The Generals of the Great Ego |
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Cosmic Altar | Das Mahavidyas | Dvadasa Jyotirlingams | Sadhana Panchakam | Yamas in Devi Gita | |
Chandi Path: Generals of the Great Ego 7
The Generals of the Great Ego |
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Cosmic Altar | Das Mahavidyas | Dvadasa Jyotirlingams | Sadhana Panchakam | Yamas in Devi Gita | |
Shree Maa blesses us all with Her joy!
Photo of the week – Mar 4 – Mar 10 2007
(Picture taken early 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
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Devi Mandir: comes complete with the world’s best pujaris and sadhus!
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)
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Reflections on Sarva Badha Peace Sankalpa Mantra
{The answer to the question in the title is given in the Introduction of the Shiva Puja and Advanced Yajna book. Swamiji says "Cultivate the attitude of gratitude, and carry it with you throughout your daily activities.Only then will worship pervade our lives"}
Congratulations to Surya for completing the sankalpa ! He completed 111,111 recitations. Thank you Surya for blessing this universe with your sadhana. Surya had a few words to share on his experience, but first here is a Q&A with our beloved Swamiji.
Sadhu Maa had two questions on the meaning of the mantra.
Sadhu Maa asked : In the UPS mantra there is reference to "the three worlds". Will you please explain what is meant by "the three worlds"?
Swamiji says: The gross body, subtle body and causal body: what can be perceived through the senses, conceived in the mind, and known through intuition.
Sadhu Maa asked: When we say "and in like manner, remove from us all hostility", are we talking about hostility present in our subtle, vital and gross bodies?
Swamiji says: Yes, as well as all hostility within us, or directed to us, and ultimately all hostility from creation.
Here is what Maruthi had to say "I really feel blessed that Shree MAA gave us the opportunity to take part in the Universal Peace Sankalpa."
And here is Surya‘s sharing from this sankalpa – the feeling of what an honor and privilege it is to serve Her.
"I finished the 100,000 repetitions Monday night. I figured since it was Shiva’s Day (and Night) it would be an auspicious way to end, so I pushed it and did the last 4030 reps that day/night. Now I am just finishing another 11,111 so that I can have a total of 111,111–an auspicious Gauri Shankar number. Om Shiva Shakti Aikya Rupinyai Namah!
This sadhana has really changed me and my outlook on many things. Some shift definitely occured that night. I really felt a big change starting on Maha Shivaratri and this "sealed the deal", so to speak.
I decided that from now on, I am going to really apply myself to see everything in my life as a true and beautiful gift from the Goddess.
I am truly thankful for all these Blessings She has given me. My family, my partner, my kids and all that makes up my life. I gladly accept my karma and dharma and will work hard to live up to what is required of me.
I must admit that becoming a householder has been a very difficult road for me. In many ways I have fought it tooth and nail. But this was/is just silly. Everything is how it should be and I am very grateful for it.
We can always choose to look at our circumstances in many different ways. We can complain about our lot in life or we can see that it is all Her Will and be grateful for the Honor and Privilege of Serving Her, the Universe and Our Self in the way that She has chosen for us. She always knows what is Best for us and gives us Everything we need, even without us asking for it. So why not trust Her?
It is said that Life is what you make it. I firmly believe this. The grass isn’t greener anywhere else. So lets make Life a Celebration–a Truly Joyous Event. Lets revel in the Bliss. This is my ideal that I am going to do my utmost to embody each and every day."
Thanks Sadhu Maa for your questions, and to Maruthi and Surya for sharing your sentiments.
