The Power of Thoughts ..Raja Yoga..and the Secrets of the ancient Rishis..how a person can be at two places in the same time..

PATANJALI'S  RAJAYOGA APHORISMS

CHAPTER III

POWERS OF THE MIND

The chapter in which the powers of the mind developed through great discipline, meditation and purity are described  .

We are back in the Class of Raja Yoga at the Vedanta society of Toronto Canada..over the last few weeks we have been reading and talking about the "Powers of the Mind" that can be developed by meditation and spiritual discipline. The book is the Complete works of Swami Vivekananda / in Raja Yoga Swami Vivekananda discusses the ancient Indian science of Meditation and Yoga by the seer Patanjali. Our Teacher The reverend Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj ( Swami K) who is also head of the  Vedanta society of Toronto.  We also refer to the treatise on the complete works by the late revered Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj who was the head of the Vedanta society Boston USA and a very senior monk and spiritual master. Here is sharing the immortal words of  the rishis...and a brief synopsis of the discussions we have in our class..
Note : The word ' Yoga' is usually  associated mostly with the physical disciplines of " Hatya Yoga" which is popular the world over and is more a tool for physical fitness.  However Here the Yoga we are studying is the serious meditative methods and their Science . The spiritual truths of the Vedas ( Ancient Indian scriptures date back thousands of years. ) The compilation and commentaries by Patanjali are believed to date back to 322–185 BCE according to Wikipedia.  The teachings and our discussion is noted below.

  तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् ॥२॥. An unbroken flow of knowledge in that object is Dhyâna. :             By the conquest of the gross comes light of knowledge.

When one has succeeded in making this `Samyama,' ( absolute focus and concentration in meditation for long periods of time and regularly : Concentration, continuation and culmination..) All powers come under his control. This is the great instrument of the Yogi. The objects of knowledge are infinite, and they are divided into the gross, grosser, grossest and the fine, finer, finest and so on. This Samyama should be first applied to gross things, and when you begin to get knowledge of this gross, slowly, by stages, it should be brought to finer things : Here are some examples of the powers of the mind ....but a note of caution here...

ते समाधावुपसर्गा व्युत्थाने सिद्धयः ॥३८॥These great powers are obstacles to Samadhi ( ultimate realisation of God ); but they are powers in the worldly state.

After each reading Swami K reminded students that in the spiritual path of Vedanta which we follow..Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa on whose teachings our centres are based had a great distaste for miraculous and supernaturual powers and abilities which many so called spiritual aspirants run behind. He always stated that these super natural powers were the greatest impediment to the real love for God and true spirituality. True devotees shun and reject any power..and those who want them are actually seeking name and fame for themselves and not God.

Some of the powers which come from the Mind are described below . The extracts have been taken from the Book Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda which we are studying ( Chapter 3 Powers of the Mind) where he explains the four Yogas  by Patanjali.. The discussion and comments are in Blue.

In the verses on powers of the mind one power in particular has often thrown is much debate.
This is the power  of bi location or  Transportal according to Patanjali.

कायरूपसंयमात्तद्ग्राह्यशक्ति-स्तम्भे चक्षुःप्रकाशासंप्रयोगेऽन्तर्धानम् ॥२१॥                                                                                   
. By making Samyama on the form of the body, the perceptibility of the form being obstructed and the power of manifestation in the eye being separated, the Yogi's body becomes unseen or seen in different places :This is the power of vanishing and being present at two different places at the same time.
Discussion :Can a person be in two places at once? There are many intriguing accounts throughout history of people who claim to have either encountered apparitions of themselves - their doppelgangers - or have experienced the phenomenon of bilocation, being in two separate locations at the very same time. The ancient Indians texts such as Patanjali and Raja Yoga which we are studying says that it is possible for those who are masters of Yoga ( Meditation and spiritual practices ). Sri Ramakrishna was seen by an ardent devotee of his in far away  Dakha ( East Bengal) though he never left Dakshineshwar.This devotee talked with him and even touched him.

