Shiva

We have read in so many places that before the creation only Shiva was there. He had got some desire to create the universe. His Shakthi was then expanded to other forms. Now let's ask ourselves, to create something new, we need a material to create. What is that material? If that material is different from Shiva then that material exists without Shiva right? But in reality there is no other material apart from Shiva. But we see different objects, people, animals, planets, etc. Are all these same or different from Shiva? If we go by the logic that before creation only one exists that is Shiva, then all the objects, planets, stars, galaxies etc are nothing but Shiva.

Shiva was expanded to the universe in all forms. His Shakthi was expanded. That expanded Shakthi is called Vishnu. So first Shiva was there. His Shakthi was hidden. Shakthi then expanded to the universe. Then Vishnu i.e, one who expanded everywhere existed. This is the theory of creation in one direction. 

Let's take this deeper. We all know entire creation is made up of atoms. In this notion , an atom has the power of Shiva right? Is this true? Let's find out. 

We all know the power of atom bomb. It could destroy many states. This atom bomb was made by just single atom. It is still known fact that an atom has inhibited power in the nucleus which is still not known. Our scientists created the atom bomb by a little knowledge of it. Large section of an atom which gives mass to the atom is unknown. Some says God particle, some says unknown. Truth is there is so much power in the atom that could just destroy the entire universe.

One simple example is novel corona virus. This virus is basically a half life. It is invisible. Comparing with human beings in size is significantly negligible. But still that small virus shattered millions of people's lives. Destroyed economy, killed so many lakhs of people. No one was spared. Ministers, prime ministers, big business men, well to do families, poor people, etc. Everyone was suffered for months. Still it's unknown what is going to happen. Before that every one was thinking human power can over power everything in the universe. But just a tiny half life shattered entire human world and scared humans to death for months. What is the power of this virus? Unknown.

In this sense we can call each atom or particle or everything in this universe has the power of Shiva. It is just that we have the faculty that is mind, that is not allowing us to see that power within. So conclusion is a virus, bacteria, an atom, things, people, animal or everything in this vast universe is simply expanded form of Shiva. Mind is the biggest obstacle to see the Shiva within and everywhere.

Now let's go deeper what the mind is? It is actually a super power and has immense capability. It has super creative and can create so many great things. Entire world is full of that creative power. Whether it is bulb, computer, buildings, ships, aeroplanes, appliances, power, solar, electrics, so on and on. Everything was possible just because of the power of the mind faculty. Now let's dissect this mind to understand it's functionality in great detail.

Mind has basically four major components. Manas, buddhi, chitta and ahamkar.

In other words, mind, intellect, memory store, identity.

Chitta: It is pure intelligence. Not influenced by anything. This pure intelligence is simply great tool for storing everything as it is. Suppose I say I like ice cream, it stores that as it is. It can be termed as a hard disk of a human mind. Everything is stored here as perceived.

Mind or Manas: it is simply recollect the past and analyse what needs to be done. 

It is just replaying the events stored in chitta again and again. It keeps on clinging to past events in chitta and puts labels on everything. Tape recorder replays songs but there was no emotion attached. When mind replays a situation, then emotion is attached. Emotion gets intensified every time it replays.

Intellect: this is the decision maker. Whether it is good or bad. It decides what needs to be done at that moment. If intellect takes over then it controls everything and decides against other faculties. It like sharp knife that cuts everything like a divider. It is good for some cases but in other cases it is dangerous as it could destroy lives.

Ahamkar: It is basically identity of the person. What is identity? Suppose I have a habit of looking into mobile all the time, then my identity is simply mobile addict. My identity plays key role in everything. This identity is the main reason for suffering. It is needed for survival in the world. It is important when to use the identity and when not to use. 

Now let's understand these four faculties with examples.

The character name here is Vishnu. Vishnu was a great student and always stood first in class. He was always focused on studies. He never hurt others. He became a police officer. He became very rich. He has got three kids. His age is now 56 years. His kids are very naughty.

Now take a situation in his Vishnu's life how these four faculties play. 

