Guest guest Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 Mahumani wrote: 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. Dear Mahumani ~ you certainly know more than I do, but I'm not entirely sure I can agree with you about the difference between a devotee and a disciple. I would think of my sister as a devotee. She saw Amma every chance she could get, followed Her eastcoast part of the tour, and brought Amma home with her in very concrete ways. She raised her daughter with a love of puja, singing bhajans, and also made very significant changes in her own life. My niece Laura has drawn many wonderful pictures of the dieties. When I get my scanner back on line, I'll post one. I think she should do a coloring book of Hindu Dieties; I would be the first in line to buy one. I think of myself as a devotee...I guess I feel that perhaps devotees are people who are dedicated to the Guru, but live the life of a householder. To me a disciple is someone like Big Swami or Swami Paramatmananda who totally left their "old" lives behind in search of spirituality, and when they found their Guru, dedicated themselves to Her totally (not that householders don't; i't's just that we serve perhaps differently). To me a disciple is someone who literally follows the Guru, lives with the Guru or in an Ashram setting, has a regular spiritual discipline (not that householders don't many do). But I think the difference is one of degree not of intent. I have changed my life because of Amma, but I would not think of myself as a disciple unless I left my "old" life (which, at this point, seems less and less difficult of an idea) and went to serve in one of Mother's Ashrams. On the other hand, I think it is possible that some people live in the Ashrams and change very little. Maybe someone else will have some light to shed on this because I think it is an interesting idea to contemplate. Jai Ma ~ Linda "Love and beauty are within you. Try to express them through your actions and you will definitely touch the very source of bliss." ~ Amma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 Namah Shivaya, Is it semantics? How many of us would be following Mother around if we could? Or is that difference karma? Destiny? In the old days many of the saints were householders, not monastics. Jai Ma! Prasadini nierika wrote: > >Mahumani wrote: > >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. > > >Dear Mahumani ~ you certainly know more than I do, but I'm not entirely sure >I can agree with you about the difference between a devotee and a disciple. >I would think of my sister as a devotee. She saw Amma every chance she could >get, followed Her eastcoast part of the tour, and brought Amma home with her >in very concrete ways. She raised her daughter with a love of puja, singing >bhajans, and also made very significant changes in her own life. My niece Laura > has drawn many wonderful pictures of the dieties. When I get my scanner back >on line, I'll post one. I think she should do a coloring book of Hindu >Dieties; I would be the first in line to buy one. I think of myself as a >devotee...I guess I feel that perhaps devotees are people who are dedicated to the >Guru, but live the life of a householder. > >To me a disciple is someone like Big Swami or Swami Paramatmananda who >totally left their "old" lives behind in search of spirituality, and when they >found their Guru, dedicated themselves to Her totally (not that householders >don't; i't's just that we serve perhaps differently). To me a disciple is >someone who literally follows the Guru, lives with the Guru or in an Ashram >setting, has a regular spiritual discipline (not that householders don't many do). >But I think the difference is one of degree not of intent. I have changed my >life because of Amma, but I would not think of myself as a disciple unless I >left my "old" life (which, at this point, seems less and less difficult of an >idea) and went to serve in one of Mother's Ashrams. On the other hand, I think > it is possible that some people live in the Ashrams and change very little. > >Maybe someone else will have some light to shed on this because I think it >is an interesting idea to contemplate. Jai Ma ~ Linda > >"Love and beauty are within you. >Try to express them through your actions >and you will definitely touch the very source of bliss." >~ Amma > > > > > > > >Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > Links > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 We are all free to define things how we wish. In Amma's eyes, She has no disciples, including the Swamis. All are only Her children. She has said this numerous times. Who could live up to Amma's standards? Who could be next to Amma and when a new person came along, that person would not know who was the Guru and who was the disciple? There are many types of disciples. This is traditional. Lahiri Mahasay, through which almost all of the modern Kriya Yoga (as in Yogananda's SRF) being taught, did not live with his Great Guru, known to many as just Babaji or Mahamuni Babaji, but did that not make Him a disciple--in fact quite a great disciple? Babaji sent Him home to continue to live as a householder. I was passing along a post from Swami Satyananda