Guest guest Posted February 23, 2006 Report Share Posted February 23, 2006 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. > > > -- ---------- > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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