SHIVA'S WAY.

SHIVA'S WAY.

Meditate, Receive the Gyan Ganga upon your head. Stabilize the impact. Then, trickle it down gently for the others, so that they too may quench their thirst. If you have it, give it freely.

{ The Yogi and the snake}

GANGA

GANGA

Gange~ har har !
Torrent is the wisdom
at the foot of a god,
yet you take,
to pass it through the dreadlocks
of another,
for us to bathe,
anointing mother !
Gange~,
when life’s cycle is done
and all spirit is one,
you are the gentle passage then again
a sanctified return,
for the elements,
in the ashes of the urn.

{from Naam Roop-A Tribute to the Divine. Footnote:Sacred to many millions, the river goddess Ganga is said to emanate at the feet of lord Vishnu. Such is the force of her torrents,that she must first land
in Shiva’s matty hair,before she can be trickled down in preffered measure.
Har means ‘to take away’.Interestingly,Gods and Gurus in Hinduism often return you to your pristinity by the act of divesting you of impurities ,thus too Ganga is a Goddess,since even a mere bath in her waters,it is believed,washes away the impurities of mind. Hindus often will their ashes to be immersed in the Ganga as a last rite, a last redemption.}

Become one with the Body of Love

Be wildly devoted to someone, or something.
Cherish every perception.
At the same time, forget about control.
Allow the Beloved to be itself and to change.

Passion and compassion, holding and letting go--
This ache in your heart is holy.
Accept it as the rise of intimacy
With life's secret ways.

Devotion is the Divine streaming through you
From that place in you before time.
Love's energy flows through your body,
Toward a body, and into eternity again.
Surrender to this current of devotion
And become one with the Body of Love

To begin your discovery and enlightenment

To begin your discovery and enlightenment, 

To embrace the entirety of reality, 
you have to embrace both day and night
you have to embrace both silence and noise
you have to embrace both past and future

that fleeting moment known as present, is the transition of future to past.

that fleeting moment is where you have to focus, in the neither of everything.

You begin with your current state, and realize the paradox

This paradox goes against what you have been told, what you are being told, what you will be told.

This paradox is your doubt, and doubt is good.

This paradox is your subconscious, bringing you back to your true nature, your initial design.

This paradox is your reality, to see above the illusion created in time.

This paradox is for one to be compassionate, yet detached and unaffected

This paradox is to be satisfied, and yet yearn to be better,

To do better

This paradox is to find balance, and yet achieve more.

Your mistakes will help you gain wisdom. As you make more mistakes, you will learn to make lesser mistakes in the future.

If your journey to discovery has not begun, then your journey starts today.

Proud papa. and Ganeshji , who is often seen toying around with even the most sacred of things, in treating Shiva's moon as a baby soother, does what he best is known for: symbolising simply, that for the perfect Divinity, everything is a play.Aum Namah Shivaye! Jai Ganesh Deva.

Proud papa. and Ganeshji , who is often seen toying around with even the most sacred of things, in treating Shiva's moon as a baby soother, does what he best is known for: symbolising simply, that for the perfect Divinity, everything is a play.Aum Namah Shivaye! Jai Ganesh Deva.

There is no need for suffering, God is here!

Oh lovers, where are you going?
Who are you looking for?
Your beloved is right here.
She lives in your own neighborhood.
Her face is veiled.
She hides behind screens calling for you,
while you search and lose yourself
in the wilderness and the desert.
Cease looking for flowers,
there blooms a garden in your own home.
While you go looking for trinkets,
your treasure house awaits you
in your own being.
There is no need for suffering, God is here!

DEVI TEMPLE, KALYASERY

This Devi Temple is not a Payyan Temple but it was built by another clan living in Kalyasery. It is just adjoining to our original Payyan Temple, Lord Vettakorumakan Temple at Kalyasery.

Photos of this Devi Temple are shown below:

Photos taken by Mr Subhas Kannan

The name of “Mahadeva”, the Great God!

Lord Shiva, a tribute from swami vivekananda:

The name of “Mahadeva”, the Great God!
Whose warm embrace, of Love personified,
Displays, within the heart, that all power
Is but a semblance and a passing show. 

What your heart tells you about basic love and goodness,is always the voice of Shiva talking.

If a thought takes you nearer to a magical place inside your heart, let the Mind and heart be together in that imagination.The key to Shivalok is to remain in a state of love and trust.Even when we realise the 'outer' world is not yet rising to that frequency, what your heart tells you about basic love and goodness,is always the voice of Shiva talking. Aum Namah Shivaye.

Shail Gulhati

pic Magical Kedarnath in winter.

Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to the sun during the Chhath festival on the banks of the river Ganges in Kolkata. During the festival, people express their thanks and seek the blessings of the forces of nature, mainly the sun and river.

Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to the sun during the Chhath festival on the banks of the river Ganges in Kolkata. During the festival, people express their thanks and seek the blessings of the forces of nature, mainly the sun and river. – AFP

Tend the altar of love.

Emanating from the embrace
Of the Goddess and her God
Is a wheel of shimmering divine energies.

The center of this wheel
Is right where you are.
Live here, and let your heart stream
With an unending flow of adoration.
In this way, tend the altar of love.

Name and Form

Name and Form

“But what of the names and form of God?” asked the snake.
“Some religions see God as the formless, all pervading essence. This verily, is the core. It is supreme Consciousness, Omkar, Nirakar, or any other name for the formless. Others, worship or meditate upon those who have meditated upon this core, like Rama, Krishna, Jesus, Shiva, Buddha and others. In reality there is no difference between the two, for, all these meditators, having known the formless, have, merged into it, becoming one with the source. Their forms, therefore, represent the core, only helping you to concentrate on something tangible” answered the Yogi.

{ The Yogi and the snake }

VETTAKORUMAKAN TEMPLE, KALYASERY - OUR ORIGINAL PAYYAN TEMPLE

This second Vettakorumakan Temple is our original Payyan Temple. It is believed that our original Payyan ancestors settled in Kalyasery. Then, our direct descendants moved to Aroli. That is why the Aroli Temple is also Lord Vettakorumakan Temple. 

Adjoining the original Payyan Temple is a Devi Temple. This Devi Temple is not a Payyan Temple but was built by another clan. 

The original Payyan Temple is situated on a piece of land of more than 20 acres. Inside the Temple, there is Lord Ganapathi. There is a kollam in the Temple land. 

There is also a Nagamma shrine within the Temple grounds.

Below are the photos of our original Vettakorumakan Temple at Kalyasery:

photos courtesy of Mr Subhas Kannan

Kartikeya Gives brother Ganesh a ride on His peacock.

Kartikeya Gives brother Ganesh a ride on His peacock.The picture evokes feelings of sharing, of love, and of togetherness.Children are naturally gifted to be able to share a world of great joy and imagination, so too they embark on wonderful flights. If we could remain pristine and innocent like children imagine how much joy there would be together in this world made by the same one Father God, and Mother Nature? Aum Namah Shivaye.

Jai Kali Maa!

Jai Kali Maa!

The ego sees Mother Kali and trembles with fear because the ego sees in Her its own eventual demise. A person who is attached to his or her ego will not be receptive to Mother Kali and she will appear in a fearsome form. A mature soul who engages in spiritual practice to remove the illusion of the ego sees Mother Kali as very sweet, affectionate, and overflowing with incomprehensible love for Her children.

Ma Kali wears a garland of skulls and a skirt of dismembered arms because the ego arises out of identification with the body. In truth we are beings of spirit and not flesh. So liberation can only proceed when our attachment to the body ends. Thus the garland and skirt are trophies worn by Her to symbolize having liberated Her children from attachment to the limited body. It's a reminder that the ego must be destroyed before the soul can achieve union with God.

Ego Will Be Destroyed!

Jai Kali Maa!

Shiv Natraja

Shiv Natraja

Shivji parvatiji and Ganeshji bless all.

Shivji parvatiji and Ganeshji bless all.

Brahman Alone Is Real

* Brahman Alone Is Real * 

“To believe that there can be anything other than Brahman (the eternal Absolute), is sheer ignorance. This ignorance is the cause of every possible sorrow. But ignorance is not real. In fact, every teaching and every sadhana (spiritual practice) deals only with dream activities, which, ultimately, are just illusory mind concoctions. In Truth, every being is already free and forever remains free, equal to Brahman in every way and not different from Brahman in any way. There is neither bondage nor ignorance which must be removed, or can be removed by spiritual practice. Every teaching and every sadhana is just a dream effort, much like taking dream water to slake dream thirst. Its purpose within the dream is to remove the mistaken notion which obsesses the dream character, that he is anything other than the ever-pure and unchanging Brahman. Sadhana dehypnotizes him from the hypnotic idea that there can ever be anything other than Brahman, that there can be a world or individuals that are real. But separate individuals are not real and were never real.

