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Shree Maa blesses us all with Her joy!


Photo of the week – Mar 4 – Mar 10 2007
(Picture taken early 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)

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Devi Mandir: comes complete with the world’s best pujaris and sadhus!


Photo of the week of Feb 25 – Mar 3 2007
(Taken on MahaShivaratri, Feb 15 2007 in front of Yajneshwar, at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)

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Reflections on Sarva Badha Peace Sankalpa Mantra


{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


More Reflections on Sarva Badha Peace Sankalpa Mantra

There are several highlights to this week – we crossed our first million in japa , and then a phone conversation with Swamiji on the sankalpa.

He asked, "Have you watched the broadcasts before the evening program on weekdays? We have been chanting the peace sankalpa mantra, atleast 1 mala a day, but we dont count!"

"Oh you count alright Swamiji", I hastened to clarify ,"In fact you are like Florida, you count AND count ! You count a LOT !" (Readers will doubtless remember the election of 2000 in Florida, but we will not probe into those boring political details here !)

Anyway, having Swamiji and the Mandir residents join our sankalpa is beyond value! Our heartfelt thanks to Swamiji for adding momentum to our progress .

There was a beautiful post by our beloved Rick Veda, on this sankalpa . Here is what he had to say

"The Universal Peace Sankalpa has taken on a life of its own in me. One thought I had was that being the UPS, it always delivers the package, and always on time! But it has become universal in a much more profound way to me. It is the first thought I have when I awake, and it follows with me in every moment, every conversation, every interaction I have all through the day. It has become my universe. I am so grateful to Shree Maa for giving this great blessing to me. Although I have been chanting mantras for years, there is a wonderful difference with this sankalpa because the mantra is chanting itself through me.

Swamiji’s inspired translation likewise blesses my spirit. The two words that keep coming back into my awareness are "disturbances" and "hostility." I ask her to "terminate all disturbance in the three worlds." It always begins with a disturbance. If I am kept from becoming disturbed, I will not lose my connection with Maa. But if I allow disturbances into my thinking, they will take root and create hostility. I do not have to experience hostility. But it is inevitable if I nurture any disturbance.

Shree Maa is the Spirit of the Supreme Sovereign. I am so grateful to pray this mantra to her, and know the bliss of deliverance from all disturbances. By her grace I am experiencing more of this each day. "

Thank you for your beautiful and profound words , Rick – it struck a chord in my heart, and am sure resonates with our other participants too.

Our friend Chris from Tacoma, WA , agrees with Rick and says "I am amazed every time I sit down for my japa of this mantra how strong the shakti is and how connected t is to Mother."

Thanks to all for sharing in your numbers. Congratulations to Mausumi for completing 100 malas at the fire.

As of Feb 25, here are the totals for those of us that prefer to do the sankalpa at the fire

Name
Number of Mantras
Swamiji & Mandir Residents
Priceless
Michael
12960
Janitri
4084
Mausumi
10908
Total
27,952

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

Name
Number of Mantras
Babu 1296
Bharata 39000
Bharati 9450
Brendan 2878
Carie 919
Chocatane 15660
Chris K 13392
Chris W 15481
Debi 51948
Donna 18790
Durga 5616
Egyirba 6048
Eric 39204
Gauri 5832
Georgiann 4913
Henny 20412
Janitri 9684
Jayadeva 19764
Julia 15480
Kalachandra 15876
Kaliananda 13392
Kamalaji 14040
Kanda 15120
Karen 16000
Kathy 11044
Marsha 12960
Maruthi 30000
Mausumi 11880
Michael 10800
Michele 4792
Morningsong 17820
Muktimaa 10800
Nirmal 5184
Nirmalananda 11100
Nanda 12015
Papia 15120
Parvati 6480
Patty 15944
Prasana 9568
Prathibha 10617
Raghu 18036
Rebeca 8100
Rick Veda 53460
Robin 12000
Rolf 12312
Rukmani 6048
Sadhu Maa 7668
Shubal 7884
Sitara 2694
Sundari 16200
Shankari 8856
Surya 95580
Susan 17172
Usha 42768
Vasantha 34000
Wendel 12300
Wendy 20844
Vinay 2160
Visveshwar 31512
Yogini 46440
Total 1,022,353

MahaShivaratri Picture


Photo of the week of Feb 18 – Feb 24 2007
(Taken on MahaShivaratri, Feb 15 2007 at Devi Mandir, Napa, CA)

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"A little burn is no reason to break one’s asana or sadhana…"

Week 6 of the Sankalpa has completed. Some of us are trying to keep up with this sankalpa AND balance a sadhana for Shivaratri AND with the demands that life puts in our way to test our sincerity and resolve in this sadhana!

