~~OM~~

In Chapter 8, we meet Raktabija, the seed of desire and watch how She slays him.

Rakta means passion, blood, red, desire; bija is seed.

Q&A:

1. What is the significance of the energies adorning the same dresses and features of their male counterparts?

Consciousness is masculine and enery feminine. She acts and looks just as he.

2. Does Raktabija represent both fulfilled and unfulfilled desires?

Only unfulfilled desires.

3. If we have no desires, we would lose the zest for life. Does this chapter suggest that the sadhana will lead to a desireless state?

All desires are not done away with. Desire is inherent in creation. Only selfish desires are taken away by the Goddess. Then we are left only with selfless desires. You still will have the desire to eat, sleep.

4. Is the desire to pronounce better, sit longer in asan, etc. forms of raktabija?

These are Raktabija in a positive form. By pursuing these, we take away our negative desires. As we spend less and less time with the positive, we spend more time in negative.

5. Is blood symbolic or the gross substance that courses through our veins?

It is symbolic and symbolizes the negative passionate desire that draws us into worldliness.

6. What is the significance of water (that Brahmani sprinkles on the thoughts) and how can we use it in our daily lives?

Taking a bath is our first act of purification. When we do achaman in puja (sipping water) we purify our lips.

Water symbolizes equilbrium. It is always at the same level, always seeks its own level.

7. What is benefit of recording our spiritual experiences in a journal?

The only benefit is some years later I can read my journal and say that I do not need these journals any more. Objective is to know the experiencer. Remember the intensity of the experience and not the manifestation of the experience.

8. How do we offer desires to Mother?

Increase time spent with the Guru. Also think how would your Guru respond to a certain situation (where the desire arises).
This would be like in engaging in satsang throughout the day.

9. We have a strong desire to chant the Chandi. But then we have to do karma in the world and that prevents us from chanting. How can we overcome this?

You can say to Mother I love you and so I am going to demonstrate my love by doing karma. Then read whatever you can.

10. Surath and Samadhi abandoned their families and kingdom. This was not their highest ideal. Was it?

Both were driven from their kingdom and families. They had no choice. What they did subsequently was certainly their highest ideal because we remember them even today so many years later.

Also, when they left their family kingdom they had good thoughts about their families and kingdom.

11. What questions to ask or not ask our Guru. How do we decide?

Love them with all your heart. Ask the right question at the right time. Do not interrupt Her when She is talking. Be natural, be free.

~~OM~~

The protaganists on the side of 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.

Q&A

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. “He self, watch yourself.” Take a time-out. Take a deep breath and count to 10. Just remember Divine Mother. From that centre think about “what should I achieve from this interaction?”

4. How can we overcome misdirected passion or desires fro the world?

Start with yourself. Then expand your attention to the world.
Memorizing scripture, singing, Puja 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 take the negativities from us and that becomes the nourishment for Her.

7. How is the path of self-enquiry, “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 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 difference on 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 where 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, ana 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!

~~OM~~

Recall that Self-conceit was told about the beautiful Goddess by Chanda and Munda. So he sent a messenger to tell the Goddess to come to him and sit with him. “Your honor and glory will be enhanced”, said the messenger. The Goddess said, “Self-Conceit is the master of the three worlds an I’m just a woman. But I have made a promise that only one who can defeat me in battle and surrender his self-conceit can be my
husband. So go back and tell self-conceit this.” On hearing this, the ambassador got angry and said, “you come down or our army will take you by force.” Then he returned to his king and gave a report.

In Chapter 6, the leading character in self-conceit’s army is
Dhoomralochana, Sinful eyes.

Dhoom means smoke. Dhoomralochana has smoke in his eyes. He can’t see clearly, lacks discrimination, sees with selfishness.

The Goddess destroys Dhumralochana by pronouncing the mnatra, Hum.

Everytime we are confronted with sinful eyes in our lives remember the mantra, “Hum.”

In verse 18, the lion caused the bloods of thoughts to flow. This means Dharma takes away the misdirected passion from our thoughts.

Q&A:

1. What is the significance of the King of Snakes in the Dhyanam?

Snakes represent Kundalini Shakti. On the head of a cobra there is a shining jewel. The Goddess is effulgent with a multitude of these jewels. This means She is commanding the radiance of all energy.

In all living beings, kundalini shakti is alive and moving. It sleeps only in a corpse. When we speak of it as sleeping that’s poetry. I am asleep and I forgot about my kundalini shakti is a more accurate description.

Just as the farmers make ruts when they draw their bullock carts to plough the fields, we make ruts by which we become aware of the kundalini shakti.

