This Shiva Ratri, My message is only one word: Inner Awakening. Awaken your inner space; the tremendous potential energy that is inside you – awaken that. That is what we call in tradition, Kundalini. Awakening that higher consciousness. Our inner space is filled with darkness. That is why you don’t know what is happening there. Ninety-nine percent of your activities are done almost in darkness.
You don’t know why you talk the way you talk. You don’t know why you like something. You don’t know why you hate something. You don’t understand why you behave the way you are conducting. You don’t know anything. You don’t know why you look the way you look. You don’t know why you act the way you act. All the activities are happening in a deep darkness, which is dangerous for you and the people around you.
Awakening your inner space – The ideal of Shiva… Shiva is the being whose inner space is wholly awakened, living in light, radiating the energy. If inner awakening happens in you, you are living as Shiva. So, this Shiva Ratri, we dedicate to awakening the Kundalini for inner awakening. To revive the potential energy that is inside you.
Understand a few things about this Kundalini: inner awakening: When the inner awakening happens, each chakra comes to life, and each energy center comes to life. You can see this inner awakening beautifully in Shiva’s story. Shiva is a person in whom all seven chakras are awakened and in light. Who has experienced the Kundalini awakening is Shiva. Kundalini is metaphysically portrayed as a snake.
That is why Shiva’s pictures are always shown as Him with many snakes – around the neck, the head, and the body. This means every chakra is awakened, not only the major seven chakras. You have minor chakras in your hands; even those chakras are awakened. That is why you will see a snake in the hands of Shiva.
Inner Awakening… Shiva is a being in whom the inner awakening has happened. You can see beautifully from the stories how metaphysically they describe Shiva as a being in whom inner awakening has occurred. In Shiva, the muladhara is pure – awakened muladhara. That is what they say through the story of Manmatha Dahana. Please understand.
It is a beautiful story. Manmatha dahana. The story says Shiva was sitting and meditating. The devatas wanted to disturb Shiva. So, they are sending Manmatha, and Manmatha throws the arrows. Shiva opens His third eye and burns Manmatha. Please don’t take it literally. It has a metaphysical meaning.
Another wonderful thing you should know is that Shiva burnt the Manmatha and then married Parvati. Understand, it means the marriage was not based on lust; it was not based on fantasy: the whole story is incredible. And Manmatha throws his arrows – which means he is trying to create fantasy inside Shiva. He opens his third eye – which means inner awakening. He opens his third eye, and by just his presence, intense presence… Opening the third eye means bringing your awareness to its peak.
If you bring your awareness to its peak… Please understand that if you get your awareness to its peak, this moment, you are opening the third eye. When the opening of the third eye happens, you will suddenly see all the fantasies burnt. They are not there anymore. So, Shiva’s muladhara is awakened muladhara. When you awaken your Muladhara with intense awareness, you will become Shiva: nothing, simple, straightforward technique. Whenever fantasy overtakes you, I am not even saying suppress it.
Just bring intense awareness. It will move your body if it is more potent than your awareness. Make it act. Be aware; don’t try to suppress. It will die down if it is less potent than your awareness. It may make your body move if it is more powerful than your awareness. Allow it. But just be aware intensely.
You will see the experience will add more understanding to you. Even if there is experience, physical experiences, suddenly it will add more knowledge and more awareness to you. Bringing awareness to the root chakra, muladhara chakra, awakens your being, Shiva’s being whose muladhara is awakened. That is what they mean by this story.