Here are the numbers for those of us that preferred to chant the mantra at the fire (Week ending March 4th 2007)
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Swamiji & Mandir Residents |
Priceless
|
Michael |
12960
|
Janitri |
4384
|
Mousumi |
10908
|
Total |
28,252
|
And for those of us that chanted without the fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Babu |
1296
|
Bharata |
46000
|
Bharati |
10800
|
Brendan |
3160
|
Carie |
1282
|
Chocatane |
19116
|
Chris K |
15228
|
Chris W |
19128
|
Debi |
70848
|
Donna |
21590
|
Durga |
5616
|
Egyirba |
8424
|
Eric |
46656
|
Gauri |
5832
|
Georgiann |
5762
|
Henny |
23112
|
Janitri |
11484
|
Jayadeva |
22140
|
Julia |
15810
|
Kalachandra |
15876
|
Kaliananda |
15984
|
Kamalaji |
19630
|
Kanda |
17280
|
Karen |
18000
|
Kathy |
15580
|
Marsha |
15552
|
Maruthi |
37000
|
Mausumi |
12852
|
Michael |
10800
|
Michele |
4792
|
Morningsong |
20520
|
Muktimaa |
11664
|
Nickolas |
1188
|
Nirmal |
5184
|
Nirmalananda |
11100
|
Nanda |
12015
|
Papia |
15120
|
Parvati |
6480
|
Patty |
18712
|
Prasana |
9568
|
Prathibha |
10617
|
Raghu |
19872
|
Rebeca |
16100
|
Rick Veda |
63180
|
Robin |
14200
|
Rolf |
15336
|
Rukmani |
6048
|
Sadhu Maa |
8670
|
Shubal |
12420
|
Sitara |
3464
|
Sundari |
19224
|
Shankari |
10476
|
Surya |
111111
|
Susan |
18900
|
Usha |
53136
|
Vasantha |
51000
|
Wendel |
15100
|
Wendy |
20844
|
Vinay |
2160
|
Visveshwar |
34236
|
Yogini |
51840
|
Total |
1,206,115
|
More Reflections on Sarva Badha Peace Sankalpa Mantra
There are several highlights to this week – we crossed our first million in japa , and then a phone conversation with Swamiji on the sankalpa.
He asked, "Have you watched the broadcasts before the evening program on weekdays? We have been chanting the peace sankalpa mantra, atleast 1 mala a day, but we dont count!"
"Oh you count alright Swamiji", I hastened to clarify ,"In fact you are like Florida, you count AND count ! You count a LOT !" (Readers will doubtless remember the election of 2000 in Florida, but we will not probe into those boring political details here !)
Anyway, having Swamiji and the Mandir residents join our sankalpa is beyond value! Our heartfelt thanks to Swamiji for adding momentum to our progress .
There was a beautiful post by our beloved Rick Veda, on this sankalpa . Here is what he had to say
"The Universal Peace Sankalpa has taken on a life of its own in me. One thought I had was that being the UPS, it always delivers the package, and always on time! But it has become universal in a much more profound way to me. It is the first thought I have when I awake, and it follows with me in every moment, every conversation, every interaction I have all through the day. It has become my universe. I am so grateful to Shree Maa for giving this great blessing to me. Although I have been chanting mantras for years, there is a wonderful difference with this sankalpa because the mantra is chanting itself through me.
Swamiji’s inspired translation likewise blesses my spirit. The two words that keep coming back into my awareness are "disturbances" and "hostility." I ask her to "terminate all disturbance in the three worlds." It always begins with a disturbance. If I am kept from becoming disturbed, I will not lose my connection with Maa. But if I allow disturbances into my thinking, they will take root and create hostility. I do not have to experience hostility. But it is inevitable if I nurture any disturbance.
Shree Maa is the Spirit of the Supreme Sovereign. I am so grateful to pray this mantra to her, and know the bliss of deliverance from all disturbances. By her grace I am experiencing more of this each day. "
Thank you for your beautiful and profound words , Rick – it struck a chord in my heart, and am sure resonates with our other participants too.
Our friend Chris from Tacoma, WA , agrees with Rick and says "I am amazed every time I sit down for my japa of this mantra how strong the shakti is and how connected t is to Mother."
Thanks to all for sharing in your numbers. Congratulations to Mausumi for completing 100 malas at the fire.
