To Surath about Fall navaratri '06

[Guest guest]

Dear Surath ~ my deep appreciation for sharing all of this. Not only did you

share another "bird's eye view" perspective of what happened during

Navaratri, but you also gave valuable information to any who might someday come

there, which I hope to do. When I went to the retreat at Issaqua, I was never able

to get up early enough, because of my illnesses, to do puja, but I often

came in and quietly observed, and I was amazed at all the people, spaced out

along the walls, each with their own individual altars, doing their puja. And I

had a very good sense of the respect that was needed to be part of the

worship, but not distract others.

I also remember a funny story that Maa told. One of the devotees had asked

Her if she would speak to another who chanted very loudly. The devotee who

asked felt distracted by the volume. Shree Maa then told the devotee for his next

puja he should put his altar next to the one chanting loudly. : ) This

reminds me also of a story in Sahib Sadhu where one of Swamiji's gurus had

him go sit in the midst of a crowded area in a town and chant the Chandi. It

was very noisy. Good story. Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~ Linda

 

Surath wrote:

 

This past Navaratri was really special because not only did we

have older and more familiar family members doing sadhana with us from

around the world but also some wonderful people from the club.

....The challenges to all of us was to respect the leader of the homa.This

also meant surronding Pujas and activity did not distract the Homa

circle. If it was more that one person at the fire,then we needed to

stay in the leaders bhava.We had learned this very well from chanting

with Swamiji. We knew that the leaders voice was the guide

track and we would stay under the umbrella and follows it bhava with

one-pointed focus... So between the Homa as well as the surounding Pujas

carrying on at in the east,north and west sides of the temple there was mutual

respect and consideration and the collective bhava that continued to

grow throughout the Navaratri.

....In the temple arati and satsang with Shree Maa and Swami brought

the Bhava to new heights with group homas and Shree Maa doing a Chandi

play she contructed which was interweaved with songs to Divine Mother.

We all saw the possibility of how far our love can grow as a satsang

and flow from hearts and the world.