Guest guest Posted September 21, 2004 Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 We spend so much time worshipping gods and goddesses, don't you think we should pay tribute to the asuras too? After all, if it weren't for them, we'd not get the wonderful bounty from the churning of the oceans of creation. It takes both gods and asuras to create the nectar, so lets pay our respects. Om Namaste Ciksura! This is the first Asura mentioned in Chapter 2 of the Chandi. Swamiji translates his name as, "Devoid of Clear Understanding." and his name is pronounced, Chikshura What I find most fascinating about him is how he's different from confusion. Durga is confusion, and she's a Goddess. Devoid of clear understanding is like the negative aspect, the demon compliment of healthy confusion. From confusion we can become clear, but from devoid of clear understanding, where can we go? I think we want to be devoid of clear understanding to justify our laziness or lack of decision. "Oh I don't know what to do, so I'll do nothing and hope the problem goes away." How have you seen Ciksura in your life and in those around you? --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.766 / Virus Database: 513 - Release 9/17/2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2004 Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 Dear Brian, Your post brought the serenity prayer to my mind "God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change Courage to change the things I can and Wisdom to know the difference" IMHO, Devoid of Clear Understanding is the father of all asuras - he spawns every other Asura. It is because of our incorrect understanding of any situation that all other demons arise. If we but know our goals, and therefore can adopt the right attitude towards the goal, we will always know the right thing to do. It is our inability to discriminate, due to the lack of a goal , that spawns D.o.C.U. (Whassup DoCU he he ) So the first step, IMHO, let us be very very clear of our goal , and what we need to change of ourselves to get there, then DoCU will not plague us ... of that this Chick is Sure-ah ! FYI - Durgam means confusion, and Durga is She who takes away the confusion. Love Latha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Thanks Latha. I got this idea that Ciksura is the part of us that believes we need to understand to attain. He says that we must know before we can do. He says that we must grow before we become one with her. Those are lies. Lies to keep him alive and to keep us lost within. Its like you said. He is the generator of the rest of the asuras, he gives us things to do to find ourselves, to learn how to love, to know what Goddess is, to define. He also gives us things to dislike about ourselves, a sense of dissatisfaction with how we are or how we behave or who we think we are. He keeps us looking for something more, outside ourselves. Maybe that's what they all do, try to keep us outside looking for a better path on which to walk. We cannot change ourselves. We are unchanging. We are perfect. We are deities. We are Vishnu. We are Shiva, we are Maa. But he makes us think and feel that we know nothing and therefore by association are nothing. He may be the root of self-deprecation, or maybe he is self-deprecations root. I have found that I cannot be devoid of ciksura unless I give up my need to understand, then being devoid of clear understanding is no worry to me, because I don't need to be clear, I stop associating clarity with divinity. I only need Maa. Maa makes me clear only when I don't need clarity anymore. The more I struggle with these asuras, the more they succeed in distracting me from my goal. Its like Shree Maa said a few weeks ago about one of my asuras. "You should bow down to her before she kidnaps you again." We must bow down to all asuras -- it is only by facing them that we see them for what they are and once that happens they hold no power. Thanks for responding. Does anyone else have any experience with Mr. Devoid of Clear Understanding? The better I know him, the more likely I am to recognize him, and once recognized mother is free to take off his head. At 05:23 PM 9/21/2004, you wrote: >Dear Brian, > >Your post brought the serenity prayer to my mind > >"God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change >Courage to change the things I can >and >Wisdom to know the difference" > > >IMHO, Devoid of Clear Understanding is the father of all asuras - he >spawns every other Asura. > >It is because of our incorrect understanding of any situation that >all other demons arise. >If we but know our goals, and therefore can adopt the right attitude >towards the goal, we will always know the right thing to do. > >It is our inability to discriminate, due to the lack of a goal , >that spawns D.o.C.U. (Whassup DoCU he he ) > >So the first step, IMHO, let us be very very clear of our goal , and >what we need to change of ourselves to get there, then > >DoCU will not plague us ... of that this Chick is Sure-ah ! > >FYI - Durgam means confusion, and Durga is She who takes away the >confusion. > >Love >Latha > > Links > > > > > > > >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.766 / Virus Database: 513 - Release 9/17/2004 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.766 / Virus Database: 513 - Release 9/17/2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Dear Brian, Your post reminded me of what Nisargadatta Maharaj has said - "Mind is interested in what happens, while awareness is interested in the mind itself. The child is after the toy, but the mother watches the child, not the toy. " Seems like we are sometimes obsessed with the "toys" - the asuras - "oh i need to be more clear in my thinking", "i need to have more resolve" etc ... I am able to grasp this intellectually, but not as yet intuitively . I pray to the realized ones for intuitive understanding. Sarvebhyo brahmanebhyo namah. Jai Maa Latha , Brian McKee <brian@s...