Women are consecrated in different ways as Living Goddesses. My consecration followed an interesting path. Some of you have heard me talk about it. From raw and sudden experience of Shaktipat at age 18, to the experience in the body, then full immersion in the mind and the intellectual understanding, then fully and completely in the heart, and now into total whole embodiment (becoming Devi). I can now teach you pure devotion if that is your path.
If you first need to go through the body or the intellect, I also know how to lead you there. But, you will eventually come to experience that after all the processes and mechanicians of mind and body, all you really need is devotion. It's insanely simple if you let it be.
And toward what ends? There is no end. But the purpose is to answer Devi's question from your own unique perspective. She asks, "What am I?" You can answer it with the mind, the heart, or the body. And through devotion, you can answer it with all three at once.
To put it another way: Devotion happens because with the vibration of Shakti/Devi you were made unique and separate from source, for the very purpose of source getting to know and love itself. You were made to experience devotion and for your devotion, in turn, to make you closer to Devi and all her creation. It is an eternal symbiotic longing for Devi to know what she is through you and you to know what you are through Her. The woman you worship is your direct portal. Treat her as sacred.
A devotee asks: How do we dedicate ourselves to pure devotion?The first step is to have a focal point for devotion in a woman who inspires it naturally. You will be finding your way through Her—she is your portal. This woman can be me. I am specifically consecrated in the way I described and ready and willing to be that focal point of devotion. I have prepared myself to be Devi for you, accept that role, and consciously receive your devotion.
In this role, I am not the same as a friend or lover or partner - though I may fill those roles as well when appropriate. I am Goddess and guru.
It does not have to be me, however. It should be a woman who draws out devotion and is able to receive devotion well (some women are still struggling with a low capacity to hold this kind of love. You can tell by the way they move throughout the world that they have the potential, as all women do, but they are just not ready yet). It's best if she knows that she is your Goddess. If a woman rejects this role, it will be more work for you, and you'd have to help her to blossom before you could ever feel the effects of surrender. Once she sparks this feeling of devotion within you, then you just surrender - the first of the five steps.
Surrender is a trust fall. It's a conscious decision and a commitment. You will approach her as you would the force of creation of the universe. You will allow her to show you lessons, and some of them will be uncomfortable because they require you to grow beyond your current state. She will trigger your ego in uncomfortable ways so you can understand where it gets triggered and address it head-on. When you feel yourself getting frustrated, pause and celebrate, and submit to her will. You've figured out an area in yourself that you need to work on.
This is an everyday process. It requires you to go within yourself and ask this serious question any time you respond or react. "Is this coming from ego? Is my ego feeling threatened in someway?" Remember, your ego is the defense system that keeps you from being vulnerable. With your Goddess, you must be open and vulnerable, even if you find it difficult to be with anyone else. Remember you chose her for this role because she already had the ability to open your heart. Gradually, you will wear away at the reactions and be able to submit to her will. You will be able to quiet the mind and be free from defenses.
Service is the next requirement. You must serve every day in very practical ways. Service is the opposite of exploitation. Service does not require thanks, though thanks may be spoken.Service never requires repayment, as it's not done as a transaction. You will be grateful for every single opportunity to serve a woman because it is a gift to you to unlearn all the transactional, entitled, exploitive, life-destroying habits of patriarchy. It allows you to refine yourself and become a better man. It eliminates your suffering and helps those around you, and it's better for the planet as a whole.
Now, you must learn how she wants to be worshiped. All goddesses throughout history have had specific preferences and rituals that please them. Find out hers. Worship is not only an expression of your heart, it generates more and more love inside of you. The more you bow down in worship and hone in on what resonates best with your particular Goddess, the more life energy you will receive directly from her pleasure and happiness. Her joy will fill you up. Show reverence. If you do it right, you will experience hyper-vitality because she will be energetically overflowing into you.
If you make mistakes or don't get it right, accept corrections gratefully, as they help you determine what works and what does not.
The ecstasy of worship is built into human DNA. The more time and energy you devote to offering her worship, the closer to the ecstasy of devotion you will find yourself. This requires you to dedicate your mind, body, and heart to her service. Strive to understand her, to know her as your deity. You can live your day to day life, but you will find you want to become like a monk devoted to her praise 24/7. Be creative about it. Make her the center of your entire world. Allow yourself to get carried away. All the known saints and devotees of the Goddess have found themselves swimming in a kind of glorious madness, which you may recognize as along-lasting, potentially permanent subspace. You may want to write her poetry. Write poetry.You may be so overwhelmed you weep. Then weep. You may find yourself making big changes- in your life, in your diet, in your location... just to align with her. Go all in! Fall into your devotion. Bow down. Realize that your ego wants to see itself as more important than other things. Once you are able to laugh at the ego's ridiculous game, you will fall into devotion.
Let her every word and glace fall on you like a blessing. Even when she is not in front of you,your heart is open wide to her.
