Shaivism Today Soul Speak ( 7) Alone -ness

 

There always comes a time in our life when we know that we are alone, that we are all that we have for ourselves. What was your first awareness of being on your own, in this world?

Mine was, when as an eleven year old, I was sent away more than a thousand miles from home to a boarding School. On the very first day, we were woken up in the early morning by the matron with her crisp and authoritative voice, calling us by our School numbers. So it was not  ' Wake up Shailendra', but rather ' Wake up 314'. Right there, away from ' home' , in the middle of a dormitory of 12 boys, a class of 35, and a school of 700 students, i realized that i was just a number. Oh, the miserable feeling that only i knew my own thoughts and emotions, and that i had to keep them closely to myself. I knew right then , that i had to make my own place for myself in the middle of all the 'Others'. And the knowing that i was alone in this ,was indeed a sad one.
And then came the  more amazing realisation that actually, the 'Others' were also in the same situation.  Hmm.

It is the same with our Cosmopolitan world today. We sometimes realize all too deeply that we are just a number ; This realization can come to you anywhere, when you view and understand how many  'multitudes' of people are present in your world, even though you don't know many of them. Especially for example, when you look at the thousands of windows in a  'High- rise'  apartment complex, and though you cannot see them, you know that thousands of people live somewhere inside these windows. .. And there,as a witnessing bystander in the middle of this Universal circus, you may become determined to make some good sense of this beautiful life that has been gifted to you by God:
You want to shine out much beyond your ‘ Just one of many thousands’ status.

Am i right?

But wait, the world of God isn’t just a huge challenge after all, there is another beautiful phenomenon that we come by.
Togetherness.

What was your first realisation of sharing the world?
Mine was when i held my soulmate's hand during our wedding ceremony. Right there, in the middle of a crowd of friends who had gathered for our event, i realised the world was going to be totally different from now on. Somewhere between alone and together, the binary of life started to make itself known - There always comes a time in your life , when you know that it was meant to be lived in Togetherness...

And i knew then, that Alone-ness is not meant by Nature as a way of life. The Alone -ness we get, is for providing us Ekaant, Kevalya; it is good for us to think, to introspect, to wonder about the purpose of life, the challenges and the opportunities; And then, to come out into the world ready to share it with a beautiful partner and together dance this binary dance of Shiva and Shakti…And that fabulous feeling that i can share my thoughts and emotions, that i don't have to keep piling them up like a heap of secrets that only i can know or think about, but rather, that i can share my inner world, every little fairy tale i hold in the heart of the eleven year old child, with my partner in life.
Meditate upon this.
Aum Namah Shivaye.
~ From the notes of Shail Gulhati, Author of SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

Why is Shiva shown in some pictures with multiple faces?

 

Dear friends and Shiva bhakts, we often see pictures and paintings which show Lord Shiva with multiple faces, like the one i have chosen here for you. What does this mean really?
While the traditional meaning is that the Lord is Omnipresent, He is everywhere, North South, East, West etc. And as the Panchamukhi ( Five faced one) He is known briefly as :

Sadyojata ( The Revealer) West

Sadyojata shows the creative aspect of lord Shiva. As a being exists in this world through his birth, this aspect of Lord Shiva is worshiped first. It represents our mind and our tastes and pleasures life.

Vamadeva ( The Concealer) North

The term Vama means left . When we stand facing the east direction, the north is to our left.  If we stand facing east, north direction is again to our left. So, in this aspect Shiva is the north faced lord  worshiped as Vamadeva. In this aspect Shiva grants wishes and protection.

Aghora (The destroyer) South

This aspect is also known as Rudra. In Aghora – ghora means the dreaded. So in this aspect Shiva has raw powers and his main function is destruction. He enforces law and gives justice.  Those who worship the aghora form of Shiva are called as Aghoris. Their main belief is that there is no such thing called “inauspicious” in this world because all that exists if Shiva himself.

Tatpurusha (The Cosmic being) East

In Tatpurusha, the word ‘Tat’ means Supreme Consciuosness.This form of Shiva is always in meditation and gives blessings to all. This form represents the power of bliss. Also since it  represents our focusing power.

Ishana (The Lord) Skyward

Ishana is derived from the word ‘Ishvara’ which is a combination of ‘Isha’ and ‘Aishwarya. Hence this form of Shiva represents him as the lord or Ishana of all the Universe. In this form the face of Shiva is towards the sky. This fifth face of Shiva represents the creation – balance – annihilation energies and control and chaos energies. It indicates the total encompassing energy of Lord Shiva. In humans it represents the power of their consciousness to realize universal consciousness.

