Omnipresence

[Guest guest]

Omnipresence

 

When I was first going up to the Devi Mandir, I was still a meat-eater.

There was a notice on the bulletin board in the back of the temple

that said something to the effect that “one should not dare to enter

the temple if one was not a pure vegetarian.” It was a quote from

Ramakrishna and it was signed by Shree Maa. I read it every weekend.

I felt some guilt, but I was not able to change my dietary habits.

 

In fact, after a weekend at the temple, I used to race down the road to

the first restaurant that I came to that served regular American food.

I particularly liked their New York steaks and baked potatoes.

 

One weekend I arrived at the Mandir and Swamiji and some of the

devotees were sitting outside. It was a beautiful summer day.

Suddenly Swamiji called out “Hey Durga, Ardis is here, get out the

steaks.” I was mortified. I wished that the earth would just open up

and swallow me whole. At the same time, I was wondering “how does he

know? Do they have spies who follow me home?”

 

When Swamiji saw how devastated I looked, he said “what comes out of

your mouth is more important than what goes into it.”

 

On another occasion, I told Shree Maa that I was trying to be a

complete vegetarian. She said “I know, I know.”

 

Eventually I understood that there was no way to hide from the Guru.

Once you have become their child, they are watching over you.

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[Guest guest]

After a while, a few things happened that made me realize, it was as

if Maa could hear what was going on inside my head! This realization

gave me a real shock, because I saw that there is nowhere to hide

from the Guru. Not even inside one's own head. It was a bigger shock

when I started to evaluate what my inner mind was like, compared to

the outer image being projected. We all give a different impression

to the outside world, than what's going on inside. After that, I

would catch myself whenever inappropriate thoughts would be whirling

around inside, like anger or judgmental thinking, etc. Realizing it

was all transparent to Mother and Swami Ji, I felt mortified!!! Now

I look back and laugh! It's hilarious, isn't' it?

 

I developed a name for the wrong thinking, knowing Maa would be aware

of it; "mental smog". I would catch myself and say "ah, there it is

again, mental smog". I spent lots of time trying to clear away the

smog! (I'm still trying to clear away the smog)

 

Here's the interesting thing. Now that I live about 3000 miles away

from Maa, little things are always happening to let me know the

distance doesn't matter very much. I'm still in the same predicament,

I guess. For example, the other day, after we had eaten dinner, I

walked by the stove and saw some food left in the skillet. With the

fork from my plate I reached for the skillet to get a bite. This type

of behavior is NOT favorable at Devi Mandir! (nor does my wife

appreciate it). I stopped short. "Maa would not like this" I thought.

Then, I went for it anyway. (bad boy). In the process, I knocked over

a bottle of vinegar and it went all over the place. I was mad and

blurted out some exclamation, and then it hit me; Maa is always

watching you!

 

Shree Maa is the kind of Mother that will hold me down, and pour the

medicine down my throat, if that's what it takes! Jai Maa! She will

definitely make us all pure, we only have to keep loving Her.

 

Dear Divine Mother, please clear away the smog, and bring us into a

pure blue sky!!!Ardis Jackson <ardis1 (AT) verizon (DOT) net> wrote:

OmnipresenceWhen I was first going up to the Devi Mandir, I was still

a meat-eater. There was a notice on the bulletin board in the back of

the temple that said something to the effect that “one should not dare

to enter the temple if one was not a pure vegetarian.” It was a quote

from Ramakrishna and it was signed by Shree Maa. I read it every

weekend. I felt some guilt, but I was not able to change my dietary

habits.In fact, after a weekend at the temple, I used to race down

the road to the first restaurant that I came to that served regular

American food. I particularly liked their New York steaks and baked

potatoes.One weekend I arrived at the Mandir and Swamiji and some of

the devotees were sitting outside. It was a beautiful summer day.

