Jimmy
King Phenomenon
Did you miss the posts where I apologized and explained why I said that? Then again, I don’t really care if you did.
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Let's Talk About Shiva
- Thread starter JustGeorge
- Start date
Jimmy
King Phenomenon
Never posted **** about Judaism.
Beautiful, and there are more ways to 'think' while you chant it than these ones. That one mantra encompasses so much of Saivism.The mantra combined with my curiousity led me to Wikipedia and interesting to me discussion. It of course illustrates the differences in various HIndu groups Part of that page is:
Translations among different traditions
Namah Shivaya means "Adoration to Lord Shiva"; this is preceded by the devotional syllable "Om".
In Siddha Shaivism and Shaiva Siddhanta Shaivism traditions, Namah Shivaya is considered as Pancha Bodha Tatva of Lord Shiva and his universal oneness of five elements:[5]
Its total meaning is that "universal consciousness is one".[5]
- Na sound represents earth[5]
- Ma sound represents water[5]
- Śi sound represents fire[5]
- Vā sound represents Pranic air[5]
- Ya sound represents sky or ether[5]
The five-syllable (Panch Akshara) form, omitting the Om In Shaiva Siddhanta, the five letters also represent:[5]
The Tirumantiram (a scripture in Shaiva Siddhanta) announces that "His feet are the letter Na. His navel is the letter Ma. His shoulders are the letter Śi. His mouth, the letter Vā. His radiant cranial center aloft is Ya. Thus is the five-lettered form of Shiva.": Tirumantiram 941. TM[6][7]
- Na is the Lord's concealing grace[5]
- Ma is the world[5]
- Śi stands for Shiva[5]
- Vā is His revealing grace[5]
- Ya is the Ātman or soul[5]
Om Namah Shivaya - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Jimmy
King Phenomenon
Oh, are you talking about when I was saying that denying Jesus was the core of Judaism? Yeah I learned that he isn’t. I made amends. At least I admit when I’m in the wrong. You must’ve missed that too.
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You think there's any one thing all Hindus agree on?Well...not all Hindus.
Here's a link to my sampradaya's entire on-line collection of bhajans. There are many for Siva. Look and Listen - A World of Sacred Music
Allow me to share a favorite story about Śiva. This is my own retelling of Chapter 26 of the Śatarudra-saṃhitā within the Śiva Mahāpurāṇa.
Mahānandā was a devotee of Śiva who lived very long ago. She was a courtesan and a music adept. The songs that she performed were enjoyed very much by royal persons. She was prosperous and so beautiful. There was no one who disliked her.
Mahānandā would apply sacred ashes to her skin and wear rudrākṣa beads in devotion to Śiva. She even put rudrākṣa beads on a monkey and a rooster that she kept. They would dance as she sang of her Śiva and clapped her hands. She enjoyed that as did everyone else who witnessed it.
One day, a merchant who was also a devotee of Śiva visited Mahānandā. His body was smeared with ashes, he had matted hair, he wore rudrākṣa beads, and he liked to repeat the names of Śiva. Mahānandā joyfully welcomed him into her home and made him sit in a special place.
The merchant was wearing a bangle with nine gems around his wrist. When Mahānandā saw his bangle, she admired it and expressed that she greatly desired to have it. In response, the merchant was willing to give her the bangle for something in return. Being the merchant's wife for three entire days and three whole nights was her offer. When the merchant accepted her offer, she touched his heart, promised her offer, and stated that she would perform all of her duties as his wife.
After the promise was made, not only did the merchant give Mahānandā the bangle with nine gems, he also entrusted her with a special liṅga mounted with gems, an aniconic idol of Śiva that was very dear to the merchant. He asked her to preserve it for him. Mahānandā agreed to his wish, received the liṅga, and placed it on her dancing platform.
That night, as Mahānandā was asleep on a soft bed, a fire arose where the liṅga mounted with gems was on the dancing platform. The fire was willed by the merchant. Mahānandā woke up, jumped out of the bed, and untied her monkey. Sparks of fire were spread here and there by the monkey and rooster as they ran around in fear. As a result, the fire grew larger. Mahānandā and the merchant felt exceedingly uneasy seeing the special liṅga burned by the fire and smashed.
It was as if the very life of the merchant had been destroyed by the fire. After telling Mahānandā that he could no longer live, he asked her to order her servants to prepare for him a pyre so that he might step into it.
The servants did as they were ordered. The pyre was prepared, the merchant walked around it, and finally he stepped into it.
