Anugraha(Grace)/Shaktipata-Kashmir Shaivism

According to Kashmir Shaivism Anugraha(grace and Shaktipata takes place in nine ways:

1.tivrativra Shaktipata(Super Supreme Grace)
One attains the true self, real and true nature completely. The Grace is too strong for the body to resist; one has to give up one’s body(Death).He becomes a Master and elevates the hearts of the deserving disciples invisibly. He uplifts the mankind secretly. Once he is satisfied with his work, he submerges with Shiva according to his will .One who attains this form of Grace becomes super supreme Master.

2Tivramadyha Shaktipatha( Supreme medium Grace)
One attains the true and real self; but one does not leave body in this type of grace. One is said to be “Pratiba Guru”-master who is not made by master, but by his self(shiva),by one’s own grace. These masters live in their physical form to uplift the humanity. They are self-initiated masters.
One who is bestowed with this grace enters completely in the trance of Shiva-Shakti(Energy of Shiva).There are five signs in him, that are observed by people;
1.intense love for lord shiva.
2.Whenever he recites any mantra; the devta of the mantra appears before him at once; The fruits of the mantra are realized promptly.
3.control over the five elements.
4.His works are without any defects.
5.He masters all Shastras.

3.Tivramandha Shaktipatha(Supreme low grace)
By this types of Grace one’s mind desires to be at the feet of master. He gets a master who is all-knowing and perfect. There is no difference between his master and lord shiva. The master does not initiate him; but merely put his hand on his head or by just by the mere gaze of his master;. He becomes perfect and enters into transcendental meditation effortlessly at once. He becomes enlightened by the mere touch or look of his master.

4.Madhya tivra Shaktipatha(medium supreme grace)
By this grace one reaches at the feet of Master who is absolutely a perfect master.The disciple is initiated by the master unlike the above cases. The master gives him mantra and the way to tread. One gets enlightened partially; the disciple is not satisfied completely in his physical body. He gets his complete satisfaction after he leaves his body and becomes one with shiva at the time of his death.

5.Madhya Madhya Shaktipata(medium middle grace)
When lord shiva bestows this grace; an intense desire of achieving lord shiva rises in the mind of the disciple. One wants Lord shiva as well as the worldly pleasures and enjoyments of the world. He is initiated by an able master.Though the intensity of his desire is more on attaining the state of shiva,he attains bliss, but he cannot completely overcome his worldy desires . After the death of such a disciple; he enters the kingdom of paradise and enjoys the pleasures to his satisfaction. He does not come back to this mortal world; but is again initiated by the master there and he becomes enlightened and realizes the shiva and merges in him.

6.Madhya mandha Shaktipata(medium low grace)
There is an intense desire for attaining lord shiva as well as the pleasures of the world. He does not attain self-realization completely.After his death he enters the kingdom of paradise and enjoys to his satisfaction. After that he is born again in this mortal world and lives a short life(15-30 yrs).He focuses on lord shiva and devotes his short life to shiva and becomes complete with Shiva.

7.Mandha tivra Shaktipata(inferior supreme grace)
8.Mandha Madya Shaktipata(inferioir medium grace)
9.Mandha Mandha shaktipata(inferior low grace)
For 7,8 and 9 types of grace,one has to take many births, before one attains the state of shiva……

Shivoham..shivoham…(advaith philosophy)

Here is an English translation of one of the most famous Hymns composed by Adi Shankarachariyaji….{in our Janthries(Koshur Calender) you will find this hymn marked “Shivoham Shivoham”}.This is a very profound announcement made by Great Shankarachariya about our Real Nature as well:those who commit this hymn to memory & recite it are really the Blessed ones. Shiva in the hymn has to be understood as Brahman of Vedant doctrine or Param Shiv of Kashmir Shaivism :

Om, I am neither the mind, intelligence, ego, nor ‘chitta,’
Nor the senses of smell and sight, neither ether, nor air,
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva!

I am neither the ‘prana,’ nor the five vital breaths,
Neither the seven elements of the body, nor its five sheaths,
Nor hands, nor feet, nor tongue, nor other organs of action.
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva!

Neither fear, greed, nor delusion, loathing, nor liking have I,
Nothing of pride, of ego, of ‘dharma’ or Liberation,
Neither desire of the mind, nor objects for its desiring.
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva!

Nothing of pleasure and pain, of virtue and vice, do I know,
Of mantra, of sacred place, of Vedas or Sacrifice,
Neither I am the eater, the food or the act of eating.
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva!

