The Holy Ghost in European Art

El Greco: The Pentecost (1596-1600) Oil on canvas, 275 x 127 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid

“SM: Sahaja means spontaneous. “Saha” means with, “Ja” means born; it is born with you. It is spontaneous; it is the living force. A living force that has made you a human being from amoeba; is going to make you the higher being where you become the Self. It is all… in every scriptures you will find they have described that you have to be born again. Every prophet, every incarnation has said that you have to be born again. And there must be some thing within us, which does that job, and this is known as Kundalini and was known to people – very few people I should say – in the ancient times.

Then in the sixth century, Adi Shankaracharya talked about it very clearly that it’s only the Kundalini awakening, the awakening of this Residual Power within us which lies in the triangular bone called as Sacrum, means sacred bone. Just imagine, that time they knew it was a sacred bone. That it rises and crosses all the subtle centers, pierces through the fontanel bone area and gives you your real baptism, your real birth, and you can also feel the softness of your fontanel bone area on top of your head. And this is an actualization. This is not that you can just pay some money or become a member, organize something. It’s an actualization and you can see the pulsation of the Kundalini at the base; the rising of the Kundalini and the breaking of the fontanel bone area which is called in Sanskrit as Brahmarandhra.

I: So you are saying this is what… Spirit inside us, which you call Kundalini?

SM: No. Spirit, this is the Holy Ghost, and the Spirit is in the Heart. Spirit is the reflection of God within us.

I: So it’s not the Spirit. It is a live force?

SM: This is the force that is the pure desire to be one with God; that is within us all the time, dormantly lying. It only manifests when it sees, or gets instruction, or is handled by a person who is authorized by God. Not by any institution or anything, but by God. Such a person Himself is a realized soul. It is like one enlightened light can enlighten another light. It’s very simple.”

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in a Radio Interview, Sydney (Australia), 31 March 1981.

Eastern Orthodox Icon

Giotto: "Pentecost", Tempera on wood, 1300-1310 (45.5 x 44 cm), National Gallery, London, England

Duccio di Buoninsegna: Pentecost  (1308) Tempera on wood, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena