UCP-Universal Collective Prayer

Advent Calendar 2011:Christmas Day

2011-12-25T23:48:00.000-04:00

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During our Advent calendar times here on UCP we often consider the relationship between the Christ child, humans and animals. It always seems to us that this is so much a theme in the Christmas story and ironic then that the festival is celebrated by many by eating animals for lunch and dinner on the day itself and days prior.

Of course over on our sister blog Meady's Musings the human and animal story is very evident as we often tell the Christmas Adventures of the Purple Elephant and the little mouse. But even the original Christmas story so filled with animals. We have explored the relationship with animals and Jesus Christ of Nazareth before during our Easter blog postings. Consider this blog where we asked what about the feelings of the donkey as Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday:

The Holy Week: Palm Sunday

Excerpts from that blog post:

"...What of the donkey? To me as a Hindu all through the stories I hear of Jesus the Christ’s life I wonder about the animals that surround him…to me these stories are filled with animals from cradle to crave! I mean there were camels, sheep, cows and donkeys at his birth, fishing expeditions, snakes (I think?) as he made his way in life and now here he was about to be crucified and he is riding in to it on a donkey. And as a Hindu looking on at this I can’t help wondering about the connection to the animals and how they feel about all of this. You see from my Hindu perspective I see it that all the animals are also with soul and part of the Universal spirit…so to me I keep thinking of how they would have felt to be surrounded by such an enlightened spirit that was embodied in the flesh of Jesus the Christ while he was on planet earth. However I’m sure Christians must see it differently and so it must be noted this is just my point of view being shared with…no malice…no spite…and certainly no disrespect but just plain enquiry from where I stand in the journey!

So for the intent of my story I shall proceed to name this donkey upon which Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I shall name him Sam…don’t ask me why but it is just what pops into my head as I keep seeing him before me…I don't perceive him as a talking donkey a la 'Donkey' from 'Shrek' but more that his spirit can communicate on a more subtle level with the spirit of Jesus...So as Sam walks into Jerusalem's gate with Jesus on his back he feels it...he knows this is the week it will all end...but at the same time his donkey hairs stand on end to know that is part of something bigger than him...something on a grand scale Universally!:)

In terms of Jesus' interaction with the donkey, Sam as they had traveled to Jerusalem I feel it would have been a very loving one...he would have been gently stroking him and stopping frequently on the journey for Sam to rest, drink and eat...he would have recalled too how another donkey took his mother, the Holy Virgin Mary to the manger for him to be born some more than thirty years before...and at that moment he would have perhaps recalled how he was about to go beyond his earthly maternal ties and make a sacrifice on a bigger Universal scale...although it would no doubt hurt his mother on the material plane very much!

And now as he sat upon Sam the donkey at the gates of Jerusalem he again touched the animal's mane lovingly and in that moment connecting with the animals spirit feeling both his fear and awe...He would have alighted from the donkey Sam and come before his face...caressing his snout in both his arms and explaining to him through divine connection that...Sam, the donkey should fear not for he would one day be liberated from the earthly plane and he would a greater spirit be for accompanying him on this journey!:)..."

So now let's look at all the animals in the Christmas story in more detail. First of all let's list all of them as much as possible:

1. The donkey that Mary and Joseph were riding
2. The camels that the wise men were riding...possibly three
3. Oxen not sure how many
4. There was bound to be sheep in a place like that right? With all the shepherds and everything

There may certainly have been more animals and I understand there may have even been a snake at Herod's court but generally these are the main ones that usually make up the Nativity scene i.e. the creche.

So how so you think these animals felt on this night? The night that the Christ child was born and then when into the dawn many came to see him?

Did they feel his divine presence just like how Sam the donkey in our Palm Sunday story felt it?

And we here at UCP wish you a happy and holy Christmas filled with divine blessings as we leave you to contemplate on this. Merry Christmas everybody! :)

And we leave you with even more to contemplate on as the Cherry tree bends to the Divine will in this which is one of our fav Christmas carols by Joan Baez.

Advent Calendar 2011:The Christmas Eve Prayer!

2011-12-24T23:30:00.000-04:00

All the animals came over from "The Christmas Adventures of the Purple Elephant and the little mouse" over on our sister blog to join Brother Greg in the Christmas Eve prayer! And here is how the prayer was said:

"Gracious and loving God: With hearts filled with gratitude for the endless ways you come to us, and love us, we again remember your greatest journey - being born in humility, as a child among us. Your birth into our world brought us light, love, peace and joy, and they are eternal gifts. This Christmas, may your Son once again be born into the hearts of your people. Make us instruments of your peace, and bring us to a deeper awareness of your unconditonal love this season.
Amen"

Merry Christmas from UCP and from all the animals over at the Meady's Musings Production House!

Advent Calendar 2011: A Christmas Prayer!

2011-12-10T10:53:00.001-04:00

We have been so asunder this year that even on a blog entitled Universal Collective Prayer after already opening the Advent calendar late...we OMG! forgot the Advent calendar opening prayer! We surrender on to the Divine and beg for forgiveness and we didn't even ask Bro Greg to come say the prayer but as a result we shall contact him for our Christmas Eve mass prayer for sure!

Now in our lateness we had to take inspiration from the little mouse who is on his Christmas Adventures next door on our parent blog Meady's Musings. So here is the mouse's Advent calendar Christmas prayer!

"Dear Lord although I may but a little mouse be
You well know that I let little scare me
Apart from those cats of course
And even then I just surrender to you as the divine source
And although the start of this Advent calendar maybe late
It won't affect what will be on any of my guest's Christmas Eve dinner plate

You know better than I great spirit that in the Universal sense of things we are all one
And so please don't let my Christmas plans be undone
You see the owner of the house was late to open the Advent calendar
But she must not be blamed for such a blunder
As her world I'm told was a bit asunder

So let's now work together
To make this Christmas the best one ever
Keep the cats at bay
And let all our house guests enjoy their stay
This dear Lord is my Advent calender opening prayer!"

And speaking of prayer we here at UCP would like to ask you to take a moment and reflect on the year gone by so far and ask you to look within and consider what is your Christmas prayer? For now and for the New Year?

And with that we leave you with this lady singing about her grown up Christmas prayer or wish or list well all the same no?! :)

Advent Calendar 2011: The Opening and Happy St. Nicholas Day!

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

We at the Meady's Musings Production House have left many a story untold this year and many a blog post unfinished and unposted! You our readers must realize it really was never our intent! However we were just too taken up with travelling to different lands and putting on real live blog displays on UCP this year but mostly too involved in our day job! Yes as you know we must pay the bills and we have just been putting our shoulder to the wheel all year long this year!

But we really have just gone and done it now! As we've started our Advent calendar late now too! The Purple Elephant and Little Mouse were just very cross indeed and so they had to make it out of their imaginary house over into our real world to let us know just how they felt! And it wasn't a good sight I will tell you for many a passerby to see a cartoony looking elephant purple at that with a cartoony looking mouse on this back scolding a real life lady on the street! In fact many of the passersby ended up on the psychiatric chair! And for that we at the production house all yell out an 'Oh dear!' But it must have been worth it for here we are to declare the Advent Calendar 2011 open!

The rules again this year will be that on Meady's Musings we will be telling the story of 'The Christmas Adventures of the Purple Elephant with the little mouse' of course at times we may pause for a little this and that.

And on UCP-Universal Collective Prayer we will be keeping to the reverence and prayer of the season.

However there will be days that the two blogs will collide like today as we join to launch the calendar and celebrate St. Nicholas Day! Yes Happy St. Nicholas Day 2011 folks! So although the Advent calendar is declared open late this year it is not that bad as it is on this very special day that celebrates that old saint of giving whom has forever been Americanised as a fat man in a red and white suit!

As we celebrate the day this year we look back at these times when we asked:

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

and when we said:

Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus!

And remind you again this year that if you need to learn more about St. Nicholas the St. Nicholas Center is a pretty good place to start!

And remind you that we do believe in Santa Claus as we also recall the gift giving that was done for the baby Jesus!

Happy Ganesh Utsav 2011!

2011-09-11T23:16:00.006-04:00

Copyright of The Meady's Musings Production House 2011.

From the UCP desk to you- Happy Ganesh Utsav 2011!

May the melting of your Ganesh (hopefully clay and so melted) represent another year of you shedding something that needlessly binds you to the trappings of your mortal coil as you find your way back...

Everyone came out for the festival today at the mosquito creek even the Purple Elephant (who kept waving away mosquitoes with his trunk but no really it's just a name there were no mosquitoes!) and the little mouse who both felt so honoured! And they personally thanked Sonu Dubay (yes the nepotism at the UCP desk continues!) for the photos! Of course he signed all the rights over to the two fellow mammals and so all the pics that appear on this blog post today are...

Copyright of The Meady's Musings Production House 2011.

Eid Mubarak 2011-A Sojourn in Islam!

2011-08-31T00:06:00.007-04:00

The owner of the Meady's Musings Production House had her fifteen year old niece ask her to throw out one of the guys writing at a UCP desk just for today so that she could write today's UCP blog post instead! Of course you know we're kidding as we couldn't have such nepotism and violence...it is just not the UCP way!:) But seriously the niece of the owner of the Meady's Musings Production will be the contributor to our UCP Islamic celebrating blog today. It's not nepotism really she is fully qualified as for the last few months she has been dabbling in the religion of Islam to learn more about it...at times to be honest the owner of the Production House had felt she had converted fully...boy that niece can be such a good actress! :) So the owner of the Production House almost nearly pulled this story before she read it...but once she read it she broke into a wide smile...she was proud to see how well her niece had learnt all on her own (or perhaps by following example) the UCP way! :) So without further delay here is blog post by that other Dubay! :)

EXPLORING ISLAM

Assalamu Alaikum (peace be upon you)

As far as the journey has brought me, I had a very wonderful and pleasurable experience learning and educating myself about Islam. Coming from a strict Hindu background, people would find it a very odd approach to see someone like me engaging in such an activity. From my path however I saw it as a higher pillar of life and beyond. It is much more than a mere eye would see.

Questions came towards me as to why I decided to go on about Islam or simply 'Muslim'. As to how I would see it,. there is only on God but we see Him differently based on the different strengths of our faiths. But as one race, being the human race, it would tak time for us to understand and accept the truth. Conversion can never be the positive step forward though. As that is just a negative divergence. If you trult have faith and love, the only way is the religion of love and compassion. You should not be biased or fanatical though. If you are particular defined religion
and you are a true devotee of God in your faith then you should not judge other fatih as it is the same said God. When you start doing this, ther is no use of using God's name. You become a loser.

Back to the broad topic of Islam. I am not confined to any faith or cult but I believe that there is a supreme being in this world. Atheism isno the way as it does not have solid truth about it. It we use the example of air. We know for a fact that air exists but we cannot see air, same with the Creator.

Learning about Islam and the way of Allah (God) has been quite interesting as I can now tell a muslim what I know about his/her religion. By exploring another faith, you learn to accept your other brother and sistes in life more and you respect them even more.

As Islam will present itself, it is solely based on the principles of the Holy Qur'an, Sunnahs and Prophet Muhammud (PBUH). I will not do into details with the Qur'an. But I will share some benefits of Islam. Islam prohibits alcohol use and the ingestion of toxic substances. It helps you to draw closer to Allah in dua (prayer) and teaches you how to go to Jannat (Heaven). Allah gave men and women equal rights but different responsibilities. He entrusted the men with the duty of working to take care of the household and going to the masjid. The women are to cook and take care of the children. Islam has been stereotyped to things such as terrorism and domestic abuse. But it is not so. There is good and bad in everyone and the innocent should not be accused for anything. Muslim women lead normal lives and are treat very well by their husbands. They are give right to eve work and drive. These things are just stereotypes. Men are to wear clothes up to their knees which are loose and women are to cover their entire body except for the hands (up to wrist bone) and face. Hijab is not just a piece of cloth but a practice and test. Once you are wearing hijab, you wear it for Allah. You are to lower your gaze being Muslim. During Ramadan you are not only forgiven of your sins but you can loose fat and help purify your body while getting closer to God.

Islamic architecture is quite fascinating and so is its song and music. The Qasidas, Qawalis, Nasheeds and prayers are very peaceful. The most peaceful music though is believed to be Sufi music which is associated with Sufism (a sect of Islam).

If you find experincing a new faith interesting to you, you can try learning about Islam, Hinduism, Christianity or others. Trust me, it does pay off in the end, and it helps to clear many misunderstandings and doubts you would have had. This does not mean you are converting however. You are just embracing another reality.

Ramadan is near to a close and I hope that Allah is pleased with everyone's dua and fast. Lailatul-Qadr ( which usually falls within the last ten days of Ramadan)is considered to be the night of power and prayer on this night can be as equivalent strong as doing 83 years of tapas (Sanskrit word used in Hinduism to represent the destruction of accumulated sins by underdoing physical sacrifices that leads to spiritual evolution).

Keep praying, keep smiling and Insha Allah you will be greatly blessed. Hope you enjoyed your Ramadan and Eid Mubarak to you all! Khuda Hafiz! Assalamu Alaikum! (peace be onto you!)

We're Back on a Krishna Janmashtami Again-Happy Krishna Janmashtami 2011!!

2011-08-21T21:26:00.004-04:00

Copyright the Meady's Musings Production House.

We started this dance we call UCP-Universal Collective Prayer back in 2008 on Krishna Janmashtami so as we always say Krishna Janmashtami to Krishna Janmashtami we have completed another year of this blog...granted we've been away for most of the year thus far...but we've been taking the blog on the road...and we will let you know more about that soon! But for now we want to say that Krishna Janmashtami to Krishna Janmashtami this blog is now three years old! :)

So as we reflect today on the manifestation of Krishna into the flesh in the Hindu world and the fast of Ramadan continues in the Islamic world...we find fresh energy to announce on our birthday that we share with Krishna himself that we will finally be back to blogging consistently here on the prayers...and getting to the God series as we had promised back on the road in June. So look for it this Wednesday as we start back blogging with the expectation of one or two installations here on UCP every week either on a Wednesday, Friday or on both days. But now on with the birthday celebs...!

To mark our birthday and that of the supreme Godhead of Hinduism-Krishna. We will do two things:

-Reminesce, reflect and re-examine the reason we started this blog and
-Recall some of our favourite Krishna tunes!

Why we started UCP?
We thought this would take a long time to explain and lots of soul searching before we could type this response here. But really a blog is a web log...a diary of sorts in cyberspace...and so the answer really was right there embedded in our first UCP blog ever...when we used to write in the first person...here it is:

"So I go into this evening's proceedings (as it thunders and rains here very much as it did according to the Vedic tale on the day that Baby Krishna came to earth) with this in my heart... this in my prayers. No matter who we are where our ancestors came from or how we choose to worship... Let us all show each other love and compassion. I truly believe this and so this is my truth that if we all focus on this and practice this piece by piece and as we get better at it...the truth will prevail...and we will all of a sudden realise that LOVE IS ALL THERE IS! (and I think I may have just quoted a Beatles song there...no rights infringement intended) Please reflect on my loaner pic from the Bhaktivedanta people and look at the love and beauty in it. A mother lovingly bathing her baby. Don't bother too much bout who was right and who was wrong who came first or who came last. Who was better and who was best or who is right now or wrong now. May God Bless Us All and fill Us with Love and Compassion to All Beings of the Universe!"

And now some of our favourite Krishna tunes:

The Holy Week, Hanuman Jayanti and Farewell My Friend

2011-04-17T20:52:00.010-04:00

Today is sometimes called Palm Sunday and it heralds the start of the Holy Week during the Lenten season. UCP has remarked on this in the past under these headings:

Palm Sunday 2010!

The Holy Week 2009!

Today and over this weekend Hindus celebrated the festival of Hanuman Jayanti...see these blogs we've written about this festival in the past here:

Hanuman Jayanti 2010!

Hanuman Jayanti 2009!

But this year the UCP desk and the entire Meady's Musings Production House as a whole are a bit dull as we have lost our dear friend and supporter of the Production House Bro. Tim Douglas!

Here are some of the things we and other friends to the Production House have had to say on his transition into the light:

"Here was a man who had reached almost to the point where you only saw in him his true being...love and light...indeed! :) And love and light you will always be...indeed! Farewell Bro Tim into the light you go! :)"

"I guess you all heard about the passing of our dear Bro Tim...may he be one with the eternal love and light! :)"

"My message notifying the Salvation Army* as to what to do with my donation...Please donate the money to your International Emergency Services in Iraq-Canadian hearts glowing in Iraq. In loving memory of the love and light on planet earth that was Tim Douglas!"
*Bro Tim's family suggests that in his memory you donate to the local chapter of your Salvation Army.

As dedicated by Philip Zeuner:
"For Tim:
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well.

Henry Scott Holland"

As stated by Bro Greg Kirk:

"Just learned of the transition of dear friend Tim Douglas to Eternal life. May the Angels welcome him home and may his family feel God all around them."

As stated by Garima Singh:

"Prayers and love for Tim Douglas and his family and friends. Dear Tim I know you are still watching us all, sending us your love and smiles. All of it back at ya and more!"

Ed Croucher aka our Grandpa Ed:

"Here was a man who glimpsed Heaven and shone that Light to us all. Thank you, Tim, you cheered us all the way and now you are blessed. We'll meet again."

Into the light you go Bro Tim...into the light you go!

And knowing that you engaged in UCP just like us while on the earthly plane we salute you with your own words:
"LIGHT, LAUGHTER and LOVE!!! NAMASTE!!!"

And play for you these forty verses (chalisa) in song written in praise of Hanuman Baba on this occasion of Hanuman Jayanti 2011. May he be your guide on this flight as he is the son of the wind and has a heart filled with light as in the sky he flies! :) And may you enter on your new journey into the light with the same steadfastness and courage as Jesus did when on Palm Sunday he entered Jerusalem! :)

A UNIVERSAL COLLECTIVE PRAYER! As UCP joins in Paulo Coelho's collective prayer event.

2011-04-06T18:06:00.009-04:00

Here's what I the head of the production house prayed for this afternoon at 6 PM in my time zone as we here at UCP joined in with Paulo Coelho's collective prayer event! :)

A UNIVERSAL COLLECTIVE PRAYER!

I pray to you my beloved guru and current ishq devata Baba Shiv!

I pray that you give me the strength to fulfil what I can on earth to do and to provide me with the supporters and necessary support I need to fulfil it. May I also be able to return this support if needed to my supporters and have the grace and wisdom to thank them with heartfelt gratitude when the time is right for the support they lend to me. And I pray in thanks to Paulo Coelho and other leaders and earthly gurus like him who inspire such UCP-Universal Collective Prayer events.

I pray for my nation-Trinidad and Tobago that is filled with a diversity of peoples much like the whole world is today but in our case the diversity exists in a very small space and pool of people. I pray that they learn to respect each other’s points of view that are a product of their conditioning from birth based on their varied cultures, religions and races and always see from a place of love, light and compassion despite their differences. I pray for the strength to continue to pray for this and to myself always see from a place of love, light and compassion!

I pray for Japan...I don't think I need to explain that one!

I pray for Anna Hazare whom I've never heard of before today but having learnt of his personal struggles...I find them incredibly admirable and he seems to be a man who is living out his morals and values walking the walk not just talking the talk...he reminds me of Gandhi...and I pray that he has success in his struggle as he helps to make the land of my ancestors a better place.

I pray for my ancestors...for it is on their strengths that I build and their weaknesses I must overcome!

I pray for my currently earthly bound biological mother for she is the one who has cleaned this space in which I now pray...as she has cleaned it for the festival of Navratri...seva indeed!

I pray to you the Universal Divine Mother-Mata Durga!

I pray for the planet earth! For protection and preservation of its soil, sea and sky! For it is on it I must rely on to survive!

I pray for the Universe to be as it should!

I pray...I pray...I pray...for I simply surrender to you the Divine! May thy way be done!

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti! Hari Om!

Navratri, Lent and Prayers with Paulo Coelho

2011-04-04T22:29:00.008-04:00

copyright Meady's Musings Production 2010

As the Hindu festival of Vasant Navratri kicks off we here at UCP are thrilled at the number of genuine UCP:Universal Collective Prayer events that seem to be popping up world over. The 'big man' (no not that one LOL!) himself Paulo Coelho of 'The Alchemist' fame and name is having a universal collective prayer event on Wed 6 April 2011 at 6 PM in your time zone! The famous author is doing it to celebrate his crossing 5million fans on Facebook! WOW! Five million fans on Facebook now that IS something! The Brazilian author might just be more famous than Facebook itself with a following like that and speaking of following...he has >1.5M followers on Twitter! Whoa!