All efforts and teachings within the dream have relative value only for relative beings. They have no real value in Truth, because the ever-free, ever-awake Atma (the true Self) is not affected by any dream effort, and the illusory, asleep, dream character will not transcend the dream as a result of it. Along with the awakening, when it plays out within a dream of awakening, the story takes on the character of spiritual awareness and spiritual effort. In such a dream, awakening and sadhana are linked to each other, with sadhana appearing to be the cause of the awakening. But in Reality there is no such connection, because these activities have no real existence, and therefore, nothing is happening. It is just that in the story playing out within the dream, the heightened spiritual effort and awareness engaged in by the individual appear to be the cause of awakening. But, though sadhana and awakening seem to be related, they are much like a crow landing on a coconut palm just as a coconut happens to fall. There is no causal connection between them. They are coincidental happenings within an illusory story, appearing to be causally related.

In Reality neither sadhana nor awakening has any effect or any meaning. There is ever only one meaning to everything, and that is Brahman. Reality has nothing to do with dreams of awakening, or of individuals and their experiences, or of a world in which they exist separate from Brahman. Reality is Brahman alone. There is nothing else. Brahman is not the cause of anything. It does not create. It does not transform Itself into unreality. It does not become something else. It ever is all there is. Illusory dreams may play out for a moment, appear and disappear like passing clouds. You may believe you are an individual and that you and others inhabit a world extending all around you. But that is total delusion. It cannot be. All there ever is is Brahman and only Brahman. It alone is who you are. It is the One Self, the Atma, which is another name for Brahman, and therefore, exactly the same as Brahman. Atma has nothing at all to do with individuals, bodies, minds, or circumstances. It is you, the real you. You cannot not be It. You cannot be anything else. You were never born. You’ll never die. You remain as Brahman alone. Unchanging. Unchangeable. And that is all there is. Ever.”

LATEST PICTURES ON OUR TEMPLE RESTORATION WORKS - (RESTORATION COMPLETED) AND HIGHLIGHTS ON OUR POOJAS ON 26TH AND 27TH OCTOBER, 2014 AT OUR TEMPLE.

The above pictures were taken today and the Temple Committee is proud to inform that the Temple restoration works are completed.

Yesterday, 26 October 2014, Thanthri Puthuserri Illath Shankaran Namboothiri conducted poojas, which started in the evening to enhance the divinity of Our God at the Temple and also did pooja in the constructed Chutambalam and did 'Sudhikalasham'.

Today, the pooja commenced at 05:00am and finished at 0900am.

Our annual 'Puthari Vellatam" commenced at 0700 to 0800pm and thereafter the devotees were given an 'Annadanam' (feast) at our Temple.

The Temple Committee extend its thanks to every devotee who was present at our Temple for making this event a success.

May Our GOD bless us all.

Photos above taken by Mr Subhas Kannan

More photos will follow.

Vijnanabhairava Tantra

*Vijnanabhairava Tantra * 

The Goddess then asks,

If this is the nature of the universal self,
Then who is to be worshipped?
Who do I invoke, and who do I meditate upon?

To whom do I offer oblations,
To whom do I sacrifice?
If everything is divine,
And consciousness merges with that divine essence,
Then what happens to the distinction
Between worshipper and worshipped?

The Lord Who Shines Upon All replied,

Oh Goddess, the practices you are speaking of
Refer only to the externals,
When you enter into the great Self,
All prayers go on inside you spontaneously
Without ceasing.

In reality, all songs of gratitude
And ecstatic lovemaking are resonating in
Every particle of creation at every moment.
When you are established in this recitation
You are listing, and you hear them.

In time, you become Shiva when you emulate Shiva. You become wise, compassionate, curious, empathic but detached.

Shiva, to the unfamiliar, begins with a paradox. In this paradox, your curiosity is raised. For the very first time, you are encouraged to doubt, to ask, to seek answers for yourself, and lead your own discovery.

This is how I fell in love with Shaivism. Every day, there's something to discover. This, in turn, changes how I see the world around me. 

In time, you become Shiva when you emulate Shiva. You become wise, compassionate, curious, empathic but detached. 

Om Namah Shiva

Though you find yourself in the body you are essentially bodiless; you are the observer — pure intelligence unattached — free from spatial limitation.

Though you find yourself in the body you are essentially bodiless; you are the observer — pure intelligence unattached — free from spatial limitation. ~ Yoga Vasistha

Storing Drinking-water in Copper pots Kills Contaminating Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria

Storing Drinking-water in Copper pots Kills Contaminating Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria 

