Shiva is love?

[Onkara]

Friends,

According to this short video, the right knowledge is to know that Shiva is love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u3kJjas6sc

But why is Shiva love?

How does Shiva show love?
How can we know without doubt that Shiva is love?
If so how can we Love Shiva in return?

[aneil]

Namaste Snip,

The essence of the manifestation and form of Lord Shiva is that of Sat (truth), Chit (consciousness) and Ananda (Supreme Bliss). Shiva is revered by all as the diety which is most easily pleased since He looks not at the sins nor the merits of his devotees but rather their sincerity and love for him. His compassion and love shows no limit and he never turns away anyone's prayers.

This absolute love cannot be totally understood by our subjective and inquisitive intellect, but rather can only be experienced in our hearts when we chant his beautiful name.

Jai Shiva Shankara!!

[Onkara]

Namaste Snip,

The essence of the manifestation and form of Lord Shiva is that of Sat (truth), Chit (consciousness) and Ananda (Supreme Bliss). Shiva is revered by all as the diety which is most easily pleased since He looks not at the sins nor the merits of his devotees but rather their sincerity and love for him. His compassion and love shows no limit and he never turns away anyone's prayers.

This absolute love cannot be totally understood by our subjective and inquisitive intellect, but rather can only be experienced in our hearts when we chant his beautiful name.

Jai Shiva Shankara!!

Aneil
Thank you for this positive reply!

This post is because I would like to come to know that love of and for Shiva/Shakti. If there are scriptures which go into this love, I would be pleased to be made aware of them.

[Eastern Mind]

Friends,

How does Shiva show love?


Vannakkam Snip: When you develop a personal relationship with Siva, he shows love in many many ways.

1) He can answer prayers, the ones to soften karma, the ones that you need in your spiritual evolution. In this way he is selective.

2) He can find you friends, a camaraderie of like minded souls.

3) He can just put a peaceful smile on your face.

4) He can bless you with the sense that you are in Him, and He is in you.

5) He can aid in the coming into being of positive affirmations such as "All my needs will always be met."

6) During troubled times caused by parabda karmas, he can let you know He is still with you.

7) He can spread his shakti energy so strongly throughout the core molecules of your very being that you don't even feel any 'I' ness, if but fleetingly.

8) He can soften your personality, so that only kind words can be uttered from your mouth.

All this and much much more!

Aum Namasivaya

[NayaSurya]

Snip, I was outside yesterday and the beautiful Autumn sun rose over the maples, dogwoods, hickory and oaks of our forest. The wind picked up and my long hair whipped around my face like hands upon a child's face.

I was praying at the time and I couldn't help but tell Her...Mata Shakti your beautiful face is the sky, your beautiful hair the trees, the wind your hands holding this child so lovingly as she prayed. If you come as a looming shadow within the darkness...or a bird which sits so close I can see it's heart beating...it does not matter. For you are beautiful in every manifested form...I love you Mother.

Shiva and Shakti love us so much, they shelter us in this beautiful world. Sustain us, even when often I did not deserve it... still mucking around blissfully ignorant of their presence.

But They are always here.

It's simplistic I know...and perhaps I spend far too much time meditating within this forest all my life that I have become too clouded by her beautiful ways.

But, such love it does stir to see her in this way...the creation, action and movement...the beautiful ways of Beloved Mother.

She takes me to her bossom and holds me gently when I am afraid or restless...and this child is instantly aware of such things.

Beloved Beautiful Mother Shakti, Beloved Everything Shivaya and this tiny child which was broken off from their Blessed Beautiful Form.

http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/Newhomepage/whoisshakti.html

[Onkara]

EM and NayaSurya
Thank you, these are beautiful replies. :)

[Adhvagat]

Om Namah Shivaya! :)

[ritueshwara]

Shiva is divine love.:)

[Necromancer]

Friends,

According to this short video, the right knowledge is to know that Shiva is love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u3kJjas6sc

But why is Shiva love?

How does Shiva show love?
How can we know without doubt that Shiva is love?
If so how can we Love Shiva in return?
Namaste and pranams.

I reaalise this is an old thread I am resurrecting, but I have decided to read through every thread in this whole section one by one when I have nothing better to do (which is now).

I could be meditating, praying or worshipping in my boredom...but I see this as a form of that (and I do a lot anyway).

This would have to be my favourite topic and I would like to answer it to the best of my knowledge, faith, opinion and experience.

Let's break it down then:

1. But why is Shiva love?

On the surface, Lord Shiva appears to be rather aloof and indifferent...always in meditation, always cold and calculating...ready to transform into a Destructive Being in a moments notice...

