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To Tom about Lalita Sahasranaam in DC ~ Nice !

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Nice Reply !

Amma's Blessings,

amarnath

 

Ammachi, "Mahamuni" <mahamuni wrote:

>

> Tom,

>

> Thanks for expressing yourself and in a reasonably nicer way. My

whole reason for commenting was because of the language you were

using and the blanket statments you were making about groups of

devotees--especially since they were very negative statments. I just

wanted new people or relatively new people, who are on this list, to

know that though this is your experience of your satsang, it is not

everyone's experience of their local satsang, or even most people's.

Even if most people in D.C. area would agree with you, and I am not

saying they would or would not, it doesn't mean that this is how it

is all across the country--because it ABSOLUTELY is not.

>

> Groups of people will almost always have some conflicts at best and

usually more than some over time. Hey, this happens in just

relationships with one person, so why shouldn't it happen with much

more than one? All we can do is try to work through it as best we

can. What else can we do? If certain people want to act in ways

that are less than perfect, we need to make sure we act better. I'm

not saying that we need to just put up with what anyone does, or

shouldn't complain when necessary, or confront those people, etc.

But we need to start by taking our own inventory, so to speak, before

telling others about their faults.

>

> Its all karma and lila as far as I am concerned. Doesn't mean one

shouldn't care, because one should, but one shouldn't be attached to

preconceptions about how things/people should be--mostly because they

will never hold true.

>

> And just for the record, there isn't any parking on my little dead

end street for people. That was the whole point of why I mentioned

it. There is a beach parking lot near by and obviously we don't have

the parking difficulties you do in D.C.

>

> Hey, Satsang is not an absolutely necessary thing, but it sure can

be a nice thing and a way to really feel and connect to Amma's Energy

when She is not physically here. This certainly has been my

experience.

>

> Take Care,

>

> Surya

> -

> Tom

> Ammachi

> Tuesday, February 21, 2006 3:40 PM

> Re: To Tom about Lalita Sahasranaam in DC

>

>

> Well, since you've brought it up, let's get more specific:

>

> Due to karma, I've had to move 5 times in a 2-year period. The

> second time in my life. I enjoy having my stuff getting banged up

> from all the packing and moving. You're very lucky: Parking on

a

> dead end street would be preferred to being towed from an

apartment

> lot or having to park in an adjoining shopping center and

walking,

> hoping you're still not going to get towed. I've had to move

back

> into my parent's house until my career is stabilized. Who wants

to

> move home at 33? Satsang at home is not an option. I've asked

> devotees about hosting a private unofficial satsang and they're

> parking situation is the same, or they're worried about noise

> complaints or going against "the group".

>

> Hosting satsang, oh my gosh, did you ask Amma first? You

must've

> asked... (blah blah blah) Most of the long-timer's here are

> hypocrites. The year prior to Amma's first official tour

addition

> of Wash DC back in '97, I attended the satsangs before even

meeting

> Amma and rarely saw any of the main members. The devotee

hosting it

> ran the Amma bookstore year around for devotees, and even did a

> website way back then. All this was ignored and they asked Amma

for

> a new satsang practically down the street from this fellow.

> Although he ended up being a little controlling for my tastes, it

was

> a blatant slap in the face, disrespectful behavior, that is all

too

> commonly ignored in Amma groups. The guy ended up closing his

down

> and I only see him now and then.

>

> The DC area covers a wide enough area that there's geographic

> obstacles (traffic and distance) between the satsangs, but I was

more

> than willing to "make rounds" back in the day. I personally re-

> vamped the satsang's agenda to make it more user-friendly because

all

> the long-timer's couldn't give a damn, and it alienated folks

like an

> Indian SSB satsang does. Unfortunately, where the agenda is

still in

> use, it's not done in the smooth fashion it was designed, and

some of

> the group's have reverted to the old ineffective format, or at

least

> result.

>

> "Touring with Amma basically uses up all the money we could

possibly

> spend on any vacations"

> Funny, preparing and leading satsang seem to do the same for

me.

> Vacation? what vacation money? Hell, I was dubbing bhajans'

from

> friend's tapes because I couldn't afford them back then, or

trying to

> learn the melody from memory and copying the words out of the

books

> at the bookstall. People who could afford the tapes wouldn't

make

> the effort to learn the songs.Back-in-the day, I was scrambling

just

> for gas money to make the rounds at the satsangs.

>

> When I got more money I learned how to cook to support the

fledgling

> Mother's Kitchen project, buying pots so large I had to wash them

in

> the bathtub. Earlier member's only remember me for the large

dish

> of rice, which was all I could do as things got busier/expensive

for

> me. In the earliest of my days, I'd make a large main dish,

large

> rice dish, dessert, and pick up 2 bags of ice on the way over, in

> addition to the serving utensils I bought. It saddened me to

hear a

> couple of years ago, that things had degenerated into people just

> buying food and bringing it. I don't know the state it's in now.

>

> It's more than just having a place for satsang. It's about

support

> and doing your part. Once, when I was doing my own puja/satsang

in

> my room, one of my roommates (an Amma devotee) asked why I didn't

> invite my roomies in to join. "It's because I know you're just

going

> to sit and meditate, instead of helping to prepare the puja or

> participate. If you just want to meditate, I know you can hear

me in

> your room. Otherwise, you need to work for it or at least buy

some

> flowers (he had much more money than I)." Laziness and

cheapness

> are not in short supply in the world, or in the Amma satsang's

I've

> been to.

