Forrest's Library

Catching the Divine with Your Prayer Process

Summary

, 15 min

Prayer as a way to connect with an Ishta Devata, a favorite personification of the one divine source, drawing on Lahiri Mahasaya's samadhis in which he merged with Kali, Vishnu and Shiva. A kidney-stone story of Divine Mother's reassurance leads into the right brain as the guardian window through which the divine looks out.

In this video

Teaches
PrayerIshta Devata
Discusses
Lahiri MahasayaSamadhiAutobiography of a YogiDivine MotherHigher SelfLeft and right brain
Mentions
ShivaKaliParamahansa YoganandaLow-Idle-StateThe Guardian

Key moments

00:00Prayer in Lahiri Mahasaya's practice: who is the highest of the high?01:29Lahiri's diaries and the second level of samadhi02:13Merging with Kali, Vishnu and Shiva: "I am that"03:16Archetypes in his consciousness and the Ishta Devata04:22Polytheism question and Yogananda's round stone temple06:14One source, personified in every religion08:02Asking which aspect of the divine pulls on your heartstrings09:24The archetype showing up in meditation, dreams and answers11:02Kidney stone story: Divine Mother says it's going to be okay12:17The right brain as the guardian window of the divine13:22The source comes down through the window of an archetype