Guest guest Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 You're lucky to be in New York. I've never seen Mother Ammachi, and since I live in Colorado it's rather hard for me...;.; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 Alas, I do not live in India, where Gurus can be found on many streetcorners. I am lucky in that Ammachi travels the world, and comes to New York City every summer. Unless I am ill, I go to see her. Her picture is on my altar, and I "talk" to her several times a week. Amma gave me mantra diksha. I repeat my mantra often, but not every day. Sometimes I find myself chanting in my sleep! One of the things that appeals to me about Hinduism is the multiplicity of deities. I KNOW that these are "masks of God," that they are functions of Brahman. Still, don't we enjoy the roles that our relatives play? My late mother was housekeeper, cook, advice-giver, disciplinarian... Sometimes she would sing, and I would be excited: "Ah! The Singer is here!" It's all Mom, but the Singer was rare and beloved. Ammachi gives only one mantra to a devotee. Does this mean that I must avoid all other mantras? No Gayatri at the rising of the Sun? No prayer to Ganga when I bathe? If I feel a thrill of love and pleasure at the thought of Ganesha, do I have to eschew Ganesha's worship because I chose a Goddess as my ishtadevata? MahaShiva Ratri is coming up. Am I forbidden to offer the panchamrit to the Narmada lingam on my altar? If I feel bhakti towards more than one form of Brahman, towards several deities, am I spending counterfeit money? -- Len/ Kalipadma --- Satish <satisharigela wrote: > > Sadhana and worship for what? Worship invloves > ritual. Ritual invloves mantra-s and a tantra. > Mantra-s need a teacher. Because the strength of the > mantra > partially lies in the teacher/tradition.Without a > teacher to initiate into these things, all ritual > worship is as good as making photocopies of $$$ > bills, if you know what I mean. > > So please find a teacher. And Yes! It requires > effort. Your devata is enough. No point in making > the mind wander endlessly towards various forms. > Other mantra-s and worship come after once perfects > what they have. > Celebrate 's 10th Birthday! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web http://birthday./netrospective/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 In the Kali Yuga, the very best worship of God is bhakti(love of God). If you feel love towards an image of God, you can say to it, "Oh! Here you are God, in this form!", acknowledging the One in the Many. Sitting around waiting for a guru is a waste of time. Exercise your devotional quality every chance you get, and you will arrive at the same place.As Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita, speaking as God Incarnate, "Give Me thy mind, and give Me thy heart, give Me thy offerings and thy adoration, and thus with thy soul in harmony and making Me thy goal supreme, thou shalt in Truth come to Me." Lilith M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 Could not resist saying these words Len, though I am not as knowledgable as the members here. 'Japa' is regarded is the powerful. And "manasika japa" is the most powerful. (Meaning repetation of Her name). Science supports that. (Meditation) That will take care of everything. Worship amma inside your heart/mind.(You are already there.) Not all indians (including self) go to temples for one reason or the other. Amma knows everything and she gets pleased if U worship in any form See amma every where in all living and non living things. ---Hari Om On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 18:49:53 -0800 (PST), Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108 wrote: > > Alas, I do not live in India, where Gurus can be found > on many streetcorners. I am lucky in that Ammachi > travels the world, and comes to New York City every > summer. Unless I am ill, I go to see her. Her > picture is on my altar, and I "talk" to her several > times a week. > > Amma gave me mantra diksha. I repeat my mantra often, > but not every day. Sometimes I find myself chanting > in my sleep! > > One of the things that appeals to me about Hinduism is > the multiplicity of deities. I KNOW that these are > "masks of God," that they are functions of Brahman. > Still, don't we enjoy the roles that our relatives > play? My late mother was housekeeper, cook, > advice-giver, disciplinarian... Sometimes she would > sing, and I would be excited: "Ah! The Singer is > here!" It's all Mom, but the Singer was rare and > beloved. > > Ammachi gives only one mantra to a devotee. Does this > mean that I must avoid all other mantras? No Gayatri > at the rising of the Sun? No prayer to Ganga when I > bathe? If I feel a thrill of love and pleasure at the > thought of Ganesha, do I have to eschew Ganesha's > worship because I chose a Goddess as my ishtadevata? > > MahaShiva Ratri is coming up. Am I forbidden to offer > the panchamrit to the Narmada lingam on my altar? If > I feel bhakti towards more than one form of Brahman, > towards several deities, am I spending counterfeit > money? > > -- Len/ Kalipadma > > > --- Satish <satisharigela wrote: > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 2005 Report Share Posted March 4, 2005 My dear Len: As far as I know “finding a teacher” is not your job. When the time is right the right teacher will come. Anyway that has been my experience. No!! just because u have one mantra that does not mean others are taboo. Actually I think all these issues are moot as you have a teacher in amma. Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108 wrote: Alas, I do not live in India, where Gurus can be found on many streetcorners. I am lucky in that Ammachi travels the world, and comes to New York City every summer. Unless I am ill, I go to see her. Her picture is on my altar, and I "talk" to her several times a week. Amma gave me mantra diksha. I repeat my mantra often, but not every day. Sometimes I find myself chanting in my sleep! One of the things that appeals to me about Hinduism is the multiplicity of deities. I KNOW that these are "masks of God," that they are functions of Brahman. Still, don't we enjoy the roles that our relatives play? My late mother was housekeeper, cook, advice-giver, disciplinarian... Sometimes she would sing, and I would be excited: "Ah! The Singer is here!" It's all Mom, but the Singer was rare and beloved. Ammachi gives only one mantra to a devotee. Does this mean that I must avoid all other mantras? No Gayatri at the rising of the Sun? No prayer to Ganga when I bathe? If I feel a thrill of love and pleasure at the thought of Ganesha, do I have to eschew Ganesha's worship because I chose a Goddess as my ishtadevata? Maha Shiva Ratri is coming up. Am I forbidden to offer the panchamrit to the Narmada lingam on my altar? If I feel bhakti towards more than one form of Brahman, towards several deities, am I spending counterfeit money? -- Len/ Kalipadma --- Satish <satisharigela wrote: Sadhana and worship for what? Worship invloves ritual. Ritual invloves mantra-s and a tantra. Mantra-s need a teacher. Because the strength of the mantra partially lies in the teacher/tradition.Without a teacher to initiate into these things, all ritual worship is as good as making photocopies of $$$ bills, if you know what I mean. So please find a teacher. And Yes! It requires effort. Your devata is enough. No point in making the mind wander endlessly towards various forms. Other mantra-s and worship come after once perfects what they have. Celebrate 's 10th Birthday! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 2005 Report Share Posted March 4, 2005 Hello, If you have a deeksha mantra .. then its just the mantra you need to rise spiritually as well as materially. I am not sure which mantra was instructed to you but it must be a mantra that u probably needed at that time!! Gayathri needs initiation for chanting it .. If you are a hindu brahmin then probably its mandatory to do gayathri after upanayanam .. otherwise its ok .. Abhishekam to Lord shiva can be done by anyone ... all you need is to call a brahmin to do rudrabhishekam or acquire an audio tape of the same (the problem being you will not know what exactly needs to be done!) .. Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108 wrote: Alas, I do not live in India, where Gurus can be found on many streetcorners. I am lucky in that Ammachi travels the world, and comes to New York City every summer. Unless I am ill, I go to see her. Her picture is on my altar, and I "talk" to her several times a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 2005 Report Share Posted March 4, 2005 I never said one has to sit and wait; bhakti and shraddha will bring the guru when needed. Lili Masamura <sephirah5 wrote: In the Kali Yuga, the very best worship of God is bhakti(love of God). If you feel love towards an image of God, you can say to it, "Oh! Here you are God, in this form!", acknowledging the One in the Many. Sitting around waiting for a guru is a waste of time. Exercise your devotional quality every chance you get, and you will arrive at the same place.As Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita, speaking as God Incarnate, "Give Me thy mind, and give Me thy heart, give Me thy offerings and thy adoration, and thus with thy soul in harmony and making Me thy goal supreme, thou shalt in Truth come to Me." Lilith M. / Celebrate 's 10th Birthday! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2005 Report Share Posted March 6, 2005 , Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108> wrote: > One of the things that appeals to me about Hinduism is > the multiplicity of deities. I KNOW that these are > "masks of God," that they are functions of Brahman. True. Just like Pagan religions. I wrote on this yesterday in detail and the message got truncated accidentally. > Ammachi gives only one mantra to a devotee. Does this > mean that I must avoid all other mantras? No Gayatri > at the rising of the Sun? No prayer to Ganga when I > bathe? The one mantra/one devata only for life attitude is against the very spirit of Hinduism. That is a christian /islamic thing and many modern saints are influenced by that. That is not Hinduism. > If I feel a thrill of love and pleasure at the > thought of Ganesha, do I have to eschew Ganesha's > worship because I chose a Goddess as my ishtadevata? One should worship all devata-s. > > MahaShiva Ratri is coming up. Am I forbidden to offer > the panchamrit to the Narmada lingam on my altar? Not at all. My initial statment about the mind being fixed on only one devata is only till one attains perfection in their mantra. Once that is achieved other mantras will be easy and will bear fruit. Else, one will end up having a bunch of mantras with no clue about any one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2005 Report Share Posted March 6, 2005 I think the one-mantra rule is meant to provide constancy for beginners, to encourage them to stick with it long enough so that it works, more than preventing anyone from growth. As you mentioned, Len, Amma only sees people in the west once or twice a year, if that, since many cannot go to her and she does not go to all cities, states, countries, etc. She gives what she can when she's there, and asks that you do what you can when she's not. Mary Ann , "Satish" <satisharigela> wrote: > My initial statment about the mind being fixed on only one devata is > only till one attains perfection in their mantra. Once that is > achieved other mantras will be easy and will bear fruit. Else, one > will end up having a bunch of mantras with no clue about any one of > them. > > > , Len Rosenberg > <kalipadma108> wrote: > > > Ammachi gives only one mantra to a devotee. Does this > > mean that I must avoid all other mantras? No Gayatri > > at the rising of the Sun? No prayer to Ganga when I > > bathe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 Your best bet is that she comes to Santa Fe every June... >You're lucky to be in New York. I've never seen Mother Ammachi, and since I >live in Colorado it's rather hard for me...;.; -- Max Dashu Suppressed Histories Archives Global Women's History http://www.suppressedhistories.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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