Guest guest Posted March 3, 2007 Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 Daily ReflectionMarch 3 - SpiritualityEvery action that we produce in life has two possibilities. It will be for me or for Thee. Either I am acting motivated by selfishness or I am acting motivated by surrender. There are some really fine shades of gray where we think we are surrendering, but are actually enhancing our egotism.from The Guru and the GoddessCopyright 1995, 1998 Devi Mandir PublicationsThird Editionwww.shreemaa.orgAOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. ************************************** AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Namaste A perfect statement. Action, either for thee or me. I remember once talking to Maa about some drama my ego was creating. I said I could not believe how crafty the ego was. Maa said, in essense, " you have not idea how crafty " . I remember that often, in fact daily, as I watch my small self get me into one problem after another. Fortunately, She is there to catch me when I fall, and She encourages me to get up, dust off, and get back on the bucking bronco. How truly blessed to have Her as a Guru and Mother. Jai Ma Jai Swami vishweshwar , shreemaadevotee wrote: > > Daily Reflection > March 3 - Spirituality > > Every action that we produce in life has two possibilities. It will be for > me or for Thee. Either I am acting motivated by selfishness or I am acting > motivated by surrender. There are some really fine shades of gray where we think > we are surrendering, but are actually enhancing our egotism. > > from The Guru and the Goddess > Copyright 1995, 1998 Devi Mandir Publications > Third Edition > www.shreemaa.org > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 "No idea how crafty".Dear Vishweshwar,I'd like to share a story (maybe I told it before long back) about the career of a monastic brother. This brother had all the good qualities: he could meditate, he knew Sanskrit, he was a good singer of devotional songs, he was very personable--and the favorite of all the visiting abbotts. He was generally thought to be a sure success in spirtiual life.Although, like the others, he had only limited communication with his family in the outside world, once, on his birthday, he walked into the abbott's room to joyfully show his Guru the new watch which his parents had just sent him as a gift. To his suprise and chagrin , the Guru quietly looked up for a moment, and then, suddenly and forcefully pointiing to the corner of his room, said, "throw it in the wastebasket-- now! The brother was unable to speak, he was so dumbfounded by the order. He very slowly backed out of the room and silently went up the stairs to his own room to ponder what had just happened. He knew that he had disobeyed his Guru; and that caused him great sorrow. But he also thought that the order his Guru had given him was so outlandish and so unreasonable that he gradually began to rationalize his response.As time passed, the Guru was as loving and kind to him as ever--although, it gradually became apparent to the brother that the Guru's conversation with him was on a more general, even somewhat superficial, level than before. His Guru no longer spoke to him about his spiritual life and training; rather, he conversed with him more as he did to visitors-- about their families, the state of the world, and so forth.This hurt the brother; and he was wise enough to understand that he had broken a special relationship between himself and his Guru by his disobedience;. Nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to return to the Guru's room and dispose of the watch which his parents had so lovingly sent him for his birthday, as he was certain he must do to set right his mistake. Why was the Guru so unreasonable? It was only a watch! There was no danger--it was not something worldly after all-just a useful tool like many other brothers wore.Things went on like this for a while; and then the watch stopped. This upset the brother very much because it was expensive and still practically new. And he was quite sure the Abbott would not budget for a watch repair given the circumstances. In any case, he didn't want to bring the subject up. So, after some thought, he decided to go to the library and get a book on watch repair. Which he did.To his great delight, the brother found that he was indeed able to repair the watch using the book, and that it again was running and keeping perfect time. And it didn't cost anybody a thing. In fact, he was so happy about his success that he offered to repair another brother's watch that had lately stopped--and he was successful with that one too!He began to think that he could be of useful service to the monastery by this means, and he was soon studying more about the workings of watches, and working on them late into the night. He didn't do this during the normal hours because he still thought that his Guru might disapprove.Then, one day he suddenly left the monastery. There was no particular reason; it just seemed to him to be the right thing to do. The Swamis and his peers were suprised and disappointed, but there was nothing they could say to change his mind. So, he left and got a job in a nearby hardware store. After that, he joined one of the armed services.When he was released from the service, he used his G.I. loan to go to the University at Berleley for a degree in engineering. Before long, after graduating, he found himself in Silicon Valley, where he soon started a company which manufactured a computer chip of his own design. And he sold a lot of them--a whole lot.In fact, soon, though still quite a young man, he had become a multimillionare.I had the opportunity to see him once. One day, when I was paying a visit to his old ashram he also stopped by that day for the first time after leaving. He drove up in an