Some thoughts for Bob

[Guest guest]

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