Guest guest Posted September 16, 2004 Report Share Posted September 16, 2004 Jai Maa! Ekta, Verse 1, talking about Maha Maya exerting a powerful force, even on people who are very wise...how far can reason and intellect take us in understanding duality? Can those who have not realized the Supreme Self perceive the oneness of all beings? Is perception the same as realization or is perception the intellectual attempt to understand? Is "trying" to act upon the reasoned comprehension that all is one "mood making?" Namaste, Karen Many thanks for sharing your knowledge on the Durga Saptasloki. - Eleathea Barraclough Thursday, September 09, 2004 1:16 PM Durga Saptasloki Jai Maa!Recently I mentioned the Durga Saptasloki, and I thought it might be nice topost some discussion on these seven verses. What I have heard is that theseseven verses contain the essence of the sound energy of the Chandi, as well asthe essential spiritual significance of Chandi as a scripture. I believe 5 outof 7 of these verses occur in the Narayani Stuti (which forms most of chapter11 of the Chandi). I found Swamiji's translation of the Saptasloki posted onthe Internet somewhere, but I can't verify the accuracy because I don't havethe Chandi book on hand right now. I've added commentary in terms of teachingsI've received on the verses as well as any thoughts that come to my mind. Thecommentary is a mixture of teachings and personal thoughts, so it should betaken with several grains of salt! I have included the Sanskrit verses in arough form, although it's not accurate for pronunciation because I can't usediacritics in the emails. Verse 1 jnaninamapi cetamsi devi bhagavati hi sa baladakrushya mohaya mahamaya prayacchati Swamiji's Translation: She, this Supreme Goddess, the Great Measurement ofConsciousness, attracts the perceiving capacity of all sensible beings withsuch force as to thrust them into egoistic attachment. Commentary: Divine Mother, in Her form as Maha Maya, exerts an overwhelminglypowerful force even on people who are very wise, such that they performegoistic actions out of the delusion that duality exists. Maya cannot beequated with the external world itself; rather, it is a force that expressesitself as a mental tendency to think in terms of "I" and "other". Out of thissense of duality, which creates the sense of a separate ego, all the innernegativities arise. Only if we feel that we are separate from others, will we hate someone else, orbe attached to someone else, or be jealous of someone else, or be angry atsomeone who has thwarted our own personal desires. We will overcome this forceof maya only when we perceive that all beings are part and parcel of the sameSupreme Self. When we have realized the Supreme Self, we will feel nothing butlove for the entire universe, and all of our actions will be rooted in thatlove, and not out of any egoistic motivations. Verse 2 durge smruta harasi bhitima seshajantoh svasthaih smruta matimativa subham dadasi daridrya duhkha bhayaharini ka tvadanya sarvopakara karanaya sadardrachitta Swamiji's Translation: Oh, reliever of difficulties, remembering you the fearof all living beings is dispelled. When remembered by those individuals in theharmony of spiritual growth you increase their welfare and intelligence. Who islike you, Oh dispeller of Poverty, Pain and Fear, whose sympathetic demeanoralways extends compassionate assistance to everyone? Exposer of consciousness,we bow to you. Commentary: For any being who is fortunate enough to remember the mostcompassionate Universal Mother, fear is completely destroyed. Not only will thefear be destroyed, but Mother will replace the fear with all auspicious andbright qualities. The entire life of one who constantly remembers Mother willbe very bright and full of the highest divine qualities, leading eventually toliberation. There is never any question for Mother, "Does this child reallydeserve my help?" She is so unfailingly compassionate, this question neverenters Her mind. Her very nature is to always help Her children, for She alwayspossesses the perfect awareness that all beings are part of the one SupremeSelf. All are part of the same universal family, and all deserve Her help. Eventhe cruelest demons end up being liberated by Mother as She vanquishes them forthe benefit of Her peaceful children. The demons are also Her children, andDevi doesn't have the heart to reject anyone, ever. Not only external poverty is destroyed by Her, but also the inner poverty. Lackof sweetness, devotion, sincerity, enthusiasm, intelligence, all these "lacks"are removed by the rays of grace that flow ceaselessly from Her eyes. Verse 3 sarva mangala mangalye sive sarvartha sadhike sharanye tryambake devi narayani namostu te Swamiji's Translation: To the Auspicious of all Auspiciousness, to theAccomplisher of all Objectives, to the source of Refuge, to the Goddess who isRays of Light, Exposer of Consciousness, we bow to you. Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the essence of everything thatis kind, sweet, and good. You radiate the most auspicious light and fulfill thenoble, heartfelt wishes of Your children. I wish to take refuge in the mostcompassionate Divine Mother who watches over Her children with Her threebeautiful eyes, which have the power to protect, nourish and purify with a mereglance. O Narayani, I salute You with joined palms out of the reverence andlove in my heart."If we want to always have Devi's auspicious presence in our lives, we shouldtake refuge in Her. Spiritually, taking refuge can mean that we make everyeffort to act according to the divine virtues of love, compassion,selflessness, truthfulness, and discrimination. Here, "taking refuge" meansthat we acknowledge the ultimate power of dharmic behavior. We rely on dharmicthoughts, speech, and actions for the well-being of ourselves and others. If wewant to take refuge and receive Her protection, then we must follow Her divinerules, not the rules of the selfish ego.Verse 4 saranagata dinarta paritrana parayane sarvasyarti hare devi narayani namostu te Swamiji's Translation: For those who are devoted to you and take refuge in you,even though helpless and perplexed, you save them from all discomfort andunhappiness. All worry you take away, Oh Goddess, Exposer of Consciousness, webow to you. Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the unfailing support andrefuge for all who call out to You in distress. You are the one who looks afterthe most helpless of Your children. Those who surrender to You with 100 percentfaith are carried to the goal of Liberation without fail. O Mother, I am notthe only one who needs Your help, and my prayer is not for myself alone! Won'tYou give Your love and compassion to all Your suffering children? I wish forall beings to be elevated to the ultimate state of peace and bliss, because Iknow that all beings belong to my Supreme Self, and I belong to all beings. ONarayani, I am supplicating you with joined hands on behalf of all of Yourchildren." The divine power hidden in this sloka is capable of giving peace to the entireuniverse. If we pray to Devi for universal peace using this powerful sloka,peace will manifest. This is the essential sloka for the Chandi, and it isplaced in the very center of the Saptasloki. So the essence of Chandi is thatDivine Mother is always there for us, She is perfectly capable of removingevery last bit of negativity or limitation that