This is the Celebration of Mother's Final Victory in the Epic War

Today is the concluding day of Navaratri.

This is the celebration of Mother's final victory in the epic war. This ancient story is told in many lands and in many ways. The story tells how the best of the best gave their all to endow Mother Divine with weapons and tools for the grand battle. Her Bow and Arrow, Discus, Thunderbolt, and Trident were manifested from the collective and universal good, intelligence, right duty, and vigilance. These weapons were forged in the fire of faith and courage. 

Mother Divine battled for nine days and nights against myriad demons. Every demon she smote sprang back up ten-fold, hundred-fold, thousand-fold! Still, she battled on from deeper and deeper levels of her own inexhaustible force of Everything until there was stillness, calm, and peace. 

Who were those demons? Mother Divine fought against the demons who are our very own weaknesses, greed, egoisms, and ignorances. She won over the legions of our fear, disgrace, and our every ineptitude  and sin. When was this battle waged? It was waged long ago, it is waged now, and forevermore, and whenever it needs to be fought. There will always be victory over ignorance and there will always be Divine Mother's valiant grace and protection. 

...among deep thunder sounds,
you sit above kings and queens,  
having no fear, champion over all,
     you are fate, and the fiery mother of destiny,
never born or dying, you are continuous life
     and know what comes.
You are the Great Plenum, and you alone give birth.
Holy Mother, we pray you in this season lead us
onto peace and health and increase of good things.  

--Orphic Hymn from The Soul is Here for its Own Joy: Sacred Poems from Many Cultures (Robert Bly)

The Divine Mother Makes Her Appearances on Earth

White Buffalo Calf Woman, Original artwork above by Rogue Guirey Simpson, 1992

On this eight day of Navaratri, we consider Divine Mother's embodiments, her appearances on earth in story and as sacred woman.

Mother is an inherent and inseparable part of creation. The glory of the natural world is her raiment. Her visage can be seen in the faces of people; the fragility, the fierceness and the tenderness of all humanity is there. For all peoples, cultures, and throughout history, she has also moved amongst us, making Herself known. Often, she will take form. She may appear as a beautiful woman, not even recognized as the entity she is. There are many stories which illustrate this. She becomes embodied in order to teach and to give blessings or boons.

One embodiment of Divine Mother that has been told of again and again is that of White Buffalo Woman. Below follows one of her tales:

It was a winter morning, and two hunters on their hunt saw a beautiful woman approaching. She was in buckskin that was pure white and she carried a small pack. One of the men saw only a beautiful woman and immediately began lusting after her. His partner told him to stop having such thoughts because it was obvious that she was a "wakan" or holy woman. 

The woman came close, put down her bundle and asked the lustful man to speak with her. He came close, and all of a sudden, a great cloud enveloped the two of them. When the cloud disappeared, the woman stood there with a pile of bones at her feet which were being cleaned off of flesh by snakes. 

This story, according to the Lakota Holy Man, Black Elk, teaches how our thoughts should be considered and measured and disciplined because worldly passions can consume us entirely. 


To many, the stories about White Buffalo Woman are seen as ways of living, guideposts to spirituality, and ways of honoring community, and the environment. In fact, White Buffalo Woman has been told to have brought seven sacred rites to the Oglala Sioux, that support those very things.

This Darkness, Take It! Lift the Veil, Mother!

Statue of Veiled Isis at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site,
West Branch Iowa, 

On this seventh day of Navaratri, we ask: 

Mother Divine, draw aside the glittering veil of cosmic motion pictures and show me Thy delusion-dispersing face of mercy. Cosmic Mother, take this darkness away! When I sit with eyes closed, enveloped in self-created shadows, cause Thou to blaze upon me in splendor the aura of intuition. 

– Paramahamsa Yogananda

The Only Answer Is the Question

"Moon Goddess" by Josephine Wall (http://www.josephinewall.co.uk/art_gallery.html)

Today is the sixth day of Navaratri, and as we try to contemplate you, Mother Divine; Creator of All and Goddess Supreme, we cannot find any answers. There is no solution to You, or equation for You or definition of You. 

You are the future, the immense morning sky
turning red over the prairies of Eternity.
You are the rooster-crow after the Night of Time,
the dew, the early devotions, and the Daughter,
the Guest, the Ancient Mother and Death. 

You are the shape that changes its own shape,
that climbs out of fate, towering,
that which is never shouted for, and never mourned for,
and no more explored than a savage wood. 