>

> You have to remember that when Dayamrita had "re-organizational"

> meetings here 2 years ago, there was first an "invite only"

meeting

> where grievances were aired and then were told to "let them go,

> they're the past". Who's condemned to repeat what?????

> At the second meeting that was open to the public, he tried

to

> ignore the first meeting, even though discussing it was mentioned

on

> the agenda. He then proceeded to "privately" install 2 new co-

> leaders after the meeting, instead of discussing this with the

group

> during the meeting. Much of what took place at the meeting

could

> have been done before the meeting, and more importance should

have

> been placed on having so many devotees in one place at one time.

I

> left the satsangs for good, in the week or so that followed,

> realizing that very little had changed, only the person(s) in

charge

> did.

>

> I'm very glad that this whole topic has come up, because it's

> important for new people not to be misled by appearances.

> Complacency is all too common. I don't remember reading that

once

> you're an official office holder, that although you're not

perfect,

> you're now "Infallible", so if someone has a problem with you,

it's

> their problem, or their issue. If they want to argue, have them

> talk to the hand, uh, I mean Amma. "If it's allowed to happen,

it

> must be Amma's will". Make it into a frickin' bumper

sticker...

>

> Having no care for the fruits of your actions is just as Tamasic

as

> being attached to them (my words; swami P's talks on the

gunas).

>

> tom

>

>

> Ammachi, "Mahamuni" <mahamuni@> wrote:

> >

> > 1. Well I don't own a home, but I have still managed to host

> Satsang here in San Diego. We rent a home and it is my pleasure

to

> host the San Diego Satsang whenever possible. It rotates around

San

> Diego so we get to host it every 2 months or so. I would host if

> more often but there are many who want to host. We get 40-60

people

> regularly, so it is a tight squeeze but somehow we all manage.

> >

> > Parking on my little dead end street certainly does not

accommodate

> this number, as with most of our locations, but people carpool

and

> they park as close by as they can and walk.

> >

> > but we feel it is well worth it and how we want to live our

lives.

> I also obviously don't get paid when I am traveling on Tour, so I

> have to make all my annual income in 9 months approx. But it is

> what's important to me and my family, so we make due. We want to

> serve any way we can. We certainly aren't rich and can't even

give

> too much money each year on top of this, but creatively try to

make

> donations that make more money for the charitable projects, such

as

> donating Emergen C that we buy wholesale, or making crafts, or

buying

> religious items well on Ebay and then donating them. I always

wonder

> how I am going to pull it off, but somehow I just squeak by--all

by

> Ma's Grace.

> >

> > Its always been that way for me. When I was single, I could be

on

> staff and sleep on floors, etc. I was honored to be able to do

the

> seva. It was a precious gift and opportunity. Now I have a

family

> so I don't take an official Tour staff position, but still do

almost

> as much work, and even more in my local stop of L.A. Again, it

is

> how we choose to live. I look at it as an opportunity for Tapas

and

> Seva.

> >

> > While no one has volunteered to help me prepare my house or pay

for

> things, I never asked anyone. I never expected anything either.

> People bring nice food and flowers and other offerings. I spend

many

> hours preparing the house, but that is my Seva for the Satsang

and

> for Amma. It allows me the opportunity to increase my Bhava and

do

> much japa and rememberance of Ma, so why should I complain.

Again,

> somehow I just squeak by and finish in time. For big

celebrations,

> like Maha Shivaratri, I've spent a great deal of personal money I

> didn't have to spend to make it a great experience for all, but

again

> it was a great opportunity to serve. By Ma's Grace, it always

worked

> out and was/is always okay.

> >

> > So you tried back in the day? What about now? I know that DC

may

> be a tricky place politically, but that does not mean the whole

> country is like that and it also doesn't mean you should never go

or

> start a smaller satsang in a different part of the DC area. There

are

> many possibilities if it is what you really want and desire.

> >

> > 2. Don't understand what you mean by quoting that now.

> >

> > 3. Your problem seems to lie in all these expectations you

have.

> Amma Devotees are coming from many different mindsets,

backgrounds,

> experiences, etc and aren't all interested in the same things or

> doing the same things, etc. So your choice is to just quit and

> complain? Thank God people like Diane Warren from Dallas don't

> choose the same. Do you know how overwhelmed that poor lady is

and

> how hard she works? I suspect you have NO idea. I do, because

we

> are old friends and we talk on Tour about it. I wish I could

help

> her. Many people want to quit when things get hard or

challenging,

> but Thank Goddess there are those who persevere.

> >

> > I normally don't answer or respond to your posts because the

tone

> is always the same. Its too bad really, because it seems like

you

> have a great deal to offer, if you would just direct the energy a

> different way than the current one you choose.

> >

> > Jai Maa!

> >

> > Surya

>

>

>

>

>

> Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

>

>

>

> Mata amritanandamayi

>

>

> --

----------

>

>

> a.. Visit your group "Ammachi" on the web.

>

> b..

> Ammachi

>

> c.. Terms

of Service.

>

>

> --

----------

>

>

>

>

>

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