Devi Mandir

Temple of Divine Mother

Swamiji answers more questions on Chandi Path

1. Are there parts of other Puranas which are used/chanted in the same manner as the Chandi Path from the Markendaya Purana or is this practice of chanting the Chandi unique?

The Devi Gita is an excerpt from Shrimad Devi Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad Gita is an excerpt from Mahabharat, the Guru Gita comes from Skanda Purana.

2. Why are Madhu and Kaitabha called “Too Much” and “Too Little”, respectively?

The dictionary meanings for Madhu mean specifically honey, sweet, pleasant, charming, delightful. In excess it is intoxicating. The extension with poetic license is Too Much.

Kaitabha in the dictionary means as insignificant as an insect: Too Little.

Together they stand for every extreme which keeps us from maintaining our balance.

3. If one has taken sankalpa to chant say the Devi Gita and the Chandi Path for a certain amount of time and due to one’s life situation one cannot chant the Chandi along with the Gita can the sankalpa to chant the Chandi and the Devi Gita be changed in mid stream or does the cycle need to be completed?

We want to strive to complete our sankalpas. Sometimes it is not possible. When it is not possible, we ultimately must surrender and try to accomplish our goals again the next time. We will also want to be forgiving; to others as well as to ourselves.

4. Do we have to do the full kushandika as in the book, or would it be ok to offer a light and a flower if we are pressed for time and then chant for instance the Sapta Shloki Durga, as a kind of preparation for chanting the Chandi more regularly?

Each according to his or her capacity. There is a viddhi called Seedha Path, which is described in the book on Pronunciation.

5. In the Chandi Path, when do we add “svaha” at the end of each verse, and when do we not add that?

When we are doing a Homa, we do not add svaha after the verses in the Kushandika, Kavacham, Argala Stotram, Kilakam, and the Dhyanams. We do not add swaha after any of the verses, unless the verses contain swaha, if we are not at the fire.

Also in the book on Pronunciation is a description of the homa viddhis.

6. Do verses 2 and 3 of siddha kunjika stotram (na kavacam nargala…) proclaim the superiority of that stotram or that of the Navarna Mantra?

Actually the Navarna Mantra is the root mantra of the Chandi.

7. What is a stotram?

It is a specific song about a particular form of divinity.

8. I was taught that the act of clapping e.g. while saying phat (“cut the ego�) assists in clearing mind, banishing thoughts. How does that happen, energetically?

The clap is a starling sound which demands that the mind pay attention.

9. Do raktabija, seed of desire, and vasana mean the same thing?

Yes.

Shree Maa and Puja

~~OM~~

Shree Maa often talks about, “Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram – Truth, Infinite Consciousness and Beauty.”� Shree Maa says, “If you live in truth and beauty, you will get infinite consciousness.” When we watch Mother, hear Her speak or listen to Her singing, we know She is living in Truth and Beauty. In Her every act and move we see, we feel and we admire these qualities.

We want to learn how we, too, can imbibe these qualities and be in that place of perfect truth, beauty and pure love. “Step by step, my children,”� She tells us lovingly with a smile.

One step we can all begin with is worship or puja. Maa does puja every single day multiple times, beginning many hours before day break. Puja is the Sanskrit word for worship; it is composed of “pu” and “ja” and means that which gives birth to merit.

Shree Maa and Swamiji tell us that, “Worship means attention.” When we do any action with complete attention, we are engaged in worship. Therefore, puja is not limited to the time we sit in front of our altar, but can conceivably fill every moment of our lives. The practice of doing puja each day helps us to make our entire life a festival of worship.

At the tender age of four, Shree Maa started doing puja in Her family shrine every day. She learned all the mantras and mudras and vidhis to worship numerous deities. As she grew older, she was often invited to neighbors’ houses to do worship there also. Every morning before day break she got up to bathe in the pond and wear a red-bordered puja saree, and sat down to worship. One day when she was a little girl, she went to the pond in the pre-dawn darkness and slipped and fell. She hurt her hand and was not even able to move. She was in a lot of pain and her hand had to be tied in a sling. Still, she did not let that pain stop her from doing her worship.

In India, Maa went from house to house teaching people how to do puja. She encourages us to do puja and to learn the mantras. “If you learn the mantras by heart, the Gods will always be with you,”� She once told us. In America too, Shree Maa and Swamiji have helped many, many devotees set up altars in their houses and to get started with regular worship to make their house into a temple.

