God - our moral compass

Courtesy SarvaShiva, Seattle

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is" - Albert Camus

With God as our moral compass we have a shot at finding the path to peace and happiness, without Him in that role we are ceratin to get lost and remain lost.

Love = Praying

"He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all"

From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

An interpretation of Om

“OM, when considered as one letter, uttered by the help of one articulation, is the symbol of the Supreme Spirit. But when considered a trilateral word consisting of a, u, m, it implies the three Vedas, the three states of human nature, the divisions of the universe, and the three deities – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, agents in the creation, preservation and destruction of this world; or, properly speaking, the three principal attributes of the Supreme Being personified in those three deities. In this sense it implies, in fact, the universe controlled by the Supreme Spirit” - Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Durga - the Hindu Mother Goddess

Courtesy SarvaShiva, Seattle

Hindus hold Durga (दुर्गा, "the inaccessible" or "the invincible") or Maa Durga (Mother Durga) as the "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress". Durga is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having ten arms, riding a lion or a tiger, carrying weapons and a lotus flower, maintaining a meditative smile, and practicing mudras, or symbolic hand gestures.

An embodiment of creative feminine force (Shakti), Durga exists in a state of svātantrya (independence from the universe and anything/anybody else, i.e., self-sufficiency) and fierce compassion. Kali is considered by Hindus to be an aspect of Durga. Durga in Her Gauri incarnation is also the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya. She is thus considered the fiercer, demon-fighting form of Shiva's wife, goddess Parvati. Durga manifests fearlessness and patience, and never loses her sense of humor, even during spiritual battles of epic proportion.

The word Shakti means divine feminine force, and Durga is the warrior aspect of the Divine Mother. Other incarnations include Annapurna and Karunamayi (karuna = kindness). Durga's darker aspect Kali is represented as the consort of the god Shiva, on whose body she is often seen standing.

As a goddess, Durga's feminine power contains the energies of the gods. Each of her weapons was gifted to her by various gods: Shiva's Trishool (trident), Vishnu's Chakra (discus), Indra's Vajra (thunderbolt) etc.

According to the Devi Mahatmya story of the Markandeya Purana text, Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight an asura (an inhumane force/demon) named Mahishasur. He had unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether worlds, and he could not be defeated by any man or god, anywhere. The gods went to Brahma, who had given Mahishasura the power to be the invincible conqueror of the universe. Brahma could do nothing. They made Brahma their leader and went to Vaikuntha — the place where Vishnu lay on Ananta Naag. They found both Vishnu and Shiva, and Brahma eloquently related the reign of terror Mahishasur had unleashed on the three worlds. Hearing this Vishnu, Shiva and all of the Gods became very angry and beams of fierce light emerged from their bodies. The blinding sea of light met at the Ashram of a priest named Katyan. The goddess Durga took the name Katyani from the priest and emerged from the sea of light. She introduced herself in the language of the Rig-Veda, saying she was the form of the supreme Brahman who had created all the gods. Now she had come to fight the demon to save the gods. They did not create her; it was her lila that she emerged from their combined energy. The Gods were blessed with her compassion.

Durga Chalisa is a 40 couplet invocation to Durga:

दुर्गा चालीसा 

नमो नमो दुर्गे सुख करनी,

नमो नमो अम्बे दुःख हरनी.

निराकार है ज्योति तुम्हारी,

तिहूँ लोक फेली उज्यारी.

शशि ललाट मुख महाविशाला,

नेत्र लाल भृकुटी विकराला.

रूप मातु को अधिक सुहावे,

दरस करत जन अति सुख पावे.

तुम संसार शक्ति लय कीना,

पालन हेतु अन्न धन दीना.

अन्नपूर्ण हुई जग पाला,

तुम्ही आदी सुंदरी बाला.

प्रलय काल सब नाशन हारी,

तुम गौरी शिवशंकर प्यारी.

शिव योगी तुम्हरे गुण गावें,

ब्रह्मा विष्णु तुम्हें नित ध्यावें.

रूप सरस्वती को तुम धारा,

दे सुबुद्धि ऋषि मुनिन उबारा.

धर्यो रूप नरसिम्हा को अम्बा,

प्रगट भई फाढ़ कर खम्बा.

रक्षा कर प्रहलाद बचायो,

हिरनाकुश को स्वर्ग पठायो.

लक्ष्मी रूप धरो जग माहीं,

श्री नारायण अंग समाहीं.

क्षीर सिन्धु में करत विलासा,

दया सिन्धु दीजे मन आसा.

