Lord Shiva

Today I was looking up pictures of the famous Lord Shiva and found this one with a mandala in the background. Its a very intricate picture representing Cosmic Consciousness which is available to all who choose to seek it out.

Lord Shiva represents Cosmic Consciousness the Destroyer of evil and ignorance. He stands for Enlightenment and Illumination. A Higher understanding of the Self.

Many Followers of Shiva who call themselves "Shivites" are of the belief that one is in actual fact God. That you are God and that you have cast a spell of "Maya" or illusion upon yourself for the thrill of experiencing limitation, a game the hindus call "Lila".

This little picture shows what the meanings are to Lord Shiva's belongings, markings etc. Lord Shiva is celebrated a God in Hindu religion.

According to yoga texts when shakti the spiritual Goddess unites with Shiva at the "Godhead" within ourselves we achieve illumination and liberation from suffering.

Certain supernatural powers or "Siddhis" as they are called are also obtained on the path back towards expansion into Pure Awareness/Consciousness. There are many stories of people accomplishing amazing things in hindu texts much similar to those of Jesus in the Bible and even more profound such as the ability to fly, read others minds, become as small as an atom etc. etc.

If you are interested consider getting a copy of "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali". The sage Patanjali was considered an expert upon these matters...