Guest guest Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 Namah Shivaya Kandar, > There is no separation with you and God. Both are > One in the same. I understand that, but at the same time, in order to cultivate devotion, I have to see God with a form. Both are paths toward to Goal, and Amma says that the path of devotion is the best in the beginning. Even in Manasa Puja, we're told to see Mother as separate from us in order to manifest our devotion. However, I tried your method a bit yesterday and it did help. As I did things, I imagined God doing them too, and I felt both a part of God and also seperately observed Her presence. I could only do it for a few seconds at a time, and that's where I do agree I need to cultivate concentration and focus. How do you "slip into your heart"? Gabriela --- KandarW wrote: > Jai Gabriela: > Question for the list regarding offering to God, > meditation on God, etc: How does the intentional > offering of an action to God manifest? Do you say, > "This is for you, God," or do you pretend God is > standing there appreciating your action, or what? > I sense that you are seeing this as "you" offering > to "God". > > If I may offer a thought for consideration here: > .... > > First, it sounds like you are "you" and God is > "God". i.e. there is a > separation between you and God. Where ever did this > ever come from? > > There is no separation with you and God. Both are > One in the same. > > Whatever actions you do, you and God do together. > Both you and God are > co-creating together. There is no other way. > > In fact, you can not do anything without God. If you > could, that would imply > separation. > > As far as the "offering" is concened, consider that > before the action rather > than after it. Consider that both you and God, > inseparatable, are co-creating > it together and feel the gradititude in your heart > for that is the way it is. > If > I'm cookng, obviously I can offer a plate to an > image > of God, or off my deck to Nature, but what if I'm > driving, or doing backstock at work? > > Consider it is both you and God, inseparatable, are > cooking/driving/working > together! > > What about during meditation - how do I meditate on > God with a form? Do I imagine > Amma/Siva/Jesus/whoever > sitting in front of me, or do I focus on their > face...? What is the difference between > "meditating" > and "thinking about"? During mantra chanting, I > gaze > at Amma's image, but my mind wanders. Sometimes I > imagine going for darshan while I chant, or imagine > Her sitting by me. Any feedback? > "Thinking about" is engaging the mind. Meditating is > letting your mind focus > on a sound it finds attractive while you quietly > slip into your heart to > know/experience God. > > The pathway to God is through the heart, not the > mind. Get the right body > part! Protect your identity with Mail AddressGuard http://antispam./whatsnewfree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 - Miranda Soliz Ammachi Tuesday, November 18, 2003 8:43 AM Re: Meditating and offering to God Namah Shivaya, Gabriela, First, thank you for the nice note about my "voice." It was reassuring because I typically feel the proverbial babbling idiot and get unbelievably frustrated at how poorly language serves with these issues. SO knowing that I do, once in while, at least sound coherent is wonderful! I, too, have wondered about "slipping into your heart;" as I've mentioned my Taoist best friend is always trying to speed me up, so to speak, so I will know how much I'm missing by not resolving some of my questions/concerns. There are days I fell that she's yelling "Come on, come on, Come on!!!" to which I can only respond "I'm running as fast as I can but I seem to have two broken legs, a hole in my heart, and a brain the size of twelve watermelons to drag with me!!!" Just kidding: she actually keeps telling me to "bring Amma into my heart and hold Her there" and sometimes it seems to work and other times I really wonder if I am still in the "intellectual" mode. She also keeps reminding me to "watch the watcher." Again, I understand this on an intellectual basis, but would like it to be part of my daily emotional experience and I don't think it is very often. The only time I know I encountered the "witness/watcher," I nearly had my husband take me to ER because I thought I'd had a stroke! I'd been napping and woke up to a "shifted" consciousness; I seemed to be seeing everything from somewhere a foot or two BEHIND my left shoulder! Carolyn, my friend, nearly broke the phone line with her laughter when I told her I kept insisting to Ron that "My consciousness is all screwed up! I'm not where I should be!" I thenproceeded to spend about five minutes moving my hand