But yep the great one is having a prayer event to celebrate his fans and following...it was actually the number one voted suggestion by fans! Coming in second was the idea 'to work together' but the great one couldn't see that realistically working out so he suggested a colloborative contest of sorts instead. Anyway it's all on the link if you go here to his blog. (Not that he needs the traffic! :) )

So of course we here at UCP will be clinking out mangeeras and going in...after all it's universal collective prayer at it's finest! :) And it's already Vasant Navratri and our Christian UCPers are in the time of Lent. Just last week one of our roving reporters had the most marvelous prayer experience...while working the field she came about a man who actually fasts for Lent almost like a Muslim...seriously! He doesn't eat all day and prayers for lunch instead of eating lunch...well we're not sure if exactly like a muslim as he may have water...but our Catholic find certainly did seem divine in his pursuit of Lenten prayers! :) So lovely! :)

So as we join Paulo Coelho in prayer on Wed we're sure the whole world will be prayered out! Because Paulo's prayer event is happening at 6 PM in each time zone so with his following for sure you will have a good 24 hour spread of prayer globe over and as it is Hindus will be prayering and surrendering to the Divine Mother and Christians are in the fasting and prayering period of Lent! :) So pray on! As we take our mangeeras out again and sing and dance to the Divine Mother to our favourite tune! :)

UCP joins the Prayer to Water on Thurs 31 March 2011 at Noon in your time zone

2011-03-31T04:54:00.005-04:00

On Thursday, March 31st, at Noon, in each time zone, join Dr. Masuro Emoto's Prayer to Water by chanting the following simple prayer and invocation three times with your hands in the prayer position:

"The water at Fukushima Nuclear Plant,
we are sorry to make you suffer,
please forgive us,
we thank you and we love you."

This prayer event reminds us here at UCP of our participation in the candle4tibet event that inspired the inception of this blog. You will be collectively praying with everyone in your time zone and the prayers will be going with a domino effect as it starts off in Japan the land of the rising sun and spreads westward! Truly Universal Collective Prayer at its best! Please join us in UCP with Dr. Masuro Emoto's Prayer to Water.

For those of you needing some details to focus your prayers...the intent behind the prayers is to use the power of prayer to heal the water that is contaminated as a result of the damage done to nuclear plants in Japan by the impacts of the earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.

If you need to get a little bit more familiar with Mother Water also known as Ganga Mata in Hinduism/Hindi check out these blogs in the UCP archives:

An Ode to the Great Element Water!

Kartik Snaan-The Cleansing!

God as Water!

Attached below is Dr. Masuru Emoto's original call to prayer on YouTube! :)

UCP: Phagwa/Holi 2011 Before and After Shots

2011-03-20T22:15:00.004-04:00

As promised just a quick note to show you readers how the guys at the UCP desk looked before and after they stepped onto the maidan at festivities today! :)

UCP: Happy Holi or Playful Phagwa 2011!

2011-03-19T22:51:00.004-04:00

Poster done by a friend of UCP from Mexico: Adriana Ochoa. She owns her own Advertising firm there.

Here on UCP things universe wide don't seem so bright and hardly light and/or playful after all with the events in Japan continuing to sadly unfold and civil wars upon civil wars in the Middle East and North Africa continuing and continuing...it can tire you out and bog you down. So today on UCP we felt citing the Hindu festival of Holi or Phagwa might be a bit trite...however we've reconciled that even in the saddest and uncertain of times a bit of play is perhaps still what the Universe points us to conspire to have...don't know if that makes sense to our readers or not but as a result our guys at the UCP desk have decided to turn off their computers and into the maidan (field) step for a bit of frolic and play...

Holi Hai!

We here at UCP have built up quite an archive of things Holi or Phagwa over the years so we review them here:

Happy Holi or Playful Phagwa 2009!

Phagwa/Holi Celebrations 2009!

And check us out tomorrow for some before and after shots of us here at UCP as we are at colourful play!

In terms of music this year we can't help but to re-share the quintessential Amit Bachchan pitch but we also go way back to our roots and share a few bhojpuri tunes out of UP in India from whence our ancestors once upon a time came...enjoy! :)

And as we did for Diwali this year we share with you greetings from the Big B himself who although he often features in his films as a drunk is in reality and vegetarian and teetotaler.

Amitabh Bachchan's official tweet about 8 hours ago:

"T 312 - HOLI greetings to all !! May the colors of the festive season infiltrate your life and make it even better ... love and more !!"

UCP joins in Lenten prayers for Japan

2011-03-15T19:29:00.008-04:00

UCP did not open the Lenten season as we normally do on Ash Wednesday...but better late than never...and so we here at UCP would like to join with the Catholic community and wish all a fruitful 40 days of fasting, meditation and prayer. Good luck guys!

However it is indeed a sad time on planet earth and indeed a time for prayer! The things in the Middle East that we here at UCP quite don't understand and then the tear making and heart breaking events that still continue to unfold in Japan.

Therefore in this time of Lent we've asked Deacon Greg Kirk our friend in UCP to share the below prayer:

"Divine One - In this holy season of Lent we remember the path of Your Blessed One, especially His suffering that united Him with Your people everywhere. It is a time to recall that in losing ourselves, we find ourselves, that in dying to our desires, we rise to new life, in You. As we journey through these forty days, help us to remember those who suffer among us, today, especially your children in Japan. Please embrace them with your healing and divine assistance, as we embrace them with our tears and desire to serve and assist them." Amen

And UCP tonight joins with the Global Prayer Project for prayer there at 8 PM EST.

Also UCP and friends have been giving out daily intentions of prayer for the people of Japan over at the Lynne Mc Taggart lady's Intention Experiment over here on Facebook!

Please join us in UCP:Universal Collective Prayer!

The Festival of Shiv 2011: Maha Shivratri 2011!

2011-03-02T21:49:00.005-04:00

And it's finally here! And with it the festival of Shiv 2011 sadly comes to a close! :( But we here at UCP have come to a realization that we may be wishing to celebrate all the shiv ratris...the ones that come up each month...although they are not Maha ones...or the great big ones! We will keep you readers in the loop on how that goes...but for now here it is: Maha Shivratri 2011!

And we promised a friend to go into the meaning tonight of the rituals that many people Hindu world over perform through out this night and their symbolic meaning in all our quests to become more Shiv like or Shivoham! Shivoham!

Well when we offer water onto Shiv we are surrendering onto him and usually the things we surrender are things of nature...so we are already practising to become more Shiv like as to collect all the things for the poojas etc we have to interact with nature...pick flowers, collect leaves...and then we offer it up to Shiv so we are surrendering onto him as our guru.

Then we sit in meditation and pray...perhaps chanting Om Namah Shivay! As we spend time in quiet reflection...in this time we can perhaps think of all the qualities of Shiv we've been lisiting on UCP over the last few days and ask ourselves where we are and what we need to do to become more Shiv like...Shivoham! Shivoham!

We know we've sort of rushed this along but truth be told the UCP desks are pretty empty tonight as our writers are off to the temples or mandirs Universe over or some are simply sitting with Shiv on their own in a corner of the Production House while some have gone to sit with Shiv with their families!

So from all of us here at UCP....may you and your loved ones make the most of this auspicious night and reach one step further along that road of being Shivoham! Shivoham!

Har Har Mahadev! Om Namah Shivay! Shivoham! Shivoham!

The Festival of Shiv 2011: To Be Shiv Like Part III

2011-03-01T19:36:00.000-04:00

Murti of Shiv, Rishikesh, INDIA copyright Meady's Musings Production 2008.

Today as we are on our final installation in the three part series on being Shiv Like we will get straight to it and tomorrow we will share with you some of the meaningful aspects of Mahashivratri as it is the big day tomorrow!

So here we go with some more of the things that makes us want to be Shiv Like!:

He Leads a Simple Life: We here at UCP emulate Baba Shiv's lifestyle as he lives in the forest here and there and he is content with just enough clothing to cover him. And he eats simple foods collected in the forest. When he does eat that is...because he seems to never be eating anyway as he is mostly meditating! You can just imagine how low Baba Shiv's carbon footprint must be! :)After all as a friend of UCP reminded us...Shiv is also known as Ashutosh...one who is pleased easily! And indeed he is! And if we could all be as Shiv like as him...well we for sure would be drawing down way less on the earth's limited resources!

He is the Supreme Yogi!: We here at UCP are always ranting about Baba Shiv being the supreme yogi. You can recall our first admittance to this during Maha Shivratri 2009 by clicking on this link. And we are also always talking about how we often visualise Baba Shiv doing yogic stretches along the banks of our favourite Shiv place: The Mosquito Creek in Trinidad. Additionally yogis and yoginis from far and wide travel to Rishikesh to be part of yoga festivals where Baba Shiv is the keynote speaker! (in a metaphorical sense at least) :) Usually the festival coincides with Maha Shivratri infact there is one going on all now as we write just check this link for details. And of course we here at UCP wish we could be a yogi or yogini like Baba Shiv because the benefits of it are multifold when it comes to one's mental, physical and spiritual state! :)

He conquers death or is fearless to it: Baba Shiv is obviously not afraid of things related to death and dying or destruction. After all he destroys the Universe every once in a while and hangs out with bhoots (ghosts) of all forms and fashions. He also tends to hang out at cremation sites and even smears his body in the ash of the dead. Hey we at UCP wish we could all be so comfortable with death...acknowledging that...to everything there is always an end...including our mortal coils and those of our loved ones. To face the fear of death is often man's greatest challenge yet...so we look to Baba Shiv for some tips there!

He transcends time: We at UCP always get the feeling that Baba Shiv is not bounded by time...we get the idea that he could exist in the past, present and future at all times. We don't have any empirical evidence of this nor any relgious scripture can we cite. But we are students of metaphysics here at the Meady's Musings Production House...and somehow everytime we look at murtis of Baba Shiv or read about him in religious scriptures we just get that feeling about him...and of course wouldn't it be cool if you could no longer be bounded by time! Perhaps if one became Shivoham! Shivoham! on that spiritual level...time does not exist?! And so it cannot bind us! :)

And in closing as we talk about Baba Shiv and conquering our fear of death we play the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra...let's have the guys at the UCP desk cue it up now...OK play away! :)

The Festival of Shiv 2011: To Be Shiv Like Part II-Shivoham! Shivoham!

2011-03-01T00:01:00.009-04:00

Photo taken of Shiv doing the dance of destruction outside CERN from this site

As we draw nearer to Maha Shivratri on the festival of Shiv we figured we'd stick to the theme of being Shiv like until the Maha Shivratri because we are simply having so much fun with the theme but also because there is so much we like about Shiv that it couldn't fit in just one blog! He inspires us to want to be like him so much that...if like Shiv if we could only be like Shiv we'd be enthused and if we achieved it we'd be filled with bliss even! And we have a sneaking suspicion that not only us on UCP feel like this! After all for centuries and centuries ascetics, scholars, sanyasis, pundits, brahmins, non-brahmins, believers, repenters and just plain ole folks have been searching for Shiv so that they can be more like him! Infact this search is so ancient and well known that it already has it's own term in Sanskrit:

Shivoham, Shivoham!

I am Shiv! I am Shiv!

is the exclamation as we realise that we could indeed be like Shiv and in that realization we become:

Chid ananda rupah i.e. we achieve consciousness and bliss! :)

But as we continue to admire Baba Shiv so that we can be shivoham, shivoham! Let's again today talk about some of the Shiv like things we admire here at UCP.

-His love for animals and nature as a whole: This no doubt overlaps with what we wrote on yesterday's blog i.e. that we admire his love and compassion. But we just felt we'd be more specific here to say that Baba Shiv doesn't just show love and compassion for human beings he shows it for all of the beings in the Universe...beasts, birds and bees, trees, the ocean, the rivers and everything included! Baba Shiv is like a protector of all animals and the elements for sure! After all he even lets poisonous snakes drape him and he holds the moon and the great river Ganga in his hair! In fact he so loves animals and is such a protector of them that he is often known as Pashupati which in Sanskrit means 'The Lord of Animals'. Baba Shiv sits atop the snowy caps of Mount Kailash in the Himalayas prevading over all of nature and its animals! Jai Bhole Nath!

-His Dancing Skills!: It is often said that Baba Shiv is the dancer and we the dance! UCP so gets this after all we are all just at the whim of the Universe blowing here and blowing there in the wake of its dance! But we at UCP believe through meditation, experimentation, soul searching, studying the universal dance itself we can all understand the dance so well that we can one day even dancers be! Just try it! Chant Shivoham! Shivoham! and meditate and start stripping all the things that keep you from your true nature...feel the freeness as you become one with you...Shivoham! Shivoham! Appreciate the nature around you...switch off this blog...your cell phone and just let it sink in and we say you'll be one step closer to being Shivoham! Shivoham! One step closer to not just being the dance but having the ability to be the dancer because you will be so attuned with the dancer that you will know and not resist his steps!

Om Namah Shivay!

The Festival of Shiv 2011: To Be Shiv Like!

2011-02-27T11:36:00.003-04:00

Shiv Murti, Rishikesh, INDIA. Copyright Meady's Musings Production 2008

First of all before we go into our topic today we'd just like to apologise for not doing a blog on the festival this last Thursday as we had planned at the start of the festival to at least blog every Monday and Thursday...however to make up for it you should know that now until Maha Shivratri we will be blogging on the festival daily. Also we thought you'd liked to recall what we posted on the festival of Shiv last year to add to the fun and meditative joys!:

The Festival of Shiv 2010!

Now on to today's topic...

TO BE SHIV LIKE!

It is well known that here at UCP we look up to Shiv as the supreme guru of many things and in many ways. But it is important to realise that in all guru-chela relationships or teacher-disciple relationships that the whole point of the relationship is for the chela to become more like the guru i.e. if the relationship goes well and the teacher teaches well and the student learns well...well the end product should be a student who is at least as good as the teacher or if it goes really well he should be even better. However if your guru is already the supreme guru...the Universal guru that is Shiv well then you cannot out do that...so you can only strive to be like him...like Shiv if I could be like Shiv!:)

Om Namah Shivay!

So here are some of the Shiv Like Things we here at UCP strive for:

-His Meditative Focus: The power to be so focussed on one's meditation that it would take an avalanche...a mudslide...a giant volcano erupting...a 10.0 on the richter scale earthquake in a main city centre....a giant tsunami...an atomic explosion even to wake you unless you chose to be aroused from it!

-His Hippiness: Don't get us wrong we're not advocating here careless or licenticious lifestyles. But Baba Shiv has never conformed...just recall in the vid below (taken from the 1974 verison of the film 'Har Har Mahadev!') at his very own wedding where he only conformed momentarily out of his love and compassion (in return for her selfless worship) to Parvati to put on fancy wedding clothes. You see what we're admiring here and advocating as a lesson we learnt from Baba Shiv is his ability to not allow society to define who and what he is...he pushes the envelope...he accepts whatever he likes and rejects whatever he dislikes without worrying what the masses think of him...he is his own man...not a man defined by what he perceives society expects of him!

-His Love and Compassion: Well as in the vid above Baba Shiv extends love and compassion to all his true devotees...and if a devotee slips once they come back again to him he forgives them as an extension of his compassion and loves them all the same. We should all be so loving, forgiving and compassionate and we here at UCP cherish this as our ideal to reach for! And Baba Shiv is not just loving and compassionate to some but to all...to all of the Universe's creatures and creations...he does not discriminate. It is why he is sometimes called Bhoot Nath as he is also the God of the ghosts...he hangs out at cremation sites smeared in ashes, lets snakes hang all over him and is never shying away from conversation with any creature even if it might have a few heads! :) Just look at the people who was at his wedding in the vid above. And we should all be so non-judgemental in our Universal...Divine...Love!:) No wonder we think he lives at our own favourite Shiv place at times...pictured below...

Mosquito Creek, Trinidad copyright Meady's Musings Production 2009.

There is so much more we could say in our admiration and desire to be more Shiv like but for today we shall stop here!

Jai Bholenath!

The Festival of Shiv 2011: Shiv as the Supreme Meditator

2011-02-21T00:46:00.001-04:00

Image taken from Wikipedia Commons

While the owner of the Meady's Musings Production House was out on her day job she met someone who saw the image of Baba Shiv in meditation pose in Rishkesh as above on her desktop. She had been given it by one of the guys from here at our UCP desk!:) And the person asked who Baba Shiv was and if she the owner of the Production House meditated. She explained that while she may not always meditate in the exact position like Baba Shiv did in the image that yes she liked to meditate in her own way often! :)

And over the last week the Production House as much as they don't like the re-tweet couldn't help but to re-tweet this on their twitter account:

"Meditation is a constant, direct relationship with the sum of ourselves in the moment."

It was re-tweeted from Guy Finley.

So we felt it was about time on the Festival of Shiv 2011 to talk yet again about Baba Shiv and his role as the supreme meditator. We don't think anyone can beat him at meditation. It is why he is called yogeshwara...Lord of Yoga. He is the supreme meditator. And whilst we find people are often put off by the number of snakes wrapped around Baba Shiv and he is often associated with them. We don't think it's anything what they think!:) In that well Baba Shiv is such a supreme yogi or meditator that whilst he is engrossed in his meditation anything can come and sit on him...and he is also fearless...so very poisionous snakes even come and wrap themselves around him but he Baba Shiv is not moved by this! He is the supreme one...engaged in the highest and the best form of meditation...unstoppable Shiv...no one can awaken him...except those with divine powers themselves or those who surrender themselves onto the divine such that they themselves become divine and one with Baba Shiv then he awakes to shower his blessings onto them....to show love and compassion for his devotees...who by then are Shiv-like themselves!:)

It is what Parvati was doing when she got him to awaken and marry her...she was finding her own Shiv within....so after many years of penance, prayer and meditation...she was able to go within...fight all her demons until she aroused the Shiv within! :)

Om Namah Shivay! :)

The Festival of Shiv 2011: Kundalini Yoga, the Shiv and Shakti and Shiv as Potential Energy

2011-02-17T23:17:00.001-04:00

UCP/Meady's Musings Production does not own the rights for this image.

A friend came over to the Meady's Musings Production House and the Purple Elephant quickly threw his long purple trunk forward to open the door. The friend entered and said hello and then quickly went over to the guys at the UCP desk and asked them if they were interested in a course in kundalini yoga. It was quite an interesting course but seeing as the owner of the Production House hardly ever pays the guys at the UCP desk a single penny even...no one unfortunately could afford the fees! :( But it got the guys at the UCP desk who are currently writing about this Festival of Shiv 2011 to thinking and they went over to the guys who write the Tumultuous Thursdays blog posts on Meady's Musings and well...this joint blog that is both about religion and metaphysics was born and today appears on both UCP's Festival of Shiv and Meady's Musings' Tumultuous Thursdays! :)

Now kundalini yoga and yoga as a whole is often associated with Baba Shiv as he is seen as the mahayogi and in the image at the start of the post you can see where Shiv's iconography itself can be used to describe the elements of Kundalini yoga and as a whole the key body/energy points in yoga. And this website titled Kundalini Awakening appears to be a very good research source for anyone wanting to know more about the theories behind kundalini yoga.

However the rest of the blog post will delve more into the shiv/shakti relationship that comes out of the study of kundalini yoga and more so the concept that shiv is potential energy and shakti kinetic energy.

Let's define the two terms in Physics as defined by the Free Dictionary:

POTENTIAL ENERGY: (noun)The energy of a particle or system of particles derived from position, or condition, rather than motion. A raised weight, coiled spring, or charged battery has potential energy.

KINETIC ENERGY:(noun)The energy possessed by a body because of its motion, equal to one half the mass of the body times the square of its speed.

Now in Hinduism it is not only seen that Shiv is like potential energy and Shakti like kinetic energy...it is also seen that both Shiv and Shakti are one...so really it is one being that is at one point potential energy and then at another point kinetic energy.

So let's see it as if Shiv is sitting there in meditative post and then while in meditation he thinks up Shakti as this moving dancing female being...then after she manifests from his thoughts as dancing kinetic energy before him he eventually is also aroused and starts to dance with her...his potential energy is converted to kinetic energy!

Seen in the dance of Shiv and Shakti it would look something like this:

Seen in the metaphysical sense as it's impact on the creation and/or destruction it would be something like this:

Think about it is all the potential energy is eventually converted to kinetic energy ...it you have a coil of string and it has this potential energy in it as it is all coiled up but then begins to unravel as its potential energy converts to kinetic energy...what happens when all the string is unraveled? Well you no longer have a ball of string?