As of Feb 25, here are the totals for those of us that prefer to do the sankalpa at the fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Swamiji & Mandir Residents |
Priceless
|
Michael |
12960
|
Janitri |
4084
|
Mausumi |
10908
|
Total |
27,952
|
And below are the counts for those of us that do the sadhana without the fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Babu | 1296 |
Bharata | 39000 |
Bharati | 9450 |
Brendan | 2878 |
Carie | 919 |
Chocatane | 15660 |
Chris K | 13392 |
Chris W | 15481 |
Debi | 51948 |
Donna | 18790 |
Durga | 5616 |
Egyirba | 6048 |
Eric | 39204 |
Gauri | 5832 |
Georgiann | 4913 |
Henny | 20412 |
Janitri | 9684 |
Jayadeva | 19764 |
Julia | 15480 |
Kalachandra | 15876 |
Kaliananda | 13392 |
Kamalaji | 14040 |
Kanda | 15120 |
Karen | 16000 |
Kathy | 11044 |
Marsha | 12960 |
Maruthi | 30000 |
Mausumi | 11880 |
Michael | 10800 |
Michele | 4792 |
Morningsong | 17820 |
Muktimaa | 10800 |
Nirmal | 5184 |
Nirmalananda | 11100 |
Nanda | 12015 |
Papia | 15120 |
Parvati | 6480 |
Patty | 15944 |
Prasana | 9568 |
Prathibha | 10617 |
Raghu | 18036 |
Rebeca | 8100 |
Rick Veda | 53460 |
Robin | 12000 |
Rolf | 12312 |
Rukmani | 6048 |
Sadhu Maa | 7668 |
Shubal | 7884 |
Sitara | 2694 |
Sundari | 16200 |
Shankari | 8856 |
Surya | 95580 |
Susan | 17172 |
Usha | 42768 |
Vasantha | 34000 |
Wendel | 12300 |
Wendy | 20844 |
Vinay | 2160 |
Visveshwar | 31512 |
Yogini | 46440 |
Total | 1,022,353 |
MahaShivaratri Picture
Photo of the week of Feb 18 – Feb 24 2007
(Taken on MahaShivaratri, Feb 15 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)
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"A little burn is no reason to break one’s asana or sadhana…"
Week 6 of the Sankalpa has completed. Some of us are trying to keep up with this sankalpa AND balance a sadhana for Shivaratri AND with the demands that life puts in our way to test our sincerity and resolve in this sadhana!
Shivaratri – reminds me of a Swamiji story. Swamiji had gotten badly scorched at a fire ceremony several years ago, one that he never fully healed from. This Shivaratri, during the chanting of a text, he got more blisters on the same spot that he had been scorched, but to paraphrase his own inimitable words "a little burn is no reason to break one’s asana or sadhana"
May we all derive the inspiration from Swamiji’s sadhana to keep at our tapasya this year . May our minds be filled with that firm determination of Shiva, the Consciousness of Infinite Goodness.
Here is a photo taken at the Dharamshala at the Mandir, in early Jan 2007 – with our friends from New Jersey, learning to pronounce the mantra for this sankalpa. Guess who is who ?
As of Feb 18 2007, here are totals of those of us that prefer to do the sankalpa at the fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Michael | 12960 |
Janitri | 4084 |
Total | 17,044 |
and below are the counts for those of us that do the sadhana without a fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Babu | 1296 |
Bharata | 32000 |
Bharati | 8640 |
Brendan | 2150 |
Carie | 618 |
Chocatane | 13068 |
Chris K | 11448 |
Chris W | 12120 |
Debi | 36828 |
Donna | 15690 |
Durga | 4752 |
Egyirba | 6048 |
Eric | 32508 |
Gauri | 5832 |
Georgiann | 4117 |
Henny | 17496 |
Janitri | 7584 |
Jayadeva | 13824 |
Julia | 10860 |
Kalachandra | 9072 |
Kaliananda | 11988 |
Kamalaji | 9770 |
Kanda | 12960 |
Karen | 14000 |
Kathy | 11044 |
Marsha | 7884 |
Maruthi | 23000 |
Mausumi | 11880 |
Michael | 7884 |
Michele | 4218 |
Morningsong | 15120 |
Muktimaa | 9936 |
Nirmalananda | 9300 |
Nanda | 10115 |
Papia | 11880 |
Parvati | 6480 |
Patty | 13365 |
Prasana | 9568 |
Prathibha | 10617 |
Raghu | 15444 |
Rebeca | 8100 |
Rick Veda | 43740 |
Robin | 9900 |
Rolf | 10800 |
Rukmani | 6048 |
Sadhu Maa | 7668 |
Shubal | 7884 |
Sitara | 1124 |
Sundari | 11340 |
Shankari | 6048 |
Surya | 73224 |
Susan | 11664 |
Usha | 32724 |
Vasantha | 21000 |
Wendel | 10200 |
Wendy | 17712 |
Vinay | 2160 |
Visveshwar | 31512 |
Yogini | 35640 |
Total | 820,892 |
Peace Sankalpa 2007 Reflections
Welcome to the latest addition to our sankalpa group – Brendan from Massachusetts. Congratulations to Michael for completing his sankalpa at the fire.
