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
Temple of Divine Mother
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
The Jyotirlingams are among the most revered holy places for the worship of Lord Shiva. The twelve Jyotirlingams are:
Somanatham, Mallikarjunam, Mahakalam, Omkareswaram, Kedaranatham, Bhimasankaram, Visveswaram, Tryambakam, Baijanatham, Nageswaram, Ramesvaram and Ghusmesvaram.
~~OM~~
This Week Last Week Archive Previous Page
November 4 – November 10
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
November 11 – November 17
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
November 18 – November 24
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Before Becoming This
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
November 25 – December 1
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
December 2 – December 8
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
December 9 – December 15
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
Question: What does a person do who doesn’t have a purpose?
Swamiji: I suggest that a person without a purpose better find one. Without a purpose it is difficult to have a meaningful life. How can you accomplish anything if you don’t know what your purpose is? We need to find a goal that would be worthy of our commitment.
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
December 16 – December 22
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
Maa says to us. “Ok, kids go out and play in this world.” What is the fault of the mind? If she is compassionate to us, then She’ll bring our minds back to Her. Then we find liberation from all these worldly thoughts, and we keep our minds at the Lotus Feet of the Divine.
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
In the Sundar Kanda of the Ramayan, Tulasidas wrote a beautiful verse:
“Dear one, take all the pleasure between heaven and earth and count them as one. As great a delight as that might be, it can’t possibly be as enjoyable as satsanga.”
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
December 23 – December 29
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
~~OM~~
This Week Last Week Archive Previous Page Archive Next Page
September 2 – September 8
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Before Becoming This
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and The Goddess
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
September 9 – September 15
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
September 16 – September 22
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
September 23 – September 29
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
September 30 – October 6
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
October 7 – October 13
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
At the same point in his puja every day, and at a different time of day while his eyes were closed and he was performing meditaion and doing japa (reciting the mantra of the deity), a man dressed in orange clothes with an orange turban wrapped on his head went up to Swamiji and put a mala (garland of flowers) around his neck and smeared his forehead with ashes. I witnessed this daily for nine consecutive days. On the last day, Swamiji started his puja while the doors were still locked. And yet, even with the doors bolted shut, the same man still came and placed a garland around Swamiji’s neck and smeared his forehead with ashes.
After we left the temple and headed back to our rooms that last morning, Shree Maa turned to us and said, “Did you see that man who put ashes on Swamiji’s forehead and put a mala around his neck?”
“Yes,” we replied.
“That man was Shiva.”
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
October 14 – October 20
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Before Becoming This
Question: Does the Guru have a responsibility to her/his disciple.
Answer: Of Course. If the Guru gives a disciple initiation, it is a big responsibility. You have to take care of the disciple for many lifetimes.
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
October 21 – October 27
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
October 28 – November 3
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Gems of Wisdom
Question: How do you feel about debt?
Answer: We are seeking freedom. When you incur debt, what you are saying is, “I am going enjoy today and pay tomorrow.” So you are obligating your self tomorrow for today’s pleasure. We would say that’s not a good idea from a spiritual point of view. If you encumber yourself for tomorrow, then you won’t be free today. You have obligated yourself to spend time working in the marketplace in order to pay for yesterday’s enjoyments. You are borrowing karma.
– from Before Becoming This
Answer: Absolutely. You have to go work to do what you don’t want to do to pay off what you enjoyed yesterday.
– from Before Becoming This
Response: Not necessarily. You might create a different standard of life and spend less time working. Then you would work for God instead, and whatever you need will come to you.
– from Before Becoming This
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
Narayana gives the divisions of time from the minutest, namely the Lava to the duration of Brahma’s life (or a period of 36,000 days and nights, each of 8,640,000,000 human years duration).…read more
~~OM~~
This Week Last Week Archive Previous Page Archive Next Page
July 1 – July 7
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Etrnal Bliss
– from Before Becoming This
– from Gems of Wisdom
Question to Shree Maa: What’s your reason for coming to the United States?
This whole universe is mine. Where God sends me, that is where I go. For you, this is the United States. For me it is not the United States. For me, it is home.
