A User's Guide To... Kali

The bhakTi User’s Manual VOLUME 1 | Kali

With Your Bhakta & Yoga Guide Stuart Rice

Copyright © 2008 Stuart Rice • bhakTi All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying without written permission of the publisher. The original purchaser is authorized to make one printed copy for personal use. Original book design by Calyx Design

Contents Welcome to the Kali User’s Manual

1

A Brief Introduction to Vedic Spirituality

1

A Brief Introduction to Mantra

2

One Bad-ass B$%!@: An Introduction to Kali

4

Kali Namaskar: The Salute to Kali

5

Kali Mantras: Invoking the Fast Track

8

How I Called Kali on My Own Ass

8

Why Use Kali Mantra?

9

Using These Mantras

12

Conclusion

13

Abouts

14

About The T-Shirt

14

About bhakTi

15

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Welcome to the Kali User’s Manual You’ve bought the T-shirt—now learn more about how to work with Kali, the Goddess of Time and Change. This powerful being is a direct and immediate guide to achieving your dharmic goals, in spite of your ego’s limitations. So read on, and find out if you really want “me to call Kali on you!”

A Brief Introduction to Vedic Spirituality The Indian subcontinent is home to a rich and varied set of spiritual traditions, the four most well-known of which are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. All four of these traditions derive from the great Vedic culture that developed in Indian over thousands of years. Ancient Indian wise men, known as rishis, spent their time observing the world and engaging in meditations during which they literally heard transcendental truths from the universe. These observed and heard truths gave rise to Vedic philosophy, systems of mathematics and astronomy, and one of the most advanced medical treatment systems in existence at the time. In Vedic spirituality, there is a single God known as brahman or isvara. However, for Vedic philosophers, brahman is completely impersonal and all-pervading, the sustaining fabric that makes the universe possible. Because of its impersonal nature, brahman is very difficult for most people to grasp or comprehend. Therefore, the rishis personified specific aspects of the universe and world.

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The observed and experienced cycles of creation, sustenance, and dissolution or decay were personified as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. These three personifications also have multiple shadings, depending upon the context in which they are discussed or worshipped. For example, Shiva is the Lord of Destruction, but also is personified as the destroyer of spiritual poison (sin), a wild yogic ascetic (or sadhu), and the embodiment of worldly enjoyment. A later development was the understanding of shakti, or the creative, feminine impulse, as an integral part of the world. This gave rise, and prominence, to the various Goddesses, personifying other aspects of the universe. As manifold as the masculine manifestations, several key manifestations such as Lakshmi (the principle of abundance), Durga (the principle of protection), Kali (the principle of transformation), and Saraswati (the principle of speech) reoccur in various forms in Vedic thought and writings. In Vedic spirituality, it is expected that each person will form a personal connection to brahman through one of these personifications. The term for this is ishta-devata (“chosen deity”). Although the individual directs his or her actions or prayers to this representation of the divine, it is clearly and deeply understood that this representation of the divine is a inseparable component of brahman. Without brahman, neither the individual person nor the divine representation would exist.

A Brief Introduction to Mantra In Vedic spirituality, certain sounds represent the concentrated essence of an aspect of the universe. In their meditation, the ancient yogins heard these sounds as a kind of music emanating from brahman. The fundamental unit of these sounds is ॐ, often rewritten as AUM or OM. From AUM springs all other sounds. All of the sacred chants and texts of India begin with an invoca-

