I have a very simple question (well i think its simple, depends?), how can I approach Ma? because I kinda need some help in my life right now. I know there are many perspectives - however I am coming from a very simplistic, non-tantric view. Please if you can keep the answers non jargon as possible for the layman.
Tej
Tej
posted by:
|
United Kingdom
|
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Sat, May 24, 2008 - 1:18 PMThe simplest way to approach Ma is approaching yourself... I mean understand yourself. What you need and what you do not. Are you looking at solving a specific problem or to re-energize your life to help you approach life differently / more correctly.
Simple Way: Just believe in her and chant her sthothram or sathanamavali daily with a pure heart/without negatives vibes coming in and believe that she will help.
Little Non Simple Way: Search and geta right guru who can help you to reach her...
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Sat, May 24, 2008 - 5:23 PMAsk for one thing, and one thing only: surrender. -
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Tue, May 27, 2008 - 2:26 PMhey, Jody --
so anything the Mother asks, you'd do it?
what does 'surrender' really mean to you, I wonder?
Alx -
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Tue, May 27, 2008 - 3:01 PM> so anything the Mother asks, you'd do it?
*****
In the context of a vision of Kali? No. Any vision of Kali is at best, a blessed example of the mind's power to manifest its own imaginal reality, and more likely, a symptom of psychiatric disorder. Every vision of Kali that has ever or will ever occur is nothing more than a complex dance of nerve impulses in the brain. The actual Kali, the entire universe over all time and space, has no need to project Herself into our tiny little heads.
> what does 'surrender' really mean to you,
*****
Just chilling with what is, expecting nothing and understanding that my life is in Her hands at all times, and may end in the next 3 seconds. -
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Tue, May 27, 2008 - 4:53 PMso if She showed up in front of you -- despite your comments about brain chemistry -- wouldn't that also be in Her hands? what would your position be in that case, vis-a-vis chilling with what is?
Alx -
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Tue, May 27, 2008 - 5:05 PM> what would your position be in that case
*****
I can't say. It would be up to Her.
-
-
-
-
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Mon, May 26, 2008 - 11:17 AMI believe that the best way to approach Maa is as a child. Jody said it when he said surreder. You have to realize that you are just a child, alone in the jungle of existence, and that you are ignorant to reality, let alone the proper way to do anything like worship her. In the story of Kali in the battlefield, Shiva had to become a screaming baby alone, and helpless in order for Kali to notice him and to stop her from her destructive dance. It brought out the Mother in her. You have to approach her as Mother, and surrender as a child for her to notice you or she will just dance right on top of you and continue her destructive dance without batting an eyelash. -
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Tue, May 27, 2008 - 2:28 PMhey, Rasa --
yes, we are totally children to Her -- at the same time, any responsible parent wants his or her children to grow up, to achieve a healthy adulthood, to be able to function competently and successfully, and happily, in the world.
what I'm getting at is -- at some point, don't you think we have to recognize that She is also us, and that in a sense we are equal to Her? rather than only approaching from a bhakti way --- approaching from a shakti way.
Alx
-
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Tue, May 27, 2008 - 3:11 PM> in a sense we are equal to Her... approaching from a shakti way.
*****
Your "we" who would be equal does not exist apart from an idea's association with a body. This is wrong in so many ways – if we take shaktism as it exists in India as our standard – and elicits strong feelings in me, but it's not at all surprising coming from you.
You've just tried to "The Secret"-ify shaktism. I need to go drink some bleach... -
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Tue, May 27, 2008 - 4:53 PM*chuckling* so your answer would be a "No" to my question.
Alx
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Sat, June 7, 2008 - 10:44 AMI was holding my tongue on this one but I guess I am losing my composure.
I think that these strong feelings being elicited in you towards a woman are pretty appalling and disappointing coming from a devotee of the mother divine. The harshness and sardonic tone of your words towards this woman is disgraceful to your character.
