The ultimate way in which we can be of service to the world

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/23/2006 12:55:45 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, chandimaakijai writes:

In keeping with Maa's advice, I would say the best way to be of

service to the world is to offer our talents as a seva for the Lord.

The best way I can say "Thank You" is sharing as an offering what I

do well, with the world, without any expectations or attachment to

the results. I would like to know what our friends think.

Namaste Dear Nanda,

My thoughts are now is to be peaceful, act toward others in peace, see

the future in peace. Accept your past as an offering from others and

offer peace as the future.

With Love

Om Namah Sivaya

Kanda

[Guest guest]

Nanda wrote:

>> In keeping with Maa's advice, I would say the best way to be of

service to >> the world is to offer our talents as a seva for the

Lord. The best way I can >> say "Thank You" is sharing as an

offering what I do well, with the world, >> without any expectations

or attachment to the results...

Dear Nanda ~ this sort of blew all my expectations about everything

away. Which, I suppose is part of the guru job description. I have

had a war going on about prayer/meditation/puja and doing my

art/music/writing. For most of my life I have done the latter, and my

"day job" with no expectations or attachments. I believed these things

I do were not my own, did and do not belong to me, and that sharing

them came with the territory. Of course when I was doing all these

things full blast, I had not yet met Shree Maa or Swami (just got the

Cosmic Puja and Nine Planets CD today!)

Now that I have met not only Shree Maa and Swami, but Ammachi and

Karunamayi, I have had this little war. Should I still be doing these

things at all? How can I stop? (I really don't think I can.) Of

course, my illness has stopped a lot of this to a great deal, and my

ability to share what I do well with the world has become increasing

circumscribed. Yet I can't stop writing songs. I can't stop making

art. It is in my soul to do it. I think the greatest "without

expectation" now is to share them, especially my music, after my body

and voice have been ravaged by my illness. I don't think I sound

"pretty" or "good" anymore, so I don't want to sing. And yet my

entire being longs to still share my songs. So my ego is getting in

the way because now I have the expectation that I have to sound

"pretty" in order to sing.

I have read of the 8/8/8 equation of dividing work/spiritual

practices/?.... I can't remember the third one. Sleep? I don't think

I remember seeing sleep anywhere, and I kind of wondered about that.

I don't really have a 24 hour day anymore. Because of my illness, I

have maybe 3 or 4 functional hours in the morning before I crash and

have to go to bed. In the afternoon I have maybe 2 functional hours,

and then after I eat dinner, I might have another 2 or 3 functional

hours before my symptoms all crash in on me again and force me to

bed. Sometimes I can read or chant in bed (which is why I am ever

grateful to Swamiji for answering that question I posed in such a

personal way). So in any given day I may have between 5 or 9

functional hours. The rest of the time I am too sick to do anything.

And fitting it all in with that kind of time-frame is really

impossible, though, believe me, I keep trying. So what would Swami

recommend in my case? 3/3/3? And would one of the 3s be devoted to my

artistic endeavors, which is really my only work now that I'm

disabled. And the second 3 would be spiritual practices? But I have

totally forgotten the third part of the equation, so I hope someone

can refresh my memory.

Sorry, I've been AWOL again, another spell of being fairly well

totaled. Blessings and greetings to all. Jai Maa , Jai Swamiji ~

Linda