Guest guest Posted November 12, 2003 Report Share Posted November 12, 2003 As we purify more and more, I pray that our will comes into harmony with the Divine Will. Not only that, but that we intuit, and know without uncertainty, and yield to that Divine Will! Is the Guru's desire also the Divine Will? You surrendered! Jai Maa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 12, 2003 Report Share Posted November 12, 2003 Latha, I have a similar story but the result was a bit different. A few years ago the wooden bridge that leads to our Mandir needed to be replaced. It was starting to rot away and every time a car passed over it there was a good chance that it would be the end of the bridge. One day when we finally decided to rebuild it, I was starting the first stage of the demolition of the old bridge in a very light rain, and Maa walked by and said that I should go inside because the wet weather conditions would make me sick. I has lived in some pretty extreme climates in my life and to me this light rain posed no threat at all to my health especially because I had a very strong immune system and had been used to working in freezing rain and snow during the previous five years in Boston. So I considered the advice to be nothing but Maa just being the sweet mother to her children and kept right on doing what I was doing. The next day I woke up with the worst flu that I can remember having in my life and I was in bed for a week. I couldn't believe it, I hadn't been sick at all for years and now this. I then remembered Maa's advice. Sometimes the Guru sees thing that we just can't perceive and give advice according to that intuition. As devotees, we have to have faith that they know what is best for us even when we think that we know better. Sometimes they are just testing us. Ma told me a story once of one of Her Gurus telling Her to eat a rock. When She put it in Her mouth and began to chew it turned into a delicious sweet. There is another story that happened when we were building Maa's house. There was a big oak tree in the front yard that Maa decided one day that it needed to come down. She was afraid that one day the tree would fall on Her house. This was a difficult proposition for us because the angle of the tree put the house at risk of being toppled when we would cut it, so we tried to talk Her out of it. The tree appeared to be perfectly healthy to us so we felt confident taking responsibility for letting the tree stay. "Of course it won't fall down," we thought, "What does She know about trees anyways and besides, the tree shows no signs decay at all. This tree will be here for another hundred years easily." Well, after a few days of debate we decided to listen to the Divine Mother and we cut down the tree. To our surprise, the entire center of the tree was rotten and it would have only been a matter of time before Maa would have been surprised by a crashing tree falling into Her kitchen. Even though from the outside the tree showed no signs at all of danger, Maa saw inside the tree and was giving Her advice from that perspective. I would imagine that all of Her words come from this same intuition. , "kamalama_2002" <kamalama_2002> wrote: > As we purify more and more, I pray that our will comes into harmony > with the Divine Will. Not only that, but that we intuit, and know > without uncertainty, and yield to that Divine Will! Is the Guru's > desire also the Divine Will? You surrendered! Jai Maa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 12, 2003 Report Share Posted November 12, 2003 Sarada and Latha, I have a couple of stories myself to add to where Sarada left off. If we would only learn to trust the Guru life would be simpler. However, for many of us reaching complete surrender is slow and often painful process. There are two particularly notable events in my life that come to mind. Back in 1994 when I was still a struggling graduate student, I owned a '89 Ford Tracer. At the time, I was staying at the asharam while in the writing stage of the dissertation. Sometime in early 1995, Maa said you should get rid of your car. I thought it was odd. Why should I get rid of the car when I can barely afford to maintain myself on my limited budget. I explained to Maa that financially I could not do it and continued to drive the car as usual. Again some weeks later she advised me to find another car, but intellectually it made no sense to me and I did not take her counsel. Just a couple of months later the car was totalled when I had serious accident in Davis. It was the after Valentines Day when I was rushed to emergency room in an ambulance. The accident left me cuts, bruises and a fractured bone in the lower spine. With blessings of Maa and Swamiji and back therapy I healed in a short time. Inspite of this incident, I was still not wiser. Now it's 2002 and I've graduated and landed what might be a career position at a college in New England. This high profile, high salaried job is why I sweated all those years in school I thought and declared proudly that I was moving to the east coast. Maa and Swamiji offered their blessings and wished me luck. Till the last days Maa cautioned me, "I don't have a good feeling about this job." Again I rationalized why I was going and instead took the position. As you may have guessed, this job turned out to be a living nightmare and I slowly felt myself dying emotionally and spiritually. I was cut off from all of my support system