Shree Maa and Swamiji say, “Worship is the bridge by which we cross from duality to non-duality.”

This week we will be discussing puja, “what are the steps, what does it mean in practice, how we can use this practice to make all of life a puja (worship).”

Please join us in worship!

Inspiring Quotes Archive Page 3

~~OM~~

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    May 6 – May 12

  • The greatest power in the world is the mind. But the mind, like a restless unruly horse, does not remain still. When by the practice of yoga an individual disciplines the mind, the mind is then ruled by the all-pervasive soul. Such a person controls all the powers of the world.

      – from Shree Maa The Life of a Saint

  • Oh,Goddess, Mother of the Universe, to the people who are devoted to you, you give inexpressible Peace and Delight. Give us your form, give us victory, give us welfare, remove all hostility.

      – from Chandi Path

  • Worship does not mean the memorization of mantras, or even the proper placement of the flowers and other objects. Worship is an attitude of respect, of dedication, of devotion to the exclusion of selfishness.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • Shiva is the Guru of all Gurus, and the five lettered mantra (Om Namah Shivaya) is the most basic building block of all Sanskrit sadhana. From the five-lettered mantra, we go to the nine-lettered mantra, to the mantra with eleven syllables, and so on. It grows and grows in complexity, sophistication and in the various qualities that a seeker will want to increase as he or she proceeds along the path. Start with the five-lettered mantra if you don’t have a Guru. If you worship Shiva, He will send the Guru who is appropriate for your personal development.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Only those who perform selfless expressions of love for the Guru have understood the wisdom of the Vedas and Puranas. They have attained to sannyas (the establishment of truth within). Others are merely making a pretense (of renunciation).

      – from The Guru and the Goddess

  • The fruit of the attempt to satisfy desire is either knowledge or ignorance. Whenever we attempt to satisfy a desire we produce action. All action yields either the fruit of ignorance, strengthening the ego, the identification of individuality, or strengthening of unity, surrender of the ego. Either we have knowledge, which is communion, or ignorance, which is division.

      – from The Guru and the Goddess

  • Serve a Guru. When we take material burdens from our example and inspiration, we get the opportunity to see what actions a pure soul performs in the material world. How has he or she organized their life? How do they sit? How do they breathe? How do they chant? How do they meditate? What do they do with their free time? What do they talk about? We get to work with them. What do they think about? What do they share? Do they talk about boats, about sports, about traveling? Or do they talk about inner space and how to go there? As you perform selfless actions, you get the opportunity to cultivate friendship with someone who can share with you inspiration and instruction, who can motivate you to make changes in your life. When we make ourselves into disciples and start effectively applying those changes in our own lives, we are going to find greater organization, a greater efficiency, a greater energy. Don’t be surprised if someone comes along and asks, Can I help you?

      – from The Guru and the Goddess

    • May 13 – May 19

  • The first step in cultivating pure devotion is participating in satsanga.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • We are trying to propagate the dharma by preparing teaching tools. We don’t want to proselytize or start enrolling people and create an organization. We just want to share the dharma and inspire people to make their relationship with God vibrant. – Swamiji

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Realizing the Supreme Divinity within is possible and not some pie in the sky ideal for the privileged few or chosen ones. God is for everyone.

      – from Sahib Sadhu The White Sadhu

  • Shree Maa: Gita is the definition of the goal. It says again and again, What ever you do, do for God. Surrender your attachment. Give up your selfishness. The Chandi shows us how to do that. The Chandi says, sit down in one asana, in one posture and recite. Don’t move your knees until it is complete. Watch the Divine Mother cut down your attachments. Away with your anger, away goes desire. One by one She takes them away. The Chandi is the path to the realization of Gita.

      – Shree Maa The Life of a Saint

  • Ramakrishna: When we attain to wisdom that is full, complete, and perfect, the human mind becomes silent.

      – Ramakrishna The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Ramakrishna: So long as you persist in inviting the deluding power of maya into your life, how can you expect to become free of the bondage of I consciousness? Only if you stop inviting maya, will it be possible.

      – Ramakrishna The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Ramakrishna: Whether you accept the Divine with form or not, if you have the understanding that God is real, then your prayers will be heard. If you don’t believe that God is real, then you’re wasting your time.