In another incident that happened in the district of Dhaund near Pune in India in1950 an amazing incident was witnessed by a large number of people including senior police officers. A squadron leader named officer Shinde at the SRPF  (Special Reserve Police Forces) HQ  who was attracted to the spiritual and mystique..was seen to have led the police parade and received the guard of honour during a very important function presided over by the I.G ( Inspector General) of the state. These were the early days after India had just become independent from British rule.
The program was attended by senior officers and police personnel from all over the district. 

Meanwhile even as the parade was taking place the same squadron leader who was leading his group at the ceremony was found  lying in a state of unconsciousness in his bed in the residential quarters. ( Barracks) His room partner and domestic staff  found him there and were extremely confused. The news spread like wild fire. This was a state of Bi- location or the rare phenomena of being at two places at the same time...that too in a police academy ! The Squardon leader was at first confused , he then realised that a great spiritual power had manifested and though he felt he had fallen asleep from exhaustion his `astral self' or mirror image had led the parade. He spent that night meditating alone under a  `Neem tree' and dilapitated temple that stood just outisde the SRPF campus. In his heart and through his soul came the searing call..A call heard by those rare and wonderful souls from age to age..a call that makes kings give up their thrones and walk alone into the vast unknown..A call which the sages and seers through thousands of ages have heard and continue to hear until today..The call of God that knows no power or wealth or treasure on earth .. The next day which is recorded as March 18th 1954  the squadron leader  left the force and became a wandering monk..in search of his spiritual mission in life..Years later he built a beautiful hermitage in the outskirts of Pune city. That hermitage is Ramdara and the monk was 1008 Devi Puri Maharaj or Sri Dhundi Baba as he was known to thousands. He passed away in July 2002  and was revered and loved by thousands of people.The story of his life with the detailed account of many such incidents and his  travels from the plains of the Indian sub continent to the Himalayan mountains...His spiritual journey and the extraordinary spiritual experiences he had in many of the temples and holy places in India as a wandering monk  has been published in the Marathi language and translated into English too. His hermitage   Ramdara ( Loni Kalbhor) stands to this day as a beautiful monumental place of peace and harmony and the peaceful   vibrations continue to attract hundreds of people who seek solace and peace in the journey of their lives..A Photograph of Ramdara temple which was built by  Sri 1008 Devi Puri Maharaj ( Dhundi Baba ) near the city of Pune, India.

For further reading on the western view point of the phenomena of  Bi location / trans portal which is being at two places at the same time  :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilocation

For further reading on the ancient Indian Vedic explanation complete works of Swami Vivekananda: Raja Yoga.

Some of the other powers of the mind are described below..

मैत्र्यादिषु बलानि ॥२४:By making Samyama on friendship, mercy, etc. (I. 33 ), the Yogi excels in the respective qualities

बलेषु हस्तिबलादीनि ॥२५॥: By making Samyama on the strength of the elephant and other strong beings, their respective strength comes to the Yogi

प्रवृत्त्यालोकन्यासात् सूक्ष्म-व्यवहित-विप्रकृष्टज्ञानम् ॥२६॥:. By making Samyama on the Effulgent Light (I. 36 ), comes the knowledge of the fine, the obstructed, and the remote. ( the power of clairvoyance and prophesy)

प्रातिभाद्वा सर्वम् ॥३४॥: Or by the power of Prâtibha, all knowledge

All these can come without any Samyama to the man who has the power of Pratibha (spontaneous enlightenment from purity). When a man has risen to a high state of Pratibha, he has that great light. All things are apparent to him. Everything comes to him naturally without making Samyama.

ह्रदये चित्त-संवित्
॥३५॥:In the heart, knowledge of minds.World leaders who can understand the minds and hearts of the masses...spiritual masters who can look into the heart and soul of all people..

