Guest guest Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 Welcome Jayshrishri, Thanks for joining in. Just recently Swamiji was discussing the importance of listening to the recitation of the Chandi. As Latha mentioned chapter 12 describes the benefits of listening to the Chandi. See verses: 4-7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 22,24 Happy listening! , "JayShriShri" <jayshrishri> wrote: > Hello Everyone, > > I've just joined the group, I have been through some of the messages which I > found very interesting and I have 2 questions regarding the Chandi Path. > 1. I am unable to chant the Chandi Path but I listen to it on CDs, is this ok? > 2. Is it allowed to chant the Chandi Path at night. > > thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2004 Report Share Posted June 24, 2004 Parvati, Hi how are you doing? Great, I hope! A couple places I read in the Chandi ... don't ask me the page numbers! ... a few places, reading/hearing the Chandi Path is beneficial even if one does not understand it ... and in another place, it is harmful if one does not understand it. I am assuming intent is the operative at issue here, and if one does not understand but has bad intent, then that would be harmful, and the reverse is true, if intent is good, hearing it is good. So with regards to listening ... of course for me, and probably most of us, re: the recitation, I know only maybe .05% of the words. Could you please elaborate on what Swamiji said for non-Indians to hear the Chandi Path? Siddhananda told me, Swamiji has spoken on some energy or resonation related to the sound of the spoken Sanskrit. [is it called Sanskrit when you speak it or just when you write it?] Hope this question makes sense. It's about listening, understanding, and sound. How do we learn and know and grow without the conventional avenues of knowledge -- language, etc. Can you or Maa or Swamiji speak on this. Devnath alluded to this once, but I don't wish to put words in his mouth ... the direction I felt he was suggesting was, the meaning comes in other way ... I intuited this to mean, the physical/spiritual act of recitation and listening have a channel of their own, even if understanding at the mental level of conventional language is not present. Steve C. , "parv108" <parv108> wrote: > Welcome Jayshrishri, > Thanks for joining in. Just recently Swamiji was discussing the > importance of listening to the recitation of the Chandi. As Latha > mentioned chapter 12 describes the benefits of listening to the > Chandi. See verses: 4-7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 22,24 > Happy listening! > > > > , "JayShriShri" > <jayshrishri> wrote: > > Hello Everyone, > > > > I've just joined the group, I have been through some of the > messages which I > > found very interesting and I have 2 questions regarding the > Chandi Path. > > 1. I am unable to chant the Chandi Path but I listen to it on > CDs, is this ok? > > 2. Is it allowed to chant the Chandi Path at night. > > > > thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2004 Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 Jai Maa! I do hope that someone will post some direct teachings from Shree Maa or Swamiji about Steve's questions, but in the meantime, I might like to offer some info on the question of listening to Sanskrit texts. The topic of Sanskrit chanting is my absolute favorite, so I request everyone to please forgive me if I go on and on! Sanskrit refers to both the spoken and written forms. However, in my understanding, it is the spoken form that carries the main energy for spiritual transformation. (In mental japa, it's not necessary to actually speak the mantra out loud to receive the benefit, and mental japa is considered the most powerful.) It is important to understand the meaning of a text one is reciting, but the sound of the text itself has the power to purify us. That is why it is beneficial to simply listen to the text if we can't recite it ourselves, although reciting is always ideal. As Steve suggested, the acts of recitation and listening definitely have a channel of their own, in terms of providing purification and inspiration. I'm not sure why it would be harmful to hear Chandi without understanding it. Usually, harm only comes if someone listens without faith or while actively scorning the recitation. It's really best if sacred mantras or stotras are only heard by those who have sincere faith and devotion. This is because having negative thoughts about a sacred text is really not very good karma. Each Sanskrit sound stimulates different nadis and chakras in the subtle body. When we recite or listen to those sounds, our subtle bodies are purified and energized; it's basically like "sound yoga" or like taking a healing, cleansing "sound bath". Even if we don't know the meaning, the sounds will have this effect. However, in my experience, understanding the meaning of a chant helps me to feel very inspired. By feeling inspired and devotional, my heart automatically opens. Because my consciousness has become more open and receptive due to the noble emotions inspired by the meaning, the sound energies seem to