expensive red sports cars, and a pretty blond girl waited in the car while he entered the ashram for a few minutes.All the Swamis and brothers greeted him and spoke in a very friendly way about his successful life and other things in general. After a short visit he drove off, and the brothers returned to their various tasks.I can't exactly say why, but for some time afterward I felt a great emptiness and loneliness somewhere inside.It couldn't be for the young man who had just driven off in his red sports car because he was full of joy and his life was exciting and before him. Nor could my sadness have been for the brothers; they very soon forgot him in their tasks and spiritual practice.Maybe it was for the old Abbott and Guru--who saw more than he could explain, but who could only speak his Truth as he saw it, even as he knew that it could not change what was to be.Yes, the loneliness I felt must have been for the old Abbott who had lost his monastic son.Respectfully,Tanmaya , "inspectionconnection108" <inspectionconnection108 wrote:>> Namaste> > A perfect statement. Action, either for thee or me.> I remember once talking to Maa about some drama my ego was creating. > I said I could not believe how crafty the ego was. Maa said, in> essense, "you have not idea how crafty".> I remember that often, in fact daily, as I watch my small self get me> into one problem after another. > Fortunately, She is there to catch me when I fall, and She encourages> me to get up, dust off, and get back on the bucking bronco.> How truly blessed to have Her as a Guru and Mother. > > Jai Ma Jai Swami> > vishweshwar> > > > > > > > , shreemaadevotee@ wrote:> >> > Daily Reflection> > March 3 - Spirituality> > > > Every action that we produce in life has two possibilities. It will> be for > > me or for Thee. Either I am acting motivated by selfishness or I am> acting > > motivated by surrender. There are some really fine shades of gray> where we think > > we are surrendering, but are actually enhancing our egotism.> > > > from The Guru and the Goddess> > Copyright 1995, 1998 Devi Mandir Publications> > Third Edition> > www.shreemaa.org> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Namaste Tanmaya, Pranams to you and your fabulous storytelling abilities. I just have one question: Could the brother have thrown out the watch when the Guru asked him? Or was the wheel already in motion by that time? (sorry 2 questions Jaaaaaaaaaaaai Maa, gauri , " ty_maa " <dsjames wrote: > > > > " No idea how crafty " . > > Dear Vishweshwar, > > I'd like to share a story (maybe I told it before long back) about the > career of a monastic brother. > > This brother had all the good qualities: he could meditate, he knew > Sanskrit, he was a good singer of devotional songs, he was very > personable--and the favorite of all the visiting abbotts. He was > generally thought to be a sure success in spirtiual life. > > Although, like the others, he had only limited communication with his > family in the outside world, once, on his birthday, he walked into the > abbott's room to joyfully show his Guru the new watch which his parents > had just sent him as a gift. > > To his suprise and chagrin , the Guru quietly looked up for a moment, > and then, suddenly and forcefully pointiing to the corner of his room, > said, " throw it in the wastebasket-- now! > > The brother was unable to speak, he was so dumbfounded by the order. He > very slowly backed out of the room and silently went up the stairs to > his own room to ponder what had just happened. He knew that he had > disobeyed his Guru; and that caused him great sorrow. But he also > thought that the order his Guru had given him was so outlandish and so > unreasonable that he gradually began to rationalize his response. > > As time passed, the Guru was as loving and kind to him as > ever--although, it gradually became apparent to the brother that the > Guru's conversation with him was on a more general, even somewhat > superficial, level than before. His Guru no longer spoke to him about > his spiritual life and training; rather, he conversed with him more as > he did to visitors-- about their families, the state of the world, and > so forth. > > This hurt the brother; and he was wise enough to understand that he had > broken a special relationship between himself and his Guru by his > disobedience;. Nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to return to the > Guru's room and dispose of the watch which his parents had so lovingly > sent him for his birthday, as he was certain he must do to set right his > mistake. Why was the Guru so unreasonable? It was only a watch! There > was no danger--it was not something worldly after all-just a useful tool > like many other brothers wore. > > Things went on like this for a while; and then the watch stopped. This > upset the brother very much because it was expensive and still > practically new. And he was quite sure the Abbott would not budget for a > watch repair given the circumstances. In any case, he didn't want to > bring the subject up. So, after some thought, he decided to go to the > library and get a book on watch repair. Which he did. > > To his great delight, the brother found that he was indeed able to > repair the watch using the book, and that it again was running and > keeping perfect time. And it didn't cost anybody a thing. In fact, he > was so happy about his success that he offered to repair another > brother's watch that had lately stopped--and he was successful with that > one too! > > He began to think that he could be of useful service to the monastery by > this means, and he was soon studying more about the workings of watches, > and working on them late into the night. He didn't do this during the > normal hours because he still thought that his Guru might disapprove. > > Then, one day he suddenly left the monastery. There