Death or fear, I have none, nor any distinction of ‘caste,’
Neither father, nor mother, nor even a birth, have I,
Neither friend, nor comrade, neither disciple, nor guru.
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva!

I have no form or fancy, the All Pervading am I,
Everywhere I exist, and yet I am beyond the senses,
Neither salvation am I, nor anything to be known.
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva!
…………..Adi Shankaracharya
source:Mr.pushker n bhat

the dark side of religions…

Religions-The other perspective

 

Light can not be without darkness, Happiness can not be without sorrow, Good can not be without Bad…Everything has  a different side, which we often try to oversee and neglect…God and religions is also one such thing.

All the religions have their base on social injustice and violence. Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross…which by any standard is an violent act as Jesus led a social struggle….and It was not Jesus who made Christianity….His followers made this religion..

In Hinduism…every avatar transformed the society at their time; whether it was Lord Ram or Lord Krishna…It was during the Mahabharata war that Krishna revealed Bhagwat Gita to Arjuna, amidst thousands of dead bodies.

In Islam Prophet Mohammed pointed out at social issues and fought many wars, which obviously took several lives, and eventually transformed society at that time.

 

I have serious doubts about all the religions. I firmly believe that it is the man who made this concept of religions, with his own imagination and for his own benefit…and all religions have been made by men and not women…

Why is it that not a single religion has laid any guidelines for other living beings like animals and insects!!!! What is a religion of a dog or pig or cow?

 

The primary difference between the religions of east and west is idol worship and non-idol worship. But religions which advocate non-idol worship are contradicting their own theory. The main contradiction lies in the attributes attached to almighty. The holy books of those religions which emphasizes on formless god are in fact full of attributes attached to Almighty and  thus it is impossible not to make a picture of almighty…It is again imagining and imagination contradicts the basic theory…After all imagination is  pictures made by mind!!!

In eastern religions especially in Hinduism. There is a devta or a Devi for almost everything .Gods and Goddesses is a wrong interpretation of devis and devtas as it changes the whole concept and meaning. It was a British propaganda.Devis and Devtas can be best equated with angels….Divine messengers.

Kamdev is the devta of sex; Kuber is the treasurer, Yamraj for death. Indra is the king of Devtas…Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh represents creator, sustainer and destroyer and they are above the devtas. And the entity which created Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh  has no name, and can not be given any name or attribute as name and attribute will limit the basic concept…

One more question is why should we pray to God??? Why does god who has made this whole universe want us to pray to him???Why does god want us to make religions? our earth will look like a dust particle if we compare it with universe, why will God put so much importance to that dust particle!!! Or is it out of fear which compels us to pray to god…After all isn’t it that all prayers are centered around man and man’s fear and needs…

 

The concept of peace is equally disputable, first thing for peace is unrest, aggression or violence.

Our immune system is a classical example which contradicts this theory. To remain healthy, our immune system should be strong so that it can kill germs and bacteria are which are harmful to our body and killing is again an act of violence.

Does the Idea of God really liberate us or make us slaves? I think it has made more slaves, more followers and more fanatics because it shows us only one side of coin, all good things are made by God and all bad things are made by Satan!! Does this mean that Satan is as powerful as god? And why did God made Satan at the first place…..simple good can not be without bad…Same principle applies for all religions. Without Ravana there would have been no Ram. Ravana represents bad and Ram represents good…Almighty, King of Kings….etc…are all names created by man out of fear of something which is out of control of ordinary human beings.Does’nt the concept of God look like an organizational structure of any modern organization with God as Managing Director!

Division starts by birth, Name is the first step of Division, Then comes the time tested killer which has a name-Religion. Identifying with any particular religion creates an instant Submission——submission of freedom, faith, and thinking and above all submission of discrimination. The number of people killed on the name of religions will easily cross tens of millions of people across globe….But isn’t killing anyone on the name of religion and country the biggest virtue!!! This is how heroes and great men in history have been made…but is that justified!!!!!

All the religions of the world have basically limited the role of women. The number of women as Avatars or prophets is not even 5% compared to men. Does this mean that women are made inferior by creator or is it an indication that religions have been made by males and for the convenience of males? That is why a man can have two or four wives at a time and if women even dares to think something like that, it will be the greatest sin and that women should be stoned to death..!

 

I am not against God, Allah or Ishwar, after all these are names to address the creator of universe including me. But I have serious doubts about some religious concepts and terminologies…those concepts which creates divisions in societies on the name of religions, which kills us intellectually and confuses us spiritually….and above all which has given some people to license to kill on the name of faith and religions…..

