15 Sept 2014

Divine Mother and the Nine Steps of the Soul's Evolution

Throughout the years, Sri Swami Vishwananda has emphasised the importance of Divine Mother's role in helping and interceding for us on our way back to God.

Navaratri 2013                                   Navaratri 2011
He has often reminded us, “She is Parashakti, the Cosmic Shakti that pervades everything. Everything is created from Her, so She has the knowledge how to create and destroy everything; that's why She can create the balance.” He even said, “The Cosmic Mother Herself is the life experience. She creates things in a certain way so that one can attain the goal of life.”

Navaratri 2011                                  Navaratri 2013
“The way a saint, a yogi goes through, is step by step. They are not in a hurry because they know that their main aim is to attain the Divine, and they know that they will attain the Divine. This certainty, this will, this desire to receive the Grace of God, make them more strong, nothing can divert them. But, actually this strength is Divine Mother Herself, because She guides everybody, She helps and cares for everyone.”

Last year during a Satsang held at Shree Peetha Nilaya, Sri Swami Vishwananda revealed a bit more about the way, which Divine Mother creates for the advancement of the soul towards God – the nine steps of the evolution of the soul.
Satsang held at Shree Peetha Nilaya on 17th May 2013

“People are sent on a certain path so that they can reach the Divine. To reach the Divine is not just to wake up in the morning saying, ‘Oh God, I want to reach you.’ And then expect that God will say, ‘Okay, I will send you a rope. Come!’ To attain this Grace one has to have Pure Love. Without having this Sacred Love one does not reach anywhere. You may have gone through many lives of searching, realising, coming through different steps; but if you didn't realise the greatness of this Love you can't attain the Divine. Because the Divine can only be attained by the sacredness of that Love. That's why one goes through nine steps.

"First, you start to search for the Divine. Where? You start to search, you are looking for something great; you search among people who are searching also.

"Second, you start to remember the Divine and to chant His name.

"Third, you start associating with like-minded people and remembering the Divine, which means also your spiritual practices, your sadhana.

"Fourth, you start to get rid of all the bad qualities. You start to purify yourself, to get rid of all the bad habits – purifying all the qualities inside of you.

"Fifth, nistha awakens. Nistha means the deepness, where you start to long more, to search more in deepness. It is also called bhajana, which means, your attention is surrendered in such a certain way, that nothing can move you.

"Sixth, then what awakens is ruchi, compassion.

"Seventh, ashakti awakens, which means a deep attachment. And this deep attachment is not an attachment of the outside but is a deep attachment to the Divine and to the Master.

"Eighth, then bhav starts to awaken and, of course, the bhav itself goes through certain stages.

"Ninth, finally, Love in its sublime stage is manifested.

"Well, you see the way of Love does not happen just by one saying, ‘We love, we love, we love.’ It is a long way of complete surrender. And when this Love awakens is when the Divine reveals Himself to you, manifest Himself to you. Then you have attained the aim. So, this is the evolution of the soul, back to where it came from."