Guest guest Posted July 10, 2007 Report Share Posted July 10, 2007 Namaste Eric and Tanmaya This post really sums up my experience the last 35 years. Each stage in my personal development is captured in the time line. I even taught TM to help relieve stress for those whose idea of a spiritual experience was a deep rest, 2o minutes twice a day. And the joy of teaching TM, was watching and supporting those same folks as they began to look deeply inside and wonder about God. Some fortunate few did take further steps to develop a deeper relationship with the Divine Shakti. I know in my heart that Maa came to Earth as a Savior, or as Chandi - who responded to the cries of Her devotees who were under the complete sway of the great ego, and She came. As Swami said tonight in class, only Maa can destroy the great ego, and only Maa can heal this Earth. But, She will not come, cannot come to this Earth, unless She is invoked. This is the great blessing of this age: we have been taught how to invoke Her, and She has come, and as more and more folks learn how to invoke Her, she will come into more and more homes, into the Temples and altars we build, and into the " Temple of Each Heart " , living and breathing there, eternally, for that is the goal of our existence. She teaches and embodies the Highest Dharma, the Eternal Ideal of Perfection, and She wants each of us to live those teaching. As Swami said tonight, a spiritual life, living a spiritual existence, is living each moment fully conscious of truth, compassion, and efficiency in action, and giving more than we take. Life is not about how many homas we perform, or how long we sit and meditate, though those techniques are important, life is so much more. Living that full life, that is Maa's Highest Ideal for each and everyone of us. Thanks for helping me to remember why I am here by posting these thoughts Jai Ma Jai Swami love, vishweshwar -- In , " ty_maa " <dsjames wrote: > > > Dear Eric, > > Sorry for my delayed reply; busy-ness prevents me from dropping in daily > on the conversations. > > My comments about meditation and invocation were, of course, > generalizations, and therefore, by definition, imprecise and > subjective. I find nothing to disagree with in your comments, on the > contrary you have my admiration for your extensive knowledge of > spiritual things. > > Nevertheless, as a generalization, I will hold to the point I was making > before. > > More elaborately: When Eastern thought came west in the 60's, thousands, > possibly millions, of western folk were exposed to, and enthralled, by > the new concept of " liberation " or " enlightenment " , and it became a new > frontier for many. The goal of spiritual freedom dovetailed smoothly > into the individual and social freedoms being pursued at the time. > > The methods and practices employed then were aimed at a goal of personal > increase or transcendence. I don't think that many at that time were on > a path to invoke the Divine for the benefit of the world at large. > However, I'm sure that many did understand that their spiritual gain > would be a collective gain as well. > > Two things happened over the following short period. One was the serious > breaking down of the family unit as people went their different ways > pursuing their different goals. Points of view diverged so much that in > many cases family bonds were beyond repair. And the very cultural values > holding the family together were being challenged-or forgotten. > > It also gradually became clear to many that the commitment, discipline, > and renunciation (of ego-self), were not what they wanted from life, > though a small number of did continue their search by finding their way > to genuine teachers, ashrams, or by taking refuge in other cultures. > > Nevertheless, people's intellectual boundaries had been broadened > considerably, and, in the new cosmopolitanism, older cultural values > continued to erode, and the number of marriages and the number of > divorces began to approach the same number. > > As " liberation " as the goal of spiritual practice faded, meditations > promising to calm the stress of the corporate arena and to generally > tone up the quality of one's live in the world became popular--and > lucrative. Many tried by meditation to get more excited about their > lives-which were becoming progressively, and unaccountably, less > exciting. > > Over the last couple of decades the need for incessant activity has > increased. During Ozzy and Harriet days, one earner could work eight > hours and provide for a family; now everyone works all the time just to > break even. In the metropolitan areas, if you don't make at least 70k > you won't own a home, you won't be saving for retirement, and you > certainly won't put your children through college. > > The breakdown of the family unit, financial insecurity, and the invasion > of the terrorists-whether those carrying improvised explosive devices, > or those busy building tactical atomic weapons for use on the > battlefield-have brought a pall of fear over many. > > Many of our parents are living lonely lives in solitary apartments > trying to decide whether to buy food or medicine. It is simply a fact of > life. > > I