to sanjeeveeco on restless mind

[Guest guest]

sanjeeveeco wrote:

....BUT I AM STILL RESTLESS. HOW CAN I GED RID OF RESTLESSNESS. WILL

CHANDI PATH WILL HELP ME AND HOW. wHAT IS THE SOURCE OF CHANDI PATH

AVAILABLE TO ME IN INDIA...

Dear sanjeeveeco ~ I have been away from the digest for awhile,

partially due to illness, partially due to working on my art, and

partially due to lurking to keep in touch. I have found the best

immediate way to calm my own restless mind, which gets very very

restless at times, going 'round and 'round in circles, is japa ~ just

chanting the name of God/dess over, over, over, over, whatever you are

doing. You can do it silently, so no one will know. You can use the

names of your personal Ishats. Just: Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva,

Shiva, Shiva ... or

or Maa Chintpurni, Maa Chintpurni, Maa Chintpurni ... or even to make

it even simpler, just Maa, Maa, Maa.

I have discovered that it is impossible to hold two different thoughts

in my mind at the same time. I may vacillate back and forth, but that

is something different. And Japa is like an instant medicine for a

churning mind. Mantra is also good for this purpose, but if I use

mantra for this, I keep it very simple: Om Namah Shivaya ... over,

over, over, over. But I do also use the Durga mantra: Om Hrim Shrim

Dum Durgayai Namaha (you can also hear Shee Maa chant this on Her

site. It is very beautiful. I like the Durga mantra because Durga is

the pre-eminent Goddess to turn to for taking apart those restless

thoughts. This is, in simple terms, what happens in the Chandi ~

Durga defeats all the negative thoughts.

And perhaps that is why I am drawn back here again, because it is

Navaratri, because Durga is worshiped during Navaratri, because the

Chandi Path is the method of worship. Last year I was just coming

into the group when Navaratri started and everyone had been studying

the Chandi. But I am drawn back to this text and to the recitation of

it again and again. Every time, I notice something I haven't noticed

before. I love the Chandi, and it is a joy to recite it. And this

year I am learning things I didn't know last year, like how the 9 day

worship is divided (by some) into three sets of three days.

I don't know what the best source of the Chandi would be for you there

in India, if you are referring to the text. I recommend Swamiji's

translation, available on Shree Maa's site. There are also related

classes where Swami talks about each chapter and additional sections.

I'm pretty sure you most know their site by now, but just in case, it is:

http://www.shreemaa.org/ Blessings and may Shiva, Maa Chintpurni and

Ma Durga relieve your restlessness ~ Linda