You are the meaning deepest inside me,
that never reveals the secret of its owner.
And how you look depends on where we are:
from a boat you are shore, from the shore a boat. 

--Rainier Marie Rilke

You have no permanence except eternal impermanence. Even the Inevitable becomes the Never-Was under Your spell. 

For more information about the events Navaratri and forward, please visit our calendar at The Sai Humanitarian Outreach Webpage:

This Terrible Beauty

detail from the painting "Anunciation," of Kali by Nafeeah Kim

“… Oh Goddess, this child has contemplated

awesome Aspects so intensely.

Put down your terrible sword. 

Drown me in your tender delights.”

- Babaji Bob Kindler

Today is the fifth day of Navaratri. On the first day, we discussed embracing all aspects of Mother Divine. Today, we'd like to discuss this point further: 

There is a certain understanding, a deeper initiation, a perspective that the Divine Mother gives to the souls who she alone chooses. It is the understanding of the Terrible Beauty.

There was a Sage who had this understanding. On a walk, one day, he came upon some others, who after having observed his manner and character, decided to test whether he would remain as he was. The others pointed out to him a dead and rotting dog in the gutter. It was quite a sight to see!

After contemplating the decomposing corpse for some moments, the Sage remarked with admiration upon the pearly white perfection of the dead dog’s teeth. Was the Sage merely a blind optimist or a goody-good who couldn't admit the unpleasant? Or could the Sage see the beauty in the terrible and the terrible in the beauty? 

One who can see this way sees the world more mystically, most profoundly, and sees beyond the duality in creation. What does it take to gain this perspective? Perhaps it's a calamity, a walk with death, a confrontation with the brutality and then the mercy of Nature? Or is it perhaps decades of penance or sadhana or a shock and shame that culminates in redemption? 

There are many ways to gain this perspective and when Mother grants the gift of this understanding, it will be yours forever. 

For more information about the events Navaratri and forward, please visit our calendar at The Sai Humanitarian Outreach Webpage:

Prayers to Mother Divine

Prayer is not asking God for something; prayer is a yearning of the soul, a beautiful communication with Mother Divine! Open your heart to Mother and experience Her presence in the form of inner peace, bliss and divine love.  

--Sri Karunamayi

Today is the fourth day of Navaratri, and we consider our prayers to and our communications with Divine Mother. We call on her by her many names:

The Divine Mother is everywhere.
She is in everything.
She is the Divine Essence that lives within all beings.
Her domain is the field of life, for she gives
to all beings the sustenance that is needed for life. 

Her beauty lives in the natural world,
and spans the universes in all their splendor.
She has been called by many names,
for all traditions recognize Her. 

--Julie Redstone

We call upon her to fulfill our deepest desires. We do not call upon her selfishly:  

I have learned from ancient scripture
     that Goddess Tara is the liberator
of those who travel through temporal existence.
Compassionate Tara, take responsibility for me!
Please purify the intentions of my heart
     so the cruel and clever enemy,
egocentric passion and compulsion,
can no longer laugh at me and deride me. 

--Lex Hixon

For more information about the events of Navaratri and forward, please visit our calendar at The Sai Humanitarian Outreach Webpage:

Honoring and Approaching Mother Divine

Today is the third day of Navaratri, and we continue to honor and celebrate all aspects of Divine Mother. She has many faces, many stories, many embodiments, and representations. All are honored and welcomed here.

Approach her with an open heart, lay bare your heart to her with frankness and humility, be as simple as a child. Kill ruthlessly the enemies that are egoism, cunningness, selfishness and crookedness. Take a total unreserved and ungrudging self-surrender to her. Sing her praise. Repeat her name. Worship her with faith and unflinching devotion.   

– Sri Swami Sivananda

For more information about the events Navaratri and forward, please visit our calendar at The Sai Humanitarian Outreach Webpage:

Mother as Leveler Paves the Way to a Life Evergreen

Goddess Durga Photo Credit: josephalmighty.multiply.com

Today is the second day of Navaratri. 

In some traditions, Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as a powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. This can be described as a great leveling of the field, a clearing, a preparation for what comes next. 

Below follows an excerpt from the poem, "The Mother Supreme," by Sri Chinmoy, which speaks to this clearing and leveling aspect of Mother:

   Soul stirring eyes of gold delight,

   All where reigning supreme--

   Our blind secrecy's dream

   She seizes with Her all forgiving Sight.