penetrate more deeply into my mind, allowing for greater effect. In my experience, the ultimate is to understand the spiritual significance of a chant AND to chant it regularly. It's good to start with an intellectual or surface-level understanding of a chant and then learn to chant it regularly with devotion. Over time, the energy generated by the chant elevates and purifies the mind. Eventually, it becomes possible to directly perceive the hidden spiritual significance of the chant. This is because chanting Sanskrit sounds attracts divine energy to one's mind, increasing one's intuitive capabilities. Beyond that, of course, divine grace descends and spiritual enlightenment is won through regular chanting. Traditionally, Saraswati Devi is shown holding a clear quartz crystal mala of 54 beads. These beads represent the 54 sounds of the Sanskrit language (some say 50). The Sanskrit sounds have come directly from Divine Mother, who is in the form of the sacred sound "Om". From Om bijakshara, all the sacred sounds of Sanskrit have emerged. Bija means "seed" and akshara means "eternal" or "indestructible". So bijakshara means that the Sanskrit sounds are the eternally indestructible seeds of divine potency. When the sounds are combined in specific patterns, like in mantras or stotras, they have the ability to generate very specific and powerful energy patterns. Actually, there is a Vedic saying that the mantra is no different from God--when we chant it's almost like we're creating a sound-body of a particular form of God. So when we chant these mantras, they're not just sounds or statements, they are packets of seed-energy that have the power to utterly transform our consciousness into divine consciousness. So simply to chant regularly with devotion is like running down the path towards meeting and merging with our beloved Divine Mother. Different mantras produce different effects, due to the sounds and rhythms they contain, and all true mantras have been given to humanity by realized sages. I've listened to a number of different kinds of chanting, and I've attended many homas. In my experience, the 2 most powerful homas are the Rudra Homa and the Chandi Homa. During Chandi Homa, the energy generated is very tangible. It's very serious and intense, but there's definitely the most beautiful absolute love behind the seriousness. I feel the seriousness comes from Divine Mother's determination to root out all the negativity that might be preventing us from progressing on our path. She is very serious about Her responsibility of helping Her children make spiritual progress. The cleansing process isn't always easy, but it's for the best, and it's the only way for Her to mold us into perfect beings. Sometimes the energy of Chandi Homa is so intense it makes me start to "conk out", even while sitting up. Nothing else really has this effect on me. To have the chance to learn about the inner significance of Chandi, and also to learn how to chant it properly from beings like Shree Maa and Swamiji, is really an amazing opportunity. I pray that all the devotees will realize the inner significance of the Chandi and attain the highest goal through its sadhana. Again, I hope someone will post Shree Maa's or Swamiji's direct teachings about the significance of listening to Chandi Path. Jai Maa! Ekta --- Steve Connor <sconnor wrote: > Parvati, > > Hi how are you doing? Great, I hope! > > A couple places I read in the Chandi ... don't ask me the page > numbers! ... a few places, reading/hearing the Chandi Path is > beneficial even if one does not understand it ... and in another > place, it is harmful if one does not understand it. I am assuming > intent is the operative at issue here, and if one does not > understand but has bad intent, then that would be harmful, and the > reverse is true, if intent is good, hearing it is good. > > So with regards to listening ... of course for me, and probably most > of us, re: the recitation, I know only maybe .05% of the words. > Could you please elaborate on what Swamiji said for non-Indians to > hear the Chandi Path? > > Siddhananda told me, Swamiji has spoken on some energy or resonation > related to the sound of the spoken Sanskrit. [is it called Sanskrit > when you speak it or just when you write it?] > > Hope this question makes sense. It's about listening, understanding, > and sound. How do we learn and know and grow without the > conventional avenues of knowledge -- language, etc. Can you or Maa > or Swamiji speak on this. Devnath alluded to this once, but I don't > wish to put words in his mouth ... the direction I felt he was > suggesting was, the meaning comes in other way ... I intuited this > to mean, the physical/spiritual act of recitation and listening have > a channel of their own, even if understanding at the mental level of > conventional language is not present. > > Steve C. > > > , "parv108" <parv108> wrote: > > Welcome Jayshrishri, > > Thanks for joining in. Just recently Swamiji was discussing the > > importance of listening to the recitation of the Chandi. As Latha > > mentioned chapter 12 describes the benefits of listening to the > > Chandi. See verses: 