greetings

[Guest guest]

Dear Vish, Kamala, Ambika, Linda and All,

I am so often deeply touched by the sincerity, honesty and

devotion expressed in the letters coming from all of you.

Yes, it is an ongoing vigil we have to keep not to let the

mind identify with negativity, doubt, fear and numerous other asuras just

waiting for a chink in our kavach.

How do I constantly remember God/Mother?? How do I put space

between the “ asura thoughts of the ego” and the “real I”

that is always safe in Mother’s lap? How do I remember always and

everywhere to say in my inner heart “ Not this, not this “ but

“ Ma Ma Ma!!!”

Once I remember to do this, and remember to surrender myself

to HER, again and again – nothing can harm me any longer since one

of my hands is always holding on to Mother, even if the other one is busy “doing”

in the world.

We all live in a society that does not support introspection

or contemplation very much, and when we get busy, or fearful, or strongly

challenged by life, - we forget, we fall asleep, and say “ I “ to

all those crazy thoughts. This is the plight of all of us I would venture to

say.

For me - I need to nurture and keep awake always, that spark

( or divine thought) in the mind, that is awake and remembers. Boy, I need all

those weapons that Chandi Ma has to give – I need Mother to help me.

I recently read about a visit of Sarada Davi to a very holy Saint

in Vrindavan, and when asked how he attained this state of realization, he only

said one word “ NAMA”.

Japa can be always with me - and to take a sankalpa to

repeat a mantra, as Sri Maa is helping me to do, - is training the mind to

remember. Always and everywhere.

For me – I need to do my duty in the world and in any “free”

time I have, I need to always fill my mind with mantras and songs and stories

of the Divine, so my heart will remember to overflow with love and devotion.

I really am not able to see any other way for this aging

little girl.

This morning I reflected on the “Siva Sankalpa Stotram”

on page 31-43 of the Siva Puja book – it is such a treasure and addresses

just this issue so magnificently.

“tanme manah sivasankalpamastu” – “May

my mind be filled with that firm determination of Siva, the Consciousness of

infinite Goodness”.

Sooo much gratitude for all the Gifts from Sri Maa and

Swamiji !!!!!

If we fall – let’s just dust ourselves off ---

and keep going !

With love to All, usha