to Brianji: Chocolate and Maa

[Guest guest]

Namaste, Brianji!

i am completely stunned by the Wisdom in this message! i am dancing

in Bliss! Whew! This just became one of my all time favorite teaching

stories!!!! :<)

Jai Maa! Jai Swamiji! Jai Ramakrishna Deva!

muktimaa

 

 

 

 

 

 

, brian@s... wrote:

>

> Chocolate is yummy, right?

>

> Well if you plucked it off a cocoa tree and ate it, you'd probably

think,

> "God this is just aweful!"

>

> Chocolate has to be processed, treated with alkalai, pulverized and

mixed

> with sugar, water and milk to taste good.

>

> I often wonder who figured that out. I mean they took something

aweful and

> made it one of the most addictive and tasty snacks on the planet.

>

> At any rate, one can see that chocolate in its raw form isn't yummy

until

> the workmanship and creativity of man make it that way.

>

> Likewise, we are raw chocolate hanging from mother's limbs and she

plucks

> us, breathing existance into our minds and then via the machinery of

> reality she molds us, purifies us, and distills our essence into a

> wonderful yummy treat for her.

>

> And if you don't think she's going to swallow us up, you should

talk to

> Swamiji about Samadhi, he he.

>

> All the happenings in life are meant to teach us about ourselves.

> Everything that happens around us is a pure reflection of what's

going on

> within us. Symbolism works because symbolism isn't just a concept,

its how

> the universe works.

>

> Sadhana's goals, in my opinion, are to make us receptive to the

truth, to

> open our minds to the point where we allow the entire universe to

enter

> us. To see it from Maa's perspective to prepare us to be swallowed

by Her.

> She wants us to be not only ready and willing, but She wants us to

be able

> to accept Her. Its a game to Her, She knows we are Her, She knows

we have

> just allowed ourselves to forget Her, but since we have done it,

since we

> have been born, she wants to make sure we really want Her, really

are as

> tasty as we can be before She breaks down the barriers we created

and

> allows us to merge into Her.

>

> Life's goals are exactly the same as sadhana's. The only difference

> between sadhana and life is that in sadhana we choose to desire to

be

> open. In life, we rarely feel we are ready for what is happening to

us, we

> rarely feel we have chosen the experiences and rarely desire to

accept

> what is happening.

>

> The dynamic of life, the lack of peace within life is caused by our

mind's

> refusal to accept her working of us. When we rebel against reality

and

> decide that we know what's right, that we should not be treated in

this

> way, then we react to life's circumstances with mental, emotional

and

> sometimes physical violence. These reactions are the opposite of

sadhana.

>

> The reason I post on this subject today is three fold:

>

> 1. Pujas, meditation, chanting, singing, and devotion to goddess

are not

> the only ways to get her attention.

> 2. Spritual practice performed in the world is much more beneficial

to the

> participant than spiritual practice performed in the cave of the

heart.

> Although both practices are exactly the same, external non-

reactionary

> devotion to peace is profoundly more transforming than any single

mantra

> said within the heart. But ironically it can be the mantra itself

which

> enables the non-reaction in the world.

> 3. Each type of spritual practice enforces the other type. That

means if

> you have a period of intense inner devotion, your outter attitude

will be

> affected and peace will shine through you. Likewise if you find

yourself

> in a drama, you close your eyes and stop yourself from reacting,

repeat a

> prayer to mother asking for awareness to strip you of your fears and

> angers, then your ability to meditate and inner devotion will

strengthen.

>

> Many people see the path of spirituality as separate from their

worldly

> duties. Most modern religions are based on that fact. Christianity

has

> people go to worship at a church on Sunday. Even Hinduism has

people go to

> a temple to worship Maa or Shiva. The simple fact is, there is no

> difference. And the best we can do to integrate with Her is to

recognize

> Her not only in the form of the Gods and Goddesses in the temple,

not just

> within the temple bodies of Shree Maa and Swamiji, but also within

the

> temple bodies of all those around us, in the animals and trees, the

blades

> of grass and even in the pavement, the car tires, and yes even in

the

> people who perform so many misdeeds, leading mankind seemingly away

from

> peace.

>

> The true strength of a devotee lies in the recognition of Her in

everything.