in a very foreign and remote place. If not for the communication with my family and Maa and Swamiji, I don't think I could have survived. Sometimes, I think I came close to having a nervous breakdown. Maa came to the rescue and demanded that I call her every night after reaching home from work. I maintained that routine for the rest of my 8-9 month stay in Maine. I shared with Maa and Swamiji all my frustrations and pain. Swamiji even helped me on the legal front by writing letters for me in grievances I filed. Presently I have returned to California and live in close vicinity to Napa. I am so blessed to have a Divine Mother and Divine Father. I am grateful for all of their patience, understanding and unconditional love. I pray to be fully surrendered. Jai Maa, Aseemananda , "Sarada" <sarada_saraswati> wrote: > Latha, I have a similar story but the result was a bit different. A > few years ago the wooden bridge that leads to our Mandir needed to > be replaced. It was starting to rot away and every time a car passed > over it there was a good chance that it would be the end of the > bridge. One day when we finally decided to rebuild it, I was > starting the first stage of the demolition of the old bridge in a > very light rain, and Maa walked by and said that I should go inside > because the wet weather conditions would make me sick. I has lived > in some pretty extreme climates in my life and to me this light rain > posed no threat at all to my health especially because I had a very > strong immune system and had been used to working in freezing rain > and snow during the previous five years in Boston. So I considered > the advice to be nothing but Maa just being the sweet mother to her > children and kept right on doing what I was doing. > > The next day I woke up with the worst flu that I can remember > having in my life and I was in bed for a week. I couldn't believe > it, I hadn't been sick at all for years and now this. I then > remembered Maa's advice. Sometimes the Guru sees thing that we just > can't perceive and give advice according to that intuition. As > devotees, we have to have faith that they know what is best for us > even when we think that we know better. Sometimes they are just > testing us. Ma told me a story once of one of Her Gurus telling Her > to eat a rock. When She put it in Her mouth and began to chew it > turned into a delicious sweet. > > There is another story that happened when we were building Maa's > house. There was a big oak tree in the front yard that Maa decided > one day that it needed to come down. She was afraid that one day the > tree would fall on Her house. This was a difficult proposition for > us because the angle of the tree put the house at risk of being > toppled when we would cut it, so we tried to talk Her out of it. The > tree appeared to be perfectly healthy to us so we felt confident > taking responsibility for letting the tree stay. "Of course it won't > fall down," we thought, "What does She know about trees anyways and > besides, the tree shows no signs decay at all. This tree will be > here for another hundred years easily." Well, after a few days of > debate we decided to listen to the Divine Mother and we cut down the > tree. To our surprise, the entire center of the tree was rotten and > it would have only been a matter of time before Maa would have been > surprised by a crashing tree falling into Her kitchen. > > Even though from the outside the tree showed no signs at all of > danger, Maa saw inside the tree and was giving Her advice from that > perspective. I would imagine that all of Her words come from this > same intuition. > > > , "kamalama_2002" > <kamalama_2002> wrote: > > As we purify more and more, I pray that our will comes into > harmony > > with the Divine Will. Not only that, but that we intuit, and know > > without uncertainty, and yield to that Divine Will! Is the Guru's > > desire also the Divine Will? You surrendered! Jai Maa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2003 Report Share Posted November 13, 2003 Sarada, Thanks for the great Shree Maa stories! One of the things (I found interesting in these stories) is our American habit of questioning everything. As you know, in the traditional Hindu way, the Guru's suggestions are treated as commands and followed without question. It's so natural for us to question everything. It's very funny that we treat the Guru as if She were an ordinary human being. (And I suspect She probably makes a point of being as "ordinary" as possible.) Very funny stories! Jai Maa! Astraea , "Sarada" <sarada_saraswati> wrote: > Latha, I have a similar story but the result was a bit different. A > few years ago the wooden bridge that leads to our Mandir needed to > be replaced. It was starting to rot away and every time a car passed > over it there was a good chance that it would be the end of the > bridge. One day when we finally decided to rebuild it, I was > starting the first stage of the demolition of the old bridge in a > very light rain, and Maa walked by and said that I should go inside > because the wet weather conditions would make me sick. I has lived > in some pretty extreme climates in my life and to me this light rain > posed no threat at all to my health especially because I had a very > strong immune system and had been used to working in freezing rain > and snow during the previous five years in Boston. So I considered > the advice to be nothing but Maa