Don't close your heart; open it.

November 15, 2004

Thank you Parvati for reminding us what Maa said yesterday "singing

is a great sadhana because it opens the heart."

I read an article by Swami Krishnananda of the Divine Life Society

that emphasized the importance of disciples opening their hearts to

the Guru. For me it tied together Maa's statement and also our

recent discussions in the group on the Guru Gita.

Below is an excerpt

===========================

The Guru seeks the disciple, and sometimes he works wonders for our

good, if only we are honest, though we are ignorant and not endowed

with much of knowledge. And in the Bhakti Yoga Sastras it is also

said that if honestly and sincerely a Sadhaka takes one step towards

God, God comes running towards him taking a hundred steps. The Lord

thinks, "Oh, he is coming to Me. I shall go and save him." Such is

the compassion of God. As rivers rush into the ocean, these aspiring

centres called the Sadhakas try to rush into the ocean of God, and

the Guru is something like a delta at which they merge and get

expanded, as it were, just before entering the ocean. This is the

principle of Guru, the Guru Tattva. It is the Eternal Being, the

Sanatana Tattva, that is before us as the Guru and therefore when we

actually crave to have guidance from above, it shall come to us.

Moses got inspiration in the bush, and light came before him. Christ

got inspiration. Buddha received inspiration. All the Acharyas had

inspiration in this manner, because they were open to the influx of

that oceanic flood of the knowledge of God. There is only one duty

on the part of the disciple, and that is to open himself fully. That

is all. Don't close your heart; open it.

The full article may be read at

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_53.html

Jai Maa !

November 16, 2004

Latha,

Thanks for including the link for the full essay. It was really good.

Even after having just finished it, I know I did not fully understand

and appreciate it. The faithfulness and compassion of God as the

principle of guru, always at work for our benefit, always helping us

toward ultimate union, is heartwarming.

Chris

, "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote:

>

> Thank you Parvati for reminding us what Maa said yesterday "singing

> is a great sadhana because it opens the heart."

>

> I read an article by Swami Krishnananda of the Divine Life Society

> that emphasized the importance of disciples opening their hearts to

> the Guru. For me it tied together Maa's statement and also our

> recent discussions in the group on the Guru Gita.

>

> Below is an excerpt

>

> ===========================

>

> The Guru seeks the disciple, and sometimes he works wonders for our

> good, if only we are honest, though we are ignorant and not endowed

> with much of knowledge. And in the Bhakti Yoga Sastras it is also

> said that if honestly and sincerely a Sadhaka takes one step towards

> God, God comes running towards him taking a hundred steps. The Lord

> thinks, "Oh, he is coming to Me. I shall go and save him." Such is

> the compassion of God. As rivers rush into the ocean, these aspiring

> centres called the Sadhakas try to rush into the ocean of God, and

> the Guru is something like a delta at which they merge and get

> expanded, as it were, just before entering the ocean. This is the

> principle of Guru, the Guru Tattva. It is the Eternal Being, the

> Sanatana Tattva, that is before us as the Guru and therefore when we

> actually crave to have guidance from above, it shall come to us.

> Moses got inspiration in the bush, and light came before him. Christ

> got inspiration. Buddha received inspiration. All the Acharyas had

> inspiration in this manner, because they were open to the influx of

> that oceanic flood of the knowledge of God. There is only one duty

> on the part of the disciple, and that is to open himself fully. That

> is all. Don't close your heart; open it.

>

> The full article may be read at

>

> http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_53.html

>

> Jai Maa !

November 16, 2004

In a message dated 11/16/04 8:52:32 A.M. Mountain Standard Time, chriskirner1956 writes:

Thanks for including the link for the full essay. It was really

good.Even after having just finished it, I know I did not fully

understandand appreciate it. The faithfulness and compassion of God

as theprinciple of guru, always at work for our benefit, always

helping ustoward ultimate union, is heartwarming.

Namaste,

It is heartwarming and a wonder for me. A story that I would like to

tell. I met Gurudeva over 30 years ago and it seems like yesterday.

It was announced that after His talk we could meet Him in an adjacent

hall. Being a shy person, friends of mine had to suggest that we go

meet Him. When we stepped into the room and after a few minutes one

of my friends introduced me to the Guru and in my awkwardness I asked

for His address and if He wrote any books that I could get. He said

"I want your address." Then in a small notebook wrote down my name

and address, pulled the page from the notebook and handed it to the

Swami standing next to Him.

A week or so later, 3 books arrived signed to me, Love with Blessings,

from Gurudeva, August 29, 1970. ( Tears fell today writing this and

are a part of my feelings, thoughts and devotion directed toward the

feet of my Guru.)

Om Namah Sivaya

Kanda

November 16, 2004

, "Latha Nanda" <lathananda>

wrote:

>

> read an article by Swami Krishnananda of the Divine Life Society

> that emphasized the importance of disciples opening their hearts to

> the Guru. For me it tied together Maa's statement and also our

> recent discussions in the group on the Guru Gita.

>

> Below is an excerpt

>

> ===========================

>

> [....] it is also

> said that if honestly and sincerely a Sadhaka takes one step

towards

> God, God comes running towards him taking a hundred steps.

> [....] therefore when we

> actually crave to have guidance from above, it shall come to us.

> [...] There is only one duty

> on the part of the disciple,

> and that is to open himself fully. That

> is all. Don't close your heart; open it.

> The full article may be read at

>

> http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_53.html

Beautiful, Latha; thank you.

In a similar vein, here are excerpts from a (rather long) article by

Swami Chidananda:

Full article:

http://www.divyajivan.org/articles/chida/guru_kripa.htm

Guru Kripa

Swami Chidananda

[….] Guru kripa is undeniably a divine force that can turn even a

stone into the infinite satchidananda, let alone a conscious being.

There is absolutely not the least bit of exaggeration in the

statement and the fact that the Guru is always gracious. But then,

guru kripa has not only to be bestowed, not only to be given, but it

has also to be received. In receiving it, we immortalise ourselves,

divinise ourselves. [….]

Light is not lacking, but then there is a Law that we have to ask, we

have to seek and we have to knock, and having done it we must be

ready to receive. If this is present, then guru kripa works all

wonders; it will flow into us and raise us to the highest realm of

immortality, eternal light and infinite bliss. [….]

How should we conduct ourselves if we are to be ready to receive this

grace? By discipleship. [….] A devotee may get the blessings of a

saint, the grace of a saint. [….] [but] [f]or the attainment of the

gift of guru kripa, we have first to be disciples.

[….] It is not the Guru that accepts the disciple, but the disciple

has to first accept the Guru. The disciple first of all has to render

himself a sishya. Then he becomes deserving of and a rightful

claimant to guru kripa. [….]

[….] [W]e have to serve the Guru. Service is that mysterious

something which pulls down the barrier that stands between us and the

influence of guru kripa. [….]

Service of the Guru is to try our level best to carry out his

upadesh, carry out the teachings of the Guru. [….] We should also try

to mould ourselves into that pattern of which he himself is a visible

ideal.[….]

We have to make the start. [….] Until we make ourselves fit […] we

will not be able to fully make use of the Guru as the divine being.

[….]

November 16, 2004

Dear Kanda,

That is such a sweet story. We often think that the holy ones are

unapproachable. Then we hear a story in which the Guru reaches out to

the shishya. I have a book full of stories of the generosity and love

of the Gurus at the Devi Mandir. Their love never ends and is

available to all who come.

May I ask the name of your Gurudev and where you met Him?

Om Namah Shivaya

Ardis