to Jennifer- Jennifer and all: Swami's response on Chandi

[Guest guest]

Dear Henny and Jennifer,

 

I'd love to join you two in bringing the Chandi more deeply into my life in

2008. I also like

to find a balance between chanting and understanding, and it would be great to

have

people to discuss with as well as to be accountable to for any sankalpa made! I

teach a

little Sanskrit here in New Zealand and am happy, if I can, to answer Sanskrit

related

questions for people, as well as share any Sanskrit learning materials I've

generated for

classes in the past several years, if they should come in handy at any point.

I'm looking

forward to more posts about this!

 

With love,

Barbara

 

 

, " jrholm1007 " <jrholm1007 wrote:

>

> Dear Henny: yes yes yes! I really would love to do that. I would

> like to make Chandi my everyday practice for 2008; I will have about

> 1.5-2 hours/day for chanting and studying. What I am discovering

> about myself is that it's important for me to find a balance between

> chanting and gaining more of an understanding of (and falling in love

> with) the Sanskrit language.

>

> I would love to converse more about details after December 25. : )

> Thanks for your support, I feel blessed by your enthusiasm. Jennifer

>

> , " henny_v_i " <henny_v_i@> wrote:

> >

> > Namaste Jennifer,

> >

> > thank you for asking the question about the Chandi and daily

> practice.

> > I have been trying to find a way to make the Chandi part of my

> daily

> > routine for some time, but failed. I was comforted by the thought

> that

> > the EPS mantra is a supremely condensed form of the Chandi...

> > Encouraged by your question and Swamiji's response, I feel ready to

> > begin again, and I am thinking perhaps we could start the new year

> > together with the daily chanting of the portion Swamiji mentions in

> > his response, with as many of our brothers and sisters as will join

> > us, and take it from there. We could discuss the texts and ask

> > questions etc. What do you think?

> >

> > with love,

> > Henny

> >

> > , " inspectionconnection108 "

> > <inspectionconnection108@> wrote:

> > >

> > > Namaste Jennifer and all. Below is Swami's response to Jennifer's

> > > recent question about chanting sections of the Chandi and studying

> > > Sanskrit. Her question is below Swami's response.

> > >

> > > SWAMI'S RESPONSE:

> > > It's best to start the Chandi practice with the Kavach, Argala,

> and

> > > Kilakam. Then add the Devi Shuktam (Chapter 5) and Narayani Sthuti

> > > (Chapter 11). You can finish with Rig Veda Devi Shuktam and Siddha

> > > Kunjika Stotram.

> > >

> > > You can allow the practice to grow from there.

> > >

> > > Start the study of Sanskrit by memorizing our vocabulary lists

> > online.

> > > Then it depends on how deeply you wish to go. The language has so

> > many

> > > dimensions, you can go in several directions.

> > >

> > >

> > > > JENNIFER'S QUESTION:

> > > > I chanted the Chandi four times during the monthly sessions

> > > offered. I then felt that I needed to turn back to gaining more

> > > understanding, so I have since been reading and studying. I also

> > feel

> > > that I need to increase my understanding of Sanskrit. I am

> > delighted

> > > with Swami's guidance for doing flash cards, which I have started

> > > working on. Is there a succinct overview of Sanskrit that might

> > help

> > > me in this endeavor, either thru the Devi Mandir or another

> source

> > you

> > > know of?

> > > >

> > > > Also is there some seed of the Chandi contained within it's text

> > > that I could take up as a daily practice that would be good for

> > > saturating my mind and soul with the essence of Chandi each day,

> > that

> > > could be chanted in under an hour? I remember vaguely some

> > discussion

> > > of this on the posts.

> > > >

> > > > Thank you for your assistance, I feel supported in this

> journey.

> > > Jennifer

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > PREVIOUS QUESTIONS AND RESPONSE

> > >

> > >

> > > , " jrholm1007 " <jrholm1007@>

> > wrote:

> > > >

> > > > Thank you so much, Swami, Vishweshwar, and Henny. I will

> > contemplate

> > > > both Swami's wisdom, and the Nectar poem. I very much

> apporeciate

> > > > the opportunity to become more clear about this! Peace to you

> > all,

> > > > Jennifer

> > > >

> > > > , " henny_v_i " <henny_v_i@>

> > wrote:

> > > > >

> > > > > " Jesus and Buddha and Chaitanya,

> > > > > they were all crazy with Your love.