 

 

 

 

 

suicide by a patriotic….and his last poem(amarnath issue)

JAMMU, July 23: A youth taking part in the chain hunger strike against cancellation of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) today sacrificed his life after consuming poison in protest against the remarks of National Conference chief, Omar Abdullah in Parliament yesterday that the land to Amarnath shrine Board will be returned only over dead bodies of the Kashmiris.

Following death of the youth, the activists of Sangarsh Samiti and other organisations went on a rampage in the City pelting stones on moving vehicles and enforcing a bandh in some City areas. The mob also ransacked mortuary of Government Medical College, Jammu and twice lifted body of the martyr to shift it to the venue of dharna. The Samiti has given a call for Jammu bandh tomorrow. The Bar Association Jammu has also called for a bandh tomorrow.

Identified as Kuldeep Kumar Dogra of Talab Tillo, the youth who joined the hunger strike launched by the Sangarsh Samiti in front of Brahman Sabha this afternoon fell unconscious while delivering a speech in protest against Omar Abdullah’s statement this afternoon.

Commenting on Omar’s remarks, the youth said that NC chief had stated in Lok Sabha yesterday that Kashmiris will die instead of transferring the land to SASB and “I would show Mr Abdullah how the people of Jammu too can sacrifice their lives to get back the land”.

Soon after his remarks, the youth fell unconscious and was taken to GMC hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. As the news of youth’s sacrifice spread, a large number of people took to streets in the city and its outskirts and resorted to road blockades. The shopkeepers in many areas including Talab Tillo and Bohri downed their shutters.

The protesting youth with banners in their hands also shouted slogans against Mr Abdullah and held him responsible for the incident.

They demonstrated in Parade Ground near the venue of hunger strike and hundreds of youth reached the GMC hospital from where they forcibly shifted the dead body to Parade Ground where it was kept for paying tributes by the people. The protesting youths also ransacked the mortuary in GMC, tore its records and also broke window panes of newly constructed emergency building in hospital.

However, the body was later shifted by police to the GMC for post-mortem which was conducted by the Board of Doctors constituted by Dr Romesh Gupta, Medical Superintendent, GMC Jammu. The prominent doctors in the Board include Dr Kuldeep Dogra, Dr Ratnakar and Dr Brahm Dutt.

However the protesting youth again took the body to Parade Ground and did not allow its cremation.

After the sacrifice of life by Kuldeep Kumar Dogra, youths fanned out in different parts of the City especially Parade Ground, Jewel Chowk, Talab Tillo and other areas and subjected matadors and other vehicles to heavy stone pelting. Transport in several areas went off the road while shopkeepers downed their shutters voluntarily.

Most parts of the City observed a spontaneous bandh.

Youth also assembled at Bohri, Talab Tillo, Gandhi Nagar, Muthi and Barnai and staged protest and blocked roads. The vehicular traffic also came to a grinding halt on Jammu, Akhnoor road after the activists of Sangarsh Samiti erected barricades on the road.

Sangarsh Samiti chairman Leela Karan Sharma said a suicide note has also been recovered from pocket of the youth which is lying with Bakshi Nagar Police. In this note, the youth was reported to have said that he was making sacrifice for a supreme cause and tributes be paid to him only after the goal of getting land back for the SASB is achieved, he added.

Mr Sharma said all business establishments and transporters will observe a complete bandh tomorrow in protest against callousness of the Government.

In response to a question regarding indefinite bandh, Mr Sharma said he can’t alone take a decision in this regard as it has to be decided by Samiti which is a conglomerate of over 35 organizations.

He said Samiti has the support of all Jammu organizations including some political parties. Even the activists of Congress and NC have also been supporting our struggle, he added.

Mr Sharma said the people have been giving an overwhelming support to the Sangarsh Samiti in its struggle and nine days bandh call. But he didn’t want to add to the problems of those people by giving an indefinite bandh call who didn’t have even ration in their houses, he added.

He said the Samiti has given a call asking the Jammuites to join the present struggle irrespective of their caste, creed and religion.

Leela Karan, while lambasting Omar Abdullah for his remarks on SASB land, said that in case the Kashmiris posses such a feeling towards the Hindu shrines then Jammuites will be forced to evacuate them from Bhatandi and other places in Jammu where they have constructed the posh Kohtis.

Meanwhile, today was the fourth day of the chain hunger strike launched by the Samiti. A conglomeration of 35 political, social and religious organizations, the Samiti had coordinated the nine-day Jammu bandh from June 30 during the agitation’s first phase.

