OM SHREE MATRE NAMAHA Durga manifests Shakti, the energy permeating creation. Would you approach her?

Then abandon your timidity, linear mind, and chatter. If you don't, She will destroy you! Walk as her Lion walks, delicately yet with feet planted solidly on the Earth. Become the lion. Let out your roar of silence, clearing space to speak from your heart for Truth and Justice. Nobody said it is easy to be in the presence of the Primordial Mother. The practices in this booklet put us at her feet and can make us into her vehicle of grace, power and beauty. When the mind is in the turmoil, where to turn? If we can meet the moment in undefended awareness, Durga provides a refuge and sanctuary where we can be still to face our conditioned states of mind. Durga is what we seek: the still center of the storm where we rest empowered. Following are our gleanings from the teachings of our beloved teacher Parvathi Nanda Nath Saraswati on Durga Maa. The empowerment taped at Navaratri, festival of the nine sacred nights of the Goddess is an unedited live recording capturing the energy of that auspicious time.

Durgas Iconography:
~Durgas eight arms symbolize continual movement- ability to act unbounded through space-time. ~ Discus: Her Shakti; the movement of life. ~ Shivas trident. Sign of masculine, balanced, or integrated masculine/ feminine energy and the victory over the three gunas ~ Mace or club to shatter the separation in us that creates conflict in the world, the separation of our actions forms our knowing. ~ Conch shell. Pulsations of the sound matrix, wisdom into speech ~ Bow and arrow. One point of attention-, which is to feel what is happening as it happens and the generosity of our concentration.

~ Lotus. Transcendence and beauty, her seat in our heart ~ Sword. Courage and justice. Is made of mantra sonic vibration of Spanda, given by Goddess Lakshmi rising from the lake, empowered with the spatiality of the cosmos. Is given to the devotee when courage is manifest through Durgas Shakti. ~Black Hair The long black hair symbolizes vastness and indestructibility. ~Durga is surrounded by a solar disc and She often wears red clothes. Red is the color of action. The path to awakening or enlightenment that she illuminates is not a path of quiet contemplation. Her wearing of garments also speaks to her aspect of benign mother. She will bring you into her knowledge and then begin to remove the veils of illusion. However the color red indicates immediate action. Durga is of the sun loka. There are fourteen different lokas, earth, sun, God and Goddess loka, etc. and Parvathis teacher, Lalita Devi is of the sun loka. She is considered a heart emanation of Durga. She is a golden being on a golden lion in the sunlight. This is how Parvathi saw her teacher particularly during sunrise. There were immortal sages who once taught here and then went back to the sun realm and Lalita Devi is one of them. As a sun Goddess, Durga bears a relationship to the Gayatri mantra. Some students can chant this mantra and be welcomed into deeper stages of relationship with Durga and other sun realm deities. Durga is golden and her language is Truth. We must all uphold our part. Anyone who has these teachings will be called to stand up for Truth and Justice. Remember, it's not easy and it is not supposed to be.

The iconography of Durga suggests that she is neither exclusively benign nor terrific. This shows us that Durga transcends all duality. Durga's vehicle is the lion but sometimes it is the tiger. It is important that She is on a lion. What does it mean? The lion symbolizes strength, courage and leadership. In a word Dharma. The roar is considered one of the voices of the Goddess. A lion's roar stops you. It is a terror that shakes you up and draws you into something beautiful. Parvathis Grandfather used to say, "You don't need to be afraid. The lion doesn't roar and then attack. It roars as a declaration of the silence of the heart." Durga riding a lion says, "Do not come any further with your linear mind. Stop and listen." The lion's roar is a proclamation of silence. It leaves no doubt and it is not a threat though it will threaten all who take refuge in timidity. You have to be like a lion. It walks delicately and elegantly while still putting all of its weight down. The Goddess uses the bija "Hung" to clear space; the lion uses its roar. Lions often roar just before the

silence of the night. Her sound is also the rolling of thunder, clearing the sky of the mind.

