Guest guest Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Blessings Everyone, I am new to this list so I will give a basic intro before asking my question. I live on the East Coast in the USA and I am a priestess in the Goddess Tradition. While I am mainly a Eclectic Goddess Worshipper the love of my life is the Dark One Kali. I have worked with many Goddesses's but Kalika has called to me. Even now after 3 years of working with her and other Goddesses's Kali is the One that I hold most dear to my heart. She is my Goddess and I Her daughter. I have noticed on your list alot of info on Lalita as I have noticed Her mentioned alot on Ammachi's websites as well. I even have the CD Rom with the 1000 names of the Divine Mother. My question posed is this...How would I incorporate this, if I did, into my work? No matter what Goddess I work with I always visualize and see Kali. She is always there. If I see a pic of the Goddess Devi, or Durga, Lalita, even the Black Madonna I see Kali. Should I just go with this and is it wrong to visualize or see Kali while doing a Lalita Sahasranama? For me all Goddesses are in fact One and that One for me is Kali. Any help would be great. Thanks! In Light and Love, Stacey )O( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 --- Chamunda77 wrote: > is it wrong to visualize or > see Kali while doing a > Lalita Sahasranama? Jai Maa I am a Kaalii bhaakta who chants the Lalitaa Sahasranaama. In my experience it is quite an agreeable combination for several reasons. I am a devotee (not a very good one by any means) of Ammachi, who is regarded by many of Her children as an incarnation of Mother Kali. The Lalitaa Sahasranaama is chanted twice daily in Her ashram in India, in the presence of the primary murti of the entire Ashram and temple: a Kali murti which was crafted by the same family of sculptors who crafted Bhavatarini Kali Ma, the deity of Dakshineshwar temple in Calcutta. (A picture of Her is at http://www.leeveal.com/pages/KaliKali.htm The chanting of the Lalitaa Sahasranaama is followed by aarati to the Kaalii murti. Also, Lalitaa Sahasranaama is sometimes considered a scripture of the Shrii Vidyaa sect. This sect sometimes teaches that Lalitaa and Kaalii are the same, with Lalitaa the face of Devi that presides over the waxing moon and Kaalii the face of Devi that presides over the waning moon. There are lots of interesting correlations in the text itself, many too many to enumerate here. I hope some of that was helpful. Jai Maa!!! --Aravind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Namaste-I too am a Kali bhakta who chants the Lalita Sahasranama. I have had the huge good fortune to have teachers, mentors and friends in both traditions-the Kali kula,or tradition, and the Sri Vidya tradition that worships Sri Lalita Tripurasundari. As Aravind has said, some say Lalita is the presiding devi of the waxing moon and Kali, the waning, so essentially they are one, though each has her own "personality". Several times I have heard this story from my teachers and friends- Suppose your liberation/enlightenment lies on the other side of a closed doorway and you want to pray to the Mother to let you through. If you pray to Ma Kali for liberation, she might yank you through the keyhole( your liberation might be quick, but painful!). If you pray to Lalita, she'll open the door, let you stop to smell the flowers and nicely guide you through. This story refers to the fact that Kali is traditionally a fierce mother, and Lalita , a benign one. I am a sannyasini living in an ashram in Calif. Oddly enough, I am American, but I am the third generation in my family to worship Kali Ma. Long ago I was taught how to perform a traditional Kali Puja/worship, so, as a "traveling worshipper", have many friends in the shakta community. From this experience I would like to make this observation-it seems like, in the West at least, the Mothers Kali and Lalita "want to appear together". In every group of Kali bhaktas I know, Tripurasundari devi has also made a home. Ultimately all Mothers are one. There is also a Kali Sahasranama. I believe it is on this site, yes? Jai Ma, Gitaprana - Jami Blakeley Thursday, July 31, 2003 3:55 PM Re: Intro and Question --- Chamunda77 wrote: > is it wrong to visualize or > see Kali while doing a > Lalita Sahasranama? Jai Maa I am a Kaalii bhaakta who chants the Lalitaa Sahasranaama. In my experience it is quite an agreeable combination for several reasons. I am a devotee (not a very good one by any means) of Ammachi, who is regarded by many of Her children as an incarnation of Mother Kali. The Lalitaa Sahasranaama is chanted twice daily in Her ashram in India, in the presence of the primary murti of the entire Ashram and temple: a Kali murti which was crafted by the same family of sculptors who crafted Bhavatarini Kali Ma, the deity of Dakshineshwar temple in Calcutta. (A picture of Her is at http://www.leeveal.com/pages/KaliKali.htm The chanting of the Lalitaa Sahasranaama is followed by aarati to the Kaalii murti. Also, Lalitaa Sahasranaama is sometimes considered a scripture of the Shrii Vidyaa sect. This sect sometimes teaches that Lalitaa and Kaalii are the same, with Lalitaa the face of Devi that presides over the waxing moon and Kaalii the face of Devi that presides over the waning moon. There are lots of interesting correlations in the text itself, many too many to enumerate here. I hope some of that was helpful. Jai Maa!!! --Aravind Sponsor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Namaste Gitaprana, I am happy to know you and people like Aravind are here as well. You mentioned the Kali traditional worship. Could you share the methodology with us in this site . After we are her tom learn form on another . Most of the time it very hard to find somebody following proper lineage of tradition. Yes I do agree that in USA there seems to be a thin line between Kali Ma worship and Sri Lalitha and Sri Tripurasundari worship. However Sri Vidya tradtion and kaula tradition do have the vast differences. The worship of Sri Meru Chakra and Kali Yantra would itself distinguish the classic diffrences but off course we can exchange viewpoints on this matter for betterment of all of us ................ I know Kali Sahasranam is discussed in Kalima2 group but I was told it was dicuss here before as well . May the moderator here could help you on that ................ Jai Maa!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Namste Jami , Scriptually speaking I have not seen such a practice adpoted in both Kali nor lalitha related scripture . Usually the meditation (dhyana mantra) would be in the form that one worships his ideal of worship (istha devata) So I could not confirm neither affirm such parctices . Any view from others......................... Jai Maa!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2003 Report Share Posted August 1, 2003 In every group of Kali bhaktas I know, Tripurasundari devi has also made a home.There is also a Kali Sahasranama. I believe it is on this site, yes? Thank you Gitaprana. >From what I know, there are 2 main form of Devi Worship : the fierce form which is Kali and the beauty/benign form : Lalitha. Thus they are always interrelated. I remember having a short conversation with Kouchu about this. He is busy right now, so I will not disturb him on this. "Ultimately all Mothers are one." Definitely, no dispute about this. There is always be and have always been ONE MOTHER. With regards to Kali Sahasranama : Yes! we have all them in the group. Sometime back I posted them. Just type in Kali Sahasranama in the search function of the group and it will list you all the messages which containg the Sahasranama . Im in the process of Converting Kali Sahasranama ( sanskrit and english ) in the homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2003 Report Share Posted August 1, 2003 , kanna krishnan <kanna_krishnan2002> wrote: > Namste Jami , > > Scriptually speaking I have not seen such a practice adpoted in both Kali nor lalitha related scripture . Usually the meditation (dhyana mantra) would be in the form that one worships his ideal of worship (istha devata) Yes this is generally true. The kali-kula school of kaulas consider kali maa to be the main deity of the dasha-mahavidyas; where as the shri-kula consider lalitah to the main deity of the mahavidyas- and srividya comes under shrikula BUT when kali maa herself( my beloved AMMACHI) has decreed that one much chant the lalitah sahasranama, who are we to question that :-)? aum namasivaya yogaman ps. it is VERY amazing to note that Gitaprana is a third generation kali bhakta in America; these days judging by the way things are going, it is a very amazing thing in india itself to have a third generation kali bhakta LOL > > So I could not confirm neither affirm such parctices . Any view from others......................... > > Jai Maa!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2003 Report Share Posted August 1, 2003 Namaste-Yes, I totally agree, the line is thin. Devotionally speaking the Mothers are coming together, but as you say, they are never worshipped together, technically speaking. The Sri Meru Chakra worship belongs to the Sri kula. re Kali Puja:How elaborate? I could describe the process and maybe post a simple puja. My knowledge is limited to the worship of Dakshina Kali Ma, the most benign form of the fierce Mother. re my family-In World War II my all-American stereotypical GI fighter pilot uncle was shot down somewhere over Europe. He went down with Sri Kali Ma's name on his lips and luckily survived to tell about it. Jai Ma- Gitaprana - kanna krishnan Thursday, July 31, 2003 6:04 PM Re: Intro and Question Namaste Gitaprana, I am happy to know you and people like Aravind are here as well. You mentioned the Kali traditional worship. Could you share the methodology with us in this site . After we are her tom learn form on another . Most of the time it very hard to find somebody following proper lineage of tradition. Yes I do agree that in USA there seems to be a thin line between Kali Ma worship and Sri Lalitha and Sri Tripurasundari worship. However Sri Vidya tradtion and kaula tradition do have the vast differences. The worship of Sri Meru Chakra and Kali Yantra would itself distinguish the classic diffrences but off course we can exchange viewpoints on this matter for betterment of all of us ................ I know Kali Sahasranam is discussed in Kalima2 group but I was told it was dicuss here before as well . May the moderator here could help you on that ................ Jai Maa!!! Sponsor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Namaste Gitaprana, I am glad you are well versed with differences. You asked how elobrate ? Off course as a elobrate as you could be . We will cover a segment at a time ................Worship of of Maa Dakshina Kali would be fine As every Maa has her form perhaps you could share how Dakshina Kali looks first and then the article neccesary for Her worship before we go into Her pooja viddhi. How beautiful the sotry about you uncle was . I did he know about Maa Kali then ? Jai Maa!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 3, 2003 Report Share Posted August 3, 2003 Dear Nora, Thank you Noraji you have certainly put the matters clearly . I have seen groups interchanging the worship but there is no scriptural evidence of such practices in Sri Vidya (kula tradition) nor Sri Kali (kaulic practice). Herein scriptures refferred to are Kalika Purana, Mahanirvanas and Sri Vidya Kula Rahasya The traditional orthodox groups right form Dakhneswar Temple in Calcutta up to Adya Kali Peth do not have such practice either . I do realise some masters are collabrating both sadhanas for their upasakas but please take note they do not ask all to do so but only upasaka align to them perhaps because the guru realise the nessecity of such practice for personal development of their devotees The only reference that I see is in Adya Kali Stotram and Sri Kali Sahasranam Stotram on identification of various form with Maa Kali yet again I do not see the reference to mix the methodology of worship or pooja viddhi's of each ishtha devata Jai Maa!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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