Ma Dhakeawari

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Ma Dhakeswari We had an outing a few days ago, in the major heat of the day to a "Hindu" mandir (temple). Bangladesh is mostly Muslim here, some quote 90ænbsp; I have already found that statistic to be a bit off. Bangladesh is visibly Muslim but there are also a lot of Hindus and Buddhist here too. No importance is given to them and their lineages and they are not in control politically. For our outing to the temple we were simply handed a printout from a website that I personally had read before, and that was about it. There was no one to give the students information about the history and traditon of the place. All four of our instructors are Muslim and had never in their lives visited this place. This is not an ordinary temple and is actually not Hindu. This seat of a great female master was originally Buddhist. It belonged to a great Bangladeshi princess, who married the patriarch of the Vajrayana lineage and Tibetan Buddhism. Who was there to tell the story and how did I find out? When I found out I got into this study program, I was feeling this pounding sensation in my heart center. I thought to obseve it and follow it, I would find its source. At the temple complex, I started feeling funny in my whole body. I was searching around the complex, past smaller temples with seven-tiered roofs and Shiva lingam inside and a beautiful pond full of fish. Like a magnetic energy was pulling me, I was drawn to the back of the temple. I walked up to a guard and without saying anything, he led me to a side entrace to the main shrine room. The doors were closed and he said they would only be opened by the head priest at 4pm. It was 2:30pm. The magnetic pull drew me right to the door's edge. I prostrated to the contentes which I knew rested inside. Long ago, the ground shook and a special stone revealed itsef from the earth. That stone houses the spirit of Ma Dhakeswari also called Ma Durga and Ma Chandi. The stone is dressed by day, and undressed and put to sleep at night. Now an enclave of Hindu priests, her daily regemin is set by them. The pounding in my heart center was so strong I thought something was going to come out of chest. I was guided to sit right by the door, and then next thing I know my eyes rolled back into my head, and no matter how hard I tried I was glued to my posture. It was like a movie screen was before me. I saw the place where I was sitting about a thousand years ago, who was there, what it was like, and then I saw the goddess emerge from her resting place and speak to me. She delivered an energy into my heart and I felt the pounding get stronger and expand out of my body. She told me she would always walk with me and that I had her empowerment. I was released from the hold, and after doing one more prostration I went and sat in another area and meditatied some more. When I finished meditating I composed a poem: MA DHAKESWARI The mother here is locked in cages left to the whim of the napping priests. Though she came up from the earth to be present with us We are greeted with closed doors as though she sleeps. I think Ma has not abandoned her children even though her temple is stark and cold. If one can enter her inner domain her words come across as strong and bold. Oh Ma, I pray that you forever walk with me and continue to show me my inner light, for the journey is ardeous too as though I walk alone in the night. ......please take what I say with a grain of salt, at the end of it all it is just my experience........more soon Four Winds Yoli aka Kurukulla aka France