threatens to keep us from ourtrue nature and destiny - Liberation or Enlightenment. In fact, this is whatShe most wants to help us with. It doesn't matter what our situation isexternally, we just need to call out to Her from the bottoms of our hearts, andShe will come running to help us in the way that is best for us.Verse 5 sarvasvarupe sarvese sarvasaktisamanvite bhayebhyastrahi no devi durge devi namostu te The Intrinsic nature of All, the Supreme of All, and the Energy of All as well;you remove all fear from us, Oh Goddess, Reliever of Afflictions, Oh Goddess,we bow to you. Commentary in the form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the inner essence of everymanifested form in Your entire Creation. You alone rule this entire cosmos fullof beautiful planets, stars and galaxies. When it is only You playing all theparts in Your divine drama, of whom can I be afraid? O supremely compassionateMother, I pray to You to remove my sense of ego, which makes me fear what Iperceive as "other". Let me perceive the truth that all are One in the SupremeSelf, for then fear will no longer be able to touch me. Let me see only Youshining in all forms as the pure, eternal light of Truth!" In this sloka there are two ideas juxtaposed, one that Mother is the veryessence and energy pervading all beings, the other that She removes all of ourfear. The way that She removes our fear is to bless us with the understandingthat She is the all-pervading presence in every form of Nature. If we canconnect with Her presence in every form, we will have no need to fear any harm.When we reach a level of Realization where we perceive Her clearly in all ofexistence, we will lose all fear. We don't lose the fear because we are morepowerful or we have a powerful protrectress watching over us. We lose the fearbecause we gain the awareness that Maa is dancing in every form throughout theuniverse, and we have nothing to fear from Maa. The obstacle to perceiving Her everywhere is the ego-habit. Over multitudes oflifetimes, we have quite naturally thought in terms of "I, me, my". This is ourheritage, and the only way to remove the sense of I-ness, me-ness, and my-nessis through steady sadhana. Sadhana will purify our consciousness and lift usout of the limited awareness of you versus me, us versus them.Verse 6 roganaseshanapahamsi tusta rusta tu kaman sakalanabhistan tvamasritanam na vipannaranam tvamasrita hyasrayatam prayanti Swamiji's Translation: When you are pleased you destroy all infirmities, andwhen you are displeased you frustrate all desires. No calamity or diseasebefalls those who take refuge in you, and those who take refuge in youinvariably become a refuge to others. Commentary: In the first line, we should not think that Divine Mother is"pleased" or "displeased" with us by mere whim. If we have some problem ordisease, we dont' need to think that Mother is angry with us, and that She istherefore causing us some problem. The source of the problem is our own karma,which is the result of our own actions from previous lives. We should feel thatMother is waiting anxiously for us to return to Her, to return to our ownnatural state of blissful oneness with Atman. As we suffer, we can rejoice thatwe are burning off all of our karma so as to return to our natural state ofperfection. If we suffer intensely, we will attain the goal that much morequickly by accomplishing a lot of purification in a short amount of time.Intense suffering in a sadhaka often indicates a strong ambition to make rapidprogress towards the goal, or to learn powerful lessons that can only comethrough suffering.If She frustrates our desires, maybe it is to make us inquire as to whether weare doing something wrong or acting with wrong motivation, so as to guide usback to the right path. We need to constantly reflect on our motivation and ourmethods. If we are acting with egoistic or selfish motivation, we will neverget good results, and our desires will be frustrated. But She is not angry withus, She is looking on us with compassion for our limited state of mind. Herthought is only to elevate Her children and bring them out of all limitations.What is She most pleased by? Divine Mother is extremely pleased byselflessness, including selfless prayer. Through cultivating selflessness inall of our activities, we will always be able to please Mother, and She willfulfill all of our noble wishes. The other key element in this sloka is that those who take refuge in Motherwill definitely become a refuge for others. The greatest gift that Devi givesto us as we strive to attain Her is that She makes us more like Her. As we growand purify, She permits more of Her light to shine through us into the world.We become capable of giving more and more peace and love to this world. Thepinnacle of dharma is to offer our lives in selfless service to the entirecosmos, as so many divine rishis and saints have done and continue to do today.This seems like a daunting task, especially when we all feel overwhelmed attimes with our own problems, but it becomes possible when we take refuge inMother. Taking refuge in Mother is the first step towards realizing our essentialoneness and identity with Her. The essence of the Vedas is that "I and myMother are One". The purpose of all the activities enjoined on us in the Vedasis to realize this eternal Truth. When we realize our oneness with Her, we willbe a legitimate source of refuge for innumerable beings, who will benefit fromsimply being in our presence. Verse 7 sarvabadha prasamanam trailokyasya akhilesvari evameva tvaya karyam asmadvairi vinasanam Swamiji's Translation: Oh Spirit of the Supreme Sovereign, terminate alldisturbance in the three worlds and in like manner remove from us allhostility. Commentary: We must pray from the bottom of our hearts for the most lovingSupreme Divine Mother to vanquish all the dark forces in the world, for She isthe one who is eternally watching over the three worlds with Her three eyes,which see everything. If we pray like this, live according to dharma, andpractice sincerely, we will become channels for Her grace to flow into theworld. Every time we pray for peace, chant a mantra, meditate, sing bhajans, orrecite the Chandi with love and devotion, we project positive energy into theEarth's atmosphere. That energy joins up with the energy of all the otherpractitioners, saints, and subtle beings who are intent on the goal ofuniversal peace and happiness. This is how we invoke Mother's presence in theworld, for the sake of universal welfare (viswa kalyanam). Sanskrit is such apowerful language that simply to ask for Her blessing in these powerful slokasis to automatically invoke Her energy for the betterment of the world. Due tothe divine energy contained in Sanskrit sounds, the asking itself is thereceiving.The disturbances in the three worlds are intimately connected to the hostilitythat dwells in our hearts and minds. If the world is to be in peace, all thepeople must cultivate peaceful vibrations in their own minds, homes, cities,and countries. Thus, we request Mother to remove all the hatred, hostility orany other kind of negativity from our own minds. If we purify our minds throughmeditation and other practices, we will radiate that purity to the rest of theworld. By living according to dharma and practicing sincerely, we provide aunique service to the world, out of the love and compassion in our hearts.Here, "living