4-7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 22,24 > > Happy listening! > > > > > > > > , "JayShriShri" > > <jayshrishri> wrote: > > > Hello Everyone, > > > > > > I've just joined the group, I have been through some of the > > messages which I > > > found very interesting and I have 2 questions regarding the > > Chandi Path. > > > 1. I am unable to chant the Chandi Path but I listen to it on > > CDs, is this ok? > > > 2. Is it allowed to chant the Chandi Path at night. > > > > > > thanks > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Dear Effie, So many people have responded to your question about listening to Chandi, and they have given excellent advice. I just wanted to offer some other thoughts, suggestions, and reassurances to you. Please keep in mind, these are just my thoughts and opinions! First, please don't think that you are far removed from Sanskrit! Can you say "Om"? If so, then you are completely connected to the very essence and source of all Sanskrit sounds! The sound of "Om" is Divine Mother Herself. She is Omkareswari (The Divine Queen of Om), Omkara Rupini (The Very Form of Om), Omkara Bijakshari (The Eternal Source of Om). From the vibration of Omkara (kara simply means "sound" or "letter" in Sanskrit), all the sacred vibrational sounds of Sanskrit have manifested. These sounds are the foundational energies of the entire cosmos. The sound of Om is related to the Christian word "Amen". Many have commented on this. We can benefit from the sacred Sanskrit language by either chanting or listening. Either way will bring immense benefit. There are some who compare Sanskrit to fire. Even if you don't know how to light a fire, or you don't know the physics of fire, or you don't even believe that fire really exists, if you put your hand in a fire, you'll be burned. In the same way, even if you don't have faith in Sanskrit as a sacred language, listening to its sounds will have a positive effect on you. It's like a force of Nature. Of course, if you do have faith, and your heart and mind are open, then the energy of Sanskrit chants will penetrate very deeply into your subtle body and have even greater effect. With respect to Chandi, this is a very powerful scripture in honor of Divine Mother. It is not just a scripture which tells stories. The very sounds of Chandi have the power to evoke the presence of Maa Chandi in our hearts and minds. It is a very challenging text to chant. I have learned a number of Sanskrit chants, Vedic and otherwise. I've been told by many that my pronunciation is perfect. But even I feel intimidated by the thought of chanting the Chandi. In India, people jump at the chance to just hear a recitation of Chandi. Most people don't learn to chant Chandi themselves, but they try to hear it whenever they get the chance, because they know that it has immense power to purify one's karma and give one the grace of Divine Mother. So I consider all the devotees who are even thinking about learning to chant Chandi to be great heroes. It's really very impressive. The point of all this is that you don't have to chant the entire Chandi yourself to benefit from its immense power. There are many ways to incorporate the energy of Chandi into your life. Listening to Swamiji's Chandi tape is very excellent, because he's acquired tremendous spiritual energy, and that energy will be transmitted to you through the sound of his voice. You can simply listen to the tape, or you can meditate during it if you like meditation. If you like, you can imagine that Swamiji, or Shree Maa, or any form of the Divine is sitting with you, smiling at you, and blessing you with perfect love and wisdom. If you like to do visualizations, you could listen to it and imagine that a beautiful, golden-red fire appears in front of you; this fire is Mother Herself, who has taken this form in order to bless you. Imagine that you are taking any negative qualities or limitations and casting them into the fire, so that Mother can destroy them for you. The sounds of the Chandi are like a subtle fire that completely purifies your mind and heart. Divine Mother is already present in our hearts, but we don't recognize Her presence because it is covered over by the dust of our negative actions from many lifetimes. When we listen to or recite the names of Durga Devi, or Chandi Maa, this dust is utterly incinerated. Over time, with steady effort, Her divine light will shine through perfectly and we will realize our utter oneness with Her. It's not that we *become* one with Her, we simply realize that we are not, and have never been, separate from Her. Chandi is the form that protects us from any kind of negativity, whether inner or outer, and takes us beyond any thought of duality or separation. Whether you decide to listen to Chandi or not, there are many shorter mantras or chants that contain the main essence of Chandi. There is something called the Durga Saptasloki. This is seven verses from the Chandi that describe the essence of Chandi. I can send you a copy of the 7 verses, if you like. Again, one of these verses is considered by some to be the nuclear, or key, verse of Chandi. (Begins "sharanagata