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Do all Hindus understand God as Adi Shakti Ma? This is a very interesting link that describes Adi Shakti Ma. The article is very long, and I only pasted the first few paragraphs.
http://www.adi-shakti.org/
Shri Adi Shakti
The power or active aspect of God Almighty is the Adi Shakti. Brahman is unchanging consciousness. Adi Shakti is His changing Power which appears as mind and matter. Adi Shakti is the embodiment of His Power. Shakti runs this world-show. Shakti maintains the sportive play or Lila of the Lord. Shakti is the supporter of the vast universe. She is the supreme Power by which the world is upheld. She is the Universal Mother. She is Durga, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Kali, Chandi, Chamundi, Tripurasundari and Rajarajesvari. Shakti is Lalita, Kundalini and Parvati. There is no difference between God Almighty and His Shakti, just as there is no difference between the sun and its light.
"The wise persons say, and it is also stated in the Purânas, that the Prime Force is present in Brahmâ as the Creative Force; is present in Hari as the Preservative Force; is present in Hara as the Destructive Force; is present in Kurma (tortoise) and in Ananta (the thousand headed Snake) as the earth supporting Force; is present in fire as the Burning Force, is present in air as the moving Force, and so is present everywhere in various manifestations of forces. 31-51.
In this whole Universe, whoever he may be, all are incapable of any action if he be deprived of his force; what more than this, if S'iva be deprived of Kula Kundalinî S'aktî, He becomes a lifeless corpse; O great ascetic Risis! She is present everywhere thus in every thing in this universe from the highest Brahmâ to the lowermost blade of grass, all moving and non-moving things. Verily everything becomes quite inert, if deprived of force; whether in conquering one's enemies, or in going from one place to another or in eating -- one finds oneself quite incapable, if deprived of force.
Thus the omnipresent S'aktî, the wise call by the name of Brahmâ. Those who are verily intelligent should always worship Her in various ways and determine thoroughly the reality of Her by every means. In Visnu there is the Sattviki S'aktî; then He can preserve; otherwise He is quite useless; so in Brahmâ there is Rajasi S'aktî and He creates; otherwise He is quite useless; in S'iva, there is Tamasi S'aktî and He destroys; else He is quite useless. Thus, arguing again and again in one's mind, everyone should come to know that the Highest Âdya S'aktî by Her mere will creates and preserves this Universe and She it is who destroys again in time the whole Brahmânda, moving and non moving; no one is capable to do his respective work be he Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes'var, Indra, Fire, Sun, Varuna or any other person whatsoever; verily all the Devas perform the respective actions by the use of this Adya S'aktî.
That She alone is present in cause and effect and is doing every action, and be witnessed vividly. The intelligent ones call that S'aktî twofold; one is Sagunâ and the other is Nirgunâ. The people, attached to the senses and the objects, worship the Sagunâ aspect, and those who are not so attached worship the Nirguna aspect. That conscious S'aktî is the Lady of the fourfold aims of life, religion, wealth, desires, and liberation. When She is worshipped according to due rules, She awards all sorts of desires. The worldly persons, charmed by the Mâyâ of this world, do not know Her at all; some persons know a little and charm others; whereas some stupid and dull-headed pundits, impelled by Kali, start sects of heretics, Pâsandas for the sustenance of their own bellies.
O highly fortunate Munis! In no other Yugas were found acts as prevalent (as) in this Kali Yuga, based on various different opinions and altogether beyond the pale of the Vedic injunctions. Behold again, if Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes'a be the supreme Deities, then why do these three Devas meditate on another One beyond speech, beyond mind and practise, for years, hard austerities; and why do they perform Yajńas (sacrifices) for their success in creation, preservation, and destruction?
They know, verily, the Highest Supreme Being, Brahmâni Devî S'aktî eternal, constant and therefore they meditate Her always in their minds. Therefore the wise man, knowing this firmly, should serve in every way the Highest S'aktî.
