The Divine mother
 

She's called "Ma" in india. She is said to be the most beautiful flower to come from India soil. She is the incarnation of the mother, joy essence of Divine.
I implore you to look at her pictures online and watch how even thru her pictures she will find a seat in your heart.

Is this a particular person you're talking about, or are you simply speaking of the general concept of the Divine Mother?

I only wish we were talking about the general concept of a Divine Mother.

Oh yes this a real person and she lived in our time. She died in 1982.
Google her, her story is amazing. Better yet google her photos, they say it all.
Her name was sri anandamayi ma and she dwells in our hearts.

Ma............

37 views and no comments about her. Oh well, I guess she's all mine lol

I'll try some quotes. In many ways she is my guru.

"In water and on land, in trees, shrubs, and creepers-everywhere in the whole universe abides my Beloved. Further, all the various forms and modes of being that we behold, are they not expressions of my Beloved? For there is none save Him. He is smaller than the smallest, and greater than the greatest."

"Ever afterward, though the dance of creation change around me in the hall of eternity, I shall be the same."

"When by the flood of your tears
the inner and the outer have fused into one,
you will find Her whom you
sought with such anguish,
nearer than the nearest,
the very breath of life,
the very core of every heart."

"When your mind becomes vacant,
endeavour to fill it with the awareness of God and His contemplation."

She's an enlightened master, all right and I do consider her to be an incarnation of the Divine Mother. She happened to be a very beautiful person in her youth and at the same time having the charisma of an enlightened being full of bliss. This attracted a lot of people to her.


A great saying of Her's....

"Who is it that loves and who that suffers? He alone stages a play with Himself; who exists save Him? The individual suffers because he perceives duality. It is duality which causes all sorrow and grief. Find the One everywhere and in everything and there will be an end to pain and suffering."

Salutations to the Divine Mother :smile:






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Thanks for posting. When I look at her pictures, young and old, I can't describe the divine beauty I see. It's not like worldly beauty. It's quite amazing.
With her help, I am now able to read such statements as you posted of hers and not see any negative in the individual or in suffering. Finding the one in everything for me now includes finding the one in individuality and in suffering.
One supports the other. One does not negate the other.
I just thought I'd add that. It's such an important distinction and one that allows me to "not be blinded by the light but rather see that which the light illuminates"

The divine mother is incredibly dear to me. Any incarnation of hers is welcome.

That's awesome Honza! Thanks for posting.

How beautiful!

I think Sri Anandamayi Ma was simply bliss personified....

Have you heard of Mother Meera?

.....Indeed!

No but I will.....thanks

she looks lovely and has a good feel about her when I look at her SELF.
I have had the pleasure of experiencing Mother Meera`s darshan and found it to be a profound experience, she is I believe another incarnation of the divine mother.

I see that Mothee Meera had ties with Sri Aurobindo and that's pretty cool cuz his work is the path I am on

sounds like a good path to be on, Yes mother meera was very close to sri Aurobindo and to Sweet mother too

Cool........

Happy Navratri and salutations to all the female enlightened masters of the past, present and future....




Salutations to all feminine forms which are manifestations of the sacred divine feminine...


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Namaste.

Happy Navaratri to all in blessings and reverence of the Divine Mother in all Her sacred forms.

Joyous remembrance of sitting in the hallowed halls of the DLS and singing this kirtan:

Om Shakti Om Shakti Om Shakti Om
Brahma Shakti Vishnu Shakti Shiva Shakti Om

Adi Shakti Maha Shakti Para Shakti Om
Iccha Shakti Kriya Shakti Jnana Shakti Om

Raja Rajeshwari Raja Rajeshwari
Raja Rajeshwari Pahimaam
Tripura Sundari Tripura Sundari
Tripura Sundari Rakshamaam

Gauri Gauri Gange Rajeshwari
Gauri Gauri Gange Bhuvaneshwari
Gauri Gauri Gange Maheshwari
Gauri Gauri Gange Mateshwari

Gauri Gauri Gange Mahakali
Gauri Gauri Gange Mahalakshmi
Gauri Gauri Gange Parvati
Gauri Gauri Gange Sarasvati

Om Tat Sat Om Tat Sat Om Tat Sat Om
Om Shantih Om Shantih Om Shantih Om

.

Happy Navratri Shivani Devi, Ajaai and all...

Jai Ma !

Vidyah samastah tava devi bhedahStriyah samastah sakala jagatsu

'O Goddess, all types of knowledge are Thine own diverse forms; all women also in the world are Thy diverse manifestations.' - Devi Mahatmyam (11:6)

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu, Matru Rupen Sansthita, Namastsyay, Namastasyay Namastasyay Namoh Namah.