      – from Ramakrishna The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

    • May 20 – May 26

  • If you don’t know the answer, surrender.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Show respect through your every action. If you serve truth, even disregarding all temptation to forsake the truth then you will attain divine strength.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • At the crack of dawn the next morning, we bathed at the banks of the Niranjana River. There were no flowers there to use in our worship, but Swamiji was unperturbed. “We shall do our puja an yagya with sand and leaves”, he told me. The puja went on for the entire day. All we had were leaves and a few sticks of incense. Swamiji drew the yantra in the sand, the sacred symbol which is the seat of the deity, and for each of the mantras of the Chandi Path, he placed a dry leaf on the yantra. – Sushil Choudhury

      – from Sahib Sadhu The White Sadhu

  • This creation is a collection of souls who are making their personal pilgrimages by means of the laws of harmony and unity, of peace and truth. Or we could say that dharma comes about in creation when every individual soul strives in its pilgrimage towards perfection.

      – from The Guru and the Goddess

  • The creation has come about in order to fulfill the quest for perfection. To our limited prejudiced perceptions we may think that others require greater harmony in their lives. In reality they are only fulfilling their dharma, which is the dharma of their particular yatra (pilgrimage).

      – from The Guru and the Goddess

  • Not every one is able to have faith. Everyone has their own samskaras, their own karma. Not everyone will realize their divinity in this lifetime. It is a cycle of life, a cycle of karma. It takes many lifetimes of purification to come to a place where you have real faith. – Shree Maa

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Books are filled with the wisdom of those great souls. Read the scriptures and commune with their wisdom. – Shree Maa

      – from Before Becoming This

    • May 27 – June 2

  • There are many gifts more valuable than money: a kind word and a friendly smile often are regarded as the greatest wealth.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • It is possible to receive injury or put yourself at a disadvantaged position, if you pronounce incorrectly or say the wrong thing.

    We consider such statements as absurd and useless, tantamount to saying, Unless I direct your prayer, it is of know value at all, or it is not a real prayer unless I lead it. It is absolutely ridiculous to think that God would not appreciate the sincerity of our efforts, even though we may make technical errors. – Swamiji

      – from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs

  • Ramakrishna: If you perform your activities in the world without first contemplating God, you are going to fall into worldliness. The burden of responsibility and worldliness will become unbearable.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Be content with small gains.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna: The more you contemplate worldly attachments, the more your energy becomes weaker by the day. Before you cut open a jackfruit, cover your hands with oil. The jackfruit is extremely sticky, and without oil your hands will become stuck together. Just so, rub your mind with the oil of devotion to God. Then you can perform your worldly duties.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Everyone is looking for a miracle outside rather than looking at the power within.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna (to Keshab’s devotees): You tell me, who has the capacity to offer a benefit to the world? Is this world so small that you can benefit it? Who are you who can actually do some benefit to the world? In order to really benefit the world, one must realize God through sadhana. Then you gain Godliness. If she gives you the energy, then you can perform welfare for others. In the absence of divine inspiration it’s impossible.

      – Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

    • June 3 – June 9

  • A balanced life consists of 8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep and 8 hours of spiritual practices.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Many people say this is the Kali yuga age or age of darkness. But the yugas are modes of perception. We choose to live in the Satya yuga age, the age of truth.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • The Sanatana Dharma touches on every aspect of life. It is about how you can manifest perfection in every action you perform. The Sanatana Dharma is about spiritual life. It’s not about practices. Practices are tangential to the main thesis. They are tools for reminding ourselves always to be engaged in the spiritual path.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • In the morning remember the divine name in the brilliant lotus in the head, along with the Guru with two eyes and two arms, who grants the boons of freedom from fear and peace.

      – from The Guru and The Goddess

  • Swami Satyananda has said over the years that the true spiritual aspirant gathers together all the loose threads of his or her life in order to focus on the goals and methods to reach them. To be a true sadhu is to be efficient, and give more than one takes.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • Ramakrishna: I’m telling you the truth. It’s no fault of yours to be worldly, but you should keep your mind focused of God. If you don’t do that, you won’t be able to achieve your spiritual goals. Do your work with one hand and with the other hand grab onto God. When your karma is complete, then you’ll be able to hold onto God with both hands. The mind is both the source of your liberation as well as the source of your bondage.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Ramakrishna: If you wear fancy shoes on your feet, then you will sing or whistle like an Englishman. In whatever way you apply your mind, that way the mind will reflect. If a pundit studies Sanskrit, then from his mouth the shlokas will pour out very quickly. If you keep your mind with bad influences, you’ll begin to think about bad influences. That is the way you’ll begin to think; that is the way you’ll begin to speak. If you keep your mind with devotees, then your mind will think about God. You’ll speak about God.

      – Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

    • June 10 – June 16

  • Become so firm in your faith that you will never swerve from your ideal.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna: You may discriminate a thousand times, yet the I who is the thinker does not leave. For devotees to regard me with devotion is a very good thing. To the devotees I am the Supreme Divinity embodied in a human form, meaning that the Supreme Divinity Beyond Form has taken on qualities. When individuals take a form, they express through that form, and God listens to the prayers of a pure individual.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Ramakrishna: When a Devotee has a belief in a particular form of God and further develops a living relationship with that form, then there is no more confusion whatsoever. If you have vision of God in any form, then He Himself explains it all to you.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • I was reminded of a time that I had a physical problem and I remarked to Maa that I was slowing down. Rather than commiserating with me Maa smiled sweetly and replied, Your body is getting closer to God! One day we will leave our bodies and be with God. Isn’t that wonderful! At that moment I found a new depth in our mantra, Om Aim Hrim Klim Camundayai Vicce – One who can see birth, preservation, and destruction in all things is enlightened.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • It’s not hard. Every day you need to brush your teeth. In the same way, every day you have to think, I am a child of God.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Outside the temples there were often signs posted that read:
    Entrance for Hindus only. According to the true definition, a Hindu is one who abhors violence in every form, who always practices harmonious behavior, who loves wisdom, who is respects all teachers of wisdom and practices one pointed meditation. Such a one may be said to be a Hindu. Being Hindu has nothing to do with the country of your birth, the color of your skin, or what religion your mother or father practiced. Being a Hindu is an attainment.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • Call upon the Divine Mother, sing Her names, narrate the tales of her saints, and become inspired to greater achievement. She is our beautiful, Beloved Mother. She grants the fruit of all karma. Worship Her with all your heart.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

    • June 17 – June 23

  • Throughout the scripture we find an admonition to perform seva to the Guru, selfless service as an expression of love. Seva is different from work in that the performer feels privileged to demonstrate the intensity of love by performing and action, while a worker feels some expectation to receive in return.

      – from The Guru and The Goddess

  • There are three forms of seva. The lowest form is when our respected one asks us, “Would you do this for me?” The middle form is when we divide areas of responsibility and we discharge our duties with an attitude of love. The highest seva is when we see an opportunity to demonstrate our love, and without being told or asked, we go out of our way to add value to another’s life.

      – from The Guru and The Goddess

  • Through seva to the Guru, selfless service as an expression of love, we earn the privilege of learning and performing more karma yoga, and when our fickle minds stop modifications of the objects of consciousness, then we to realize the soul’s inherent union with divinity. We become the Guru. We become Supreme Divinity.

      – from The Guru and The Goddess

  • Surrender the ego so that we can recognize God when he comes rather than passing our time trying to manipulate his creation.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • The fourth residence of awareness is the chakra of the heart. There you get your first glimpse of True Consciousness where on all sides you find the Vision of Light. The individual is mesmerized or astounded by the wonder of this Eternal Light, and he says “What is this?” Then his mind no longer has any tendency to move towards the lower levels of worldly attachments.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • When people have sattwic devotion, they meditate in private. They meditate underneath the mosquito net, while everyone else thinks they are asleep. Actually in the night they are awake, and that’s why they sleep late in the morning. They don’t care too much for their bodies. If they get a little food, it is sufficient. They have no desire for delicacies. They have no desire for expensive clothing. They have simple furnishings and no wish for fine decor. Yet they feel no want.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Just think that while you’re here, your are an actor and then you’ll go home. Be the actor you can and realize it’s a play.

      – from Before Becoming This

    • June 24 – June 30

  • The more we move towards satsanga the closer we come to wise and noble thoughts.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • There are two kinds of love. There’s the love of selfish attachment, and there’s the love of surrender. When we love selfishly, we only think about what’s in it for me: I love you as long as my needs are fulfilled. When we love with unselfish surrender, we abandon all of our own personal considerations and give ourselves over to our beloved.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Question to Swamiji: What is the fastest way to enlightenment?