Doing a mantra sadhana:

The traditional purascharana for this mantra is repeating the Durga mantra 125,000X during a 40-day period. Through the awakening/initiating into this mantra through this empowerment our relationship with this mantra is accelerated. Now consider whether or not you wish to make a further commitment through a purascharana. Preliminaries/Support for the Practice Asana- Strengthens and balances the physical, mental, emotional and energetic bodies. Prepares the body to hold more energy. It is the pre-requisite for Bhutta Shuddhi and Parvathi believes that regular asana practice helps to keep all students stabilized during periods of intense Sadhana. Asana is both a preparation for energetic practices and a support for it. Yoga Nidra- Slowly removes layers of the mind until we access a deep state. It is a state similar to certain stages of Samadhi. Yoga Nidra helps us to access the energy or prana necessary for other levels of practice. Yoga Nidra may be practiced for a period of weeks/ months before an intense Sadhana and it may be continued throughout that Sadhana in order to keep the energy fresh and abundant. Bhutta Shuddhi- Cleanses the energetic body in such a way as to make it a stronger container to hold more and more energy. Tantrikas believe that the human body/mind continuum is built to hold abundant amounts of energy. Atma Vichara or Self Inquiry- Reveals the mind; mistaking object for subject thereby unveiling layers of mind and prana. Pranayama- most recommended is the secret sacred yoginis breath. Taught by Parvathi at her Tantric workshops or in initiation. Please contact her or one of her senior students. Tripurasundari9@gmail.com

Tantrikas do not believe that the mind should be forced into a single point of concentration. Tantrikas instead feel that practices enable us to gently harness the minds attention so that a disciplined mind arises spontaneously and naturally. Revealing rather than forcing. Now, making a commitment to do a mantra Sadhana practice does necessitate a certain level of discipline. But see if you can keep your perception of that discipline from being too harsh. Ideally, the discipline for Sadhana arises from the same sort of love, which prompts a parent to discipline their child. When child feels the full support and love of their parents, they can accept discipline without being damaged by it. Discipline is

necessary fro the mind to reveal where we are escaping from unadorned reality and exposes our strategies so that we may reset our course of actions.

Doing the Investigation/Setting the Intention The final preliminary for a mantra Sadhana involves the aspirant doing an investigation as to whether or not they will be served by taking on such a practice. In this investigation the student must honestly look at all factors involved in taking on such practice. Some students may by pass this step, as their faith in the Sadhana is very great. However, you cannot short cut this step if there is any question or doubt about the practice. In yoga we use the mind to go beyond the limitations of the mind. The mind always needs to be treated with great respect. This period of investigation is really all about making peace with the mind. Over the years, Parvathi often offers a practice and then says, This is what I recommend. Of course, you must do as you feel! Part of why the teacher gives this out, or asks the student to carefully consider the Sadhana before taking it on is because Tantra is about continuity and relationship. The student must uphold their end of the relationship from the earliest stages and not have less power then the teacher. If the student takes on a practice which s/he is uncomfortable with or feels they should do, it may actually cause unnecessary hardship.

Getting Started/Choosing a Technique The practice, which Parvathi has offered us, is an absolute boon to householders, those who are not renunciates. It is a way that householders can integrate a serious level of mantra Sadhana into our everyday lives. The following ways to do this practice require varying amounts of concentration. You are encouraged to use these as guidelines and create a style of practice which suits your schedule and needs. Rate of Practice Method This is perhaps the most householder friendly method of Sadhana as it does not require any seated or formal practice time. You can do your mantra as you do anything else which does not require your absolute full attention. Many of us in this yoga community have taken on this sort of Sadhana and finished most of it while driving, riding trains, chopping vegetables, standing in lines, etc. Parvathi has said that Tantrikas are nothing if not efficient. Well, you feel pretty efficient if you can work on your mantra Sadhana while doing mundane things like standing in line at the DMV! In order to do the practice while doing other things it is usually necessary to establish a rate of practice. Find a consistent rate for your mantra repetition and then time it. For example, you may find you practice at the rate of 8 minutes a mala. Then if you are driving for an hour and doing your practice the whole time you can credit yourself with approximately 7 malas. This is one way to keep track.

