RE: "I am your daughter"

Namaste Shakuntala Aswani,

Thanks for sharing that uplifting article.

Of course, when Sri Sarada Devi recognized the Divinity [fatherhood]
within the dacoit, he was completely disarmed. After all, even
the hardened criminal has a mother or sister somewhere, whom he loves
or once loved.

It is a common custom for women in India; when confronted with
a threatening stranger, who attempts to violate her personal space;
to exclaim, "Would you behave this way with your own sister?"

Most often, this will cause the potential attacker to feel shame and
desist in his wicked intentions.

Next to religion, 'family' is the most important fact of life
in Asian culture.

Sri Sarada had no fear of the dacoit, because She is the Embodiment
of Love....and Love does not fear anyone or anything; being all-conquering.

Om Shanthi Om

Thank you for bringing this lecture here. For those who can hear it, the psychological impact is profound and self revealing. These thoughts will keep me company all day.

Thanks

Location: North Carolina

Spiritual examples "touch" each of us in different ways.

Like Rosemary, I too found this article to have significant and practical phychological insight. In small ways, I have experienced these principles in my own life. This is not unexpected. We are spiritual beings after all. The problem is, we do not know this! So even when we experience something related to our spiritual nature, we do not recognize this...until a great soul shows us by his or her example.

Location: San Diego, California, USA

The post is wonderful and Mother’s life continues to inspire each one of us. In continuation to Jayanti’s thought about “Spiritual examples "touch" each of us in different ways” for any example to have an effect we have to be ready to receive the message. As Sri Ramakrishna would often say “The Divine Grace is always there, unfurl your sails” The whole journey of spiritual life is to unfurl our sails. As someone once told me, “The fact you wish to unfurl your sails is in itself Divine Grace”

In the courtyard brother Shiv tells us in his post of Jan 05 “It seems someone once asked a Sufi Saint - "If I turn towards him, will he turn towards me"?. The Sufi replied in a sharp tone - "No! Only if he turns towards you, will you turn towards him".

We are touched by these examples of the Mother is an indication that we are recipients of Her grace. Some children may think “I am not worthy of being Mother’s child. I have done nothing etc” All I have to say is do not judge what the Mother is doing. She does not need our approval or our agreement. She does what She wants to do. May Her Grace give us insight into ourselves so that we may see how She is guiding us.

"I am your daughter" these simple words of the Mother seem to have tremendous psychological impact of turning the dacoit's ferocity into a fatherly love. The entire incident indeed has a great relevance in our day-to-day life. Once while talking about "crisis management" at one company where I was working, I gave this incident in Mother's life as an example. Basic theme was one should not get baffled when faced with a crisis but face it boldly. Try to convert that moment of crisis in to a ray of hope. Needless to say, the example appealed to one and all.

Praying for Mother's blessings,

Satwik

Location: Bangalore, India

Please understand that I have my personal reasons for picking this topic to the bone, and that I do not in any way want to take away from the beauty and vitality of this incident in Mother's life. I can accept this incident exactly the way that it is, and in my mind, it was Karmic, at least from the side of the dacoits...however,that said...

...I am remembering this understanding from reading or course work way in the past, but it seems to me that someone once asked Gandhiji if he thought that his "passive resistance" (I forget the Indian term, it starts with an "S") would work with the Nazi's and I believe his answer was "NO", it could only have worked with the British.

My father was an abusive, exploitive man, and no plea, "I am your daughter" would have, could have worked with him. Sorry to make this personal, but where else can I go with this?

Location: North Carolina

Dear Rosemary,

Namaste,

Do you mean the Indian term for "passive resistance" as Satyagraha?

Satwik

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to:

Please understand that I have my personal reasons for picking this topic to the bone, and that I do not in any way want to take away from the beauty and vitality of this incident in Mother's life. I can accept this incident exactly the way that it is, and in my mind, it was Karmic, at least from the side of the dacoits...however,that said...

...I am remembering this understanding from reading or course work way in the past, but it seems to me that someone once asked Gandhiji if he thought that his "passive resistance" (I forget the Indian term, it starts with an "S") would work with the Nazi's and I believe his answer was "NO", it could only have worked with the British.

My father was an abusive, exploitive man, and no plea, "I am your daughter" would have, could have worked with him. Sorry to make this personal, but where else can I go with this?

Location: Bangalore, India

Dear Satwik,
Yes, thank you. That was the term.

Love,
Rose

Location: North Carolina

Satwik,
I also remember reading that Gandhiji did not like the term "passive resistance". I recall that he said that there was "nothing passive about it"

Regards,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

So true. Nonviolent, conscious resistence is anything but passive.

Rosemary, I can very much relate to your experience with your father. I think the message is not "Face a dangerous person by calling him or her 'father' or 'mother'."

I think, instead, the incident conveys something different. Namely, our sense of who we are, and the strength in this. Mother did not call the robber "my Father" out of fear. At that moment, she became "the daughter" by her own strength of will and conviction. It is a documented pattern that attackers look for those who display fear and weakness. Mother's action was unexpectedly bold, like Gandhiji's resistence movement.

When a crazy fellow was chasing Mother one time, she did not call him "Father". When attempts to calm him failed she threw him on the ground, got on top of him and slapped him back into awareness. Now, yes, this too may seem impossible for us to do. Yet there are numerous accounts of individuals who have done extraordinary feats when a situation called for it.