When we are in our lower chakras (pashu bhava) the ruts are very short. As we move into virya bhava and sadhana becomes
second nature to us, the ruts become longer.

2. In meditation, should we focus on one chakra or move up and down from one chakra to another (like in Bhuta Shuddhi)?

Both are useful. All techniques are used to make us masters of focus. The more techniques you learn, the easier it becomes to decide which is more useful.

3. Can we chant Hum as a mantra alone? What is its significance?

Hum is the astra mantra to combat excesses of impure being. Ha is Rudra, u is circumstance, m is perfection. We see all circumstances in equilibrium of perfection.

4. Why did the Goddess use Hum for Dhoomralochana and not for
Self-conceit and Self-deprecation?

She has other tools for them. We armed Her with those tools in Chapter 2.

5. Does the lion represent determination?

Yes. The determination to live life according to Dharma.

6. How does sinful eyes manifest in our lives?

Every time we have selfishness, sinful ayes has attacked. We think about “me”, and not about “thee.”

7. How do we stay in our higher chakras when we act and interact in the world?

Everyone has experienced the higher chakras at one time or another. When we feel love, we are in the higher chakras. But then we move down when we become or express selfishness.

Sadhana can be done to make it stay up. Bring the love and stay in love. Train it to stay in certain states of consciousness.

8. In Chapter 4, can you explain the significance of “within You are the three qualities of nature”, in verse 7?

Gunas pervade every atom in existence. When a person is seated and engaging in spiritual discourse, focusing on the
still posture that person is tamasic, his passionate discourse makes him rajasic and the fact that is talking about God makes him sattvic.

Divine Mother embodies all th three. But She is not connected with any of the defects of the three.

~~OM~~

In Chapter 5, verses 14-76 contain the refrain:
“Namastasyai Namastasyai Namatasyai Namo Namaha.”

We bow five times (with five organs of knowledge, five organs of action, five elements (tanmatras).

Q&A:

1. The Divine Mother tells us in verse 6 that if we remember Her in times of adversity She will eradicate our every distress. How does she do this? In adverse situations that I encounter, I remember Her yet I am feeling the adversity and distress. Doesn’t the mind need to attain a level purity before the devotee can feel the presence of Mother any
situation, good or adverse?

When you are in distress, You are thinking two thoughts: Mother and distress. If you really remember her in devotion only Mother, the distress dissolves. With sincerity, with intensity, we bow to Mother exclusively.

2. What is the significance of the energy, the pin, the seeds, and the principles in the Viniyoga?

All of these will be explained more clearly when we discuss Murti Rahasya.

3. When we come out of Samadhi after chapter 4, does the ego return in chapter 5?

Swamiji asked the same questions of His Guru. All three battles (related the three episodes) are happening simultaneously. All the asuras are constantly changing and interchanging their forms. Our battle with the ego does not follow the linear sequence of the chapters in the Chandi.

4. In verse 82, what does remember in a physical form mean?

In a murti, in some symbol of divinity, saguna. Remember Mother and focus on one form. Then concentration is acute, more intense so that all thoughts are literally consumed by your concentration. It does not matter what that form is so long as you postulate that the form is my form of divinity

5. What does it mean that the ego took divine qualities?

How can the sun be bright if it is covered by a cloud. Self conceit and self deprecation obscure our wisdom and throw us out of heaven. But we know what to do. Sing before the manifested form of divinity and bow and bow.

~~OM~~

When we witnessed the death of Great Ego in the hands of the Divine Mother, we (the Gods) sang the hymns in Chapter 4 in praise of the Divine Mother

As Gods, whenever we remember Her, She will give us intuitive vision and remove our greatest distress.

Whenever humans praise Mother with the verses from this chapter, we will be blessed with increase in knowledge, prosperity, and greatness, as well a other possessions in life.

Q&A:

1. Why is this battle designed to be so difficult to win? Wouldn’t there be more peace in the world if we could conquer this ego battle a little quicker?

By engaging in battle with the thoughts and when we are very sincere in our desire to eradicate them, thoughts are purified and go to heaven where they cannot disturb us anymore. She withdraws the energy from the negative thoughts and gives it to the divine thoughts. By just glancing at them this purification would not take place. That is why we need the
long battle.

2. In verse 19, “the thoughts rise to heaven when they meet their demise in you.” How do we apply this practically in a hostile situation?

The best thing we can do is take a deep breath and instead of
expressing hostility , seek blessings that the hostile negotiation will end in an outcome that will be harmonious for all.

3. How are buddhi, ahankara, chitta and manas different from each other and how they relate and interact with each other?

