Shakti

[satay]

I have an old old relation with Ma Shakti. Born in a Vaishnava family in punjab india, my family tradition is of shakti. Growing up, me and my brothers and sister were surrounded by the pictures of Ma in our house. Our little temple in the house had pictures of Ma Durga in the center Kali on the left and Hanuman on the right. My mother does diya even now without missing a day everyday.

When I was a kid, I asked Ma for everything: an easy exam, a top mark, a good day, even the courage to talk to that girl in 1st grade! Glad to say that Ma has been listening intently and nurturing every whim and fancy of mine.

My father is a great devotee of Durga. During his younger days he went to Vaishnu devi temple by walking from our home in punjab as a yatra many times! I don't know how he did this but I remember it well that he did it several times when I was a kid.

Jai Mata Di!

satay

[Ram]

You behave like me too...

I am also born in a Vaishnava family but I am very fond of Mata-ji. Same with my parents too. We find Bhagwan and his sister Yogamaya to be inseperable, or differentiable in anyway.

[Singhi Kaya]

Om Kali Tara Mahavidya Sodrosi Bhubaneswari
Bhairabi Chinnamasta ch Bidya Dhumabatii tatha
Bagola siddhabidya ch Matangii Kamalattmika
etadasa mahabidya siddhabidya prakirtita


Kali, Tara, Tripura, Bhubaneswari, Bhairabi, Chinnamasta, Dhumabati, Bagola, Matongi and Kamala - these 10 are known as the wishdom goddess.


Pardon my poor transliteration

[atanu]

Anandamayi Chaitanyamayi Satyamayi Parame

[Devibhakta]

My experience is a little different. Born and live in northeast US, for most of my adult life I was unaccepting of traditional forms of Christianity, but was involved in various groups that recognized and worshipped a Father God and Mother Goddess. The closest to this in Christianity is the Mormon which actually recognizes a Divine Mother, but doesn't talk much about it because they don't have any revelations to explain Her. I was there briefly, but moved on because of the lack of attention given to the Goddess. I went through a New Age phase, but finally drifted off into solitary contemplation, in which I was able to clarify my thoughts and feelings about the Goddess, who I was unable to name. But as time went on, I began to recognize that She was the Ultimate, and manifested in many ways over the ages, and that the Father God was one of Her principal manifestations, but that She was the Infinite Energy that created, sustains and dissolves the universe. I knew that this inversion of female -- active and male -- passive was not in accord with Western philosophy and religion, but didn't really know what to do with it, so I kept it as my personal article of faith. At some point, I also investigated Buddhism, and it was through this effort that I stumbled across the worship and devotion to Devi and the Dasa Mahavidya, and everything fell into place!!

I accepted and surrendered to the Divine Feminine, and am at peace.

[ramkish42]

Idea is good

ananya prokete gathiatra naasti is what I want to say.

Self learning is not lead to eternity. Believe in yourself and when you are ready a guru will appear for you. May lord grant you all his bliss.

We Hindus strongly believe that Man-Woman manifestations are absent in the very god. His diversified manifestations are for us but in reality there is nothing called goddess or god. We still feel bound by such divisions for our language does not allow us to use different genders.

We also trust all sounds that are available in this universe are names of the god. It is only we curtail it to make it mean the specifics

I am discouraging you but want to share the truth.

[Devibhakta]

Namaste, Ramkish,

What you have said is not at all discouraging. I didn't go into more detail because my post was just an introduction. I do agree that at the right time, a guru will be made known to me, and have no anxiety over that issue. Also, I do think that that above, beyond, or under everything is the undifferentiated reality, which we perceive as descending into the differentiated meanings, and I believe that the earliest form we are able to recognize is that of Devi. That thought is new to me that you have given, that all sounds that are available in the universe are names of the god.

Thank you for responding, and I hope you will continue.

[ramkish42]

Originally Posted by Devibhakta

Namaste, Ramkish,

What you have said is not at all discouraging. I didn't go into more detail because my post was just an introduction. I do agree that at the right time, a guru will be made known to me, and have no anxiety over that issue. Also, I do think that that above, beyond, or under everything is the undifferentiated reality, which we perceive as descending into the differentiated meanings, and I believe that the earliest form we are able to recognize is that of Devi. That thought is new to me that you have given, that all sounds that are available in the universe are names of the god.

Thank you for responding, and I hope you will continue.

You are always welcome. I am much happy to part details with american brethren.

By Guru, I was just indicating to reduce your pre conceived ideas and try to pick up as much material as possible. Many things might come up as contrary to your current ideology but do not neglect it - do learn it. When a guru appears, you are always requested to receive him with open heart.

Jai shree krishna

Devi is another version of Mahamaya, wonder of lord, who is neither male nor female nor eunuch

[Namo Narayana]

Devibaktha. i wish you were more detail on your devotion to devi. why were you inclined on female form of god ? are youa feminist or something like that ?

[Devibhakta]

Ramkish, thanks again. I hope always to be receptive to ideas because there might always be truth in the one I choose to ignore.

Namo Narayana, no, I am not feminist, it's just that ever since the time when I was little more than a kid intellectually, I read about patriarchical or Abrahamic religions being unbalanced because they were exclusively masculine. This stayed in my mind as very and absolutely true, and I built on it within my own cultural framework, and later breaking through those boundaries. And in developing my understanding, I followed the path I described. So, devotion to Devi is the finding of what I had been looking for, and as I read and contemplate the Devi Mahatmya it seems more and more real. As Ramkish has advised, I will also be ready to abandon pre-conceived ideas.