Guest guest Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 We often wonder why Amma has us stay up all night doing seva around her...I feel that she wants us to know how much strength we really have, how our minds make us believe we can't do things... We have much more ability to tap into the divine then we can even imagine....I wonder how much better the world would be if many of us would bother to discover our inner resources for doing good works, or for simply doing strong sadhana.. Ammachi, Prasadini <ganesh1008@c...> wrote: > > Namah Shivaya, > Oh yes, the comparison thing. Reminds me of the time I had to have > physical therapy, I already had advancing undiagnosed Lyme disease, > fatigue etc., etc. I used to use the nautilus equipment, and because I > didn't want anyone to know what a weak weenie I was I would reset the > gizmo so it would appear that I was using more resistance that I was. On > the way home one day I realized that I was comparing myself to huge > muscle bound guys who were there because they had injured themselves on > the job carrying water bottles (you know those incredible hulk kind of > guys). Felt bad because I wasn't as strong as them. I mean, I was a 112 > pound female who was sick! > Just another way to beat myself up. We can't DO that - Mother doesn't > like it! > I remember Big Swami's talks about conditioning - we think certain ways > because our minds are conditioned. We don't stop to think about how > silly some of our notions are. > All of the various spiritual practices get us out of that and we > identify more with the Divine, get more in touch with our hearts. > The pull of Maya is so strong, the old habits are strong. Like > quicksand. Holding on to Mother's feet will keep us from being gobbled > up by our own silly foolishness. > Oh to be free of this silly mind. As many list members (and of course > Mother) have said, listen to the heart. It's pure, and it doesn't lie. > It really is an amazing thing. > Pranams, > Prasadini > > > > > > > > Dear ecjensen ... very beautifully and truthfully put. I have this same > > difficulty, more so now that I am sick, living in a trailer, etc. But > > is not my > > circumstances so much as my beliefs that "this shouldn't have happened > > to me" > > or "why did this happen to me" and comparing myself with others. When > > I can > > turn those off, my life becomes a very different experience, and as > > you say, > > this is effectively done by turning within, and I believe, by also > > engaging the > > "witness" within ourselves, so we view our own circumstances and those of > > others without judgement and with detachment. Jai Ma ! ~ Linda > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > > > > > > > > > Mata amritanandamayi > > </gads? t=ms&k=Mata+amritanandamayi&w1=Mata+amritanandamayi&c=1&s=26&.sig=DYR mPW4tjbUZrNprNMY6xw> > > > > > > > > -------------------------------- ------- > > > > > > * Visit your group "Ammachi > > <Ammachi>" on the web. > > > > * > > Ammachi > > <Ammachi? subject=Un> > > > > * Terms of > > Service <>. > > > > > > -------------------------------- ------- > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Dear Charles: I an gratefl for your post on "strength within" Becoming strong is part and parcel of Her "boot camp" Those of you who cannot stay up all night please do not misunderstand. Amma accepts us where we are. She knows exactly where we are and is happy with even our (seemingly) insignificant effort. I have often wondered about the need (and sometimes resented) having to stay up all night for Devi Bhava. What the heck for? Charles has touched on one of the main components. Charles observation rings very true. There is a story on the "Cracked Pot" that nicely illustrates Gods plan for those of us who cannot stay up all night due to bodily woes. A water bearer in China had two large pots that hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his shoulders. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water, at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. This went on for two whole years; each day the bearer delivered only one and a half pots of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, being perfect in the purpose for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. It said, "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I am ashamed," said the pot, "because for these past two years I have been able to deliver only half my load, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way to the master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work and you don't get full value from your efforts." The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot and in his compassion he said, "As we go to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot noticed the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers that grew beside the path, and this cheered it a little. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because, as usual, it had leaked out half its load. And so again it apologised to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and every day as we walk back from the stream, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." ... ONE COMMENTATOR (AMMA DEVOTEE BIPIN) COMMENTED ON THIS STORY. BIPIN SAID: "We all have our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. In God's great economy nothing goes to waste." BUT (CAPS AND EMPHASIS FROM GEORGESON) BUT......................... OH YEAH A BIG BUT..... BE STRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW? -- HOLD ON TO HER DIVINE HAND WITH ONE OF YOUR HANDS AND FIGHT WITH THE OTHER. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA SAID (I PARAPHRASE) IF YOU WRESTLE WITH SOMEONE WHO IS THIRTY POUNDS HEAVIER AND MORE MUSCULAR YOU MAY LOSE MATCH AFTER MATCH. BUT AFTER A FEW MONTHS YOU OBSERVE THAT YOUR MUSCLES HAVE GROWN PROMINENT. YOU ONLY GET STRONGER BY WRESTLING WITH SOMEONE STRONGER THAN YOU. THIS IS NOT A GENDER THING. WE HAVE JOAN OF ARC ON THE BATTLEFIELD. SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICALLY STRONG WOMEN ABOUND. AMMA IS A SPIRITUAL BILLION MEGATON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. I CONSIDER HER THE GREATEST PHYSICAL SPECIMEN OF ALL TIME. MIRABAI IN HINDUISM AND ST. THERESA DE AVILA IN CATHOLICISM/MYSTICISM WERE THE STRONGEST OF THE STRONG. BUT CHARLESJI, DO NOT ATTEMPT THE STRENGTHENING PROCESS WITH TWO HANDS. HOLD ON TO THE GURUS HAND WITH ONE HAND AND (FIGHT) WITH THE OTHER. THIS IS THE OPEN SECRET. With Love, George p.s. The word strength above is figurative and not literal. Be strong (IN MY TWO CENT LEXICON) means facing lifes problems of a worldly and spiritual nature. Sri Krishna in the Gita calls this "skill in action" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 AMMAS son would like to ACCEPT this DIVINE TRUTH WITH HIS ENTIRE BEING. THIS IS PURE FAITH.BELEIVING TOTALLY WITH WHAT AMMA says .AMMAs son lives on this TRUTH.THANKYOU BELOVED SISTER. >"ckeniley2003" <ckeniley2003 >Ammachi >Ammachi > Incredible strength within >Wed, 18 Jan 2006 21:08:39 -0000 > >We often wonder why Amma has us stay up all night doing seva around >her...I feel that she wants us to know how much strength we really >have, how our minds make us believe we can't do things... > >We have much more ability to tap into the divine then we can even >imagine....I wonder how much better the world would be if many of us >would bother to discover our inner resources for doing good works, >or for simply doing strong sadhana.. > > > >Ammachi, Prasadini <ganesh1008@c...> wrote: > > > > Namah Shivaya, > > Oh yes, the comparison thing. Reminds me of the time I had to have > > physical therapy, I already had advancing undiagnosed Lyme >disease, > > fatigue etc., etc. I used to use the nautilus equipment, and >because I > > didn't want anyone to know what a weak weenie I was I would reset >the > > gizmo so it would appear that I was using more resistance that I >was. On > > the way home one day I realized that I was comparing myself to >huge > > muscle bound guys who were there because they had injured >themselves on > > the job carrying water bottles (you know those incredible hulk >kind of > > guys). Felt bad because I wasn't as strong as them. I mean, I was >a 112 > > pound female who was sick! > > Just another way to beat myself up. We can't DO that - Mother >doesn't > > like it! > > I remember Big Swami's talks about conditioning - we think certain >ways > > because our minds are conditioned. We don't stop to think about >how > > silly some of our notions are. > > All of the various spiritual practices get us out of that and we > > identify more with the Divine, get more in touch with our hearts. > > The pull of Maya is so strong, the old habits are strong. Like > > quicksand. Holding on to Mother's feet will keep us from being >gobbled > > up by our own silly foolishness. > > Oh to be free of this silly mind. As many list members (and of >course > > Mother) have said, listen to the heart. It's pure, and it doesn't >lie. > > It really is an amazing thing. > > Pranams, > > Prasadini > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear ecjensen ... very beautifully and truthfully put. I have >this same > > > difficulty, more so now that I am sick, living in a trailer, >etc. But > > > is not my > > > circumstances so much as my beliefs that "this shouldn't have >happened > > > to me" > > > or "why did this happen to me" and comparing myself with >others. When > > > I can > > > turn those off, my life becomes a very different experience, >and as > > > you say, > > > this is effectively done by turning within, and I believe, by >also > > > engaging the > > > "witness" within ourselves, so we view our own circumstances and >those of > > > others without judgement and with detachment. Jai Ma ! ~ Linda > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mata amritanandamayi > > > </gads? >t=ms&k=Mata+amritanandamayi&w1=Mata+amritanandamayi&c=1&s=26&.sig=DYR >mPW4tjbUZrNprNMY6xw> > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------- >------- > > > > > > > > > * Visit your group "Ammachi > > > <Ammachi>" on the web. > > > > > > * > > > Ammachi > > > <Ammachi? >subject=Un> > > > > > > * Terms >of > > > Service <>. > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------- >------- > > > > > > > > > _______________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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