Guest guest Posted June 26, 2007 Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 Namaste: I randomly opened the book: " Ramakrishna, The Nectar of Eternal Bliss " , by Maa and Swami, and on the page it said, and I paraphrase, " this life is not meant for action, it is meant to realize God. Pray to God to decrease the need for action, so, you can meditate more on Him. " A devotee asked Him, " Dear Sir, I feel the need to build hospitals for the sick, and help them. Isn't it selfish to just focus on God and ignore the needs of those less fortunate than us? " Again Ramakrishna said: " we are not here for action, but to realize God. If God desires, He will build the hospitals and help the needy. We have to meditate on Him. " I thought of Maa and Swami, following the example of their Guru Ramakrishna. They are the best examples we have of humans living God centered lives. yet even with these incredible examples, so often we are overshadowed by the " need to act, the impulse do some something, anything, anything but sit and pray or chant. We have to pray with all our might to have God strengthen our resolve, and remove the obstacles, so we can sit to communion with God. Life is so short, time passes so quickly, and at the end of it all, what will we have to show for it? A few earthly treasures? If God created this Earth as a place to strive to know Him, then, we had better work day and night to reach that goal. On Sunday, a man brought his family to the Devi Mandir for the first time. He told me how his heart was crying out for the Lord. How hungry he was to taste the bliss of God. Before I could help myself, the words blurted out of my mouth, " talking is a waste, chant the name of God, do japa all the time, in your car, walking the street, waiting for an appointment " . He looked at me, taken aback at the abruptness of my statement, and continued on with his talk about his desire. I indicated that I had to get back to work cleaning the Temple, and turned and walked away. Dear reader, I had no right to judge another, and I am sorry if I offended the man, but, I know too well the story of my own desire, and how I talk and talk and do so little to know God. I realized that when I spoke to him, I was talking to myself. Jai Maa Jai Swami vishweshwar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 26, 2007 Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 A few questions I have to ask are: Is God then selfish to want us to spend all our time in communion with Him/Her? If we don't, are we then denied His/Her love? Because man has attached all these conditions, labels, words to ponder in our search to find God, have we then given Him/Her an ego to please? I've always struggled with the aspect of conditional/unconditional love of the universe, being told I have to worship. Does All That Is emotionally care if one meditates, with the understanding of meditation being hours of sitting and chanting and reflection, or are we simply expected to be always be kind? Chris K, I do not think you are lazy. If you are out doing something with complete joy and share that joy and beauty with others, you are in communion with God. Your flower story shows that. It was lovely. I cannot think of a more loving, selfless, tireless embodiment of action and communion with God than Mother Teresa. God saw the need, she was the instrument to fill it. Would anyone question that she was not a self-realized woman of God? The fact of the maya is, Earth is a garden for the human experience. God sees the need to tend the garden and He/She chooses his gardeners carefully. If that need is to vibrationally raise global consciousness, or tend to a disabled child, the love or service, and the devotion given to it, should be no less worthy to the attainment of bliss. The paths are many. With all respect, and peace to all, sal. , " inspectionconnection108 " <inspectionconnection108 wrote: > > Namaste: I randomly opened the book: " Ramakrishna, The Nectar of > Eternal Bliss " , by Maa and Swami, and on the page it said, and I > paraphrase, " this life is not meant for action, it is meant to realize > God. Pray to God to decrease the need for action, so, you can > meditate more on Him. " > > A devotee asked Him, " Dear Sir, I feel the need to build hospitals for > the sick, and help them. Isn't it selfish to just focus on God and > ignore the needs of those less fortunate than us? " > > Again Ramakrishna said: " we are not here for action, but to realize > God. If God desires, He will build the hospitals and help the needy. > We have to meditate on Him. " > > I thought of Maa and Swami, following the example of their Guru > Ramakrishna. They are the best examples we have of humans living God > centered lives. > > yet even with these incredible examples, so often we are overshadowed > by the " need to act, the impulse do some something, anything, anything > but sit and pray or chant. We have to pray with all our might to have > God strengthen our resolve, and remove the obstacles, so we can sit to > communion with God. > > Life is so short, time passes so quickly, and at the end of it all, > what will we have to show for it? A few earthly treasures? > > If God created this Earth as a place to strive to know Him, then, we > had better work day and night to reach that goal. > > On Sunday, a man brought his family to the Devi Mandir for the first > time. He told me how his heart was crying out for the Lord. How > hungry he was to taste the bliss of God. Before I could help myself, > the words blurted out of my mouth, " talking is a waste, chant the name > of God, do japa all the time, in your car, walking the street, waiting > for an appointment " . > He looked at me, taken aback at the abruptness of my statement, and > continued on with his talk about his desire. I indicated that I had > to get back to work cleaning the Temple, and turned and walked away. > > Dear reader, I had no right to judge another, and I am sorry if I > offended the man, but, I know too well the story of my own desire, and > how I talk and talk and do so little to know God. > I realized that when I spoke to him, I was talking to myself. > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > vishweshwar > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2007 Report Share Posted June 27, 2007 Hi Sal, In my opinion it is an old and well-worn trick of the ego that makes us ask ourselves why all of this is necessary. For our every breath to be a prayer and our every thought the name of God is our natural state. Anything else