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A SIMPLE TEST
Bhaktas of Lord Shiva come in all forms! and though Shivji loves
everyone, we should be careful that we dont become so zealous, that in
guarding our Lord, we actually scare away His other lovers....and from zealous we become jealous ..
अंग्रेजी के इन दो शब्द Zealous और Jealous में बहुत अंतर है , पहला एक Positive feeling है जिसका अर्थ है किसी से प्रेरणा पाना , और दुसरे का मतलब तोह ईर्षा है .
Therefore, a true bhakti makes space for all ,it is not possessive in a worldly manner, it trusts that God is enough for all!
Love of God has this amazing quality, the more people who love Him, the happier they all actually become.
Put yourself to this simple test:
The more you see someone else love Shivji also, do you become happier? If yes, you are truly Lord Shiva's devotee.
When someone speaks a story of Shivji, do you always want to correct,
or do you simply love hearing about Him, even if you already know , or
are you happy even if you know not? Happy that you will now get a chance
to know something more about beloved Shivji. Do not forget Shivji is
Anant, His lila is unending , and we should always expect and look
forward to more.
So be like the gentle worshiper of God, who's presence makes others believe more in that God.
Aum Namah Shivaye.Shail Gulhati
Author of SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
Available on amazon https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( India)
and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( USA )
In this world full of sorrow,
O Mahadeva, this is my Moksha prayer :
They speak of freedom, O lord
knowing not it is right here!
they speak of Moksha
knowing not it is here!
The only Moksha i want
is to be born again and yet again
in your care.
Birth my eyes to see ,
you are everywhere!
this, is my Moksha prayer.
Namah Shivaye, Aum Namah Shivaye!
हे प्रभु मेरे प्यारे महादेव जी मोक्ष क्या है ? लोग कहते हैं की जीवन और मृत्यु से मुक्त होना ही मोक्ष है और वही हर मनुष्य का लक्ष्य होना चाहिए .परन्तु मुझे एक सरल सी बात पता है : मेरा मोक्ष शिवजी का समीप रहने में , शिवजी का गण बनने में है , अथवा किसी भी और मुक्ति में नहीं ! हे प्रभु इस भक्त की यह प्रार्थना है की मुझे सदा अपने साथ रखना , हर जनम में , हर जीवन में , बार बार अपने साथ ही रखना ! ॐ नमः शिवाये
~ SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. series
Available on Amazon as an E book
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B017ECI6CU
To read more, go to the Shaivism Today Blog at https://shaivismtoday.blogspot.com/
or Buy author Shail Gulhati's book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
Available
on Amazon as an E book, downloadable on your laptops, ipads, iphones,
androids or any other device. To order a copy click the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017ECI6CU
and for INDIA exclusively:
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We are all born from the one source,God.
But the world play is such that we forget our link with that source; we
forget our Divinity.
Over time, we feel that our soul has become like a
dry, leafless tree...
In the terminology of the Shaivite Rishis of ancient Kashmir, this is called Vilaya, the 'Not knowing'
interestingly matching with the western term "Veiling" our Divine nature is veiled. It may go on for lifetimes.
Then there is Anugraha, Shiva's look of love, called 'Grace' in the western terminology.
That one look greens us all over again, it waters our parched and
thirsty soul, simply because we have been connected to our roots, once
again.
The clouds of ignorance begin to flit away, and we begin to see the Unveiling of Godness.
The great Sage Abhinavgupta of Kashmir , said this is the play of God
with His bhaktas, and the joy of the Bhaktas with their God. In the end,
all, is Shiva,God, or whatever you wish to call. As it was in the
beginning.
Aum Namah Shivaye!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)
The diver and the pearl
"My Lord, why is it that some people become very spiritually attained in this very lifetime, and others don't achieve much? asked the seeker.
"Hmm, let me give you an example," answered Shiva, "A diver dives deep into the ocean. He stays under water for a
while, his breath begins to explode, so he surfaces. Having seen nothing in the
ocean, for him nothing exists.Hmm. "
"ok" said the seeker.
"Then, another diver dives, deeper, his effort is
greater, his determination is firmer, he holds on for longer, and, he spots a
blue pearl. He doesn’t have enough breath to retrieve it. He surfaces. He
reports sighting of a blue pearl. Some people believe him, many don’t. But for him the
blue pearl is real, he has seen it with his eyes. This is stage two"
" I understand" replied the seeker.
