Dear Brother Ankur Ji,

It is always a great pleasure to see your postings in Mother's Courtyard.

I read you comments to Rosemary, and I wish to extend my
fondest hopes for a speedy recovery from your physical
distress.

Here is a special prayer for you:

Thank you, dear Brother Tom. Thank you also for the beautiful prayer which I am sure will be heard. Yes, to bless the Name of the Holy Mother now and ever is my longing wish. Recollectedness of Mother never fails to bring peace to the heart. Blessed indeed be our Mother Sarada and blessed be Her Name. I have mentioned a video to Sister Rosemary. If in case you do not have it, please do get it, though most probably you already have it. My respectful greetings to you on the auspicious night of Siva, Sivaratri, the time period when it is said He is present even more palpably among us humans on Earth and is pleased with the humblest and most trifling of offering with love. As you know a thief to remain awake tore off the leaves of a bel tree (sacred to Siva, his teardrops they say) and threw it on the ground from the branch where he was perched on a night in the jungle to escape the clutches of a tiger prowling below. Unintentionally the leaves fell on a sivalinga on the ground and the great Lord immediately appeared and granted the thief mukti and a place in Kailas, His abode. Thus started the legend of Sivaratri. And of that hunter devotee who offered with love wine and meat to the Lord at a sivalinga which was worshipped by a brahmin priest everyday. The horrified brahmin after many days of cleaning the sivalinga and worshipping it again with the best of holy ingredients, prayed in sorrow to the Lord who told him in dream to keep vigil near the Sivalinga. And when the hunter devotee came again, he saw that an eye of the Lord was bleeding. He tried all his medicinal knowledge, but to no avail. Then without hesitation he with his arrow uprooted his own eye and stuck it to the Sivalinga which stopped bleeding true, but the other eye started bleeding. Immediately the hunter, without any second thought, was about to uproot his remaining eye when the Great Lord appeared and stopped him by catching hold of his hand and took him with Him to His abode to Kailas telling the Brahmin that for Him the love alone matters and not the offering. Siva Siva Ramakrishna Ramakrishna

Location: New Delhi

Dear Ankur,

Thank you for the Youtube recommendations which I will soon be exploring.

Today, I saw a friend post on Facebook a poster, which read the following (and I thought of you and myself)..

"Don't believe everything you think."

Hriday attended to the Master personally for 25 years. One would think that Holy Company alone would solve the problems of Hriday. Certainly one can hope that the Holy influences of Thakur rubbed off on Hriday to the extent that he attained spiritual realization, if not in this life, then perhaps in the next. How can one gauge the spiritual progress of another? One cannot do it, I think. One can hope! However, Hriday seems to have an idea that the grass was "greener" elsewhere. This story keeps being plowed up in my mind over and over, and I think of you sometimes Ankur, when the story makes surface (as the story also benefits myself!!!)

They Lived with God, p. 62, Chetanananda

"In spite of the Master's reassurances, Hriday longed for more spiritual adventures, a longing that later proved to be his undoing. Sri Ramakrishna once told his disciples how a monk who was drunk with divine knowledge came to Dakshineswar. He looked like a ghoul--almost naked, with dust all over his head and body, and long hair and nails. He stood in front of the Kali temple, fixed his eyes on the image and recited a hymn with such power that the temple seemed to shake. He was not allowed to eat with the other monks and pilgrims because of his dirty apperance, so he went to the garbage heap and shared the leftover scraps with some dogs. Recognizing his high spiritual state, Sri Ramakrishna went to Hriday's rooma nd told him about the monk.

Immediately Hriday ran to see the unusual monk and found that he was leaving the garden. He followed him a long way and kept asking, "Holy sir, please teach me how I can realize God." At first the monk didn't answer, but at last he said to Hriday, pointing to the sewer wateraround a drain in the road, "When this water and the water of the Ganges seem equally pure to you, then you will realize God." Hriday said, Sir, please make me your disciple and take me with you." But the monk did not reply. He went on. When he looked back and saw Hriday still following him, he made an angry face and picked up a brick, threatening to throw it at Hriday. Hriday then fled, and the monk dropped the brick, left the road, and disappeared."