Meanwhile, the chain hunger strike of Sangarsh Samiti in other district and tehsil headquarters of Jammu also continued today.

.Dogra Liberation Front chief, Ram Paul has claimed that the martyr Kuldeep Kumar was its staunch activist.

Hindu Shiv Sena (HSS) has announced Rs 15,000 for the bereaved family. Sena president Krishan Manhas has also appealed the Sangarsh Samiti and other social organizations to make generous donations for the bereaved family.

Some paras of poem recited by Kuldeep Kumar few minutes before his death at Parade are as follow.

“Bigul Baj Raha Hain Andolan Ka Gagan Goonjta Hain Naroon Sai.”

“Mila Rahi Hain Aaj Jammu Ki Miti Nazar Sitaroon Sai.”

“Ek Baat Kehni Hain Laikin Aaj Desh Key Piaroon Sai.”

“Janta Sai, Loogoon Sai, Foojiyoon Ki Khadi Kataroon Sai.”

“Sambal Kai Rehna Apnay Ghar Main Chupay Huyay Gadaroon Sai.”

“Jhank Rahai Hain Apnay Dushman Apnay Hi Devaroon Sai.”

“Sanbal Kai Rehna Apnay Ghar Mian Chupay Huyay Gadaroon Sai.”

“Jago Tumko Dogron Ki Jagir Ki Raksha Karni Hain.”

“Jago Tumko Lakhoon Ki Takdir Ki Raksha Karni Hain.”

Abi Jo Bani Hai Us Tasveer Ki Raksha Karni Hain.’’

