Shivaratri Celebration at Vedanta Hall – Sunday 3 March

Shivaratri Celebration
At Vedanta Hall, 15 Liverpool Rd, Croydon on Sunday 3 March.

As an offering to Shiva the Celebration commenced with group chanting of Om Namah Shivaya 108 times creating a vibrant feeling of peace.

In his speech at the event Nandu Mehta, Secretary of the Ramakrishna Sarada Vedanta Society of NSW, observed “Siva is auspiciousness condensed, it is auspiciousness in its purest form. Shivaratri means the night of auspiciousness, therefore this auspiciousness is to be observed through the contemplation of God and of our real Self.”

In her speech, President of the Society, Pravrajika Gayatriprana, explored Shiva as the meditator and what it means to us in the daily challenge of life.

“Often, when we think of Shiva, the picture that comes to us is Shiva in deep meditation or Shiva as Nataraja, the dancer. (As pictured below). What is Shiva meditating on, or, why is he meditating?

“We try to meditate because we want to gain control over our lower nature. But we are under control of nature. We must do whatever nature asks us too. Nature tells us ‘Sleep’ and however much we resist it, we fall asleep. Something good or bad happens and nature tells us ‘you laugh, you weep.’ We are forced to. We don’t have any freedom. We think that we are free beings, of course, we have freedom: we have got political freedom, we have got religious freedom, in these ways and more we are free but still we are completely under the control of nature, the playthings of nature.

“The only way to get control over nature is through meditation. As Swami Vivekananda says, ‘Meditation is the power that enables us to resist all this, our slavery to nature.’

“Shiva has got complete control over nature, but still he is meditating. What is he meditating on? His own glory. His mind is completely under control, all energies are withdrawn, his mind is calm and placid like the ripple less surface of a lake. He is meditating just for the bliss of meditation. It is said that now and then he becomes overwhelmed with the bliss and starts dancing. That is the joy of freedom.”

After the speeches all the devotees had a share of prasad.

Related Images: