Inaugural Address of

Mother Divine Institute of Sacred Sciences

Autumn Nine Nights of Mother Divine

October 17, 1999

 Monrovia, California

 

 

Welcome to Mother Divine Institute of Sacred Sciences. Today we celebrate our first year as an Institute by gathering together to honor the source of our inspiration and devotion: Mother Divine.

 

A question that comes up a lot when we introduce Mother Divine Institute is:

 

Who or what is Mother Divine?

 

The Vedic concept of Mother Divine is described as that basic power that gives dynamism to all the different energies. In its pure form, it is the principle of Rittam, or Truth. The energies it gives dynamism to are revealed in the form of our desires, passions, interests and motivations — like our typical desire to be wise, or our desire to have the power of enchantment, or having more beauty in our life. In short, the concept of Mother Divine is the concept of recognizing your own potential in whatever form you desire it.

 

When Durga (Mother Divine) is expressed in the form of money, it is called Lakshmi. When Durga is expressed in the form of knowledge, it is called Saraswati. When Durga is expressed in the form of the destroyer of the negative element, it is called Kali. Similarly, we recognize nine aspects, or uses, of Mother Divine.

 

The nine aspects of Mother Divine energy are:

 

1. Shailputri—Goddess of Inspiration

2. Brahmacarini—Goddess of Sacred Studies

3. Chandraghanta—Goddess of Delight of Worship

4. Kusmanda—Goddess of Purifying Austerity