according to dharma" means cultivating positive virtues liketruthfulness, sincerity, helpfulness, cheeriness, contentment, humility,compassion, and so on.Jai Maa!EktaRead only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. ------------------------ Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from . Register anything.http://us.click./J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM--~-> Links<*> /<*> To from this group, send an email to: <*> Your use of is subject to: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2004 Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 Jai Maa! What an insightful question from Karen…I really liked the comments that others have made on this, especially where they described their glimpses of oneness. Such experiences give me hope! It's hard to talk about these kinds of things in any language, and especially hard in English. My feeling is that Self-Realization and truly perceiving oneness are experiences that go beyond language. Also, the English language is not quite set up to correspond to spiritual and mystical realities. Nevertheless, I think that as we mature and develop spiritually, through our practice, our selfless service, and through the grace of God and Guru, we start to have glimpses of Truth, which is the universal oneness of all beings. It's like we're covered in layers of mud, and as we do sadhana, the mud is being washed away. As soon as we are free of mud, we will see clearly, act clearly, and love clearly, without any obstruction. As the mud washes away, we have brief moments where our eyes are truly clean, and we see the world clearly. Then another rivulet of mud falls down and covers our eyes, and our vision is obscured. Eventually, ALL the mud will be gone, and we will be permanently capable of perceiving Truth. I don't see enlightenment or liberation as a static state, or an endpoint. I do think there is always growth and development (although how would I know?). But there is a point beyond which we do not fall back. I think that is what is referred to as moksha, or liberation, or enlightenment. It is possible to reach a point where we are thoroughly purified, we have realized the Supreme Self, and we are so firmly established in that elevated state that we do not fall back into the cycle of creating karma and experiencing its fruits. So we are liberated from the cycle of rebirth. I believe that only those who have attained this state are capable of truly perceiving and experiencing true Oneness. Until that point, we can try to understand it intellectually, at least to keep ourselves on the right track. I think it is useful to try to think about oneness with the mind, while constantly acknowledging that this kind of mental activity is limited, and that ultimately we need to have the *experience* and total realization of oneness. This is a mystical experience that is attained after much spiritual work. Yogis may talk about this realization in terms of the kundalini energy and how it moves through the chakras in the subtle body. When the sahasrara (crown of the head) chakra is awakened and our awareness is stabilized here, we can have the experience of Oneness. The sahasrara chakra is sometimes called the universal lotus, which means that we experience our oneness with the universe in this center. I've also heard that when the third eye center awakens, one becomes capable of seeing the divine unity everywhere. Suffice it to say that when all the chakras are purified through sadhana and the higher ones are fully activated, we can achieve Self-Realization and experience oneness full-time. Sometimes, the higher chakras may activate temporarily, especially during peak states of meditation, chanting, or puja. Then we will experience a temporary glimpse of oneness. In most people, the chakras will not stay fully activated as we return to our normal consciousness. This is due to the worldy samskaras, or mental impressions, reasserting themselves in our minds. These samskaras are not really "our fault", they just come from the millions of lives we've led as ordinary beings just trying to survive in the world. But as we do our sadhana, ALL the samskaras (like the mud from before) will be burned, and eventually the true state of liberation, the highest divine consciousness, will exist permanently for us. I believe that thinking intellectually about oneness is the most important thing we can do to ensure our excellent spiritual progress. If we believe that we are all one, then we know that if we hurt another, we hurt ourselves. If we give to another, we give to ourselves. We can love ourselves and love others, without any conflict, because all are part of the same Universal Self. Truly moral and compassionate behavior stems from this concept. It is not possible to achieve anything spiritually unless we acknowledge universal oneness through our compassion, lovingkindness, and ahimsa, or nonviolence, in my opinion. We can use our reasoned comprehension of oneness to keep ourselves behaving properly. By avoiding negative karma, we reduce the amount of "junk" we have to burn through our sadhana. Also, the more we act according to a belief, the more strongly the belief will be felt, and that can sometimes turn into the actual experience, so it is not just "mood-making". In my experience, thinking and reasoning about the oneness of all beings releases a tremendous flow of pure and positive energy into the mind. This energy itself purifies the mind, making it capable of perceiving the divine unity. Behaving "as if" all beings are one also generates this extremely positive energy. There's even a term for it--"helper's high". When people do volunteer work or selfless service, they often experience a kind of high or bliss. Whatever the physiological correlates may be, I think this is due to the divine sakti, or energy, that flows into us when we behave according to the divine Truth of oneness. I have heard from one Master that "Selfless service prepares the mind for the descent of divine light." So the more we act according to the Law of Oneness, the more our minds will be capable of receiving and holding the light of divine consciousness. I want to offer one caveat here. I have observed some people using the idea of oneness as a rationale for behaviors that may be harmful to one's sadhana. Some people feel that because we are all one, we don't have to make distinctions in who we spend time with, or what we eat, and so on. They say that since we're all one, no one's any better or worse than anyone else, so what does it matter who we keep company with? It's not a question of who's better or worse. If we want to maintain our spiritual vibration, we need to interact with other spiritual people, especially perfected saints. This is why satsang is so important. If we want to eradicate negativity in ourselves, we need to avoid the company of negative people, at least for the most part. Until we ourselves are perfected, we should exercise discrimination in our daily lives by surrounding ourselves with positive (auspicious) thoughts, sights, sounds, and people, and avoiding the negative ones. (By the way, "Ekta" means "oneness" in Sanskrit [ek or eka means one and ta means "the quality of"]. My birth name, Eleathea, means "truth" in Greek. So, taken together, we have "Truth is One"!) Jai Maa! Ekta --- Karen Borak <karenborak wrote: > Jai Maa! > > Ekta, Verse 1, talking