Shivaratri – reminds me of a Swamiji story. Swamiji had gotten badly scorched at a fire ceremony several years ago, one that he never fully healed from. This Shivaratri, during the chanting of a text, he got more blisters on the same spot that he had been scorched, but to paraphrase his own inimitable words "a little burn is no reason to break one’s asana or sadhana"

May we all derive the inspiration from Swamiji’s sadhana to keep at our tapasya this year . May our minds be filled with that firm determination of Shiva, the Consciousness of Infinite Goodness.

Here is a photo taken at the Dharamshala at the Mandir, in early Jan 2007 – with our friends from New Jersey, learning to pronounce the mantra for this sankalpa. Guess who is who ?

As of Feb 18 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 32000
Bharati 8640
Brendan 2150
Carie 618
Chocatane 13068
Chris K 11448
Chris W 12120
Debi 36828
Donna 15690
Durga 4752
Egyirba 6048
Eric 32508
Gauri 5832
Georgiann 4117
Henny 17496
Janitri 7584
Jayadeva 13824
Julia 10860
Kalachandra 9072
Kaliananda 11988
Kamalaji 9770
Kanda 12960
Karen 14000
Kathy 11044
Marsha 7884
Maruthi 23000
Mausumi 11880
Michael 7884
Michele 4218
Morningsong 15120
Muktimaa 9936
Nirmalananda 9300
Nanda 10115
Papia 11880
Parvati 6480
Patty 13365
Prasana 9568
Prathibha 10617
Raghu 15444
Rebeca 8100
Rick Veda 43740
Robin 9900
Rolf 10800
Rukmani 6048
Sadhu Maa 7668
Shubal 7884
Sitara 1124
Sundari 11340
Shankari 6048
Surya 73224
Susan 11664
Usha 32724
Vasantha 21000
Wendel 10200
Wendy 17712
Vinay 2160
Visveshwar 31512
Yogini 35640
Total 820,892

 

Peace Sankalpa 2007 Reflections

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, h
ere 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

 

Dvadasa Jyotirlingams Slideshow

The Jyotirlingams are among the most revered holy places for the worship of Lord Shiva. The twelve Jyotirlingams are:
Somanatham, Mallikarjunam, Mahakalam, Omkareswaram, Kedaranatham, Bhimasankaram, Visveswaram, Tryambakam, Baijanatham, Nageswaram, Ramesvaram and Ghusmesvaram.

Prathamam Sailaputri Cha

{ 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

 

Who is Guru

Guru: The syllable Gu means darkness, Ru means light. The Supreme Divinity which destroys ignorance is verily the Guru, without a doubt. The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, […]

Blessings from Shree Maa for 2007 Sankalpa Participants

This has been a very eventful week for the sankalpa. The highlight was a wonderful note from Shree Maa blessing the sadhaks.
Shree Maa said (in an email)
Beloved Children,
I am thrilled with your sankalpa.
Earth Mother needs you. Keep going with Her. Earth Mother and you guys are not separate. All of you will get lots of blessings.
Alright! Arise! We are marching ahead with Earth Mother’s Flag!
I love you all.
Shree Maa
A lot of us, charged with the power of Maa’s words gave an extra push to do more this week. Our group’s grand total crossed 170,000 repetitions.

Some of the devotees organized a satsang in their home town, and began their practice with the group. Here is what the devotee had to say:
Many that we emailed expressed interest in joining the 2007 peace mantra sankalpa. Around ten joined us tonight for satsang. It was FUN! We discussed the Chandi Path, the mantra and mantra practice based on teachings and sharings from Swamiji, others in the on line group and our experiences. We did the sankalpa prayer, started the practice, sang araati and kirtan. The bhav was high and participants seemed inspired.

