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nandhi
USA
362 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 21 2008 : 6:57:22 PM
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aum
Divine Radiant One,
In our yogic journey is the recognition of the subtle energy of the Spirit that enables mastery over matter, time and space. We are here as angelic beings with a vital purpose- to be awake. When we are awake, humanity's consciousness rises. Maha Shivrathri is the vortex of time that awakens us to be Spirit- the objective of yoga.
In the movie "Secret", we are told to hold a thought, emotionalize it and want it badly enough and manifestation takes place. Where does karma play a part in our thinking? What prevents us from thinking 'out of the box' or limiting ourselves to poverty of thought is karma. The mind can be explained in this example - A baby elephant is tethered in chains and as the elephant grows up, although it could break the chains easily, its mind is stuck to the belief that it cannot. The mind is stuck in several patterns of the past that creates the momentum of the future. This pattern of the past on subtle and gross levels is karma.
The moment we experience ourselves to be the Spirit rather than the mind and body, we break free from karmic limitations and we become the manifestor of the now moment. A yogic mind can hold a single thought not for a few minutes but for days, months and years since the Spirit is the master and the mind a good slave. A yogi is the Master, awake as Spirit. A Siva yogi has surrendered his/her destiny to Source and is a joyful instrument of the Divine.
Lord Siva is worshipped as the Eternal Yogi. Every year, for over thousands of years, the single most important day for a yogi has been and still is- Maha Shivrathri, the Grand Night of celebrating the Supreme Spirit.
Maha Shivrathri is the the culminated sacred night of celebration to be Spirit as by a continuos worship through the night (March 6th this year) keeping vigil worshiping Lord Siva, the Supreme Spirit that each of us truly are when awake. By observing Maha Shivrathri vigil, we experience the state of "Turiya", the state of higher consciousness that is beyond the states of sleep, dream and wake. The Turiya states of higher consciousness allows thoughts to manifest at ease since we are one with Source without our ego or play of the 'mind' in between.
Saints who meditate through the whole year in seclusion come out just one day a year to bless all on this Maha Shivrathri night. The collective subtle energies of over 100 million people who live a household life in India observing Maha Shivrathri sets the huge subtle momentum for the rest of us.
Observing Maha Shivrathri is an empowering gift you can give yourself. We burn karma many levels. We set forth intent. We align ourselves with Source. We awaken to pure wisdom. We become manifestors of the moment of now. We reap the immense blessings of Lord Siva to be Spirit.
Most of us living the West (US) get a bonus blessing. India would have celebrated the Maha Shivrathri 12 hours before and the beautiful space has already been set for the West to simply enjoy- thank you Mother India!
Tapasyogi Kalathi Adiyen Nandhi shares thoughts, on behalf of the Siddhar Masters to enable each to benefit from this auspicious period:
- Begin observing Maha Shivrathri on this full moon, Wednesday 20th Feb. As the full moon wanes to be the new moon, March 6th Thursday- let ourselves from the physical realities slowly withdraw to be Spirit during the 14 days.
- Light a lamp/candle every evening/night through the 14 day period. Cool the fire down with a flower petal after you have done your inner worship. For those wanting to meditate through 24/7 for the 14 days until Maha Shivrathri, choose one place where you meditate, sleep and not move.
- On the first day, the full moon, Wed 20th Feb- think of this night as the initiation night. Sing/recite mantras. Allow Lord Siva to give you the inner call to begin observing Maha Shivrathri. Light your inner lamp! Every evening, climb into the lamp to connect with the ancient awake energies that is building up- getting more intense unto March 6, the night of the Supreme Yogi.
- When worshipping Lord Siva, it is important to "be" Lord Siva to worship Lord Siva. In otherwords, climb up through your chakras to the crown chakra to experience Lord Siva and then dwell on Lord Siva's mantras. Go into mantra recitation 24/7 or atleast in the entire wake state.
- Nandhi goes into fasting during this period. He normally starts the process by consuming dry fruits, fruits, nuts and herbs. As he meditates to go deeper within, the body begins to feel self sufficient to go beyond hunger and the mind slowly breaks free from the normal patterns of sleep and wake states. The goal is to acheive the state of Turiya before or on March 6, the night of Maha Shivrathri. The body and mind has waned like the full moon to new moon to be the Spirit that celebrates the Supreme Spirit.
- An important part of Maha Shivrathri is accumulating good karma through feeding people. Feeding the hungry persons, especially the saddhus (renunciates) and the poor during this period stimulates huge subtle energies. We feed ourselves with subtle energies through the physical feeding of the hungry.