हिंगलाज में तुम्हीं भवानी,

महिमा अमित ना जात बखानी.

मातंगी धूमावती माता,

भुवनेश्वरी बगला सुखदाता.

श्री भैरव तारा जग तारिणी,

छिन्न भाल भव दुःख निवारिणी.

केहरी वाहन सोह भवानी,

लंगूर वीर चलत अगवानी.

कर में खप्पर खड़ग विराजे,

जाको देख काल डर भाजे.

सोहे अस्त्र और त्रिशूला,

जाते उठत शत्रु हिय शूला.

नगरकोट में तुम्ही विराजत,

तिहूँ लोक में डंका बाजत.

शुम्भ निशुम्भ दानव तुम मारे,

रक्तबीज शंखन संहारे.

महिषासुर नृप अति अभिमानी,

जेहि अघ भार मही अकुलानी.

रूप कराल कालिका धारा,

सेना सहित तुम तिही संहारा.

पढ़ी गाढ़ संतन पर जब जब,

भई सहाय मातु तुम तब तब.

अमरपुरी अरु बासव लोका,

तब महिमा सब रहें अशोका.

ज्वाला में है ज्योति तुम्हारी,

तुम्हें सदा पूजें नर नारी.

प्रेम भक्ति से जो यश गावे,

दुःख दरिद्र निकट नहीं आवे.

ध्यावे तुम्हें जो नर मन लाई,

जनम मरण ताको छुटी जाई.

जोगी सुर-मुनि कहत पुकारी,

जोग ना हो बिन शक्ति तुम्हारी.

शंकर अचरज तप कीन्हों,

काम, क्रोध जीत सब लीन्हों.

निसिदिन ध्यान धरो शंकर को,

काहू कल नहीं सुमिरो तुम को.

शक्ति रूप को मर्म ना पायो,

शक्ति गयी तब मन पछितायो.

शरणागत हुई कीर्ति बखानी,

जय जय जय जगदम्ब भवानी.

भई प्रसन्न आदि जगदम्बा,

दई शक्ति नहीं कीन विलम्बा.

मोको मातु कष्ट अति घेरो,

तुम बिन कौन हरे दुःख मेरो.

आशा तृष्णा निपट सतावें,

मोह मदादिक सब बिन्सावें.

शत्रु नाश कीजे महारानी,

सुमिरों इकचित तुम्हें भवानी.

करो कृपा हे मातु दयाला,

रिद्धि-सिद्धि दे करहु निहाला.

जब लगि जिअयूं दया फल पाऊँ,

तुम्हरो यश मैं सदा सुनाऊँ.

दुर्गा चालीसा जो गावे,

सब सुख भोग परमपद पावे.

And, ॐ श्री दुर्गाय नमः - Om Sri Durgaya Namah -  is the simplest of Durga mantras.

The Mirror

Courtesy SarvaShiva, Seattle

If you hold a mirror up to you, you will see the face of the person who will lead you to God or away from Him, and in that mirror, if you look hard, you will also see not just you, but also the people you have made happy, and those you’ve made sad.

That mirror is the holiest of holy books, because what it shows is the eternal truth about you.

Sandhya Mantra

ॐ  नमः  शम्भवाय  च
मयोभवाय  च
नमः  शंकराय  च  
मयस्कराय  च  
नमः  शिवाय  च  
शिवतराय  च

"God's attributes"

Courtesy SarvaShiva: http://sarvashiva.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/attributes-of-god/


“Truthfulness, cleanliness, compassion, self-control, magnanimity, contentment, straightforwardness, concentration, sense-control, responsibility, equality, tolerance, equanimity and loyalty. And certainly also knowledge, detachment, leadership, chivalry, influence, power, dutifulness, independence, dexterity, beauty, serenity and kindheartedness, as well as ingenuity, gentility, mannerliness, determination, knowledgeability, propriety, pleasantness, joyfulness, immovability, faithfulness, fame and dignity – all these and many others are the everlasting qualities of the Supreme Lord“

Srimad Bhagavatam 1:16

Rahim says ....

Courtesy SarvaShiva http://sarvashiva.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/rahim-says/

जो रहीम उत्तम प्रकृति, का कर सकत कुसंग |

चन्दन विष व्यापत नहीं, लपटे रहत भुजंग ||

Who is of inherently noble nature, will remain unaffected even when he associates with bad people. The sandalwood plant does not absorb poison when the snakes wind around it.