Hey but this is no doom's day blogpost or anything...after all this is a joint blogpost on Tumultuous Thrusdays and UCP i.e. Universal Collective Prayer...but we are just analysing some of the aspects of Shiv here and realising more so now how he might be seen as the God of destruction and how his cosmic dance of destruction...or the Nataraj dance has become so world famous...as he gets up from his coiled potential energy position and dances uncoiling as kinetic energy flows! But remember that energy is neither created nor destroyed so the kinetic energy again can become potential as another ball of string or the cosmos is reformed....Jai Bholenath! :)

The Festival of Shiv 2011: Somvaar-The Monday Fast with Shiv as Matchmaker on Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T21:47:00.006-04:00

Cartoon as shown on our Festival of Shiv in 2010

Today is Valentine's day and it falls on the Somvaar or the Monday which many in Shiv worshipping land regard as an auspicious day of fasting to Shiv...you will recall earlier on the festival of Shiv i.e. last Monday from the Grand Opening blog that Shiv is also known as Som Nath based on his forgiveness and compassion towards the moon...shama karo! So Monday is indeed an important day in Shiv worshipping land! :)

But the significance of Shiv worship on a Monday is interestingly very similar to some aspects of Valentine's Day as many unmarried women especially in India tend to worship Baba Shiv on a Monday in the hope of finding the perfect husband and in this regard they are beseiging Baba Shiv to act as the Ultimate Matchmaker! Some (perhaps those ladies more intent in their worship) even take it a step further and ask for a husband that is like Shiv himself! You see for in Hinduism Shiv can be many things but one of these many things is the family guy....yep the family guy Shiv can be! And we explored that on here on our festival of Shiv in 2010. So yep the ladies can also ask for a husband with the Shiv like qualities that are often seen as conducive for a good marriage...well at least when Shiv is being the family guy that is!

Shiv is no easy catch himself by the way though just ask poor Parvati (as shown in our cartoon from the festival of Shiv in 2010 above!)she had quite the time getting his attention and I'll tell you this Baba Shiv had quite the run ins with the Hindu equivalent of Cupid...Kaam Dev....poor guy! But you see Shiv really doesn't like to be bothered when he is in meditation! So now let's take in these videos where Kaam Dev is assisted by his wife Rati and sometimes Vasant i.e. spring (the season of birth and love) so that he can:

1. Arouse Shiv out of his meditation so he can marry Parvati.
2. Arouse Shiv and Sati (Parvati in another lifetime) so they can have a son.

And then you can enjoy:

3. Shiv and Sati on their honeymoon...well sort of...no arousals needed!

Happy Valentine's Day from UCP and all at the Meady's Musings Production House! :)

The Festival of Shiv 2011: Shiv as the Supreme Guru!

2011-02-10T23:15:00.001-04:00

'

Shiv as Dakshinamurti.

Today on the festival of Shiv as it is our first Thursday of the festival or guruvaar i.e. the day of the guru in Hindi we visit Shiv in the form of the supreme guru something we know we have time and time done already on UCP but today we do it with some different slants so don't worry we're not rehashing well not really or for sure not totally! :)

We've never before on UCP considered the whole murti or deity contrived and conceived solely for the purpose of Baba Shiv being the guru...so much so that the form or murti is called Dakshinamurti where Dakshina is the Sanskrit word that describes in Hinduism the payment (in whatever form) that is given to the guru from the student in return for his guidance.

It is believed by many and we have to say also by us here at UCP that one can accept Shiv as their supreme guru and learn directly from him and that perhaps as we his lessons learn...well...one day or perhaps one night he may visit us in dream or vision or form and let us know that our lessons are complete or at least we've reached to one threshold and that at this point we can now give him dakshina in return...usually in the form of accomplishing some task towards the Hindu act of seva i.e. service to mankind...you know something like that.

Some believe he may instead come another way for example send instead an apostle of his will and way...perhaps a human being will come to you on his behalf and convey his message and so forth...

But guess what either which way we here at UCP figure Shiv would be saying seva it is...and it made us recall our friends over at the organisation actually called guess what Seva! Check them out at http://www.seva.org and Shiv willing you might be able to join them in their well...seva!

But here for now on UCP all we can do is on behalf of Shiv salute the people at Seva and note a few other lovely seva like efforts as follows:

1.Seva Cafe: Well some other people that use the seva word literally are the yummy people at Seva cafe...and to be honest us at the Meady's Musings Production House as a whole and in particular at the UCP desk have been pondering the idea of opening up a seva cafe ourselves one day...but for now all we can say is isn't a lovely Shiv like idea? You can learn more about them at their site http://www.sevacafe.org

2. Helping Hands is located on the same island as the Production House and the Production House has joined hands with them before...so we hope you might check them out too and lend perhaps hands or if not a paw! :)To do so click on this link to their Facebook page to learn some more!

3. Seva: And then there are these guys at another kinda Seva...the kind that ensures not a little one is harmed or well eaten! For it is very Shiv like to also protect the animals and so really a more encompassing Seva on behalf of Shiv really would also protect the animals or show compassion for them and what better way than to not eat them and go vege like the people at the Seva restaurant in Ann Arbor Michigan since 1973! So deliciously divine! :)

The Festival of Shiv 2011: Grand Opening!

2011-02-07T00:01:00.002-04:00

Today on UCP we again for the 2nd year running open what for sure is one of our favourite blog series...The Festival of Shiv! We open it on a Monday...Somvaar...a day named after the Soma of the Vedas...and as we discussed last year on The Festival of Shiv...Hinduism is a religion of twists and tales and about the big and the small! So at one point in Hinduism the Soma known in the Vedas as this important drink ...like a divine nectar of sorts becomes equivalent to the moon and then in such a form he got into some trouble and then well Baba Shiv being the compassionate kinda guy he is granted him forgiveness (shamaa) and so Baba Shiv is also known as Som Nath or Soma Nath...the Lord/Master of the Moon God.

So we felt it fitting to kick off the series today i.e. on a Monday...Somvaar! Also as is no secret on this UCP blog we at the desks of UCP consider Baba Shiv to be our Supreme guru...Super Shiv if you have it and so we hold particular reverence to Baba Shiv on a Thursday as well...also known as Guruvaar in Hindi. So these days are important to note because the Festival of Shiv will run from today until the day of Maha Shivratri-3/4 March 2011...depending on your location on planet earth! But don't be bogged down by the dates for as we noted last year on our very same Festival of Shiv...we should be allowed to worship Shiv when we so Shiv willing please! But yep we will try to run our festival of Shiv daily but if it doesn't become possible we will for sure have a blog up every Mon and Thurs until Maha Shiv Ratri is upon us! So the Soma and Gura vaar or the Mon and Thurs will be some important dates to mark on UCP's Festival of Shiv 2011! :)

So let the Shiv flow! :)

And to kick of the festival this year....in song...Sonu Nigam sings what has now become one of our favourite Shiv things! Gosh every time we hear it we see Shiv dancing before us and doing yogic stretches at our favourite Shiv place! And we also feel like we ourselves could just get up and dance along with Baba Shiv as well...so it is such a lovely tune and really embodies all that is Shiv so come dance with us here on UCP or as we always say dance forth with us in this thing we call UCP-Universal Collective Prayer! :) As Sonu Nigam sings of all that is Shiv and his attributes as outlined in the Shiv Maha puran (the great story of Shiv)!

Advent Calendar 2010: Christmas Day!

2010-12-25T00:54:00.005-04:00

Joy to the World the Lord has come...

"Luke 2:1-20 (New International Version, ©2010)
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Footnotes:
a. Luke 2:2 Or This census took place before"

Advent Calendar 2010: Our Christmas Eve Prayer!

2010-12-24T18:59:00.007-04:00

Christmas Eve Bread copyright Meady's Musings Production

Tonight on the Eve of Christmas 2010 as promised we have again been visited by our Brother in UCP-Deacon Greg Kirk to say for us a prayer! :)However technological difficulties made us lose the copy of the exact prayer and so he sent us a new one with renewed blessings just fresh from his Christmas Eve evening mass and is also in spirit with us tonight! So here it is along with what was our Christmas Prayer on the Advent calendar last year!

Tonight's Christmas Eve Prayer
by Deacon Greg Kirk

Gracious God,
You could not contain your love for your people. When your people did not or could not come to you, you came to us. A brilliant star is a symbol and reminder that your Son, Jesus, is the Light of the World. This Christmas may His Light and Love be born anew within us. Empower us to share this Light and Love with those around us. And may Peace finally reign in our world. Help us to share in the Divinity of Christ, the One who humbled Himself and came to share in our humanity.
Amen

THE CHRISTMAS PRAYER (first said in 2009)
By Deacon Greg Kirk

The Season of Light

Christmas is Light, the darkness has been overcome by one who came to love. Christmas is more than decorating trees, exchanging gifts and gathering with loved ones. Christmas is an opportunity to embrace the Light - to open to the power, bliss and peace the Light brings.

Jesus of Nazareth desired to know the Light and live within its embrace so deeply, he became one with the Light. He left a path, a way, for you and I to share in this bliss. "Love God with all your being and love your neighbor as you love yourself." Jesus assured us that we are loved completely, unconditionally. He encouraged us to root our lives in the hope and promise of this Love.

My prayer this Christmas is for people everywhere to experience the Light and Love within them, to know more deeply of their beauty and dignity, to experience the Essence or True Self within and to find the freedom to be the people they were created to be.

Darkness abounds in our world, in many circumstances and ways. Embracing the Light -being open to every person's truth, daring to love others, especially the vulnerable and marginalized, causes the darkness to recede and the Light to shine more brilliantly.

Dare to be Light, dare to be Love. Dare to be one with the One who is Light and Love as Jesus did. You will find new possibilities and power. You will find yourself. And you will find yourself within the heart of God.

Love, Greg

So here on UCP we wish you Merry Christmas and to all a good night and continue to catch the Christmas Adventures of the Purple Elephant and the Little Mouse on our parent blog Meady's Musings.

Advent Calendar 2010: The Christ that is in Christmas..

2010-12-12T11:42:00.000-04:00

No one knows for certain it seems really when Jesus Christ of Nazareth was born...in fact the 'old church' it seems never really celebrated his birth...his death and resurrection were seen as more important a celebration and we here at UCP have to say with agree with that! But regardless of not knowing the date for centuries Jesus Christ's birthday has been celebrated on the 25th of December and really all December long as the Advent.

Now don't get us wrong readers...there is actually a very good UCP reason to us saying all of this...you see really Christmas is already UCP at its finest because it is really already just a mis-mash of traditions from all over the world and really people from all over the world of all faiths and races and this and that celebrate it in their own special way. Yes at the centre of the montage for the festival is Jesus Christ of Nazareth who is a being of great importance here on UCP...on planet earth and Universe wide. But really he isn't doing much in Christmas except lending his name to as he is still a baby at the end of the Christmas story as most know it. And you see it is more than likely the case that most of the stuff about his birth that is celebrated for Christmas is fictionalized around some of these references in the Bible:

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Luke 1:35
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God.

Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Luke 2:9-12
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (12) And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:13-14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, (14) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times. ”

Isaiah 9:6-7
(6) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

But what really is important is this:

Christmas is a time of good cheer...of sharing and giving...compassion and loving...
But we will let the writer that told Virginia that yes there was a Santa Claus tell you more here because really he did it so much better than we feel any of us on UCP can manage to chalk it up today so here he says it all...as he talks about the persona of one of the great fictionalized chracters associated with Christmas- Santa Claus who in spirit is Christ like and so in spirit for us here at UCP he does exist!

And really most of the goodness associated with Christmas is indeed behaviour that can be seen as Christ like...behaviour that Jesus Christ of Nazareth would have displayed throughout his life. Behaviour that we should follow as an example not just at Christmas time but all year true! So really we at Christmas time should not just celebrate his birth but his life and how he lived it and try to emulate it!

Advent Calendar 2010: The Four Sundays of Advent!

2010-12-09T21:35:00.005-04:00

Image taken from this site.

We here at UCP apologise for not issuing a blog on every day of the calendar but we hope you've been catching The Christmas Adventures of the Purple Elephant and the Little Mouse over on our parent blog Meady's Musings and hope to be regular from here on in...hopefully daily...and make sure to stay tuned for our special Christmas Eve prayer! :)

But on our posting today on Day 9 of the Advent calender we here at UCP would like to discuss the concept of the four Sundays of Advent! According to Christianity the Lord created the Heavens and Earth in six days and then on the seventh day he rested. This day in the Gregorian calendar is Sunday and traditionally for centuries and centuries is when Christians go to church. So just like there is the Advent Calendar all December long each Sunday in December is also an exciting countdown to Christmas and many churches mark the count down by lighting candles...I like how this site describes the whole ritual so here is an excerpt of it from the site Ken Collin's website:

"You light candles at the beginning of each service and snuff them out at the end.

* On the first Sunday in Advent, you light the first candle. Have your service, then snuff out the candle.
* On the second Sunday in Advent, you light two candles, first the one from the previous Sunday, then the second one. Have your service, then snuff out the candles.
* On the third Sunday in Advent, you light the two candles from the previous weeks, in the order you lit them before, then you add the third one. Have your service, then snuff out the candles.
* On the fourth Sunday in Advent, you light the three candles from the previous weeks, in the order you lit them before, then you light the fourth one. Have your service, then snuff out the candles. You should get a stair-step effect, since each candle is a different length by now.

If you have a fifth candle in the center, then on Christmas Day you light the four candles in the order you lit them before, and then you light the center candle. Have your service, then snuff out the candles.

You notice how I emphasize snuffing out the candles at the end of each service? This has absolutely no liturgical significance whatsoever, but it is vitally important and you must not leave it out. It prevents the candles from burning your house down."

I recommend that you snuff out the candles, rather than blowing them out. The reason is that if you blow them out, you might spray hot wax over everything.

And here is a lovely video of the ritual...the candles are usually part of a wreath called the Advent wreath:

A Prayer Declares Our Advent Calendar 2010 Open!

2010-12-01T21:58:00.004-04:00

The Advent is again upon us
May your Divine light be our guide
As we Christmas plans contrive
The season should be festive
But yet also reflective

So come here to UCP
Share our Christmas treats
Filled with spirituality

We see the light in you
And you see the light in us
As we declare the Advent calendar 2010
Officially open!

Please read our parent blog Meady's Musings here for the details of how our calendar will unfold this year.

Kartik Nahan, Snaan or Snan 2010-The Cleansing!

2010-11-21T12:58:00.010-04:00

Meady's Musings Production does not hold the rights to this picture and it is republished from this site.

Since UCP's existence we've explored the festival or Kartik year after year as you can see here:

1.Kartik Snan, Kartik Snaan or Kartik Nahan? Either Way an Ode to the Great Element Water!

2. A Pligrimage in the Month of Kartik

However just as ceremonial bathing on Kartik cleans us afresh to start anew...year after year on UCP we like to explore religious festivals from a new point of view...afresh...as if like babies we were exploring it for the first time...for as Jesus says you must make your heart like that of a child...then and only then can you enter the kingdom of his father! :)

So this year...2010...we've been exploring the Kartik Nahan again...looking at it this time from the point view of it being a ceremonial bath...for cleansing of sorts not really so much of the body but of the heart, soul and to some extent perhaps the mind...at least on the psychic level.

In one of the legends of Kartik it is said that when Lord Vishnu took the form of the Dwarf Brahmin Avatar or Vaman Avatar and then grew to large proportions after being granted three steps of land as dakshina with one step he then covered the whole earth and by the second step the entire material universe piercing the roof of the cosmos really with no where else for the third step to go so that King Mahabali in order to fulfill his promise offers up his head for the third step and is crushed by Lord Vishnu thus obtaining immortality for his benevolence in fulfilling his promise...as sides to this story if is said that through the hole in the universal roof Mata Ganga flowed finally entering the earthly plane! (See video below where the water that Bramha pours on the feet of Vaman Avatar can been seen as Ganga.)

So to touch her (Ganga) in her watery form is said to indeed be a very powerful thing for the devotee. Her water can cleanse devotees of all their sins...however even if you don't take this in the literal sense and only in the symbolic sense...let's still consider this today...if the water did have magical powers and so you could start over afresh and anew...freeing your mind of the past...how would you feel?...how would you be? Please consider this today as we here at UCP celebrate Kartik Nahan 2010!

Krishna and the Mountain...Govardhan Puja and Karma Yoga!

2010-11-10T19:49:00.007-04:00

Meady's Musings Production does not own this picture or its rights and a re-print of it can be bought on this site.

It's the funniest thing...discussing the festival of Diwali and how it's celebrated world over with a friend...I came to thinking...well in many parts of the world Diwali is celebrated as a many days festival and as such on one of the days depending on the part of India you are in or from where in India your ancestors came Govardhan Puja is performed.

Now our point of raising this here on the prayers is to do with some of the series we have had on here before...in particular the God series where we explored God as water but we didn't explore however God as rain did we?...but it is interesting and it is why we are bringing this up on the prayers now...God as rain or rainfall in Hinduism is personified as the God Indra...he is also God of Gods or Deva hi Dev or God of the God Kingdom or God of Heaven or King of Heaven i.e. svargaloka.

Now we can see how rain or rainfall can be personified as a deity on its own i.e. deified especially by peoples of the past and rural peoples of today as in an agrarian society one needs rainfall to get those crops growing and flourishing...and it's how our stories here on the prayers begin and tie in....

Govardhan puja is done to celebrate the great mountain and the act of Krishna while incarnate on earth lifting it to shelter a village form the wrath of Indra...as he was pouring down his rain...because you see he had made it that the farmers at the time had to pray to him to get rainfall for their crops but the thing is when the farmers had to spend this whole chunk of time preparing and praying to him...well they couldn't tend their crops. And so Krishna said to them:

"Why do this? You people are farmers and should be spending your time tending to your crops not praying for rain! LOL! Are you people crazy! LOL!"

But the people said:

"Oh Krishna but we must as if we don't Indra will get mad! Really mad and we will either not have enough rain to nourish our crops or either he will rain down his wrath on us and flood out all our crops."

"So Krishna went on and on expounding his view of Karma yoga...recall this post here...and he told the people he would deal with Indra and they should tend their crops."

Now Indra got mad...he did get really mad! And he rained and rained his wrath down...but Krishna the supreme being that he is...lifted up Goverdhan hill with his finger and shelthered the entire village...crops, villagers, cows and all! So hence Krishna is seen to have defeated or humbled Indra...who came and asked for forgiveness...so the lessons learnt are that although the elements and nature can be worshipped they are just part of the whole. And the Universal or Supreme One himself, her or itself in this case personified by Krishna in the end is incharge. And such a being does not act on pride nor requires grand prayers and offerings onto to him,her or it to perform their roles. It's what they must do...in the same way so too we have roles that we should perform well...i.e. perform karma yoga...right action...that is each of us have our roles to act out...and we should act them out as well as we can! Indra, you, Krishna and me and all of us here on the prayers! :)Because even the Supreme One personified here as Krishna never asked to be glorified for what he did...he was just doing his karma to preach to the villagers and then to lift the mountain to protect them from the wrong actions of Indra as he Krishna is the Supreme One and as such his role is to do these things! LOL!

So Karma Yoga it is! :)

But we all in the end like to give praise even though it's not needed so when the farmers had done tending their crops and like us...when we are done with our daily chores...they did join in UCP:Universal Collective Prayers and although Krishna and the hill were just doing their jobs...the villagers honoured the great mountain for sheltering them and Krishna for lifting it and there you have it they performed Govardhan puja! :) Prayers from the heart...not extortion (you see because Indra was saying if you didn't pray to him he'd not do his role and that was just wrong man!)...and prayers not instead of your other work but after all your work is done!

Don't mind the accents of the Hare Krishnas from ISKCON here in the Youtube vid below showing the Govardhan puja as even if their mouths form the Sanskrit and Hindi words kinda badly their hearts are in the right place...and they're Bhaktivedantas after all so that's all good! And the beautiful picture at the top of the blog is also an original ISKCON print if I'm not mistaken!

Happy Diwali 2010 with Wonkie Cartoons!

2010-11-04T20:27:00.007-04:00

UCP-Universal Collective Prayer has been on a kinda go slow...remember us saying so!

