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Sagefrakrobatik
03 August 2008, 11:49 PM
Why are you a Shaviate? Were you raised this way and if not why did you convert? Why do you maintain Faith in this God and not another?

Arjuna
06 August 2008, 11:30 AM
Why do you maintain Faith in this God and not another?

Is there any OTHER God apart from One who IS? :D

Eastern Mind
06 August 2008, 05:59 PM
I am a Saivite because that is where I feel most comfortable on an intuitive level. Ultimately, Vishnu and Siva are one and the same. When first introduced to Hinduism, I hit Saivism in a fairly clear way. Nataraja, then Ganesha, then Murugan, all sort of just drew me into the Dharma.

atanu
06 August 2008, 11:59 PM
Why are you a Shaviate? Were you raised this way and if not why did you convert? Why do you maintain Faith in this God and not another?

Namaste Sage,

Everyone loves Shiva only, knowingly or unknowingly. Everyone loves one's self the most. Whatever one does one does for the love of self alone. And thus all the happenings -- including all love and also all wars.

The meaning of Shiva is the Good Self, which is ONE and Only One. Coming to know this ends all wars.


Om

vcindiana
07 August 2008, 06:05 AM
A six year old boy was asked by his Dad who was the best person in the world and loved him the most. The boy immediately answered that it was his Dad. Dad said “‘No “. Following day Dad asked the boy same question. This time with a little pause, the boy answered that it was his Mother. Dad again said “No”.
Next day Dad came back to the boy and asked again. The boy carefully thought about this and answered that it was himself.
I guess often we do not recognize our own self worth, value, self image and self esteem. This is not an “ego” thing, but it is the recognition that each one of us is important, valued, wanted and loved. Only when we love ourselves then we can love other. There is God (Love) in each of us.
Love................VC

yajvan
07 August 2008, 01:42 PM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~~


Namaste

Why Siva? Śiva is Śivabhaṭṭāraka; bhaṭṭāra means the great Lord , venerable or worshipful; bhaṭ भट् He nourishes, maintains.

He is ananta, endless, infinite. Even this suggests limitations. He is aways fullness, bhuma, overflowing. He is freedom or svātantrya.

This freedom is so full and unbounded that to exercise it fully He becomes bound, finite, the individual jiva. Some like to call this self-concealment, He hides Himself within Himself.

This hide-and-seek or manifesting boundaries within the boundless (Himself) some like to call maya… Taking the Infinite , ananta, and measuring or limiting itself to time, shape, size, cause or action.

Yet in each individual jiva there is this innate desire for more, for this fullness to return. Innately we know yet we cannot always put our finger on it, that we are more then we seem. This is the śakti to return Home.
This urge for more e.g. more education, more friends, more home, more cars, more … more… more… is the natural urge that is pre-wired in us to return to ananta, to bhuma, to svātantrya.

So what we are experiencing as humans is His play, his impulse ( spanda) to be both infinite and finite at the same time.
This is why with one's sādhana or meditative approach, this letting go, one goes from the finite to the infinite. There's no additional wiring needed. How can this be unless we at the core of infinite to begin with?

When the attention at any instant is unbounded, it rests back in the Infinite. As if a wave relaxes for a second, it once again becomes the Ocean. The Ocean did not have to be built, it is there all the time - this is Śiva.

So the question is why one's attention and adoration on Śiva? How can one avoid it? Perhaps if others care to call Śiva Viṣṇu, or Mother Divine (Śrī Devī) or Kṛṣṇa, or Bhairava, and the like, I am fine with it. There is no mistaking it as Universal Self, Universal Consciousness.

For me Śivabhaṭṭāraka is most attractive because of the trika philosophy - the approach to Śiva is intended for any human being without restrictions e.g. caste, class, color, etc. It is a path that allows any one... paśu, vīra or divya the way back to samāveśa, being possessed of the Divine.

It is because of His grace, anugraha, this is all possible.

pranams

words used

vīra वीर- a brave man; heroic , powerful , strong , excellent,
paś पश् - to bind, or fasten. It also means the following: to be a spectator , look on ; to live to see , experience
paśu पशु - by definition is considered any tethered animal. There must be then an additional insight , a symbol ( samkita) to this notion then of paśu
divya दिव्य - divine , heavenly , celestial
anugraha अनुग्रह grace, favour , kindness , showing favour , conferring benefits , promoting or furthering a good object

c.smith
15 August 2008, 05:20 PM
In my early days as a Hindu "convert", I struggled to find my place within the faith. Having made the rounds to ISKCON, the local Sai Baba Temple, BAPS, etc I always felt a longing for Lord Shiva. Seemingly limited resources at the time to one in the United States, I stumbled upon the Himalayan Institute. Continuing my search, still not satisfied, I was lead to a replica of Lord Somnath here locally. The bond I feel in that Mandir is one that has lasted and has brought me additionally to Chinmaya Mission and the Shiva Temple there. I am fortunate that Lord Shiva has revealed Himself to me.

Om Namah Shivaya

yajvan
15 August 2008, 07:07 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

In my early days as a Hindu "convert", I struggled to find my place within the faith. Having made the rounds to ISKCON, the local Sai Baba Temple, BAPS, etc I always felt a longing for Lord Shiva. Seemingly limited resources at the time to one in the United States, I stumbled upon the Himalayan Institute. Continuing my search, still not satisfied, I was lead to a replica of Lord Somnath here locally. The bond I feel in that Mandir is one that has lasted and has brought me additionally to Chinmaya Mission and the Shiva Temple there. I am fortunate that Lord Shiva has revealed Himself to me. Om Namah Shivaya

Namaste c.smith
Nice to see your posts again... Namaḥ Śivaya Somnāth Nayaḥ.
One of the most favorite jyotiṣh Jyotirlingam's of the 12.

Somnāth is the protector of Soma or the Moon.

http://www.somnath.org/photo/01.jpg

photo courtesy of http://www.somnath.org/PHOTO-GALARY.html