just being the sweet mother to her > children and kept right on doing what I was doing. > > The next day I woke up with the worst flu that I can remember > having in my life and I was in bed for a week. I couldn't believe > it, I hadn't been sick at all for years and now this. I then > remembered Maa's advice. Sometimes the Guru sees thing that we just > can't perceive and give advice according to that intuition. As > devotees, we have to have faith that they know what is best for us > even when we think that we know better. Sometimes they are just > testing us. Ma told me a story once of one of Her Gurus telling Her > to eat a rock. When She put it in Her mouth and began to chew it > turned into a delicious sweet. > > There is another story that happened when we were building Maa's > house. There was a big oak tree in the front yard that Maa decided > one day that it needed to come down. She was afraid that one day the > tree would fall on Her house. This was a difficult proposition for > us because the angle of the tree put the house at risk of being > toppled when we would cut it, so we tried to talk Her out of it. The > tree appeared to be perfectly healthy to us so we felt confident > taking responsibility for letting the tree stay. "Of course it won't > fall down," we thought, "What does She know about trees anyways and > besides, the tree shows no signs decay at all. This tree will be > here for another hundred years easily." Well, after a few days of > debate we decided to listen to the Divine Mother and we cut down the > tree. To our surprise, the entire center of the tree was rotten and > it would have only been a matter of time before Maa would have been > surprised by a crashing tree falling into Her kitchen. > > Even though from the outside the tree showed no signs at all of > danger, Maa saw inside the tree and was giving Her advice from that > perspective. I would imagine that all of Her words come from this > same intuition. > > > , "kamalama_2002" > <kamalama_2002> wrote: > > As we purify more and more, I pray that our will comes into > harmony > > with the Divine Will. Not only that, but that we intuit, and know > > without uncertainty, and yield to that Divine Will! Is the Guru's > > desire also the Divine Will? You surrendered! Jai Maa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2003 Report Share Posted November 13, 2003 Aseemananda, I am blown away by your stories! The fact that Shree Maa insisted that you call her every night for 8-9 MONTHS!!! The fact that Swamiji took the time to write legal letters for you! This is almost beyond belief to my mind! That anyone would care that much! Especially people as busy as Shree Maa & Swamiji. In the almost 12 years I was in Siddha Yoga, I NEVER wrote Gurumayi. (The first serious SY devotee I met told me not to bother Gurumayi with my problems.) In all the SY Intensives I went to, I never really spoke to Gurumayi about anything. I asked Gurumayi for a spiritual name, Gurumayi looked annoyed and mumbled something I couldn't hear. I was so afraid of Gurumayi, I could not ask her to repeat herself. I am reeling at the contrast!!! I am so used to being alone! Did I ever go to the wrong Guru! (Incidently, Ammachi gave me a spiritual name & mantra the first time I met her.) Jai Maa! Astraea , "aseemananda2003" <aseemananda2003> wrote: > Sarada and Latha, > > I have a couple of stories myself to add to where Sarada left off. If > we would only learn to trust the Guru life would be simpler. However, > for many of us reaching complete surrender is slow and often painful > process. There are two particularly notable events in my life that > come to mind. > > Back in 1994 when I was still a struggling graduate student, I owned > a '89 Ford Tracer. At the time, I was staying at the asharam while in > the writing stage of the dissertation. Sometime in early 1995, Maa > said you should get rid of your car. I thought it was odd. Why should > I get rid of the car when I can barely afford to maintain myself on > my limited budget. I explained to Maa that financially I could not do > it and continued to drive the car as usual. Again some weeks later > she advised me to find another car, but intellectually it made no > sense to me and I did not take her counsel. > > Just a couple of months later the car was totalled when I had serious > accident in Davis. It was the after Valentines Day when I was rushed > to emergency room in an ambulance. The accident left me cuts, bruises > and a fractured bone in the lower spine. With blessings of Maa and > Swamiji and back therapy I healed in a short time. Inspite of this > incident, I was still not wiser. > > Now it's 2002 and I've graduated and landed what might be a career > position at a college in New England. This high profile, high > salaried job is why I sweated all those years in school I thought and > declared proudly that I was moving to the east coast. Maa and Swamiji > offered their blessings and wished me luck. Till the last days Maa > cautioned me, "I don't have a good feeling about this job." Again I > rationalized why I was going and instead took the position. > > As you may have guessed, this job turned out to be a living nightmare > and I slowly felt myself dying emotionally and spiritually. I was cut > off from all of my support system in a very foreign and remote place. > If not for the communication with my family and Maa and Swamiji, I > don't think I could have survived. Sometimes, I