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There was a time when, as a western-brought up male, it seemed strange
to me to think of the Divine in feminine terms, let alone worship God as
She. Through a very strange and mystical process spanning a period of
years, I learned that for me it is the most natural thing in the world
to worship Mataji -- the Divine Mother.
Srinivasa Chakravarthy wrote:
>=20
> Sally Raven wrote:
> >
> > We are a group of English girls who want to worship the SupreMe Godde=
ss
> > in our everyday lives. Can any one tell us what is the authentic way =
of
> > doing this?
Mataji ultimately wants surrender, and in actuality, surrender may be
considered the highest form of worship. If She accepts you as a devotee
of Hers, She becomes very "greedy" and asks, then demands, everything.
At least, that has been my experience, as I worship Her in the form of
Mother Meera, and as Durga and Vaisnadevi. The following poem reflects
my experience of learning through life what I just wrote:
Give Me the problem with no solution
And I will give you a solution,
You said.
Surrender, You said.
So I surrendered, kicking and screaming
Till even I could see no other way.
True to Your word a solution came.
Now, You say, that=92s not enough.
For that solution to stick, You again say surrender.
But now You add, more.
You want a lot, I say.
Won=92t You ever be satisfied?
I won=92t be satisfied until I have it all,=20
You say.
Srinivasa Chakravarthy in is response wrote:=20
> Worship of the Supreme Godhead as the Mother , the Divine Mother, is
> a unique path of spiritual progress. It has been recommended by
> some of the greatest spiritual figures like Sri Aurobindo and Sri
> Ramakrishna.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsaji's relationship to Kali Ma Ji was a great
example of how _real_ the experience between devotee and Mataji can be.=20
_The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna_ and other books about him detail a most
intimate, wonderful mystical relationship with the Divine Mother.
> ON the spiritual path having the right attitude towards God and the
> Master
> is very important. To have an attitude of trust, love and surrender i=
s
> the
> best safegaurd. This attitude comes most naturally if we regard God as
> our Divine Mother.
I cannot agree more. There seems to me something very special about the
imagry and metaphor around Mataji which makes it easy to love Her. She
has all the attributes of conventional femminity and motherhood -- yet
She is so much more. She is the One who rides the Lion, Whose strength
is beyond calculation, and Who gives us what we choose -- whether it is
the world of illusion or the one of reality, which is Mataji Herself
manifesting Her essence.
> One can think of a few sources where you can get detailed authentic
> information:
> 1) Ramakrishna Mission publications should carry a lot of material on
> the Divine Mother since Sri Ramakrishna Himself had worshipped the
> Mother
> in Her Kali form all his life.
=20
> 3) Help can be received from books and similar sources but there is
> nothing like living help that can be obtained by contact of a Sadguru
> (A Pefect Master). There is a much revered woman Saint from India
> named Mata Amritanandamayi who is worshipped by many as an incarnation
> of Kali, and a Perfect Master. She visits Europe and US every year on
> her world tour. To find out more about her check the webpage:
> http://www.globeworks.com/ammachi. She introduces many to the worship
> of the Divine Mother. To learn how to worship from the Master herself
> is indeed a rare opportunity.
>=20
> 4) There is another woman Saint in Germany, in Thalheim near Frankfurt,
> known as Mother Meera. To learn more about her you could see the
> webpage:
> http://mothermeera.com/, or read her biography "The Hidden Journey"
> by Andrew Harvey.
Mother Meera has captured my heart. Her teaching is for everyone. She
asks no one to change their religion. Her demands appear simple and
easy, but to live them -- that requires the devotion and the work. I
recommend the book _Answers_ in which in Q and A form Meerammaji
explains Her path. _The Hidden Journey_ referred to above is the book
which introduced me to Meerammaji. It is a profound description of how
Mataji can bring about transformation. Another book, by Adilakshmi,
Mother Meera's long-time secretary and friend, tells the stories of many
devotees and their experiences. It's a very good and moving book.
There are other Mataji saints, and they have won the hearts of their
devotees as Mother Meera has mine. Search the Hindu pages on the www
and you'll find references to them also. Mataji's path is not about
brand names -- She has given Herself to devotees in many forms.
The _Devi Mahatmyam_, available from Ramakrishna Publications, is a
traditional Hindu scripture telling the story of how Durga Ma Ji
overcomes the forces of evil in great battles, thus restoring cosmic
order. Many of the slokas are used in worship of the Divine Mother, and
it's inspiring to read them.
I wish you well in finding Mataji's love.
Daly de Gagne
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