Guest guest Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 Dear Max ~ very well stated. Thank you. I especially appreciated what you wrote about the names being a gateway to transformation into the same qualities. Sometimes when I chant the 108 names (I do first in Sanskrit and then in English), my mind wanders, or obtrusive thoughts are in my mind, I try to treat it the same way that I treat these distractions in meditation ~ not to judge them, hold onto them, or push them away, but simply bring my awareness back to the chanting and let them pass like clouds in the sky. When I was Catholic I was what they call scrupulous, actually some obsessive compulsive behavior, born of my fear that if I did anything wrong I was evil and would go to hell. So I would sometimes cross myself over and over just to be sure I got it right. I have that come up for me around chanting, and I pray to Amma to take it away because I don't think the OCD stuff bears any resemblance to true devotion. Jai Ma! ~ Linda Max wrote: Some ways this might happen is mechanically, or with distracted thinking about other things, or getting lost in anger and other negative emotions, dwelling on the past, feeling competitive with others, or chanting as a show-off performance. I think it's more helpful to imagine how it *would* be done with love and devotion, could be. Not only feeling love and reverence for Devi, but adoring, reaching for, attuning to the Divine qualities named in the litany. Clarifying intention and desire to reach That, affirming and embracing that inner Essence and outer Radiance. A lot of the Names teach about the transformations we need to go through in order to reach awareness of Adi Parashakti, so chanting them becomes intense prayer in a devotional approach. Resounding them, feeling the divine energy pervading, letting the mind fall into the heart, all that good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 Thanks a lot for those details.. very much helpful 2010/1/8 <nierika > > > Dear Max ~ very well stated. Thank you. I especially appreciated what you > wrote about the names being a gateway to transformation into the same > qualities. Sometimes when I chant the 108 names (I do first in Sanskrit and > then > in English), my mind wanders, or obtrusive thoughts are in my mind, I try > to treat it the same way that I treat these distractions in meditation ~ > not > to judge them, hold onto them, or push them away, but simply bring my > awareness back to the chanting and let them pass like clouds in the sky. > > When I was Catholic I was what they call scrupulous, actually some > obsessive compulsive behavior, born of my fear that if I did anything wrong > I was > evil and would go to hell. So I would sometimes cross myself over and over > just to be sure I got it right. I have that come up for me around chanting, > > and I pray to Amma to take it away because I don't think the OCD stuff > bears any resemblance to true devotion. Jai Ma! ~ Linda > > > Max wrote: > > Some ways this might happen is mechanically, or with distracted > thinking about other things, or getting lost in anger and other > negative emotions, dwelling on the past, feeling competitive with > others, or chanting as a show-off performance. > > I think it's more helpful to imagine how it *would* be done with love > and devotion, could be. Not only feeling love and reverence for Devi, > but adoring, reaching for, attuning to the Divine qualities named in > the litany. Clarifying intention and desire to reach That, affirming > and embracing that inner Essence and outer Radiance. > > A lot of the Names teach about the transformations we need to go > through in order to reach awareness of Adi Parashakti, so chanting > them becomes intense prayer in a devotional approach. Resounding > them, feeling the divine energy pervading, letting the mind fall into > the heart, all that good stuff. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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