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tion of the sound of AUM as a way to connect to the energy of brahman. The science of subtle sound is known as mantra. Mantra is a form of empowered speech or chant that unlocks or draws closer some specific aspects of the universe. According to the Vedas, there are nearly 70 million mantras, a practically limitless amount. A mantra can consist of a single word, a short grouping of sounds, or an entire chant that interweaves both sacred sounds and words in Sanskrit. Typically, the sounds that are themselves mantras, such as shrim (the seed sound of abundance), have no literal translation. Shrim is not the word for “abundance” but the vibrational quality that when invoked manifests abundance in the life of the invoker. A key difference between mantra and prayer is that prayer typically takes the form of asking for some specific outcome or boon from the divine. A mantra, on the other hand, specifically and directly draws an aspect of brahman to the invoker. However, the other aspect of mantra is that it works in its own way depending on the needs of the speaker. For example, two people invoking the mantra for abundance (shrim) or the mantra for protection (dum) may experience the benefits of these mantras in very different ways. One person might receive an unexpected monetary raise at work, while the other might find that a friend who has been draining their energy and time suddenly stops calling or showing up, giving them another form of abundance. Each god or goddesses has multiple mantras that are invoked for specific situations and circumstances. These mantras are most powerful when the god or goddess invoked is also the ishta-devata (“chosen deity”) of the speaker, although any mantra invoked will begin to create an effect in the life of the speaker.

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One Bad-ass B$%!@: An Introduction to Kali On looks alone, Kali is not a goddess with which to mess around. Usually represented with four or ten arms, she carries several formidable weapons, and one hand holds a bleeding severed head. She has a garland of heads or skulls, either 51 of them or 108 of them. She wears a skirt of human arms, and she’s crushing some poor guy under her foot. In the vernacular, we could say that Kali looks like one bad-ass bitch. But she’s really not that bad—she’s just drawn that way. The name Kali derives from the Sanskrit world kala meaning black or dark. Kali is often referred to as dark, although many paintings of her show her with blue, shining skin. The word kala also means time, and in the case of Kali, refers to the destructive aspect of time. However, she has different role than Yama, who is the lord of bodily death. Kali’s role is to destroy the ignorance of ego and the ego blocks that prevent us from moving forward in life. The symbolism of Kali reflects this role of dissolving ignorance. The severed skull in her hand represents the ego, the force of which can keep us from achieving our spiritual goals in life. In her four-arm depictions, she carries a sword and a trident. The sword is the tool for severing the head of ego. The trident represents the three main energy channels of the body that must be strengthened and opened to allow for spiritual enlightenment. The skulls around her neck represent the seed sounds in Sanskrit and, in images with 108 skulls, the traditional prayer beads or

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mala. Her three eyes represent the three qualities (or gunas) of the universe: inertia, kinetic energy, and purity. But what about that tongue? Notice the poor guy underneath her feet? That’s Shiva, who is sometimes presented as Kali’s consort. According to one story, Kali emerged from the psychic chakra of Durga to aid her in the destruction of a horde of demons. Kali became so overcome with bloodlust that she would not stop her rampage. The gods and goddesses looked on in horror until Shiva threw himself into the battle. Not recognizing him, Kali knocked Shiva to the ground. At that moment, she suddenly realized what she had done, and stuck out her tongue as a sign of her remorse. In this way, Shiva helped to tame some of Kali’s wildness, and teach her to control her powers. In spite of her fierce exterior, Kali is understood to be one of the most compassionate goddesses. To her devotees, she is thought of as the source of all creation, and her fierceness is motivated by a desire to assist her devotees in their spiritual growth. Kali continues to be worshipped and revered by millions as the quickest path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.

Kali Namaskar: The Salute to Kali Kali Namaskar is a physical practice to honor the energy of Kali with poses (asana), hand gestures (mudras), and breathing practices (pranayama). This energetic sequence can be practiced at the beginning of a full yoga practice as a substitute or complement to surya namaskar, or on its own as a devotional practice. Depending upon your internal mood or energy, Kali Namaskar can be done either rapidly or slowly. As you practice, keep your intention centered on Kali and her powerful energy. Setting up a

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small altar to Kali with her image or wearing your Kali T-Shirt can help keep your focus. 1.

Begin in samastithi (equal standing pose) with the hands in Ganesha lock (ganesha mudra). Turn the eyes up to the ajña chakra (third eye point). Start with samavritti pranayama (equal length breath).

2.

When the breath is even and calm, begin kapalabhati (breath of fire). As you do breath of fire, twist the spine to the right and to the left, maintaining Ganesha mudra. Do this as rapidly as you can, keeping the hip bones pointing forward. Start first with 18 total (9 to each side), and try to work up to 108.