about Maha Maya exerting a powerful force, even on > people who are very wise...how far can reason and intellect take us in > understanding duality? Can those who have not realized the Supreme Self > perceive the oneness of all beings? Is perception the same as realization or > is perception the intellectual attempt to understand? Is "trying" to act > upon the reasoned comprehension that all is one "mood making?" > > Namaste, > Karen > > Many thanks for sharing your knowledge on the Durga Saptasloki. > > > - > Eleathea Barraclough > > Thursday, September 09, 2004 1:16 PM > Durga Saptasloki > > > Jai Maa! > > Recently I mentioned the Durga Saptasloki, and I thought it might be nice > to > post some discussion on these seven verses. What I have heard is that these > seven verses contain the essence of the sound energy of the Chandi, as well > as > the essential spiritual significance of Chandi as a scripture. I believe 5 > out > of 7 of these verses occur in the Narayani Stuti (which forms most of > chapter > 11 of the Chandi). I found Swamiji's translation of the Saptasloki posted > on > the Internet somewhere, but I can't verify the accuracy because I don't > have > the Chandi book on hand right now. I've added commentary in terms of > teachings > I've received on the verses as well as any thoughts that come to my mind. > The > commentary is a mixture of teachings and personal thoughts, so it should be > taken with several grains of salt! I have included the Sanskrit verses in a > rough form, although it's not accurate for pronunciation because I can't > use > diacritics in the emails. > > Verse 1 > jnaninamapi cetamsi devi bhagavati hi sa > baladakrushya mohaya mahamaya prayacchati > > Swamiji's Translation: She, this Supreme Goddess, the Great Measurement of > Consciousness, attracts the perceiving capacity of all sensible beings with > such force as to thrust them into egoistic attachment. > > Commentary: Divine Mother, in Her form as Maha Maya, exerts an > overwhelmingly > powerful force even on people who are very wise, such that they perform > egoistic actions out of the delusion that duality exists. Maya cannot be > equated with the external world itself; rather, it is a force that > expresses > itself as a mental tendency to think in terms of "I" and "other". Out of > this > sense of duality, which creates the sense of a separate ego, all the inner > negativities arise. > > Only if we feel that we are separate from others, will we hate someone > else, or > be attached to someone else, or be jealous of someone else, or be angry at > someone who has thwarted our own personal desires. We will overcome this > force > of maya only when we perceive that all beings are part and parcel of the > same > Supreme Self. When we have realized the Supreme Self, we will feel nothing > but > love for the entire universe, and all of our actions will be rooted in that > love, and not out of any egoistic motivations. > > Verse 2 > durge smruta harasi bhitima seshajantoh > svasthaih smruta matimativa subham dadasi > daridrya duhkha bhayaharini ka tvadanya > sarvopakara karanaya sadardrachitta > > Swamiji's Translation: Oh, reliever of difficulties, remembering you the > fear > of all living beings is dispelled. When remembered by those individuals in > the > harmony of spiritual growth you increase their welfare and intelligence. > Who is > like you, Oh dispeller of Poverty, Pain and Fear, whose sympathetic > demeanor > always extends compassionate assistance to everyone? Exposer of > consciousness, > we bow to you. > > Commentary: For any being who is fortunate enough to remember the most > compassionate Universal Mother, fear is completely destroyed. Not only will > the > fear be destroyed, but Mother will replace the fear with all auspicious and > bright qualities. The entire life of one who constantly remembers Mother > will > be very bright and full of the highest divine qualities, leading eventually > to > liberation. There is never any question for Mother, "Does this child really > deserve my help?" She is so unfailingly compassionate, this question never > enters Her mind. Her very nature is to always help Her children, for She > always > possesses the perfect awareness that all beings are part of the one Supreme > Self. All are part of the same universal family, and all deserve Her help. > Even > the cruelest demons end up being liberated by Mother as She vanquishes them > for > the benefit of Her peaceful children. The demons are also Her children, and > Devi doesn't have the heart to reject anyone, ever. > > Not only external poverty is destroyed by Her, but also the inner poverty. > Lack > of sweetness, devotion, sincerity, enthusiasm, intelligence, all these > "lacks" > are removed by the rays of grace that flow ceaselessly from Her eyes. > > Verse 3 > sarva mangala mangalye sive sarvartha sadhike > sharanye tryambake devi narayani namostu te > > Swamiji's Translation: To the Auspicious of all Auspiciousness, to the > Accomplisher of all Objectives, to the source of Refuge, to the Goddess who > is > Rays of Light, Exposer of Consciousness, we bow to you. > > Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the essence of everything > that > is kind, sweet, and good. You radiate the most auspicious light and fulfill > the > noble, heartfelt wishes of Your children. I wish to take refuge in the most > compassionate Divine Mother who watches over Her children with Her three > beautiful eyes, which have the power to protect, nourish and purify with a > mere > glance. O Narayani, I salute You with joined palms out of the reverence and > love in my heart." > > If we want to always have Devi's auspicious presence in our lives, we > should > take refuge in Her. Spiritually, taking refuge can mean that we make every > effort to act according to the divine virtues of love, compassion, > selflessness, truthfulness, and discrimination. Here, "taking refuge" means > that we acknowledge the ultimate power of dharmic behavior. We rely on > dharmic > thoughts, speech, and actions for the well-being of ourselves and others. > If we > want to take refuge and receive Her protection, then we must follow Her > divine > rules, not the rules of the selfish ego. > > Verse 4 > saranagata dinarta paritrana parayane > sarvasyarti hare devi narayani namostu te > > Swamiji's Translation: For those who are devoted to you and take refuge in > you, > even though helpless and perplexed, you save them from all discomfort and > unhappiness. All worry you take away, Oh Goddess, Exposer of Consciousness, > we > bow to you. > > Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the unfailing support and > refuge for all who call out to You in distress. You are the one who looks > after > the most helpless of Your children. Those who surrender to You with 100 > percent > faith are carried to the goal of Liberation without fail. O Mother, I am > not > the only one who needs Your help, and my prayer is not for myself alone! > Won't > You give Your love and compassion to all Your suffering children? I wish > for > all beings to be elevated to the ultimate state of peace and bliss, because > I > know that all beings belong to my Supreme Self, and I belong to all beings. > O > Narayani, I am supplicating you with joined hands on behalf of all of Your > children." > > The divine power hidden in this sloka is capable of giving peace to the > entire > universe. If