n_ramya108: Om Sang saraswatyai Namaha!
srini_sadhu: Om Sang Saraswatyai Namaha!
kaliananda_saraswati: Om Sang saraswatyai Namaha!
Rick Veda: Om Sang Saraswatyai namaha!~
Henny: om sang saraswatyai namaha!
srini_sadhu: Jai Maa ! Wonderful to hear you all
Henny: And you! Happy to be here and that it all works!
kaliananda_saraswati: Jai Maa!
n_ramya108: We have 5 more minutes.maybe we can do quick intros?
n_ramya108: i am ramya and grew up in India and now we stay in california.Excited about this class!
srini_sadhu: I am Srini and I live in Devi Mandir. Its exciting
kaliananda_saraswati: i am kaliananda and live in Barbados. Excited to be with you all today.
Henny: My name is Henny and I can't believe I can talk to you while sitting behind my computer in Amsterdam. It is a blessing, truly.
Rick Veda: I am Rick and I live in Stockton, California (about 2 hours from Devi Mandir). Delighted to be here.
Alan: I'm also from California. Glad to be on the chat with you all.
n_ramya108: Maa says we are a Universal Family -- and we can feel it already!
mani manjali: I'm from the bay area in California.
srini_sadhu: Om Sang Saraswatyai Namaha
srini_sadhu: The Class will begin now. Jai Maa!
Rick Veda: Jai Maa!
srini_sadhu: This class is about Goal setting
srini_sadhu: Maa and Swamiji have frequently reminded me about the importance of goal setting.
srini_sadhu: In this class we would like to cover 5 topics.
srini_sadhu: The way it will be easiest is if I write about a topic first. Is that OK?
Henny: Fine
kaliananda_saraswati: Yes.
Alan: Yes
srini_sadhu: And then open it for discussion. Then we will move on to the next topic.
mani manjali: yes
srini_sadhu: The five topics we will cover are: (a) What is a goal? (b) Why do we set goals? (c) How to set goals?
Latha Krishnamurthi: Jai Jai Maa
Rick Veda: Namaste Nanda
srini_sadhu: (d) Sankalpa and relating sankalpa to goals (e) Yama
srini_sadhu: Questions?
mani manjali: no niyama?
srini_sadhu: Probably not.
srini_sadhu: Ok. We will start with the first topic.
srini_sadhu: What is a Goal?
srini_sadhu: Our goals are what we value
srini_sadhu: What we value is our wealth
srini_sadhu: Some e.g.s of values: peace, money, career, love
srini_sadhu: The sanskrit word for goal is "lakshya"
srini_sadhu: The goddess of wealth is Lakshmi
srini_sadhu: Which is why She is also the Goddess of our goals, our values, our aspirations
srini_sadhu: Srim is the bija mantra for Lakshmi
srini_sadhu: Srim is made up of "sa" "ra" "i" "m"
srini_sadhu: sa means peace
srini_sadhu: ra means mind
srini_sadhu: i means heart or intuition
srini_sadhu: m means perfection
srini_sadhu: Srim = perfect peace in the mind and heart
srini_sadhu: Lakshmi's promise "Whoever will pursue their goals with peace, they will find wealth"
srini_sadhu: want to discuss now? What do you think Rik?
Rick Veda: I have been thinking about this since receiving your email
Rick Veda: To me a goal is more long term and a sankalpa is right now.
Rick Veda: Is that accurate?
srini_sadhu: Yes. We will talk about this in more detail later. Great point!
Alan: Regarding Lakshmi's promise, what does it mean to pursue a goal "with peace"?
srini_sadhu: Peace is something I value. For me it means equanimity. I define my goal and strive to achieve it with an attitude of equanimity
Rick Veda: Well stated.
srini_sadhu: Kali, Henny, Gary, are you OK?
Alan: Does it involve the idea that we are detached from whether we actually achieve the goal?
mani manjali: y
kaliananda_saraswati: yes. just taking in what is being said.
srini_sadhu: Alan - we want to set goals that will bring peace in our hearts and in our minds
srini_sadhu: That is the lesson for me from this!
srini_sadhu: We can pray to Lakshmi to help us in this!
Alan: Thanks.
Henny: yes, I am thinking about that part of the puja where it is said that by means of peace ignorance, violence and confusion are eradicated. That seems to be relevant to the pursuit of a goal.
srini_sadhu: Yes! Great way to think more deeply about what peace means! Thank you!
mani manjali: how peaceful is it to tear apart our delusion?
kaliananda_saraswati: well said.
