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Originally posted by Balance


Please give us a favorite Kali chant for the day.

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Originally posted by Shanti

Kirtanman wrote:Amidst of bit of screaming, the shock of a full body tackle by your beloved mother, and some skinned knees and elbows and tears -- you lay tangled in a heavily breathing heap with your sobbing mother, wondering what the hell just happened."

Very nicely said.. you almost made my heart stop... phew!!!

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"The reality is: Shiva and Kali and Jesus, and a few others -- are the ones who love us _enough_ to hack off our chains -- and not be too concerned if they take a little skin in the process. The result, if we allow it, is our freedom - the realization of our true nature - and the end of many lifetimes of delusion for ourselves - and quite possibly those we love most dearly"

Yes I agree.. thank you for this.

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Katrine wrote:
still wonder what "Jai Sri (Krishna)" means....

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As for what Praise Lord Krishna means... I mean really means, from a Yogic perspective? I would love to hear any answers.

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Originally posted by Shanti



These are excerpts from the following website:

Kali Puja October 21, 2006


Many Dark Goddesses deal with the subject of Destruction. The popular Hindu Goddess Kali, Supreme Dark Mother Goddess, is known as the Mother of Dissolution and Destruction. She is the dark aspect of the wife of Shiva (the dark aspect of one face of the Devi, the dark face of Parvati). As the goddess of destruction, without further study one might assume that she is ill tempered and violent, sadistic or insane in nature. This is quite untrue. According to Hindu mythology, she destroys ignorance, destroys that which incurs chaos or disrupts harmony, destroys the ego which interferes with the workings of god, and blesses those who strive to know God.

Both Goddess Kali Ma and Shiva are said to inhabit cremation grounds and devotees often go to these places to meditate.

The purpose is not to glorify death but to overcome the I-am-the-body idea. The cremation grounds reinforce the idea that the body is a temporary. Kali and Shiva are said to dwell in these places because it is our attachment to the body that gives rise to the ego. Kali and Shiva give liberation by dissolving the illusion of the ego. Thus we are the ever-existing I AM and not the impermanent body. This is emphasized by the scene in the cremation grounds. Out of all the Devi forms, Kali is the most compassionate because She provides moksha or liberation to Her children. She is the counterpart of Shiva. They are the destroyers of unreality.



When the ego sees Mother Kali it trembles with fear because the ego sees in Her its own eventual demise. An individual who is attached to his/her ego will not be able to receive the vision of Mother Kali and She will appear in a fear invoking or "wrathful" form. A mature soul who engages in spiritual practice to remove the illusion of the ego sees Mother Kali as very sweet, affectionate, and overflowing with incomprehensible love for Her children. Ma Kali wears a garland made of 52 skulls and a skirt made of dismembered arms because the ego comes out of identification with the body. In fact, we are beings of spirit and not flesh.

So liberation can only prevail when our attachment to the body comes to an end. Therefore, the skirt and garland are trophies worn by Her to represent the liberation of Her children from attachment to the finite body.
After Durga Puja, Kali Puja is the most important puja of the Bengalis. Ma Kali is the symbol of power, immense power. People worship Ma Kali to gain a source of sustenance, both within and without. The rituals required for worship Ma Kali are very plain and simple. Ma Kali is satisfied with the bare minimum fruits and foods. Elaborate cooking or preparation is not needed to satisfy Ma Kali. Some even offer 'soma ras' or pure wine as a 'bhog' to Ma Kali.

The main puja starts at midnight and stretches till dawn. In the midst there are to 'aarati'. Ma Kali is worshipped amidst the bursting of crackers and display of fireworks. It is said that the tradition of bursting crackers was a deliberate attempt to create a worlike, ambience. The name of Ma Kali is synonymous with destruction. Hence, the need for a warlike ambience. In most of the pandals, one could see various image of 'bhoot' and 'petni'. That is the symbol of various spirits of Ma Kali moving about in the jungle. Ma kali is a favourite Goddess of the Tantriks or better known as alchemists. The Indian alchemists worship Ma Kali and they say whatever supernatural power they derive, it is due to the blessing of Ma Kali. These people worship Ma Kali with great devotion. They perform the 'yajna' with fire and keep human bones to dip in it to receive the greatest blessings.

