The Truth Seeker ( A story of determined Bhakti )

There was once a time, when people were not as busy with their worldly life as they are now. One did not have to bother too much about which car to buy, there were only horses and bullock carts. There was no such thing as a posh locality, everyone lived in the same village, or the next. Food and festivity also meant more or less the same thing to most people.
Now, because people then did not have to worry too much about these things, they did however, strongly believe in knowing God for themselves, first hand.
And though some intellectuals always scornfully remind us that we have grown out of 'The bullock cart age', yet everything God has made ,  has its virtues, and the story I am about to tell, is exactly from that time, when knowing God first hand was considered a good aim in life.

In that time, in a mountainous region, there lived a master, who was fabled to be very knowledgeable about God and godly matters. The master was in charge of a simple monastery, where he would teach and impart wisdom to only a few select students.
People said that in his youth, he had visited a very Divine cave. In that cave, there was said to be a "Great red jewel" Laal Ratan , at which he had gazed and gained direct access to almighty God.

Now, the master kept with him a map to the secret cave, and every year, he would disclose the map only to the best spiritual student in the monastery, so that he too could see the great red jewel. It was the greatest privilege to be selected for the mission. Year after year, the top student would be given the map in front of the whole congregation, and asked to undertake the great spiritual expedition for themselves.

When they would return after a few days,the master would ask in a set manner, about the journey,
" Did you use the map i gave you?"
" Yes master"
" Were the directions accurate?"
" Yes master"
" Did you see the red jewel?"
" Yes, thank you great master," would be the reply.
The master would then accord a great seat of honour to the student, saying,
" Be seated, and guard your secret well!"
and there, seated with the others in the hall of fame before them, the successful students would guard the secret and hold their heads high.

Year after year, people came to him from far and wide, and the process continued.
One day a young man walked into the monastery hall, and on the first glance itself, the master knew that he was a very sincere seeker of God. From that first day, the master would delight in the young man's company, calling him always " My little truth seeker" . But many of the others did not like this, and were jealous. Whenever they could get a chance, they would try to turn the master against the boy, but masters, of course, do not turn, that is why they are masters!

Within a few years only, the master declared that the young man was to be given the secret map. This disappointed many students who could not understand why they had not been chosen, but the master had conveyed his decision, and so the truth seeker went his way.

Days passed, then weeks, and even a month, but the boy did not return. The detractors started passing unpleasant comments about the mission ,but the master said simply " He will return".
And one day, when the full hall was in attendance, true to the master’s confidence, the truth seeker walked in.

His clothes were torn, he had lost weight, grown a beard, he even walked with a limp, altogether, he had a beggarly appearance, but there was a certain light in his eyes- a light of certainty.
"Did you use the map i gave you?" the master asked his usual question
"Yes ,master" came the reply
"Were the directions accurate?'"
"Yes master,but.." the boy hesitated
"But what?" asked the master, as the congregation got restless
"But, the map took me only to a grove, and there it ended, and i was lost" came the reply
"And then? " The master beckoned, "Then what happened?"
"Then i continued, and used so many of your teachings with my own understanding, and i found the cave"
"And did you finally see the red jewel?"
"Yes, i saw the jewel, master, but..."
"But what? "
" But was Blue" said the boy

" He is an unworthy pupil" cried the congregation, feeling sure that now he would be reprimanded,and they looked to the master as refree.
But the master was up from his chair, he danced and beamed as he held the boy, and looking at the pupils, declared authoritatively , " He speaks the truth".
"All these years you guarded your secret, which is that you were never able to reach the cave" The master continued, "But this boy went beyond the map, and he did go to the cave for himself, and yes it is true that the jewel was always blue. The search for God is not about secrets and maps, but about sincerity and courage. It is not about someone else’s truth, which he will hand down to you, but about our own truth which we all must find for ourselves, And which is thereafter realised as the ONE truth for all ”

The search for God, therefore, is also not about this story and a red or a blue jewel, this is just a little parable I made up for you from my own journeybook.
Your search for God is about you embarking on your own journey, of course with help from the masters that have already been. It is your good fortune if you can take their guidance and reach quite near the divine heights, but there comes a time when even the Buddha tells you, to discard all that comes in your way of the truth, and the Buddha went as far as to compare any support to a raft used to cross a river. He advised that the crossing was more important than the raft and that the raft could be discarded on the other side. People often say that death is a last journey, a journey that one has to undertake alone. But dear friends, i like to remind that finding God is also a tremendous journey that one has to undertake alone, that too, when alive! And this can only be done with an unmatched passion, to the exclusion of all other things. So don’t wait for a secret map, don’t worry about the colours of God’s jewel, just begin your own adventure, and be, as the Buddha said,” a lamp unto yourself”.