dinartha, paritrana parayane...") So even this one verse could be learned and chanted on a regular basis. I believe the main mantra that captures the essence of Chandi would be the Navarna Mantra, which goes "Om aim hrim klim chamundayai vicche". This mantra is fairly easy in terms of pronunciation, but it contains powerful energy due to the first four words or sounds. Aim, hrim, and klim are extremely powerful sounds known as seed-letters. These seed-letters really catalyze our spiritual progress. Shree Maa has recorded a tape of just this mantra, which can be played repeatedly in order to learn it. Even now, I can hear exactly how She does it in my mind, because of listening to this tape! Even if you listen to Chandi every day, it is very excellent to chant some kind of mantra yourself. So if you feel drawn to this path, and drawn to the path of Divine Mother, Navarna mantra would be a very good choice. Another mantra that used to be on a mantra card is "Om hrim shrim dum durgayai namaha", at least I think that's what it was. If even this seems like too much, you could just chant "Om", or just "Maa". Years ago, I used to mentally chant "Maa Maa Maa" whenever I could. I was always surprised by how powerful this was! As many others have mentioned, the key really is love. However, I believe that mantras allow us to take our love to higher and higher levels, until we reach the Supreme. I'll stop here, since I've gone on and on...but I just hate to see anyone feeling discouraged! Jai Maa, Ekta --- Frederica Evangeline Wilder <effie_wilder wrote: > Dear List, > > In perusing the archives, I came upon a post (whose author is > enormously knowledgeable!) and I am rather saddened that the > information presented should be gone. I think it needs to be > discussed over and over again. I hope that more talk can be > directed, especially by this poster, to the issue of listening to > the Chandi. For those of us who are far removed from the Hindu (and > Sanskrit) language and culture but are drawn to the spiritual > excellence of the teachings, for us who haven't a clue about > chanting the Chandi...would it "count" if we were to build a > practice around listening only. > > Heartfelt thanks to all and to Ekta, > Effie > > , Eleathea Barraclough > <eleathea> wrote: > > > but the sound of the text itself has the power to purify us. That > is why it is beneficial to simply listen to the text if we can't > recite it ourselves, > > Each Sanskrit sound stimulates different nadis and chakras in the > subtle body. When we recite or listen to those sounds, our subtle > bodies are purified and energized; it's basically like "sound yoga" > or like taking a healing, cleansing "sound bath". Even if we don't > know the meaning, the sounds will have this effect. > > > Again, I hope someone will post Shree Maa's or Swamiji's direct > teachings about the significance of listening to Chandi Path. > > > > Jai Maa! > > Ekta > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Namaste ALL esp Ekta, I have been reading and rereading the post below and am totally amazed at the amount of knowledge presented. Not only offered, but offered in an easy to understand manner. There is so much I want to say. Where to begin? For now, perhaps, a mention that it helps the Western Christian mind so very much when correlations are made between Sanskrit and English. The comment about the sound of Om and its relationship to "Amen" was really interesting and very meaningful for me. Ekta, please, please, please, if you are not too busy to share your talent and energies once in a while, please post more. Pick any topic you want and just write. Whatever you care to offer will be a gift for all. Please. Namaste, Karen , Eleathea Barraclough <eleathea> wrote: > Dear Effie, > > So many people have responded to your question about listening to Chandi, and > they have given excellent advice. I just wanted to offer some other thoughts, > suggestions, and reassurances to you. Please keep in mind, these are just my > thoughts and opinions! > > First, please don't think that you are far removed from Sanskrit! Can you say > "Om"? If so, then you are completely connected to the very essence and source > of all Sanskrit sounds! The sound of "Om" is Divine Mother Herself. She is > Omkareswari (The Divine Queen of Om), Omkara Rupini (The Very Form of Om), > Omkara Bijakshari (The Eternal Source of Om). From the vibration of Omkara > (kara simply means "sound" or "letter" in Sanskrit), all the sacred vibrational > sounds of Sanskrit have manifested. These sounds are the foundational energies > of the entire cosmos. The sound of Om is related to the Christian word "Amen". > Many have commented on this. > > We can benefit from the sacred Sanskrit language by either chanting or > listening. Either way will bring immense benefit. There are some who compare > Sanskrit to fire. Even if you don't know how to light a fire, or you don't know > the physics of fire, or you don't even believe that fire really exists, if you > put your hand in a fire, you'll be burned. In the same way, even if you don't > have faith in Sanskrit as a sacred language, listening to its