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ShivaFan
06 August 2012, 11:44 PM
Namaste

I would like to humbly start a thread "Why I Am a Saiva".

Shaiva denomination is distinct from Vaishnava. Its history of words and teachings through oral traditions are eons of age, and go back to Lord Shiva Himself in His meditations and Lordship. The written texts are thousands of years old, Saiva Saints are renowned and so many are the very example of mysticism and light. Saiva is everywhere, but for me personally there is a journey that Looks South, to Southern India which is like a loving sister who calls her brother to come and take a drink of cold and refreshing water when the thirst of the day is at it's height. How grateful I am to this Land of Siva!

But He is North, East and West. Saiva is Above, and Beyond, too!

I can give one reason why I am a Saiva, and it is pertinent to some of the discussions of late on the forum to Buddhism. You know, when I think of Lord Buddha in meditation, very soon I see my Ashen Lord Mahadeva in meditation. Have you ever heard of a sadhu called Sakyanayanar?

Sakyanayanar was a Buddhist monk. But in His life, He began to see Siva in meditation.

Blessed with a vision of Parvati and Siva, He became a Buddhi in mind for Mahadeva. For those who love Buddha, take a moment to envision Lord Siva the Lord of Meditation.

I think of Saint Nandanar a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Did you know He was deemed an untouchable? Yet His pure devotion opened Him to becoming a Perfect Master, and so He entered the renowned Chidambaram Temple!

I have been all over India. I am a devotee of Kashi, the oldest City in the World which is Neverforsaken by Siva. And yet, I have never been to Tamil Land, to Telegu Land, to Sri Lanka! What a fool I have been! Now I see why one Great Sat Guru tried to teach Americans about This Holy Land's Great Answers, to turn to Siva, to Look South and see the Saints. It is now clear, it is because Saiva Way is a Way where we can be Hindus. It has a great future in America and the West, for we will seek it and find it holds a special message and comfort and identity for certain souls. Of course, Vaishnava Bhakti is a great blessing for so many! And I will never stop my Worship of Devi! Annapurna is my Mother Parvati. Kali is my Home. I love my Vaishnava friends and devotees!

But Saiva Marg is not for only one nation, one region, but for every place. It has Many Stories, Many Faces, Many Souls. Many Reasons.

There are many reasons why, not only one reason to "Why Am I a Saiva". Why are you a Saiva?

JAI Lord Muruga, and His Beloved Vali!

Viraja
07 August 2012, 06:17 PM
A beautiful rendering of Shiva Sahasranama if you have not already seen it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iRdzHQqrC4.

Eastern Mind
07 August 2012, 07:29 PM
Vannakkam: I wanted to wait until I could dream up some fancy convoluted maybe even some poetic big-worded answer, but it was all in vain. Much wait over nothing.:)

I'm a Saivite because because it makes the most sense, on many seen, and unseen levels ... to me.

Aum Namasivaya

McKitty
07 August 2012, 08:32 PM
Vanakkam,

Thank you Shivafan for your posting, it's very inspiring !

Hm well as for the question....I don't know why I am a Saiva...I didn't "choose" Shivaji or Saivism, the both just came to me in a natural way. It was almost instinctive to follow it.

Its like asking a child lost in the dark why he followed the ray of light. Because it's a natural thing, when you are lost in the dark, to follow the light and hold the helping hand that come to you.

From the hand that guide you, you after see the foot, the head, the body of a man, and you naturally think "this is the person that saved me from the dark, I have entire faith and confidence in Him. I will follow him."

This is so natural to follow this man, that you don't ask yourself why you are doing this.

Then the man open his mouth and teach you. What is the darkness around you, why you are here, what is your duty. As you listen to Him the darkness fade, you grow a bond so strong with Him that separation from Him become unbearable.

Why are you following him ? His teachings ? to escape the darkness ? His soft hand ? I love Him for this whole things, and thousand of others.

Why do I hold beloved Mahadev's hand ? Because He gave me his hand. I made the choice to take it. Since that day I hold it and treasure each moment with Him, each blessing...

I bow to beloved Mahadev, He is nothing, He is everything, I am foolish for even wanting to describe Him by words. So I guess I'll just stop now :D


Aum Namah Shivaya

Eastern Mind
07 August 2012, 09:35 PM
I don't know why I am a Saiva...I didn't "choose" Shivaji or Saivism, the both just came to me in a natural way.

Vannakkam ... Yes, this for me as well. Never really thought about it at all. It just happened. Does a cloud think its way into making rain?

