Guest guest Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Hi all. The efficient sadhu ... this I aspire to be, like a li'l acorn wishes to be a mighty oak. Before Swamiji, this idea was introduced to me via the recorded talks of Shivapuri Baba. He called it "Right Life." Life was all about doing one's physical and moral duties efficiently so you could "spend maximum time on God." How practical is that! And wondrous, as of course, God is not simply practical, but the Ultimate. My own life has certain challenges, as 1. I have a job that spans hours from early in the morning to late at night, making regular hours impossible, 2. My wife and I care for a disabled daughter that wakes up in the middle of the night often and 3. There are my own personal liabilities and tendency to be an intellectual bohemian. My question is, has anyone had success with meditation or other devotions in the middle of the night? My own experience is, the meditations at those hours are often very beneficial, but I pay dearly for them in terms of mental alertness for life matters the following day. Also looking for any general attitudes and experiences around this topic of finding maximum time for God. Love to all and pranams, Steve C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 Do whatever devotional puja you can fit into your life. From the sound of things this might be a tight squeeze, but by slipping that puja into your busy life you are likely to find that your life becomes more organized. Puja can organize life for you if you practice with regularity. Devotion can fix an otherwise broken life. It has been fixing me. It can fix you too. The mighty shade providing oak tree grows out from that small acorn. Plant your acorn well, and you grow out from it. Over time as you become the mighty oak tree many can take shelter under your outstreched branches. These practices become wonderous only for those who place them deeply into recurrent practice. So take a step each day toward the wonderous. Fruition will come to the persistent. , "bingo_ridley" <sconnor@a...> wrote: > Hi all. > > The efficient sadhu ... this I aspire to be, like a li'l acorn wishes > to be a mighty oak. > > Before Swamiji, this idea was introduced to me via the recorded talks > of Shivapuri Baba. He called it "Right Life." Life was all about > doing one's physical and moral duties efficiently so you could > "spend maximum time on God." How practical is that! And wondrous, as > of course, God is not simply practical, but the Ultimate. > > My own life has certain challenges, as 1. I have a job that spans > hours from early in the morning to late at night, making regular > hours impossible, 2. My wife and I care for a disabled daughter that > wakes up in the middle of the night often and 3. There are my own > personal liabilities and tendency to be an intellectual bohemian. > > My question is, has anyone had success with meditation or other > devotions in the middle of the night? > > My own experience is, the meditations at those hours are often very > beneficial, but I pay dearly for them in terms of mental alertness > for life matters the following day. > > Also looking for any general attitudes and experiences around this > topic of finding maximum time for God. > > Love to all and pranams, > > Steve C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 Thank you, thank you, for your words on regular practice. Funny you should use that phrase "fixing" youself, I was thinking the same way about me. Next on my "plate" is the Guru Gita. I read it once and was very much struck by some of the verses. Will post on them soon. Steve C. , "rudran2" <stechiekov> wrote: > Do whatever devotional puja you can fit into your life. From the > sound of things this might be a tight squeeze, but by slipping that > puja into your busy life you are likely to find that your life > becomes more organized. Puja can organize life for you if you > practice with regularity. Devotion can fix an otherwise broken life. > It has been fixing me. It can fix you too. > > The mighty shade providing oak tree grows out from that small acorn. > Plant your acorn well, and you grow out from it. Over time as you > become the mighty oak tree many can take shelter under your > outstreched branches. These practices become wonderous only for those > who place them deeply into recurrent practice. So take a step each > day toward the wonderous. Fruition will come to the persistent. > > , "bingo_ridley" <sconnor@a...