sounds will have > a positive effect on you. It's like a force of Nature. Of course, if you do > have faith, and your heart and mind are open, then the energy of Sanskrit > chants will penetrate very deeply into your subtle body and have even greater > effect. > > With respect to Chandi, this is a very powerful scripture in honor of Divine > Mother. It is not just a scripture which tells stories. The very sounds of > Chandi have the power to evoke the presence of Maa Chandi in our hearts and > minds. It is a very challenging text to chant. I have learned a number of > Sanskrit chants, Vedic and otherwise. I've been told by many that my > pronunciation is perfect. But even I feel intimidated by the thought of > chanting the Chandi. In India, people jump at the chance to just hear a > recitation of Chandi. Most people don't learn to chant Chandi themselves, but > they try to hear it whenever they get the chance, because they know that it has > immense power to purify one's karma and give one the grace of Divine Mother. So > I consider all the devotees who are even thinking about learning to chant > Chandi to be great heroes. It's really very impressive. > > The point of all this is that you don't have to chant the entire Chandi > yourself to benefit from its immense power. There are many ways to incorporate > the energy of Chandi into your life. Listening to Swamiji's Chandi tape is very > excellent, because he's acquired tremendous spiritual energy, and that energy > will be transmitted to you through the sound of his voice. You can simply > listen to the tape, or you can meditate during it if you like meditation. If > you like, you can imagine that Swamiji, or Shree Maa, or any form of the Divine > is sitting with you, smiling at you, and blessing you with perfect love and > wisdom. If you like to do visualizations, you could listen to it and imagine > that a beautiful, golden-red fire appears in front of you; this fire is Mother > Herself, who has taken this form in order to bless you. Imagine that you are > taking any negative qualities or limitations and casting them into the fire, so > that Mother can destroy them for you. > > The sounds of the Chandi are like a subtle fire that completely purifies your > mind and heart. Divine Mother is already present in our hearts, but we don't > recognize Her presence because it is covered over by the dust of our negative > actions from many lifetimes. When we listen to or recite the names of Durga > Devi, or Chandi Maa, this dust is utterly incinerated. Over time, with steady > effort, Her divine light will shine through perfectly and we will realize our > utter oneness with Her. It's not that we *become* one with Her, we simply > realize that we are not, and have never been, separate from Her. Chandi is the > form that protects us from any kind of negativity, whether inner or outer, and > takes us beyond any thought of duality or separation. > > Whether you decide to listen to Chandi or not, there are many shorter mantras > or chants that contain the main essence of Chandi. There is something called > the Durga Saptasloki. This is seven verses from the Chandi that describe the > essence of Chandi. I can send you a copy of the 7 verses, if you like. Again, > one of these verses is considered by some to be the nuclear, or key, verse of > Chandi. (Begins "sharanagata dinartha, paritrana parayane...") So even this one > verse could be learned and chanted on a regular basis. I believe the main > mantra that captures the essence of Chandi would be the Navarna Mantra, which > goes "Om aim hrim klim chamundayai vicche". This mantra is fairly easy in terms > of pronunciation, but it contains powerful energy due to the first four words > or sounds. Aim, hrim, and klim are extremely powerful sounds known as > seed-letters. These seed-letters really catalyze our spiritual progress. Shree > Maa has recorded a tape of just this mantra, which can be played repeatedly in > order to learn it. Even now, I can hear exactly how She does it in my mind, > because of listening to this tape! > > Even if you listen to Chandi every day, it is very excellent to chant some kind > of mantra yourself. So if you feel drawn to this path, and drawn to the path of > Divine Mother, Navarna mantra would be a very good choice. Another mantra that > used to be on a mantra card is "Om hrim shrim dum durgayai namaha", at least I > think that's what it was. If even this seems like too much, you could just > chant "Om", or just "Maa". Years ago, I used to mentally chant "Maa Maa Maa" > whenever I could. I was always surprised by how powerful this was! As many > others have mentioned, the key really is love. However, I believe that mantras > allow us to take our love to higher and higher levels, until we reach the > Supreme. > > I'll stop here, since I've gone on and on...but I just hate to see anyone > feeling discouraged! > > Jai Maa, > Ekta > > --- Frederica Evangeline Wilder <effie_wilder@e...