Becoming One with the Guru

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

Last week while at the evening class in the Temple, Swami gave a

simple but profound directive: if the Guru suggests you chant a

certain text, for example, the 300 names of Lalita, then perform that

sadhana. When it is complete, chant another text. And another.

 

Or, if the Guru asks you to perform any task, complete it, then think

what else I can do to help the Guru, and do it. Don't wait for

direction, anticipate and act, always trying to lessen the Guru's

burden and freeing up their time so they can perform Sadhana.

 

The lesson: always exceed your Guru's desire and free them of their

relative responsibilities so they can perform sadhana to help this world.

 

The benefit to the devotee: aligning all levels of one's life with

the Guru, moving towards the goal of becoming one with the Guru.

 

In the book: "Before Becoming This", on page 293, Swami is asked what

value performing Shiva or Durga puja can have for a disciple. This

relates to becoming closer and closer to the Guru, and how the Guru

can help a disciple evolve: ...When a disciple comes into relationship

with the Guru, the disciple begins to practice puja and the Guru

accepts the disciple's karma.

The disciple refines his or her own self to become more and more like

the Guru. The Guru tries to remain free from attachment, so when he

takes the karma of the disciple, the Guru doesn't become bound by

that karma. He takes away the attachment from the disciple, but

doesn't cultivate attachment. Gurus are in a position to take the

karma, because they have freed themselves from attachment or they can

recycle that karma very quickly.

 

The disciples have to experience the fruit of their karma, but, with

the guidance and love of the Guru, that experience can be auspicious

and beneficial. With the Guru's help, the disciples move very quickly

beyond their karma, whereas, without the guidance of a Guru, the

disciples take on the full karma and may dwell in it. They may sit

there like a frog in a well.

 

Thus, by doing puja to Shiva or Durga, the disciple is developing a

relationship with them and with God and Guru. As a result, the

disciple takes on their positive, divine qualities, and they take on

your negative karma.

 

Swami goes on to say: Shiva is the Guru of all the Gurus. If you

don't have a Guru and you accept Shiva as your Guru, ultimately Shiva

is going to prepare you to receive a physical Guru. Then he'll send

you the physical Guru when you are ready.

 

So you can worship Shiva and then worship Durga, in other words,

perform the beginner's Durga and Shiva pujas back to back or

separately at different times of the day. Ultimately, we want to

worship everyone. We want to worship all of life. That is what we

are calling enlightenment, when all burdens have been removed, when

nothing is heavy to us, and we are so light that we worship everything.

 

Dear reader, brother and sister, please share examples how your Guru

has helped you evolve, so that we can find inspiration and strength to

perform our pujas in these trying times.

 

Jai Maa Jai Swami

 

love

 

vishweshwar

[Guest guest]

Namaste Vish,

 

In a group which i once attended, the leader offered a discourse on

ridding oneself of selfishness as some of the devotees felt it only

necessary to offer prayers in the weekly group setting. In his

discourse the leader said to us,...... "Do you know how we got to

this point? Some kind soul took the time and patience to help us, to

prayer for us and work with us, this is why we can gather in the name

of divinity. Don't you think it would be nice to do the same for

another?"

 

Though this thought stayed with me i only understood the true and

real meaning of it since meeting Maa and Swamiji. The sincerity of

their worship, to hear Them at each sitting offer prayers for the

world, for the families of the family of the mandir, for each

individual who visits the Mandir, etc. Maa always asks for Her

children to be blessed with pure devotion. It is never about Them

(Maa and Swamiji, it is always about how They can help us and the

world .. all of creation.

 

There is a constant picture in my mind of Swamiji almost dancing from

his asana when we are in aarati and the smile of total Bliss on Maa's

face at seeing Her children at play in the Divine Garden and at times

joining us in play ...... these are the thoughts that inspire. So

when the body gets tired and pressure of the world tries to interfere

with our sadhana, let us do P.U.S.H. Prayer (or Pranayama) Until

Shiva Hears.

 

Jai Maa

 

 

 

, "inspectionconnection108"

<inspectionconnection108 wrote:

>

> Namaste

>

> Last week while at the evening class in the Temple, Swami gave a

> simple but profound directive: if the Guru suggests you chant a

> certain text, for example, the 300 names of Lalita, then perform

that

> sadhana. When it is complete, chant another text. And another.

>

> Or, if the Guru asks you to perform any task, complete it, then

think

> what else I can do to help the Guru, and do it. Don't wait for

> direction, anticipate and act, always trying to lessen the Guru's

> burden and freeing up their time so they can perform Sadhana.

>

> The lesson: always exceed your Guru's desire and free them of their

> relative responsibilities so they can perform sadhana to help this

world.

>

> The benefit to the devotee: aligning all levels of one's life with

> the Guru, moving towards the goal of becoming one with the Guru.

>

> In the book: "Before Becoming This", on page 293, Swami is asked

what

> value performing Shiva or Durga puja can have for a disciple. This

> relates to becoming closer and closer to the Guru, and how the Guru

> can help a disciple evolve: ...When a disciple comes into

relationship

> with the Guru, the disciple begins to practice puja and the Guru

> accepts the disciple's karma.

> The disciple refines his or her own self to become more and more

like

> the Guru. The Guru tries to remain free from attachment, so when he

> takes the karma of the disciple, the Guru doesn't become bound by

> that karma. He takes away the attachment from the disciple, but

> doesn't cultivate attachment. Gurus are in a position to take the

> karma, because they have freed themselves from attachment or they

can

> recycle that karma very quickly.

>

> The disciples have to experience the fruit of their karma, but, with

> the guidance and love of the Guru, that experience can be auspicious

> and beneficial. With the Guru's help, the disciples move very

quickly

> beyond their karma, whereas, without the guidance of a Guru, the

> disciples take on the full karma and may dwell in it. They may sit

> there like a frog in a well.

>

> Thus, by doing puja to Shiva or Durga, the disciple is developing a

> relationship with them and with God and Guru. As a result, the

> disciple takes on their positive, divine qualities, and they take on

> your negative karma.

>

> Swami goes on to say: Shiva is the Guru of all the Gurus. If you

> don't have a Guru and you accept Shiva as your Guru, ultimately

Shiva

> is going to prepare you to receive a physical Guru. Then he'll send

> you the physical Guru when you are ready.

>

> So you can worship Shiva and then worship Durga, in other words,

> perform the beginner's Durga and Shiva pujas back to back or

> separately at different times of the day. Ultimately, we want to

> worship everyone. We want to worship all of life. That is what we

> are calling enlightenment, when all burdens have been removed, when

> nothing is heavy to us, and we are so light that we worship

everything.

>

> Dear reader, brother and sister, please share examples how your Guru

> has helped you evolve, so that we can find inspiration and strength

to

> perform our pujas in these trying times.

>

> Jai Maa Jai Swami

>

> love

>

> vishweshwar

>