We have just completed week 4 of the sankalpa and as a group we are at nearly a half million repetitions! A few new folks joined us this week and we hope for more to join in our heartfelt efforts to pray to Her to terminate all disturbances and rid us of hostility..

Here is a moving account from one of our participants, Wendy about how this sankalpa is already beginning to change her life and that of her son Sam.

"My first encounter with Shree Maa and Swamiji was last month, when my Gita study class was invited to visit the Devi Mandir. Before I left, I "signed on" to complete the Peace Sankalpa, and nothing has been the same since.

Once home, I started my recitations, sometimes silently and sometimes aloud. After a week or so, my 17 year old son started to imitate me – only he was saying sarvaa bgjklfda plkdj mdnkjm. In other words, he sounded out the first word and then just mumbled the rest. So I asked him if he wanted to learn the mantra, to which he responded enthusiastically -- yes. He memorized it, and the English translation, in less than 5 minutes. He was quickly able to recite it quite fast and clear. This might not seem that remarkable, however, my son is autistic. He is fairly high functioning, and has pretty good language skills, but I can assure you there is no way that I can get him to recite anything that he doesn't want to. I know, because I have tried!!

He now says the mantra every morning upon rising, and it is the last thing he says as he falls asleep at night. I have suggested that he pay attention, and if he hears it in his head, to let it come through naturally. I also suggested that, if he is moved to do so, he can say it before his meals. If this continues to grow, I am going to get him a hand counter so he can keep track of how many he says each day. That is something I think he might like.

Last month, Swamiji blessed him with the gift of a rudraksha bead for healing, which he happily (and seriously) wears around his neck all the time. He never stops talking about Maa. He listens to her sing, he wants to cook the recipes from her cookbook, sometimes he will sit next to me at the computer for the beginning of the Gita classes, and he keeps their picture in his room. Something magical is happening in my home, and to my son.

Last night, in Gita class, Swamiji answered my question about "those with small intelligence" and their ability to reach God. (Ch.7, v.23). He said that those with limited mental capacity often have a pureness about them that allows them to see/know things more easily than the rest of us, due in part, to not having the same distractions the rest of us deal with every day. And yes, they can reach God. (This is my feeble paraphrasing – forgive me for not properly quoting Swamiji).

My son is a very pure spirit, only seeing the good in others,assuming everyone loves him as much as he loves everyone, and now, he has connected to the loving energy of Maa. He has actually said to me – "Maa can see my soul all the way from California. I know she loves me."

He is so blessed. I am so blessed. We are all so blessed. Jai Maa "