> wrote: > > > Dear List, > > > > In perusing the archives, I came upon a post (whose author is > > enormously knowledgeable!) and I am rather saddened that the > > information presented should be gone. I think it needs to be > > discussed over and over again. I hope that more talk can be > > directed, especially by this poster, to the issue of listening to > > the Chandi. For those of us who are far removed from the Hindu (and > > Sanskrit) language and culture but are drawn to the spiritual > > excellence of the teachings, for us who haven't a clue about > > chanting the Chandi...would it "count" if we were to build a > > practice around listening only. > > > > Heartfelt thanks to all and to Ekta, > > Effie > > > > , Eleathea Barraclough > > <eleathea> wrote: > > > > > but the sound of the text itself has the power to purify us. That > > is why it is beneficial to simply listen to the text if we can't > > recite it ourselves, > > > Each Sanskrit sound stimulates different nadis and chakras in the > > subtle body. When we recite or listen to those sounds, our subtle > > bodies are purified and energized; it's basically like "sound yoga" > > or like taking a healing, cleansing "sound bath". Even if we don't > > know the meaning, the sounds will have this effect. > > > > Again, I hope someone will post Shree Maa's or Swamiji's direct > > teachings about the significance of listening to Chandi Path. > > > > > > Jai Maa! > > > Ekta > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Namaste Karen, Thank you for your kind words, it really means a lot to me! I'm so happy that you found my post beneficial. In my opinion, the only point to having knowledge is to share it with others who are also thirsting for knowledge. Most of the time, I function in "response" mode, where I think and write best in response to a question or concern. But I will try to initiate more posts. I want to express to all the members who feel like "newbies": WE WERE ALL NEWBIES ONCE! We have all come to know or understand things only through the kindness of others who cared enough to explain something to us. The best way to repay that kindness is for us to pass on whatever we have learned to others. So if anyone has any question, anything at all, please speak up! You are not bothering anyone at all, in fact, you are providing others with a sacred opportunity to serve Divine Mother by sharing Her divine knowledge with others. Often, we might think that our questions are too simple or inconsequential, but in the Hindu tradition, there is usually a lot of significance in small details. I repeat, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB OR SILLY QUESTION! I hope that this will help everyone to feel free to ask any question they may have. Jai Maa! Ekta --- Karen <karenborak wrote: > Namaste ALL esp Ekta, > > I have been reading and rereading the post below and am totally > amazed at the amount of knowledge presented. Not only offered, but > offered in an easy to understand manner. There is so much I want to > say. Where to begin? For now, perhaps, a mention that it helps the > Western Christian mind so very much when correlations are made > between Sanskrit and English. The comment about the sound of Om and > its relationship to "Amen" was really interesting and very > meaningful for me. > > Ekta, please, please, please, if you are not too busy to share your > talent and energies once in a while, please post more. Pick any > topic you want and just write. Whatever you care to offer will be a > gift for all. Please. > > Namaste, > Karen > > > > , Eleathea Barraclough > <eleathea> wrote: > > Dear Effie, > > > > So many people have responded to your question about listening to > Chandi, and > > they have given excellent advice. I just wanted to offer some > other thoughts, > > suggestions, and reassurances to you. Please keep in mind, these > are just my > > thoughts and opinions! > > > > First, please don't think that you are far removed from Sanskrit! > Can you say > > "Om"? If so, then you are completely connected to the very essence > and source > > of all Sanskrit sounds! The sound of "Om" is Divine Mother > Herself. She is > > Omkareswari (The Divine Queen of Om), Omkara Rupini (The Very Form > of Om), > > Omkara Bijakshari (The Eternal Source of Om). From the vibration > of Omkara > > (kara simply means "sound" or "letter" in Sanskrit), all the > sacred vibrational > > sounds of Sanskrit have manifested. These sounds are the > foundational energies > > of the entire cosmos. The sound of Om is related to the Christian > word "Amen". > > Many have commented on this. > > > > We can benefit from the sacred Sanskrit language by either > chanting or > > listening. Either way will bring immense benefit. There are some > who compare > > Sanskrit to fire. Even if you don't know how to light a fire, or > you don't know > > the physics of fire, or you don't even believe that fire really > exists, if you > > put your hand in a fire, you'll be burned. In the same way, even > if you don't > > have faith in Sanskrit as a sacred language, listening to its > sounds will have > > a positive effect on you. It's like a force of Nature. Of course, > if you do > > have faith, and your heart and mind are open, then the energy of > Sanskrit > > chants will penetrate very deeply into your subtle body and have > even greater > > effect. > > > > With respect to Chandi, this is a very powerful scripture in honor > of Divine > > Mother. It is not just a scripture which tells stories. The very > sounds of > > Chandi have the power to evoke the presence of Maa Chandi in our > hearts and > > minds. It is a very challenging text to chant. I have learned a > number of > > Sanskrit chants, Vedic and otherwise. I've been told by many that > my > > pronunciation is perfect. But even I feel intimidated by the > thought of > > chanting the Chandi. In India, people jump at the chance to just > hear a > > recitation of Chandi. Most people don't learn to chant Chandi > themselves, but > > they try to hear it whenever they get the chance, because they > know that it has > > immense power to purify one's karma and give one the grace of > Divine Mother. So > > I consider all the devotees who are even thinking about learning > to chant > > Chandi to be great heroes. It's really very impressive. > > > > The point of all this is that you don't have to chant the entire > Chandi > > yourself to benefit from its immense power. There are many ways to > incorporate > > the energy of Chandi into your life. Listening to Swamiji's Chandi > tape is very > > excellent, because he's acquired tremendous spiritual energy, and > that energy > > will be transmitted to you through the sound of his voice. You can > simply > > listen to the tape, or you can meditate during it if you like > meditation. If > > you like, you can imagine that Swamiji, or Shree Maa, or any form > of the Divine > > is sitting with you, smiling at you, and blessing you with perfect > love and > > wisdom. If you like to do visualizations, you could listen to it > and imagine > > that a beautiful, golden-red fire appears in front of you; this > fire is Mother > > Herself, who has taken this form in order to bless you. Imagine > that you are > > taking any negative qualities or limitations and casting them into > the fire, so > > that Mother can destroy them for you. > > > > The sounds of the Chandi are like a subtle fire that completely > purifies your > > mind and heart. Divine Mother is already present in our hearts, > but we don't > > recognize Her presence because it is covered over by the dust of > our negative > > actions from many lifetimes. When we listen to or recite the names > of Durga > > Devi, or Chandi Maa, this dust is utterly incinerated. Over time, > with steady > > effort, Her divine light will shine through perfectly and we will > realize our > > utter oneness with Her. It's not that we *become* one with Her, we > simply > > realize that we are not, and have never been, separate from Her. > Chandi is the > > form that protects us from any kind of negativity, whether inner > or outer, and > > takes us beyond any thought of duality or separation. > > > > Whether you decide to listen to Chandi or not, there are many > shorter mantras > > or chants that contain the main essence of Chandi. There is > something called > > the Durga Saptasloki. This is seven verses from the Chandi that > describe the > > essence of Chandi. I can send you a copy of the 7 verses, if you > like. Again, > > one of these verses is considered by some to be the nuclear, or > key, verse of > > Chandi. (Begins "sharanagata dinartha, paritrana parayane...") So > even this one > > verse could be learned and chanted on a regular basis. I believe > the main > > mantra that captures the essence of Chandi would be the Navarna > Mantra, which > > goes "Om aim hrim klim chamundayai vicche". This mantra is fairly > easy in terms > > of pronunciation, but it contains powerful energy due to the first > four words > > or sounds. Aim, hrim, and klim are extremely powerful sounds known > as > > seed-letters. These seed-letters really catalyze our spiritual > progress. Shree > > Maa has recorded a tape of just this mantra, which can be played > repeatedly in > > order to learn it. Even now, I can hear exactly how She does it in > my mind, > > because of listening to this tape! > > > > Even if you listen to Chandi every day, it is very excellent to > chant some kind > > of mantra yourself. So if you feel drawn to this path, and drawn > to the path of > > Divine Mother, Navarna mantra would be a very good choice. Another > mantra that > > used to be on a mantra card is "Om hrim shrim dum durgayai > namaha", at least I > > think that's what it was. If even this seems like too much, you > could just > > chant "Om", or just "Maa". Years ago, I used to mentally > chant "Maa Maa Maa" > > whenever I could. I was always surprised by how powerful this was! > As many > > others have mentioned, the key really is love. However, I believe > that mantras > > allow us to take our love to higher and higher levels, until we > reach the > > Supreme. > > > > I'll stop here, since I've gone on and on...but I just hate to see > anyone > > feeling discouraged! > > > > Jai Maa, > > Ekta > > > > --- Frederica Evangeline Wilder <effie_wilder@e...> wrote: > > > > > Dear List, > === message truncated === _______________________________ Shop for Back-to-School deals on Shopping. /backtoschool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.