to Kumari about the Lion

[Guest guest]

Dear Kumari ~ this is wonderful. Can you tell me what book it's in. I looked on Amazon.com, and there were more than 7 pages with books by or about Swami Vivekananda. I didn't see one called "The Nature of Man," so I'm guessing that is a chapter heading or something. In yesterday's digest someone posted that (s)he had been reading a book by Paramahansa Yogananda, as a companion to his/her Devi Mandir studies and practice and felt it was a good adjunct. This work of Swami Vivekananda seems it would be similar. Reading over the titles on Amazon I felt drawn to titles, but there were so many, it was like a feast. I'd like to perhaps start with an appetizer.

 

Also I wanted to say that the Lion is a powerful, cross cultural symbol of both the beast and the divine within. Make friends with the beast; find the divine. In the Tarot, there is one card called "Strength." It has a picture of a young woman, adorned with roses and holding the jaws of a lion open and, with smiles, preparing to put her head in its mouth. This has shown she has made the Lion her friend. She has seen the Truth within. I pictured the beast in me a dragon. I was dreadfully fearful of the beast because I thought that she might be the Truth of my inner nature. Can you imagine how terrifying that was. I spent many years working with Dragon, making her my friend, and eventually did. I wrote a song called "Honor the Dragon" to celebrate this process. But what I have found is that making friends with the Lion, or the Dragon is an ongoing process, and like the onion, once one layer is peeled away, it is glorious, but still there are more layers. So I am still doing the work. Jai Maa Jai Swamiji

~ Linda

 

 

Kumari wrote:

THE REAL NATURE OF MAN - Swami Vivekananda"There is a great tendency in modern times to talk too much of work and decry thought. Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Little manifestations of energy through the muscles are called work. But where there is no thought, there will be no work. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work. Talk not about impurity, but say that we are pure... Great Deals on Dell Laptops. Starting at $499.

[Guest guest]

Namaste Linda:

 

Swami Vivekananada produced a great volume of work. I remember this

story either from lectures I heard by monks of the Ramakrishna Order

or from the Complete Works, which has nine volumes! I would love to

have the whole set, and some day I will. I found this story online,

so I could quote it exactly. You might look for one of the smaller

books, like Swami's Message to a Discple. (I have a copy of this book

and I love it, it shows a nice portrait of the Swami and how he

interacted with a devotee). Vivekananda was a heroic figure who

wanted to uplift all people and set them on the path to liberation.

He was afraid of nothing. Much like Swami Satyananda in his journey

to and through India. At a time when Indian people did not travel

much out of the country, he came to the US, to Chicago, with no money

in his pocket and no idea how to get along so he could speak at the

Parliment of Religions there. He is one of my inspirations. Shiva

sankalpa embodied.

 

Love,

Kumari

 

, nierika wrote:

>

> Dear Kumari ~ this is wonderful. Can you tell me what book it's in.

I looked

> on Amazon.com, and there were more than 7 pages with books by or

about Swami

> Vivekananda. I didn't see one called " The Nature of Man, " so I'm

guessing

> that is a chapter heading or something. In yesterday's digest

someone posted

> that (s)he had been reading a book by Paramahansa Yogananda, as a

companion to

> his/her Devi Mandir studies and practice and felt it was a good

adjunct. This

> work of Swami Vivekananda seems it would be similar. Reading over

the titles

> on Amazon I felt drawn to titles, but there were so many, it was

like a

> feast. I'd like to perhaps start with an appetizer.

>

> Also I wanted to say that the Lion is a powerful, cross cultural

symbol of

> both the beast and the divine within. Make friends with the beast;

find the

> divine. In the Tarot, there is one card called " Strength. " It has a

picture of a

> young woman, adorned with roses and holding the jaws of a lion

open and,

> with smiles, preparing to put her head in its mouth. This has

shown she has made

> the Lion her friend. She has seen the Truth within. I pictured the

beast in

> me a dragon. I was dreadfully fearful of the beast because I

thought that she

> might be the Truth of my inner nature. Can you imagine how

terrifying that

> was. I spent many years working with Dragon, making her my friend,

and

> eventually did. I wrote a song called " Honor the Dragon " to

celebrate this process.

> But what I have found is that making friends with the Lion, or the

Dragon is

> an ongoing process, and like the onion, once one layer is peeled

away, it is

> glorious, but still there are more layers. So I am still doing the

work. Jai

> Maa Jai Swamiji

> ~ Linda

>

>

> Kumari wrote:

>

> THE REAL NATURE OF MAN - Swami Vivekananda

> " There is a great tendency in modern times to talk too much of

work

> and decry thought. Doing is very good, but that comes from

thinking.

> Little manifestations of energy through the muscles are called

work.

> But where there is no thought, there will be no work. Fill the

brain,

> therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and

> night before you, and out of that will come great work. Talk not

> about impurity, but say that we are pure...

>

>

> **************Great Deals on Dell Laptops. Starting at $499.

> (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1217883258x1201191827/aol?

redir=http://ad.doubleclick.

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