Guest guest Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 OM NAMAH SIVAYA read this from another group. i especially Love the last sentence. ADI SANKARA'S ORDEAL Here is another illustration from the life of Adi Sankara. He was born in Kaladi in Kerala. When he was a six-year old boy, his mother, Aryamba, told him: "Son, Your father was a very pious person and he used to worship God according to the prescribed rituals. You must follow his example. You are very lucky. I am always devoted to God, Having taken birth as my son, you should conduct yourself in such a way that you achieve great name and fame and bring a good name to me. Act according to your father's example. It is the mother that makes a son noble and great. It is a noble son who brings glory to the mother. Hence, remembering this act according to your father's injunctions." The father of Sankara was a regular worshipper of Devi (Rajarajeswari) for many years. He used to offer milk every day to the Goddess. One day (when Sankara was barely four years old), the father had to leave his home to visit a neighbouring village. Every day after finishing his puja and offering milk to the Goddess, he used to distribute the remaining milk to his wife, son and others as prasadam. He told the boy: "Son, your mother cannot perform the worship which I do. You better do the worship today. After the father left, the boy followed the father's instructions. He filled a tumbler with milk, placed it before the image of the Goddess Rajarajeswari and prayed: "Mother! Accept this offering of milk." He went on praying to the Goddess. When he found that the milk remained untouched, he was in great anguish. He cried: "Oh Mother! What crime have I committed? When my father offered the milk you used to take it. Why are you not taking it when I am offering it?" He was in deep distress. He was thinking whether there was any lapse on his part. He became desperate. He declared in agony: "Mother! If you don't take the milk I shall end my life. I would have dishonoured my father. I would also be guilty of failing to fulfill my mother's command. If I cannot please my parents, what use is there in my living?" DEVI'S RESPONSE He prayed intensely to the Goddess in great agony. Moved by the naive entreaties of the boy, Rajarajeswari appeared before him. She told him: "Child! Be happy. I am immensely pleased with your devotion. I shall drink the milk." So saying, she drank all the milk offered in the tumbler. The boy was aghast to see that the whole tumbler was empty. "Oh mother!" he cried. "If you drink all the milk what is left for distributing as prasadam? My mother will think that I have drunk all the milk. I have to give prasadam to her. My father used to give some milk as prasadam to others also. Therefore please restore some of the milk in the tumbler. How can the milk once consumed be brought back? Can the river that has joined the ocean be made to return? Can an apple that has been digested be brought back? The Goddess told the boy that it is impossible to bring back the milk that had been consumed and vanished. The boy was in deep distress again. He thought within himself: "I will get a bad name from my mother." He prayed: "Mother! Please give at least a little quantity of milk." Responding to the prayers of the young boy the Goddess drew milk from her breast and gave it to the boy. It was the sacred power of the milk which enabled Sankara in later years to master all the scriptures and earn lasting fame as a great spiritual teacher, revered by all. Knowledge of all the Vedas came to him effortlessly. It was due to the grace of the Divine Mother and the love and blessings of his own mother. When one is blessed with love and grace (Prema and Anugraha) he is transformed from the human to the Divine. Hence every person, man or woman, should respect the parents, install the Divine in the heart and pray to God constantly. It is everyone's duty to bring a good name to one's parents. When the children are good, they bring a good name to the parents. It was because of the noble behavior of Lava and Kusa that their mother, Sita, became renowned. When Lava and Kusa were engaged in a battle with Rama, Lava aimed an arrow at Rama with the prayer that if his mother Janaki was a Sadhvi (a supremely noble woman) the arrow should render Rama unconscious. Rama became unconscious when the arrow hit him. See what happened. The mere thought of his mother lent so much power to his arrow! This shows that when you cherish the Mother and seek God's grace, the blessings of the mother becomes more powerful. JAI MA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 I know that this was not the point of the story, but: >He told the boy: "Son, your mother cannot perform the >worship which I do. You better do the worship today. How sad that the mother was not considered eligible to perform the worship of Rajarajeshvari, with an offering of milk yet. Why could a mother not carry out the puja to the Mother? Max -- Max Dashu Suppressed Histories Archives http://www.suppressedhistories.net Real Women, Global Vision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2007 Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 om namah shivaya, maybe i am missing where it said that the mother was *ineligible* to perform the puja. i thought it only said she *could not* perform it. perhaps she did not know how, or had other obligations, or any of a number of other reasons? jai ma, coconut Max Dashu <maxdashu (AT) lmi (DOT) net> Ammachi Monday, January 15, 2007 5:06:50 PM Re: ADI SANKARA'S