Photo of the week – May 13 – May 20 2007
(Picture taken Mother’s Day 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
Check out our weekly blogs.
Temple of Divine Mother
Photo of the week – May 13 – May 20 2007
(Picture taken Mother’s Day 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
Check out our weekly blogs.
Listen to Shree Maa sing I Love You All
Read Shree Maa’s Mother’s Day message here –
Mother’s Day 2007
The Devi Gita is composed of 12 chapters from the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam. These video classes by Swami Satyananda Saraswati teach the Sanskrit mantras of this sacred text with English Translation. Devi Gita Video Class 1 Introduction and Worship This video class introduces the origins of the pivotal conversations and stories in the Devi Gita, […]
Photo of the week – Apr 15 – Apr 22 2007
(Picture taken January 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
Check out our weekly blogs.
Photo of the week – Apr 8 – Apr 15 2007
(Picture taken January 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
Check out our weekly blogs.
Updating the numbers after a two week gap. We have had three people complete this sankalpa in the meantime. Congratulations to Vasantha, Rick Veda and Usha !!!
Here is what Ushaji had to say "I’ll miss doing this sankalpa. Do you think Shree Maa would give us a new one – or should we just keep going on this one ?"… Well, Ushaji, there is another sankalpa in the air, this time given to us by Swamiji … Stay tuned.. and thank you for your enthusiasm and participation !
Rick had this to say "All victory to the Mother of All Beings! I have completed my sankalpa. I am going to celebrate with some friends" Thank you Rick Veda !
Vasantha sent in a moving account of her experiences with chanting this mantra.
She says, " This year has been a very challenging one healthwise. I started it with a major surgery . The sankalpa mantra became my refuge during the slow and painful recovery process. Being restricted in movement , this became a perfect opportunity to keep at the mantra. I was gifted a clicker, and this became my constant companion. I used to go to sleep with the clicker in one hand and the mantra on my lips. It took away the physical pain, kept me focussed on the higher good, and made me at peace with my situation. My pranams again and again to Shree Maa and Swamiji for providing this opportunity to stay on track with my sadhana even during my illness. Their blessings make it all possible." Thank you Vasanthaji.
Here are the numbers for those of us that preferred to chant the mantra at the fire (Week ending April 8th 2007)
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Swamiji & Mandir Residents |
Priceless
|
Michael |
12,960
|
Janitri |
6,048
|
Mousumi |
10,908
|
Parvati |
3,240
|
Total |
33,156
|
And for those of us that chanted without the fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Arati |
20,000
|
Babu |
1,296
|
Bharata |
81,000
|
Bharati |
13,068
|
Brendan |
3,843
|
Carie |
2,732
|
Chocatane |
33,048
|
Chris K |
26,352
|
Chris W |
34,765
|
Debi |
111,111
|
Donna |
32,490
|
Durga |
9,396
|
Egyirba |
9,180
|
Eric |
94,824
|
Gauri |
10,044
|
Georgiann |
7,891
|
Henny |
34,020
|
Janitri |
19,196
|
Jayadeva |
35,640
|
Julia |
27,360
|
Kalachandra |
20,736
|
Kaliananda |
25,164
|
Kamalaji |
31,861
|
Kanda |
28,080
|
Karen |
28,000
|
Kathy |
26,920
|
Linda |
824
|
Marsha |
22,572
|
Maruthi |
63,111
|
Mausumi |
22,680
|
Michael |
21,600
|
Michele |
5,710
|
Morningsong |
35,640
|
Muktimaa |
15,120
|
Nickolas |
2,300
|
Nirmal |
5,184
|
Nirmalananda |
15,700
|
Nanda |
16,115
|
Papia |
32,400
|
Patty |
27,784
|
Prasana |
10,840
|
Prathibha |
20,422
|
Raghu |
34,128
|
Rebeca |
23,020
|
Rick Veda |
103,140
|
Robin |
24,500
|
Rolf |
25,056
|
Rukmani |
7,560
|
Sadhu Maa |
11,261
|
Shubal |
23,760
|
Sitara |
7,424
|
Sundari |
30,240
|
Shankari |
11,880
|
Surya |
111,111
|
Susan |
51,732
|
Usha |
105,732
|
Vasantha |
108,000
|
Wendel |
25,800
|
Wendy |
31,860
|
Vinay |
2,160
|
Visveshwar |
34,236
|
Yogini |
76,680
|
Total |
1,915,299
|
~~OM~~
In this article, Swamiji stresses the need to do make worship of all the daily influences everyday and the beneficial effects of worshipping the nine planets.
