Have your say
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July 2008... Feedback on our review of
Loriliai Biernacki's book "Renowned Goddess of Desire"
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23 July 07
Dear Colinji
Thanks for your quick reply. I liked your posting of
the Kalima and also the photographs of the
Dakshineswar temple.
Jai shri mata kali
Vandana
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9 July 07
Thank you old friend
Your feedback on Adhbut Ramayana have spurred me to wanting to read them.
Thank you for the inspiration !!!
Linga puranas has also the same story account with Shiva throwing himself
as a baby to her ? Have you known about this ?
Kanna Krishnan
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7 July 07
I did a report about Her this past winter semester for my Myth and
Folklore class and really enjoyed the time and information that
surrounded Her. If I may suggest a few things....? Kissing Kali is a
book about Sri Ramakrishna, who was a huge devotee of Kali Ma in the
past 150 years. The Flute and The Sword was a AWESOME book that had
a lot of his songs of praise to Her. In a lot of the reading I have
done with Kali Ma, Her Husband is Lord Shiva, I am not how Mahakala
ties into all of this, and am interested to know (Mahakala is used in
Tibetan Buddhism in the opening of new temples and He's put in a
corner covered from view).
If I may ask, are you Hindu? Did you read about the Temple thats
being built in Hawaii (I cant remember the island, however the kind of
thought and preperation thats gone into it is just amazing!!
Namaste_()_ and in Her Love,
Kharma Bergman
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8 July 07
Namaste _()_ Kharma.
Thank you for writing to me. It is good to hear from another person who loves Goddess Kali.
The Flute and The Sword was a AWESOME book that had a lot of his songs of praise to Her.You mean _The Sword and the Flute_ by David Kinsley? That one is certainly a powerful piece of writing... I first read it quite a few years back, and that was one of the things that prompted me to do more of my own reading of Indian texts like Puranas, Tantras and bhakti songs.
In a lot of the reading I have done with Kali Ma, Her Husband is Lord Shiva, I am not how Mahakala ties into all of this, and am interested to know...If you read statements about Kali Ma in the original Indian languages, such as Sanskrit and Bengali, you will find the name Kala or Mahakala coming up all the time. (For instance, in the tantric hymn called the Karpuradi Stotra, and in the bhakti songs of Ramprasad and Kamalakanta, which Sri Ramakrishna liked to sing.) In the English translations, it is often replaced with the name Shiva. That is justifiable, up to a point, because the works I've mentioned generally present Shiva and Mahakala as two names of the same Lord.
The same happens to be true of the names Parvati, Sati and Kali - according to the Kalika Purana and according to Ramprasad, they are names and forms of the same Goddess. The main criticism I have of David Kinsley's book is that he doesn't fully grasp this point - he tries a little too hard to make Kali into "a goddess" distinct from all other goddesses.
What Kinsley's book does bring out, is that the _name_ "Kali" has history and a range of meanings that differentiates it from other divine names. The name "Kala" also has its own history and range of meanings. So I think it's a pity that it has tended to get lost in the English translations.
If I may ask, are you Hindu?Didn't Sri Ramakrishna teach that all devotions are one? If so, how much does it matter whether we call ourselves Hindus or Buddhists or Christians or something else?
Did you read about the Temple thats being built in Hawaii (I cant remember the island, however the kind of thought and preperation thats gone into it is just amazing!!I think I've heard of this Temple, but don't know much about it. Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit several Hindu Kali temples in the Calcutta area. It was a special experience, for which I feel thankful.
Om Shantih
Colin
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23 November 06
I have gone thru the contents in detail.It is an excellent presentation.I particularly liked the poetry of Mary.This lyrical aspect somehow comfortably co exists with elaborate pujas and mantras.The greatest shakti worshippers were also great poets in Sanskrit or other Indian languages.Mother is also the goddess of music and music/lyrical poetry is the best medium for propagation of ideas.I find that Ferment is making a notable effort.Every thing adds up towards the worship of universal mother who has chosen to bless our species.
om Shantih
venkat bhasksr
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