Guest guest Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 This is an e-mail I wrote to my friend Latha, maybe there are some points or questions here someone else can relate to. LOVE TO ALL. steve ===== Yes, some questions are coming up, thanks for asking! What I am doing right now is, instead of Shiva Puja 1 hour each day, I am giving the Chandi Path one hour. So, I am inching along. Plus I meditate, being much more strict with the asana, after talking to Jeff Evans. What are the curses of Brahman, Vasistha, and Visvamitra ... I intuitively assume they have to do with our conditioned states as human beings? A practical question: does Maa read Sanskrit or only Bengali script? I have a wish to send her a note of gratitude in her own language someday -- if I can master enough words. On page 85 -- initiation in the Utkîlana and Sâpoddhâra mantras ... is this initiation something one can ask for? Or is this a completely inappropriate question for me to ask? Siddhananda says I am putting the cart before the horse on the topic of initiation in general; but, I must ask. Initiations or meeting with no other guru is of any interest to me, including any of those either famous or unknown. I think of Shree Maa and the Divine Mother constantly, positively, whenever I am not occupied with dharmic responsibilities ... and am most happy when both are threaded together. In fact, in a few brief words, she has helped me knit together my daily and spiritual lives ... for this, I will be always grateful. I have a certain sense of urgency, due to spiritual work that is not complete, and time wasted on my part. Authentic spiritual transmission here in the West has been biased and partial, so developing as a devotee over the last 30 years has been a struggle. Advaita has indeed been a significant part of the confusion, not only for myself, but in my observation, many others. It has been difficult to clarify the spiritual objective; it wasn't until a couple of years before hearing of Shree Maa I was able to do so with more clarity and consistency. One of my very few remaining desires is, more personal communication with Shree Maa, whom I consider an authentic Guru. Until I heard of Shree Maa, I had rejected all living gurus, not being willing to lower my standards to suit their capacities. Now I am glad I did so. I need to know, if that desire (to meet with Shree Maa, or hear from her) should remain, or I should attempt to resolve this in meditation, until the desire is no more. This is all going to a place where probably only God or Shree Maa can answer for me. Perhaps the answer is, connect with her in meditation, and give up the hope to meet her. Not to give up the desire, but to fulfill it at a higher level. Over the course of time and sadhana, I had run out of desires, so to speak. Now the desire I have, is completely spiritual, but it is associated with this person, Shree Maa. All she did was respond to a couple of e-mails and send me a can of chocolates. But her few words were to the heart, and not the mind, and so were very directly felt. So strange ... there is at times this longing to be able to speak with her, or receive another e-mail. I wonder, is this an emotional aspect of true bhakti, or, something to transcend? It is a kind of suffering ... and yet, this is perhaps what I appreciate most about Shree Maa and the Divine Mother ... suffering is not pushed away, it is consciously absorbed via this maternal, very aware, acceptance. My intuition is, this is part of bhakti? It is at least parallel with the desire to see God. Maybe it is a manifestation of the same spiritual longing. I really do not know for sure. If there is a shortcoming to it, it is, ultimately we all must stand alone in God. It's a little like Swamiji. There he was meditating and doing fine ... and then he met Shree Maa. It is just more goodness, more Goddess, that is ultimately how I see it. But I wanted to share this with you. I hope this is not too much! If it is, I understand ... I already learned so much from you! Apologies for going on so ... I should take a vow of silence! Santih, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 Steve, Sri Ramakrishna had such anguished longing for Kali's darshan that he reached for her sword to end his life. It was then that She manifested to him. Desire is a small word for that divine fire in your heart. It is a divine homesickness....the longing for the Beloved. When it gets unbearable, singing bhajans to the Beloved helps express that longing. And expressing it in an email is also an act of devotion. Maureen This is an e-mail I wrote to my friend Latha, maybe there are some points or questions here someone else can relate to. LOVE TO ALL. steve ===== Yes, some questions are coming up, thanks for asking! What I am doing right now is, instead of Shiva Puja 1 hour each day, I am giving the Chandi Path one hour. So, I am inching along. Plus I meditate, being much more strict with the asana, after talking to Jeff Evans. What are the curses of Brahman, Vasistha, and Visvamitra ... I intuitively assume they have to do with our conditioned states as human beings? A practical question: does Maa read Sanskrit or only Bengali script? I have a wish to send her a note of gratitude in her own language someday -- if I can master enough words. On page 85 -- initiation in the Utkîlana and Sâpoddhâra mantras ... is this initiation something one can ask for? Or is this a