Dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi

A Place where devotees gather to share inspiration.


"Holy Mother" painted by Swami Tadatmananda

Used courtesy of the Vedanta Society of Southern California

http://www.vedanta.org




Dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi
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Re: Stepping on the tail of a cobra

RE: "Since this person was of high power in my company, and I very low on the totem pole, I sent an E Mail. He has not mentioned the subject to me, but approaches me carefully and acts a little depressed around me.
I guess my point is this. Mother loved everyone, but she could be offended, otherwise, Master would not have concerned himself with this. Also, Mother seemed to know that she could be pushed too far, but was more concerned for the welfare of the offender."

Hi Rosemary,

I remember reading about a Swami in the Ramakrishna Order,
in California, who was mortally wounded by an assassin's bomb.
This tragic event occured in the early part of the twentieth century.

As they were carrying the Swami away on a stretcher, his concern was only
for the well-being of his attacker....not at all for his own precarious
physical situation. This is indicative of a very high level of
consciousness.

Sri Ramakrishna said:

"They who are illumined have gone beyond vice and virtue. They see that the Lord is indeed doing everything. There was a monastery whose sadhus used to go out every day to beg holy food. One day one of the sadhus saw that a landlord was badly thrashing a man. The sadhu was very compassionate. He intervened to stop the landlord from beating the man. The landlord was in a rage. All his anger fell on the body of the sadhu - he thrashed him so badly that the sadhu fell unconscious. Somebody went to the monastery to say that one of their sadhus had been harshly beaten by the landlord. The sadhus of the monastery came and saw him lying unconscious. All five of them lifted him, carried him to the monastery and laid him down. They sat around the unconscious sadhu downcast. Some of them fanned him. One of them said, ‘Pour a little milk in his mouth.’ As they did so, the sadhu regained consciousness and opened his eyes. A brother of the monastery said, ‘Let me see whether he has regained consciousness, whether he can recognize us.’ He spoke loudly to the sadhu, asking him, ‘Maharaj! Who is making you drink the milk?’ The sadhu said slowly, ‘Brother, he who beat me is indeed giving me milk to drink.’

Location: http://www.angelfire.com/ma/saradamani/

Re: Re: Stepping on the tail of a cobra

Very good, Tom Perhaps the very essence of Vedanta.
I do realize that the problem is not outside, but inside of me. Unfortunately, the problem runs deeper than making a conscious decision to change my feeling. Where I am wrong and need Mother's help, is that a feeling of offence has turned to scorn. However, I must recognize that Mother is with me every step of the way, if I only recognize and acknowledge. I worry about creating karma, meanwhile. Thanks for listening.

Location: New Bern, NC

Re: Re: Re: Stepping on the tail of a cobra

Hi Rosemary,

My email address is omtatsat98@hotmail.com
Please feel free to write anytime. I will always find time for you.

Am taking the good advice of the Holy Mother [featured below] and
am realizing very well my own deficiencies.
Sometimes I bring out 'the worst'
in people. Please believe me, this is not intentional.

I agree with Sister Jayanti, Vriju and Paritosh, that Mother's
Courtyard is a place for quiet spiritual contemplation and
should not be used as a forum for confrontation.

Consequently, I shall return to my usual habit of NOT
posting messages in public forums. Did I hear a sigh of relief?

Take Care,

Tom
====




Her final message to an afflicted world
torn by hate, she gave five days before her death.


Note: this was only two years, after the end of the
First World War, of 1914-18


To a woman devotee, who was weeping, she said, "Let me tell you something.
If you want peace of mind do not look into the faults of others. Rather
to look into your own deficiencies.
Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger,
my child. The whole world is your own."


Excerpted from: "In the Company of the Holy Mother"
Available at all Vedanta Centres

Location: http://www.angelfire.com/ma/saradamani/

Re: Stepping on the tail of a cobra in Mother's Courtyard :)

Tom, this IS a spiritual discussion, helpful along our journey. No need to withdraw from this one. ;)

Discrimination is the watchword of a spiritual aspirant. We all struggle with it. Once the goal is set, we all struggle to keep focus on those thoughts, actions, activities, questions which draw us closer to that goal.

