Natraja

Natraja is a very beautiful symbol of the union of nature and the Divine. Natraja holds fire in one hand, representing the fire element. A damru* in his other hand depicts the space element. Many forces in the universe are represented by a shape similar to that of a damru, like a chromosome, or shapes of galaxies and so on. Time also is said to have a conical representation. ∞ is the symbol (shape of the damru) which represents infinity.

Shiva’s hair is open and flying representing the air element. One foot on ground symbolizing prthvi (earth element), another in the air. One hand is the symbolic abhaya hasta offering protection and the other points to his feet symbolizing surrender. With one foot already in the air, he has already taken a step towards the devotee. He says “You are dear to me” even before beginning.

Even in the Bhagwad Geeta, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna - “You are very dear to me”. When you know that you are dear to someone, there is trust and love arises in the heart.

Shiva is dancing. Life should be like this. If both feet are stuck in the ground then you cannot dance. Even to walk you need to take one foot up.

The entire creation is full of bliss

The entire creation is dancing in bliss

The entire creation is longing for bliss

Natraja represents the Ananda Tattva ( bliss) that the whole world is longing for. Every atom in the world is filled with the potential for action yet it is at peace. Shiva, the principle of infinite peace and bliss is not inert. It is peaceful, yet dancing.

Underneath his feet, there is Apasmaar**. He is standing with his foot on top of desires. If desire eats us up then we are in trouble. Only when we rise above desires and we are dancing on it, then it is a dance of joy and bliss. This is not just imagination. This is the truth. This energy awakens within us and we rise in dance. This is true. The Divine energy pervading the entire creation is eternally dancing.


source courtesy-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar http://www.artofliving.org/intl/wisdomblog/tabid/183/Default.aspx

growing old is mandatory, growing up optional...

It just hit me that its about time that i should start to act to be in my late twenties. It feels that there is a need to be all grown up about it. But I still feel like my father's little girl, wide eyed and naive.
I met a bunch of 30 year old liberated souls (the social activists types) who share a purpose in life and things look so sorted out for them. Mentally i still feel like as if i m stuck in early or mid twenties, i suppose i need a reality check. probably that is cause of the luxuries enjoyed of a student life and getting back to the work world makes one feel all responsible and jaded. the scary bit about growing old is to start having fixed and set ideas and the inability to make compromises on things we want. There is no potential to mould and wipe away the conditioning of the mind. I see some changes in the way i think and get all caught up in maternal instincts looking at cute babies and all.

i ve actually started to think if i wanna bring up my children in the western world with so much of psychological imbalance. they might grow up to be completely messed up in their heads who knows. Bringing up kids is no joke and now i realise what a wonderful job my parents have done all these years. I ve been watching my bosses struggling to bring up two young kids and i guess they are doing an excellent stint at it since they have turned out to be well behaved and grounded.

I reckon i am playing with time and then hoping for some magical thing to happen which will make this whole business of being domesticated and earning and raising a family vanish away. but on some level i do want all of those things.... oh! the worries of an adult life....how long will it be before we realise that we choose to make our lives what we want.

knowing

i now know ....

what i was meant to do,

i have it all sorted out...

what i've needed to understand,

i think things will never be the same...

There is a clarity of thought,

There aint a benefit of doubt,

To learn and to give and be a better person at that..

Because Love is not an emotion, its your very existence

Things to do

I feel happy being me and i feel good. i feel i am positive and hopeful about things. Its so important to see life in the right perspective. We learn and we move on, there is no choice. Like I heard, treat your past as destiny and the future as free will. we always choose to see otherwise. Its amazing that being in your true element gives that sense of contentment and joy. I think 2009 will be an eventful year and i want to make the most of it. these are few of those...

- travel to USA or New Zealand or Japan or Cairns or Ulluru or Tasmania or Dubai.
- go skydiving
- move to sydney
- shift to the new house in bombay
- Buy a car
- Apply for residency
- Learn to save
- Graduate
- Have stronger bonds with my loved ones

Knowledge

Happy new year!

Things i've learnt until 08- my own sunscreen song.

1. Love encompasses all
2. be compassionate
3. Never take family for granted
4. goodness pays
5. Never take shit from anyone
6. our aim is to learn
7. Do not let others be reckless with your heart
8. whatever makes u happy sets u free
9. Its only u who can make u feel bad about urself.
10.Appreciate