Guest guest Posted July 21, 2003 Report Share Posted July 21, 2003 The problem is that "westerners" have been way guilty of miscegenation for a long time. I for one, was standing in the Albanian-Scottish-African-Catholic-Muslim que but loneliness drove me out!! Amma gave me a Sanskrit name last Wednesday and now I'm a bigger Hindu wanna-be poser than ever!!! Jai Jai Mata Devi Good Gods!!! I just realized that since I was never born and I never die, but I'm walking around in a temporary material body, I'm a pseudo-human... what a joke Shakthi is playing on me! Diana is Amarthya now, cause Amma says so but still feels like just another jiva longing to return to Mother. Please, please, please return me to the Pure Bliss of You Amma!! Praises to the Queen of Creation! Aum Amriteswaryai Namaha In a message dated 7/21/03 7:20:41 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Ammachi writes: << > Let Hinduism be for the Indians. Westerners should > remain true to their own culture and need not get swept up into > the exoticism of the East. I'd love to know if westerners actually have their own culture. Lots of people would love call for a moratorium on, for example, white people appropriating things like afro-carribean dancing, afro-carribean drumming, gospel music, etc. >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 Amarthya, You make a very good point. We are all souls, and should think of ourselves and others as such rather than "Indian", "Western", or even "man" or "woman". We each have our own path in this life, and all paths lead to The Divine: all are roots of the same tree, if we choose to see them as such. We each have to follow our own "root", our own dharma, and listen to whatever speaks to our hearts at the deepest level. Jai Ma! With love, Erica --- Dianadevi wrote: > The problem is that "westerners" have been way > guilty of miscegenation for a > long time. I for one, was standing in the > Albanian-Scottish-African-Catholic-Muslim que but > loneliness drove me out!! > > Amma gave me a Sanskrit name last Wednesday and now > I'm a bigger Hindu > wanna-be poser than ever!!! Jai Jai Mata Devi > > Good Gods!!! I just realized that since I was never > born and I never die, but > I'm walking around in a temporary material body, I'm > a pseudo-human... what a > joke Shakthi is playing on me! > > Diana is Amarthya now, cause Amma says so but still > feels like just another > jiva longing to return to Mother. Please, please, > please return me to the Pure > Bliss of You Amma!! Praises to the Queen of > Creation! > > Aum Amriteswaryai Namaha > > In a message dated 7/21/03 7:20:41 AM Eastern > Daylight Time, > Ammachi writes: > > << > > Let Hinduism be for the Indians. Westerners > should > > remain true to their own culture and need not get > swept up into > > the exoticism of the East. > > I'd love to know if westerners actually have their > own culture. Lots of > people would love call for a moratorium on, for > example, white people > appropriating > things like afro-carribean dancing, afro-carribean > drumming, gospel music, > etc. >> > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 Thinking about it, I believe it's possible that labels add layers to my ego which I work to shed, but sometimes it's hard to answer a question without using a label. In other words, it would be better if I don't walk around thinking "I'm a Hindu. Hello, I'm Hindu" all the time, but if someone asked what religion I practice, Hinduism would best describe it for them. Also, though I've grown closer to Jesus and Mary through my slow process of God-realization, I don't think I could ever reconcile the differences between Christianity and my own (Hindu) beliefs. For example, I believe in reincarnation, and that for lifetimes I have been and will continue to do important work to bring me back to God. Christians believe we have this one life only to get it right. Also, the Bible bans chanting, idol worship, and worshiping another person. I can't help where my faith lies, and I don't feel the need to - I don't owe anyone an explanation. This is the first time I've had a real relationship with God, through Amma, our ladder to enlightenment. As for the clothes, if someone wants to wear a sari or a salwar, these events are one of the few places they can feel comfortable doing so. Orange robes reminds some about the flame of renunciation to which they've pledged. White reminds some about purity and spirituality. Simply wearing a sari or salwar reminds some they are on a path (plus, it's so easy to sit for endless hours in a salwar!). And if some are play-acting, I should feel compassion for them and love them for wanting so badly to belong to something good (and I should remember that I was like that, and never forget where I came from). I should pray that they find Truth in themselves and can shed the acting and gain realy faith in something. In the meantime, I'm no different from them or anyone (including that darn customer of mine who I STILL have trouble seeing as God!). Sorry for the verbose message - I'm just trying to exercise the lessons I've been learning. I think I need to join an ego support group! "Hello, my name is Gabriela. I've had