Kalia and all: Sankalpa- total comittment

[Guest guest]

Namaste: Dear Sister Kalia and all family: the other night in class I

asked Swami how to overcome the tendency to procrastinate and/or avoid

performing daily puja. Althought I always complete my daily vow of

worship, I do have times when anything else seems more charming and

enjoyable than worship.

I said to Swami: " I want to watch TV, or read a book, anything but

keep my sankalpa. Sometimes I just feel bored performing my puja,

peace sankalpa, etc. "

Swami replied very matter-of-factly: " Just complete your sankalpa and

then watch TV. "

For Swami, there is no excuse: when when makes a sankalpa, one must

complete it. There are stories in his biography, " The Sahib Sahdu " ,

available thru the Devi Mandir website, which bear witness to his

commitment to his sankalpa. Even in the most trying circumstances, he

did not waver, and completed his vow of worship. One striking story:

a village has been in a drought for 10 years. he priests had been

performing worship to bring rain. They failed. Swami offered to

perform worhsip, they laughed at him.

Well, dear reader, he began worship and the rains came. Torrential

downpour and high winds. Everyone retreated to shelter. When the

storm subsided, they wondered if Swami was still alive. They went

searching thru the total devastation, and discovered Swami still

chanting, covered by the remains of his worship shelter. With a huge

smile on his face, he completed the mantras for worship and his

devotees walked him to dry shelter. He was successful. The villagers

were amazed and thankful. the priests were abashed, but ultimately

accepted him as a true master.

Shiva is the Lord of Sankalpa. And we can all pray to him for

strength and courage to complete our sankalpas. He will provide us

with the means to reach our goals.

 

 

Jai Maa Jai Swami

 

 

vishweshwar

 

 

 

, " henny_v_i " <henny_v_i wrote:

>

> Dear Kaliananda,

>

> thank you for the inspiration; knowing you have overcome all

> difficulties with the Peace Sankalpa gives me all the more

> determination to complete it. I too thank the devotee who reminded us

> of our promise! I now keep a strict schedule which, God willing, will

> allow me to complete before the end of the year.

>

> Dear sister, I am sure your tears of devotion are not shed in vain.

> May the Ocean of Wisdom, the Great Hero, most courageous, with a very

> strong body, destroyer of negativity, the friend of purity, may that

> great Hanuman bless you and protect you,

>

> with love,

> henny

>

>

>

>

> , " kaliananda_saraswati "

> <kaliananda_saraswati@> wrote:

> >

> >

> > Dear family/friends,

> >

> >

> >

> > I was saving this post for another three days, when I would have

> > completed the Peace Sankalpa given to us by Beloved Shree Maa but

> since

> > reading the Virtual Satsunga post, I decided not to wait as every

> day is

> > new creation.

> >

> >

> >

> > At the start, this sankalpa quota seem unattainable as the mantra

> was

> > new and difficult in its pronounciation but as time went on, it got

> > easier and felt comfortable. Then tardiness set in and after

> awhile,

> > the mantra was repeated without any count. A post appeared a few

> months

> > after by one of the family, reminding us about the promise, this

> was, to

> > my mind, a wake up call from Mother so once more I commenced japa.

> >

> >

> >

> > Fall Navaratri came and i wanted to be with then family but was

> unable

> > to do so due to the 8-5, i felt so down and out and one of the many

> > nights which i sat before my altar just gazing at the Gods and

> Goddesses

> > with tears streaming down my face, my eyes fell on a focus of

> Swamiji.,

> > Words immediately began to formulate in my mind to write to Swamiji

> but

> > in the next moment, something said, sing praises to Hanuman, He is

> > Swamiji, pure devotion. Needless to say i started that night

> singing

> > the Hanuman Chalisa and the Bajranga bana. One of the verses that

> > always stands out in the mind comes from the Bajranga bana " Do not

> > delay now, Oh Master of All Causes. Be merciful to me, Oh My

> Innermost

> > Self. " It brings much peace and quietude to the mind and

> > surroundings.

> >

> >

> >

> > Thank You Beloved Shree Maa and Swamiji for this opportunity, the

> tools,

> > the inspiration, the guidance, the everything..

> >

> > .

> >

> >

> >

> > Jai Maa Jai Swamiji

> >

>