Friday, September 9, 2011

Jai Maa Durga!

Now that I'm talking more directly about spiritual matters, I may as well go on a bit. This is sort of a coming out for me, so I'm enjoying it, but I'm a bit nervous too. Whether or not I should, I care about the acceptance of others. I know that I have a way of discussing spiritual matters so that they have meaning to people of many faiths, and to atheists too, but I can't be dishonest with you. This is how I do things.

Say what you will about the existence or nonexistence of deities, or maybe claim exclusivity for your own, but people have employed religious methods for getting somewhere better in life as long as there have been people, and I don't want prejudice to keep me from benefiting too.

So anyhow, I realized something. The inner part of a Catholic rosary has 54 beads, which equals 108 when multiplied by two. So I can chant japa on an ordinary rosary. Some day, I'll have to string my own japa mala, Hindu prayer beads, but for now, I can make do with what I have.

See, japa, repetitive chanting of mantras, is generally done in groups of 108, a sacred number in India. A set of beads make counting easier. Some Buddhists use them too.

So I experimented with a little chanting for the mother goddess Durga this morning, saying a mantra specifically for eliminating negative forces from my life. Maa Durga is considered a fierce fighter, and legend tells of Her conquest of demons.

So here's what I chanted. The pictures of the Goddess with her mouth moving seem a little.. well... okay, forget it, I'll take other people's devotion for what it is. I guess I'm just concerned about making myself look silly. This recording has influenced me, so I want to share it. Play it twice for 108 repetitions.




If you've heard of Kali, the Destroyer, than you know a little about Durga and evil. In fact, myth has it that Kali sprung from Durga's head during a terrible battle, so you get the idea. Demons cannot withstand Her.

Since Maa Kali is an aspect of Durga, I may as well offer a little something equating the two. Just 'cause I like it.



So there we are.

And the results of my experiment? Pretty powerful, actually. One of our dogs, a nervous little thing, got very restless when I chanted, so I felt myself directing some of the power to eliminate negativity at her. She's been a disruptive force during our evening attempts at winding down, so I hope the effort helps a bit. Then I visualized Kat and tried to send benefits to her too. I included our other dog, and then extended my focus outward to Kat's sons and my sisters. The funny thing is, when I felt as if the power was flowing, the dog settled down, and I found myself going up an octave, as if there had been an increase in energy somehow. I could visualize the various connections between all of us. And then it was over.

We'll just have to see what the overall effects are. I'm not making any claims, but I tried something, and I'd like to see what happens. If it works, I can't tell you why with certainly. As I said, no prejudice. I'm just another person trying to make the most of the life I've been given while I still have time.

No comments:

Post a Comment