attachment to my ego for, well, lifetimes." --- Dianadevi wrote: > The problem is that "westerners" have been way > guilty of miscegenation for a > long time. I for one, was standing in the > Albanian-Scottish-African-Catholic-Muslim que but > loneliness drove me out!! > > Amma gave me a Sanskrit name last Wednesday and now > I'm a bigger Hindu > wanna-be poser than ever!!! Jai Jai Mata Devi > > Good Gods!!! I just realized that since I was never > born and I never die, but > I'm walking around in a temporary material body, I'm > a pseudo-human... what a > joke Shakthi is playing on me! > > Diana is Amarthya now, cause Amma says so but still > feels like just another > jiva longing to return to Mother. Please, please, > please return me to the Pure > Bliss of You Amma!! Praises to the Queen of > Creation! > > Aum Amriteswaryai Namaha > > In a message dated 7/21/03 7:20:41 AM Eastern > Daylight Time, > Ammachi writes: > > << > > Let Hinduism be for the Indians. Westerners > should > > remain true to their own culture and need not get > swept up into > > the exoticism of the East. > > I'd love to know if westerners actually have their > own culture. Lots of > people would love call for a moratorium on, for > example, white people > appropriating > things like afro-carribean dancing, afro-carribean > drumming, gospel music, > etc. >> > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 Well said. Once we accept Ammachi as our "guru" then we are most probably engaged in practicing somewhat the "hindu" faith regardless of, and in some cases, in opposition to birth/baptismal affiliation. Who worries over this, "God" or "people"? Speaking of labels, I'd like to get rid of "I" and "me" and other varients.. In a message dated 7/23/03 9:50:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Ammachi writes: << Message: 3 Tue, 22 Jul 2003 06:14:10 -0700 (PDT) Miranda Soliz <msoliz2000 Re: Digest Number 878 Thinking about it, I believe it's possible that labels add layers to my ego which I work to shed, but sometimes it's hard to answer a question without using a label. In other words, it would be better if I don't walk around thinking "I'm a Hindu. Hello, I'm Hindu" all the time, but if someone asked what religion I practice, Hinduism would best describe it for them. Also, though I've grown closer to Jesus and Mary through my slow process of God-realization, I don't think I could ever reconcile the differences between Christianity and my own (Hindu) beliefs. For example, I believe in reincarnation, and that for lifetimes I have been and will continue to do important work to bring me back to God. Christians believe we have this one life only to get it right. Also, the Bible bans chanting, idol worship, and worshiping another person. I can't help where my faith lies, and I don't feel the need to - I don't owe anyone an explanation. This is the first time I've had a real relationship with God, through Amma, our ladder to enlightenment. As for the clothes, if someone wants to wear a sari or a salwar, these events are one of the few places they can feel comfortable doing so. Orange robes reminds some about the flame of renunciation to which they've pledged. White reminds some about purity and spirituality. Simply wearing a sari or salwar reminds some they are on a path (plus, it's so easy to sit for endless hours in a salwar!). And if some are play-acting, I should feel compassion for them and love them for wanting so badly to belong to something good (and I should remember that I was like that, and never forget where I came from). I should pray that they find Truth in themselves and can shed the acting and gain realy faith in something. In the meantime, I'm no different from them or anyone (including that darn customer of mine who I STILL have trouble seeing as God!). Sorry for the verbose message - I'm just trying to exercise the lessons I've been learning. I think I need to join an ego support group! "Hello, my name is Gabriela. I've had attachment to my ego for, well, lifetimes." >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 In a message dated 7/22/2003 9:14:47 AM Eastern Standard Time, msoliz2000 writes: > Thinking about it, I believe it's possible that labels > add layers to my ego which I work to shed, but > sometimes it's hard to answer a question without using > a label. <snip> > > Also, though I've grown closer to Jesus and Mary > through my slow process of God-realization, I don't > think I could ever reconcile the differences between > Christianity and my own (Hindu) beliefs. If I may offer a suggestion ... then get rid of the "beliefs". They do not serve you. All beliefs are created in the mind. If not yours, then someone else's and you adapted them. The mind is not a path to God. Only the heart is! All religions have created their own set of beliefs. And those beliefs are created to be different from other religions. Each religion creates its own unique set of beliefs to identify themselves. Religions teach talking about God instead of being with God. They got the wrong body part. Creating differences is incompatible with the Oneness we experience when our hearts are united with God. It is impossible to reconcile the differences