Suddenly Swamiji called out “Hey Durga, Ardis is here, get out the

steaks.” I was

mortified. I wished that the earth would just open up and swallow me

whole. At the same time, I was wondering “how does he know? Do they

have spies who follow me home?”When Swamiji saw how devastated I

looked, he said “what comes out of your mouth is more important than

what goes into it.”On another occasion, I told Shree Maa that I was

trying to be a complete vegetarian. She said “I know, I

know.”Eventually I understood that there was no way to hide from the

Guru. Once you have become their child, they are watching over

you.Do You

?

 

[Guest guest]

I love what you have shared. Especially that it does not matter that

you are 3,000 miles away. They can see us and hear us and know us

better than we know ourselves. And they keep on loving us no matter

what.

 

Pahari Maa

 

 

On Apr 25, 2005, at 6:39 AM, Nirmalananda Saraswati wrote:

> This is such a great story. It reminds me of being at the Mandir,

> also. I lived with Maa and Swami for about 6 months, and within the

> first few weeks, I was noticing Maa and Swami could know things about

> me that they would have no way to know.

>  

> After a while, a few things happened that made me realize, it was as

> if Maa could hear what was going on inside my head! This realization

> gave me a real shock, because I saw that there is nowhere to hide from

> the Guru. Not even inside one's own head. It was a bigger shock when I

> started to evaluate what my inner mind was like,  compared to the

> outer image being projected. We all give a different impression to the

> outside world, than what's going on inside. After that, I would catch

> myself whenever inappropriate thoughts would be whirling around

> inside, like anger or judgmental thinking, etc. Realizing it was all

> transparent to Mother and Swami Ji, I felt mortified!!!  Now I look

> back and laugh! It's hilarious, isn't' it?

>  

> I developed a name for the wrong thinking, knowing Maa would be aware

> of it; "mental smog". I would catch myself and say "ah, there it is

> again, mental smog". I spent lots of time trying to clear away the

> smog! (I'm still trying to clear away the smog)

>  

> Here's the interesting thing. Now that I live about 3000 miles away

> from Maa, little things are always happening to let me know the

> distance doesn't matter very much. I'm still in the same predicament,

> I guess. For example, the other day, after we had eaten dinner, I

> walked by the stove and saw some food left in the skillet. With the

> fork from my plate I reached for the skillet to get a bite. This type

> of behavior is NOT favorable at Devi Mandir! (nor does my wife

> appreciate it). I stopped short. "Maa would not like this" I thought.

> Then, I went for it anyway. (bad boy). In the process, I knocked over

> a bottle of vinegar and it went all over the place. I was mad and

> blurted out some exclamation, and then it hit me; Maa is always

> watching you!

>  

> Shree Maa is the kind of Mother that will hold me down, and pour the

> medicine down my throat, if that's what it takes! Jai Maa! She will

> definitely make us all pure, we only have to keep loving Her.

>  

> Dear Divine Mother, please clear away the smog, and bring us into a

> pure blue sky!!!

>

> Ardis Jackson <ardis1 wrote:

> Omnipresence

>

> When I was first going up to the Devi Mandir, I was still a meat-eater.

> There was a notice on the bulletin board in the back of the temple

> that said something to the effect that “one should not dare to enter

> the temple if one was not a pure vegetarian.” It was a quote from

> Ramakrishna and it was signed by Shree Maa. I read it every weekend.

> I felt some guilt, but I was not able to change my dietary habits.

>

> In fact, after a weekend at the temple, I used to race down the road to

> the first restaurant that I came to that served regular American food.

> I particularly liked their New York steaks and baked potatoes.

>

> One weekend I arrived at the Mandir and Swamiji and some of the

> devotees were sitting outside. It was a beautiful summer day.

> Suddenly Swamiji called out “Hey Durga, Ardis is here, get out the

> steaks.” I was mortified. I wished that the earth would just open up

> and swallow me whole. At the same time, I was wondering “how does he

> know? Do they have spies who follow me home?”

>

> When Swamiji saw how devastated I looked, he said “what comes out of

> your mouth is more important than what goes into it.”

>

> On another occasion, I told Shree Maa that I was trying to be a

> complete vegetarian. She said “I know, I know.”

>

> Eventually I understood that there was no way to hide from the Guru.

> Once you have become their child, they are watching over you.

>

>

>

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