So we've decided to blatantly plagiarise a blog from another place to keep up with the Diwali celebs on the prayers...well with credit so it's legal...well not really plagiarise anyway seeing as it's really just a link back...but here is the cartoon from the top of the blog...

And since the cartoon speaks of Amitabh Bachchan we here at UCP thought we would just let you know of how he is in reality spending Diwali right now in India in his own words according to this article:

"Superstar Amitabh Bachchan when asked about his Diwali plans said, “”My father’s marked verse on the Ramayana shall be read, a gentle prayer shall go up for all, from all; sweets and bonuses shall be disbursed to staff by members of the family. There are now preparations on for Diwali, the lights for the house are being put up. The simple single toned white-yellow lights will be put all over the boundary and ceiling of the house and once up, they will be switched on when we shall finish our Diwali puja and light the first lamp.”

Well as far as we see Big B is going traditional way and we will definitely see the junior B with the Bachchan bahu celebrating Diwali."

And for sure in his own words with these twittering tweets from his Twitter account:

"# T175 -A united family is a model of unlimited strength ! about 6 hours ago via web

# T175 -Just back from a family jamboree ! Nothing in the universe can ever be a bigger force than the coming together of family !! about 6 hours ago via web

# T175 -The greatest joy of life is to live up to commitment ! Give all to receive all ! about 6 hours ago via web

# T175 - सुख शांति आप सब के जीवन में सदा बनी रहे . मंगलम मंगलम मंगलम ! about 6 hours ago via web

# T175 -लक्ष्मी माता देवी का स्वरुप आप सभी के घरों मे प्रवेश हो . यही इस्वर से प्रार्थना है . about 6 hours ago via web

# T175 -दीपावली की अनेक अनेक शुभकामनाएं . ये वर्ष, हर वर्ष आप सब के जीवन में खुशियाँ ही खुशियाँ लाये . आप सब का जीवन मंगलमय हो . नमस्कार about 6 hours ago via web

# T175 -A most prosperous Deepavali to all ..may all the Gods and Goddesses shower their unstinted bounty on you .. be environment conscious ! about 6 hours ago via web

# T175 -It is remarkable how sufficient water intake can revive energy ... just did some gallons of it and feeling like conquering the world ! about 20 hours ago via web

# T175 -Up and about ... intake of water is minimal and need to improve that .. pooja in the house today ..and tomorrow .. love festivity about 20 hours ago via web "

UCP's Ode to Diwali!

2010-10-29T21:34:00.004-04:00

Remember we said if we were having any particular Diwali fun here at UCP we'd come share it with you all...although in general we here at UCP are on a bit of a go easy until the launch of the Advent calendar for 2010. Well we've been having that particular fun and so here we go! Here's a UCP poem for ya...it was developed for a small Diwali function that we are a part of organising yearly and was read by a lovely lady there at the function! It's particularly about Diwali or Divali (as it is often spelt there)as it evolved in the country of Trinidad and Tobago which is the home of the Meady's Musings Production House that houses the producers of UCP! So although UCP normally spells Diwali with the 'w' throughout this particular ode you will see it spelt as Divali with the 'v'. Although UCP normally goes with the 'w' spelling to cater for the wider audience it banters too...after all it is UCP-Universal Collective Prayer and so not just for those in Trinidad and Tobago and most other parts of the Hindu world spells it with the 'w'.

So here it goes...UCP's Ode to how Divali evolved in Trinidad and Tobago as it came as a festival with the indentured labourers in the 19th century from India and then grew into a national celebration!

Divali-An Evolution

A UCP poem written in free verse or shall we say the dance that is UCP! :)

You came in the hearts of ancestors
From a continent far away
Your light burned brightly within those souls
That occupied bodies that toiled and toiled

The Ramayan they read and often sang
As your deeyas they lit to celebrate the return of Raja Ram
For he is the hero of that great epic
That Sant Tulsidas had spun

The Goddess Lakshmi on your special evening came
To homes made of mud, bamboo and tapia grass
Prayers were said and then deeyas were lit
The villages came alive
With a thousand lights and smiles
One neighbour offerred food and drink to the other
Gifts were unwrapped and new things begun

And so you came to them and then us
Year after year after year
And we continued to celebrate your arrival
With good faith, reverence, cheer and prayer

The festivities began to spread
Whole villages gathered
To extol Shri Ram in the form of village theatre
A leela is a story and a story is a leela
So this story of Ram is Ramleela
And some of us have done this leela a 100 years since this year

We continued to gather to celebrate you
Bamboo bursting
Small stages performers began to alight
However on that one special night
All the villagers still stayed at home
To welcome the Goddess Lakshmi
And to bright deeyas light

Then we became independent
And the festivities continued to become more abundant
Larger events were held
Festivities came to towns
Garlanded mayors sang songs of praise
Your flame grew brighter
As momentum for you grew and grew
Oh Divali we so loved you
So much so that in '86 in your name a village was born
Divali Nagar it was named
You see you now had your own village
And wait that's not all...

Love for you continued to overwhelm us
Every office and company started to sing your praise
To celebrate you became the vogue
Your name had spread throughout the nation
You became a tourist sensation
Everyone wanted to dress for you in Indian fashions

And today Oh Divali
Your lights continue to burn brightly
Not only in the hearts of a few
But in the hearts of a nation
For you, Divali this must be overwhelming
To see your praise go on in weeks of celebration
To see brilliant fireworks displays
To have your own personal village
To be celebrated across the nation

But one thing Divali I'm sure must make your heart the warmest
Is that despite the evolution of you and us
Your light still burns brightly within our souls
We still as a people toil and toil
We still welcome the Goddess Lakshmi to our homes
And still special deeyas we light so bright
As with loved ones with sit in prayer and celebration
For on that special day named after you...
It is Divali!

To Everything There is a Season!

2010-10-19T20:50:00.008-04:00

According to Ecclesiastes 3 of the Bible (King James Version):
"1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?"

This no doubt would have been the inspiration that was extrapolated upon by The Byrds in their 1960s hit 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' to come up with this lovely tune!

And here on UCP the time has come...to put an end to the God Series and to take a bit of a rest...have some time for reflection and meditation...perhaps this is like the Hindu or Vedic concept of a breath of Vishnu but not on such a large and grand scale of course! Just on our smaller scale...if we don't breathe in we can't breathe out...so if we don't rest, recuperate, reflect and meditate we cannot think, create and do!

So we are going to be away on UCP for a bit...also the Hindu calendar really is winding down now again...we just have Diwali and Kartik Snaan to go and we have enough content on here from over the years to keep readers entertained from our archives...but we will from time to time come on to add some fresh content if we have some particular Diwali fun for instance! But really readers can check in with our sister blog-Meady's Musings too as we are about to spend November as a Nanowrimo participant!

Of course we will be back 1st of Dec fresh and new...God and Universe willing to open our Advent calender yet again as we ring in the Christmas celebs for the year 2010! Boy time sure does fly in this dance we call UCP:Universal Collective Prayer! So we'll catch you here and there in November but please breathe in as we come back daily from 1st Dec! :)

God Series: Episode 6-God as Water!

2010-10-15T21:14:00.004-04:00

Meady's Musings Production 2008

We return to the elements once more on the God Series as we explore the concept of God as Water. We also join in with our parent blog Meady's Musings as they mark Blog Action Day 2010(by discussing water and the need to get it world over) and Global Handwashing Day!

First of all let's recall past blogs on UCP about the concept of water as deity...as we did this before when we marked the Hindu festival of Kartik Snaan where we spoke about how Hinduism worships water as the Goddess Ganga (also the name of the largest and most powerful river in India.)

-Kartik Snan, Kartik Snaan or Kartik Nahan? Either Way an Ode to the Great Element Water!

-A Pilgrimage in the Month of Kartik

Water is also seen as an important conduit between the divine and man in most major religions...for example in Christianity it is often used in Baptisms.

In Greek mythology water was also deified as in Hinduism but unlike in Hinduism it was seen as masculine taking on the name Poseidon when seen as a king...so Poseidon is the King of the sea! Poseidon has a similar counterpart in the Roman God- Neptune.

There is another subtle difference from in Hinduism as well...because in Hinduism Ganga is see as a Goddess but she is also the Water itself...where as in these mythologies i.e. Greek and Roman Poseidon and Neptune are Gods of the Sea. So they aren't exactly the water itself but have power over it and so can manifest some of its attributes but still not the water itself like how Ganga is!

And that difference although subtle makes all the difference to us on UCP. You see to deify the actual element itself as Hinduism does...it takes on a whole different meaning...it tells us how much this element means to man directly...it is man's very life blood...without it he could not live...yet it can also destroy man if it goes rampant in nature...and on the spiritual side it is man's conduit to the divine...Oh WATER! No wonder we here at UCP have written more than one ode to you and poets everywhere have saluted you...and will continue to do so for eternity!

Jai Ganga Maa!

God Series:Episode 5-God as Mother!

2010-10-13T20:53:00.005-04:00

Today on UCP we take a break from the elements although we have one more element to go...WATER! However we do so with good reason...you see our parent blog Meady's Musings along with its Purple Elephant and Little Mouse are celebrating Blog Action Day 2010 and the action on that day is well...WATER! It's about getting water to the world over! It's also Global Handwashing Day courtesy the people at Clean the World...so we are planning to join forces with them also on that day so on UCP we will celebrate God as WATER!

However it is also fitting to celebrate mother on the God series right now anyway as in Hinduism it's the festival of Nav Ratri...the nine nights celebration of the Mother as Divine!

Now we here on UCP since its inception have been surrendering to the Divine Mother...sitting on her lap...and even at times if necessary suckling at her breasts for nourishment...so we are no strangers here to celebrating God as Mother...so we need not even write a fresh post on this but merely dance forth and celebrate with her instead as we recall all our loving memories with her over the years! :) So let's crank up ours and one of the fav bhajans of all time by all Hindu fans of the Divine Mother as well...'Mein To Aarti Utaaroon' from the classic film 1970's film- 'Jai Santoshi Maa'!

The Divine Mother Leadership Series lasted for nine nights earlier this year as we celebrated each night of that Nav Ratri Festival with a post as follows:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9

Celebrating the Divine Mother on Mother's Day

I surrender onto the Divine Mother Again!

I Surrender onto the Divine Mother!

Worshipping the Divine Mother!

Jai Santoshi Maa-A Film of Ultimate Surrender to the Divine Mother!

Happy Durga Ashtami 2009!

JAI JAGAT JANANI MAA DURGE!

And see you on Friday!

God Series:Episode 4-God as Wind!

2010-09-29T03:55:00.011-04:00

Hanuman (the shadow of a hanging pendant) Meady's Musings Production 2010.

As we continue our look of the perception of God as 'the elements' on the God series today we look at the element of Wind! In Hinduism the God of Wind is called Pavan but he isn't as popular as his son...Hanuman who is often referred to as Pavan-Putra Hanuman i.e. the son of the Wind God, Hanuman. In keeping with the twists and turns that is Hinduism the God of Wind in Hinduism has other names than Pavan...here are just a few of them:

-Vayu
-Vata from the root of the Sanskrit word for atmosphere vatavaran

So technically Hanuman could have been called Vayu-Putra Hanuman or Vata-Putra even! :) However he is most often called Pavan-Putra Hanuman!

Then there is the all famous Prana or vital breath in Vedanta! The Prana makes up one of the five organs of vitality or sensation in Vedantic philosophy. The five organs are listed as follows:

prana "breath", vac "speech", caksus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought"

So they altogether represent the physiological organs: nose, mouth, eyes, ears and mind respectively.

So it seems what Hinduism is saying is without the wind we could not be alive...makes sense after all as us humans are aerobic beings i.e. we need to breathe in the oxygen from air to survive and also to be able to expel carbon dioxide as if it is accumulated in our body it would kill us! So there! :)

However Hinduism is also mystifying the Wind...making an ode to him...glorifying him in poetry...deifying him even...so you have the Wind God...and he even had a son who is way more famous than him...and it seems Hinduism attributed strength to the wind cause all his sons were mighty strong guys! :) You see Bheem from the Mahabharat is also said to be a son of Vayu...so you have Hanuman and Bheem...the strong guys...sons of the Wind! So it must be they got their strength from good ole 'elemental' daddy! :)

So UCP salutes you oh wind! And to do so we hail your famous son in the form of the Hanuman Chalisa and then follow it with a celebration of you in what we here at UCP like to call John Denverism....but I guess can be seen to as a form of religion that worships nature itself...well and I think that religion is called...well...Nature worship! So John play on...and sing your windsong!:)

The God Series: Episode 3-Mother Earth!

2010-09-17T21:00:00.004-04:00

Our last episode in the God series looked at God as Fire. We would like to continue on that trend and cover all the elements on the next few episodes of the series. As a result we felt it fitting to cover the element of Earth today since it is a Friday and normally based on Hindu centric views we usually surrender to the Divine Mother on a Friday and the Earth is always seen as Mother as well. We’ve never come upon a single religious or cultural view hence far that has seen Earth as Father...don’t know why really...although I can see why they’d see Earth as Mother but not sure why not Father as well...
But anyway let’s stick with the world traditions here and go along and explore the concept of God as Mother Earth!
We’ll start with Hinduism then...
The Earth is worshipped in Hindu rituals all the time and Hindus bow to the Earth in fact they often beg her forgiveness before they allow their feet to trample upon her each morning...just check out this lovely prayer noting this!

However UCP’s favourite concept of God being perceived as Earth is when in the Ramayan, Sita Maa is seen as born from the earth and eventually returns to her Mother...and this touching scene in the TV serial version of The Ramayan where she begs Mother Earth to open up and receive her again epitomises it for us!

As a whole we here at UCP can see why man as a whole even if it is seen from a scientific evolutionary path...divorce of all UCP and spirit...would hold great respect and awe for Earth. And why as a result worship of the Earth or its personification as God would have eventually developed. After all we live on planet Earth and it is from her we are nourished and it is where we are sheltered and eek out our existence. I guess it is why she is always personified as a her ...as a mother not a father...because she is seen as the ultimate nourisher...we are in a sense in our particular mother’s wombs as we stay grounded to planet Earth by gravity while she holds all of us in her womb....feeding us...sheltering us...Mother Earth is our foothold in this great and wild Universe! In fact some from the Production House have celebrated Mother Earth for Preserving Our Lives in the past at this Diwali Festival Show!

So next up on the God series is Wind! So we'll catch you then!

Happy Ganesh Fest 2010!

2010-09-17T15:45:00.006-04:00

Before we go into the God Series today on UCP we thought we'd hail out all of those sharing in the Ganesh Fest this year...also known as Ganesh Ustav or Chaturthi or Chauth. As readers may know he is indeed one of our fav perceptions of God here on UCP and have often celebrated or played with him over the two years that this blog has existed. So today we thought we'd share the memories to celebrate Ganesh Ustav 2010! So here we go recalling all the times we had with good ole Ganapati or Ganesh and of course one of his kind is at the very heart of UCP because our parent blog is Meady's Musings and we all know a Purple Elephant and little Mouse live with us here at the Production House from where it all happens! :)

So as we sing and dance to this song take a look at our archive of all things Ganesh over the years...

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 2009
Ganesh Chauth 2008
My Fav Ganesh Aarti Just for So!
Ganesh as My Ishq Devata
Ganesh as Part of the Shiv Family
The Gift that are Elephants!

Eid Mubarak 2010!

2010-09-10T05:00:00.000-04:00

UCP celebrates the end of the month of fasting that is Ramadan! And salutes all those who successfully completed this period of fasting. We hope it was a time well spent where spiritual questions were asked and lessons were learnt well while enjoying the time with Allah! This year Ramadan ends at a not so good time on the global landscape for UCP though...I mean all must have heard of the threat by an American pastor to burn the Holy Quran and how he is now playing around with the idea of 'shall I or shall I not' depending on whether a mosque/Islamic cultural centre is built at 'Ground zero'

Now UCP wasn't around in 2001 when the famous '9 11 bombings' took place but you can clearly see why we needed UCP then and still do now! It's a pity when men of the cloth in particular carry on like this...I mean why can't we all just get along and engage in UCP already! But in reality we here at UCP know that there are many who don't see prayer in all and any religion as part of a universal collective prayer and instead like to carry on as if one prayer is the only prayer and perhaps even go as far as to discount the prayer of another! And that's just sad...it's so sad that it makes having to do this blog post be the saddest blog post ever topping out in sadness over the blog post we had to do when there were bombings in Mumbai in 2008.

But UCP is about happiness not sadness and we really hope no Qurans are burnt tomorrow or at any other time...and we do hope that terrorist world over learn instead to engage in this thing we like to call UCP-Universal Collective Prayer! Because you know what? If they did dance forth like us in this thing we call UCP and explore it no matter what religion it was...well they'd not want to blow up things! And so our Eid Mubarak prayer and wishes is for all the world to realise and see that terrorists are simply terrorists...and people who engage in prayer are simply prayer givers and no one...no matter what religion they offer these prayers in...if they do it from their heart and soul in true communion with God however they perceive him or her or it to be would ever want to blow up things in this beautiful plane but would instead want to only create, create, create and dance forth in this thing we call UCP-Universal Collective Prayer! :)

So let's now celebrate Eid 2010 as we crank up the tunes once more! :) But we also put in a snip from the film 'My Name is Khan' in the hope that we here at UCP throw our two cents in the hat for if not 'religious acceptance for all' at least 'religious tolerance' on this Eid day 2010! :)

The God Series:Episode 2-Fire!

2010-09-08T22:14:00.000-04:00

A Havan fire in a Hindu ceremony, Trinidad and Tobago
Meady's Musings Production 2010

Worshippers at Jing'an Temple, Shanghai China Jun 2010.
Meady's Musings Production 2010

Today on the God series we examine the concept of God as fire…from the Ancient Vedic Homa and Havan to the Old Testament’s fiery appearance before Moses to UCP’s recent visit to China where it was pyrotechnics galore…what’s man’s obsession with God like fire?

Well we here at UCP have been thinking…the gyan yoga caps on…not the bhakti ones…so we thought and thought and thought some more just like Winnie the Pooh and here is what we came up with after we thought even some more!

Well if we look at what fire is used for and if we go with what modern science tells us about the ‘evolution’ of man well if they were cave men…well they must have once they discovered fire’s presence first of all…either when lighting struck something and it burned or when a volcano erupted or a fire just burst out on its due to the searing heat focusing on dry wood for instance...well they must have been amazed! And I guess first they would have been scared of it but then they would have played around with it and realised that if they was its friend well hmmm...it could do loads for them couldn't it? Warm them from the cold...cook their food so it could taste better...melt some materials so they could join together...all sorts of things...but the fire had to be feared too...I mean it could burn you...kill you even...it could be a fierce beast let me tell ya! LOL!

So perhaps if we go on and on...in this analysis we could see how Man started to revere and at the same time fear fire...and so as a society evolved it's practices, rites and rituals would have incorporated this and made fire become an integral part of religions world over! Myth upon myth being woven around it...but hey this is not that sort of blog...it's UCP of course...we engage in Universal Collective Prayer here not analysis and speculation of how man and societies evolved! LOL! So let's get back to the UCP of it!

Well you see for whatever speculative reason it may be...Man for sure does revere fire and also fear it and it for sure forms major parts of practically all the world religions. In Hinduism it is seen as an integral portal between the divine world and the material/human plane on which we live. Contact can be made with God throught the Vedic Homa or Havan. In fact sometimes God even appears or manifests in the Havan! And they've also given fire it's on status as the God Agni. Man infact a whole line of Brahmins have even been dedicated to working the fire! Yep...the Agnihotri Brahmins. For sure I think the Hindus have to be one of the top rankers when it comes to perceiving God in the form or fire. However you see it in Buddhism and Catholicism in their rites and rituals too!

However to me the classic case of fire getting on 'bad' is in the movie, the Ten Commandents...I mean it is so clear cut here God coming as fire in the burning bushnell no doubt! :) To talk to Moses and look how 'bad' he gets on! Whoa! Moses had to be some brave man to stand up and take that message! :)

Krishna Janamashtami 2010!

2010-09-01T22:25:00.007-04:00

Baby Krishna in the Palm of My Hand! :) Meady's Musings Production 2010.

