranged marriages as is still common in more traditional countries. They look for somebody sharing a comparable spiritual vision. The documented high rate of success of marriages in Sahaja Yoga suggest their choice was sound. The practice of Sahaja Yoga results in inner balance, increased discrimination and the ability to think for oneself. The idea that people were coerced is at odds with the very basis of Sahaja Yoga, a fundamental principle of which is that one is encouraged to take responsibility for one's own life and spiritual growth. These incorrect perceptions likely originate from the earlier days of Sahaja Yoga when the schools were initiated and parents were first invited to make use of them.

Shri Mataji has made us aware that all the religions are from the same principle and are to be respected by all of us. She has founded a global religion, Vishwa Nirmala Dharma, which is the innate pure religion, relating to the core experience at the roots of all religions, and She grants this experience to those who ask for it. It is Self-Realization. As a result of Her teaching, many rituals, dogmas or prejudices about religion have been corrected. We respect all the incarnations, prophets and the realized souls of the past. The universal character of this worship can be seen in the Sahaja Yoga publications such as Bible Enlightened, Islam Enlightened and Geeta Enlightened and this culture of spiritual tolerance and understanding can be verified from thousands of Shri Mataji's speeches.

From the ability of Shri Mataji to grant en masse Self Realization, we are profoundly convinced that She is a Being of exceptional spiritual stature, an Avatar. There are so many signs in thousands of Miracle photographs taken by Sahaja Yogis verifying the existence of divinity in this era. There are scientists in many countries who have verified scientifically that Shri Mataji is emitting cosmic energy.

It is shown in historical records that evil spirited people have in the past tormented the great incarnations, sufis, saints other great souls. They were the kind of people who fought Mohammed, killed Zarathustra, crucified Christ or poisoned Socrates. For some time now, many of us who practice Sahaja Yoga have been asking Shri Mataji's permission to take legal action against authors of such defamation and calumnies but She has been constantly compassionate even towards these evil-minded people. The mediocrity expressed in making false allegations on the internet web-sites by a few disgruntled ex-yogis must be recognized for what it is: failed yogis who want to prevent others from achieving what was beyond their reach! People should trust their own experience and not anonymous slander.

The work of Sahaja Yoga is so tremendous that it cannot be described in this short letter. This is the first of many articles that we want to publish to bring forth the simple facts about Sahaja Yoga and Her Holiness Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. So great is her compassion that, even though we know those who are writing these false articles against Sahaja Yoga and their motives behind it, Shri Mataji has asked us not to mention their names because, as she has reminded us, once they too called her "Mother".

Despite the distraction of false allegations, we remain focused on spreading this great knowledge, to help people enlighten and transform themselves throughout the world. The time has come and seekers ask for it. There are over half million people around the world who practice Sahaja Yoga. The quality of their renewed life speaks for the purity and integrity of Sahaja Yoga. If you have any questions, please visit our web site at www.sahajayoga.org or visit any of our local centres.

The Sahaja Yoga Association

The above article comes from www.sahajayogafacts.org  

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