(O Goddess exist everywhere, in forms, stays in form & feature of Mother, we bow in highest respect of you, we bow in highest respect of you, we bow in highest respect of you, we alway bow in front of you.)

Perhaps the best method of worshipping Shakti /Divine Mother...

..is:

To regard every form, thought or emotion inner or outer as an aspect of
Her.

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Pratyabhijna Hridyam

Sutra 1

1. "Chiti hi svatantra visva siddhi hethuhu"
The independent (svatantrā) Śakti or Supreme Power (citiḥ) (is) the cause (hetuḥ) of manifestation, maintenance and dissolution (siddhi)1 of the universe (viśva)

Sutra 2

"2 Sva icchaya sva bhittau visvam unmilay-ati"


Through Her own (sva) Will (Power) - icchā, She unfolds (unmīlayati) the universe (viśvam) on Her own (sva) Canvas

Namaste.

That's wonderful Bindu. :hug3:

It's a bit difficult for a full-on Shiv Bhakta to worship the Divine Mother after noting everything is Shiva, with Shakti only a manifestation of the Saguna aspect of Brahman and the challenge for me this Navaratri has been to try and find my own personal 'workable model' of the Divine Goddess.

So, I started out with Ardhanarishwara and I could accept that. I could accept the Goddess as being Shive (or the feminine form of Shiva) and yet I wanted to go deeper, so I went into the whole Shri Yantra and made it my avatar.

The triangles pointing downward represent Shiva, as the energies flowing down from the Crown Chakra and the triangles pointing upwards are the energies from the Goddess, flowing upwards from Muladhara and thus, I worship the Goddess in the forms of Lakini, Dakini, Makini and Kundalini herself! The latent power existing within us all and everything is just a representation of Her!

So, with that I went back to joyfully reading Adi Shankara's Soundarya Lahari again.



Om Namah Shivay

The best way to worship Mother Goddess Shakti is to meditate on Her.

Beginers may chose breathing passing point in between center of two ears, where nearby Ajna Chakra/ Pineal Chakra exist. assume that on that point Mother Goddess exist. If you have faith in Mother Goddess Shakti, then She definitely exist there. Meditate on that point, I mean meditate on Mother Goddess Shakti on that point.

Hi Shivani Devi

I second your post. I have had some problems too with this Goddess worship as my mind tends to stick to Shiva...isness. :smile:

I have always loved the iconography of Shiva. And also I have repeated a Shiva mantra for decades. Still that path I'm on is a path which worship shakti and Shiva.

I struggle with the concept (and truth) of the fact that Shiva and Shakti are ONE. Worship of Mother IS worship of Shiva. And as you also say that the road to Shiva is through the Shakti. This is said also on paths which are more exclusive Shiva centered paths like Lakshan joo's teachings et.c..

I have alternated with Devi bhakti and Shiva bhakti feeling a bit torn. But slowly the issue have been more blended. I have also practiced the "trick" of worshipping Ardanishwara - the half shiva - half shakti picture.

During navratri I have practiced some devi mantran, but still sticked to an increased effort of my Shiva mantra.
Swami Shivananda in his book about hindu festivals said that increased Japa of your tutelary deity is what his devotees do during navratri.

Here is Shivananda's tips on navratri
http://www.dlshq.org/religions/navaratri.htm

So I have done much japa of my shiva mantra, but still practiced some chanting of Devi mantran and tuning into her......

.





As for now after Navratri I have felt the need to invoke Durga in every meditation by visualising her beautiful form drawing her shakti into me.
Seeing her as the protective shakti and also as the kundalini manifesting within the body/mind.
I feel the need of doing this now as my life seems to manifest some real life challenges in private sphere. I ask Durga for energy, courage and willpower et.c. to help me out to act with power, dispassion and love....

Sally Kemptons book "Awakening Shakti" is very helpful.
She is a former Swami on my path.



"Om dum durgayei namaha" !

Namaste.

Parvati is also Lord Shiva's greatest student!

Without anybody to teach the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra to, we all would be none the wiser as to the content, would we?

Also, I can understand that without Maya (Shakti), Shiva would only be Parabrahman and wouldn't have the saguna aspect (iconography) I also admire....yet it's still rather difficult to separate Shiva from His energies, but yeah, the whole point here is not to. =)

I guess we all have different ideas about how the Divine Goddess appears to us and Durga riding the tiger is amazing and all, but it doesn't quite 'go there' enough for me, nor does Kali...where the Buddhist notion of Kwan Yin comes closer for me in regards, or even the Babylonian Ishtar.

