On Thurs 7 Aug 08 @9PM I had a deeply moving and spiritual experience when I lit candles and deeyas for Tibet. This was in unison with everyone in my time zone and done globally. I'd like to explore this and share my experiences with you and hear yours as we participate in universal collective prayer events together. I hope to work together with all the universe's beings as we move toward the ideal of Universal Collective Prayer.
Come join me in Universal Collective Prayer!
May God Bless Us All!
UCP-Universal Collective Prayer is produced by Meady's Musings Production . Copyright 2006-2011
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!
UCP and the Meady's Musings Production House apologize for no festival of Shiv this February and for practically dropping off the face of the earth since Dec 2011 i.e. all 2012 long so far! But we were busy planning a pilgrimage and touring trip of sorts to China and India! So don't despair in March we shall be back fully to share all the delights of our trip and also on Meady's Musings continue the Purple Elephant and little mouse tales. But we couldn't help but share our excitement tonight as we sit in the lap of the Himalayas...not in Rishikesh as the rest of our crew seemed to fear the crowds (or maybe the monkeys as it certainly couldn't be the cows that are so tame) and so we are nestled in the hill station of Nainital in its off season. However we were still able to make it to a Shiv temple earlier today and we felt we had to come on here and wish all our readers a Happy Maha Shiv Ratri 2012 and share some of the sights of our lovely day of Maha Shiv Ratri 2012 in the lap of the Himalayas-Nainital! :)
The owner of the Production House at Nainital, India-Feb 2012
The Shiv Lingam Nainital, India-Feb 2012
And also for an extra added treat here are some pictures of Shiv himself at Rishikesh where were lucky enough to be part of the hawan that evening when aarti is then offered to the Ganga. Later we will upload a video clip of that day...look for it in March! :)
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! :)
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! :)
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)!
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!
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.'
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! :)
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.
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."
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"
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!
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! :)
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
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!
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'
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! :)
Since the beginning of the Meady’s Musings blog we’ve been exploring themes like reincarnation and parallel worlds…things metaphysical as a whole. Today as part of the Advent calendar I felt it would be interesting and exciting to explore the concept of the ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future as featured in the Dickensian classic- ‘A Christmas Carol’ with a Meady’s Musings slant! As a result I will discuss it as follows:
- On Meady’s Musings- the metaphysics of it. - On UCP- a certain metaphysical being whom I’ve been a big fan of since the inception of that blog whom I believe has the whole past-present-future concept down pat! - On Books and Films Corner- I will keep true to the name of the blog and just celebrate some of the potent quotes said by the ghosts in the Classic itself.
THE UCP WAY TO CONQUERING THE GHOST OF CHRISTMASES PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Here on UCP you must all know by now how much we adore Sada Shiv…Super Shiv! We believe that he is indeed the one metaphysical being out there that has truly conquered the space-time continuum discussed on Meady’s Musings today. We also believe that if we strive to be more like him…more Shiv like we will all one day conquer it too. He conquers and lives in the all present and powerful now through his great powers of meditation but when he is awake in his dances he transcends all worlds and all time…he conquers the space-time continuum.