is the effect of an unpurified ego and its continual focus on ME. It is only the ego which makes it seem unnatural. If your mind and heart never express anything but God, then none of it is necessary. God certainly wants us to achieve the purpose of life. The principle of Guru is an integral part of this creation. How can Guru not find joy in the progress of Her students? Oh yeah, and thank you for the sweet words...but you'll just have to trust me on this. Jai Maa! Chris , " sal. " <salpaulsen wrote: > > A few questions I have to ask are: > > Is God then selfish to want us to spend all our time in communion > with Him/Her? If we don't, are we then denied His/Her love? Because > man has attached all these conditions, labels, words to ponder in our > search to find God, have we then given Him/Her an ego to please? > I've always struggled with the aspect of conditional/unconditional > love of the universe, being told I have to worship. Does All That Is > emotionally care if one meditates, with the understanding of > meditation being hours of sitting and chanting and reflection, or are > we simply expected to be always be kind? > > Chris K, I do not think you are lazy. If you are out doing something > with complete joy and share that joy and beauty with others, you are > in communion with God. Your flower story shows that. It was lovely. > > I cannot think of a more loving, selfless, tireless embodiment of > action and communion with God than Mother Teresa. God saw the need, > she was the instrument to fill it. Would anyone question that she > was not a self-realized woman of God? > > The fact of the maya is, Earth is a garden for the human experience. > God sees the need to tend the garden and He/She chooses his gardeners > carefully. If that need is to vibrationally raise global > consciousness, or tend to a disabled child, the love or service, and > the devotion given to it, should be no less worthy to the attainment > of bliss. The paths are many. > > With all respect, and peace to all, > sal. > > > , " inspectionconnection108 " > <inspectionconnection108@> wrote: > > > > Namaste: I randomly opened the book: " Ramakrishna, The Nectar of > > Eternal Bliss " , by Maa and Swami, and on the page it said, and I > > paraphrase, " this life is not meant for action, it is meant to > realize > > God. Pray to God to decrease the need for action, so, you can > > meditate more on Him. " > > > > A devotee asked Him, " Dear Sir, I feel the need to build hospitals > for > > the sick, and help them. Isn't it selfish to just focus on God and > > ignore the needs of those less fortunate than us? " > > > > Again Ramakrishna said: " we are not here for action, but to realize > > God. If God desires, He will build the hospitals and help the > needy. > > We have to meditate on Him. " > > > > I thought of Maa and Swami, following the example of their Guru > > Ramakrishna. They are the best examples we have of humans living > God > > centered lives. > > > > yet even with these incredible examples, so often we are > overshadowed > > by the " need to act, the impulse do some something, anything, > anything > > but sit and pray or chant. We have to pray with all our might to > have > > God strengthen our resolve, and remove the obstacles, so we can sit > to > > communion with God. > > > > Life is so short, time passes so quickly, and at the end of it all, > > what will we have to show for it? A few earthly treasures? > > > > If God created this Earth as a place to strive to know Him, then, we > > had better work day and night to reach that goal. > > > > On Sunday, a man brought his family to the Devi Mandir for the first > > time. He told me how his heart was crying out for the Lord. How > > hungry he was to taste the bliss of God. Before I could help > myself, > > the words blurted out of my mouth, " talking is a waste, chant the > name > > of God, do japa all the time, in your car, walking the street, > waiting > > for an appointment " . > > He looked at me, taken aback at the abruptness of my statement, and > > continued on with his talk about his desire. I indicated that I had > > to get back to work cleaning the Temple, and turned and walked away. > > > > Dear reader, I had no right to judge another, and I am sorry if I > > offended the man, but, I know too well the story of my own desire, > and > > how I talk and talk and do so little to know God. > > I realized that when I spoke to him, I was talking to myself. > > > > Jai Maa Jai Swami > > > > vishweshwar > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Namastes and greetings: Indeed, a very profound and consistent analysis of the role we assume GOD takes and activley participates in creating those selcted gardners to tend this maya which abounds as our Earthly existence. The love and compassion,anger and devotion, anxiety and hope, hatred and jealousy, unstinted passion for service to those weaker than ourselves are all facets of the same vessel, which we conveniently call as collective maya. This illusion of even selfless service, nonchalant agnostic vibe or committed theory of the total inner immersion into the true meanings of the "kriya" or :kartha" or "phalan(results)" also directly involve some what nebulous feeelings towards the need to identify the path of self realization . It has been well noted in the annals of the human development process, many a time, there are struggles between those who worship at the altar of the powers that annihilate the maya within us, and those who claim that maya does nothing to them and they are not affected by any action or inaction. Such pure debates have nourished the deeper study of the concepts behind advaita, and people have taken refuge under Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu Purana, Upanishads, Chandi Path et al, only to note the negation of existence of maya leads to more maya-chakra- similar to an endless non-stop whirlpool of ever shrinking vortex, where our concepts, beliefs and foundational thinking get smashed by the relentless forces of the accumulated maya-sansar. It is so easy now that without too much strain, we can cut the swath of negational analysis, by simply accepting the ageold tradition of absolute faith, coupled with unwavering devotion to the source, which we wish to call as GOD. To cut a log post to manageable length, while I confess that the path may be many, but the destination is the same. Jai Maa and Jai Swamiji babu krishnan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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