Preparedness steps [was: Question asked by a new member]

[Guest guest]

A new member asked:

"I was wondering if you could offer some insight please. The saying -

when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Could you please

describe a few steps towards preparedness."

 

I am hoping some of our knowledgeable members will chime in with

advice and perhaps personal experience. It's a good question.

 

In the meantime,

 

_The Power of Mantra and Mystery of Initiation_

by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait

Paperback: 248 pages

Publisher: Yoga Intl (January, 1996)

ISBN: 188764508X

 

gives Pandit Tigunait's suggestions about what

one can do to prepare. His suggestion seem

to be geared towards Westerners; if

that's not you, you may want to continue to

look (or ask) for something better tailored to

your circumstances.

 

The book is listed on Devi Bhakta's Amazon booklist:

Shaktism: Hindu Worship of Devi, Goddess, Divine Feminine

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/188764508X/104-9019511-0981542?

v=glance&n=283155&%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

or

http://tinyurl.com/akujm

 

And welcome to the group!

[Guest guest]

msbauju wrote:A new member asked: "I was wondering if you could

offer some insight please. The saying - when the student is ready,

the teacher will appear. Could you please describe a few steps

towards preparedness."

 

I am hoping some of our knowledgeable members will chime in with

advice and perhaps personal experience. It's a good question.

 

In the meantime,

 

The Power of Mantra and Mystery of Initiation_

> by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait

> Paperback: 248 pages

> Publisher: Yoga Intl (January, 1996)

> ISBN: 188764508X

>

> gives Pandit Tigunait's suggestions about what

> one can do to prepare. His suggestion seem

> to be geared towards Westerners; if

> that's not you, you may want to continue to

> look (or ask) for something better tailored to

> your circumstances.

>

> The book is listed on Devi Bhakta's Amazon booklist:

> Shaktism: Hindu Worship of Devi, Goddess, Divine Feminine

>

> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/188764508X/104-9019511-0981542?

> v=glance&n=283155&%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

> or

> http://tinyurl.com/akujm

>

> And welcome to the group!

 

 

Thank you Msbauju for taking this lead. Now in my opinion, this

preparedness should not be like taking an exams. We do all that eh!.

we study for exams, soo that we will do well.

 

But spiritualism or waiting for the appearance of a right guru is

not an exam. Its should not be. Discipline, sincerity and honesty is

what one should have.

 

When I got into this path, I know nothing about mantra recitation.

Nothing about Lalitha Sahasranama. All I know is this devotion to

Devi. Many then commented that my devotion are fake. But its okay,

Fake to others but real to me. Actions speak louder than words.

Daily prayers without fail and this desire for guidance. This desire

must come from within. That I believe is the the first step towards

preparedness.

 

Im told : "I am here to guide you. I have perhaps 40 Km ahead of

you. Now what I am doing is to turn back, hold your hand and show

you the way. Once you have reach the same distance as me, I will

have to let you go. You must go on your own thereafter."

 

In the Lalitharchana candrika, the first page reads [ and I

translate as they are all in sanskrit. This is only an excerpt of

it ]: you shall bow daily to the guru, visualising ...........being

embodiment of knowledge. The very embodiment of consciousness, a

celebrated yogi, a doctor for spiritual illness......"

 

I like to share an excerpt of a conversation with a friend, just to

give my opinion about certain issues. This friend of mine is a nice

person who allows me to use the conversation for the group if its

meant for the benefit others.

 

[ Member ] : I'm a pick and choose person. If there is an aspect I

see that is not fit , do I have a oppertunity to reject?

 

[ Me ] : Then if you do that, why need a guru then? You be ure own

guru . Its like seeing a doctor. You realise you need a doc, you

know you need a doctor. When a doc prescribe a treatment for you you

reject it. When a doctor prescribe a medication for you, you

reject. You rather choose or use another's treatment. So if im a

doctor I will tell you nicely "Go and treat yourself ". You do not

need a doc actually. Fair do you think?

