Monsoon Theyyam in Malabar (VIDEO)

"I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live."

I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live. 
— Thich Nhat Hanh 

ENJOY LIFE

Your light is seen. Your heart is known. Your soul is cherished by more people than you might imagine. If you knew how many others have been touched in wonderful ways by you, you would be astonished. If you knew how many people feel so much for you, you would be shocked. You are far more wonderful than you think you are. Rest with that. Rest easy with that. Breathe again. You are doing fine. More than fine. Better than fine. You’re doing great. So relax.
And love yourself today.

— Neale Donald Walsch

Lord Shiva slaying Andhakasura, the blind demon, is a popular mythological theme carved on many Shiva Temples. At Pattadakal you can see a giant image in the south side of the Galaganatha Temple.

Lord Shiva from the Shiva's Spirituality page

~(ॐ)~

Lord Shiva slaying Andhakasura, the blind demon, is a popular mythological theme carved on many Shiva Temples. At Pattadakal you can see a giant image in the south side of the Galaganatha Temple.

The story goes like this. While in the mount Mandhara a baby was born to Parvati and Shiva. Shiva was in a meditating posture and Parvati closed his eyes mischievously from behind. The boy appeared out of Parvati’s sweat. Shiva explains to Parvati that since his eyes were closed, the baby was born blind and calls him Andhaka (the blind). Since he posed devilish qualities he was called Andhakasura (the blind demon ).

Hiranyaksha , a troublesome demon did intense penance to please Lord Shiva. Hiranyaksha wanted a son who posses immense powers to rule the world. Shiva refused to grant such a boon. Instead he offered Andhaka to Hiranyaksha saying that Andhaka posses all the qualities he was looking for , and to treat him as his son.

Andhaka wanted more power and did intense penance to please Lord Brahma (the lord of creation). Among many things, the boons he asked for included extraordinary vision and immortality. Everything was granted except the immortality.
Instead Lord Brahma asked him to choose when he could die. Andhakasura asked for a boon that he would die only when he aspires for a woman who he should never aspire for.
With time Andhakasura turned more materialistic and less interested in austerities. By this time he has already conquered the world and the heaven.

On a pleasure trip he along with his companions lands up in Mount Mandara where Lord Shiva and Parvati lives. His companions tells of a yogi and his beautiful wife. Andhaka sends his companions to bring her along. Shiva explains to them that they are Andhaka’s parents. The companions mistook it for a ploy and compels Andhaka for a fight.

Shiva was in the middle of an austerity and the Andakha enters in a fierce battle with Veeraka, the guard of Shiva. The battle continued for many thousands years. And finally Shiva himself enters into the battle after he has completed the austerity.

Shiva stabbed Andhaka with his trident and held him high in the sky for 1000 years. Andhaka finally understood that Shiva and Parvati were his parents. Hanging on Shiva’s trident, Andhaka praises Shiva’s 108 aspects. And finally Lord Shiva touches his son for the first time. Andhaka became bright and luminous on the touch. He begs for and gets forgiveness from Shiva and Parvati.
The Shiva stabbing Andhaka is a very animated theme that adorns many Shiva temples. You can see this in either in the form of Andhaka hanging from Shiva’s trident held up in the sky or Andhaka submitting under Shiva’s feet.

You can see this is mythical theme Pattadakal and also in other famous ancient temples of Ellora, Elephanta, Belur, Somnathpur etc.

On a very similar note many temples have the image of Shakti ( consort of Shiva ) slaying the Mahishasura, the Buffello Demon. That’s another mythical story anyway.

Shivji.....Om Namah Shivaya!

Om Namah Shivaya!



Om Namah Shivaya!



Om Namah Shivaya!

.............................Happy Saturday.....................................

.............................Happy Saturday.....................................

I like my dreams because you are always in them --- SHIVA ---
and that is the only time I get to see you.

O my lord Shiva,You ensure that there is a connection between cause and effect and hence when men perform a sacrifice they obtain good results .

O my lord Shiva,You ensure that there is a connection between cause and effect and hence when men perform a sacrifice they obtain good results . Otherwise how can there be future result for a past action? Thus on seeing your power in rewarding people performing sacrificial worship, with good results, men believe in Vedas and firmly engage themselves in various worshipful acts.O protector,best of Gods ,Bless all who recite you name,who remember you !!

