On the 30th of June, 1985, there was the official presentation of the French edition of The Advent, L’Avenement, to the authorities and journalists, in the Palace of Congress at Versailles near Paris. Also present were some Sahaja Yogis who had been at the Guru Puja at Chamarande. Shri Mataji, simple and enigmatic at the same time, sat on the stage between Sir CP and Gregoire de Kalbermatten, who, with Shri Mataji’s help, had written the book. Two French Sahaja Yogis presented Shri Mataji, and then explained a bit about the book.
After that Gregoire spoke, openly saying that the Lady who was the subject of the book looked like a normal human being, but this was just an optical illusion. He did not say clearly that She was an incarnation, but with his usual linguistic acrobatics, made it clearly understood. There was much joy and commotion among the Sahaja Yogis.
Also, Sir CP’s discourse was moving and beautiful, and was particularly touching when he spoke of Shri Mataji with an affectionate tone, with the familiarity of a husband. Everyone laughed when he said that they were always travelling, they are the couple who travels most in the whole world, and the moments when they meet each other are rare!
At the end of the ceremony, after Shri Mataji had spoken, She inaugurated the book, cutting with scissors a ribbon that had tied it up.
Then there was a chorus of beautiful singers, who sang the bhajan Bayakayataya, and in a glorious finale, a weighty rendering of the aarti, which took the attention to the Spirit, like a great meditative occasion.
Alessandra Pallini