So today on this 2nd day of our Advent calendar sit back and enjoy our ever popular and featured image of Super Shiv in perfect meditation in Rishikesh followed by that world famous image of his dance of destruction…Nataraj position...so famous that CERN of large hadron collider fame asked the government of India for one to display outside it’s headquarters! Please note while I hold the rights to use the Rishkesh image as readers of this blog will know from this story. I don't hold the rights for the CERN pic and burrowed it from another blogger's site as follows: http://dustysojourner.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/siva-nataraja-one-leg-zhanzhuang-and-quantum-mechanics/
On UCP readers may recall ‘my thing’ with Shiv making me a Shiv Bhakt although his cute elephantine son is really my Ishq Devata! I guess ‘the thing’ is not some love affair by the way but a relationship of serious awe and deep divine respect. As you may have read in my previous posts I consider him to be like the supreme yogi! The super one…Super Shiv!...and over a year ago I took to being his disciple using this picture of a murti of him at Rishikesh as my tutor…my guru…I studied the picture of the murti mimicking his art of meditation and although most of the time I was not able to sit in the perfect yogi position as my guru I have been in meditation of sorts in and out (in my own metaphorical or metaphysical way) of the meditation cave for over a year now. I’m sure some of the effects of those retreats would have been the energy that prompted me to do the candle4tibet thing as I saw it as gurus bowing to each other by helping out a Lama on behalf of Shiv. I'm just the doer but he is the Shiv and the Shakti...the seed and the energy! And it was the candle4tibet experience that among other things led to me create this blog and really it has been quite a journey to cover this UCP...my and your Universal Collective Prayer! :)
But really it has been such an act of joy...a bhakti yogic dance that I’ve never once thought of it as a task or an accomplishment…or even a goal set to achieve…perhaps instead like how all true students, disciples or chelas should be I was just in it for the learning and it being bhakti yoga in a way well I was just in it for the dancing! For the dance itself and the fun, love, light and joy it brings! Picture me brimming with glee! Like a big, fat Santa Claus if you’ll have it! And good ole Santa must be a big bhakti yogi himself no doubt (be)cause really just look at his glee! And I will be ‘believing in him’ soon…can’t wait to dance forth on my Advent calendar next month! With the three wise men!:)
But for now back to Shiv…it’s the Hindu month of Kartik...which brings the Hindu calendar to a close so I can go on to dance forth in the Christian one and celebrate Advent! And today, 2 Nov Hindus through out the world bring the Hindu calendar of events to a close with the celebration of Kartik Nahan…Snan…Snaan or Purnima either way an Ode to Water! I noticed over the last week or so many have been coming to UCP to check out this blog that I did last year for the same event and so I’m not going to go on much about my Ode to Water again! But for sure I have to bow to her-Ganga Mai as I’m surrounded by loads and loads of it living on an island! And today local Hindu groups are celebrating it in many a place but in particular I like this spot- The Mosquito Creek because it’s where I sometimes ‘almost see and feel’ Shiv and I pass it everyday on my way back and forth for work. Many a time I visualise Shiv at the side of the creek doing full yogi stretches pretty much like I feel he must do them on the banks of the river Ganga and on the sands of a Kerala beach! :)See if you can picture it too! :)
Kartik Jandhis, Mosquito Creek- TRINIDAD The Water!, Mosquito Creek-TRINIDAD
Copyright- Meady's Musings Production 2009
Now many may see Kartik Nahan to be a celebration of Ganga Mata…an ode to the great Indian river worshipped as a Goddess and Mother (as it is where Hinduism originated) and then later on as a worship of all bodies of water wherever Hinduism spread like here in Trinidad. Others celebrate it as a time of praise to Lord Vishnu for incarnating as Lord Matsya- a fish type incarnation to conquer evil in one of the ages. But to me Kartik has to also be about Shiv! I mean how can you say Ganga and not say Shiv…hey didn’t he wrap her up in his hair? Didn’t he save us from her full force and so tamed her before she landed on earth? I mean he is always out there... putting himself out-drinking poison…taming raging female rivers and Goddesses. So you have to hail Shiv here too!
