Question for the Group - 1

[Guest guest]

Who are the Destroyers of Worship and how did they become the enemies

of the King of Good Thoughts?

[Guest guest]

hm ... i would say, the asuric qualities ... hatred, shame, fear,

and the like.

 

, "swami_satyanandasaraswati"

<swami_satyanandasaraswati> wrote:

> Who are the Destroyers of Worship and how did they become the

enemies

> of the King of Good Thoughts?

[Guest guest]

Generation of and nourishing negative thoughts like

jealousy,revenge,EGO followed by Arrogance are the proven evils to

the good thoughts-Padmanabhan

 

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[Guest guest]

, "swami_satyanandasaraswati"

<swami_satyanandasaraswati> wrote:

> Who are the Destroyers of Worship

Our inertia. This inertia is triggered by the rajasic and tamasic

qualities in man. Which is further influenced by the food, thoughts,

and air that we breathe (these are the three inputs to the body-mind-

spirit system of a human).

 

> and how did they become the enemies of the King of Good Thoughts?

I have no idea of this. But I guess, the qualities that lead to

inertia resist change just as most humans do... Maybe this resistance

to change is what is meant by an 'enemy' in this context.

 

Swamiji,

Thank you for so much for pushing us to think in such unusual ways

from time to time.... it is always nice to 'think outside the box of

traditional literature' even in spiritual matters.

 

Jai Ma!

[Guest guest]

Dear Swamiji,

 

I read the English translation of the Chandi of Chapters 1-3 more

closely to get more insight into your question.

 

The Destroyers of Worship are all the Asuras mentioned in the Chandi -

Too Much , Too Little, Devoid of Clear Understanding ... Self

Deprecation and Self Conceit.

 

In verse 6 of chapter 1, you mention that the Destroyers of Worship,

even though they were fewer in numbers defeated the King Surath

(Conveyor of Good Thoughts) .

 

And how, by now the powerful enemies (even though fewer) pursued Good

Thoughts and again attacked severely depleting his strength, forcing

him to leave his kingdom.

 

To me, it represents how I can have all the good thoughts possible,

yet even one negativity , when it takes root , drives out all my good

thoughts. It is like a little drop of poison in milk - ruins the

entire milk.

 

All it takes is one little bit of negativity, one acknowledgement ,

one grant of power to one of the Asuras, and .... all the good that I

have built up is gone.

 

I must exercise absolute vigilance to prevent any negativity from

entering my kingdom.

 

As you often say in the Ramakrishna class, I must put a fence around

myself to protect and nourish the sadhana, and discourage the

negative influences.

 

Thank you for the question . And for prodding us to read the Chandi

closer.

 

Love

Latha

[Guest guest]

Namaste Swamiji,

 

Chapter One of the Chandi Path speaks of the Destroyers of Worship -

Too Much and Too Little. These two robbed the King of Good Thoughts

of his "authority over all the regions of the earth" (bondage to

worldly attachments). The Chandi Path - Study of Chapter One, by

Swami Satyananda Saraswati and Shree Maa (available at shreemaa.org /

book store)reads in part:

 

"Then one time the kings who were the destroyers of worship became

his enemies and attacked. These kings are the ripus or limitations

of consciousness for individuals: kama-desire, krodh-anger, labh-

greed, moha-ignorance born of attachments, modha-foolishness,

matsarya-envy or jealously. These destroyers of worship said, "It is

not necessary to meditate today. You are too busy. You don't have

enough time." The Destroyers of Worship attacked the appendages of

knowledge..............."

 

Jaya Chandi jaya jaya!

 

Kaliananda

 

, "swami_satyanandasaraswati"

<swami_satyanandasaraswati> wrote:

> Who are the Destroyers of Worship and how did they become the

enemies

> of the King of Good Thoughts?

[Guest guest]

Pranaam Swamiji

 

 

Pranaam Swamiji

 

As you have taught us, and written, we can understand the kings or

destroyers of worship as the limitations of consciousness, or rather limitations

of individual consciousness:

Kama: desire

Krodh: anger

Labh: greed

Moha: ignorance born of attachment

Modha: foolishness

Matsarya: envy, jealousy

They destroy the vidhvamsi, or appendages of knowledge (sanskrit

grammar & pronunciation, history & literature, philosophy, astrology and

systems of worship), in other words, all the accumulated and cognized sacred

knowledge that comes from, and has come from, devotion and one-pointed

attention.

But even when the king renounced his authority over the earth, and locked

the nine gates to God (controlled karma and jnana indriyas), the ripus did not

relent.

Perhaps the ripus became enemies not only because of the obvious

reasons--i.e., desire, anger, envy etc. are inimical to the very concept of

worship because they distract and derail from the goal--

but also because Good Thoughts is not enough, never is, and could not be.

 

The 36 Tattwas, or principles of tantra describe the path to and from the

manifest and unmanifest, from Sadashiva (Pure Consciousness) to the

karmindriyas (organs of action) and back again. But I wonder, what moves us

on this path? how is the path a struggle?

why doesn't it simply flow easily for each jiva, each individual?

The Chandi is helping answer these questions.

The very fact that the movement from the unmanifest to the Purusha, or

individual soul (and beyond) moves in the only way it can, gives some clues.

After all, for anything to be manifest, there must first be the opening to Maya,

or other--moving away from the One. This Maya (Divine Mother) limits

consciousness automatically through the modes of perception (time, space,

name & form, activity and attributes). The movement continues through

Purusha to Prakriti, the very nature of things, and all that brings:

first of all Ego and cognition, knowledge and judgment; then the gross world

is perceived through sight, sound, and so on, with recognition of the elements

of existence (earth, water, fire, air & ether); with our eyes, ears, nose and so

on we learn what is there, and interact with the world using our organs of

action (arms, legs, tongue and so on).

Good Thoughts cannot overcome the ripus, and they are stronger than all

of his good thoughts, because even after he controls the organs of knowledge

& action (practices good yogic techniques, let us say), he is still identified

with

Thought. And Thought necessarily maintains separation, and connection with

individual consciousness.

The antahkarana (ego, cognition, objective & subjective knowledge)

are inner reality, or the subtle realm, and they are also thought.

Until conciousness moves beyond these four, beyond even Nature,

and through Maya, separation continues, union cannot be, and the ripus

maintain their stronghold.

Until we surrender to our Divine Mother, She cannot bring us beyond the

limitations of consciousness. We cannot do it on "our own."

 

Victory to the Mother!

Thank you for your questions, Swamiji

om saraswatayai namah

 

Nitya

 

 

, "swami_satyanandasaraswati" <

swami_satyanandasaraswati> wrote:

> Who are the Destroyers of Worship and how did they become the enemies

> of the King of Good Thoughts?