I am not trying to cause drama, but as a woman devoted to the Mother Divine your tone in this response equally provokes strong feelings in me as well. And you know, it's not surprising coming from you, as I have seen you ream out other women and people because their ideas and feelings and beliefs don't match up with your own. If a person was truly realized and confident in what they believed they would have compassion towards others and their beliefs, and try to gently guide them towards truth like a gentle Shepherd... Not like some childish and miserable codger telling people off and being insulting and bitter because you think that others beliefs are wrong, and naive compared to your own supposed realizations.
The only thing WRONG in this entire thread is your blatant disrespect for another human being and a woman. How can you say you worship Kali when you speak to women in such a way?
Your always calling this wrong and that wrong like you are some kind of authority on the matter. As if other people's beliefs are inferior and don't matter. It's very pompous and very disrespectful. You are constantly talking about other's beliefs as whole as part of a culture or on the level of a single person such as this, and ridiculing them and trying to somehow debunk them with your egotistical self-important beliefs of your own, as if you are the ultimate authority on everything that is.
Up until the time I read this, I considered you and your thoughts to be respectable and great perspective... I hope for your own sake your learn some humility and respect for other humans, especially women, as you being a supposed devotee of Maa.
Your words are as harsh and bitter as bleach, there's no need for you to drink it, as you already have it flowing from your mouth and you always will until you learn humility.
The majority of everything you say is this is wrong and that is wrong. Are we to assume you are the authority of all that is right and bow down to your lotus feet?
I hope that for your own sake as a devotee of Mother Divine you learn some humility and respect for others and their beliefs, especially towards women.
-
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Wed, May 28, 2008 - 10:18 AMWell this is for a person who is beginning. I don't think approaching Kali in the manner that you are her is easy for beginners... Also there are some very powerful implications of visualizing yourself as a deity and associating with the deity... For one it is said that there is worship in the mode of the Pashu (herd animal) that is external worship, then you have Vira or heroic mental worship, and then you have people who are or become of the Divya nature where they are totally identified with the deity. This takes a lot of work to reach this state and is not easy for people who worship in the Pashu mode that cannot identify with the deity as being the same as them, and also because orthodox views sometimes say that this kind of thing might be blasphemous.
I wrote this response based on the nature of the request which was as someone just beginning. -
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Thu, May 29, 2008 - 11:14 PMhi, Rasa --
I don't mean approaching Her as though "I am a deity and now I'm associating with a deity, " like you're outlining, above.
I mean approaching Her with the extreme clarity that I came from Her, ultimately, and am therefore a part of Her. and therefore, as a human being with a longing to know my true origin and my true Mother and Father (Shakti & Shiva), I have a birthright that allows me to reconnect back with Her.
and, sure, it takes some work. but what doesn't, in this illusion world of mahamaya?!
Alx
-
-
-
-
Re: Approaching Ma
Sat, June 7, 2008 - 1:31 PMTej,
Though i don't know what is calling you to the Mother, you know in your own heart. Listen to that call, and it may give you more wisdom and direction than any of us on this tribe (myself included). She is a great comfort to me in times of hardship, and so i will share the simple things that i do or have done, in the hopes that you may find inspiration therein.
--Spend time in silence, without trying to maintain a mantra or in any other way forcing myself to do anything. Focus my attention on deepening my awareness of the silence, or of my breath. At times i will use a mantra to begin this process as it can be difficult to be so surrounded in silence as a beginner, but it is important to me to have some true silence incorporated.
--Ritual bathing has always been particularly helpful. There used to be a beautiful coed bathhouse in my area with salt water hot tubs, a sauna, and a cold plunging tub. i found a great deal of healing in that place.
--Make a practice of dancing. Choose music that is deep and rhythmic. Move slowly and source those movements from the core of your body and it's connection to the earth. If you feel fear or anger, dance it. If you feel self-conscious or silly, dance that, but always keep the movements slow. When you feel ready, open your heart to Ma and ask her to dance you. It can be a powerfully transformative experience.
Good luck and blessings in your time of difficulties.
~birdie.