Thanks to our participants Shankari Kali and Henny for sharing their progress on the sankalpa. Here is what Shankari Kali has to say
"I have noticed that since I started the peace sankalpa, I have developed more
discipline. This has affected many areas of my life. I could never stick with
anything. My weight was spiralling out of control, and my health was
deteriorating. By requiring myself to say this daily as many times as I could
muster, I even noticed that I had more energy. I have since developed a daily
exercise program.
I have been saying at least two malas of Om Namah Shivaya everyday along with other mantras. I have never had this much energy or desire to meditate."
And here is what Henny has to say
"The first week, I embarked upon daily chanting as one more task to be done and my chanting was very much directed outwards. I was chanting to someone ‘out here’, and in fact the volume was loud enough to be heard by the neighbours, I think. And I was very conscious of myself sitting there, chanting, and there was a feeling of ‘wanting to get the job done’.
Then one afternoon (early morning in California), I tuned into the live broadcast from the Devi Mandir, and I heard a Devi Mandir sadhu doing japa very, very quietly, tenderly and with great patience, and just listening to that voice made me realize what I had been doing. So, the next time I sat down for japa, I ‘listened’ to the memory of that voice in my mind, and that made me more centered and quiet, and then I began my chanting.
Gradually, over the next few days, I was gently drawn inside to the Presence listening within. And my chanting followed and it has become much more subtle, softer, and also much more peaceful. And now, when the mantra has taken me to that inner place where She listens, I forget to think about myself as one who chants, and chanting goes on inside of its own accord. Now, it is no longer a task to be accomplished, but an opportunity to enter into the Presence more and more, and something to look forward to. "
In the words of Swamiji, "We are trying to give ourselves the privilege of loving passionately"
As of Feb 11 2007, here are totals of those of us that prefer to do the sankalpa at the fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Michael | 12960 |
Janitri | 4084 |
Total | 17,044 |
and below are the counts for those of us that do the sadhana without a fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Babu | 1296 |
Bharata | 25000 |
Bharati | 8424 |
Brendan | 2150 |
Carie | 360 |
Chocatane | 10260 |
Chris K | 9180 |
Chris W | 9351 |
Debi | 26676 |
Donna | 12190 |
Durga | 2808 |
Egyirba | 6048 |
Eric | 27108 |
Gauri | 5400 |
Georgiann | 2591 |
Henny | 15120 |
Janitri | 5316 |
Jayadeva | 11664 |
Julia | 10860 |
Kalachandra | 9072 |
Kaliananda | 10368 |
Kamalaji | 9770 |
Kanda | 10800 |
Karen | 12000 |
Kathy | 8776 |
Marsha | 7884 |
Maruthi | 20000 |
Mausumi | 9720 |
Michael | 7884 |
Michele | 3370 |
Morningsong | 12420 |
Muktimaa | 9288 |
Nirmalananda | 5300 |
Nanda | 9115 |
Papia | 11880 |
Parvati | 4320 |
Patty | 11388 |
Prasana | 9568 |
Prathibha | 10617 |
Raghu | 13284 |
Rebeca | 8100 |
Rick Veda | 34020 |
Robin | 7800 |
Rolf | 6264 |
Rukmani | 6048 |
Sadhu Maa | 6804 |
Sadhvi | 25600 |
Shubal | 5616 |
Sitara | 1124 |
Sundari | 11340 |
Shankari | 3780 |
Surya | 73224 |
Susan | 8532 |
Usha | 26136 |
Vasantha | 11000 |
Wendel | 7200 |
Wendy | 15444 |
Vinay | 2160 |
Visveshwar | 24732 |
Yogini | 25920 |
Total | 709,470 |
Dvadasa Jyotirlingams Slideshow
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.