Krishna Janamashtami is always a big and reflective time for us here at UCP because it was on the day of that festival in 2008 in the Western Gregorian calendar that UCP was launched i.e. Krishna Janamashtami 2008 on 23 August 2008. So as a result today Krishna Janamashtami to Krishna Janamashtami again UCP is roughly 2 years old or just a little over two years old if you count by the Western Gregorian calendar! :)It was launched in a big way back then I, Meady the founder of all of this had a Satyanarayan katha at my home...you see I like my new found friends Lily and Xavier was searching for Sat or Satya...the truth...I wanted to reflect on it...explore it...and share my journey into it here with you...and I'm happy to continue to do this with you...so two years into the dance...here we are...here we are...here we are again! :) Happy Birthday Shri Krishna and Happy Birthday UCP! :) And to celebrate I recall the blogs from our first bday and our launch. And also crank up the tunes! :)

-UCP's 1st Bday and Krishna Janamashtami 2009

-Krishna Janashtami 2008 and the big UCP launch! :)

And hey look at my photos below and the one up above...I even cleaned out my little baby Krishna murti I bought in London years ago for this mega birthday bash...he can sit in the palm or my hand and yet he grew up to be the one from whose mouth the gita spewed forth! AMAZING GUY THIS KRISHNA MAN! :)

Baby Krishna with the Gita He Grew Up to Expound- Meady's Musings Production 2010

Update on the God Series and introducing The Truth Contest!

2010-08-14T10:24:00.013-04:00

Image title 'Truth on Earth' taken from The Truth Contest

We here at UCP are sorry that we haven't be progressing the God series as quickly as we like but we seem to keep getting detained here, there and everywhere!Haha! Get it...just like God is here, there and everywhere! :) OK corny jokes aside...we really are sorry but our day job and other actual UCP events have us tired out by the time we come to the computer to write...so the blogs are in our head but we can't get the song and dance typed out here! Oh dear!

We are however going to try with all our might and prayer...Inshallah to get those blogs out to you next week though so look for these topics in the God series next week:

Wed: God in the form of fire
Fri: God as the Divine Mother

However we had to come on here to let you know we've linked! A couple months ago while still on vacation in China we were contacted by Lily and Xavier who like us are exploring spirituality but in their own way. While we engage and explore this thing we call UCP-Universal Collective Prayer they have something going on to find and explore the truth and they call it the Truth Contest! What a cool name! :) It's not really a contest though. It is Lily and Xavier's attempt to well hey let me put it in their own words...here is what they wrote to me:

"We are college students who run a website dedicated to seeking, defining, and spreading the truth of life. We have studied your website, and we like what you are saying..."

So hey...let's move forward with our dancing feet in this universe and explore the truth out there as we join in UCP-Universal Collective Prayer! They have linked UCP on their site here.

Welcome Truth Contest and Lily and Xavier...We've put up an official link to the Truth Contest on our side bar but you can link to them from this blog post as well by clicking here. Currently the top five topics that are being discussed on their blog are:

The Present (universal truth)
The Present (with religion)
Truth Is The Way
The God Memorandum
Integrity

Hmmm...so as our God series unfolds we can see us interacting with them for sure! :)

The God Series:Episode 1-Formless

2010-07-28T05:39:00.010-04:00

Today as I launch the God series I approach you my readers in the same free flowing formless manner in which I perceive God! I don't know where I want this to go and I don't know what shape or form it will take or evolve or unfold into! ‘Neti neti!’- The famous Vedic Sanskrit two liner that announces ‘I am not this! I am not that!’ comes to mind and my estimation of it seems to suggest if ‘I am not this’ and ‘I am not that’ then perhaps I'm either nothing or everything!

So I launch the God series today with the discussion that God can be perceived as formless. Of the major modern religions I think Islam focuses on this formlessness the most! So much so that there is strictly no use of imagery or iconography what so ever when discussing God or Allah in Islam. However most Eastern religious traditions although on the surface may appear to be shrouded in iconographies also at their core embrace this formless concept or perception of God. My understanding is though that for instance in Hinduism it is believed that not everyone can perceive God as formless as their minds are not able grasp this and so they need more concrete things and manifestations to be able to grasp the infinite. Hence the Bhaktivedantic approaches where for instance God is perceived in the form of Krishna. Here the devotee is asked to focus on God in a particular form to start with but even then the devotee is eventually shown and expected to see when he is ready that God transcends this form.

However, like with most things in life, balance is the key and one can always argue that when is too much too much? Can a devotee on this path never end up seeing the forest from the trees and get lost forever in the world of iconography and fixation on a particular form! Hardly likely though at least in Hinduism since even then the devotee is usually exposed to a myriad of forms and so that alone should give a signal to him that God is not one particular form or shape. And then too in Hinduism the devotee has an eternity of infinite lifetimes to figure it out so what’s the hurry already? LOL!

Yet it can be said perhaps when one becomes a true bhakt they may tend to fixate on the one form and maybe…however the flip side to the discussion is…well is there a risk when we just go with the ‘cold turkey’ approach and see God as formless straight up like in Islam well do we then run the risk of never quite being able to connect with God in that manner as if we had transitioned from form to formless? That will always be an ongoing debate. I don’t see one as better over the other to me it is more for one to choose the path this is best suited for him or her. Or like in my case take a bit from each one and make your own mix!

But now on with the discussion about the perception of God as formless! As I told you I take a bit from this a bit from that and create my own mix. So I consider myself a Shiv Bhakt but in this case I see him clearly as explaining the concept ‘neti neti’ because when you describe the attributes of Shiv you see clearly that he is neither this…neither that…he is everything! So God is formless because he is everything?!

Now on with the dance that is UCP because who says I’m going to launch some academic discussion here without the song and dance after all then it just wouldn’t be this thing or dance I call UCP would it?! So here now in the words of one of my favourite Shiv things – the Rudra Ashtakam if you focus closely on the lyrics you will learn that he is everything!

The God series will continue on Friday when we will discuss the perception of God as the Divine Mother!

Lyrics to Rudrashtakam (Shiva Stuti) :
1-Namaa miisha mishaana-nirvaana rupam
vibhum vyaapakam brahma-veda-svaroopam
nijam nirgunam nirvikalpam niriham
chidaakaasha maakaasha-vaasam bhaje ham

I bow to the Ruler of the Universe, whose very form is Liberation,
the omnipotent and all pervading Brahma, manifest as the Vedas.
I worship Shiva, shining in his own glory, without physical qualities,
Undifferentiated, desireless, all pervading sky of consciousness
and wearing the sky itself as His garment.

niraakaara monkaara-moolam turiiyam
giraa gnaana gotiita miisham giriisham
karaalam mahaa-kaala-kaalam krpaalam
gunaagaara samsara paaram nato ham

I bow to the supreme Lord who is the formless source of “OM”
The Self of All, transcending all conditions and states,
Beyond speech, understanding and sense perception,
Awe-full, but gracious, the ruler of Kailash,
Devourer of Death, the immortal abode of all virtues.

tushaa raadri-sankaasha-gauram gabhiram
manobhuta-koti prabha sri sariram
sphuran mauli-kallolini-charu-ganga
lasad-bhaala-balendu kanthe bhujangaa

I worship Shankara, whose form is white as the Himalyan snow,
Radiant with the beauty of countless Cupids,
Whose head sparkles with the Ganga
With crescent moon adorning his brow and snakes coiling his neck,

chalatkundalam bhru sunetram visalam
prasannaa-nanam nila-kantham dayaalam
mrgadhisa charmaambaram mundamaalam
priyam sankaram sarvanaatham bhajaami

The beloved Lord of All,
with shimmering pendants hanging from his ears,
Beautiful eyebrows and large eyes,
Full of Mercy with a cheerful countenance and a blue speck on his throat.

pracandam prakrstam pragalbham paresham
akhandam ajam bhaanukoti-prakaasam
trayah-shula-nirmulanam shula-paanim
bhaje ham bhavaani-patim bhaava-gamyam

I worship Shankara, Bhavani’s husband,
The fierce, exalted, luminous supreme Lord.
Indivisible, unborn and radiant with the glory of a million suns;
Who, holding a trident, tears out the root of the three-fold suffering,
And who is reached only through Love.

kalaatitata-kalyaana-kalpanta-kaari
sadaa sajjanaa-nanda-daataa purarih
chidaananda-sandoha-mohaapahaari
prasida praslda prabho manmathaarih

You who are without parts, ever blessed,
The cause of universal destruction at the end of each round of creation,
A source of perpetual delight to the pure of heart,
Slayer of the demon, Tripura, consciousness and bliss personified,
Dispeller of delusion…
Have mercy on me, foe of Lust.

na yaavad umaanaatha-paadaaravindam
bhajantiha loke parevaa naraanam
na taavat-sukham shaanti-santaapa-naasham
praslda prabho sarva bhutaa-dhivaasam

Oh Lord of Uma, so long as you are not worshipped
There is no happiness, peace or freedom from suffering
in this world or the next.
You who dwell in the hearts of all living beings,
and in whom all beings have their existence,
Have mercy on me, Lord.

na janaami yogam japam naiva pujam
nato ham sadaa sarvadaa sambhu tubhyam
jaraa janma-duhkhaugha taatapya maanam
prabho paahi apan-namaamisha shambho

I don’t know yoga, prayer or rituals,
But everywhere and at every moment, I bow to you, Shambhu!
Protect me my Lord, miserable and afflicted as I am
with the sufferings of birth, old-age and death.

rudrastakam idam proktam viprena haratosaye
ye pathanti nara bhaktya tesam sambhuh prasidati

This eightfold hymn of praise was sung by the Brahman to please Shankara.
Shambhu will be pleased with whomever heartfully recites it.

karpoora gauram karunaavataaram samsaara saaram bhujagendra haaram

He is white like camphor and the very incarnation of mercy and compassion,
The only good thing in this world, wearing a king cobra as a garland

sadaavasantam hridayaara vinde bhavam bhavaani sahitam namaami

It is always springtime in the lotus of His heart I bow down to Bhava (Shiva), as well as to Bhavani (Parvati) who accompanies Him

An Apology on a Wednesday...

2010-07-28T05:37:00.001-04:00

AN APOLOGY TO READERS YET AGAIN!

Oh dear! We’ve not done as we planned or promised last week and that cannot be a good thing or a reader’s treat! We’ve not blogged on Tumultuous Thursdays about dreams and dreaming nor made fun of them on Funtastic Fridays...to be honest we really don’t know what to say…

But we aren’t almost even here this week too…the muse the muse always blame the muse…the Purple Elephant and the Little Mouse they are firmly planted though-Thank you! But the muse he is actually flashing right now as I speak or type! Not flashing as going naked after all he is a manicou so already au naturel so no…no…I mean he seems to be here for a second and then disappears another but he slips back and forth from here to not here so quickly that he almost appears to be going on and off like a blinking light! Oh dear!…I’m told it happens when you travel too often and in close succession across parallel worlds…there comes a time when you are neither here nor there or anywhere…oh dear! Unless perhaps you’re everywhere!

Luckily as of this morning… the Little mouse came to my door…he was perched on the shoulder of the Purple Elephant so he could reach up to the level of my ears so I could hear him. “Aaaaww!” was my first cry when he incredibly bashfully bestowed onto me a bouquet made of four purple flowers and three sunflowers with sprigs of this twig or the other all wrapped together in a bow and said,

“Miss Dubay this will make him stay for sure!”

then the Purple Elephant trumpeted unfortunately waking the whole house up! You see we have guests, not as many as last Christmas but quite a few monkeys are with us but they luckily weren’t in bad spirits and instead decided to have an early breakfast scratching their heads while they peeled their bananas as they also tried to solve the problem of my manicou muse for me! Mouse, elephant and monkeys all poured over the ‘Book of Words and Light’ where they read of the use of purple flowers, sunflowers but more so that the use of love and light and yep UCP-Universal Collective Prayer could help me! So we followed the book and then ‘poof’ and as I looked up from where I knelt with sunflower pollens glistening from my cheeks…there it unfolded before me…and Lo and Behold there was my muse again fully formed standing all solid, not blinking, safe and sound before me!

You see in all seriousness and reality I recalled that all my words and speech come from the Divine Mother upon whom I ought to surrender! It’s not like I’ve not done so time and time again in the past as I’ve often shared on UCP but of lately I think I needed to be reminded…reminded that she is the speech…in the form of the Vedic Goddess Saraswati she rides a swan and is the ‘vac’ which translated from the Sanskrit means the speech, the word…the spoken word…the voice… However she is also the Goddess of learning and so really one cannot have even any writing without her since when we type it comes forth from an inner voice…so I had lost my voice both inner and outer…but me and all the animals sat in UCP and surrendered onto the Divine Mother in the form of Saraswati who according to this lovely Vedic prayer sits in the middle of our palms…she was always there… if we only had looked to see! …with the Goddess Lakshmi at our finger tips and Govinda at the base of the palms...

So too in the words of Don Henley in the movie Michael…it came through our hands!

Don Henley - Through Your Hands Lyrics
"You were dreamin'
On a park bench
'bout a broad highway somewhere
When the music from the carillon
Seemed to hurl your heart out there
Past the scientific darkness
Past the fireflies that float
To an angel bending down
To wrap you in his warmest coat

And you ask
What am I not doing
He says
Your voice cannot command
In time you will move mountains
And it will come through your hands

Still you argue for an option
Still you angle for your case
Like you wouldn't know a burning bush
If it blew up in your face
Yeah, we scheme about the future
And we dream about the past
When just a simple reaching out
Might build a bridge that lasts

And you ask
What am I not doing
He says
Your voice cannot command
In time you will move mountains
And it will come through your hands
Through your hands

So whatever your hands find to do
You must do with all your heart
There are thoughts enough
To blow men's minds
And tear great worlds apart
There's a healing touch to find you
On that broad highway somewhere
To lift you high
As music flyin'
Through the angel's hair

Don't ask what you are not doing
Because your voice cannot command
In time we will move mountains
And it will come through your hands"

So I post to you really today on a Wednesday but I will back track the blog post I’m about to do on Meady’s Musings and it will read as a Maniac Mondays post to keep with the format of the blog. While on UCP, I will be publishing as of today. So now I am all good thanks to the Goddess Saraswati and will continue my dreams and dreaming series on Meady’s Musings and today on UCP will launch that God series! Shiv it is as we launch that series! And on Meady’s Musings get those pillows out…it’s dream time! (Of course this post will appear as if it was done the Monday before)

A Buddhist Treat!

2010-07-14T23:13:00.005-04:00

As promised today on the prayers before we start our 'God' series we share some of the sights of two Buddhist temples we visited while in Shanghai. Both famous...but one more visited than the other...Jing'an Temple is highly visited by tourist and has its own Shanghai metro bus stop...while Longhua Temple is less visited and a bit less central...

The first five pictures are of Jing'an and the second five of Longhua. Over the next few weeks we promise to share more pics from these temples and other places of worship visited in the Shanghai from other religions!

All pictures copyright of Meady's Musings Production 2010.

UCP will finally be back soon...

2010-07-12T23:51:00.005-04:00

What could be up to a 1,000 Buddhas we think!
Longhua Temple, Shanghai CHINA June 2010.
Copyright Meady's Musings Production 2010.

We come in the company of what could be a 1,000 Buddhas to apologise so you have to give us a chance! We had expected to restart our journey here into this thing we call UCP-Universal Collective Prayer at the end of June...however our production house...Meady's Musings Production seems to be in some difficulty...read their tale here! As a result we hope to be back in full swing over here on UCP by this Wednesday as we plan to share some Buddhist cheer and then launch later on as planned into the quest to find out who is God to you and you and you and I or me! Yes my fellow travellers and dancers into UCP we shall finally be launching our talks on the God concept!Yes indeed we will finally be starting the 'God' series as promised! Inshallah! See you then!

An Apology for Missing the Prayers for So Long!

2010-05-23T22:02:00.002-04:00

As published on our sister blog Meady's Musings

We've come in the company of the Purple Elephant and Little Mouse to let you know that we're sorry, sorry and more sorry for not blogging for weeks and weeks...not a single Maniac Mondays or Tumultuous Tuesdays, Funtastic Fridays or even Slumbering Saturdays blog have we posted...and not a single word of prayer was said on our sister blog UCP-Universal Collective Prayer...so now here's the thing...

We've been caught up in the Hustings here on the islands of...Trinidad and Tobago...the place of our birth and citizenship...you see we've been working for something we believe in here...CHANGE! So we've been rallying changemakers across the land to vote for it...so got caught up in volunteering...you see we believe that the party that has evolved the People's Partnership echoes some of the things we talk about on these here blogs...or at least they represent hope for it in the land where the ruling party does not show a window for it and even the manifesto that the ruling party has put forward shows they have no interest in change but in just going full steam ahead as is! So we hope for...

-sustainable development
-unity in diversity

And we here at Meady's Musings Production are always about being the change you want to see! So it was easy for Meady's Musings Production to want to blog for them as they to us represent the change we want to be and see!

We don't know what the outcome will be at the general elections tomorrow on Mon 24 May 2010 but we wish for it to be free, fair and peaceful and of course we hope that change will win! :)However no matter who wins the elections on the islands tomorrow Meady's Musings Production will be willing to work with them as a citizen interested in being the change they wish to see in their homes, their community , the islands, the region, the world and quite frankly the Universe and beyond! :) Purple Elephant and Little Mouse always at our side! :)

However right after the election results we will be heading off on vacation to China via London and so we felt it necessary to drop in and apologise and leave you with a farewell Maniac Mondays post we were preparing before we got drawn into the hustings. We also wish to let you know that we will be back around the end of June and our normal Monday, Thursday and Friday installations will return more frequently then. On UCP we will be starting something called the 'God' series where we will be discussing different perceptions of God in various religions, minds and hearts! Of course we will be sure when back from China to share notes on our adventures there both from the Meady's Musings point of view and UCP as we plan to visit the world fair on in Shanghai and some Buddhist temples while there! And for fans of animal muses like us we more than likely will be dropping in on Winnie the Pooh land while in the UK. So look for it!:)

And look for the Maniac Mondays posting tomorrow on Meady's Musings it's about finding 'That Elusive Happy Place' and see you at the end of June! Until then keep being the change you wish to see!:) And if you want you can always ask our Purple Elephant and the Little Mouse to help you out...you know they are always willing!:)

The Holy Week:Easter Sunday-The Resurrection!

2010-04-04T08:49:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter Sunday to All! As Mary Magdalene leads the pack as the first to see The Christ resurrect...what joy...and what good enough acting for a TV special level, from Debra Messing of Grace Adler fame!:) Oh those doubting Thomases!:)

The Holy Week: Holy Saturday 2010

2010-04-03T23:15:00.000-04:00

As the Holy Virgin Mary continues to display her leadership skills as she shows her patience as she waits...waits like us for the resurrection...we here at UCP can't find much words and will instead only show this video now instead of another word put out!

The Holy Week: Good Friday-The Ultimate Surrender?

2010-04-02T17:17:00.006-04:00

Good Friday is usually too sad for us to post many words here on UCP in fact last year we said nothing but put up two potent segments from the movie "The Passion of the Christ". But this year we will painfully try...

From our Hindu centric eyes we see it as "The Ultimate Surrender" and this year around we still can't see it any other which way...for us when Jesus says:

"Father, into your hands...I commend...my spirit."

Really we see it that he has reached the point of Ultimate Surrender onto the Universe and thus merges and becomes one with it...i.e. Bodhisattva is he! However we've been reading that Christians see this in a different way tough but we can't even explain it...it's like looking at one of those images that has two pictures in them but we only see the one picture...so for us here on UCP, Jesus the Christ is a Bodhisattva...an enlightened one...and so really it means from the eastern perspective he is God so don't we then all agree? It is just that we believe that others can follow to become Bodhisattva too a lone Bodhisattva is not he! But on such a sad day why argue? Of course it is not entirely sad in that a Bodhisattva is born and this is usually a very rare occurrence...but as one such enlightened being is born so many others revel in sin...and that is just sad...very sad when you recollect on this day the sinful things that were done...sad!

So it is why we normally try not to speak much but mark silence on such a day so we've said enough really but will talk on only because our dharam or duty calls and we had promised to explore the leadership role of women here too...And really to be a mother is to be a leader...you are the ultimate leader then as you mold a child...but like all leaders know there comes a time when you must let go...however in Christianity the Holy Virgin Mary had to let go big time...as she let her son go to the wider community...and then to the Universe by the time he was in his thirties...and she never abandoned his side despite all of this...And before Jesus the Christ made the Ultimate Surrender he made one last act perhaps this last act was required to fulfill all his karam and dharma on the material plane...and this was it as he said:

". . . Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple,
Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her
unto his own home."
John 19:26b-27, KJV

And in doing so he gave his material plane mother someone to call son and to to be called mother by and treated as such while she remained on the material plane and he moved on...

