Guest guest Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 What is the meaning of worship? Long ago people asked God, "If You are formless and all forms, how can we worship you?" To which God replied, "I will show you a way..." Today, Debi showed Krista and I the true meaning of worship. The true meaning of the word, "Devotee." She should be napping now, but she isn't. She should have fallen asleep forty minutes ago so she'd stay on schedule and not be up until midnight, but I think She chose instead to teach us. Krista had tried to put Her to sleep while I showered, but to no avail, She was happy, wound up and running around shortly after being fed. I tried the old rocking chair trick. I Put Debi in the rocking chair, make it a game and then when she least expected I sang to Her while rocking Her gently. She began to doze, but after a few minutes She chose to stay away and climbed off the chair. I finished getting dressed and then sat on the floor wondering how best to help convince Her to sleep, because it was easy to see She needed to sleep. Krista sat in the rocking chair waiting for Debi. Patience is Debi's first lesson for us. We've learned that one very well. Debi's second lesson was intention. She reads our intentions like we read Her children's books; loud clear and with full depth. If our motives are not for Her best interest, She knows and is upset by it. Her third lesson came today. Until now We had seen Her as the Goddess and were doing our best to worship Her, be mindful of Her needs and take care of Her as best we can. Today during this time of non-sleep, I sat down in front of Her, invited Her into my lap, and She laid for a brief few seconds, snuggling against me, like She does Krista. That did not last, She got up and walked to one of Her favorite toys, a stuffed star fish plush toy, She picked it up, walked to me and offered it to me. I took the toy, thanked Her, and then using the toy played a few little games with Her. They made Her laugh and giggle. Then I set the toy down. She went and got another toy, a pink plush pig, and offered him to me. I took him, thanked Her, and then made him chase her, a game we've been playing for a long time together. A game we taught each other. A game that will no doubt grow more complicated as we grow our relationship. She giggled and laughed and had a lot of fun. I tried not to wind Her up too much, after all, She needed to sleep. Then it hit me. Debi was showing me the ideal relationship for a devotee and God. She is a child of Shiva, I am Shiva, She is my devotee. She wishes to deepen and strengthen Her relationship with me, so what can She offer? She offers me Her most valued possessions, because its the only thing that Her mind values and it is the easiest way to build a relationship. By offering me Her most valued positions, She shows me respect and offers a method by which we can play together, a way for us to develop a language we can communicate through. A way to develop these games. We must do the same with God. We are like the toddler, not capable of understanding God's language. Not even capable of knowing how to form a relationship with Him, let alone know who He truly is. So we must offer to Him that which is valuable to us, and hope that He takes it and plays with us. We hope and pray that He helps us develop our relationship with Him by playing a silly little game with us. He is so big and so wonderful that our language is incapable of describing Him to even the minutest degree. We hope and pray that He will use the toys we give Him to begin to teach us His language. And we hope and pray that He chases us for a little while, making us feel giddy, loved, and blissful. What are the toys we offer Him? We can offer anything. Many people offer possessions, money and food. Those are good toys, and in time we will develop the understanding of the energies associated with those things to connect with God through them. However, in my opinion, there are better toys to offer. These are the toy possessions of the mind. The mind forms attachments to many things. We are attached to our possessions, to our income and to our food, but we are much more strongly attached to our beliefs, our values, and our sense of identity. In fact some of our beliefs about our selves are so strong that we form attachments to concepts of our selves, building walls around our selves that say, "I am this and I am not that!" We also gain attachments in childhood from our family and friends. We use various mental tactics to get the things we think we need from others, and those tactics, often confused with "love", create even more barriers between ourselves and others. These attachments cause us to be in competition with others, or even with God, because we believe if we aren't in competition, we shall surely die. If we can recognize, even for a brief moment, that an attachment is inefficient and unnecessary, then we have offered it up to He Who Destroys all that is Enemical, and from there He can choose to build a relationship with us, playing with us within the context of these things we offer up to Him. He can only form the relationship with us if we offer things to him. If Debi did not offer things to me, then how would we play? Well, there is a way: I stopped at Fry's on the way home on Friday and bought some Quatro Blocks for Her (imagine legos larger than you would think possible, the Jupiter of lego blocks). Thus I granted Her the boon of these toys for us to play with. I build quatro towers and and She tears them down, teaching me unawares how impermanent things are. That's how we play. From this She will ultimately learn to build towers. At which point I will tear them down and teach Her with awareness how impermanent things really are. Do you see the connection? If it weren't for our attachments we wouldn't have any thing to offer, would we? So our attachments are given to us by God so we can offer them up. Each and every one of them is a boon He grants to us. We should not view them as obstructions on the path, but actually boons that He has placed upon us, so that we can learn play with Him. Om Namah Shivaya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Thank you for sharing Brian, You reminded me that Sri Ramakrishna often said that "one cannot realize God without the pure heart of a child"; and that "one must have faith in God like the faith a child has for its mother". And also that "a paramahamsa is beyond the three gunas, though they exist in him, yet they are practically non-existent. Like a child, he is not under the control of the gunas. That is why paramahamsas allow small children to come near them---in order to assume their nature". Tanmaya , Brian McKee <brian@s...