Chandi -Day 5&6 - I am doing fine ,Maa, with your blessings

May 23, 2007

Namaste Nanda,

Reading your Chandi posts inspires me to want to begin studying and chanting it...I hope I will soon be able to!

Reading your post about conceit and self-deprecation brought to mind something the Buddha said: (paraphrasing)

" The sage does not regard himself as better than others,

as worse than others,

or as equal to others " .

The first time I read this quote it gave me pause. The sage doesn't regard others and himself as equal? My teacher in Buddhism, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, explained that the sage has transcended thinking in terms of self, and therefore does not compare him or herself to others at all. " Manas " in Pali, the language of the Theravada Buddhist scriptures, means " mind " , " measure " , " concept " and " conceit " . As long as one is measuring self and other one is conceiving the world in terms of self and perpetuating conceit. So the sage does not even think " others and myself are equal " . This thought can only arise in an unenlightened mind.

But, as my teacher said, it should! Comparing oneself and others is always dangerous, but at times it can be a kind of medicine if done consciously. For example, if one is feeling down, one might remind oneself that there are areas where one has gifts that others don't. If one is feeling proud, one might remind oneself that others excell us in many ways, or of our faults others don't have. As an antidote to both, you might reflect on how everyone is equally struggling through the rounds of birth and death, how everyone has strengths and weaknesses, etc until you feel " myself and others are equal " . All of these are just games to balance " manas " , the lower mind, however. The true realization abandons comparing self and others., because it has seen through identification with name and form. In Hindu Dharma terms, one thinks of others and self as having the same Self.

Jai Maa!

Sushuddha

On 5/23/07, Nanda <chandimaakijai wrote:

Dear All,

Hope you had a chance to chant chapter 7 & 8 yesterday and 9 & 10 today. Chapter 7 introduces us to Kali - picture Her with two heads - one in each hand. She takes away Anger and Passion. In Chapter 8, she opens Her mouth and swallows the seeds of Desire.

Today chapter 9 & 10, Chandi Maa takes care of the two brothers - Self Deprecation and Self Conceit. Are these two qualities related to each other - ie when you have one do you have in some way the other too ? Please do post your opinion and thoughts on this question. Thank you.

Chapter 10 marks the demise of the last of our negativities... The only thing left to do is to sing Her name with joy.

.....

Re the discussion on focus (and multi-tasking), I would like to relate an incident from my recent past.

I went to the temple on Sunday morning as usual. I was happy to see Maa and Swamiji making their way to the temple and stopped before them to make my pranams. Swamiji and Maa asked how I was .... and at that moment instead of answering them ... I remembered how I had not switched my sunglasses with my normal glasses ... and exclaimed aloud " Omigosh, I am still wearing my sunglasses! I have to go back to get my other pair! "

This , in front of Maa and Swamiji - forgetting my original intention to bow at their feet, forgetting to answer their question (how are you - Maa asks so sweetly) -- but all the time being so self absorbed and still " in the world " . And of course, Swamiji didnt miss a beat, and said " We'll see you shortly then "

Swamiji often tells us (paraphrase) " When you come to the Mandir, leave the world outside the gate. And to do that takes a lot of preparation - doing your work so efficiently so that you dont have to go back and re-do or complete it. "

I realize that I need to give my mind a clear directive - to be completed with all open tasks, so that when I enter the gate - I am ready to focus on Maa and Swamiji and give the appropriate answer to their question.

I am doing fine Maa, with your blessings...

Jai MaaNanda

-- Matthew GindinTO, Canada416-633-7765

May 23, 2007

I am also grateful for Nanda's posts!

This actually gets at a question I have, which is: I notice occasionally some discrepancies between the devanagari and the transliterated verse. This is less common in the Chandi Path, Kali Puja and Siva Puja books and more common in Durga Puja for Beginners and Saraswati Puja for Beginners.

My instinct has been that when there is a discrepancy between the two, to follow the devanagari (and to look it up in Apte if I'm unsure) and correct the transliteration in my book with pencil. Is this a correct instinct, or should I ask actively when I find a discrepancy?

shanti saa'ham

-sundari

On 5/23/07, roy.papia <roy.papia wrote:

Dear Nanda,Thank you so much for your posts - they provide a lot of help and encouragement to us newbies. I just finished chapter 13 and I have a question for Swamiji. Why are the last two lines repeated in this chapter? That is, starting from " Having obtained the blessing from the Goddess, Good Thoughts, the best of warriors .....All Colors, Tribes and Castes. " Are those lines especially significant or is that a misprint?NamastePapia , " Nanda " <chandimaakijai wrote:>> > Dear All,> > Hope you had a chance to chant chapter 7 & 8 yesterday and 9 & 10 today. > Chapter 7 introduces us to Kali - picture Her with two heads - one in> each hand. She takes away Anger and Passion. In Chapter 8, she opens Her> mouth and swallows the seeds of Desire.> > Today chapter 9 & 10, Chandi Maa takes care of the two brothers - Self> Deprecation and Self Conceit. Are these two qualities related to each> other - ie when you have one do you have in some way the other too ?> Please do post your opinion and thoughts on this question. Thank you.> > Chapter 10 marks the demise of the last of our negativities... The only> thing left to do is to sing Her name with joy.> > ....> > Re the discussion on focus (and multi-tasking), I would like to relate> an incident from my recent past.> > I went to the temple on Sunday morning as usual. I was happy to see Maa> and Swamiji making their way to the temple and stopped before them

