to maadevi about lighting the candle and tea-lights

[Guest guest]

Dear maadevi ~ I have already sent in a post about the whole idea of the color black, but what I respond to is what you wrote below. Even now, I am afraid to set up my altar. I am afraid to do anything that will disturb my husband or make him angry. I couldn't even listen to bhajans on the internet or to Swamiji's classes. Then I ferreted out an old set of headphones, plugged them into my computer, and now I can listen, at least in that sense, to my heart's delight. I do have candles, disguised in the form of "tea-lights," and many tea-light holders all over my living room. I light these when I need remembrance of the Divine. It is only a bit sneaky because the candles are hiding as "tea-lights," yet they are wonderful and make my living room dance with sacred light. My husband even likes them. I believe I must go forth bravely, calling on Chandi Ma, so that this fear, of my husband's possible reaction to any overt worship or having an altar or holy pictures, will go away. I must call on Durga Ma and all the Goddesses to help me, to take up whatever tools they need to help me overcome this ... not saying I want a cosmic battle with my husband, just that I need extra help to get to the next step.

Jai Kali Ma ~ Linda

 

 

maadevi wrote:

....People everywhere interpret things according towhat knowledge is available to them or what they want to accept; here inthe area where I live, the eastern way of worship is criticized by about90% or more. It is all well and good to have an altar in the church butit is taboo to have one in your home or to burn incense or candles athome except for a romantic dinner or soaking in the tub. I once asked myolder sister on the anniversary of our mom's passing to light acandle and pray for her soul, she asked what does lighting the candlesignify and why can't she pray without lighting the candle...New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News more. Try it out!

[Guest guest]

Blessed family, and dear Linda,

 

What does it matter that you cannot set up an altar in your home?

You can easily do in your heart, and with your third eye, envision

you offering every beautiful fragrant flower, and the sweetest,

finest quality tasty fruits and milks, and the clearest, most pure

water, and feel Maa's delight and love pour over your tired body...

 

You husband is angry because he is afraid of your worship. You are

now afraid to worship. Where is there any happiness in that? So you

say, " Okay, I cannot build an altar there, I will build one here! "

 

Build a golden altar to your hearts delight, in your heart. All that

matters is what's in there anyway....

 

love to all,

sal.

 

 

 

, nierika wrote:

>

>

> Dear maadevi ~ I have already sent in a post about the whole idea

of the

> color black, but what I respond to is what you wrote below. Even

now, I am

> afraid to set up my altar. I am afraid to do anything that will

disturb my husband

> or make him angry. I couldn't even listen to bhajans on the

internet or to

> Swamiji's classes. Then I ferreted out an old set of headphones,

plugged them

> into my computer, and now I can listen, at least in that sense, to

my heart's

> delight. I do have candles, disguised in the form of " tea-lights, "

and many

> tea-light holders all over my living room. I light these when I

need

> remembrance of the Divine. It is only a bit sneaky because the

candles are hiding as

> " tea-lights, " yet they are wonderful and make my living room dance

with sacred

> light. My husband even likes them. I believe I must go forth

bravely,

> calling on Chandi Ma, so that this fear, of my husband's possible

reaction to any

> overt worship or having an altar or holy pictures, will go away. I

must call

> on Durga Ma and all the Goddesses to help me, to take up whatever

tools they

> need to help me overcome this ... not saying I want a cosmic

battle with my

> husband, just that I need extra help to get to the next step.

> Jai Kali Ma ~ Linda

>

>

>

> maadevi wrote:

>

> ...People everywhere interpret things according to

> what knowledge is available to them or what they want to accept;

here in

> the area where I live, the eastern way of worship is criticized by

about

> 90% or more. It is all well and good to have an altar in the

church but

> it is taboo to have one in your home or to burn incense or candles

at

> home except for a romantic dinner or soaking in the tub. I once

asked my

> older sister on the anniversary of our mom's passing to light a

> candle and pray for her soul, she asked what does lighting the

candle

> signify and why can't she pray without lighting the candle...