Buddhi is objective fact, nouns and verbs
Manas is subjective thought, adjectives and adverbs
Chitta is the total of objective and subjective thought
“This is a book”; book is buddhi
“This is a good book”; there is imposition of a prejudice; good is mind
“This is a good book” is chitta
Ahamkara is the sense of I as being a perceiver
These four constitute the antahkarana

4. Why do we not ask the Goddess for a boon in chapter 4 or chapter 11, even though She asks us what we want, but wait until chapter 13?

We did ask for her boon in verse 37, “whenever we will remember you, then and there you will give us intuitive vision.”

5. What exactly does increase in prosperity mean?

Whatever you conceive as prosperity. If you define it as material wealth, it is material wealth. If you define it as spiritual wealth, it is spiritual wealth.

6. In verse 33 the God’s say that all their desires have been fulfilled. Were they not affected by Shumbha and Nishumbha who had to be slain later?

They come back, these asuras. In this chapter, the Great Ego was slain, and there is nothing as blissful as that. In the next chapter, we say, Mother we fell down again. But now we remember the boon and remember her.

~~OM~~

She nourishes her devotees with wisdom and devotion.

When Devoid of Clear Understanding dies, we become clear about our objectives.

Memories was cut down by the sword of wisdom. Whenever memories arise, remember the wisdom that we learned.

When Mother drinks from Her cup of wine, She is drinking the nectar of devotion.

The new generals of the army of the great ego that arrive in Chapter 3:

Disbelief
Anxiety
Blindness
Violent temper
Passion
Irresistible temptation
Foul mouth

Q&A:

1. In our tradition, does introspection play a part in getting rid of the ego.

Introspection is a first good step. This will allow us to think about how we want to organize our lives so that we can sit in meditation.

2. What is the symbolism of the ego’s manifestation as elephant and as the man with a sword?

Elephant stands for ahimsa, man with sword represents violence.

3. Is it possible to ever gain the state of “witness” permanently? To live in the world and stay centered regardless of what thoughts come and go? Or, do thoughts always come up to drive us out of our center?

If these were to happen, how can we explain creation? It is possible to stay for some duration and then there is a new creation, a new thought. When we are acting and interacting, we want to act from the center from the memory of what it is to be to act from center of unity.

4. Is one ever able to get rid of all the asuras dwelling within? In which event would admitting that “I have conquered this demon’ amount to conceit?

Yes it will amount to conceit. We don’t conquer the demon, She does.

5. Don’t we require ego and his general to survive in this world? If we totally annihilate ego and his armies and what remains? Would it possible to continue working in the world of maya? Or do the Ego and his generals supposed to remain in subjugation?

Yes. I cannot act and interact without I. But I can act and interact with the memory of what it is like to be in state of unity. When we slay ego we go into Samadhi. When we come out ego is back.

6. Is it okay to sometimes let the ego or mind have its way (be nice & loving to it, give & take – rather than fighting it all the time) and get what we want later? Forcing the mind to do good things all the time, sometimes doesn’t work. How does one battle this?

Every now and then we can give the ego a night off (laughter). We cannot fight ego. All we can do is to pray to Mother to take the ego away. I am tired of being a human being, I want to become a God again.

7. Isn’t filling yourself with positive thoughts a step towards being devoid of thoughts?

Absolutely. It is the first step. Story of three thieves (rajo, tamas, sattva guna)

8. Does samadhi relieve human suffering?

It relieves the suffering of the human who experiences Samadhi. It does not relieve all suffering of all people for all time. Samadhi is very important milestone in our path, but it is not the end.

9. Why is this battle designed to be so difficult to win? Wouldn’t there be more peace in the world if we could conquer this ego battle a little quicker?

We will answer that question in the next chapter. See verses 18-19.

~~OM~~

The battle between the Divine Mother and Great Ego begins.

The Ego’s generals are

Devoid of clear understanding: chikshura
Fickleness: chamara
Haughtiness: udagra
Great Deceiver: mahahanuh
Want of Resolution: asiloma
Memories: bashkalo
Wandering to and fro: parivratah
Hypocrisy: bidala

These are the thoughts that tell us to give up the search of divinity, to become a somebody, rich and famous.

If you inhale the moola mantra of the Chandi (Navarna mantra and exhale the verses in the Chandi you are breathing out more energy into the army of the divinity.

Whenever we are attached to thoughts and we have a prejudice , a point of view, we don’t see what is. When we can defuse this prejudice, these projections, we become Shiva. That’s the goal.