> > wrote: > > Hi all. > > > > The efficient sadhu ... this I aspire to be, like a li'l acorn > wishes > > to be a mighty oak. > > > > Before Swamiji, this idea was introduced to me via the recorded > talks > > of Shivapuri Baba. He called it "Right Life." Life was all about > > doing one's physical and moral duties efficiently so you could > > "spend maximum time on God." How practical is that! And wondrous, > as > > of course, God is not simply practical, but the Ultimate. > > > > My own life has certain challenges, as 1. I have a job that spans > > hours from early in the morning to late at night, making regular > > hours impossible, 2. My wife and I care for a disabled daughter > that > > wakes up in the middle of the night often and 3. There are my own > > personal liabilities and tendency to be an intellectual bohemian. > > > > My question is, has anyone had success with meditation or other > > devotions in the middle of the night? > > > > My own experience is, the meditations at those hours are often very > > beneficial, but I pay dearly for them in terms of mental alertness > > for life matters the following day. > > > > Also looking for any general attitudes and experiences around this > > topic of finding maximum time for God. > > > > Love to all and pranams, > > > > Steve C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 "....Also looking for any general attitudes and experiences around this topic of finding maximum time for God. Love to all and pranams....Steve" Dear Steve, In a way, I feel it's not my "place" to offer spiritual advice to others but to offer my own experience is another thing altogether. I began practicing in 1968...as "seriously" as I could (for the first 20 years or so, it was primarily Buddhist practice and then Hindu). When I look back on my path that, in some ways, is simply a circling back to what is already present, all the time, in every created being, what I see as one of the most persistant (and common) self- created obstacles was my attitude of separation....labeling some things as spiritual and other things as Maya. The more one concentrates on the apparent "differences" between say, puja, and taking care of daily tasks, the more difficult it becomes to grasp the truth: that it is ALL God, manifested as seeminly different things. One of the purposes of puja is to align oneself energetically with the Vibrations of Divine Consciousness. If this is what your longing is: and that seems to be the case, then holding this intention in your life, throughout the day, as best you can, is an ecstatic practice. You express a longing to do Guruseva...you have a child with a disability and you care for that child; staying up through the night, being sure he or she is safe. What more incredible service could one offer to God? God is manifesting AS that child; you are in DIRECT service to God. It all really depends on your INTENTION, in the moment. You seem to be filled with devotion, filled with longing, filled with purpose, filled with every quality a disciple could want. It really is possible to have one's entire life be "time for God", with or without the "time" to sit down and do a lengthy puja every day. GOD does not require our puja or even our prayers. God is, by definition, beyond all knowing. The Puja is for US, for OUR upliftment and to remind US to remember who we really are. Please understand, I, myself, do a great deal of puja, chanting of texts, study etc. simply because this is what I love to do more than anything in the world and I am at a stage in my life where I have the time to devote myself fully to these practices, so I am not saying, by any means, that puja isn't "important". What I'm saying is that if you are in the "householder" phase of life, then it's very helpful to find ways to make every moment of THAT life "time for god". Every single thing that you do, even taking out the garbage, can be an offering to God; it depends upon the intention behind your actions. The Hindu concept of the stages of life is a very valuable one to contemplate. My very best wishes to you. love, sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Oh, Sadvi, what a beautiful expression of love. Relaying your experience is very helpful to all. I seem to be in a similar stage of life as you and can certainly relate to your path. I was a Buddhist (Zen and Tibetan) for many years before finding Shree Maa and Swamiji. It is such joy to see the One !!!! to be the One !!!! Blessings, Ardis "nityashakti" <sadhvi (AT) prodigy (DOT) net> Wed, 10 Mar 2004 14:58:02 -0000 RE: Organizing Life for Devotion "....Also looking for any general attitudes and experiences around this topic of finding maximum time for God. Love to all and pranams....Steve" Dear Steve, In a way, I feel it's not my "place" to offer spiritual advice to others but to offer my own experience is another thing altogether. I began practicing in 1968...as "seriously" as I could (for the first 20 years or so, it was primarily Buddhist practice and then Hindu). When I look back on my path that, in some ways, is simply a circling back to what is already present, all the time, in every created being, what I see as one of the most persistant (and common) self- created obstacles was my attitude of separation....labeling some things as spiritual and other things as Maya. The more one concentrates on the apparent "differences" between say, puja, and taking care of daily tasks, the more difficult it becomes to grasp the truth: that it is ALL God, manifested as seeminly different things. One of the purposes of puja is to align oneself energetically with the Vibrations of Divine Consciousness. If this is what your longing is: and that seems to be the case, then