was no particular > reason; it just seemed to him to be the right thing to do. The Swamis > and his peers were suprised and disappointed, but there was nothing they > could say to change his mind. So, he left and got a job in a nearby > hardware store. After that, he joined one of the armed services. > > When he was released from the service, he used his G.I. loan to go to > the University at Berleley for a degree in engineering. Before long, > after graduating, he found himself in Silicon Valley, where he soon > started a company which manufactured a computer chip of his own design. > And he sold a lot of them--a whole lot. > > In fact, soon, though still quite a young man, he had become a > multimillionare. > > I had the opportunity to see him once. One day, when I was paying a > visit to his old ashram he also stopped by that day for the first time > after leaving. He drove up in an expensive red sports cars, and a pretty > blond girl waited in the car while he entered the ashram for a few > minutes. > > All the Swamis and brothers greeted him and spoke in a very friendly way > about his successful life and other things in general. After a short > visit he drove off, and the brothers returned to their various tasks. > > I can't exactly say why, but for some time afterward I felt a great > emptiness and loneliness somewhere inside. > It couldn't be for the young man who had just driven off in his red > sports car because he was full of joy and his life was exciting and > before him. Nor could my sadness have been for the brothers; they very > soon forgot him in their tasks and spiritual practice. > > Maybe it was for the old Abbott and Guru--who saw more than he could > explain, but who could only speak his Truth as he saw it, even as he > knew that it could not change what was to be. > > Yes, the loneliness I felt must have been for the old Abbott who had > lost his monastic son. > > Respectfully, > > Tanmaya > > > > , " inspectionconnection108 " > <inspectionconnection108@> wrote: > > > > Namaste > > > > A perfect statement. Action, either for thee or me. > > I remember once talking to Maa about some drama my ego was creating. > > I said I could not believe how crafty the ego was. Maa said, in > > essense, " you have not idea how crafty " . > > I remember that often, in fact daily, as I watch my small self get me > > into one problem after another. > > Fortunately, She is there to catch me when I fall, and She encourages > > me to get up, dust off, and get back on the bucking bronco. > > How truly blessed to have Her as a Guru and Mother. > > > > Jai Ma Jai Swami > > > > vishweshwar > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , shreemaadevotee@ wrote: > > > > > > Daily Reflection > > > March 3 - Spirituality > > > > > > Every action that we produce in life has two possibilities. It will > > be for > > > me or for Thee. Either I am acting motivated by selfishness or I am > > acting > > > motivated by surrender. There are some really fine shades of gray > > where we think > > > we are surrendering, but are actually enhancing our egotism. > > > > > > from The Guru and the Goddess > > > Copyright 1995, 1998 Devi Mandir Publications > > > Third Edition > > > www.shreemaa.org > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2007 Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 Dear Gauri,Faith in God and surrender to Guru make all things possible.Our Creator has chosen to make ours a free-will universe, which explains why it is often so disturbed, and even violent. Yet, "What is poison in the begining is nectar in the end". Therefore we must help each other. God's Gift of Love to us is that we can choose to create a Heaven or a Hell--or even self destruct, as the young brother did in one sense.We are given the Gift of Choice. God wants to be loved by those who Choose to Love Him/Her. Then the Heavens will open. The Present Moment is the razor's edge; moment by moment the only Real question is, "Do I choose God, ordo I choose--'this'?" Thus, I am a creator, choosing my own universe, my own destiny, moment by moment.Could the young brother have choosen differently? I'm certain he could. What the Guru saw-and what makes the story so poignant-was not that the young brother couldn't have chosen God over the "world" (symbolizes so approprately by the watch) but that he probably wouldn"t.God and Guru are untouched by Maya---but they shed tears of blood for their (all unknowing) devotees and disciples.Affectionately,Tanmaya , "gauri_108" <gauri_108 wrote:>> Namaste Tanmaya,> > Pranams to you and your fabulous storytelling abilities.> I just have one question:> Could the brother have thrown out the watch when the Guru asked him? > Or was the wheel already in motion by that time?> > (sorry 2 questions > > Jaaaaaaaaaaaai Maa,> gauri> , "ty_maa" dsjames@ wrote:> >> > > > > > "No idea how crafty".> > > > Dear Vishweshwar,> > > > I'd like to share a story (maybe I told it before long back) about the> > career of a monastic brother.> > > > This brother had all the good qualities: he could meditate, he knew> > Sanskrit, he was a good singer of devotional songs, he was very> > personable--and the favorite of all the visiting abbotts. He was> > generally thought to be a sure success in spirtiual life.> > > > Although, like the others, he had only limited communication with his> > family in the outside world, once, on his birthday, he walked into the> > abbott's room to joyfully show his Guru the new watch which his parents> > had just sent him as a gift.> > > > To his suprise and chagrin , the Guru quietly looked up for a moment,> > and then, suddenly and forcefully pointiing to the corner of his room,> > said, "throw it in the wastebasket-- now!