around in front of my face to see if I was STILL seeing it from behind my shoulder -adn telling Ron something hadgone really wrong because I COULDN'T be looking at myself from behind myself! My friend's response? Amma has her hands full; when She gives that kind of a gift, She doesn't mean for it be mistaken for a screw up! Anyway, so much for my pursuit of path! If anyone, tho, has an explanation for "staying in the heart" I'd like to know, too. At Amma's feet, the inept child, Snehalata Namah Shivaya Kandar, > There is no separation with you and God. Both are > One in the same. I understand that, but at the same time, in order to cultivate devotion, I have to see God with a form. Both are paths toward to Goal, and Amma says that the path of devotion is the best in the beginning. Even in Manasa Puja, we're told to see Mother as separate from us in order to manifest our devotion. However, I tried your method a bit yesterday and it did help. As I did things, I imagined God doing them too, and I felt both a part of God and also seperately observed Her presence. I could only do it for a few seconds at a time, and that's where I do agree I need to cultivate concentration and focus. How do you "slip into your heart"? Gabriela --- KandarW wrote: > Jai Gabriela: > Question for the list regarding offering to God, > meditation on God, etc: How does the intentional > offering of an action to God manifest? Do you say, > "This is for you, God," or do you pretend God is > standing there appreciating your action, or what? > I sense that you are seeing this as "you" offering > to "God". > > If I may offer a thought for consideration here: > .... > > First, it sounds like you are "you" and God is > "God". i.e. there is a > separation between you and God. Where ever did this > ever come from? > > There is no separation with you and God. Both are > One in the same. > > Whatever actions you do, you and God do together. > Both you and God are > co-creating together. There is no other way. > > In fact, you can not do anything without God. If you > could, that would imply > separation. > > As far as the "offering" is concened, consider that > before the action rather > than after it. Consider that both you and God, > inseparatable, are co-creating > it together and feel the gradititude in your heart > for that is the way it is. > If > I'm cookng, obviously I can offer a plate to an > image > of God, or off my deck to Nature, but what if I'm > driving, or doing backstock at work? > > Consider it is both you and God, inseparatable, are > cooking/driving/working > together! > > What about during meditation - how do I meditate on > God with a form? Do I imagine > Amma/Siva/Jesus/whoever > sitting in front of me, or do I focus on their > face...? What is the difference between > "meditating" > and "thinking about"? During mantra chanting, I > gaze > at Amma's image, but my mind wanders. Sometimes I > imagine going for darshan while I chant, or imagine > Her sitting by me. Any feedback? > "Thinking about" is engaging the mind. Meditating is > letting your mind focus > on a sound it finds attractive while you quietly > slip into your heart to > know/experience God. > > The pathway to God is through the heart, not the > mind. Get the right body > part! Protect your identity with Mail AddressGuard http://antispam./whatsnewfree Sponsor Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! Ammachi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 namaste...if i may add my personal feelings toward the "seperation" of GOD, i don't see it as anything seperate at all. when i focus on AMMA or MAA KALI, i prefer to think of the image as a projection from the heart in the same way that an image is projected onto a screen while the film is inside the projector-- the "heart" of the projector. when meditating on GOD, the heart is where i concentrate to feel HER presence. another way to describe it is like that of a mirror image. i thank all of you. OM SHANTI j Ammachi, "Dixie Thacker" <dixielou@s...> wrote: > > - > Miranda Soliz > Ammachi > Tuesday, November 18, 2003 8:43 AM > Re: Meditating and offering to God > Namah Shivaya, Gabriela, > > First, thank you for the nice note about my "voice." It was reassuring because I typically feel the proverbial babbling idiot and get unbelievably frustrated at how poorly language serves with these issues. SO knowing that I do, once in while, at least sound coherent is wonderful! > > I, too, have wondered about "slipping into your heart;" as I've mentioned my Taoist best friend is always trying to speed me up, so to speak, so I will know how much I'm missing by not resolving some of my questions/concerns. There are days I fell that she's yelling "Come on, come on, Come on!!!" to which