> > > > > Hey Maa, when will I be so fortunate as

> > > > > to be able to mix with them?

> > > > > Heaven is a festival for lunatics.

> > > > > Just as is the guru, so are Her disciples.

> > > > > Who can understand this play of love?

> > > > > You are the one who causes everyone to become crazy with love.

> > > > > You are the epitome of craziness.

> > > > > Maa, You are so wealthy.

> > > > > Give me the blessing of insanity

> > > > > with love.

> > > > > I'm begging for Your love

> > > > > at the ocean of love.

> > > > > I am the servant of love,

> > > > > and I'm singing this song to You. "

> > > > >

> > > > > (The Nectar of Eternal Bliss, p.350)

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > -- In , " inspectionconnection108 "

> > > > > <inspectionconnection108@> wrote:

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Namaste Jennifer and all: Please read and contemplate

> Swami's

> > > > > > response to Jennifer's questions on loving. She picked up

> a

> > > > thread

> > > > > > from earier discussions.

> > > > > > First I will post Swami's response, then, Jennifer's

> questions

> > > > below

> > > > > > his response.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > SWAMI " S COMMENTS

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Namaste Jennifer,

> > > > > >

> > > > > > I cannot describe a time when someone could contemplate the

> > > > > existence

> > > > > > of something and the absence of something simultaneously.

> In

> > the

> > > > > same

> > > > > > way how can we contemplate loving an object and loving

> without

> > an

> > > > > > object simultaneously? I believe our love is constantly

> > shifting

> > > > > from

> > > > > > " with form " to " without form " .

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Far be it from me to ascribe (or even attempt to ascribe)

> any

> > > > > > percentage value as to how much time we spend with each. It

> is

> > > > > enough

> > > > > > to know that we go into samadhi and we come out.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > It is possible to have universal love for all even while

> > existing

> > > > in

> > > > > > duality. Jesus showed it, Ramakrishna, Shree Maa, the Vedic

> > > > Rishis.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > This is our goal, even though it is very difficult to

> attain.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > ________

> > > > > > JENNIFER'S QUESTIONS

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Hello Friends, peace to you all, I have a few questions

> > about

> > > > the

> > > > > > > discussion on love and fear that we had a few days back.

> > I'm

> > > > > > > referring to the post, 'without fear, love cannot

> manifest'

> > and

> > > > > the

> > > > > > > learnings which followed from there.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Swami expanded our understanding by sharing that in pure

> > > > > absorption,

> > > > > > > we experience love purely (with no fear) and then once we

> > are

> > > > out

> > > > > of

> > > > > > > that state and back in duality, it's love/fear again. He

> > also

> > > > > > > illuminated for us that it is possible to just LOVE with

> no

> > > > > object.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > But it isn't an either/or, is it?

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > My question is, is it possible for US to just LOVE with

> no

> > > > object

> > > > > in

> > > > > > > duality? As I go deeper into the love of Divine Mother...

> > spend

> > > > > more

> > > > > > > time with Her, contemplate her teachings, surrender to

> Her

> > > > > abundant

> > > > > > > love, do I change that ratio? So that, before Her

> effects

> > in my

> > > > > > > life, it's 50% love, 50% fear, but as I seek relationship

> > with

> > > > > Her,

> > > > > > > it becomes more like 60% pure love, 40% fear, and keeps

> > moving

> > > > in

> > > > > > > that direction?

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Perhaps more accurately: is it possible to become

> saturated

> > in

> > > > > LOVE

> > > > > > > with no object while still living in duality? The image

> for

> > me

> > > > is

> > > > > > > like a bird's nest (the 'I') placed in an ocean of

> perfectly

> > > > still

> > > > > > > water (Divine Mother's Love). The weave of the nest

> > relaxes,

> > > > > > > softens, expands outward and downward, is permeated by

> the

> > > > water.

> > > > > > > The design of the nest stays the same, but opens into the

> > > > water,

> > > > > so

> > > > > > > that what is known is more water than nest. No fear of

> > losing

> > > > > > > anything, because it is all felt to be held in Her deep

> > still

> > > > > waters.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > With gratitude, Jennifer

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>