Notes on Swamiji's Chandi class on Chapter 10

[Guest guest]

Namaste Friends,

 

Notes on Chapter 10 class follow.

 

Love

srini

 

 

In Chapter 10 Goddess is fighting Self-Conceit on behalf of the Gods.

 

Q & A

 

1. What is the difference between Mahishasura from the second episode

and Self-conceit in the third episode?

 

Mahisasura is the Great Ruler of Duality, of all dualities. He is the

controller of the 6 ripus (limitations): desire, anger, greed,

ignorance, avarice, and jealousy.

Self-conceit says, " Boy, did I do a good job. Look at my success. Even

I admire me. I am sure everyone else does. "

Self-deprecation says, " Poor me. I blew it again. I am not good enough. "

They are similar. All three episodes are going on concurrently. It is

not a linear progression. It all happens at once. All the asuras are

acting simultaneously. What can we do? We can cry, " Maa please help us. "

 

2. What is the significance of the half-moon on the Goddess' head in

the Dhyanam of this chapter?

 

The moon is the emblem of devotion. The Goddess wears devotion as an

ornament.

 

3. Does Swamiji recommend that we introspect on our negative thoughts

in addition to chanting the Chandi to cut down asuras?

 

No. Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts, dwell on presence of

Mother – " She is within me, She is in my heart. "

Dwelling on negative thoughts increases the strength of self-conceit

and self-deprecation. Fill yourself with full, pure, loving, positive,

joyous devotion.

 

4. If the goal of sadhana is to transcend the ego, how do we

understand the ego's desire to chant the Chandi?

 

God within us is inspiring ego to become Divine Ego. Purpose is not to

destroy ego but to expand the ego become the greatest egoist. I am

Shiva. Aham Brahmasmi. No negative small ego left.

 

5. Sumbha wanted to fight only one Mother and not her manifestations.

What is the significance of this?

 

He was conceited that he thought that if She withdrew Her

manifestations, he would be able to defeat her.

 

6. Can you please talk more about Verse 8?

 

When there is manifested existence, everywhere we look we see a

different form. When Mother withdraws forms we are moving to

non-duality, there is only Self-conceit and Mother: savikalpa Samadhi.

Now, he is trying overcome and bring her to duality. She is saying,

" no, you have to leave your self-conceit and see all the energy of the

Universe within me: Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

 

7. What is the significance of the self-conceit bringing his fist down

on Devi's heart?

 

Heart is love center. He is striking at the devotion of the devotees,

disrupting the love in Her heart.

 

8. In Chapter 8, Maa is the Shakti of Shiva and Shiva resides in the

sahsrarara, what is the significance of Shiva being sent as messenger

of Mother>

 

Consciousness is going to self-conceit and gives an order.

Consciousness comes down from Sahsrarara and illuminates the chakras.

 

9. What is the significance of the Goddess striking self-conceit with

the palm of Her hand?

 

He struck Her with her fist, She just gently strikes him with a palm.

That's enough to knock him down.

 

10. Maa Kali cuts off the heads of Her devotees during their sadhana.

How does one visualize the ishta when one has no head?

 

It takes a lot of prayer to lose your head. And once you lose your

head, no prayer is required, until it grows back.

 

11. Is there a correlation between the Goddesses that we meditate in

each chapter and the negative forces She vanquishes in each chapter?

 

Yes. In this chapter when you have surrendered to Kameswari, you have

only one desire left, to be with Her. If you contemplate her form, you

will lose all your self-conceit, you have no more desires.

 

12. If Mother wants us to take us Samadhi, why do we hold on to

worldly objects?

 

Ego rebels, when we say we going to kill it. There is a sense within

that if I don't survive how can I enjoy Samadhi? It wants to enjoy

Samadhi and be there and then come back and tell everyone about it.

And so I can tell everyone about it. Ego is devious when he comes out.

 

13. If we go back to original desire, will Devi destroy that too?

 

When we enter into the one desire to be with Mother, we lose all other

desires. That is pralaya, dissolution of manifested existence. Then

there is another creation. If we are fortunate we remember what it is

like to be in samadhi and we quickly learn how we can unite with God

and what good karmas I can do to inspire others to attain the same.

 

14. In verse 8, Chapter 4, Divine Mother is Svaha. Why do Gods become

content upon hearing the word?

 

Svaha is the wife of Agni. When we make an offering, Svaha takes it

away from Agni and gives it to Gods. So Gods become contented.

 

15. In Chapter 1, can the forest also be seen as symbolic of

consciousness mind?

 

Yes. Absolutely. We are moving to forest of purity, tapasya, and

non-attachment where we can contemplate purity and clarity and how we

can unite with God without selfish desire.

 

16. When Mother fights self-conceit, why did all Gods just look on

without participating?

 

They knew that only Mother can slay self-conceit. We (the Gods) become

witness of Mother slaying self-conceit.

 

17. In Chapter 8, there were many energies of Goddess that could not

defeat Raktabija. Why?

 

They could not because the seed of desire had won the boon that each

time a drop of blood fell from his desire a new desire would be

created. All energies wounded him and his blood poured profusely. And

there was a new desire. Only Mother Kali could drink up all the blood.

 

18. Is it better to pray to Mother to take away desire than to pray to

fulfill it?

 

Better to pray to be with Divine Mother. Then all the other desires go

away of its own accord. They pale in significance to the desire for

Mother. That's why chanting the Chandi is such an important tool

because singing the Chandi is a desire to be with You.

[Guest guest]

dear swami ji and maa and all namastey

 

can you please advise me whether it is ok to print the yantras on paper and laminate them for worship or is it better to buy the yantra on metal?'

 

 

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