Silence is not the purpose of Mother's Courtyard. Then there would be no forum!

To consider the recent question of appropriate posting as it relates to spiritual discernment aka discrimination, let's take the example you have quoted from Mother.

She begins, "If you want Peace, my child, do not find fault in others...."

Discussions about cultural differences are rather like a double-edge sword. By nature, they highlight difference and give rise to "judgement making." This is really what Mother refers to. She was aware of imperfections in others, she said "to err is human nature." But she was never judgmental. She accepted all as her very own, and cautioned those around about making observations about others.

It is good to try understand differences among people and cultural practices, but even the effort to learn about customs and practices we do not understand has pitfalls. Often the information we gain leads us to make assumptions about "how things MUST be done" or "how a person MUST act" in order to live up to our understanding. We then become disappointed or disillusioned, because our expectations are not met. We fall headlong into the the "trap" of making judgements.

Mother tells us to "see our own faults instead." She is not telling us to beat ourselves up. Rather she wants us to recognize that we are human ourselves and that the very things we want to consider "bad" in others are also true about or within ourselves. Something may or may not be manifest, but the potential is always there.

Finally Mother says, "Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger...." When we are free from focusing upon differences that make us each unique from so many personal, social, and cultural standpoints, then we begin to realize the Oneness abiding in us All.

We come to the Courtyard for help in our effort to see this Oneness. This it why Mother's Courtyard is a not place where we want to focus generally on differences that are not touching us directly.

Of course if any of Mother's children is struggling personally with some problem of social, culturally or spiritual difference the Courtyard is a place where we all can come to take refuse with Mother and to talk with some of our spiritual sisters and brothers.

Location: San Diego, California, USA

Re: Re: Stepping on the tail of a cobra in Mother's Courtyard :)

Jayanti,
I am so glad that you explained this so fully to Tom. It is true that we should not look at the faults of others. I have been thinking on this, and we all have buttons that can be pushed. When you love someone you are very careful not to push them. This
perhaps was my point above about the times when Mother was offended and comparing it with myself. I no longer have buttons, I have land mines. They have been buried so long that I do not even know where they are. Poor fellow above in my original post stepped on one and we were both blown up in the process. I am transferring out of the building to get some distance. He seems very sad.
As I said, thanks for explaining this fully to Tom. I would hate for anyone to feel unwelcome here. May we always follow the promptings that Mother places in our hearts.

Location: New Bern, NC

Re: Re: Re: Stepping on the tail of a cobra in Mother's Courtyard :)

Sister Rosemary,

Your statement that you "no longer have buttons, I have landmines." -- this is sooooo very familiar!

The best part of the spiritual journey as lead by Vedanta is that these landminds are far from disasters. Rather they are seen as opportunity for us to clear out the garbage. "Garbage" is my term. I have felt like a brimming garbage can at times!

How wonderful it feels, hwever, to be able to examine the cause of out buttons, landmines, and garbage pits while resting in the all-acceptinng lap of the Mother.

It sounds like you were wise to withdraw from the situation. As a swami once explained to me, people often think they must "stick it out" in an uncomfortable situatiion. For a spiritual aspirant this is not always the best approach, because we are being "pushed by our reactions. We often need to back away in order to be able to examine our reactions with out the constant pressure of our reactions.

By Mother's grace, may your new position give you the stace and time to deactivate this particular "landmine."

Location: San Diego, California, USA

Re: Re: Re: Re: Stepping on the tail of a cobra in Mother's Courtyard :)

Thank you Jayanti,
This is a concise evaluation of my situation, and I appreciate your support in my withdrawing. In my "conversations" with Mother over this, I keep hearing the strong answer that I am doing the right thing. Thanks for verbalizing this to me. I do not think that I could go through this if I did not feel Mother's hand on me.

Location: New Bern, NC