UCP-Universal Collective Prayer: The Great Night of Shiv (Maha Shivratri) 2013!

It's been >5 years since the owner of the Meady's Musings production house started to idolize this picture of a murti of Shiv in Rishikesh taken by Jarmo Tuisk.


Since then the owner of the production house has been on a journey and today on the great night of Shiv 2013 the guys at the UCP desk who you would have thought had thrown away their laptops, tablets and electronic devices for lack of blogposts decided to come out of hibernation and share her journey with you!

In August 2008 the owner of the production house decided to take part in an event called candle4tibet. Participation in the event inspired the owner of the production house to open this here blog-UCP and hire the guys at the UCP desk!:) The first ever blogpost can be found here

During the period 2007 to 2009 the owner of the production house continually meditates on the form in the picture above and on the great night of Shiv 2009 she shared her experiences and interactions with the image in this blog. It is important to note then she was on the path of appreciating just how much in the art of dance, yoga and meditation that you needed no other guru than the form of Shiv. She had become so into his form that one night in dream she had the experience of a waterfall on her head...it was vivid in sight, sound and feel and what stood out for her was the coiling and the shape and form...she recalled it intensely when being aroused at 3:33AM!

The image still remains a great inspiration to her but she has since gone on to believe that really Shiv is formless...he is in the wind, the sun, the mountains...he is...he is not...he is all and he is nothing!

As a result Shiv is experienced by all who want to see him..everywhere! And so often the owner of the production house almost sees him meditating here, there and everywhere! However her favorite place to visualize his form is along the banks of the Mosquito creek in Trinidad...one of her favorite Shiv places as described in this blogpost. However the owner was enthused to go to the historical/traditionally fixed abode of Shiv according to stories in 2012 where she spent the great night in 2012. Below is a picture of her in the daylight period on that day in Nainital up in the Himalayas:


So it brings us to the great night of Shiv 2013 and the owner of the production house's perspective today in 2013:

"I think it is that the stories, songs, pilgrimages, murtis, TV shows, movies, Youtube mixes, blogs, pictures you name it...continue to enrich the experience of Shiv. Even if so much of it might be repeating the same message over and over but it is like how subtle 3D adds to the richness of a movie experience...it adds a very subtle layer each time...and yes Shiv must be also just formless...nameless...nothingness yet everythingness all in one...really never attainable by the human mind but everyday is an experience in Shiv and so in pursuit of him...the unattainable...you keep looking and in the process you get to learn just a little bit more about yourself daily...and you can do a big celebration and reflection on your yearly learnings on the great night of Shiv each year!"

So from the owner of the production house and all the guys from the UCP desk, the little mouse and Purple Elephant we wish you all a great night of reflection, meditation, blessings and prayer and good luck on your year ahead of becoming more Shiv like! Shivoham! Shivoham!

Advent Calendar 2012: Christmas Day!

Advent Calendar 2012: Christmas Eve

We hope you are following the Christmas Adventures of the Purple Elephant and little mouse over on our parent blog- Meady's Musings.

We will explore some more things on this UCP before the Advent calendar is done but for tonight we just want to share this Charlie Brown note with you!

Advent Calendar 2012- Very Late Opening!

The little mouse has been going to the Purple Elephant every day for the past few weeks and climbing up to his big, purple ears to whisper into either of them to let him know...

"Where did all the blog posts at the Meady's Musings Production House go?!"


You see if the owner of the production house does not blog...well then eventually the production house and all its inhabitants will fade away...they will be no more...and the Purple Elephant being so large in size was not realising it as much...he thought his skin was just too dry and bits were flaking off...but when he finally looked through the corners of his left eye at the little mouse sitting upon his left ear what did the Purple Elephant behold?

Well my friends the little mouse was just but skin and bone!

The Purple Elephant upon this shocking revelation took to all fours and jumped over into the real world and landed outside the owner of the production house's office door! When she did not come out he stomped and when she still did not come out he stomped some more and then when she still did not emerge he stomped again but trumpeted with that!

Eventually the owner of the production house emerged with crude oil coming out of one ear, produced water out another and bits of paper stuck all over her body!

Regardless of her appearance the Purple Elephant scooped her up with his trunk and put her onto his back and jumped right into the imaginary world before the owner of the production house could even blink!

He dropped her right onto the middle of the floor and pointed with his trunk to the little mouse and then trumpeted!

OMG! When the owner of the production house saw her poor little mouse she immediately realized what she had done...she had rarely blogged all year long and...and...to top it off from the first time since she had built the production house in her imagination and created the blogs-Meady's Musings and UCP-Universal Collective Prayer...oh dear she had not opened...

