Guest guest Posted January 16, 2006 Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 As I was writing about my grandparents, I couldn't help but feel that I haven't seen their type of example in a long time. Perhaps it was a simpler time. People were more grounded in their daily work. Prayers and flowers had more meaning. I am very grateful. My daughter's grandparents were quite different. My mother was involved in her life when she was small, but in a negative way... full of lies, cheating and verbal abuse. When I realized what was going on behind my back, I removed my daughter from her life. Unfortunately her grandfather had passed before she was born. He would have been a wonderful influence. Since her father divorced us when she was only three, his parents never quite knew what to do with their only grandchild. It made a difference for my daughter that she did not have positive influences from her father or her grandparents or even aunts or uncles. She and I were a single unit as it were. I did my best to provide a good childhood for her. It seems that we all grow up with wounds to heal. Thank goodness for Amma. On Jan 16, 2006, at 3:11 PM, jmcs_06 wrote: > The kind of Grandma (or Grandpa) I wish I could have had...never > knew my grandparents (and wish my parents would choose to be more > involved as grandparents to my siblings' kids but they are > not)...thanks for sharing, Linda, and others. love, Kalika > > > Ammachi, Ardis Jackson <ardis1@v...> wrote: > > > > What a wonderful description of your Grandma, Linda. You learned > many > > lessons from her. I also was blessed with a wonderful down-to- > earth > > yet spiritual maternal grandmother who taught me how to pray when > I was > > less than three years old. She also smiled when doing her > chores. She > > seemed to love baking bread everyday and doing the wash and > gardening. > > And I had a wonderful paternal step-grandfather who grew roses > outside > > his little white painted house. He seemed to be "always > radiant". > > These elders passed on so much love. And they were humble and > simple. > > How fortunate we are (you too, Bela) for the example of these > saints. > > > > > > On Jan 16, 2006, at 2:08 PM, nierika@a... wrote: > > > > > > > > Temba wrote: > > > > > > >> AMMAs son has a question.would one of his BELOVED brothers > and > > > sisters > > > >> please be so kind to tell him what an "ADVANCED SPIRITUAL > SEEKER" > > > is? I > > > AM > > > >> LOVE YOU. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dearest Temba ~ I'm sure you'll get a lot of answers to this > > > question, and > > > it is likely everyone will have a unique view about it. A > person > > > might use this > > > term or the way someone previously posted, "spiritually > oriented." My > > > first > > > thought is that if the person him or herself is saying they are > an > > > "advanced > > > spiritual seeker" or a very "spiritually oriented" person, > whatever > > > little > > > red flag device you have in your heart should go up right > up ... > > > Warning, Will > > > Robinson, Warning. (Sorry, if you don't get the reference its > from an > > > old tv > > > scifi series called Lost in Space, and there was this robot > which, > > > anytime > > > danger approached in any form, would wave its arms about, > meander > > > this way and > > > that and say "Warning...etc.) > > > > > > An advanced spiritual seeker will be touched with humility so > that > > > you might > > > even not notice him/her. But if you did, then they might be > like some > > > of the > > > bramacharis, bramacharinis, swamis and swaminis that surround > Amma. > > > And even > > > these people, who I see as way, way, way, way ahead of > me, "running > > > along the > > > razor's edge," as one of the swami's book titles said, readily > admit > > > to > > > their own shortcomings. But they do so with clarity and not > as if > > > they are > > > bludgeoning themselves over the head with sticks. I don't > think an > > > advanced seeker > > > would be puffed up over his/her accomplishments (i.e., can > meditate > > > for 6 > > > hours a day; fast for a week; stand on his/her head, etc.). I > am > > > being a little > > > tongue in cheek here, and the truth is some advanced seekers > do > > > actually do > > > these things ... it's just that they wouldn't make a big deal > about > > > it. > > > > > > I always thought of my grandmother as an advanced spiritual > seeker, > > > though > > > the term I used in my head was "Zen Master of Tuckerhill > Virginia." > > > She was > > > small and unassuming; she lived her life simply; she prayed and > went > > > to church; > > > she smiled a lot, even when she was doing "chores," and she > taught me > > > a lot > > > of what I believe is character and the characteristics of a > really > > > "good" > > > person, though she never sat me down and said, "Now, Linda, a > really > > > good person > > > wouldn't come home with pokeberry juice all over her legs, > screaming > > > to high > > > heaven, just to give everyone a bit of a scary tease.) (Yes, I > > > actually did > > > that.) > > > > > > She didn't know she was teaching, but she herself was the > example. > > > She was > > > never mean spirited towards anyone, and whoever came to visit, > > > depending on the > > > time of day, would get invited to "sit and have some dinner > with us > > > or to > > > "come in for a cup of tea." (In the South, back then, > everybody ate > > > dinner > > > early in the day, and then had "supper" at dinner time. So, > because > > > my > > > grandfather would get up at 3:00 am everyday to go fishing > and > > > crabbing, we'd all be > > > eating our big meal of the day at 10 or 11 o'clock.) She went > about > > > her chores > > > pleasantly, cheerfully ... you'd never think she was actually > > > "working." And > > > she would sit and visit with anyone and everyone who knocked on > her > > > door. > > > > > > She encouraged me a lot ... her way of putting it was to > go "swing > > > and > > > sing," but she was encouraging my natural love of music. And if > I > > > actually did get > > > hurt, like once when I was digging for potatoes at a neighbor's > > > garden and > > > ran right into a hornets nest, she'd sit me down and put some > witch > > > hazel (or > > > some other tried and true home remedy); she'd empathize, but by > not > > > getting > > > all in an uproar herself, she taught me that you could just > deal with > > > things > > > without getting derailed emotionally by them. (Unfortunately, > since I > > > spent > > > most of my time with my abusive father and my terrified > mother, who > > > were > > > exampling the exact opposite ... everything was a HUGE > issue ... with > > > screaming, > > > threats, sometimes hitting, all that craziness.) > > > > > > My grandmother loved birds and flowers and had the most lovely > > > gardens > > > around her little painted white house with its green roof. I > didn't > > > know how much > > > I loved her until she died. > > > I grieved for three years, I missed her so much. And for those > who > > > believe > > > in such things, after I got through with my grieving, she used > to > > > come and > > > visit me, usually if something unpleasant, like going to the > > > dentist, was being > > > done to my body. She would kind of float in the air, to the > left > > > front of my > > > visual range, smile at me and radiate love and support and > > > protection. I have > > > gotten through a lot with her help, even after she crossed > over. > > > Even from > > > the other side, she still was there for me, and ever herself, > > > teaching > > > patience, friendliness, tolerance, courage, and love. I don't > see > > > her anymore, so I > > > feel she may have taken a new body, but I had many years of > her > > > spiritual > > > presence around me, even after she left this earthly realm. > > > > > > I couldn't think of a better example of an "advanced spiritual > > > seeker" than > > > my Grandma Bertie. Jai Ma ~ Linda > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >      â–ª      Â Visit your group "Ammachi" on the web. > > >  > > >      â–ª      Â To from this group, send an email > to: > > >  Ammachi > > >  > > >      â–ª      Â Your use of is subject to the > > Terms of > > > Service. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > > > > > > ▪  Visit your group "Ammachi" on the web. >  > ▪  >  Ammachi >  > ▪  Terms of > Service. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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