To Vishweshwar about Awakening

[Guest guest]

Dear Vishweshwar ~ this morning when I got up, I determined to do my best to

catch up with the two most recent digests, and I'm so glad I did. As you

said, and showed with your story, all that happened was truly a miracle, and in

the here and now. But besides reading the account of the change in your

grandchildren, which in itself surely was miraculous, I loved the part where you

whispered in Nand's ear and he said, "Om Namah Shivayah" before Maa was

wonderful. Really, I could "see" it. You do a very wonderful job of painting

pictures with your words. It was wonderful to read about one so young (I know this

happened with both of the grandchildren, but many of your accounts were about

Nand) becoming introduced to new ideas and practices and taking to them with

such relish. I loved the "playing with flowers" and his blessing of the

crowd waiting for the airplane. I can only wonder what they must have thought.

But his pure heart surely did pass the Love of Maa and Swamiji along.

 

Ammachi has said many times that we should be like little children, and

Jesus said it also, and perhaps even Maa and Swamiji have said it, but this is

such a perfect example ... to have that openness, to experience new things with

joy and not with grim seriousness (which is my tendency). When you have that,

then devotion and worship seem to naturally follow, and this was shown so

wonderfully when Nand decided he did, after all, want his own altar. I will let

Nand be an example to me. And I thank you for sharing this true story for it

eased my aching heart this morning. Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~ Linda

 

Vishweshwar wrote:

 

I witnessed Maa and Swami perform an awakening. A truly miraculous act

of Grace. For the past 3 weeks my daughter and her 2 children were

visiting my wife and I in our home in Napa. The arrived from Iowa on

a Monday afternoon. Our grandson is 3 and grandaughter 1.5 years old.

I had never met them and they had never met Shree Maa and Swami.

That same night, we took them to the Temple for the fist time. At the

Temple, Maa and Swami were giving blessings to the men of the Ashram

as part of a traditional ceremony.

We sat at the kitchen table, and Maa and Swami gave us each several

presents, then served us a specially prepared dinner. As they moved

down the length of the table, and presented each person with a gift,

each bowed in reverence and thanks to our Gurus.

When they came to my grandson, they also gave him a gift. He beamed

at them and all of us, and we all felt as if the Sun had come out

from behind a cloud.

He was filled with Divine Light. He was radient. He is 3 years old.

 

This was the first day they were in California.

 

....

Afterward the satsunga, I took him with me to perform puja at

Napashwar, the large Shiva lingum in the woods. Nand had never seen

Shiva puja, but he wanted obseve whatever I was doing.

 

I asked him to help perform the puja, and he offered flowers for each

Diety at the beginning of the puja, and offered water, milk, and fruit

when he was asked. He really enjoyed this. Helping grandpop perform

prayers, and playing with flowers. After that, we called puja,

"playing with flowers", and he offed with me several times at our home

altar and again at Napashwar.

 

Now each day his behavior was improving. Little by little he became

more balanced and easy going. Less tantrums and screaming.

 

We all felt better together.

 

As he became more relaxed, he began to memorize the blessing he

overheard at every meal. We repeated it more frequently, and he began

to sing and hum along with us. In fact, he would always end in

unision with us as the blessing ended with: "Om, shanti, shanti,

shanti".... standing with hands raised, blessing the food and those

present at the table.

 

That Sunday my daughter sat with me at the Chandi homa with Maa and

Swami and the family. Afterwards Nand came to the Temple for aatri

and thoroughly enjoyed ringing the bell and dancing. Now he added

bell ringing and dancing to our visits to Napashwar and our home

pujas. During this time he learned to say Om Namah Shivaya.

 

The next visit he had with Maa, She blessed him and his sister, and my

daughter. Then as She left the Temple, I wispered to Nand that Maa

really liked: On Namah Shivaya. He promptly said it, and Maa jumped

for joy and repeated it to him. Then She sat right down on the porch

of the Temple, and took both children in her arms, and told us to take

a picture.

 

Blessing after blessing. Wonder of wonders. Nand and his sister were

being bathed in Divine Light. The Divine Bath with Divine Water,

Mother's Pure Love.

 

....By the time I took

them to the airport, Nand asked me if it was OK to bless the folks

sitting awaiting entry into the plane. I said it was a great idea,

and he immediatly said loudly: "Om Namah Sivaya", raised his hands in

blessings, and then said: "Shanti, shanti, shanti".

 

....Then, as we stood and he waited to get onto the plane, he asked if it

was a good idea to bless the place. I said great idea, and he did.

 

This was a miracle. This was a soul awakened to the light. This is

Shree Maa's and Swami's Grace.

 

This really happened. This was not a parable, or the story of a long

dead Rishi and their disciple. This is real life today.

 

What will it take for all of us to have that awakening? Nothing more

than surrendering heart and mind to Maa and Swami and following their

advice. Do we have to meet them face to face? No. With the web

casts and the on-line chat, and the pujas we can practice, we can

tune into them anytime.

 

Maa says She can hear every prayer. Why not try it? WE have nothing

to lose and everything to gain.