think I came close to > having a nervous breakdown. Maa came to the rescue and demanded that > I call her every night after reaching home from work. I maintained > that routine for the rest of my 8-9 month stay in Maine. I shared > with Maa and Swamiji all my frustrations and pain. Swamiji even > helped me on the legal front by writing letters for me in grievances > I filed. > > Presently I have returned to California and live in close vicinity to > Napa. I am so blessed to have a Divine Mother and Divine Father. I am > grateful for all of their patience, understanding and unconditional > love. I pray to be fully surrendered. > > Jai Maa, > Aseemananda > > > , "Sarada" <sarada_saraswati> > wrote: > > Latha, I have a similar story but the result was a bit different. > A > > few years ago the wooden bridge that leads to our Mandir needed to > > be replaced. It was starting to rot away and every time a car > passed > > over it there was a good chance that it would be the end of the > > bridge. One day when we finally decided to rebuild it, I was > > starting the first stage of the demolition of the old bridge in a > > very light rain, and Maa walked by and said that I should go inside > > because the wet weather conditions would make me sick. I has lived > > in some pretty extreme climates in my life and to me this light > rain > > posed no threat at all to my health especially because I had a very > > strong immune system and had been used to working in freezing rain > > and snow during the previous five years in Boston. So I considered > > the advice to be nothing but Maa just being the sweet mother to her > > children and kept right on doing what I was doing. > > > > The next day I woke up with the worst flu that I can remember > > having in my life and I was in bed for a week. I couldn't believe > > it, I hadn't been sick at all for years and now this. I then > > remembered Maa's advice. Sometimes the Guru sees thing that we just > > can't perceive and give advice according to that intuition. As > > devotees, we have to have faith that they know what is best for us > > even when we think that we know better. Sometimes they are just > > testing us. Ma told me a story once of one of Her Gurus telling Her > > to eat a rock. When She put it in Her mouth and began to chew it > > turned into a delicious sweet. > > > > There is another story that happened when we were building Maa's > > house. There was a big oak tree in the front yard that Maa decided > > one day that it needed to come down. She was afraid that one day > the > > tree would fall on Her house. This was a difficult proposition for > > us because the angle of the tree put the house at risk of being > > toppled when we would cut it, so we tried to talk Her out of it. > The > > tree appeared to be perfectly healthy to us so we felt confident > > taking responsibility for letting the tree stay. "Of course it > won't > > fall down," we thought, "What does She know about trees anyways and > > besides, the tree shows no signs decay at all. This tree will be > > here for another hundred years easily." Well, after a few days of > > debate we decided to listen to the Divine Mother and we cut down > the > > tree. To our surprise, the entire center of the tree was rotten and > > it would have only been a matter of time before Maa would have been > > surprised by a crashing tree falling into Her kitchen. > > > > Even though from the outside the tree showed no signs at all of > > danger, Maa saw inside the tree and was giving Her advice from that > > perspective. I would imagine that all of Her words come from this > > same intuition. > > > > > > , "kamalama_2002" > > <kamalama_2002> wrote: > > > As we purify more and more, I pray that our will comes into > > harmony > > > with the Divine Will. Not only that, but that we intuit, and > know > > > without uncertainty, and yield to that Divine Will! Is the > Guru's > > > desire also the Divine Will? You surrendered! Jai Maa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2003 Report Share Posted November 13, 2003 Namaste All, Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful experiences. As I sit here reading and re-reading these experiences ... tears flowing uncontrollably, I cannot help but recall the story of the Vow of Worship for 16 Mondays which was shared by Sarada earlier in this forum and explained at #953 by Parvati. For me the pain of "leprosy" refeferred to in the story is physical distance from the Guru. And so this child asks : "Beloved Maa, for what karma have I received such a curse from the Divine Mother? What is it that this child needs to do to be physically with you?" Jai Maa , "aseemananda2003" <aseemananda2003> wrote: > Sarada and Latha, > > I have a couple of stories myself to add to where Sarada left off. If > we would only learn to trust the Guru life would be simpler. However, > for many of us reaching complete surrender is slow and often painful > process. There are two particularly notable events in my life that > come to mind. > > Back in 1994 when I was still a struggling graduate student, I owned > a '89 Ford Tracer. At the time, I was staying at the asharam while in > the writing stage of the dissertation. Sometime in early 1995, Maa > said you should get rid of your car. I thought it was odd. Why should > I get rid of the car when I can barely afford to maintain myself on > my limited budget. I explained to Maa that financially I could not