Hearing these experiences motivated our group and participants even more. Here are the individual totals as of this week (21 Jan 2007).

This is the total for those that preferred to do their sadhana at the fire

Name
Number of Mantras
Michael 3132
Janitri 1080
Total 4,212

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

Name
Number of Mantras
Babu 1296
Chris 2808
Debi 5076
Donna 1790
Durga 756
Egyirba 2160
Eric 7452
Gauri 3132
Henny 2700
Janitri 540
Jayadeva 4428
Julia 1620
Kalachandra 4536
Kaliananda 3888
Kamalaji 2916
Kanda 4320
Karen 4800
Marsha 324
Mausumi 2592
Michele 700
Morningsong 5400
Muktimaa 3564
Nirmalananda 700
Nanda 3360
Papia 648
Parvati 1080
Patty 4584
Prasana 3540
Prathibha 3665
Raghu 3564
Rick Veda 13176
Robin 1088
Rolf 2700
Rukmani 756
Sadhu Maa 1620
Sadhvi 4410
Sundari 2484
Shankari 1944
Surya 31050
Susan 1080
Usha 9828
Wendy 2656
Visveshwar 3780
Yogini 6480
Total 170,991

 

Story of the Das Mahavidyas


~~OM~~

Sati, the consort of Shiva was the daughter of Daksha Prajapati a descendant of Brahma. Sati had married Shiva against the wishes of her father. The vain Daksha performed a great yagna (with the sole aim of insulting Shiva), to which he invited all of the gods and goddesses except his son-in-law Shiva. Sati learned about her father’s yajna from Narad Muni. She asked Shiva’s permission to attend the yajna, saying that a daughter did not need an invitation from her father. Shiva said that Daksha was trying to insult him, and so even if Sati attended the yajna, the fruit of the sacrifice would not be auspicious. Therefore he bade Sati not to attend the yajna.

Sati became furious – She thought that Shiva was treating her like an ignorant lady and not as the mother of Universe. So to show Shiva who she really was, she assumed a different form – the one of the Divine Mother. The oceans raged and the mountains shook, the atmosphere was filled with the wonder of her form. Shiva began to shake and tried to flee. In every direction that he tried to flee, the Divine mother stopped him. The Divine Mother had multiplied herself into ten different forms guarding the ten different directions and try as Shiva might, he could not escape from her, as she had blocked every escape route.

Inspiring Quotes By ShreeMaa

~~OM~~

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    November 4 – November 10

  • The seventh region is in the Sahasrara at the top of the head. If your contemplation goes there, then you go into Samadhi. All the knowers of the Supreme Divinity have the actual vision of divine communion with God.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • People want realization and liberation, to become enlightened. Do not think it is something different from doing for others as you would have them do for you.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna: Human beings are of four kinds: those who are bound to the world of desires and attachments, those who renounce the world, those who are liberated, and those rare souls who are eternally free.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Shree Maa performs worship at the sacred fire. Residing in the hearts of devotees, the flame of devotion is burning. In the agnya chakra, the light of meditation is shining. Yagya comes from the Sanskrit word to unite and the fire ceremony is the union of the fire within and the fire outside.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Just as humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, and plants inhale carbon dioxide and produce oxygen into the atmosphere, in the same way, in the sacred fire ceremony, devotees surrender all negativities and receive the blessing of divine illumination.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • All thoughts of duality are sacrificed in the sacred fire and the joyous love of unity takes birth in the hearts of the participants. When Shree Maa sits for worship, the silence creates such stillness, that all observers are conducted to her vibration.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • November 11 – November 17

  • Udas means a servant of circumstance. Whoever remains satisfied with whatever situation arises is established in wisdom.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna: Men and women who are liberated are not infatuated with this world of objects and relationships. That is why, after becoming free, some just leave their bodies.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • There is another characteristic of a bound soul. If you were to take that individual out of the world he is use to and put him into a holy environment, he would probably die of boredom.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Who has extreme renunciation? Those whose life force is totally dedicated to God with the sincere dedication a mother has for the child in her womb. He who has extreme dedication desires nothing other than God.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • As you practice tapasya, your ego becomes less attached to thought. The thoughts are not becoming more pure. In reality you have the same thoughts, but you have less attachment to them.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • The asuras will teach us selfishness, the Gods will awaken consciousness. This conflict between selfishness and divinity is the perpetual cause of confusion, until we become one with the Light.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Our ancestors provided us with all that we needed to progress in our search. And for that purpose we are beholden to seven generations previous to us, while seven generations to come will benefit from our attainment of understanding. Whether or not our ancestors knew what they were doing, they cultivated within us certain qualities which we needed in order to manifest our highest ideal of perfection.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • November 18 – November 24

