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

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Dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Storms in Life


point taken, old son, but to use a perhaps spurious analogy; when one is in love, no mountain is insurmountable - after some years of marriage, perhaps even a small hill seems big. Also, without going into the orchard and counting the twigs too much, how many Great Souls realized the Goal without intense suffering ? Just a thought...


Jai Sri Sri Ma!

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Jai Ma!!! Yes Anthony, we should by all means be grateful for every storm, rough or slightly jarring, as well as extremely grateful for enemies, even of the worst caliber. I recall the Dalai Lama also mentioning, on the topic of anger, to experience your anger if it does arise, and through its expression, let it float away at that precise moment. Who doesn't get angry??? About enemies, one should literally thank them for the role that they carried out within the relationship, after all, aren't they providing you with a priceless service, an opportunity to learn, grow and blossom. Thing is, many seem to engage in such relations and fail to grasp the true reason as to why such an argument etc. arose in the first place i.e. to see reactions in onself and to remedy them via love and compassion. I suppose it is during these events that the tricky little fish called mind/ego dominate.


However Anthony, I must present a differing perspective when it comes to your comment, something to the effect of "the larger the storms, the more subtle one has become." First, I would like to know why you think such a thing. Perhaps I am misinterpreting your use of the word "subtle." I hope not. Is suffering (and only Ma knows what that word means) truly the only way to attain Ma?? I'm well aware of the Buddhist doctrines stating that life is suffering, by in what form, and what is "suffering" exactly. Indeed there are examples aplenty, and I'm sure there are many more that few are aware of, in which certain individuals attained ascension (enlightenment), the supreme samadhi, without enduring the "genuine hardships of life," at least during the incarnation in which they reach this state. The idea of self-victimhood leaves little room for the receiving of compassion. By that I simply mean that for those of us here on earth whom believe that the more storms the better because the end result will be favorable spiritually are probably in for a surprise of sorts. Time and time again, the words of those to whom we should listen have commented on the nature of the third dimension and the fact that we, as divine individuals, create every aspect of our lives here. Somewhere along the path, myself, you Anthony, Paritosh and every other devotee (along with the grace of Ma) chose to invite Ma to enter our hearts and reside there forever. A choice was made. Who says that life cannot exist without "suffering." Who is defining what? We provide ourselves with chance after chance to grow and become more passionate and loving and divine, and we aren't always aboard the bullet train, but, when we don't learn our own lesson, we tend to label it as "suffering?????"


Jai MA . . . may the boon of your grace bless everyone of us! with love, bkbkbkbkbkbk

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read something by the Dalai Lama recently about external 'enemies'; he reminded us that they are actually quite rare, and we should take advantage of the opportunity to learn the virtues of patience, tolerance, love, strength etc., when we encounter them.


Seeing it from this opposite angle, if you like, has been useful.


Ofcourse, this is not easy but as the Master said "Practice, practice.."


The inner storms...The worse they are, surely the more subtle you have become, both Paritosh and Brandon. Personally am so engrossed in maya at the moment that am not even getting much restlessness. Am perfectly serious when i suggest that we should be grateful for those inner storms, (especially when they have passed!)


Jaya Ma!

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The wonder of Mother and Her ways is always amazing. You, Brandon have shared a wonderful path to take care of emotions like anger and frustration. However, I always have difficulty in “controlling the mind.” I somehow like thinking of something else to distract the mind away from what is disturbing. As Sri Ramakrishna would say, “if once walks towards the East, automatically the West is left behind.” So also the more we think of Mother’s unconditional love and how She lived Her life the more will we move away from thoughts that take us away from the Supreme goal.

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Jai Ma!!!


Greetings to all here in Mother's Courtyard. Paritosh, I enjoyed your message about the "storms" that we all encounter from time to time. I agree completely with the idea that they are an integral part of our relationships with Ma, with maya as well as with ourselves. Did Maharaj not compare the mind to an ocean and the motion of its waves to a devotee in the midst of a "storm," adding that his current state was one of gathering strength which would in turn raise him to a higher level of spirituality?? Wow . . . We have all been there that is for sure. Yet perhaps there is a point in which Ma moves us to deeper waters where the depth doesn't allow for such ravaging waves thus allowing the serenity and expansivness of the mind to unfurl and sail, by the grace of Ma, emersed in Satchidananda. May we all burn steadily not unlike a candle flame unaffected by the maya around us. Emotions like anger, frustration and despair are definitely valid, yet wholly unnecessary at times. Remember, emotions exist simple as a feeling the mind attaches to thoughts. Control over the mind equals control over feelings, and the only two emotions truly existing are fear and love. At times when I'm angered or frustrated, I force "myself" to make the effort to choose Ma's path, the one of unconditional love. Then and only then am I able to objectively examine what created such anger, frustration etc., thus disarming it immediately. Gradually, such emotions wane, leaving a serenity of extreme beauty. Jai ma !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Storms are an integral part of spiritual life. They may be internal or external. I think, each one is different in its presentation and how they need to be faced.




There is often no control over the external storm. They present in the form of distractions but more often as people who tend to bother and vex us. Irritating people, who are clueless to our goals and ideals. However, we are unable to run away from them either because of our apparent closeness to them or the far reaching effect their words have on us.




