A question : Maya

[Guest guest]

Dear Nora:

what can i say *smile*. explaining that forces me to

give examples from personal experience. anyway i think

it is maa who has prompted you to ask the question. So

I will answer.

I started Upaasana on my 16th birthday, which

incidently falls on the Vijayadasami day, when maa

herself initiated me (do not ask how, but that is

so)with the mantra "Om Shri Satya Saraswatyai namaha".

I was specifically advised NEVER seek a guru the

teachers shall come to you for i shall send them. What

does a 16 year old know!! i just nodded my head in all

wonder without understanding what was happening.

I recited the mantra and as time went by I was taken

through Vaagwaadini, durga mantras, shoolini,shaiva

mantras and ultimately Panchadasi. Always a Guru will

come and say all right son, now you do this!! By 25 i

was at panchadashi and stuck. I kept on.

Then one day i was unusually prompted to go to a place

where i saw an old lady ( a grihasta by the fact that

she was dressed like an ordinary person). She just

looks at me and asks some people in the room to go out

and says "Shankar you have come!1 it is time to take

full diksha and recited all the mantras I had done

upaasana of with personal details.

I was invited to Rameswaram where she gave me deeksha

by shaktipaata and gave me the deeksha name

"Bhaasuraananda Naadha" she smilingly said, you have

to be like him. I already knew who he was. It was the

deekshaa naama of Bhaskara raya Makhi and he was the

10th from me in the parampara counting upwards. It was

an awsome responsibility, but as usual i nodded.

Then i started on the japa; within a few days i

started feeling the unity of Guru, matra, devata and

onself.

I, a very strong, arrogant person started mellowing

down. I was afraid of saying anything without thinking

over and slowly i realised I am HER. Maybe within 6

months. Thats why i say Maya will fall off thats my

experience.

However, I forget the sloka, but is said that one is

outwardly a vaishnava, to friends a shaiva and in

secet a Kaula. Thats how i go about.

I smoke, i drink socially (as far as possible

avoiding)and I lead a grihasta's life.

thats my story. If it tells you anything i am happy.

 

 

 

 

--- nora55_1999 <nora55_1999 wrote:

> Kochu-ji remarked "But my experience is that the

> moment you start on

> the Sri Vidya path, maya just falls off"

>

> Is it possible for you to explain more to me about

> this?

>

>

> Om ParaShaktiye Namaha

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax

http://taxes./

[Guest guest]

You all, I am jealous. I was initiated at fifteen only into TM, not

truely a spiritual path at all. Teacher not guru, ok guy, but biased

by Maharishi brainwashing. Prior to that I was a punk rocker and drug

abuser in Hollywood, CA. I had few spiritual ways to go when that

young. I had more potential occult traditions nearby than Eastern.

I hobnobbed with Golden Dawn and BOTA people and read Aliester

Crowley. Then TM and Maharishi International University until 21.

Spent much time meditating. Left school and meandered for ten years

doing nothing much but living. Got spiritual again but lost all

faith in Maharishi and his system. Still I only have TM and it's what

I do because I need something. I live in American South, ostensibly

most ignorant place in USA. World? Not sure. Still have little

recourse except to internet. Learned more on internet and here at SS

especially that ever have before. But want new practice. Just me and

my rudraksha here all alone.

-

adi_shakthi16

Tuesday, April 09, 2002 5:23 PM

Re: A question : Maya

my dearest kochu-sankara, you are' beginning 'to grow on me ! meaning,

i really simply love the way you express yourself 'freely' in this

satsangha... yes, your story seems to be the same as harshananda's -

he was also initiated by a sri vidya upasaka guru early in life - he

is on;lly 21 years of age and is so well versed in tantra, mantra and

yantra shastra and is also fron the famous bhaskara raya tradition...

you are so right, when you are ready the guru does appear! i ahve had

a set of gurus, my most recnt one being a guru on the web - a true

tantrik and a swayan siddha and a brahma-jnani who attained samadhi

during deepvali last year!! he was from the shri ramakrishna lineage!