Mahānandā was overcome with great sadness. As she spoke to her servants, she blamed herself for the death of the merchant who was such a sincere devotee of Śiva. Upon explaining that the three days and nights of marriage were not yet over and that she wished to abide in truth, a great dharma, she made the firm decision to give up her own life.
After Mahānandā gave away her property to brahmins and meditated on Śiva, she walked around the pyre and was prepared to walk into it as the merchant had done.
Just when she was about to go the way of the merchant, with the lotus feet of Śiva in her mind, her very lord himself appeared before her and prevented her action. She was absolutely stunned.
As Mahānandā's lord, Śiva, held her hands and consoled her, he explained to her that the merchant was none other than himself. He had come to her in the form of the merchant to test her truthfulness and devotion to him. Moreover, he told her that he was pleased with her devotion and that he would give her wonderful pleasures that even the devas, the celestial divinities, cannot obtain.
Mahānandā then told Śiva that she did not want anything on earth or in the seven heavens or in the seven netherworlds. All she wanted was to be at his lotus feet. Her family members and servants desired the same thing for themselves. Out of love, Śiva took Mahānandā, her family, and her servants to his world, never to be subject to saṃsāra, the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, ever again.
The story of Mahānandā is holy, divine, and wonderful. It is a source of great happiness.
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Spice
StewardshipPeaceIntergityCommunityEquality
One of my favorite poems of all time, speaks of one round of these 4 "seasons."
The Four Ages of Man, by Yeats:
He with body waged a fight,
But body won; it walks upright.
Then he struggled with the heart;
Innocence and peace depart.
Then he struggled with the mind;
His proud heart he left behind.
Now his wars on God begin;
At stroke of midnight God shall win.
-Yeats-
Spice
StewardshipPeaceIntergityCommunityEquality
I found this helpful in separating "creator" from Shiva:
Emanationism is a transcendent principle from which everything is derived, and is opposed to both creationism (wherein the universe is created by a sentient God who is separate from creation) and materialism (which posits no underlying subjective and/or ontological nature behind phenomena being immanent).
Is this a good explanation from a practicing Hindu perspective?
Spice
StewardshipPeaceIntergityCommunityEquality
I'm finding quite a few similarities, though I'm no longer a "Christian" but rather more Christian-light, or Semi-Christian. Not really. I'm Heretical-Christian at best. LOL
Spice
StewardshipPeaceIntergityCommunityEquality
Boys do look out for Momma throughout the world, the universe, and time.Me too!
For those who don't know how Ganesh got his head:
One day, Maa Parvati(Shiva's wife) was lonely. Shiva had been gone for some time, and she wanted companionship. So, she made for herself a son from the dust of her body. He was a beautiful boy. After the work, she decided she wanted to bathe. She sent young Ganesh to guard the path while she did so.
Father and son had never met. So, when Shiva returned and saw this boy standing in the way of his wife, he commanded him to move along. The boy would do no such thing, so Shiva lopped off his head. Maa Parvati come running, horrified. Shiva saw his wife was distraught and furious. He realized he needed to move NOW! A search was made for a new head. The first creature came upon was a young elephant. His head was removed and placed on Ganesh's body.
All better!
I just majorly cut my foot; the younger two boys are trying to "take care".
Spice
StewardshipPeaceIntergityCommunityEquality
I love this!! ^^^^ I will be learning this chant, for certain.
And this is very nice, too. ^^^
Not so much ^^^^ Beyond me at this stage, I think.The Tirumantiram (a scripture in Shaiva Siddhanta) announces that "His feet are the letter Na. His navel is the letter Ma. His shoulders are the letter Śi. His mouth, the letter Vā. His radiant cranial center aloft is Ya. Thus is the five-lettered form of Shiva.": Tirumantiram 941. TM[6][7]
Om Namah Shivaya - Wikipedia
I think this is an excellent explanation, and I'd never seen it before.
Vinidra
Jai Mata Di!
I was not always a Shiva person. My love for Shakti came first.
But I don't know that it's possible to love one and not eventually come to love the other, too. It certainly wasn't for me. If the enemy of my enemy is my friend, then the beloved of my beloved becomes loved by me, too
But I don't know that it's possible to love one and not eventually come to love the other, too. It certainly wasn't for me. If the enemy of my enemy is my friend, then the beloved of my beloved becomes loved by me, too
I love the pictures of them as one.I was not always a Shiva person. My love for Shakti came first.
But I don't know that it's possible to love one and not eventually come to love the other, too. It certainly wasn't for me. If the enemy of my enemy is my friend, then the beloved of my beloved becomes loved by me, too
We keep a brass Ardhinarisvara in our home temple.
I wonder if there's any who would deny them.Your differences?
This picture has made me ready for the day.