Kumari and family: initiation

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sister Kumari and family: Thanks so much for posting your

thoughts and feelings on Swami. I agree with you and find my love and

respect for Maa and Swami growing as the years past. I am never bored

or complacent with them. They rock my world.

I have thought about this topic often, and will try to put my

ruminations into print.

In my personal experience, when one " takes " initiation, as I did

recently with the Cosmic Puja, one of Swami's life long favorite

sadhanas, and I began to practice it the way Swami taught it, I have

become more in tune with the Swami. Since the Guru IS the teaching,

has embodied it completely, one who practices it with as pure devotion

as one is capable, begins to obtain the Guru's Grace and shakti.

To the degree that I am able, I surrender to Swami. I take what they

have to offer, and open myself to the experience of that particular

aspect of knowledge, and to Swami. Then Swami can provide me with the

fullest range of experience that I am capable of receiving.

But, it doesn't stop there. Swami can take some of my karmas, process

them, and help me rise to a higher level.

I think of this as a miracle. I have had this experience over and

over with Maa and Swami in the last 11 years. I continue to be amazed

at the profound fundamental changes which have taken place in my life

as a result of my relationship with them.

In this season where we remember the birth of Pure Love, Lord Jesus,

on this Earth, we remember his message of peace and hope and his

teaching of surrender to him so that he could take away our sins. So

many devotees throughout the ages of spoken and written of the

transformational relationship with a Realized Guru.

Now we have the chance to experience it. Here and now. Amazing.

Swami describes this relationship so clearly in BEFORE BECOMING THIS,

page 293: " When a disciple comes into a relationship with the Guru,

the disciple begins to practice puja and the Guru accepts the

disciple's karma. The disciple refines his or her own self to become

more and more like the Guru. The Guru tries to remain free from

attachment, so when he takes the karma of the disciple, the Guru does

not become bound by that karma. He takes away the attachment from the

disciple, but doesn't cultivate attachment. Gurus are in a position to

take the karma, because they have freed themselves from attachment or

they can recycle that karma very quickly.

 

.......So that's why we say a Guru is someone who can assist us in

performing our karma without becoming stuck in our karma himself. "

 

Maa has given us this teaching too. She has said: " ...whoever

practices pujas they same way I do, I can step into their life and

help them. But, if they do not, I can do nothing. "

 

Jai Ma Jai Swami

 

vishweshwar

 

 

-- In , " mjfisher2005 " <mjfisher2005

wrote:

>

> Swamiji says that a person should " take initiation " . I understand that

> to mean that I decide how far I want to take his teachings after I have

> exposed myself to them, while asking whatever questions about doubts

> that I may have over what I have read/heard/seen. It is the way I

> regard him that is important. To me he is my guru, because he is

> teaching me the things that are close to my heart, he is teaching me my

> path through his books and his manner and attitude and through what he

> has given to me and so many others. He is my exemplar, my ideal of

> what a true sadhu is. I may have many gurus over my lifetime and I

> have had several. But Swami Satyananda has taught me so much more

> than any other Guru. I hope that I will someday attain the grace of my

> guru's and his guru, Shree Maa's feet.

>

> Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya!

> Kumari

>

> , " iamwhatiamwiggins "

> <iamwhatiamwiggins@> wrote:

> >

> > Dear Devotees,

> >

> > Please help me with this question.

> >

> > I would like to know what can a person who has not been intiated do,

> > what sort of pratices and where should they begin?

> >

> > Im 20 years old and have been learning about sanatana dharma for 4

> > years, It feels like i have an extreme connection to Shree Ma and

> > Swamiji and would like to receive initiation but I will not be able

> to

> > for some time.

> >

>