we pray to Devi for universal peace using this powerful sloka, > peace will manifest. This is the essential sloka for the Chandi, and it is > placed in the very center of the Saptasloki. So the essence of Chandi is > that > Divine Mother is always there for us, She is perfectly capable of removing > every last bit of negativity or limitation that threatens to keep us from > our > true nature and destiny - Liberation or Enlightenment. In fact, this is > what > She most wants to help us with. It doesn't matter what our situation is > externally, we just need to call out to Her from the bottoms of our hearts, > and > She will come running to help us in the way that is best for us. > > Verse 5 > === message truncated === Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 OM NAMAH SIVAYA Dear Ekta, i always look forward to your posts, they are so informative. my inquisitiveness forces me to ask questions, my intention is not to debate. when one succumbs to "negative" behavior is this due to the fact that humans gravitate to the lowest common denominator or due to the fact that they don't really know themselves? is higher vibrational consciousness more likely to raise its lower counterpart in everyday interactions or does the divine become polluted by the impure? i have seen and heard of swamis and other spiritual "experts" who live their lives in a controlled environment, ie. ashrams, monestaries, etc. and behave very saintly. but when exposed to the world, their actions exhibit "negativity", whether by acting on passions or maybe just by passing judgment. are they examples of humans gravitating to the lowest common denominator, corrupted by the world, or did these people not really develop themselves in total? is suppression of passion, dispassion? like your say about self-realization, i can read a book about it but that is not experiencing it. living experience is the experience of the soul. in the same way, i feel my quest to realize myself has been greatly enhanced by the "negative" people who cross my path in life. mainly because i don't view them as such. they have tested my boundaries, which has formed who i am. i also feel that nothing can destroy you, unless you let it. the same love that takes the form of passion and desire and also takes the form of affection and devotion. the basic emotions of passion and devotion are the same. it is us who creates the difference, the distinction. i think of negativity in the same way. it is not "bad" but rather our perception or labeling that makes it so. i also exercise discrimination to enhance spiritual evolution and try to remember its all God. nothing is ever "bad" really, its just not for me. so, is life a learning experience with perfection the ultimate outcome, or is life an exercise in avoidance until i reach the state of perfection? or maybe the answer lies in the middle path between the two? i'd greatly appreciate any comments you have. JAI MA , Eleathea Barraclough <eleathea> wrote: > Jai Maa! > > What an insightful question from Karen…I really liked the comments that others > have made on this, especially where they described their glimpses of oneness. > Such experiences give me hope! It's hard to talk about these kinds of things in > any language, and especially hard in English. My feeling is that > Self-Realization and truly perceiving oneness are experiences that go beyond > language. Also, the English language is not quite set up to correspond to > spiritual and mystical realities. > > Nevertheless, I think that as we mature and develop spiritually, through our > practice, our selfless service, and through the grace of God and Guru, we start > to have glimpses of Truth, which is the universal oneness of all beings. It's > like we're covered in layers of mud, and as we do sadhana, the mud is being > washed away. As soon as we are free of mud, we will see clearly, act clearly, > and love clearly, without any obstruction. As the mud washes away, we have > brief moments where our eyes are truly clean, and we see the world clearly. > Then another rivulet of mud falls down and covers our eyes, and our vision is > obscured. Eventually, ALL the mud will be gone, and we will be permanently > capable of perceiving Truth. > > I don't see enlightenment or liberation as a static state, or an endpoint. I do > think there is always growth and development (although how would I know?). But > there is a point beyond which we do not fall back. I think that is what is > referred to as moksha, or liberation, or enlightenment. It is possible to reach > a point where we are thoroughly purified, we have realized the Supreme Self, > and we are so firmly established in that elevated state that we do not fall > back into the cycle of creating karma and experiencing its fruits. So we are > liberated from the cycle of rebirth. I believe that only those who have > attained this state are capable of truly perceiving and experiencing true > Oneness. Until that point, we can try to understand it intellectually, at least > to keep ourselves on the right track. I think it is useful to try to think > about oneness with the mind, while constantly acknowledging that this kind of > mental activity is limited, and that ultimately we need to have the > *experience* and total realization of oneness. This is a mystical experience > that is attained after much spiritual work. > > Yogis may talk about this realization in terms of the kundalini energy and how > it moves through the chakras in the subtle body. When the sahasrara (crown of > the head) chakra is awakened and our awareness is stabilized here, we can have > the experience of Oneness. The sahasrara chakra is sometimes called the > universal lotus, which means that we experience our oneness with the universe > in this center. I've also heard that when the third eye center awakens, one > becomes capable of seeing the divine unity everywhere. Suffice it to say that > when all the chakras are purified through sadhana and the higher ones are fully > activated, we can achieve Self-Realization and experience oneness full-time. > > Sometimes, the higher chakras may activate temporarily, especially during peak > states of meditation, chanting, or puja. Then we will experience a temporary > glimpse of oneness. In most people, the chakras will not stay fully activated > as we return to our normal consciousness. This is due to the worldy samskaras, > or mental impressions, reasserting themselves in our minds. These samskaras are > not really "our fault", they just come from the millions of lives we've led as > ordinary beings just trying to survive in the world. But as we do our sadhana, > ALL the samskaras (like the mud from before) will be burned, and eventually the > true state of liberation, the highest divine consciousness, will exist > permanently for us. > > I believe that thinking intellectually about oneness is the most important > thing we can do to ensure our excellent spiritual progress. If we believe that > we are all one, then we know that if we hurt another, we hurt ourselves. If we > give to another, we give to ourselves. We can love ourselves and love others, > without any conflict, because all are part of the same Universal Self. Truly > moral and compassionate behavior stems from this concept. It is not possible to > achieve anything spiritually unless we acknowledge universal oneness through > our compassion, lovingkindness, and