RE: "But, Mother in her Mother's compassion was, I believe, helping a devotee feel better about being human.."

Cooment: So Very True. Mother was certainly motivated by feelings
of limitless compassion. Even to the extent of causing damage to her
own delicate physical health. Here are some pertinent quotes from:
"In The Company Of The Holy Mother"


Swami Arupananda:

To Mother: "I have heard that if one takes upon oneself the burden of another's sins," I continued, "one's health breaks down. The body which saves many souls may break down for a single soul."

"Yes, and his powers grow weaker," Mother said. "All the strength gained through prayer and meditation, which could have saved many souls, gets sometimes exhausted for the sake of a single one. The Master used to say, 'My illness is the effect of taking Girish's sins upon myself.' But Girish too is suffering now."

It was the kindness of her mother's heart which impelled her to initiate people and take upon herself their sins. She once said, "I give initiation out of compassion. They do not leave me; they weep. This moves my heart. Otherwise what do I gain?

"I have to take upon myself the sins of those I initiate. I say to mself, 'This body will die some day, but let them be awakened'."

During the last part of her life, when she was physically weak and had to spend a great part of time in bed, she used to keep awake many an hour at night praying and repeating the Lord's name for the welfare of those disciples who neglected their own spiritual disciplines.

"I do it out of pity for them," Mother answered, "They won't let me go, they weep and I feel sorry. I do it out of pity, otherwise what good is it to me? If one initiates somebody, one has to take his sins upon oneself. I feel that since the body must die someday, let it die for the sake of these people."

"Power flows through the mantra, from the guru to the disciple and from the disciple to the guru," Mother explained. "That is why when one gives the mantra and takes the sins of the initiated upon oneself, one's health fails. It is very hard to be a guru, one has to to take the responsibilty for the disciple's sins....If the disciple commits a sin, the guru must atone for it. And if the disciple is good, the guru also stands to gain. Some progress rapidly, some slowly, according to each one's accumulated tendencies. That is why Rakhal does not like to give initiation. He says, 'Mother, as soon as one gives the mantra to somebody, one falls ill! I shudder at the very idea of giving initiation to anybody.'"

I went to her another day...and heard the disciples saying, "When Mother gets well again, no one will be permitted to take initiation from her, because she has to take upon herself all the evil effects of their sins!"

When Mother heard this she smiled gently and said, "Why, my dears? Has the Master come this time to enjoy the sweets only?" No one could give a reply to this.

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Also, her description of performing austerities is very interesting...that truthfullness is the method, in "this Kali Yuga"...

Also, I believe, in the matter of lust, that anytime we view or use another human being as an "object" to meet our our own needs, then we are creating karma in our lives...perhaps that is Swamiji's warning to us..and the reason that men, particularly, must begin to see women not only as the personification, but as a reality, of the Divine Mother...

I went to church on Sunday, and heard a preacher say from the pulpit (because he had gone past the hour)...now I've gone from preaching into meddling..

Jayanti, my thanks for setting us right...

Location: North Carolina

Thanks for having initiated this discussion. I got to know some things, rectified my understanding of others. Some stray thoughts -- 1. peace is not to be found even in Ashramas. You have to build it up within yourself. And labour and responsibilities do not decrease, they only increase as you evolve further. 2. GOd tolerates wrong-doing only to a certain extent, even if with a good end in mind. Beyond the limit, it is stopped and repercussions follow, 3.Dharma is an ethical conduct arising from the depth of one's soul, 4. Spiritual life is not a joke, not doll's play, 5.The very nature of the mind is changing, otherwise it wouldn't be mind. How will you know what is good if you do not experience evil, some of the evil we experience are tests of God, not necessarily our karma.
All said by Sri Fhanindra.
Regards.

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Replying to:

Also, her description of performing austerities is very interesting...that truthfullness is the method, in "this Kali Yuga"...

Also, I believe, in the matter of lust, that anytime we view or use another human being as an "object" to meet our our own needs, then we are creating karma in our lives...perhaps that is Swamiji's warning to us..and the reason that men, particularly, must begin to see women not only as the personification, but as a reality, of the Divine Mother...

I went to church on Sunday, and heard a preacher say from the pulpit (because he had gone past the hour)...now I've gone from preaching into meddling..

Jayanti, my thanks for setting us right...

Location: Guwahati, Assam, India