Microbially-unsafe water is still a major concern in most developing countries. Although many water-purification methods exist, these are expensive and beyond the reach of many people, especially in rural areas. Ayurveda recommends the use of copper for storing drinking-water. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of copper pot on microbially-contaminated drinking-water. The antibacterial effect of copper pot against important diarrhoeagenic bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae O1, Shigella flexneri 2a, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, enteropathogenic E. coli, Salmonella enterica Typhi, andSalmonella Paratyphi is reported. When drinking-water (pH 7.83±0.4; source: ground) was contaminated with 500 CFU/mL of the above bacteria and stored in copper pots for 16 hours at room temperature, no bacteria could be recovered on the culture medium. Recovery failed even after resuscitation in enrichment broth, followed by plating on selective media, indicating loss of culturability. This is the first report on the effect of copper on S. flexneri 2a, enteropathogenic E. coli, and Salmonella Paratyphi. After 16 hours, there was a slight increase in the pH of water from 7.83 to 7.93 in the copper pots while the other physicochemical parameters remained unchanged. Copper content (177±16 ppb) in water stored in copper pots was well within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization. Copper holds promise as a point-of-use solution for microbial purification of drinking-water, especially in developing countries.

Storing water in copper and silver pots finds mention in ancient texts of Ayurveda for purification of water. Our previous study provided laboratory evidence of the antibacterial activity of copper pot in distilled water (12). We had also reported the benefit of using a copper-based device, contrived by us, which was as effective as the pot but at a fraction of the cost. Since distilled water is slightly acidic (pH 6.7±0.05) which might enhance copper leaching, we have demonstrated the effect of copper pot in regular drinking-water (pH 7.83±0.4) against important bacterial pathogenic strains that cause diarrhoea.

Om Namah Shivay

20 Amazing Scientific Reasons Behind Hindu Traditions-1

20 Amazing Scientific Reasons Behind Hindu Traditions-1

1. Joining Both Palms Together To Greet

In Hindu culture, people greet each other by joining their palms – termed as “Namaskar.” The general reason behind this tradition is that greeting by joining both the palms means respect. However, scientifically speaking, joining both hands ensures joining the tips of all the fingers together; which are denoted to the pressure points of eyes, ears, and mind. Pressing them together is said to activate the pressure points which helps us remember that person for a long time. And, no germs since we don’t make any physical contact!

2. Why Do Indian Women Wear Toe Ring

Wearing toe rings is not just the significance of married women but there is science behind it. Normally toe rings are worn on the second toe. A particular nerve from the second toe connects the uterus and passes to heart. Wearing toe ring on this finger strengthens the uterus. It will keep it healthy by regulating the blood flow to it and menstrual cycle will be regularized. As Silver is a good conductor, it also absorbs polar energies from the earth and passes it to the body.

3. Throwing Coins Into A River

The general reasoning given for this act is that it brings Good Luck. However, scientifically speaking, in the ancient times, most of the currency used was made of copper unlike the stainless steel coins of today. Copper is a vital metal very useful to the human body. Throwing coins in the river was one way our fore-fathers ensured we intake sufficient copper as part of the water as rivers were the only source of drinking water. Making it a custom ensured that all of us follow the practice.

4. Applying Tilak/KumKum On The Forehead

On the forehead, between the two eyebrows, is a spot that is considered as a major nerve point in human body since ancient times. The Tilak is believed to prevent the loss of “energy”, the red ‘kumkum’ between the eyebrows is said to retain energy in the human body and control the various levels of concentration. While applying kumkum the points on the mid-brow region and Adnya-chakra are automatically pressed. This also facilitates the blood supply to the face muscles.

5. Why Do Temples Have Bells

People who are visiting the temple should and will Ring the bell before entering the inner sanctum (Garbhagudi or Garbha Gruha or womb-chamber) where the main idol is placed. According to Agama Sastra, the bell is used to give sound for keeping evil forces away and the ring of the bell is pleasant to God. However, the scientific reason behind bells is that their ring clears our mind and helps us stay sharp and keep our full concentration on devotional purpose. These bells are made in such a way that when they produce a sound it creates a unity in the Left and Right parts of our brains. The moment we ring the bell, it produces a sharp and enduring sound which lasts for minimum of 7 seconds in echo mode. The duration of echo is good enough to activate all the seven healing centres in our body. This results in emptying our brain from all negative thoughts.

Om Namah Shivay

Knowing The Difference Between i and I

Knowing The Difference Between i and I

Seeker: What is compassion? How can one express it?

Amma: Love is our nature. When that love fills us and overflows into our words, looks and deeds, it is compassion. No special effort is needed to express it. Like a flower's fragrance, compassion is love's fragrance.

Why do many find it difficult to love selflessly?

Love is the basic nature of all beings. However, the ego stands in the way of its free expression. The ego is our creation, not God's. It can be removed only by negation, that is, by discriminating between the ephemeral and the eternal ­ in other words, by the “not this, not this“ process of negation.