I can only respond "I'm running as fast as I can but I seem to have two broken legs, a hole in my heart, and a brain the size of twelve watermelons to drag with me!!!" Just kidding: she actually keeps telling me to "bring Amma into my heart and hold Her there" and sometimes it seems to work and other times I really wonder if I am still in the "intellectual" mode. > > She also keeps reminding me to "watch the watcher." Again, I understand this on an intellectual basis, but would like it to be part of my daily emotional experience and I don't think it is very often. The only time I know I encountered the "witness/watcher," I nearly had my husband take me to ER because I thought I'd had a stroke! I'd been napping and woke up to a "shifted" consciousness; I seemed to be seeing everything from somewhere a foot or two BEHIND my left shoulder! Carolyn, my friend, nearly broke the phone line with her laughter when I told her I kept insisting to Ron that "My consciousness is all screwed up! I'm not where I should be!" I thenproceeded to spend about five minutes moving my hand around in front of my face to see if I was STILL seeing it from behind my shoulder -adn telling Ron something hadgone really wrong because I COULDN'T be looking at myself from behind myself! My friend's response? Amma has her hands full; when She gives that kind of a gift, She doesn't mean for it be mistaken for a screw up! > > Anyway, so much for my pursuit of path! If anyone, tho, has an explanation for "staying in the heart" I'd like to know, too. > > At Amma's feet, the inept child, > Snehalata > > > Namah Shivaya Kandar, > > > There is no separation with you and God. Both are > > One in the same. > > I understand that, but at the same time, in order to > cultivate devotion, I have to see God with a form. > Both are paths toward to Goal, and Amma says that the > path of devotion is the best in the beginning. Even > in Manasa Puja, we're told to see Mother as separate > from us in order to manifest our devotion. > > However, I tried your method a bit yesterday and it > did help. As I did things, I imagined God doing them > too, and I felt both a part of God and also seperately > observed Her presence. I could only do it for a few > seconds at a time, and that's where I do agree I need > to cultivate concentration and focus. > > How do you "slip into your heart"? > > Gabriela > > --- KandarW@a... wrote: > > Jai Gabriela: > > Question for the list regarding offering to God, > > meditation on God, etc: How does the intentional > > offering of an action to God manifest? Do you say, > > "This is for you, God," or do you pretend God is > > standing there appreciating your action, or what? > > I sense that you are seeing this as "you" offering > > to "God". > > > > If I may offer a thought for consideration here: > > .... > > > > First, it sounds like you are "you" and God is > > "God". i.e. there is a > > separation between you and God. Where ever did this > > ever come from? > > > > There is no separation with you and God. Both are > > One in the same. > > > > Whatever actions you do, you and God do together. > > Both you and God are > > co-creating together. There is no other way. > > > > In fact, you can not do anything without God. If you > > could, that would imply > > separation. > > > > As far as the "offering" is concened, consider that > > before the action rather > > than after it. Consider that both you and God, > > inseparatable, are co-creating > > it together and feel the gradititude in your heart > > for that is the way it is. > > If > > I'm cookng, obviously I can offer a plate to an > > image > > of God, or off my deck to Nature, but what if I'm > > driving, or doing backstock at work? > > > > Consider it is both you and God, inseparatable, are > > cooking/driving/working > > together! > > > > What about during meditation - how do I meditate on > > God with a form? Do I imagine > > Amma/Siva/Jesus/whoever > > sitting in front of me, or do I focus on their > > face...? What is the difference between > > "meditating" > > and "thinking about"? During mantra chanting, I > > gaze > > at Amma's image, but my mind wanders. Sometimes I > > imagine going for darshan while I chant, or imagine > > Her sitting by me. Any feedback? > > "Thinking about" is engaging the mind. Meditating is > > letting your mind focus > > on a sound it finds attractive while you quietly > > slip into your heart to > > know/experience God. > > > > The pathway to God is through the heart, not the > > mind. Get the right body > > part! > > > > > Protect your identity with Mail AddressGuard > http://antispam./whatsnewfree > > Sponsor > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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