Location: New Bern, NC

Dear Sister Rosemary,

Your post reminds me of what Swami Saradananda Ji said in Bengali, and the import of which is, "Nobody is going to take your burden." Again and again the scriptures extol the greatness of holy company and say that God can be realized by His Grace, or by the compassionate look of a great soul. But, here, as Swami Saradananda Ji again points out, you have to make the effort to open your heart to the holy influence, to the blessings and grace which flow freely and unbidden, just as water continuously strives to flow downward towards lower ground. Else you don't improve at all even after staying day and night near a holy personality, nay near God incarnate on Earth. Here the requirement is a humble heart and the desire for God. I think the Lord Christ said that all those who hunger after righteousness shall have that desire fulfilled. That is the purport. I am not recollecting the exact quote. Here two points come to mind:
1. "Inner communion is the most important things. The hungering for righteousness, for God. The hunger is the most important thing. It is only when you are hungry that you will be fed. And there also you have to make the effort to unfurl your sails. Else how can even a strong wind of Grace take your boat forward? True, once you are hungry you WILL be fed. Such is God's dispensation. But, if you do not unfurl your sails, you will be fed last, late at night, when others who make the effort will have their hunger satisfied anytime between early morning and late evening, depending on the intensity of the hunger and the sincerity of the effort."
2. "It is extremely difficult to serve a holy man or to occupy a holy seat. In the first case, a realized soul becomes like a child. The sevak or one who serves him becomes almost like his parent whose almost every instruction the holy man follows in his outer life. If the sevak is able to efface his ego and grow in love for God and God in the holy man, then he is always benefitted and blessed in the end (just as Sujji Maharaj, Swami Nirvanananda, was blessed by Swami Brahmananda just before he passed on that Swami Nirvanananda will attain the knowledge of Brahman, i.e., God-realization. Later Nirvanananda attained an exalted spiritual state, gave spiritual initiation himself as a Guru, and is on record saying that he had attained the knowledge of Brahman). But, woe to the person who retains his ego, or feeds his ego in service of the holy man, who nurses some selfish desire and holds that desire dearer to him than his love for the holy man. By nursing selfish desires and feeding his ego, he tries to control the holy man and in the process lapses occur in his conduct. Such a sevak goes to ruin, so to say. True, a devotee of the Lord never perishes. But, he has to enjoy the heavens (what a dire punishment!) after the death of his body, and on exhausting his punya, or store of the fruits of good deeds, be reborn in a prosperous and virtuous family to enjoy the fulfilment of his remaining desires. Such are known as the fallen yogis, who, however, by the Grace of the Lord and the Guru are, in spite of themselves, brought back on the track back to God and they make speedy progress thence, having regained their spiritual memory of previous birth or births. But this bringing back to track seems like being put on the rack and his skin being pulled out and salt being rubbed on the raw flesh, for some fallen yogis who had incurred the displeasure of the holy man or men in his previous birth.
Finally, the most dangerous thing for an aspirant is to hold a holy post. Woe to such an aspirant, unless he be humble, sincere in his devotions and regular in his spiritual practice and cries daily for the grace of and protection of God and His children, the saints. Barring the above, such an aspirant develops a mighty ego, commits wrongs deeds, and becomes degraded to an animal birth in his next incarnation on Earth. True, once he has learnt his lessons, the Grace of God and the holy ones again come upon him, he regains his knowledge and the Lord smiles (all this is so beautifully described in poetic verses in the scriptures), and I suppose it is again sunshine from then on."
None, but a realized soul can truly know the heart of another and gauge his spiritual progress. But only God and His incarnations, and perhaps some of His mighty sons, the sages of fiery austerities and mighty realizations, and all-embracing love, can really know who is who and what is the working of a person's mind and the track record of his karmas, and what the future holds in store for him. Here God, the writer of our destinies, can wipe out what He has written if He so wishes. The creator has full freedom over His creation. He who has made the laws governing the Universe has the full liberty and capacity to break those laws as evidenced recently in the life of Shri Ramakrishna.
"Don't believe everything you think", perhaps the sanest advice possible for me. Thank you for sharing, dear Sister.
Yes, the Hriday story is pertinent. It is, as you have rightly surmised, of the greatest import to me. Hence did the great musicians of yore say often, "Practicing one you practice all, practicing all, you lose all". This is almost a Gospel truth. Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Kamakhya in my home town of Guwahati in Assam of North-east India told a person I knew, to hold on to one and through that one you will get everything, he said. True, very true, and true again. See, only now, after more than 23 years of going to Ramakrishna in my adult years and more than 17 years of receiving His Name from a Guru who was blessed with the highest spiritual realizations even in his early youth (he was 93 years of age when he blessed me), and who was the very embodiment of Divine love, only now am I starting to have some faith in Ramakrishna now and then mostly under duress! How I have wasted my years till now in doubt, uncertainty, roaming about, and looking for greener grass elsewhere. But though I haven't yet been able to love Him ("Not that you loved Me, but that I loved you"), I am feeling His love increasingly, and that is healing my sore heart, and giving me peace whenever for brief moments the turbulent storm raised by my past karmas or selfish actions, quiet down momentarily by Holy Mother's Mercy, the kripa of the Guru.
Thank you, Sister.

Location: New Delhi

As always you are very eloquent in your understanding, Ankur.

Location: New Bern, NC

Thank you, Sister Rosemary. I am just about to leave my workplace for the day, it being late evening here. It must be morning over there. Have a nice day.
With regards,
Ankur

Location: Dwarka, New Delhi

Dear Ankur,

It is good to hear from you. Please do check in here and keep your posts forthcoming. I wonder about you so often.