3.

Inhale, sweep the arms up to the sky and form vardhamanaka mudra with the hands, and then exhale to half your capacity, slowly lowering the arms so that hands come down by the ears, and bending the knees deeply. With the second half of the exhale, fold forward and place the hands flat on the floor, bowing the body deeply to the earth.

4.

Inhaling, step back with the left foot into lunge, keeping the left toes turned under. The right knee should be over the ankle or slightly past it. Form brahmara mudra with the right hand and hamsapaksham mudra with the left hand. As you exhale, reach the right hand straight forward in the brahmara mudra, and press the left hand down and slightly backward.

5.

Inhale, holding the body position, and then exhale, planting the hands and sweeping the right leg up and back into alayudhasana (the scorpion’s sting in downward dog).

6.

Inhale into adho mukha dandasana (push up position), exhale into chaturanga dandasana, and then inhale into adho mukha svanasana (upward facing dog). Exhale and stick out the tongue in simhasana pranayama (lion’s breath). Inhale, draw the tongue in to the mouth in khechari mudra (brahman

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energy moving lock). Exhale, repeat simhasana pranayama. Repeat one more time. 7.

Inhale, lift the body back into adho mukha dandasana, and the step the right foot forward into lunge as you exhale, dropping the back heel for vira lunge. Form mushti mudra with the hands, elbows softly bent.

8.

Sweep the arms to the left as you inhale, rising into virabhadrasana (warrior pose) with the fist pointed to the sky. As you exhale, draw the right hand into the ribcage, elbow pointing back. Drop the left arm down, elbow straight, forming abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness).

9.

Inhale, draw the arms behind the body into viparita namaskar (reversed namaste). Exhale and roll the eyes to the third eye point while chanting “krim.” (See below for more information on this mantra)

10. Inhale, and step the left foot forward, lifting the knee up to hip

height (as if about to step onto something), and sweeping the arms up to the sky. Exhale, and perform simhasana pranayama, pressing the arms straight down and dropping the foot to the floor into samasthiti. 11.

Repeat from Step 1, alternating to the other side.

After completing a round of Kali Namaskar (performed once with each leg), pause for a moment and notice the energy around you. Try to perform nine rounds of Kali Namaskar, building up over time to a full mala of 108. Regardless of the number, give thanks at the end of each round to Kali Ma, the ocean of compassion and the remover of blocks to our evolutionary journey. At the end of your practice, sit in meditation for a moment, and/ or perform a few rounds of nadi shodhana pranayama (alternate nostril breathing). You can combine this with one of the mantra

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practices described below. Then relax into shavasana for several minutes.

Kali Mantras: Invoking the Fast Track Let me take a moment to speak from personal experience about my use of Kali mantra, both as a cautionary tale and an example of how effective Kali is in getting you past your blocks.

How I Called Kali on My Own Ass In July 2007, I experienced a huge upheaval in my life. A fiveyear relationship, which had slowly started to dissolve, suddenly fell apart, leaving me with the task of packing my things and moving out. I felt completely lost in the world, unsure of my future and feeling that my life was fundamentally over. At the same time, my spiritual practice, which had been growing over the years, suddenly had room to breathe. As I set up my new apartment, I created an altar to help focus and direct my energies. In my bedroom I placed an image of Kali directly in front of my bed and underneath it. In addition to other mantras, I began a practice of 18 Kali mantras every night and wore a necklace made of beads and stones sacred to Kali and infused with her energy. Change and transformation began flying at me fast and furiously. My ex and I still had activities and geography in common, so we would occasionally run into each other. I could feel my stomach roiling, as everything around him seemed to paint this golden picture of how happy he was, reflecting the inverse reality inside of me. I felt like I was drinking from a firehose, and I was forced to move along my grieving and separation process at an incredible rate. I had no time to sit and grieve; I had to get along with my life.