because the difference were created so they are not reconcilable. If you struggle to "reconcile the differences", then get rid of the cause of the differences. As we progress on our Spiritual path, we reach a point where we see the limitations of religious beliefs and we continue on our path. I do not profess that it is wrong to be a part of a religion or to participate in their practises. Just recognize their limitations. Does Amma lecture at us at great length? Or write volumes telling us what to do? Or does she just give us a hug to open our hearts to God and all that is? Om Amriteswaryai Namaha! Kandar (Peter White) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 Dianadevi: > I just realized that since I was never born and I never die What a glorious realization! And one of a never ending stream of realizations we discover on our pathway. Kandar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 Thank you, Kandar, for these very clear and practical suggestions, which go very far indeed in resolving the question of inter-religious differences. What trouble this has been for so many of us! The differences are truly insoluble to the mind, but "The mind is not a path to God. Only the heart is!". Ramlal On Thu, 24 Jul 2003 11:09:17 EDT, <KandarW wrote: > In a message dated 7/22/2003 9:14:47 AM Eastern Standard Time, > msoliz2000 writes: > >> Thinking about it, I believe it's possible that labels >> add layers to my ego which I work to shed, but >> sometimes it's hard to answer a question without using >> a label. <snip> >> >> Also, though I've grown closer to Jesus and Mary >> through my slow process of God-realization, I don't >> think I could ever reconcile the differences between >> Christianity and my own (Hindu) beliefs. > > If I may offer a suggestion ... then get rid of the "beliefs". They do > not serve you. > > All beliefs are created in the mind. If not yours, then someone else's > and you adapted them. > > The mind is not a path to God. Only the heart is! > > All religions have created their own set of beliefs. And those beliefs > are created to be different from other religions. Each religion creates > its own unique set of beliefs to identify themselves. > > Religions teach talking about God instead of being with God. They got the > wrong body part. > > Creating differences is incompatible with the Oneness we experience when > our hearts are united with God. > > It is impossible to reconcile the differences because the difference were > created so they are not reconcilable. > > If you struggle to "reconcile the differences", then get rid of the cause > of the differences. > > As we progress on our Spiritual path, we reach a point where we see the > limitations of religious beliefs and we continue on our path. > > I do not profess that it is wrong to be a part of a religion or to > participate in their practises. Just recognize their limitations. > > Does Amma lecture at us at great length? Or write volumes telling us what > to do? > > Or does she just give us a hug to open our hearts to God and all that is? > > Om Amriteswaryai Namaha! > > Kandar (Peter White) > > > > > > Sponsor > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > -- Aum Amriteshvaryai Namah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 > > Also, though I've grown closer to Jesus and Mary > > through my slow process of God-realization, I don't > > think I could ever reconcile the differences between > > Christianity and my own (Hindu) beliefs. Really? Every time I read the bible i cannot but marvel what a great treatise on yoga the bible is- in my opinion there is no contradiction at all between Christianity and hindu beliefs save for a few outward differences. In his book, The Holy Science, Sri Yukteswar the guru of Yogananda elaborates more on the interconnected-ness. Aum Namasivaya yogaman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 - childofdevi Ammachi Thursday, July 24, 2003 1:09 PM Re: Digest Number 878 Hi, I have to agree with yogaman; the Bible does, indeed, seem to me to provide an excellent treatise on yoga. I also find the opposite to be true- I have learned far more about what the Bible truly means by reading Yogananda's writings than I did within my Christian community. It has, if anything, grown more dear to me through my increasing familiarity with "alternate" interpretations. Each day on this path seems to bring new treasures. Yours in Amma's love, Dixie (renamed Snehalata by Amma) > > Also, though I've grown closer to Jesus and Mary > > through my slow process of God-realization, I don't > > think I could ever reconcile the differences between > > Christianity and my own (Hindu) beliefs. Really? Every time I read the bible i cannot but marvel what a great treatise on yoga the bible is- in my opinion there is no contradiction at all between Christianity and hindu beliefs save for a few outward differences. In his book, The Holy Science, Sri Yukteswar the guru of Yogananda elaborates more on the interconnected-ness. Aum Namasivaya yogaman Sponsor Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! Ammachi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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