Shail Gulhati is the Author of the books :SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.

Available on Amazon E books :
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07HVY1PPS  ( India) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( USA)
Art : Rames Harikrishnasamy

Shaivism Today Soul Speak ( 6 ) Everyone wants Happiness

Everyone wants to be happy.This is a simple observation. One, that has been noted throughout time,and as the scientists would quip, this is a fact that has 'tested positive' for all beings of the world!

The mystics go a step further; Divine intention is simple,
they teach; God created, so that all of creation may be happy. And the 'Truth' about the purpose of life,is to find abiding happiness. We want to be happy.The very expression betrays that it is not so (yet). We want to remain happy,that is,even if we find ourselves having a good time, it doesn't last for long,and the world becomes an ocean of sadness again.

So,what has gone wrong? Let's take a look at what gives us pleasure. A promotion, a new car, a date with 'that someone you really like', a delicious meal, exciting clothes, that enrapturing concert, a heavenly landscape, and so much more. But you only have to scratch the surface of these moments, for a closer view,and strange as it may seem, none of them turn out to be the cause of happiness.
I repeat, by themselves,none of them are more than 'neutral events' . They are not all complete,without an important participant- You.
A delicious meal is good, yes ,but when you're hungry,not if you're already stuffed! A promotion is great,but only when you know,its because your ability has been acknowledged,and not for some other motive or compulsion. A new car sounds cool!but what of that nagging anxiety about repayment of loan schedule? Not to talk of the disaster an exciting date can eventually turn out to be if it is not founded on ethical sanctity.
So your appetite,your mood,your inner knowing,these matter more than the object or event at hand. It is quite clear,that for your joyous occasion,your common denomination is required. And if, of course,this is obvious, so silly then, that we went wrong where we were looking, when we looked outside! Hmm...

Clearer still,should be the understanding,that integral to your happiness,is, your knowing of your Self. And what is this"Know Thyself"? How does one come to such knowing? You have begun by noting that in order to enjoy something,your senses have to be okay, and tuned on.
For example,the heavenly landscape wont do anything for you, if you've lost your eyesight.So it is not the object that is responsible,but neither is the physical organ of sight the cause of elation.It is something more. To enjoy looking at snow capped mountains,you must like inwardly,what you are viewing. Suppose you like playing in casinos instead? What if you are inwardly thinking of the great games you missed at Las vegas? You are not going to be happy then,are you? Conversely, someone else,who loves mountains,might find himself stuck in a casino,feeling life's burden as the dealer deals out a hand...

Happiness,then,is something deeper than the outer object, more inward than even the five senses. Contentment,as they say,is a state of mind. So,we are talking of perception.And here comes the problem! Since,even the mind is fickle,the source of lasting joy that we are speaking/seeking of, must surely be even beyond mind. And we move to the inner spirit,the higher Self. Our seers have tracked this for us,dexterously,with Sadhana and Tapasya, Ruhaniyat and spiritual rapture. Out of their mystic vision and meditative insight have they proclaimed with authenticity and authority ' The art is to revel in your Self,your innermost,the core, the ever existent,never changing,where,even the mind is stilled in awe: Your essence,which is,but the essence of God residing in you.' In the east,we call it Atman.

There is no joy greater than experiencing your Self,no joy greater than knowing that which enables you to know.That,which is knowledge itself. It's inherent nature,is joy,because,simply,it is in union with God all the time! If we are able to become conscious to this happy state that has always been, we then re-cognize that it is our own light whence all happiness emanates, And we shall have fulfilled the purpose of our individual lives,we shall have arrived.
But this is not the end,awakening is only a beginning!
Buddhas,spend the rest of their lives fulfilling all of life. This is the design for the unfolding of man's veiled Divinity. Practice makes perfect, and there are a number of different spiritual ways leading to the one summit of the
Self -illumined state. You may begin with what suits your present attainment and spiritual temper, but begin now! You may take a cue from brother scientist's penchant for "positive test",and practise positivity! By the way,it has given me gratifying happiness in reminding you of the sameness that rests within you,waiting for your centering.
( This article was first written in  2001)Shail Gulhati is the Author of the books :SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.

