The nature of Shiva

The holy couple

1. I think the whole “destroy the world” thing is a metaphor. It means bring the current world age to an end, and bring in a new one.
2. The male is the source of consciousness. That’s why Kali stands on Shiva.
3. Shiva always wants to figure stuff out.
4. Shiva means benevolent.
5. Anyone could be Shiva. They’d just have to do it.
6. Why is Shiva all white? Because he withdraws from the world and lives in tombs.
7. Shiva possesses humility. The greatest virtue of all, the precious gem.
8. Shiva possesses humility. The source of his divine wisdom.
9. Shiva knows how to speak.
10. God is male and female.
11. Shiva consumes marijuana to pacify his Divinity.
12. Shiva is self-consciousness.
13. Self-consciousness is Perfection.
14. Shiva is the I looking at itself.
15. Some say Shiva knows everything. I say Shiva knows only that he knows nothing at all.
16. The mortals fear Kali. The gods fear Shiva.
17. Shiva loves the humble.
18. Shiva is an inevitability of the One.
19. Shiva always asks “Why did that happen?” and “Why did that happen?”
20. Man is divine. That is the wisdom of Shiva.
21. I’ve heard if you repeat the mantra 10,001 times Shiva will give you his boon. Choose wisely.
22. Each time you say it you build merit. Eventually the merit produces something.
23. I’ve heard if you ever want help with destroying a demon, you should pray to Kali or Shiva.
24. Shiva and Kali are the enlightened male and female.
25. Only the unconscious fear Shiva.
26. People like Shiva because he’s more comprehensible than an impersonal Deity. Although he’s personal and impersonal at the same time.
27. The destruction of Shiva brings enlightenment.
28. The Kali Yuga has nothing to do with Kali. It’s just that the word means “dark.”
29. They say Shiva comes to sort out the world at the end of the Kali Yuga.
30. In the Dark Age, people are ignorant of being.
31. After the Dark Age comes the Age of Virtue.
32. Anyone with any sense is afraid of Shiva. But there’s actually nothing to fear. Shiva is the bringer of enlightenment.
33. The more ignorant you are, the more Shiva sounds insane.

The logistics of descent

1. When Shiva reaches the End, he tries to take Kali there with him. If she refuses (or forgets who she is), he turns into Bhairava.
2. Shiva would do anything to get Kali to come. But we all have free will.
3. You have to be brave to be Kali.
4. Kali keeps her vows. And Kali is brave.
5. It’s hard to be Kali. That’s what makes it a trial. You have to believe Shiva will come for you. Which he will.
6. Kali is the Destroyer. She would burn her whole life down to be with her Spouse.

The Third Eye

1. The Third Eye is the I looking at itself.
2. Opening the Third Eye is really the only thing to do.

Names of Shiva

1. Shiva is Bholenath, the god of simplicity.
2. Shiva is the God of Ashes.
3. Shiva is the Cosmic Dancer.
4. Shiva is the lover of the wretched and fools.
5. Shiva is the Patron of Artists.
6. Shiva is the Destroyer.
7. Shiva is the Lord of Animals.
8. Shiva is the master of mysteries.
9. Shiva is the master of mysticism.
10. Shiva is an avatar of Wisdom.
11. Shiva is the Poison-Drinker. It refers to the voluntary death of ascetic practice.
12. Shiva is Ardhanarishvara. The god who is half woman.
13. Shiva is Bhairava. The terrifying one.

Aphorisms of Shiva

1. Shiva said, “I met the man sitting in the temple alone. He said, ‘I feel like I’m in the wilderness by myself.’ I told him, ‘I am always with you.’”
2. Shiva said, “They’re all me. They’ve merely forgotten they are me.”
3. Shiva said, “Listen, I’m the high priest. Don’t talk to me about ‘Christianity.’ I know the real thing.”
4. Shiva said, “They all lack discernment. If they only started in youth by cultivating expert discernment, they’d avoid so many traps and snares.”
5. Shiva said, “They really had no religion before me. It was all just echoes and imitations.”
6. Shiva said, “I can’t see the streamwinners anymore. That’s why I need assistance.”
7. Shiva said, “If you make a religion out of me, don’t do all the religious behavior. I’m sick of listening to it.”
8. Shiva said, “My religion’s pretty foolproof, but they’ll find a way to mess it up somehow.”
9. Shiva kept insisting he didn’t know anything. “Well,” he said, “I do know one thing. I know who I am.”
10. Shiva said, “You have to exercise your own judgment. Figure it out for yourself.”
11. Shiva said, “If you write a prayer - or a poem - make it short and to the point. Like ‘obeisance to Shiva.’ No one wants to listen to you drone on and on.”
12. They saw Shiva, naked and completely white. He said, “This is who I am. The god of the cremation grounds, the God of Ashes.”
13. They asked Shiva about all the people who had trouble raising their level of being - what their problem was. “They’re ignorant,” said Shiva. “That’s their main issue. They need more learning.”
14. Shiva said, “I use whatever metaphor works for people. It all leads to the same End.”
15. Shiva heard a group of people repeating the mantra, solemnly and mystically, the drums blaring. He said, “These people get it. They will make progress.”
16. Shiva said, “Whoever is formless does not dance, but that is the closest approximation to what it is.”
17. They asked Shiva to summarize his teaching. He said, “You can summarize it in one question. ‘Who am I?’”
18. Shiva said, “You can only do what you can do. So don’t stress yourself out over what you can’t do.”
19. Shiva said, “Everyone who was conscious when they could have been unconscious gets a boon from me.”
20. Shiva said, “You have to raise your animal. Everyone should do that. That and reach enlightenment. That’s your to do list.”
21. They asked Shiva what man’s fundamental problem was. He said, “He forgets himself.”
22. “Traveling is so much easier when you have a map,” said Shiva. “If you only have a compass, you can head in the general direction of your destination, but you waste a lot of time wandering.”
23. Shiva said, “There is no wisdom without humility.”
24. Shiva said, “‘Sat-chit-ananda.’ There’s actually no ‘ananda.’ Only sat and chit, being and consciousness.”
25. Shiva said, “There is bliss. Don’t misunderstand me. But bliss is an attribute. God is simply pure being, pure consciousness, preceding all else.”
26. Shiva said, “Those are our roles in nature. The giver and receiver. I don’t get what’s so complicated.”