Prathamam Sailaputri Cha
{ NOTE – If you are wondering about the title "Prathamam Sailaputri Cha", it means "First is the Goddess of Inspiration" and refers to the first of the Navadurgas. To know more about the Navadurgas, please read the Cosmic Puja or Chandi Path (the verse is in the Armor of the Goddess)}
The sankalpa has touched the participants in many many ways. It prompted Vishweshwar, a disciple of Shree Maa to reach out and ask each participant to spread the word and get more people to sign up. Like ever spreading ripples caused by throwing a single pebble into a lake, just one inspiration from Shree Maa has us doing more, and getting the word out to more people. It was also heartwarming to see two fairly "new" additions to the Mandir family, Prathibha and Prasana, energetically share their enthusiasm for the sankalpa with others that had gathered at the Mandir on Sunday. Prathibha, in the true spirit of motivating another, even gifted her friend with her own recently acquired hand tally counter to demonstrate how easy it was to keep adding mantras chanted in random free moments.
First Maa gives us an idea, and then Her beautiful family give it the momentum. May this positive energy continue to generate and bless Mother Earth !
As a group we have crossed 320,000 repetitions of japa and over 9000 at the fire. Here are the numbers as of the week ending 28th Jan 2007.
This is the total for those that preferred to do their sadhana at the fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Michael | 6372 |
Janitri | 3024 |
Total | 9,396 |
and below are the counts for those of us that do the sadhana without a fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Babu | 1296 |
Bharata | 11000 |
Bharati | 2052 |
Carie | 30 |
Chris | 5076 |
Debi | 8640 |
Donna | 5390 |
Durga | 2808 |
Egyirba | 3780 |
Eric | 11664 |
Gauri | 3132 |
Georgiann | 1583 |
Henny | 6480 |
Janitri | 1624 |
Jayadeva | 7020 |
Julia | 6240 |
Kalachandra | 4536 |
Kaliananda | 6372 |
Kamalaji | 5184 |
Kanda | 6480 |
Karen | 7000 |
Kathy | 3240 |
Marsha | 2484 |
Mausumi | 4752 |
Michele | 1372 |
Morningsong | 7344 |
Muktimaa | 5940 |
Nirmalananda | 2500 |
Nanda | 6900 |
Papia | 5400 |
Parvati | 2700 |
Patty | 6852 |
Prasana | 7000 |
Prathibha | 7201 |
Raghu | 8748 |
Rebeca | 2700 |
Rick Veda | 20412 |
Robin | 3400 |
Rolf | 5076 |
Rukmani | 3672 |
Sadhu Maa | 2376 |
Sadhvi | 8146 |
Shubal | 1512 |
Sundari | 4536 |
Shankari | 2808 |
Surya | 45522 |
Susan | 2916 |
Usha | 13608 |
Wendel | 1296 |
Wendy | 6372 |
Vinay | 2160 |
Visveshwar | 11340 |
Yogini | 11880 |
Total | 320,588 |
Who is Guru
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 […]
Blessings from Shree Maa for 2007 Sankalpa Participants
This has been a very eventful week for the sankalpa. The highlight was a wonderful note from Shree Maa blessing the sadhaks.
Shree Maa said (in an email)
Beloved Children,
I am thrilled with your sankalpa.
Earth Mother needs you. Keep going with Her. Earth Mother and you guys are not separate. All of you will get lots of blessings.
Alright! Arise! We are marching ahead with Earth Mother’s Flag!
I love you all.
Shree Maa
A lot of us, charged with the power of Maa’s words gave an extra push to do more this week. Our group’s grand total crossed 170,000 repetitions.
Some of the devotees organized a satsang in their home town, and began their practice with the group. Here is what the devotee had to say:
Many that we emailed expressed interest in joining the 2007 peace mantra sankalpa. Around ten joined us tonight for satsang. It was FUN! We discussed the Chandi Path, the mantra and mantra practice based on teachings and sharings from Swamiji, others in the on line group and our experiences. We did the sankalpa prayer, started the practice, sang araati and kirtan. The bhav was high and participants seemed inspired.
