Sivananda

THE PATH BEYOND SORROW

Chapter 8: Worship Of God As Mother Divine

1.The Genesis of Mother Worship

Energy Enhancement Enlightened Texts Sri Swami Sivananda The Path Beyond Sorrow

God as the Universal Mother has a special appeal to man due to numerous reasons. Firstly, the mother is the earliest recognizable friend of the infant human being; she is the supreme wish-fulfiller of the individual and, at a certain stage, the all-in-all. Secondly, of all human relationships on earth, the sweetest and the most loving is this relationship of one with one’s mother. Thirdly, the father image is always associated with sternness and discipline; whereas, the mother image is that of spontaneous love, compassion, protective tenderness and care, forbearance and forgiveness too. No wonder then that erring man is naturally drawn into this approach to the Supreme Being as the Mother Divine rather than as the Universal Father. Seeking comforts, solace and forgiveness, man turns to the Mother rather than to the Father. Stern justice is more likely to stem from the latter, whereas solicitude, forgiveness and love would be expected from the Mother. Thus, down the ages, man has evolved this approach to the Supreme Deity in Its aspect as the Cosmic Mother through the time-honoured tradition of Mother worship.

In this worship of the Mother Divine, the worshipper naturally feels himself as a child of the Mother. In this Bhav or attitude lies the very essence of this mode of approach. As a child approaches the mother confidently and with full trust in the mother’s all-goodness, even so the worshipper adores the Mother, pouring forth the heart’s love in surrender and sweet trust. This relationship in this worship has a profoundly transforming effect upon the worshipper’s personality. Crude egoism gives place to child-like simplicity. Crookedness gives place to guilelessness. Self-assertive arrogance gives place to silent submission. Fear and awe give place to fearlessness and trust. Thus the Mother is worshipped.

Mother means love. Mother means compassion. Mother means protectiveness and tender care. This must be well borne in mind if our worship of the Mother should maintain a sublime spiritual level and be effective in taking us towards the ultimate goal of all such worship, namely, God-realization. The process of worship is aimed at bringing about a gradual divinisation of your consciousness. To experience the Divine, you must become the Divine. To invoke the love and the grace of the Mother, you must become a radiating centre of love yourself. An ascent into Divinity is from Tamas to Rajas, Rajas to Sattva, and Sattva to Suddha Sattva whence one goes beyond the three qualities and attains the Divine state. True and correct worship of the Divine Mother is therefore a lofty spiritual technique of the highest Sattvic quality. If the purely impersonal aspect of the Deity is stern and remote, this personal aspect of the Deity is tender, close, intimate and fully approachable. The Divine Mother is a love-filled Mother who awaits with outstretched arms to draw the devoted soul to Her divine bosom.

Next: Chapter 8: Worship Of God As Mother Divine, 2.Distinctive Forms of Mother Worship

Energy Enhancement Enlightened Texts Sri Swami Sivananda The Path Beyond Sorrow

Chapter 8

Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 8: Worship Of God As Mother Divine
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 8: Worship Of God As Mother Divine, Radiant Immortal Atman! Glory be to the Divine. May the Grace of the Lord bring peace to the whole world and happiness and welfare unto all mankind. The ancient Vedic way of life, termed the Sanathan Dharma, and known generally to the Western world by the name Hinduism, gives as the supreme objective in life, eternal freedom from the shackles of earthly bondage and death through Divine Experience or God-realisation. This state of spiritual emancipation and eternal blessedness is termed Moksha or Kaivalya. This is a state of absolute felicity and eternal satisfaction, characterized by cessation of all pain and suffering and attainment of supreme bliss. You go beyond birth and death at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 8: Worship Of God As Mother Divine, 1.The Genesis of Mother Worship
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 8: Worship Of God As Mother Divine, 1.The Genesis of Mother Worship, God as the Universal Mother has a special appeal to man due to numerous reasons. Firstly, the mother is the earliest recognizable friend of the infant human being; she is the supreme wish-fulfiller of the individual and, at a certain stage, the all-in-all. Secondly, of all human relationships on earth, the sweetest and the most loving is this relationship of one with ones mother. Thirdly, the father image is always associated with sternness and discipline; whereas, the mother image is that of spontaneous love, compassion, protective tenderness and care, forbearance and forgiveness too. No wonder then that erring man is naturally drawn into this approach to the Supreme Being as the Mother Divine rather than as the Universal Father. Seeking comforts, solace and forgiveness, man turns to the Mother rather than to the Father. Stern justice is more likely to stem from the latter, whereas solicitude, forgiveness and love would be expected from the Mother. Thus, down the ages, man has evolved this approach to the Supreme Deity in Its aspect as the Cosmic Mother through the time-honoured tradition of Mother worship at energyenhancement.org
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 8: Worship Of God As Mother Divine, 2.Distinctive Forms of Mother Worship
Sri Swami Sivananda, The Path Beyond Sorrow Chapter 8: Worship Of God As Mother Divine, 2.Distinctive Forms of Mother Worship, Worship of the Mother, as it presently prevails within the Hindu religious world, is to be found in three or four distinctive forms. Certain sections of the Shaktas devote themselves to the worship of the Mother according to methods laid down in the Shakta Tantras. This is a highly technical mode of worship entailing specific ritual into which one must be initiated as per Shakta tradition at energyenhancement.org

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