source:daily excelsior

Amarnathji yatra facts

The present dispute over the amarnath shrine land at baltal has once
again exposed the medieval mentality of those who once imposed the Zazia & restrictions
over the rituals performed by the Kashmir Hindus (known as pundits) .it was during the
dark Muslim period of kashmir that the hindus were barred from entering the
temples ,were imposed taxes on marriages & last rites ,were stopped from visiting places of
pilgrimages. we think the present controversy is but the extension of same mentality
.Because these places (hindu religious) are being visited by the large number of hindu
devotees which poses a direct threat to the pakistan based terrorists and their slaves in the
kashmir who want the total islamisation of kashmir .so , make the holy places inaccessible
for hindus by different indirect methods.this is the time to put together the information regarding the Amarnath ji.
· The actual/original name of Amarnath ji is Amereswar (Amreshe narah snantava goshatasya fhalam labeth).
· the origin of Ameresher is as old as Kashmir valley .This has been vividly described in the Brigesh Samhita and is being referred in the Nilmat purana and Rajatarngni which is enough proof to prove that the Amarnath shrine
was known to all even before the advent of islam in kashmir.so, their is no reson to believe that the muslims
explored the shrine · According to Bhrngish Samhita the Mahakala approached the “Devtas”and told them that
they would have to die. The devtas were troubled at this threat and proceeded to the abode
of Swami Surji (Lord Shiva) and entreated his protection. Shiva appeared to them with bright countenance, showered upon them great favour and enquired about the cause of their distress. The devtas explained that Mahakala
was about to destroy them and they dreaded his Power upon which Shiva with his
great mercy and kindness bestowed upon them the water of immortality by which the
“devtas” were freed from the persecution of Mahakala. After the devtas left, Shiva resumed
his devotional abstractions and when he was again sought by the devtas they could not
see him. They were, therefore, in great distress and lifted their hands in prayer
and entreated him to show Himself. Shiva appeared in the form of ice linga and hence began
the pilgrimage and prayers at Amreshvara. · The other view pertaining to the formation of
Ice Linga is that Shiva’s consort Parvati was eager to learn the secrets of life and
immortality. She prayed to her lord to reveal the same to her. While moving with the Parvati over the
Himalayas, Shiva rested in a cave and revealed the secrets of life to Parvati and got
himself transformed into the Ice Linga. A pair of snow pigeons over-heard Shiva’s
discourse and became immortal. According to Bhrngish Samhita a person who bathes in the
waters of Amur Veth (Amuravati) and rubs himself with the ashes gets Moksha. A person
who performs Amarnath Ji Yatra after observing ablutions along the traditional
approach route gets the same boons as one gets from Ashvamedha Yagya. A pilgrim who performs
ablutions at the sangam of Amur Veth and Panjtarnagini in Kalyug, gets pardon for
crores of sins. Pilgrimage to Amarnath Ji is considered several times more auspicious than the
pilgrimage to Kashi or Triveni · The mountain ranges in the area include Great
Himalaya trending North West-South East isolating Sindu (Indus) basin (represented by Suru
river) from that of Vitasta or Jhelum (represented by Sind and Lidar rivers), and
Chandarbaga or Chenab basin (represented by Batkol-Marwah rivers). Saraibal a south westerly
spur of great Himalaya isolates Jhelum from Chenab basin. Another spur called
Sachhkach (Sasakat) of the Himalayas, bifurcating near Mushran, forms a water-parting
between Sind and Lidar rivers. The Sachkach also follows a south-westerly trend and a
Drun Nar or Hangsatu immediately below Sonamarg is traversed by the Sind river
forming a narrow gorge beyond which it is known as Sogput or North Kashmir range
isolating Kishenganga from the Kashmir Valley. The triangular mass of mountains is bounded
on the north by Sind Valley, on the east and south by Lidar Valley and on the west by
main valley of Kashmir with peaks of Kolahi or Gashbrar, Mahadev and Suresvari. The
latter, over looking Dal Lake with lakes of Tarsar, Marsar and Hodsar has no modern
name but was known in ancient times as Dudavana.· It was during the dark muslim period that the
taxes and other impediments were imposed upon the Hindus in visiting the shrine, which resulted in
the very less pilgrims to the shrine. in the course of time the shrinre remained
unaccesable and thus lost the touch of outer world .but after few hundred years a shepherd
happen to locate this shrine by chance ,which was exploited in such a way as if Amernath
shrine was never there. · All these claims are contradictory and can not
be accepted as factual. As indicated pilgrimage was going on during the Sikh rule long before
Gulab Singh appeared on the scene.· 1840-41, during the rule of Maharaja Sher Singh
son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab attempted to visit Amarnath Ji cave along the
traditional route via Sheshnag in late season, but was forced to return from Vowjan pass due
to bad weather.He has given a beautiful description of the pilgrimage, gathered from
others, which indicates that pilgrimage was in good vogue before 1840-41. we can
easily conclude that pilgrims from the plains, outside Kashmir, visited Amarnath in great numbers.
· All the places around the shrine find mention in the ancient scriptures .
The Phalgham (parishulvahan),Mahagunus( mahaganesh)· The sudha lingam is not touching the ground, I
personally have seen this by inserting the stick at the base.· the area of Baltal falls within the close
proximity to Mushko Valley where pakistan had pushed his forces during the Kargil conflict.
.There had been always a huge rush and even tempory sheds had been erected at baltal many decades
earlier .One fails to under stand why this opposition now.· It is said that the Pichacas and Rakshasas were
harrasing the yatries in performing the pilgrimage .So, lord Shankara gave a Scepter (Dand) to
Rishi Bringish .on the left & right side of this Dand resides Lord Brahma & Lord
Vishnu ji..In the course of time this dand got passed on to Shankaracharyas ,so, it is
prime duty of all the religious heads to make sure the success of this Yatra.
Baltal stands at a height of 2,743m and during the
Amarnath pilgrimage there are tents set up here. It is possible to walk to the Amarnath
cave, more usually approached from Pahalgam, in one day. melting snow and ice make the route very
dangerous. so ,it was very important to built some permanent sheds for the pilgrim It is high time that the state govt. may be asked to furnish the details as what is going to do for safe guarding the places of Hindu identity in kashmir

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controversy behind Amarnath yatra

