Cosmic Dance of Lord Shiva:"Tandav of The Natraj"

Shiva's Cosmic Dance

On June 18, 2004 at the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire or European Center for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva — a 2m tall statue of the Indian deity Nataraja, the Lord of Dance was placed symbolizing Shiva's cosmic dance of creation and destruction.

On September 10th 2008, Large Hadron Collider (LHC) simulated the "Big Bang" which is thought to be "The Mother of Creation of Universe" by colliding particles on to the matter at the speed of light trying to create the elemantory particle known as "Boson" named after great Indian physcisist, Dr S N Bose. In choosing the image of Nataraja, the profound significance of the Cosmic dance of Shiva's or the cosmic dance of subatomic particles by physicists was acknowledged. The parallel between Shiva's dance and the dance of subatomic particles was first discussed by a scientist Fritjof Capra in an article titled "The Dance of Shiva: The Hindu View of Matter in the Light of Modern Physics," published in Main Currents in Modern Thought in 1972. Shiva's cosmic dance then became a central metaphor in Capra's international bestseller, first published in 1975 and still in print in over 40 editions around the world.

Dr. Capra explained that "Modern physics has shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the birth and death of all living creatures, but is also the very essence of inorganic matter," and that Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter."

A special plaque next to the Shiva statue at CERN in Geneva explains the significance of the Shiva's cosmic dance. Here is the text of the plaque:

“Seeing beyond the unsurpassed rhythm, beauty, power and grace of the Nataraja, It is the clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of."

Dance is an act of creation. It brings about a new situation and summons into the dancer a new and higher personality. It has a cosmogonic effect which rouses dormant energies in the dancer. Whilst dancing, the dancer becomes amplified into a "endowed-being" with supra-normal powers. His personality is transformed. Like yoga, the dance induces trance, ecstasy, the experience of the divine, the realization of one’s own secret nature, and finally, mergence into the divine essence.

Nataraj (The Lord or King of Dance) is a depiction of Lord Shiva as the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance as a part of his activities of creation and destruction. He is both the destroyer and the creator of the universe.

"Lord Shiva dances away the destruction of a world of illusion followed by the creation of a world of enlightenment".

There are two forms of Lord Shiva's dance are the "Lasya" (the gentle form of dance) that is associated with the creation of the world and the "Tandava" (the violent form of dance) that is associated with the destruction of the world. In essence, the Lasya and the Tandava are just two aspects of Shiva's nature; for he destroys in order to create, tearing down to build again.

1. The upper right hand holds an hourglass shaped drum (that is called a damaru). A specific hand gesture (mudra) called damaru-hasta is used to hold the drum. It symbolizes sound of origin or creation.

2. The upper left hand contains Agni or fire, which signifies destruction. The opposing concepts in the upper hands show the counterpoise of creation and destruction.

3. The second right hand shows the Abhaya mudra (meaning fearlessness), bestowing protection from both evil and ignorance to those who follow the righteousness of dharma.

4. The second left hand points towards the raised foot which signifies upliftment and liberation.
The dwarf on which Nataraja is dancing is the demon Apasmara, which symbolises Shiv's victory over ignorance.

5. Lord of Dance (Nataraja or Shiv) performs the Tandav, the dance in which the universe is created, maintained, and resolved. HIS long, matted tresses, usually piled up in a knot, loosen during the dance and crash into the heavenly bodies, knocking them off course or destroying them utterly.

6. The surrounding flames represent the manifest Universe.

7. The snake swirling around his waist is Kundalini, the Shakti or divine force thought to reside within everything.

8. The stoic face of Shiv represents his neutrality, thus being in balance. This is also known as the Wisdom of Balance.

9. Nataraja dances with his right foot is over a crouching figure of a dwarf demon and his left foot elegantly raised. This dwarf demon is "Apasmara". Shiv dancing on the postrate body of a Demon (purusha) is symbolical of control over life’s blindness or man’s ignorance. A mirrored posture, where his right foot is raised, represents Moksha (salvation).

H H Dalai Lama on Inner Peace

Quotes by Chinese philosopher-Confucious

· When a man's knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever he may have gained, he will lose again.

· Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

· Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

· Study the past if you would define the future.

· It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

· Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

· Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.

· What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.

· Respect yourself and others will respect you.

· To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.

· When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn in-wards and examine ourselves.

· [The superior man] acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.

· Have no friends, not equal to yourself.

· Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

· Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.

His Holy Dalai Lama Speaks

Happiness

1. Happiness can be achieved through training the mind.
2. The fact that there is always a positive side to life is the one thing that gives me a lot of happiness.

Beliefs and Values

3. The need of the day is a warm heart and some sense of humanity.
4. My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
5. Unlike science, the religious tradition teaches the concept of forgiveness, tolerance and compassion. Scientists cannot help you change your emotion, only religion can.

Knowledge, Learning

6. I learn as much from a turtle as from a religious text.
7. You might consider things like old age and death as negative, unwanted, and simply try to forget about them. But eventually those things will come anyway.

Relationships

8. The need for simple human-to-human relationships is becoming increasingly urgent ... Today the world is smaller and more interdependent. One nation's problems can no longer be solved by itself completely. Thus, without a sense of universal responsibility, our very survival becomes threatened. Basically, universal responsibility is feeling for other people's suffering just as we feel our own. It is the realization that even our enemy is entirely motivated by the quest for happiness. We must recognize that all beings want the same thing that we want. This is the way to achieve a true understanding, unfettered by artificial consideration.

Most Beautiful Melody

THE TRUE RELIGION

An old man was visiting a city for the first time in his life. He had grown up in a remote mountain village, worked hard raising his children, and was then enjoying his first visit to his children”s modern homes. While being shown around the city, the old man heard a sound that stung his ears. He had never heard such an awful noise in his quiet mountain village. Following the grating sound back to its source, he came to a room in the back of a house where a small boy was practising on a violin.“Screech! Screech!” came the discordant notes form the groaning violin. When he was told that it was called a “violin”, he decided he never wanted to hear such a horrible thing again.

The next day, in a different part of the city, the old man heard a beautiful sound, which seemed to caress his aged ears. He had never heard such an enchanting melody in his mountain valley. Following the delightful sound back to its source, he came to a room in the front of a house where an old lady, a maestro, was performing a sonata on a violin.

At once, the old man realised his mistake. The terrible sound that he had heard the previous day was not the fault of the violin, nor even the boy. It was just that the young man had yet to learn his instrument well. With a wisdom reserved for the simple folk, the old man thought it was the same with religion. When we come across a religious enthusiast causing such strife with his beliefs, it is incorrect to blame the religion.

It is just that the novice has yet to learn his religion well. When we come across a saint, a maestro of her religion, it is such a sweet encounter that it inspires us for many years, whatever their beliefs.

But that was not the end of the story…..

The third day, in a different part of the city, the old man heardanother sound that surpassed in its beauty and purity even that of the maestro on her violin. What do you think that sound was?

It was a sound more beautiful than the cascade of the mountain stream in spring, than the autumn wind through the forest groves, or than the mountain birds singing after a heavy rain. It was even more beautiful than the silence in the mountain hollows on a still winter”s night. What was that sound that moved the old man”s heart more powerfully than anything before?
It was a large orchestra playing a symphony.

The reason it was, for the old man, the most beautiful sound in the world is that firstly, every member of that orchestra was a maestro of their own instrument; and secondly, they had further learned how to play together in harmony.

“May it be the same with religion,” the old man thought. “Let each one of us learn through the lessons of life the soft heart of our beliefs. Let us each be a maestro of the love within our religion. Then, having learned our religion well, let us go further and learn how to play, like members of an orchestra, with other religions in harmony together!”

That would be the most beautiful melody!

"U" & "I"

M_SL_M

H_ND_

Both words are not complete without “U” and “I”.

WHY THEN COMMUNAL HATRED?

LIVE AND LET LIVE

Self Realisation = Brahman

Brahman (bráhman-, nominative bráhma ब्रह्म) is a concept derived from the verb "Brah" (to grow), and connotes "Great Origin". Upanishad says: That supreme Brahman is infinite, and Brahman is a condition or state of mind which is infinite. “The infinite proceeds through knowledge, realizing the infitude of the infinite”.

By definition, Brahman is the Unchanging, Infinite, Permmanent, and Transcendent reality which is the “Divine Ground” of all Matter, Energy, Time, Space, Being, and everything beyond in this Universe. [1]

Rig Veda explains; Brahman is the the source of the “Hiranyagarbha” (Golden Womb or “The Creator” God-Brahmā). Composers of the Upanishads' wrote-that the liberated soul conforms his identity with the Brahman, as his true self.

