Encountering Siva

[szalvias]

Namaste
Some of you have an idea of my background, and have helped me a lot with advice, thanks. Please keep in mind I was formerly Buddhist and am still in a sort of transition stage.
Last night (Shivaratri) I was fasting and keeping vigil ( although I ended up falling asleep during meditation). I was contemplating a newly purchased image of Shiva Shankar while singing Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, and the image seemed to be suddenly animate. It seemed ( I felt this rather than saw it) as if Lord Shiva began to open His eyes ( they are shown half closed in meditation) to look at me.
First I felt Love, because I love Lord Shiva above all else, but then I felt fear. Extreme, abject fear... as if He would destroy me with his gaze. This is when I became tired and fell asleep ( meditating on Ganesha because I became afraid).
What happened here? I am sorely confused. Why would I be afraid of Shankar?

[Friend from the West]

Hari Om

Namaste Szalvias,

Do not think best one for response but will try and hope others pick up and improve.

Think most respectfully, first, look at questions as not so important. Nothing, nor Lord Shiva will do this to you. Think if ever happens again, go back to Buddhist roots and go hmmm, interesting, then go to humble and holy, Om Namah Shivaya. No purchases, no material things, only Om Namah Shivaya.

I wish you peace.

FFTW

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste
Some of you have an idea of my background, and have helped me a lot with advice, thanks. Please keep in mind I was formerly Buddhist and am still in a sort of transition stage.
Last night (Shivaratri) I was fasting and keeping vigil ( although I ended up falling asleep during meditation). I was contemplating a newly purchased image of Shiva Shankar while singing Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, and the image seemed to be suddenly animate. It seemed ( I felt this rather than saw it) as if Lord Shiva began to open His eyes ( they are shown half closed in meditation) to look at me.
First I felt Love, because I love Lord Shiva above all else, but then I felt fear. Extreme, abject fear... as if He would destroy me with his gaze. This is when I became tired and fell asleep ( meditating on Ganesha because I became afraid).
What happened here? I am sorely confused. Why would I be afraid of Shankar?

Vannakkam szalvias: It is rare that Hindus (at least in the circles I move in) talk about these things publicly, but privately, many may confide that this sort of thing happens a lot, if not all the time, or regularly.

One day, quite by happenstance, a friend and I were discussing a particular murthi of Ganesha at the temple I attend. Turns out we saw, or felt the same thing, same place on the murthi. Oddly, neither of us was all that surprised. So 'animation' does occur, and it is nothing to be worried about.


Aum Namasivasya

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam again: One of our members, SS, also sort of explains it with his 'signature'. http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?p=78296#post78296

Aum Namasivaya

[NayaSurya]

What a fortunate encounter you have witnessed<3

Often you will hear others say you should keep things to yourself. If it is a matter of boasting then, please do.

But, in a case where you were absolutely afraid for your life, I am very glad you came here to speak of your experience. This thread will help many others over time who may come to have had something similar happen. Come here because of fear.

Beloved Shiva would never harm you, He is Beloved Beloved Everything.

He was just letting you know He is watching...isn't that so wonderful?

This age is very dark, very little good things occur. To speak of the magic now, is very important. To give hope, to let others know they are not alone.

But, I will caution that if you speak of things which are so magical in nature to others that do not know you, they will (and should be) very skeptical. They may even think you a bit crazy.:p

So it depend on how strong your constitution is...to face such adversity. (Or nonadversity if you are detached and beyond the point of concerning yourself with others opinions).

I am grateful for your bravery and honesty tonight. You never know how many others may be out there wondering if they have a brain tumor...or vision problems...or mental instability because they have witnessed the same things.

But, most of all. I think it was very sweet of Beloved to take the moment to give you a good and proper nudge...and let you know...hey...you're on the right track!<3

Hari Om Beloved, Everything<3

[Mana]

Namaste szalvias,

How wonderful! I should think that the fear maybe only be your description of an overwhelming feeling of churning coming from your stomach.

My advice to you, is to try to disassociate the thought from the feeling, maybe the realisation of his greatness is daunting to you now, that manifestation in your tummy will drive your thought if you let it. Think of the initial joy instead. Do you see that both are related?
Next you must let your heart in, and know that there is love.

Your vision feeds the feelings, and the feelings feed the vision. Your good self in the middle, may realise this.

I hope that this is of some help, don't be afraid.

praNAma

mana

aum namah shivaya

[shian]

Why God harm us ?

God is very kind

Whatever He do, is only for our benefit .

Or maybe you dont see Lord Shiva as God ?

i am is Buddhist, but i dont have problem to see Shiva as God, to see Shiva as Buddha, to see Buddha as Shiva.

[szalvias]

Thank you all for the encouraging words.
To clarify, the image of Lord Siva "seemed" to move more than it actually did. It's hard to describe.... you know how when you spend a long time mediating you are often aware of things in a different way?
Anyway, there is a yoga ( not the exercise, but traditional yoga..e.g. kriya yoga/karma yoga) teacher here locally who I finally got ahold of. They say it may be the ego reacting, knowing that the end goal of bhakti yoga will result in its disolving into Siva. I explain it poorly, lol.
After contemplating this for a few days now, I think it is ultimately that I was overwhelmed precisely because Siva is God... the sheer power of that is a lot to encounter.

[Adhvagat]

Fear is a premature kind of bhakti. Fear is mental energy investment without proper knowledge support. One fears what one does not understand.

