Shiva The Enternal Joy

Centres

Preface

One of the world’s most inspirational and dynamic leaders, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is also one of the greatest thinkers of our times. Emphasising practical wisdom, He has transformed millions of lives all over the globe. His talks are a unique blend of knowledge and guidance, delivered with simplicity and humour—a powerful, unbeatable combination that touches lives and hearts wherever heard.

It is with great joy that we offer this deeply absorbing collection of profound yet simple to comprehend talks, given by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, over a period of time. They compel one to delve deeper, ponder further and look beyond the obvious. They give an insight into our rituals and a deeper meaning to our traditions.

Introduction

The image of Lord Shiva has over the centuries been romanticized by historians and devotees alike. A body smeared with ash, a tiger skin encircling his loins, a crescent moon adorning his forehead, matted hair piled high on his head from whence flows the celestial river Ganga, one hand bearing a trident, another set in a classical mudra, sometimes playing the dumroo as he is consumed in the cosmic dance, the third eye between the brows accentuating his bold handsomeness, snakes encircling his azure neck. The imagery in its evocativeness has never failed to attract and arouse the curiosity within.

As much as there have been metaphors to describe the visual appearance of Shiva, there have been many more names to describe the attributes that he has been known to embody. The 1008 names of Shiva only serve to portray his infinite and versatile nature, his unknowable mysteries, a being devoid of polarities, composite and synthesized. Yet, He is beyond description or definition. He can only be experienced and lived through.

You cannot completely know Shiva with just the head or the heart alone. Therefore, in this book, we have compiled a series of commentaries by Sri Sri on aspects related to Shiva and to His worship, which appeals to both the rational and the devotional. Through this offering, we hope to move the reader beyond the limited abstract conceptions of Shiva, and expose the vibrant kaleidoscope of the all-encompassing reality that Shiva is.

Shiva

Shiva-Innocence and Infinity

What is Shiva? It is That which is so benevolent, That consciousness, which is beyond waking, dreaming and sleeping state. Consciousness which is uplifting, which is innocent, and does good to all the beings. In mythology, they say Shiva is in Kailas. Kailas means where there is only celebration, only joy, the abode of celebration. It is a symbol, Shiva is not somebody who lives on Kailas. The meanings of symbols are so deep that you will be amazed that ancient people had such brilliant mind, brilliant consciousness. One form of Shiva is Nataraja. He took this form when the Cosmic Dance happened. The entire universe is the dance of the cosmos, particles dancing with each other. All the atoms, molecules, the seen and the unseen world, the whole creation got formed when they merged and danced together. That is called the cosmic dance of Shiva.

The divine energy or consciousness is always there. It is your own nature, your own consciousness in the form of Shiva. Our consciousness in its height of energy is Shiva. In a lighter, humorous, playful mood, it is Narayana. When it is a little serious, innocent and very strong, it is Shiva. There are some with the motherly quality and in them, the same consciousness manifests as Mother Divine, Devi. Consciousness is present all over. Every particle of the creation is full with divinity. You are floating in an ocean of divinity.

This small identification, I am the body. I am this mind, I am this life, restricts the inner real Self. We give too much importance to all these small identities. This name, this form is there. Ok. So what? This name and form is divinity, which is bigger than the garments.

Transformation happens with solid faith, solid understanding, and solid experiences in the Divine. Then, it stays. When you get connected to the Self, to the innocence, then you are connected to the whole universe. All planets, stars, they are so far away, yet they are all connected. The whole thing is connected. This is not the only world.

A person who has not moved out of his small village thinks this is the whole world. They are stuck with limited understanding. When he travels and he sees that the world is big-there is Poland, Switzerland, America, and Australia. The more aware of the globe you are, the more your awareness about the earth dawns. Like that, the more you are in touch with reality, pure consciousness, Shiva within us, the area of your operation increases.

What is Shiva? How big is Shiva?

Brahmananda vyapta deha

The body of Shiva is beyond the galaxies. The whole universe is His body. All the stars and nebulae are his hair. Thousands of suns together form his eyes. Water in the whole universe is his stomach. Such vast expanded body! Till wherever the blueness goes, to that extent body exists. That big is Shiva’s body! The serpent is the mind, it is alert. Different forms of energy form the hair of Shiva. So infinite is the consciousness–it has no end, no beginning. When you say Om Namah Shivaya, you get blown out immediately, beyond all galaxies.

The world is full of millions of vibrations, which are categorized as nine main vibrations. They are also related to the nine planets, mind and to food also. Particular grains are connected to a particular planet. Everything is connected, networked. There is a different time range in the galaxy. Earth has sunrise and sunset once in twenty four hours. If you are on a satellite 200 miles above the Earth, there is sunrise and sunset sixteen times a day. A year here is sixteen years on the satellite. Thirty years on the Earth is equal to one year on Saturn. Twelve years on Earth is just one year in Jupiter. One year on Mars is three years on earth. If you are in Mercury or Venus, the days are much smaller than ours so one year there is only forty or fifty days on Earth.

Six months for a human is one night for the angels in the subtle plane. The day of devas begins on 15th of January. The next six months i.e., after July; are night for devas and they go back to sleep. So, all auspicious things like celebrating festivals are done in the six months the devas are awake. Also for people on the spiritual path, January 15th is a very significant day for meditation. It is the New Year for spiritual seekers. The middle of sadhakas year comes on Guru Purnima. Guru Purnima is the sunset for devas. January 15th is the sunrise.