Q&A

1. On a daily basis, how do we monitor if we are truthful in thought, word, and action?

You know when you cross the line. Either we sacrifice our goal or sacrifice our truth. For example, did I leave the plate in the sink. If I did, I sacrificed my truth. As a sadhu, I have a sankalpa not to cause trouble to anyone. I have breached my contract. Ask the question, am I giving the most and taking the least, or vice versa?

2. How can we experience small gaps of stillness (the eternal witness i.e. Chandi Maa) during the hustle and bustle of daily activities?

There is only one way to do it. Take a couple of minutes from time to time and check out, close all your senses. Swamiji demonstrated Shambhavi Mudra. Close ears with thumbs, ring finger and little finger on lips, middle finger on nostrils (lightly, so that you can breathe), index finger on eyes (lightly).

3. I’m wondering about the difference between being distracted by the asuras from our path and seeing truth in many places. If we maintain our sankalpa and remain focused on our spiritual goals can this sankalpa include teachings from various traditions, or is that considered to be digging many shallow wells? Or can we consider this to be a way of deepening our understanding?

It’s important to learn from different sources When you cultivate your practice, you will have to pick one language one heritage, and go deeper and deeper in that tradition.

4. In some traditions, self deprecation is considered a spiritual virtue, one that attenuates the ego. The Chandi seems to say that it is equal to self-conceit as a manifestation of ego. Can you please explain?

Self deprecation says I, so does self conceit. Self conceit is a positive I and self deprecation is negative I. The only ego we want to have is Aham Brahmasmi, I am Shiva. Self deprecation is different from humility. Humility is I respect you. Self deprecation is I do not respect myself.

5. Some thoughts perished with only Her breath and some by her lion but for a few she had to use more force. Could you please explain this.

She has so many weapons at her disposal, sword, conch, discus, etc. When we chant Chandi Path with pranayam many asuras die. For others she uses wisdom, inspiration, refinement of practice, tapasya, etc. Some thoughts take more work to destroy. Sometime we need wisdom, inspiration, sometimes we need grace of Shree Maa.

6. How do we set goals for “focus” when chanting the Chandi, goals in which we can evaluate our progress in our intensity of our concentration?

We have a master plan and chanting the Chandi is part of that master plan. Idea is not have to goals in chanting Chandi (a to do list); the idea is to have goal of chanting the Chandi everyday and trying to understand its meaning for our lives. Each of the generals is going to meet their death at the hands of the Divine Mother. That’s the goal.

7. What is that the purpose of Mother Nature installing all the asuras inside me? Why does the path in spirituality involve renouncing everything Mother Nature has installed inside me?

It is inherent in the creation where there is dharma there will be adharma. Dharma and adharma (devas and asuras), all the opposites are all oblations to the fire. The mind is using the sruva (spoon) that offers the dharma and adharma to the fire. If she gave you divinity she gave you asuras as well. In our quest of divinity, we are going to offer asuric thoughts to Divine Mother, and we have done that we become pure devotees.

8. I heard if we look at the mind itself as being divine, that way of looking at the mind helps to over come it. Is that true?

Absolutely. If mind is divine it gives birth to divine thoughts.

~~OM~~

If we are vigilant, and continue to pray and do sadhana a time will come when we are fixed in good thoughts and no evil thoughts will enter our kingdom.

We should be pleased if She blesses us with even one good thought. And more so if we can chant the Chandi everyday.

Customs and congenialities of learning

1. Bring attitude of highest respect. Srim. Sh mean shanti, peace

2. Listen to the Guru with total equanimity.

3. Do not debate or show off.

4. Learn with attitude of peace. The first qualification of a true seeker.

5. Don’t go empty handed to the Guru. A flower, wood for havan, fruits or sweets to feed devotees asa token of your sense of privilege.

6. Always bow down with all of your energy and consciousness.

7. Wait for the Master to invite you to be seated.

We all know how to become realized. The only thing that prevents us from becoming and remaining in self-realization is our attachments.

Wherever there is something known by the senses, She is present.

If you have sankalpa to bring Her into manifestation, if that is the goal of your being, She becomes manifest.

Consciousness means to perceive.

Think of all the goes in through your organs of perception: Madhu and Kaitabha, too much and too little are there.

Kaitabha means insignificant as an insect. Too little.
Madhu means as sweet as honey. Too sweet, too much.

The meditation of chapter 1 can be used as a visualization whenever we want to battle too much and too little.

Q&A

1. Can you please speak about the Bow of Determination. How does one develop an iron will and determination? It will be great if you can share from your life and experience.