    As soon as we talk about speed in getting to a destination, we are defining the destination as an attainment. Enlightenment is not an attainment. It is something tangible that you can possess. Enlightenment is a realization in the moment. So the fastest way to enlightenment that I can suggest is to fall in love to the exclusion of all delusion. To fall in love – right now with such force and conviction that you surrender all duality and all attachments to your beloved. Make that love the supreme love of all your loves.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • To be in the presence of our Guru, to be in the presence of God, is just as rewarding after many years as it was on the first day.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Shree Maa:

    I saw a vision of Swamiji coming down from heaven. His two hands were raised in a blessing, and he was chanting the Devi Suktam from the Chandi. He floated down through the air and went before the Shiva statue, and then merged into this idol of worship. On seeing this, I knew he was a divine man and that we must have some important karma together.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • Shree Maa has entered my heart. No matter where I am or what I do, Mother’s presence is forever with me.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • The compassionate guru looked at the distressed young man and said, My dear Prapod, no one can run away to become a sannyasi. Sannyas is an attainment. It is a fact of life, not a discipline of life.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

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Planets and Days of the Week

Day                   Ruled By

Sunday           Sun, Surya

Monday           Moon, Chandra

Tuesday          Mars, Mangala

Wednesday      Mercury, Buddha

Thursday         Jupiter, Brihaspati, Guru

Friday             Venus, Shukra

Saturday         Saturn, Shani

Sadhana Panchakam Slide Show

The Sadhana Panchakam is a Sanskrit stotram containing five verses in praise of spiritual discipline (sadhana), authored by Sri Shankaracharya. The Panchakam is located at the beginning of the Advanced Shiva Puja book.

Inspiring Quotes Archive Page 2

~~OM~~

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    March 4 – March 10

  • There is only one path and we are all on it. Do not try to dissect spirituality into a number of fragments. Spirituality means giving more than we take. That is the behavior I would like my disciples to practice. – Shree Maa

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Give respect to each and every atom of creation. All are reflections of the Divine Energy and the divine purpose so that all must be attended upon with a respectful attitude.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Every action that we produce in life has two possibilities. It will be for me or for Thee. Either I am acting motivated by selfishness or I am acting motivated by surrender. There are some really fine shades of gray where we think we are surrendering, but are actually enhancing our egotism.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Always pray to God for his grace. If we think we are a child of God all the time, our actions will become divine. Automatically everything will come to us. – Shree Maa

      – from Before Becoming This

  • “Swaha” – I am One With God.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • These are the qualities of a disciple: humility, modesty, causing harm to none, patience, the purification of knowledge, worship of the teacher, purity, consistency, self control, constant equanimity of consciousness, unswerving devotion, distaste for the society of gossip, always residing in spiritual wisdom. All that is opposed is ignorance.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Devotee: You mean we can do the work of the world and also contemplate God?

    Ramakrishna: Yes, you will do them both. You have to perform the work of the world, but from time to time go into solitude and pray that you can perform those activities without personal desire. Then you will say, “Hey, God, reduce my worldly desires because when I see that there is so much work in front of me, I forget you. I think that I am acting selflessly, but I actually have lots of desires.” If you are pursuing name, gain, and fame, you cannot be free from desire.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

    • March 11 – March 17

  • The Guru is actually the supreme divinity, and therefore, we bow down to the respected Guru.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Gurus are examples which instruct, inspire, somehow cause us to change the objectives we pursue and or the paths to their attainment.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Wisdom means being totally unselfish. The highest sacrifice is wisdom.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna: When you cry to God, cry with the deepest sincerity. People cry with such sincerity for money, wealth, their children, or their families. How many of them cry for God? You have to call for God with real sincerity.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • How do I invite grace to come to me? Krpa (Kree pa) means grace. It means what you do is what you get. Kr (Kree) means do; pa means get. The real grace is that I will receive the fruit of my karma. How do I invite grace to find me in this duality? One way is to pray for the blessing of divine remembrance.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • The attitude of a devotee is like the relationship between a mother and her small child. If the child were to grab hold of a snake, or in any situation of danger, the mother will always protect it. But when the child is bigger, a young man like the wise person, she would think that the child could protect himself. The responsibility does not remain with the mother. Therefore, God will always protect a devotee who is like a small child. And like a grown young man, God will leave wise people to their own devices.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • The Western countries are new countries. India is an old country. It is steeped in Godliness. It is God’s purpose that the West is the way it is and the East is the way it is. Now you can see that the whole world is uniting. God is making oneness. It is so beautiful! In the future the whole world will be very peaceful.

