Some thoughts for Bob

[Guest guest]

Great to hear from you, Linda! Keep talking with us.

nierika (AT) aol (DOT) com

Sun, 2 May 2004 18:56:34 EDT

Some thoughts for Bob

Sun., May 2, 2004

Linda Talbott (Nierika (AT) aol (DOT) com <="Nierika (AT) aol (DOT) com"> )

Some thoughts for Bob

 

First to all ~ I have been d to the group for some time, but

this is the first time I have had a chance (the energy, wherewithall,

etc.) to read the digests. I was very moved, Bob, by your questions as

well as by how different members of the group responded to you.

I am not so fortunate to live at the Devi Mandir, Shree Maa's Ashram,

as some of those is in this group. I hope they (you'll at the Mandir)

will think of us in their worship from time to time.

 

Since I left home, and through my early 20s', I had a hunger to find

Something that would explain some of my experiences and also that

would give me hope. I found that in the Hindu faith, though it was

many more years before I finally went to the first Guru. My sister

got on the bus a lot sooner than I, so she has always dragged me

around, at least when I was willing to be dragged  :  )   The first

one I saw was Amma, also known as Amritanandamayi; then I saw

Karunamayi. Then, again due to my sister I was very lucky to see

Shree Maa and Swami. These experiences have been so wonderful and

have given me the ability when it is hard, to keep going.

 

I think our Western programming gets a bit in the way (big guy, white

beard, hanging around in the sky; no goddesses for us, by golly.)

What touched me first, so deeply about these holy people from India

and from the books I read constantly about Hinduism, was that the

basic premise is that we are all good, Maybe we are confused, but we

are, at the core, good. For someone who grew up in an abusive home

where I learned I was BAD and then belonged to a faith that

reinforced this idea, the beliefs of Hinduism have been like a gentle

rain, washing over me, pulling me toward the river, toward the Ocean

.... and, of course, now and then my nose gets full of water, or I try

too hard to fast and get tumbled by a wave ... but I keep at it (I

like metaphors ... I am a songwriter ...). My first guru, though not

in person on this earth plane, was Paramahamsa Yogananda. I read his

"Autobiography of a Yogi" until the pages wore out. Another book that

I loved was "The Wisdom of China and India," which had excerpts from

many of the sacred texts of these countries.

 

When I saw Shee Maa and Swami, it was incredible. But I also have to

give some credit to the "Shree Maa Band" because their music was an

incredible inspiration to me also. For some reason the goddess, or

"being the goddess" never bothered me. I always understood that the

Divine existed everywhere and that in some ways Goddesses and Gods

present us with information, issues, and solutions that we might not

have access to in other ways. Sometimes when I pray or do Puja, I

pray to the "Divine Father and Divine Mother in all names and forms."

Then I feel I have covered the Absolute (the Formless) as well as all

my own beloved dieties. Sometimes I cry out to Shree Maa or to Swami

or to Durga or Ganesha. I don't know if I am getting across to you in

the best way my responses to what you have said in your posts, but

please know, that God(dess) has a heart without boundaries and loves

and accepts all of us, just as we are.

 

Of course, since the word guru means removing the darkness, the Guru,

if you have one, or God or the Goddess will throw you a circumstance

to challenge you, and that will be part of removing the darkness. I

do hope you will visit Shree Maa's site. Just going there makes me

feel very happy. Also there are books about Shree Maa's and Swami's

life that are wonderful to read. (their web address: www.shreemaa.org

<="http://www.shreemaa.org"> ). There is a beautiful picture of Maa on

their home page. The books are "Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint" and

"Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu." These are such wonderful books. Also

there is a book by Linda Johnson, "The Women Saints of India," that

goes into the lives and work of a number of these holy women of

India, including Shree Maa and Amma and others. It too is a wonderful

book.

 

Now, I think I am reaching the level of this being an epistle, or a

short story or something, so I will stop. Just one more thing. When I

need help to do something I am having difficulty with, I pray to

Ganesha, since one of His roles is as the Remover of Obstacles. The

mantra I use is Om, Shri Ganapatyai namaha. Basically this means I

bow to the Remover of Obstacles. It really helps me. Another very

good mantra is the Durga mantra. I say it almost every day, but I

will leave it to someone else in the group to translate it, and

please excuse my spelling: Om, hrim, shrim, dum Durgayai, namaha.

 

The Hindu dieties I feel a particular closeness to and to whom I pray

at times are: Shiva, Krishna, Ganesha (all male) and Durga,

Saraswati, Lakshmi (all female). I read the Chandi Path every day

(not all of it; I am not that far along), and I love this incredible

story of how Durga conquers the Army of Thoughts, led by Too Much and

Too Little (I have battled these particular "demons" most of my life.

And, of course, the Chandi Path is not just a story. It is in itself

a method of worship, of puja.

 

 I am glad you are part of the group. I'm glad I am part of the group,

though I have not previously participated through the Digest. It is a

form of satsangha (gathering of people with like minded beliefs for

the purpose of support and to worship), however, and, since I have

none where I live, this group is a blessing. Shanti ~ Linda 

Sponsor

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[Guest guest]

Wonderful post. Thank you very much for sharing this.