So now we will put up the videos again but not ourselves watch them...as just too sad...sad! And profound!

The Holy Week: Holy Thursday...

2010-04-01T23:02:00.007-04:00

All images in this blog post re-published from this site.

We've arrived to Holy Thursday and so stand on the threshold of the three day period of Easter in the Holy Week. It's a nervy kinda day for true devotees of Jesus the Christ...I guess in Hinduism they would be called Christ Bhakts! :) Here on the island Catholic churches all over are holding Mass in his honour. Me, I've bought my traditional 'hot cross buns' as really there is no church for a UCPer like me...however perhaps one day in the future who knows there will be! But for sure usually most Easters ever since I was in my early teens I've wondered about what was done to Jesus the Christ over the period that is celebrated as Easter! What a thing really! As I've perhaps written in my 2009 Easter blogs...I recall at 14 getting so wrapped up into the thing that I almost felt the pain or loss of Jesus as if he was an actual living relative or something...can't say that I experienced the pain of the crucifixion though as that was something else! Especially after seeing that 'The Passion of Christ'...YIKES!

So tonight is the night that the famous 'Last Supper' occurs according to modern day recollection of the events that happened (based on the gospels that were put together by Christ Bhakts post his crucifixion and in summary are called the New Testament part of the Holy Bible) The Christian site where I got the photos from says this about the events that happened on Holy Thursday night:
"On Thursday afternoon, Jesus and his disciples walked out of Bethany together, and over the Mount of Olives, and into the city. Only Jesus, who could read the thoughts of men, knew that one of these disciples, Judas, had made a promise to the chief priests to lead them and their servants to Jesus, when the hour should come to seize him: and Judas was watching for the best time to do this dreadful deed. They came into the house, and went upstairs to the large room, where they found the supper all ready. The meal was spread upon a table; and around the table were couches for the company, where' each one lay down with his head toward the table, so near that he could help himself to the food, while' his feet were at the foot of the couch, toward the wall of the room. Their feet were bare, for they had all taken off their sandals as they came in.

Jesus was leaning at the head of the table, and John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was lying next to him. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and gave thanks. Then he broke it, and passed a piece to each one of the twelve, saying, "Take, and eat; this is my body which is broken for you; do this and remember me." Afterward, he took the cup of wine, and passed it to each one, with the words, "This cup is my blood, shed for you, and for many, that their sins may be taken away; as often as you drink this, remember me." Jesus then rose, and tied a towel around his waist in preparation to wash His disciples' feet.

Jesus was with the twelve in the upper room of the house in Bethany in what we now refer call the Last Supper. After dinner, while they were still leaning on the couches around the table, Jesus rose up, and took off his outer robe, and then tied around his waist a long towel. He poured water into a basin, and while all the disciples were wondering, he carried the water to the feet of one of the disciples, and began to wash them, just as though he himself were a servant.

Then he washed the feet of another disciple, and then of still another. When he came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

Jesus said to him, "What I do, you cannot understand now; but you will understand it after a time."
"Lord, thou shall never wash my feet," said Peter. "If I do not wash you," said Jesus, "then you are none of mine." Then Peter said, "O Lord, wash not only my feet, but my hands and my head too!"
But Jesus said to him, "No, Peter; one who has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and then he is clean. And you are clean, but not all of you."

For he knew that among those whose feet he was washing was one, the traitor, who would soon give him up to his enemies. After he had washed their feet, he put on his garments again, and leaned once more on his couch, and looked around, and said, "Do you know what I have done to you? "You call me 'Master' and 'Lord,' and you speak rightly, for so I am. If I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash each other's feet; for I have given you an example that you should do to each other as I have done to you." By this Jesus meant that all who follow him should help and serve each other, instead of seeking great things for themselves.

Jesus saw that his disciples were full of sorrow at his words, and he said, "Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many houses; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going to make ready a place for you. And when it is ready, I will come again, and take you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Then Jesus talked with the disciples a long time, and prayed for them. And about midnight they left the upper-room together, and came to the Mount of Olives."

To be honest after reading this excerpt all I can say is..."Isn't it lovely how Jesus washed their feet?!" :) I guess this in Hinduism is what would be called seva...service to fellow man...and I cringe a bit...as tonight I recall the ultimate seva that Jesus is about to undertake...

Hanuman Jayanti 2010!

2010-03-29T05:58:00.002-04:00

All pictures copyright of Meady's Musings Production 2010

It's that time of year again for us at UCP to wish our favourite little yet sometimes big yet sometimes human size monkey friend Happy Birthday again! Yep it's Hanuman Jayanti 2010...perhaps it's why over on Meady's Musings not too long ago we were thinking about him and wishing to have a prehensile tail like him. Who knows it must have been a premonitionary feeling visualization thing in the air hinting at us to remember his bday!? :)

I can say I have also had another lovely moment with him not too long ago as well when my niece who says to my mother that he, Hanuman Baba is her fav of the Hindu deities gave her necklace with a Hanuman amulet to me! :) It was the sweetest thing for my niece to do by the way and truly UCP at its finest! :) But I was having the creepies one night driving home and I called up my niece to say so...that it was just the weirdest creepy thing feeling...and when I drove into the garage she was waiting there for me and told me something to the effect that you see I, unlike most other relatives etc. continue to not have a mala, a pendant, or necklace or amulet of some sort hung up in my car...this would protect me and make me braver you see! I'd go with God full speed ahead! :) And then without me asking she proceeded to go into the house and bring out this amulet of Hanuman Baba on a necklace she owns and hangs it up in my car! HOW SWEET!:) And so very kind of her as if Hanuman Baba is her fav form it must also be one of her fav amulets and necklace too and she just gave it away to me!:)

So now here he hangs looking out my car windscreen...but I find the shadow it casts even more profound see pic above at start of the blog!:)

So Happy Birthday Hanuman Baba! And thank you my niece! :) According to Hindu stories you were asked by Ram to stay here on earth to protect us all through this age of Kalyug and I must say I'm surely glad he asked you to and you so humbly and willing agreed! As you are often a needed friend indeed! And on your bday I must cue your fav salute the Hanuman chalisa and re-show the clip from Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan where we see you are asked by Vishnu himself on earth to stay!:)

The Holy Week: Palm Sunday!

2010-03-28T23:05:00.012-04:00

Image re-published from this site

Before we continue with today's posting, we here at UCP would like to apologize for the abrupt end to the Divine Mother Leadership Series. However at the end of the Hindu festival of Nav Raatri we felt it best to leave off on the series since we decided we would cover the Catholic Divine Mother Leadership roles during the Catholic Holy Week instead. Also truth be told is we got pulled into a wormhole over on our Meady’s Musings blog and was in some parallel world since last week Wednesday night! Check that blog for more details of what really happened there!

But now on to our Grand Opening of the Catholic Holy Week here on UCP! And as this is UCP-Universal Collective Prayer we begin with yes…a prayer by Deacon Greg Kirk:

"Brother Jesus, as you enter Jerusalem, I lift my palm branch high. I recognize in you, a heart of love, one of peace. In you, I see who we are called to become. How fleeting is recognition and praise - in a few days, the ones who line the avenue with me will not stand with you, at the cross. I wonder if I will stand there? Can I dare to drink in the horror of the suffering - and somehow continue to believe in the mercy, compassion, love and goodness of the One God who is One? This is a question that can't be anwered in a few days or even a week. It is a question that will have to be lived out over the course of a lifetime. I only know this - in this day, in this moment, I trust in you, to show me who I am, who I can become - if I dare to trust, if I can find it within me to share and to love. Love, it never fades, never dies. Love is eternal. May this Love always live itself out in me, and may I always live myself out in love.
Love. Eternal Love. You in me. Me in you.
Amen"

Now to my understanding Palm Sunday marks the kick off of the Catholic Holy Week as it is the day that Jesus would have come into Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey some say. Now I mean no disrespect here on the prayers when I say this but for me all the time long since I’ve been preparing this blog I’ve been wondering what of this donkey? You see this isn’t a blog of any particular religion it is UCP-Universal Collective Prayer and here on the prayers we want to look at things from a new perspective…break down old boundaries…so tonight I want to look at this Palm Sunday entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem through a different lens…through my lens…it is UCP in itself as I’ve often said on this blog I am Hindu centric in my views as I was born and raised Hindu and continue to be but UCP isn’t a Hindu blog. Here I explore my journey into Universal Collective Prayer and as I’ve said in the past, what I try to do is show others how I explore this…the commonalities, the differences and how they can come together or take out what can’t be reconciled and so forth. As I often say too…“This is my journey… this is my prayer!” But then I also say and offer to all my readers and onlookers… “Welcome! And please come join me in this dance I call Universal Collective Prayer!”

So now as a Hindu it must be quite normal for me to ask… “What of the donkey?” To me as a Hindu all through the stories I hear of Jesus the Christ’s life I wonder about the animals that surround him…to me these stories are filled with animals from cradle to crave! I mean there were camels, sheep, cows and donkeys at his birth, fishing expeditions, snakes (I think?) as he made his way in life and now here he was about to be crucified and he is riding in to it on a donkey. And as a Hindu looking on at this I can’t help wondering about the connection to the animals and how they feel about all of this. You see from my Hindu perspective I see it that all the animals are also with soul and part of the Universal spirit…so to me I keep thinking of how they would have felt to be surrounded by such an enlightened spirit that was embodied in the flesh of Jesus the Christ while he was on planet earth. However I’m sure Christians must see it differently and so it must be noted this is just my point of view being shared with…no malice…no spite…and certainly no disrespect but just plain enquiry from where I stand in the journey!

So for the intent of my story I shall proceed to name this donkey upon which Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I shall name him Sam…don’t ask me why but it is just what pops into my head as I keep seeing him before me…I don't perceive him as a talking donkey a la 'Donkey' from 'Shrek' but more that his spirit can communicate on a more subtle level with the spirit of Jesus...So as Sam walks into Jerusalem's gate with Jesus on his back he feels it...he knows this is the week it will all end...but at the same time his donkey hairs stand on end to know that is part of something bigger than him...something on a grand scale Universally!:)

In terms of Jesus' interaction with the donkey, Sam as they had travelled to Jerusalem I feel it would have been a very loving one...he would have been gently stroking him and stopping frequently on the journey for Sam to rest, drink and eat...he would have recalled too how another donkey took his mother, the Holy Virgin Mary to the manger for him to be born some more than thirty years before...and at that moment he would have perhaps recalled how he was about to go beyond his earthly maternal ties and make a sacrifice on a bigger Universal scale...although it would no doubt hurt his mother on the material plane very much!

And now as he sat upon Sam the donkey at the gates of Jerusalem he again touched the animal's mane lovingly and in that moment connecting with the animals spirit feeling both his fear and awe...He would have alighted from the donkey Sam and come before his face...caressing his snout in both his arms and explaining to him through divine connection that...Sam, the donkey should fear not for he would one day be liberated from the earthly plane and he would a greater spirit be for accompanying him on this journey!:)

The Divine Mother Leadership Series:Day 9-Saraswati for Peace and the Grand Finale!

2010-03-24T05:49:00.001-04:00

Today is the ninth and final day of the Hindu festival of Vasant Navraatri and also the last day dedicated to Mata Saraswati in our series here on UCP. So today we will be looking at her as the white cladded embodiment of peace and reviewing the whole nine day cycle as we wrap Vasant Navraatri 2010. Ladies and Gentlemen…UCPers far and wide…it’s the grand finale!

Now we started our journey fighting the bad guys with Mata Durga riding on her lion or tiger, bashing the demons left, right and center! She slayed that Asura (demon) Mahish and then her tiger gave a great big roar as she finally realized she had to STOP! Let it go already! LOL! This realization coming in her Kali form when saw that her demon bashing was starting to get kinda out ah hand…so much so that she now had her husband (in her Parvati and Sati form) Shiva at the mercy of her feet!

The Mata Lakshmi came along and stabilized everything for us and gave us all the resources we need to move right along to finding our inner self…

As Mata Saraswati rode in, all cool and calm like a breath of fresh air on her swan…bringing us the knowledge that we were more than the material…all pure and white with light…as we come to this point…the point of peace…inner peace…

Leadership Lessons Learnt:

Well let’s write it like this as we have recently been having fun with our Fishbone Diagrams of Root Cause Analysis fame on our sister blog Meady’s Musings…

The Root Cause Analysis of ‘Why the Ladies Divine of Hinduism aka Devis are Leaders’ is:

The Ladies Divine of Hinduism are leaders because they display initiative, commitment and passion and know how to nourish. They also have the wherewithal to source the necessary tools and materials to get the job done and the knowledge of their self...none of their strengths and weakness lay hidden from them (their Johari window is wide open!). However above all they know how to go with the flow and find peace within and with who they are…they truly are to their own selves true!

So ladies I salute you!

Om Shaanti…shaanti…shaanti!

The Divine Mother Leadership Series:Day 8-Saraswati for Purity and Durga Ashtami

2010-03-23T04:51:00.001-04:00

All photos in this blog post are taken by Meady's Musings Production but are photos of Art created by other artists (unfornuately their names unknown to me at this time)

In Hinduism you have to admit it's tough for a girl to get centre stage!:) I've always conceptualised God through Hinduism's eyes to be like a big huge diamond that had so many faces when it was cut and so many glittering rays reflecting off the diamond as it shone in the light that basically there were countless faces and rays. And each of these faces and rays could be conceptualised further...iconified and worshipped...so not many Gods really but many faces and rays of this infinite huge diamond that is the Universal spirit!:) But as we iconify and break them out...Boy does it get crowded and as I said in my opening line it's tough for a girl to take centre stage! :) She has to be pushing and elbowing her way up there! LOL!

But as I said at the kick off of the Leadership series we here on UCP were going to celebrate the nine days of Navraatri using the format of the first 3 days for Durga, the second three for Lakshmi and the final three for Saraswati. Making our way in a cycle on the three stops...facing and killing our demons....sustaining our self on the material plane and then reaching for the knowledge that is our pure and peaceful souls! Now having said that one can't count out the day like today though when Durga is worshipped in a big pooja normally in some parts of India and indeed here in Trinidad. It's Durga Ashtami folks! So here is how we here at UCP will reconcile it. We will upfront give Saraswati her day and then talk about the Ashtami after! OK...everybody happy! :)

SARASWATI FOR PURITY

Saraswati in Hinduism represents purity...dressed in her white sari with the innocent Hans (swan) as her celestial vehicle of choice. By the way isn't it cool in Hinduism how all the forms have their divine vehicles all being these animals!:) But now back to the devi hereself...I've often pondered on her peaceful form growing up as a child...I must say you can almost feel her presence and she must most appropriately sit and appear to I'm sure many a traveller at the side of beautiful, fresh flowing streams and brooks!:)Once in my teens I had woken up a early morning and decided on my own accord to do a hawan in our pooja room and I could swear almost hidden a step away or just as I turned I saw a lady in a white sari seemingly peeping out from some plane to peek at me and then hide or run off before I could really see her or catch her!:) Who knows I must have a vivid imagination...or perhaps it is the natural hallucinogen that is prayer or maybe just maybe she really did come to peek at me from some other plane or place?!:) When I told my mum she simply said...So Blessed! and smiled:) Isn't it lovely though whatever it maybe?

So I'm so so happy to recall her here today on UCP! :) :) :) That lovely lady!:) Now after having come upon a picture on a wall while renting a house with friends a few years ago in San Francisco. I am in this moment convinced that if she my beloved Saraswati was a devi in Japanese and Chinese cultured Buddhism she would be the lovely goddess and beautiful bodhisattva-Quan Yin! As seen below here in the image I took of the picture that adorned the wall of my bedroom in that vacation rental in San Francisco:

DURGA ASHTAMI

On my reading and research about this special day and celebration what jumped out at me was how they celebrated all the devis and 64 yoginis for Durga Ashtami and not just the demon bashing Universal mother herself! :) I'd love to find out more about these 64 yoginis...who are they? Can I one day become one? LOL! :) But they must be what I'd call the divine light rays reflected off the diamond faces...not quite the Divine Mother herself in potentence but a ray...a small subset of her divine presence indeed! And I'm glad their beauty, love and radiant presence is also celebrated on this day!:) I will one day research and write more on this yoginis in this space but for now you can read more about this celebration here!

The Divine Mother Leadership Series: Day 7-Saraswati: Knowledge

2010-03-22T00:29:00.005-04:00

Picture republished from this site

To lead you must have knowledge else well it would be like the blind leading the blind. The Goddess Saraswati in Hinduism is the embodiment of knowledge. She represents the respect for knowledge...the knowing in the religion that the need to know is important enough to worship it i.e. focus and meditate upon it so it can be acquired...knowledge is found everywhere depending on what you are seeking to know about...but according to Hinduism the highest knowledge to be pursued is that of the self...and most societies would agree that the search for self knowledge is best expressed and documented in the Arts...music, poetry, theatre, literature and I guess in the modern day context...films, documentaries, TV shows and yep blogs...Youtube! :)

And so as we move into the last leg of three days dedicated to the goddess Saraswati we salute her here in the form of one of her embodiments...MUSIC! :)

The Divine Mother Leadership Series: Day 6-Lakshmi: The Opulent One!

2010-03-21T00:20:00.000-04:00

Photo republished from this site

Any leader needs to be admired. She must be looked up to by her followers...respected by her team members...there must be some little spark about her...that twinkle in her eye that makes others want her to lead and to follow her. True leaders must be seen as things to admire. And of all the nine forms of Shakti i.e. the Divine Mother in Hinduism whom we are saluting on The Divine Mother Leadership Series, Maha Lakshmi is the most opulent of the forms. And today on the day 6 of the series we salute her opulence her splendour as a leader by wondering upon the beauty created as a monument to her worship in the form of the Birla temple in Delhi, India as seen above! What a magnificent site! :)

The Divine Mother Leadership Series: Day 5-Lakshmi: The Nourisher

2010-03-20T23:47:00.000-04:00

Any leader knows that she must provide her followers with resources to carry out their tasks else nothing will get done. Goddess Lakshmi is know for that! She is the ultimate nourisher. She provides us with the resources we need to carry out what we must while here on planet Earth! Here are some of the forms she takes to provide these material needs to us...some say she takes eight forms to provide us with these resources as follows:

* Adi Lakshmi (The primal mother goddess)

* Dhanalakshmi (One who showers wealth)

* Dhanyalakshmi (Food – one who eliminates hunger)

* Gajalakshmi (Power and Strength)

* Santan Lakshmi (Children)

* Veera Lakshmi (Courage and Strength)

* Vijaya Lakshmi (Victory)

* Aishwarya Lakshmi (Prosperity)

The Divine Mother Leadership Series: Day 4-Lakshmi: The External Supporter

2010-03-19T23:20:00.003-04:00

You can purchase the above beautiful poster from this site.

As we move into the 2nd set of three in the nine nights festival called Navraatri we focus on the Divine Mother in the form of the goddess Lakshmi. For us here on UCP one of her leadership skills is her ability to support others. Since any leader at some point in time needs to be there to support her followers. It might be a novel angle for some to approach leadership from but really a leader has to also sometimes support...mentor...nurture...and today on the Day 4 of The Divine Mother Leadership Series we will focus on Maa Lakshmi's role as supporter.

She sits at the feet of Vishnu massaging them...Vishnu is a leader in his own right and so it may appear that Lakshmi is simply the follower in such an illustration...however in the material world in our day to day lives...can't we see that even leaders need to support their teams at times? For instance in the corporate world can't you see how a team would best work if the leader went to each of the team members and figuratively speaking 'sat at their feet massaging them'. In that time they could sit there and listen to the thoughts and ideas of each of their team members in a relaxed and loving manner...this in the end makes the leader very strong...as she now knows intimately the views of each of the team members...so her ideas when put forward as the team leader is in the end a true agglomeration of the parts...and there is no better vision or viewpoint from a leader than a summation of all the parts...which when in gels together just right and flows from the leader can in act synergy and then the whole is greater than the sum of its parts! :)

The Divine Mother Leadership Series: Day 3-Durga: The Pillar of Strength

2010-03-18T22:54:00.004-04:00

If you've been following day 1 and 2 of the series you would have heard about Durga's leadership qualities as follows:

-Initiative
-Commitment
-Passion
-The ability to be big and small and then big again...

However with all that demon bashing and expansion and contraction and expansion...to get big then small then even big again well you have to have to be strong! I mean your ductility and malleability have to be high! And the leadership lesson is simply here...A LEADER HAS TO BE STRONG!