Except, people are not tress, and history is replete with evidence of vile corrupting the naive and gullible. So to remain pure, one has to remain consciously steadfast to the innate good core, while consciously striving to remain impervious to evil influences.

It’s a matter of awareness and aware choice, until hitting Rahim’s stage – who is so entranced in his own awareness that he does not notice the evil surrounding him.

2 Core Virtues

Courtesy SarvaShiva - http://sarvashiva.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/2-core-virtues/

Charity and Compassion are 2 defining traits that make us virtuous, without these the road to God is blocked.

Univocally decency is a requisite for piety.

Find the inner strength to be generous with both as Capricious, Cruel and God do not co-exist.

Tulsi Das says, “दया धरम का मूल है, पाप मूल अभिमान! तुलसी दया नो छोडिये, जब लग घट में प्राण“

A Wedding

Courtesy: http://sarvashiva.wordpress.com/

Congratulations and blessings to the two beautiful ladies who got married on the 10th.

SarvaShiva celebrates marriage as a holy covenant between two consenting adults, irrespective of their gender.

Love is one of the steps of the ladder to God, and since marriage is a sacred expression of love, we believe in and applaud marriage as it washes the sin aspect of sex without love and commitment.

If you are still being forced into the closet because of fears of what “they” will say or do we will pray with you that you build the strength and courage to be you.

So live, love, be you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

October 10, 2009. Cambridge, MA

SarvaShiva, became the first Hindu temple in the USA to perform the marriage of two women in a Hindu marriage ceremony attended by family and friends. The couple dressed in their respective regional finery took vows of marriage around the Sacred Vedic Fire.

The couple requesting anonymity were married in Massachusetts since Gay Marriage is not allowed in Washington. SarvaShiva Representatives flew to Boston to perform the marriage.

Vikasjeet Puri, co-founder, said, "Religion is a stepping stone to happiness not a roadblock to it. We consider marriage between two consenting adults a celebration, irrespective of their gender. Countless lives are destroyed hiding natural inclination, so we would like to help lift that burden of living in the closet. We believe that all have equal access to God and His Blessings"

SarvaShiva,  a Seattle based progressive Hindu temple, offers "Havan Yajna" and "Satsang" weekly, and believes in equality of gender, race and age.

For counsel or confession please write to: sarvashiva@live.com

Happiness

Courtesy: http://sarvashiva.wordpress.com -http://twitter.com/SarvaShiva

Happiness is the pre-requisite to a healthy, mature, loving relationship with God.

The unhappy reach to God in want, not in love and celebration, making theirs a conditional, need based supplication teetering from hope to despair, often questioning and mostly dissatisfied.

To be happy is in our own hands – to a very large extent, if not entirely, and the basic simple, steps to happiness are:

1. Physical Fitness: healthy, fit body to afford and enjoy what we want most

2. Intellectual Refinement: open, trained mind equipped to adapt to and accept reality and change

3. Financial Independence: essential self respect and dignity tools that elevate life from survival to living it up

4. Emotional Satisfaction: secure bonds of faith where love is born and nurtured and adversities handled with equanimity.

So BE happy.

It is in your hands. It’s in your head. It’s in your grasp.

Work very hard at it, and when dealing with Emotional Satisfaction work gently, giving more than you expect to receive because it all comes back manifold, and if it doesn’t then it’s a wasted emotion with wrong person(s).

When you hit the peak of all 4 you will be real close to seeing God.

My Love .......

The drive up North was pretty, with the hills covered with a neat blanket of snow. But I wasn't moved. I noticed, can't help noticing, but that was it. Nothing like a song welling up inside me.

Then, reaching home found the bay the color of molten sunlight with ducks peacefully bobbing about on the rippled mirror waters and Mt. Baker presiding over this very beautiful evening. I saw that, and unlike other days did not write a mental ode to the magnificence of Nature and God - because I could not - write odes or sing songs - because I can't seem to care.

I don't - care that is, right now, at least.

Because I miss my darlin'. Without her its just scenery without soul. Maybe because she is my soul.

I've done my work, concentrated where I had to but the part that attaches me to myself seems to be missing, so - in mechanized, functional, logical ways - I've been functioning, but the essence of being alive, being me is missing, because I'm madly missing my baby.

Not that its not crazy mad with her here, but that's clawing, tearing, happy, teary, exciting crazy, this going crazy is slowly withering in being isolated from myself. And it's only 30 hours since she left - 30 hours of time tearing gashes into me.

My voodoo, my talisman, my quest and my answers, my heaven and my devil, my woman and my friend, I love her