Lord Shiva

[ramanirvana]

Can lord Shiva choose who his devotees will be? I had a vision that Lord Shiva was dancing and the sky was all black, around him was lights and fireworks and his body started to grow and I also seen many arms around him as he would dance.What does this mean?Is he trying to show his power?

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam ramanirvana:

I am curious. Was it the Nataraja form or the Dakshinamurthi more human form? Was this a dream or something you saw in meditation, or just before sleep? I personally don't believe Siva chooses you. Nor do you choose Siva. You just are who you are. We don't choose our race or gender. It just happens, and is karmically entwined. Siva or Ganesha or Vishnu might find you, but that is different than choosing.

Aum Namasivaya

[ramanirvana]

thank you for your insight Eastern Mind.I seen this vision while in meditation.I just heard from somewhere about deities choosing there devotees..I would like to know more about this subject.How does it just happen? Should a person seek out a god ?when you started getting into hinduisum did you say i will follow this or these gods?or it just came about and there is no explanation for it.?thank you in advance.I'm just trying to learn and get real truthful answer.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: My first encounter with mysticism was at young age. I remember at age 4 or so being asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, and replying, "I want to go the the high mountains of Tibet to meditate." Another indicator was when my mother sent me to vacation bible school, and after one day, I absolutely refused to go. I made such a fuss, she relented.

Then later I had some deeper experiences of feeling energy flowing through all form. Then still later two of my best friends were off to see a guru, so that piqued my interest. "Why would smart people (I thought they were smart.) do that. So about 6 months later when I was about 19 I went to see Him too. We never spoke personally, but I certainly felt a lot of energy. Yet only six months later I met him personally, and we became Guru/devotee.

But before all that, I was in an Indian crafts store and saw a smaller statue of Nataraja. I had no idea why, but I knew I had to have it. The owner was a Sikh gentleman, and he asked, "You meditate on this?" I said "yes," even though I didn't meditate at that time. So I certainly wasn't actively looking. Things just sort of happened.

Over time then, and lessons and more lessons and essays and communication, and more lessons, I arrived home. 99% of the lessons were in absolute agreement with what I already believed from personal observation and intuition.

So maybe a deity has found you. Maybe not. I never had visions of deities on the inside, but the stuff on the 'outside' is always magical. I've had a ton of mystical experiences with about 3 different murthis I know. So just follow your gut.

I certainly don't think Siva needs to 'show his power' but maybe he does just to get your attention, and it seems that has worked! I still want to know what form of Siva it was.

Aum Namasivaya

[NayaSurya]

I remember bringing my food out and placing it under a secret red bush I had in my yard. It was three bushes closely growing together to make a sacred space in the middle that none could see from the outside. I would pray here for hours and offer my food to God.

My poor family, I questioned them at every step. I was a child who never disobeyed...never said no to any elder. But, when it came to belief I questioned every moment. Because the name etched upon my soul did not align with the name upon theirs.

Siva comes when it is time and only then. He can come as a butterfly, wrapped in the song of a sparrow...in the ferocity of the Summer storm...or the winds of a hurricane. Nothing is so small or so great that His power is not evident.

The names of God are etched upon each piece of the Divine...it is as if we suddenly looked down one day and realized a name was written upon us.

There are many streams to the Divine...each one is traveled by those devotees. If we are lucky, we realize our location and recognize it.

This piece has always been in the Arms of Siva. Carried safely through tempest and tribulation...I one day looked up and realized my location was Him.

Perhaps it isn't about a choice at all but simply learning your own location and then having enough knowledge to recognizing it for what it truly is...

[ramanirvana]

Thank you again Eastern Mind for your insight.Shiva appeared to me in a more human form,and was meditating,and it was like he knew i was there but his eyes were completely closed,then he just began to grow in size and his eyes open but he had no pupil,then he opened his mouth and white light came out and absorbed everything.i also had a vision of kali,in a pure form.her tongue wasnt sticking out she had no demon head or necklace of servered heads..she had on a robe similar to wat monks wear and it was yellow and red.I dont know if she does wear actaul clothes or not but she did in my vision,and she told me that she was not of demon nature and that i shuld follow the path that is best for me,even if that means not worshipping her as god.i dont know if these are real visions or just imagination running wild..i dont know but kali did put me at peace about her image,because i thought for a while why would people worship this crazy goddesses.but now im at more peace about her.

[ramanirvana]

thank you for your answer NayaSurya.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~


namasté

Śiva. Some call Him śivabhaṭṭāraka i.e. bhaṭṭāra is the Great Lord , venerable or worshipful; bhaṭ भट् is to nourish and & maintain;
Hence He is the Great Lord (bhaṭṭār), the Auspicious (śiva) who nourishes and maintains (bhaṭ).

It is of great interest and adoration to me that śiva is both nirguṇa and saguṇa and the same time ....so says śiva puraṇa.

ॐ महेश्वराय नमः
oṁ maheśvarāya namaḥ
oṁ I bow (salutations) to maheśvara

maheśvarāya महेश्वराय is the combination of maha मह or great, mightly, strong, abundant + īśvara ईश्वर which lord, king, Supreme Being; this word is rooted in īś ईश् which means to rule , reign or command. Hence maheśvarāya is the Great and Mighty Ruler.

And where does one find śiva ? Vārāṇasī .

praṇām

[ramanirvana]

He appeared in a more human form,and then he grew in size.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam ramanirvana:

It sounds to me like you had a previous subconscious impression of Siva in the classic North Indian blue throated trident carrying third eye sitting on a tiger skin meditating one. I only became familiar with that one much later, which is unusual as its the most common way Siva is portrayed. I don't even have that picture in my house.

As far as imagination versus vision goes, I have no idea. That stuff is too personal. Whatever you feel is what it is. I never went looking for things. It just happened. One vision I had I never even discovered that it was a vision until about 30 years after the fact. The only reason I found out is that other people who were in the same place and time as I was didn't see what I saw. So personally, I wouldn't be very analytical about it at all. Somewhat like analysing dreams. I don't. Usually it is the inner mind just clearing stuff out anyway, and if you analyse them, it may not get cleared out. At least that's my personal view.

Aum Namasivaya

[ramanirvana]

Thank you for your insight Eatern Mind.

[shian]

Nice experience Eastern MInd ...^_^...
and others , you are is cool and blessed by Lord Shiva.

For me, thinking about Lord Mahesvara is always give me Dharmasukha
(The joyfull of Dharma / nectar of Dharma)

i bow to Lord Mahamahesvara Mahamahesvari , Ganesh and Kartikkeya