Guest guest Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Namaste- I have just found and joined this group, and after reading through the website, I must say that I am excited! I have been a devotee of Ganesha for about 8 years, even since I switched my university major to Religious Studies, and then specialized in the Hindu tradition. About 2 years ago through His intercession I felt my heart open to Devi Mata, especially in Her form of Durga. I have been chanting Ganesha mantras and the Gayatri for many years (although admittedly not as regularly as I should), and have recently redoubled my efforts to maintain a daily practice. As some of the other list members here, I am also ill and sticking to a regular practice sometimes becomes very very difficult for me. I do, however, try to play only sacred music while I am at home, so that at least my ears and body energies will vibrate with the beautiful sounds. Lately, my spouse has become interested in beginning a practice as well. He is intrigued by it, and often brings home small offerings for Ganesha. He knows how calm and peaceful chanting makes me feel, but also understands how hard it is for me to do it many days. He offered to start practicing with me - partly because he is curious, and partly to support my efforts. He has never studied Hinduism, and is very unfamiliar with even the most common vocabulary used in prayer and mantra. I am very grateful and happy that he wishes to practice with me, but I am unsure of where to start with him, as I do not wish to overload him with too many facts (having done a degree in Hinduism tends to make me go into too much unnecessary detail). What do you suggest that I suggest as a very elementary practice that he and I can undertake together, that would also be auspicious? All help is appreciated. Blessings, ~Devi~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Namaste Devi! With all my consciousness and energy I bow to the divinity within you. Any form of diety is a pathway to awareness. What path you choose is much less important than the act of choosing itself. I'm a Chandi devotee myself. She's my beautiful lady and I'm her devoted servant. She's also Shree Maa and She's also my wife and daughter. And everyday I ask -- actually beg -- to see Her in everyone and everything I perceive. Chandi is just one path by which we attain peace and I think that's what I'd tell your husband. Hinduism is a collection of stories about us, and what goes on within us to enable us to realize who we actually are. Hinduism shows many different paths and processes to which we can find inner and subsequently outer peace. One path is Chandi, another related path is Durga, and another related path is Kali. Then there's the path of Vishnu, or Krishna, or Ram. And yet another path: Shiva, Hanuman, or Ganesh. All these paths name a particular diety, a part of the living consciousness within us and teach us a suitable and respectable way to worship them, enticing them to grant us the boon of freedom from fear and the boon that ends all boons, total enlightenment. I'd also tell him that life is full of drama and its actually about drama. Reality was made for drama. The ancient masters called it Krishna's Pageants. The process of bringing peace is not about ending drama, but ending our reactions to it. We cannot change the qualities of reality, we can only change our qualities into relaxing and accepting drama, thus separating our hearts and minds from the drama itself. Its the same as the old Christian saying, "Being in the earth but not of the earth." Its not about removing us from our lives, but making it so we can live our lives without being sucked into all the lela (games) that go on within life. When I study the masters I've met, there is always one quality they share: total peace in the face of all circumstance. This is what I want for myself and my family. This is the goal that my wife and I have made for our life together. These are the qualities of the Goddess we wish to express into life and that is why we worship the way that we do. One of the first pieces of advice Swamiji offers to people who visit is, "Make a plan." So that's my advice to you and your husband. Pick a diety. Can't decide? Then have one of you mix up all their pictures and then the other, while not looking pick one at random. Then study that diety. Worship that diety. And repeat that diety's mantra. Make a plan for what you are going to do and where you want to go. Its okay to create a time table, but keep in mind, Maa has plans for you which you may not be aware of, you must keep an open mind and accept what ever experience She gives you, no matter what happens. As Krishnamurti said, "My secret is: I don't mind what happens." Always choose based on your plan. "Will this further us along our plan? Will my individual choice help both of us on our path?" If the answer is no, then you shouldn't do it. If it will hinder your path you really must not do it. If you're like me, then when you first start planning things out you always make the list as lofty as possible. Its so lofty in fact that its impossible to accomplish. Maa teaches you that in no time by showing you what desires you have that you didn't even know about. Be open to your desires. They are part of the qualities She has given you and will actually help you along your journey. Once you discover a desire, you have two choices: make it part of the plan or strike it from the plan forever. If you choose to strike it, then you must throw it into Chandi's fire or let Kali swallow it up, because if you think you want to give it up, but don't actually want to, it will haunt you and cause chaos to your plan. One other piece of advice. I believe that the mantram is the most important part of any puja. Spend time developing the ability to sound out the repeated mantras. They need not be perfectly pronounced but the more powerfully they are said and the more melodic they are, the more they will affect your mind as they are designed to. So for example if you choose the Beginner Durga Puja, do the best you can with the text, but when it comes to the 108 OM HRIM SHRIM DUM DURGAYE NAMAHA's, focus on them, close your eyes, quiet as many distractions as possible and say the mantra loud, clear and melodically. When you do it well, it resonates in the room and in your head reaching all three worlds within and without. The energy of the mantra will teach you how to pronounce the text, will teach you how to let go, will ultimately remove the aspects of your mind that would stop you from achieving your goal. And when I say make them melodical, I mean keep that OM vibration