Your sister,
Rosemary

Location: New Bern, NC

Thank you, dear Sister Rosemary. I was just watching 'Unsolicited Grace', Accounts of Holy Mother by Her disciples, each one of whom became a knower of God, a realized soul. Please see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ARIv_c5eyo and do get the video CD if you don't already have it. Also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-w9olcb5FE, a truncated clip on Vivekananda worth hearing. Today is Sivaratri, the night of Siva, the Lord of the Sannyasis or monks and the beloved of thousands of saints like Ramana Maharshi, and the ideal of Swami Saradananda. India, always praying, is seeped in vigil, prayers, fasting and worship today. The whole country is resounding with paens in praise of the Great Lord, the auspicious one, the beautiful one, the powerful one, and the greatest of renunciates who incarnated as Ramakrishna not long back to uplift the fallen dharma and reinvigorate the global kundalini. Siva, Siva, please watch or rather hear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bjRzDrQaac&feature=colike and the following videos for the favourite hymn of Lord Siva, chanting of which by memory daily before the picture of Lord Krishna after saluting Ramana Maharshi was the bedrock of my sadhana in the most fruitful year or years of my austerities to please the Lord. Then the Lord in His mercy withdrew that power so as to humble my pride and make me His own in the long run. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Siva Siva Ramakrishna Ramakrishna. OM TAT SAT

Location: New Delhi

To All My Brothers and Sisters in Mother's Courtyard,
I wish Blessings from Lord Shiva Mahadeva Nataraj, on
this auspicious occasion:

Thanks for the wishes.... How do we upload pictures over here?
Jai Thakur-Maa-Swamiji,
Satwik

Location: Bangalore

Namaste Satwik,

You may use BB Code to post images here.

More info: Click HERE

Dear Brother Satwik,

Brother Tom is always the "go-to" tech person for me here on the forum. Thanks for the bbcode link, Tom, which I have added to my favorites bar...

...but, I thought I would give you the website where I go to upload photos first and then insert into the message body by using bb code.

(Tom, I'm sure has an easier way, but this is the way I have slowly learned to do it. It is not fast as in Facebook, etc.)

First, I have to UPLOAD the image here:

tinypic

Next step is to copy and paste the bottom formula (Direct Link for layouts) by using bb code format for images as Tom directed. (I always have to look at the format by clicking on "bb code" at the top of the message box here at Bravenet)

Location: New Bern, NC

Thank you again, dear Sister Rosemary. Let me try:



Let us see if it works.

Location: New Delhi

Location: Bangalore

It worked swell, dear Sister. Thank you once again. The fastest easiest way. Just copy the HTML code and paste here and post. NO NEED to do anything else. So quick. Here goes another picture:



One can obtain liberation in this very life if one practises the following three things:

1. Retain equanimity under all circumstances
2. Remain in a state of joy under all circumstances
3. Develop such an attitude that he loves all and hates none

Swami Ritajananda ji (sitting in the picture above with Ranganathananda ji and Vidyatmananda ji) came to the above conclusion after long years of sadhana.

The Swami, who was the Head of the Ramakrishna Ashrama in Gretz in France (where the above photograph was taken) also said that:

a. Religions are many, but spirituality is one
b. Religions are external, but spirituality is internal
------
Ankur

Location: New Delhi

Great photos, so wonderful to see!!

Location: New Bern, NC

Dear Brother Ankur,

Only now am I reading your kind post. I have much to catch up on. May Mother grant you strength and sustain you as you face these physical challenges. As always, it is good to have you back in the Courtyard.

I have been somewhat pre-occupied as about the time of your post it became clear that my mother would soon be leaving the body. She passed quietly on Feb 24, in conduction with Thakur's birthday. She had had dementia for several years, and had been in severe decline. So her passing is a blessing accompanied by both relief and sadness. Mother certainly blessed her, and my sister and I, with an easy transition. I will be in and out of the Courtyard for a while.

My thoughts and well wishes go to each as you gather in Mother's Courtyard.

Location: San Diego, CA

Dear Sister Jayanti,
Mother has gone back to the realm from where she came... in Thakur-Maa's lap...Nevertheless, for children loss of a parent is always a loss...Faith and devotion in Thakur-Maa is the only thing that can help us coming out of this grief...Nothing else matters when one has Thakur-Maa's grace...
Jai Maa!!!

Location: Bangalore, India

Respected and dear Sister Jayanti,

Thank you for your kind post and good wishes. I am really sorry to learn of the passing on of your mother. May Mother grant you the calm and strength to meet the resultant sadness and feeling of loss, which I feel, in spite of what you have so correctly and wisely written, does come to a child. Really one's mother is the only one who remains one's own in spite of everything and anything that might happen. Hence is she to be regarded as the Divine Mother Sarada while we are with her, or she with us. I have learnt this home truth very very late in life, now only.

With good wishes and prayers,

Sincerely,

Ankur

Location: Mandi House, New Delhi, India

Dear Jayanti,

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your friend and your Mother. I have felt for a while that something must be amiss. It is so good to from you. May Thakur grant you peace of heart and mind.
I will be thinking of you.

Your real sister,
Rosemary

Location: New Bern, NC