Guest guest Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 Namaste Monday we met at the Devi Mandir and after a beautiful group Shiva Puja for World Peace, Maa asked us to sing with Her. We started tenatively, but very soon we melted together and started to fly with Maa. The song, Shiva Shambo, is a favorite of the devottes and we usually sing it with great gusto and shout out the chorus over and over. This night, we focused on the words, the harmony, and the beauty of the song. We sought to sing as ONE voice, ONE soul, as we sang our love for Lord Shiva, thanking Him for His love and grace. It was beautiful. We filled the Temple with love and devotion and the Lord showered His love onto us. When the song was finished, we sang others and then ate prasad and visited for some time, then melted to our homes. What is so great, so uplifting, so soul satisfying about being with fellow devottes and Maa? For me it is the joy, support, love, and knowledge that we share together. The ego takes flight, and the divisions seem to become transparant, and then just disappear. We are one soul, truly and simply. When I lived in Iowa, our weekly group worship kept me from slipping back into the darkness. We would contact the Mandir, and get their worship schedule. We would do the same worship, the same days, to be in harmony with the Mandir family and Maa and Swami. The heart knows no distance and we felt Maa and Swami with us every time we worshipped. We were all constantly reminded of the power of group consciousness and the joy of fellowship that was generated carried us thru the week. After each meeting, we would all crowd around the phone, dial the Mandir, and when the voice mail answered, or some devottee answered, we would all shout, "Jai Maa", as loud as possible. Week after week we did that for 2-3 years. The Mandir folks would always tell us how much Shakti came over the phone lines. I tell this story because the world can be a harsh place, and the spirit can grow dim and the heart cold. Getting together with lovers of God will save the day and melt the coldest heart. My prayer is that all lovers can get together and experience that we are truly one soul. Jai Maa Maa's child Vishweshwar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 Dear Vish, Thanks for sharing your bhav and for bringing up this discussion on satsang in our online satsang. In the Sundarkand, Tulsidas says "The happiness of heaven combined with the happiness of liberating knowledge together cannot equal the joy of Satsang" Here is a story I read on the web, on the joy of Satsang. My thanks to the unknown author. ====================================================================== Four people were talking with each other in a Mandir. One of them was a rich man, another a Pandit , the third a Sannyasi and the fourth one a simple but devout man . The rich man said, "By the blessings of great people like you, I have God's grace bestowed upon me. I believe there is no one in this world who is happier. I have everything. A house, a car, a thriving business, a loving wife and dutiful children. No one is happier than me. I have the complete blessings of God. " On hearing this, the Pandit who was proficient in religious rituals said, "You call all this happiness? Worldly happiness is no happiness! When you leave your body nothing and no one will accompany you. They are useless in the next world. I perform `yagna' and other religious rituals. I will attain happiness in heaven after I die. Your happiness is of this world. It is material happiness. It is useless after death. While I am aspiring for greater happiness in heaven after I die, I am preparing for this experience which is better, more elevating than your worldly happiness. Here, the Sannyasi interrupted the Pandit, saying "Oh, mad man! What you call a greater happiness is also transitory. To enjoy happiness in heaven you have to collect Punya in this world. But when your Punya is over, when your enjoyment exhausts your good deeds, the devas will push you back into this world. I am striving for the happiness of emancipation, of liberation . I will neither go to heaven nor will I go to hell. I will be liberated from the bondage of everything. Learned scholars have said that this is any day better than the worldly as well as the heavenly joy. " Now it was the turn of the simple bhakta .He was silently doing `japa' repeating Lord's name with his mala . So the three of them asked him "What do you have to say in this matter? Tell us, what are you striving for? Which is the best form of happiness from amongst these three?" To this the bhakta replied with folded hands, "I have no riches like the rich man, may he enjoy his worldly happiness. I also know nothing about religious rituals like Panditji, but he too can partake his heavenly joy and I am also not a knowledgeable person like the Sannyasi , let him also be happy with his liberating knowledge. Yet, I feel I am the happiest person amongst all four of us. This is because I derive pleasure from this Satsang with such eminent people as you. Therefore I am sure my happiness is the best of all. Since I am enjoying such an enlightened discussion there definitely cannot be greater joy in this world than the joy of Satsang." ================================================================= Jai