Question: Swamiji, what is the attitude that one should have when facing adversity? In India, the priests suggest pujas (worship) to Shani (Saturn) to make things normal again. What do you think?
Swamiji: I think that we should make puja (worship) everyday, and not just for Shani but for everybody, everyone that’s Divine, and all the Divine influences in our lives. Now, what happens in India is that, generally, priests know that householders are so busy with their worldly tasks that they’re not making puja, and their neglect of the pujas is what causes confusion.
So most of the priests in India who suggest that you worship Shani are really saying, “Get on a spiritual path.” For anyone who’s really on a spiritual path, you have no need for a priest who says to do a puja for Shani. You’re doing puja everyday yourself. What need have you for a pujari who says, “It’s Shani dosha (affliction) that’s causing your problem”?
Shani has many benevolent effects in our astrological ecology. Shani is the Lord of discipline. Shani is a very great benefactor to anyone who creates a discipline. He is the strength of that discipline, and the focus of that discipline, and the commitment to that discipline. And now we are seeking freedom through action – not freedom from action. The moksha that we are seeking is freedom in action, not being inactive. The verses in the Bhagavad Gita say, “No one can be free from action. Even I who am the Lord of the three worlds, I must continue to act.” Therefore, do your action with the spirit of the rishis (sages). Do your action as the servant of Ram, do your action as an instrument in the hands of God.
So I appreciate the priests of India who recommend that we do Shani puja or the like, because they’re really saying, “Do something spiritual.” But I appreciate even more those great sadhus who are doing it themselves, not because some priests in India told them to, but because they are really in love with God. And they are following this path just as an inspiration so that they lead a pure life, a focused life, and a disciplined life which brings them to their ultimate objectives.
Graha shanti (peace) is to put to all your planets in harmony. Now look, the Sun is the light of wisdom, the Moon is the warmth of devotion, Mars has strength and fortitude and focus, Mercury is the communicator, Jupiter is the great guru and teacher, Venus fills us with love and pure attachment, Saturn will take us to discipline, Rahu and Ketu polarize obstacles and help us to reconcile the opposites. Look at the beneficent aspect of the planets and then they’ll all be in shanti. That’s the puja.
Photo of the week – Apr 1 – Apr 7 2007
(Picture taken February 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
Check out our weekly blogs.
The “Sacred Thread” is a consecrated thread that is worn by Hindus in India.
This article shows how to tie the sacred thread, while sitting in the Swastik Asana and chanting the Gayatri Mantra. …read more
~~OM~~
Guru Gita: Satsang with Shree Maa and Swamiji
In the following profound and elevating conversation, Shree Maa and Swamiji translate and discuss a Bengali commentary on the Guru Gita.
Mother is translating from a book by Nirmalananda, who is a disciple of Swami Pranavanandaji from Bharat Seva Ashram.
Who is the Respected Guru and what kind of behavior does the Guru exemplify? What is the Guru’s intrinsic nature and what is the principle of the Guru?
Who is able to take refuge in the Guru and what is the effect of taking refuge in Guru?
What is seva to the Guru, what is an offering to the Guru, what is the song of the Guru, and what is the discipline of a disciple?
What is the highest fruit of devotion to Guru?
The answers to all these questions are found in the scripture called Guru Gita.
Commentaries on Sri Guru Gita come from the Vishvasaara Tantra. These are expansions of the Guru Gita. Also people speak of Rudrayamal Tantra. All Tantras speak of the highest principle of the Guru.
In both the Vedas and Vedanta, the position of the Guru is held in very high regard. But in the Tantra scriptures, they speak of the Guru’s position as being the very highest. In the path of Tantra, the principle of Guru is the highest principle of all.
Guru is both the Supreme Divinity with form and without form.
The Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswar. The Respected Guru is both the motivation for the highest truth and the attainment and realization of the highest truth. These are illuminated in all of the verses contained in the Guru Gita.
The foremost principle and discussion of the highest importance has been given by Sada Shiva. His first student was Parvati.
Guru Gita informs us by which sadhana, by what means, can someone who wears a body attain success.