Egoism is the attitude of `i' and `mine'. Actually , is there any meaning in saying `i' and `mine'? Who are we referring to when we say `i'? If it is the body , do we own the body? How can the body , conceived of by our parents and sustained by nature, be ours?

What do we give in compensation for the air, water and light we take from nature? How then can we say that this body , which is wholly indebted to others, is ours? If the `i' is in the name, where was it before our parents named us? And if we change our name, what happens to the `i'?

Similarly , what is the difference between my body and those of others?

Apart from superficial differences in shape and size, is there a fundamental difference? After the body dies, the body that we call `mine' will not be with us anymore. If the body were ours, wouldn't it remain with us always? If we were the mind, it should be under our control, but that is not the case. Sometimes, we are sad, some times happy , sometimes angry and sometimes lazy.

Thus, it has a different character at different times. Where is the real `I' in all this? Can we introduce ourselves to others by merely saying `i', without adding information pertaining to our occupation or the fact that we are someone's son or husband, or that we are from a certain place, our identity is not clear. Yet, are any of these permanent? No. Our job can change. Our address can change. We will lose our near and dear ones to day or tomorrow. So, do `i' not exist without them? If `i' do, who then am i? If we inquire within, we will understand that what we refer to as `i' is not the real `I'. It is the Atma (Self), the expansive `I' that inheres in everyone. We might say , `I'm Madhava' or `I'm Keshava' or `I'm Krishna'.

What is common is the `I'. Even though the refrigerator, fan and light ' seem different, there is no difference in the electric current that makes each one of them work. In the same way , the supreme consciousness that inheres in all of us is the same. That is the real `I'. When we recognise that `I', we will realise that all we see is the same `I'. One who recognises that, is no ordinary individual. His individual mind has become the universal mind. This realisation is not instantly possible for all. It is like striking the lottery . Some will attain this realisation quickly .

The obstacles of `i' and `mine', ' standing in the way of expressing love selflessly , will be absent in them. When a flower blossoms, its fragrance wafts away . It does not reclaim its fragrance.

In the same way , when love awakens in a person, it flows like a river to the rest of the world.

Om Namah Shivay

Story of an Ant

Story of an Ant

One Sunday morning a wealthy man sat in his balcony enjoying sunshine and his coffee when a little ant caught his eye which was going from one side to the other side of the balcony carrying a big leaf several times more than its size. The man watched it for more than an hour. He saw that the ant faced many impediments during its journey, , took a diversion and then continued towards destination.

At one point the tiny creature came across a crack in the floor. It paused for a little while, analyzed and then laid the huge leaf over the crack, walked over the leaf, picked the leaf on the other side then continued its journey.

The man was captivated by the cleverness of the ant, one of God’s tiniest creatures. The incident left the man in awe and forced him to contemplate over the miracle of Creation. It showed the greatness of the Creator. In front of his eyes there was this tiny creature of God, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to analyze, contemplate, reason, explore, discover and overcome. Along with all these capabilities, the man also noticed that this tiny creature shared some human shortcomings.

The man saw about an hour later the creature had reached its destination – a tiny hole in the floor which was an entrance to its underground dwelling. And it was at this point that the ant’s shortcoming that it shared with the man was revealed. How could the ant carry into the tiny hole the large leaf that it had managed to carefully bring to the destination? It simply couldn't!

So the tiny creature, after all the painstaking and hard work and exercising great skills, overcoming all the difficulties along the way, just left behind the large leaf and went home empty-handed.

The ant had not thought about the end before it began its challenging journey and in the end the large leaf was nothing more than a burden to it. The creature had no option, but to leave it behind to reach its destination. The man learned a great lesson that day.

Isn't that the truth about our lives?

We worry about our family, we worry about our job, we worry about how to earn more money, we worry about where we should live – 5 bedroom or 6 bedroom house, what kind of vehicle to buy – a Mercedes or BMW or a Porsche, what kind of dresses to wear, all sorts of things, only to abandon all these things when we reach our destination – The Grave. We don’t realize in our life’s journey that these are just burdens that we are carrying with utmost care and fear of losing them, only to find that at the end they are useless and we can’t take them with us.

Om Namah Shivay

I've learned

I've learned

If you will take the time to read these. I am sure that you'll come away with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all, on a daily basis:

They're written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words. .........Enjoy.........

I've learned ...That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned .... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned .... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned .... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned .... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned .... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned .... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned .... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned .... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned .... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned .... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned .... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned .... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned .... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned .... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned .... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned .... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned .... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned .... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned .... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile..

I've learned .... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned ... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned .... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned .... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned .... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned .... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned ..... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned ..... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned .... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned .... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Om Namah Shivay