Shankara’s Childhood ~~ Shiva came down on Earth Himself To Save Vedas ~

Shankara’s Childhood ~~ Shiva came down on
Earth Himself To Save Vedas ~
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Shankara was born in a Brahmin family circa
788 AD in a village named Kaladi on the banks
of the river Purna (now Periyar) in the Southern
Indian coastal state Kerala. His parents, Sivaguru
and Aryamba, had been childless for a long time
and the birth of Shankara was a joyous and
blessed occasion for the couple. Legend has it
that Aryamba had a vision of Lord Shiva and
promised her that he would incarnate in the
form of her first-born child.
Shankara was a prodigious child and was hailed
as ‘Eka-Sruti-Dara’, one who can retain anything
that has been read just once. Shankara mastered
all the Vedas and the six Vedangas from the
local gurukul and recited extensively from the
epics and Puranas. Shankara also studied the
philosophies of diverse sects and was a
storehouse of philosophical knowledge.

Samhara. Lord Shiva and Shakti ( as Kali) also dance out the end of a yuga or kaal ant as Mahakal and mahakaali. only to make way for another Life cycle. Aum Namah Shivaya! Jai Shakti Ma.

Samhara. Lord Shiva and Shakti ( as Kali) also dance out the end of a yuga or kaal ant as Mahakal and mahakaali. only to make way for another Life cycle. Aum Namah Shivaya! Jai Shakti Ma.

Guruji, shall I blame our luck or destiny if something bad happens to me?

Q: Guruji, shall I blame our luck or destiny if something bad happens to me?

Guruji: Why do you want to blame? Tell me! 

If something bad has happened, learn a lesson from it. Everything that has gone wrong has made you stronger, deeper somewhere. It has contributed to your personality, isn’t it? So be thankful, and move on.

See the past as destiny, future as freewill, and live in the present moment. This is intelligence.

If you do it the other way around, i.e. if you think the past was freewill and keep regretting it, and if you think the future is destiny and you are slack in your action then you will be miserable in the present moment.

Om Namah Shivay.

"Let it go. Forget the people who make you sad. Don’t let them affect you. But never forget what they taught you. The choices you make, the struggles you face prepare you for life."

"Let it go. Forget the people who make you sad. Don’t let them affect you. But never forget what they taught you. The choices you make, the struggles you face prepare you for life."
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"True friends do not value for what you can do for them. They simply value you."
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Whenever anything disturbs you, you feel injustice, uncomfortable, or you feel you can’t sleep or can’t handle it, remember it is all going to end! Everything is going to finish, and you will be gone from here. You will be able to sleep well. Again, this is dispassion.
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Om Namah Shivay.

Do what you have always wanted to do, be what you have always wished.

Mulla Nasrudin went with his friend to attend the funeral of a rich man. His friend was flabbergasted at the plush and luxury settings.
"Look at that coffin, it's made from sandalwood," he exclaimed, "and they have spent ten thousand gold coins on the decorations. See his dress, it's made from handwoven silk! They are putting precious stones, gems and pearls next to him. The tombstone is made from exquisite marble."
"Wow!" exclaimed Mulla, "now, that's life!"

Do not deprive yourself of the joys just because you are not fulfilling certain conditions others have placed on you. As long as you are not hurting anyone, you are good. Live! Do what you have always wanted to do, be what you have always wished. Give yourself a chance, do not be so hard on yourself, give it a try. Now is the perfect time, for perfection is simply a perspective, and 'now' the only real moment.

Go on! Say Yes to life. Break free. Discover your own truth.

Om Namah Shivay.

The soul can travel into spiritual realms and unite with its source, the Oversoul, Creator, or Divinity.

The soul can travel into spiritual realms and unite with its source, the Oversoul, Creator, or Divinity. Realised sages have all achieved this state by inverting their attention, whether it is called prayer, inversion, or meditation. They tell us that our true independence comes when we sit in silence, close our eyes, direct our attention within, and experience the Divine.

