Addenda:

In order to really appreciate the true meaning
behind Holy Mother's Promise,
we must endeavour to become like Sri Sarada Devi,
in Spirit.

As long as we harbor the notions of 'me and mine';
such as 'my religion', 'my country', 'my family'
etc., we will be unable to grasp Her Sublime
Concept.

When we ask: "Whose Mother is She?", we must
also recognize Her most important title; namely,
the MOTHER OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER.

I dare say, without the Ramakrishna Order, we would probably not be chatting on this board at the present time.

Some of those early monastic disciples, including
our beloved Swamiji, underwent terrible hardships
and friction with relatives; due to their positive attachment to sri Thakurji.

It was Holy Mother, who adopted these boys as her
own sons, giving them the strength, to live a life of non-attachment to the material world.

Although, all of us may benefit from Mother's promise;
by beseeching Her help in prayer; we may also try to do our own part, in reducing our negative attachments to non-essentials, during our quest for Self-Realization.

And, most importantly, we must view humanity with equanimity, following her Blessed Example.

Om Shanthi Om

Yes. It was Mother who brought the Ramakrishna Order, and subsequently the Sri Sarada Order, in to being.

When the young disciples were homeless and scattered, she prayed to Thakur that they may have shelter and that his teachings not be lost.

When Swamiji wanted to spend the money he had raised for founding a monastic headquarters (Belur Math) on a famine outbreak Mother stopped him. She said that much greater service will be done in the future through the establishment of a secure base from whch to work and to spread Thakur's teachings.

When the Order was founded and the mission work began, the monks were severely criticised for what they were doing. They were not considered to be monks by many and were given the name "sweeper swamis" . Although now it is common, in Swamiji's time Hindu monastics had never organized in such a manner and most certainly never became involved in community service. Throughout this difficult period, Holy Mother defended and encouraged her monastic sons. In time, respected holy persons saw the spiritual purity of these boys and the benefit of their spiritual practice to both themselves and society and also came to their defence. Through Sri Ramakrishna, Swamiji, and Holy Mother, the yoga of "service to God in man" was brought forth.

And Holy Mother's own disciples became the trustees and spiritual leaders of Sri Sarada Math, when the independent women's order was founded. Swamiji had actually wanted "Mother's Order...founded before Father's..." but social conditions for women were not yet favorable to his vision. Swamiji was firm. The women's order would be independent, and that "women must be free to solve their own problems" as they saw fit.

Swamiji was before his time in many ways. And when Swamiji was himself challenged by his spiritual brothers, it was Holy Mother who defended his vision and work.

Nonetheless, Holy Mother may be called Mother of monastic orders by virtue of the respect give to her on a much higher, broader, more universal basis. By virtue of this, Mother reveals herself to her childern independent of any awareness of the works of either order. Indeed, her support for the Order was not solely for the benefit of the monastics, but rather that they may be able to better serve her children throughout the world.

What is this universal basis?

Sri Ramakrishna:
"She is Sarada, Saraswati. She has come to impart knowledge. She has descended by covering up her beauty this time... She is full of wisdom. Is
she of the common run? She is my Shakti."

Swami Vivekananda:
"You have not yet understood the wonderful significance of Mother's
life -- none of you. But gradually you will know. Without Shakti (Power)
there is no regeneration for the world. Mother was born to revive that wonderful Shakti in India: and making her the nucleus, once more will Gargis and Maitreyis be born into the world."

Mother of All -- The wicked as well as the virtuous -- this is the higher, highest of titles!

With all loving respect to Brother Tom, I can hear Mother saying to him -- as the Divine Mother once reminded Swamiji:

"Did the Ramakrishna Order create and sustain me? Or am I the force giving birth to and sustaining it?"

In fact, it is interesting to note that the Ramakrishna Order actually tried quite hard to hide Mother! They held her in such high regard that they could not bare her being lowered to worldly levels by those who did not understand her true nature!

I understand this a little from personal experience. Mother had drawn me to her. Later, I was was talking with a friend who was sincerely interested in my spiritual growth about Mother. I'd given her books to read on Mother's life. Suddenly, she interrupted me, "How can grown men and women make such a fuss about an uneducated Indian woman living in a village?!" I felt the stab to the very core of my heart, as if I had wounded Mother myself.

But now I understand that it is not given to anyone to either hide or reveal Mother. She alone reveals herself to whom she chooses.

She alone gathers her children in places like this, her courtyard, that we might delight in sharing her.

Swamiji understood what others did not. Mother is her own Power.

Location: San Diego, California, USA

Dear Sister Jayanti,

When I mentioned, in a previous posting,
that Sri Sarada Devi's most important
title is "The Mother of the Ramakrishna Order";
this was meant of course, in the 'earthly'
sense. In the Spiritual sense, She is indeed
synonymous with the MOTHER OF THE UNIVERSE,
which over-rides everything else.

My "objection" was not to titles. It was to the notion that it is only because of the Ramakrishna Order that Mother is known. ;)

Devotees are blessed to be engaged in a divine relationship which transcends "earthy" or "institiutional" limitations.

Location: San Diego, California, USA

Dear Sister Jatanti,

RE: "....the notion that it is only because of the Ramakrishna Order that Mother is known"

Perhaps your objection was based upon the fact,
that I was omitting any mention of the valuable work carried on by the Sri Sarada Math...which to my mind (perhaps incorrectly), forms an important part of the Ramakrishna Order.

