During times of great difficulty, detachment is like a trusted friend, helping you remove yourself from the intensity of charged emotions such as fear or sorrow or rage. Shiva is an enigmatic God.

Lord Shiva is depicted as clad in a tiger skin, smeared ash all over, riding an aged bull. It only signifies detachment from sensual pleasures, a quality that everyone has to cultivate for his one's own good. To follow in the footsteps of Shiva, we must learn this art of detachment. During times of great difficulty, detachment is like a trusted friend, helping you remove yourself from the intensity of charged emotions such as fear or sorrow or rage. Shiva is an enigmatic God. This is due to his capacity for detachment. Shiva is detached, breaking his ties with his family to meditate. ‪And at another level, he is a loving husband and a doting father. He refuses to abstain from the pleasures of a spouse and parent. But he is still an ascetic. Dressed simply in a loincloth, his hair is matted and ash is smeared on his forehead. When Sati immolated herself, Shiva was utterly devastated. In fact his personal suffering nearly destroyed the world! he grieved for Sati, but soon that grief turned to rage. In anger he danced. The ferocity of his rageful dance had a near catastrophic effect upon the Earth. Lord Vishnu intervenes. And it is thanks to Vishnu’s presence of mind that Shiva could be calmed down enough to reconnect with his Vairagya, avoiding further destruction. Even for a great god like Shiva, death can have a devastating effect. For us, trying to deal with the grief, hurt and anger that death or loss brings can be a totally debilitating experience. But if we practice Vairagya, then the healing period is a lot easier.! Peace ~ Jai ShivaSati ~ Jai ShankarParvati!!