Shaivism Today Soul Speak ( 5 ) Matrix in Hollywood, Matrika for Shaivite Rishis.

                                           MATRIKA

The Matrix  REVISITED IN SHAIVITE TERMS.

One of the most brilliant films of our time,The Matrix, leaves an indelible impression on whoever views it.
It reminds us about what the Upanishadic wisdom had always told us:
The world is a sort of dream, the actual reality is something else; And our purpose of life, is to find that reality.
 
Awakening into that Reality is known by different names, such as Moksha, Nirvana, Bodha, Satori, Enlightenment ,
Self -realisation, God consciousness and so on. Till we find that Truth, we go on in endless cycles of a maze, stuck in the matrix, taking it's illusion to be our reality.
And indeed, this Truth was exhorted by the pathfinders of all tribes and cultures, at all times; be it the ancient Mayans, or Egyptians, the Zoroastrians, or the Tao of Chinese , or be it the more recent Sufis, the Sikh Gurus, the Western mystics like Teresa of Avilla, down to the most modern saints like Vivekananda,Yogananda, and Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. All of them alluded to this dream- like state from which we have to wake up, in order to know the 'Other world' as being actually our eternal abode.
Interestingly, in Kashmir Shaivism there is a very similar word to matrix,called Matrika.
The ancient Kashmiri Shaivite Rishis taught, that such is the very play of Shakti, who is seated in the middle of the mystery of all things, ज्ञानाधिष्ठानं मातृका॥४॥ Jñānādhiṣṭhānaṁ mātṛkā||4||

She is called Matrika ( or Maya) because she is unknown to everyone ,except those who have meditated deeply enough, and been graced with her Darsana. ( like Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa)
Why is it that She is revealed only to some?
All things come from Prakriti- Mother Nature, but society is too involved with the inert elements of Prakriti, like gold and silver; the elements that glitter with a worldly lustre. We remain so involved in decorating ourselves with these, that we miss the more subtle vibration of the elements of life forms; we miss reaching the higher and more subtle elements which raise the level back to divinity..

But here is the difference between the ancient Rishis and the modern scientific simulation theorists: Rishis say that the whole play is a Lila , and there is great hope in the end:
Once Matrika is known as the Shakti of Shiva Himself, She stops acting like Maya, lifting the veil of Divinity which had hitherto covered our vision, She transforms to the ' Guiding Mother' and stops her illusions over our fickle minds;We begin to know Divine luminosity instead of mundane glitter,
And then, all things shine forth clearly as expressions of the same one God! It is very interesting that this film also has a wonderful soul called Trinity, who virtually acts as Neo's Shakti, so too, in our own life Ma Shakti does guide us constantly, this is her Anugraha- grace. So, for the Rishis, this play was not designed by some sinister computer geek, but a beneficent Source Consciousness.

In the film, Morpheous ( The preceptor- or Guru) asks Neo
( The seeker) if he would like to have the blue pill or red pill. The red pill and its opposite, the blue pill, are popular cultural symbols representing the choice between:
Red pill:
Knowledge, freedom and the (sometimes painful) truth of reality .
Blue pill :
Falsehood, security and the blissful ignorance of illusion .

And this indeed, just like Sri Krishna said to Arjuna in His song divine, the Bhagvad Gita, is the proverbial choice we all need to make.

Do we wish to live in a dream like state of this world, without knowing God? In which case we will have to accept all the joy or pain that it gives us. Or would we like to know God, and then live with an awareness in this same world, knowing well that joy or pain have no permanent relevance,as long as we remain focused on God.

So too, quite in contrast to the normal obsessions ( Blue pill) of society-  Gold and silver, fast cars ,positions of power, and forever making contacts, self aggrandizement in the name of leadership, attention seeking in the garb of charity, and so on! Sadhaks, choose instead, to seek the quiet repose of knowing the inner Self. They learn to magnify the inner adornment of the Spirit itself.And thus make good their escape from the  'Delusion System'

Aum Namah Shivaye. Aum Shakti Namah.