O Munis! This is the settled conclusion of all the Sâstras. I have heard of this great hidden secret from Bhagavân Krisna Dvaipâyan. He heard it from Nârada, and Nârada heard it from his own father Brahmâ. Brahmâ heard this from Visnu.
O Munis it is well that the wise even should not hear or think anything to the contrary from other sources; they should with their concentrated heart serve the Brahmâ Sanâtanî S'aktî. It is clearly witnessed in this world that if there be any substance wherein this conscious S'aktî does not exist, that becomes inert, quite useless for any purpose. So know this fully that it is the Highest Divine Mother of the Universe that is playing here, residing in every being. Thus ends the eighth chapter of the first Skandha on deciding who is to be worshipped in the Mahapurâna Sri Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Vedavyâsa."
This feels more like science than religion to me.
Babygirl
04-22-2008, 08:38 PM
Yes many Hindu concepts seem to have a scientific side to them. It's amazing the way we see God as having a male and female aspect...similar to us having a biological father and mother.
Without Shakti all the Gods of Hinduism are ineffective. Shakti is Brahman and Brahaman is Shakti.
http://www.eng.vedanta.ru/library/prabu ... ov2004.php (http://www.eng.vedanta.ru/library/prabuddha_bharata/shakti_worship_and_sri_ramakrishna_nov2004.php)
Shakti Worship down the Ages
History says that Shakti worship was prevalent all over the world in some form or other, but it was in India alone that an unbroken tradition has been set up, which has influenced the Indian mind permanently and deeply. Having made a deep study of the different religious ages, like those of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the philosophies, the epics and the subsequent religions, Swami Saradananda remarks, ‘Shakti worship, especially the worship of God as Mother, is a personal property of India.’ The great scholar and illumined soul Swami Abhedananda also says, ‘India is in fact the only place in the world where God is worshipped as Mother.’ By and large, their conclusions have been accepted by the scholarly world. The theme of the present discussion is this adoration of God as Mother.
The idea of the Great Goddess (Mahadevi) was known amongst both Aryans and non-Aryans. Though both Aryan and non-Aryan races were indirectly responsible for the growth of the ideal of the Great Goddess, the contribution of the Aryans to this field is great. Some say that the deities like Vak, Sarasvati, Ratri and Shridevi of the ‘Vak Sukta,’ ‘Ratri Sukta,’ and the Rig Vedic ‘Shri Sukta’ became Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasarasvati in due course. (2) Again, some pundits feel that in the ‘Devi Sukta’ and ‘Ratri Sukta’ of the Rig Veda, the worship of Shakti is not at all the point. However, one cannot deny the appearance of the Goddess-idea in the Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda, and in some Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. The special point here is this: though the Goddess (Shakti) mentioned in all these is the Great Goddess (Mahadevi), She is more of a Mother than a deity. Her maternal love is naturally evident everywhere. It is known that everyone has a natural attraction for his mother. The aspirant believes that Mother can be worshipped easily; She easily responds to the child’s call. However, it took quite some time for Shakti worship to become transformed into the purest form of Mother worship.
Babygirl
04-23-2008, 01:01 PM
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing all this. I see the male and female aspects working together side by side...one cannot fully function without the other. They balance each other out. Just like when Shiva threw himself in front of Kali and she stepped on him, her raw energy was balanced by his calm energy.
All things work together as a whole. Nothing is separate. They only seem so in our material world, but in the spiritual world for which training in seeing is required, there is only one and not two. So what ever we wish reaches the same one who is praying or wishing. Even when we think we are wishing ill for someone else, only we ourselves are the recipients of all ill will we seek on others. In the Mahabharata war, it was better to sever the limb or part of the entire body that was ailing the whole after every effort failed in preserving the integral whole.
