To Vish and all family: Christmas Joy - Question for Swami

[Guest guest]

Thank you Brother Vish

 

Yes I do know what you are saying is true. I have moments when I can

feel it, but there are moments when I cannot. I have a very big

asura who follows me around and his name is BAD MEMORIES. I

was " raised " for some time in the Ramakrishna tradition, as soon as I

was able to make the decision for myself, because I so much desired

that all paths should be honored and yet I have this demon who will

not let me go. Last night I had trouble going to sleep, so I thought

I would do some japa lying down. I took my mala and wrapped it

around my wrist and lay down and I went right to sleep. I was being

comforted. The truth is the truth, no matter what some people may

say or do in their ignorance. Thank you Ma, for giving me good

sleep. I will try to turn my mind towards the Master Himself,

instead of the " drama and negativity of those ego-driven people " that

you speak of. According to the nature of this mind and body I think

I will have to find some ritual way also to finally heal this.

 

There is a way to do puja to Jesus in the Hindu way. It is done by

the Swamis of the Ramakrishna Mission, but I do not know how to do

this. So my question to Swamiji is this: Can I use one of the pujas

and change the name to Shri Isha (I believe this is Jesus' correct

title in a Sanskrit translation)? Perhaps the Shiva or Vishnu puja?

I think that will help me to see Jesus as a perfected Master and Guru

and an aspect of Brahman.

 

In the meantime I will continue with my Yuletide practices. They are

full of a lot of exuberant simple joy and confidence in the face of

winter's hardship. Not a bad thing to have.

 

Pranams to Shree Maa and Swamiji!

Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya!

Kumari

 

, " inspectionconnection108 "

<inspectionconnection108 wrote:

>

> Namaste Kumari: Shree Maa accepts and teaches the same message which

> Jesus taught. Love thy neighbor as thyself, She says WE ARE ALL ONE

> SOUL. She preaches forgiveness and asks we all pray for peace for

> every being in this universe. Jesus showered all with pure love and

> continually worked to bring peace to this world.

> Maa has loved Jesus since She was a little girl and always

celebrates

> Christmas. She has a sublime murti of Jesus which She made Herself

on

> Her altar and offers mantras and flowers to Him daily.

> In Her Book 'LIVING WITH THE SOUL', She describes Her meetings with

> Jesus and the great joy He has brought Her in this life. I think it

> would be very helpful for you to read Her words about Jesus. She

says

> that many people mistreated him while he was alive. Jealously,

> hatred, were a part of his time on this Earth. And of course the

Bible

> talks of the great tests He endured.

> Maa has taught us to look at the the heart of His teachings, not to

> focus on the drama and negativity that some ego driven people

generate

> to divide and conquer. Maa loves Jesus as one who worked to bring

> peace to this world and whose work has been continued by countless

> great souls since He left His Earthly body.

> Try not to focus on the surface negative aspects, but meditate in

your

> heart on His great message of love and harmony.

> The same love which Maa radiates is radiated by Jesus. The lack we

> all feel in our hearts, this time of year or any other time, is the

> same lack. Our universal longing to experience the Divine Love, the

> Bliss Which Passes all Understanding, that is the driving force

which

> has brought us to this Earth.

> Maa said tonight after singing Christmas carols with us, that all

> parents should teach their children to understand why they are on

this

> Earth. Why they were born, and what they should be doing while

here.

> Many of our parents did not help us with those questions or help us

> find the answers. But Maa and Swami tell us we cannot live full and

> fulfilling lives until we answer those questions.

> To know those answers is to know freedom. Once we know our place in

> this world, we can make a plan to reach our goals and associate with

> like-minded souls and seek out the great teachers who will help us

> realize our dreams.

> Maa and Swami are those great teachers to me. They have helped me

> understand and appreciate my Christian heritage while awakening me

to

> the joy of worship of Shiva, Durga, and the other Gods and

Goddesses.

> Do I have to choose only one way to worship? Do I have worship only

> Shiva but not Jesus? Are they really different? Is the core message

> different or the same?

> I can worship them all and realize the central oneness of them all,

> and know that they all teach the same thing. That is what Maa and

> Swami have taught me.

> I have had the great privilege of following and living the teachings

> of other great Gurus before meeting Maa 11 years ago. Each Guru I

met

> gave me something so profound and so great that I can never thank

them

> enough. Jesus was one of those Gurus. American Indian Teachers gave

> great joy, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi saved my life.