      – from Before Becoming This

    • March 18 – March 24

  • There is only one criteria for Correct� samskrt pronunciation and understanding. Ramakrishna called it Vyakulata, an inner longing, a need or desire which is felt so intensely that we can think of nothing else, being entirely filled with it, expressed with a degree of sincerity that makes us pay attention to the exclusion of all other thoughts.

      – from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs

  • There is no balance in this creation. Only each individual has to find his own balance. Through discipline you can find your own balance.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • When you know you are a child of God, that is surrender. If you don’t know who you are, it is hard to surrender. Your heart has to be soft. If you remember you are a child of God, you will become purer day by day. First comes simplicity, later comes respect. When you think I am a child of God, respect will come to you in every moment. – Shree Maa.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • My grandmother told me to wake up early in the morning, look in the mirror and bow down to myself. It’s very simple, but we make it complicated. – Shree Maa

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Ramakrishna: At first in sadhana everything is mixed up and confused. But as you go towards God, your burden of activities will be reduced. The time will come when even repeating the names and reciting the qualities of the deities will drop off.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • God has a plan. There is nothing worry about. – Shree Maa

      – from Before Becoming This

  • How can someone who reads this book or sees you once a year at one of your programs have a relationship with you?

    Shree Maa gave me a piercing look and said, “If they call for me sincerely in their heart, I will know.” Then she paused for a second and said, “I am the mother of the universe. I am with everyone.”

      – from Before Becoming This

    • March 25 – March 31

  • During the 1960s, Swamiji was one of many westerners who took off for the East in search of true wisdom. He is among the few who, in fact, gained realization and then returned to share with us the wisdom he attained. Swamiji brought not only the wisdom and devotion he gained through more than twenty years of intensive spiritual practices and direct experience of God, but he also brought the most priceless treasure from the heart of India, the respected Divine Mother, Shree Maa

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • The best way to pray is with mantra, literally, that which takes away the mind. Now when you have a stimulus and you are ready to respond, use a mantra and take away your mind. Take a breath and put a mantra with your breath. Hold it for a moment then say the mantra again. Get yourself clear on your objectives, your motivations and your methods.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • I saw deeply in my meditation that Ramakrishna came to me and said, “The Motherland and the Fatherland must be made one. You, my children, shall perform worship in the west as you do in the east. There is no need to build community temples, but a temple should be established in every home and in every heart. For that purpose you shall go to new places to teach people how to worship” – Shree Maa

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Every action should be worship.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • It is very simple. That is why we need to do spiritual practices, to remind ourselves to remember divinity all the time. But performing spiritual practices is no substitute for leading a spiritual life. Every one is God. Mother is everywhere. That’s why I like to keep pictures of Gods and Goddesses around me. It’s fun. – Shree Maa

      – Before Becoming This

  • Over eight hundred years ago there was a great Tibetan Monk named Milarepa. He realized the ultimate goal of existence after performing severe spiritual practices.

    Milarepa writes: In horror of death, I took to the mountains – again and again I meditated on the uncertainty of the hour of death, capturing the fortress of the deathless unending nature of mind. Now all fear of death is over and done.

    In the same light as Milarepa, Swamiji has taken this quote and interpreted it according to his ideal of perfection. For me, this is just one more example of the greatness of Swamiji’s attainment.

    Swamiji writes: In honor of life, I took to the mountains—again and again I meditated upon the bliss of being and humankind’s inherent ability to perceive it. Then I captured that imperishable essence, and now all fear has vanished. – Swamiji

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • Every woman is a reflection of the Divine Mother. Every woman’s nature is to be like a mother who gives to the world like she gives to her child.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

    • April 1 – April 7

  • Respect is heaven. Respect is liberation.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Our goal is not to train pundits. We are trying to inspire devotees around the world to pray with sincerity for blessings of good health, purity, and peace, inside themselves and around the world, in any language, in any tradition, any where, alone or with their families, in their own temples, in every temple, and to actualize that prayer in their every effort. – Swamiji