 

[ Member ] ya

 

[ Member ] : The doc will know you better be able to acess your

medical situation and prescribe a appropriate treatment. No doctor

will treat his own illness. The same like the guru too. He knows

your spiritual mode he is able to look into your mind to see how you

are. You're strength and your weakness. Do you know your own

weakness and strength? Sometimes its our ego. This ego just refuse

to bow before another. Ego thinks he/she knows better than others.

Ego thinks he/she have read, he knows it. All that is why its stress

the importance of complete faith and believe in your guru otherwise

no point

 

[ Member ] My past with my former guru still haunt me. Sometimes

feel I need to be careful. I think its not ego.

 

[ Me ] Yes! that's is! Learned experience have made you what you

are now. A careful person.

[Guest guest]

Well, since it was mentioned that the member is new to the forum and

worshipping HER, I will assume (either right or wrong) that (s)he is

not familiar with any of the spiritual texts pertaining to HER.

 

Preparation to meet a Guru, is not like preparing for an exam, as

Nora said.

 

But, given the status of the new member whose ignorance (not in a

degrading way of reference) is assumed (of course by myself), I will

modify Nora's statment, without her permission. ;-) So, it might be

easier for the new addition to the family understand the preparation

itself. Sometimes when the reference to all known quantities are

taken out of the reference library (in the mind), everything goes

haywire.

 

It is not like preparing for school/university final exams. But it

still is like preparing for an exam. Let me put it this way. It is

more like attending pre-KG or kindergarten school. One does not

prepare for an immediate exam but to prepare themselves for exams

some 15 years down the line.

 

Learning alphabets and to count is not going to make anyone pass

school finals, but will help them get there in the course of time.

Meanwhile, one keeps learning all the necessary skills to do well in

exams. And there are several monthly tests, annual exams to pass

etc. All these are trainings for the finals.

 

In the same way, preparing oneself for high gear sadhana is by

learning the elementary mantras and pronunciations (as msbaju

posted). Moving forward to more complex slokas and further on.

 

There will be exams at each stage, only the sadhaka will know what

they are. It is a very personal experience, unique to the person.

Once the sadhaka is ready to take the school finals which may be

being bestowed with a Guru. Then higher studies (college) starts.

Again depending on the ability of the sadhaka to learn advanced

subjects, (s)he will be guided through the journey until they are

ready to face the World on their own. This might be the 40th KM mark

in the statement quoted by Nora.

 

In each stage there will be a teacher in the form of a book or a

friend or parents or siblings etc. All are HER forms which are

helping the person. Sometimes to clear up a doubt, to introduce

new/advanced concepts and sometimes to test the sadhaka.

 

Just let go and pray to HER, "I am here as YOU wished. Please guide

me!" When SHE decides that the person needs close, explicit guidance

for higher studies, SHE will appear as a Guru.

 

 

 

>

> Thank you Msbauju for taking this lead. Now in my opinion, this

> preparedness should not be like taking an exams. We do all that

eh!. we study for exams, soo that we will do well.

>

> But spiritualism or waiting for the appearance of a right guru is

> not an exam. Its should not be. Discipline, sincerity and honesty

is what one should have.

>

> When I got into this path, I know nothing about mantra recitation.

> Nothing about Lalitha Sahasranama. All I know is this devotion to

> Devi. Many then commented that my devotion are fake. But its okay,

> Fake to others but real to me. Actions speak louder than words.

> Daily prayers without fail and this desire for guidance. This

desire must come from within. That I believe is the the first step

towards preparedness.

>

> Im told : "I am here to guide you. I have perhaps 40 Km ahead of

> you. Now what I am doing is to turn back, hold your hand and show

> you the way. Once you have reach the same distance as me, I will

> have to let you go. You must go on your own thereafter."

>

> In the Lalitharchana candrika, the first page reads [ and I

> translate as they are all in sanskrit. This is only an excerpt of

> it ]: you shall bow daily to the guru,

visualising ...........being

> embodiment of knowledge. The very embodiment of consciousness, a

> celebrated yogi, a doctor for spiritual illness......"

>