  • True wisdom makes a man humble.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • If you don’t have the physical presence of a person who inspires you, read a scripture. Sit by a symbol of divinity and listen to the wisdom of the wise.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • The feeling of devotion is what fosters our spiritual development; such things as reading books are not enough. When we do puja or other forms of worship, it’s best to sing loudly and enthusiastically so the Gods will hear us! Furthermore, our worship is even more meaningful when we feel gratitude that we have the impulse and the opportunity to perform these devotions.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Mother’s love helps you realize that is not the words that are important but the actions.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Keep your life simple, always be truthful, and give pure love to all, recognizing all as God.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • The influence of maya is so strong, always pulling you out. Tapasya, purifying austerities, are very necessary.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • When I think of Maa, I think of Truth. She is what Truth is, powerful and absolute, but Maa is also gentle and kind. I was a stranger and she took me in. I was hungry and she fed me.

      – Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • November 25 – December 1

  • Our responses should be calculated to take us to a better place than we are already at and help us to accomplish our objectives. If we could stop and put one instant of discrimination between the stimulus and the response, then we could live life perfectly.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • A realized being sees that the God within you is the God within me. If I lift you up in any way, I am doing good to myself an I am doing good to my world. It benefits me to do good to others. It is all me.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • The power that comes from the feeling that we are being blessed allows us to move forward with renewed vigor. We have more strength and courage. We have a different attitude that makes things work better. Every time we take the name of God, We get a blessing.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • The pujas allow us to expand our consciousness to that awareness (of divinity) and cultivate that relationship. We begin by seeing God in little things. We practice seeing God in a flower, in a candle, in an altar of worship, in a form of deity that we put our love and devotion into. Then the relationship increases exponentially.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Each one of the deities is an embodiment of a whole set of spiritual and philosophical aspirations. They are an embodiment of an entire school of philosophy and a whole set of spiritual practices which are designed to bring us to the realization of that philosophy. So the various arms, weapons and mudras (gestures) are all indicative of aspects of spiritual disciplines.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • There are many levels of meaning to dharma. Some people speak of dharma as a religion: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Jewish. Other people speak of dharma as the universal laws of nature. Everything in between is included in the definition. On every level of the evolution of consciousness you will find an expanded definition until you are one with God, and then you will know the real meaning of dharma.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Ramakrishna: It is very difficult to take on the responsibilities of a teacher. Without being given the authority from God, it is very difficult to teach. If you begin to give instruction without authority from God, people will not listen to you. Such teachings have no power. First you do sadhana. In some way you have to attain to God. When you get the authority from God, then you may lecture.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • December 2 – December 8

  • Always maintain the highest ideal of behavior, and surrender your life unto the ideal.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Physical enjoyment in the world is like the strike of a cobra. Learn to keep the cobra far away or under control. The comfort of the senses is and illusion, which bears no sustaining reality. In the senses there is no comfort. Only there exists the reflection of Nature.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Perform all actions with Love and respect for Truth, and maintain the great power of the non-attachment of asceticism.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Love and Trust in God. Do not ask for anything else.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Always and with all your might, recite and study books of Dharma.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Have no fear of anything is this world. The world is the examination grounds for detachment form pleasure and pain. Do not give disruption an opportunity to dwell in your mind. God dwells in your heart. With the greatest faith, always remember God.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Always keep your mind in an attitude of purity. Then peace will come. Do not allow your inner attitude to be deflected by the pains and difficulties of the external world. This is known as Peace. When your inside and outside exhibit peace, then you have found the fruits of sadhana.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • December 9 – December 15

  • If you only desire the fruit of your actions then you won’t enjoy the fruit or the process. This is a lose, lose proposition. But if you enjoy the process you can’t lose. Then your work becomes worship. We are praying for the joy of prayer. Try to take that attitude into your actions and make this world a better place.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • If you have your own goal and a plan you will certainly enjoy life more because it is your plan and does not belong to anybody else.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Question: What does a person do who doesn’t have a purpose?