So today on Kartik Nahan I mark my devotion to Shiv with this personal story…I’ve been meaning to blog it…but been unsure…also if you really follow UCP you will know that I’m always at odds as if to share certain profound spiritual experiences or not…if to take that picture or not…sometimes I find it too personal at other times too cheesy…sometimes I share them sometimes I don’t…after much to and fro in my mind and without any divine revelation I’ve decided to share the story…it involves another person who feels her story should be personal in that it can be shared but not her identity so she will only be referenced here in anonymity. So here’s the katha (story)…
Said person of anonymity and non-fame had a dream a few weeks ago prior to Diwali I believe…in the dream she heard a voice saying to her… “If you want to see Shiv…Sada Shiv then go to El Dorado Shiv Mandir" Now person of anonymity and no real claim to fame is very close to me and I was charged with her desire to take her there! However she had to first of all be ready to go! So eventually she was and so finally we went! Off on a pilgrimage on Sat 24 Oct 2009 which, according to my research would all be within the month of Kartik as this year it is 5 Oct to 2 Nov 2009. So after some looking and getting lost then looking again then finally finding we were at the gate of the El Dorado Shiv Mandir. Now both me and person of anonymity but filled with much nagging refrain...sorry I know this is UCP...but nagging it was! No not naagin as in the snakes although I feel it is where that term came from... had to be! But nagging! Well you know how it is... picture how the three wise men behaved on their journey and remove one person and make them female and remove some wisdom and well you had us! :)
But finally we were there! Before the gates of El Dorado Shiv Mandir looking not for Spanish Gold but for Shiv no doubt! Now both of us had been to the temple before and it was person of anonymity who had the dream not I! But neither of us could recall details of the temple...just that we may have come to this temple before for a wedding or something...no doubt was why we couldnt even find it in the first place! However as we veered a bit from the temple's gate...we saw the back of a Shiv murti that seemed to be in a type of gazebo like structure annexed to the mandir itself...and we both at the same time knew...it was the Shiv that was meant to be...the one we came here to see! :) Now person of anonymity, well she has this long going thing with Shiv...beyond me! She got so excited I thought I would have to leave the lady there to stay with Shiv you see! She went quickly up to some mandir workers who seemed to be in a committee meeting and got the permission in case they would mind and had already spotted flowers even giving some to me! :) Before I could be aware I saw her up there by the murti now that was seriously a love affair beyond compare! But seriously this is no joke it was actually pretty intense...and I don't know what these numbers mean for sure again but as I looked at my blackberry considering which shot to take or not...well there it was 4:44 PM the time she met her Shiv! Some say this is when the angels are fully with us! And when I had this dream about Shiv the time well it was 3:33 AM when I awoke from the dream...so could it be? 333 when the gurus are with us and now 444 the angels were rejoicing with us? :)
Now I went before Shiv too you see...but I had not a thought in mind...it was the calmest I have ever been...thoughtless...how could I be!:) But I was...and so it is only after person of anonymity explained to me...that this Shiv was an awakened Shiv or a Shiv that was awake...that I realised! I then thought...it was definitely a rarer Shiv to find about on the island...and yes...white...only with the neck painted blue where he drank the poison and so became known as Neel Kanth or Blue Throat. So then it dawned on me...could it be?
So since then it has had me wondering especially based on how it felt...yes person of anonymity for sure had her own story here...she has long had her love affair and for sure the dream came through her for her purposes too...but was it that I had to be part of it too?...well but like in Mission Impossible though...your task Babita should you choose to accept it...because if I hadn't chosen to take her well I would also not have seen...perhaps that was the final task you see? And for instance had I not taken her she would have gone on her own or some other way but I would not have seen...But yes...I think so...as she had said he was in awaken pose...and giving his Dharshan (blessings) with his hand raised and all...these things are not seen and only felt but I think it could have been...
After more than a year of sitting at my guru's feet here:
He said to me Ayushmati Bhava (may you live long)here! Not literally but in a dream and through iconography could it be? As he showered his blessings on me! I didn't ask for anything I had no thoughts you see and perhaps is what made me a good yogini! I humbly sit at your feet Oh Great One for I know I've only just begun...but I graciously accept whatever blessings you so desire to shower on me for one needs to know how to accept as well as how to give! Especially when the blessings come from a guru such as you! May I continue to please you! :) Also I give thanks to those who maintain the beautiful Shiv Mandir which I understand is one of the oldest on the island. Check out that katha (story) here
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