 Shail Gulhati is the Author of the books :
SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said. Available on Amazon E books :
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07HVY1PPS  ( India) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( USA)

DURGA, The Goddess of Power

And just as great an enigma as Shiva was, so too was Parvati. It was She who was Sati, in a previous life. She it was, who was Shakti, the Goddess of power, in eternal wedlock with Shiva, making Him Shaktiman, the wielder of all the power there was in the Universe. She was always present in His presence. Even if that meant being reincarnated from one lifetime to another.
“So, Swami, is our life together only going to be about demon redressals? Is it all about money and power?” asked Parvati, one day, suddenly bringing back the timeless conversation.

“Hmm… it’s obviously always been about money and power, Parvati. We are agreed on that…”

“And it doesn’t seem to have changed. I sometimes think people change even their Gods, but they don’t change their penchant for money,” said Parvati wistfully.

“It all depends.”

“Depends?”

“Depends on what we can manifest, Parvati…”

“Please elaborate …”

“There have been two struggles: money and power.”

“Yes.”

“While the portfolio of money lies with your sister, Lakshmi…”

“Yes…”

“You are the epitome of the other struggle, Parvati.You, are the Goddess of power.”

“And?”

“And we need to see if we have the power to manifest an alternative life motivation than that of just making money,” said Shiva enigmatically.


~ From SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
Available on Amazon :
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( India) and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( US )

Durga art by Sapna Poudel Mhr

MAHAKAAL MAHADEVA, SHIVA!

Why is Shiva called Mahakaal?
Because, He is timeless.
Time did not exist when He did.
He is the creator of time itself, along with space.
Time and space and causation are the trinity,
that bring forth our known universe.
And Shaivites believe He creates this universe,
lovingly with His Shakti.
But look at the wonderful nature of Shiva;
Even though He is the creator,
He also meditates along with all the sadhus and rishis and shiv ganas for the welfare of this Universe.
This is because He Cares for His bhaktas.
As the prayer goes:Karpur Gauram Karunavataram |
Sansara Saram Bhujagendra Haaram ||
Sada Vasantam Hridayaravinde |
Bhavam Bhavani Sahitam Namami ||
कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारम् |
संसारसारं भुजगेन्द्रहारम् ||
सदा वसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे |
भवं भवानि सहितं नमामि ||
Shiva is Mahakaal, the Ultimate Time Traveller. As The Timeless One vouchsafed to us by the ancient tellings of the rishis, down to our grandmothers’ tales, He is sansara saram, the very seed of the world itself, from the beginning of time: He is the Pauranic Shiva: The Shiva from Kailash. Shiva, the mountain Chieftain who lives happily with His beautiful Queen, Parvati, and the merry mountain men called ganas.
But He is also Sadavasantam, the ever green! The Adhunik Shiva; the Omnipresent, who is always here, Always seated in our own hearts, in the present, and thus the most modern at any time.
Aum Shiv Bhakti Namah!
~ Shail Gulhati
Is the author of the book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller

SHIVA TEACHES DEVI

The lessons with Shiva were endless. They had to be. His talk was profound, but so was His silence.
“You seem to be talking to me even when you are silent. Is it true or am I just too much in love with you?”She asked.
“Silence is a language only a few understand,” said Shiva. “Those special moments when silence speaks, when stillness gives wings,” He whispered.
Even His smile was profound. Everything about Him was the embodiment of wisdom. Sati noticed that there were traces of this wisdom even when He joked.

Sati asked " Lord, what really is yoga? and what are the asanas?
“Yoga asana is only a seat for the great flight to the self. meditation can be as synergized, as natural as my rides on Nandi. Or as tumultuous, with the energy of an untamed beast of the natural order. All of Nature’s things are like that. You need to be completely ‘ at oneness ‘ with them before you even start to mount the ride. Else you will just be overturned, which too is an important part in the process of learning, Sati,” replied Shiva.
It’s simple,” He continued “ Yoga is not about your body. Yoga is about discovering your soul.”
“What about reading?” She asked.“What about reading the great Shrutis and Smritis, the great secrets and rahasyas by our rishis and gurus and those who have known Godhood?”
“Reading about universality, the interconnectedness of things,
is a good beginning, but when you suddenly feel this is a text about you yourself; that is when the beauty of the spiritual journey will fill you with its magnificent flavor,” said Shiva, “Ultimately, it is meditation that awakens you to yourself.”