On  a closing note two of our favorite `class mates' are moving away by the end of January to the USA. With both sadness and pride in our hearts we say farewell but not goodbye to Dr Neeladhdri and his really sweet and friendly wife Soumya..Dr Neeladhri C has been selected for a Post doctorate research position at the University of  Stanford in California USA in the field of Pharmaceutical Science. A point to note is that both Neel and his wife Soumya ( who is also a scientist) have always been friendly, humble, sweet and encouraging to everyone in the class. When I asked permission to mention them in my blog..they said that they were honoured..but actually the honour dear Neel and Soumya is mine..there is a saying that "Great people make others feel great and small people try to make others feel small". They are truly great in every way.
A point about the story of immigrants and immigration in Canada. Most Indian come to Canada as highly educated professionals. This makes them all mutiple times more qualified than most of the people born in Canada. Almost 75 % of new immigrants land in jobs that are not worthy of their qualifications or experience. When the USA and other countries honour the education and the talents of our best..it redeems and enhances all of us..the victory of one is the victory of all.. In the Vedanta Society of Toronto itself there is a higher percentage of members holding doctorate and post doctorate degrees than probably any other place other than a university. However the followers of Vedanta and Sri Ramakrishna come from every walk of life..the humblest of the humble and the greatest of the great.Vedanta belives in equality of all people and all faiths.

The late Rev Swami Pramathananda Maharaj who was the first head of the Vedanta society of Toronto and a strong patriot of India was often pained to see many Indian immigrants struggling professionally in Canada. He spoke up very strongly and firmly and took this issue of injustice up with both the Indian and Canadian government. While Canada is a great country..its greatest failure is that it is unable to harvest the sea of talent that has come here and goes unseen and un heard of in the form of highly educated skilled immigrants who work at jobs that do not match their qualifications or skill sets..The skilled and highly educated immigrants who come here under the `professional skilled' cadre are also the group that brings in their hard earned money and wealth created in other lands to invest in Canada . Yet this group is one of the most neglected and sidelined.

Next week we will explore the amazing powers of the mind again in the company of our much revered  Swami Kripamayanada Maharaj and all the students as we bid or friends Neel and Soumya a fond goodbye..
Class of Wednesday January 8th 2014.

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ततः प्रातिभश्रावणवेदनादर्शास्वादवार्ता जायन्ते
॥३७॥From that arises the knowledge belonging to Pratibha and (supernatural) hearing, touching, seeing, tasting and smelling.

The questions that arose were of whether it is better to meditate on the abstract qualities or on the chosen form of God we like the best. Our Swami K advised that when we meditate on the form of God we like the best then the qualities of Godliness and all the powers come to us naturally..example  to the followers of Christ..meditating on Christ the true Christians are merciful, kind, forgiving and Christ like.not dogmatic..Meditating on Hanuman makes the followers of Hanuman steadfast, strong in faith and body..extremely devoted and intelligent..meditation on Laxmi gives one wealth and her qualities of stability and beauty etc  and meditating on the individual Istha ( the one God you believe in.the most.gives you all)..

In methods of meditation the discussion arose on whether it was right to meditate as one merged with the deity himself... or as some one outside us..Swami K opined that when one mediates without arrogance or pride as one with God in the depth of his heart..that is the best and quickest way to reach the goal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_impact_of_immigration_to_Canada

Reincarnation...Remembering Past Lifes….The Ancient Yogic Secrets of Vanishing and the Science of Trans- Portation

.." In deep meditative states the Yogi ( spiritually perfected soul) can remember and understand all his past lives..” The words of Swami Vivekananda’s Raja Yoga ( Chapter 3- Aphorism 18) read to us by Revered Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj  ( Swami K) senior Monk of the Ramakrishna order and President of the Vedanta Society of Toronto Canada.

 It  was December 4^th   ..six students were back.. at the Vedanta Society of Toronto classes on Meditation and Spirituality that is not limited to anyone religious path..but appreciates the greatness of every great religion.....We are lucky  that  both  of our Teachers were there in the class.that day to explain to us the deep truths of the scriptures.

There was a silent yet palpable thrill that went through our class as we heard the reading.

Ancient symbol of Reincarnation on Rooftop of Jokhang Monastery Lhasa Tibet.


Our Swami K was joined by Professor Kumar Murty Chairman Mathematics department university of Toronto. Professor Murty  is an internationally renowned authority in Mathematics and Physics and respected for not only his scientific knowledge  but also for his spiritual values and logical approach as  a teacher of Vedanta.