one of the inportant things my gurudeva told me was when you start

worshipping kali MA, one of the first things she does is take way

your 'ego' ( fitrst the non-vedantic ego- a sense of possessiveness-

my spouse, my kids, my job, my car, mt house - my- my everthing) and

then as you progess in saadhna, she takes away your vedantic ego also

slowly but surely that is when you become 'ONE' with the self- there

is no separate'in' iand thou merge into one!!! this is one 'maya'

falls off because when there is no ego- maya vanishes into thin

air!!! as ompremji pointed out 'maya' is the product of the 'ego' on

another note, here is the verse you are looking for in

sanskrit-Antah-shaktahbahih-shaivahabhayam vaishnava

matahNana-rupadharahKaulah vicaranti mahitale.Translation at heart a

Shakta,outwardly a Shaiva, in gatherings a Vaishnava (who nt to

gather together for worship in praise of Hari)in thus many a guise

the Kaulas wander onearth."THIS IS IS MY POSITION ON THE SPIRITUAL

PATH, DEAR kochu-sankara ! i have passed through many stages...Born

a shavite with shiva on my lips (iyer brahmin girl-smartha sect)

intorduced to vaishnavism after marriage and then worshppinglord

venkatachalapathi as my kula guru then , a tantrik guru initiates me

by the power of his thought blessing me with a bija mantra -so the

DIVINE MOTHER gave me shelter at her lotus feet and took permanent

residence in the 16 petalled lotus of my heart ( hence the name

adi_shakthi16) -"hridaya vasini maaFORM IS NOTHING AND FORM IS

EVERYTHING." nothing can narrow my inner vision!!!!! but it is

everything because god is universal and is worshippable as shiva,

shakthi or as HARIHARA!free and no bondage- that is a true tantrik!

aghora- noghora- or no fear! p.s. well, kochu- shankara- thanks once

again for all your wonderful posts! what does kochu mean? pardon my

ignorance? love and love !!! To from this group, send an

email to:shakti_sadhnaaYour use of

Groups is subject to the

[Guest guest]

Dear Eve

Only................... you and your Rudraksa?

Am thinking you are one of the luckiest people on planet : )

DharmaDev Arya

Eve _69 <eve__69 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>To:

<>Date:

Tuesday, April 09, 2002 5:01 PMRe: Re: A

question : Maya

You all, I am jealous. I was initiated at fifteen only into TM, not

truely a spiritual path at all. Teacher not guru, ok guy, but biased

by Maharishi brainwashing. Prior to that I was a punk rocker and drug

abuser in Hollywood, CA. I had few spiritual ways to go when that

young. I had more potential occult traditions nearby than Eastern.

I hobnobbed with Golden Dawn and BOTA people and read Aliester

Crowley. Then TM and Maharishi International University until 21.

Spent much time meditating. Left school and meandered for ten years

doing nothing much but living. Got spiritual again but lost all

faith in Maharishi and his system. Still I only have TM and it's what

I do because I need something. I live in American South, ostensibly

most ignorant place in USA. World? Not sure. Still have little

recourse except to internet. Learned more on internet and here at SS

especially that ever have before. But want new practice. Just me and

my rudraksha here all alone.

-

adi_shakthi16

Tuesday, April 09, 2002 5:23 PM

Re: A question : Maya

my dearest kochu-sankara, you are' beginning 'to grow on me ! meaning,

i really simply love the way you express yourself 'freely' in this

satsangha... yes, your story seems to be the same as harshananda's -

he was also initiated by a sri vidya upasaka guru early in life - he

is on;lly 21 years of age and is so well versed in tantra, mantra and

yantra shastra and is also fron the famous bhaskara raya tradition...

you are so right, when you are ready the guru does appear! i ahve had

a set of gurus, my most recnt one being a guru on the web - a true

tantrik and a swayan siddha and a brahma-jnani who attained samadhi

during deepvali last year!! he was from the shri ramakrishna lineage!

one of the inportant things my gurudeva told me was when you start

worshipping kali MA, one of the first things she does is take way

your 'ego' ( fitrst the non-vedantic ego- a sense of possessiveness-

my spouse, my kids, my job, my car, mt house - my- my everthing) and

then as you progess in saadhna, she takes away your vedantic ego also

slowly but surely that is when you become 'ONE' with the self- there

is no separate'in' iand thou merge into one!!! this is one 'maya'