By the way, this method can also be used as part of a focused and seated mantra meditation. Sometimes the clicking of the mala can just feel too busy. The rate of practice works for some but not all students. Mala Method This is the traditional method for doing and counting mantra repetitions. The student uses a mala with 108 beads and for each bead says the mantra 1X. This method is ideal when you are seated at your altar. You can also use this method anyplace else where you can discretely have a mala running through your fingers. Parvathis students can be found clicking through their malas while in flight, at the movies, etc Mixed Method ~Light candle/offer incense (optional!) ~Take protection ~Set intention ~If time permits do purification such as Bhutta Shuddhi or a brief Pranayama ~Do the mantra with concentration 1 or more malas- each time the mind wanders, gently bring it back to the mantra ~If time permits, silent meditation ~Close with a moment of gratitude and/or a dedication of the merits Then do the rest of the repetitions throughout the day. Usually, they will go more smoothly after having done some seated and concentrated work like this in the morning. The Offering or 8 for Ganesha It is traditional that 8 repetitions out o f every 108 are offered to Ganesha! So, for every mala done, only 100 count toward your practices total. There is a lot of beauty inherent in this level of sacrifice. It is a great way to make sure that with every mala you respect the source of these practices and also continue to share any merit accrued. But ultimately, the choice to offer 8 to Ganesh is yours to make. What About my Other Practice/Mantra? This is perhaps the most common question from students who are considering a mantra Sadhana. Parvathis most frequent response to this is always choose one practice and commit to it. However, in some rare cases she will say, If you feel that you are really building a lot of energy with your current practice, then you may want to try and keep a small thread of it going. You could set aside a few minutes each day to devote to such an ongoing practice. But remember its essential that you keep things simple!

Other Guidelines/Suggestions:

~Silent is more subtle and therefore more powerful. Come to say your mantra completely silently or at first very quietly. A lot of students find it helpful in the beginning if their lips move while they whisper it, and yes, this is OK! ~Do not give away the power of your practice. The greatest energy leaks comes from speaking of these practices while we are still doing them. You can decide how much information your family/room mates or partners may need in order to support/understand you during this period. If you have no support at home then its often best to do this very privately. The doubt/negativity of others can cause leaks in your practice.

~It is best to chant in a steady and consistent rate, neither too fast or slow ~It is also best to decide on a steady and consistent rate for doing the mantra each day. In other words, try not to do 100 malas one day and then none the next. To the extent that it is practical, you do the same number of malas each day and do not make deals with yourself. ~ Also, remember, you do not have to keep track, this is a different approach to mantra sadhana, not counting number of mantras, offering each moment, each word and each mantra, surrendering the control of the mind.

Durga Mantra Sadhana: The Durga mantra sadhana given was, Om Hrim Shrim Dum Durgaaye namah. It was suggested that 40 days was an auspicious number to finish 125,000 repetitions But again we could choose the number of days based on our schedule. The practice ends with a series of offerings, offerings of mantras repeated in gratitude. It is listed below 10% of the total number of repetitions are offered into fire. In this case, that means you say the mantra 12,500X offering each repetition into a flame. If you know how to set up fire ceremonies, and enjoy it, you can do some or all of these repetitions into a formal fire pit. Or, the fire can be as simple as a ghee lamp or candle. Finally, there is the most discreet fire of all, and that is the internal fire, which is in the area of the third chakra. The digestive fires burn in this area. You simple offer the mantras into that internal flame. Or whenever there is a fiery emotion or circumstance, offer the mantra into that fire, seeing the emotion or circumstance and participants as Durga. 10% of the 10% offered into fire now is offered into water. In this practice, that will be 1,250 repetitions. Some students have done this part with a pile of flowers or leaves to

