Guest guest Posted March 4, 2005 Report Share Posted March 4, 2005 My Dear brother Len, There is no restriction that you have to worship one God/Goddess only. With all your heart worship any form you like. For example. If you see Ganesha's picture and you feel like hugging it, go ahead and do that and submerge in that ecstasy, do not even let the thought that you are a devotee of Devi come in. There is nothing wrong in this and that is the way name and form vanish - at that moment you just want to be the 'Joy/Bhakti' - Do not feel that you are enjoying the Bhakti towards Ganesha - just be the Bhakti. Same is the case when you want to bathe in Ganga - forget all other thoughts and immerse yourself in that lovely feeling. If we trace the biographies of great saints, Seshadri swamigal, a great devotee of Kanchi Kamakshi also worshipped Sri Rama with equal devotion. He left his home town with two pictures - one of Kamakshi and another of SriRama. Though Ramana Maharshi's path was jnana yoga, he completely lost himself in devotion seeing an idol of Krishna carried by a group of devotees. This incident made Papaji to become a disciple of Ramana Maharshi. It is only the ego that says that you are devotee of one God/Goddess, ture devotion comes from heart and it does not see name and form. Let that devotion flow. Do not let the ego to stop that flow. 'Gam Gam Ganapathy (pause) Gananaayaka'. So go ahead and submerge yourself in the ocean of devotion. Sai. , 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 > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2005 Report Share Posted March 5, 2005 Dear Len Kalipadma You can absolutely cherish all the Gods and Goddesses .. That is the beauty of Hinduism You can have chosen form of worship but if your heart is compelled to worship another there is nothing wrong with that ultimately they are all the same , as same source . Sri Karunamayi was once asked about all the different Gurus She sad Son we are all the Same . Joanna P Celebrate 's 10th Birthday! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web http://birthday./netrospective/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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