To durgakali about question regarding mother earth sankalpa (mala)

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durgakali wrote:

>> ...i found the files relating to the mother earth sankalpa, and

having read the instructions >> regarding reciting, i am wondering if

it is essential to use the specified malas... i have a >> sandalwood

mala and a rosedwood mala...

Dear durgakali ~ I tried to find the post where Swamiji answered a

similar question, but I couldn't find it. That one also had to do

with what to do if on couldn't get or didn't have the exactly right

"tools" for the spiritual practice. Swamiji's answer was that once in

India he saw a bunch of swamis, or maybe pujaris, who spent a great

deal of time in the bazaar looking for spiritual objects and not

spending any time on spiritual practice. He felt is was more

important to do the practice.

He has also said that, in his early wandering days (there is quite a

bit about this in the book, "Sahib Sadhu," if he didn't have flowers

to offer, he would use leaves. He would use whatever he had at hand.

And when I attended the homa he and Shree Maa gave in Colorado,

participants who did not come with their own flowers, ghee, etc., to

offer to the fire, could reach into their arts and give the item from

there.

I am using a sandlewood mala as it is all I have at the moment,

although I noticed at the local bead store where I had beads, Gary,

the owner of the store, had several rudraksha malas hanging from one

of the walls where he hangs bead strands. I don't think he knows what

they are, and the thought of people buying them and taking them apart

to use for beads bothers me a bit. I did tell him they were malas and

were sacred, but I think it just went over his head. Since they are

very inexpensive ($15.00) I am going to buy one.

The important thing is the worship and the intent ... this is the

message I have hear Swamiji give over and over. Of course, since his

answers always seem very individually tailored to the person writing,

at least his answers to questions I've asked seem that way, he might

have a whole different slant on the subject for you. But so far he

has been totally consistent about the spiritual practice and the

intent being the most important.

Jai Swamiji ~ Linda