completely inappropriate question for me to ask? Siddhananda says I am putting the cart before the horse on the topic of initiation in general; but, I must ask. Initiations or meeting with no other guru is of any interest to me, including any of those either famous or unknown. I think of Shree Maa and the Divine Mother constantly, positively, whenever I am not occupied with dharmic responsibilities ... and am most happy when both are threaded together. In fact, in a few brief words, she has helped me knit together my daily and spiritual lives ... for this, I will be always grateful. I have a certain sense of urgency, due to spiritual work that is not complete, and time wasted on my part. Authentic spiritual transmission here in the West has been biased and partial, so developing as a devotee over the last 30 years has been a struggle. Advaita has indeed been a significant part of the confusion, not only for myself, but in my observation, many others. It has been difficult to clarify the spiritual objective; it wasn't until a couple of years before hearing of Shree Maa I was able to do so with more clarity and consistency. One of my very few remaining desires is, more personal communication with Shree Maa, whom I consider an authentic Guru. Until I heard of Shree Maa, I had rejected all living gurus, not being willing to lower my standards to suit their capacities. Now I am glad I did so. I need to know, if that desire (to meet with Shree Maa, or hear from her) should remain, or I should attempt to resolve this in meditation, until the desire is no more. This is all going to a place where probably only God or Shree Maa can answer for me. Perhaps the answer is, connect with her in meditation, and give up the hope to meet her. Not to give up the desire, but to fulfill it at a higher level. Over the course of time and sadhana, I had run out of desires, so to speak. Now the desire I have, is completely spiritual, but it is associated with this person, Shree Maa. All she did was respond to a couple of e-mails and send me a can of chocolates. But her few words were to the heart, and not the mind, and so were very directly felt. So strange ... there is at times this longing to be able to speak with her, or receive another e-mail. I wonder, is this an emotional aspect of true bhakti, or, something to transcend? It is a kind of suffering ... and yet, this is perhaps what I appreciate most about Shree Maa and the Divine Mother ... suffering is not pushed away, it is consciously absorbed via this maternal, very aware, acceptance. My intuition is, this is part of bhakti? It is at least parallel with the desire to see God. Maybe it is a manifestation of the same spiritual longing. I really do not know for sure. If there is a shortcoming to it, it is, ultimately we all must stand alone in God. It's a little like Swamiji. There he was meditating and doing fine ... and then he met Shree Maa. It is just more goodness, more Goddess, that is ultimately how I see it. But I wanted to share this with you. I hope this is not too much! If it is, I understand ... I already learned so much from you! Apologies for going on so ... I should take a vow of silence! Santih, Steve Groups Sponsor / Terms of Service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 maureen, this is very centering, to hear this. it made me sigh. i am getting so much here, i can hardly believe it. steve , Maureen <mnielson@n...> wrote: > Steve, > Sri Ramakrishna had such anguished longing for Kali's darshan that he > reached for her sword to end his life. It was then that She > manifested to him. Desire is a small word for that divine fire in > your heart. It is a divine homesickness....the longing for the > Beloved. > When it gets unbearable, singing bhajans to the Beloved helps express > that longing. And expressing it in an email is also an act of > devotion. > > Maureen > > >This is an e-mail I wrote to my friend Latha, maybe there are some > >points or questions here someone else can relate to. > > > >LOVE TO ALL. > > > >steve > > > >===== > > > >Yes, some questions are coming up, thanks for asking! > > > >What I am doing right now is, instead of Shiva Puja 1 hour each day, > >I am giving the Chandi Path one hour. So, I am inching along. Plus I > >meditate, being much more strict with the asana, after talking to > >Jeff Evans. > > > >What are the curses of Brahman, Vasistha, and Visvamitra ... I > >intuitively assume they have to do with our conditioned states as > >human beings? > > > >A practical question: does Maa read Sanskrit or only Bengali script? > >I have a wish to send her a note of gratitude in her own language > >someday -- if I can master enough words. > > > >On page 85 -- initiation in the Utkîlana and Sâpoddhâra > >mantras ... > >is this initiation something one can ask for? Or is this a > >completely inappropriate question for me to ask? Siddhananda says I > >am putting the cart before the horse on the topic of initiation in > >general; but, I must ask. > > > >Initiations or meeting with no other guru is of any interest to me, > >including any of those either famous or unknown. I think of Shree > >Maa and the Divine Mother constantly, positively, whenever I am not > >occupied with dharmic responsibilities ... and am most happy when > >both are threaded together. In fact, in a few brief words, she has > >helped me knit together my daily and spiritual lives ... for this, I > >will be always grateful. > > > >I