Evening Seva in the Temple with Maa

Maa tells me to remember Satyam Shivan Sundaram: Truth, Infinite Consciousness, and Beauty. (She also mentioned Satyan Shivam Sundaram to me the first time I ever visited the Temple, about a year ago.)

She says that when there is beauty, God is very happy, and Infinite Consciousness is coming.

Then we change Ganesha's outfit.  She wanted to make Him into a different form of Ganesha.  She says that Ganesha has 12 forms.  She is making Him into Mahotkota.  She said that Ganesha destorys all duality.  (I just looked up Mahotkota...He is an incarnation of Ganesha born to Kasyap Muni and Aditi who destroys two demons, Devantak and Narantak.  This Ganesha also is red in color, which is neat because Ganesha in the mandir, who we dressed up  and was made by Maa and Swami's own hands is also Red).

She keeps saying Mahotkota.  She is so Happy to to clean and dress Ganesha.  Almost like a little girl.  She twirls Ganesha's hair and we clean him a bit.  I help Her tie on his outfit and change His clothes.  It is so much fun to work with Her and also powerful and intense.  Doing anything with Maa is an experience of a lifetime.

We chant Ganesha's mantra together as we work, and She keeps telling me to be gentle.

People say She works so fast and efficiently....and its amazing, She does...but not in a rushing way.  The whole time She is so soft and still and gentle and full of love.  She always radiates love.  Its like She's the Sun.  Especially with her bright yellow sari.  Wherever She goes this warmth radiates from Her that warms your soul.

I try to ask her about Mahotkota, but all She says is that Ganesha destroys duality.  Swami probably would have spoken about the incarnation....but Him and Maa are different.  Maa really stays away from intellectual understanding.  She stays on the devotional side.  One time I tried to ask Her about a particular stotram and She said to ask Swami, She says, "I am not a pundit" and walks away.

She is beyond.

After Ganesha we change one Saraswati.  I am tired at this point.  Not just physically tired...but energetically tired.  Like I said, doing seva with Maa is an experience.  It is so intense, I almost felt like I could change another deity!  I wanted to relax! Being around Maa you have to stay in her bhava zone or else it doesn't work.  The ego doesn't want to do that.  It has to dissolve.

So we change one of the three Saraswatis on the cosmic altar, and then She tells me to pick out two more outfits for the other two Saraswatis so that She can use them later.  After that she joyfully tell us goodnight and leaves the Temple for the evening.

Everthing goes down a notch as soon as She leaves.  I help clean up the cloth and put away the boxes of the deity's clothes that we took out, and that evening I go through the clothing in the boxes, organizing and folding it, and find two outfits for Saraswati.  I felt an intuitive block....too focused on which outifts I "should" pick.  It didn't feel fun and free like doing seva with Maa.  And Maa did not end up using the outfits that I picked out.  And of course, what She used looked perfect.

She is truly a Goddess.

Jai Maa!  Jai Mahotkota!

First Talk with Shree Maa

First talk with Shree Maa in Her house.  She is so sweet!

I go into her room with her and She sits on the side of her bed with he feet on the floor.  I sit on the floor at Her feet.  I feel like I am in the innermost sanctum of the temple.  Maa is surrounding me.

First we talk about my goals in coming there.  We go up with two primary ones - Learning and Serving.  She also tells me to write up a schedule for the days that I will be at the Temple and to give it to her and one of her close disciples.

We talk about some seva that I will do, and then She tells me a recipe for Pongal - Shiva Rice - and says to make it today (Monday) because today is Shiva's day.

She tells me all the measurements except for salt.  She says that I have to do that for myself...She can not tell me how much I like.  For Her taste, it would be about a spoonful (She holds up her hand to gesture a spoonful). Then She smiles and says She will see how it turns out.  (She tastes it in the evening and says there is not enough salt.)

She asks me about my background and my parents.  She wants to see a photograph of them.  She also says to send their books to them and that they can watch the Devi Mandir webcam in order to know about Maa and Swami - who they are.

She says not so say that they are Hindu teachers, or that I am going to study to be a Hindu.  She says that She and Swami are not "Hindu."  They are Universal.  They teach everything.  They use Sanskrit because Sanskrit is the most efficient language by which to realize God.

She pauses and says, "Tell them we are human."  She has a smile and seems pleased with that description...like Shiva or Thakur (Ramakrishna) said it through Her and She is pleasantly surprised.  She chuckles.

Then She says that very few people serve Her selflessly, especially in the West.   She listed a few....it was a very small list.  "You understand?" She asks.

Swami Says

After the chanting the Chandi Path when I go up to Maa and Swami to get my blessing, Swami says:

"There is always more to do.  When you reach the limit, it's just the beginning.  That's Shiva.  You make it as good as you possibly can, and that's just the beginning.  Then you make it better."

Jai Guru.  Jai Shiva.