Guest guest Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Dear Holy Family, My years of puja, in which I spent hours each day in formal worship, flower arranging and caring for the altar, were a necessary preparation for my present work. A few years ago the Divine Mother placed me in a high tech job where I work 12-14 hours a day, as well as doing technical seva for the Devi Mandir. Now my puja has necessarily turned into karma yoga. What is clear to me now is that without my many years of intensive worship, it would have been difficult or impossible for me to do secular work in the spirit of worship, that is, as karma yoga. Any activity one does requires tools or skills of some sort, and what I would like to share with you is a few of the spiritual tools which I learned to use in puja, and which I now carry with me into my secular work. My spiritual toolbox contains: Faith- Sri Ramakrishna said that "Faith is the root of all". My experience doing worship taught me that although it begins with imagination, it soon needs to turn into the conviction, through faith, that God is real and that my worship is a living relationship with God. So I prayed to have sincere faith in God and in the reality of my worship. Longing- Sri Ramakrishna said; "Longing is the one thing needful and that God is drawn to such a devotee the way a cow is drawn to rich oil cakes (something cows love to eat). So, I prayed with faith to increase my longing for God daily as I did my worship. Divine Presence- Successful worship must become a living relationship between the soul and God. So I prayed with faith and longing that I would become more and more aware of the presence of God- just as if my friend had opened the door and walked into the room. Emptiness of Self- To be sensitive to the presence of God, I knew that I had to be free from distractions which obscure that presence. As Sri Ramakrishna said; "one's hand may be small, but if we put it before our eyes it can obscure the very sun itself." So I prayed to become increasingly empty of the noisy mind: memories, thoughts, worries, attachments, identifications, and all else that come between the soul and God. So, as I moved from my years of formal worship into the market place of the world, I also took with me my spiritual toolbox containing faith, longing, presence of God, and emptiness of self with which to transform my secular work into divine worship. Ramprasad said: "O Mother, You are flying kites in the market place of this world, and out of a hundred thousand, at most, one or two break loose to become free. Then you laugh and clap your hands." So I pray that through my worship and my karma yoga, my kite might also break loose and become free as You laugh and clap your lovely hands. With love, Kumari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Thank you Kumari for such a beautiful expression of devotion and practice. Max -- Max Dashu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Dearest Kumari... What a lovely, LOVELY gift! How can anyone read this and not feel its joy! You have truly blessed us...thank you! with great love, sal. > Ramprasad said: "O Mother, You are flying kites in the market place of > this world, and out of a hundred thousand, at most, one or two break > loose to become free. Then you laugh and clap your hands." > > So I pray that through my worship and my karma yoga, my kite might > also break loose and become free as You laugh and clap your lovely hands. > > > With love, > Kumari > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Thank you so much for this beautiful sharing. It is truly time to see everything as worship. --- ty_maa <ds.james (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote: > Dear Holy Family, > > My years of puja, in which I spent hours each day in > formal worship, > flower arranging and caring for the altar, were a > necessary > preparation for my present work. > > A few years ago the Divine Mother placed me in a > high tech job where I > work 12-14 hours a day, as well as doing technical > seva for the Devi > Mandir. Now my puja has necessarily turned into > karma yoga. > > What is clear to me now is that without my many > years of intensive > worship, it would have been difficult or impossible > for me to do > secular work in the spirit of worship, that is, as > karma yoga. > > Any activity one does requires tools or skills of > some sort, and what > I would like to share with you is a few of the > spiritual tools which I > learned to use in puja, and which I now carry with > me into my secular > work. > > My spiritual toolbox contains: > > Faith- Sri Ramakrishna said that "Faith is the root > of all". My > experience doing worship taught me that although it > begins with > imagination, it soon needs to turn into the > conviction, through faith, > that God is real and that my worship is a living > relationship with > God. So I prayed to have sincere faith in God and in > the reality of my > worship. > > Longing- Sri Ramakrishna said; "Longing is the one > thing needful and > that God is drawn to such a devotee the way a cow is > drawn to rich oil > cakes (something cows love to eat). So, I prayed > with faith to > increase my longing for God daily as I did my > worship. > > Divine Presence- Successful worship must become a > living relationship > between the soul and God. So I prayed with faith and > longing that I > would become more and more aware of the presence of > God- just as if my > friend had opened the door and walked into the room. > > Emptiness of Self- To be sensitive to the presence > of God, I knew that > I had to be free from distractions which obscure > that presence. As > Sri Ramakrishna said; "one's hand may be small, but > if we put it > before our eyes it can obscure the very sun itself." > So I prayed to > become increasingly empty of the noisy mind: > memories, thoughts, > worries, attachments, identifications, and all else > that come between > the soul and God. > > So, as I moved from my years of formal worship into > the market place > of the world, I also took with me my spiritual > toolbox containing > faith, longing, presence of God, and emptiness of > self with which to > transform my secular work into divine worship. > > Ramprasad said: "O Mother, You are flying kites in > the market place of > this world, and out of a hundred thousand, at most, > one or two break > loose to become free. Then you laugh and clap your > hands." > > So I pray that through my worship and my karma yoga, > my kite might > also break loose and become free as You laugh and > clap your lovely hands. > > > With love, > Kumari > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Kumari, This is a gem and truly inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing. Kalia -- In , "ty_maa" <ds.james wrote: > > Dear Holy Family, > > My years of puja, in which I spent hours each day in formal worship, > flower arranging and caring for the altar, were a necessary > preparation for my present work. > > A few years ago the Divine Mother placed me in a high tech job where I > work 12-14 hours a day, as well as doing technical seva for the Devi > Mandir. Now my puja has necessarily turned into karma yoga. > > What is clear to me now is that without my many years of intensive > worship, it would have been difficult or impossible for me to do > secular work in the spirit of worship, that is, as karma yoga. > > Any activity one does requires tools or skills of some sort, and what > I would like to share with you is a few of the spiritual tools which I > learned to use in puja, and which I now carry with me into my secular > work. > > My spiritual toolbox contains: > > Faith- Sri Ramakrishna said that "Faith is the root of all". My > experience doing worship taught me that although it begins with > imagination, it soon needs to turn into the conviction, through faith, > that God is real and that my worship is a living relationship with > God. So I prayed to have sincere faith in God and in the reality of my > worship. > > Longing- Sri Ramakrishna said; "Longing is the one thing needful and > that God is drawn to such a devotee the way a cow is drawn to rich oil > cakes (something cows love to eat). So, I prayed with faith to > increase my longing for God daily as I did my worship. > > Divine Presence- Successful worship must become a living relationship > between the soul and God. So I prayed with faith and longing that I > would become more and more aware of the presence of God- just as if my > friend had opened the door and walked into the room. > > Emptiness of Self- To be sensitive to the presence of God, I knew that > I had to be free from distractions which obscure that presence. As > Sri Ramakrishna said; "one's hand may be small, but if we put it > before our eyes it can obscure the very sun itself." So I prayed to > become increasingly empty of the noisy mind: memories, thoughts, > worries, attachments, identifications, and all else that come between > the soul and God. > > So, as I moved from my years of formal worship into the market place > of the world, I also took with me my spiritual toolbox containing > faith, longing, presence of God, and emptiness of self with which to > transform my secular work into divine worship. > > Ramprasad said: "O Mother, You are flying kites in the market place of > this world, and out of a hundred thousand, at most, one or two break > loose to become free. Then you laugh and clap your hands." > > So I pray that through my worship and my karma yoga, my kite might > also break loose and become free as You laugh and clap your lovely hands. > > > With love, > Kumari > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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