How do we serve the Lord?

February 6, 2006

Selvaratnam Selvakumar <selvauk Thu Feb 2, 2006 7:26 am Re: How do we serve the Lord? Dear Sri Divakar, Traditionally we serve Lord Siva by the simple temple duties; lighting the lamps, picking flowers, lovingly polishing the floors, sweeping, singing the Lord's praise, ringing the bell, fetching ceremonial waters. It also includes feeding devotees so that they gain strength to worship,

love all His created beings equally as Sivam is the core nature of everything and performing one's duty to community and family. If you can do this without the least thought of reward then this has the magical effect of softening the ego and bringing forth the soul's innate devotion. Unfortunately some religions preach giving money to charity, etc in exchange for sensory paradise, this is serving ego rather than God. According to Saivite teachings, the path of enlightment is divided naturally into four stages: Charya, virtue and selfless service; Kriya, worshipful sadhanas; Yoga, meditation and Jnana, the wisdom state of Realized soul. Charya, Kriya, Yoga and Jnana are the sequence of the soul's evolutionary process, much like the natural development of a butterfly from egg to caterpillar, from caterpillor to pupa, and then the final metamorphosis

to butterfly. These are four stages through which each human soul must pass in many births to attain its final goal. Before entering these spiritual stages, the soul is immersed in the lower nature, the Anava(ego) marga, or self-centered path, bound in fear and lust, hurtful rage, jealousy, confusion, selfishness. Then it awakens to Charya, unselfish religious service, or Karma yoga. Once matured in Charya, it enters Kriya, devotion or Bhakti yoga, and finally blossoms into Kundalini yoga. Jnana is the state of enlightened wisdom reached toward the path's end as a result of Self-Realization. There can't be any greater service to humanity than guiding souls toward Self-Realisation because you can stop the souls from taking thousands of unnecessary repeated births. Swami Vivekananda has preached 'JIVA SEVA IS SIVA SEVA ', but he very clearly said that if you want to do social reform and bring welfare to

the society you must first realise your Self. A Self-Realised soul gains great Will power (Spiritual) and the service will have a last longing effect. Lord Siva does retain some individuality (divine-ego) on His sincere devotees so that they can dance with Him, i.e consciously participate in His unending act of Creation, Preservation and Destruction. He uses these Great souls as instruments to serve His created beings. One example would be Rishi Tirumular. He is a Great Siva Yogi. He was called Tirumular because he entered into the mortal frame of Mulan. He transversed through space from Kailasa and went to Tiruvavaduthurai (in South India), he took bath in the river Kaveri and went to the temple. He went round the temple twice and offered prayer to the Lord. When he was walking along the bank of Kaveri, he saw a herd of cows shedding tears and he was unable to bear the

sufferings of the cows. He found out the cause: the cow-herd lay dead. Rishi Tirumular wanted to pacify the cows. He entered the body of the cowherd after safely depositing his own body in the trunk of a tree. The cows rejoiced again. This cowherd was known as Mulan, a resident of Sattanur. In the evening, he drove the cows back into the village. Mulan’s wife was eagerly expecting the return of her husband. But, when she approached him that day, he would not allow her to touch him, but said: ‘Oh lady, I am not your husband. Adore Lord Siva and attain Liberation.’ He left her and went away to a near-by Math. The lady complained to the leaders of the place, about the conduct of her husband. They examined him and came to the conclusion that he had attained great spiritual evolution. So, they asked her to leave him alone. The next day, Rishi Tirumular followed the cows, but could not find his body where he had left

it. It was the Lord’s Lila. Lord Siva wanted Rishi Tirumular to write a book on Saiva Philosophy, containing the essence of all Siva Agamas, in Tamil. Rishi Tirumular understood His wish and returned to Tiruvavaduthurai. He worshipped the Lord and sat under the near-by peepul tree in deep meditation. He was in Samadhi for three thousand years. But, every year, he would come down from Samadhi and compose a stanza: thus, in three thousand years he wrote three thousand stanzas. This book is called Tirumantiram. The Lord’s mission had thus been fulfilled. Then, Rishi Tirumular went back to Kailasa. One of Tirumantiram verses says: "The ignorant prate that love and Siva are two. They do not know that love alone is Siva. When men know that love and Siva are the same, love as Siva they ever remain.” Sivaya Namah Divakara Tanjore <div_tan@________com> wrote: Dear Sir,I am deeply moved by your experiences,

but I have aquestion, what do you mean by serving lord shiva. howdo we serve the lord?isnt serving humanity not serving the lord?.Please let me know,Divakar. "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

February 13, 2006

The best and most easy way to serve the Lord is to

serve fellow human beings and all other species,

animate and inanimate so that the world becomes a

better place to live for all. God will automatically

meet you on the way in various forms including that of

a stranger. HE might tell you that HE is inside you

already as a co-worker and companion in all the good

and helpful things that you.