Babygirl
04-30-2008, 10:43 AM
All things work together as a whole. Nothing is separate. They only seem so in our material world, but in the spiritual world for which training in seeing is required, there is only one and not two. So what ever we wish reaches the same one who is praying or wishing. Even when we think we are wishing ill for someone else, only we ourselves are the recipients of all ill will we seek on others. In the Mahabharata war, it was better to sever the limb or part of the entire body that was ailing the whole after every effort failed in preserving the integral whole.
Yes I agree that when we wish bad unto others we hurt ourselves because the Atman in them is the same as in us. I believe that when people do wrong things instead of sending negative energies of hate, anger etc. we should send positive energy which will counteract the negative. Negative energy fueled by more negative energy only grows stronger.
As for nothing being seperate, I remember reading an article on the internet by a Swamiji saying that the universe began at a point. However, it is not a geometrical point which requires a space to attach itself (perhaps before space and time were created :? ). Anyway, it was a point with a circumferance that is nowhere and a center that is everywhere. Even now, when we think we are far away from that point, we within that point itself...almost as if creation has not taken place. Hindus always say that creation is Maya or illusion. Creation is not seperate from God, so I agree that everything is one. :)
Oh, I digged up the article by the Swamiji.
Here it is....
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/consc ... nsc_2.html (http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/conscious/consc_2.html)
It has some of that science stuff too...even a description of what scientists might call the "Big Bang Theory." :)
Great article! Some of our greatest exponents of our Hindu dharma are engineers, and they use their mathematics background to understand our scriptures. Some of the Sankacharias leave the field of engineering to propagate Sanathana Dharma.
Mathematics and science are at the center of our religion, and each human being is the center of the totality of the universe, anywhere and everywhere, at the same time. That is the power of Adi Shakti Ma.
Adi Shakti Ma is the female power of women in the home. We give thanks on this mother's day to that great female energy in the home that makes the home a whole home and not a half.
Adi Shakti Ma radiates divine energy and make the home a positive environment. Her language is sweet, soft and inspiring. Her love melts any negativity you may feel. Her dedication to duty in preserving the family has no bounds. She spares no time in curtailing any divisiveness in the family, etc. It is said that she has seven powers that keep the home as a sacred Ashram.
Let us grow to appreciate the role of motherhood and learn to honor it where ever we see it, whether in the home or outside the home. It is God's gift to man, and without it man is but only half of a person both inside and outside the home. Substitutes can help, but they are never the same.
Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, all male and female who are inspired by Adi Shakti Ma.
Babygirl
05-05-2008, 12:52 PM
Adi Shakti Ma is the female power of women in the home. We give thanks on this mother's day to that great female energy in the home that makes the home a whole home and not a half.
Adi Shakti Ma radiates divine energy and make the home a positive environment. Her language is sweet, soft and inspiring. Her love melts any negativity you may feel. Her dedication to duty in preserving the family has no bounds. She spares no time in curtailing any divisiveness in the family, etc. It is said that she has seven powers that keep the home as a sacred Ashram.
Let us grow to appreciate the role of motherhood and learn to honor it where ever we see it, whether in the home or outside the home. It is God's gift to man, and without it man is but only half of a person both inside and outside the home. Substitutes can help, but they are never the same.
Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, all male and female who are inspired by Adi Shakti Ma.
How sweet brag. :)
Hindus also say that it's a woman's duty to ensure her husband remains on a Spiritual path...To me this is part of keeping the home in tact.
Yes, the teaching of Sanathana Dharma is that the women of the homes are the power behind the man's transformation by the inexhaustible power of her love which she holds in her heart. And yes, women seem to have so much more patience than men.
Most blessings in the home come from the way we treat our mothers, sisters and daughters. I also believe that when we mistreat the shakti power of the home or any where for that matter, we are cursed, and it messes up everyone.
