Lord Shiva



Why my Bholenath is Special and Unique

 ·        Three eyes, snake on neck, moon and river in hair, wielding a trident – highly unique and celestial iconography and symbolism

 ·         Not bound by rules of society – He is described as a friend to thieves and murderers in the Sri Rudram

 ·         Both gods and demons pray to Him

 ·         Mentioned in ALL Hindu texts: Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Tantras, Ramayan, and Mahabharat

 ·         Name is “Mahadev” – Greatest of All Gods

 

Texts Discussed

Shiva Sutras

Spanda Karikas

Shiva Samhita

VBT

 

Shiva Sutras

 

SS 1.13 – Willpower is Goddess Uma

 

SS 3.7 – Sitting comfortably, one plunges into the lake of bliss

 

SS 3.36 – One the removal of the sense of separation [from anyone or anything], the power to create a new world is obtained

 

SS 3.38 – The first (turiya, supreme) state vitalizes the other three (waking, sleeping, and dreaming).

 

Turiya is constant blissful awareness, which allows one to be aware, yet not awake, even during deep sleep.

 

SS 3.44 – Concentration on the ajna chakra results in liberation.

 

Spanda Karikas

 

SK 12 – Non-existence cannot be the state of being to strive for, as there is neither consciousness nor existence there.

 

Not only are we already immortal, but our awareness cannot die, even if we wanted do. Therefore, such escape being known as impossible, it becomes our clear duty to make what we experience as pleasant as possible.

 

SK 22 – Transcendence is firmly established when one is enraged, ecstatic, in a serious quandary over what to do, or running for one’s life. One may go there and step into that state.

 

The extreme experiences of life are the most opportune times for spiritual advancement. You may notice that only one of the these, ecstasy, is positive, therefore the wise yogi seeks out channels to experience ecstasy both successfully and sustainably.

 

SK 34 – While lucid dreaming, persistent requests for success to the Divine in the center of Oneself will certainly manifest most vividly.

 

SK 41 – Focus on [any] single thought results in transcendence. One should experience a fully awakened state for oneself.

 

SK 51 – When the mind is under control, one enjoys [all] the experiences of [human] life.

 

 

Shiva Samhita

 

SS 1.82 – Mahamaya has the powers of projection and concealment. She is evil natured and takes the form of happiness. She appears inert and [yet] has the attributes of rajas (rage and passion), sattva (purity and goodness), and tamas (laziness and sadness).

 

Here we should pause and understand the Lord’s sense of humor. He is playfully calling his wife evil, as Parvati’s game has us all rushing through seemingly endless cycles of pain and pleasure for Her entertainment, keeping the game enticing enough so that we don’t focus on yoga instead and beam up into the highest consciousness.

 

SS 4.53 – In Yoga, there are a lot of fearsome obstacles that are hard to avoid, despite which the yogi should keep striving, even if he is at his last gasp.

 

SS 4.98 – In a lonely place and free from disturbances, he should look between his eyebrows and remain motionless, his senses restrained and his body straight.

 

SS 6.15-16 – Lazy, very ignorant, sickly, offensive to his guru, greedy, evil minded, gluttonous, lecherous, fickle, cowardly, diseased, servile, nasty, badly behaved, and feeble; the weak man is known to be thus. He attains perfection after 12 years of striving. A guru should certainly consider him to be entitled to practice Mantra Yoga.

 

Shiva’s numerous malas for mantra jaap on His person indicate that He is a heavy proponent of mantra jaap, and as such his is sportingly joking with us, the devotees, and encouraging us to practice mantra jaap as a relatively easy, enjoyable, and effective modality for spiritual success as compared to the much more difficult yogic practices including meditation, physical (hatha) yoga, yagnas (elaborate ritual ceremonies and offerings) and pujas (simplified and shorter versions of yagnas, which may not involve a homa (fire pit for offerings).

 

SS 6.62 – When the yogi visualizes the eye of Shiva as an aperture in his skull, then there arises a shining light as brilliant as a ball of lighting.

 

SS 5.92 – He knows what has really happened and what is to happen in the future, and he understands the speech of everyone. He is certain to recite sacred texts which he hasn’t even heard, together with their secret doctrines.

 

In Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) People waking up knowing Chinese, French and Spanish after car accidents with little to no experience with these languages prior. This is a microcosm of how spiritual abilities develop.

 

SS 5.97-98 – The internal meditation is better than the external and should be carefully cultivated. This is the very best meditation in the tantra. I approve of no other. He who rejects the internal Shiva and worships the external casts aside the food in his hand to wander in search of sustenance.

 

SS 5.184-186 – The yogi should visualize an ocean of milk in the space in the skull. Remaining there, he should imagine the moon in the Sahasrara lotus. It is in the space of the skull and has sixteen petals, is known as the moon swan, has rays made of nectar, and will make the pure yogi cross to the other side. Through constant practice, within three days the aspirant is sure to have a revelation and, merely by that vision, he burns up a mass of sins.

 

SS 5.234-237,239-240: [The mantra AING KLEENG STREENG is given] The yogi should repeat the three syllables in sequence, neither quickly nor slowly, his mind free from doubt.

 

At the end of the repetition, the wise and clever yogi should offer an oblation of oleander blossom mixed with jaggery, milk, and ghee into a yoni kund (heart shaped fire pit). When this observance has been performed, the Goddess Tripurabhairavi, created by earlier worship, appears and grants wishes.

 

SS 5.242: At the sight of the [accomplished] yogi, women tremble and become lovestruck. They fall shameless and without fear before the practitioner.

 

(Not sure if there are case examples of this but sounds motivational).

 

VBT 34: [Focus on the crown chakra]

 

This is a difference in Vaishnav and other more mainstream meditation practice, which focuses on the chakra between the eyebrows. I can’t speak to the results as I am not yet myself a realized being.

 

VBT 62: When the mind is restrained to one object of awareness, casting all others aside and not allowing movement to take place from one to another, then inside that perception the awareness blossoms.

 

Focus on one thing for an extended period of time. What is focused on has little bearing on the end result, which is described to be the same Supreme Unified Conciousness.

 

VBT 70: “… By fully remembering and absorbing the mind in the experience of sexual congress, [spiritual] bliss expands.”

 

While most spiritual practices are exceedingly difficult and driven by pain and austerity, this one gem from the Vijnan Bhairav Tantra provides a positive and upward-facing path which glorifies the union of the male and female principles that combine to form divine consciousness within each of us.

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