do > it and continued to drive the car as usual. Again some weeks later > she advised me to find another car, but intellectually it made no > sense to me and I did not take her counsel. > > Just a couple of months later the car was totalled when I had serious > accident in Davis. It was the after Valentines Day when I was rushed > to emergency room in an ambulance. The accident left me cuts, bruises > and a fractured bone in the lower spine. With blessings of Maa and > Swamiji and back therapy I healed in a short time. Inspite of this > incident, I was still not wiser. > > Now it's 2002 and I've graduated and landed what might be a career > position at a college in New England. This high profile, high > salaried job is why I sweated all those years in school I thought and > declared proudly that I was moving to the east coast. Maa and Swamiji > offered their blessings and wished me luck. Till the last days Maa > cautioned me, "I don't have a good feeling about this job." Again I > rationalized why I was going and instead took the position. > > As you may have guessed, this job turned out to be a living nightmare > and I slowly felt myself dying emotionally and spiritually. I was cut > off from all of my support system in a very foreign and remote place. > If not for the communication with my family and Maa and Swamiji, I > don't think I could have survived. Sometimes, I think I came close to > having a nervous breakdown. Maa came to the rescue and demanded that > I call her every night after reaching home from work. I maintained > that routine for the rest of my 8-9 month stay in Maine. I shared > with Maa and Swamiji all my frustrations and pain. Swamiji even > helped me on the legal front by writing letters for me in grievances > I filed. > > Presently I have returned to California and live in close vicinity to > Napa. I am so blessed to have a Divine Mother and Divine Father. I am > grateful for all of their patience, understanding and unconditional > love. I pray to be fully surrendered. > > Jai Maa, > Aseemananda > > > , "Sarada" <sarada_saraswati> > wrote: > > Latha, I have a similar story but the result was a bit different. > A > > few years ago the wooden bridge that leads to our Mandir needed to > > be replaced. It was starting to rot away and every time a car > passed > > over it there was a good chance that it would be the end of the > > bridge. One day when we finally decided to rebuild it, I was > > starting the first stage of the demolition of the old bridge in a > > very light rain, and Maa walked by and said that I should go inside > > because the wet weather conditions would make me sick. I has lived > > in some pretty extreme climates in my life and to me this light > rain > > posed no threat at all to my health especially because I had a very > > strong immune system and had been used to working in freezing rain > > and snow during the previous five years in Boston. So I considered > > the advice to be nothing but Maa just being the sweet mother to her > > children and kept right on doing what I was doing. > > > > The next day I woke up with the worst flu that I can remember > > having in my life and I was in bed for a week. I couldn't believe > > it, I hadn't been sick at all for years and now this. I then > > remembered Maa's advice. Sometimes the Guru sees thing that we just > > can't perceive and give advice according to that intuition. As > > devotees, we have to have faith that they know what is best for us > > even when we think that we know better. Sometimes they are just > > testing us. Ma told me a story once of one of Her Gurus telling Her > > to eat a rock. When She put it in Her mouth and began to chew it > > turned into a delicious sweet. > > > > There is another story that happened when we were building Maa's > > house. There was a big oak tree in the front yard that Maa decided > > one day that it needed to come down. She was afraid that one day > the > > tree would fall on Her house. This was a difficult proposition for > > us because the angle of the tree put the house at risk of being > > toppled when we would cut it, so we tried to talk Her out of it. > The > > tree appeared to be perfectly healthy to us so we felt confident > > taking responsibility for letting the tree stay. "Of course it > won't > > fall down," we thought, "What does She know about trees anyways and > > besides, the tree shows no signs decay at all. This tree will be > > here for another hundred years easily." Well, after a few days of > > debate we decided to listen to the Divine Mother and we cut down > the > > tree. To our surprise, the entire center of the tree was rotten and > > it would have only been a matter of time before Maa would have been > > surprised by a crashing tree falling into Her kitchen. > > > > Even though from the outside the tree showed no signs at all of > > danger, Maa saw inside the tree and was giving Her advice from that > > perspective. I would imagine that all of Her words come from this > > same intuition. > > > > > > , "kamalama_2002" > > <kamalama_2002> wrote: > > > As we purify more and more, I pray that our will comes into > > harmony > > > with the Divine Will. Not only that, but that we intuit, and > know > > > without uncertainty, and yield to that Divine Will! Is the > Guru's > > > desire also the Divine Will? You surrendered! Jai Maa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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