Daughter of Fire (where there is love, there is nearness)

[Guest guest]

Snehalata,

 

I am so thrilled that you are reading this incredible

book! I kept bringing it up here hoping that someone

would read it and discuss it with me, because I feel

that it is of immense value to us, as disciples of a

Satguru.

 

> I am reading "Daughter of Fire" and am absolutely

> entranced by it- the paths seems so similar and

> raise so many questions again.

>

> THis book, like others I've read, make it fairly

> clear that 1) complete surrender to the Guru is

> required and 2) proximity to Him/Her can make a

> difference because the energy can flow from master

> to disciple so directly.

 

How far into the book are you? You will find that

later on, Irina and Bhai Sahib are seperated for many

years, and the training continues uninterrupted. In

fact, the seperation is PART of the training! At the I

AM session this weekend, Ramaa Devi was giving a talk

on the last day, sharing some of her stories with

Amma, and she mentioned that Amma teaches us that

"Where there is love, there is nearness." I know we

have all experienced this. I had one of my best

darshans this weekend, and I was only prostrating to

Amma's sandals! But She was with me.

 

Of course, when we are in Amma's physical presence we

get loads and loads of Her shakti, but it is always

there for us, if we are open to it. If we cultivate

the love, there will be nearness. Physical distance

could be no obstacle for a Mahatma. Is it an obstacle

for Christ? No, He flows into the hearts of people all

over the world, two thousand years after leaving the

body! So will Amma.

 

About surrender, yes, that book is such a perfect

example of what it takes to really surrender. The

quote on the first page, "The path of love is a bridge

of hair across a chasm of fire" says it all.

 

This Guru also states that

> not all who come to Him are disciples - that there

> is a difference between those who want wordly things

> from Him, those who are attached to Him personally,

> and those who come seeking knowledge. Individuals

> are not 'given to' equally but according to

> directions He is given and according to their own

> intents.

 

Yes, I think this is true with Amma as well, but many

who come with other ideas end up recieving something

else entirely. Haven't we all had the experience of

recieving "nothing I wanted, everything I needed" from

Her? I know a lot of devotees who met Amma years

before it "sank in" with them- they didn't really feel

it until later.

>

> 1: We've discussed this before, but I am still not

> clear on what I believe or what Mother wants us to

> do. I know She gives instructions for us to follow

> in our lives as householders - but I also know that

> every Guru I've read about states that total

> surrender is necessary. Now, without raising that

> old issue of laziness vs. spiritual practice - I

> keep dreaming, and seeing in my mind(?) even when

> I'm awake, that I am standing in my 'yard,' which is

> surrounded by deep forest. In the dream, there are

> deer, squirrels, etc. wandering around without

> paying any attention to me whatsoever and I am so

> thin that my Native American face looks almost

> chiselled and the rest of my body is all angles and

> juts (obviously only a dream; I am, to be kind,

> chubby). My hair is very long in this dream and is

> blowing gently but without any order around my face

> and upper torso and my face is completely upturned.

> My only interest, if you will, seems to be being.

>

> I knew this about myself as a small child, but it

> disappeared for many years and has just returned in

> the past year or two. I desperately need absolute

> solitude and feel very sure that I could surrender

> completely; my ideal right now would be to turn off

> my electricity and phone, tell all those who depend

> on me that I will not be available for at least a

> year, and then simply spend my time letting whatever

> it is inside me 'quicken' or 'ripen' without leaving

> my own yard and forest for at least 12 months. How

> does one reconcile such a need with the reality of

> life? My husband depends on me for our income right

> now and to safeguard his health as best I can and,

> while I know my children would understand, I don't

> think they'd like me withdrawing completely for so

> long. Amma and Yogananda both remind us that today

> is important because we don't know when time will

> run out-that doesn't bother me, but I want to know

> the Truth, if possible, while I am in this

> incarnation and can understand it as I am now. When

> the need is so strong, how does one keep telling

> his/her soul to be patient?

>

Dharma Mitra, the yogi of the famous poster with all

the asanas on it, says that surrender while in the

Himalayas is easy, there are no distractions. But

often these yogis reach a certain point (manifesting

siddhis, perhaps) and feel called to teach. Thus they

go out into the world feeling immune, and fall prey to

all kinds of worldy troubles. There are numerous

examples of yogis who "used to be pure" before

travelling in the west, where they became corrupted by

the adoration of their "fans." It is much better,

suggests Mitra, to strive for the highest state while

in the world (Dharma lives in New York city!), and

develop detachment and one pointedness.

 

You know, Bhai Sahib is a good example of this, too.

He was a householder, and you can see in the book how

he was constantly caring for the daily minutiae of

family life with perfect love and attentiveness. He

gave the greatest importance to responsibility in

action, and to being an example to his family and

those who came to see him.

 

> 2: Do you think physical proximity is a big issue?

> I worry sometimes that Mother seems so far away and

> I don't feel that the energy between us is always as

> strong as it was when I was in Her presence last

> summer. Sometimes the longing for Her is almost

> overwhelming - and so is the fear. I know it's

> incredibly sill,y but somedays I wonder if She knows

> who I am. Does She remember the name and mantra She

> gave me? There are so many of us...or does it even

> matter? Sometimes I want desperately to know, for

> sure, that the place I hold in Her heart is as

> special as the one She has in mine...and then feel

> selfish and ridiculous for even wondering.

 

Snehalataji, these have been the sentiments of all our

hearts, repeatedly in our journeys with Amma. I can

only say that we have these doubts because we cannot,

with our limited perception, fathom the infinitude of

Amma's awareness. It gets back to faith in the Guru.

Amma is a divine incarnation. There is not a breath we

take without Her knowing. Look closer. She never

falters in Her perfect love, it is constantly

streaming out in all directions. Have you ever noticed

a dark spot on Amma's cheek? It is a bruise, from

smiling. She will put Her body through whatever it

takes for Her devotees to feel Her love. You can also

see in pictures of Amma's feet that Her toenails are

often bruised. This is from people accidently kneeing

on Her feet during darshan. I have heard that this

happens all the time, yet have you ever known Amma to

show signs of pain? She would not let Her child know

that he was hurting Her by wincing or asking him to

move off Her foot. Instead, She smiles and embraces

each person as if they were Her most cherished,

long-lost son or daughter. We just can't imagine Her

greatness. Yes, Snehalata, She is with you, and me,

and all of us, all the time. She is the Divine Mother,

and there is no distance. It's just another illusion.

Sing some bhajans and maybe write Her a letter, asking

Her to help you open to Her presence in your heart. Do

the manasa puja.

 

"I am closer to you than you are to yourself." -Amma

 

Amma is for the whole world. Let's celebrate for the

children who are in Her physical presence today, and

know that we will be with Her in body, in just three

months. Dear sister, I will pray that you have Amma's

darshan. She has incarnated out of sheer compassion

and love for suffering humanity, and She is greater

than we can know until we are established in Her.

Pray, pray, as Irina Tweedie prayed to Bhai Sahib, for

faith, for grace, and for surrender.

 

love,

Brianna

 

P.S. Have you taken I AM yet?

>

> Lost and needing to be found,

> Snehalata

>

>

> My questions: Do you think it is the same with

> Amma?

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

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