"Thakur used to say, ‘The musical notation has to be brought to the fingers. What is the use of merely speaking it?’ Thakur had just this to say, ‘Do something.’ Everything about him is practical. He used to say that one should do it eighty five percent or ninety five percent, bring it to the hand and the rest five or fifteen percent one should listen.
"Thakur used to say, ‘As soon as you put your faith in the words heard from the guru’s mouth and act upon it, He himself comes and tells what is to be done first.’ He may talk to you perhaps through your mind in the form of intellect. Or, he may send somebody to go and tell you. He comes and tells you.
"Thakur’s one instruction is: Take to tapasya, practice sadhana."
Thank you, Respected web admin. That was really nice and I have noted it down, the quote quoted by you being dear to my heart.
Personally, I feel I am beginning to heal from the scars of severe adversities faced over scores of years. Interaction with you all, especially your good self and specially Respected Sister Rosemary (who was kind enough to frequently interact with me by e-mail but who now seems to have lost patience with me and ceased communicating) has helped me greatly in my darker days, and for that I am grateful to you all. As I am healing, I feel the need to undergo penance, and to forgive myself for my past and the wounds I inflicted on myself, and seek God's forgiveness for the wounds inflicted on others. In this matter, a few related questions come to mind, and I have written them below.
How does one cultivate patience and love when one is faced with adverse circumstances for scores of years at one go and a heart that has lost the ability to feel, or better still to retain any good positive emphatic feeling? How does one repent when one's heart has become stony? Lacking the feeling and having lost the capacity or faith to pray, how does one seek forgiveness from oneself and from God and cease repeating harmful actions?
Ultimately all help comes from God and more one depends on Him alone, more one is helped directly or indirectly through His creatures in mysterious ways.
With regards,
Ankur
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Replying to:
Golden Words!
I have read that *Tapasya is the only duty of a human being.
*Voluntary acceptance of penance for the Realization of the Transcendence.
How does one? I think you know the answer, dear brother. One who has become as "dead" as you describe does not know to come to Mother.
You have come! Now let Her take care of you! You have been trying so long. Stop now! Say "Mother, I cannot do anything myself. See how hard and long I've tried and only suffer more. I am your child. I have only you. You must help me; take care of me."
The challenge we all face is that we must become weary before we are truly able to give up our own efforts and desires before we can truly surrender to Mother.
Perhaps someone can tell Thakur's parable of the bird who woke to find that the ship it had fallen to sleep on was now way out to sea with no land in sight.... We are that bird...
You are very right, Respected web admin. Also, Yes, Sister Jayanti has given the best possible advice. I will try to trust in Mother. Thank you.
I was watching a documentary and some videos on Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, my beloved first Guru whom I always feel an oneness with Holy Mother. The URLs are:
http://acalayoga.googlepages.com/ramanamaharshionvideo