Summary of the Book
With VCD
God is truth, truth is Shiva, and Shiva is beautiful, great and auspicious. The truth is complete in itself; it cannot be segmented or separated in pieces. Still, for the sake of explanation, people do attempt to divide it into its different aspects. Moun or silence is indivisible; it cannot be explained in words. The moment one utters the word moun, moun is broken. Shiva, Moun, Truth, and God all are names of one and the same thing: The Universal Consciousness.
Shiva is also known by many other names; Mahadev, Nilkantha and Bholenath, to name a few. There are as many names for God as there are qualities of God. Still, merely giving it a name does not suffice. One should have the right attitude of body-mind and the proper devotion for taking a name of God for oneself. Who would not like to become a Shivaji or a saint? Every living being’s aim (whether they know it or not) is to merge with the totality of the Shiva being. Everybody wants to make Shiva happy—that is, to make his life successful. How can we do this?
To become a real devotee of Lord Shiva, one must first understand Shiva & the might of Shiva’s nature and power. One should get to know Shiva’s qualities; not becoming fixated on idols, yet also not ignoring their importance. Idols are only lifeless shapes until one experiences the existence of God when gazing at one. God is formless; but to understand the formless, we need to start with a form or shape.
If you are a devotee of Shiva, this book will help you to understand Shiva and become a better follower. If you believe in other Gods and idols, this book will help you understand the divine mystery that pervades every idol. If you do not believe in worshiping idols, this book will open up the divine mysteries as revealed in nature and in human beings. For example, what transcendent realities are expressed through the idols that human beings have created? What identical truths can be discovered without the benefit of idols, simply by observing nature? This book provides compelling answers to these fascinating questions.
We can contemplate the qualities of Shiva by observing the idol of Shiva. By doing so, the vices of our mind will vanish, just as they did for Lord Shiva. If we acquire the purity, calm and peace of mind that Lord Shiva has, we will be real devotees of Shiva, able to set a positive example for others. One does not become a genuine devotee of Shiva by performing external rituals alone. The rituals are there to help one concentrate with devotion on God. Pure devotion is required to acquire the qualities of Lord Shiva. When one’s mind becomes pure, when one becomes egoless, when one attains the qualities of Shiva and also sees them in others, then both he and Lord Shiva become happy.