   Torn now asunder our ego's screen, 

   Under her Smile of Grace

   Blooms quick our surrender's face.

   She paves the way to a life evergreen.

This is Who We Love, and She's Startling, Wild, and Unpredictable (!)

Today, Saturday the 5th, is the first day of the autumn celebration of Mother Divine which is known as Navaratri. This is an ideal time to draw close to and celebrate all forms of the goddess. Navaratri is celebrated all around the world by many faiths and traditions. There are almost as many customs celebrating Navaratri as there are forms of Divine Mother.

Detail of Painting by Nafeeah Kim Johnson

It is easy to adore a docile, gentle, and beautiful form of Mother Divine, however, Mother Nature teaches us that the feminine can be brutal, exacting, dangerous, and fierce. To fully love Mother Divine and appreciate her power, you must embrace all aspects of her Nature. 

Below follows an excerpt of poem by Lex Hixon from his book Mother of the Universe: Visions of the Goddess and Tantric Hymns of Enlightenment, which celebrates her wildness:

Wisdom Mother cares for this child
      more tenderly than human mother,
yet her creative and destructive actions
      are startling, wild, unpredictable
as those of a mad person.
She is surrounded by swirling energy,
manifest in various feminine forms
      as human beings and etheric beings:
powerful women warriors, peaceful contemplatives,
terrifying protectresses surrounded by flames.
Godhead in its three aspects,
Creator, Sustainer, and Revealer,
stands humbly before my Mother.
She is supreme. 

For more information about the events over the next nine days and forward, please visit our calendar at The Sai Humanitarian Outreach Webpage: 

We Have Some Very Special Guests this Weekend at Shiva Sai Mandir!

Come Celebrate Navaratri with Us, October 4th-13th

Come Join Us for Our Annual Autumnal Equinox Celebration, September 21st, 7-9pm

Come Celebrate Ganesha's Birthday With Us!

Come Celebrate Krishna's Birthday With Us!

Come Celebrate Guru Purnima with Shiva Mandir

GURU PURNIMA CELEBRATION

July 2013

Presented by Shiva Sai Mandir USA and Sai Humanitarian Outreach

The full moon represents enlightenment, the full flowering of consciousness. On the Vedic calendar, Guru Purnima is the Full Moon that falls near the Summer Solstice, the month of greatest light. It is the time when all divine teachers shower blessings on the earth, providing increased energy for our spiritual awakening.

Use this Full Moon time to meditate and cultivate silence, honor your teachers and dedicate your spiritual practice to the service of the world.

You are cordially invited to participate in the following activities:

Guru Purnima Sri Chakra Process to Awaken Brahma Consciousness
This process will show you how to observe and communicate with your Inner Guru, your Brahma Consciousness. It will remove depression, help you fulfill your desires, increase happiness and health. You will develop the ability to work directly with your own Inner Guru. This process includes a daily meditation and mantra. Together we will harness the powerful energies of the Guru Purnima Moon cycle.

This 41-day process will begin on Monday, July 8 (New Moon)
Register before July 8th. Dakshina for this course is $54 (scholarships available).

Sri Chakra Yantra
Mondays, July 8 & 22, 5-7 pm

On the New Moon, July 8, we will learn the yantra and the Sri Chakra mantra. This highly-powerful yantra brings protection to whatever building it's placed in and draws high prosperity. On the Full Moon, July 22, we will emboss the yantra in copper and dedicate it during the Full Moon Puja on Monday, July 22. Dakshina, $108 (scholarships available).

Guru Purnima Celebration
Sunday, July 21, 5-8 pm

Guru Puja, Kirtan and Potluck. At this community-wide celebration, we will honor Gurus from all lineages. Please bring a fruit or a flower and Dakshina. Dakshina (a monetary offering) will activate your intention and participation. You are invited to bring a picture or image of your Guru lineage.

Full Moon Puja

Monday, July 22, 7-9 pm

On this actual Full Moon night, we will enliven the qualities of the moon in our awareness and the environment. As part of this Puja, everyone will receive some blessed sandalwood paste to enhance their meditation practices.

All events take place at Shiva Sai Mandir
1391 S. Pennsylvania St., Denver, CO 80210

RSVP: Shivamandir@gmail.com, 303-722-3658.

A Word to the Wise: Maya

A painting entitled "Maya The World of Illusion" by Kathleen Scarboro. This contemporary painting illustrates parallel dimensions and states of consciousness.