But the point, again, is not what we do -- or even what Mother did -- as much as our place of awareness, our confidence in who WE are, our ability to take action not from a place of fear.

I would say here that one action of strength that may be taken is that of walking (or running) away as an act of choice and resolve. Many do not think of this as an act of strength. We usually run in fear. Leaving by choice is a very different action. Any action we take by choice has a power and strength.

How effective will it be? Awareness helps here. Seeing people and situations as they are, not as we would wish. We become better at this as we progress spiritually. Ironically, we begin to accept an individual as he or she appears to us (flaws, bad behavior, and all) because we begin to see the light of divinity shining in each. We understand that divinity has taken this form and we can choose appropriate ways to respond to each form.

As Sri Ramakrishna said -- yes, God is in the tiger. But you don't bow down before the tiger god.

Location: San Diego, California, USA

As we grow spiritually and begin to see divinity in others, we make better choices about how to respond to situations and individuals.

In addition, our responses call to the divine in others.

Location: San Diego, California, USA

In numerous incidents in her life, Mother has shown courage and teaches us that to stand for ourselves. This process is never easy. As Jayanti mentions, it comes with our own spiritual growth and development. Spiritual development takes time, effort and most of all Divine Grace. I do not know what you could have done at that moment in your life Rosemary, but today you can ask Mother for guidance. If we have to ask for advice, ask Mother and She will give you the answer. No question ever goes unanswered if asked with a sincere heart. Our past hurt is also a chain that binds us from moving forward and progressing towards the Supreme goal. What is needed is to go to the Shrine, empty it at Mother’s feet and from the Mother itself draw the strength and energy. She will always do it… after all She is your Mother.

RE: SATYAGRAHA [Hold on to Truth]

Of course, Gandhi and the Home Rule
Movement, would only be possible in
a land, where the 'rulers' are cultured
and intelligent.

Unfortunately, although Germans are generally
considered to be cultured and intelligent people;
their collective karma, after the Great War,
apparently resulted in a brutal form of Totalitarianism.

Thankfully, the German people have 'moved on' and
have happily adopted a modern Democratic type of government. Although, they no doubt remember the past, they look to the future with heads held high.

I think that there is a lesson in that, for anyone who has lived through a brutal regime, of one sort or another.

I have a close friend, an elderly survivor of Mauthausen Death Camp. I have known this man for
40 years; and 'never' have I heard a bitter word,
concerning his erstwhile tormentors.

I see great Spirituality in that.

Incidentally, Dr. King wouldn't have lasted
too long in Nazi Germany either. America
was 'big' enough for Dr, King...and British India
was 'big' enough for Gandhi. It's as simple as that.

Om Shanthi Om

There are some cases, where the father will be harsh with his
children. This is sometimes motivated by a desire to prepare
the child for the harshness of the world.

Then again, there are outright cases of abuse and neglect.

This also strengthens the person......
...and provides a certain relief, when the ordeal is over.

I remember a German tailor telling me of some homespun philosophy:

"The most pleasurable sensation in the world is the exquisite relief;
that is felt, when the cow removes her hoof from your foot; while
you are attending to her in the pasture."

I am sure the Sri Gopala must have experienced that pleasure
often!

Hare Krishna

Thanks to all for the "living waters" of your responses.

However Tom, I am not sure I understand Sri Ramakrishna's meaning/implications about not bowing to a God Tiger. This time I simply do not follow.

Location: North Carolina

From the best that I remember of Sri Ramakrishna's words, the incident does not involeve the Tiger but an elephant! and Sri Thakur clearly instructed that while the god elephant is on the rampage, be attentive to the words of God mahut (Person who is controlling the elephant) to clear the way, else the elephant would trample you.

Satwik

Location: Bangalore, India

I actually told the tiger quote, not Tom. :)

There was also the elephant story told by Satwik. In both, Sri Ramakrishna was illustrating how we need to respond appropriately to the various forms of God which appear before us.

Thus, one doesn't bow down before the tiger god -- one runs to safety, for example. In this same context he sad that one needs to worship god in the horse by feeding it oats and not by waving a light before the horse, as one does during shrine worship.

The thought that came to me is this. In many abusive situtations we are called upon to recognize the danger as it is, and to take the appropriate action in order to remove ourselves from danger ... just as we must be aware that the tiger will likely attack us if we do not get away.

Trying to "calm" an abusive person can be like "bowing down" before a tiger; neither of which is especially appropriate. But the idea is not one of judging what is right and what is wrong. Rather it is learning the nature of a situation and acting appropriately. If you will, it may be the tiger's nature to attack, but one need not place oneself in the position of being attacked on its account.

Location: San Diego, California, USA

Dear Rosemary,
I can feel the pain,hopelessness and fear you must have felt. I offer you brotherly love and affection.

You have come to the right place to reveal your sorrows. Only holy mother can soothe your agony. Continue praying to her and you will receive consolataion and the answer to your questions.

With Love,
Unni

Location: Lafayette,LA

My brother,
I thank you again, for hearing this.

My love to you also,
Rosemary

Location: North Carolina

Dear Rosemary,
Please don't thank me . I just acted as a channel to mother's wish. I only want you to lead a happy life .

May all happiness,wisdom amd peace reach you,

Affectionately,
Unni

Location: Lafayette,LA