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

[Guest guest]

Jai Maa!!!!!!! I'm very happy you're joining us. We'll talk more about

this when we are all done celebrating Christmas:),

 

with love,

Henny

 

 

 

, " bacook108 " <barbaracook

wrote:

>

> 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

> > > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>