Guest guest Posted December 19, 2008 Report Share Posted December 19, 2008 Namaste Respected Elder Brother: It is nice of you to say what you did, but if I am a great soul then we all are and you all much more than I. What is true, is that I am fortunate and blessed and so happy to have found holy company. Here I can allow the good thoughts to grow and have help in dealing with the bad ones. Jesus Puja sounds like a wonderful experience. I have no problem with viewing Jesus through my " Indian " eyes. It would help me to focus on Him as the Master, instead of focusing on His followers. I used to be attracted to Roman Catholicism when I was young just because of the rituals and again being in a place where there were rituals and meditations going on constantly. It was like food for my soul. You can absorb that atmosphere just like taking in food and drink. I felt that way, too when I would sit with my first guru and his initiates. You didn't even have to talk. Just sit and take it in. You could sit there for hours. He might offer us tea and a cookie while he sat in his easy chair reading mail and taking people's pranams. I miss that. Those were a few precious golden moments. But, I had other things to do, so I have done them and I can't go back. I am happy I had those experiences. I have never been to a Latin Mass. By the time I went to Mass they had changed to English. I will try to tune in on Christmas Eve. Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya! Kumari , " inspectionconnection108 " <inspectionconnection108 wrote: > > Namaste Sister Kumari and all family: So glad you had a good sleep. A > rested body makes life so much more vibrant and joyful. You are a > great soul Kumari, and so fortunate to have been exposed to these > great teachings. Pray to Maa to take that asura away. > Regarding puja to Jesus. Maa and Swami have told us that we can > perform puja to Jesus using the Beginner Shiva puja, and just > substitute Jesus's mantra in place of Shiva's mantra. It is such a > blessing to be able to worship Him at this time of year, and perform > japa using His mantra. > And, on Christmas eve, Swami leads us at the homa and we chant verses > from the Bible at the homa, and add " swaha " at the end as we offer to > the fire. For example, we chant: " I am the way, the truth, and the > light, swaha " , and, " I am in the Father and the Father is in me, swaha. " > It is very very powerful to take these verses which one knows from a > young age, and chant them in English, at a Hindu homa, with Maa and > Swami leading the chants. > Now, Jesus's mantra is: " Om nama bhagavate Sri Jishu Christaya namo > namah " It means: Om, We bow to the Supreme Divinity, the Respected > Jesus Christ, we bow, we bow. > > Oh, by the way, every Christmas eve, Swami leads us all in a > traditional Latin Mass, including offering blessed wine and bread. > Yes, he sings the entire Mass in Latin, at Maa's altar. And he serves > us communion. > > Yes, Christmas eve at the Devi Mandir is a grand and glorious love > festival to Lord Jesus. And of course, we end the evening with many > Christmas carols, in English and Hindi, and Maa serves us all real > figgy pudding. > Hope you can join us via the web camera, likely beginning about 6PM > Pacific time. > > Jai Maa Jai Swami Jai Jesus > > vishweshwar > > , " mjfisher2005 " <mjfisher2005@> > wrote: > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.