He met a friend, who stolen others items during childhood, after many years. Both went to a shop and bought a few clothes. His friend totally changed after years and was now a great human being. Suddenly some one reported theft in that shop and this police man accused his friend based on his previous experience with him. This police man literally abused him infront of every one saying he stolen the goods. With CCTV footage, Vishnu came to know that his friend was innocent.

His friend left from there silently. Vishnu felt guilty for accusing his friend and suspecting him. 

Let's decode why this had happened?

Vishnu's ahamkara or identity became police officer every moment. As a police officer he tend to suspect every one. His chitta stored memory of his friend stealing. Vishnu's mind replaying the childhood memories again and again, created illusion that his friend would always be a thief. So Vishnu's intellect decided that his friend was a thief in the shop.

This is just one example, and there are so many in our daily lives. We tend to decide based on the past encounter, identity, replaying the same incidents in mind.

So we are just seeing what is stored in the mind. We can't see anything beyond mind. That's why World is called a myth. 

If we see everything as Shiva, then there is a possibility of seeing different prospective. Truth is everything is Shiva, we forgot about that and believed that this name, fame, identity was real. Each one of us has possibility of removing this false identification and become Shiva. This is the fundamental principle of every ritual, spiritual practice. 

Aham brahmasi, means I am the Brahman or Shiva or Vishnu.

Tatvam asi: that is bramhan or everything else is Shiva. 

How it is possible? One of the way is by untraining the mind. When we are alone, replay all thr events stored in the mind by treating everything was Shiva. It would take years. Every moment we need to introspect, whether i am treating others and everything as Shiva or not.

Shunya

Like is just like a bubble. In each one of us we have created various bubbles in our mind. Those bubbles are nothing but other people. Why I call bubble is simply because just a fraction of what they are is stored in the mind. Suppose if I think about someone, it is about the past experience whether it is good or bad stored in my mind. A bubble is simply empty and but looks very big, similarly in the mind we store only the outer layer by bubbling up the empty. Let's say a person has taken 10000 births, now if I come across with him and he deceived me , he praised me and he apologized me some other time. Now all I have in my mind is the impressions of these situations with him. Whenever I think of him, only that hurt of deception exists and that blindfolds my mind. If I meet him, what do I see, do I see all 10000 births and his experiences? No. Only the life situation's with him. Let's say a birth is of 50 years at an average. In that case, that person is with 50000 years of knowledge and experience. But in my mind I store only 3 seconds of his life and believe that that person is this one. In reality it is just 3 seconds bubbled as 50k years. Remaining is unknown or shunya. That's why I said every one is just like a bubble in the mind as far as a person's experience is considered. I can give one more example. Suppose a person has done some crime in his life. A person who suffered because of that will treat him as criminal in his life time. Let's say his life time is 70 years. He might have committed mistakes or crimes 100 times ie., 500 seconds is 10 mins. Remaining time he might have suffered a lot or he might have done great things. Great rishi valmiki was once a thief. He stolen so much money and killed many people for money. The one who sees valmiki from thief prospective he is a thief even after writing ramayan. He might have lived a few years as a thief and committed a few crimes in the process. But in reality he was a good son, good husband by taking care of the family by looting others money. In his entire life time he performed crimes for 100 hours and remaining life time he was a good person who took care of family and parents. He also became great saint and wrote great epic Ramayana. If a person who suffered because of valmiki still in the trauma of theft for lifetimes. .

Why this is happening? Because we simply judge others based on the action they have performed and refuse to look deeper side. Also we simply create a bubble in the mind about that thing. Is it only about others? No. It is about self as well. We might have committed a few sins but we keep on feeling guilty for entire life time by creating a big bubble of the self saying sinner. Will then we be able to accept the self? No. Then we condemn the self and others as well. Slowly life simply becomes horrible. 

Now come to the physical plane. If we think we are bodies, a body is simply made up of tiny atoms. Each atom has nucleus and electrons. Electrons revolve around this nucleus continuously. Electrons are with negative charge and protons are positive charge. Protons are inside the nucleus.  To make the atom stable, there is a huge gap between nucleus and electrons. In other words 99% of the space in an atom is empty. If we take this equation further, entire human body is just like a bubble with 99% empty. It can be more too. Not just human body, entire universe is just empty or shunya. So what we see and perceive is just unreal. Because we never consider that emptiness or shunya.