To Chris and Sundari about violence in the Chandi (was Chandi Sankalpa - Day 6)

[Guest guest]

Chris wrote to Sundari:

You are not the first person tofeel uncomfortable with the graphic nature of the battles in theChandi. I think everyone feels that way at first...

Dear Sundari ~ when I first read your post, I very much wanted to respond, but then I could not find the passages from the Chandi I was going to share with you. Last night, when reciting the Chandi, I came across them ... they were just in a different place than I thought they'd be.

 

I pondered what you said, and having grown up amid violence, I suppose I chose to go the other way. Although now I have the task of learning true strength and how to stand up for myself, without resorting to violence of any kind to do so. The first thing I thought about, when I read your post, was the highly symbolic nature of the Chandi. The Goddesses all represent certain qualities, and the implements they hold also have meaning ... like the wine cup of joy, the discus of revolving time, etc. This is not to say that the Gods and Goddesses are not real; I believe they are, in fact they are so real that they themselves comprise the entire cosmos and creation, and even what is beyond that we can't comprehend.

 

I also thought about the nature of Durga herself, as expressed in the 100 Names, the 32 Names, and the Tantric Praise of the Goddess. For example, in the 100 Names, She is worshipped as the Ego, #18, so in a sense, since She is battling Herself, or forms of Herself, as She also is the Intrinsic Nature of Being, #23, Who Brings Forth Creation, #26. She is also the Intellect, #17, which gets us all into trouble sooner or later.

Perhaps that is why She can laugh and roar and dance Her way through this very intense battle. (And She is also The Intensity of Reality, #27.) She sees it all for what it is ... leela ... part of Her Divine Play.

 

In the Tantric Praise of the Goddess, She is Compassion, and Patient Forgiveness, and She is also the "form of Confusion." The 32 Names refers to all aspects of the Goddess in relation to Difficulties. So while She is the Reliever of Difficulties, #1, and the Perception of Difficulties, #13, She is also "The Continued Existence of Difficulties," #19. She is All, so She slays all the Army of Thoughts, very dramatically ... perhaps if it was any less dramatic, we wouldn't understand how a mere thought, or an army of them, could undermine our own happiness and search for spiritual union.

 

In Chapter 4, there is a passage that shows Her Compassion in regard to the ultimate fate of the thoughts. It is a bit confusing at first because, in a backwards sort of way, it shows Her thinking:

"The entire cosmos is pleased by the destruction of this enmity, and even though these ill-advised beings committed sins sufficient to warrant an infinite suffering in hell, nevertheless, LET THEM ATTAIN TO THE REALMS OF HEAVING BY MEETING THEIR DEMISE IN BATTLE WITH ME. (caps mine) Thinking thus, Oh Goddess, Why is it that your one glance does not reduce all thoughts to ashes? So that being purified by the weapons (of the Goddess), THESE THOUGHTS MAY BE RAISED TO HIGHER WORLDS. YOU ARE SO BENEVOLENT THAT YOU THINK FOR THE WELFARE OF EVEN YOUR ENEMIES." (Caps mine)

 

And again, in Chapter 4, "In slaying these enemies, you have protected the entire three worlds. By DYING ON THE BATTLEFIELD, THESE ENEMIES HAVE ARRIVED IN HEAVEN, (caps mine) and you have dispelled all our fears of thoughts.

 

Only She who is "The Intrinsic Nature of the Soul of Difficulties" (#14, 32 Names) and "The Empress of Difficulties (#28) could truly be the ultimate Destroyer of Difficulties (#6) and the One "Who Puts Difficulties at Peace" (#2).

 

I don't know if all of this makes sense to anyone but me or makes the graphic nature of the violence in the Chandi different for anyone else, but I know it did for me. Sometimes, even though you may love someone or something, for the sake of your spiritual development, you have to unflinchingly pull it out of the soil of your existence, dig out the roots, and burn them in the fire pit. Durga Ki Jai ~ Linda P.S. This is only my understanding, so if I have said anything that is not in keeping with the meaning of the Chandi, I hope someone will let me know.

 

 

See what's free at AOL.com.

[Guest guest]

This is wonderful - thank you for sharing.

 

I think the language of the Chandi serves a lot of different purposes

- it was written in a particular time by particular people for a

particular audience. And its timeless nature allows us all to draw

from it even now.

 

I am reminded of a recent episode in my own life, where I realized

that someone in my life was being dishonest with me and creating a lot

of trouble, and so I had to confront them and deal with it, rather

than allowing it to continue like I had for a very long time. I

learned a lot about how she was reflecting my own behavior in all of

this, too, and what it really meant to live with integrity. It was an

incredibly humbling experience.

 

The friendship ended, ultimately, but in its place is a greater sense

of peace. Being peaceful doesn't mean letting people walk all over

you, certainly - as Swamiji says, antibodies attack illness, and our

deepest Truth must overcome drama and deceit, whether our own or not.

The focus of my actions was compassion both for myself and for the

person I was dealing with. But it sure did feel like a battle at

times, and mostly with myself, in that my courage was tested on many

levels. Being perceived as " the bad guy " was a difficult inner demon

to overcome!

