Guest guest Posted July 24, 2005 Report Share Posted July 24, 2005 Thank you very much to all who responded to my question. I will try to read and learn as much as can here, before speaking/writing as i such a new student. Conceptually and philosophically relate totally, but just do not know nor understand much of the "lingo" nor many of the rituals. I meditate many times a day, and in-process of yoga learning , am very physically fit, and work on service to my fellows every single day of ,my life. Through my prayer, meditation, service to my children and honouring my parents, friends and community. My daily waking thought and prayer is to do for others and pray that God's Will be done not mine every day, and the courage to follow through. I struggle with my humanness and taking my will back, for i am imperfect and selfish. My journey is one of self sacrifice and taking up the causes of the vulnerable and those without a voice in my community, specifically children and persons with disabilities, the elderly, infirm, and those who have suffered abuse particularly women and children, and the race against poverty, to name a few. I center on a couple of them more fervently than others at this time. The "rituals" and "culture" of the Hindu "religion" escape me and my understanding as some of it would be near impossible to practice in a community of ? I feel a need to shed my western self (ego) (name) and become who my eternal Creator created. I shall lift up to him for in prayer and wait for the answer. Melissa - kandaaran (AT) aol (DOT) com Saturday, July 23, 2005 5:51 PM Re: Re: Question In a message dated 7/22/05 10:21:52 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, e_mars1133 writes: Dear Melissa,My understanding is that they are given to you. I do not know if Shree Maa and Swami give them--I imagine they do, but I do know that Ammachi will give you a spiritual name if you come to see her for her Devi Bhava darshan. Go to www.ammachi.org and check for tour details to see if she is coming to visit somewhere near you. Or perhaps you will receive other good answers here!Blessings,elizabeth Namaste Melissa, A thought or 2. You can ask for a name and be blessed, you can choose a name and ask that you be blessed, you can be given a name and be blessed and of course other ways of name giving ( and choosing ) exist. Hindu Samskaras ( in this case the Namakarana ) leave an impression in the mind that may transcend thought. With Love Om Namah Sivaya Kanda .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2005 Report Share Posted July 24, 2005 Melissa, Your desire to serve God through service to humanity is admirable. At the Devi Mandir meditation practice and hatha yoga postures are not emphasized as much as they are in other traditions. Here, the emphasis is on devotional worship of God in all of Her various forms and aspects. Puja (ceremonial worship) is the foundation of practice, where the mind is quieted and the heart is opened to God's blessings. The connection between manifest existence and unmanifest Divinity is gradually unveiled. Meditation is seen as the result of having quieted the mind and opened the heart to God, as an extension of puja (though it can certainly be practiced "alone"). As to hatha yoga, a proper seated asana is very important, and Maa has said that everyone should do their yoga exercises every morning to keep the body healthy. Swamiji did extensive hatha yoga practice at one point, to prepare his body for long periods of seated practice. Pathah, the recitation of scripture in Sanskrit, is also an important part of this tradition. At first the deciphering and pronunciation of Sanskrit transliterations (the rendering of Sanskrit letters into our alphabet) will seem an impossible task, but rest assured, with the blessings of Mother and Swamiji it becomes manageable very quickly. Soon it will be a blessing beyond price. If you are interested in beginning to practice and learn, there are a number of books, pujas, scriptures, mantras on cd, etc. on the Devi Mandir site at http://www.shreemaa.org/. There are some wonderful recordings of Maa's singing for sale too. Mostly, people begin with the Beginner's Shiva Puja, but not always. If you like, you could write to Swamiji and ask for instruction. You will find a "contact" link for either he or Shree Maa on the Devi Mandir site. There is an excellent guided study of the Beginner's Shiva Puja (that can be applied to any of the pujas) in the "files" section on the left side of this page. It is a compilation of an online study Nanda did a little while back. It is very helpful. I hope you find what you need, and may God's blessings always be with you. Jai Maa! Chris , "Melissa" <honor@p...> wrote: > Thank you very much to all who responded to my question. > I will try to read and learn as much as can here, before speaking/writing as i such a new student. > Conceptually and philosophically relate totally, but just do not know nor understand much of the "lingo" nor many of the rituals. > > I meditate many times a day, and in-process of yoga learning , am very physically fit, and work on service to my fellows every single day of ,my life. > Through my prayer, meditation, service to my children and honouring my parents, friends and community. > > My daily waking thought and prayer is to do for others and pray that God's Will be done not mine every day, and the courage to follow through. > > I struggle with my humanness and taking my will back, for i am imperfect and selfish. > My journey is one of self sacrifice and taking up the causes of the vulnerable and those without a voice in my community, specifically children and persons with disabilities, the elderly, infirm, and those who have suffered abuse particularly women and children, and the race against poverty, to name a few. I center on a couple of them more fervently than others at this time. > > The "rituals" and "culture" of the Hindu "religion" escape me and my understanding as some of it would be near impossible to practice in a community of ? > > I feel a need to shed my western self (ego) (name) and become who my eternal Creator created. > > I shall lift up to him for in prayer and wait for the answer. > > Melissa > > - > kandaaran@a... > > Saturday, July 23, 2005 5:51 PM > Re: Re: Question > > > In a message dated 7/22/05 10:21:52 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, e_mars1133 writes: > Dear Melissa, > > My understanding is that they are given to you. I do not know if > Shree Maa and Swami give them--I imagine they do, but I do know that > Ammachi will give you a spiritual name if you come to see her for > her Devi Bhava darshan. Go to www.ammachi.org and check for tour > details to see if she is coming to visit somewhere near you. Or > perhaps you will receive other good answers here! > > Blessings, > elizabeth > > Namaste Melissa, > > A thought or 2. You can ask for a name and be blessed, you can choose a name and ask that you be blessed, you can be given a name and be blessed and of course other ways of name giving ( and choosing ) exist. Hindu Samskaras ( in this case the Namakarana ) leave an impression in the mind that may transcend thought. > > With Love > > Om Namah Sivaya > > Kanda > . > > > > > > a.. Visit your group "" on the web. > > b.. > > > c.. Terms of Service. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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