ahimsa, or nonviolence, in my opinion. We > can use our reasoned comprehension of oneness to keep ourselves behaving > properly. By avoiding negative karma, we reduce the amount of "junk" we have to > burn through our sadhana. Also, the more we act according to a belief, the more > strongly the belief will be felt, and that can sometimes turn into the actual > experience, so it is not just "mood-making". > > In my experience, thinking and reasoning about the oneness of all beings > releases a tremendous flow of pure and positive energy into the mind. This > energy itself purifies the mind, making it capable of perceiving the divine > unity. Behaving "as if" all beings are one also generates this extremely > positive energy. There's even a term for it--"helper's high". When people do > volunteer work or selfless service, they often experience a kind of high or > bliss. Whatever the physiological correlates may be, I think this is due to the > divine sakti, or energy, that flows into us when we behave according to the > divine Truth of oneness. I have heard from one Master that "Selfless service > prepares the mind for the descent of divine light." So the more we act > according to the Law of Oneness, the more our minds will be capable of > receiving and holding the light of divine consciousness. > > I want to offer one caveat here. I have observed some people using the idea of > oneness as a rationale for behaviors that may be harmful to one's sadhana. Some > people feel that because we are all one, we don't have to make distinctions in > who we spend time with, or what we eat, and so on. They say that since we're > all one, no one's any better or worse than anyone else, so what does it matter > who we keep company with? It's not a question of who's better or worse. If we > want to maintain our spiritual vibration, we need to interact with other > spiritual people, especially perfected saints. This is why satsang is so > important. If we want to eradicate negativity in ourselves, we need to avoid > the company of negative people, at least for the most part. Until we ourselves > are perfected, we should exercise discrimination in our daily lives by > surrounding ourselves with positive (auspicious) thoughts, sights, sounds, and > people, and avoiding the negative ones. > > (By the way, "Ekta" means "oneness" in Sanskrit [ek or eka means one and ta > means "the quality of"]. My birth name, Eleathea, means "truth" in Greek. So, > taken together, we have "Truth is One"!) > > Jai Maa! > Ekta > --- Karen Borak <karenborak@e...> wrote: > > > Jai Maa! > > > > Ekta, Verse 1, talking about Maha Maya exerting a powerful force, even on > > people who are very wise...how far can reason and intellect take us in > > understanding duality? Can those who have not realized the Supreme Self > > perceive the oneness of all beings? Is perception the same as realization or > > is perception the intellectual attempt to understand? Is "trying" to act > > upon the reasoned comprehension that all is one "mood making?" > > > > Namaste, > > Karen > > > > Many thanks for sharing your knowledge on the Durga Saptasloki. > > > > > > - > > Eleathea Barraclough > > > > Thursday, September 09, 2004 1:16 PM > > Durga Saptasloki > > > > > > Jai Maa! > > > > Recently I mentioned the Durga Saptasloki, and I thought it might be nice > > to > > post some discussion on these seven verses. What I have heard is that these > > seven verses contain the essence of the sound energy of the Chandi, as well > > as > > the essential spiritual significance of Chandi as a scripture. I believe 5 > > out > > of 7 of these verses occur in the Narayani Stuti (which forms most of > > chapter > > 11 of the Chandi). I found Swamiji's translation of the Saptasloki posted > > on > > the Internet somewhere, but I can't verify the accuracy because I don't > > have > > the Chandi book on hand right now. I've added commentary in terms of > > teachings > > I've received on the verses as well as any thoughts that come to my mind. > > The > > commentary is a mixture of teachings and personal thoughts, so it should be > > taken with several grains of salt! I have included the Sanskrit verses in a > > rough form, although it's not accurate for pronunciation because I can't > > use > > diacritics in the emails. > > > > Verse 1 > > jnaninamapi cetamsi devi bhagavati hi sa > > baladakrushya mohaya mahamaya prayacchati > > > > Swamiji's Translation: She, this Supreme Goddess, the Great Measurement of > > Consciousness, attracts the perceiving capacity of all sensible beings with > > such force as to thrust them into egoistic attachment. > > > > Commentary: Divine Mother, in Her form as Maha Maya, exerts an > > overwhelmingly > > powerful force even on people who are very wise, such that they perform > > egoistic actions out of the delusion that duality exists. Maya cannot be > > equated with the external world itself; rather, it is a force that > > expresses > > itself as a mental tendency to think in terms of "I" and "other". Out of > > this > > sense of duality, which creates the sense of a separate ego, all the inner > > negativities arise. > > > > Only if we feel that we are separate from others, will we hate someone > > else, or > > be attached to someone else, or be jealous of someone else, or be angry at > > someone who has thwarted our own personal desires. We will overcome this > > force > > of maya only when we perceive that all beings are part and parcel of the > > same > > Supreme Self. When we have realized the Supreme Self, we will feel nothing > > but > > love for the entire universe, and all of our actions will be rooted in that > > love, and not out of any egoistic motivations. > > > > Verse 2 > > durge smruta harasi bhitima seshajantoh > > svasthaih smruta matimativa subham dadasi > > daridrya duhkha bhayaharini ka tvadanya > > sarvopakara karanaya sadardrachitta > > > > Swamiji's Translation: Oh, reliever of difficulties, remembering you the > > fear > > of all living beings is dispelled. When remembered by those individuals in > > the > > harmony of spiritual growth you increase their welfare and intelligence. > > Who is > > like you, Oh dispeller of Poverty, Pain and Fear, whose sympathetic > > demeanor > > always extends compassionate assistance to everyone? Exposer of > > consciousness, > > we bow to you. > > > > Commentary: For any being who is fortunate enough to remember the most > > compassionate Universal Mother, fear is completely destroyed. Not only will > > the > > fear be destroyed, but Mother will replace the fear with all auspicious and > > bright qualities. The entire life of one who constantly remembers Mother > > will > > be very bright and full of the highest divine qualities, leading eventually > > to > > liberation. There is never any question for Mother, "Does this child really > > deserve my help?" She is so unfailingly compassionate, this question never > > enters Her mind. Her very nature is to always help Her children, for She > > always > > possesses the perfect awareness that all beings are part of the one Supreme > > Self. All are part of the same universal family, and all deserve Her help. > > Even > > the cruelest demons end up being liberated by Mother as She vanquishes them > > for > > the benefit of Her peaceful children. The demons are also Her children, and > > Devi doesn't have the heart to reject anyone, ever. > > > > Not only external poverty