Photo of the week of Feb 25 – Mar 3 2007
(Taken on MahaShivaratri, Feb 15 2007 in front of Yajneshwar, at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
Check out our weekly blogs.
Temple of Divine Mother
Photo of the week of Feb 25 – Mar 3 2007
(Taken on MahaShivaratri, Feb 15 2007 in front of Yajneshwar, at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
Check out our weekly blogs.
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 […]
By Paul Logan, Journal Staff Writer
Friday, November 10, 2000
A woman many believe to be one of the rarest individuals on earth “a living saint” has come to Albuquerque to share her love.
Shree Maa, “the respected Holy Mother,” said Thursday she is here because “I love to see my family. The whole universe is my family.”
Draped in layers of orange, red, gold and yellow clothing with beads around her neck and wrists, the graying, middle-aged Hindu holy woman with a gentle voice is about 5-feet, 5 inches tall and less than 100 pounds.
Maa said she has been enlightened since her birth in Assam, the northeast corner of India. Having enlightenment includes experiencing pure love and comprehending truth.
Sitting cross-legged on a couch at a Northeast Heights home, Maa said she attended an international yogi conference in Texas and is returning by motor home to California. Her home is a modest trailer in the mountains, about a half hour outside of Napa.
Maa said she has been sent “to perform God’s work in this world.”
Maa spends about nine months each year traveling throughout the world to share her teachings.
Instead of attracting followers, she said wants to show people of all faiths how “to build temples in their hearts and in their minds.”
Her assistant, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, or Swamiji, said a person’s every action can change a house into a temple. By respecting one’s actions, a person is paying attention to what he or she is doing.
“So any action that we do without selfishness can be a form of worship,” Swamiji said. “We can make divine everything that we do.”
During the interview, some of Maa’s devotees were chanting scriptures in Sanskrit in another room. Nearby, a coffee table had been converted into an altar with pictures and symbols from the world’s great religions, including Jesus, Buddha and Mary as well as flowers of every color and candles.
Swamiji said Maa adheres to the famous Indian proverb: “Just as many as there are individuals, so many are there paths to God.”
He said her programs are open to everyone and called them “unique” because “she makes worship fun.”
Maa said she offers those who attend three things: pure love, accepting everyone for what they are; inspiration, meaning she motivates each person to help make them better; and appreciation, recognizing every effort a person makes.
She met the late Mother Teresa, who some Catholics considered a living saint, years ago in Calcutta. Maa said she wanted to see her “because she is my family, also … I love her.”
Maa’s message includes being true to one’s self because then a person is without fear. With a clear conscience, a person’s heart is silent. “That,” she said, “is peace.”
Also:
WHEN: Today, 7 p.m., at Futures For Children building, 9600 Tennyson NE (332-4146); Saturday, 1 p.m., the home of Al and Dianne Lopez, 900 Avenida Cielito NE (255-4169); and Sunday, 1 p.m., again at Futures For Children
WHAT: Programs of meditation, singing, storytelling on Friday and Sunday; fire ceremony on Saturday
HOW MUCH: Free and open to everyone
Interview with Shree Maa at Sedona in 2006.
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
Part 4. This is the story of the life of Trailinga Swami, an Indian Saint who did tremendous sadhana for over 250 years and attained to the heights of spiritual knowledge. Even during his life, many realized him to be an incarnation of Shiva. Shree Maa has had an intuitive sense of him for many years of her life, and would like to share this life with all of us as a source of inspiration for perseverance in our sadhana.
Part 3. This is the story of the life of Trailinga Swami, an Indian Saint who did tremendous sadhana for over 250 years and attained to the heights of spiritual knowledge. Even during his life, many realized him to be an incarnation of Shiva. Shree Maa has had an intuitive sense of him for many years of her life, and would like to share this life with all of us as a source of inspiration for perseverance in our sadhana.
Part 2. This is the story of the life of Trailinga Swami, an Indian Saint who did tremendous sadhana for over 250 years and attained to the heights of spiritual knowledge. Even during his life, many realized him to be an incarnation of Shiva. Shree Maa has had an intuitive sense of him for many years of her life, and would like to share this life with all of us as a source of inspiration for perseverance in our sadhana.
|
E-CONTACT To stay in touch with us… Would you like to receive our regular email updates? To write to us…
|
A day in the life of Shree Maa, as portrayed by a young photographer devotee.
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~~
Shree Maa’s Ashram is as big as your heart. Together with Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Shree Maa teaches the meaning and method of worship. Through the tantric traditions of prayer and meditation, Shree Maa and Swamiji teach that every home is a temple devoted to God. Shree Maa’s Ashram is home to a world of seekers devoted to the goal of self-realization.
The Guru is an example of inspired leadership and faultless karma. Wherever there is perfect union with God, perfect teaching, and perfect understanding, the Guru is present. Worship is karma performed with respectful attention, sincerity, and devotion.
Wisdom flows from the Guru to the student. The student learns to worship by learning to pay attention to the teachings of the Guru. Respect to the Guru is offered through paying attention. The student offers the highest respect when the student emulates the teachings of the Guru. Becoming one with the object of respect is the highest respect that anyone can offer. Therefore, the goal of the student is to follow the Guru’s example so closely that one cannot tell who the Guru is and who is the disciple.
The practice of concentrating attention is called meditation. The student new to the practice of meditation begins to understand that concentrating the attention is an all-inclusive process of daily living. Loving, being respectful, worshiping, serving, and paying attention increase the efficiency of our lives.
So many lives have been touched by Shree Maa and Swamiji. The following represents a small selection of testimonials from seekers around the world who have offered their stories and expressions of thanks to Shree Maa, Swamiji, and the Devi Mandir.
Part 1. This is the story of the life of Trailinga Swami, an Indian Saint who did tremendous sadhana for over 250 years and attained to the heights of spiritual knowledge. Even during his life, many realized him to be an incarnation of Shiva. Shree Maa has had an intuitive sense of him for many years of her life, and would like to share this life with all of us as a source of inspiration for perseverance in our sadhana.