We (15 members from Hungary) participated in the recently concluded Cultivating the Divine Feminine Retreat during the 9-days Navaratri celebrations at the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama.
“Given the current state of the world, there could not have been a more relevant topic for us than the celebration of feminine qualities within” – this is how the sentiment of the small Hungarian group can be summed up about the ashram’s Navaratri celebrations. “If the world was led and guided by a mother, there would be no wars, no starving children, and no destitute people” – the members of the group quote the words of the retreat’s teacher – Rabindra Sahu.
“I come from an environment that places strong emphasis on material success. What I experienced last week helped me perceive the various manifestations of the Divine Mother’s qualities clearly. Chanting 1000 mantras together was a new experience for me. Through persistence and dedication, I suddenly felt touched by something, and I was able to join the collective process, recognizing the feminine qualities within myself,” Krisztina recalled of her recent experiences.
Bea, working as a doctor, stressed that the practice of masculine qualities is essential for making quick and decisive decisions in his field of work – “Due to the demands of my profession, it was challenging for me to slow down and forced me to confront the fact that, I must consciously cultivate feminine qualities at my work”.
Some members pointed out that, as Hungarians and Europeans, they are not accustomed to participating in extended celebrations. For some, the community-building force of the 24-hour mantra chanting was the most memorable aspect, while others were captivated by the diversity of the festival. However, everyone agreed that we were part of a very well-structured series of events that provided a high-quality intellectual stimulation through the lectures. But above all, it was an emotionally profound event that facilitated personal transformation and brought hidden values to the surface. Too bad that it’s over.
At the end of the celebration, we also understood why Swami Veda is called a mother, that he is the spiritual mother of all of us. We also appreciate that his kindness, love, understanding, and patience stem from his great inner strength, stability, and his intimate relationship with the Divine Mother.
Editor’s Note:
The Hungarian Group was led by Dr. Tamás Imre Margittay. Other members included – Paula Jékel, Dr. Beáta Bakos Törökné, Dr. Zsolt Török, Judit Andrea Pólya, Katalin Kálmán, Ágnes Baji, Krisztina Törös, Katalin Andrea Szilágyi, Nikolett Kotálik, Eszter Haraszti, Nóra Gyócsos, Erika Némethné Szász, Mónika Herke, and Ágnes Gilyén. They all are connected with the Budapest Center of The Himalayan Yoga Tradition led by Ilona Dioszegi.
Emotions have a function. It’s a detailed study, and some of this study is found in the Sanskrit texts of literary criticism, or analysis; what constitutes literature. I speak of the baseline emotion that an individual maintains. We all maintain a baseline emotion. It could be anger, it could be sorrow, it could be fear. And, in that baseline emotion, as you write letters against a line, other emotions rise and fall, and that is what constitutes literature. Your whole life is literature. If you were to write every thought that has occurred in you from the moment of stirring in the mother’s womb to the last lying still in the lap of Mother Death, what a novel, what a piece of literature that would be!