To Leela and all: Ratri Suktam

[Guest guest]

Namaste Leela: thanks for the great post. You really dig deep and

bring the distilled nectar of verses to life. The key to this

practice of Chandi is in " keeping it real " , relating to my daily life

and experiences. If I cannot find a way to relate to it, then I

cannot practice the sadhana.

Swami's discourses always focus on the practical reality of the verses

and the sadhana.

Thanks Maa and Swami for the light of your wisdom, illuminating my

darkness, and bringing me into the light.

 

Jai Ma Jai Swami

 

vishweshwar

 

 

-- In , " deviloka " <deviloka wrote:

>

> Namaste to all!

> Being fairly new to this group and having just recieved my copy of

> Swamiji's Chandi Path, (yea!) I was fairly perplexed by this hynm.

> It seemed as if Kusika the Seer is sort of saying " Come hither " and

> then, " Go away " . It seemed an odd sort of praise. " Darkness is

> repelled by the Light. " or " ...Her sister, the Dawning Light, the

> Goddess who comes. And the Darkness departs. " And, " Oh Dawning Light,

> please dismiss this ignorance. "

> Now, generally, if I were to be praised like that, I would depart

> very swiftly! And thus I have found one of the keys to the meaning

> that I can personally relate to. Current events in my life have

> brought up memories, not so far back in history, where as soon as I

> felt I was recieving some " praise " like that, I forgot I was a lover,

> I was hurt, I departed swiftly, and I was immersed in the darkness of

> duality, selfishly thinking about how rotten and " dismissed " I am.

> When I close my eyes, there, in the blackness behind my eyelids, the

> shadowy forms of Thoughts are lurking around in the Unconscious,

> existing as individual forms in the blackness, as the conscious mind

> repeats the mantra. May this Darkness move effortlessly, unimpaired

> by the obstacles, the twisted knots in my heart and mind. As I

> embrace the Darkness, seeing all sorrow and suffering and it roots in

> attachment, desire and karma, as a witness but not becoming involved;

> may She be an excellent crossing to Wisdom beyond identification with

> the pairs of opposites. May the object of my devotion, Mother

> Supreme, who appears as both the Dual and the Non-Dual, grant me

> victory over ignorance. May the beautiful, rosy, Dawn bring me

> enlightenment.

> Jai Maa! Jai Swamiji! My gratitude for your Grace and the Wisdom that

> makes the Chandi a very living Reality!

> Love,

> Leela

>

>

> , " srini_sadhu " <srini_sadhu@>

> wrote:

> >

> > Dear Rolf and Kalachandra,

> >

> > Thank you for sharing your thoughts and questions.

> >

> > While we wait for Swamiji's responses, let us share our thoughts.

> >

> > The Ratri Suktam is the first thing we chant after the Kushandika in

> > the Seedha Path. Swamiji says that the 13 Chapters are the bridge

> that

> > takes us from the Night of Duality to the Goddess of Unity.

> >

> > He adds, " Everybody search your memories. Think way back in history

> to

> > a time when we forgot that we were lovers. And think about the

> > darkness that night of duality (ratri) when we were thinking about

> our

> > own selfish selves instead of thinking about the divine perception

> > that we have now. "

> >

> > So these verses point to Maya that has made us forget our Divine

> > Perception. Only She can bring it back. And the Chandi is the path.

> >

> > with love

> > srini

> >

>