Insight into Shiva Sutras

 

A sutra is a thread and Shiva means that which is auspicious. Among many negative things, take that one positive thing and hold on to it. If someone has fallen in a deep well, what do you do? You help them come up with a rope. That is what Shiv Sutras are meant to do. These are simple one-line sutras that make you aware that your true nature is “Swatmananda Praksha Vapushe”. Your true nature is bliss; your true nature is joy. Your nature is light.

That is why it is said: Namah śrī śambhave svātmānanda prakāśa vapuśe.

I bow down to the wealth that brings peace and fills the body with joy.

How does auspiciousness begin? It happens when the mind turns inwards. When the mind wanders outside, it is caught up in problems and confusion. Do you know what misery is? Misery is when the mind gets caught up in the world and forgets itself. Happiness can be described as remembering yourself.

Suppose a close relative or friend visits you after a long time. You prepare sweets, arrange everything to welcome them and go to the railway station to receive them. You feel thrilled when you finally meet them. The mind instantly blossoms. Where there is no eagerness and anticipation, there is less love.

The mind naturally flows towards that which you love. When you read the word ‘mana’ meaning mind, from the other direction, it becomes “nama.” What does it mean? When the mind turns inward it is namah, and an outward mind is manah. When you enter a temple, you say ‘namah’ and the mind automatically turns inwards.

What attracts the mind outward? It is prosperity, wealth, success and beauty. The sight of anything beautiful draws the mind towards it. The whole world revolves around only one thing, and that is ‘Srī’, which means prosperity. You yearn for knowledge, yearn for happiness, yearn for beauty, wealth, success, advancement – whatever you long for, it is only for one desire, and that is Srī. When we are in a state of namah, when we are introspective, we find Srī and true wealth is born.

‘Śambhave’ – Wealth and prosperity should bring peace. However, often one acquires wealth and problems follow it. While we do need money, along with wealth we also get diseases like stomach pains, ulcers, diabetes, heart attack, etc.

‘Svātmānanda’ – filled with bliss, having a cheerful state of mind. There are some people who do good acts, but do not have peace and joy. But look at children. They are not very serious. They are happy. What kind of happiness do they have? ‘Svātmānanda prakāśā vapuse’ – happiness overflows in them. One characteristic of life is that it should end where it began, and life is a cycle that starts with happiness.

‘Ānandena jātāni jīvanti’ – it is said in the Upanishads: “Life happens in joy and finds completion in joy.” The soul should be filled with happiness – that is the goal of the Shiva Sūtras: svātmānanda prakāśa vapuśe.

Bless with contentment

 

When we do not want anything for ourselves, a unique power awakens within us. We become capable of giving blessings. Only those who are themselves content are capable of giving blessings. If they say, ‘Let your will be done’, it will definitely happen. The blessings of an individual who is content, will manifest. This is the secret behind blessing.

Ideally, as we grow older, our contentment should also increase. The more content we are, the more mature we are. There are two kinds of joy: one of receiving and the other of giving. In our childhood we experienced the joy of receiving. If you give anything to children they are always ready to take it. But as we grow older, we experience the Joy in giving.

For example, in a home there is a mother or a grandmother; when the grandmother is alone in the house, she does not prepare five different kinds of vegetables and four different sweets for herself. But when children come to the house or guests come, she cooks many different kinds of dishes and serves them. So in giving there is joy and this is a mature joy and pleasure. But many times we lose sight of this and we keep looking to receive all our lives, and we remain dissatisfied and a kind of misery pervades.

For wealth to come, the mind should be content. The more satisfied we are, the more we progress. In order to receive blessings, one should be deserving. How will that happen? By keeping your mind pure and clean. How to keep the mind clean? First of all have faith – God is my very own, and I belong to Him and He loves me. To look after my happiness and sorrow is His job and He will do it.

Second, we need to perform seva (service) in society. As human beings, we all have some needs and some responsibilities. If our responsibilities are more, and our needs less, then in life we remain peaceful and content. If our responsibilities are few but our needs are many then we remain unhappy.

Third, for short periods of time, do pranayama, and meditation and a new wave of contentment, joy and bliss arises in our lives. If you practice these three things, you will see that whatever work you desire will begin to get done effortlessly. Stay in the present. Whatever is the past, drop it all. Put aside all the matters of the past, and sit and meditate.