I also keep having a very weird and sneaking feeling that Durga ain't very happy with me making moves on Her 'other half' and She is one I wouldn't want to make angry in any way. lol

Having said that, your picture is very nice, but this is what I feel inside when I feel 'Goddess':



ॐ त्रिपुरायै विद्महे महाभैरव्यै धीमहि तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात
Om Tripurayai Vidmahe Mahabhairavyai Dhimahi Tanno Devi Prachodayat

Nice picture.....

Seems a bit Kali like with the sculls stuff.

My taste for the icons of Shakti seems to shift from time to time,
from period to period.
Probably the Shakti attracts to what is most potent need at the time I guess.

However I have decided to continuing the study of the Spanda Karikas.
A 6 week teaching about the Shakti. Combining meditation and scriptural study.
Here's a pdf of a book on Spanda karikas.

http://cincinnatitemple.com/articles...-Pulsation.pdf



I have also booked a flight ticket to go and see Ammachi, the huggin saint, who is touring in Europe this fall.

So this will be some inspiration for keeping sadhana going I guess.....

I have contemplated for hours the great sweetness of Anandamayi Ma pictures in the past. All the images show His deep sweetness. I like especially the above picture, it seems to me the look that Virgin Maria should have.

Anandamayi Ma is certainly on my top 5 people I would have died to meet while alive.

Her life story and the actual Shakti in her words are phenomenal.

This is a great quote from her describing her experience of life;

Happy Navratri and salutations to the Divine Mother! :notworthy:



Some grand sayings of Sri Anandamayi Ma which I found insightful and useful....



Divine happiness, even the tiniest particle of a grain of it, never leaves one again; and when one attains to the essence of things and finds one’s Self–this is supreme happiness. When it is found, nothing else remains to be found; the sense of want will not awaken anymore, and the heart’s torment will be stilled forever. Do not be satisfied with fragmentary happiness, which is invariably interrupted by shocks and blows of fate; but become complete, and having attained to perfection, be YOURSELF.


Forgetfulness of God is the greatest sin; His constant remembrance is the greatest virtue.


The more you contemplate Him, the more rapid will be your progress.


If your thought does not naturally flow towards the Eternal, fix it there by an effort of will.


Endeavour to concentrate on the breath; this will provide a check on the mind preventing it from wandering away to outer objects.


According as worldly interests decrease, one progresses towards real joy.


Discipline of the tongue and other sense organs will help the mind to withdraw from outer things and will turn it inwards.


Control your mind for sense objects. Be moderate in eating, sleeping. As a pilgrim on the path to God, you should be content with such food and sleep as will help you to remain fit for the onward march.


What appears delightful to the senses later develops into a hotbed of poison, generating inner turmoil and disaster, for it belongs to the realm of death.


Bear in mind that God’s Name is He Himself in one form; let it be your inseparable companion. Try your utmost never to remain without Him. The more intense and continuous your efforts to dwell in His Presence, the greater will be the likelihood of your growing joyful and serene. When your mind becomes vacant, endeavor to fill it with the awareness of God and His contemplation.


Who am I? With this attitude endeavor to let the mind stand back as a witness. Search after your Self. As long as possible, sit immersed in meditation, becoming quite still, steady and fully concentrated.


The obstinacy of the mind must be curbed with resoluteness. Whether the mind co-operates or not, you must be adamant in your determination to do a certain amount of practice without fail – simply because spiritual discipline is man's real work. For so long you have been accustomed to perform actions that fetter, therefore from sheer force of habit you feel the urge to bind yourself by activity again and again. But if you try hard for some time, you will be able to see for yourself how you are caught in your work, and that the more you engage in practice the quicker will be your advance.


Seekers after truth must never be overpowered by anything. Fully conscious and wide-awake, with the attitude of a spectator, they must watch anything that happens.


The endeavour to awaken to his real nature is man's duty as a human being.


If one cultivates the habit of doing everything well, there is fair promise of ones doing likewise on the spiritual path.


To live upto the highest ideals seems irksome at first, but ultimately brings real well-being at peace.


Force of character is man's great strength. If he uses it in his dealings with the world he will indeed be victorious in most directions.


By saying I cannot one does not get far. One has to acquire capacity and achieve his end.


Whatever may be your shortcomings, don’t be depressed, don’t lose hope. Try to improve yourself.


Even if he has slipped and fallen, is it not his bounden duty to use as a lever the very earth to which he has tumbled and raise himself up again.


Acquire a firm will and the utmost patience.

https://www.mygodpictures.com/wp-con...ra-550x624.jpg

Another aspect of the Divine mother - Mother Meera