      – from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs

  • She (Shree Maa) is divinity in manifest form, and Her light, Her love, and Her silence are a testimony to That Divine Realization.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • The first step is satsanga, good company. Find pure examples of surrendered souls with which to associate in our lives. Serve a guru.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Ramakrishna: When we sing the name of God even once with devotion and bhava, if you shed tears, then know for certain that all the rituals of worship are completely fulfilled. Then actions are renounced of their own accord. Karma leaves us, and only the name of God remains.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • God will give you everything you desire. – Shree Maa

      – from Before Becoming This

  • It was summer time and very hot. So every afternoon, after he had finished his chanting, Swamiji walked to the edge of the pond, seated himself in the full lotus posture and floated out onto the water. Swamiji stayed in the lotus posture on top of the water for a few hours at a time. People stood on the shore and looked at him in astonishment, but he never paid them any attention. He closed his eyes. His right foot was placed upon his left thigh, and his left foot was placed upon his right thigh, and with his backbone completely straight, he floated on the water.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

    • April 8 – April 14

  • There are only three things in a sadhu’s jewelry box: Pure love, inspiration, and appreciation.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Many, many times I didn’t know where my next meal was coming from, but I always knew that God would take care of me. I had no doubt about that what so ever. – Swamiji

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Ramakrishna: Remember that God without form is true, and God with form is just as true. Whichever one you have faith in, hold on to that, and move toward God.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Ramakrishna: When you call with sincerity, She (The Divine Mother) must come and pay attention. When the morning dawns, first the light begins radiate, and then you see the sun. Sincerity is the key to the vision of God.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Many people say they want God but it is just another desire amongst a multitude.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Wandering senses breeds desire. Therefore control your senses. Learn to sit in an asan and control your breath.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna: Do your work in the world, but keep your mind at the feet of God and leave it there.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

    • April 15 – April 21

  • Most people perform puja to get a boon. They pray for something like a new car, winning the lottery, etc. In our tradition we just pray because it is a privilege to demonstrate our love for God.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Cultivate the attitude of appreciation for the bounteous gifts of God, especially for the privilege of being able to sit in the presence of God. Cultivate the attitude of gratitude, and carry it with you throughout your daily activities. Only then will worship pervade our lives.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • Ramakrishna: Please think about this very deeply and intensely. There are many forms of desires and many forms of what is required to fulfill them. They are all transient. God is the only true reality. What do you get with money? When you have money, you get rice, clothes, and a place to stay. You don’t get God with money, so money cannot be the goal of life. This is called discrimination between the real and the unreal. Do you understand?

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • So long as the body may remain, remember your Guru as a worshipful God. Do not give up on the Guru, even if he moves according to his own rhythm.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • A true guru is always thinking for the welfare of others, whereas a false teacher is always thinking for his or her own personal gain or even of destroying others. A true teacher does good even to those who do him or her harm. Just like the sandlewood tree: if anyone cuts into the tree, even still, the tree gives forth its beautiful fragrance. The saintly being is always engaged in striving for the upliftment and welfare of everyone. An unsaintly being is known by the capacity to do harm to others and do harm even to himself in the process.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • In the Eighteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita it says:
    Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, patience, the purification of knowledge, wisdom, the application of wisdom, and the continuous pursuit of self-realization are the actions natural to a brahmana.

      – from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs

  • Question to Swamiji:

    Why do you consider Human birth the highest birth?

    Answer: Humanity has the capacity to reason. Humans have the capacity to dedicate their minds to the contemplation of whatever their desired objective is. In so doing, they can perform sadhana and realize their total potential.

      – from Before Becoming This

    • April 22 – April 28

  • There are six karmas allowed to a brahmana: to learn and to teach, to worship for yourself and to worship for others, to pray for others and to lead others in worship, to give what one can and to accept offerings that are given as a token of love and respect.

      – from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs

  • Through faith we attain everything.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Swamiji describing Shree Maa:

    Shree Maa does not have selfish bone in her body. She walks on the grass in such a way it seems the grass bows when it is stepped on. She has so much humility you might not notice her if she were sitting in a crowd. She carries herself with such poise and such grace that she makes herself diminutive. I think her attitudes, her service, her love, her guidance, her wisdom, her joy, her light, her music, her cooking are all directed towards making this universe a better place. Every activity she performs on Earth is directed towards lifting someone else up. She is constantly thinking of others and never thinking of herself.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • We come with our samskaras, our tendencies. We also come with three debts of karma: to the Gods, to the ancestors, and to the Gurus. We discharge our debt to the Gods by making the world a better place for our having been here. We discharge our debts to the ancestors by respecting the elders the way we would want to be respected when we are old and by nurturing the young people, teaching them the way we would like the world to become. We discharge our debt to the Gurus, all the teachers who gave us a piece of the puzzle from life to life, from birth to birth, by living in accordance with their wisdom.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Wise people are the instruments of God’s communications. Concern yourself with the message. The messenger is of minor importance.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • The ignorant is like a person who is sitting beside a mountain of gold, yet still remains a beggar. When a person has met their guru, and with an open heart allows the guru to show how to see, that person discovers the wealth that is with them, that person is known as wise. – Shree Maa