Om sairam dear Sai family,
Our beloved Lord, after a gap of 18years (if Iam right) celebrated Chosen mother Eswaramma Day in His (bodys) Home land. The streets leading to Samadhi of His Parents were beautifully decorated on the occasion. Swami had been to Samadhi yesterday (5th May) twice. This morning He was definitely expected to pay homage to the departed soul. The chosen one, whom Swami loves from the bottom of His heart, on every occasion, like a child, He recollects the fond memories and the quality time He spend with His beloved mother and the kind of personality she was, an ideal one for all the mothers, the role model to all the women.
Strict security arrangements were made in the streets leading to samadhi road, even though Swamis street darshan was not new to Puttaparthians, the extra security surprised every one. The Samadhi Road was totally cleared, beautifully decorated with rangolis, flowers on the road and floral decorations in the entrance with huge cutouts of Mother Eswaramma, sweetly smiling at every one. Only the immediate family members were allowed into the samadhi compound. At 8:30 students chanting Vedas entered the premises, followed by bhajan group boys. At 8:55am , a band of Indian musicians entered the samadhi road, followed by swamis family members with flowers and garlands in their hands, and then followed Swamis car. Swami was happy with the way the road was decorated, keenly, ducking a bit, He watched the huge photos of Mother Eswaramma, through His car window. Blessed the small gathering of devotees(which included this body also), who could make it inspite of the security restrictions..
Swamis car then entered the samadhi premises, a red carpet with full of rose petals was laid which led to the Samadhi. Swamis automatic car chair, landed on the red carpet, as the boys chanted Vedas, another group singing Mother Eswaramma Bhajans, and the Musicians playing the divine music. The atmosphere was absolutely divine, personally, I dont remember seeing Eswaramma day in His immediate presence, and I was thrilled to see Swami coming personally to pay homage to His beloved mother.
Swami then got closer to the Samadhi and the family members took over the proceedings. Swami watched every one, and it was a perfect family gathering and Swami had a chance to see (physically) all the grand daughters and grand sons of His brothers and sisters. Swami was in a blissful mood, watching them all, enquiring about their well being and so on After spending a good 30 minutes,Swami asked for arathi. As the arathi was sung, Swami slowly emerged from the Samadhi premises, and all the family members had padanamaskar before He got into His little Toyota Porte. Immediately after Swami left I bowed to Mother Eswarammas samadhi and after taking prasad went to Sai Kulwanth hall.
It was 9:45 by then. Big vessels of Food was brought in the hall. As Eswaramma Day was celebrated in Swamis presence after a long gap, Swami was giving directions to sevadals and other devotees as how to perform the proceedings. The devotees formed lines inside the Kulwanth hall, and after every thing was set right, Tamarind rice, and sweet rice was served probably meaning, life is a blend of sour and sweet happenings. Swami was seen busy on the stage moving here and there in His car chair. Immediately He sent a word with a devotee, every one should eat stomach full, that was so sweet of Swami, which made me cry. Swami always says, He still sees and speaks to Mother Eswaramma in her physical form and she always gives suggestions to Swami and speaks on behalf of the devotees. I felt probably those words, asking us to eat stomach full, were Mother Eswarammas words, only a mother wants her children to have a stomach full meal. The divine mother, our Sai Ma, am sure wouldnt have eaten any thing since morning, was giving suggestions to every one that no one should be missed. Sure enough, all the students and seva dals who were serving came back the second time asking if we need more food. It was just a fantastic way to break fast, with bhajans being played on the back ground, as our loving mother Sai watched each one of usAfter sumptuous and lip spanking divine break fast as we all thought its time to get up and then came another devotee asking us to sit down as Swami asked to distribute dhotis to gents and sarees to ladies.. what a surprise Swami!!! What good fortune, you feed us, and also give us clothes dont know in which birth Swami had promised us to feed and give us clothing that it is happening now. Mr.Chakravarthi and other elite members close to Swami came till the last row to see if every one were fed and provided with dhotis..