That all, however, is just a cover to mask His true soft, compassionate identity as Asutosh and Bholenath (he who is pleased and easily satisfied by the prayers of His Devotees)..Lord Shiva is available to ALL who worship Him with open Heart and Soul...who surrender fully unto Him, chanting Aum Namah Shivaya without expectation or desire.

Lord Shiva is also Pashupati (Beloved of Beasts) and Umapati (Beloved of Uma) Lord Shiva is the Beloved of everything! he is so kind, wise and compassionate, showering infinite grace and happiness upon His devotees. What is not to love? and why shouldn't He be the pure embodiment of it?

2. How does Shiva show love?

As mentioned above, Lord Shiva shows His love by granting Darshan and wishes to his sincere devotees.

He also shows His love by 'befriending' the Devotee and becoming an integral part of their lives/thoughts and daily prayers. I can actually feel that love within my heart...the love Lord Shiva gives me in return for my own and every time I feel this and go deeply into it, I will either go into spontaneous meditation or just weep profusely (like now).

It's something we'll know when we know then there'll be no denying what's just happened.

3. How can we know without doubt that Shiva is love?

See above, I guess. Lord Shiva is also all about 'tough love' and a devotee will 'blame' Lord Shiva for his misery many times over before coming to a realisation that it's all part of His Divine Plan anyway and just accept that and Lord Shiva's grace.

4. If so, how can we love Shiva in return?

Realising #3, we fully surrender our heart and soul to the Divine Will of Lord Shiva, prostrating ourselves before His Holy countenance (in the form of murti or mental image)...handing over full 'control' of our lives to Lord Shiva and letting His 'Divine Will' be done...let's face it...it's not like we have a choice in the matter before that anyway.

Thinking we all do, is what binds us to the wheel of Karma and stops us from seeing what is true...from seeing Lord Shiva.

Then that Love will be known and it's just so overwhelming.


Vannakkam Snip: When you develop a personal relationship with Siva, he shows love in many many ways.

1) He can answer prayers, the ones to soften karma, the ones that you need in your spiritual evolution. In this way he is selective.

2) He can find you friends, a camaraderie of like minded souls.

3) He can just put a peaceful smile on your face.

4) He can bless you with the sense that you are in Him, and He is in you.

5) He can aid in the coming into being of positive affirmations such as "All my needs will always be met."

6) During troubled times caused by parabda karmas, he can let you know He is still with you.

7) He can spread his shakti energy so strongly throughout the core molecules of your very being that you don't even feel any 'I' ness, if but fleetingly.

8) He can soften your personality, so that only kind words can be uttered from your mouth.

All this and much much more!

Aum Namasivaya
.....and that's a 'yes' to ALL of the above and more.


Aum Namah Shivaya

[Necromancer]

Namaste.

As I was about to doze off to sleep today, certain memories came back to me and I would like to share them.

As a young girl, I had rather a bad habit of 'getting lost' quite intentionally while my family were on vacation overseas.

The first time, I was 10 and decided to take off during a Thaipusam festival to find out how/why people could stand having those things done to their bodies and yet there was no pain...no blood.

It was in a temple in Malaysia I found the answer to my questions and saw my first murthi and picture of Lord Shiva. I approached the Lord with curiosity until I was escorted off to the local police station.

The next time (and this is what I recalled) was in Bali, Indonesia.

It was a year later and I was walking along a crowded street with my family.

Then, through the window of an antique store, I saw another picture of Lord Shiva...it was done so beautifully...in batik. I couldn't take my eyes off it and the next thing I knew, my family were half way down the street and I was walking inside the shop, just gazing at the picture.

Then I heard "He's beautiful, isn't He?" *says my name*

I turned around an saw the old (what I presumed to be) Balinese store keeper.

I was like "how did you know my name just now?"

He nodded towards the picture and said "He told me".

That was it!

I turned back towards the picture and I said "okay, so, you've got my attention now, what is it that you want from me"?

Then in that moment, I knew what. I fell to the floor, sobbing.

The old man helped me up, then took from around his neck a gold 'Om' and placed it around mine, with the words "Lord Shiva asked me to give this to you...but now, please go home. Your parents must be worried."

I agreed with him and thanked him for his kindness.

After my past fiascoes, the plan was, if ever I were to get separated from the family again, I would grab a taxi straight back to the hotel where we were staying and stay put until they got there.

By the time I got back to the hotel, they were already there and my father was fuming.

"Where the hell did you go this time?...you are only ELEVEN YEARS OLD and a GIRL...lots of bad men out there".

"Sorry daddy, I saw this shiny thing on the ground *points to necklace* and I looked down to examine it and pick it up...then when I looked up again, you were gone. I asked around for you and then headed straight back here like you told me to".