The Vedic Studies Class, "A Word to the Wise," had its seventh meeting on Monday, May 20th at Shiva Sai Mandir Center for Vedic and Yogic Studies. The word we discussed was "Maya." Below follows an introduction to the course so named:

A painting entitled "Maya" by Julia Guthrie. A contemporary interpretation
of Maya Devi, she is swathed in veils depicting the cosmos and elements
of manifest creation, including time. She is beckoning us to move with her through
portals into other dimensions.

Illusion and Reality

What is seen is not the Truth

What is cannot be said

Trust comes not without seeing

Nor understanding without words

The wise comprehends with knowledge

To the ignorant it is but a wonder

Some worship the formless God

Some worship His various forms

In what way He is beyond these attributes

Only the Knower knows

That music cannot be written

How can then be the notes

Says Kabir, awareness alone will overcome illusion

-Kabir

Maya Devi showing her manifest forms,
likely a Nepalese image.

I imagine into being the whole world, moving and unmoving, through the power of my Maya.

Yet that same Maya is not separate from me; this is the highest truth . . .
In me this whole world is woven in all directions, O Mountain.
I am the Lord and the Cosmic Soul; I am myself the Cosmic Body.
I am Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, as well as Gauri, Brahmi, and Vaishnavi.
I am the sun and the stars and I am the Lord of the stars.
I am the various aspects of beasts and birds; I am also the outcase and thief.
I am the evil doer and the wicked deed; I am the righteous person and the virtuous deed.
I am certainly female and male, and asexual as well.
And whatever thing, anywhere, you see or hear,
That entire thing I pervade, ever abiding inside it and outside.
There is nothing at all, moving or unmoving, that is devoid of me;
For if it were, it would be a nonentity, like the son of a barren woman.
Just as a single rope may appear variously as a serpent or wreath,So also I may appear in the form of the Lord and the like; there is no doubt in this matter.
The world cannot appear without an underlying basis.
Accordingly, the world comes to be only through my own being and in no other way.

–from the Devi Gita
(from Teachings of the Hindu Mystics, edited by Andrew Harvey, Shambhala, 2001, pp. 49-50)

*** *** ***

We have a discussion going and class material on this subject. Please let us know if you would like to be a part of the class. Materials are available for registered participants. For more information and to register for the class, follow this link: http://www.vedicstudies.org/a-word-to-the-wise.html — at Shiva Mandir Center for Vedic Studies.

Today We Honor All the Mamas and Mama Mama

Today we honor all the mamas and mama mama with some poetry and a recording of the Sri Lalita Sahasranama (1000 Names of Divine Mother). May you and all the Mothers in your life be blessed!

We have a beautiful 

mother
Her hills
are buffaloes
Her buffaloes
hills.

We have a beautiful
mother
Her oceans
are wombs
Her wombs
oceans.

We have a beautiful
mother
Her teeth
the white stones
at the edge
of the water
the summer
grasses
her plentiful
hair.

We have a beautiful
mother
Her green lap
immense
Her brown embrace
eternal
Her blue body
everything we know.

--Alice Walker.

 

Shri Maha Lakshmi Ashtakam Stotram

It is said that anyone who recites the Mahalakshmiashtakam with sincerity and devotion will be rewarded with all material and spiritual bliss. By reciting it once during the day, all your sins will be destroyed; two times during the day, and it'll make you wealthy, and if it is recited a third time, there will be success in eliminating trials and overwhelming challenges, no matter how powerful they are. Sing and the Goddess blesses!

Here is another neat video we found on Youtube that also has translations and more information about Lakshmi herself: 

WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A SERIES OF LIFE-CHANGING ECLIPSES

What is the energetic influence of eclipses?

Solar eclipses take place on Full Moons when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. This blocks the governing, active and protective influences of the Sun and interrupts the nurturing, restorative and intuitive energies of the Full Moon. The next solar eclipse is May 9th.

Lunar eclipses take place on New Moons. During a lunar eclipse the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon. This blocks the renewing and germinating potential that the New Moon energy brings. There is a lunar eclipse on May 26th.

The influence of an eclipse extends for weeks, months, and in some cases for years. In ancient times, eclipses were considered so important that the reputation or perhaps even the lives of astrologers were on the line for accurate predictions.

Why don’t we perform lunar homas during an eclipse?