Swami K explained how many people remember patches and bitsof their past lives on and off. ( the feeling of Déjà vu)...and whatever we are today is a result of our Karma ( Actions in previous lives) the impressions ( Samskaras ) of our past lives.shape the way we think and act .Perfected souls have  a steady understanding of their past lives in an unbroken chain. Swami K cited the life of Lord Buddha..he said “ Buddha recalled all his 500 past lives and those are documented as the Jataka Tales…in each and every life of his he worked towards saving and helping others no matter what physical form he took..”

Some examples of Sri Ramakrishna’s comments of ‘ Samskara’ or impressions of past lives were cited by students  such as the story of a Prince who loved to play “ washer boy” because he had been a washer man in another life. Ma Sarada devi has once seen a group of western foreigners looking at the ruins of the temples at  Bodhgaya in utter awe and she remarked " in their previous lives they were the very people who build the temples and now they have come back to look back at their work"...

 One of the students in the class wryly remarked that he could not even remember what happened   last week...so remembering the last life was out of question...as  we all broke into laughter  Professor Kumar Murty explained that if we really wanted to remember something then we could just by concentrating and focusing  on what we want to know. He confirmed that masters of meditation can truly remember and understand their past lives and that explains to them their present life and its purpose. They are able to overcome attachments both good and bad and move towards perfect freedom. Professor Kumar Murty concluded by saying “  From the understanding of the past comes the saying there is no Saint without a past or a Sinner without a future”..

The discussion briefly moved on to the method's used in Hypnosis that take a person into their very past and the opinion of the Teachers was that in the long term..Hypnosis can be harmful while Meditation is a self searching spiritual tool that gives one the ability to know himself and his past , present and future best...

Reincarnation...Remembering Past Lifes….The Ancient Yogic Secrets of Vanishing and the Science of Trans- Portation

The second verse that followed described the powers of the mind of the Yogi.. ( a yogi here means a spiritual master) "when a Yogi applies and concentrates his mind ( sama yoga)  on the physical traits and impressions of any human being he can actually understand the mind.. the thoughts. The character and the traits of that human being “ explained Swami K.  This explanation was followed by Swami K citing the many examples of Sri Ramakrishna who often said…that he could see into the heart or soul of any human being who came to him just as a man can look into glass..There is also an entire chapter of Sri Ramakrishna’s explanation and description of ` physical signs and traits’ that indicate other characteristics of a person..This information can be found in the book Leelaprasanga or " Sri Ramakrishna the Great Master".

The verse that followed this  explained the Metaphysical  Science behind the legendry but not impossible act of `Vanishing 'which many Spiritual Masters are documented to have done in various scriptures right from the life of Sri Gajananda Maharaj ( Sheogaon India ) to that of Trailanga Swami ( Benaras India ) Jesus Christ , and many others. ( the book autobiography of an Yogi) provides a lot of insight on some of these feats.The vanishing acts  and other miracles of  Trailanga Swami ( who met Sri Ramakrishna) are described in this wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailanga_Swami.

ProfessorKumar Murty said that modern scientists all over the world  were actually studying this science of makingan object vanish in the physical plane. It is a very high level of scientific research for which mathematical formulas have already been calculated. It works on the simple science of allowing pure light pass through an object withoutobstruction and was currently in an advanced state  of research ( unfortunately for mainly Military purposes). The reason Yogis ( perfected spiritual masters ) were able to ` vanish’ were because they had mastery over the elements..he said.

This also explains how Spiritual Masters such as Ramakrishna ,Shirdi Sai Baba,  Jesus and other greats have documented evidence of being seen in two different places at the same time. This secret science of  meta physical "Trans Port" is also being studied by Scientist over the world revealed Professor Kumar Murty. Swami K explained it as the ability of those who are one with God to present everywhere at the same time and so can be seen anywhere and everywhere even in multiple places if they want..

Swami K told the class that as the scriptures say that every word spoken and ever prayer said is somewhere in the great cosmos..Scientists  in some of the world best universities are actually trying to study if there will technology in the future to bring back to us the original voices of the  ancient prayers, recitations and words uttered by  the great  incarnations ..and Rishis ( Sages)..