The journey begins with our inner awareness or opening of the inner eye; being able to behold the inner light and hear celestial music. Through further absorption in these, the soul transcends awareness of the physical to become aware of inner realms, such as the astral, causal, and super causal regions, until it merges into a region that is all spirit, home of the Divine. We then discover that the soul, which is spirit, is the same essence as the Creator, which is also spirit. The two become one and we experience limitless bliss, joy, and divine love.

Inner Freedom

When we celebrate outer Independence Day in our respective countries, whether it is August 15 in India, August 14 in Pakistan or on other dates in other countries, let us also strive to achieve spiritual independence. We can do so by meditating on inner light and sound which will lead the soul to recognise that we are more than physical body and intellect. We are soul, a part of the Divine, and our true nature is bliss, joy, and love.

Om Namah Shivay.

Lord Shiva, with a very resolute look.

Lord Shiva. With a very resolute look.The skull on top of the Trisula which the artist has painted, to me, conveys that Shivji's mastership of three worlds, his knowledge of things, is beyond both life and death, beyond just the body. It is in the realm of consciousness.

Lord Shiva and shakti do Sristi ..The dance of Creation.

Lord Shiva and shakti do Sristi ..The dance of Creation.
it is believed they also signal a 'wind up' time at the end of a yuga by doing the Samhara.

Living, Moment to Moment

Living, Moment to Moment

It is not the length of life which makes a difference; it is the depth of life. The depth of life is living moment to moment. If your life span is 90 years, you have 90 years to live. So live year by year, month by month, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, moment by moment, and that will create depth in your 90 years of life.

Remember the Aesop’s fable about the goose that laid golden eggs. A farmer had a goose. The farmer used to collect the eggs laid by the goose, sell it and thus earned his livelihood. One day when the farmer visited the nest, to his surprise he found a golden egg. From that day, the farmer started watching the nest carefully. The goose was laying a golden egg every day. The farmer started collecting and selling the golden eggs and gradually his standard of living rose. One day, he became greedy and felt he should not waste his life by becoming rich slowly. So, he killed the goose to get hold of all the eggs inside the goose. Alas, to his surprise he found it to be empty.

Success is not getting rich at once. It is a day to day, moment to moment progress. Like the farmer in Aesop’s fable, you will only land in difficulties by being impatient.

Om Namah Shivay.

"KATTILA" FIXING CEREMONY AT OUR TEMPLE IN AROLI, KANNUR THIS MORNING

The laying of the "kattila" at our Temple in Aroli, Kannur was conducted with great success this morning between 8.30am and 9.30am. A good turnout of our Payyan family members and others witness the laying of the kattila at the entrance of our temple and followed by a pooja (prayers). The temple restoration works are on-going and it is hoped that soon we will have a newly constructed temple we should be proud off.

The pictures below will speak for itself:

The Temple Committee wish to thanks all those who had attended this morning's "kattila" fixing ceremony and for having made it a success.

May GOD bless everyone.

Photos courtesy of Temple Chairman, Mr. Praveen

(Note: More photos of this function taken by an arranged professional photographer will be made available in a couple of days)

Rajadhiraj Mahankaleshwar bhagwan Ki jay...Jay Shree Shiv...Om Namah Shiway...Jay Shree Shiv...Jay Shree Amarnath...Jay Shree Dwadash Jyotirlimgas...

Rajadhiraj Mahankaleshwar bhagwan Ki jay...Jay Shree Shiv...Om Namah Shiway...Jay Shree Shiv...Jay Shree Amarnath...Jay Shree Dwadash Jyotirlimgas...

Shiv parivar in their forests enjoying a beautiful moment.

Shiv parivar in their forests enjoying a beautiful moment.In the picture are Nandji , durga's lion, kartikeyaji's peacock and Ganeshji's mouse.

DRINK MORE WATER! Water not only cleans your body inside out but has several added benefits.

DRINK MORE WATER! Water not only cleans your body inside out but has several added benefits. Here's why you should consume enough water.