is destroyed by Her, but also the inner poverty. > > Lack > > of sweetness, devotion, sincerity, enthusiasm, intelligence, all these > > "lacks" > > are removed by the rays of grace that flow ceaselessly from Her eyes. > > > > Verse 3 > > sarva mangala mangalye sive sarvartha sadhike > > sharanye tryambake devi narayani namostu te > > > > Swamiji's Translation: To the Auspicious of all Auspiciousness, to the > > Accomplisher of all Objectives, to the source of Refuge, to the Goddess who > > is > > Rays of Light, Exposer of Consciousness, we bow to you. > > > > Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the essence of everything > > that > > is kind, sweet, and good. You radiate the most auspicious light and fulfill > > the > > noble, heartfelt wishes of Your children. I wish to take refuge in the most > > compassionate Divine Mother who watches over Her children with Her three > > beautiful eyes, which have the power to protect, nourish and purify with a > > mere > > glance. O Narayani, I salute You with joined palms out of the reverence and > > love in my heart." > > > > If we want to always have Devi's auspicious presence in our lives, we > > should > > take refuge in Her. Spiritually, taking refuge can mean that we make every > > effort to act according to the divine virtues of love, compassion, > > selflessness, truthfulness, and discrimination. Here, "taking refuge" means > > that we acknowledge the ultimate power of dharmic behavior. We rely on > > dharmic > > thoughts, speech, and actions for the well-being of ourselves and others. > > If we > > want to take refuge and receive Her protection, then we must follow Her > > divine > > rules, not the rules of the selfish ego. > > > > Verse 4 > > saranagata dinarta paritrana parayane > > sarvasyarti hare devi narayani namostu te > > > > Swamiji's Translation: For those who are devoted to you and take refuge in > > you, > > even though helpless and perplexed, you save them from all discomfort and > > unhappiness. All worry you take away, Oh Goddess, Exposer of Consciousness, > > we > > bow to you. > > > > Commentary in form of prayer: "O Mother, You are the unfailing support and > > refuge for all who call out to You in distress. You are the one who looks > > after > > the most helpless of Your children. Those who surrender to You with 100 > > percent > > faith are carried to the goal of Liberation without fail. O Mother, I am > > not > > the only one who needs Your help, and my prayer is not for myself alone! > > Won't > > You give Your love and compassion to all Your suffering children? I wish > > for > > all beings to be elevated to the ultimate state of peace and bliss, because > > I > > know that all beings belong to my Supreme Self, and I belong to all beings. > > O > > Narayani, I am supplicating you with joined hands on behalf of all of Your > > children." > > > > The divine power hidden in this sloka is capable of giving peace to the > > entire > > universe. If we pray to Devi for universal peace using this powerful sloka, > > peace will manifest. This is the essential sloka for the Chandi, and it is > > placed in the very center of the Saptasloki. So the essence of Chandi is > > that > > Divine Mother is always there for us, She is perfectly capable of removing > > every last bit of negativity or limitation that threatens to keep us from > > our > > true nature and destiny - Liberation or Enlightenment. In fact, this is > > what > > She most wants to help us with. It doesn't matter what our situation is > > externally, we just need to call out to Her from the bottoms of our hearts, > > and > > She will come running to help us in the way that is best for us. > > > > Verse 5 > > > === message truncated === > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Jai Maa! THese questions from ecjensen are very thoughtful and therefore complex. It's not that I feel I can answer these questions authoritatively. All I can do is try to respond with my thoughts and opinions, based on personal observations, theorizing, and teachings from Masters. > my inquisitiveness forces me to ask questions, my intention is not to > debate. I can feel your sincerity, and I always welcome sincere questions. when one succumbs to "negative" behavior is this due to the > fact that humans gravitate to the lowest common denominator or due > to the fact that they don't really know themselves? is higher > vibrational consciousness more likely to raise its lower counterpart > in everyday interactions or does the divine become polluted by the > impure? There are many reasons why someone would indulge in negative behavior. We all have many samskaras, or behavioral tendencies, that have formed over thousands of lifetimes. These samskaras are like deep grooves, and the deeper the groove, the more likely we are to fall into that groove and not come out. Sadhana helps to smoothe the surface of our consciousness, so that all the grooves can be eliminated. Once our consciousness is free from all samskaric complexes, we are free to act in a completely divine manner. Until we are perfect, though, there is always the chance to fall prey to the samskaras. These samskaras may be covered over in many layers. We may think that we are basically okay, but we may have repressed a number of desires. Only intense sadhana, and the grace of God and guru can root these out. Added to our personal samskaric situation is the fact that we live in the Kali Yuga. This is a time of general degeneration, when many people have forgotten about dharma. There is a certain mass consciousness that is created by people in various societies. This mass consciousness can either keep us on our path or lead us astray. So yes, there is a mass vibration that can induce people to follow the "lowest common denominator", but this is only likely to happen if those samskaras exist internally. If we have a certain samskara, being around lots of people who indulge in that behavior will cause our own samskara to "resonate" and possibly activate. This is why it's so important to have satsang, to mingle with people who have positive behavior and who seek the same noble goal that we are seeking. Satsang will help to keep our spiritual batteries full, so that we can resist less positive situations. Once we are perfected, we can go where we like and we will not be "polluted". If someone has a "fall from grace", this means that they did not complete their inner work, that they were not fully enlightened. This is my opinion, anyway. In most "everyday interactions", our positive vibe is more likely to dissipate, because the psychic atmosphere of most places is very worldly. Most people are not terrible interested in spirituality. But it depends on many things, like whether we are recharging our spiritual batteries daily through sadhana, or how deeply we absorb external energies, and so on. There's no hard and fast rule. i have seen and heard of swamis and other > spiritual "experts" who live their lives in a controlled > environment, ie. ashrams, monestaries, etc. and behave very > saintly. but when exposed to the world, their actions > exhibit "negativity", whether by acting on passions or maybe just by > passing judgment. are they examples of humans gravitating to the > lowest common denominator, corrupted by the world, or did these > people not really develop themselves in total? is suppression of > passion, dispassion? It is definitely easier