    Swamiji: I suggest that a person without a purpose better find one. Without a purpose it is difficult to have a meaningful life. How can you accomplish anything if you don’t know what your purpose is? We need to find a goal that would be worthy of our commitment.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • The best thing to do is to stop and think, “What would be a commitment worthy of my dedication. What do I want to give to this world?”

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Shree Maa: Ultimately we have to change, and that is God’s blessing.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • When you love so much that you don’t think about the distractions and you think only about your beloved, then you really are a lover.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Satsangha is a bonding process, so that people within the congregation try to network their skills and talents and opportunities.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • December 16 – December 22

  • We are not seeking communion only at the time of puja or worship, but in every breath, in every activity. It does not matter whether we are digging a ditch, teaching in school, appearing in court, negotiating a contract or performing a homa (fire ceremony). Our attitude with which we perform these functions is the most important aspect of worship.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • By means of her compassion, we become liberated. She is the one who binds all to worldliness, and She is the one who liberates.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Maa says to us. “Ok, kids go out and play in this world.” What is the fault of the mind? If she is compassionate to us, then She’ll bring our minds back to Her. Then we find liberation from all these worldly thoughts, and we keep our minds at the Lotus Feet of the Divine.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • After you have attained the perfection of discrimination and renunciation, only then should you enter the world. In the ocean of worldliness, there are many crocodiles with names like desire, attachments, and anger. If you rub turmeric on your body and submerge yourself in the waters, you have no fear of crocodiles. If you rub the turmeric of discrimination and renunciation over your body, you can submerge yourself in the ocean of worldliness without any fear at all. God is Truth. That is the eternal phenomenon. Everything else is transient. It is impermanent.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • In the Sundar Kanda of the Ramayan, Tulasidas wrote a beautiful verse:

    “Dear one, take all the pleasure between heaven and earth and count them as one. As great a delight as that might be, it can’t possibly be as enjoyable as satsanga.”

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Through satsanga we have the opportunity to improve ourselves, to really make significant changes in our lives, to become the individual we respect. No other pleasure could be equal to becoming the person we love. That s why satsanga is so important.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Extract the nectar from the tapasya that you are performing. Tapas literally means heat, but implies any act of purification in which our negative tendencies are burned away

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • December 23 – December 29

  • Swamiji: Look for those mantras that say, “I belong to you, I am the echo of the vibration that is your soul.” As you practice those particular sections, other parts will call you as well. If you don’t pronounce the mantras correctly, don’t worry. Put yourself in the attitude of surrender to the will of God and try to come as close as possible.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • “Always study words of wisdom, with all your capacity act in accordance and perform the discipline of these words, and following the systems of worship they enumerate, make the worship of the Supreme Lord, and don’t allow your consciousness to contemplate adverse desires.”  – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • “Wipe all the dross of sin from your mind, search for the faults in the pleasures of the world, search your own soul for true knowledge, and very quickly try to renounce the attachments to your home.”  – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • “Maintain the association of true people, take refuge with devotion in the Supreme Divinity, and with all your capacity try to befriend the universe, and very quickly renounce the fruits of your labors.”  – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • “Whenever possible seek out the company of the true and knowledgeable people, and serve the sandals of their lotus feet, and ask from them even one letter of the knowledge of the Bhraman, and listen to the great words of wisdom from the Vedas.”  – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • “Take the cure for the illness of uncontrolled desire, and serve your doctor as a beggar would serve a Lord, don’t seek the association of pleasure-seekers or self-centered individuals.”  – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

  • “Remain contented with whatever you receive in a divine union, that which God has consented to give.”  – Shankar Acharya, 700 A.D.