> As Maa and Swami teach, we must use our discrimination and take what

> is best from each tradition we encounter, and integrate the essence

of

> their teaching into our lives. To live the teachings we have

received

> is the greatest measure of our thanks.

> Maa and Swami live the essence of the teachings of Buddha, Jesus,

and

> Ramakrishna, and many other Great Souls.

> Ramakrishna, Maa's Guru practiced the techniques and rituals of the

> major religions of the world, and reached the zenith of each, and

> discovered that each offered a valid path to realize God. He reached

> the same goal using each path.

> That was his greatest gift to mankind: the realization that each

path

> offered a sincere devotee a valid means to realize God.

> One only has to practice with pure devotion, and one will fulfill

> one's desire.

> So, blend the best of all the traditions which appeal to you. Give

> each your full attention, thank those who worked to maintain the

> tradition and passed it onto you, and pray with all your capacity to

> have pure devotion.

> Once that is achieved, one sees only unity and harmony, the True

> Reality of all existence.

> Go forward with Maa's message: WE ARE ALL ONE SOUL, THERE IS NO

> DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND BE HAPPY AND BLESSED.

>

> Jai Maa Jai Swami

>

> vishweshwar

, " mjfisher2005 " <mjfisher2005@>

> wrote:

> >

> > I have wounds about Christmas. It makes it very hard to relax

and

> > enjoy it. Some years are better than others. This one is a bit

> > hard. I have seen Jesus used as a weapon too often, sometimes

> > against me. I have seen personally the way that preachers take

> > advantage of believers who blindly follow them. I have seen a

lot of

> > hate and unrest promulgated by Christians who are very close to

me. I

> > resented them. When I was practicing a European Pagan path it was

> > better. I could have my midwinter holiday - Yule, when the sun

is

> > reborn. I took comfort in the fact that the Christians borrowed

much

> > of their ritual from the old pagan ways. This year, I am not

sure

> > what to do. I will be celebrating Christmas with my fiance and

his

> > family. I am determined to have a Yule dinner with my fiance. I

> > have so much rich tradition from Sanatana Dharma that it makes me

> > very happy, but right now I feel a lack. There is an empty spot

that

> > won't go away. This is a sad time of the year in many ways for

me,

> > anyway. Should I continue with lighting a Yule candle for the 12

> > nights and allow myself to have a blended traditon? I have

always

> > striven to be consistant in what I do, but I think sometimes I am

too

> > rigid. It's pretty hard to give that attitude up. Any

suggestions

> > would be appreciated.

> >

> > Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya!

> > Kumari

> >

> > , " Karen " <Koros7@> wrote:

> > >

> > > I really enjoy listening to the Christmas carols. I wish one

of

> > the video

> > > cams was focused on the group but still the sound was awesome!

> > Love, karen

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > ----

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > inspectionconnection108

> > >

> > > 12/17/08 10:38:28

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > [www.ShreeMaa.org] Namaste Prasana, Papia, Kumari,

Kamala,

> > Linda

> > > all family

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Namaste all Dear Family, Brothers and Sisters: what a blast of

joy

> > and

> > >

> > > hope and love came through all of your messages. Each

suggestion was

> > >

> > > perfect, offering different points of view and solutions to the

same

> > >

> > > problem: how to remember our Divinity in the midst of the ego's

> > power

> > >

> > > struggle. By sharing this experience with you all, your loving

> > >

> > > responses brought me back to the core experience which keeps me

> > >

> > > posting day by day: that we are all ONE SOUL, never divided,

never

> > >

> > > separate. Oh yes, on the gross surface level the ego will do

his job

> > >

> > > of " dividing and conquering " that he is so good at, but on the

> > deeper

> > >

> > > more profound and more powerful levels, we are ONE SOUL.

> > >

> > > So soothing to remember that and experience that. To sink into

that

> > >

> > > feeling of love and joy, the essence of Our Being, is the

greatest

> > >

> > > gift of all. This satsunga provides immense relief and benefit

to us

> > >

> > > all because we can share our deepest issues and help each

other.

> > >

> > > Where else in this world can we truly be ourselves? I really

> > >

> > > appreciate you responses and your love and support.

> > >

> > > I will take all of your suggestions and keep them close by so

that

> > >

> > > when the ego makes a fuss again, I will be ready.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Oh, did anyone tune into the web camera and our singing class

> > tonight

> > >

> > > at 6PM Pacific time? Our Christmas carol practice with Maa was

great

> > >

> > > fun. I think we are sounding better.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Jai Maa Jai Swami

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > love

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > vish

> > >

> >

>