- While observing the daily pilgrimage within to be Lord Siva, feel the chakras as your home and ascend on it. Begin the full moon conscious of the root chakra. Climb above above the navel (be celebate). Slowly climb up into the third eye/ crown chakra by Maha Shivrathri night.
- Maha Shivrathri is about surrender and dissolving away all that is ego, 'me', 'my', "I", 'mine'. Cold water bath helps tame the body. Hatha yoga helps dissolve body consciousness while meditating. Putting our entire focus inward into the light effectively starts expanding our experience of whom we really are as the externals slowly reduce importance.
- Ayurveda herbs taken for cleansing or strenghtening or body/mind works more effectively during this period.
- After prolonged meditation, have a spoon of ghee. When we meditate, especially when chanting aloud, we burn different brain cells that are replenished by ghee.
- Experience Lord Siva as in the five elements- earth as body, water as our intellect, fire as our wisdom and inner joy, air as the states within and beyond breath and ether as being the Spirit.
- While worshipping, connect the inner light to the lamp outside us, the sun/moon and the yagna fire if it is lit.
- On the night of Maha Shivrathri March 6, observe vigil, worshipping Lord Siva. Break your fast next day after feeding others.
- As a Siva Yogi, know ourselves to be One. Know yourself to be Lord Siva, The Eternal Yogi, during the journey to celebrate Maha Shivrathri.
May Source be our awake experience that is alight as blessings of Maha Shivrathri.
Blessings of each to each!
aum namah sivaya
jai guruve thunai
tapasyogi kalathi adiyen nandhi
with folded hands and love! anbe sivam
www.universalyogaday.org |
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2008 : 06:53:55 AM
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Hey, nandhi, thanks. I investigated information on the celebration and looked up the allegory of Siva. The trident, crescent moon, et al.
This is funny, since I'm not superstitious, at all. Anyway, when I was reading about the symbolism, I almost fell off of my chair. (Why would I almost fall off of my chair? Unconscious/trace supersition must still have hold:  ).
Anyway, I had past phenomenon that relates to this allegory of Siva that lead up to three dreams that I had in succession days ago. I alluded to these in a previous post of needing to detach from the literal dream world.
The first one, was when I was waking up, within a semi-conscious dream state and I heard myself say, "wake up", and so I literally woke myself up by turning my head from left to right. I was like, 'that was strange'.
The next night, I awoke within a dream and went into my dining room and blinked my eyes and a crescent moon was within one of my eyes.
No matter how much I tried to detach from it and attempted blink/rub it away it wouldn't leave. Anyway, there was a ray of polarized light that extended from this eye and my roommates dog loved this light and was jumping all over me (in the dream).
Lastly, the third night, I was sitting within a car at a beach, and was looking at this woman in the distance who I could not make out. So, I focused on her and when I did that, I was pulled out of my body. Very strange feeling. Anyway, I had the sensation of consciousness traveling and said to myself, 'I'm going to meet God', since I left my body. Anway, I didn't meet God, but I say God's name and end up in the past - and then I say a different name for God and am quickly pulled out from my past body and travel to what I perceive was the present, since I opened my eyes in my bedroom.
But when I open my eyes, I realize that I'm dead. Startled that my body is completely lifeless, I don't understand how this is possible, since I'm still conscious. Anyway, amazed by this realization, I quickly jump up and nearly take the bed with me and am filled with intense joy, since I know reality at this point.
Anyway, just for the fun of it, I decide to Google deer with Siva, since I had a very strange experience with two deer while at work. I have assisted individuals with developmental disabilities for fifteen years now and so I'm outside with a co-worker. We are talking about my brother's death and I say, "I know that he is still alive, since the soul never dies".
And all of a sudden my co-worker says, "Oh my God..." and we see two deer walking down the middle of the street. So my co-worker continues with, "...there's not deer in this area... that's strange..." And I'm just amazed watching them slowly parade down the middle of the street. They are directly in front of us at this point and I have to shew them away so they don't get hit by a car.
So this was a good post, since I now know the meaning of these dreams. It was a confirmation of future realization. The turning from left to right is that of the left hemisphere of the brain to the right or balance of both spiritual phenomenon and reason. The crescent moon is symbolized by equality of mind. But even this is an attachment, since it is impossible to experience the self with the mind. (possibly the two deer is the mind parading its intelligence or that may be nothing). My roomates dog is me or the animal mind which must still be enamored by phenomenon/superstition. Also Being dead is a future time in which realization will take place, since I don't live on the beach and at this point I will know the dream completely. Or will understand how my past, present, future perception of God, correlate and become one - progression from any remaining superstition will resolve/dissolve into present reality.