Hearing these experiences motivated our group and participants even more. Here are the individual totals as of this week (21 Jan 2007).
This is the total for those that preferred to do their sadhana at the fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Michael | 3132 |
Janitri | 1080 |
Total | 4,212 |
and below are the counts for those of us that do the sadhana without a fire
Name |
Number of Mantras
|
Babu | 1296 |
Chris | 2808 |
Debi | 5076 |
Donna | 1790 |
Durga | 756 |
Egyirba | 2160 |
Eric | 7452 |
Gauri | 3132 |
Henny | 2700 |
Janitri | 540 |
Jayadeva | 4428 |
Julia | 1620 |
Kalachandra | 4536 |
Kaliananda | 3888 |
Kamalaji | 2916 |
Kanda | 4320 |
Karen | 4800 |
Marsha | 324 |
Mausumi | 2592 |
Michele | 700 |
Morningsong | 5400 |
Muktimaa | 3564 |
Nirmalananda | 700 |
Nanda | 3360 |
Papia | 648 |
Parvati | 1080 |
Patty | 4584 |
Prasana | 3540 |
Prathibha | 3665 |
Raghu | 3564 |
Rick Veda | 13176 |
Robin | 1088 |
Rolf | 2700 |
Rukmani | 756 |
Sadhu Maa | 1620 |
Sadhvi | 4410 |
Sundari | 2484 |
Shankari | 1944 |
Surya | 31050 |
Susan | 1080 |
Usha | 9828 |
Wendy | 2656 |
Visveshwar | 3780 |
Yogini | 6480 |
Total | 170,991 |
Story of the Das Mahavidyas
~~OM~~
Sati, the consort of Shiva was the daughter of Daksha Prajapati a descendant of Brahma. Sati had married Shiva against the wishes of her father. The vain Daksha performed a great yagna (with the sole aim of insulting Shiva), to which he invited all of the gods and goddesses except his son-in-law Shiva. Sati learned about her father’s yajna from Narad Muni. She asked Shiva’s permission to attend the yajna, saying that a daughter did not need an invitation from her father. Shiva said that Daksha was trying to insult him, and so even if Sati attended the yajna, the fruit of the sacrifice would not be auspicious. Therefore he bade Sati not to attend the yajna.
Sati became furious – She thought that Shiva was treating her like an ignorant lady and not as the mother of Universe. So to show Shiva who she really was, she assumed a different form – the one of the Divine Mother. The oceans raged and the mountains shook, the atmosphere was filled with the wonder of her form. Shiva began to shake and tried to flee. In every direction that he tried to flee, the Divine mother stopped him. The Divine Mother had multiplied herself into ten different forms guarding the ten different directions and try as Shiva might, he could not escape from her, as she had blocked every escape route.
Inspiring Quotes Archive Page 6
~~OM~~
This Week Last Week Archive Previous Page
- The seventh region is in the Sahasrara at the top of the head. If your contemplation goes there, then you go into Samadhi. All the knowers of the Supreme Divinity have the actual vision of divine communion with God.
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
- People want realization and liberation, to become enlightened. Do not think it is something different from doing for others as you would have them do for you.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- Ramakrishna: Human beings are of four kinds: those who are bound to the world of desires and attachments, those who renounce the world, those who are liberated, and those rare souls who are eternally free.
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
- Shree Maa performs worship at the sacred fire. Residing in the hearts of devotees, the flame of devotion is burning. In the agnya chakra, the light of meditation is shining. Yagya comes from the Sanskrit word to unite and the fire ceremony is the union of the fire within and the fire outside.
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
- Just as humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, and plants inhale carbon dioxide and produce oxygen into the atmosphere, in the same way, in the sacred fire ceremony, devotees surrender all negativities and receive the blessing of divine illumination.
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
- All thoughts of duality are sacrificed in the sacred fire and the joyous love of unity takes birth in the hearts of the participants. When Shree Maa sits for worship, the silence creates such stillness, that all observers are conducted to her vibration.