Aum Namasivaya

shian
07 August 2012, 10:14 PM
Vanakkam,


No doubt that in my Buddhism Tantric sampradaya ,
Shiva is considered as King of Mara, and He is Highest Consciousness, not different with Vairochana Tathagata, He is very secret Buddha, we called Him as Mahesvara Raja Tathagata !

anyway, no matter what my cloth or what my skin, even what other says about me,
i want Lord Shiva always guide me in my life
i want to be a good devotee of Him always ONE with Him, for the benefit of sentient beings

No problem if peoples considered me as unperfect Shaiva
whatever they said,
may Lord Shiva bless me be a good Shaiva :)

Necromancer
25 January 2013, 11:00 AM
Namaste. After being told it's preferrable to necrobump old topics no matter how ancient they are than to start anymore threads of my own, I find myself back in this part of the forum answering this question.

Why am I a Shaiva? because there's absolutely nothing left for me whatsoever in this world anymore. People generally hate me and I don't really want to make them all like me, I have too much self-respect for that. I also refuse to be a 'wage slave' and I wont take rubbish from anybody. All I have ever wanted was to 'be myself', but that is impossible in this life.

The only one/thing left that can fulfil my expectations...nay, even exist with me at all is Lord Shiva Himself, thus I have surrendered fully to His will. If Shiva wants me to have 'friends' He will find them for me, if not I am better off now than I was before at least.

Aum Namah Shivaya

smaranam
25 January 2013, 11:19 AM
You know, when I think of Lord Buddha in meditation, very soon I see my Ashen Lord Mahadeva in meditation.

Sakyanayanar was a Buddhist monk. But in His life, He began to see Siva in meditation.


praNAm ShivaFan

This is exactly what i saw in meditation years ago!

April 2006. It was RAm Navami.
I asked "Who are You?"

First a Golden BuddhA
who slowly turned into a purplish Shiva
Then saw a purple RAm in Ranganath-like sleeping pose.


om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ~

SeekingPeaceOfMind
01 August 2013, 05:24 PM
I was going to start my own topic but perhaps I should write my update on my venture into Hinduism here.

I believe it was ShivaFan (Necromancers desire to express his love for Shiva was also something which sparked my interest) who suggested somewhere in a post to chant 'Om Namah Shivaya' to see how you feel, hinting that you wouldn't regret the modest effort. I was experiencing blocks with mantra recitation, I was feeling lost and nearly considered becoming an atheist/agnostic. I chanted it and I felt happy, at peace, loved and I just felt like it was all going to be alright.

The more I chant the more I want to chant and the more I want to merge with Shiva.

It's all Shiva, the great Yogi. <3

Necromancer
02 August 2013, 12:21 AM
Namaste.

Seeing this thread again, noticing I had already responded in it, re-reading the title again...the only thing I have left to say is; because being a Saiva is the only thing I can be. It is the only thing that 'fits' or.....what remains after everything else has been discredited.

Dear previous poster. Thank you.

Chanting Aum Namah Shivaya is great, but if you are in a mantra-lock, here, let me help you with that:

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

Aum Namah Shivaya

SeekingPeaceOfMind
02 August 2013, 10:05 AM
I'm more then happy chanting 'Om Namah Shivaya' Necromancer, after attempting to chant many mantras this is the one which works best for me. Upon chanting love spontaneously sprang for Shiva. :) I now have this desire to be one with Shiva all the time, I know that he is my iṣṭa-devatā.

realdemigod
02 August 2013, 11:20 AM
Lord Shiva loves yogis and anyone who is in search of ultimate truth no matter from any religion will merge in Him.

There are many legends behind the temples of Lord Shiva one I know in Bangalore, few in Andhra Pradesh and some in North India and the famous legend behind Brihadeeswara Temple.

Despite many amateurish claims by some authors that Lord Shiva was borrowed into Vedas from Tamil pantheon, Lord Shiva and Rudra are different, people have worshipped Him from the beginningless time. We have records from all over the world of Shiva Lingams.

Lord Shiva is not just God in a layman's sense but the most potent form of ultimate reality - union of male and female, yin & yang.

In one of the books by Masaru Emoto(who did a lot of research of water)..there were beautiful crystal structures formed when the bottle with the distilled water had a label 'Om Namah Shivaya' and left for few days.

http://pinterest.com/pin/417779302902376197/

I'm not sure if this is the image I saw in the book.