To Sundari, Karen, and all: one thing I love about Swamiji...

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sundari and all: there is a quote from Swami in the foreword

to the Advanced Shiva Puja text, page 4, which validates your

insightful understanding of chanting. I feel the same way and really

appreciate the fact that Maa and Swami allow us the freedom to make

the worship of God our own.

Swami said: " Look for the mantras that say, " I belong to your, I am

the echo of the vibration that is in your soul. " As you practice those

particular sections, other parts will call to you as well. If you

don't pronounce the mantras correctly, don't worry. Put yourself in

the attitude of surrender to the will of God and try to come as close

as possible. Cultivate the attitude of appreciation for all the

bounteous gifts of God, especially for the privilege of being able to

sit in the presence of God. Cultivate the attitude of gratitude, and

carry it with you throughout you daily activities. Only then will

worship pervade our lives.

Worship does not mean memorization of the mantras, or even the proper

placement of the flowers and other objects. Worship is an attitude of

respect, of dedication, of devotion to the exclusion of selfishness,

and I bow to my teacher Shree Maa, who is the greatest example that

one could pray for..... "

Dear Maa and Swami, we pray for pure devotion, so that the intuitive

meaning of the mantras manifests for us, so that each time we pray, we

awaken to the Supreme Divinity within us, and that worship will

pervade our lives.

 

Jai Maa Jai Swami

 

vishweshwar

 

 

 

, " Sundari Johansen Hurwitt "

<sundarikali wrote:

>

> There's lots of things to love about Swamiji, but one of the things

I love

> most is watching his classes and seeing how he chants the mantras

with his

> own flavor. This is inspiring - it frees the mantras in a way, to be

chanted

> from the heart. When I was first offering worship many years ago I kept

> wondering if I was " doing it wrong " because my chants didn't always

sound

> like the priests in the temples. Whenever I feel that these days I

go back

> to watching the videos or think back to when I've visited the devi

mandir,

> and get such joy from finding that place in myself that Swami and

Shree Maa

> both pour out from their own hearts. I love learning the traditional

mantras

> and melodies, but sometimes breaking out of that and just chanting

from the

> heart brings me back to the pure intention.

>

> Thank you Swamiji and Shree Maa for all you do, for making this work

public

> and accessible, for helping to deepen my devotion.

>

> prem

> -sundari

>