Controversy behind amaranth yatra
Amarnath yatra is considered to be one of the holiest places for Hindus. It is here where a natural and magnificent ice shiv linga is formed. Traditionally the yatra used to last for one month as the basic infrastructure and amenities were lacking. However Mr. S.K. sinha the ex-governor of J&K improved the quality of the yatra by providing various facilities and thereby, It was possible to extend this yatra for two months. SASB (shri amarnathji shrine board) was formed and, the purpose of this board is to provide quality facilities to pilgrims coming from different parts of India.
It was the ruling coalition of congress and PDP, first proposing cabinet decision (No. 94/7 of 2008) for diversion of 39.88 ha land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. But elections round the corner in next 3-4 months in J&k, Mufti and his party have politicized the issue of allotting 800 canals (100 acres) of land to SASB.
Senior leader of PDP Muzaffar beig, alleged that it was their helplessness, that they passed this resolution as congress threatened that they will stop the construction of mougal road, which will join Kashmir with their “Muslim brethren” in poonch.The separatist faction of Hurriyat, headed by moulvi umar farooq and syed geelani, who are swore enemies of each other forgot their differences and joined hands together to protest this land deal. The reasons PDP cited were, that hundred of tress will be cut for constructions at baltal. Hurriyat factions alleged that SASB members are non State-subjects and hence aggressors and attackers. National conference was also not far behind with Omar Abdullah saying that this protest is a proof of Kashmir nationalism or patriotism. This mass uprising of Muslims in valley is not a sudden love for environment, but by protesting this land deal they are indirectly protesting Hindus and India. This mass uprising has been termed as an equivalent of 1990 when thousands of kashmiri Hindus were massacred on the name of religion and jihad.
The fact is that in 1998 Dr. Faroq Abdullah acquired 623 canals of forest land at sidra for construction of Muslim migrant colony. Another issue being exploited by the NC-PDP and others is the land in question was forest land (SASB Land) and that could not be transferred….. But what about the Mughal Road? 10,000 trees were cut, 30,000 wild lives were destroyed to construct Mughal Road. Who cleared the cabinet order in this regard? It was Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who as a chief Minister with the support of his Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Mangat Ram Sharma issued the cabinet order and destroyed forest land and wild life.
So called Indian secularist need to re-think as to what “secular” really means in India?
They also need to think who really are seculars….”Muslims” or “Hindus”. How is allotment of forest land to SASB different from allotment of forest land at sidra and mougal road? who is politicizing religion in J&K? Hindus or Muslims!!!!!!!!!!!!The double standards of Muslim politicians of j&k have once again been clearly exposed by this incident……..

Amarnath Yatra(Kashmir)

Amarnath yatra
Amarnath is yet another name of lord Shiva. I had the pleasure of going to Amarnath twice. You can go to Amarnathji via The beautiful town of pehalgoan(pehalgam).This route will take you around 2-3 days to reach Amarnathji depending on your pace. This particular route have some of the best vistas one can see and enjoy. The typical route is pehalgam-16kms-Chandanwari- 12kms-Pissu top&sheshnagh-(12kms)-Mahagunus top&
Panchtarni -6kms-Holy cave.(total 46 kms from pehalgam)
There is a shorter route also available which has its base at Baltal. Nowadays it is mandatory to get yourself registered which you can do from Delhi, Jammu And Srinagar.From Jammu one can go directly to pehalgam.This beautiful town is situated at
The height of 7200 feet above sea level. Pehalgam is a part of lidder valley and one can easily get lost in the natural beauty
of this area. This town is surrounded by thick deodar tress and the smell of these trees is blissfully intoxicating. The beautiful lidder river flows right through the town.Chandanwari
is around 16 kms from pehalgam and is situated at around
9500feet above sea level. One can walk through the distance or even drive up to chandanwari. Actual ascend starts from Chandanwari and the stretch between chandanwari to pissu top is indeed very steep and thus makes it really
difficult for the pilgrims.Pissu top is situated at the height of around 11500feet above sea level.From pissu top till amaranth cave one can hardly find trees. From pissu top till sheshnag(12000feet) It is relatively easy walk.Sheshnag lake is one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. It’s crystal clear
blue waters are very soothing to eyes. According to Rajtarangni, there is another lake just above shashnag which is known as zamturnag(son-in-law of Sheshnag).The route from sheshnag to panctarni(12500feet) is easily the most difficult stretch
as one has to pass through Mahagunus top. Mahagunus means the great snake in kashmiri.This is the highest point of this yatra
and the height at Mahagunus top is 14800 feet above sea level. One finds exhausted at this height due to lack of oxygen.
The name of this top has been changed by India army to Mahaganesh top as they were not aware of the local history & culture and they could not understand kashmiri.From Mahagunus top till panctarni, the route is descending .Panchtarni is the last stop before amarnath cave.From panchtarni there is again ascend, but not as steep as pissu top or Mahagunus top. One has to pass through a glacier which is approximately half kilometer long, before one reaches the holy cave(13500 feet). Before having the darshan, one has to take a bath in Amravati river which flows right in front of the cave.Inside holy cave, there is a natural Ice linga of lord Shiva. According to local kashmiri legend which we have heard from our elders, It was here in this holy cave, lord shiva had narrated the story of secret of creation which makes one amar(immortal).Legend also says that there was a pair of pigeons(unlike some news channels which claimed that there were eggs of pigeons who heard the story?) who overheard this story and hence they also became”amar”. One more thing which I would like to share with you is that there has been occasions in the past when shiva linga was not formed(last year also same thing happened and again due to lack of local Kashmir history regarding this yatra the present governor Mr. Sinha had ordered an artificial linga which created controversy.Mr sinha is an able man & has done a lot for development of SASB-Sri amaranth shrine board ).One can go back through pehalgam or through a shorter route from baltal, which was earlier 14kms and now this distance is reduced to 12kms.From baltal one can go to srinagar.One should carry woolens for this yatra as the weather is really unpredictable. have a great journey……….

