Devi Mandir

Temple of Divine Mother

"But I can keep my knees down …"

Congratulations to Debi on completion of her sankalpa!!! She shared her exhilaration with us and says "Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!"

Donna from Florida admits that the sankalpa is not always smooth . "At times it got tough" she said and there were days she "just didnt want to do it" ! This reminds me of a Swamiji story – He once said that (and I paraphrase) regardless of what the mind tries to trick us into, we should "keep our knees down" ie we should keep our asana and continue our sadhana regardless !

Sitara from Toronto , Canada says "This mantra has been wonderful for me." and said that will share the "details soon". We look forward to hearing from you Sitara !

Sundari from Berkeley wrote in to share this

"The sankalpa has really helped me deepen my regular practice in beautiful ways. The UPS is such a huge goal to work toward – 100,000 repetitions just can’t be done in a day. Or maybe it can, if you recite really fast! (It would require 7 repetitions per minute for 24 hours straight.) With what I am able to do (anywhere between 3-10 malas a day), I just have to come back to it every day, whether I’m feeling like it or not. I feel a sense of accomplishment at every major milestone, but also humbled and challenged by the weight of what is left. And inspired, too! I believe that such a strong and sweet intention can and will transform world consciousness, eventually.

The support from the online community has been especially powerful, and the whole thing inspired me to deepen my sadhana."

All the very best to you Sundari !

Here are the numbers for those of us that preferred to chant the mantra at the fire (Week ending March 18th 2007)

Name
Number of Mantras
Swamiji & Mandir Residents
Priceless
Michael
12,960
Janitri
6,048
Mousumi
10,908
Parvati
1,080
Total
30,996

And for those of us that chanted without the fire

Name
Number of Mantras
Arati
7,000
Babu
1,296
Bharata
60,000
Bharati
10,800
Brendan
3,711
Carie
1,920
Chocatane
24,408
Chris K
18,900
Chris W
26,294
Debi
111,111
Donna
25,490
Durga
5,616
Egyirba
9,180
Eric
71,928
Gauri
10,044
Georgiann
7,007
Henny
28,512
Janitri
14,296
Jayadeva
26,784
Julia
20,430
Kalachandra
20,736
Kaliananda
20,520
Kamalaji
30,049
Kanda
21,600
Karen
22,000
Kathy
20,116
Marsha
20,088
Maruthi
47,000
Mausumi
17,280
Michael
10,800
Michele
5,710
Morningsong
26,460
Muktimaa
13,176
Nickolas
1,500
Nirmal
5,184
Nirmalananda
12,900
Nanda
14,115
Papia
25,920
Patty
23,248
Prasana
10,840
Prathibha
20,422
Raghu
24,948
Rebeca
18,700
Rick Veda
82,620
Robin
18,600
Rolf
18,900
Rukmani
6,696
Sadhu Maa
10,044
Shubal
12,420
Sitara
5,004
Sundari
24,840
Shankari
11,880
Surya
111,111
Susan
31,536
Usha
74,736
Vasantha
90,000
Wendel
19,500
Wendy
27,972
Vinay
2,160
Visveshwar
34,236
Yogini
70,200
Total
1,563,494


What can we do to clean Ganga?

~~OM~~

Swamiji asks:

“Ganga has been charged with the responsibility to cleanse the world from selfishness. When Ganga complained that She would become  polluted from cleansing the world, Brahma proclaimed that the sadhus  will perform sadhana in order to clean Her. What actions can we take  to help clean Ganga?

We have to live up to the highest standards of mental and emotional purity so that instead of contaminating the River of Heaven, we add a little of our purity to it.

~~gyselsvishnu

It is our own mind stream that must be cleansed and we are the ones that must do the cleaning. This is the River of the Gods we swim in and drink. This means removing the detritus and particulates floating therein, placed there by our own actions, as much as we can.

If we do that wholeheartedly and sincerely, over a period of time, we will without special effort be contributing to the clean spiritual water for all humanity. We will also no longer be paddling about in circles – we will be cutting through the waters of confusion in a
purposeful and inspiring fashion.

~~Steve Connor

Just try to understand ourselves and more we do more clean She becomes, and we can hasten the process by letting our incomplete understanding wash the feet of the Masters, so that we can come away with better understanding and little more closer to completely understanding Ganga.

On the first take Ganga concern might look little selfish, but if we look deeper it was Her compassion that made Her get the boon, so that if we awaken through Her, She has made sure that there will be someone there to carry us all the way. It was through hard work of our ancestors Ganga flows in us, but it was Ganga compassion that made sure that the beings she liberated would be there to help the the rest of us – Oh! thats our Mother!

~~n mallan

As I understand, we help to clean Ganga every time we act selflessly as a natural expression of our love. Our capability to do this will grow if we persistently strive to surrender selfishness and make every effort to take refuge in the Guru: `Eternally remembering the image of the Guru, always making recitation of the name of the Guru, always observing the instruction of the Guru, always maintain the attitude of none other than the Guru’. Thus we gradually learn how to cultivate peace and maintain a relationship with the attitude of Truth, thereby creating waves of vibration stronger than those of our thoughtless and selfish actions. Then we enjoy the privilege of belonging to the family of sadhus and pure souls who sit on Ganga’s banks, joyfully singing the names of God and contemplating the Light of Wisdom reflected in her pure waters.

~~Henny

I feel the following would help:

  • Love towards all
  • Help and serve others without any expectation of returns
  • Truthful and honest in conduct.

~~Anirudh

We can clean ourselves, both inside and out so when we bathe in Ganga, both physically and spiritually, we can help purify Her instead of burdening Her. By our example and by our Sharing and Giving, once we have attained something to Share and Give, we can help others to do the same. We can live in Harmony with this World and help others to do the same, so Bhu Devi is pleased and tranquil. We can be regular and consistent with our sadhana and steadily increase it until every moment of our short lives here becomes a puja, a meditation, a seva.