ORDEAL I know that this was not the point of the story, but: >He told the boy: "Son, your mother cannot perform the >worship which I do. You better do the worship today. How sad that the mother was not considered eligible to perform the worship of Rajarajeshvari, with an offering of milk yet. Why could a mother not carry out the puja to the Mother? Max -- Max Dashu Suppressed Histories Archives http://www.suppress edhistories. net Real Women, Global Vision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 I agree here , there could be number of reasons ( not neccesarily due to her gender status as suggested by Max ) . Women during their menstrual cycles also should not perform puja , it also states so in Amachi puja book . namaste, joanna > > om namah shivaya, > > maybe i am missing where it said that the mother was *ineligible* to perform the puja. i thought it only said she *could not* perform it. perhaps she did not know how, or had other obligations, or any of a number of other reasons? > > jai ma, > coconut > > > > > Max Dashu <maxdashu > Ammachi > Monday, January 15, 2007 5:06:50 PM > Re: ADI SANKARA'S ORDEAL > > I know that this was not the point of the story, but: > > >He told the boy: "Son, your mother cannot perform the > >worship which I do. You better do the worship today. > > How sad that the mother was not considered eligible to perform the > worship of Rajarajeshvari, with an offering of milk yet. Why could a > mother not carry out the puja to the Mother? > > Max > -- > Max Dashu > Suppressed Histories Archives > http://www.suppress edhistories. net > Real Women, Global Vision > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 There could conceivably be other reasons, but several of those given below are in fact gender-related. Menstruation is of course limited to women, and in many times and places it was held to debar women from ritual leadership, as indeed Indian conservatives today still insist that women should not be pujaris. As to not knowing how, another way of looking at this is _not being taught_ how to do a ritual, and not being initiated. In many cases, women were considerable ineligible, such as the ban on initiating them into the Gayatri mantra for a considerable period of history. When that began I couldn't say, but there was certainly a shrinkage of women's participation from the Vedic period, as Amma has said. jai Maa Max >I agree here , there could be number of reasons ( not neccesarily >due to her gender status >as suggested by Max ) . Women during their menstrual cycles also >should not perform puja, it also states so in Amachi puja book . >namaste, joanna >> >> om namah shivaya, >> >> maybe i am missing where it said that the mother was *ineligible* >>to perform the puja. i >thought it only said she *could not* perform it. perhaps she did not >know how, or had >other obligations, or any of a number of other reasons? -- Max Dashu Suppressed Histories Archives http://www.suppressedhistories.net Real Women, Global Vision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Women , > therefore go through a regular > process of purification which can make it easier for > them to overcome Maya , at least on > the physical plane. " > Sometimes it is even recommended that women should > do during this time silent prayer It is also a really great time for meditation...you can move energy mountains within yourself (purifying) during this time, you can access higher states of consciouses as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Hi, Women in India do all soughts of pujas. Gauri Puja, Durga puja, Vara Laksmi vrath, Karwa Chauth, etc. Women fast every week, clean dieties regularly, visit temples often. Since women had chidren to take care, they didn't become pujaris. Its not that women alone weren't allowed to become pujaris, even men belonging to non-brahmin community weren't allowed to be one. In our sect (Arya Samaj), women preside auspicious occasions during events such as weddings, festivals etc. Aum Avinash Max Dashu <maxdashu (AT) lmi (DOT) net> wrote: There could conceivably be other reasons, but several of those given below are in fact gender-related. Menstruation is of course limited to women, and in many times and places it was held to debar women from ritual leadership, as indeed Indian conservatives today still insist that women should not be pujaris. As to not knowing how, another way of looking at this is _not being taught_ how to do a ritual, and not being initiated. In many cases, women were considerable ineligible, such as the ban on initiating them into the Gayatri mantra for a considerable period of history. When that began I couldn't say, but there was certainly a shrinkage of women's participation from the Vedic period, as Amma has said. jai Maa Max >I agree here , there could be number of reasons ( not neccesarily >due to her gender status >as suggested by Max ) . Women during their menstrual cycles also >should not perform puja, it also states so in Amachi puja book . >namaste, joanna >> >> om namah shivaya, >> >> maybe i am missing where it said that the mother was *ineligible* >>to perform the puja. i >thought it only said she *could not* perform it. perhaps she did not >know how, or had >other obligations, or any of a number of other reasons? -- Max Dashu Suppressed Histories Archives http://www.suppressedhistories.net Real Women, Global Vision The fish are biting. Get more visitors on your site using Search Marketing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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