Samaya or Kaula?

[Guest guest]

Having worked at polling places for Primary Day and Election Day, I am

expecting a small extra salary check in a few weeks. And with Christmas

gift-giving coming, my mailbox and E-mails are overstuffed with offers of

STUFF to buy.

 

Several unusual images of Lord Shiva have been vying for my attention. A

Dakshinamurthi under a banyan tree is on sale; also at least two

different interpretations of Bhairava.

 

Now, questions for the Shree Vidya initiates among you... I gather (from

the Lalita Sahasranama CD that Ammachi's people put out) that

Dakshinamurthi is the Right-Hand path consort of Lalita, and Bhairava is

the Left-Hand path consort. How to determine which one I prefer?

 

Brian, my New Jersey friend who is a Shree Vidya initiate (who appears to

have disappeared into India!) invited me to a simple Homa before his

3-dimensional Meru Shree Yantra a year ago. He was very insistant that

in HIS Guru's tradition (Samaya?) only Lalita was envisioned at the

center of the Yantra. When I explained to another attendee that Kali

might similarly be so honored, Brian violently disagreed -- "That's the

Kaula tradition!" (I note a number of Shakti Sadhana members identify as

Kaula.)

 

Furthermore, as Divali approaches, I recall reading that Lakshmi can also

be invoked in the Shree Yantra. Indeed, are there forms of the Devi that

would be inappropriate to see as reigning over the central triangle of

this Yantra?

 

I'm surprised at how all these forms of Lord Shiva are popping up in my

life suddenly, and wonder if I need to choose one over the others? And

if I purchase one of these murthies, what is the appropriate Sadhana/

Puja to offer to the particular form?

 

(I shoulda taken the many hours-long trek upstate to Rajarajeshwari

Peetham with Brian when he offered to introduce me to his Guru... But

what if Samaya isn't my path?)

 

-- Len/ Kalipadma

 

 

______________

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[Guest guest]

The very best form of Lord Shiva to have is a Narmada

Shivalingam. These are oval stones, gray splotched

with red, that are collected at one particular bend of

the holy Narmada River. They come in various sizes,

from over 3 foot tall leviathan boulders to little

tiny oval pebbles. A little one should run you

anywhere from a dollar to ten dollars, and you can

carry it with you everywhere! It represents Shiva in

His abstract yet manifest aspect, united with Shakti

(represented by the red splotches). I love them so

much that whenever I see them for sale anywhere I want

to buy them ALL! At present I have about 18 of them,

from a 9 1/2" rock to the little pebble-size. That way

you have an all-purpose aspect of Him, that is also

suitable for puja. You can perform the Panchamrit

ritual on it. Also by this means you are not fixated

on any one aspect, but can enjoy your darshan in

whatever aspect it pleases Him to show up in! I have

had the privilege of darshan of the Nataraj, Bhairava,

Ardhanarishvara,and Maha-Mrityunjaya, just to name a

few.

Lilith M.

--- kalipadma wrote:

>

> Having worked at polling places for Primary Day and

> Election Day, I am

> expecting a small extra salary check in a few weeks.

> And with Christmas

> gift-giving coming, my mailbox and E-mails are

> overstuffed with offers of

> STUFF to buy.

>

> Several unusual images of Lord Shiva have been vying

> for my attention. A

> Dakshinamurthi under a banyan tree is on sale; also

> at least two

> different interpretations of Bhairava.

>

> Now, questions for the Shree Vidya initiates among

> you... I gather (from

> the Lalita Sahasranama CD that Ammachi's people put

> out) that

> Dakshinamurthi is the Right-Hand path consort of

> Lalita, and Bhairava is

> the Left-Hand path consort. How to determine which

> one I prefer?

>

> Brian, my New Jersey friend who is a Shree Vidya

> initiate (who appears to

> have disappeared into India!) invited me to a simple

> Homa before his

> 3-dimensional Meru Shree Yantra a year ago. He was

> very insistant that

> in HIS Guru's tradition (Samaya?) only Lalita was

> envisioned at the

> center of the Yantra. When I explained to another

> attendee that Kali

> might similarly be so honored, Brian violently

> disagreed -- "That's the

> Kaula tradition!" (I note a number of Shakti

> Sadhana members identify as

> Kaula.)

>

> Furthermore, as Divali approaches, I recall reading

> that Lakshmi can also

> be invoked in the Shree Yantra. Indeed, are there

> forms of the Devi that

> would be inappropriate to see as reigning over the

> central triangle of

> this Yantra?

>

> I'm surprised at how all these forms of Lord Shiva

> are popping up in my

> life suddenly, and wonder if I need to choose one

> over the others? And

> if I purchase one of these murthies, what is the

> appropriate Sadhana/

> Puja to offer to the particular form?

>

> (I shoulda taken the many hours-long trek upstate to

> Rajarajeshwari

> Peetham with Brian when he offered to introduce me

> to his Guru... But

> what if Samaya isn't my path?)

>

> -- Len/ Kalipadma

>

>

>

______________

> Juno Platinum $9.95. Juno SpeedBand $14.95.

> Sign up for Juno Today at http://www.juno.com!

> Look for special offers at Best Buy stores.

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

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