Arjuna’s attitude to Krishna (Swami Vivekanada was Arjunas re-incarnation)

Krishna said that He knows all the births of Arjuna.  Arjuna was the sage Nara who was associated with sage Narayana.  The sage Narayana was a human form charged by god.  But due to the repulsion between common media of human bodies and subsequent ego and jealousy, the sage Nara could not recognize fully the sage Narayana and the sage Nara was treating the sage Narayana as his friend only (Sakhya Bhakti).  The same attitude continued when Narayana became Krishna and Nara became Arjuna.  Arjuna worshipped Lord Shiva through penance to get the divine weapon called Pashupatastram to win the war and he was not having full confidence in Krishna since he was treating Krishna as a human being with some limited divine powers only.  In those days divine power was not a big thing since even Arjuna had several divine weapons, which were having the miraculous super powers.  For such incomplete faith of Arjuna, Krishna told Arjuna that he would not fight with any weapon in the war. 

It is an indirect hint to Arjuna about his incomplete faith in Him since Arjuna tried for the grace of Lord Shiva while Lord Krishna was already present before his eyes. Krishna means that since Arjuna is having the divine weapon from Lord Shiva, there is no need for Him to participate in the war.  Arjuna could not understand this sense in the statement of Krishna. Arjuna approached Krishna not as a devotee but as a student only treating Krishna as a human Guru but not as Satguru or God in human form (Shishyah teham…Gita).  Further, Arjuna asked Krishna that how Krishna taught Yoga to god Sun because Krishna was recently born.  Further, he asked for the proof of cosmic vision.

Even after all this, on the last day of the war he did not get down from the chariot before Krishna gets down and this shows the attitude of Arjuna to Krishna as a human being only.  The result of all this incomplete faith was that Arjuna went to heaven for some time after death he returned back to the earth and was born as a hunter called as Kannappa.  He continued with the same worship to Lord Shiva in that birth also.  He sacrificed his eyes for the Lord in the test.  This shows that he gives full value to God and the only problem is in finding out the correct address of the Lord due to repulsion between common media.  Then he went to the abode of Lord Shiva and could not worship Shiva there also due to the same repulsion of common media because he was also in the same energetic body as that of Lord Shiva.  Shiva in meditation gives an impression that he is meditating upon the formless God called Brahman.

  All the devotees there are again misled by this Maya and neglect Shiva due to the repulsion of common media and meditate upon the formless Brahman only.  These souls in the earth neglect the human form of God and worship the energetic form as greater than the human form.  But the same souls in the upper world neglect the energetic form of God and meditate upon the formless God as greater than the energetic form. Hence, the disease of repulsion of common media is common to both earth and upper world.  Even the souls in the divine energetic bodies called as Devas are subjected to this powerful illusion of neglecting the common form before eyes and loving the unavailable form which is not before eyes.  This is stated in Veda (Paroksha Priyaa Ivahi Devah Pratyaksha Dvishah).

Veda also says that God is before the eyes of the souls existing either in the earth or in the upper world since God takes the same common form as His medium (Yat Sakshat Aparokshat Brahma).  When divine bodies are not exceptions to this great illusion, what to speak of human beings?  Indra neglected even Lord Shiva due to the same principle of repulsion between common energetic bodies  and was made stand still by a single look of Shiva.  If that is the case of Indra to the energetic incarnation, what about his attitude towards God in a lower human body like Krishna?  Therefore, Arjuna also worshipped formless Brahman in the upper world and his devotion to Shiva was subsided completely by this new form of devotion.  He was born as Swami Vivekananda on the earth with the formless devotion and his next birth will be an atheist.

A devotee of formless Brahman is easily trapped by misconceived Advaita and will conclude that the formless Brahman is his own self.  Therefore, the next step will be only atheism.  But the Lord wanted to save him because the Lord was very much pleased with his basic sacrifice for God in the previous birth.   The Lord wanted that this soul should get the proper address of God since the value for God is there already in climax.  He was then dragged to Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa who was a simultaneous human incarnation in the time of Sai Baba and Akkalkot Maharaj.  Shri Paramahamsa praised him as Lord Narayana in the human form.  This is the special style of Datta in preaching.  When He wants to preach a fellow with ego, He will reverse the concept to Himself and the meaning of that statement is that Shri Paramahamsa was Lord Narayana in human form.

  No body has understood the real sense of that statement including Narendra.  Swami Vivekananda was called as Narandra, which means Nara (Arjuna) who is the son of Indra.  He led all his life as an Advaita philosopher only.  He treated Paramahamsa as his master or human guru only.  The Advaita Philosophy can be used to develop confidence and to come out of stress for which the God is pleased like a father-Doctor seeing his child claiming as a doctor.  One can feel that he is God and develop confidence in self. Krishna told that Arjuna is Himself i.e., God (Pandavanam Dhanamjayah). This statement aims at building up the self-confidence in Arjuna, which was lost by tension and grief. One can come out of stress feeling that this world is unreal and that he is God. 

But one should not really believe this and practice it.  If the child claiming as doctor starts performing surgery to a patient, the same father will become furious because the life of a human being is spoiled.  Especially in the case of Advaita Philosopher, the other spoiled soul is another issue of God only because the advaita philosopher is misleading several innocent souls.  Shri Paramahamsa told that He would open the brain of Narendra in the end only because such confidence and stress relief have to be given to the world through Narendra.  At the end Shri Paramahamsa opened the brain of this soul.  In the last days, Narendra sat near Him and thought whether his guru was really God. Shri Paramahamsa immediately looked at him and said, “I am the Rama and the Krishna”.  Narendra realized that He was the human incarnation and fell on His feet.  He became the liberated soul by attaining the full salvation from ego and jealousy rising due to repulsion between common media.  

His Holiness Shri Dattaswami (Visit: www.universal-spirituality.org)

-speakingtree

Once you experience SHIVA, there is no need to look for anyone better.

............................HAPPY FRIDAY.......................................
Once you experience SHIVA, there is no need to look for anyone better.

The Pantheon of Gods. And yet in the end, as in the beginning there is but the ONE.

The Pantheon of Gods. So many manifestations, so many adventures.And yet in the end, as in the beginning there is but the ONE. Aum Namah Shivaya!

About Goddess Parvati

beautiful write up on Parvati by the Shiva's Spirituality page.

About Goddess Parvati
About Goddess Parvati Goddess Parvati is regarded as the power and divine consort of Lord Shiva - the Destroyer. Like her consort Shiva, Goddess Parvati is said to have both mild and terrible aspects

Goddess Parvati is known by different names like Lalita, Uma, Gauri, Kali, Durga, Haimavati etc. Two of her fierce but very powerful forms are Durga (Goddess beyond reach) and Kali (Goddess of Destruction). As the mother of the universe, Parvati is known as Amba and Ambika, which means 'mother'. As Lalita, she represents the aspect of beauty.

Appearance of Goddess Parvati
When shown along with Shiva, Goddess Parvati has only two hands, the right one holding a blue lotus and the left hanging loosely by the side. When represented independently, Parvati Ma is shown with four hands, two hands holding red and blue lotuses and the other two exhibiting the varada and Abhaya mudras.

Goddess Parvati has a charming personality. Married women adore Parvati for her happy married life. Picture of Lord Shiva, Parvathi and their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya depicts an ideal example of family unity and love.

Parvati as Sati or Dakshayani
According to Puranas, in her first incarnation, Parvati Devi was Sati or Dakshayani, the daughter of Daksa and was married to Lord Shiva. Once, Daksha performed a great yagna or sacrifice and insulted Lord Shiva by not inviting him or Sati. Even then, Sati went to attend the yagna. To her great disappointment, Daksha did not acknowledge her presence and did not offer prasad for Lord Shiva. Utterly depressed by the treatment meted out to her, Sati ended her life by igniting herself through the fire of yagna.

After the death of Sati, Lord Shiva became very sad and depressed. He renounced the world and went into deep meditation in the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas. Meanwhile, the demons lead by Taraka, rose from the netherworld and drove devas out of the heavens. The gods sought a warrior who would help them regain the celestial realm. Lord Brahma said, only Shiva can father such a warrior, but he is oblivious of the world.

At the persistence of the Gods, Sati agreed to take a re-birth as Parvati, the daughter of Himavan and Mena. It was only after performing intense austerities that Goddess Parvathi succeeded in pleasing Shiva and making him accept her again as his consort.

The Divine Homemaker
With Parvati by his side, Shiva became a family man. Inspired by her beauty, Shiva became the fountainhead of the arts, dance and drama. But he did not abandon his ways as a hermit and continued to meditate. His carefree attitude and his refusal to shoulder household responsibilities sometimes angered Parvati. But then she would come to terms with his unconventional ways and make peace. The consequent marital bliss between Shakti and Shiva ensured harmony between Matter and Spirit and brought stability and peace to the cosmos. Parvati thus became Ambika, Goddess of the household, marriage, motherhood and family.

Ten Aspects of Parvati
Given here are the ten aspects of Parvati, termed as Dasamahavidyas. These are the representations of transcendent knowledge and power.
The first is Kali who is the goddess of time that destroys everything.
The second one, Tara is the power of golden embryo from which the universe evolves. She also stands for void or the boundless space.
The third one Sodasi literally means 'one who is sixteen years old’. She is the personification of fullness and perfection.
The fourth, Vidya Bhuvanevari represents the forces of the material world.
The fifth one, Bhairavi stands for desires and temptations leading to destruction and death.
The sixth Vidya Chinnamasta represents the continued state of self-sustenance of the created world in which is seen continuous self-destruction and self-renewal, in a cyclic order. She is a naked deity holding her own severed head in hand and drinking her own blood.
Dhumavati, the seventh one personifies the destruction of the world by fire, when only smoke (dhuma) from its ashes remains.
The eighth, Vidya Bagala is a crane - headed goddess. She represents the ugly side of living creatures like jealously, hatred and cruelty.
Matangi, the ninth Vidya is the embodiment power of domination.
The tenth and the last Vidya Kamala is the pure consciousness of the self, bestowing boons and allaying the fears of the supplicants. She is identified with Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune.

Shivji is the embodiment of the uLtimate consciousness, AUM ॐ

Lord Shiva with inward Gaze fixed on the Ajna Chakra, between the two eyebrows. This is the Gyan Chakshu .Shivji is the embodiment of the uLtimate consciousness, AUM ॐ

Lord Shiva is the master of ALL creation.

Shiv ki siddhi saari sristi!

An ancient call of the Shaivites shows their understanding of Shivji's Lordship: 
Sristi means to create, and siddhi means to master. 
Lord Shiva is the master of ALL creation.

A Happy Future For 7 Billion People

A Happy Future For 7 Billion People : 

If we truly do listen with mother, Mother Earth in this instance, we will hear some worrying tales; cataclysmic weather patterns, polluted seas, choking skies, depleted forests, all are clear signs of environmental distress. If we listen to our fellow citizens the news is no better; huge disparities in wealth, violence pursued throughout the world by terrorists and by governments, a breakdown in the rule of law and corruption embedded in the countries that purport to champion democracy, worrying indicators of social distress. And thirdly, if we listen to our hearts, and I mean listen deeply, we know something is wrong, we can feel the disconnection between what we know is true and the world we experience every day, a spiritual distress.

None of this is “news”, we have been aware of these factors for years, but what is new is that the time for action has not only arrived, but nearly passed us by. If we are going to transit as 7 billion people into a happy ending future we need to start moving away from our probable fate (environmental collapse, social mayhem) toward the still possible future (environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling) and we need to begin that journey in earnest, immediately.

Om Namah Shivay.

Does religion provide a basis for terrorism? Who is responsible for disorder and turbulence and what factors play roles in it?

Q: Does religion provide a basis for terrorism? Who is responsible for disorder and turbulence and what factors play roles in it?

Guruji: There are two types of terrorism. One is the red terror, caused by the communist regime/thinking, and the other is religious terror.

Religion has definitely played a major role in conflicts and wars. From time immemorial there are diverse ways of worshiping on this planet. Intolerance and proselytization are some of the worst things for a harmonious co-existence. Wrong indoctrination of scriptures, allurement of life hereafter and forgetting human values are some of the major causes of terrorism. Repeated brainwashing in the name of God and heaven to eliminate evil is another cause.

Om Namah Shivay.

"Never make yourself feel like Nothing, to make someone else feel like Everything."

“A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the true value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain.” ~ Samuel Johnson
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Heart is Seat of Love : Human nature is not limited to mere form. It consists of body, mind, intellect, senses and above all, the heart, the seat of love.
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"Never make yourself feel like Nothing, to make someone else feel like Everything."

Om Namah Shivay.

The Seven Chakras or Energy Centers

The Seven Chakras or Energy Centers : 

You would have heard about the seven chakras (energy centers) ; it is One Energy that manifests itself in various forms.

In the first chakra (Muladhara), at the base of the spine, the energy manifests as enthusiasm or inertia.

When the same life force energy comes to the second chakra (Swadhisthana), it manifests as sexual energy or creative or procreative energy. The same energy goes up to the navel region, the third chakra (Manipura), and manifests in four different forms, which relate to four different emotions - greed, jealousy, generosity and joy. That is why all these four emotions are depicted through the tummy.Jealousy is an emotion that one feels in the stomach. Generosity is depicted with a large tummy, e.g., Santa Claus. Joy is also depicted with a big tummy, e.g., Lord Ganesha and the Laughing Buddha.

The same emotion comes to the fourth chakra (Anahata), the heart chakra; manifests as three different emotions which are love, hatred and fear.

When this energy rises to the fifth chakra (Vishuddha), at the level of the throat, it symbolizes grief and gratefulness. When you feel grief, the throat chokes, and when you feel grateful also, the throat chokes.

The same energy then goes in between the eyebrows to the sixth chakra (Ajna), and manifests as anger and alertness. Anger, alertness, knowledge, and wisdom are all related to the third eye centre.

The same energy goes to the seventh chakra (Sahasrara), at the top of the head and manifests as sheer bliss. That is why in any sanctuary experiences, when you feel total bliss, the mind immediately goes to the top of the head. Something shoots up to the top of the head and you feel blissful.

So, the upward movement and downward movements of energy are all the emotions in life.

Om Namah Shivay.

Am I Being Provoked?

Am I Being Provoked?

It is important to know that you have practically no control over your feelings, you cannot choose to feel good or bad. You can, however, train yourself to not let a bad feeling stay beyond a few moments. You can get to the root of those feelings — your mind — and divert them completely. Whenever you feel your emotions, your habits taking over you, ask yourself: Am I being provoked? And then answer yourself: I am aware that I'm being provoked. This leads to self-dialogue. It raises your level of consciousness.

Provocation is like using a short stick to tease a venomous snake. By the time you realize, the snake with sharper reflexes has already struck. You are mindful, careful, but sometimes you are caught off-guard and before you know it, the spontaneity has done the damage, you are stirred and you find yourself trounced by the negative emotion.

Om Namah Shivay.

LORD GANESHA THE DESTROYER OF OBSTACLES

LORD GANESHA 

Ganesh Chaturthi is on   9th september ,the birthday of  lord Ganesha .

He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles (Vignaharta ) He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth and good fortune . In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities .Shiva declared his son Ganesha as superior to all the gods, barring Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha is  traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel

Ganesh" (Gana-Isha : lord of the Ganas) , God who would not allow any forces to enter without due permission .Thats why ,he is the first God to be invoked so that others may be allowed to enter .

 

A legend explains why Ganesha is worshipped before any other deity or prior to any important event. It happened that Lord Shiva asked Kartikeya and Ganesha - his two sons - to circle the world and return. Kartikeya hurried off on his peacock, but Ganesha walked around Shiva and Parvati. He explained that for him, his parents constituted the world. Pleased, Shiva granted him a boon, saying that before undertaking any important task, people would pray to Ganesha. According to the Narasimha Purana, if he is not worshipped at the beginning of a ceremony, he creates obstacles for the performers. Therefore, no matter what the occasion or ceremony be, Ganesha is worshipped before all other deities.

 

 

Significance of the  Lord Ganesha's Form

Ganesha's elephant-head represents the highest form of animal  and symbolizes  the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence.The elephant head also denotes wisdom The importance of the elephant is also that it is a herbivore, eating Sathwic food – a calm and gentle animal who  has immense strength, which it uses only when needed.

 

 His human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The human heart must have the feelings of love,compassion and well being for others .

