February 16th

We have a neighbour his name is Cintamini Rath, hes from Kolkata and he has invited us to his home for a Siva puja tonight and some puris and subji cooked by his wife...quite looking forward to it.

Jai Hara-har Mahadev!!!!![img]http://www.mandalas.com/images/Lrg_image_Pages/hindu/Shiva[/img]

Nice painting.

May all Shiva Linga’s be showered with love and offerings of the most sublime!!!




Click to view attachment

Its supposed to be Arunachala in the background

Happy Birthday! All Eggless Cakes for you

Its not Shiva's birthday as he is not an avatar. Some say it is the night of the dance of destruction/creation, others that it represents the marriage night of Shiva and Parvati.

Yeah, i know it is not his birthday,
but Feb.16 is the Birthday of my dear Master , so i posted here for that.

HAPPY MAHASIVARATRI MAY WE ALL DANCE A LITTLE DANCE OF DESTRUCTION TONIGHT.

Eva, isn't it about time we had a little argument? We had fun.

Ride to Shiva Shrine ~ Manali (HERE)

hohoho

hello and happy mahasivaratri to you

Thank you, I feel better now.

Jai Hara! Click to view attachment

Sometimes the spaces I walk through seem like a series of empty rooms filled with a presence that cannot be seen. Things flow through these rooms, like light or air filled with the sweet aroma of earthy memories trying so hard to be more concrete and known, but I can’t quite grasp them, handle or hold on. So I keep walking through these spaces full of echoes from my footsteps and the sound of my body breathing…as I keep listening, looking and silently thinking that maybe tomorrow…I’ll catch a slight glimpse of something familiar...present...and just be able to say — hello!

Happy Mahasivaratri!

That's (another) very intriguing image Kali; I really like it - and the little prose-poem that accompanies it. A very avant-garde way to present a Sivaratri offering!

You're a real asset to this forum - an aesthetic wizard of sorts.

Shivaratri - Union of Shiva and Shakti

Swami Satyananda Saraswati

There are two concepts of spiritual illumination. One is that Shakti awakens, goes up sushumna nadi and unites with Shiva in sahasrara chakra. Shiva represents the higher cosmic consciousness and Shakti represents evolution of energy. Kundalini yoga is based on this concept.

The other concept is that consciousness goes to meet Shakti, and this is Sivaratri. The concept of Sivaratri is the awakening of consciousness at the material level of existence and uniting with Shakti at a higher point in evolution. Therefore, the word used is ratri, meaning dark night. What are the night and day of consciousness? When the individual experiences existence, the objective reality all around him, that is the day of consciousness. The night of consciousness is when the consciousness is all alone and no objective experience takes place. You don't hear, see, feel or know anything. Time, space and objectivity - three qualities of mind - fall flat. Consciousness alone remains. That is the dark night of the soul, the stage just before illumination. So Shivaratri is a symbol of the spiritual state of samadhi. But for us, Sivaratri means the state preceding samadhi, illumination.

In the story Shiva, who lived in the forest, went to marry Parvati, daughter of the Himalayas, who lived up in the snow peaks. He was the master, guru and controller of ghosts and demons, and so they were part of his marriage procession. Some had one eye in the back of their head, some had no eyes, or eyes in their belly. Some had only one ear, others had huge elephant ears or only holes for ears. Some walked on one leg, others on three.

Parvati's family sent out a reception party to escort them to Parvati's house, but when they caught sight of Shiva and his strange companions, they took to their heels and ran for dear life. At Parvati's house they related what they has seen in awe and horror. "Oh, he is terrible! The son-in-law has come riding on a bull. He is naked and his body is smeared with ash. He has snakes all over him and his companions are most hideous." Parvati's mother was so upset. How could she accept such a horrible son-in-law? But Parvati remained calm and resolute.

The moment Lord Shiva's procession entered the Himalayan kingdom, he and his funny companions turned into dazzling divine beings with beautiful faces, fine clothes, fragrant flowers and so on. The demons changed into lovely people. Everything was transformed in the twinkling of an eye, and so the marriage took place.

Shiva is symbolic of consciousness. For the individual, consciousness is moving higher and higher towards Shakti. It moves along with all the instincts and animal propensities, with all that we are. Even as you practise yoga, everything is still with you - fear, anger, passions, worries, anxiety - you are moving with all your companions. Your soul is also evolving, progressing, along with all your companions. But there comes a point in spiritual life when all these companions are transformed, and the same instinct becomes intuition.

During the course of spiritual evolution, you try many times and fail - you go to the church for the wedding but when you get to the door, you find that the bride is not there and you have to return home disappointed. You have inspirations, you may catch a glimpse of the higher state, but it is not complete. When the time comes and the transformation occurs, the ugly companions turn into divine attendants with suits and ties! The horrifying aspects of your personality become your ornaments, your helpers.

Parvati symbolises the higher energy; she also symbolises the kundalini shakti in tantra. The divine union which takes place when Shiva comes to meet Shakti represents enlightenment in absolute darkness.
source: http://www.yogamag.net/

Also watch the celebration of Maha Shivaratri 2008 on video which is very nice.
Enjoy the kirtan as well!


Click below on the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMj9bHzw9Tg

Jaya Radhe!

may your life get radically destroyed tomorrow on this potentially utterly new day.