Life throned with Mind -- Chinnamasta

[Guest guest]

I'm re-reading _The Goddess Lives in Upstate New York_,

about Sri Chaitanyananda ( " Aiya " ) and the Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple

in Rush, New York.

 

I just ran across a passage that might be pertinent:

 

" One of the most important human supplements to a temple's

intrinsic power is, in Aiya's view, knowledge. At nearly

every large gathering, he impresses upon visitors that

they cannot simpley sit back and reap the benefits of temple

rituals. They must work to understand what is going on.

This insistence is somewhat consistent with Srividya ideology

that values knowedge as part of the formula that produces ritual

power. Simply chanting is not sufficient; the initiate must

internalize the mantra's esoteric meaning as well (Brooks,

_Auspicious Wisdom_, 1992: pg. 98) [....] "

 

pg 46, _The Goddess Lives in Upstate New York_,

Corrine Dempsey, 2006

 

Yes, I think the mind could get in the way. I think the mind

can be understood both as a (potentially) powerful tool and

as a potential obstacle -- a two-edged sword.

 

, " prainbow61 " <paulie-

rainbow wrote:

>

> From the book The Ten Great Cosmic Powers:

>

> " ...She crowned the Idea a king in purple robes,

> Put her magic serpent sceptre in Thought's grip,

> Made forms his inward vision's rhythmic shapes

> And her acts the living body of his will.

> A flaming thunder, a creator flash,

> his victor Light rode on her deathless Force:

> A centaur's mighty gallop bore the god

> Life throned with mind, a double majesty. "

>

>

> I was looking this over this morning and I had a couple of thoughts

> about it. First I find it interesting that Life throned with Mind is

> exalted here as supreme when I would think that Mind might get in

the

> way. Could it be that Thought only becomes helpful when it is

crowned

> by or directed by the Goddess?

>

> The other thought I had was wondering about the centaur. I don't

> recall the centaur as being a part of Hindu imagery. Am I wrong

about

> that?

>

> namaste,

>

> pr

>