Are shiva and shakti twin flames?

[peteyzen]

Originally Posted by Hari Om

Real Persons? God doesn't exist as real person. ~Hari Om

My experience is different, I have absolutely experienced god as a real person. God as an Avatar.

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by sunsoul

The TF idea is a modern, western construction so probably not best suited to explain certain Hindu concepts. And, Hinduism has suffered in the past from western ideas simplifying and reassessing certain Indian truths in a grand colonial sweep of modernisation.

So true, and I'm pleased we don't see it here.

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by peteyzen

My experience is different, I have absolutely experienced god as a real person. God as an Avatar.

In traditional Saivism and Shaktism, Shiva doesn't incarnate and there are no avatars. Of course n Vaishnavism avatars are a key component.The idea of Shiva or Shakti incarnating as an avatar is a result of modern interpretations, where concepts from all 3 schools get superimposed on each other, so something once restricted to Vaishnavism has spread.

Of course anyone is free to interpret in whatever way they wish.

[peteyzen]

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

In traditional Saivism and Shaktism, Shiva doesn't incarnate and there are no avatars. Of course n Vaishnavism avatars are a key component.The idea of Shiva or Shakti incarnating as an avatar is a result of modern interpretations, where concepts from all 3 schools get superimposed on each other, so something once restricted to Vaishnavism has spread.

Of course anyone is free to interpret in whatever way they wish.

If you read the quote I replied to; Hari om said god does not incarnate as a person, he didn`t mention Shiva, merely god, and I was not referring to vaishnavism or any of the 3 schools, I was referring to my personal experience.

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by peteyzen

If you read the quote I replied to; Hari om said god does not incarnate as a person, he didn`t mention Shiva, merely god, and I was not referring to vaishnavism or any of the 3 schools, I was referring to my personal experience.

Yes, I realized that.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by Hari Om

Namastey,

Soul is the consciousness. Shiva is known as the SOUL and Parvati (Shakti) is Known as MIND. Consciousness is real and mind is unreal. The joint form you are talking about is called as Ardhanarishwar. The Shakti you are talking about is also known by various names like Uma, Parvati, Kali etc. All these are the names of Hindu Goddess.
In Short both Shiva and Shakti are Soul and Mind.

~Hari Om

Pranams.

Ardhanarishwar is my own personal Ishwara.

I started off (many years ago) worshiping Shiva manifest (in the form of Kal Bhairav).

Shiva is the 'cause' and the unmanifest form is Mahadeva or Rudra. Lord Shiva resides in the Sahasrara Chakra at the crown of the head in the Linga Sharira (astral body).

However, an unmanifest Shiva can only be worshiped according to the principles of Agama.

I was a Shiva bhakt for many years...hoping to attain 'Shiva-hood' through Raja Yoga and meditation...I attained Savikalpa awareness, but apart from that, I was getting nowhere.

Then, I mentioned my experiences to my Guru, who went "Shiva can only be known through Shakti".

So, I put down my copy of Vignana Bhairava Tantra and picked up Saundarya Lahari and fully embraced asexual Tantra.

Shakti resides in the form of Mother Kundalini at the base of the spine..and through many, many years of meditation, pranayama, hatha yoga, Kriya Yoga etc...Mother Kundalini can rise up and dance with Lord Shiva in Sahasrara Chakra.

What this means is Father Shiva = cause and Mother Maya = effect.

This creates the duality of all existence and sensory experience, which is called Dvaita (duality).

When Shiva and Shakti are kept apart...there is cause and effect...there is Maya (illusion) and there is Mithyavadi (falsehood world). Keeping Shiva and Shakti apart, causes us to realise our existence as separate from that universal consciousness (Brahman absolute).

When Shiva and Shakti are conjoined and dance together, all effect (Maya) is taken directly back to the source of emanation (Shiva) and unity is obtained...once this unity is achieved, the soul rests in Advaita (non-duality) and the consciousness expands into union with that Supreme Consciousness called Brahman and Samadhi is the result.

I am not quite 'there' yet though.

This is why Shiva and Shakti aren't 'twin flames'...Shiva is Shakti and Shakti is Shiva...in the end, anyway.

Om Namah Shivaya