My first Chandi Path

[Guest guest]

It was a lovely Sunday morning at the Devi Mandir. I was feeling full

of joy and gratitude. I was working in the kitchen. Suddenly the

screen door was pulled open. Swamiiji reached in and took me by the

arm and said "if you don't have anything better to do, why don't you

share in the Chandi with me." While he was saying this he was

literally dragging me down to the hawan kund.

 

Just as we approached the hawan kund we came across a young woman who

was visiting that weekend. With all of his youthful joy, he extended

the invitation to her. Neither of us had ever "sat in" on a Chandi

homa before. Neither had we sat in one asan for that long.

 

Swamiji's energy and devotion carried us through. Just about 15

minutes before he was finished, our legs started to give out and we

started to shift position. He smiled.

 

Then he got to the part where the Divine Mother asks us to ask Her for

a Boon. He did this part in English. I couldn't hear what the other

woman said (she was across the fire from me and she spoke softly.)

When Swamiji asked me I said "Mother - I want to be as you want me to

be."

 

When Swamiji finished and was going out the door, he turned and said to

both of us, with a big smile on his face, "so much devotion."

 

It is hard to describe the experience and do it justice. But it was

very transformative.