For sure Durga is a pillar of strength I'll tell you that! In fact in her chalisa(40 verse poem usually dedicated to Hindu Gods and Goddesses)she is called:

"In you is merged the strength of this world,
And you provide it with food and wealth."

And so on today the last of the three days dedicated to Durga in the Vasant Nav Ratri festivals let's enjoy her chalisa! Let's salute you Oh Great Mother Goddess and LEADER!

The Divine Mother Leadership Series: Day 2-Durga:The Big and the Small!

2010-03-17T20:55:00.001-04:00

Image re-published from Exotic India Art where the murti (sculpture) in the image can be purchased.

As I previously spoke about on the Festival of Shiv, Hinduism is an excellent religion when it comes to capturing things on the microscopic and the macroscopic simultaneously and its ability to do that is not only illustrated by the adventures and activities of its Gods but also its Godesses! So just like on one hand Shiv can do the dance of destruction but then on the other take a seat next to his consort Parvati with baby on lap...well so too can his consort!

In fact in the same Shiv story I discussed during the festival of Shiv, Parvati's ability to be big and then small is seen when she got mad...really mad...really mommy mad in all nine forms mad with the devas (angels)! Let's recall it here as she took on the form of Nav Durga:

However other than that katha there is the time when Parvati who is also a form of Durga took on her other form of Kali and went on a rampage of demon bashing! She got so into it just like when on Day 1 of our series she was beating up Mahish Asura... well Kali couldn't stop! So Shiv decided to step in and well she was kicking his blue form too! But as she was about to as they say in Mortal Kombat...FINISH HIM! She went "Oh my Lord! It is you!" as she realised it was her husband Shiva (when in the Parvati form) and she could only stick her tongue out in shame that she had gotten that carried away! And she stopped stomping and suddenly the big became small again! :)(See Image at top of article)

So What's the Leadership Lesson Here?

Well like the fascinating peepal tree in my front yard...the ability to know when to be big and when to be small and when to be big again if need be! I mean to be a true leader you have to know when to step up to the plate like discussed on Day 1 of the series...but here on Day 2 we learn you have to also know when it's time to step down. You also need to know how to stoop to conquer. And a leader must never feel she is too small to do something but neither must she feel too big to do something...if nothing is above you yet nothing is below you well then my dear...you are a leader I'd say! :)

PS:The story of Kali stepping on Shiv has many versions and intepretations and you can read more about them here.

The Divine Mother Leadership Series:Day 1-Durga:Is She the Cheese Standing Alone?

2010-03-16T21:12:00.017-04:00

I do not hold the copyright for this photo but it seems to be all over the internet and I made the assumption that it was copyright free. Please contact me if you consider this misuse.

Today is the beginning of Vasant Navratri in the Hindu calendar and we are also in the Catholic month of fasting known as Lent which leads into the Holy Week that culminates on Easter Sunday with the Resurrection of Christ! As a result on UCP I'd like to launch a new daily series that will run from today the first day of Vasant Navratri until the start of the Holy Week-Palm Sunday i.e. this series will run from today, Tue 16 Mar until Sat 27 Mar 2010. It will as a result be covering the entire Vasant Navratri festival. And in some parts of India and often of recent times here in Trinidad as well, the festival tends to be marked by celebrating the Divine Mother in triplicate. The first three days as Durga then followed by another three for Lakshmi ending up with the final three being for honouring Saraswati. UCP likes this approach where it is said in the first three days we look at destroying our demons...then for the next three days we pray to accumulate the wealth that is needed to execute stuff on the material plane and in the last three days we look for the wisdom to carry it all out! All three necessary to execute well on planet earth in all our divine feminine splendid forms! :)

As discussed on Meady's Musings yesterday the series will cover the way the Divine Mother in Hinduism and to a lesser extent in Catholicism personifies Leadership. Leadership in all the forms or as how we here at UCP and Meady's Musings Production define it that is! So here we go kicking off the series with Goddess Durga herself and we will continue daily until Sat 27 Mar 2010...hope you all have as much fun as we plan to have on this series...now let's carry on!

DURGA as a LEADER: And the Cheese Stands Alone!

If we here at UCP had to sum up Durga's leadership qualities in one phrase it would be that..."And the cheese stands alone!" For in this form the Divine Mother needs no help and is all out on her own except I guess for her vehicle which is either a lion or a tiger at most times! But other than that in this leadership form she needs no helpers...no men...no followers...she just kicks demons around all on her own! Just look at the licking she put on ole Mahish asura (demon) while in this form. LOL!

Also in this battle with Mahish no holds were barred...they were fighting tooth and nail! Just out there in the middle...get to it... and when such a grand battle exists sometimes one cannot tell who is who...each takes on the other so intensely that they momentarily become one and there is momentarily no distinction...'good' fighting so intensely to overcome 'evil' that in a moment the 'good' almost looks like 'evil' as it becomes so obsessed with fighting the 'evil'. It reminds me a lot of Bram Stoker's Dracula tale where Van Helsing is so obsessed with killing Dracula at times you wonder if he had not taken on the very nature of the being himself...I guess the classic tale of...Who is the hunter?...Who is the hunted?

So what leadership qualities does Maa Durga display in her fight to the death with Mahish asura?

1. INITIATIVE:The raw ability to lead...walk out there in the middle of the battlefield of the unknown...take the initiative...be the first one to step forward when everyone is hesitating...step up to the plate even when you look around and you see you are the only one who came out in the middle of the battlefield (the cheese standing alone). And it's why many a time leaders tend to look around and realise there is no one else there...no one to whisper a word of advice...no one's shoulder to leader on...since no one else stepped out! And that can't be an easy place to be! With all the devas (angels) looking on Maa Durga stepped up!

2. COMMITMENT: Once already out there on the battlefield there is no turning back and you have to stick with it. Have the commitment to fight to the end! Its either I die or my opponent but I'm not leaving! As did Mother Durga as she fought until she slayed Mahish Asura

3. PASSION:So yep...she took the initiative and stepped up to the plate...and even after having realised the dauntingness of the task and the fact that 'you are in this alone baby' she decided to commit...stick with the task to the end! But guess what that was not all...she didn't just go through the motions till the end. No siry she proceeded to fight with passion! Maa Durga took on Mahish asura with such passion well it got to the point of obsession! And that combo of Initiative, Commitment and Passion folks is why we today on UCP salute you as a leader Mother Durga...you're the woman! :)

The Festival of Shiv:The Grand Finale!

2010-03-01T19:12:00.016-04:00

All photos copyright of Meady's Musings Production 2006-2010

I have to tell you UCP is very sad to be saying goodbye to this Festival of Shiv and although we didn't blog for the last few days of the calendar it was only because we were too tired or busy to do so and not because we didn't wish to! But as promised yesterday we are sending off the Festival with a grand finale blog! I didn't post it up last night on the last day of February but have kept it instead for today as it is the Somvaar in Hindi and Monday in English...a very much celebrated day for Shiv Bhakts or devotees who see him as related to the Soma...although I feel more affinity for the Guruvaar...Thursday as I see him as the Supreme Guru...Super Shiv! :)

Now here is the surprise and what for me and hopefully for you makes this a grand finale blog to close the Festival of Shiv! You know how I'm always saying how I often visualise Shiv sitting at its banks perhaps under a tree or doing yogic stretches along its rim? And I've even shared some pics of it on my Kartik pilgrimage blog last year here. But I've always wanted to go on a full pilgrimage to there and spend sometime in relaxation, meditation, reflection and most of all photography so that I could share the experience with you here! :)

So yesterday was my day to go! Thing is I came to the realization that the creek is on the west coast of the island...in fact the creek is this sheltered body of water that separates Trinidad and Venezuela. But the realization wasn't about Venezuela but about the fact that the creek's location in proximity to Venezuela and Trinidad makes it calm...and it being in the West means the the setting sun kisses it! So I decided not to go first thing in the morning as originally planned although my natural prayer instinct was to do so! I decided to go at sunset or close to it...and there my dilemma began...like Van Helsing trying to catch the last moments of sunlight to drive the stake through Dracula's heart before he gained power...there was I racing against Mr. Sun as my nephew calls him! :)

The whole race reminded me of my MahaShivratri blog early during the Festival of Shiv where I spoke of Mr Sun or that Surya guy not having any power over Baba Shiv! I mean after all Shiv dances throughout the cosmos so what was our sun i.e. planet Earth's sun...Mr. Surya Bhagwan's business telling Baba Shiv what to do! LOL!

So I had this date with Shiv at my favourite place to visualise and almost see and feel Shiv- Mosquito Creek! And of course I could meet Baba Shiv there any time and any space but I wanted to take the photos you see so I was hoping Mr Surya would have waited for me! In the end I did catch a glimpse of Mr Surya while I was on my date with Shiv but he played a trick on us and hid behind a cloud! Needless to say these are just some of the beautiful shots we got of Shiv and I on the date sneakily chaperoned by Mr Sun! :) I'd have to say it was a great date indeed and long overdue! :) And I will definitely go on a second date!

At the end of the date I was even able to catch up with people at the end of their Phagwa celebs that day...

And driving home after the date I couldn't believe my eyes but Chanda Mama had been watching upon us all the time in his fullest glory! Yes folks it was a glorious full moon! :) And some say Shiv is also the moon or the moon part of Shiv...but one thing for sure indeed he wears the crescent moon in his head! :)

And of course all you UCPers must by now well know that I'm just kidding or metaphorically speaking when I said I went on a date with Baba Shiv. However yep in the folk stories he does indeed wear a crescent moon in his head and weds Parvati and as we say goodbye to the Festival of Shiv I leave you with this memory of the Festival where Shiv and Parvati are on their Honeymoon in the TV serial Om Namah Shivay!

Happy Holi or Playful Phagwa 2010!

2010-02-28T10:25:00.006-04:00

I've suspended the procession on the Festival of Shiv just to wish everyone a Happy Holi 2010 or as we call it here in Trinidad and Tobago a Playful Phagwa 2010! I'm not much into the celebrations this year as I was last year as my dad left the mortal coil less than a month ago and just not up to it! Also perhaps on UCP we are creating a religious calendar of our own because here on UCP the Festival of Shiv is still on! Well until today at least! I know I've not blogged in the last few days of it because I've simply been to busy with my fulltime job. But to make up for it I'm going on a special pilgrimage I've been wanting to do for a long, long time this afternoon at sunset and it will close off the Festival of Shiv here on UCP as our GRAND FINALE BLOG! Look for it...but for now Holi Hai!

And UCP is thankful that many readers have been hitting us up to share in the joy that was our 2009 Holi blogs as listed here if you haven't found them as yet!:

Happy Holi or Playful Phagwa 2009!
Phagwa/Holi Celebrations March 2009

But even though we're not playing as such this year...what's so bad about a little dhun (tune) at least so again Holi Hai! :)

Festival of Shiv:Days 15, 16 & 17-Shiv's Things

2010-02-24T23:31:00.005-04:00

First of all on UCP we apologize for not having individual blogs for each of the past two days of the festival and now having to lump all into one day as three! :) But as we from time to time remind readers the authors of UCP are hardly full time bloggers and as such sometimes our full time jobs and lives makes the UCP nearly impossible! Especially on a daily basis! And of course as we always remind readers if they want UCP's authors to become full time bloggers...hey start clicking on those Ads...LOL! Let's see how many cents would that be?

But now on with the festival...

I've blogged on Day 3 of the festival about rendering onto Shiva the things that are Shiva's and then went on to say that the things that are Shiva's are perhaps us-spirits and perhaps everything else spiritual...I think the whole metaphysical world is Shiva's.

However remember how I keep talking about how in Hinduism the big becomes the little bit and the little becomes big...i.e. it is marvelous a religion for looking at things from both the microscopic and macroscopic levels all at the same time! :)

So today I want to explore Shiv's things as in the things that adorn his 'murti' form. Let's use my beloved guru form picture as my illustration...and explain the things we see in this form which is just one form Shiv can be depicted in...

So now looking at the form let's go! I think this site gives a good explanation as below:

'Physical Attributes

Ganga: Sun is the focal point of the solar system and soul is the focal of the body. Similarly, Gan is the focal point of the divine consciousness of each object and also that of pavitrakas (pure particles). The source from which Gan flows is Gan gaha – Ganga. Gan flows from Shiva’s crown. Hence the notion, that Ganga has descended from Shiva’s crown.

The river Ganga on the earth contains a fraction of the principle of the spiritual Ganga; hence, it remains holy despite environment pollution. Thus, the water of the river Ganga is found to be the most pure, when compared to that of any other river in the world – a fact which is understood not only by those who understand the subtle dimension, but also by scientists.

Moon: Shiva adorns His forehead with the moon. Moon is considered to be the origin of the vibrations of affection, compassion and motherly love. This means that chandrama (lit. moon), represents a state in which these three types of vibrations are unified

The third eye

Shiva’s left eye is considered to be the first eye, the right eye to be the second and the eye (in subtle form) situated slightly above the midpoint between the eyebrows, is the third eye. The upward looking third eye represents the combined energy of both the eyes, the right and left. So also it is a seat of the divine energy. It is also known as Jyothirmath, vyaspith, etc.

Chandra (moon), Ark and Vaishvanar are the three eyes of the Shiva. Ark is the Sun of ajanajlok, whereas Vaishvanar is the Sun of karmadevlok.

Shiva is ‘three-eyed’, which means He can see all events of the past, present and the future.

According to the yogic sciences, the third eye represents the sushumna nadi (the central channel for the flow of kundalini in the body).

The Snake (Nag)

Bhujangapatihari is also one of the names of Shiva. Bhujanga means a snake, that is, pavitrak (pure particle). Pati refers to one who nurtures and Hari means one who wears garlands around his neck. The different types of the snakes represent a collection of pavitrakas. Superficially, these appear as snakes, but reality they are a kind of a ladder. For spiritual progress, one needs to hold on to their tails to rise.

There are nine snakes coiled around Shiva one on the head, one around the neck, one each around the arms, one each around the both the wrists, one around waist, one each around both thighs. In other words, His body is composed of pavitrakas themselves or snakes representing pavitrkas, which play around his body and arms, the form of the Universe.

The snake is also considered as Shiva’s weapon. The nine snakes in the Universe are also known as ‘Navanarayan’. Navanath too, have their origin in these nine snakes.

Kartikeya, Jotiba, Ravalnath and Sabbu are the deities, which manifest at times in the snake form.

The snake exists in some context or other in the form of any deity.

Our body has five snakes, one of which is female and is referred to as the kundalini. The five snakes move inside the body in the form of five internal airs or energies (vayus). The remaining four snakes are normally present in the body; they present only in those who are spiritually evolved.

The snakes represent the male principle. He is the deity, which bestows progeny.'

The Festival of Shiv: Day 13 & 14-Shiv a Family Grows!

2010-02-20T23:48:00.008-04:00

Shiv and Parvati did a family grow...two sons Ganesh and Kartikeya...however while in earlier blog posts I marveled at how wonderful a religion Hinduism can be for having the ability to look at things microscopically and macroscopically both at the same time...well tonight I have to admit that same wonderful thing has now confused me! :) Because you have to admit Hinduism is like Greek mythology on steroids!:) And there are so many tales in Hinduism as to the exact origins of Ganesh and Kartikeya I don't know why they didn't just say they dropped from the heavens already! :) Or simply flew in with the stalk! LOL! But it seems the more I read on this the more I get confused but you see both the kids are such star kids in their own right so! I guess they are already to be honest super Gods so how could they have parents!:) LOL! I think is what they mean you know...but if we are pretending on the microscopic level it seems they make the stories in some like if Kartikeya was made through union from Shiv and Parvati but in other stories they make it as if Shiv's 'seed' alone spurred into the form of Kartikeya etc etc. All stories of Kartikeya seem to suggest he was nurtured and breast fed by more than one maternal celestial beings however! :)

And in the case of Ganesh well all the stories I've read say he was purely Parvati created and Shiv chopped off his head not knowing that Parvati had created him as her son while Shiv was off as always...after all she was lonely already and he was roaming all over the great big cosmos...but then he is a cosmic dancer can you blame the man for doing his job? LOL! I'd like to think from the Youtube vids I've pulled up from the TV serial Om Namah Shivay that the 'Gods' that reside on various celestial planes no doubt headed by Narad muni that cosmic wanderer himself had a hand in it! But in the end Shiv got the elephant head (a part of the story that makes me shed tears for the baby elephant whose head is taken...awww...:( )and fixed matters! And there you had it my Ishq devata Ganapati or Ganesh was re-born so to speak and all good to go again! So perhaps he is then indeed a creation of both Shiv and Parvati since his new head was placed by Shiv! :)

But everything in Hinduism is always not just microscopic and macroscopic but all inter-twined and interwoven...all over the space-time continuum so Kartikeya was to be born so that he could kill the rakshas Tarakasura and well Ganesh being my Ishq devata we all know of his many exploits on UCP already! :) But here are a couple excerpts to be enjoyed showing the 'Gods' coming from various celestial planes to salute the son of Shiv and Parvati, Kartikeya after he kills Tarakasura and then two more vids showing how Ganesh lost his head...mummy got mad...very mad (in all her nine forms mad!) and then daddy put on a head for him again! LOL! :)

And us here at UCP are left to wonder if in the Shiv household well Kartikeya always boasts about being a daddy's boy whilst Ganesh says he's a mummy's boy! :)

The Festival of Shiv: Day 12-A Fun Ode to Shiv and Parvati!

2010-02-19T08:31:00.006-04:00

Today on the Festival of Shiv we join with our sister blog Meady's Musings and their Funtastic Fridays as they also loving and funningly celebrate Shiv and his courtship with Parvati! :)

Hope you enjoy it...OM NAMAH SHIVAY!

For the details of the blog posting with accompanying explanations and rights as to where the pictures etc. used in the cartoon are attributed to, please read the full blog post on Meady's Musings here.

The Festival of Shiv:Day 11-Shiv's Marriage to Parvati!

2010-02-18T20:49:00.008-04:00

Photo of carvings of Shiv-Parvati wedding in the Ellora Caves-Maharashtra, India taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Last Tuesday we explored on the festival of Shiv and discovered that yes indeed Shiv can be a family guy. And when we left off the Katha (story) on Tuesday he was on his way to his wedding...in fact we left off as we were following the Baraat (wedding procession) filled with ghosts and goblins each and every side!:)

Tonight on the festival of Shiv we shall explore the actual marriage of Shiv and Parvati and their Honeymoon so to speak on both the cosmic and microcosmic levels since as we also remarked last Tuesday, Hinduism as a religion has the amazing capacity to look at things from the big and small and just like in the Sesame Street classic song...That's about the size of it! It's all about where you put your eyes! :)

So let's put our eyes first on the microscopic details of the story on the material plane so to speak...can you imagine a man showing up for his wedding dressed in loin cloth, a necklace of skulls with ash smeared on his body accompanied by a host of glaring ghosts and goblins! OMG! Well neither did Parvati's family and all but the great goddess fainted and then she 'subtly' hinted to Shiv that he should please put on some wedding clothes...but she did this hinting in song and dance as shown in the classic film- Har Har Mahadev here...

Luckily Shiv changed and the wedding proceeded and then they went on to the honeymoon...which is shown here in a much later TV serial adaptation of the Shiv Katha that was titled Om Namah Shivay...

But what of the cosmic level of this marriage? Well I think this site sums it up well here:

"Throughout Hindu mythology it is well known that one of Shiva's principal functions is the destruction of cosmos. In fact, Shiva has about him a wild, unpredictable, destructive aspect that is often mentioned. As the great cosmic dancer, he periodically performs the tandava, an especially violent dance. Wielding a broken battle-ax, he dances so wildly that the cosmos is destroyed completely. In descriptions of this dance, Shiva's whirling arms and flying locks are said to crash into the heavenly bodies, knocking them off course or destroying them utterly. The mountains shake and the oceans heave as the world is destroyed by his violent dancing. Parvati, in contrast, is portrayed as a patient builder, one who follows Shiva about, trying to soften the violent effects of her husband. She is a great force for preservation and reconstruction in the world and as such offsets the violence of Shiva."

The Festival of Shiv: Day 10-Lent and Shiv as a Yogi?