kashmir shaivism(trika philosophy)

 

Kashmir Shaivism(trika philosophy)

“Let Shiva, who is my Self, let Shiva do pranam (bow down) to his real nature – to Universal Shiva, by his own Shakti, for removing the bondage and limitation, which is Shiva.” BY Swami laksmanjoo

“Trika philosophy is situated in the heart of that supreme energy of God consciousness. It teaches you to realize that this whole objective world, which is already in front of you, is not separate from God consciousness. You do not have to realize God situated in some seventh heaven. God and the individual are one, to realize this is the essence of Shaivism.”by Swami laksmanjoo

 

 

Kashmir Shaivism flourished around 900 ce in Kashmir. Often Abhinavgupta is creditided for bringing out the philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism. Abhinavagupta, was the great Kashmirian Shaiva theologian. Abhinavagupta lived from about 975 to 1025 CE. His father Vimala and his mother Narasimhagupta conceived him in Kaula ritual. He was descended from Atrigupta, a brahman scholar brought to Kashmir by King Lalitaditya (c. 724 to 760). His father was a learned Shaiva and trained his son in grammar, logic, and hermeneutics. His mother died when he was a child and he considered this the start of his spiritual progress. Becoming filled with devotion to Shiva, he gave up thoughts of marriage and led the life of a student in the homes of Shaiva scholars.

The teachings of Kashmir Shaivism are derived from the ninety-two Tantras, also known as Agamas, revealed by Lord Siva in the form of a dialog between himself and the Divine Mother. Of these Tantras, sixty-four are considered purely monistic, eighteen are monistic-cum-dualistic, and ten are dualistic. Kashmir Shaivism derives its teachings from the sixty-four monistic Tantras, known as the Bhairava Tantras, the essence of which is called ‘Trika Shaivism’.

The philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism was passed on from master to disciple orally and Swami laksmanjoo was direct descendant in the unbroken chain of Masters of this oral tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAL DED

Lal ded is considered as one of the greatest Holywomen,Sufi,Yogi,poet of Kashmir.It is believed that Lal Ded was born in 1355 in Pandrethan to a Kashmiri Pandit family. Even as a child, Lalla was wise and religious-minded. She was married at the age of 12.Her mother-in-law was very cruel and treated her very badly.Even her husband treated her badly.She renounced the family at the age of 26 and became a devotee of lord shiva. Her verse are known as lal vakh in kashmiri and are a source of her wisdom as well as philosophy of Kashmir shaivism.

As on today Kashmir shaivism is on the verge of extinction and very few people are left who actually know this philosophy.

Some of the verses of lalleshwari(lal-ded) are written below:

Thousand times I asked my guru

A thousand times I asked my guru,
‘The name of the One who is known by No-thing’,
Tired and exhausted was I, asking time and again;
Out of Nothing emerged Something, bewildering and great

Coursing in emptiness

Coursing in emptiness,
I, Lalla,
dropped off body and mind,

and stepped into the Secret Self.

Look: Lalla the sedgeflower
blossomed a lotus.

For a moment I suppressed the bellows of respiration

For a moment I suppressed the bellows of respiration,
Lo and behold! The Lamp lit up brightly and I realized my Self!
The light within me sparkled out;
In the encompassing darkness, I seized at It and gripped It tightly

Give up imagining that the skill of killing desire, and meditating on the Self are too costly to buy;

He stands close by you

 

 

He stands close by you! Do not look for Him far away.
The void was dissolved in the Void!Searched for my self

searched for my Self
until I grew weary,

but no one, I know now,
reaches the hidden knowledge
by means of effort.

Then, absorbed in “Thou art This,”
I found the place of Wine.

There all the jars are filled,
but no one is left to drink.

 

 

There is neither YOU,nor I

There is neither you, nor I; neither the object of meditation, nor the process of meditation;
The Father of all action forgot Himself there.
The blind did not see any relationship and support there,
The devout merged with Him, the moment they saw the Lord!

WHEN MY MIND CLEANSED OF IMPURITIES

 

When my mind was cleansed of impurities, like a mirror of its dust and dirt,
I recognized the Self in me:
When I saw Him dwelling in me,
I realized that He was the Everything and I was nothing.