>

>

> **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your

destination.

> Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out

> (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000002)

>

[Guest guest]

This is so true. I am priviledged at this time to have a comfortable

temple in my home(this has not always been so) where I can do puja

and attempt to meditate. But there are always times when doing a

full elaborate puja is not possible due to illness or time

constraints. Then I must be content with reading and chanting the

ritual, placing all the offerings at the feet of Ma in my mind, or

just doing japa if I can do nothing else. Ritual is to my benefit,

Ma does not strictly need what I offer, although She accepts it

graciously and blesses me. I am a child and I want those very

concrete forms and images. But I must remember that there are many

ways to worship and it is very important to have the presence of

Shakti and Shiva with me everywhere I go, not just in the puja room.

 

Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya!

Kumari

 

, " sal. " <salpaulsen wrote:

>

> Blessed family, and dear Linda,

>

> What does it matter that you cannot set up an altar in your home?

> You can easily do in your heart, and with your third eye, envision

> you offering every beautiful fragrant flower, and the sweetest,

> finest quality tasty fruits and milks, and the clearest, most pure

> water, and feel Maa's delight and love pour over your tired body...

>

> You husband is angry because he is afraid of your worship. You are

> now afraid to worship. Where is there any happiness in that? So

you

> say, " Okay, I cannot build an altar there, I will build one here! "

>

> Build a golden altar to your hearts delight, in your heart. All

that

> matters is what's in there anyway....

>

> love to all,

> sal.

>

>

>

> , nierika@ wrote:

> >

> >

> > Dear maadevi ~ I have already sent in a post about the whole idea

> of the

> > color black, but what I respond to is what you wrote below. Even

> now, I am

> > afraid to set up my altar. I am afraid to do anything that will

> disturb my husband

> > or make him angry. I couldn't even listen to bhajans on the

> internet or to

> > Swamiji's classes. Then I ferreted out an old set of headphones,

> plugged them

> > into my computer, and now I can listen, at least in that sense,

to

> my heart's

> > delight. I do have candles, disguised in the form of " tea-

lights, "

> and many

> > tea-light holders all over my living room. I light these when I

> need

> > remembrance of the Divine. It is only a bit sneaky because the

> candles are hiding as

> > " tea-lights, " yet they are wonderful and make my living room

dance

> with sacred

> > light. My husband even likes them. I believe I must go forth

> bravely,

> > calling on Chandi Ma, so that this fear, of my husband's

possible

> reaction to any

> > overt worship or having an altar or holy pictures, will go away.

I

> must call

> > on Durga Ma and all the Goddesses to help me, to take up

whatever

> tools they

> > need to help me overcome this ... not saying I want a cosmic

> battle with my

> > husband, just that I need extra help to get to the next step.

> > Jai Kali Ma ~ Linda

> >

> >

> >

> > maadevi wrote:

> >

> > ...People everywhere interpret things according to

> > what knowledge is available to them or what they want to accept;

> here in

> > the area where I live, the eastern way of worship is criticized

by

> about

> > 90% or more. It is all well and good to have an altar in the

> church but

> > it is taboo to have one in your home or to burn incense or

candles

> at

> > home except for a romantic dinner or soaking in the tub. I once

> asked my

> > older sister on the anniversary of our mom's passing to light a

> > candle and pray for her soul, she asked what does lighting the

> candle

> > signify and why can't she pray without lighting the candle...

> >

> >

> > **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your

> destination.

> > Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out

> > (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000002)

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I am enjoying this discussion immensely. There is great love in it.

I recall reading this from Living with the Soul. Maa said, " When you

respect your actions all the time, it's your sadhana, it's your puja

and it's your meditation. " love, karen

 

 

, " mjfisher2005 " <mjfisher2005

wrote:

>

> This is so true. I am priviledged at this time to have a

comfortable

> temple in my home(this has not always been so) where I can do puja

> and attempt to meditate. But there are always times when doing a

> full elaborate puja is not possible due to illness or time

> constraints. Then I must be content with reading and chanting the

> ritual, placing all the offerings at the feet of Ma in my mind, or

> just doing japa if I can do nothing else. Ritual is to my benefit,

> Ma does not strictly need what I offer, although She accepts it

> graciously and blesses me. I am a child and I want those very

> concrete forms and images. But I must remember that there are many

> ways to worship and it is very important to have the presence of

> Shakti and Shiva with me everywhere I go, not just in the puja room.