“Brahman” is different from "Brahmin" (what we call as the priests or holy men), in fact word "Brahmin" came into being from "Brahman" due to the confusion in pronunciation between the terms by modern English translators and can be dated back to the translation of the Upanishads into modern English in late 17th century.

Sages, who wrote Upanishads' fully realized “Brahman, as the reality”, behind their own being and of everything else in this universe. They were thus Brahmins in the true sense of the word. They were not Brahmin by birth but because of their self realisation and by virtue of being liberated souls. However, later on Brahmin came to be identified with the highest of the four castes, the Brahmins, who by virtue of their purity and priesthood held themselves high and as proprietors of rituals, without any effort for actual self realization, and even void of Vedantic knowledge. Maharishi Valmiki, Parashuram, or Gautam Siddhartha weren't Brahaman but after self realisation, became one. "Kautliya, the guru" of emperor Chandragupt Maurya was also not Brahman by birth but because of his virtues.

Imagine a person who is blind from birth and has not seen anything. Is it possible for us to explain to him what light is like? Is any amount of thinking or reasoning on his part ever going to make him understand the sensation of light? In a similar fashionl the idea of Brahman cannot be explained or understood through material reasoning or any form of human communication. Brahman is like light; those who can sense it cannot explain or argue with those who have never sensed it.

“Brahman” is Absolute Reality or the universal substrate and must not be confused with "The Creator God Brahmā". Brahman is Eternal, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and ultimately indescribable in human language. “Brahman” is the source and essence of the material universe. The initial “unmanifest state” of singularity of the universe. It is also described as beyond-Being and Non-Being.Brahman is also not restricted to the usual dimensional perspectives of Enlightenment, Moksha, Yoga, Samadhi, Nirvana, etc. Mahayana, the concept of Buddha Nature is also closely related to the “Self realisation of Brahman”. The closest interpretation of the term can be found in the Taittariya Upanishad (II.1) where Brahman is described as "satyam jnanam anantam brahman" ("Brahman is the nature of truth, knowledge and infinity"). Thus, Brahman is the origin and end of all things, material or otherwise. Brahman is the root source and Divine Ground of everything that exists, and does not exist. It is defined as unknowable and Satchitananda ("Truth-Consciousness-Bliss"). Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth.

In Veda’s and Upanishad’s; it is said, "Ekam Satya (Truth is one) and all that is true is Brahman". This also explains, the Hindu view that "All paths lead to the one Truth, though many sages and religions call upon it by different names."Thus the goal of a true Hindu is by all means is to realise that the soul is nothing but Brahman.

Several great sayings, indicate the "universality of the principle of Brahman";

"Brahman is knowledge" ayam ātmā brahma [2]

"The Self (or the Soul) is Brahman "aham brahmāsmi [3]

"I am Brahman" tat tvam asi [4]

"Thou are that" sarvam khalv idam brahma [5]

"All this that we see in the world is Brahman", sachchidānanda brahma [6], [7]

Summary:
"Brahman is existence, consciousness, and bliss" not to be confused with: Brāhmaņa (masculine, pronounced as /brα:h mə Ņə/) in the mantras—an integral part of the Vedic literature. Brāhmaņ (same pronunciation as above), means priest; the word is usually rendered in English as "Brahmin". This usage is also found in the Atharva Veda.

1. Supreme Lord (Ishwara), in Advaita, is actually a partial worldly manifestation with limited attributes of the ultimate reality which is "the attributeless Brahman".

2. Devas, the celestial beings of Hinduism, which may be regarded as deities, demi-gods, spirits or angels.

3. Upanishads identify "the Atman", (the inner essence of the human being), with Brahman, the Great Spirit.

4. Advaita and Dvaita philosophies understand Brahman as one with infinite auspicious qualities wherein the ultimate reality is expressed as Nirguna Brahman (formless, attributeless).

5. All forms of Gods including Vishnu and Shiva are different aspects of God in personal form (Saguna Brahman i.e. God with attributes).

6. God's energy is known as Devi, the Divine Mother.

References:
1. Brodd, Jefferey (2003). World Religions. Winona, MN: Saint Mary's Press.
2. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5,
3. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10,
4. Chhāndogya Upanishad 6.8.7 et seq.
5. Chhāndogya Upanishad 3.14.1
6. Nrisimhauttaratāpini, cited in Swami Nikhilananda, The Upanishads: A new Translation Vol. I. 7. In the Bhagavad Gītā, Krishna also describes the nature of Brahman. For example, he says "And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness" (brahmano hi pratishthaham...) B-Gita (As-it-Is) 14.27 Translation by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Humble acknowledgement: (Several resources over the internet were used in the prepration of this entry)

Laws of Universe Vs Human Minds

The existense of universe is governed by the law of Physics that "opposites attract each other and likes dispel". This rule of physics has never been broken and can not be broken.

