Up in Arms! In Amma's Arms!!! in defense of Names

[Guest guest]

Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!

 

Namaste Mani!!

 

O Mani!!!you do like to stir things up don't you???!!!! i can hear

you chuckling right now at the hornet's nest that you just set on

fire...you naughty boy!!!!no supper for you!

 

i wish to slight take issue with you dear friend over your

pronouncements about what Gurus can and cannot do for their

children...if they are ordinary Gurus, perhaps your statement has

validity, although i still feel it is a little misleading and

discourageing...

it is true that they are good for reminding us of our childlike

inner natures as you say, but it goes far beyond that.

A real Satguru, such as Ammachi, is a model Herself, of just what that

childlike nature is like, and She communicates some of that thru the

names that She gives Her children...Ammachi's Names are very sought

after by Her children and they are very precious to them...being a

deep connection with their Mother and Guru...it is not a light thing

you are pronouncing upon. Sometimes Amma makes you wait years for

one...you ask and you ask and you ask...as for me, i verbally asked

during darshan (a no-no i've later been told), and was told to go sit

up behind Amma on the stage and i didn't realize how "lucky" i was

until later....

in my own case, as you know, Guru and Mother are one and the

same...and i am nothing but a little child before her....i merely wish

to rest safe and secure in my Amma's lap....and let Her decide what is

to be...and in this case She decided that i am visvanathan...it is not

lightly given to me, nor was it lightly taken...i did not so much

assume my Guru-given Name as i did realise that this is my true Nature

and that Amma is reminding me of this every time i think of my Divine

Name.

Amma did not immediately give it to me either, She sat and gave

darshan while i blissed out not six feet behind Her on the

Stage......after about and hour and a half, (when i suddenly felt

restless a little...sore legs from the hard floor) Amma turned to look

at me with one of THOSE looks, and turning back to the brahamchari,

gave him my Name.... which to me is not to be assumed but rather

lived...i felt that Amma was describing me to myself, and also setting

the goal at the same time that i might live up to this Holy Name of

the Lord Siva (Who has always along with His consort Mother Kali, been

my beloved ideal.) Mother Kali of course is the ishta devata tho.....

and what a wonderful way to think of relating to Her....(not that i

intend to take any airs with the Divine Mother....i feel more like

that Siva who had to drink the poison from the churning of the ocean

of milk...He ran around with a terrible burning in His throat, turning

it blue....Mother Kali saw this and in pity thought to relieve His

suffering, by offering Him Her breast to suckle...However this wasn't

fitting for His Wife to do, so Mother Kali changed into Mother Tara,

who then took "baby" Siva up onto Her lap and suckled Him to relieve

the burning poison in His throat....This is how i feel about Amma,

this child of Hers is burning up in this poisonous world, and She

kindly has taken on Her Motherly role, and lifted up Her darling baby

Siva into Her lap to console Him and suckle Him and to remove His

misery.....

as a child, i was given a name by my Norwegian parents, which in

actuality is also a Sanskrit Name, so even there i'm trapped by your

arguments....My parents named me Hans....and my dad and grama always

called me "Hansamon". Imagine my surprise when i heard my Amma

saying "Mon Mon MON MON MON MON....kattemon",etc in my ear and i

realized that my grama had actually called me a Malayalam name...(if i

understand this properly...) She was calling me "little swan son"

as Hansa is Swan, and mon is son....

so i'm not uncomfortable with my "Christian" name, and it even has

sacred vibrations in its own way, meaning "the grace of God" in its

expanded Johannes form...in the short form it is just "grace"...like

Kripa...

There you go Mani...my thoughts on this subject...

In the Divine Mother's

Love and in Her Service

i make koti koti pranams to you

 

as ever

Your Own Self

 

visvanathan

 

Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!