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Not me crying (in a good way!) thinking about how I discovered Vasanta (which I feel like it's safe to say that he's my Ishta devta)
(Context: I was answering a question on r/Hinduism that was "Why did you choose *your* Ishata Dev?")
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Amritanandamayi on Manasa Puja (mental worship of one’s Beloved Deity) and her responses to when people ask about her true nature.
WORSHIPPING THE DEITIES AND THE GURU As Mother walked back to the ashram, a brahmachari asked: "Amma, do the deities really exist?" Mother: "They exist on the subtle plane. Each deity represents a characteristic that is latent within us. But you should view your chosen deity as indistinguishable from the Supreme Self. God can assume any form He wants. God will assume many forms depending on the desires of the devotees. Doesn't the ocean rise up in response to the attraction exerted by the moon?" Br: "Amma, rather than worshipping the deities whom we have never seen, isn't it best to take refuge in the mahatmas who are alive among us?" Mother: "Yes. A real tapasvi [one practicing "tapas," intense austerities--ed.] has the power to assume the burden of our prarabdha [the karma we have to go through in this life--ed]. If we take refuge in a mahatma, with devotion, our prarabdhas will soon end. One has to make more effort to benefit from worship of the deities, or from temple worship. "If we worship our chosen deity with the attitude that he is the Supreme Self, we can indeed attain Self-realization. A form is like a ladder. Just as all shadows disappear at high noon, all forms will eventually merge in the formless; but if we take refuge in a satguru, our path will be easier. A guru's help is necessary to remove the obstacles in sadhana, and to show us the way. A guru can help us by clearing our doubts in all crises; then the journey will be easier. A child can do whatever he wants if his mother is holding his hand. He won't fall even if he takes both feet off the ground. The child shouldn't try to free himself from the grip of his mother; he should let her guide him, or he will fall down. Likewise, a guru will always come to the aid of the disciple." A devotee: "Is meditating on a mahatma equal to meditating on the Self?" Mother: "If we view a mahatma in the proper light, we can reach Brahman. In reality, the mahatma is formless. If we make the shape of a bitter melon out of chocolate, it will still be sweet. The mahatmas, who have attained perfect knowledge of the Self, are the same as Brahman having assumed a form. All their forms and moods are sweet." Br: "Some people meditate on Amma, others on Kali. Is there any difference between the two?" Mother: "If you look at the real essence, what is the difference?Whatever form you meditate on, the important thing is your sankalpa [spiritual resolve--ed.], what you attribute to the form. You will get the result appropriate to that. Some people meditate on certain deities and obtain siddhis [magico-mystical powers--ed.]; they do this to achieve certain results. Their concept of the deity's form is a very limited one. We should see the principle behind the deity. Only then can we go beyond the form, beyond the limits. We need to understand that everything is the all-pervading Self; we have to see the deity we worship as the undivided Self. It is only a difference in sankalpa. People sometimes worship a deity in the course of certain observances or rituals. This involves only the concept of a deity, not of God. All forms are limited. No tree touches the heavens, and no root reaches the netherworld. We are trying to reach the Supreme Self. When we get on a bus we are not planning to live in it, are we? Our aim is to reach home. The bus will take us to our gate, and it is our job to walk from the gate to the house. Deities will bring us to the doorway of the Supreme Sat-chit-ananda (Being-Consciousness-Bliss); from there, it is not far to the state of Self-realization. Even those who have transcended all limitations do not forsake their hold on a form. It is said that even jivanmuktas —those who have attained liberation in this life— crave to hear the name of God.
Amritanandamayi, in Eternal Wisdom: Upadeshamritam, collected by Swami Jnanamritananda Puri. Available to read free on Archive.org/The Open Library, here.
[Addressing devotees on a boat trip over the Kerala backwaters on a beautiful moonlit night, when some brahmacharins began to chatter] "Children, do not waste these opportunities by talking about silly things. Utilize the time for meditation, silent prayer, and repeating your mantra. Look at the sky, and try and visualize the form of your beloved deity there. Try to imagine that He or She is moving with you. Try to see your Ishta Devata's face in the moon, or imagine that the moon is the face of the Divine Mother or of Krishna or Rama. As the wind blows, try to feel that it is the gentle caress of your beloved deity. Look into the water and visualize the smiling face of your Ishta Devata there. You can imagine that your beloved deity is calling you near, hugging you, kissing you, caressing you, blessing you, and then hiding in the clouds and coming out again a little later. By this kind of imagination you go deeper and deeper into your own consciousness. You enshrine His or Her form within your heart. You open up more and more, and you get closer and closer to your own Self." --
Amritanandamayi, Awaken Children! vol. 6, pp. 110-111
Question: Amma, on what form should one meditate? Can one meditate on any form?
Amma: The bond you have forged with a particular deity over lifetimes is in your blood. You need to meditate on the form of that deity only.
Question: How can we discover who that deity is?
Amma: When some people fall down, they spontaneously cry call out "Krishna!" In previous lives, Lord Krishna must have been the ishta devata (the preferred form of divinity) of those who feel more attracted to Lord Krishna than to other divinities. In that case, there's no need for them to meditate on Devi. They need meditate only on Krishna. […] Children, if you have been meditating on the form of Lord Krishna until now, continue with that. You must imagine Him to be one with all other divinities and the embodiment of all divine qualities. If you have been meditating on the form of Devi, continue doing so. Whenever you go to any temple, visualise your ishta devata there. Children, just because your mother's brother calls her "sister" doesn't mean she is not your mother. Everyone's bhavana (imagination) is different. One may address the Lord according to one's bhavana.