However, when it come to the question of "minds". Only the "likes attract each other and opposites dispel".

Interesting!!!

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus: The last of Five Good Emperors

Hope the rulers of today learn some of the things from these rulers of the past.

From my grandfather Verus: I learned to relish the beauty of manners, and to restrain all anger. From the fame and character my father obtained, modesty, and a manly deportment.

From my mother: I learned to be religious, and liberal; and to guard, not only against evil actions, but even against any evil intention’s entering my thoughts; to content myself with a spare diet, far different from the softness and luxury so common among the wealthy. *

From my great-grandfather: I learned not to frequent public schools and auditories; but to have good and able teachers; and for things of this nature, to account no expense too great.

From BOOK I – The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, [Published in 1742 Written between 96-180 AD]

About the Author: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was he last of the 5 good emperors of Roman Empire. The Five Good Emperors is a term that refers to five consecutive emperors of the Roman Empire who represented a line of virtuous and just rule — Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. Their reigns lasted between 96 to 180 AD. The term was coined by the political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli in 1503:

“From the study this history we may also learn how a good government is to be established; for while all the emperors who succeeded to the throne by birth, except Titus, were bad, all were good who succeeded by adoption; as in the case of the five from Nerva to Marcus. But so soon as the empire fell once more to the heirs by birth, its ruin recommenced”.

Machiavelli wrote that these adopted emperors, through "good" rule, earned the respect of those around them: Titus, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus, and Marcus had no need of cohorts, or of countless legions to guard them, but were defended by their own good lives, the good-will of their subjects, and the attachment of the senate.

Learn from Alphabets: Leaders must wait for their turn

Did you ever realize that the letters, A B C D do not appear in the spellings of the numerical 1 to 99 !!

D appears first in Hundred.
A appears first in Thousand.
B appears first in Billion.
C appears first in Crore

Reason - Everyone must wait for his turn and his share of success !! Especially the leaders, even leaders in Alphabets.

“When virtue accedes. Ego recedes”.
Wish you all have an EGO-less day

Politician's Security vs. Common man’s Insecurity

Z+ Category to 30 politicians

Z Category to 68 politicians

X Category to 83 politicians

Y Category to 243 politicians

None to 1.2 billion, commonly known as Common man

Have a Safe Day!

Message of Spiritual Liberty

A wise man by studying nature enters into the unity through its variety, and realizes the personality of Almighty by sacrificing his own.

'He who knows himself knows; “Ishwar-The Almighty” “Allah” or “God”

· 'Self-knowledge is the real wisdom' (Vedanta).
· Knowing onself brings you close to Allah' (Sayings of Mohammed).
· 'The Kingdom of God is within you' (Bible).

“He” is the possessor of all the visible and invisible attributes of “the Absolute”, and has different names in different languages for the understanding of man.

Personality of a man is quite comprehensible, since his actions exhibit him as an individual, whereas God's personality has no clear identification and thus full of variety. Another fact is, that variety covers unity. 'Hidden things are manifested by their opposites, but as God has no opposite He remains hidden.

God can be understood from three points of view: personality, morality, and reality.
According to the first view, God is the most high; man is dependent upon Him and is His most obedient servant. (Quran)
According to the second view, God is the all-merciful and all-good, while all evil is from Satan. (The Bible)
The third is the philosophic view that God is the beginning and end of all, having Himself no beginning nor end.(The Bhagvat Gita)

-Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, Excerpts, London 1914

On World's "AIDS DAY"

What is Life? Arthur Ashe explains it,,,

When Arthur Ashe, the legendary American Tennis Player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983. He received letters from his fans from world over, one of which conveyed:

“Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease”?

To this Arthur Ashe replied:

“The world over — 50 million children start playing tennis,
5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis,
50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam,
50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals,
When I was holding a cup I never asked, GOD ‘Why me?’.
Then today in pain why should I ask, GOD ‘Why me?’ “

“Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrow keeps you Human,
Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you glowing,
But only, Faith & Attitude keeps you going… and this is Life.