{The answer to the question in the title is given in the Introduction of the Shiva Puja and Advanced Yajna book. Swamiji says "Cultivate the attitude of gratitude, and carry it with you throughout your daily activities.Only then will worship pervade our lives"}

Congratulations to Surya for completing the sankalpa ! He completed 111,111 recitations. Thank you Surya for blessing this universe with your sadhana. Surya had a few words to share on his experience, but first here is a Q&A with our beloved Swamiji.

Sadhu Maa had two questions on the meaning of the mantra.

Sadhu Maa asked : In the UPS mantra there is reference to "the three worlds". Will you please explain what is meant by "the three worlds"?

Swamiji says: The gross body, subtle body and causal body: what can be perceived through the senses, conceived in the mind, and known through intuition.

Sadhu Maa asked: When we say "and in like manner, remove from us all hostility", are we talking about hostility present in our subtle, vital and gross bodies?

Swamiji says: Yes, as well as all hostility within us, or directed to us, and ultimately all hostility from creation.

Here is what Maruthi had to say "I really feel blessed that Shree MAA gave us the opportunity to take part in the Universal Peace Sankalpa."

And here is Surya‘s sharing from this sankalpa – the feeling of what an honor and privilege it is to serve Her.

"I finished the 100,000 repetitions Monday night. I figured since it was Shiva’s Day (and Night) it would be an auspicious way to end, so I pushed it and did the last 4030 reps that day/night. Now I am just finishing another 11,111 so that I can have a total of 111,111–an auspicious Gauri Shankar number. Om Shiva Shakti Aikya Rupinyai Namah!

This sadhana has really changed me and my outlook on many things. Some shift definitely occured that night. I really felt a big change starting on Maha Shivaratri and this "sealed the deal", so to speak.

I decided that from now on, I am going to really apply myself to see everything in my life as a true and beautiful gift from the Goddess.

I am truly thankful for all these Blessings She has given me. My family, my partner, my kids and all that makes up my life. I gladly accept my karma and dharma and will work hard to live up to what is required of me.

I must admit that becoming a householder has been a very difficult road for me. In many ways I have fought it tooth and nail. But this was/is just silly. Everything is how it should be and I am very grateful for it.

We can always choose to look at our circumstances in many different ways. We can complain about our lot in life or we can see that it is all Her Will and be grateful for the Honor and Privilege of Serving Her, the Universe and Our Self in the way that She has chosen for us. She always knows what is Best for us and gives us Everything we need, even without us asking for it. So why not trust Her?

It is said that Life is what you make it. I firmly believe this. The grass isn’t greener anywhere else. So lets make Life a Celebration–a Truly Joyous Event. Lets revel in the Bliss. This is my ideal that I am going to do my utmost to embody each and every day."

Thanks Sadhu Maa for your questions, and to Maruthi and Surya for sharing your sentiments.

Here are the numbers for those of us that preferred to chant the mantra at the fire (Week ending March 4th 2007)

Name	Number of Mantras
Swamiji & Mandir Residents	Priceless
Michael	12960
Janitri	4384
Mousumi	10908
Total	28,252

And for those of us that chanted without the fire

Name	Number of Mantras
Babu	1296
Bharata	46000
Bharati	10800
Brendan	3160
Carie	1282
Chocatane	19116
Chris K	15228
Chris W	19128
Debi	70848
Donna	21590
Durga	5616
Egyirba	8424
Eric	46656
Gauri	5832
Georgiann	5762
Henny	23112
Janitri	11484
Jayadeva	22140
Julia	15810
Kalachandra	15876
Kaliananda	15984
Kamalaji	19630
Kanda	17280
Karen	18000
Kathy	15580
Marsha	15552
Maruthi	37000
Mausumi	12852
Michael	10800
Michele	4792
Morningsong	20520
Muktimaa	11664
Nickolas	1188
Nirmal	5184
Nirmalananda	11100
Nanda	12015
Papia	15120
Parvati	6480
Patty	18712
Prasana	9568
Prathibha	10617
Raghu	19872
Rebeca	16100
Rick Veda	63180
Robin	14200
Rolf	15336
Rukmani	6048
Sadhu Maa	8670
Shubal	12420
Sitara	3464
Sundari	19224
Shankari	10476
Surya	111111
Susan	18900
Usha	53136
Vasantha	51000
Wendel	15100
Wendy	20844
Vinay	2160
Visveshwar	34236
Yogini	51840
Total	1,206,115

Welcome to the latest addition to our sankalpa group – Brendan from Massachusetts. Congratulations to Michael for completing his sankalpa at the fire.

Thanks to our participants Shankari Kali and Henny for sharing their progress on the sankalpa. Here is what Shankari Kali has to say

"I have noticed that since I started the peace sankalpa, I have developed more
discipline. This has affected many areas of my life. I could never stick with
anything. My weight was spiralling out of control, and my health was
deteriorating. By requiring myself to say this daily as many times as I could
muster, I even noticed that I had more energy. I have since developed a daily
exercise program.

