The antagonists on the side of the asuras in Chapter 7 are Chanda and Munda, Anger and Passion.
Chamunda is the slayer of anger and passion. Cha is to move (from chara), Munda is head, or all that is knowable or paradigm of reality. She who moves in the paradigm of reality.
Questions and Answers:
1. Spiritual experiences are signposts in our journey to God. Yet we do not undertake sadhana to achieve them. How do we reconcile these two positions?
Spiritual experiences are at best mild distractions. We should not get caught up in them. They prejudice the meditator. Talking about them diminishes their value. The goal is Her.
2. What is the symbolism of the red sari in the Dhyanam of this chapter?
Red is passion, love. She loves us strongly. She is taking sway our misdirected passion. When I am in love, I pay attention.
3. What to do with selfish passion, if we do not emote it?
First be vigilant. “Hey self, watch yourself.” Take a time-out. Take a deep breath and count to ten. Just remember Divine Mother. From that center, think about “What should I achieve from this interaction?”
4. How can we overcome misdirected passion or desires for the world?
Start with yourself. Then expand your attention to the world. Memorizing scripture, singing, and puja, these are positive expressions of your passion. Increase the positive and decrease the negative passions.
5. When does She destroy our thoughts in our sadhana?
All the time.
6. What does it mean that She destroys the thoughts and then eats them?
She takes the negativities from us and that becomes the nourishment for Her.
7. How is the path of self-inquiry, “Who am I” related to our tradition?
We are more interested in Who is Mother than in “Who am I” Mother, it is you who we are watching. You are the experience, I only want to witness you. That is our path.
8. Are the list of asuras in the Chandi an exhaustive list or just a sample of our negative qualities?
The are representative of broad categories.
9. How to remember Her when acting in the world?
When you are acting, remember Her mantra. When washing the dishes, chant the mantra and She will wash the dishes through you. If you are doing something intense like brain surgery, chant the mantra whenever you have a moment to withdraw from
the surgery.
10. Is Mother energy or controller of energy?
She is the controller and the controlled.
11. What is the difference of the effects of chanting one mantra versus chanting a dramatic scripture?
Chanting one mantra moves us into meditation without form (nirakara).
Chanting a dramatic scripture, we move into the attitude that this is the drama of our lives.
“I am the king, the businessman, the rishi. My negativities are going into her mouth.”
Chandi is a guided meditation in which we relinquish our negativities.
12. Did Sri Ramakrishna come to propagate the superiority of bhakti over jnana?
Jnana is not inferior to bhakti. The more you know, the more you feel love, the more you want to learn.
They happen together, they are inseparably connected.
Sri Ramakrishna was a jnani, a bhakta, and a dhyani. He was a child of God.
13. If we want to cultivate good thoughts, why does the Chandi have so many violent images?
The best thought is that all negativities are entering the mouth of God. What better thought than that!