to mj about offering leaves

[Guest guest]

Dear mj ~ I'm not sure if you're referring to what some one wrote in the Digest, but I also wanted to tell you about Sahib Sadhu. If you haven't read it, it's a wonderful story of Swamiji's travel and worship in India, and how he met Shree Maa.

 

There is a story of a village that had no rain for a long period of time. The people's crops were dying, and they implored Swamiji to puja for rain. And then it rained, and rained and rained. The village flooded and every one went to higher ground. Some time later they realized Swamiji was not with them, and they all became worried. The rain had stopped or at least was very light so they rushed back to the village to find Swamiji. They looked everywhere and couldn't find him, and then some of them rear chanting. They found Swamiji, at the top of a tree, doing puja and offering the leaves from the tree. It gives me goose bumps all over again to tell this story. Swamiji Ki Jai!

~ Linda

P.S. to add a footnote, when I was at the homa in Colorado, Swamiji said to those of us who were new and came unprepared (which was most of us), we could do the offerings from our heart. Make a motion with our hand to our heart as if taking something out gently and then making the motion of offering it to the fire. In one of the online videos, it shows Swamiji actually doing it. If I come across it again I'll provide the link. It was beautiful to watch.

 

mj wrote:

 

When I read that when he had nothing else to offer when he was living in India, he plucked the leaves from the trees to offer, I thought to myself "Yes, of course! How else would a wandering Sadhu perhaps far away from any village or not knowing anyone in the area do his daily worship and offerings? It is so simple!" I am not a sadhu, but there are limitations on my time, expenses and ability, so he is giving me the freedom to make these choices as to how far I want to go in literally offering material objects to Deity. Sometimes it is very satisfying to do so, but it is not necessary. There is so much clarification in what Swamiji and Shree Maa say. They set us free to love and worship to the best of our ability. That is why I am here and why I hang on.Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com.