Rick Veda: Her activity results in my peace.
srini_sadhu: We strive to maintain peace within - as much we can - as we go about acheiving our goals. This brings us to "why we set goals?"
mani manjali: k
Henny: because otherwise we don't move at all. You have to know the direction
srini_sadhu: Yes -- Henny -- Goals bring more clarity, focus and meaning in our lives.
srini_sadhu: Swamiji once said that the quality of our life depends upon the quality of our goals.
srini_sadhu: The quality of our present-moment is improved if we have a well-considered goal. does this make sense so far?
Rick Veda: Very much sense
kaliananda_saraswati: yes, thank you.
srini_sadhu: Swamiji says that we should do prana prathishta to our goals -- see them, breath life into them -- everyday. It reminds us of our goal and gives focus to each day.
Henny: I like that idea very much. Never thought about it like that
srini_sadhu: So the second lesson we get is -- We set goals so as to inspire us to do better each moment -- They make our present moment more fulfilling
srini_sadhu: It is all about the present moment
srini_sadhu: A clear goal makes the present moment clear and the path clear.
srini_sadhu: How do we set goals? Please share.
Rick Veda: Look at where I am compared to where I want to be and make a plan how to get there.
srini_sadhu: How do you figure out where you want to be?
Henny: We get inspiration from our examples, the people we want to be like
Rick Veda: For me, that is where Maa comes in.
srini_sadhu: Jai Maa!
Henny: Jai Maa!
kaliananda_saraswati: by looking at a place where we would like to be an emulating a person or path that would take us to that point.
srini_sadhu: I asked Swamiji how to find the purpose of one's life
srini_sadhu: He said, (a) you can travel around the world and learn and this will give you an idea
srini_sadhu: (b) As you all said, look and learn from some one who inspires you and use this inpiration to define goals
srini_sadhu: (c) Dream
srini_sadhu: Alan, Mani, Nanda discussion?
Alan: There has already been enough said in this conversation to keep me thinking until next week's class!
Henny: For me, the problem is that you have to think of the tiny which can take you there. And I find that difficult
Henny: oops, I deleted 'steps'
Latha Krishnamurthi: Thank you - this is a lot of food for thought. Well presented.
Alan: Are we talking about one or two overarching goals, or are we talkign about many little goals for the detailed aspects of one's life?
srini_sadhu: Personally, I like to start with overarching goals and then look at how to get there
kaliananda_saraswati: Though we know the path we would like to take and performing daily sadhana at times so much comes into the day to day world that we tend to forget the preciousness of the moment. How can we keep on tract?
Rick Veda: Steps can be confusing. I try to focus only on what is the next step. Then the next one will come to me, etc.
Henny: but how do you know the next step?
Rick Veda: If my goal is to go north, I may have to rule out east, south and west to find it.
srini_sadhu: Good point
Henny: Very good!!!Thank you Rick, that really helps
srini_sadhu: Swamiji said one thing to us that could be relevant here
srini_sadhu: To start with He said, think about what is your ideal lifestyle
srini_sadhu: Then try to think what we need to get there
srini_sadhu: Any one else?
Alan: If a clear goal means a clear path, if we're not sure what the path is, does it maybe mean we need to clarify our goal?
srini_sadhu: I would say think about the goal first. It really helps me to not to think about the path or the obstacles etc.
n_ramya108: my understanding in defining goals also is that they need to be concrete -- At least the way Swamiji talked about them.
n_ramya108: Concrete in the outside world -- He said once try to think of what skills you have and how you can contribute to the world.
n_ramya108: We want to make a contribution -- and be peaceful. Alan, as you say the more we can have clarity in our goal definition, easier to take steps to reach it
Rick Veda: If I can clearly see the goal, I need to do whatever it takes to get closer to it. That is the next step.
srini_sadhu: The next step is Sankalpa
srini_sadhu: Point # 1 We need Goals.
srini_sadhu: Point # 2 We need goals because they omprove the clarity and focus in our life
srini_sadhu: Point # 3: When we set goals, we sghould set goals that will bring us peace in our hearts and minds
srini_sadhu: To achieve goals, we need take a sankalpa
srini_sadhu: Any one want to define Sankalpa
Alan: A vow to do something specific.
srini_sadhu: Great
srini_sadhu: Any one else?
Latha Krishnamurthi: kalpa - idea ; san - all together
srini_sadhu: Excellent
Henny: a bringing together of all your energies to reach a particular goal
Latha Krishnamurthi: we get all our ideas focussed on one big idea - sankalpa
Rick Veda: great definition!
srini_sadhu: Swamiji defines it as the strength of willpower to obtain our goals
n_ramya108: how do we get that strength?
srini_sadhu: People?
Henny: Pray
srini_sadhu: I bow to You
Rick Veda: It has to be Maa's strength working through me. Her strength comes from sadhana for me.