~ Source Temple Purohit

 

BUT IT ALSO DENOTES THIS :

The lessons with Shiva were endless. They had to be. His talk was profound, but so was His silence.
“You seem to be talking to me even when you are silent. Is it true or am I just too madly in love with you?”She asked.
“Silence is a language only a few understand,” said Shiva. “Those special moments when silence speaks, when stillness gives wings,” He whispered.
Even His smile was profound. Everything about Him was the embodiment of wisdom. Sati noticed that there were traces of this wisdom even when He joked.
~ From the book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. by Shail Gulhati

THE WONDERMENT OF LIFE.

 

THE WONDERMENT OF LIFE.

This picture of Baby Shiva at play, displays amply, the Understanding of Kashmir Shaivism which says that God creates the world not as a mathematician with complex formulas and Equations, but that it is the very Nature of Pristine innocence to spontaneously get into play with its overflowing Self and infinite possibility.

~ Shail Gulhati

~ Shail Gulhati: Shiva and Mysticism

THE GREENING OF DIVINITY

 

We are all born from the one source,God.
But the world play is such that we forget our link with that source; we forget our Divinity.
Over time, we feel that our soul has become like a dry, leafless tree...
In the terminology of the Shaivite Rishis of ancient Kashmir, this is called Vilaya, the 'Not knowing'
interestingly matching with the western term "Veiling" our Divine nature is veiled. It may go on for lifetimes.

Then there is Anugraha, Shiva's look of love, called 'Grace' in the western terminology.
That one look greens us all over again, it waters our parched and thirsty soul, simply because we have been connected to our roots, once again.

The clouds of ignorance begin to flit away, and we begin to see the Unveiling of Godness.
The great Sage Abhinavgupta of Kashmir , said this is the play of God with His bhaktas, and the joy of the Bhaktas with their God. In the end, all, is Shiva,God, or whatever you wish to call. As it was in the beginning.
Aum Namah Shivaye!
Shail Gulhati is the Author of the books :
SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.

THE OLDEST STORY- The oldest story

 

THE OLDEST STORY- The oldest story

Rishi Suta used to tell Shaunaka and his other disciples the story of Shiva.

“This is fascinating, Gurudeva... tell me more!” implored Shaunaka.

“Time can only tell stories in bits about the Timeless, Shaunaka,” said the wise Sage quietly. “The story will go on and on, forever. There will be many more tellings, many more listenings...” his voice trailed away.

In time, when Shaunaka grew old and himself sported a free flowing white beard, he often told the story to his own disciples.

Rishi Suta used to tell the story of Shiva to Shaunaka and his other disciples.

“This is amazing, Gurudev... and tell me more!” Shaunaka pleaded.

“Time can only tell stories in pieces about the Timeless, Shaunaka,” the wise sage said in a calm voice. “This story will continue forever. It will be told many more times, and heard many more times...” his voice gradually faded away.

When Shaunaka himself grew old and his white flowing beard became loose, he often told this story to his disciples.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.

DESTINY

 

DESTINY

An ancient science says that the lines on our hand contain a sort of code for our story. And so, many of us do get our palms read to see what's in store for us in the future; this is human nature:

To try and know our events before they happen, and there is a kind of 'game' element in this, sitting with a wise gypsy and having your future told.

But here's the thing:

How many of us want to know if it is in our destiny to meet God,

to meet the one who etched those lines on our baby hands with love?

Parvati comes to this world with Shiva written on her heart and soul, and she will not rest until she is joined with Him in holy partnership for eternity. And this has been happening for an eternity already. This is the result of a bhakti, which compels God to write His own name in your hand.

Next time we go to a palmist, other than the usual 'health -money -fame' issues, let's start with the God query. The rest will fall in place. It has to.

Aum Namah Shivaye.

~ Shail Gulhati

THE DANCE OF SHIVA.

 

THE DANCE OF SHIVA.

And so,between togetherness and separation,

loneliness and jubilation, He danced in turn with pleasure and bittersweet pain.

Dance was a key. It was His most innate nature,

to respond to an inner song with every sinewed muscle in His body. Night or day, dark or bright, the end, or just signaling a beginning , dance was the form behind all His form.

He was the epitome of motion; flowing on forever, was His constant.

~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.