      – from Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna

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Inspiring Quotes from Shree Maa and Swamiji

~~OM~~

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    September 2 – September 8

  • During those first months in America Shree Maa said very little in English. I was Her translator, and most frequently She spoke to me in our own personal mixture of languages which I would strive to interpret into English. One day She stood in front of an altar of Goddess Kali and in extremely clear English said to the Goddess, “All right, are you going to speak or not?” We were all amazed to hear Her utterance and even more impressed when She turned around and began to speak English so sweetly and clearly that there was no further use of a translator.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Shree Maa: I am always happy. When you live with divinity, you are always happy. It makes me even happier when my children are happy.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • The difference between a disciple and a devotee is that the devotee comes to sit at the feet of the Guru but doesn’t change his life. But the disciple takes the wisdom of the Guru and changes his life striving to become a mirror image of the Guru.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna: Protect the Divine Mother in your heart. May you see Her as I see Her and nobody else. You take away all my desires and my anger and my passion.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Ramakrishna: Give me the eyes of wisdom as protectors so that I am always protected and always be careful not to accede to bad desires and bad thoughts.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Currently, I like to translate dharma as the ideal of perfection, because every atom of existence has its own ideal of perfection towards which it is striving. Every individual soul is destined to manifest its own ideal of perfection. Dharma is its individual path and every individual has its own.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and The Goddess

  • Swamiji is so down to earth and unpretentious that he won’t let himself get stuck in a “holy man” role. In fact, he is constantly breaking the rules about how an enlightened teacher should act. In the Tibetan tradition this is called “crazy wisdom”, a quality many great masters possess.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • September 9 – September 15

  • Shree Maa told us that we must work on ourselves that the desire to “fix things” or help people is part of our attachment to the idea that we have the answers and the solutions our ego.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Shree Maa: If you want peace, see no fault in anyone. Find all mistakes within yourself.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Shree Maa: If you call on God in a true and simple manner, you will know that all you are doing is divine work.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Whatever promotes the health and happiness of those around us can be seen as divine work.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Just doing our best each moment, and completing our tasks so that we don’t leave a mess or problem for someone else to deal with, is the way to live each day fully.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Regular practice is important for the growth of our spiritual lives – there are no short cuts.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Maa’s way is to live in complete simplicity. Her whole life is statement that the important elements of life are the spiritual ones.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • September 16 – September 22

  • One of Swamiji’s main teachings is that Mother Nature is constantly changing, as is her nature. Change She will and change She must. When we identify with the changes we suffer. When we desperately try to hold on and keep the changes from happening we feel pain. Only when we learn to watch those changes with equilibrium, with the feeling in our hearts and minds that this is the nature of existence, only then do we begin to free ourselves from actions and reactions, which merely prolong the pain of attachment and sow more seeds of the same.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • Shree Maa: Nowadays, there is no one doing intensive sadhana like Swamiji did so many years ago in India. One of the reasons Swamiji has come to this country is to show how to do sadhana, how to pull ourselves out of the muck of materialism and confusion.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • Swamiji does not teach one spiritual technique to incorporate into life, but rather, like Shree Maa lives a deeply spiritual way of life, and teaches through his example. His concept of spiritual life is one in which we give more than we take and add value to others peoples lives.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • Each moment is a festival. Each breath we take is a cause to celebrate. Each breath we take is another chance to remember God.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • Swamiji is an open channel for receiving divine grace. Whoever is fortunate enough to be open to the divine flow will undoubtedly receive it. It remains up to us to direct the gift toward changing our own lives and sharing our love with all people we meet.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • When you worship any of the deities, you are worshipping all the other deities.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Spiritual practices are valuable, because they remind us to live a spiritual life.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • September 23 – September 29

  • Worship is the bridge by which we bridge duality and non duality.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Shree Maa: It is very difficult to understand in your head. Therefore, we always say in our country to live in your heart. If you want to change your life, you can do it very quickly with your heart.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Shree Maa: Of all the planets with human life, this planet has the most duality. Therefore, if you perform spiritual practices, you won’t come back for a long time. Now you are thinking, “Oh, this is pleasure and pain, it’s nice.” But when you leave your body, you’ll feel free and you’ll say, “I’m going home!” If you perform good karma here, you will go to a beautiful place and you will not want to come back. But when it’s time to come back and teach people, you will.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Maa says, “If we are gentle, loving, kind and honest in our dealings, that is spiritual.” She teaches that true spirituality does not come wrapped in exotic packages, but in the fabric of everyday deeds and ordinary actions.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • Practice discrimination. Ask yourself which desires will bring you closer to God and which ones will take you further away from your goal.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Our teachers are always carrying out their idea of enabling every home to be a place of worship. They show us that it is possible to know God directly through worship, meditation, study of sacred texts, and through serving others.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • There is no one who is not on the path. Every individual soul is progressing in accordance with its own dharma. We have no right to be judgmental about others, even if it appears they lack harmony and balance.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • September 30 – October 6