 

 His trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality, our most sacred of symbols, representing the primeval sound of creation and our most powerful mantra in prayer and meditation

 

The elephant’s trunk is one of the few instruments in nature that can perform both gross and subtle actions – it can uproot a huge tree as well as pick up the tiniest of needles. It signifies the need for us to be able to develop our intellect, our powers of discrimination, in both the gross or material world and also in the subtle or spiritual world. 

 

In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a axe or ankusa   which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way.Symbolically, the mind is like a wild elephant, running from here to there, in chaos. So we must use the ankusa to tame and control our mind 

 

The noose in Ganesha's left hand is  to capture all difficulties.The noose  is used to tie down our calmed mind and keep it close to us– only then can we concentrate, contemplate and meditate. 

 

The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing Mahabharata  The reason for being  Ekdanta according to Padma Purana, is that one day when Lord Shiva was sleeping, sage Parashurama came to visit him. However, Ganesha would not allow Parashurama in, for his father's sleep would be disturbed. When Parashurama insisted he be permitted entry, a fight broke out.  Parashurama threw his axe at Ganesha. This axe had been given to Parashurama by Lord Shiva. Recognizing the axe and out of reverence for his father, Ganesha refused to intercept the weapon. He bowed and took its impact on one of his tusks, which broke. This broken tusk was used by him to write the epic, Mahabharata. Ganesha, the embodiment of wisdom, is also depicted as a scribe to whom sage Vyasa dictated the Mahabharata. He is accepted as the god of learning and the patron of letters.

 

 There is an interesting tale connected with the composition of Mahabharata. Sage Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata, wanted to dictate the verses of Mahabharata to someone who was capable of writing extremely fast, and without mistakes. Lord Brahma decided that Lord Ganesa was the only person equal to this great task. When Lord Ganesha came to Vyasa, Vyasa told him that he would dictate the poem very fast and that Ganesha must take down all the verses without mistakes. Ganesha threw a challenge in return that he would write as fast as Vyasa dictates and that too correctly, but when dictating, Vyasa should not stop till he complete the entire Mahabharata. Vyasa accepted the challenge and Ganesha used his broken tusk as the divine quill to record the Mahabharata - each word of the verses recited by Vyasa - for Gods and men alike.

 

 The sweet modhak he holds indicate that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. This sweet with it’s hard outer shell signifies the reward of the sweetness of knowledge that will give the spiritual seeker joy, satisfaction and contentment as he travels along the path of enlightenment.

 

His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition.His large ears and head  also indicate that he has gained wisdom through listening and reflecting on the eternal truths of the vedas. Small mouth is for talking less and small eyes for concentration 

 

He is humble and modest enough to ride the lowest form of animal ,a mouse.

 

Lord Ganesha’s large belly is said to contain the whole universe – and is symbolic of the way we should live our lives. We must be able to accept and digest whatever experiences we go through – be they good or bad. Throughout our trials and tribulations we must be equal-minded and realise that all experiences are learning experiences and will bring us closer to God. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. 

 

Lord Ganesha sits with one leg folded up and the other leg resting on the ground. The leg on the ground tells us that we can live in the world like anyone else. But the leg pointing upwards tells us that our concentration and meditation should be ever focussed on the godhead within. Rather like the lotus that He holds in his hand, which grows in stagnant water, but raises it’s flowers above the water line so that their purity will not be blemished by the polluted waters underneath, we can live in this world but remain unpolluted by the materialism and negative qualities of our surroundings. 

 

At the feet of our Lord is often spread a huge array of different kinds of food. The food represents material wealth, power and prosperity and indicates that if you  live a life of high ideals and principals, these material benefits will always be available for you, although you will not be attached to them and they will therefore not hinder your spiritual progress. 

 

The little rat  represents desire. Rats, by nature, are very greedy creatures who will run here and there nibbling and hoarding far more than they need. If a man has desires, he can waste his whole life running here and there, fulfilling one desire, only to replace it with another. Lord Ganesh helps you defeat desire. He even goes further, he uses the mouse as a means of transport, meaning that if you bring desire under your control you can use them to propel yourself towards your goals. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Source : Internet search and self (speakingtree)