holding this intention in your life, throughout the day, as best you can, is an ecstatic practice. You express a longing to do Guruseva...you have a child with a disability and you care for that child; staying up through the night, being sure he or she is safe. What more incredible service could one offer to God? God is manifesting AS that child; you are in DIRECT service to God. It all really depends on your INTENTION, in the moment. You seem to be filled with devotion, filled with longing, filled with purpose, filled with every quality a disciple could want. It really is possible to have one's entire life be "time for God", with or without the "time" to sit down and do a lengthy puja every day. GOD does not require our puja or even our prayers. God is, by definition, beyond all knowing. The Puja is for US, for OUR upliftment and to remind US to remember who we really are. Please understand, I, myself, do a great deal of puja, chanting of texts, study etc. simply because this is what I love to do more than anything in the world and I am at a stage in my life where I have the time to devote myself fully to these practices, so I am not saying, by any means, that puja isn't "important". What I'm saying is that if you are in the "householder" phase of life, then it's very helpful to find ways to make every moment of THAT life "time for god". Every single thing that you do, even taking out the garbage, can be an offering to God; it depends upon the intention behind your actions. The Hindu concept of the stages of life is a very valuable one to contemplate. My very best wishes to you. love, sadhvi / <?subject=Un> Terms of Service <> . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 sadhvi, you almost bring tears to my eyes. yes i see how this holds together, devotion and one's life tasks. i think, i will be a clever person, and not only do those tasks mindful of god, but also look at those slack moments, and utilize them with devotion and study, etc., even though they are not timed at a regular hour each day ... pranams, 1000x pranams, how will i ever return all the giving i receive here? steve c. , "nityashakti" <sadhvi@p...> wrote: > "....Also looking for any general attitudes and experiences around > this > topic of finding maximum time for God. > > Love to all and pranams....Steve" > > Dear Steve, > In a way, I feel it's not my "place" to offer spiritual advice to > others but to offer my own experience is another thing altogether. I > began practicing in 1968...as "seriously" as I could (for the first > 20 years or so, it was primarily Buddhist practice and then Hindu). > When I look back on my path that, in some ways, is simply a circling > back to what is already present, all the time, in every created > being, what I see as one of the most persistant (and common) self- > created obstacles was my attitude of separation....labeling some > things as spiritual and other things as Maya. The more one > concentrates on the apparent "differences" between say, puja, and > taking care of daily tasks, the more difficult it becomes to grasp > the truth: that it is ALL God, manifested as seeminly different > things. One of the purposes of puja is to align oneself > energetically with the Vibrations of Divine Consciousness. If this > is what your longing is: and that seems to be the case, then holding > this intention in your life, throughout the day, as best you can, is > an ecstatic practice. > You express a longing to do Guruseva...you have a child with a > disability and you care for that child; staying up through the > night, being sure he or she is safe. What more incredible service > could one offer to God? God is manifesting AS that child; you are in > DIRECT service to God. It all really depends on your INTENTION, in > the moment. You seem to be filled with devotion, filled with > longing, filled with purpose, filled with every quality a disciple > could want. It really is possible to have one's entire life be "time > for God", with or without the "time" to sit down and do a lengthy > puja every day. GOD does not require our puja or even our prayers. > God is, by definition, beyond all knowing. The Puja is for US, for > OUR upliftment and to remind US to remember who we really are. > Please understand, I, myself, do a great deal of puja, chanting > of texts, study etc. simply because this is what I love to do more > than anything in the world and I am at a stage in my life where I > have the time to devote myself fully to these practices, so I am not > saying, by any means, that puja isn't "important". What I'm saying > is that if you are in the "householder" phase of life, then it's > very helpful to find ways to make every moment of THAT life "time > for god". Every single thing that you do, even taking out the > garbage, can be an offering to God; it depends upon the intention > behind your actions. The Hindu concept of the stages of life is a > very valuable one to contemplate. > My very best wishes to you. > love, > sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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