The Presence of Shiva and a universal centre

The Shiva Lingam has been in common use for many thousands of years in parts of Europe, across Asia and even some places in the Americas. It is a first construction at places of worship though at Mecca, it is hidden away within that big black box and the Christians have replaced theirs with a cross. Today the lingam is mostly found in Shiva Temples and a great many remain carved into the beds of rivers across Southeast Asia to bless the water that so many depend on for life.

Image: Dhynalinga at Isha Centre, Coimbatore.

The Shiva lingam is a round, elliptical, iconic image that most often sits on a circular base or peetham. Most commonly made of stone, Shiva Linga can also be composed of metals or more earthen materials as are available. Note the circular base or peetham is a modern addition to preserve the stone, milk, oil or ghee is poured over the linga as an offering and to prevent flaking. The peetham serves to collect and drain away excess fluids.

Siva represents the emptiness - the potentiality from which the universe emerged and the potentiality from which new life emerges. The lingam can also represent the centre of the sun around which the planets evolve and it can also represent the black hole in the centre of our Milky Way around which our solar system rotates. It also serves as a focal point in consciousness and that in this universe there are two polarities, positive and negative which are mutually supportive of life.

The Christianised Westerners who came to India decided that Hinduism was a religion and the Shiva temples represented a sexual cult because to them the Shiva lingam represented a penis and the peetham or base that it sat on represented the female vagina. This erroneous view was useful to some who wanted to preserve the secrecy of their spiritual traditions and practices.

A Lingam can be any sacred object that is consecrated, energized, activated, awakened. Within Dharmic culture such an object is infused with spiritual power that almost anyone familiar with the use of crystals is well aware. The crystal structure of the stone is like a computer chip, it can be infused with memory and an energy that can be accessed. One could say that the Shiva lingam is a simple computer, it is infused with spiritualised energy and anyone in need of such energy can sit quietly in its presence to access some of that energy.

The modern computer works on the same principle and yet the believers of the world condemn and ridicule such a device that most likely gave scientists ideas to actually build the modern computer?

The processes for creating Linga are contained within the term prana prathista and this creative art is in the domain of qualified experts, yet individuals can create their own. Creating a lingam requires an appreciation of concept, a clear mind and intent.

Anyone who is sensitive or has done a few years of sadhana can immediately experience the simple truth that a Lingam is a living thing.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has created a Bhairavi Lingam and the Shiva Lingam is one of the greatest achievements of Yoga and represents an imperishable glory of culture, science and technology.

In the book of Genesis, Abraham is about to sacrifice his son upon the rock when God supposedly intervenes. Around the world there has been a great deal of misinterpretation about sacrifice and offering. No living thing is to be offered or sacrificed, only those things that serve life without killing may be offered.

Preservative liquids as discussed make for suitable offerings because of their practicality. Food is a suitable offering because it can be eaten by those who maintain the temple and the traditions. The Shiva lingam is not there to be prayed to or asked for favour, it is simply there as a reminder, a cosmological focal point, and of appreciating and celebrating life.

Om Namah Shivaya