> > > > The brother was unable to speak, he was so dumbfounded by the order. He> > very slowly backed out of the room and silently went up the stairs to> > his own room to ponder what had just happened. He knew that he had> > disobeyed his Guru; and that caused him great sorrow. But he also> > thought that the order his Guru had given him was so outlandish and so> > unreasonable that he gradually began to rationalize his response.> > > > As time passed, the Guru was as loving and kind to him as> > ever--although, it gradually became apparent to the brother that the> > Guru's conversation with him was on a more general, even somewhat> > superficial, level than before. His Guru no longer spoke to him about> > his spiritual life and training; rather, he conversed with him more as> > he did to visitors-- about their families, the state of the world, and> > so forth.> > > > This hurt the brother; and he was wise enough to understand that he had > > broken a special relationship between himself and his Guru by his> > disobedience;. Nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to return to the> > Guru's room and dispose of the watch which his parents had so lovingly> > sent him for his birthday, as he was certain he must do to set right his> > mistake. Why was the Guru so unreasonable? It was only a watch! There> > was no danger--it was not something worldly after all-just a useful tool> > like many other brothers wore.> > > > Things went on like this for a while; and then the watch stopped. This> > upset the brother very much because it was expensive and still> > practically new. And he was quite sure the Abbott would not budget for a> > watch repair given the circumstances. In any case, he didn't want to> > bring the subject up. So, after some thought, he decided to go to the> > library and get a book on watch repair. Which he did.> > > > To his great delight, the brother found that he was indeed able to> > repair the watch using the book, and that it again was running and> > keeping perfect time. And it didn't cost anybody a thing. In fact, he> > was so happy about his success that he offered to repair another> > brother's watch that had lately stopped--and he was successful with that> > one too!> > > > He began to think that he could be of useful service to the monastery by> > this means, and he was soon studying more about the workings of watches,> > and working on them late into the night. He didn't do this during the> > normal hours because he still thought that his Guru might disapprove.> > > > Then, one day he suddenly left the monastery. There was no particular> > reason; it just seemed to him to be the right thing to do. The Swamis> > and his peers were suprised and disappointed, but there was nothing they> > could say to change his mind. So, he left and got a job in a nearby> > hardware store. After that, he joined one of the armed services.> > > > When he was released from the service, he used his G.I. loan to go to> > the University at Berleley for a degree in engineering. Before long,> > after graduating, he found himself in Silicon Valley, where he soon> > started a company which manufactured a computer chip of his own design.> > And he sold a lot of them--a whole lot.> > > > In fact, soon, though still quite a young man, he had become a> > multimillionare.> > > > I had the opportunity to see him once. One day, when I was paying a> > visit to his old ashram he also stopped by that day for the first time> > after leaving. He drove up in an expensive red sports cars, and a pretty> > blond girl waited in the car while he entered the ashram for a few> > minutes.> > > > All the Swamis and brothers greeted him and spoke in a very friendly way> > about his successful life and other things in general. After a short> > visit he drove off, and the brothers returned to their various tasks.> > > > I can't exactly say why, but for some time afterward I felt a great> > emptiness and loneliness somewhere inside.> > It couldn't be for the young man who had just driven off in his red> > sports car because he was full of joy and his life was exciting and> > before him. Nor could my sadness have been for the brothers; they very> > soon forgot him in their tasks and spiritual practice.> > > > Maybe it was for the old Abbott and Guru--who saw more than he could> > explain, but who could only speak his Truth as he saw it, even as he> > knew that it could not change what was to be.> > > > Yes, the loneliness I felt must have been for the old Abbott who had> > lost his monastic son.> > > > Respectfully,> > > > Tanmaya> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , "inspectionconnection108"> > <inspectionconnection108@> wrote:> > >> > > Namaste> > >> > > A perfect statement. Action, either for thee or me.> > > I remember once talking to Maa about some drama my ego was creating.> > > I said I could not believe how crafty the ego was. Maa said, in> > > essense, "you have not idea how crafty".> > > I remember that often, in fact daily, as I watch my small self get me> > > into one problem after another.> > > Fortunately, She is there to catch me when I fall, and She encourages> > > me to get up, dust off, and get back on the bucking bronco.> > > How truly blessed to have Her as a Guru and Mother.> > >> > > Jai Ma Jai Swami> > >> > > vishweshwar> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > , shreemaadevotee@ wrote:> > > >> > > > Daily Reflection> > > > March 3 - Spirituality> > > >> > > > Every action that we produce in life has two possibilities. It will> > > be for> > > > me or for Thee. Either I am acting motivated by selfishness or I am> > > acting> > > > motivated by surrender. There are some really fine shades of gray> > > where we think> > > > we are surrendering, but are actually enhancing our egotism.> > > >> > > > from The Guru and the Goddess> > > > Copyright 1995, 1998 Devi Mandir Publications> > > > Third Edition> > > > www.shreemaa.org> > > >> > >> >> 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.