SCULLIN ACT

 

Scullin property report after the handing back of the property by VNDA

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The small Canberra collective (eight adults and two children) obtained access to the ashram at 77 Chewings St, Scullin on 22 August. We found the ashram in a state not fit to serve as Shri Mataji’s Ashram, and many Ashram items were missing. On the superficial level, the vibrations were cool, but strong catches on the left side were revealed during meditation, reflecting the material state of the ashram. Even though most of the furnishings were removed from HHSM’s room before we gained access, the vibrations in Her room remained sublime. During Navaratri, the Trust kindly delivered an armchair used by HHSM and we set up it up in Her room immediately.

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We commenced pujas and havans to clear the negativity from the ashram, but the catches remained stubborn and the meditations troubled. It was only after commencing cleaning of the ashram and clearing out rubbish accumulated over decades, that the vibrations began to clear. We continue to progressively work our way through the ashram cleaning out cupboards, cleaning floors and windows caked with dirt, washing air conditioner filters. We have de-cobwebbed inside and out. The most distressing was the state of the carport which had items piled high alongside rubbish, right outside HHSM’s bedroom. We ordered a skip and the rubbish was cleaned up over a weekend.

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In the 1993 Ganesha puja talk, HHSM states that a Sahaja Yoga ashram should not be a pigsty and that ‘yogis’ tend to care for their own properties, but not the ashram. From the outset, we took the perspective that HHSM’s living circumstances in Canberra must be at least as good as what we have in our own homes. 

The photos attached don’t give a full picture of the level of work undertaken. For example, it took three of us about 10 hours just to clean the loungeroom; we had to wipe down the credenza 5-6 times to remove the layers of soot and to clear out the cupboards, and there is still one cupboard to clear out! Lots of work has been done in the kitchen too, but we haven’t finished cleaning out all the cupboards and pantries. We’ve done lots of maintenance to the front and back gardens.

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Great strides have been made with the help of contractors who painted the meditation room and the main parts of the ashram (loungeroom, kitchen, dining room, halls, laundry, toilet, bathroom, bedroom and storage room). A contractor changed all the locks, and an electrician checked the wiring and replaced lights, switches, and fire alarms, and removed old heaters.

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In the Christmas and New Year break, we have been preparing HHSM’s bedroom for painting. It has been painstaking as there was lots of patchwork required on the ceiling and the walls.

Now when we walk into the ashram, the vibrations flow immediately and continuously. Notably, the vibrations remain heavier in the parts we are yet to clean and decorate more thoroughly. The day after Navaratri, we arrived to find a swarm of bees just outside the meditation room, and it was difficult to think when looking at them. Bees are an aspect of the Goddess, and we saw this as another sign that we should continue this work. 

 

Next steps

We very much look forward to painting HHSM’s bedroom and then furnishing it. We have had ideas about how we can orient Her sleeping arrangement with Her head northwards toward Mount Kailash. We also plan to have a dressing table, mirror, a side table for Her throne and some tables/stands for flower offerings. We will also include photos of HHSM’s family in Her room (Her father, and Sri CP and Her children); these items are particularly important as the room is designed to please Her in Her incarnation as HHSM. We look forward to purchasing and installing new curtains for Her room and for the meditation room.

We will commence planning to improve the back garden to make it more inviting for meditation and shoe beating.​

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After photos of the work to Scullin completed by the Canberra Collective​​​​​​​