Maa Latha , "inspectionconnection108" <inspectionconnection108> wrote: > Namaste > > Monday we met at the Devi Mandir and after a beautiful group Shiva > Puja for World Peace, Maa asked us to sing with Her. > > We started tenatively, but very soon we melted together and started > to fly with Maa. The song, Shiva Shambo, is a favorite of the > devottes and we usually sing it with great gusto and shout out the > chorus over and over. > > This night, we focused on the words, the harmony, and the beauty of > the song. We sought to sing as ONE voice, ONE soul, as we sang our > love for Lord Shiva, thanking Him for His love and grace. > > It was beautiful. We filled the Temple with love and devotion and > the Lord showered His love onto us. > > When the song was finished, we sang others and then ate prasad and > visited for some time, then melted to our homes. > > What is so great, so uplifting, so soul satisfying about being with > fellow devottes and Maa? > > For me it is the joy, support, love, and knowledge that we share > together. The ego takes flight, and the divisions seem to become > transparant, and then just disappear. We are one soul, truly and > simply. > > When I lived in Iowa, our weekly group worship kept me from slipping > back into the darkness. We would contact the Mandir, and get their > worship schedule. We would do the same worship, the same days, to be > in harmony with the Mandir family and Maa and Swami. > > The heart knows no distance and we felt Maa and Swami with us every > time we worshipped. > > We were all constantly reminded of the power of group consciousness > and the joy of fellowship that was generated carried us thru the week. > > After each meeting, we would all crowd around the phone, dial the > Mandir, and when the voice mail answered, or some devottee answered, > we would all shout, "Jai Maa", as loud as possible. Week after week > we did that for 2-3 years. > > The Mandir folks would always tell us how much Shakti came over the > phone lines. > > I tell this story because the world can be a harsh place, and the > spirit can grow dim and the heart cold. Getting together with lovers > of God will save the day and melt the coldest heart. > > My prayer is that all lovers can get together and experience that we > are truly one soul. > > Jai Maa > > Maa's child > > Vishweshwar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 Hey Maa's Child...you are beautiful. Singing devotiona bhajans with Shree Maa is a transcendent experience...especially when voices and hearts blend---and expand--together. That's "being together, thinking together"--that's satsangh(song)--the song of truth with the SATGURU, the Goddess, Herself Jai Shree Maa! Nityananda S.l >"inspectionconnection108" <inspectionconnection108 > > > Music, the joy of singing God's praise >Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:58:42 -0000 > >Namaste > >Monday we met at the Devi Mandir and after a beautiful group Shiva >Puja for World Peace, Maa asked us to sing with Her. > >We started tenatively, but very soon we melted together and started >to fly with Maa. The song, Shiva Shambo, is a favorite of the >devottes and we usually sing it with great gusto and shout out the >chorus over and over. > >This night, we focused on the words, the harmony, and the beauty of >the song. We sought to sing as ONE voice, ONE soul, as we sang our >love for Lord Shiva, thanking Him for His love and grace. > >It was beautiful. We filled the Temple with love and devotion and >the Lord showered His love onto us. > >When the song was finished, we sang others and then ate prasad and >visited for some time, then melted to our homes. > >What is so great, so uplifting, so soul satisfying about being with >fellow devottes and Maa? > >For me it is the joy, support, love, and knowledge that we share >together. The ego takes flight, and the divisions seem to become >transparant, and then just disappear. We are one soul, truly and >simply. > >When I lived in Iowa, our weekly group worship kept me from slipping >back into the darkness. We would contact the Mandir, and get their >worship schedule. We would do the same worship, the same days, to be >in harmony with the Mandir family and Maa and Swami. > >The heart knows no distance and we felt Maa and Swami with us every >time we worshipped. > >We were all constantly reminded of the power of group consciousness >and the joy of fellowship that was generated carried us thru the week. > >After each meeting, we would all crowd around the phone, dial the >Mandir, and when the voice mail answered, or some devottee answered, >we would all shout, "Jai Maa", as loud as possible. Week after week >we did that for 2-3 years. > >The Mandir folks would always tell us how much Shakti came over the >phone lines. > >I tell this story because the world can be a harsh place, and the >spirit can grow dim and the heart cold. Getting together with lovers >of God will save the day and melt the coldest heart. > >My prayer is that all lovers can get together and experience that we >are truly one soul. > >Jai Maa > >Maa's child > >Vishweshwar > > > > > > _______________ Find high-speed ‘net deals — comparison-shop your local providers here. https://broadband.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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