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Experience truth for yourself and don’t rely only upon the experiences of others. Truth has only one reference for verification: personal experience.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

    • April 29 – May 5

  • Most people perform puja to get a boon. They pray for something like a new car, winning the lottery, etc. In our tradition we just pray because it is a privilege to demonstrate our love for God.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Cultivate the attitude of appreciation for the bounteous gifts of God, especially for the privilege of being able to sit in the presence of God. Cultivate the attitude of gratitude, and carry it with you throughout your daily activities. Only then will worship pervade our lives.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • Ramakrishna: Please think about this very deeply and intensely. There are many forms of desires and many forms of what is required to fulfill them. They are all transient. God is the only true reality. What do you get with money? When you have money, you get rice, clothes, and a place to stay. You don’t get God with money, so money cannot be the goal of life. This is called discrimination between the real and the unreal. Do you understand?

      – from Ramakrishna The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • So long as the body may remain, remember your Guru as a worshipful God. Do not give up on the Guru, even if he moves according to his own rhythm.

      – from The Guru and the Goddess

  • A true guru is always thinking for the welfare of others, whereas a false teacher is always thinking for his or her own personal gain or even of destroying others. A true teacher does good even to those who do him or her harm. Just like the sandalwood tree: if anyone cuts into the tree, even still, the tree gives forth its beautiful fragrance. The saintly beingn is always engaged in striving for the upliftment and welfare of everyone. An unsaintly being is known by the capacity to do harm to others and do harm even to himself in the process.

      – from Shree Maa The Life of a Saint

  • In the Eighteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita it says:
    Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, patience, the purification of knowledge, wisdom, the application of wisdom, and the continuous pursuit of self-realization are the actions natural to a brahmana.

      – from Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs

  • Question to Swamiji:

    Why do you consider Human birth the highest birth?

    Humanity has the capacity to reason. Humans have the capacity to dedicate their minds to the contemplation of whatever their desired objective is. In so doing, they can perform sadhana and realize their total potential.

      – from Before Becoming This

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Ambuvaci Festival


~~OM~~

Ambuvaci is a festival to honor and respect Divine Mother Earth during Her menstrual period. It is celebrated once a year at the temple of Kamakhya Devi. This year Ambuvaci is from June 22nd to June 25th.

There is never a time when the Divine Mother of the Universe is impure, so the idea that the Goddess hides during Her period is a misunderstanding. The period of menstruation is a time when women can become extremely still and silent, and get in touch with the ultimate consciousness of their feminine nature.

In ancient India a woman’s puja consisted of chopping wood, carrying water, preparing the prasad, cooking over a open flamed wood stove, in addition to making offerings at the altar. The Vedic Rishis suggested that women living in a joint family community, have no need for such strenuous activities during their monthly menstrual period, when their sensitive nature will allow them to go deeply inside. This time would be better spent in meditation.

There was no issue of impurity. There was a proscription against strenuous activity in preparing for worship during the time of menstruation. Allowing other family members to participate in the woman’s share of physical responsibilities, created a greater sense of understanding and appreciation for her contributions to the family.

Ambuvaci is the celebration of the Divine Mother’s retreat from the demands of Her devotees, who are constantly beseeching Her for intercession in their lives. For three days She resides in the solitude of Her feminine nature and enjoys the freedom from the concerns for Her children.

For three days we do not disturb the earth, we do not move fire, and the devotees make kirtan and mental worship. The sadhus sit outside Her temple and chant and sing and allow the Divine Mother the privacy of Her solitude.

At the end of the three days the temple is opened, and everyone enjoys darshan and blessings of the Divine Mother. In the Kamakhya Temple a famous piece of red cloth is offered as prasad. It is said to be cloth upon which Divine Mother sits during Her period, and it is highly cherished because it conveys powerful blessings.