to exhibit saint-like behavior in an ashram or monastery setting. Coming into the world will definitely let us know if we still have any worldly samskaras hidden within! In my opinion, the examples you mentioned indicate that the people had not developed themselves to the point of true Self-Realization. Supression of passion is not true dispassion. The whole point of sadhana is to destroy the very seeds of the lower passions, not to just supress them. If we just repress our deeply rooted desires, and try to act as if they don't exist, this will never work long-term. In ancient India, people were generally expected to go through 4 stages of life. The student phase involved a certain amount of austerity, including celibacy, moderation in food and so on. This was to provide a strong foundation for dharma and allow students to focus on their studies. Next, in the householder phase, young adults were married and expected to fulfill their reasonable desires in a dharmic way. After filling all of the householder duties, mainly ensuring the marriage and financial security of all children, one would enter the next phase, the vanaprastha phase. Here, one again embraces celibacy and moderation or poverty. One could live in a small hut as a recluse, with or without one's spouse, and start to intensify one's spiritual sadhana. The final phase would be sannyas, where one would take to wandering as a sadhu. So this indicates that most people were guided towards a life with a natural flow to it. In the younger years, one would enjoy worldly life while upholding society in a dharmic way. Then, after a fulfilling worldly life, one would intensify sadhana as the body's natural desires started to fade. > like your say about self-realization, i can read a book about it but > that is not experiencing it. living experience is the experience of > the soul. in the same way, i feel my quest to realize myself has > been greatly enhanced by the "negative" people who cross my path in > life. mainly because i don't view them as such. they have tested > my boundaries, which has formed who i am. i also feel that nothing > can destroy you, unless you let it. I don't like to refer to "negative" people, because I, like you, do not really see them that way. But to really express my feelings, I'd have to write "the beloved children of Devi who are temporarily misbehaving due to their unfortunate delusion". To avoid such wordiness, I just say "negative people"! Anyway, you obviously have enough awareness and strength of character to benefit from the various challenges that different types of people present. It is very true that we can learn from any situation or any person. Some people teach us how to behave (Maa, Swamiji) and others teach us how NOT to behave (you can think of examples). You're right that we can't be destroyed if we don't allow it. However, not everyone is so strong. Sometimes, we may think that we are strong enough to handle something, but we may be affected by it unconsciously. We all need to observe ourselves and learn what is too much and what we can handle. When we first start the spiritual journey, our sadhana is like a tender sapling. Unless some kind of fence or support stake is set up, the sapling can be easily broken or eaten. With a fence, however, the sapling will have enough time to grow into its own natural strength. In time, the fence can be removed because the sapling is now a tree. Eventually, nothing will be able to harm the tree, or even cause its leaves to shake, because the tree is so strong and well-rooted. This is what we are striving for, but until we reach that position of strength, we should at least limit our contact with overly worldly or "negative" people who might distort or "eat up" our energy. But each person must decide how to do that, based on personal introspection and the guidance of one's guru. the same love that takes the > form of passion and desire and also takes the form of affection and > devotion. the basic emotions of passion and devotion are the same. > it is us who creates the difference, the distinction. i think of > negativity in the same way. it is not "bad" but rather our > perception or labeling that makes it so. I do think that all forms of love contain the essence or seed of love. However, there is a vast difference between passionate, selfish lust or affection based on conditional love, and impersonal, unconditional selfless love. One is based on selfishness, and the other stems from true selflessness. One is like a polluted tank of water that spreads disease and suffering to those who drink from it, and the other is like a beautiful, pure river of water that quenches thirst and purifies body and mind. If there wasn't an important distinction between them, would any of us bother to practice spirituality? I remember seeing a t-shirt once that Maa had made. It said "I love pure love". To me, this indicates that we are seeking pure love, not just any kind of love. To seek pure love, we must discriminate. We are also seeking pure, or true, devotion. True devotion is not seeking favors from God because we are "good devotees". It means love for the sake of love, without any thought of reward. We love because it is simply our nature. In ordinary love and affection, we seek emotional happiness, pleasure, validation, and/or financial security from another being. There's nothing necessarily wrong with this, but it's not the pure love that we are seeking. We don't have to label anything as "bad", but if we are on a spiritual path, we need to identify that which we want to avoid in order to reach our goal. > i also exercise discrimination to enhance spiritual evolution and > try to remember its all God. nothing is ever "bad" really, its just > not for me. so, is life a learning experience with perfection the > ultimate outcome, or is life an exercise in avoidance until i reach > the state of perfection? or maybe the answer lies in the middle > path between the two? i'd greatly appreciate any comments you have. I can appreciate your desire not to judge anything as "bad", and to be able to benefit from any experience. In Buddhism, that approach would be called "bringing everything onto the path". I think you're right to suggest that we must take a middle road between enrolling ourselves in the school of hard knocks and avoiding everything to maintain a semblance of perfection. For most people, alternating between being more in the world and retreating from the world seems to work best. That's because most of us are householders, and we don't have much choice! We retreat in order to practice sadhana and strengthen our connection with the Divine under good circumstances. Then we go out into the world and see how well we can maintain that connection under not-so-great circumstances. Generally, if we have a guru, the guru will create circumstances to test us, whether we are in an ashram or not. We don't need to seek out our own tests, believe me, the guru will take care of that! When we hold firmly to Divine Mother's Lotus Feet, and take refuge in Her, She will take responsibility for our spiritual growth. She will send teachers to us, or even guide us directly if necessary. We will be in Her capable hands. So we just need to hold tight to Her, and whatever needs to happen will happen. Jai Maa! Ekta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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