"That's just a piece of cheap trash. So, you mean to say that's how it was then? Okay, I'll let you keep it, but you will not go unpunished this time." *removes leather belt*

At first, the blows hurt...they really stung (as they do). Then, I closed my eyes, held on to the necklace and stood again before that picture of Lord Shiva and I felt no more pain. No more fear.

I was laughing as my dad belt me up and that only made him do it more.

I knew I belonged to Lord Shiva from that moment.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Vitani]

Namaste,

I believe Shiva is love too :)

Pranams

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

Lord Shiva Maheshwara is so loving because He allows us easily to seek His two Sons, Ganesha and Muruga. He openly shares Their communion with us.

He shows us the Door to His temple by having Nandi there for us to find His Home.

The Mother of the World is the Great Goddess, Whom He tells Her to also let us be Her children.


There are no words to describe His love. Why? Because we all love family, yet He shares His Family to all humans and beasts. He even accepts demons. His devotees share a love that comes from Him and in the end, even the greatest demon will eventually accept peace.

Om Namah Sivaya

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

And in RETURN for such love, we must show our love and devotion to His Sons Ganapati and Muruga, to Nandi who waits before His Door, and to the Mother of the Universe.

By showing respect, love and devotion to His Family, then He will be pleased.

Om Namah Sivaya

[sapansaxena]

Namaste!!!
For me, SHiva is love, Shiva is worship, Shiva is everything!!!!
Mahadev's legends and tales have inspire me like no other could, and I feel blessed to feel my love for Mahadev

[TrikonaBindu]

To all Namaskaram.

There is that supreme power, ultimately responsible for the beauty, terror, and opportunity of this world, who has for our benefit embodied Himself as Lord Shiva. Those who are drawn to love Him, no matter what happens, are truly blessed.

To confide my own condition: It was Sri Mangalamurti Ganesha who brought me into the Faith. No problem there, as Sri Ganesha is wholly loving and beneficent. To me it was always clear, however, that Sri Ganesha is not the one ultimately responsible for this creation.

From being a non-sectarian Hindu I became specifically Shaiva as I began to recognize the One who is All in all, the One who is indeed ultimately responsible for everything. In reaching this conclusion, two things were decisive for me: (1) prolonged contemplation of the revealed figure of Mahadeva and (2) reading Ishwara Pratyabhijna Karika, the famous treatise of the Kashmiri sage Utpaladeva.

A deep-rooted conviction that Shiva is ultimate truth, basically that is what I’ve reached so far. Also, I have a strong emotional attachment to Shiva’s revealed form and holy names. I cannot say, however, that I have mature love for Shiva, such that I am able to recognize Him in all the parts and parcels of this world. I don’t even have the maturity as a devotee to recognize Him in the routine challenges of my personal life. Which is why I’m always seeking the company of souls who’ve attained that level, some of whom contribute their energies to HDF.

Because of certain events in the past, I recognize that the deity Shiva has beckoned me to His worship. It indicates that He loves me; it indicates my inclusion in His family. However… Shiva’s love as I experience it up till now remains in the interpersonal realm, the same realm as my relationship with Sri Ganesha. I don’t yet recognize that Shiva (in his role as lord of the universe) is (only) love. Rather I feel: Mahadeva alone knows what he does. Who else can know?

One concluding idea remains: Self loves Self. This I know. So maybe if I get the immediate recognition SHIVOHAM, the case will be proved that Shiva is (always) love.

Om namah Shivaya!

[Necromancer]

Aum Swasti Astu

What is 'love'? how do we even define it?

Whenever we try, even 'unconditional love' has certain conditions placed upon it.

'Love' is just a word used to describe a whole gamut of feelings and experiences from friendship to kinship...from enamor to lust.

If we use the concept of Agape, the love Shiva has for us far surpasses and encompasses our own.

I was just reading a similar thread "why do you love Lord Shiva?" It is because Shiva is love:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=9457&page=3

I also feel that Mahadev chose to love me first. It couldn't have been any other way.

However, what we consider as 'love' or the experience of it is only just a small part of what Lord Shiva is. That's if a word such as 'love' could even apply....or if any word could.

The closest word we have is 'love', but there are others...

Satyam Shivam Sundaram

Sat Chit Ananda

Aum Shanti

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Spiritual Mantra]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt4ALNIdNp4

[Necromancer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt4ALNIdNp4
Namaste. That was very nice. Thank you.

I thought I would treat you all to a few of my favourite ones (yes, I am a bit bored atm).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtwDqMl273U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYw9lvWd_OI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjIIe48xtgY

Now, if that's not love, I don't know what is.

Aum Namah Shivaya