Living in these troubled times, my thinking mind wants to make sense of things, fight for and protect its beliefs…
…but, in introspection, “Shiva dancing” is what popped into my mind.
Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay
I love the Hindu religious traditions, and regrettably, I am familiar with only the big overview – Brahman, the ultimate reality of the universe, and the Trimurti, which act IN the universe: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer. (This is a link to a very short primer from BBC.) I think of the Trimurti as the experience within the universe – things are created, then are valued and maintained, and inevitably destroyed to make way for yet another cycle of change. (…and my apologies to all for my limited conceptualizations of these ancient and profound teachings).
So, here’s what came up, a metaphor of 2020 as Shiva dancing.
Shiva Dancing All the symbols of safety, tossed, Like leaves in the wind. Does accepting authority imply consent? Look here, look there, all certainty, toppled. What is there to trust? Shiva dancing Opposition to oneness cresting As a giant tsunamic wave. Blow out all the allure of separation, Face the fear, the guilt, the shame it spawns. Burn out the ego energy, Surrender to the tsunami, Let trust float the shell. Shiva dancing Ask the symbols of coveting, Why are you here? Question authority's source - Where do I go for safety? Why would I look for truth in the constantly changing? Shiva smiling, Brahma approaches
As I ponder the words, I deeply feel the sense of a need to surrender control, AND, to question authority, authorship, source. We look to authority for safety and order, but under who’s authority am I? What is my source, my authorship, in which I should trust?
And then the reminders of the underlying Oneness, of all. On the level of Oneness, I understand everything is for the good, even though, thinking, I can’t see it.
Shiva upturns the table, Brahma is waiting to create the next level of our collective experience as we evolve toward the realization of Oneness.
Different framing and imagery, but I see these underlying truths in all the great world religions I know. The confluence of all these wisdom teachings – we are not our bodies, our real selves are truly One Self, created by the Creator of All – gives me a great sense of comfort. As contrary as they may seem to cultural conditioning, I believe they point the way to the ultimate purpose and experience of humanity, a continual evolution to Truth.