> wrote: > > What is the meaning of worship? > > Long ago people asked God, "If You are formless and all forms, how can > we worship you?" > > To which God replied, "I will show you a way..." > > Today, Debi showed Krista and I the true meaning of worship. The true > meaning of the word, "Devotee." > > She should be napping now, but she isn't. She should have fallen asleep > forty minutes ago so she'd stay on schedule and not be up until > midnight, but I think She chose instead to teach us. > > Krista had tried to put Her to sleep while I showered, but to no avail, > She was happy, wound up and running around shortly after being fed. > > I tried the old rocking chair trick. I Put Debi in the rocking chair, > make it a game and then when she least expected I sang to Her while > rocking Her gently. She began to doze, but after a few minutes She chose > to stay away and climbed off the chair. > > I finished getting dressed and then sat on the floor wondering how best > to help convince Her to sleep, because it was easy to see She needed to > sleep. > > Krista sat in the rocking chair waiting for Debi. Patience is Debi's > first lesson for us. We've learned that one very well. > > Debi's second lesson was intention. She reads our intentions like we > read Her children's books; loud clear and with full depth. If our > motives are not for Her best interest, She knows and is upset by it. > > Her third lesson came today. Until now We had seen Her as the Goddess > and were doing our best to worship Her, be mindful of Her needs and take > care of Her as best we can. > > Today during this time of non-sleep, I sat down in front of Her, invited > Her into my lap, and She laid for a brief few seconds, snuggling against > me, like She does Krista. That did not last, She got up and walked to > one of Her favorite toys, a stuffed star fish plush toy, She picked it > up, walked to me and offered it to me. > > I took the toy, thanked Her, and then using the toy played a few little > games with Her. They made Her laugh and giggle. Then I set the toy down. > > She went and got another toy, a pink plush pig, and offered him to me. I > took him, thanked Her, and then made him chase her, a game we've been > playing for a long time together. A game we taught each other. A game > that will no doubt grow more complicated as we grow our relationship. > > She giggled and laughed and had a lot of fun. I tried not to wind Her up > too much, after all, She needed to sleep. > > Then it hit me. Debi was showing me the ideal relationship for a devotee > and God. She is a child of Shiva, I am Shiva, She is my devotee. She > wishes to deepen and strengthen Her relationship with me, so what can > She offer? She offers me Her most valued possessions, because its the > only thing that Her mind values and it is the easiest way to build a > relationship. By offering me Her most valued positions, She shows me > respect and offers a method by which we can play together, a way for us > to develop a language we can communicate through. A way to develop these > games. > > We must do the same with God. We are like the toddler, not capable of > understanding God's language. Not even capable of knowing how to form a > relationship with Him, let alone know who He truly is. > > So we must offer to Him that which is valuable to us, and hope that He > takes it and plays with us. We hope and pray that He helps us develop > our relationship with Him by playing a silly little game with us. He is > so big and so wonderful that our language is incapable of describing Him > to even the minutest degree. We hope and pray that He will use the toys > we give Him to begin to teach us His language. > > And we hope and pray that He chases us for a little while, making us > feel giddy, loved, and blissful. > > What are the toys we offer Him? > > We can offer anything. Many people offer possessions, money and food. > Those are good toys, and in time we will develop the understanding of > the energies associated with those things to connect with God through them. > > However, in my opinion, there are better toys to offer. These are the > toy possessions of the mind. The mind forms attachments to many things. > We are attached to our possessions, to our income and to our food, but > we are much more strongly attached to our beliefs, our values, and our > sense of identity. In fact some of our beliefs about our selves are so > strong that we form attachments to concepts of our selves, building > walls around our selves that say, "I am this and I am not that!" > > We also gain attachments in childhood from our family and friends. We > use various mental tactics to get the things we think we need from > others, and those tactics, often confused with "love", create even more > barriers between ourselves and others. These attachments cause us to be > in competition with others, or even with God, because we believe if we > aren't in competition, we shall surely die. > > If we can recognize, even for a brief moment, that an attachment is > inefficient and unnecessary, then we have offered it up to He Who > Destroys all that is Enemical, and from there He can choose to build a > relationship with us, playing with us within the context of these things > we offer up to Him. > > He can only form the relationship with us if we offer things to him. > > If Debi did not offer things to me, then how would we play? Well, there > is a way: I stopped at Fry's on the way home on Friday and bought some > Quatro Blocks for Her (imagine legos larger than you would think > possible, the Jupiter of lego blocks). Thus I granted Her the boon of > these toys for us to play with. > > I build quatro towers and and She tears them down, teaching me unawares > how impermanent things are. That's how we play. From this She will > ultimately learn to build towers. At which point I will tear them down > and teach Her with awareness how impermanent things really are. > > Do you see the connection? If it weren't for our attachments we wouldn't > have any thing to offer, would we? So our attachments are given to us by > God so we can offer them up. Each and every one of them is a boon He > grants to us. We should not view them as obstructions on the path, but > actually boons that He has placed upon us, so that we can learn play > with Him. > > Om Namah Shivaya. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 I bow to Debi Devi, who obviously is a great teacher:), with love, Henny , Brian McKee <brian@s...> wrote: > > What is the meaning of worship? > > Long ago people asked God, "If You are formless and all forms, how can > we worship you?" > > To which God replied, "I will show you a way..." > > Today, Debi showed Krista and I the true meaning of worship. The true > meaning of the word, "Devotee." > > She should be napping now, but she isn't. She should have fallen asleep > forty minutes ago so she'd stay on schedule and not be up until > midnight, but I think She chose instead to teach us. > > Krista had tried to put Her to sleep while I showered, but to no avail, > She was happy, wound up and running around shortly after being fed. > > I tried the old rocking chair trick. I Put Debi in the rocking chair, > make it a game and then when she least expected I sang to Her while > rocking Her gently. She began to doze, but after a few minutes She chose > to stay away and climbed off the chair. > > I finished getting dressed and then sat on the floor wondering how best > to help convince Her to sleep, because it was easy to see She needed to > sleep. > > Krista sat in the rocking chair waiting for Debi. Patience is Debi's > first lesson for us. We've learned that one very well. > > Debi's second lesson was intention. She reads our intentions like we > read Her children's books; loud clear and with full depth. If our > motives are not for Her best interest, She knows and is upset by it. > > Her third lesson came today. Until now We had seen Her as the Goddess > and were doing our best to worship Her, be mindful of Her needs and take > care of Her as best we can. > > Today during this time of non-sleep, I sat down in front of Her, invited > Her into my lap, and She laid for a brief few seconds, snuggling against > me, like She does Krista. That did not last, She got up and walked to > one of Her favorite toys, a stuffed star fish plush toy, She picked it > up, walked to me and offered it to me. > > I took the toy, thanked Her, and then using the toy played a few little > games with Her. They made Her laugh and giggle. Then I set the toy down. > > She went and got another toy, a pink plush pig, and offered him to me. I > took him, thanked Her, and then made him chase her, a game we've been > playing for a long time together. A game we taught each other. A game > that will no doubt grow more complicated as we grow our relationship. > > She giggled and laughed and had a lot of fun. I tried not to wind Her up > too much, after all, She needed to sleep. > > Then it hit me. Debi was showing me the ideal relationship for a devotee > and God. She is a child of Shiva, I am Shiva, She is my devotee. She > wishes to deepen and strengthen Her relationship with me, so what can > She offer? She offers me Her most valued possessions, because its the > only thing that Her mind values and it is the easiest way to build a > relationship. By offering me Her most valued positions, She shows me > respect and offers a method by which we can play together, a way for us > to develop a language we can communicate through. A way to develop these > games. > > We must do the same with God. We are like the toddler, not capable of > understanding God's language. Not even capable of knowing how to form a > relationship with Him, let alone know who He truly is. > > So we must offer to Him that which is valuable to us, and hope that He > takes it and plays with us. We hope and pray that He helps us develop > our relationship with Him by playing a silly little game with us. He is > so big and so wonderful that our language is incapable of describing Him > to even the minutest degree. We hope and pray that He will use the toys > we give Him to begin to teach us His language. > > And we hope and pray that He chases us for a little while, making us > feel giddy, loved, and blissful. > > What are the toys we offer Him? > > We can offer anything. Many people offer possessions, money and food. > Those are good toys, and in time we will develop the understanding of > the energies associated with those things to connect with God through them. > > However, in my opinion, there are better toys to offer. These are the > toy possessions of the mind. The mind forms attachments to many things. > We are attached to our possessions, to our income and to our food, but > we are much more strongly attached to our beliefs, our values, and our > sense of identity. In fact some of our beliefs about our selves are so > strong that we form attachments to concepts of our selves, building > walls around our selves that say, "I am this and I am not that!" > > We also gain attachments in childhood from our family and friends. We > use various mental tactics to get the things we think we need from > others, and those tactics, often confused with "love", create even more > barriers between ourselves and others. These attachments cause us to be > in competition with others, or even with God, because we believe if we > aren't in competition, we shall surely die. > > If we can recognize, even for a brief moment, that an attachment is > inefficient and unnecessary, then we have offered it up to He Who > Destroys all that is Enemical, and from there He can choose to build a > relationship with us, playing with us within the context of these things > we offer up to Him. > > He can only form the relationship with us if we offer things to him. > > If Debi did not offer things to me, then how would we play? Well, there > is a way: I stopped at Fry's on the way home on Friday and bought some > Quatro Blocks for Her (imagine legos larger than you would think > possible, the Jupiter of lego blocks). Thus I granted Her the boon of > these toys for us to play with. > > I build quatro towers and and She tears them down, teaching me unawares > how impermanent things are. That's how we play. From this She will > ultimately learn to build towers. At which point I will tear them down > and teach Her with awareness how impermanent things really are. > > Do you see the connection? If it weren't for our attachments we wouldn't > have any thing to offer, would we? So our attachments are given to us by > God so we can offer them up. Each and every one of them is a boon He > grants to us. We should not view them as obstructions on the path, but > actually boons that He has placed upon us, so that we can learn play > with Him. > > Om Namah Shivaya. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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