 

Also, my original post was really more about the nature of surrender

than it was about the violence in the Chandi... I of course see that

in this story Maa works for the good of all, it is the very graphic

nature of the text that I find disturbing - the gratuitous

descriptions of bloodshed - and this is where I feel that particular

episodes were sung in particular ways for particular audiences

(recalling the ancient poets who sang these verses for the people,

usually men speaking to and for men, and these kinds of violent

stories being very common - think of how many verses are devoted to

describing the battle scenes in the Ramayana and Mahabharata!

Thousands upon thousands! The audiences of the day loved their violent

entertainment, just as we do in modernity...). In that disturbance, I

am reminded that surrender is the best way to face Maa, to avoid the

drama and violence and struggle by simply offering my own head to Her.

And for me, making peace with the violence is part of that process of

detachment and surrender, which is why I continue to work with this

text. All things are manifestations of Her - everything! There isn't

anything that isn't Her.

 

Surrender, surrender, surrender in devotion. That is the lesson I

continually learn from the Chandi. And it is certainly a challenge!

I am, however, continuously buoyed by the great devotion and courage

of those in my spiritual communities who amaze me with their passion.

 

Jai Maa, indeed!

 

prema saa'ham

-Sundari

 

 

 

 

 

On 4/25/07, nierika <nierika wrote:

>

Chris wrote to Sundari:

> You are not the first person to

> feel uncomfortable with the graphic nature of the battles in the

> Chandi. I think everyone feels that way at first...

> Dear Sundari ~ when I first read your post, I very much wanted to respond,

> but then I could not find the passages from the Chandi I was going to share

> with you. Last night, when reciting the Chandi, I came across them ... they

> were just in a different place than I thought they'd be.

>

> I pondered what you said, and having grown up amid violence, I suppose I

> chose to go the other way. Although now I have the task of learning true

> strength and how to stand up for myself, without resorting to violence of

> any kind to do so. The first thing I thought about, when I read your

> post, was the highly symbolic nature of the Chandi. The Goddesses all

> represent certain qualities, and the implements they hold also have meaning

> ... like the wine cup of joy, the discus of revolving time, etc. This is not

> to say that the Gods and Goddesses are not real; I believe they are, in fact

> they are so real that they themselves comprise the entire cosmos and

> creation, and even what is beyond that we can't comprehend.

>

> I also thought about the nature of Durga herself, as expressed in the 100

> Names, the 32 Names, and the Tantric Praise of the Goddess. For example, in

> the 100 Names, She is worshipped as the Ego, #18, so in a sense, since She

> is battling Herself, or forms of Herself, as She also is the Intrinsic

> Nature of Being, #23, Who Brings Forth Creation, #26. She is also the

> Intellect, #17, which gets us all into trouble sooner or later.

> Perhaps that is why She can laugh and roar and dance Her way through this

> very intense battle. (And She is also The Intensity of Reality, #27.) She

> sees it all for what it is ... leela ... part of Her Divine Play.

>

> In the Tantric Praise of the Goddess, She is Compassion, and Patient

> Forgiveness, and She is also the " form of Confusion. " The 32 Names refers

> to all aspects of the Goddess in relation to Difficulties. So while She is

> the Reliever of Difficulties, #1, and the Perception of Difficulties, #13,

> She is also " The Continued Existence of Difficulties, " #19. She is All, so

> She slays all the Army of Thoughts, very dramatically ... perhaps if it was

> any less dramatic, we wouldn't understand how a mere thought, or an army of

> them, could undermine our own happiness and search for spiritual union.

>

> In Chapter 4, there is a passage that shows Her Compassion in regard to the

> ultimate fate of the thoughts. It is a bit confusing at first because, in a

> backwards sort of way, it shows Her thinking:

> " The entire cosmos is pleased by the destruction of this enmity, and even

> though these ill-advised beings committed sins sufficient to warrant an

> infinite suffering in hell, nevertheless, LET THEM ATTAIN TO THE REALMS OF

> HEAVING BY MEETING THEIR DEMISE IN BATTLE WITH ME. (caps mine) Thinking

> thus, Oh Goddess, Why is it that your one glance does not reduce all

> thoughts to ashes? So that being purified by the weapons (of the

> Goddess), THESE THOUGHTS MAY BE RAISED TO HIGHER WORLDS. YOU ARE SO

> BENEVOLENT THAT YOU THINK FOR THE WELFARE OF EVEN YOUR ENEMIES. " (Caps mine)

>

> And again, in Chapter 4, " In slaying these enemies, you have protected the

> entire three worlds. By DYING ON THE BATTLEFIELD, THESE ENEMIES HAVE ARRIVED

> IN HEAVEN, (caps mine) and you have dispelled all our fears of thoughts.

>

> Only She who is " The Intrinsic Nature of the Soul of Difficulties " (#14, 32

> Names) and " The Empress of Difficulties (#28) could truly be the ultimate

> Destroyer of Difficulties (#6) and the One " Who Puts Difficulties at Peace "

> (#2).

>

> I don't know if all of this makes sense to anyone but me or makes the

> graphic nature of the violence in the Chandi different for anyone else, but

> I know it did for me. Sometimes, even though you may love someone or

> something, for the sake of your spiritual development, you have to

> unflinchingly pull it out of the soil of your existence, dig out the roots,

> and burn them in the fire pit. Durga Ki Jai ~ Linda P.S. This is only my

> understanding, so if I have said anything that is not in keeping with the

> meaning of the Chandi, I hope someone will let me know.

________________________________

> See what's free at AOL.com.

>

>

 

 

--

 

 

--\

-----

erin

www.erinjohansen.com