falls off because when there is no ego- maya vanishes into thin

air!!! as ompremji pointed out 'maya' is the product of the 'ego' on

another note, here is the verse you are looking for in

sanskrit-Antah-shaktahbahih-shaivahabhayam vaishnava

matahNana-rupadharahKaulah vicaranti mahitale.Translation at heart a

Shakta,outwardly a Shaiva, in gatherings a Vaishnava (who nt to

gather together for worship in praise of Hari)in thus many a guise

the Kaulas wander onearth."THIS IS IS MY POSITION ON THE SPIRITUAL

PATH, DEAR kochu-sankara ! i have passed through many stages...Born

a shavite with shiva on my lips (iyer brahmin girl-smartha sect)

intorduced to vaishnavism after marriage and then worshppinglord

venkatachalapathi as my kula guru then , a tantrik guru initiates me

by the power of his thought blessing me with a bija mantra -so the

DIVINE MOTHER gave me shelter at her lotus feet and took permanent

residence in the 16 petalled lotus of my heart ( hence the name

adi_shakthi16) -"hridaya vasini maaFORM IS NOTHING AND FORM IS

EVERYTHING." nothing can narrow my inner vision!!!!! but it is

everything because god is universal and is worshippable as shiva,

shakthi or as HARIHARA!free and no bondage- that is a true tantrik!

aghora- noghora- or no fear! p.s. well, kochu- shankara- thanks once

again for all your wonderful posts! what does kochu mean? pardon my

ignorance? love and love !!! To from this group, send an

email to:shakti_sadhnaaYour use of

Groups is subject to the To from

this group, send an email

to:shakti_sadhnaaYour use of

Groups is subject to the

[Guest guest]

Hi Shining Lotus, glad to see you here amonst my dharma friends.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for happy message : )

You have lol again : )

Eve _69 <eve__69 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>To:

<>Date:

Tuesday, April 09, 2002 7:27 PMRe: Re: A

question : Maya

Hi Shining Lotus, glad to see you here amonst my dharma friends.To

from this group, send an email

to:shakti_sadhnaaYour use of

Groups is subject to the

Attachment: (image/jpeg) [not stored]

Attachment: (application/octet-stream) [not stored]

[Guest guest]

What can I say. I am blushing!!

Kochu means small as well as the youngest in

Malayalam. I am both *smile* My great grandfather was

called “Kochu Govinda Menon” Kochu from that was taken

and given to me as a pet name.

My official name is Sankara Menon and that is the name

of my paternal grandfather who was a great Sri Vidya

upasaka and a lawyer.

Kochu

--- ShiningLotus <shininglotus wrote:

Dear Eve

Only................... you and your Rudraksa?

Am thinking you are one of the luckiest people on

planet : )

 

DharmaDev Arya

 

Eve _69 <eve__69 To:

<> Tuesday, April

09, 2002 5:01 PM Re: Re: A

question : Maya

 

You all, I am jealous. I was initiated at fifteen

only into TM, not truely a spiritual path at all.

Teacher not guru, ok guy, but biased by Maharishi

brainwashing. Prior to that I was a punk rocker and

drug abuser in Hollywood, CA. I had few spiritual ways

to go when that young. I had more potential occult

traditions nearby than Eastern. I hobnobbed with

Golden Dawn and BOTA people and read Aliester Crowley.

Then TM and Maharishi International University until

21. Spent much time meditating. Left school and

meandered for ten years doing nothing much but living.

Got spiritual again but lost all faith in Maharishi

and his system. Still I only have TM and it's what I

do because I need something. I live in American South,

ostensibly most ignorant place in USA. World? Not

sure. Still have little recourse except to internet.

Learned more on internet and here at SS especially

that ever have before. But want new practice. Just me

and my rudraksha here all alone.

- adi_shakthi16

 

Tuesday,

April 09, 2002 5:23 PM Re: A

question : Maya

my dearest kochu-sankara, you are' beginning 'to grow

on me ! meaning, i really simply love the way you

express yourself 'freely' in this satsangha...

yes, your story seems to be the same as harshananda's

- he was also initiated by a sri vidya upasaka guru

early in life - he is on;lly 21 years of age and is so

well versed in tantra, mantra and yantra shastra and

is also fron the famous bhaskara raya tradition...

you are so right, when you are ready the guru does

appear! i ahve had a set of gurus, my most recnt one

being a guru on the web - a true tantrik and a swayan

siddha and a brahma-jnani who attained samadhi during

deepvali last year!! he was from the shri ramakrishna

lineage!