– from Before Becoming This
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
July 8 – July 14
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
July 15 – July 21
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Before Becoming This
July 22 – July 28
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from The Guru and the Goddess
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from The Gurur and the Goddess
Question to Shree Maa: Is praying to you the same as praying to God?
Yes. There is no doubt about that. The love of the Guru is the same as the love of God. Both are free of selfishness. Any time you pray without selfishness, all that is divine will respond.
– from Before Becoming This
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Bliss
July 29 – August 4
– from Gems of Wisdom
Question to Shree Maa: What about someone who reads this book or comes to see you at a program and really wants to know God?
Answer: Most people are just curious. They come see me to enjoy themselves. Of five thousand people, maybe one soul is touched and feels the desire to change.
– from Before Becoming This
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Life of the Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of the Saint
August 5 – August 11
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and The Goddess
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
From the story of Sukdeva, as told by Shree Maa
“Even if you go into the forest with one stick, one asana and one begging bowl, if you maintain attachment, you will constantly be thinking about your possessions. Whereas if you are free from attachment you can rule a country as vast as Mithila and your mind will never be disturbed.”
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Before Becoming This
August 12 – August 18
– from Gems of Wisdom
I replied without hesitation, When you can do puja as perfectly as Swamiji, I will be pleased to take you with me.
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2:23
August 19 – August 25
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
Question to Shree Maa: “Before coming into this life time, do we decide who we are going to have as a partner?”
Shree Maa: “I believe we do, but it looks like they don’t believe that in this country. They think they choose their partners. But ultimately God does.”
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Gems of Wisdom
August 26 – September 1
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
~~OM~~
This Week Last Week Archive Previous Page Archive Next Page
May 6 – May 12
– from Shree Maa The Life of a Saint
– from Chandi Path
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Before Becoming This
– from The Guru and the Goddess
– from The Guru and the Goddess
– from The Guru and the Goddess
May 13 – May 19
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Before Becoming This
– from Sahib Sadhu The White Sadhu
– Shree Maa The Life of a Saint
– Ramakrishna The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– Ramakrishna The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
May 20 – May 26
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Sahib Sadhu The White Sadhu
– from The Guru and the Goddess
– from The Guru and the Goddess
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
May 27 – June 2
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
It is possible to receive injury or put yourself at a disadvantaged position, if you pronounce incorrectly or say the wrong thing.
We consider such statements as absurd and useless, tantamount to saying, Unless I direct your prayer, it is of know value at all, or it is not a real prayer unless I lead it. It is absolutely ridiculous to think that God would not appreciate the sincerity of our efforts, even though we may make technical errors. – Swamiji
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Gems of Wisdom
– Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
June 3 – June 9
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Before Becoming This
– from The Guru and The Goddess
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
June 10 – June 16
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Before Becoming This
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
June 17 – June 23
– from The Guru and The Goddess
– from The Guru and The Goddess
– from The Guru and The Goddess
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Before Becoming This
June 24 – June 30
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Before Becoming This
Question to Swamiji: What is the fastest way to enlightenment?
As soon as we talk about speed in getting to a destination, we are defining the destination as an attainment. Enlightenment is not an attainment. It is something tangible that you can possess. Enlightenment is a realization in the moment. So the fastest way to enlightenment that I can suggest is to fall in love to the exclusion of all delusion. To fall in love – right now with such force and conviction that you surrender all duality and all attachments to your beloved. Make that love the supreme love of all your loves.
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
Shree Maa:
I saw a vision of Swamiji coming down from heaven. His two hands were raised in a blessing, and he was chanting the Devi Suktam from the Chandi. He floated down through the air and went before the Shiva statue, and then merged into this idol of worship. On seeing this, I knew he was a divine man and that we must have some important karma together.
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
Day Ruled By
Sunday Sun, Surya
Monday Moon, Chandra
Tuesday Mars, Mangala
Wednesday Mercury, Buddha
Thursday Jupiter, Brihaspati, Guru
Friday Venus, Shukra
Saturday Saturn, Shani
The Sadhana Panchakam is a Sanskrit stotram containing five verses in praise of spiritual discipline (sadhana), authored by Sri Shankaracharya. The Panchakam is located at the beginning of the Advanced Shiva Puja book.