Iam sure, Mother Eswaramma, who was verily present in the hall, would be most happiest person on the earth, seeing her beloved child, grow to such an extent, the child who has taken the burden of transforming this KaliAge on His tender shoulders, that mother who loved her Child, more than her life, now is a house hold name, a hope in every ones life, a mother to every child, a guide to the misled, a teacher to the ignorant, a savior of the poor and down trodden, the Divine Master of this Kali Yuga. This is the way any mother would want her child to be and probably by dedicating a day to Mother, Swami is sending a strong message to all the ignorant children who have forgotten their mothers(many cases after the wife comes into the picture), hopefully, Swami will guide such children and let this Mother child, relationship be as strong as Swamis and as loving as it is with our beloved Lord.
It was 10:45am and after every one were happy , Swami signaled for Arathi and retired to His Abode as Mother Eswaramma waited for Him at His Abode to take "Najar"( a ritual performed to take away any bad effects of evil eyes) of Her beloved child who made her dream a reality, bringing smiles in every ones lives
What a day it was dear Mother Eswaramma. You are a blessed one and we all are blessed and thank full to you for giving us such a humble and loving Son as our friend, guide, as our mother.
Thank You Ma
Jai Sai Ram..
Satish Naik..
maribunta
05-07-2008, 09:39 AM
Great thread!!! Thanks for sharing!! Keep up the good work!!! :)
When Baba speaks about seeing his mother every day during the last few weeks, it may be taken as a confirmation that some departed souls have not merged with God and are still resident in Heaven, the way station of birth and rebirth.
It is common knowledge that a few days before most persons die, they usually speak about seeing their mother or father coming to take them home.
Mother's day can also be celebrated to honor the memories of our deceased mothers, as well. The link between the present and the past is powerful one, and we need to honor the energy of motherhood on mother's day. Happy motherhood day.
Babygirl
05-10-2008, 01:36 PM
When Baba speaks about seeing his mother every day during the last few weeks, it may be taken as a confirmation that some departed souls have not merged with God and are still resident in Heaven, the way station of birth and rebirth.
It is common knowledge that a few days before most persons die, they usually speak about seeing their mother or father coming to take them home.
Mother's day can also be celebrated to honor the memories of our deceased mothers, as well. The link between the present and the past is powerful one, and we need to honor the energy of motherhood on mother's day. Happy motherhood day.
Yes, I also believe that not all souls merge with God immidiately. Sometimes I think some of our departed loved ones watch over us...sort of like spirit guides.
A few weeks following my sister in law's demise, I saw her clearly in a vision entering the home. However, after that vision I never saw her again and I never ever dreamed of her. I often wonder if she merged with the Lord or if she is in another Vaikunt (heaven) of sorts where she may not have access to the earthly plane.
Below is a brief accountof the celebration of Easwaramma Day at Puttatpathi.
Please click here for images: http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_N ... y2008.html (http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/EaswarammaDay2008.html)
Samadi Mandir Visit, Narayana Seva, Speech and Divine Discourse
May 06, 2008
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was in Prasanthi Nilayam this year for the Easwaramma Day Celebrations after a gap of many years. Easwaramma Day is an important day in the calendar of Sai devotees because it commemorates the grand and glorious finale of the simple and devout life of Smt. Easwaramma, the blessed lady who was chosen to play the role of mother of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Avatar of Kali Yuga. This day offers us a chance for expressing our gratitude to her for bringing Bhagawan in to our midst, and for imbibing lessons from her virtuous life.
At 9 a.m., amidst chanting of Vedic hymns and singing of Bhajans, Bhagawan arrived at the Samadhi (holy mausoleum) where the mortal remains of Bhagawan’s earthly parents Sri Pedda Venkama Raju and Smt. Easwaramma are interred. After having paid His respects to them, Bhagawan returned to Sai Kulwant Hall at around 9.30 a.m. He sat on the dais and listened to Veda Chanting by His students. Then, as Bhajans were being sung, Prasadam and clothes were distributed to thousands of needy people seated in the hall who had come from Puttaparthi and surrounding villages for this occasion. At around 10.40 a.m., Bhagawan accepted Arati and retired to His residence.
