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Originally Posted by The Necromancer
Then, when I was 14, my family was holidaying in Malaysia, at Batu Caves and I became witness to the festival of Thaipusam...people were self-mutilating in the name of God. I became separated from my family, ending up inside a Shiva temple. I saw Shiva 'in the flesh' (so to speak) and became totally absorbed in Shiva-bliss. After that, all abuse and bullying I received was merely penance in His name.
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This is insightful. Thaipusam is the festival associated with Kartikeya, the son of Shankar and Parvati. The Kavadi Attam is performed in this festival.
' Kavadi' here means carrying of burden or austerity. For 48 days before Thaipusam, the devotee performs austerities to purge themselves of all mental and physical impurities. Some of the kavadi or austerities are celibacy, taking only fresh vegetarian food once a day, continuously thinking of God, bathing in cold water, sleeping on the floor.
Through regular sadhana, and austerity as also mentioned by Krishna in the Gita, one can purge oneself of karma or unconsciousness. If this is not done voluntarily, the karma will be involuntarily purged through suffering.
Obviously the former is the better, as one is happy and blissful with a little pain of exertion. But due to lack of proper spiritual education, most of us learn this by trial and error.