~~OM~~
This Week Last Week Archive Previous Page Archive Next Page
March 4 – March 10
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Before Becoming This
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Gems of Wisdom
Devotee: You mean we can do the work of the world and also contemplate God?
Ramakrishna: Yes, you will do them both. You have to perform the work of the world, but from time to time go into solitude and pray that you can perform those activities without personal desire. Then you will say, “Hey, God, reduce my worldly desires because when I see that there is so much work in front of me, I forget you. I think that I am acting selflessly, but I actually have lots of desires.” If you are pursuing name, gain, and fame, you cannot be free from desire.
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
March 11 – March 17
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Before Becoming This
March 18 – March 24
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Before Becoming This
How can someone who reads this book or sees you once a year at one of your programs have a relationship with you?
Shree Maa gave me a piercing look and said, “If they call for me sincerely in their heart, I will know.” Then she paused for a second and said, “I am the mother of the universe. I am with everyone.”
– from Before Becoming This
March 25 – March 31
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Gems of Wisdom
– Before Becoming This
Over eight hundred years ago there was a great Tibetan Monk named Milarepa. He realized the ultimate goal of existence after performing severe spiritual practices.
Milarepa writes: In horror of death, I took to the mountains – again and again I meditated on the uncertainty of the hour of death, capturing the fortress of the deathless unending nature of mind. Now all fear of death is over and done.
In the same light as Milarepa, Swamiji has taken this quote and interpreted it according to his ideal of perfection. For me, this is just one more example of the greatness of Swamiji’s attainment.
Swamiji writes: In honor of life, I took to the mountains—again and again I meditated upon the bliss of being and humankind’s inherent ability to perceive it. Then I captured that imperishable essence, and now all fear has vanished. – Swamiji
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
– from Gems of Wisdom
April 1 – April 7
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Before Becoming This
– from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu
April 8 – April 14
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Before Becoming This
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
April 15 – April 21
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
Why do you consider Human birth the highest birth?
Answer: Humanity has the capacity to reason. Humans have the capacity to dedicate their minds to the contemplation of whatever their desired objective is. In so doing, they can perform sadhana and realize their total potential.
– from Before Becoming This
April 22 – April 28
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
– from Gems of Wisdom
Swamiji describing Shree Maa:
Shree Maa does not have selfish bone in her body. She walks on the grass in such a way it seems the grass bows when it is stepped on. She has so much humility you might not notice her if she were sitting in a crowd. She carries herself with such poise and such grace that she makes herself diminutive. I think her attitudes, her service, her love, her guidance, her wisdom, her joy, her light, her music, her cooking are all directed towards making this universe a better place. Every activity she performs on Earth is directed towards lifting someone else up. She is constantly thinking of others and never thinking of herself.
– from Before Becoming This
– from Before Becoming This
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
April 29 – May 5
– from Gems of Wisdom
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
– from Ramakrishna The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
– from The Guru and the Goddess
– from Shree Maa The Life of a Saint
– from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
Why do you consider Human birth the highest birth?
Humanity has the capacity to reason. Humans have the capacity to dedicate their minds to the contemplation of whatever their desired objective is. In so doing, they can perform sadhana and realize their total potential.
– from Before Becoming This
Mrikand Muni, Markandeya’s father performed tremendous austerities to get a son from Shiva. After some time Lord Shiva appeared to him and asked him what boon he wanted. Mrikand Muni told Shiva that he wanted a son.…read more
Guru: The syllable Gu means darkness, Ru means light. The Supreme Divinity which destroys ignorance is verily the Guru, without a doubt.
The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is Lord Mahesvara. The Guru is actually the Supreme Divinity, and all other expressions are links in the chain which bring us close to that realization.…read more
“The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is Lord Shiva, Maheswara” has many interpretations and many levels of meaning.
It means that my Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Your Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. …read more
~~OM~~ June 12 – June 18 Become so firm in your faith that you will never swerve from your ideal. – from Gems of Wisdom Ramakrishna: You may discriminate a thousand times, yet the I who is the thinker does not leave. For devotees to regard me with devotion is a very good thing. To […]