Alan: Association with sadhus.
kaliananda_saraswati: constancy
srini_sadhu: At the Fire a few days ago, Swamiji said that the two most important slokams for sankalpa shakti are Siva Sankalpa Stotram and Sadhana Panchakam
n_ramya108: Thank's Rik and Henny! Seems like we need a sankalpa to start praying - and then that helps us to get more strength to pray more, to love more, to live more!
srini_sadhu: I want to discuss Lord Siva a little bit now
srini_sadhu: Why do we pray to Lord Siva for Sankalpa Sakti?
Alan: Because Shiva is together with Lakshmi?
srini_sadhu: Shiva is the Lord of Sankalpa – nothing deflects Shiva from his path. Shiva gives us the strength to attach ourselves to the sustaining value of life, the values that will stay with us through eternity.
srini_sadhu: Shiva Sankalpa Stotram is aPrayer to Lord Shiva to give you strength and focus to reach our goals
Rick Veda: I like to think that since Maa adores Shiva, when we worship him she is moved to grant us her shakti.
srini_sadhu: It has 26 verses. SWamiji has chanted it and the audio file with translation is on the web site
srini_sadhu: Thats nice Rik
n_ramya108: How do we know what sankalpa to take? What tiny steps as Henny said?
srini_sadhu: Let us look at some examples. Please share examples
srini_sadhu: My example:
srini_sadhu: Goal: I want to get asan siddhi. This means sit witout moving my knees for three hours
srini_sadhu: Path: Practice badha kona asana and keep track of sitting time and increase it little by little.
srini_sadhu: My Sankalpa: Do badha kona asana for 10 mins every day. Start with sitting in asana 30 mins and increase 5 mins every week/month.
srini_sadhu: Would others give examples of goals and sankalpa to flesh this idea out
Latha Krishnamurthi: i like how you have tied it all together in one example - the Goal, the Path and the Sankalpa
srini_sadhu: Thanks!
kaliananda_saraswati: Srini may i ask a question here. Let's say your goal was devotion? What would be your path?
srini_sadhu: The first step of devotion in Tulsidas Ramayana is Satsanga. Hang out with Saints
srini_sadhu: Next Read stories about Saints and Gods. There are nine steps
srini_sadhu: So you take a sankalpa about how much of your time you give to spending in satsangha and it will grow
srini_sadhu: Any one else want to share about Goals and sankalpa
Rick Veda: If my goal is to master Durga Puja, then my first sankalpa could be to learn her mantras (bija, gayatri, etc.) thoroughly.
kaliananda_saraswati: Thanks.
srini_sadhu: If your goal is love Goddess Durga, your path is to do Durga Puja and Sankalpa is to Do Durga Puja every day
Alan: Is a sankalpa involved in our being together regularly each weekend for the next couple of months in order to learn these things?
srini_sadhu: Or your Sankalpa is look at her Image and meditate on Her form for ten minutes everyday.
srini_sadhu: Yes! Yes! Yes!
Henny: Pray
n_ramya108: Yes Alan - Maa says that we should do each action in a conscious way with a sankalpa.
srini_sadhu: We have another five minutes, so I wnt to talk about Yama, the last topic
srini_sadhu: I just talked to Swamiji about Yama just before the class.
srini_sadhu: He said Yam means to take control.
srini_sadhu: The Yoga Sutras give five aspects of Yam and Devi Gita gives ten
srini_sadhu: In yoga sutras, there are 5 Yamas – Causing no harm to others (Ahimsa), Truthfulness (satya), Not coveting things of the world (asteya), Sacred study (Brahmacharya), controlling greed (aparigraha).
srini_sadhu: Swamiji says thinking about the Yamas help us define the criteria we can use to define the lifestyle we aspire for
srini_sadhu: For example, if aparigraha or absence of greed is important, then maybe we should not start a business
srini_sadhu: Discussion?
Alan: Are the yamas themselves goals?
Henny: so we can use the yamas to hold our goals to the light and see if they will bring us peace and can be achieved with peace?
srini_sadhu: I asked Swamiji this, Alan.
srini_sadhu: He said it is true that Yamas are goals. But it is better to think of them as criteria to use to choose a lifestyle.
srini_sadhu: I agree with Henny.
srini_sadhu: This has been a great discussion. But we are out of time.
srini_sadhu: Final thoughts?
Rick Veda: Thank you so much Srini and Ranya!
Latha Krishnamurthi: Jai Maa - thank you
Alan: Many thanks! Looking forward to the next class.
srini_sadhu: We will be continuing this discussion on the yahoo club through the week
Henny: thank you very much
srini_sadhu: Please do participate actively
kaliananda_saraswati: Thanks much.
srini_sadhu: Thank You! Jai Maa!
Rick Veda: Jai Maa!
srini_sadhu: Om Sang Saraswatyai Namaha!
Henny: Om Sang Saraswatyai Namaha!
mani manjali: thank you all