~~Surya

By making sure Pure Love is the origin and intention of all our actions. Actions taken out of Pure Love are clean, never selfish.

~~ecjensen

To love so intensely that we cannot live without this intense love and to follow Dharma.

~~michael medua

Grasp understanding of Absolute Truth (knowledge), develop and put into practice that understanding (devotion), toss the pollution of fear, resentment, worry, anxiety, and hatred into the river (surrender of ego), and the ever-flowing source of unconditional love will carry it away, all of it – always…faith keeps the river clean…thus you have peace.

~~Sal Paulsen

I think with sadhana  we can help to clean Ganga.

~~Kalachandra

In our appreciation and reverence for Ganga cleansing the world from selfishness we would what to exemplify that action ourselves. Through our spiritual practices of Japa, Puja, scriptures as well as selfless service in the world. If we have a scripture like the Ganga Strotram which I downloaded from the web site and it is a wonderful way to fathom her greatness. A couple of days ago I chanted the Chandi Path by the creek and felt enveloped in her presence and her constant nurturing and purifying essence.

In our pujas we establish a container of consciousness with water, mantras, etc. as well as water oblations to the deity with our sincere devotion. We ourselves are made up of so much water and in bowing down to Ganga,we are bowing down to our selves.

~~Surath

The Guru Gita says that “the water from the Guru’s two feet can purify all sin. The water from the Guru’s feet is a holy river.” Selfless surrender, sincere and consitent service to Guruji would assist in cleansing Mother Ganga. Following the steps of devotion as outlined in the 2nd Chapter of the Kasyapa Sutra will also help in cleansing Goddess Ganga.

~~Kaliananda

To help to clean Mata Ganga we can do pranayama, drawing ojas up the ida, moving the energy around the ajna chakra (washing the feet of the Guru), and then moving it down the pingala.

~~Sadhu Maa

I think that we are talking about cleansing the nadis. As above so below. Just as our nadis get clogged up with negativities and thoughts; the Earth’s aura gets clogged up with the negativities and thoughts of all of humanity. How to help cleanse the Earth? The central nadis of humans are potentially connected to Her central nadi through the hui yin point at the base of the body; the perineum; and our crown chakra is connected to a star far above our head; the abode of Shiva. Ask and receive; these connections can be made that simply.
Why not?

~~Dan

We can do sadhana beside our favorite stream. All the streams and rivers of this world are Maa Ganga. So we can purify all the waters. After that, if there’s some litter around, we can clean the place up a bit. Jai Maa Ganga !!!

~~Nirmalananda Saraswati

Shiva receives Ganga so She can safely come to Earth to purify unfortunate souls and further sanctifies Her with His touch. Ongoing puja to Shiva with gratitude for the offerings of both seems another way to assist in ever-transforming the impurities Ganga receives.

~~Durga & Shubal

I believe that enlivening every molecule with the name of Divine Mother shatters any impurity in Ganga within and without.

~~Gauri

Because I am learning to see and understand Ganga as the stream of Life or Consciousness which runs throughout all of creation, I believe that the best actions we can take are those which keep our input into this Consciousness pure and sattvic.

This question reminded me of the saying “ethics are what you do when no one is looking.”  It is the things we do, think and believe in the depths of our hearts that are what we put into the river.  These can either be the lotus flowers of love, compassion and truth, or selfishness and toxic waste.

Living a life of prayer and meditation is the filtering system of our input into Consciousness.  Sadhana allows our input to come from hearts of pure devotion.  If we live in the most sattvic way we can, with love and focused attention on Maa, we are certainly helping to clean the river.

~~Morningsong

An excellent start towards purification is to establish a daily schedule, a commitment, a sankalpa which we faithfully follow with our full attention. This concentration of purpose will cause us to commune, ultimately, with our own soul, bringing devotion into our hearts and clarity into our minds. In the Cosmic Puja (Samasti Upasana), the Nava Durga Puja (1) on page 120 describes this process of purification beautifully through several steps, each represented by a specific Goddess:

  • Goddess of Inspiration (Sailaputri), the Mother of the Universe
  • Goddess of Learning (Brahmacarini), the Image of the Three
  • Goddess of Practice (Candraghante), also the Goddess of Welfare
  • Goddess of Refinement (Kusmanda), the Eyes of Desire
  • Goddess Who Nurtures Divinity (Skandamata), She Who Tears Apart Thoughts
  • Goddess Who Is Ever Pure (Katyayini), You Who Belong To Shiva
  • Goddess of the Dark Night (Kalaratri), The Seed of Desire
  • Goddess of the Great Radiant Light (Mahagauri), also the Goddess of Contentment
  • Goddess of the Grantor of Perfection (Siddhide), the Reliever of Difficulties

As you may note, this puja describes a series of purifying processes we experience inwardly as we dedicate ourselves to helping to cleanse Ganga, the River that flows within each of us. May we all be blessed with success in applying the numerous tools for purification Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda have so kindly given us!

~~Gautam.

We can make it our individual intention to maintain equanimity in the face of all the pairs of opposites…just as Ganga Mata does, accepting everything equally: death and life, worship and inattention, plastic bags and tiny arati lamps floating across her face. We can do our small part in cleansing our own incarnated world from our own ego-driven selfishness. We can offer our sadhana for the benefit of others. Thank you for asking this question…and for your wonderful support.

~~Sadhvi

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)

Check out our weekly blogs.

"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, here are totals of those of us that prefer to do the sankalpa at the fire

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

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

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

 

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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