2011 - Giving Up And Giving Back

By Stephen Thomson

On November 30, 2010, Rachael Faye Wright, known as Daya Mata, died at the age of 96. She served for over fifty years as the leader of Self-Realization Fellowship, the worldwide religion established by Paramahansa Yogananda. The name Daya Mata is a Sanskrit name, which means "true mother of compassion." The New York Times referred to her as "the leader of one of the most influential Hindu groups in the United States." Her life was an inspiring example of the journey of a spiritual leader, beginning in her teens upon entering the Self-Realization Fellowship Ashram and continuing up to her death. There is an incredible, powerful opportunity for each of us in the examples set by spiritual leaders like Daya Mata who are here to show us the way.

When I heard about Daya Mata's death, I decided that I wanted to be a part of the celebration of her life. I knew from people close to her that the last several years of her life were lived in seclusion and that there were many people, including myself, who had never seen her. There was a public viewing at Forest Lawn in Los Angeles for three days prior to a memorial service on Sunday. On Saturday morning, I drove to Los Angles and joined the long line of people from all over the world waiting to pass before Daya Mata's open casket. As I made my way through the line, up the stairs and into the room where her body lay, I noticed the energy in the room. It was profound, with no trace of sadness, but rather a sense of peace and strength — much as I suspect it felt like being in her living presence. Her body was seemingly small for such a powerful being in life. For the moment I stood before her physical remains, I felt so grateful for Daya Mata's life and all those who come forward to guide the rest of us as we journey through earthly life.

A day later, I heard a Monk speak about Daya Mata's life. He told a story of a chance meeting he had with her. The details are not as important as the effect these few minutes had on his life. As the Monk related, he later realized his personal energy had changed by their brief encounter. In the hours and days that followed, he felt an inner-peace that he had never before experienced. I thought of Daya Mata's vibratory field as the energy of unconditional love — the most potent healing force in the physical world. She vibrated a love that came from years of meditation and selfless service. In his mind, she "took" away from him the restlessness and worry he was carrying at that point in his life. As I listened, I thought of the times I have been in the presence of someone whose love for me is unquestioned and trustworthy. In these magical moments, worry and hesitation can fade away and in its place, these feelings are replaced with peace and surety.

The idea of something being "taken" away, created a profound effect on my thinking. I thought about my upbringing and the idea of prayer — an active spiritual form, a petition to the Divine for what I do not have. How many years I prayed, only in time to realize I was acting like a beggar son for the things I thought were so important. Even today, I have a pile of spiral notebooks in my office covering years of writing out my monthly "Wish Lists." I did this faithfully, like a catechism for the things I want to manifest in my life. In fact, everything I read these days seems to point me in the direction of how much bounty there is on our universe. Therefore, I should be asking for everything I want and do not have.

Yet, as simple as it may seem, the idea of praying or meditating on something to be "taken away" from me, never entered my mind. The reality of life is that there are things that we need to have taken from us so we can move forward. (As I am writing this, this statement feels a little less optimistic than I like to be.) Just think about this for a minute. Just as many roadblocks in our lives and within us need to be removed so we can move forward, as there is a need for more of something or even something new. Perhaps something as simple as having a minor fear we live with removed from our lives will create an opening — a new paradigm in our lives to move forward in a way we have never been able to do before. Maybe if our concern about what other people think of us, for example, is taken away, we will be free us to live our lives fully. After all, growing as spiritual beings is our goal, right?

We all know the power of believing. There are times that belief can propel us beyond our own self-imposed and karmic limitations. In time and with our unfolding consciousness, we will eventually find ourselves at the outer boundaries of our thinking. Here we come face to face with the limitations that in many ways represent our karma in this lifetime — the things that never seem to go away, regardless of how long we meditate, pray or journal. The list of changes we need to make narrows, and ultimately we come to a list of needs where we could use some extra help. Instead of asking for something to replace these issues, is it possible that this is the point where we petition for relief — for them to be taken away from us?

As the New Year begins, in addition to writing a list of resolutions, a good exercise for all of us is to inventory our lives for what is no longer useful or supporting our path. Perhaps all of our trees could use some pruning.

Happy New Year!

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at Steve@Stephenthomson.net. I am always happy to hear from readers.

His new book entitled, Essays on Spiritual Self-Mastery is now available on Amazon.com. Steve also recently published a book co-authored with Michael Guarino entitled Evolving Consciousness: A Dialog Between Two Initiates, also available on Amazon.com.

Steve's book, The Secret Key is available through the Spirit of Ma'at Bookstore.

Those of you who wish to order a copy of "Essays on Spiritual Self-Mastery" will find it on www.amazon.com and at: www.stephenthomson.net.

About Stephen Thomson

Steve Thomson is a writer, teacher, and psychic, well known throughout the United States. He leads workshops about metaphysical practices, including meditation, expansion of the psychic senses, the Tarot, and the Kabala. Steve has been a member of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC for over 20 years and a student of Paramahansa Yogananda's, Self-Realization Fellowship for over 10 years. His book entitled The Secret Key is available through our website. Steve other book, Essays on Attaining Spiritual Self-Mastery — A Book for Meditation, Prayer and Journaling, and a new book he co-authored with Michael Guarino, Evolving Consciousness — A Dialog Between Two Initiates, are available on Amazon.com. He is currently working on a new book entitled Discovering Your Spiritual Truth — A Primer for the Path.

You may write Steven personally at Steve@stephenthomson.net
or visit his website: www.stephenthomson.net

Latest articles by Stephen Thomson in Spirit of Maat:

May, 2011: What Is Going On?

April, 2011: The Dark Night of the Soul

March, 2011: Divine Energy Manifest On The Earth Plane

February, 2011: The Spiritual Lessons In Loving Relationships

January, 2011: 2011 - Giving Up And Giving Back

December, 2010: The Gift Of Light

November, 2010: The Need For Alone Time