THE ADVENT CALENDAR!

And Dec 20th was already here!

She immediately went to the imaginary fridge and got some cheese for the mouse...but when she brought it back for the poor little mouse in a weak, gasping breath the noble being explained that no cheese in this here imaginary world could save him! The owner had to go right away back with the Purple Elephant to the real world and grab keyboard, smart phone or tablet and type away...then to the internet connect and post!

For every word she posted online...the little mouse would heal and re-gain a fat cell for every byte put online!

So here you have it...the owner has typed and now all of us here at the Meady's Musings Production House declare the Advent calender 2012 open!

Given its late start we will stay with you until the epiphany this year...6 Jan 2013 is when we shall close!

It is important to also note that the owner of the production house made a trip to Chichen Itza this year which seems to be at the center of this whole world will end tomorrow business.

Photo copyright of Meady's Musings Production House 2012

And she was discussing it with the Purple Elephant and little mouse and since their world almost ended...they know how it feels and so the little mouse still frail but getting better went to his little prayer corner and decided to share this lovely little Christmas prayer with all beings in the Universe real and imaginary on the eve of the 21st December 2012 i.e. the start of the Winter Solstice and quite possibly (anything is possible you know) the end of the world!

"I'm just a little mouse
Some consider me imaginary
Others say it is contrary
And it is my world that is real
While the world of the Production House owner is unreal

To be honest this little mouse does not know
What is real or unreal
What is the truth or untruth
And it is with this knowledge I pray
This little mouse kneels in his corner
And surrenders onto the Divine
Let your will be done!

Some say there may not even be a Divine one.
But I say what is in a word.
You see whether it be or not...
It would not change my lot!

But I've learnt from the owner of the production house
To pray...as I feel at peace when I do...
So I recall how she in the past has surrendered onto the Divine in this blog:

I Surrender onto the Divine Mother!


And sing this song with her...


And I've also learnt from her that there is not only one way to pray...

So in the spirit of Universal Collective Prayer and in keeping with the time of Advent I also offer this form of prayer in this our first Christmas carol on our Advent calendar 2012!
May there be many more to come! :)



Let the Christmas fun begin! :)

World Non-Violence Day and Gandhi Jayanti 2012

UCP was contacted a week or so ago by Arch from the Peace Troops who got our name from Peter Ruhe who we contacted back in 2011 when we were taking part in a World Peace Festival here in Trinidad. You see Peter Ruhe is a German guy who established the charitable Gandhi Serve foundation but we didn't know that back in 2011. We were just dancing the dance that is Universal Collective Prayer and thinking up what to present in our UCP booth at the peace festival when we happened upon a lovely Gandhi photo. Then we realized we could buy the print but we had to get permission for use and it was just days before the festival! So we read the fine print and contacted Peter who responded so promptly to kindly say yes and so we were able to include the photo in our display after all! Below is that photo as used in our booth back in 2011:

The Mahatma on display at the UCP booth at Peace Festival 13 June 2011@ NAPA, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.


Now Arch was trying to nudge us to perhaps take part in an online meet up or create our own face to face meet up to mark World Non Violence day but energy levels and work commitments has made this impossible for us. However we have been able to do two things at least:

-Write this blog post to mark today as the day which celebrates the birth of the Mahatma Gandhi in 1869 and is marked as a public holiday in India.

-Take the Peace Troops pledge of non-violence which will be no easy task for us on a day to day basis so we plan to print it out and stick it up in places to remind us!

The Pledge of Nonviolence

The Pledge of Nonviolence states that making peace must start within ourselves. By adopting it we commit ourselves as best as we can to become nonviolent and peaceable people.


To Respect Self and Others

To respect myself, to affirm others and to avoid uncaring criticism, hateful words, physical attacks and self-destructive behavior.

To Communicate Better

To share my feelings honestly, to look for safe ways to express my anger, and to work at solving problems peacefully.

To Listen

To listen carefully to one another, especially those who disagree with me, and to consider others' feelings and needs rather than insist on having my own way.

To Forgive

To apologize and make amends when I have hurt another, to forgive others, and to keep from holding grudges.

To Respect Nature

To treat the environment and all living things, including our pets, with respect and care.

To Play Peacefully

To select entertainment and toys that support nonviolence and to avoid entertainment that makes violence look exciting, funny or acceptable.

To Be Courageous

To challenge violence in all its forms whenever I encounter it, whether at home, at school, at work, or in the community, and to stand with others who are treated unfairly.

This is my pledge. These are my goals.

Pledge Source: www.gandhitopia.org

Today we would also like to celebrate with India and the rest of the world in marking Gandhi Jayanti and by remembering all these other posts we have done over the years about the Mahatma.