Both Swami K and Professor Kumar Murty commented that while the stories of  many ancient scriptures of many cultures  are called Mythology and are considered to be more fantastic than Science fiction..we are understanding more and more that there is actually Scientific truth behind many scriptures..and stories..of every religion..they also cautioned that Patanjali , Swami Vivekananda and all the authors of the four Yogic paths had emphasised the need for morality and spiritual ethics in the seeker of these metaphysical sciences since the power a seeker may acquire is so dynamic that it can destroy one who is not established in God and faith. That is why the seeker must always be grounded in his spiritual path first and foremost.

Note : Swami K and professor Kumar Murty also refer to the detailed explanation of  Swami Vivekanandas works by Swami Sarvagatananda Maharaj who was the late president of the Vedanta Society of Boston USA.

 Swami K also read out the explanation of the  technique of meditation from Swami Sarvagatananda Maharaj’s treatise which states that the mind must first be `emptied before filling” which means that one must let go of all attachments both good and bad and not `empty’ the mind of thoughts  but fill it with spiritual energy or light…

In the paragraph by Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj is a beautiful example of the Buddha seeing and being filled with light when he reached the state of Nirvana ..that is when he the once handsome and wealthy Prince Sidhartha who had renounced his Kingdom, his power..his beautiful wife and child to search for the true meaning of life and the ultimate truth.. became "The Buddha".The. Enlightened one..(the meaning of  ' Buddha').
This `light' is also the same as the experience and  Immortal words of The Christ who said..I am the Truth..I am the way ..I am the light/ Life..and that “ light’ which is not of this world is perhaps...the secret of the greatest  of  the great souls….

Lessons from the Eagles....sometimes life's greatest messages are from Nature herself..

Sometimes life's greatest lessons are in nature itself. When we look around us carefully we see it in the beauty and wisdom of the wild... I often read the messages sent to me from an organisation known as Simple Truths by Mac Anderson.. Here is one of their recent posts which I truly liked..sharing with you.. The Push
Unleashing The Power of Encouragementby David McNally and Mac Anderson

The Push The eagle gently coaxed her offspring toward the edge of the nest. Her heart quivered with conflicting emotions as she felt their resistance to her persistent nudging. "Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?" she thought. This ageless question was still unanswered for her. As in the tradition of the species, her nest was located high upon the shelf of a sheer rock face. Below there was nothing but air to support the wings of each child. "Is it possible that this time it will not work?" she thought. Despite her fears the eagle knew it was time. Her parental mission was all but complete. There remained one final task...the push. The eagle drew courage from an innate wisdom. Until her children discovered their wings, there was no purpose for their lives. Until they learned how to soar, they would fail to understand the privilege it was to have been born an eagle. The push was the greatest gift she had to offer. It was her supreme act of love. And so, one by one, she pushed them and... THEY FLEW. Simple Truths, LLC 1952 McDowell Rd Ste 300 Naperville, IL 60563, United States Phone: 800-900-3427 / 630-946-1460 © 2012, Simple Truths, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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Lipi Mukherji

lipimukherji.blogspot.ca A Call from Afar

 

 

“I pass this way but once...any kind word that I can say or kind deed that I can do..let me do it now..let me not neglect it..for I may never pass this way again.." 

....When the Goddess's visit Earth-..Humankind can hear their footsteps...-- (pictures of Ma Durga, Bhavatarini and Ma Sarada included)

When the Autumnal season turns the leafs to red, gold and brown..The Great Goddess Ma Durga  is said to visit her earthly children with her celestial family..  The Goddess Durga is depicted as a beautiful lotus eyed woman , golden hued..riding on a Tiger or a Lion..she has eights hands carrying various weapons to destroy the evil enemies of the good and she also carries  a conch shell, prayer bead and has one of her hands raised in benediction. She is dressed in red, gold, green and the beautiful colors of autumn.Sri  Ma Sarada Devi who was the spiritual mentor of thosands in India once said.." There is a great worship taking place every moment in the universe..you can hear it in the songs of the birds and see it in the blossoms of the flowers..live each moment of your life carefully".