>From the back of the Beginner Durga Puga:

OM: The infinite beyond conception

Hrim: Maya, the Substance of Awareness

Srim: Increase of Respect

Dum: Durga, the Reliever of Difficulties

Durgayai: To Durga, the Remover of Confusion

Namah: I bow

And one other good thought pops to mind.

The way Durga eliminates obstacles is by destroying the part of our mind

that says, "That is an obstacle."

There are no obstacles unless we assign the label, "Obstacle"

to something and believe it.

Love,

Brian

At 03:56 PM 5/2/2004, you wrote:

Sun., May 2, 2004

Linda Talbott (Nierika (AT) aol (DOT) com)

Some thoughts for Bob

First to all ~ I have been d to the group for some time, but

this is the first time I have had a chance (the energy, wherewithall,

etc.) to read the digests. I was very moved, Bob, by your questions as

well as by how different members of the group responded to you.

I am not so fortunate to live at the Devi Mandir, Shree Maa's Ashram, as

some of those is in this group. I hope they (you'll at the Mandir) will

think of us in their worship from time to time.

Since I left home, and through my early 20s', I had a hunger to find

Something that would explain some of my experiences and also that would

give me hope. I found that in the Hindu faith, though it was many more

years before I finally went to the first Guru. My sister got on the bus a

lot sooner than I, so she has always dragged me around, at least when I

was willing to be dragged : ) The first one I saw

was Amma, also known as Amritanandamayi; then I saw Karunamayi. Then,

again due to my sister I was very lucky to see Shree Maa and Swami. These

experiences have been so wonderful and have given me the ability when it

is hard, to keep going.

I think our Western programming gets a bit in the way (big guy, white

beard, hanging around in the sky; no goddesses for us, by golly.) What

touched me first, so deeply about these holy people from India and from

the books I read constantly about Hinduism, was that the basic premise is

that we are all good, Maybe we are confused, but we are, at the core,

good. For someone who grew up in an abusive home where I learned I was

BAD and then belonged to a faith that reinforced this idea, the beliefs

of Hinduism have been like a gentle rain, washing over me, pulling me

toward the river, toward the Ocean ... and, of course, now and then my

nose gets full of water, or I try too hard to fast and get tumbled by a

wave ... but I keep at it (I like metaphors ... I am a songwriter ...).

My first guru, though not in person on this earth plane, was Paramahamsa

Yogananda. I read his "Autobiography of a Yogi" until the pages

wore out. Another book that I loved was "The Wisdom of China and

India," which had excerpts from many of the sacred texts of these

countries.

When I saw Shee Maa and Swami, it was incredible. But I also have to give

some credit to the "Shree Maa Band" because their music was an

incredible inspiration to me also. For some reason the goddess, or

"being the goddess" never bothered me. I always understood that

the Divine existed everywhere and that in some ways Goddesses and Gods

present us with information, issues, and solutions that we might not have

access to in other ways. Sometimes when I pray or do Puja, I pray to the

"Divine Father and Divine Mother in all names and forms." Then

I feel I have covered the Absolute (the Formless) as well as all my own

beloved dieties. Sometimes I cry out to Shree Maa or to Swami or to Durga

or Ganesha. I don't know if I am getting across to you in the best way my

responses to what you have said in your posts, but please know, that

God(dess) has a heart without boundaries and loves and accepts all of us,

just as we are.

Of course, since the word guru means removing the darkness, the Guru, if

you have one, or God or the Goddess will throw you a circumstance to

challenge you, and that will be part of removing the darkness. I do hope

you will visit Shree Maa's site. Just going there makes me feel very

happy. Also there are books about Shree Maa's and Swami's life that are

wonderful to read. (their web address:

www.shreemaa.org). There is a beautiful picture of

Maa on their home page. The books are "Shree Maa: The Life of a

Saint" and "Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu." These are such

wonderful books. Also there is a book by Linda Johnson, "The Women

Saints of India," that goes into the lives and work of a number of

these holy women of India, including Shree Maa and Amma and others. It

too is a wonderful book.

Now, I think I am reaching the level of this being an epistle, or a short

story or something, so I will stop. Just one more thing. When I need help

to do something I am having difficulty with, I pray to Ganesha, since one

of His roles is as the Remover of Obstacles. The mantra I use is Om, Shri

Ganapatyai namaha. Basically this means I bow to the Remover of

Obstacles. It really helps me. Another very good mantra is the Durga

mantra. I say it almost every day, but I will leave it to someone else in

the group to translate it, and please excuse my spelling: Om, hrim,

shrim, dum Durgayai, namaha.

The Hindu dieties I feel a particular closeness to and to whom I pray at

times are: Shiva, Krishna, Ganesha (all male) and Durga, Saraswati,

Lakshmi (all female). I read the Chandi Path every day (not all of it; I

am not that far along), and I love this incredible story of how Durga

conquers the Army of Thoughts, led by Too Much and Too Little (I have

battled these particular "demons" most of my life. And, of

course, the Chandi Path is not just a story. It is in itself a method of

worship, of puja.

I am glad you are part of the group. I'm glad I am part of the

group, though I have not previously participated through the Digest. It

is a form of satsangha (gathering of people with like minded beliefs for

the purpose of support and to worship), however, and, since I have none

where I live, this group is a blessing. Shanti ~ Linda

Sponsor

 

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