Anyway, again, thanks for the information on the subject and I will make sure to observe this celebration and meditate on this:
VIL
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Edited by - VIL on Feb 22 2008 07:41:26 AM |
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nandhi
USA
362 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2008 : 03:35:28 AM
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aum
divine vil,
gratitude for sharing thoughts.
these are moments to set our inner lamp on fire. the first and most potent fuel is the 'i' consciousness that as human we acquired- to be burnt away as to slip into the grand 'i' that simply is.
in the oneness of all presence beyond breath and within breath as the form of love and the message- ahimsa.
age of ahimsa. non-killing, non-harming, supreme peace, powerful harmony, awakening compassion, recognition of oneness, worship of oneness- in simply being.
may the moment be celebrated! |
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2008 : 09:08:27 AM
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The same gratitude to you, too, nandhi.
Take care:
VIL
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nandhi
USA
362 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2008 : 5:05:40 PM
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aum
gratitude vil for the shared joys in breath of oneness!
MAHASHIVRATHRI THOUGHTS!
some of us played fun games like holding our breath for as long as possible when we were children. the ancient knowing to know the wisdom womb within ourselves in our surrender to inner joys that holds each thought.
thoughts become thought as the garland, the largest thought of oneness holding the immense void is the surrender. breath becomes mantra. mantra is the presence within breath and beyond breath breath, the guru. mantra and thought having become one, ride the eternal breath- brahmari nadi. know sacred brahmari nadi by the joy of spirit gently transforming the sound into vibrations- much like a dolhins emit of resonance.
alight with our inner lamp fire the experience of each inhale and exhale, celebrate being spirit.
time to sit and be still
stillness consumed by sacred inner joys that is bhakthi alight!
may mahashivrathri's grace of the magical now- be ours in the primal awakening.
anbe sivam, in oneness is love!
aum
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2008 : 8:15:30 PM
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quote:
nandhi: some of us played fun games like holding our breath for as long as possible when we were children. the ancient knowing to know the wisdom womb within ourselves in our surrender to inner joys that holds each thought.
Me and my brothers and sisters used to stand on our heads and also twirl in circles for hours. We were dervishes, but didn't know it:  That's one of the things that we did to occupy ourselves.
We were so poor that our feet would freeze while walking to school... My mother couldn't work, but would make crochet mittens for all of the neighborhood kids whose hands were cold free of charge... Me and my brother used to go to the local community center to get toys from the garbage receptacle... And I used to own one pair of pants and would wash them in the bathtub, so that they were clean for the next day of school... We also slept on torn cots and had no furniture... How is that for a share? LOLOLOLOL
It was quite an embarrassment, though, although we were clean, fed, had morals, when other children would make fun of the cotton pieces stuck within my head when I was at school. I would yell at my brother for not noticing the remaining debris, sometimes I'd give him a good punch, just for the fun of it: LOL.
Or my fear that I would have no friends when they found out that we had nothing in way of material things, but despite all of this, the reverse became true!, since we had many many friends who overlooked all of the small stuff. Children overlook the small stuff, just as a truly spiritual person does also.
Anyway, I now realize the wisdom behind all of those circumstances and prefer to keep the cotton in, have cold feet, and no toys, no matter other people's perceptions. It was a good lesson of letting go of fear and needing to fit in with everyone and really beginning to know that it doesn't matter how we are percieved by another person as long as our hearts are in the right place. This same thing relates to stillness in action, since, at times, it seems that this is a contradiction, but the reverse ends up being true, since we draw people to us when we are real and shift our awareness (which is action) - overlooking the small things in life - Realizing that we are all in this together and God knows what we need when we need. It will be taken care of...
So thank you for sharing your thoughts, nandhi.
VIL |
Edited by - VIL on Feb 24 2008 8:34:16 PM |
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nandhi
USA
362 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2008 : 11:51:51 PM
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aum
all in the twirl while gliding in the joys of the tranquil bliss, divine vil!
aum |
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VIL
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2008 : 12:09:38 PM
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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Take care:
VIL |
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nandhi
USA
362 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2008 : 3:55:27 PM
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aum
the mind awake and perceiving the divine is lord vishnu/rama/krishna. hare krsna!
the spirit that we are is lord siva. the holy ghost that awakens to being celebrated. the eternal yogi in all the living.
may the mind alight in the soul fire of being the dance of joy, entwine breath and the breathless as in stillness.
all in perfect abundanty grace,
aum |
Edited by - nandhi on Feb 25 2008 8:04:41 PM |
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Supreme Yogi Day March 6 2008
