Shivaratri — the most significant of all festivals
The Jambulapalem Shiva temple with 1116 Shivalingas in Prakasam district is spruced up ahead of Mahashivaratri celebrations.
Shivaratri is celebrated every year with a lot of religious fervor and devotion. Devotees keep fast, make offerings on Shivling and stay awake all night (jagaram) to get the blessings of God Shiva. Unknown to most of the devotees the festival of Shivaratri holds the mystery to something most crucial namely, how God liberates the entire humanity from sorrow and suffering. Till this mystery is solved by God himself, Shivaratri is celebrated merely as an annual ritual sans its original significance and purpose. To truly celebrate Shivaratri it is vital to know as to Who Shiva is and what the word ‘Ratri’ which means night has to do with Shiva.
The Supreme Soul is one and souls are many. The Supreme Soul is the Creator and Director of the eternal World Drama and souls are the actors in it. By becoming pure souls can become a great soul (mahatma), religious soul (dharamatma) and a divine or deity soul (devatma) but they cannot become Supreme Soul i.e. Paramatma. Souls are the progeny and not a part of the Supreme Soul.
God Shiva is the creator of all deities even Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar. Devotees worship them as devtaya namaha (salutations to the lords or deities). In comparison, Shiva is always worshipped as Shiva Paramatmay Namaha (Salutations to God Shiva) and Om Namaha Shivay (I salute Shiva). Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are shown as worshipping God Shiva at Rameshwar and Gopeshwar respectively. The light form of God Shiva has been idolized as jyotirlingam (pillar of light) in 12 famous jyotirlingam Shiva temples in India viz. in Kedarnath, Somnath and Mahakaleswar etc. The light form of God is worshipped in most of the faiths in the world.
Interestingly, Shivaratri does not mean Shiva’s night. The festival commemorates God’s descent on earth to end the unlimited Ratri (night) of ignorance and suffering and to usher in the golden dawn of peace, harmony and happiness. Here Ratri connotes that critical juncture in eternal world drama cycle when unrighteousness reaches its extreme and all human efforts to redeem the situation fail. It’s a period of extreme sorrow and suffering when the vices of ego, lust, anger and attachment rule human thoughts and actions.
In Hindu scriptures there is mention of the night of Brahma (Brahma ki raat) and also the night of the Shaktis or Goddesses (Navratris). The night of Brahma signifies the age of ignorance and unrighteousness in which God’s first and purest creation, Brahma and the Brahmins, are clouded by ignorance and vices. When God Shiva comes and opens their third eye of wisdom by bestowing divine intellect, they are able to forge a mental link with Him and draw His power.
They thus become Shiva Shaktis who destroy ignorance and vices in the world with the help of Shiva. The Navratri (festival of nine nights) is a memorial of the end of the unlimited ratri in which devotees invoke the blessings of Shiva Shaktis and sing praise of their divine actions.
It is at such a time when God intervenes to perform the divine acts of re-creating the new world order of purity, peace and prosperity and destroying the old world order of viciousness, violence and deprivation, as described in the Gita. Just as night ends and day dawns when the sun rises, in the same way to end the night of ignorance God Shiva, the Sun of Knowledge (Gyan Surya) incarnates at the far end of Kaliyuga, in Bharat. This period of spiritual enlightenment is sailed Sangamyuga (Confluence Age) in which the most auspicious confluence of the Supreme Soul Shiva and human souls takes place.
To learn more about Shivratri and the proper techniques of Raja Yoga Meditation, please visit your nearest Brahma Kumaris Centre. There is no charge.
Brahma Kumaris Centres in India & Nepal:
Brahma Kumaris Centres Abroad:
Please watch:
Supreme Father God Shiva has arrived on Earth to establish Golden Age
SHIV AVATARAN (INCARNATION OF GOD SHIVA).
Positive Thoughts
To understand the significance of the role that I have to play is to make it special.
When I compare myself with others, I either feel superior or inferior to them. There is also a chance that I feel jealous. This negativity doesn't help me do the best in what I have to do. In fact, it is true that each and every actor has a special part to play and so do I. When I remember the special role that I have to play in my life and understand its significance, I will be able to give my best to it. Today I will remember that I am the hero actor in this drama of life. Each and everything that happens to me has a meaning and is making me better in this role. I have to excel in this role that I am playing at present. I will then be able to be free from wasteful comparisons.
Ego is different from self-respect. The one who has self-respect has
the power to listen and accept the criticism that comes his way. But
the one with ego only listens to insults, takes it in and suppresses.
So he finds that from time to time he needs to burst out and vent out
his suppressed feelings. I need to clearly discriminate between
criticism and insults and only take criticism rejecting all insults.
When someone says something to correct me, I first need to check in
myself if there is any truth in what they are saying. If there is, let
me take the learning from it. But if there is nothing to learn, I need
to just learn to ignore it.
the power to listen and accept the criticism that comes his way. But
the one with ego only listens to insults, takes it in and suppresses.
So he finds that from time to time he needs to burst out and vent out
his suppressed feelings. I need to clearly discriminate between
criticism and insults and only take criticism rejecting all insults.
When someone says something to correct me, I first need to check in
myself if there is any truth in what they are saying. If there is, let
me take the learning from it. But if there is nothing to learn, I need
to just learn to ignore it.
Understanding The Process Of Birth And Death
The leaving of one body and the taking of another is nearly always confusing and soon the details of the old life are erased by the new. Just in one day we forget so much. After having slept for a while, after some injury or shock, or even after a change in place, company or circumstances, many things are forgotten.
Death of the body is a great shock to the soul, especially if there was great attachment to that body, and the new set of circumstances in the new body is bewildering (confusing). Because the body and brain are not developed, the soul cannot express its memory, so it laughs and cries when it cannot recognize anyone, or when it wishes to express itself. By the time the body is developed, the soul has forgotten its past birth and has become accustomed to the new conditions and the new parents. The prominent sanskaras developed in past lives soon begin to manifest (show) themselves with new details (in the new birth).
Death of the body is a great shock to the soul, especially if there was great attachment to that body, and the new set of circumstances in the new body is bewildering (confusing). Because the body and brain are not developed, the soul cannot express its memory, so it laughs and cries when it cannot recognize anyone, or when it wishes to express itself. By the time the body is developed, the soul has forgotten its past birth and has become accustomed to the new conditions and the new parents. The prominent sanskaras developed in past lives soon begin to manifest (show) themselves with new details (in the new birth).
Blessing: May you be an elevated server who becomes a bestower filled with knowledge and has pure and positive thoughts for all souls.
The main basis for being one who has pure and positive thoughts for others is positive thinking. Those who engage themselves in wasteful thinking or thinking of others cannot become those with pure and positive thoughts for others. Jewels of pure and positive thoughts for others always have their treasure stores of powerful, pure and positive thoughts full. Because of being full, they can have pure and positive thoughts for others. To have pure and positive thoughts for the original self means to be filled with all jewels of knowledge. Only the bestowers who are filled with knowledge serve everyone while walking and moving around and become elevated servers.
Slogan: In order to become one who has all rights to the kingdom of the world, become an instrument for the transformation of the world.
Slogan: In order to become one who has all rights to the kingdom of the world, become an instrument for the transformation of the world.
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