Th Goddess Durga is accompanied by her children Goddess Saraswati ( Goddess of knowledge and the fine arts ), Goddess Laxmi ( The Godess of wealth and prosperity ), Her sons Ganesha ( the God of wisdom )and Kartika (the God of Military acumen.) Below the feet of the Lion she rides..lies the dying demon Mahishasur ..here the Goddess is symbolically vanquishing all evil and demonic forces.  She is the protector, the Mother and the sustainer of the Earth and all its creatures...her characteristics are courage, protectiveness, generosity, love, compassion, wisdom, strength and fearlessness..amongst  a few.  Another name for her is Shakti..which means supernatural strength..She is described as being as tender as a Petal and as strong as the Bolt  of lightning..
During the 10 days of ' Nava Ratri ' when she is said to visit Earth..her visit is celebrated with prayers, celebrations, music, dance and poetry. The eighth and ninth days are specially auspicious as she is said to have slain the great Demonic forces during those days. For spiritual aspirants,, fasting and special prayers and ' Homa' sacrificial offerings to the fire are performed.The season starting from ' Navaratri ( the nine days of Durga puja ..in mid October .until Diwali in November) is also known as `Devi Paksha'..the time ruled by the Goddess...The followers of the ancient Vedic religion worship her in her many aspects as Durga, MaKali and Ma Laxmi during this auspicious period of time. In Diwali which falls on November 2nd this year , people decorate their homes with ,lights and lamps and the auspicious new year is welcomes in with the offering of sweets and goodies to family, friends and community,Interestingly some other old religions such as Judaism celebrate their Thanksgiving and eight day festival of lights Hanukka during the month of November too
In the ancient Indian story of the great King Lord Rama who fought against the great evil Ravana it is said that he invoked the power and energy of the Goddess to finally defeat the demon.
That is why the 10th day Dasserah or Vijaya Dashami ( Victory) has a special significance in India. It is also the day on which the symbol of Ma Durga is symbolically immersed in water as she returns to her heavenly abode.

Reverend Swami Kripamayananda head of the Vedanta society of Toronto..beautifully explained the symbolism as saying that when we physically immerse the picture or the idol...
the spiritual presence of the great divine goddess does not disappear into the elements but goes deep into our hearts and souls where we must always make a place for her and feel her presence.
The worship of images and symbols..is the outer expression of the worship of divinity which must always be deep within each ..


This is a picture of the image of Godess Durga which was worshiped at the Vedanta society of Toronto during the recent festivity which fell on the Thanks giving weekend.19th Oct- 22nd Oct 2013.
The festival of Durga Puja or Dasserah has just ended and  the earth now awaits her  special blessings as Diwali the festival of lights is set to begin this week.

During Diwali the divine Goddess is worshiped as Ma Lakshmi in most of parts of India..while in N Eastern Indian especially in Bengal..the dark night of the coming lunar month is observed as the night of Ma Kali Puja..Revered Swami Kripamayananda Head of the Vedanta society of Toronto explained why Sri Ramakrishna the Indian mystic often said that the new moon night is very auspicious to spiritual aspirants . "The new moon ( or darkest night of the lunar month) represents the darkness that sometimes overwhelms our lives..when our world becomes dark it is then that we turn inwards to God" he explained beautifully. That is why Mother Durga in her fierce and relentless form as Bhardrakali or Mahakali has been worshiped as a protector against  our enemies and all danger in bad times and in good times..since antiquity.




Picture of Bhavatarini MaKali who was worshiped by Sri Ramakrishna in Dakshineshwar India. This is her benign form which is worshiped by millions as a symbol of great protection.

MahaKali is the extreme symbolization of the Goddess since she is depicted as a ferocious dark hued woman with weapons..and  a garland of skulls..walking amongst the dead .below her feet lies her unconscious husband the God Shiva..who is trying to stop her dance of death and destruction. She is usually worshiped.as Bhadrakali which is  the benign form worshiped in most Ma Kali temples in India and the world over..in this form she  is more benign..
  
