efforting

November 10, 2003

Ammachi, Miranda Soliz <msoliz2000> wrote:

> I have to say that at this stage in my spiritual life,

> "efforting" is required to maintain spiritual

> practice. It's a tool to get further down the road,

> just like God with form is a point of focus required

> in the beginning. Just like ritual provides tools for

> focusing our devotion.

>

> I think once I get to the point where my practice is

> "effortless", then that's just where I'll be and I can

> let go of that.

>

Om Namah Shivaya

Dear Gabriella and list,

Well said! I would like to add that whether we say we are making

great efforts or following the effortless way, either way that

scoundrel known as the "ego" is always looking for an opportunity to

take control of the vehicle....so I suggest to remain vigilant. If

one is making a big deal out of following the natural "effortless"

path, the ego can very sneakily enter in here. So do be careful.

There is a point similar to this in Sw. Paramatmananda's first

volume "Road to Freedom" where he visits Nisgartt...?(sorry, does

anyone know the correct spelling for this contemporary saint/jnani

from Bombay) with a female acquaintance, and when the saint asks her

what practises she performs, she says something to the effect

of, "Nothing! I just say everything is Brahman", and Swamiji goes on

to write how her cover was eventually blown and she was totally

humbled. Perhaps this is what she really needed from the darshan of

this saint. Humility is the door to God, perhaps. So whether we say

we are making effort or not, just beware of the ego. This is the real

culprit. However we get to the state of egolessness does not matter

as much as being in that state. Whichever way we choose, the ego will

always try to interfere. So I guess what I'm trying to say is

humility is a major factor here.

Lisa

November 10, 2003

The quote of the day on Ammachi.org today is "Every action should be

performed as an offering to God".

Perhaps this is the way of effortless effort.

Jai Ma

November 10, 2003

-

lbrachlin

Ammachi

Monday, November 10, 2003 1:20 PM

Re: "efforting"

Ammachi, Miranda Soliz <msoliz2000> wrote:

Namaste,

I have to agree that for me, too, staying even remotely near "on course"

requires a major effort and it frustrates me endlessly (how's that for ego

speaking?). The more we discuss this, the more I am convinced that I simply do

not have the willpower required to "surrender" or to actually lay my burdens

down and walk away from them permanently - and by laying them down permanently,

I mean things like truly accepting that things I deem "good" or "bad" are

neither, or honestly accepting that I cannot accomplish a single thing alone - I

can't even draw my next breath simply because I will myself to do so! It's

nearly impossible for me to be effortless with this, even though I honestly

think we'll eventually find out that our efforts were

not needed- love and grace were.

As I've said, I have a Taoist friend who frequently ties me in knots just for

fun (and because she can!); about a year ago, we had a major discussion about

this, with her asserting that I could NOT do anything unless I was given the

grace to do it, so like a good daughter, I took this straight to Mother on my

next day's drive to work. During my jabber, I spouted that I could certainly

choose to turn right around and skip going to work if I wanted to...and heard a

low, lovely voice in my chest say "And that would be part of the plan."

Love,

Snehalata