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At the same time, a number of friends started showing up unexpectedly, all of whom seemed to have an uncanny knack of helping me understand and translate my emotional palette. While I struggled and wrestled with the questions of why me, why me? they helped keep me grounded and pushed me forward, allowing me to wallow while reminding me that there was really nothing to wallow about. Through my experience of working with mantras to Kali, I came to realize that it’s often easy to be pleased with current circumstances but use that as a way to be comfortable. It is important to continue to strive for our highest life purpose, and never lose sight of the spiritual goals that we have. I have many opportunities since then to be grateful to Kali for kicking my ass and saying, “Get over your moping! You have such a gift to share with the world—don’t sit in your shell mourning! Keep pushing forward!”

Why Use Kali Mantra? From my experience, all mantra is effective, even when you do not have a direct relationship with the energy on which you are calling. Also, I have found that mantras aligned with a specific divine representation manifest in a way that reflects the god or goddesses qualities. For example, you want to do some mantra work to overcome an issue or conflict at home with a partner who isn’t, ultimately, right for you. If you use mantras associated with Lakshmi, the representation of abundance, you will begin to see the abundance of positive things in your life that you may not be able to enjoy because of the relationship; this will give you a gentle prompting that maybe you need to reconsider how you value yourself and the relationship. If you use mantras associated with Kali, on the other hand, you and your partner will get right down to brass tacks, push egos and feelings aside, and really asses if this is even the right situation for each of you. If it isn’t, you’ll likely feel empowered to part ways and get back on track.

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Working with Kali requires a little bit more of a thick skin than other gods or goddesses in my experience. She’s a very protective and fierce mother figure who would rather see your feelings get hurt in the short term than have you suffer in the long run or not realize your life path and purpose. This is why devotees of Kali experience her as an ocean of compassion. She’s the mother who will kick you out of the house because you’re going to grow faster and more powerfully than if you stick around in your comfort zone. When you look deep into her eyes, you’ll see there an infinite amount of love for you. In a way, she personifies that old saying that mothers always drag up, “this hurts me far more than it hurts you” or “you’re going to thank me later.” Training Wheel Mantras for Kali The easiest way to start working with Kali is to use her seed sound or bija mantra. This mantra is the condensed essence of Kali’s energy and will begin to work immediately. Mantra: Krim Krim is like a broom for negative ego—it just starts sweeping it away. If you have any illusions about yourself or a situation those illusions will start to crumble. The evidence about how you may be limiting or restricting yourself will start to become so obvious that it will be impossible to ignore. Mantra: Om Shri Kalikayai Namah This mantra calls upon Kali by her name. Shri is a word often added before the names of gods, goddesses, or other revered persons or entities as a sign of respect. The “yai” at the end of Kali’s name signifies the activation of the energy of the mantra. Namah means “to bow” and therefore to demonstrate deep respect. Namah tends to be used at the end of mantras, along with “svaha”, which has a slightly different connotation.

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Straight to the Mountaintop These mantras are more powerful expressions of the bija mantra “krim.” They call upon the cosmic forms of Kali that affect the fundamental fabric of the universe. These mantras will get the job done, but you’ve got to be ready for anything and everything that may not be useful to you to be cleared away. However, do remember that Kali is assisting you and guiding you always, although the messages and reasons for her actions may not always be clear at first. Mantra: Hrim Shrim Krim Paramesvaryai Svaha This mantra invokes the cosmic form of Kali as brahman. There is an ancient belief that Kali is the underlying source of creation, particular in her association with the cosmic cycle of times. Hrim and Shrim are two other bija mantras. Hrim is an ancient Vedic mantra for destroying the veil of illusion that leads us to feel separate from the divine truth. Shrim is the bija mantra for abundance, and is associated with the universal power known in yoga as shakti. Svaha is similar to the word “amen” or “ameyn” and indicates that the prayer is being offered up to the divine for recognition and response. Mantra: Hrim Shrim Krim Paramesvari Kalike Hrim Shrim Krim Svaha Similar to the above mantra, but explicitly identifying Kali as the representation of the divine truth. Mantra: Krim Krim Krim Hum Hum Hrim Hrim Daksine Kalike Krim Krim Krim Hum Hum Hrim Hrim Svaha With multiple repetitions of the seed mantras, this longer mantra invokes Kali as daksine, which means right-handed. The righthanded represents the upward, “light” path of development. The