Homas are Vedic fire ceremonies that activate and amplify the subtle cosmic energies in nature. Lunar homas amplify energies of lunar cycles. During an eclipse, the beneficial solar and lunar energies are obscured, blocked and even reversed. Performing a homa during an eclipse amplifies these adverse energies.

Are the influence of eclipses always bad?

The influence of an eclipse cannot be categorically regarded as adverse. Solar eclipses are associated with new beginnings and lunar eclipses are associated with completion. Eclipses portend shifts in global destiny and the collapse of decaying organizations and systems of governance.

How can we make use of this powerful eclipse energy?

To make best use of the influence of an eclipse, go inward: meditating, resting and doing spiritual practices during the time of the eclipse. Showering or bathing after the eclipse is an action of cleansing and releasing the old energy that the eclipse has severed. General recommendations during an eclipse are to stay out of the “astronomical weather.” During the actual time of the eclipse (approximately half an hour) avoid watching the eclipse and avoid traveling. Do not make major changes or decisions on the day before, during or the day after an eclipse. Resolve to welcome the energy that the eclipse is bringing into your life. The specific influences of the eclipse will depend on your individual astrological chart.

The eclipses of this May are part of a cluster of three (lunar eclipse, April 25th; solar eclipse, May 9th; and lunar eclipse, May 26th). These eclipses are bringing powerful new influences for renewal and rebirth in the midst of disintegration of the old. The stage is set for revolutionary change. This is a very significant pattern of cosmic influence that will impact individual and global concerns for years to come.

For specific astronomical information, here is a link to a NASA website on the subject.

A Word to the Wise: Samsara

Samsara

Oh! I watch this wonderful game in a lonely park.
A millionaire strikes a small ball with his iron club
And it flies to infinity, 
He goes behind that happily.
The poor sinner caddy too crawls towards him
with a heavy bag that [is] full of debts on his oblique shoulder[s].

--Nimal Dunuhinga

We will discuss the implications of this poem and the following in our fifth class on May 6th, at Shiva Mandir. If you would like to take part and receive the class materials, as well as access to our class forum,  please let us know by registering for this class at the following link: http://www.vedicstudies.org/a-word-to-the-wise.html — at Shiva Mandir Center for Vedic Studies.

Excerpt from The Turning Seasons of Hell: 

I was an actor on Shakespeare’s stage, and there composed the best of his lines

I was a poet in France and walked across the Alps

I was a singer in Milan, where my reputation was ruined

I was a painter on my back daubing plaster and bright scenes on chapel ceilings day and night

I was a sculptor in stone and clay, making hands and feet for the master

I signed the documents to set this country free

I fought alongside Sitting Bull and killed Custer’s men,

I slept under a tree, and out in the open field,
I contemplated, I practiced,
I slept sitting up, I slept in cemetaries,
I laid down and stayed wherever I happened to be,
I starved my body and my mind and lived on mud and insects,
I ate everything at once, I stopped eating at 5:00 every day
I mastered the sciences of language, logic and philosophy, of medicine and of arts

I was a soldier in a war of the most horrific demise,

a sailor who drowned before the sharks circled in,

a seer who touched the face of the sun,

a prophet, a scoundrel, a rebel and a rat.

A bubble, a lightning flash, a grand revelation, a disco ball, a star and a starship sailing through galaxies, the moon in the water, a pure purple, red, then white, then black, then white, then red, nothing.

a reflection, a reflection, an emanation, an emanation.

-By Caroline Kroll

Akshaya Tritaya, Day of Lasting Achievement Monday, May 13, 6-7 pm.

Akshaya Tritaya, Day of Lasting Achievement
Monday, May 13, 6-7 pm.

The meeting of Rama and Parasurama, painted by Manohar (Mewar school, 1649), Found: columbia.edu

Akshaya Tritaya or the Day of Lasting Achievement is a most important day in the Vedic calendar. Whatever is inaugurated, commenced or honored on this day will have maximum support from the laws of nature for success and longevity. This day celebrates the birth of Lord Parasurama, an incarnation of Vishnu and the birth of Annapurna Devi, the embodiment of nourishment, abundance and satisfaction.  This day also honors when Vyasa and Ganesh began to write down the story of the Mahabharata and when Lord Krishna protected Draupadi’s honor. The cosmic energies support business success, wealth and prosperity on this day.

Traditionally, observances include:
- Giving charitable donations;
- Beginning to plow fields
- Inaugurating business, educational and community endeavors
- Performing Vishnu, Kubera and Lakshmi pujas
- And purchasing gold, silver and precious jewelry.