When we fall in love with a greater love, all our little loves pale in insignificance. Swamiji’s sankalpa was a love affair. He fell in love and so now when He gets up in the morning to sing the Chandi is the most natural thing to do. Sankalpa became the natural way of life.

2. Is there a relation between the ajna chakra and will power?

Ajna means orders. Orders come from Lord Shiva. More we focus on ajna chakra, we stay with the reason and we cultivate sankalpa power.

3. Could you please talk about who are the employees of Good Thoughts and the family of Pure Intuitive Perception?

Sadhus who are sharing inspiration and knowledge are the employees of good thoughts

4. Is it custom to directly give the flowers or fruits to the Master, or, rather, is it perfered to bring the gifts to the temple and arrange the flowers or fruits in the Temple and not place them at the feet of the Master?

Every temple has its own procedures. Observe and ask someone who would know. Don’t put them at the feet as the flowers cannot be used for puja. Ask the Guru, can I put them on the vase, organize them for you, or give them to you, etc.?

5. My mind says nothing would suit me more than to give up all
attachments but in reality there is family responsibility and all that comes with it. How does one with family let it ALL go?

You don’t. No way. What you do is make it an offering to the Goddess. Goddess you gave me this family. I don’t give up my responsibility. I give up my attachment to my responsibility. I am serving God by doing this puja. This is the Puja God gave you. I am doing this cheerfully and happily. That’s the way.

6. How to be unattached while living in the world?

Use one hand to do work of world and with the other grab on to God and don’t let go. Maa says be like a fish in the mud. It’s in the mud but nothing sticks to it. Be efficient. Don’t waste time and resources and offer these to God. That efficiency is a sadhu.

7. At what age should we start reflecting on our detachment?

As soon as possible. The moment you wake up.

8. The whole idea of sacrifice. What the birds are doing seems like sacrifice to me, or the law of reciprocal maintenance, whereas humans are attached and want something back. Isn’t the whole manifested universe about sacrifice?

Yes it is. When we realize the importance of sacrifice we live in peace. Yajna means the union between the fire that burns outside and the fire inside the ajna chakra.

9. Madhu and Kaitabha attack Brahma and not Vishnu, why?

They know they cannot devour infinite consciousness. But they can stifle our creativite capacity.

10. What are the oblations of purity in verse 73? Are they invoked in a specific context?

Anytime we make an offering with purity, with pure intention, pure words, that offering is oblation of purity.

~~OM~~

If she is pleased with the sincerity of our devotion she will take the energy away from the ego and give that energy to the Divine, the Gods within.

Every opportunity to use the mantra avail it. Keep on rubbing the beads till they wear out. That’s what his Guru told Him.

For sadhus the goal is to seek that they become so filled with
devotion that they cannot think of anything else.

Answers to questions:

1. Besides duration of asan and regularity, what are some objective criteria to measure progress in our Chandi Sadhana?

Most important thing is change in our mind. When we wake up in the morning and we feel that the only thing that you want to do is to chant the Chandi. That is a very significant change in the evolution of our spirit. The bhava and understanding with which you do it will change. How you respond to situations during the day will change.

2. Can a devotee gain the level of consciousness where one can
continually be a witness to the changes?

Absolutely!

3. If one wishes to be initiated into the Navarna mantra and perform Chandi sadhana FULL TIME, how should one organize one’s lifestyle.

Hmmmm. Wow! That’s a thesis. First thing, we want to make sure that we will never be a burden to anyone else. Organize our life so that we have skills and talents that will be useful to others, something to share. Second, approach Guru and ask is my circumstance in life and belief system will it be in harmony with the initiation. The answer is different for everybody.

4. Swamiji, these pins and bolts in the Chandi – do they have anything to do with the granthis or knots ?

Yes they do.

5. If we use in our hands in our work. Should we do kara nyasa before we start?

Great idea!

~~OM~~

Our Prayer to Divine Mother:

We want give you tapasya. We want to demonstrate the sincerity of our devotion.

Verse 8:

When we do the sadhana that is the true bowing down.

Verse 12:

Prachodayat: May that wisdom continuously rise like the sun that rises at dawn.

Verse 15:
Explaining Sri Vidya: When you are paying attention you are paying respect.

Verse 19

When we do to japa we start to contemplating the meaning of the mantra and then we go deeper, we will start consulting differences for the meaning. This is the beginning of the meditation on the mantra. Then we will start employing these meanings in our lives. And suddenly you become aware that you are not the same person you were when you started reciting the text/mantra.

Verse 26:

Great death is when we forget our spiritual selves and instead focus on our material selves, a lifetime of material attachment.