> wrote: > Thanks Latha. > > I got this idea that Ciksura is the part of us that believes we need to > understand to attain. He says that we must know before we can do. > > He says that we must grow before we become one with her. > > Those are lies. Lies to keep him alive and to keep us lost within. > > Its like you said. He is the generator of the rest of the asuras, he gives > us things to do to find ourselves, to learn how to love, to know what > Goddess is, to define. He also gives us things to dislike about ourselves, > a sense of dissatisfaction with how we are or how we behave or who we think > we are. > > He keeps us looking for something more, outside ourselves. Maybe that's > what they all do, try to keep us outside looking for a better path on which > to walk. > > We cannot change ourselves. We are unchanging. We are perfect. We are > deities. We are Vishnu. We are Shiva, we are Maa. But he makes us think and > feel that we know nothing and therefore by association are nothing. He may > be the root of self-deprecation, or maybe he is self-deprecations root. > > I have found that I cannot be devoid of ciksura unless I give up my need to > understand, then being devoid of clear understanding is no worry to me, > because I don't need to be clear, I stop associating clarity with divinity. > I only need Maa. > > Maa makes me clear only when I don't need clarity anymore. > > The more I struggle with these asuras, the more they succeed in distracting > me from my goal. > > Its like Shree Maa said a few weeks ago about one of my asuras. "You should > bow down to her before she kidnaps you again." > > We must bow down to all asuras -- it is only by facing them that we see > them for what they are and once that happens they hold no power. > > Thanks for responding. Does anyone else have any experience with Mr. Devoid > of Clear Understanding? > > The better I know him, the more likely I am to recognize him, and once > recognized mother is free to take off his head. > > > > At 05:23 PM 9/21/2004, you wrote: > > >Dear Brian, > > > >Your post brought the serenity prayer to my mind > > > >"God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change > >Courage to change the things I can > >and > >Wisdom to know the difference" > > > > > >IMHO, Devoid of Clear Understanding is the father of all asuras - he > >spawns every other Asura. > > > >It is because of our incorrect understanding of any situation that > >all other demons arise. > >If we but know our goals, and therefore can adopt the right attitude > >towards the goal, we will always know the right thing to do. > > > >It is our inability to discriminate, due to the lack of a goal , > >that spawns D.o.C.U. (Whassup DoCU he he ) > > > >So the first step, IMHO, let us be very very clear of our goal , and > >what we need to change of ourselves to get there, then > > > >DoCU will not plague us ... of that this Chick is Sure-ah ! > > > >FYI - Durgam means confusion, and Durga is She who takes away the > >confusion. > > > >Love > >Latha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--- > >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > >Version: 6.0.766 / Virus Database: 513 - Release 9/17/2004 > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.766 / Virus Database: 513 - Release 9/17/2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Intelectual understanding is the only understanding the mind has. To know something we must experience it. When we experience it, we identify with the experiencer, not with the mind and that gives us a glimpse of who we truly are. Thus we are the mother watching the child, not the child and not the toy. Pray not for understanding but for experience. "Maa, help me experience the truth of ciksura." Then hold on to your hat because you're in for one hell of a ride! --- On Wed 09/22, Latha Nanda < lathananda > wrote: Latha Nanda [ lathananda] Wed, 22 Sep 2004 12:13:24 -0000 Re: Asura of the week: Chikshura Dear Brian, Your post reminded me of what Nisargadatta Maharaj has said - "Mind is interested in what happens, while awareness is interested in the mind itself. The child is after the toy, but the mother watches the child, not the toy. " Seems like we are sometimes obsessed with the "toys" - the asuras - "oh i need to be more clear in my thinking", "i need to have more resolve" etc ... I am able to grasp this intellectually, but not as yet intuitively. I pray to the realized ones for intuitive understanding. Sarvebhyo brahmanebhyo namah. Jai Maa Latha _____________ No banners. No pop-ups. No kidding. Make My Way your home on the Web - http://www.myway.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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