"Years pass," continued Shiva, "Till, another
diver reports the pearl again; and some more divers report it. More people
start believing in it. Some divers feign the spotting, just for publicity;
nevertheless, the theory concretizes."
"Oh, so my Lord even the ones who fake it for publicity actually grow the interest of the people in the real thing?"
"Yes, precisely. Finally a diver comes who makes a big effort,
he won’t give up till he excavates the blue pearl. Such a diver surfaces with
the blue pearl in his palm. The blue pearl is out. You can see it, to believe
it."
"Oh..."
"So it's all about your effort, your devotion, your determination, your Bhakti" smiled Shiva.
" I understand my Lord, God shows Himself to those who love Him with a full heart and never never give up ?"
"Yes" said Shiva, pleased at His seeker, "Soon, many divers will excavate blue pearls, soon there will be many Buddhas, soon we will have a garden full of Divine souls; that, my son , is growth."
~ Derived from the book The Yogi and the snake
by Shail Gulhati
Available on Amazon as an E download on your laptops, ipads, android etc. Please click the link below:
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
THE DISTINCTION
“I fear to ask” , said the snake, “ But you made a distinction between religion and spirituality, why?”
“Ah, religion, fear. Religion sometimes asks you to fear God”, said the
Yogi, “ A spiritualist will only ask you to know Him. Knowing Him, you
shall love Him”.
“Do you mean we should not fear God?” asked the snake.
“Do I?” asked the Yogi. “I am showing you the distinction between two
ways of reaching God.
Fear of God, is one way, Love of God, is another.
The motive of fear of God, is that we should not inflict unkindness
upon others, we should not invoke His wrath by doing so. The motive is
correct, but to what extent can it work?
We fear retributions,
therefore, fear does repress certain undesirable traits. But, fear itself is a
negative quality, it is bound to result in negatives. Such repression of
traits, will thus be short lived.
Love of God, works differently. Love
is a positive quality, it is bound to result in positives. You cannot
really be natural if you are being kind to others, out of fear, for
example. But if you love others, kindness will flow naturally,
you
understand?
So you can lead your whole life being scared of God, who
will judge you for your actions, and yet, go on accumulating wrong
actions! These wrong actions spring from ignorance, of what God is. My
mysticism, on the other hand, will introduce you to a Self awareness,
which shall grow you naturally. By the time you have to be judged, there
shall be nothing left to judge, nothing done to be scared of. This Self
awareness is not just conscience, it is Consciousness.”
~ From Shail Gulhati's book The Yogi and the snake,
( Conversations with God Shiva )
Image courtesy Rohan Sandhir.
Full Book Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LA9ZU4G
AUM NAMAH SHIVAYE.
Dear friends and Shiva bhakts,
this is an amazing pic from the net. A bhaktin does Abhishek of a
Shivalinga somewhere near the banks of a holy river town- probably
Haridwar or Rishikesh, and we note that Lord Shiva virtually pops up to
give blessings. Her efforts have born fruit. But we also see something
startling: Shiva is drenched with the potions of the Abhishek!
Is this possible?
Can an offering on a stone image thousands of miles away actually reach
a chosen personage? Practically speaking, this is an impossibility, a
type of wishful thinking.
But we in India, have long had the
tradition of sharing even our food with our God first in a similar
manner, and we call this 'Bhog lagana'- 'To make God partake in our
feast, knowing that all comes from Him anyway', and because according to
the ancient rishis, anything was possible for God,we would do well to
understand that this painted scene means to convey a higher message:
When you do something with your body and mind and also pour your soul
into it, when Namah Shivaye becomes Mano Shivaye, Tano Shivaye, Dhano
Shivaye, metaphorically speaking, ' Shiva is drenched with your love' .
He can no longer resist giving you His Darsana.When you offer Him everything you have, your body ( karma) your mind ( gyana) , and your very soul ( raja yoga) , knowing that all these come from Him, then your worship with the combination of all these blossoms into a great Bhakti bhava, and Shiva ,who is Aashotosh, ( easily pleased ), will come to your very doorstep. His Idol in your heart and mandir both, will begin to shine with a divine luminescence for ever after.
Aum Namah Shivaye!
Shail Gulhati author of SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.series.
Available on Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017ECI6CU