I have been saying at least two malas of Om Namah Shivaya everyday along with other mantras. I have never had this much energy or desire to meditate."
And here is what Henny has to say

"The first week, I embarked upon daily chanting as one more task to be done and my chanting was very much directed outwards. I was chanting to someone ‘out here’, and in fact the volume was loud enough to be heard by the neighbours, I think. And I was very conscious of myself sitting there, chanting, and there was a feeling of ‘wanting to get the job done’.
Then one afternoon (early morning in California), I tuned into the live broadcast from the Devi Mandir, and I heard a Devi Mandir sadhu doing japa very, very quietly, tenderly and with great patience, and just listening to that voice made me realize what I had been doing. So, the next time I sat down for japa, I ‘listened’ to the memory of that voice in my mind, and that made me more centered and quiet, and then I began my chanting.
Gradually, over the next few days, I was gently drawn inside to the Presence listening within. And my chanting followed and it has become much more subtle, softer, and also much more peaceful. And now, when the mantra has taken me to that inner place where She listens, I forget to think about myself as one who chants, and chanting goes on inside of its own accord. Now, it is no longer a task to be accomplished, but an opportunity to enter into the Presence more and more, and something to look forward to. "

In the words of Swamiji, "We are trying to give ourselves the privilege of loving passionately"
As of Feb 11 2007, here are totals of those of us that prefer to do the sankalpa at the fire

Name	Number of Mantras
Michael	12960
Janitri	4084
Total	17,044

and below are the counts for those of us that do the sadhana without a fire

Name	Number of Mantras
Babu	1296
Bharata	25000
Bharati	8424
Brendan	2150
Carie	360
Chocatane	10260
Chris K	9180
Chris W	9351
Debi	26676
Donna	12190
Durga	2808
Egyirba	6048
Eric	27108
Gauri	5400
Georgiann	2591
Henny	15120
Janitri	5316
Jayadeva	11664
Julia	10860
Kalachandra	9072
Kaliananda	10368
Kamalaji	9770
Kanda	10800
Karen	12000
Kathy	8776
Marsha	7884
Maruthi	20000
Mausumi	9720
Michael	7884
Michele	3370
Morningsong	12420
Muktimaa	9288
Nirmalananda	5300
Nanda	9115
Papia	11880
Parvati	4320
Patty	11388
Prasana	9568
Prathibha	10617
Raghu	13284
Rebeca	8100
Rick Veda	34020
Robin	7800
Rolf	6264
Rukmani	6048
Sadhu Maa	6804
Sadhvi	25600
Shubal	5616
Sitara	1124
Sundari	11340
Shankari	3780
Surya	73224
Susan	8532
Usha	26136
Vasantha	11000
Wendel	7200
Wendy	15444
Vinay	2160
Visveshwar	24732
Yogini	25920
Total	709,470

 

{ NOTE – If you are wondering about the title "Prathamam Sailaputri Cha", it means "First is the Goddess of Inspiration" and refers to the first of the Navadurgas. To know more about the Navadurgas, please read the Cosmic Puja or Chandi Path (the verse is in the Armor of the Goddess)}
The sankalpa has touched the participants in many many ways. It prompted Vishweshwar, a disciple of Shree Maa to reach out and ask each participant to spread the word and get more people to sign up. Like ever spreading ripples caused by throwing a single pebble into a lake, just one inspiration from Shree Maa has us doing more, and getting the word out to more people. It was also heartwarming to see two fairly "new" additions to the Mandir family, Prathibha and Prasana, energetically share their enthusiasm for the sankalpa with others that had gathered at the Mandir on Sunday. Prathibha, in the true spirit of motivating another, even gifted her friend with her own recently acquired hand tally counter to demonstrate how easy it was to keep adding mantras chanted in random free moments.

First Maa gives us an idea, and then Her beautiful family give it the momentum. May this positive energy continue to generate and bless Mother Earth !
As a group we have crossed 320,000 repetitions of japa and over 9000 at the fire. Here are the numbers as of the week ending 28th Jan 2007.
This is the total for those that preferred to do their sadhana at the fire

Name	Number of Mantras
Michael	6372
Janitri	3024
Total	9,396

and below are the counts for those of us that do the sadhana without a fire

Name	Number of Mantras
Babu	1296
Bharata	11000
Bharati	2052
Carie	30
Chris	5076
Debi	8640
Donna	5390
Durga	2808
Egyirba	3780
Eric	11664
Gauri	3132
Georgiann	1583
Henny	6480
Janitri	1624
Jayadeva	7020
Julia	6240
Kalachandra	4536
Kaliananda	6372
Kamalaji	5184
Kanda	6480
Karen	7000
Kathy	3240
Marsha	2484
Mausumi	4752
Michele	1372
Morningsong	7344
Muktimaa	5940
Nirmalananda	2500
Nanda	6900
Papia	5400
Parvati	2700
Patty	6852
Prasana	7000
Prathibha	7201
Raghu	8748
Rebeca	2700
Rick Veda	20412
Robin	3400
Rolf	5076
Rukmani	3672
Sadhu Maa	2376
Sadhvi	8146
Shubal	1512
Sundari	4536
Shankari	2808
Surya	45522
Susan	2916
Usha	13608
Wendel	1296
Wendy	6372
Vinay	2160
Visveshwar	11340
Yogini	11880
Total	320,588