Kali Puja is mostly prevalent in West Bengal. Among the Bengalis. The Puja is held on the night of the New Moon in the Bengali month of Kartik, this occasion brings in a tidal wave of festive zeal amongst the various cross sections of society.

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Originally posted by Shanti

I'd like to share a little something on Alan's mama. Tomorrow is Kali puja, in the part of India I come from....

These are excerpts from the following website:

Kali Puja October 21, 2006


Many Dark Goddesses deal with the subject of Destruction. The popular Hindu Goddess Kali, Supreme Dark Mother Goddess, is known as the Mother of Dissolution and Destruction. She is the dark aspect of the wife of Shiva (the dark aspect of one face of the Devi, the dark face of Parvati). As the goddess of destruction, without further study one might assume that she is ill tempered and violent, sadistic or insane in nature. This is quite untrue. According to Hindu mythology, she destroys ignorance, destroys that which incurs chaos or disrupts harmony, destroys the ego which interferes with the workings of god, and blesses those who strive to know God.

Both Goddess Kali Ma and Shiva are said to inhabit cremation grounds and devotees often go to these places to meditate.

The purpose is not to glorify death but to overcome the I-am-the-body idea. The cremation grounds reinforce the idea that the body is a temporary. Kali and Shiva are said to dwell in these places because it is our attachment to the body that gives rise to the ego. Kali and Shiva give liberation by dissolving the illusion of the ego. Thus we are the ever-existing I AM and not the impermanent body. This is emphasized by the scene in the cremation grounds. Out of all the Devi forms, Kali is the most compassionate because She provides moksha or liberation to Her children. She is the counterpart of Shiva. They are the destroyers of unreality.



When the ego sees Mother Kali it trembles with fear because the ego sees in Her its own eventual demise. An individual who is attached to his/her ego will not be able to receive the vision of Mother Kali and She will appear in a fear invoking or "wrathful" form. A mature soul who engages in spiritual practice to remove the illusion of the ego sees Mother Kali as very sweet, affectionate, and overflowing with incomprehensible love for Her children. Ma Kali wears a garland made of 52 skulls and a skirt made of dismembered arms because the ego comes out of identification with the body. In fact, we are beings of spirit and not flesh.

So liberation can only prevail when our attachment to the body comes to an end. Therefore, the skirt and garland are trophies worn by Her to represent the liberation of Her children from attachment to the finite body.
After Durga Puja, Kali Puja is the most important puja of the Bengalis. Ma Kali is the symbol of power, immense power. People worship Ma Kali to gain a source of sustenance, both within and without. The rituals required for worship Ma Kali are very plain and simple. Ma Kali is satisfied with the bare minimum fruits and foods. Elaborate cooking or preparation is not needed to satisfy Ma Kali. Some even offer 'soma ras' or pure wine as a 'bhog' to Ma Kali.

The main puja starts at midnight and stretches till dawn. In the midst there are to 'aarati'. Ma Kali is worshipped amidst the bursting of crackers and display of fireworks. It is said that the tradition of bursting crackers was a deliberate attempt to create a worlike, ambience. The name of Ma Kali is synonymous with destruction. Hence, the need for a warlike ambience. In most of the pandals, one could see various image of 'bhoot' and 'petni'. That is the symbol of various spirits of Ma Kali moving about in the jungle. Ma kali is a favourite Goddess of the Tantriks or better known as alchemists. The Indian alchemists worship Ma Kali and they say whatever supernatural power they derive, it is due to the blessing of Ma Kali. These people worship Ma Kali with great devotion. They perform the 'yajna' with fire and keep human bones to dip in it to receive the greatest blessings.

Kali Puja is mostly prevalent in West Bengal. Among the Bengalis. The Puja is held on the night of the New Moon in the Bengali month of Kartik, this occasion brings in a tidal wave of festive zeal amongst the various cross sections of society.

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