  • A human being is one who can control his mind.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Please decipher and weigh the ultimate principles of all existence. Sort through the ultimate principles of all the ideals of creation. In order to realize the ultimate ideals of existence, life should be dedicated to spiritual discipline.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Real human life is devoted completely to spiritual evolution. In order to devote ourselves to the realization of these ultimate ideals we need to cultivate some attitudes like peacefulness. Peacefulness in your nature is the foremost amongst energies. Cultivate peace. You, yourself, will understand if your actions bring peace, or are actually leading you in another direction.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Cultivate wisdom. In order to know God, it is most efficient to study the Sanskrit language. In the Sanskrit language there is an illumination of the wisdom of the soul. From the study of Sanskrit certain attitudes arise and become illuminated. The attitude of wisdom in all ideals of perfection are One. These vibrations become apparent in the study of Sanskrit.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • When you realize wisdom, then you will illuminate truth, consciousness, and bliss, within which, there exists no distinction of individual attributes. Especially among paths or ideals of perfection, no discrimination exists.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Always strive to maintain a relationship with the attitude of Truth. When we remain steadfast in the attitude of the ideal of perfection, then our ideal becomes firmly rooted in strength, our ideals become stronger. The sense of satisfaction and contentment reside within. When contentment dwells inside, then outside is characterized by the illumination of light, and we disseminate light in every direction. That illumination is the highest Ideal.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Strive to contain ego. Maintain the recollection that God within you is performing all action. Remember who you are. Who am I? I am nobody. Remembering Truth is meditation. In what ever circumstance you reside, remember who is residing there, and there will be no concept of gain or loss, difficulty or comfort.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • October 7 – October 13

  • Devotion and wisdom are not separate paths. If you love (bhakti) something or someone then you strive to learn (gyan) more about this object or person.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • When you look at him, (Swamiji) his skin color and everything is totally dissolved, and you’re looking at the personality beyond the caste, creed and color. You see a human being who is what all world leaders and people who are working for world peace want to be. He’s not the physical self, he’s that one universal personality common to the whole world.

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • At the same point in his puja every day, and at a different time of day while his eyes were closed and he was performing meditaion and doing japa (reciting the mantra of the deity), a man dressed in orange clothes with an orange turban wrapped on his head went up to Swamiji and put a mala (garland of flowers) around his neck and smeared his forehead with ashes. I witnessed this daily for nine consecutive days. On the last day, Swamiji started his puja while the doors were still locked. And yet, even with the doors bolted shut, the same man still came and placed a garland around Swamiji’s neck and smeared his forehead with ashes.

    After we left the temple and headed back to our rooms that last morning, Shree Maa turned to us and said, “Did you see that man who put ashes on Swamiji’s forehead and put a mala around his neck?”

    “Yes,” we replied.

    “That man was Shiva.”

      – from Sahib Sadhu: The White Sadhu

  • The subtle body contains the samskaras, the tendencies that formulate your next birth. It attaches itself to the causal body.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • We have three levels of consciousness: the gross body the subtle body, and the causal body. The subtle body is called the mind, the world of thoughts, ideas and dreams. The causal body knows the totality, and that allows enlightenment. When the causal body merges into the universal, you become one with God. You become a jivanmukta, liberated while in the body.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Everyone is divine and an avatar of the Supreme Divinity. We just have to wake up to our divine nature.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • She (Shree Maa) shared her nightly routine of feeling herself cradled in the lap of Vishnu, He who sustains and preserves all. On a wakening in the morning, she instructed us, that we were to bow to ourselves in the mirror, while acknowledging the divine energy that resides in each of us, and ask the Goddess to make our eyes her eyes, our hands her hands, and our feet her feet throughout the day.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • October 14 – October 20

  • If you raise someone up you yourself find progress. We are not climbing a ladder of success or pulling people down to reach our goal. We are networking and helping each other.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Maa explains that as the mind becomes more absorbed in mantras and one pointed that the world naturally leaves you. You do not renounce the world, the world renounces you. Old patterns knock on your door and you are not home because your mind is currently focused on God.