~ From the book ~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
by Shail Gulhati  Available on Amazon as an E book
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017ECI6CU
and for INDIA exclusively:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B017ECI6CU

SARVATRA BHAIRAVA- Shiva is all around !

Dear Friends
this very beautiful Nataraja pic gave me a very positive vibration.
And then the realisation:

'Sarvatra Bhairava', Shiva's dance is everywhere.
If you look closely, and match this with your science lessons, you will be taken back to the fact of how the entire cosmos is made up of One energy, which manifests into the smallest matter as atoms, which then join other atoms, to make molecules, and which in turn join yet more, to create elements. Shiva is 'Bhuta Ishwara', Lord of the elements, this then, is His science.
And we are also told that He enhances this skill by Bhuta Sandhaan ( combining) to make compounds, and that He allone knows the mystical science of Bhuta Prithak ( dis- engage)

But unlike the generation of 'things' by AI (artificial intelligence ), it all happens not as a mathematical equation or logarithm. The ancient Kashmir Rishis told us, Shiva creates like a poet, not out of calculation, but out of His over flowing pure ecstasy.This reminds me of a beautiful analogy i once heard : When God was a baby He spilled his milk and created the milky way! ( The entire galaxy where our own planet earth lives)

Shiva is the ancient drummer, His Damaru sounds the pulse of the Universe, it is the 'pacemaker' of the heart of this world....And commensurate with His own beat, next comes the tapping of His Divine feet...
and the dance begins; the play of Nataraja is on, and He seems to invite us by being ' The first on the floo'
We must know that we are are part of it and dance our steps accordingly, with Shiva consciousness; come, join the dance of Shiva.
Aum Namah Shivaye!

~ Shail Gulhati is the author of the book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
Available on Amazon as an E book
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017ECI6CU
and for INDIA exclusively:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B017ECI6CU

BABAHAM BHAYANKAR, JAI SHIV SHANKER

The extreme sorrow gave way to extreme rage, and Narada noticed that Shiva was going into a different mood.
He had darkened. His face resembled the darkest cloud in the sky, His eyes became bloodshot, His hair rising in extreme excitement, like the mixed thrill of a warrior, when He is about to embark into an immediate and deadly battle.
He started stomping His feet on the ground, causing the earth below Him to quake, and the mountains in even the farthest horizons began to shake. “Daksha, you will not be spared! Sati, I am coming! Sateee!!”
The ganas repeated the call, “Daksha, you will not be spared! Ma, we are coming!!”

Shiva started a war dance, tugging violently at His own hair and whirling in the air, with His torso doing the most unusual twists, like a man in severe pain. His right hand pulled out His Trishula from the ground where it had been restfully parked for months, as if to jerk it out of its dormancy. “BABHAM!!” He yelled a war cry and lunged forwards.
“Babham Bhayankar, Jai Shiv Shanker!” cried the ganas, their collective voices sending shudders down the entire jungle and valley.

Creatures started running helter skelter in utter confusion. That Shiva would never harm them was clear, but just the level of His anger was sending waves across that were a hitherto unknown vibration.
It was scary, it was deadly, and it was grim.

Shiva started charging down the valley towards Kankhal.
The ganas charged as hordes; very menacing, deathly hordes, as if a thousand Gods of Death had collected to unleash the great havoc upon all beings in the kingdom of Kankhal.
Then, Shiva commanded,“Get to Daksha! Kill all who come in your way of killing the vile Daksha. I want his head on my Trishula today. Even if a rishi or even if Vishnu or Brahma comes to His rescue, do not spare Daksha. His end is here. It is going to be done. NOW!!”

“Jai Shiv Shanker Babham Bhayanker!” cried the ganas, and then added, “Jai Ho Veerbhadra!!”Narada noted that Shiva, in His darkest mood, had turned into a terrifying and almost sinister appearance, and yet he was the paradoxical hero. He moved like a one-man army getting ready to wreak havoc on all those who came in its way, and Narada was reminded of a cloud of locusts on rampage.

From the book ~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
by Shail Gulhati  Available on Amazon as an E book
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017ECI6CU
and for INDIA exclusively:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B017ECI6CU

Image courtesy Vimanika Comics