2010-02-17T22:03:00.005-04:00

UCP-Universal Collective Prayer doesn't usually occur between the Catholic and Hindu worlds during the season of Lent. Since Maha Shivratri normally falls before Ash Wednesday and the start of the Catholic Lent season. In fact you will often find Maha Shivratri even falling on what people here on the island call Carnival Monday and Tuesday or the preceeding Fantastic Friday! So actually while Hindus are engaged in UCP others are engaged in fete or bacchanal or everything that might be considered the antithesis of the following Lent season. However because we here on UCP have decided to worship Shiv whenever we so Shiv willing please we are worshipping Shiv all February long and so on this here blog as we celebrate the Festival of Shiv so too does the Catholic season of Lent break upon us on Ash Wednesday!

I've not asked my brother in UCP Deacon Greg Kirk to join me today but I recall his blessings from last year's Ash Wednesday here! And reflect here in true UCP styling on how good a yogi Shiv is and so how he can be an ideal prototype for anyone who is looking to reflect this Lent season! Please note my Intent here is not meant to convert Catholics to Hinduism or Saivism but just to embrace what this blog is about...UCP by showing how things of good overlap and cross thread in all the great world religions...so indeed Catholics reflect in very much the same way Shiv does! (and Hindus emulate him). Both religions can learn from each other here and for sure engage in UCP-Universal Collective Prayer!:)

So here it is Shiv as a Yogi...as quoted from this site:

"For one who is ignorant of that light principle and only dwelling in the prakriti, in the material world, there would be no celebration in one’s life. He may tries to enjoy his life in many ways dancing, singing or drinking but these are not permanent, these push him towards misery. Because he uses only his mind and senses to enjoy this world. And the mind and senses have their own limitations. The real peace and celebration is beyond all the limitations. If your peace is dependent on something, then that is not peace. Peace is beyond everything. In Sanskrit the root word of peace is “Sham”. In vedanta there are six treasures are explained. The first treasure is also “Sham”, meaning control of mind and senses. You can connect the both the peace and control of the mind. When one overcomes the bondage of all the sensual attachment, then one could experience the “Shiva lingam or Jyotir lingam”, which is our real self, guide, God, or whatever you may call it"

The Festival of Shiv:Days 8 & 9- Shiv as the Family Guy?

2010-02-16T19:06:00.013-04:00

Photo courtesy of Webshots

Hinduism is a fascinating religion...at least we here on UCP always find so...since it seems to be so good at taking the big and making it little and also the little becomes the big...just like the Sesame Street tune shown here!:)

So these days on The Festival of Shiv we've been asking ourselves..."Can Shiv be the Family Guy?" LOL! I mean it's so perplexing to think of the cosmic figure hugging up with mummy...a kid on one lap and animals at his feet but yep it happens...and only in Hinduism folks...the big becomes the little bit...that's about the size of it...where you put your eyes...that's about the size of it! :)

According to Hindu legend in fact Shiv marries Paravati on MahaShivratri night! I always loved how my mommy told the story and was so excited by it! :) Especially by the fact that ghosts and goblins...yes folks you heard us right...all sorts of Bhoot (ghosts in Hindi) made up the wedding procession! :) In fact sometimes Shiv is called Bhootnath perhaps to honour those who made up his wedding procession? You see Shiv was just putting on a show and he is really this big cosmic size being so he really had no kith...no kin...so being the cosmic sized figure that he is...he is in charge of it all...and so it is and so it was...he rustled up some ghouls who were more than willing! :) Let's put on a wedding folks! And so it is so it was...

Later in our Festival of Shiv we shall tell more stories about how he then proceeded to his family grow and become yes indeed UCP's very own Family Guy! :)

But for now let's follow the Baraat(wedding procession)folks! Hmmm...as here on UCP we are left to wonder if when we all become 'Shivoham Shivoham...I am Shiv I am Shiv' if we will all too realise that we all too just putting on a show here on planet earth! ;) OM NAMAH SHIVAY!

The Festival of Shiv: Days 5, 6 & 7 -These are some of my Favourite Shiv Things!

2010-02-13T22:57:00.009-04:00

Days 5 and 6 of the Festival of Shiv leads me into the weekend and after the big night of Shiv celebs I figured I'd take it a bit easy on UCP's very own Festival of Shiv and show you on these days...in a combo blog...some of my favourite things related to Shiv. Of course it's not about Shiv really since Shiv is formless and timeless and boundless and everything less! In fact in some Vedantic traditions it is said that Shiv is everything that is not! However for me, try as I may daily and with especially hard effort yearly on Maha Shiv Ratri (the big night of Shiv). I'm still not Shivoham Shivoham and as a result I'm still Om Namah Shivaya(ing)and have these favourite things that I like about Shiv that perhaps will one day make me Shivoham Shivoham...I am Shiv...I am Shiv...for it is my life long pursuit to become more Shiv like!

So here are some of my favourite Shiv things...if you've been following UCP you may already be acquainted with some of them but as I journey forward...I learn and acquire some more favs...so here they all are!

1. The photo of Shiv's murti in Rishikesh that I use as a guru...mimicking his posture so that I can become as meditative as him.

2. My favourite recitation of the Shiv Rudrastakam that I only stumbled upon in the last days of 2009. And I've since been starting many a mornings with it! :)

3. An older favourite is this recitation of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra but really I love any version of the recitation of this mantra. And my favourite explanation of it is on this CD version I have that is not on YouTube but I received from my grandfather in 2002 or there abouts and the swami who speaks I know not his name...however perhaps one of these days I'll share it here on UCP all the same as a sound file...if I can figure out how to do it Shiv willing! :)

4. The Shiv murti that I saw at the end of my pilgrimage in Kartik of 2009 to the El Dorado Shiv Mandir here in Trinidad.

The Festival of Shiv: Day 4-Maha Shivratri and is Shiv Time Bound?

2010-02-11T20:26:00.010-04:00

Photo courtesy the kindness and seva of the creators of the book What Is Hinduism? and the editors of Hinduism Today.

There is always much contention throughout the Hindu world as to when Maha Shivratri...the big night of Shiv should be celebrated...it's generally cool in India but once you start traversing those longitudes and those hours a counting well things start to get all neither here nor there and this guru says this...this body says that and all kinda ah things! :)

Here on UCP-Universal Collective Prayer if we look back at the origins of this blog...participating in a global candle/deeya lighting event(read blog's description above for details) in unison with people all over the world well we'd say we'd wish Maha Shivratri could take place at exactly the same time world over! But it's meant to be at night you see and then there is all this business with Mr. Sun you see ...Suryanarayana if you wish to use the Hindi/Hindu terms for him.

If you ask us at UCP we'd say check the time it is in India and then minus the 12 hours and you'd get what time it should be here in Trinidad for instance...if it is to be held in India from 6 PM to 6 AM Fri 12 Feb into Sat 13 Feb 2010 then well shouldn't the time then be 6 AM to 6 PM on Fri 12 Feb 2010 to celebrate it in Trinidad? But of course that's not night in Trinidad so what do you do? You either celebrate it on the Thursday night or the Friday night I guess. Dunno? Wish I could ask Shiv himself! :)

"Shiv when would you like your big night to be celebrated here on the island? Technically I'm out of the celebs as my dad left the mortal coil you know and the mourning period and all but for others on the island when Shiv when?"

But guess what the great thing is Shiv himself is not time bound! :) Since when can Mr. Suryanarayan tell Shiv what to do anyway! LOL! He is dancing all over the cosmos after all and is also the cosmos so to be honest can't we just all worship Shiv whenever we so Shiv willing please!:)

You know it! And let's continue to engage in UCP-Universal Collective Prayer...however we can wing it! :)

But if you're not convinced about this Shiv business as yet from your own inward journeys...you're still not...Shivoham, Shivoham. Well keep searching this Maha Shivratri in whatever time zone and location you may reside...Om Namah Shivay!;)

'In the ignorant state (i.e. without Self-Realization), one considers oneself separate from Shiva and recites ‘Om Namah Shivay’ (I bow to Shiva), but after Self-Realization, one comes into a constant awareness of being the Soul, which is separate from the body. So instead of bowing to Lord Shiva, he experiences the state of, ‘Shivoham, Shivoham’ meaning, “I am Shiva, I am Shiva.” I am the Soul and not the body. There remains no distinction between Shiva and myself. Shiva is my true Self and when I realize this, I become Shiva.' As referenced from this site

The Festival of Shiv: Day 3-Render onto Shiva the things that are Shiva's...

2010-02-10T22:45:00.010-04:00

One of my fav quotes from the Bible that is attributed to Jesus is:

“Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (“Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ”) (Matthew 22:21).

So I thought it would a be a good touch of UCP to draw from that phrase and today on Day 3 of the Festival of Shiv consider rendering onto Shiva the things that are Shiva's!

But exactly what are Shiva's things? :)

Well essentially I guess we all are Shiva's things if we see him as the cosmos itself...we are just a subset of Shiva then...and in the metaphysical or spiritual sense we are all just spirits which when united...well perhaps when united in UCP-Universal Collective Prayer become One...and that One is Shiv...

But perhaps in particular what Jesus meant in that quote about Caesar and his things and Shiva and his things is really that the things of the material plane give those to Caesar let him have it...but the things for Shiva well those were of the spirit...

So tonight on UCP I ask you to join me once again in this Universal Collective Prayer and surrender onto Shiva or God or the Universe or the Cosmos in whatever form or fashion you perceive it...

Do as Jesus said and render onto God the things that are God's!

OM NAMAH SHIVAY!

The Festival of Shiv: Day 2 of Salutations from One to the Other!

2010-02-09T22:45:00.010-04:00

Yesterday on the prayers as we celebrated Day 1 of The Festival of Shiv we learnt that sometimes Bramha, Vishnu aur (and) Mahesh (Shiv) are up to games with each other or picking on each other in arguments and fights just like any gang of teenage guys! I mean Shiv taking the form of a beam of light to end a dispute between the other two...and saying catch me if you can...find my head and feet...what's with that? And with Brahma and all this lying business? Saying he found a flower atop Shiv's head when really it had fallen from Shiv thousand of years before! LOL! What's with you guys already!

I figure the games the Creator (Bramha), Sustainer (Vishnu) and Destroyer (Shiv/Mahesh) must play are not just meant to be boyish games...although that too! :) But also for the spreading of the energy you know...perhaps when Shiv spreads himself as a beam of light...that was some universal energy being stretched out (the universe expanding...entropy)and then when Bramha went above the energy (looking for a head)he also created something (apart from just pure mischief)...perhaps a world or two...and as Vishnu foraged below the beam of energy looking for Shiv's feet he must have stablised Shiv's energy in the Universe...you know keeping it put (sustaining it) while Mr. Bramha the creator drew from the energy of Shiv to do his thing above Shiv's energetic head...creating another planet perhaps...who knows to make up for Pluto that is a planet no more :(

And I guess if Shiv's energy is left fully unleashed it can destroy said worlds created by Bramha in a supernova for all to see! SO HE IS INDEED ALSO THE COSMIC DESTROYER..and perhaps he does his destruction in one swooping dance!...NATARAJ! Then said energy is harnessed again by Vishnu so that Bramha can create yet another world and so it goes...so it goes...

So no doubt there is always this strong interplay in particular between Vishnu and Shiv as one has to harness the other! And no doubt to do so one has to salute the other...such is their love for each other that when Vishnu's energy was shrunk into a human form on earth as Shri Ram...well guess what for Maha Shiv Ratri just like other humans (the form he had taken) he prayed to Shiv! And now tonight as we celebrate Day 2 of The Festival of Shiv...look at those two as they now behave like serious and loving men and bow in salutation to each other as they sing, pray, play musical instruments and dance for each other! :)

'A prayer to Lord Shiv by Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan. The translation below is provided by Youtube user sherpa21987.

Om namaha Shivaya, Om namaha Shivaya, Om namaha Shivaya, Namaha Shivaya, Namaha Shivaya

Damaru paani shool paani hey Natarajan namo namo
(Bearer of the resounding drum, bearer of the awesome trident, I bow to You O' Cosmic Dancer)

Sheesh ganga bhasma anga karte dharan namo namo
(On Your head the holy Ganga, on Your body ascetic ashes)

Damaru paani shool paani hey Natarajan namo namo
(Bearer of the resounding drum, bearer of the awesome trident, I bow to You O' Cosmic Dancer)

Tum aadi-dev anaadi ho, tum anta-heen anant ho
(You are the primal Godhead without beginning, You are eternal, without end)

Om namaha Shivaya

Shrimant ho bhagawant ho, hey naat girijaa kant ho
(Yours is divinity, Yours benediction, You are the adored Lord of Uma, Daughter of Himalayas)

Om namaha Shivaya, namaha Shivaya, namaha Shivaya, namaha Shivaya

Shashi lalaat tanaha viraat, hey trilochan namo namo
(Your cosmic being dances as primordial energy, I bow to you, O' bearer of the fiery third eye)

Damaru paani shool paani hey Natarajan namo namo
(Bearer of the resounding drum, bearer of the awesome trident, I bow to You O' Cosmic Dancer)

Nis-saar is sansaar mein, Shiv naam kewal saar hai
(In this world devoid of meaning, Your name is the only meaning)

Om namaha Shivaya

Shiv shakti hai, Shiv bhakti hai, Shiv mukti ka aadhaar hai
(Shiv is power, Shiv is devotion, Shiv is the means to salvation)

Om namaha Shivaya, namaha Shivaya, namaha Shivaya, namaha Shivaya

Rom rom om om, hey aghanaashan namo namo
(I worship You with every atom of my being)

Damaru paani shool paani hey Natarajan namo namo
(Bearer of the resounding drum, bearer of the awesome trident, I bow to You O' Cosmic Dancer)

Damaru paani shool paani hey Natarajan namo namo
(Bearer of the resounding drum, bearer of the awesome trident, I bow to You O' Cosmic Dancer)

Om namaha shambawaiyachaha mayobhavayachaha
Namaha shankarayachaha mayuhskarayachaha
Namaha shivayachaha shivatarayachaha'

The Festival of Shiv: Day 1 of Shapes and Light! :)

2010-02-08T23:12:00.007-04:00

There is this great story in Hinduism that Shiv took the form of a great beam of light to stop a dispute between Lord Vishnu and Bramha as quoted from this site:

"According to Indian mythology on the origins of Karthigay Deepam Lord Siva came down to earth in the form of a huge beam of light to intervene in a dispute between Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, whom were both proclaiming to be greater than the other. Lord Shiva said to them that whoever could find his feet or head would be deemed the greater.

Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar and dug deep into the ground in search of Shiva’s feet while Lord Brahma took the form of a swan and flew into the skies in search of Shiva’s head. Lord Vishnu failed in his search and returned. But Lord Brahma, found a piece of a flower said to have fallen from Shiva’s head some thirty thousand years ago, he grabbed this flower and proclaimed to be the greater.

Lord Siva realized Brahma’s deception and pronounced that there would never be a temple for Lord Brahma in this world. Lord Shiva then took the form of a great flame on earth known as Maha Deepam, and every year ever since that flame has been worshipped on the auspicious day of Karthigay Deepam."

Sometimes it is also said that Shiva entered the Lingam by riding a beam of light as quoted from this site:

'The Legend

In ancient times the city of Ujjain was known as Avantika. Once an ardent devotee of Shiva, Vrishabhsen ruled the city. The neighboring kings were envious of the riches of Ujjain and decided to launch an attack together and ransack the city. They sought the help of an asura named Dushan, who had been given the boon of being invisible by Brahma. They let mayhem loose in the city. A boy by the name of Shrikhar and a priest by the name of Vridhi led prayers to Shiva. The Lord heard their pleas and appeared from the ground in the avatar of Mahakaleshwar and vanquished the neighboring kings along with Dushan. Shrikhar and Vridhi further requested Shiva to reside permanently in Ujjain as the patron and protector of the city. On its own the lingam of Mahakaleshwar was formed and riding a beam of light Shiva entered the lingam.'

For me when I think of Shiv my super yogi I can easily see him dancing about in that beam of light!:)

And when I meditate on his form in my fav image of the statue of him at Rishikesh I see so many shapes!:)

I see the rectangle that forms between his arms, chest and lap. And also his legs are crossed sitting in a triangular perch...and the time I dreamt him on my head well he did come down in a spiraling swirl...as did the snake that entwined his neck and as did his hair that entwined the mighty Ganga! :)

Om Har Har Har MAHADEV! :)

UCP Salutes Pandit K. Dinnanath Dubay as He Leaves the Mortal Coil!

2010-02-02T19:18:00.013-04:00

Here on the prayers we are in a slower dancing pace as we mark the release from the mortal coil of one of the great pundits/pandits of Trinidad and Tobago and also the father of the creator of UCP. As a result, UCP itself as a blog (and its other related blogs)are marking a mourning period and so the scheduled festival of Shiv on this blog that was carded for all February long will be delayed by one week and re-commence on Mon 8 Feb 2010.

Another blog has marked his death in a current affairs approach and you can check out that here. And my eldest brother has also shared his memories of our father here. But here on the prayers I'm going to salute him as the many decades long pundit he was.

However before I do that I will also tell you this...he gifted me his favourite harmonium just a few weeks before he dropped the mortal coil...perhaps a hint that I should pick up back with it...I did dabble in it when I was a child. So hmmm...maybe soon just like him I'll be pulling a dhun or two!:)I for sure must have inherited my LOLness (laugh out loudness) from him...for just as my brother recalled on his blog post I've always known him to be a pleasant, humble and down to earth man with a very LOLness nature! :)I must have gotten my eyes from him too and I've often been told I look identical to his mother, my paternal grandmother i.e. my aajee whom I never met as my father was orphaned very young. Also just like him I'm always reading about four books at a time and find vedic astrology fascinating! :)

Indeed it were tough times for my father as it was for many of Indian ancestry back on the island then...and his marriage to my mother did not last...people are not perfect...it is why we take the mortal coil to our lessons learn...and it's why we need to engage in Universal Collective Prayer! My mother is the daughter of another great pundit who graced the island for decades...the late Pandit Parasram Maharaj ...who for me was like this metaphysical being almost and after Shiv he is it for me! Seriously a tower of strength and a powerful patriarch if there ever was one! And my now late father would also attest to that!

Me,along with my two brothers grew up with our maternal grandparents... after the separation...nani and nana, my mother (who never remarried as she believes a Hindu woman only marries once)and the rest of my mother's family. My father eventually divorced my mother, remarried and had four children from that marriage.

But as I was saying those were tough times for my dad and there was always the need to engage in UCP-Universal Collective Prayer! In fact there must have been a significant need for that back in the days when Indians here on the island were mostly labourers on the plantations. And it is a well known story on the island by now that a major source of strength for the Indian community was the Ramayan...and of course why not...you're being oppressed by the 'white man'...he is your boss! And then you have this amazing story where your personal God...your Ishq Devataa (let's say) is this hero of epic proportions...the 7th Avatar of Vishnu come on earth to right the wrongs...the beloved warrior God Shri Ram! :)

So it was a great story to keep in your hearts while you toiled in hardship and found ways to eek a survival while still maintaining your spirit! And it is why tonight I not only salute my father but all pundits who have been at it in the past 150 plus years on the island...THANK YOU! By keeping the Ramayan in your hands and taking it to the people and reciting it in verse and song you gave them that message of hope that one day all would be right again! Again THANK YOU!

My father was into singing the Ramayan and up to late last year he released a CD- Ram Bharat Milap with Ramayan verses and bhajans. In his youth in Hermitage, his pundit training was heavily influenced by Rambharose Pundit and later on during his marriage to my mother he was also influenced by my nana's teachings (my nana was a noted island expert on the Ramayan and could quote and reference it like any Google search may now do!) and one of my mamos the late Pundit Dr. Samsundar Parasram. However my nana was not into this singing business...and in that arena my father found a companion in my other mamo...who thankfully is still alive...Pundit Dr. Rampersad Parasram...whom I'm hoping will pull a dhun or two at the funeral service tomorrow as we salute my father Pandit K. Dinnanath Dubay as he sheds off the mortal coil and sails up, up and away! :)

My father, I am learning since his mortal coil shedding seems to have many a beloved chela...from far and wide...spanning to North America as well...so many messages and notes saying how loved he was...one has even uploaded this video on youtube! :)

But now in true UCP styling I salute you my father the late Pandit K. Dinnanth Dubay with this tune and Ramayan excerpt as we say farewell at the funeral service tomorrow Wed 3 Feb 2010 at your home in Sangre Grande from 9 AM to the banks of the Caroni at 1PM. Please note another Pundit will be saying farewell to the mortal plane tomorrow as well...Pundit Doodnath...farewell Pundit and THANK YOU!