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
- Udas means a servant of circumstance. Whoever remains satisfied with whatever situation arises is established in wisdom.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- Ramakrishna: Men and women who are liberated are not infatuated with this world of objects and relationships. That is why, after becoming free, some just leave their bodies.
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
- There is another characteristic of a bound soul. If you were to take that individual out of the world he is use to and put him into a holy environment, he would probably die of boredom.
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
- Who has extreme renunciation? Those whose life force is totally dedicated to God with the sincere dedication a mother has for the child in her womb. He who has extreme dedication desires nothing other than God.
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
- As you practice tapasya, your ego becomes less attached to thought. The thoughts are not becoming more pure. In reality you have the same thoughts, but you have less attachment to them.
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
- The asuras will teach us selfishness, the Gods will awaken consciousness. This conflict between selfishness and divinity is the perpetual cause of confusion, until we become one with the Light.
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
- Our ancestors provided us with all that we needed to progress in our search. And for that purpose we are beholden to seven generations previous to us, while seven generations to come will benefit from our attainment of understanding. Whether or not our ancestors knew what they were doing, they cultivated within us certain qualities which we needed in order to manifest our highest ideal of perfection.
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
- True wisdom makes a man humble.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- If you don’t have the physical presence of a person who inspires you, read a scripture. Sit by a symbol of divinity and listen to the wisdom of the wise.
– from Before Becoming This
- The feeling of devotion is what fosters our spiritual development; such things as reading books are not enough. When we do puja or other forms of worship, it’s best to sing loudly and enthusiastically so the Gods will hear us! Furthermore, our worship is even more meaningful when we feel gratitude that we have the impulse and the opportunity to perform these devotions.
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
- Mother’s love helps you realize that is not the words that are important but the actions.
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
- Keep your life simple, always be truthful, and give pure love to all, recognizing all as God.
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
- The influence of maya is so strong, always pulling you out. Tapasya, purifying austerities, are very necessary.
– from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
- When I think of Maa, I think of Truth. She is what Truth is, powerful and absolute, but Maa is also gentle and kind. I was a stranger and she took me in. I was hungry and she fed me.
– Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
- Our responses should be calculated to take us to a better place than we are already at and help us to accomplish our objectives. If we could stop and put one instant of discrimination between the stimulus and the response, then we could live life perfectly.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- A realized being sees that the God within you is the God within me. If I lift you up in any way, I am doing good to myself an I am doing good to my world. It benefits me to do good to others. It is all me.
– from Before Becoming This
- The power that comes from the feeling that we are being blessed allows us to move forward with renewed vigor. We have more strength and courage. We have a different attitude that makes things work better. Every time we take the name of God, We get a blessing.
– from Before Becoming This
- The pujas allow us to expand our consciousness to that awareness (of divinity) and cultivate that relationship. We begin by seeing God in little things. We practice seeing God in a flower, in a candle, in an altar of worship, in a form of deity that we put our love and devotion into. Then the relationship increases exponentially.
– from Before Becoming This
- Each one of the deities is an embodiment of a whole set of spiritual and philosophical aspirations. They are an embodiment of an entire school of philosophy and a whole set of spiritual practices which are designed to bring us to the realization of that philosophy. So the various arms, weapons and mudras (gestures) are all indicative of aspects of spiritual disciplines.
– from Before Becoming This
- There are many levels of meaning to dharma. Some people speak of dharma as a religion: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Jewish. Other people speak of dharma as the universal laws of nature. Everything in between is included in the definition. On every level of the evolution of consciousness you will find an expanded definition until you are one with God, and then you will know the real meaning of dharma.
– from Before Becoming This
- Ramakrishna: It is very difficult to take on the responsibilities of a teacher. Without being given the authority from God, it is very difficult to teach. If you begin to give instruction without authority from God, people will not listen to you. Such teachings have no power. First you do sadhana. In some way you have to attain to God. When you get the authority from God, then you may lecture.