The internal storms are times when we feel no inspiration and dryness envelops us. There is no place to run and nothing is happening on the outside. There are no external manifestations of these inner struggles. Inspiration is lacking and neither prayer nor meditation are a source of strength.




What are we to do in both these situations? How does each one handle this? I am sure there is no right or wrong way and each one of us handles it differently.




For me both are different and I have faced them and continue to face them. The external gets me angry and agitated. I try to accept that such distractions and people are an integral part of life. As Sri Ramakrishna mentions in the Gospel the “Jatila and Kutila” are placed in the world to increase the fun make mischief and increase the fun in the play of life. Swamiji in his “Inspired Talks” speaks about how evil makes the world move. Ah easy to say so… but when we face them I just take a breath and tell Mother “OK lets face this music together” It is always beneficial to include the Mother in everything. This way I am sure that I am not alone during this ordeal.




The inner storms are the tough ones. Lonely and uninspired they are inevitable in spiritual life. Each one of us dreads them. During this time, (even though I find them bland), I tend to read spiritual books. Read and re read them. There are some favorite parts which never cease to inspire me and I read them. Of course coming to the courtyard, talking and writing here also are a source of strength. Then, there are fellow travelers on this route whom I will contact ask them to make some sense about my inner storm. Tough days indeed, these are very tough days. But this too shall pass I tell myself. But the one strategy, which I find particularly helpful and inspiring, is looking at pictures. Looking with intensity and sincerity at the picture of Mother helps me to make “the connection” and slowly the storm dies out. I am able to see things in a different light. They still do not make any sense to me but I feel less agitated and that is always helpful.




These storms are always there and how we face them gives us the strength to face difficult times. They also show us different facets of our personality; hidden strengths that we never thought existed within us. Ultimately, these very struggles help us to move towards the Supreme goal.




As Mother once told her son “My child difficulties will always come but you will see they will pass like a bridge under water”




May we always remember these words of the Mother, internalize them and know that She will guide us through all these storms both internal and external.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Storms in Life

Suffering is a part of life. No one has lived in this world that has not felt pain and undergone suffering.




Once a devotee of Buddha who lost her only young son came to him and asked him to grant life after this son had died. Buddha said he could do so if she got a handful of mustard seeds from any house where death had not occurred. The lady was overjoyed and ran to get the seeds from a house in the village. However, at every house that she knocked on she found that death had visited that house too. She returned to Buddha empty handed only to realize that death is inevitable.




Just as we talk about death we talk about suffering. No one whether they have Mother in their lives or not have not experienced suffering. Swamiji in “Inspired Talks” tells us that suffering comes more often and in rapid succession to those people who progress in spiritual life.




How we use these sufferings in our lives then determines what path life will take. May I always rush to the Mother for strength and support is my prayer to Her.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Storms in Life


Jai Ma!! Anthony and Paritosh, and it isn't that i disagree on the topic of suffering . . . and no doubt death has affected us all as well. Your points are well taken. Perhaps this path which Ma has so graciously adorned me with has thus far been one of relative comfort . . . I'm not truly sure. What the loss of a loved is to one may not be the same to another. Suffering exists yes, the way that one goes about assimilating, digesting and utilizing the knowledge and experience of sufferng differs. While one may wallow and question the existance of god at all during times of exceptionally harsh suffering, another may gain instantaneous enlightenment via the same experience. Point being, why go on saying "yes suffering exists, it always has and will and suffering will most likely play a gigantic role in my present incarnation etc.?" We are divine beings are we not??? Yes Ma is the absolute and somewhere in there Ma smiles to think that we attempt to stand on our own two feet and struggle to attain the skill in order to place one foot in front of the other. Shakyamuni, having seeing the four conditions of suffering, left his royal abode and sat down under the bodhi tree vowing not to rise again until reaching enlightenment. What did it take, something like 6 or 7 years? Anthony, does the love that Ma provides ever diminish to any degree??? Love is what binds this universe, as well as ever universe in the cosmos together. How can that ever fade?? What fades is our control of the ego, which constantly reiterates the idea that suffering must prevail over the spiritual. Even the word suffering itself, good or bad, light or dark??? none of these, none of these


neti neti neti. Thanks for listening to me speak of things that I truly am ignorant of. Talking to myself again. Jai Ma peace and love to all.

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Suffering is a part of life. No one has lived in this world that has not felt pain and undergone suffering.




Once a devotee of Buddha who lost her only young son came to him and asked him to grant life after this son had died. Buddha said he could do so if she got a handful of mustard seeds from any house where death had not occurred. The lady was overjoyed and ran to get the seeds from a house in the village. However, at every house that she knocked on she found that death had visited that house too. She returned to Buddha empty handed only to realize that death is inevitable.




Just as we talk about death we talk about suffering. No one whether they have Mother in their lives or not have not experienced suffering. Swamiji in “Inspired Talks” tells us that suffering comes more often and in rapid succession to those people who progress in spiritual life.




How we use these sufferings in our lives then determines what path life will take. May I always rush to the Mother for strength and support is my prayer to Her.