In dance dramas, it's the same dancer who wears different costumes to play different roles, isn't it? Is there any change in the man just because he wears different costumes? No. In films, how many characters the same actor plays. However, the actor doesn't change. God can assume any form, but He doesn't change at all. Even if one who meditates on Devi goes to a Krishna temple, it is alright for her to pray "O my Devi!" There is only one Self. The consciousness that inheres in the forms of Devi and Krishna is one. God will appear before us in a form that corresponds to our bhavana. If we imagine God as grass, He will appear before us in such a form. If we envisage him as a stone, He will appear as such, and if we think of Him as a buffalo, He will manifest as one. We can imagine Him in any form we like. The only thing is, we must have faith in that form.
Clay will take the form of the mould into which we pour it, but clay itself does not have any particular form. Even though water appears to take the colour of the bottle into which we pour it, water itself is colourless.
Question: In which spot should we visualise the ishta devata?
Amma: Children, visualise your ishta devata in the lotus of your heart or between your eyebrows. For the householder, the heart lotus is an ideal locus of meditation.
Question: Amma, how should we begin our meditation?
Amma: Visualise your ishta devata from feet to head, and from head to feet, gazing upon each limb in turn. Those who meditate on the form of Krishna should meditate on His feet, anklet, shin, yellow robes, bangles, the flute in His hand, garland of wild flowers, earrings, lips, eyes, crown and peacock feather, and then work your way downwards.
Just as it is done to the idol in the temple, imagine performing abhishekam, the ceremonial bath, to your ishta devata. First do abhishekam with water. Then use milk, sacred ash, sandalwood paste and flowers. Imagine dressing up your ishta devata with fine garments, and adorning Him or Her with ornaments. After that, mentally wave the arati flame before the deity. You can imagine the child Krishna running away, and you as Yashoda, his foster mother, running after Him. It is also good to sit and chant mantras or hymns in praise of your ishta devata. You must open your heart to your ishta devata. Keep crying out, "O Lord! Where are You?"
--Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
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Experience the Benefits of Vedic Rituals | HUA
Many people today may find Hindu vedic rituals to be tedious and meaningless. However, these rituals can provide a means for calming the mind and fostering a healthy relationship with the world. Rituals serve as a space where the mind can be purified, stillness can be cultivated, and one can prepare for higher knowledge or Para Vidya. In this course, students will learn how to perform simple rituals with the proper understanding and attitude and integrate the values of these rituals into their daily lives.
Course Content:
Sanatana Dharma, or Hinduism, is a way of life that requires spiritual practice or Sadhana/Abhyasa. Rituals play an essential role in Sadhana/Abhyasa. To understand the power of ritual, one must approach it with an open mind, setting aside doubts and bringing emotional involvement or Bhavana to the practice. Full immersion in the ritual space requires going beyond the mechanical aspects of the ritual, which can only be achieved through regular practice that purifies and transforms the mind. Intellectual and moral knowledge are also essential components of daily life, but they must be more than just that. Daily rituals (Nitya Karma) are crucial to reaching this goal. This course teaches the most important Sandhya Vandana for both men and women, as well as Vedic mantras, stotras, Ashtottaras, basic puja, and a simple way to perform Homa. The faculty encourages students to participate in the practice and use measurable metrics to assess their spiritual growth. Students will come to recognize the importance of Dharma in their own lives.
Course Learning Objectives:
The course aims to equip students to:
a) Integrate rituals into their daily lives;
b) Perform daily Sandhyavandana;
c) Perform daily puja to their Ishta Devata;
d) Sing hymns from the Vedas, stotras, and Ashtottaras;
e) Perform a simple havan at home;
f) Know how to use different tools used in religious ceremonies.
Class Structure:
Each week, students will have at least one hour of faculty-led instruction. The class structure includes self-study and reflection, which will lead to discussion and debate. Though each class will focus on the same topic for 60 minutes, the discussion time is open-ended and can continue for up to 30 more minutes. During the course, students will submit either a short essay (1000-1500 words) or a video of themselves practicing. The submissions need not be professional but should demonstrate what the student has learned and understood so far.
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Ishta Devta or god is that god who is worshiped foremost in the life of any person. They can be find online also you can find ishta devata online by some simple methods provided by some sites like bagulamukhi jyotish yantra. http://www.bagulamukhijyotishtantra.com/free-astrology/know-your-god-ishta-devta.html
Find “who is your Ishta Devata?” with our great astrologer
People always want a happy and perfect life, but how it may possible? If you want to have a perfect life and want to remove each and every problem from your life, you must to read this blog completely.
As we all know that no one is living a perfect life. So, how we can make it perfect and how we can remove the obstacles of our life events to run it smoothly? Well, science doesn’t have any correct answer for a perfect life, but if you will have the knowledge to connect yourself to your Ishta Devta, you can make it perfect with some different kinds of ways.
What is the meaning of Ishta Devata?
Ishta Devata is a kind of spirit that connects with your soul and only understand a different way of conversation that is called as mantra, mantras are written in the ancient language Sanskrit and Sanskrit language is called the language of gods in Hindu Dharma. This language is as ancient as the earth.
Who is my Ishta Devata?
Now, you will have one question that “who is your Ishta Devata?”. Well, if you want to know about your Ishta Devata, you may need to take the help of a better astrologer who can help you in having the right knowledge about your Ishta Devata. Our Astrologer, Pandit Rajkumar Sharma also can help you in having right knowledge about your Ishta Devata, just have a visit and put your question in front of him and the solution will be available as soon as possible.
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http://www.bagulamukhijyotishtantra.com/free-astrology/know-your-god-ishta-devta.html
