Q & A for Swamiji

[Guest guest]

Dear Swamiji ~ as I wrote previously, I am trying to recite the Chandi

completely during the 9 days of Navaratri. Since I know you and others

at the Mandir chant this entire puja daily, it is sometimes easy to

get discouraged. (And I am thinking of Yoda saying, "Not try ...

do.") I am quite ill. Any activity that I do for longer than a half

hour will make all my symtoms, the chief of which is unrelenting

pain, worse. So even if I am sitting ... I will get sicker. Or even

if I am standing ... or even if I am talking. My question is, for

someone who is ill, do you feel it is okay to do chanting, propped up

at an angle in bed? This is the position which is the least likely to

cause a symptom surge. I have tried to tough it out, but then I end

up giving up. I love the Chandi, and I don't want to give up on my

sankalpa or on myself. Besides answering my specific question, any

words you might have on this would be very welcome.

Chandi Ma Ki Jai ~ Linda

[Guest guest]

Dear Swamiji,

 

Could you describe the "upa guru" a bit? Is the "upa guru" a part of

Hindu or guru/devotee tradition in India?

 

I have tried to remember, from the talk you gave in Issaqua, WA, but I

don't want to be giving wrong information, and the need to refer to

this tradition (?) has come up quite a bit lately.

I recall from your discussion that it is like school ~ the best gift

we can give to our first grade teacher is to graduate and pass to

second grade, and the same for gurus, until we come to the Supreme

Guru, Shiva. I want to be sure I understand this before I refer to it

again.

 

Thank you so much for answering our questions. Thank you isn't really

a big enough phrase for how I feel about this, but I can't think of

any other way to express my deep appreciation.

 

~ Linda