To Eric - about acting

[Guest guest]

Ericji,

 

I feel we are very blessed to have great teachers, both here and in

our homes:)

I have been thinking about the issue of 'acting spiritual'. I agree

with you that trying to act spiritual can be a hindrance, especially

if one expects to be congratulated with the performance and if it

involves a lot of attributes and wrappings and pity for those not so

attired. Engaging in a form of formal sadhana has its own dangers, I

feel, especially if it is 'exotic'. There is always the danger of

feeling special and the need to demonstrate proficiency. Or the

tendency to project a mysterious image or sit in a corner with a smug

smile on your face. And if you are not careful, the reason you are

doing it in the first place is forgotten (please understand I am

speaking for myself).

Yet in another sense, I think some form of acting may be helpful. I

remember someone having said if you can't pray, but sit down and act

as if you are praying, you'll find yourself praying at some point. If

you prepare the form, the power will come through to fill and enliven

the form, something like that.

Anandamayi Ma's advice may involve some acting too, I suspect, at

least in the beginning. But the difference is that this is a

performance no one need know about and, (this is were I have gone

wrong many times) She does not say 'from now on, you must always...and

never again....'. She says 'start with one day in a month and then

expand'. That is practice, not pretense. And no one need know about it

until it has become a natural expression of who you are.

 

thank you very much for taking the time to dig up this gem from

Muktimaa's treasure chest,

 

with love,

Henny

 

 

, "ecjensen_us" <ecjensen_us wrote:

>

> OM NAMAH SIVAYA

>

> i can totally relate to what you said below about your husband.

> though my wife doesn't really do sadhana, Her natural disposition is

> also very saintly. if we had a contest of demonstrated spirituality

> measured by our everyday lives i would definitely come in a distant

> second. i think sometimes trying to act spiritual can be a

> hindrance on the path. being spiritual happens naturally thru the

> changes created by sadhana and simply by The Divine Mother's Grace.

>

> i searched for this archived post of Muktimaa's below, which helped

> me great deal with things i was struggling with at that time;

>

>

> Namaste beloved family!

> i read this quote of Anandamayi Ma this morning and was very moved

by

> it. As a lot of you already know, She was a great saint who passed

> away in the early 1980's. She first became known here in the USA

> through the vehicle of the classic book, "Autobiography of a Yogi"

by

> Paramahamsa Yogananda. She was called "The bliss-permeated Mother."

>

> *"One day a married woman came and lamented to Mataji, "Ma, in my

> home nobody approves of puja, japa, meditation and the like. My

> husband, my father-in-law, and all the rest of the members in the

> family, including my brother-in-law, are opposed to it, What am I to

> do?" Mataji said: "You observe so many religious vows in your homes;

> don't you keep a fast on Tuesday and fast and do puja all night on

> Sivaratri?

>

> "Will you try to take up the following practice,? One day in a

month,

> from morning till night, regard everyone as a manifestation of God.

> Your husband, your father-in-law, your brother-in-law -consider them

> to be God in different guises. That day, look upon your children as

> child Krishna and Kumari Devi. Whoever comes to your house, be he a

> guest, a beggar, a hawker, treat him as a form of Narayana. If on

> that day you are visited by any sorrow or trouble, welcome them as

> messengers of the Lord. By continuing with this practice, you will

> find circumstances becoming normal and favourable to the worship of

> God. First of all, do this once every month, then once a week and

you

> will observe that the happiness you feel on that day will influence

> all the rest of the week."