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other meaning is “southern-facing”, which again indicates an auspicious situation. The new mantra added here is Hum, which is the seed sound associated with desolving the illusion of the universe. This sound is similar to Hrim, although Hum is often associated explicitly with Shiva, a deity with whom Kali is often closely linked. This mantra requests an auspicious, promising outcome from Kali in response to the situation on which the devotee is focusing. Again, don’t forget that auspicious here means “good for your life dharma” not necessarily “good for your ego”

Using These Mantras The more you use a mantra the more powerful its effects will be. You can begin with 18 repetitions of the mantra first thing in the morning, ensuring that you keep your attention focused on your purpose in using the mantra. Remember when setting your purpose that the specific outcome is based on what you most need, not what you most want. If you want a raise at work, you may very well get it—by being fired so that a better job can come along. Be prepared for things such as that to happen when you use Kali mantra. If you would like to create a more powerful practice surrounding a particular Kali mantra, you can perform your mantra at the hour before dawn or at dusk, both of which are considered particularly pure (or sattvic) times of the day. If you have an altar or other sacred space, you can place an image of Kali on it, along with a small offering of red and white roses, lotus, jasmine, or hibiscus flowers, a fragrant garland of flowers, some mango or other fruit, and a lit candle. The offering does not need to be large, but it should heartfelt. Take a moment to center yourself in both breath and mind, sitting quietly and setting your intention. Begin by intoning AUM and then perform 108 repetitions of your chosen mantra. At the end of 108 repetitions intone AUM again and then rest quietly in the vibration of the mantra. Bring your

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hands together at your heart (anjali mudra) and bow your head to end your practice.

Conclusion Kali is a powerful and benevolent force for immediate change. Her direct methods force us to truly value ourselves and our own growth above all other considerations. While Kali may occasionally make life feel like a roller coaster ride, those who know her understand that she will always guide and protect us through the turbulence into the power and peace of truly living our path. May the blessings of Kali pour down upon you endlessly. May you forever walk your true path with strength and commitment. Om Shri Kalike Jai!

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Abouts About The T-Shirt

Stuart Rice: “Kali on Yo’ Ass” T-shirt v1.1: sketch 8.8.08

Initial Draft © Calyx Designs

The phrase started off as a joke between me and my partner and bhakTi coordinator Patrick. It was our way of letting the other person know that he was engaging in self-criticism or other actions that didn’t recognize the true nature of things. When we decided to design the line of T-shirts, Kali was a natural choice for a reinterpretation, and we already knew that “Don’t Make Me Call Kali on You “ was going to be the catch phrase. Working with Richard Miller of Calyx Designs, we started with the idea of doing a blaxploitation image of Kali. The energy of Kali fit so well with that genre that presented black women as powerful figures with weapons for righting wrongs. So we took the Dark Earth Mother of India and transformed her into Cleopatra Jones of India! In our first draft, we had a slightly different set of objects (take a look at the draft image above), but finally settled on having her hold all weapons and her trademark skull.

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Frankly, I think she rocks, and based on the Kali mantras I’ve done, the Universe agrees!

About bhakTi bhakTi is a company that focuses on creating tools for mind/ body expansion. Founded in 2008 by Stuart Rice as a sole proprietorship, bhakTi is committed to providing classes, workshops, immersions, retreats, and products that move the heart, mind, and spirit of each person who works with us. The word “bhakti” in Sanskrit means “devotion,” and is also a particular yoga path marked by a commitment to a path of love and service. Our logo includes the face of Hanuman, the consummate spiritual warrior who found his life purpose by serving the divine faithfully and completely. From his devotion came the ability to perform incredible feats. Hanuman’s life and his use as our logo reminds those of us at bhakTi that the smallest act becomes great when it is infused with love. Our website at bhaktiwarrior.com contains a full list of our current services and products. Please visit us soon and find the tools to open your mind and heart!