In the evening, Bhagawan blessed Dr. G.Venkataraman, Former Vice-Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai University to address the gathering. Dr. Venkataraman began his speech with a few sentences in chaste Telugu and then proceeded to address the gathering in English. He said that in the entire history of mankind, only three people had the unique privilege of being the mother of God: Koushalya for Lord Sri Rama, Devaki for Lord Sri Krishna and Easwaramma for Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. All the three of them sacrificed their attachment to their Divine sons for the sake of the whole world, for which we have to be ever grateful to them.
Quoting from Bhagawan’s teachings, Dr. Venkataraman said that one should never forget or disrespect one’s mother, motherland and mother tongue. He also added that everyone must respect four mothers: the one who gave birth to us, the earth that sustains us, the cow that nourishes us by providing milk and the Vedas that show us the way to reach God. He concluded his speech by saying that one should follow Bhagawan’s teachings, emulate His example by revering one’s parents and make them happy.
Following this, Bhagawan delivered His Divine Discourse. Narrating the last moments of Mother Easwaramma’s life, Bhagawan said that she called out to Bhagawan and breathed her last holding Bhagawan’s hands and seeing His beautiful, divine form before her eyes, and thus merged in Him. It was during the time when the Summer Course in Spirituality was being conducted and many college students from across the country were attending it. While everyone thought that Bhagawan would not be able to attend the day’s proceedings due to the demise of Mother Easwaramma, Bhagawan surprised one and all by walking in to the auditorium with a smile and attending the entire programme as if nothing had happened at all.
Bhagawan explained that the physical body made of the five elements was bound to perish one day or the other and one should not grieve over the death of one’s parents. Though their physical bodies may have gone, they are ever with us and we can never get separated from them. Truly speaking, God is our eternal parent, and to Him we owe all our love and affection. However, as long as our earthly parents are alive, it is our duty to serve them diligently with love and respect.
Bhagawan then called a Sri Sathya Sai Primary School student who hails from Iran and asked him to chant Vedic hymns. Though a Muslim, the student amazed everyone with his flawless chanting with perfect pronunciation and intonation. Bhagawan was mightily pleased and materialized a chain for him and put it around his neck. Bhagawan then declared that the Vedas are the fountainhead of all forms of knowledge and wisdom, and one should not restrict it merely to the Hindus. In fact, the essence of the holy books of all the religions of the world is one and the same, and that is found in the Vedas. Hence, everyone irrespective of their nationality or faith should chant the Vedas.
Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan – “Hari Bhajan Bina Sukh Shanti Nahi”. After a few Bhajans by Bhagawan’s students, Bhagawan accepted Arati and the day’s proceedings came to a conclusion.
Jai Sai Ram
Source: http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_N ... y2008.html (http://www.sssbpt.org/Pages/Prasanthi_Nilayam/EaswarammaDay2008.html)
This Oneness Temple and University in South India appears to be a unity of the four Aryan religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. The temple appears to be of the Shakti teachings and philosophy orientation. In any case, it seems to be founded on the principle of the unity of God, man and all things, and appears to be about Advaitha or Non Duality. Its principal philosophy is oneness. Here is a link that describes the different Avataras of God as they pertain to the Shakti or feminine aspect of God--the Adi Shakti Ma.
http://www.omsakthi.org/writings/avatar2.html
It appears that there is an air in India that is again sweeping in the ancient Hindu philosophy of Advaitha or Non Duality. Sathya Sai Baba, a great teacher of the Advaitha philosophy, recently said that in the next thirty or forty years Sanathana Dharma will be re-establish globally. This was also said by Dr. Frank Morales about a month ago in Kansas.
The link below provides some description of the Oneness Temple and University in South India, seventy miles north of the city of Chennai.
http://www.sikhnet.com/news/daily-news/ ... naugurated (http://www.sikhnet.com/news/daily-news/universal-oneness-temple-inaugurated)
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