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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > Hinduism

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  #21  
Old 12-08-2017, 06:44 AM
xmode xmode is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Necromancer
Namaste.

It is no more a symbol of Shiva than a picture taken of you is a symbol of you! ;)

We are going into the whole 'Divine Identity' part of this now. So, who are you?

You can be a lot of different things to many different people - 'friend', 'brother', 'workmate', a 'random dude on the street', but who are you really?

You can be like Adi Shankaracharya and say "oh that's an easy one, I am Shiva" but then again, Adi Shakaracharya kinda was.

You could say all of those things are Shiva and you'd be right. I could say that Shiva is the most beautiful, deeply spiritual, profoundly esoteric, sacred yet potent, mysterious, understanding, wise, patient, infinitely knowledgeable being/thing I have ever seen, felt or otherwise experienced and I would be right.

I mean, I couldn't even be half of the things Shiva is...not even a tiny fraction of the characteristics of what I know about Him...which isn't much...like the tip of an iceberg it is.

So when others say that "you are Shiva" or "Shiva is within you" I am like...'woah...hold your horses there, my friend...I wanna hear Him say that". lol

Aum Namah Shivaya

Yes, you are right.
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  #22  
Old 12-08-2017, 06:48 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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Om Swastiastu.

Now, I am going to open my heart right up and explain why it is I cannot see Shiva as 'myself' or in 'cosmic manifestation'.

Ever since I was a small girl of about 5 or 6, I was physically and sexually abused by my father and emotionally abused by my mother. I was totally unloved, unwanted, locked in my room for days...I wasn't allowed to have any friends, no contact with anybody beyond school and I had no friends at school either.

I never learned any of the 'social graces', I never learned how to interact with others...children would stop playing when I showed up...they would refuse to play sport if I was forced to be on their team. I was also bullied by about 30 children to hell and back...bashed, hair pulled, pushed down the stairs, had my bag stolen umpteen times and thrown on the roof of the gym...had my locker trashed constantly...teachers would do nothing.

I was constantly bashed and bullied at school...constantly bashed and bullied when I got home and nobody would listen...nobody would help...I had nobody to talk to, care for me, be my friend...I was traumatised beyond traumatised and night after night I would sob uncontrollably into my pillow...crying..."why was I even born?" I kept asking this over and over...until one night, I got a reply..."you were born for Me to love you" and that was the very first time I heard those words. I became aware of a very dark, potent, masculine energy surrounding me...very overwhelming and a bit scary, but also totally beautiful, amazing and awesome and He soon became my friend...my only friend...my 'invisible friend' lol

When I was 12, I saw the very first 'image' of Shiva and the whole recognition was spontaneous...instantaneous! and all I could say and feel was "It's YOU!" and all I got in reply was "yes".

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.

Thus I started studying Sanskrit, the Vedas and Upanishads, Tantra...and embarked upon this life-long journey.

The 'friend' soon became a 'lover' and I became a full-on Shiva Bhakta.

Aum Namah Shivaya
__________________
I am the creator of my own reality, so please don't get offended if I refuse to allow you to be the creator of it instead of focusing on creating your own. Thanks.
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  #23  
Old 12-08-2017, 08:48 AM
xmode xmode is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 33
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Necromancer
Om Swastiastu.

Now, I am going to open my heart right up and explain why it is I cannot see Shiva as 'myself' or in 'cosmic manifestation'.

Ever since I was a small girl of about 5 or 6, I was physically and sexually abused by my father and emotionally abused by my mother. I was totally unloved, unwanted, locked in my room for days...I wasn't allowed to have any friends, no contact with anybody beyond school and I had no friends at school either.

I never learned any of the 'social graces', I never learned how to interact with others...children would stop playing when I showed up...they would refuse to play sport if I was forced to be on their team. I was also bullied by about 30 children to hell and back...bashed, hair pulled, pushed down the stairs, had my bag stolen umpteen times and thrown on the roof of the gym...had my locker trashed constantly...teachers would do nothing.

I was constantly bashed and bullied at school...constantly bashed and bullied when I got home and nobody would listen...nobody would help...I had nobody to talk to, care for me, be my friend...I was traumatised beyond traumatised and night after night I would sob uncontrollably into my pillow...crying..."why was I even born?" I kept asking this over and over...until one night, I got a reply..."you were born for Me to love you" and that was the very first time I heard those words. I became aware of a very dark, potent, masculine energy surrounding me...very overwhelming and a bit scary, but also totally beautiful, amazing and awesome and He soon became my friend...my only friend...my 'invisible friend' lol

When I was 12, I saw the very first 'image' of Shiva and the whole recognition was spontaneous...instantaneous! and all I could say and feel was "It's YOU!" and all I got in reply was "yes".

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.

Thus I started studying Sanskrit, the Vedas and Upanishads, Tantra...and embarked upon this life-long journey.

The 'friend' soon became a 'lover' and I became a full-on Shiva Bhakta.

