Mantras for Spiritual Healing

Taking discipleship under an enlightened master is not the easiest thing to do. Sure, it's great listening to spiritual discourses and learning about the greater truths to the universe, but on the other hand it is the to most difficult thing to do. Why? Because you have have to look at your own ignorance, accept it, and change it. Not many can do any of these.

When a master takes a student as a disciple, he or she is taking on the big responsibility help lead them to liberation. They don't give the "gift of enlightenment," as that idea is wrong. But, they guide them on their journey to help them see their own ignorance and karma, which leads them to soul's freedom.

The reason why I am writing this blog, is because the spiritual path is not "happy-go-lucky", especially under a master. The master becomes a parent during the teenager's stage. When the disciple is detoxifying itself of karma and illusion, it is certain that the mind wishes to rebel, like a teenager.

Acharya Shree is free from anger and is not bound to ignorance. His soul is fully liberated and is in his last body. However, in order for him to teach me, sometimes he has to raise his voice in a way, so that it triggers rebellion in me. Once, I rebel, because of my own practices of awareness, I begin to see the anger inside of myself. If he did not provoke me, I would not see my ignorance.

We are trying to remove our ignorance. So every bit of dirt on our soul we must see it and release it. There is no escaping it.

The enlightened master is like a parent, but more.

When a child is riding her bicycle without her helmet, and the parent yells at her to wear the helmet, the next time she picks up the bike, she will remember to get her helmet. She learned the last time that she got yelled at, and does not want to make the same mistake again.

So, Acharya Shree's stern voice sometimes bothers me, when I make a mistake out of ignorance, but then I reflect and realize how naive I was.

"Why do you scold me? I get it. I know what I'm doing. I practice awareness." (This is in rebellious tone.)

"I scold you, because if I say it nicely it does not hit the core of your being. That is why I show you anger."

Which is the truth. Parents yell at their children, because they want their kids to learn to become aware of their mistakes - so as not to hurt them self or others. The same way is a master's role. They are a parent, guiding their child on the spiritual path.

I took this path, not because it is easy, but because I desire to know the deepest core of my soul - whatever it takes. If someone just nicely patsy me on the back and tells me not to do it again the next time, I'm not going to learn. The truth is bitter, and the teacher is their to remind you that it really IS bitter.

Now, when I get "yelled at" after a few minutes of him appearing angry, and me being angry. I laugh, he laughs...and I feel lighter because that anger inside me has been released. Being a disciple or student is not about controlling anger, it's about releasing it. When I understand something, I shake my head, and laugh at my self at how ignorant I am.

"You are never angry with me?"

"I do not have anger, and am not angry, but I can show you anger to teach you."

And that is what matters.

If a master is never stern with you, it means they are not trying to awaken you.

Question for You: If someone points out your negative habits, how do you react?

I started my path at 17 years old with the help and guidance of my first teacher, Ms. R., my high school counselor that inspired me to love myself, find hope in life, and to remember that I am not separate from God. As soon as I began to ask deeper questions and have spiritual experiences, I knew that one day I wanted to dedicate my whole life to teaching others about spirituality and self-improvement.

Change.

You can't change people, period. You can change yourself.

This is my daily mantra, and although I say it over and over again, I still try to change people. Less and less, of course!

We hear it over and over again, "Change yourself," but still we find ourselves trying to change others. What is amazing is, we impose what we want to change in ourselves onto others...but we still don't change!

Since I began my spiritual path, I yearned for a new name that was spiritual. That really identified with my soul. I knew one day I would be given a new name, but at 17 I did not know how or by whom.

After meeting Acharya Shree Yogeesh, I noticed that he gave several of his students spiritual names. I asked when I would receive mine, and he said on the day of diksha.

I would ask him over and over again, out of fun of course, for any hints to my new name. The only hint he gave me was that it was 8 letters.

After asking my soul what my name would be, not forcing but in a relaxed way, I got the knowing my name would start with an "S" and felt the ending had an "ee" sound.

One day I asked Acharya Shree if my name started with an "S" and I wouldn't ask about my name again, if he answered. He replied, "Yes, it starts with an 'S'." .... I knew it!

As I promised, I waited until the day of my diksha, or spiritual initiation to become Acharya Shree Yogeesh's disciple. When I heard my new name, my heart melted and my soul jumped. It was ME.

Sadhvi, is my title, which translates to "spiritual aspirant." Those that take diksha, that are female, are given the title of Sadhvi. Other terms often used as titles for female monks are Samani and Swamini.

My name is Siddhali Shree. Siddhali Shree is a custom sanskrit name given by Acharya Shree. No one in history (world or universe) has ever had this name "Siddhali Shree." It means, "Shining with the row of Liberated Souls."

Siddha = Liberated Soul; Ali = Row; Shree = Shining

I was inspired to write about my name today, because I asked Acharya Shree earlier today, when he created my name. He simply answered, "I knew your name before you were even born."

Question for You: If you could choose a spiritual name, what would it be and why?

Each spiritual path is different, because everyone is unique. So what may work for one person, may not work for the other.

Some ways spiritual seekers deepen their spiritual path is by understanding and knowing about the chakra system, art, writing, gardening, surfing, and other forms that help a person relax. When one is relaxed, meditation happens.

What works for my soul in its effort to unveil the clouds of karma and illusion is Right Understanding. Right Understanding is similar to Right Vision, its seeing Truth for what it really is, and not what I want it to be.

Personally, I am not one to read spiritual books anymore, as I mentioned before, that words hardly describe truth. For me, I'd rather dive deep into meditation, sit quietly in the stillness and silence, and experience knowing. Right Understanding is Knowing.

I enjoy listening to Acharya Shree Yogeesh speak with visitors. As he tells stories in a parable-like fashion, my soul becomes entranced listening for the hidden message in his story. A hidden message that brings light to a dark room. It's a "click" within me, then I understand

A few retreaters were listening to Acharya Shree, and I joined in to participate. They were asking him questions about life, death, and compassion.

The way Acharya Shree described compassion hit me with a ton of bricks. I've heard him speak about compassion before, and surely I was hit that time, too, but I was hit again, because he approached it in a different way. Because of the new "hit," my understanding about compassion increased.

I was overwhelmed by the message and went for a walking meditation. Repeating over and over the truth he subtly revealed in his story. I kept going deeper and deeper into my soul, and absorbing the truth behind compassion. It was like I was tied to an anchor, and hit the bottom of the ocean, and I enjoyed the new insight and perspective to apply to my own life, and a new way to look at the world.

Understanding, in my life, increase daily and slowly. Everyday I learn something new, whether it is about myself or others. Sometimes truth is really bitter, and sometimes the truth can be so strong that it is not understandable at first. Once it digests into my blood, it becomes understanding, knowing, and my true reality.

Question for you: What path helps you to understand yourself and spirituality more?