in the background of all the syllables. So they frequency is consistant even when the consonants are not. May Durga, Chandi, and Kali Maa grant you the peace you seek. > Namaste- > > I have just found and joined this group, and after reading through > the website, I must say that I am excited! > > I have been a devotee of Ganesha for about 8 years, even since I > switched my university major to Religious Studies, and then > specialized in the Hindu tradition. About 2 years ago through His > intercession I felt my heart open to Devi Mata, especially in Her > form of Durga. I have been chanting Ganesha mantras and the Gayatri > for many years (although admittedly not as regularly as I should), > and have recently redoubled my efforts to maintain a daily practice. > As some of the other list members here, I am also ill and sticking to > a regular practice sometimes becomes very very difficult for me. I > do, however, try to play only sacred music while I am at home, so > that at least my ears and body energies will vibrate with the > beautiful sounds. > > Lately, my spouse has become interested in beginning a practice as > well. He is intrigued by it, and often brings home small offerings > for Ganesha. He knows how calm and peaceful chanting makes me feel, > but also understands how hard it is for me to do it many days. He > offered to start practicing with me - partly because he is curious, > and partly to support my efforts. > > He has never studied Hinduism, and is very unfamiliar with even the > most common vocabulary used in prayer and mantra. I am very grateful > and happy that he wishes to practice with me, but I am unsure of > where to start with him, as I do not wish to overload him with too > many facts (having done a degree in Hinduism tends to make me go into > too much unnecessary detail). > > What do you suggest that I suggest as a very elementary practice that > he and I can undertake together, that would also be auspicious? > > All help is appreciated. > > Blessings, > ~Devi~ > Visit your group "" on the web. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 > What do you suggest that I suggest as a very elementary practice that > he and I can undertake together, that would also be auspicious? > Hi Devi, Welcome to the group. We are glad you found us and vice versa. I am personally glad also to meet another lover of Lord Ganesh. You are looking for suggestions for doing a practice together with your spouse.. There are several things that you could do, and you can take one or more of the suggestions below depending on the level that you decide on. 1) We have a prayer club conducted ably by our coordinator Karen. You and your husband will need to spend approximately 10-15 mins on a saturday chanting the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra as part of our group sankalpa. The actual mantra is chanted a minimum of 21 times. I am sure that Karen will love to give you more details. 2) If you can invest in 30 mins to 1 hour a week, you and your husband can do a beginner puja - Shiva, Durga or even Ganesh (yippee). If you want more details on learning to do a beginner puja, I can send you a document that will walk you through the basics. 3) If you can invest in 1-2 hrs a week, here is an even more fun puja you and your husband can do together. It is doing the puja to each other. Yes, you would perform the beginner Shiva Puja to him, and your husband would perform the beginner Durga Puja to you. Of course, depending on your skill levels in chanting, you could recite the entire book or do portions from the book. So you see, you can shorten or expand your practice as much or as little as you want depending on your time and circumstances. I would humbly recommend that you learn a beginner puja together - for Ganesh, and take turns to do portions of the puja. Hope this helps and hope to hear a lot from you. Jai Ganesh Nanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2006 Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Dear Devi, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the group. You have already been given very good advice, and the only thing I'd like to say is that if you would like to draw your husband in without scaring him off, perhaps you could start by investing in one of Shree Maa's cd's (since you already like to play sacred music) and let Her voice charm him:). There are cd's with songs which you could sing along with, or mantra cd's which you could use to recite together, and it need not be too formal either. And if you are too tired or unwell, Her voice would still fill your house with vibrations of the Greatest Peace imaginable, with love, Henny , "Devi Spring" <prana_devi> wrote: > > Namaste- > > I have just found and joined this group, and after reading through > the website, I must say that I am excited! > > I have been a devotee of Ganesha for about 8 years, even since I > switched my university major to Religious Studies, and then > specialized in the Hindu tradition. About 2 years ago through His > intercession I felt my heart open to Devi Mata, especially in Her > form of Durga. I have been chanting Ganesha mantras and the Gayatri > for many years (although admittedly not as regularly as I should), > and have recently redoubled my efforts to maintain a daily practice. > As some of the other list members here, I am also ill and sticking to > a regular practice sometimes becomes very very difficult for me. I > do, however, try to play only sacred music while I am at home, so > that at least my ears and body energies will vibrate with the > beautiful sounds. > > Lately, my spouse has become interested in beginning a practice as > well. He is intrigued by it, and often brings home small offerings > for Ganesha. He knows how calm and peaceful chanting makes me feel, > but also understands how hard it is for me to do it many days. He > offered to start practicing with me - partly because he is curious, > and partly to support my efforts. > > He has never studied Hinduism, and is very unfamiliar with even the > most common vocabulary used in prayer and mantra. I am very grateful > and happy that he wishes to practice with me, but I am unsure of > where to start with him, as I do not wish to overload him with too > many facts (having done a degree in Hinduism tends to make me go into > too much unnecessary detail). > > What do you suggest that I suggest as a very elementary practice that > he and I can undertake together, that would also be auspicious? > > All help is appreciated. > > Blessings, > ~Devi~ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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