When you are on the path, when you are doing meditation, everything comes to your door. All the blessings come to your door, you don’t have to go seeking anything anywhere. It is the fullness of the path. All your love, your meditation is drawing the people who have never been out of their province, out of their country to come here and give their blessings. Have a deep sense of reverence for this moment, and every moment because every moment has a mind of its own. If we have a deep sense of reverence for this moment, then you come to Divinity, then you come to a deep sense of acceptance within you.

Peace is nothing but a deep sense of acceptance. Shiva is called Mahakala, Maha is grand and kaal is time. Shiva is the field of energy that dissolves in it the effect of time. Time follows some rules. It has its own rhythm. Sometimes, something desirable happens and at some other times, something undesirable. Time continues to teach us that opposite values are complementary. When we transcend time, we experience joy. Whenever you are happy, we don’t feel the time passing. When you are miserable, every moment appears to be long. If you have to wait in the airport for half an hour all alone, you will look at the watch every two minutes. That half hour seems like half a year. But when you are happy, engaged in something beautiful, you don’t feel the time at all. When you transcend time, then you experience joy. When you go beyond joy, then you experience the great time, grand time, that is Shiva-beyond time, beyond space, in the depth of our being. So, Shiva is not sitting somewhere.

The scriptures say that Shiva has two forms, Linga and Jangama. Every symbol, every object, every living being represents the Divine. Especially those who have dedicated themselves to the Divine 100%, are embodiments of the Divine.

What does Vasudeva mean? Deva means one who loves to play. Demon means one who loves to fight. Divi means Divine. The English word Divine comes from Sanskrit root Divi. Divine means that is which is full of light, full of love, wisdom and playfulness. Vasudeva means one who is the Lord of life, a life which is full of playfulness, joy, wisdom and light. The light we invoke deep us, is invoking Vasudeva. It is manifest in every cell of your body.

Mana means mind. The reverse of mana is nama. Mind moves outward but when it moves inward, it becomes nama. Om Namah Shivaya means that mind goes to Shiva, the divinity deep within us, the innocence, beauty, light that is in our core of existence, there are so many meanings in it. This is just a capsule form of it.

A seed is a whole tree. Like that a lot is contained in sound. Meaning restricts sound. You say a sound and your whole body can feel it. Meaning is something that only a little part that your intellect can grasp. That’s why they call it nada brahma, meaning sound is Brahman, infinity. The sound is more important. Narayana means the Divinity which is housed in the nervous system. In India there is a tradition that when you meet a person or an enlightened saint, they say Om Namo Narayana, it means-I bow down to the God in you. Divinity has manifested in your nervous system, I honour that. So everyone is Narayana, because everyone’s nervous system is expressing Its consciousness.

Similarly, Namah Shivaya means earth, water, air, ether and fire. This divinity which is in all five elements is Namah Shivaya. And that Divinity which is so innocent, is the source of your mind, the source of consciousness. So whenever you are meditating, you are in touch with the innocent level of consciousness, which is non-dual. That which is so calm and still and that still consciousness is called Shiva.

Feel at home in silence. Some are always in silence, and some always listen to the music. Life is complete when you can switch between the spectrum. That is the Shiva element, Shiva dance. When Shiva dances, the world shakes, it is so powerful, such a dynamic dance. And yet Shiva can be absolutely still. These two aspects are expressed: one that is very innocent, and in the highest knowledge at the same time. There are people who are ignorant, yet innocent. Shiva is wise, and innocent. The complete range of life, consciousness, so alive.

Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram

Satyam-we are truth, Shivam-we are transcendental and Sundaram-we are beauty.

The Self is beauty, truth and benevolence. Beauty is divinity, and the divine is the truth. So wherever you see beauty, behind that there is a consciousness from which the whole universe is coming into existence. This is a very unique aspect of the Hindu culture. God or divinity is referred as beauty also. Divine as beauty is not emphasized so much in any other scripture or culture as much as it is in the Hindu culture. Of course, every culture has the same truth and talk about beauty, but that beauty is divinity is emphasised on more in this culture.

One basic thing to understand is that your body was made from one cell. One cell became your whole body. That cell knew exactly where to make the eyes, where to make ears, where the kidney should be, where the heart should be and one cell multiplied itself into many different ways-nails, hair, tongue, muscle, bone and everything. Have you ever thought about it? One cell multiplied and made so many organs of the human body. Human body is one, yet it is so different, diverse in its nature and texture.

This unity in diversity is the same in the whole creation. The entire creation-sun, moon, stars, air, cloud, water, earth is made up of one substance. Everything is made up of One thing. That One thing is called Shiva.

Sarvam Shivamayam Jagat

The whole world is just a manifestation of Shiva. You can call it by any name, it doesn’t matter. That is the basic thing behind the whole creation. Our consciousness, our mind is also made up of the Shiva principle.

What is the Shiva principle? It is not like what you see in the Shiva images. Pictures show a blue figure of Shiva sitting in meditation. Shiva is depicted blue because, He is infinite like the sky. Our