>

> Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya!

> Kumari

>

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

> >

> > Blessed family, and dear Linda,

> >

> > What does it matter that you cannot set up an altar in your

home?

> > You can easily do in your heart, and with your third eye,

envision

> > you offering every beautiful fragrant flower, and the sweetest,

> > finest quality tasty fruits and milks, and the clearest, most

pure

> > water, and feel Maa's delight and love pour over your tired

body...

> >

> > You husband is angry because he is afraid of your worship. You

are

> > now afraid to worship. Where is there any happiness in that? So

> you

> > say, " Okay, I cannot build an altar there, I will build one here! "

> >

> > Build a golden altar to your hearts delight, in your heart. All

> that

> > matters is what's in there anyway....

> >

> > love to all,

> > sal.

> >

> >

> >

> > , nierika@ wrote:

> > >

> > >

> > > Dear maadevi ~ I have already sent in a post about the whole

idea

> > of the

> > > color black, but what I respond to is what you wrote below.

Even

> > now, I am

> > > afraid to set up my altar. I am afraid to do anything that will

> > disturb my husband

> > > or make him angry. I couldn't even listen to bhajans on the

> > internet or to

> > > Swamiji's classes. Then I ferreted out an old set of

headphones,

> > plugged them

> > > into my computer, and now I can listen, at least in that sense,

> to

> > my heart's

> > > delight. I do have candles, disguised in the form of " tea-

> lights, "

> > and many

> > > tea-light holders all over my living room. I light these when I

> > need

> > > remembrance of the Divine. It is only a bit sneaky because the

> > candles are hiding as

> > > " tea-lights, " yet they are wonderful and make my living room

> dance

> > with sacred

> > > light. My husband even likes them. I believe I must go forth

> > bravely,

> > > calling on Chandi Ma, so that this fear, of my husband's

> possible

> > reaction to any

> > > overt worship or having an altar or holy pictures, will go

away.

> I

> > must call

> > > on Durga Ma and all the Goddesses to help me, to take up

> whatever

> > tools they

> > > need to help me overcome this ... not saying I want a cosmic

> > battle with my

> > > husband, just that I need extra help to get to the next step.

> > > Jai Kali Ma ~ Linda

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > maadevi wrote:

> > >

> > > ...People everywhere interpret things according to

> > > what knowledge is available to them or what they want to

accept;

> > here in

> > > the area where I live, the eastern way of worship is

criticized

> by

> > about

> > > 90% or more. It is all well and good to have an altar in the

> > church but

> > > it is taboo to have one in your home or to burn incense or

> candles

> > at

> > > home except for a romantic dinner or soaking in the tub. I

once

> > asked my

> > > older sister on the anniversary of our mom's passing to light a

> > > candle and pray for her soul, she asked what does lighting the

> > candle

> > > signify and why can't she pray without lighting the candle...

> > >

> > >

> > > **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your

> > destination.

> > > Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out

> > > (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000002)

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Namaste Linda:

 

My heart goes out to you. In my parents home I could never pray to a

deity other than the Christian one. I am fortunate that my husband was

basically Buddhist when we met and we've always been open-minded about

religion. We did live in an area where my children were harassed and I

was chased out of town for my religious beliefs. (It's a long story.)

 

In your home you should be accepted though. It's your home too, not

just your husband's. He needs to understand this. Mother worship is

about accepting ourselves as women of power. We have a right to be

here too.

 

You might try using a yantra. Generally people do not know what

yantras are, and ignore them. I used to light tealights near my

yantra. No one knew what it was. I used to wear a yantra publicly and

no one cared about it.

 

In peace,

Shankari

 

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