one of the inportant things my gurudeva told me was

when you start worshipping kali MA, one of the first

things she does is take way your 'ego' ( fitrst the

non-vedantic ego- a sense of possessiveness- my

spouse, my kids, my job, my car, mt house - my- my

everthing) and then as you progess in saadhna, she

takes away your vedantic ego also slowly but surely

that is when you become 'ONE' with the self- there is

no separate'in' iand thou merge into one!!! this is

one 'maya' falls off because when there is no ego-

maya vanishes into thin air!!! as ompremji pointed out

'maya' is the product of the 'ego'

on another note, here is the verse you are looking

for in sanskrit- Antah-shaktah

bahih-shaivah

abhayam vaishnava matah

Nana-rupadharah

Kaulah vicaranti mahitale.

 

 

Translation

 

at heart a Shakta, outwardly a Shaiva, in gatherings

a Vaishnava (who nt to gather together for worship in

praise of Hari) in thus many a guise the Kaulas wander

on earth."

 

THIS IS IS MY POSITION ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH, DEAR

kochu-sankara ! i have passed through many stages...

Born a shavite with shiva on my lips (iyer brahmin

girl-smartha sect) intorduced to vaishnavism after

marriage and then worshpping lord venkatachalapathi as

my kula guru then , a tantrik guru initiates me by the

power of his thought blessing me with a bija mantra -

so the DIVINE MOTHER gave me shelter at her lotus feet

and took permanent residence in the 16 petalled lotus

of my heart ( hence the name adi_shakthi16) -"hridaya

vasini maaFORM IS NOTHING AND FORM IS EVERYTHING."

 

nothing can narrow my inner vision!!!!! but it is

everything because god is universal and is

worshippable as shiva, shakthi or as HARIHARA! free

and no bondage- that is a true tantrik! aghora- no

ghora- or no fear!

 

 

p.s. well, kochu- shankara- thanks once again for all

your wonderful posts! what does kochu mean? pardon my

ignorance? love and love !!!

 

 

 

 

Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax

http://taxes./

[Guest guest]

Thank you Kochuji, Adi Ma and Eve for sharing your story. All of you

seems to have such colourful experience. For somebody like me all I

can say is WOW !

 

My experience is just perhaps the beginning. I can never actually say

how I got started or where it begin. How do you recite the beginning

if you don't even know where it actually begins or if there is a

beginning. To make it short and simple all I can say is that I am

just like a lost child, waking up in a very strange environment,

feeling lost and confuse, and somehow Devi gently guided me back to

the path. I don't even know what or who I am, just this

passionate

feeling for Devi. When somebody asked me "are you a shakta?"

I

answered "I don't know". Then somebody remarked "she

is a fake

shakta". Maybe I am who knows. Ive yet to find the answer. Is

this

passionate feeling a fake one or is it really real and not just

Maya.

 

After reading all the messages about Maya, I think I learn about Maya

as a nurse. When you have seen life and death, the sufferings others

have gone through, it does your soul wonders. You began to have

questions. You began to look at yourself and people around you. I

used to play `play hide and seek' with death. When I am able

to

resuscitate somebody successfully, I feel like "GOD". And

when Death

beats me, I could hear as if death laughing at me, and it makes me

mad. It became a private war. Then you get tired of it all. You come

to a stage where you know you can never beat death. So what is the

next stage : the hospice. Trying to help those people to come to

terms with death. To make their last moment of their life a

meaningful one. Eventually death stop laughing at me.

 

Does death really stop laughing or it is just my imagination.

Another Maya taking residence into this innerself, strengthening

itself each and every day. Experience always forms a hardening

center in the mind, just as self. We may be tired of the worldly

experience like fame, wealth, notoriety and others, but we all wants

greater, wider experience of some kind. We always think that the

puruit of experience is the right way of life in order to attain

greater vision. The question is weather that is so? Does this search

for experience, which is really a demand for greater, fuller

sensation lead to reality? Or is it just a factor that cripple the

mind. ?

 

If ego is the product of the Maya, can we eliminate Ego then? Once

ego eliminate, then Maya too?

 

Ego is the "I". From a child we grow up always strengthening the "I",

because its this "I" that give us an identification of who and what

we are. You consider this Maya too?

 

OM ParaShaktiye Namaha