-2nd Oct 2008: Commemorating the Birthday of the Mahatma

-30 Jan 2009: Satygraha!

-2nd Oct 2009: Gandhi Jayanti 2009!

It's a pity we couldn't host an actual meet up or prayer event like we did at the very birth of this blog back in Thurs 07 Aug 2008 @9PM when we joined with others world over to light a Candle4Tibet. That event was held for freedom and to celebrate the teachings of the Dalai Lama who said of the Mahatma when they met according to the Dalai Lama perhaps in dream or another life in this Hindustan Times article:

The self-exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama says he once met Mahatma Gandhi - in dream. "In this lifetime, I never met him. But at least on one occasion during a winter in Potala palace (in Lhasa), in my dream, I met Mahatma Gandhi," he said after inaugurating the Satyagraha

"As Buddhists, we believe in the rebirth theory. So, I feel that in previous lifetime, I had some contact with Gandhiji," he added.

Illustrating the global legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, he told the audience of Gandhians and students that American civil rights leader Martin Luther King's widow had told him that her husband was so attracted by Gandhi's philosophy that he wanted to dress in his manner.

"Can you imagine, an American black in dhoti?" he said, with his characteristic infectious giggles.

He pointed out that non-violence was not "mere absence of violence".

"The absence of violence could also be due to fear. Genuine non-violence is related to sincere motivation (of the practitioner)," said Dalai Lama.


So it would have been quite fitting! And you can never put words or attributes to others already passed on into the Universal Divine after shedding the mortal coil but we always like to say here at UCP that if they Mahatma was with us today he would be a UCPer and with that we leave you with one of the Mahatma's favourite bhajan that words seem to speak the message of One Divine that can no doubt be worshipped in the form of UCP-Universal Collective Prayer!

Easter Sunday 2012-The Resurrection!

Today on UCP we leave behind all the discussion and there seems to be so much on the internet as to whether the resurrection of Jesus Christ really did happen etc...And instead we just enjoy our favourite made for TV version of the resurrection of Jesus Christ clip starring Debra Messing as Mary Magdalene. We've featured the video on UCP before and we just couldn't help to do so again!

So doubting Thomases aside here it is!

UCP: Hanuman Jayanti and Good Friday 2012!

Today Friday 6 April 2012 is an instance of the Hindu and Christian calendars colliding as both Hanuman Jayanti and Good Friday (part of the Easter Holiday week) falls on this day. So we here at UCP thought we'd come out our blogging hibernation and attempt to discuss well the UCP aspects of it...

Now according to Hindu traditions today Hanuman Jayanti is the day Hanuman was born on earth (or I guess incarnated) and this day is the full moon (Purnima) day in the Lunar Hindu calendar month of Chaitra (March & April). So this year the Hindu month of Chaitra falls in the Gregorian month of April and also coincides with the Christian marking of Good Friday.

According to the Christian traditions and history which seems to be well documented on this site here. Jesus is tried on Good Friday and finally dies on the cross (later to resurrect) at approximately 3PM on the Good Friday.

Although the two settings are very different...the similarity we here at UCP can see is that in both traditions Hindu and Christian...God is seen to want to help mankind...in the case of the Christian point of view Jesus as a result died on the cross for the sins of man and said to God- "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" he then according to the movie the "The Passion of Christ" at least says "Father into your hands...I commend...my spirit" Here is the Youtube clip where someone from the Youtube community edited the film to show the last things Jesus said while being crucified. It is always painful for us here at UCP to watch! :(



In the case of Hanuman he agreed to stay on earth until the end of Kalyug at the behest of Vishnu for according to Vishnu during Kalyug which is the current age mankind is in...man need only call the name of the Lord and he will attain salvation. At least again this is what the guys at the UCP desk gathered from this Yotube clip that is taken from the closing episode of the late eighties adaptation of the Ramayan epic by Ramanand Sagar. See the times 1:53 to 2:49 mins in the clip so see what we mean.



So two very different cultures and scenarios...but the similarity we see is that Shri Hanuman like Jesus Christ are both there to assist man in his ascent to the Great one? No offense here meant to any particular religion as this is just UCP's attempt to discuss and analyze possible similarities that we suspect exist but appreciate that not everyone would see or agree.

And is never a secret here at UCP that the guys that make up the UCP desk are more Hinducentric in their views...it's where the majority of the guys' journeys into UCP started and it is the religious tradition they are most comfortable with so as a result when put to a vote they decided that we shall chant the Hanuman chalisa as we ask Hanuman Baba for his assistance while here on planet earth!