      – from Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint

  • When we take birth, we come into this body with its five elements. The body is not eternal. There are five organs and five senses. When we take this body on earth, our actions are different. We forget ourselves when we live in the maya, this duality. Then a certain time comes to wake up.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Question: Does the Guru have a responsibility to her/his disciple.

    Answer: Of Course. If the Guru gives a disciple initiation, it is a big responsibility. You have to take care of the disciple for many lifetimes.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Hinduism says, “Yes, every object of manifested existence is divine. It can reflect divinity to anyone who wishes to perceive it. So worship God in any form you choose to see as divine.” The point is to worship, practice, meditate, contemplate and remember that there is a divine power which is superior to us.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • You become the person your are striving to become. You can see the progress. You can watch yourself and begin to like yourself a little bit more each time you cut a bond. You feel a little bit more independence, a greater freedom every time you put aside one of those bonds of attachment.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • We are endowed with maintaining the ancient traditions by acting as an example to the next generation. We should start by increasing our recovery rate. Let’s first start by cultivating enough resistance so when we fall down we pop right back up again. We are moving towards the ultimate goal of being so rooted in faith, that no one can ever shake our roots.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • October 21 – October 27

  • Every being manifested, and every moment that comes to birth, comes to birth because of unfinished business. There is some reason that it comes into manifestation, and the arrows we have shot will land. When the stimulus does come, do we act reflexively, or do we control ourselves and design a response that will bring us closer to what we want in the furtherance of our goals.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • There are many techniques to get more control over yourself. If you can identify the emotion, you can repeat the bija mantra that corresponds to the emotion. In this way you get control of the emotion. Then you can recite the mantra of the attitude that you want to replace the emotion with.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • If we act with attachment in duality, then we can only produce egotistical or attached behavior. If we surrender that action, free from attachment, we can aspire to live with the laws of universal dharma.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Maa says that from your devotion wisdom will be illuminated.

      – from Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess

  • Make peace. The eternal religion is pure love, pure truth. We cannot have world peace without individual peace. Faith in wisdom and God bring the highest peace.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Ramakrishna: As long as I remain a devotee and this apprehension of “I”� remains, my identification as a devotee remains. At that time I have a belief that God is a perceivable entity and that I can have a relationship with Her. But if you allow worldly ideas to intrude, then this attitude of “I am a devotee” disappears. Then you believe “I am an actor” instead of “I am a devotee.”

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • October 28 – November 3

  • In the Puranas it is written that Hanuman was such a strong devotee that for his benefit God assumed the form Rama.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • Chanting and studying the scriptures leads us to our divine selves and motivates us to give up our selfishness.

      – from Gems of Wisdom

  • Question: How do you feel about debt?

    Answer: We are seeking freedom. When you incur debt, what you are saying is, “I am going enjoy today and pay tomorrow.” So you are obligating your self tomorrow for today’s pleasure. We would say that’s not a good idea from a spiritual point of view. If you encumber yourself for tomorrow, then you won’t be free today. You have obligated yourself to spend time working in the marketplace in order to pay for yesterday’s enjoyments. You are borrowing karma.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Question: Does debt affect your mediation?

    Answer: Absolutely. You have to go work to do what you don’t want to do to pay off what you enjoyed yesterday.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • Inquiry: But even if we didn’t have debt, we’d still have to go to work to pay for lodging and food.

    Response: Not necessarily. You might create a different standard of life and spend less time working. Then you would work for God instead, and whatever you need will come to you.

      – from Before Becoming This

  • When the contemplations rise to the throat, the vishudhi chakra, all ignorance and all foolishness are renounced in favor of listening to the Eternal Truth of God and Words of Wisdom.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

  • The sixth residence (of consciousness) is the Ajna chakra in the forehead. If your awareness goes there, you have Eternal Vision of the Supreme Divinity. Still a little “I” remains.

      – from Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss

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