It is She who gives the power or Shakti to reach the Absolute. It is She, as Katyayani, who brings the gopis closer to Krishna. It is She, as Mahalakshmi, who is the gatekeeper to Vishnu’s heart and Grace. It is She, as the Kundalini Shakti, who awakens us to Shiva nature. It is She as Mahamaya, who brings forth the manifestation and She as Parameshwari, who is an expression of the Absolute. As Sri Ramakrishna said, Kali is Brahman Itself.
To unlock even one Name can take lifetimes, the revelation of its mystery being the culmination of all sadhana. And perhaps this is why the Lord has so many names – knowing even one fully, renders it unspeakable.
The way the awakened energy moves in our human body is in the form of the Kundalini serpent – the electrical charges that open up our consciousness and extra-sensory perception.
For the spiritual seeker, there are two main aspects that the snake represents – Stillness and Sensing.
“जरा रंग सांची प्रेम की, और रंग हैं झूठ।”(Jara rang saanchi prem ki, aur rang hain jhooth) The true colour is the colour of Divine Love, all other colours are false. – Kabir das This is a topic I have not written about before although it has been with me for some years now and…
Bharat and Sanatana Dharma is marked by stories that are eternally true. And not only that, stories that relate intimately to our experience as conscious beings on this planet. Being woven into the fabric of the land, these stories are ever present both physically outside us, as well as within. The story behind the Kumbh mela is such a one.
The spiritual traditions in Bharat include thousands of stories relating to events that happened over tens of thousands of years. However, these stories don’t intend to bind us or keep us stuck in history. They intend to show us how things happened (iti-h-aas), as is relevant for us presently. The beauty of Sanatana Dharma is that while the stories do relate to actual events, they also relate to subtle understandings and often metaphorically explain to us certain truths about our human condition and how to transcend ignorance.
Those who follow the path of bhakti to the Saguna form of Brahman i.e. Brahman with attributes, will say that there is some intrinsic desire in the human being to know and feel the Infinite here, on Earth. To know the Infinite in form and present to our human experience.
There is something within us that whispers, ‘choose me’. It is the voice of Light that has the potential to burst into a rainbow of colours. As we come upon Holi, the festival of colours, we also usher in the first month of the Hindu new year, Chaitra. The eve of Holi, Holika Dahan, is marked by a large bonfire where we surrender the past within us to the Light, to make way for the new. This is always a conscious choice, just as weeds grow wantonly but a flower needs deliberate planting.
In equanimity, we are aligned with the Intelligence of the Creator.
O Mother, as Aruna, the crimson-coloured Goddess,Thou art like the light of morning’s rising sun to the lotus flowers symbolising the minds of gifted poets (helping their poesy to blossom forth).Therefore, those devoted ones who adore Thee become capable of delighting the minds of assemblies of literary connoisseurs with the majestic flow of their words…
The festival of Holi is often dubbed the most ‘fun’ festival that is about playing with water and colours, singing, dancing and eating. But what really is the significance of this festival apart from ‘having fun’? Or maybe that’s just it. Some reflections on Holi, a festival that conveys the wisdom of joy and the joy of wisdom.
Basant Panchami (the fifth day of spring) is dedicated to Saraswati, the mother of knowledge, the grace of music, the power of the word, the light of insight and the purity of Truth.
The ‘light’ has always been associated in Indian culture with wisdom and joy, with our higher Self – such references can be found in the Upanishads, ancient mantras and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras to name a few.
Shruti Bakshi delves into the meaning of Diwali – from the traditions associated with the five days of Diwali, to the deeper spiritual significance – in the very first LWP Digest released at this auspicious time of Diwali.
The Navratri festival in India is a celebration of the nine nights of the Divine Mother. The Mother Goddess manifests in many different forms. In Hindu culture, each of the nine nights is associated with a particular form of the Mother Goddess, Durga or Shakti (Navdurga). Read more.
Shruti Bakshi explains the significance of Navratri and the best way to make use of this period dedicated to the Mother Goddess.
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