Mahakali symbolizes the face of God which appears to man as the force behind extreme calamities like hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions..when thousands are killed..she is the face of God that rules in time of war and carnage. When galaxies collapse and Black holes devour entire solar systems..it is the hand of Mahakali  taking entire creations into a dimension beyond..darkness, death and..time  into a state that is eternal, pure and effulgent.  Taking refuge in her..her followers believe that they are protected from the horrors which wars , life and natural calamities bring..Her appearance is frightening to those who cannot see that it is finally God behind everything good and bad that happens on earth...Finally she is the fearless Mother who strikes fear in the heart of your worst enemy in times of  danger..She is the great protector against evil and demonic forces.

One then wonders if Ma Durga was to walk amongst humans as an ordinary human being what would she be like and who would she look like.?.would she be a bewitching beauty ..enticing men with her celestial outer beauty..?  Would she want to attract humans by power, riches and glitter..or  would she walk incognito ..arising the beauty, kindness, purity, spirituality and divinity in the hearts of all men and women? Maybe she would be the simplest of the simple and the humblest of the humble...The incarnations always choose the abode of the poor and the humble in heart.

Sri Ramakrishna the great spiritual mystic  of India who saw the divine truth of all religions and the presence of the divine Mother in all women worshiped his own wife Sri Sarada Devi as Shodashi the great divine Mother..she became the living symbol of inner beauty, the essence of Mother hood , kindness , tolerance and magnitude in heart and spirit. Her outer beauty was hidden from the world as her inner beauty blossomed and touched the life of millions even after her passing.. Her qualities are depth, kindness, patience, spirituality, kindness, wisdom, inner strength, foresightedness and motherly love towards all creatures..to name a few..For further reading ( ..www.belurmath.org/srisaradadevi.htm )‎

This is a photograph of Ma Sarada Devi who is a symbol of purity, spirituality and essence of Motherly love and  kindness in every woman's heart.

This is a beautiful life like painting of Ma Sarada by by Baishaki and one of her favorite quotes by Ma Sarada devi.. My dear friend Baishaki  who often visits the Vedanta society of Toronto is a Dentist and also an artist and a devotee of Ramakrishna and Ma Sarada.

 In this painting.Ma Sarada has a far away look in her eyes as if she is thinking of all of her children far and near. This is Ma Sarada in the later more mature years of her life..when she was established as a spiritual mentor and a Mother  in every sense of the word to hundreds.                   
                                               Painting by Baishaki Toronto Canada.

"God cannot be realized without love...yes sincere love" -- Ma Sarada

Not only the followers of Sri Ramakrishna but also the humble villagers and foreign visitors to India turned to her for wisdom, love, understanding and guidance in their life...Ma Sarada is to millions the divine Mother who came incognito as  a simple village woman whose love , spirituality and generosity touched and continues to touch hundreds. Her message was that the  chief purpose of human life is to realize God and to be a source of joy to others

Baishaki my friend came to Canada as a young girl but yet remembers the love and affection of  the elderly  mother figures in her own life and her childhood days back  in Siliguri and Coochbihar in India..When homesick for her  beloved Grand Mother and aunts who all embodied that essence of love and motherhood and kindness... Baishaki found in the pictures of Ma Sarada her own Grand Mother and she painted this beautiful picture as an act of love. This painting was donated by Baishaki to the Vedanta society of Toronto during the recent Durga Puja festival.

..and to conclude wherever we see that great manifestation of motherly love..whether it be in a Mother Teresa  or a teacher we have never forgotten..whether we see it in our own Mothers heart or in that of women who have touched our lives in a divine way that nobody else ever has that is  a reflection of the same divine Goddess who we are all a part of..

It is said that there are noble and great men who can be described as a Father with the heart of a Mother..then that is true..whoever protects another..gives them joy and solace in their hour of need..whoever loves another unselfishly and serves others with only the thought of giving and leading them away from danger and sorrow..those noble ones are reflections of that great universal Mother Durga who is called Mary, Makali..Ma Laxmi ..or just Ma..and who mankind has turned to since time immemorial.. ..Also view this post which is related :http://lipimukherji.blogspot.ca/2013/09/when-darkness-encompasses-man-he-turns.html