To senka about illness, empathy and the heart (was Ganga stori

[Guest guest]

Dear senka ~ thank you so much for writing back.

I do find it difficult, with the EMS sankalpa to hold the mala in the

various positions. Sometimes this makes my pain worse. I remember someone writing

to Swamiji and asking if they could do the counting on the fingers, and He

said, yes, but the hands should be held in the same position. So I do the best I

can with that. But it is something I look forward to every evening ... my

time for sadhana and to do the EMS sankalpa.

 

I have been many places in my heart, so I know what you mean by that. I have

been to places I can't identify. One was a place with a very high range of

mountains that, from the distance I was viewing from, looked almost like rose

quartz crystal...very beautiful. There is another place I go. There is a lake

surrounded by tall grasses. To the left of the lake is a forest with a path

that is barely discernable. It was on this path, about midway through the

forest, that I met my spirit guide. If I continue to the end of the path, I come

out of the forest and go up a hill. The incline is slight, but once on top,

it is obviously a bluff, and the drop is immense. My guide has her teepee

there, and she has taken me there many times for healing work. This is mixing

spirituality belief systems a bit, but both my love of Hinduism and my seemingly

spontaneous experiences with my spirit guides have helped me a great deal as

I have begun this healing journey. In a sense my whole life has been a

healing journey.

 

I loved Swamiji's answer about ancestors. I have had difficulties enough

with my more immediate ones that are still living, yet I believe what He says is

true, and I have believed this for a long time ~ that we have been given the

perfect circumstances to fulfill our purpose here. As my illness has gotten

worse, and I have sometimes been like Radharini, begging at the altar to "take

me there." But inevitably I come back to the Cave of the Heart. Many years

ago I wrote a song with this title, a kind of spiritual folk song. Imagine my

amazement when, while reading the Bhagavad Gita, I came across this exact

term! How is such a thing possible? This is just a rhetorical question ... there

is some apparent connection there, and it came out in my song.

 

Now I am preparing for our move from the trailer to our new home. I am

excited, yet after packing (off and on) for about an hour today, I was in tears,

my pain was so great, and I was so tired I could hardly hold my head up. So

this is a good lesson ... a good month long lesson, at least ... in doing my

packing and organizing sadhana; in falling apart and allowing that to be okay;

in coming back to rest; and in keeping my commitment to my EMS Sadhana.

 

Thank you, dear sister, for your large heart and your sharing your empathy

as well as your own story. Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~ Linda

 

senka wrote:

 

if you did not mention your illness how would one know to have empathy? it

is good you mention it. at any rate illness takes over your being at times...i

know this well enough. can seem to cover us more and more. but thru reading

of the great saints like nityananda and ramakrishna...and watching the saints

go about thier lives like shree maa and swamajii, we get examples and

inklings as too how we may carry our burdens. it cant be emphasized enough how

carefully we need to listen to their words and read the writings.

 

....many years ago i was told a story of a great guru's sister. she was

nearing the end of her life and was very ill. she was weeping in front of the

alter, on wich stood deities of Lord Krishna and Radharani. a young bhakta came

over and said "matta, why do you weep so?" and she replied "take me too

Vrindavan. i need to go and be with Krishna." she seemed so distraught that the

bahkta franticly tried to make arrangements for her to go. but nothing worked

out and the doctors said she was much too ill to travel. so he returned to the

temple room where she sat weeping and said" i am so sorry but i can not

arrange for your travels" and the woman looked at him and smiled...she said" oh

no, not that Vrindavan...the one in here" and she held her hand to her heart.

 

so when we are chanting holy nama we are associating with this. and this

transports us to holy places. our meditation is as being there. and with joy we

can accept this.

 

i most likely wont be going back to india physically for many reasons...but

my heart goes all the time. we have been many places in many bodies...this

time around....if you are ment to go you will go no matter your state of

health. take heart and see positive. take care.

[Guest guest]

you are an inspiration. and i thank you.

machenka

 

nierika (AT) aol (DOT) com wrote:

Dear senka ~ thank you so much for writing back. I do find it difficult, with the EMS sankalpa to hold the mala in the various positions. Sometimes this makes my pain worse. I remember someone writing to Swamiji and asking if they could do the counting on the fingers, and He said, yes, but the hands should be held in the same position. So I do the best I can with that. But it is something I look forward to every evening ... my time for sadhana and to do the EMS sankalpa.

I have been many places in my heart, so I know what you mean by that. I have been to places I can't identify. One was a place with a very high range of mountains that, from the distance I was viewing from, looked almost like rose quartz crystal...very beautiful. There is another place I go. There is a lake surrounded by tall grasses. To the left of the lake is a forest with a path that is barely discernable. It was on this path, about midway through the forest, that I met my spirit guide. If I continue to the end of the path, I come out of the forest and go up a hill. The incline is slight, but once on top, it is obviously a bluff, and the drop is immense. My guide has her teepee there, and she has taken me there many times for healing work. This is mixing spirituality belief systems a bit, but both my love of Hinduism and my seemingly spontaneous experiences with my spirit guides have helped me a great deal as I have begun this healing journey. In a sense my whole life

has been a healing journey.

I loved Swamiji's answer about ancestors. I have had difficulties enough with my more immediate ones that are still living, yet I believe what He says is true, and I have believed this for a long time ~ that we have been given the perfect circumstances to fulfill our purpose here. As my illness has gotten worse, and I have sometimes been like Radharini, begging at the altar to "take me there." But inevitably I come back to the Cave of the Heart. Many years ago I wrote a song with this title, a kind of spiritual folk song. Imagine my amazement when, while reading the Bhagavad Gita, I came across this exact term! How is such a thing possible? This is just a rhetorical question ... there is some apparent connection there, and it came out in my song.

Now I am preparing for our move from the trailer to our new home. I am excited, yet after packing (off and on) for about an hour today, I was in tears, my pain was so great, and I was so tired I could hardly hold my head up. So this is a good lesson ... a good month long lesson, at least ... in doing my packing and organizing sadhana; in falling apart and allowing that to be okay; in coming back to rest; and in keeping my commitment to my EMS Sadhana.

Thank you, dear sister, for your large heart and your sharing your empathy as well as your own story. Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~ Linda

senka wrote:

if you did not mention your illness how would one know to have empathy? it is good you mention it. at any rate illness takes over your being at times...i know this well enough. can seem to cover us more and more. but thru reading of the great saints like nityananda and ramakrishna...and watching the saints go about thier lives like shree maa and swamajii, we get examples and inklings as too how we may carry our burdens. it cant be emphasized enough how carefully we need to listen to their words and read the writings.

 

....many years ago i was told a story of a great guru's sister. she was nearing the end of her life and was very ill. she was weeping in front of the alter, on wich stood deities of Lord Krishna and Radharani. a young bhakta came over and said "matta, why do you weep so?" and she replied "take me too Vrindavan. i need to go and be with Krishna." she seemed so distraught that the bahkta franticly tried to make arrangements for her to go. but nothing worked out and the doctors said she was much too ill to travel. so he returned to the temple room where she sat weeping and said" i am so sorry but i can not arrange for your travels" and the woman looked at him and smiled...she said" oh no, not that Vrindavan...the one in here" and she held her hand to her heart.

 

so when we are chanting holy nama we are associating with this. and this transports us to holy places. our meditation is as being there. and with joy we can accept this.

 

i most likely wont be going back to india physically for many reasons...but my heart goes all the time. we have been many places in many bodies...this time around....if you are ment to go you will go no matter your state of health. take heart and see positive. take care.

 

 

 

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