Sal: Q and A with Swami: why do we sacrifice?

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sal: To clarify regarding communication between you and

Swami, I forwarded Swami your questions about sacrifice and posted his

exact response. My personal feelings and bias are not present in that

process.

If you have further questions for Swami on this subject, please send

them and I will forward to him verbatim.

Based on your statements below, I could not determine what to forward

to him.

 

Jai Ma Jai SWami

 

vishweshwar

 

Jai Ma Jai Swami

 

 

, " sal. " <salpaulsen wrote:

>

> Oh, dear Vish, I hope that your comment on my question is a typo, and

> not a statement of personal opinion...

>

> So now I am even more confused...and this stems from the Christian

> commandment, " Do Not Take the Name of The Lord, Your God, In Vain. "

>

> My interpretation of this is that we should not make promises (false

> or otherwise) to commit ourselves to the numbers game of devotion to

> God. If we fail at our goal, we take a hit to our ego. If we

> succeed, we puff our ego like peacocks. Is it not (our)

> conscientious attempt to perhaps manipulate the benevolence of the

> universe?

>

> How did those feel after completing or not completing some of the

> huge sankalpas asked of us over the last several years? Does one

> internalize it as guilt, sorrow, failure? Or does one beam with

> pride over having accomplished something enormous? Either way, is

> this not a direct hit to our vanity? Are we somehow attached to the

> outsome? Again, I always ask, does Mother not love us all the same

> anyway?

>

> ...too many questions....I feel like a three-year old....I'd be the

> one following Swamiji around all day, tugging at his robe,

> asking " Why? Why? Why? "

>

> with respect,

> sal.

>

> , " inspectionconnection108 "

> <inspectionconnection108@> wrote:

> >

> > Namaste to all family: Swami responded to Sal's question about

> > sacrifice. Her question is blow.

> >

> > SWAMI'S RESPONSE:

> >

> > It is not Mother who wants sacrifice from us. We want the privilege

> of

> > demonstrating the sincerity of our devotion by performing a vow of

> > worship for Her.

> >

> > The Christian view is that God wants from us. Our view is how

> > privileged we are to be able to offer to Her.

> >

> >

> > Jai Maa Jai Swami

> >

> > vishweshwar

> >

> >

> >

> > -- In , " sal. " <salpaulsen@> wrote:

> > >

> > > Peace to you, Vish,

> > >

> > > I would deeply appreciate to hear Swamiji's wisdom as to why

> devotees

> > > need to give up something in order to receive Mother's blessing,

> and in

> > > particular, over the course of four times in a year. Is this not

> sort

> > > of like the Christian Lenten season? What does one gain by

> sacrifice?

> > >

> > > For truly, dear Mother, this naughty, naughty child only wants to

> offer

> > > her love to you and wonders why decreasing her consumption of

> beloved

> > > chocolate over prayers of love for you would make you happy...

> > >

> > > blessings to all,

> > > sal.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > , " inspectionconnection108 "

> > > <inspectionconnection108@> wrote:

> > > >

> > > > Namaste all family: this Thursday July 3rd, Summer Navatri

> begins.

> > > > Our Mandir family will be celebrating for 9 days, honoring and

> > > > worshiping Mother. This is a powerful time to dive into Her

> worship:

> > > > To deepen one's relationship with Her and surrender our hearts

> to Pure

> > > > Love and Pure Devotion.

> > > > Mother's devotees typically take sankalpas to perform additional

> > > > sadhana and decrease their intake of food. Some do complete

> fasts,

> > > > others refrain from all by fruit and nuts, while others simply

> eat

> > > > less. Each of us has a personal relationship with Her, and

> each of us

> > > > decides what we wish to surrender in order to become closer to

> Her, to

> > > > receive Her darshan.

> > > >

> > > > Jai Ma Jai Swami

> > > >

> > > > vishweshwar

> > > >

> > >

> >

>