– from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
- Always maintain the highest ideal of behavior, and surrender your life unto the ideal.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- Physical enjoyment in the world is like the strike of a cobra. Learn to keep the cobra far away or under control. The comfort of the senses is and illusion, which bears no sustaining reality. In the senses there is no comfort. Only there exists the reflection of Nature.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- Perform all actions with Love and respect for Truth, and maintain the great power of the non-attachment of asceticism.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- Love and Trust in God. Do not ask for anything else.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- Always and with all your might, recite and study books of Dharma.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- Have no fear of anything is this world. The world is the examination grounds for detachment form pleasure and pain. Do not give disruption an opportunity to dwell in your mind. God dwells in your heart. With the greatest faith, always remember God.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- Always keep your mind in an attitude of purity. Then peace will come. Do not allow your inner attitude to be deflected by the pains and difficulties of the external world. This is known as Peace. When your inside and outside exhibit peace, then you have found the fruits of sadhana.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- If you only desire the fruit of your actions then you won’t enjoy the fruit or the process. This is a lose, lose proposition. But if you enjoy the process you can’t lose. Then your work becomes worship. We are praying for the joy of prayer. Try to take that attitude into your actions and make this world a better place.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- If you have your own goal and a plan you will certainly enjoy life more because it is your plan and does not belong to anybody else.
– 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
- The best thing to do is to stop and think, “What would be a commitment worthy of my dedication. What do I want to give to this world?”
– from Before Becoming This
- Shree Maa: Ultimately we have to change, and that is God’s blessing.
– from Before Becoming This
- When you love so much that you don’t think about the distractions and you think only about your beloved, then you really are a lover.
– from Before Becoming This
- Satsangha is a bonding process, so that people within the congregation try to network their skills and talents and opportunities.
– from Before Becoming This
- We are not seeking communion only at the time of puja or worship, but in every breath, in every activity. It does not matter whether we are digging a ditch, teaching in school, appearing in court, negotiating a contract or performing a homa (fire ceremony). Our attitude with which we perform these functions is the most important aspect of worship.
– from Gems of Wisdom
- By means of her compassion, we become liberated. She is the one who binds all to worldliness, and She is the one who liberates.
– 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
- After you have attained the perfection of discrimination and renunciation, only then should you enter the world. In the ocean of worldliness, there are many crocodiles with names like desire, attachments, and anger. If you rub turmeric on your body and submerge yourself in the waters, you have no fear of crocodiles. If you rub the turmeric of discrimination and renunciation over your body, you can submerge yourself in the ocean of worldliness without any fear at all. God is Truth. That is the eternal phenomenon. Everything else is transient. It is impermanent.
– 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
- Through satsanga we have the opportunity to improve ourselves, to really make significant changes in our lives, to become the individual we respect. No other pleasure could be equal to becoming the person we love. That s why satsanga is so important.
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
- Extract the nectar from the tapasya that you are performing. Tapas literally means heat, but implies any act of purification in which our negative tendencies are burned away
– from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess
- Swamiji: Look for those mantras that say, “I belong to you, I am the echo of the vibration that is your soul.” As you practice those particular sections, other parts will call you as well. If you don’t pronounce the mantras correctly, don’t worry. Put yourself in the attitude of surrender to the will of God and try to come as close as possible.
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
- “Always study words of wisdom, with all your capacity act in accordance and perform the discipline of these words, and following the systems of worship they enumerate, make the worship of the Supreme Lord, and don’t allow your consciousness to contemplate adverse desires.” – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
- “Wipe all the dross of sin from your mind, search for the faults in the pleasures of the world, search your own soul for true knowledge, and very quickly try to renounce the attachments to your home.” – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
- “Maintain the association of true people, take refuge with devotion in the Supreme Divinity, and with all your capacity try to befriend the universe, and very quickly renounce the fruits of your labors.” – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
- “Whenever possible seek out the company of the true and knowledgeable people, and serve the sandals of their lotus feet, and ask from them even one letter of the knowledge of the Bhraman, and listen to the great words of wisdom from the Vedas.” – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
- “Take the cure for the illness of uncontrolled desire, and serve your doctor as a beggar would serve a Lord, don’t seek the association of pleasure-seekers or self-centered individuals.” – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
- “Remain contented with whatever you receive in a divine union, that which God has consented to give.” – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.
– from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna
November 4 – November 10
November 11 – November 17
November 18 – November 24
November 25 – December 1
December 2 – December 8
December 9 – December 15
December 16 – December 22
December 23 – December 29
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