Although most probably mistaken (as usual), I really don't view the Holy Mother's earthly organizations, as something 'apart' from the Order :)

No, I am not talking about Sri Sarada Math. Do not worry. It doesn't matter. :)

Location: San Diego, California, USA

Go Jayanti! You do spring like a tigress. I agree with Tom that your response is right on. Your response is exactly the heart of this particular discussion and this particular forum. And I thank you.

Location: North Carolina

There is not much to add to what Jayanti has already said. Let me share with you something thoughts.

Rosemary, never doubt yourself and your relationship with the Mother. NEVER. I am confident that She will reveal Her relationship to you in time. But it will not be easy reaching that stage. It will happen at a time when Mother knows you are ready and while all of us think we are ready right now, it is Mother alone who decides. I do not know how She reaches that decision but whenever I have called Her with a sincere heart, the way you mention in the original post, I know that Mother IS listening to me. I am always attracted to the concepts of Advaita but in my heart I always remain a child of the Mother and I enjoy the duality of my relationship with Her.

Regarding the Mother and the Order, Jayanti speaks like a true child of the Mother. I was blessed to meet some of Mother’s direct disciples. One of them once mentioned to me regarding how difficult it was to get Her darshan let alone get a picture. It was a special gift to a select few. Yet those very disciples were always amazed at how people felt this unique bond to the Mother. If they felt this way when they were close to the Mother what can you and I in this time period speak of Her.

Spritual life is not easy and not for the weak at heart. You will be tested every moment of the way, more than the routine person, I am sure about that. At times such as these you will be engulfed by doubts and lack of faith. You will question yourself and give up. Don’t worry, it will come and go. You are Mother’s child. Why fear? Empty it all at Her feet. She will hold your hand, take you in Her arms and do what is best for you. Yes, you do speak the truth when you say “I have a Mother”

Dear Brother Paritosh,

RE: "[Sister] Jayanti speaks like a true child of the Mother"

Comment:

Is this meant to imply, that there are 'untrue' children of the Mother?

After all, Sri Sarada Devi claims to be 'The Mother of All".....the wicked and the virtuous....

Who are we to judge, pray tell, whether someone is a
'true' child of the Mother?

I think perhaps, we should let Mother decide that
for Herself....

Om Shanthi Om

I'm not sure what speaking like a true child of Mother means.

But I know that in Mother's view, every one of her children are truly hers, even those who do not know her or of her. The mother who watches as a child plays happily is just as much a mother as when she takes a crying child in her arms.

I think it's time to stop making qualifications of any kind.

We come to Mother's Courtyard in order to share holy company in Mother's presense. We are Mother's children. Our practice is to try to remember this always. Our prayer is that one day we may realize this fully.

Keep in mind also that each person's relationship with Mother, or with truth or with God -- Reality however one may conceive it -- is uniquely one's own. We may encourage each other as we make our way along the Path, but we each must make our own journey.

Location: San Diego, California, USA

Dear Sister Jayanti,

RE: "I know that in Mother's view, every one of her
children are truly hers"

Your lovely comments, about Mother's unquestioning Love:
remind me of a story remembered from
early childhood; which to this day,
brings a tear to my eyes:


"THE LITTLEST ANGEL"

A Short Story Especially For

Our Littlest Angels

Once upon a time...

Oh, many, many years ago as time is calculated by men--but which was only Yesterday in the Celestial Calendar of Heaven--there was, in Paradise, a most miserable, thoroughly unhappy, and utterly dejected cherub who was known throughout Heaven as The Littlest Angel.

His halo was permanently tarnished where he held onto it with one hot little chubby hand when he ran, and he was always running. Furthermore, even when he stood very still, it never behaved like a halo should. It was always slipping down over his right eye.

The time of the Miracle was very close at hand when the Littlest Angel at last decided on his gift for the Blessed Infant. Then, on that Day of Days, he proudly brought it from its hiding place behind a cloud, and humbly, with downcast eyes, placed it before the Throne of God. It was only a small, rough, unsightly box, but inside were all those wonderful things that even a Child of God would treasure!

The Hand of God moved slowly over all that bright array of shining gifts, then paused, then dropped, then came to rest on the lowly gift of the Littlest Angel! The Littlest Angel trembled as the box was opened, and there, before the Eyes of God and all His Heavenly Host, was what he offered to the Christ Child.

And what was his gift to the Blessed Infant? Well, there was a butterfly with golden wings, captured one bright summer day on the high hills above Jerusalem, and a sky-blue egg from a bird's nest in the olive tree that stood to shade his mother's kitchen door. Yes, and two white stones, found on a muddy river bank, where he and his friends had played like small brown beavers, and, at the bottom of the box, a limp, tooth-marked leather strap, once worn as a collar by his mongrel dog, who had died as he had lived, in absolute love and infinite devotion.

Then, suddenly, The Voice of God, like Divine Music, rose and swelled through Paradise! And the Voice of God spoke, saying, "Of all the gifts of all the angels, I find that this small box pleases Me most."

There was a breathless pause, and then the rough, unsightly box of the Littlest Angel began to glow with a bright, unearthly light, then the light became a lustrous flame, and the flame became a radiant brilliance that blinded the eyes of all the angels!

Excerpted From:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6182/thelittlestangel.html

The moral of the story is simply, that we may only 'guess' what pleases
God; although we have been a given a pretty good idea:

I Corinthians 13, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am nothing."

Om Shanthi Om

I too heard this story when I was a child. How beautiful to recall it now. Thank you, Tom. :)

Location: San Diego, California, USA