Without a doubt, Shiva has illuminated these questions in this scripture. The path of the Guru is the king of all dharmas (king of all ideals of perfection – the Supreme). In order to attain prasad (consecrated offering) from the Guru, your birth, your past, your karma (what kind of activities you perform) are not required subjects. The ignorant, the lazy and those steeped in darkness (tamas) will not proceed in this path. They are not capable of achieving the understanding of the wisdom of the principles. They don’t have wisdom or desire knowledge of liberation.
It is incumbent upon all those who take refuge in the Guru to do so with their body, mind and speech.
Seva (selfless service as an expression of love) to the Guru, Puja, aaradhana is a disciple’s sadhana. Giving pleasure to the Guru is your sadhana, your worship.
Whoever is able to do atma samarpan (surrender of his or her own soul in equilibrium) to the Sri Guru’s Feet – giving up all their attachment – this is samadhi and siddhi (attainment of perfection). This is the path of the Guru.
The Guru is not a human being. The Guru is the Supreme Divinity made manifest. Because of this, we cannot look at our Guru as just a human being. This Guru principle is united with all pure qualities, beautiful attributes, the greatness of all purity. This is the authority that comes through the Guru.
If you can perceive these qualities in your Guru, you will not think of your Guru as a mere human being. The Guru is Bhagavan (Supreme Divinity).
All the qualities and all the attitudes, all the energies and all that is Infinite or eternal, all the wisdom that is inculcated – all these qualities are only reflected in God. That Godliness is reflected in the Guru. So we should not think of the Guru as a human being. We would think of the Guru as the emblem or representative of Supreme Divinity.
Where there is atma samarpan, the disciple becomes a mirror and there is union between Guru and disciple in a great radiant light. When there is a transfer of energy from Guru to disciple and surrender, there is a light that is incomparable to anything you can see with worldly eyes.
Trailinga Swami once locked himself in His room for three days. His disciple was very worried and wanted to see Swamiji. He went to the door and banged and banged and banged. Trailinga Swamiji said ‘Who are you?”
The disciple was full of his own ego self, and replied, “I am so and so”. He felt he was a real disciple, but he was not at that moment. There was no response from within. On the second day, the disciple went again and banged on the door and received the same question. Again he answered, “I am so and so”. Nothing happened. On third day, the disciple thought deeply and cried, “Why is the Guru doing this to me?”
Again he knocked on the door with reverence. Trailinga Swami asked, “Who are you?” The disciple replied, “You.” Trailinga Swamji opened the door.
The Guru-disciple relationship is very subtle. Atma samarpan has become a big market nowadays. The relationship between Guru and Disciple is truth. A truthful relationship means surrender. You will get everything with surrender.
Where is the individual form of God? Ishwara, God, the Supreme Soul, is everywhere, in every place. He is in the gross body, the subtle body, the modifications of the mind and unmanifest as well. How can the individual wearing a body grasp Supreme Divinity, find Him, touch Him with sensory knowledge? With our current perception, this is a very difficult issue.
There is a solution to this issue in Hindu Dharma. Scriptures say that He who understands Supreme Divinity, becomes Supreme Divinity. Who has refined the discipline of sadhana, becomes united with all the tendencies of sadhana, he understands the nature of the Supreme Divinity. That individual becomes a representative of Supreme Divinity.
A great example of that is Swamiji!!! This moment Swamiji does not need sadhana. He can go to the Himalayas and be by Himself. But to show the world, He is doing sadhana.
We are born, we learn how to walk, first we learn from our parents – how to walk, how to eat – step by step, our whole life is sadhana. In childhood we are learning how to be human. Now we are learning how to be with the soul. Without sadhana, we will never know.
The Supreme Divinity, the teacher, and the yogi who has attained divinity are all one.
The Yogi is actually a murti – the perceivable form of Supreme Divinity. All the true qualities of a Yogi are illuminated in reality.
We believe that according to the needs of the age, God Himself comes in an embodied form. That Supreme Divinity which is Infinite beyond conception takes a human form and takes birth in the mortal world.
He is undefeatable and that is the Supreme Divinity manifested amongst all the elements of existence.
When we do surrender our soul in equilibrium (atma samarpana), we receive Diksha. The first chapter of this experience is to receive a mantra in the ear, but that is only the first chapter. Om