to> make my pranams. Swamiji and Maa asked how I was .... and at that moment> instead of answering them ... I remembered how I had not switched my> sunglasses with my normal glasses ... and exclaimed aloud " Omigosh, I> am still wearing my sunglasses! I have to go back to get my other pair! " > > This , in front of Maa and Swamiji - forgetting my original intention to> bow at their feet, forgetting to answer their question (how are you -> Maa asks so sweetly) -- but all the time being so self absorbed and> still " in the world " . And of course, Swamiji didnt miss a beat, and said> " We'll see you shortly then "

> > Swamiji often tells us (paraphrase) " When you come to the Mandir, leave> the world outside the gate. And to do that takes a lot of preparation -> doing your work so efficiently so that you dont have to go back and

> re-do or complete it. " > > I realize that I need to give my mind a clear directive - to be> completed with all open tasks, so that when I enter the gate - I am> ready to focus on Maa and Swamiji and give the appropriate answer to

> their question.> > I am doing fine Maa, with your blessings...> > Jai Maa> Nanda>

-- -------

erinwww.erinjohansen.com

May 23, 2007

I will also add that the discrepancies often (but not always) have to do with a Hindi-oriented transliteration schema than a Sanskrit-oriented transliteration schema. So, " Siv " instead of " Siva " etc.

-sundari

On 5/23/07, Sundari <erin.johansen wrote:

I am also grateful for Nanda's posts!

This actually gets at a question I have, which is: I notice occasionally some discrepancies between the devanagari and the transliterated verse. This is less common in the Chandi Path, Kali Puja and Siva Puja books and more common in Durga Puja for Beginners and Saraswati Puja for Beginners.

My instinct has been that when there is a discrepancy between the two, to follow the devanagari (and to look it up in Apte if I'm unsure) and correct the transliteration in my book with pencil. Is this a correct instinct, or should I ask actively when I find a discrepancy?

shanti saa'ham

-sundari

On 5/23/07, roy.papia <roy.papia

> wrote:

Dear Nanda,Thank you so much for your posts - they provide a lot of help and encouragement to us newbies. I just finished chapter 13 and I have a question for Swamiji. Why are the last two lines repeated in this chapter? That is, starting from " Having obtained the blessing from the Goddess, Good Thoughts, the best of warriors .....All Colors, Tribes and Castes. " Are those lines especially significant or is that a misprint?NamastePapia , " Nanda " <chandimaakijai wrote:>> > Dear All,> > Hope you had a chance to chant chapter 7 & 8 yesterday and 9 & 10 today. > Chapter 7 introduces us to Kali - picture Her with two heads - one in> each hand. She takes away Anger and Passion. In Chapter 8, she opens Her> mouth and swallows the seeds of Desire.> > Today chapter 9 & 10, Chandi Maa takes care of the two brothers - Self> Deprecation and Self Conceit. Are these two qualities related to each> other - ie when you have one do you have in some way the other too ?> Please do post your opinion and thoughts on this question. Thank you.> > Chapter 10 marks the demise of the last of our negativities... The only> thing left to do is to sing Her name with joy.> > ....> > Re the discussion on focus (and multi-tasking), I would like to relate> an incident from my recent past.> > I went to the temple on Sunday morning as usual. I was happy to see Maa> and Swamiji making their way to the temple and stopped before them

to> make my pranams. Swamiji and Maa asked how I was .... and at that moment> instead of answering them ... I remembered how I had not switched my> sunglasses with my normal glasses ... and exclaimed aloud " Omigosh, I> am still wearing my sunglasses! I have to go back to get my other pair! " > > This , in front of Maa and Swamiji - forgetting my original intention to> bow at their feet, forgetting to answer their question (how are you -> Maa asks so sweetly) -- but all the time being so self absorbed and> still " in the world " . And of course, Swamiji didnt miss a beat, and said> " We'll see you shortly then " > > Swamiji often tells us (paraphrase) " When you come to the Mandir, leave> the world outside the gate. And to do that takes a lot of preparation -> doing your work so efficiently so that you dont have to go back and > re-do or complete it. " > > I realize that I need to give my mind a clear directive - to be> completed with all open tasks, so that when I enter the gate - I am> ready to focus on Maa and Swamiji and give the appropriate answer to > their question.> > I am doing fine Maa, with your blessings...> > Jai Maa> Nanda>

-- ------- erin

www.erinjohansen.com-- -------

erinwww.erinjohansen.com