have a certain sense of urgency, due to spiritual work that is not > >complete, and time wasted on my part. Authentic spiritual > >transmission here in the West has been biased and partial, so > >developing as a devotee over the last 30 years has been a struggle. > >Advaita has indeed been a significant part of the confusion, not > >only for myself, but in my observation, many others. It has been > >difficult to clarify the spiritual objective; it wasn't until a > >couple of years before hearing of Shree Maa I was able to do so with > >more clarity and consistency. > > > >One of my very few remaining desires is, more personal communication > >with Shree Maa, whom I consider an authentic Guru. Until I heard of > >Shree Maa, I had rejected all living gurus, not being willing to > >lower my standards to suit their capacities. Now I am glad I did so. > > > >I need to know, if that desire (to meet with Shree Maa, or hear from > >her) should remain, or I should attempt to resolve this in > >meditation, until the desire is no more. This is all going to a > >place where probably only God or Shree Maa can answer for me. > >Perhaps the answer is, connect with her in meditation, and give up > >the hope to meet her. Not to give up the desire, but to fulfill it > >at a higher level. > > > >Over the course of time and sadhana, I had run out of desires, so to > >speak. Now the desire I have, is completely spiritual, but it is > >associated with this person, Shree Maa. All she did was respond to a > >couple of e-mails and send me a can of chocolates. But her few words > >were to the heart, and not the mind, and so were very directly felt. > >So strange ... there is at times this longing to be able to speak > >with her, or receive another e-mail. > > > >I wonder, is this an emotional aspect of true bhakti, or, something > >to transcend? It is a kind of suffering ... and yet, this is perhaps > >what I appreciate most about Shree Maa and the Divine Mother ... > >suffering is not pushed away, it is consciously absorbed via this > >maternal, very aware, acceptance. > > > >My intuition is, this is part of bhakti? It is at least parallel > >with the desire to see God. Maybe it is a manifestation of the same > >spiritual longing. I really do not know for sure. If there is a > >shortcoming to it, it is, ultimately we all must stand alone in God. > > > >It's a little like Swamiji. There he was meditating and doing > >fine ... and then he met Shree Maa. It is just more goodness, more > >Goddess, that is ultimately how I see it. But I wanted to share this > >with you. > > > >I hope this is not too much! If it is, I understand ... I already > >learned so much from you! Apologies for going on so ... I should > >take a vow of silence! > > > >Santih, > > > >Steve > > > > > > > > Sponsor > > > ><http://rd./SIG=12c3hnm6n/M=276465.4309739.5546025.1261774/D =egroupweb/S=1705075991:HM/EXP=1079553690/A=1854143/R=2/id=noscript/SI G=122s3j2fp/*http://autos.? refsrc=onnetwork/ads/Q4/lrec/secondglance> > > > > > > > > > > Links > > > > > ></>/g roup// > > > > > ><? subject=Un> > > > >Your use of is subject to the > ><> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 > > What are the curses of Brahman, Vasistha, and Visvamitra ... I > intuitively assume they have to do with our conditioned states as > human beings? > The Chandi is a tool for personal transformation. If anyone uses it for selfish rewards, then they won't have a tool for personal transformation. > A practical question: does Maa read Sanskrit or only Bengali script? > I have a wish to send her a note of gratitude in her own language > someday -- if I can master enough words. > Both. And English too. > On page 85 -- initiation in the Utkîlana and Sâpoddhâra > mantras ... > is this initiation something one can ask for? Or is this a > completely inappropriate question for me to ask? Siddhananda says > I am putting the cart before the horse on the topic of initiation > in general; but, I must ask. Siddhananda is right. Initiation comes from the Guru. We do the sadhana and the Guru decides what we need and when. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 Swamiji, Thank you for taking care of these questions, especially the one on initiation ... I anticipate, this desire I can now release. Steve C. , "swami_satyanandasaraswati" <swami_satyanandasaraswati> wrote: > > > > What are the curses of Brahman, Vasistha, and Visvamitra ... I > > intuitively assume they have to do with our conditioned states as > > human beings? > > > > The Chandi is a tool for personal transformation. If anyone uses it > for selfish rewards, then they won't have a tool for personal > transformation. > > > A practical question: does Maa read Sanskrit or only Bengali > script? > > I have a wish to send her a note of gratitude in her own language > > someday -- if I can master enough words. > > > > Both. And English too. > > > > > On page 85 -- initiation in the Utkîlana and Sâpoddhâra > > mantras ... > > is this initiation something one can ask for? Or is this a > > completely inappropriate question for me to ask? Siddhananda says > > I am putting the cart before the horse on the topic of initiation > > in general; but, I must ask. > > Siddhananda is right. Initiation comes from the Guru. We do the > sadhana and the Guru decides what we need and when. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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