Summary of Thursday's class on Chandi (Chapter 8)

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

Here is summary of last night's class on Chapter 8.

 

Love

srini

 

In Chapter 8, we meet Raktabija, the seed of desire and watch how She

slays him.

 

Rakta means passion, blood, red, desire; bija is seed.

 

Questions:

 

1. What is the significance of the energies adorning the same dresses

and features of their male counterparts?

 

Consciousness is masculine and enery feminine. She acts and looks just

as he.

 

2. Does Raktabija represent both fulfilled and unfulfilled desires?

 

Only unfulfilled desires.

 

3. If we have no desires, we would lose the zest for life. Does this

chapter suggest that the sadhana will lead to a desireless state?

 

All desires are not done away with. Desire is inherent in creation.

Only selfish desires are taken away by the Goddess. Then we are

left only with selfless desires. You still will have the desire to

eat, sleep.

 

4. Is the desire to pronounce better, sit longer in asan, etc. forms

of raktabija?

 

These are Raktabija in a positive form. By pursuing these, we take

away our negative desires. As we spend less and less time with the

positive, we spend more time in negative.

 

5. Is blood symbolic or the gross substance that courses through our

veins?

 

It is symbolic and symbolizes the negative passionate desire that

draws us into worldliness.

 

6. What is the significance of water (that Brahmani sprinkles on the

thoughts) and how can we use it in our daily lives?

 

Taking a bath is our first act of purification. When we do achaman in

puja (sipping water) we purify our lips.

 

Water symbolizes equilbrium. It is always at the same level, always

seeks its own level.

 

7. What is benefit of recording our spiritual experiences in a journal.

 

The only benefit is some years later I can read my journal and say

that I do not need these journals any more. Objective is to know

the experiencer. Remember the intensity of the experience and not the

manifestation of the experience.

 

8. How do we offer desires to Mother?

 

Increase time spent with the Guru. Also think how would your Guru

respond to a certain situation (where the desire arises).

This would be like in engaging in satsang throughout the day.

 

9. We have a strong desire to chant the Chandi. But then we have to do

karma in the world and that prevents us from chanting.

 

You can say to Mother I love you and so I am going to demonstrate my

love by doing karma. Then read whatever you can.

 

10. Surath and Samadhi abandoned their families and kingdom. This was

not their highest ideal. Was it?

 

Both were driven from their kingdom and families. They had no choice.

What they did subsequently was certainly their highest ideal because

we remember them even today so many years later.

 

Also, when they left their family kingdom they had good thoughts about

their families and kingdom.

 

11. What questions to ask or not ask our Guru. How do we decide?

 

Love them with all your heart. Ask the right question at the right

time. Do not interrupt Her when She is talking. Be natural, be free.