Aum Namah Shivaya

Alright, mate...
I can only imagine what you had been through...So rough... : (
Shiva had been giving you forces to sustain you...

Excuse my English, it is faaar from perfect & I cannot express my self properly...

"Dark, potent, masculine energy"....This sounds so authentic...Such a meeting is life-mind-changing .. Nothing stays the same...

I've only met hostile beings trying to hurt me...Now I am trying to save myself...But even talking or thinking bout them is giving them energy, so stop...

Om for you,
Om namah Shivaya!
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  #24  
Old 12-08-2017, 08:58 AM
ajay00 ajay00 is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,291
 
Double post - please delete
__________________
When even one virtue becomes our nature, the mind becomes clean and tranquil. Then there is no need to practice meditation; we will automatically be meditating always. ~ Swami Satchidananda

Wholesome virtuous behavior progressively leads to the foremost.~ Buddha AN 10.1

If you do right, irrespective of what the other does, it will slow down the (turbulent) mind. ~ Rajini Menon

Last edited by ajay00 : 12-08-2017 at 09:04 AM. Reason: Double post - please delete
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  #25  
Old 12-08-2017, 08:59 AM
ajay00 ajay00 is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,291
 
Quote:
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.


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.
__________________
When even one virtue becomes our nature, the mind becomes clean and tranquil. Then there is no need to practice meditation; we will automatically be meditating always. ~ Swami Satchidananda

Wholesome virtuous behavior progressively leads to the foremost.~ Buddha AN 10.1

If you do right, irrespective of what the other does, it will slow down the (turbulent) mind. ~ Rajini Menon
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  #26  
Old 12-08-2017, 02:55 PM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 10,861
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xmode
Alright, mate...
I can only imagine what you had been through...So rough... : (
Shiva had been giving you forces to sustain you...

Excuse my English, it is faaar from perfect & I cannot express my self properly...

"Dark, potent, masculine energy"....This sounds so authentic...Such a meeting is life-mind-changing .. Nothing stays the same...

I've only met hostile beings trying to hurt me...Now I am trying to save myself...But even talking or thinking bout them is giving them energy, so stop...

Om for you,
Om namah Shivaya!
Namaste.

Thank you.

I realised afterwards that most people would have blamed God for bestowing such ill fate, but all I felt at the time was sheer and utter relief that I was not completely and totally alone in life. Yeah, despite everything, He still had my back and the whole purpose of what I went through was designed to make finding Him much easier.

For those God truly loves, He will remove everything...all attachments until nothing remains but Him alone and I learned this one early on.

Sometimes I still allow myself to get a bit sad that I wasn't given the chance to have the full 'human experience' and it will still play out in my life occasionally, but I also realise that things are like that for a reason.

Quote:
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.
Namaste.

Yes! definitely! although at the time, I was made aware that the festival was in honor of the son of Shiva and all I could think back then was 'the way to the Father is through the Son' and so, with all due respect, I thanked Lord Murugan and paid my respects in that way, but I also said "we both know full well that You are not who I am after here...please introduce me to your father" and of course, He kindly and graciously obliged.

Aum Namah Shivaya
__________________
I am the creator of my own reality, so please don't get offended if I refuse to allow you to be the creator of it instead of focusing on creating your own. Thanks.
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  #27  
Old 13-08-2017, 01:16 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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Namaste.

Last night, I forgot my 'golden rule' - no stimulants after 4pm...and so it was, I had a strong coffee and a cigarette at 8pm.

By 2am, my astral body was under direct assault by every rogue demon with an agenda.

I was 'lucid nightmaring' and I knew I was asleep, but I couldn't wake up and my whole body was convulsing with night terrors...my kundalini was running haywire...meanwhile, images flashed before my eyes like 'Dante's Inferno'...I was told I had only minutes to live...I was told my afterlife would consist of me being locked alone in a dark room for an eternity and so I started to pray to Shiva, but He wasn't gonna help me out this time and so I started chanting Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra...and it all subsided, eventually when after the specified 'minutes' became hours, I turned to the demons and said "looks like you were all wrong...AGAIN!".

Suffice to say, I am spending today cleaning and smudging my whole flat, flushing my system out with litres of warm water and then going to massage the feet of my mother...



Aum Namah Shivaya
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I am the creator of my own reality, so please don't get offended if I refuse to allow you to be the creator of it instead of focusing on creating your own. Thanks.
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  #28  
Old 13-08-2017, 04:21 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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Dear Xmode.

I don't know what country you come from, but I am assuming you are of Bharat descent.

I am not, but in my travels, there are a few things I have learned about how Hindus approach the problem of bad spirits and demons.

I was married once...to a Hindu priest from Fiji and I had a very superstitious mother-in-law...a few things I picked up and I am now applying them myself after last night.

First is to do Nav Graha Puja and Hawan. I have just completed it. I'm also a qualified pujari anyway, but jyotisha totally escapes me...I tried to learn it once...made my brain hurt too much.