toss into a stream of running water. A cup of water may also be used. A copper cup would be nice, but it is not necessary. The flowers or leaves are just a matter of personal expression. The mantra is enough to offer! If you wish to offer to water internally, then offer to the second Chakra where the water element presides. Or offer every time you sip water or as you bathe. Finally 10% of the 10% offered to water is now offered to the earth element. This is 125 repetitions. You can do this however you feel it. A very traditional way is to honor earth through her bounty and cook food for someone else. Say the mantra over the food as you prepare it and then offer to someone hungry or in need of nourishment. When you do the mantras as offerings into fire, water or earth you add "Swaha" to the end of the mantra. That sanctifies it as an offering. The offerings do not need to be started right away! There is much flexibility as to how and when you do them. You can begin the day after you finish your practice or you can begin a few months afterward. If you choose to wait a while then try and select an auspicious day to begin. That could be a day which anniversaries an event which was personally important to your awakening or a full moon or Fridays are always good for Goddess practices. If that just doesn't work with your schedule, then take heart in the knowing that the offerings are inherently auspicious! The offerings should be completed within the year.

Empowerment of mantra:
We are going to empower the mantra. This is not necessary. So, if you heard the mantra somewhere, or saw it somewhere and were drawn to it and wanted to do it, or have been doing it, that is absolutely wonderful. This is just a wonderful extra gift from the divine mother on her particular day, to all of us. Dont ever feel like you have to have these empowerments or initiations. Sometimes they are called initiations. I dont call it that because I dont give initiations. For many reasons. The simplest and best reason is because the divine mother doesnt need me to. She initiates on her own. She doesnt need a middleman. However, she does often ask or request or others ask or request of her permission to empower and that she very lovingly and generously gives. So, there is a slight difference between empowerment and initiation. The degree of difference is mitigated by your desire and commitment to the Sadhana. When you take on an empowerment, you have an option not to do the Sadhana. That is another difference. For an initiation you dont have that option, or you should not be receiving it. You can just do this, because it accumulates merit, it purifies karmas, particularly negative karmas, obscurations, negative vows, and deeds. So thats reason enough to do it. And especially when you have this alignment or attunement on this day to do it, it is very, very powerful, at least with the Tantric view of things. The other thing that it will require is that, as you go to sleep, you imagine her above you and you lay your head down at her feet. And then when you wake up, you wake up and

you recall that you slept at her feet, and all night you received her blessings. She rides a lion, this is important; this is the symbol of truth. All night you took this in. She is golden. This is important. This is her wealthy nature of generosity. She upholds and rides truth. Theres a sense of empowerment, of justice & strength. All night you took that in. Acknowledge that in the morning. And think to yourself & feel to yourself for the days after this empowerment, All that I do I make as an offering to her. The details of that you will work out. As you eat you will think, I am making this offering to Durga. As you sip water, you say, I am offering water to Durga. As you bathe, you make an offering of bathing her feet. There will be an empowerment, literally, particularly because this is Durga. There will be such a sense of truth, compassion, and justice. Theres even a fierceness that comes with her. But never devoid of devotion & love. But mostly, if we were to limit it because that helps our mind, we would really understand this Durga energy is the energy that takes us away from extreme danger. And what is extreme danger? To us right now ignorance, injustice, lack of power and freedom, on any and every level. This is the essence of this empowerment. Powerful seeds will be sown, we dont know how long before we find them fully ripe even after the ecstasy of the initial bloom, many wonderful things are yet to happen.

OM HREEM TAT SAT RECOMMENDED YOGA TEXTS FOR PRACTICE: DURGA SAPTASHATI (CHANDI PATH) DURGA SUKTAM DEVI GITA PRATYABHGYNA HRDAYAM