Saraswati Ji, on how he defined it. Pranams, Surya - nierika Ammachi Friday, September 02, 2005 4:27 PM Re:To Mahamuni on disciples and devotees Mahumani wrote: 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. Dear Mahumani ~ you certainly know more than I do, but I'm not entirely sure I can agree with you about the difference between a devotee and a disciple. I would think of my sister as a devotee. She saw Amma every chance she could get, followed Her eastcoast part of the tour, and brought Amma home with her in very concrete ways. She raised her daughter with a love of puja, singing bhajans, and also made very significant changes in her own life. My niece Laura has drawn many wonderful pictures of the dieties. When I get my scanner back on line, I'll post one. I think she should do a coloring book of Hindu Dieties; I would be the first in line to buy one. I think of myself as a devotee...I guess I feel that perhaps devotees are people who are dedicated to the Guru, but live the life of a householder. To me a disciple is someone like Big Swami or Swami Paramatmananda who totally left their "old" lives behind in search of spirituality, and when they found their Guru, dedicated themselves to Her totally (not that householders don't; i't's just that we serve perhaps differently). To me a disciple is someone who literally follows the Guru, lives with the Guru or in an Ashram setting, has a regular spiritual discipline (not that householders don't many do). But I think the difference is one of degree not of intent. I have changed my life because of Amma, but I would not think of myself as a disciple unless I left my "old" life (which, at this point, seems less and less difficult of an idea) and went to serve in one of Mother's Ashrams. On the other hand, I think it is possible that some people live in the Ashrams and change very little. Maybe someone else will have some light to shed on this because I think it is an interesting idea to contemplate. Jai Ma ~ Linda "Love and beauty are within you. Try to express them through your actions and you will definitely touch the very source of bliss." ~ Amma Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! a.. Visit your group "Ammachi" on the web. b.. Ammachi c.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 I agree with you, Surya. In that definition, Swami was talking of the intent, attitude and commitment of an individual that differentiates a disciple from a devotee; IMHO, the external situation of the individual was not what he was considering. Linda put up her case from the viewpoint of external circumstances. The two viewpoints are different and will obviously give differing answers. Jai Ma Ammachi, "Mahamuni" <mahamuni@c...> wrote: > I was passing along a post from Swami Satyananda Saraswati Ji, on how he defined it. > > Pranams, > > Surya > - > nierika@a... > Ammachi > Friday, September 02, 2005 4:27 PM > Re:To Mahamuni on disciples and devotees > > > > Mahumani wrote: > > 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. > > > Dear Mahumani ~ you certainly know more than I do, but I'm not entirely sure > I can agree with you about the difference between a devotee and a disciple. > I would think of my sister as a devotee. She saw Amma every chance she could > get, followed Her eastcoast part of the tour, and brought Amma home with her > in very concrete ways. She raised her daughter with a love of puja, singing > bhajans, and also made very significant changes in her own life. My niece Laura > has drawn many wonderful pictures of the dieties. When I get my scanner back > on line, I'll post one. I think she should do a coloring book of Hindu > Dieties; I would be the first in line to buy one. I think of myself as a > devotee...I guess I feel that perhaps devotees are people who are dedicated to the > Guru, but live the life of a householder. > > To me a disciple is someone like Big Swami or Swami Paramatmananda who > totally left their "old" lives behind in search of spirituality, and when they > found their Guru, dedicated themselves to Her totally (not that householders > don't; i't's just that we serve perhaps differently). To me a disciple is > someone who literally follows the Guru, lives with the Guru or in an Ashram > setting, has a regular spiritual discipline (not that householders don't many do). > But I think the difference is one of degree not of intent. I have changed my > life because of Amma, but I would not think of myself as a disciple unless I > left my "old" life (which, at this point, seems less and less difficult of an > idea) and went to serve in one of Mother's Ashrams. On the other hand, I think > it is possible that some people live in the Ashrams and change very little. > > Maybe someone else will have some light to shed on this because I think it > is an interesting idea to contemplate. Jai Ma ~ Linda > > "Love and beauty are within you. > Try to express them through your actions > and you will definitely touch the very source of bliss." > ~ Amma > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > > > - ----------- > > > a.. Visit your group "Ammachi" on the web. > > b.. > Ammachi > > c.. Terms of Service. > > > - ----------- > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.