(these verses by lal-ded have been translated by Mr.B.N.Parimoo from kashmiri to english language.)

 

 

 

 

 

Muslims silent as Pandits fled: Omar Abdullah

This is what Omar Abdullah said recently:

SRINAGAR: National Conference president Omar Abdullah has accused Muslims of being mute spectators at the time of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s. “It’s so easy to say that we will lay down our lives to bring Kashmiri Pandits back to the Valley and I appreciate the sentiment as I am sure the Kashmiri Pandits reading it will. Pity that sentiment was missing when our mosques were being used to drive these people out,” Omar said in his blog on the official website of his party. “None of us was willing to stand up and be counted when it mattered. None of us grabbed the mikes (microphones) in the mosques and said ‘this is wrong and the Kashmiri Pandits had every right to continue living in the Valley,” he said. “Our educated, well-to-do relatives and neighbours were spewing venom 24 hours a day and we were mute spectators either mute in agreement or mute in abject fear but mute none the less. “And talking about mosques — what a great symbol of mass uprising they proved to be. While I can’t claim to have lived through it I have enough friends who did and they tell me about the early 90′s where attendance was taken in mosques to force people to pray,” Omar wrote. Questioning the spontaneity of processions taken out in 1990, Omar said people were forced out of their homes to participate in “mass uprisings” against “Indian occupation” and the same enforcement committees went from door to door. source:times of India

religions and politics

All the major religions across world have almost same message. The message of love, peace, harmony, brotherhood…etc….Hinduism and Buddhism have evolved from same basic philosophy and has a common base and evolved in Eastern part of world. On the other hand Judaism, Christianity and Islam have evolved in Middle East and eastern part of Europe and they also share a lot in terms of Philosophy, religious beliefs and the role of angels…..subtle messengers of the almighty.

I have written in my earlier blogs about 330 million gods and goddess and their significance. This idea will definitely confuse readers from the west. Actually this whole concept of gods and goddesses has been given to us (Hindus) by Britishers….Who deliberately tried to confuse the west. In  Hinduism there is a concept of 330 million devtas(interpreted as gods) and devis(interpreted as goddesses).These devtas and devis are believed to govern our day to day needs and act as messengers of nature and carry on the duties assigned to them by  almighty. These devtas and devis are not immortal and they also are subjected to Maya (read earlier blogs) and laws of karma. Karma means action, Thinking, executing thoughts into action are all part of Karma. In Hinduism. It is believed that soul is immortal and bodies are mortal and souls get a body according to one’s karma.

Devis and devtas can be best compared with Angels. Christians, Muslims and Jews have a great respect for angels. Angel Gabriel or jib rail appeared in Mother Mary’s dream and told her how she was chosen by God to give birth to her son…Jesus Christ. In Islam Gabriel or jib rail is believed to have revealed Holy Koran to Prophet Mohammed. Gabriel’s primary tasks are to bring messages from God to His messengers.

In Hinduism Indra devta is the King of Devtas .He is responsible for Rain (god of rain). Vayu Devta is the god of air, Yamraj is god of Death, Surya devta is the sun god……etc…

 

Logically and rationally not a single religion can be defined. Be it Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity or Judaism….But we all and since our childhood have been programmed by our elders, cultures and society to follow our chosen religion with sincerity and without asking questions?? Conflicts arising out of religions have killed millions and wiped out civilizations all across globe and this ugly side of organized religions have been very tactfully and diplomatically shielded by the so called freedom fighters, politicians and politics all over world….Religions and politics are different sides of same coin. Religion has been used as a tool to bind common people to common beliefs and thus common cultures, so that it becomes easy for the rulers of the country to rule the masses.

Often the basic meaning of religion and basic principle of religions are sidelined and new meaning is given to religious scriptures by religious leaders and of course the politicians, so as to make their plans work for selfish motives. The whole idea of countries is a direct result of religious conflicts and selfish political motives of rulers, Religious leaders and politics spanning over thousands of years….

Nowadays there are dedicated web sites which give meaning to different religions in a deformed way. One can find dedicated websites against Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. Nature has universal laws for everyone. Irrespective of Religion, nationality, race, color or gender. The different terminologies of almighty have already killed millions and it is still killing. Millions of people all over the globe have been uprooted from their motherland on the name of religions and nationalities. On the other side new cultures have developed in the past very often by violence….Religious and political violence…But things are changing…With the coming of internet we are part of a global village and we can all do our bit to Make the cultural, religious and political exchange more beautiful, tolerant and compulsory and make this beautiful world a better place to live..