SVATANTRATA
It has been 70 years since our Independence. Ever wonder why we shun the word 'Tantra' when it is a very part of the day- Svatantrata divas? And oh, Republic day also has it. Gantantra.
My take: since the British had to colonise the lands of 'other' people, this could best be done by shunning the practices, customs, traditions, and even debunking the accepted intoxication of their forefathers by calling it evil, etc.
So a gentleman would be one who did not partake bhang, but - drank scotch! which, as one can see easily now, was a purely mercantile exercise by Imperial rulers.
But its pretty amazing that even though many of us were born after independence, like i was, we have exorcised ourselves of these things, as if, from our DNA !
For me, the turning point came , when i became passionately involved in Shiva research. Soon it became abundantly clear to me that it was Shiva, who i held so dear, who had started the tantras. So how could one love the Lord without even trying to understand His vidya? And when i took courage to 'find out',what exactly was this part of Shivji about,
is when i realised that some of the most beautiful and effective meditative techniques were given to Devi by Shiva Himself in the Vijnan bhairava tantra.
It had nothing to do with all the practices that we commonly hear about tantra, but only to do with meditation, dhyana.Only to do with a self awareness of every function, every movement, in the spirit of the Lord.And i realised that Shiva, in His great compassion, by spelling out the Tantras, had actually given out a very nice alternate method to the Vedas, to reach the same summit of self realisation. So where had all those' wrong doings" that we hear of come in from? Anybody's guess: wrong practices can happen in any system in any place or time. It does not nullify the beauty of the original intent- one bad teacher doesn't spoil the school, one bad law officer doesn't abrogate the law. Shiva meant for his children to have the very best, and in His revelations to Devi and his rishis, he gave his very best. Still here as our priceless heritage.
So don't ever forget your freedom of choosing your own path to the Lord. Invoke your Svatantrata for your own discovery.
Aum Namah Shivaye.
My take: since the British had to colonise the lands of 'other' people, this could best be done by shunning the practices, customs, traditions, and even debunking the accepted intoxication of their forefathers by calling it evil, etc.
So a gentleman would be one who did not partake bhang, but - drank scotch! which, as one can see easily now, was a purely mercantile exercise by Imperial rulers.
But its pretty amazing that even though many of us were born after independence, like i was, we have exorcised ourselves of these things, as if, from our DNA !
For me, the turning point came , when i became passionately involved in Shiva research. Soon it became abundantly clear to me that it was Shiva, who i held so dear, who had started the tantras. So how could one love the Lord without even trying to understand His vidya? And when i took courage to 'find out',what exactly was this part of Shivji about,
is when i realised that some of the most beautiful and effective meditative techniques were given to Devi by Shiva Himself in the Vijnan bhairava tantra.
It had nothing to do with all the practices that we commonly hear about tantra, but only to do with meditation, dhyana.Only to do with a self awareness of every function, every movement, in the spirit of the Lord.And i realised that Shiva, in His great compassion, by spelling out the Tantras, had actually given out a very nice alternate method to the Vedas, to reach the same summit of self realisation. So where had all those' wrong doings" that we hear of come in from? Anybody's guess: wrong practices can happen in any system in any place or time. It does not nullify the beauty of the original intent- one bad teacher doesn't spoil the school, one bad law officer doesn't abrogate the law. Shiva meant for his children to have the very best, and in His revelations to Devi and his rishis, he gave his very best. Still here as our priceless heritage.
So don't ever forget your freedom of choosing your own path to the Lord. Invoke your Svatantrata for your own discovery.
Aum Namah Shivaye.
~ #Shailgulhati author of SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
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