Please join Shiva Mandir’s celebration of Akshaya Tritaya on Monday, May 13th, for a puja from 6 to 7 pm MDT. 

You are encouraged to bring a symbol of some endeavor you would like blessed (business plan, sample of a product, picture of your place of business, etc.). If you live far away, please send an email or a Shiva Mandir Facebook message of what you would like blessed in the puja by Monday morning (before noon), May 13th, shivamandir@gmail.com.

A Word to the Wise: Karma

The Vedic Studies Class, "A Word to the Wise," will have its fourth meeting on Monday, April 29th at Shiva Sai Mandir.  The word we will discuss is "Karma." Below follows an introduction to the course so named:

“Like gravity, karma is so basic we often don't even notice it.”

― Sakyong Mipham

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”
― Wayne W. Dyer

“Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment.”
― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

“If you're really a mean person you're going to come back as a fly and eat poop.” 
― Kurt Cobain

“Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

“You made your own bed, and now curse others for putting you there.”
― Wesley Chu, The Lives of Tao



“He was in hell. Worse than that, he was in hell, and someone had set it on repeat.”
― Dennis Sharpe, Destroyer of Worlds



“Everything was illuminated. Everything was connected. Everything was one. Everything was love.”
― H. Raven Rose, Dark Eros

“Situations seem to happen to people, but in reality, they unfold from deeper karmic causes. The universe unfolds to itself, bringing to bear any cause that needs to be included. Don’t take this process personally. The working out of cause and effect is eternal. You are part of this rising and falling that never ends, and only by riding the wave can you ensure that the waves don’t drown you. The ego takes everything personally, leaving no room for higher guidance or purpose. If you can, realize that a cosmic plan is unfolding and appreciate the incredibly woven tapestry for what it is, a design of unparalleled marvel.”
― Deepak Chopra, The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life



We will discuss these quotes and the teachings on Karma from the Vedic, Hindu, Buddhist and Jain perspectives in this fourth class tomorrow. If you would like to take part and receive the class materials, as well as access to our class forum,  please let us know by registering for this class at the following link: http://www.vedicstudies.org/a-word-to-the-wise.html — at Shiva Mandir Center for Vedic Studies.

Come Celebrate Hanuman Jayanti with us Tomorrow at Shiva Mandir!

You are invited to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti on Wednesday, April 24, from 7 to 9 pm, with a puja and kirtan.

Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman. He is considered to be the greatest devotee of Lord Rama, according to Hindu mythology. Hanuman is the son of Lord Pavana, the God of Wind.
Kabir will lead the Hanuman Chalisa. 

Enjoy the beautiful music, tasty prasad and the bliss of Hanuman’s strength and devotion. Please bring a fruit or flower.

Location: Shiva Sai Mandir, 1391 S. Pennsylvania (and Arkansas), Denver, CO 80210. Questions? 303-722-3658.

Facebook Invitation: https://www.facebook.com/events/270885563048540/

A Word to the Wise: Kama

The Vedic Studies Class, "A Word to the Wise," will have its third meeting on Monday, April 22nd at Shiva Sai Mandir. The word we will discuss is "Kama." Below follows an introduction to the course so named: 

Lord Kama, You are the longing of love, delight of the senses, drama of the play, truth behind the tryst; enjoyment, sorrow and satisfaction. You are King of All Desire.

You ride your parrot across all the realms of existence, shooting arrows of sugar cane from a bow of buzzing bees. Your arrows strike us, stirring our mind and enchanting our senses. You bring happiness and havoc wherever you go.

Oh Lord Kama, how are we supposed to live with you? How are we supposed to live without you? You are the source of beauty, art, power, achievement and glory. You are the source of want, waste, war, loss and heartbreak. In every society, in every era, every one of us has a quandary. Shall we exalt you or disdain you? Codes of conduct, ethics, morality, dictates of fair play, rules for living, philosophy, religion, even civilization itself is nothing but collected strategies to come to terms with you.

Oh Lord Kama, even the gods, or perhaps especially the gods, succumb to your influence and antics. Wherever we are, you are there with us. You are an aspect of our very own nature.

*** *** ***

We have a discussion going and class material on this subject. Please let us know if you would like to be a part of the class. Materials are available for registered participants. For more information and to register for the class, follow this link: http://www.vedicstudies.org/a-word-to-the-wise.html — at Shiva Mandir Center for Vedic Studies.