Anyway, get Nav Graha Puja and Hawan done...take the kund into every room and just let the samagri smoke just permeate.

After this, get some aesafoetida (heeng) and a tiny piece of muslin cloth, roll the heeng into a small ball, wrap it in the cloth, tie it up and hang it either around your neck or near your bed...it stinks...to high heaven, but bad spirits hate the smell of it more than what we do.

Before you sleep, place a knife or sharp metallic object under your pillow and you can also keep a rudrakska bead there. I just noticed that last night, was the first time I went to sleep without wearing my rudraksha kangan because it broke and I have to fix it.

If dark spirits wake you in the night, lick your fingers and rub saliva all over your forehead...or you can do this at any time, really. It's like marking your own astral territory.

Have a shower and brush your teeth before bed and try not to go out in the night time whilst you are dirty and then come back home and go straight to bed...

Anyway, these are old-wives tales...but there is merit to them because they actually work.

Aum Namah Shivaya
__________________
I am the creator of my own reality, so please don't get offended if I refuse to allow you to be the creator of it instead of focusing on creating your own. Thanks.
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  #29  
Old 13-08-2017, 06:08 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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Although I have to mention it right now that some of the things that happened on advice from my mother in law was just downright freaking weird.

Once I had lower back pain for weeks and it would not go away...I tried everything...

She called my niece over and said to me; "let her feet touch your back because she was born breech" I was very skeptcal of this, but within hours of her feet touching my back, the pain vanished and never returned.

Once we were growing kadu (pumpkin) in our backyard and I was stepping over the vines to get around it to mow the lawn...she came racing out of the house saying "don't step over the plants or they will die" again I was skeptical and ignored her...in three days the pumpkin vines all died.

I was having a fit of tossing and turning in my sleep always and I mentioned it to her...she was like "that's because you dry your pajamas in the clothes dryer...they are still moving around and around with you in them"...now that one took the cake! I laughed for days, but then the dryer broke, I had no choice but to line dry them and what do you know? I slept like a baby afterwards without moving.

Yeah, so just some more silly things from the recesses of my memory.
__________________
I am the creator of my own reality, so please don't get offended if I refuse to allow you to be the creator of it instead of focusing on creating your own. Thanks.
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  #30  
Old 13-08-2017, 08:51 AM
Hemera Hemera is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 506
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Necromancer
Om Swastiastu.

Now, I am going to open my heart right up and explain why it is I cannot see Shiva as 'myself' or in 'cosmic manifestation'.

Ever since I was a small girl of about 5 or 6, I was physically and sexually abused by my father and emotionally abused by my mother. I was totally unloved, unwanted, locked in my room for days...I wasn't allowed to have any friends, no contact with anybody beyond school and I had no friends at school either.

I never learned any of the 'social graces', I never learned how to interact with others...children would stop playing when I showed up...they would refuse to play sport if I was forced to be on their team. I was also bullied by about 30 children to hell and back...bashed, hair pulled, pushed down the stairs, had my bag stolen umpteen times and thrown on the roof of the gym...had my locker trashed constantly...teachers would do nothing.

I was constantly bashed and bullied at school...constantly bashed and bullied when I got home and nobody would listen...nobody would help...I had nobody to talk to, care for me, be my friend...I was traumatised beyond traumatised and night after night I would sob uncontrollably into my pillow...crying..."why was I even born?" I kept asking this over and over...until one night, I got a reply..."you were born for Me to love you" and that was the very first time I heard those words. I became aware of a very dark, potent, masculine energy surrounding me...very overwhelming and a bit scary, but also totally beautiful, amazing and awesome and He soon became my friend...my only friend...my 'invisible friend' lol

When I was 12, I saw the very first 'image' of Shiva and the whole recognition was spontaneous...instantaneous! and all I could say and feel was "It's YOU!" and all I got in reply was "yes".

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.

Thus I started studying Sanskrit, the Vedas and Upanishads, Tantra...and embarked upon this life-long journey.

The 'friend' soon became a 'lover' and I became a full-on Shiva Bhakta.

Aum Namah Shivaya

I'm so sorry you went through this I just wanted to say that I relate to your experience in some ways. I had a very isolating childhood; I wasn't physically locked up like you were, but I was emotionally isolated and was tormented by family members. I had no one to talk to. I was bullied all through school and had no friends; kids would laugh at me, refuse to work with me, refuse to have me in their team etc.

I didn't have a direct experience of who I would call God, but otherwise I felt kind of simiilar to you. I wrote prayers a lot, went on my own to church, completed Christian workbooks, and generally felt that God supported me. It brought a great source of comfort during the isolation of those years and it continues to, albeit in a slightly different way and my faith does fluctuate sometimes when my ego takes over.

It is very powerful to feel such a presence when you're otherwise so alone. I admire your conviction in your experiences as they will obviously will carry you through life. My adult life has also been extremely isolating through no fault of my own, and I wonder if this is how it has to be so that God alone will sustain me.

I'm not a Hindu but as I relate I just wanted to reach out I guess.
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