Guest guest Posted July 11, 2001 Report Share Posted July 11, 2001 The recent posts on devotion bring to mind my final evening in Bombay. I had been invited several times to come to an evening of chanting that was mostly attended by the Indian devotees. I figured that since it was my last evening I better go and check it out. Previously I had watched Nisargadatta clean and anoint all the holy pictures in his room. He would put fresh kumkum on the pictures of the Navnath Sampradaya, Siddharameshwar and other holy personages. This was done with great diliberation. I hadn't thought of Maharaj as a devotionally oriented Guru 'til then. But to sit in his room and see the huge silvery altar to his Guru, one got the feeling that it came naturally to him. There were also occassions when he would be re-enacting the devotion between Vithoba and Tukaram. ( I think these were the Marathi Saints.) Maharaj's face would light up, beatifically. I Am That never portrayed Maharaj in this fashion and I think that it needs to be pointed out now. At Maharaj's place the chanting was loud, almost raucous.Maharaj himself, was in charge of a huge puja bell, looking like the Liberty Bell. He was ringing it vigorous. The sound was incredible. It shattered my head into a million pieces. In any other situation this would have been impossible, a real bummer, a migrane maker. However it was utterly blissful and I felt that Maharaj was destroying " me " . Were there two at that time? Was there a separate " one " being venerated. I think not! Maharaj showed me that devotion to the Guru, devotion to the One with out a second, was possible. He was the exemplar. My other favorite part of the evening was the chanting of " Jai Guru Jai " Everyone there (except me) was familiar with this chant and it was sung with alot of gusto. At the end of the chant, Jai's are given to Nisargadatta Maharaj, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, Bhausahib Mahara (siddharameshwar's guru), His Guru's Guru and maybe even further back. To acknowledge the lineage going back in time was very powerful. And very alive. Infact, I left the house with the sound of more rousing " Jai Guru, Jai " spilling out into the street and following us to Grant Road. Did I believe that Maharaj saw any dualism in his devotional activies. Absolutely not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 11, 2001 Report Share Posted July 11, 2001 Thanks Cathy! I was just thinking about your writings earlier today! -mort Nisargadatta, cathywb@p... wrote: > The recent posts on devotion bring to mind my final evening in Bombay. > I had been invited several times to come to an evening of chanting that > was mostly attended by the Indian devotees. I figured that since it was > my last evening I better go and check it out. Previously I had watched > Nisargadatta clean and anoint all the holy pictures in his room. He > would put fresh kumkum on the pictures of the Navnath Sampradaya, > Siddharameshwar and other holy personages. This was done with great > diliberation. I hadn't thought of Maharaj as a devotionally oriented > Guru 'til then. But to sit in his room and see the huge silvery altar > to his Guru, one got the feeling that it came naturally to him. > There were also occassions when he would be re-enacting the devotion > between Vithoba and Tukaram. ( I think these were the Marathi Saints.) > Maharaj's face would light up, beatifically. I Am That never > portrayed Maharaj in this fashion and I think that it needs to be > pointed out now. > At Maharaj's place the chanting was loud, almost raucous.Maharaj > himself, was in charge of a huge puja bell, looking like the Liberty > Bell. He was ringing it vigorous. The sound was incredible. It > shattered my head into a million pieces. In any other situation this > would have been impossible, a real bummer, a migrane maker. However it > was utterly blissful and I felt that Maharaj was destroying " me " . > Were there two at that time? Was there a separate " one " being > venerated. I think not! Maharaj showed me that devotion to the Guru, > devotion to the One with out a second, was possible. He was the > exemplar. My other favorite part of the evening was the chanting of " > Jai Guru Jai " Everyone there (except me) was familiar with this chant > and it was sung with alot of gusto. At the end of the chant, Jai's are > given to Nisargadatta Maharaj, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, Bhausahib > Mahara (siddharameshwar's guru), His Guru's Guru and maybe even further > back. To acknowledge the lineage going back in time was very powerful. > And very alive. Infact, I left the house with the sound of more rousing > " Jai Guru, Jai " spilling out into the street and following us to Grant > Road. > Did I believe that Maharaj saw any dualism in his devotional activies. > Absolutely not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2001 Report Share Posted July 12, 2001 Yes Cathy: Those events were a marvel to behold and participate in. Indeed that was not something I was anticipating. As each vibration of the bells, chimes, cymbals, and such cascaded inside, as the bliss and love of Maharaj and the others penetrated to that Being inside knowledge was also arriving. No concept, no limitation, could contain that which is the essence of Maharaj, nor indeed any true seeker. Thanks for the reminder.....john -- Nisargadatta wrote: > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2001 Report Share Posted July 14, 2001 Dear Cathy, Thank you so much for these wonderful posts. This is the side of Maharaj we don't see through Advaita books. I've always believed that sat-chit-ananda meant the awareness of being is love. As Maharaj says to a questioner, " I am the devotion itself. " Hur Nisargadatta, cathywb@p... wrote: > The recent posts on devotion bring to mind my final evening in Bombay. > I had been invited several times to come to an evening of chanting that > was mostly attended by the Indian devotees. I figured that since it was > my last evening I better go and check it out. Previously I had watched > Nisargadatta clean and anoint all the holy pictures in his room. He > would put fresh kumkum on the pictures of the Navnath Sampradaya, > Siddharameshwar and other holy personages. This was done with great > diliberation. I hadn't thought of Maharaj as a devotionally oriented > Guru 'til then. But to sit in his room and see the huge silvery altar > to his Guru, one got the feeling that it came naturally to him. > There were also occassions when he would be re-enacting the devotion > between Vithoba and Tukaram. ( I think these were the Marathi Saints.) > Maharaj's face would light up, beatifically. I Am That never > portrayed Maharaj in this fashion and I think that it needs to be > pointed out now. > At Maharaj's place the chanting was loud, almost raucous.Maharaj > himself, was in charge of a huge puja bell, looking like the Liberty > Bell. He was ringing it vigorous. The sound was incredible. It > shattered my head into a million pieces. In any other situation this > would have been impossible, a real bummer, a migrane maker. However it > was utterly blissful and I felt that Maharaj was destroying " me " . > Were there two at that time? Was there a separate " one " being > venerated. I think not! Maharaj showed me that devotion to the Guru, > devotion to the One with out a second, was possible. He was the > exemplar. My other favorite part of the evening was the chanting of " > Jai Guru Jai " Everyone there (except me) was familiar with this chant > and it was sung with alot of gusto. At the end of the chant, Jai's are > given to Nisargadatta Maharaj, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, Bhausahib > Mahara (siddharameshwar's guru), His Guru's Guru and maybe even further > back. To acknowledge the lineage going back in time was very powerful. > And very alive. Infact, I left the house with the sound of more rousing > " Jai Guru, Jai " spilling out into the street and following us to Grant > Road. > Did I believe that Maharaj saw any dualism in his devotional activies. > Absolutely not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.