[Eastern Mind]

Thank you all for the encouraging words.
To clarify, the image of Lord Siva "seemed" to move more than it actually did. It's hard to describe.... you know how when you spend a long time mediating you are often aware of things in a different way?
Anyway, there is a yoga ( not the exercise, but traditional yoga..e.g. kriya yoga/karma yoga) teacher here locally who I finally got ahold of. They say it may be the ego reacting, knowing that the end goal of bhakti yoga will result in its disolving into Siva. I explain it poorly, lol.
After contemplating this for a few days now, I think it is ultimately that I was overwhelmed precisely because Siva is God... the sheer power of that is a lot to encounter.


Vannakkam: In my very limited experience with this, it seems that this type of thing comes unbidden, in the most unexpected moments, by surprise. So in a sense the harder you try for it, the more you desire it, the less likely it will happen. In the grander scheme of things, seeing a murthi move, the milk miracle of Ganesha, or a wink are all pretty minor things... when compared to the goal of moksha.


Aum Namasivaya

[Spiritualseeker]

Namaste,

I loved what you said EM. The more we strive for it the less likely it will happen again. This is how i view the 'personal' experiences 'I' have had. Another thing that we should remember is that these experiences come and go. Our Lord Shiva does not come and go. He is Infinite. All these changing experiences only point to that.

Om Namah Shivaya

[JaiMaaDurga]

Namaste szalvias,

Though previous replies have already wisely addressed the heart of the matter, after reading about your Buddhist past, your clarification and results of contemplation, I thought it worthwhile to add this thought,: while embodied, not only "picking and choosing", but more importantly self-deception, is inherently pernicious- many never know the depth of this, but even a slight brush with the divine will make this truth evident; God sees and knows not only what you hide from others, but what you hide from yourself.
Not to mention, encountering the divine has a long history of "overwhelmingness", examine the various examples of devotees' being shown vishvarupa! ;)

[Amala]

Namaste,

I too love to share my experiences! And bravissimo for such devotion!! Such a personal experience is only for your interpretation, but for me sometimes the awe blanks my mind and only after seeing so many "it's not this" when something feels right it REALLY feels right. Did that make sense?

ANYway... for me, Shiva is also a destroyer. I would interpret what you felt was him seeing the aha*kāra ... looking directly at your biggest ego part and tearing it down. Fear is ego. You are blessed, I feel. :-) Do not worry about being afraid. It's just silly ego, as I see it. Of course, only you know for sure what this means for you. As an outsider looking in, I can only imagine.

With love

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Most grace comes unbidden.

Aum Namasivaya

[Amala]

Vannakkam: Most grace comes unbidden.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste, But exercise helps, I think. My teacher is always reminding me, abhyāsena ca vairāgyam... by means of practice and renunciation... :-)

[McKitty]

Hello!
Well it seems strange, I have to say it is a beautiful story. Everyone have said pretty much everything on the subject and I would like to encourage you, because it is an overwhelming moment and you have to treasure it ^^

You know I had an "encountering" with Lord Shiva too. I wasn't on the path of Sanatana Dharma and I knew absolutely nothing about it. Sometimes I ask myself if it was just my imagination, or just a dream, but it can not. Because this encounter changed my whole life. Because it really pushed me into the thing, and each time I seat in front of Lord Shiva's murti I clearly remember the dream I had and, God, I have tears on my eyes because I am so thankful to him.

The first time I was afraid, because he was so impressive, so powerful, surrounded by snakes, He was terrifying yet beautiful at the same time. When he put a snake on my neck and said to me to go to India, I was more afraid because I feared to be bitten by the snake ! :D

Months after my aunt asked me if I wanted to go to south india: for me it was a sign. The dream was as vivid in my memory as if it was yesterday, that's the moment I discovered the wonderful path of Sanatana Dharma in India, and that's the moment I knew this dream was a real encounter.

I saw him in second dream two years later, when I was in a very noisy city, and I found Him in a hidden and calm temple, when he showed me how to do a pûja to Lord Ganesha.
During two years I have read many and many sacred books, and I felt this second dream like a new guidance, the way of Lord Shiva to say to me "now it's time to worship". And the second time he wasn't terrifying, with snakes and all, he was like a father and I felt his love so deep into my heart! Ahah, just thinking about it brings me tears now x3

Well, all this useless text to say...Lord Shiva is always here, and he will not harm you...He is like a guide. A father. When a children is very young, the father can be very impressive, but when he grow up, the children learn to know and love his father, listening to his advice. I wish you very good luck to you and hope you will continue on your path, the love and the guidance is very powerful !

Aum ~

[Aum namah Śivāya]

नमस्ते,

These are great stories. I've not quite had any so amazing, but I've had my own experiences.

I was once praying, when Śiva came to me and told me that I would convert. I doubted it at first, and there was much that happened in the interim, but I eventually did convert, and Śiva has given me so much grace since then. My relationship with Śiva is so personal. I feel Him with me every moment.

I think He comes to each of us in the best way for us. It is amazing. :D

ॐ नमः शिवाय

[realdemigod]

All I have to say is you are a blessed soul to see the Supreme Lord :)

[Amala]

namaste,

I totally agree! I love these stories! Once while swimming, I saw a little blue-grey figure in padmaasana on everyone's forehead. It was the symbol of God in everyone. Then while meditating, that same figure only larger appeared up sort of at the apex of my, I guess you could say third-eye vision. Over coming days, it kept gaining detail until I described it with enough detail to my Sanskrit teacher that he could ID it as Shiva.

We also are chummy. I love him. :-)




नमस्ते,

These are great stories. I've not quite had any so amazing, but I've had my own experiences.

I was once praying, when Śiva came to me and told me that I would convert. I doubted it at first, and there was much that happened in the interim, but I eventually did convert, and Śiva has given me so much grace since then. My relationship with Śiva is so personal. I feel Him with me every moment.

I think He comes to each of us in the best way for us. It is amazing. :D

ॐ नमः शिवाय

[kundanghanekar]

Don't get scared.this is how he test his devotee