>

> *Excerpt taken from the book "The Compassionate Touch of Ma

> Anandamayi by Narayan Choudhuri

>

> JAI MAA

>

> , "henny_v_i" <henny_v_i@>

> wrote:

> >

> > Dear Linda,

> >

> > I hope you don't mind my reacting to your post about

> relationships. Of

> > course all circumstances are different and I don't mean to compare

> in

> > any way, because obviously you are having a very difficult time,

> > butyour post about your partner and his computergames made me

> realize

> > something. So, even though mine is a different situation, I would

> like

> > to share what I learned over the past year or so:

> >

> > I know about this 'computer addiction' and I too have so often

> felt

> > frustrated because my husband sat behind his computer as soon as

> he

> > got up or got home, playing what I perceived to be a stupid game

> or

> > other, instead of pursuing what I thought to be more 'worthwhile'

> > activities, like meditation or watching me perform puja (yes, I do

> > like an audience). And there have been many times that I have

> > regretted the fact that he does not share my enthusiasm and that

> he is

> > not particularly interested in Shree Maa and Swamiji's teachings

> and I

> > have sometimes felt very alone and frustrated.

> > Yet there have been many more times when he has put me to shame by

> > demonstrating so much more love, compassion and honesty than I

> could

> > muster in any given circumstance, so much more wisdom and

> kindness, so

> > much more patience and forbearance (and also by never once

> criticizing

> > what I am doing or raising objections or ridiculing me), that I

> have

> > come to realize that he certainly is 'plugged in' even though I

> can't

> > see how.

> > I now often feel I learn from him, precisely because he follows

> his

> > own path (even though of course our paths intertwine too) and

> adheres

> > faithfully (or stubbornly, as I would describe it in one of my

> lesser

> > moments) to his own truth. Keeps me from becoming dogmatic:)

> > Having recovered from the shock that he would not and will not

> > (although you never know) do as I do, I am now content (most of

> the

> > time) in my own corner of the room; and one of the advantages of

> his

> > ability to amuse himself is that I get a lot of time for my own

> > practice! I still think it is very beautiful and a great blessing

> if

> > two partners share their spiritual practice. But there are many

> ways

> > in which people can grow together, and learn from each other, I

> have

> > found.

> >

> > Now, having said all this, I hope you understand my husband is no

> > saint and sometimes he drives me up the wall (as I do him, I'm

> sure).

> > But I wanted to tell you this because I am certain your partner is

> > 'plugged in' as well in some mysterious way. We all are. Sometimes

> the

> > current is strong, sometimes weak, and sometimes we get our wires

> > crossed and we get to sit in the dark. But the Power which

> connects us

> > is always there.

> >

> > Please don't think I am belittling your situation. I just wanted

> to

> > tell you what I learned. I hope and pray everything works out well

> for

> > you both and you can find a way to turn on the light again,

> >

> >

> > with love,

> > Henny

> >

> >

> > , nierika@ wrote:

> > >

> > >

> > > shreemaadevote posted:

> > >

> > > ...The most important accomplishment of human life is self

> > > realization. It doesn't matter what we become, it doesn’t

> matter

> > what we

> > > attain, it doesn’t matter what we possess. All of that is

so

> > temporary. It

> > > will

> > > all be left behind after only a moment's enjoyment. A well-

> lived

> > life is

> > > one

> > > that is full of love and joy and peace and compassion."

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Ah ~ devotee ~ I sense a "thread" here. The last digest had

> another

> > post

> > > about relationships, and believe me, at this point I have no

> idea ..

> > . but, more

> > > compassion on my part is certainly in order. It is just a bit

> > difficult when

> > > the compassion has to be applied to my partner making an online

> > computer game

> > > more important than anything else in his life. It is like his

> > "worship." He

> > > gets up at 4 or 5 in the morning so he can play before he goes

> to

> > work. He

> > > gets back on almost as soon as he gets home. We have a brief

> time

> > together while

> > > we eat dinner, and then he is back on. It is like being with

> somone

> > who is

> > > having an affair ... but with a machine. And I just can't wrap

> my

> > brain around

> > > it. We've talked, negotiated, everything, but eventually it all

> > goes back to

> > > the game being the most compelling aspect of his life. Perhaps

> if I

> > am able

> > > to put aside my selfish desire to share his time and attention

> and

> > apply

> > > those four attributes in the quote: "love and joy and peace and

> > compassion,"

> > > something may change, if only in my own heart and mind. Thank

> you

> > for posting

> > > quotes that are keeping me in a state of remembrance of what is

> > really

> > > important. Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~ Linda

> > >

> >

>