said before that the Divine Mother has descended during this difficult > and unstable time to teach us how invoke the Divine spirit into our > lives. Previously it was a luxury, now it is a necessity. > > Why has India drawn spiritual seekers like a magnet? No sooner do many > aspirants form a spiritual goal, than they began saving up for their > first trip to India. It is because so many Indian worshipers, in homes > and temples, are daily invoking the Divine, that God has touched down in > so many places that the whole continent has become holy. > > That is what needs to be done now in the West, and its absence is the > reason that America is beginning to be seen by the community of nations > as a cancer threatening the rest of the world. > > And that, in my opinion, is why Shree Maa has come at the behest of Sree > Ramakrishna to re-stabilize the family unit, and the collective psyche, > by establishing divine worship in every household in the West. > > And that is also why I believe that those fortunate ones who choose to > help Her in Her Divine Work will be blessed beyond measure. > > Respectfully, > > Tanmaya > > > > , Eric Cassils <Quanchula1@> wrote: > > > > Dear Tanmaya, > > > > In my humble assessement, it's not so easily > > pinpointed because meditation is such an umbrella term > > it can be applied to anything and everything. > > Meditation for some is concentrating on their third > > eye, others on their heart center, others on a > > mantram, others on yantram, others on breathing, > > ascending and descending the spinal column piercing > > the chakras others on dreaming, walking, standing, > > sitting, reclining or countless varieties of asanas, > > tai chi, chi kung, neikung, kundalini, the variety of > > meditation forms are inexhaustable it seems. Even > > Swamiji calls the pujas a form of 'guided meditation > > into the presence of God.' > > > > While it is true that meditation is traditionally done > > as an individual practice, there are meditations on > > Durga, Ganesha, Shiva all the devas and devis in each > > of the pujas which can be done individually or as an > > assembly. Is this not intended to be a visualisation > > vocalized inVAKation process of concentration > > performed as a group or individual that collectively > > invites the Divine in every form of that numinous > > archetype within every being and particle in > > existence? Even though it is invokative contemplation > > of the Divine, does that mean we can seperate puja as > > different from a meditative technique in that the both > > involve concentration which leads to Dhyanam? > > > > Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras defines meditation as a > > state of awareness that results from a certain > > duration of concentration(mental focus) of the > > subject(meditator) on a given object(a Deva/Devi, an > > apple, a mantra, a yantra, a Dan Tian or Nabhi Padma, > > the jyothir in the Ajna Chakra) results in dhyanam, > > meditation. Then a certain unit of time in the > > awareness of dhyana, results in the state of samadhi. > > The cycle continues through the amount of time spent > > in lower samadhis progressing towards the highest > > samadhi. > > So you see the difference between performing > > collective Divine invokation and a meditative > > technique and I do not see the seperation rather it > > seems the end result of both actions may produce the > > same result. Who states that meditation cannot be > > invocative, or an internalised puja? > > Om Shreem Respect. > > Jai Maa, Jai Swami, > > -Eric > > --- ty_maa dsjames@ wrote: > > > > > > > > Dear Eric, > > > > > > If I could interject just one thing into this line > > > of thought, I would > > > point out that meditation as it has been taught by > > > Eastern teachers from > > > Vivekananda, at the turn of the last century, to the > > > most recent gurus, > > > is a practice of turning within in order to work on > > > refining and > > > transforming one's consciousness. > > > > > > However, if one looks closely at the practices, > > > mantras, worships, etc, > > > which Shree Maa and Swami Satyanandaji have > > > endeavored to teach their > > > devotees and disciples from the very first day of > > > their arrival to the > > > present, you may notice that the teaching is not > > > primarily about > > > meditation, but about invocation. > > > > > > What Shree Maa and Swamiji teach are, first and > > > foremost, methods of > > > invoking the Descent of the Divine Presence and > > > Power into one's life > > > and into the life of the family and the larger > > > community. > > > > > > Their efforts have now culminated in the > > > establishment of a Temple to > > > all the Deities, equal in Power and Presence to the > > > most revered temples > > > in the East. And the real miracle is that it is in > > > the U.S.A. in the > > > 21st century. > > > > > > There isn't a great need for Shree Maa and Swami to > > > teach yet another > > > meditative technique for the transformation of > > > consciousness. But there > > > is a most pressing need to invoke the Descent of the > > > Infinite Power and > > > Presence of the Maha Shakti into our lives, nations, > > > and World at this > > > time. > > > > > > It is true enough that " my meditation " isn't going > > > to transform even one > > > other individual, but if my invocation reaches Her, > > > and She responds by > > > descending as an avatara for instance, or as sheer > > > transforming and > > > blessing Power, the whole world is blessed and > > > uplifted as a result. > > > > > > So, it is not so much " my meditation " that is > > > emphasized at the Devi > > > Mandir. What is emphasized is the Divine Mother's > > > living Presence, and > > > Her unconditional Love and transforming and blessing > > > Power. > > > > > > Which is not to imply that meditation is not vitally > > > important; merely > > > that it and the practice of Divine Invocation are > > > different things and > > > have different results. > > > > > > Respectfully, > > > > > > Tanmaya > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , Eric Cassils > > > Quanchula1@ wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi Chris, > > > > > > > > With regards to the studies done on meditation > > > > affecting transpersonal behaviour it seems > > > hundreds of > > > > thousands of more studies would need to be done to > > > > have any definitive proof for this effect. A few > > > > studies does not constitute definitive proof. It's > > > a > > > > complex issue, and not my intent to stir up > > > trouble or > > > > to sound cynical, it's just that there's a long > > > way to > > > > go before we can jump to the conclusion that if > > > > everyone just meditated all the troubles of the > > > world > > > > would cease miraculously. Magical thinking is not > > > > science yet, and this is not to say that it > > > doesn't > > > > work sometimes either. > > > > > > > > With Love and Respect, > > > > Jai Maa, Jai Swami > > > > Eric > > > > --- Chris Kirner chriskirner1956@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi Jennifer, > > > > > > > > > > I know there are some references to scripture I > > > > > could allude to, but > > > > > strangely I can't think of much of anything > > > beyond > > > > > " because Shree Maa > > > > > and Swamiji say it is so. " Maa has said that our > > > > > worship can make a > > > > > paradise of the earth. I have no choice but to > > > > > believe her. Swamiji > > > > > often says that he cannot advance spiritually > > > until > > > > > we advance > > > > > spiritually. We are, all of us, connected, and > > > it is > > > > > not just us human > > > > > beings, the very earth itself is an expression > > > of > > > > > our karmas, our > > > > > thoughts and feelings. Everything we do effects > > > > > everything else. We > > > > > share one mind (mahat), one prana, and in the > > > broad > > > > > sense that we've > > > > > all gotten into the same roller-coaster, one > > > karma. > > > > > > > > > > Here's a link to an article I posted about a > > > while > > > > > back. It's called > > > > > " One Percent For Peace " and it was published in > > > Yoga > > > > > International. It > > > > > describes a series of studies on how group > > > > > meditation affects violence. > > > > > > > > > > Here it is: > > > > > http://www.estrip.org/articles/oda/35.html > > > > > > > > > > Jai Maa! > > > > > Chris > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > , " jrholm1007 " > > > > > jrholm1007@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello everyone, I have a question that is > > > arising > > > > > from chanting the > > > > > > world peace mantra, and has become more > > > focused > > > > > after reading this > > > > > > poem from Walt Whitman: > > > > > > > > > > > > I swear the earth shall surely be complete to > > > him > > > > > or her who shall be > > > > > > complete, > > > > > > The earth remains jagged and broken only to > > > him or > > > > > her who remains > > > > > > jagged and broken. > > > > > > > > > > > > I swear there is no greatness or power that > > > does > > > > > not emulate those of > > > > > > the earth, > > > > > > There can be no theory of any account unless > > > it > > > > > corroborate the > > > > > > theory of the earth, > > > > > > No politics, song, religion, behavior, or what > > > > > not, is of account, > > > > > > unless it compare with the amplitude of the > > > earth, > > > > > > Unless it face the exactness, vitality, > > > > > impartiality, rectitude of > > > > > > the earth. > > > > > > > > > > > > In some ways I get this, intellectually and > > > > > experientially. Yet in > > > > > > other ways I don't. I can sit in prayer and > > > > > mantra practice and seek > > > > > > purification for myself and bring my self into > > > > > alignment with the > > > > > > energy of Divine Mother's perfect peace. I > > > can > > > > > see and feel and be > > > > > > that peace in my little 'corner of the world', > > > and > > > > > dedicate every day > > > > > > to that unfolding. Yet how does that help the > > > > > === message truncated === > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________\ > ____________ > > Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your > story. Play Sims Stories at Games. > > http://sims./ > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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