Our Deepest Fear by Marianna Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,
fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel
insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the
glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates
others

.

Shree Ashok Bhatt, Speaker of Gujarat Assembly

I was fortunate enough to attend a talk by Ashok Bhatt, speaker of the Gujarat Assembly, at a restaurant in Birmingham. The event was organised by Overseas Friends of BJP (Chairman - Dr Surendra Sharma).

Seeing a window of opportunity to speak to him about Learning Journey, I sat next to him as he was eating. Pushing my Gujarati to its limits, I managed to get the message across.

To my amazement, he opened his speech referring to me and ConnectIndia (remembering my name!) and continued to speak with great passion about Indian challenges and his vision for the future. He did speak in Hindi, so it was difficult at times to keep up - but the jist of his message was mostly understood.

(to be continued)

Brilliant Networking

After attending a very useful event on Networking, I thought I'd share it with others. Steven D'Souza, currently a Vice President at Merrill Lynch in Talent Management, gave a presentation on the basics of Networking and how to be more effective at it. Most of what he spoke about is found in his book "Brilliant Networking".

Worth buying. For more information visit some of these sites

http://www.brilliantnetworking.net/

To buy the book - Amazon

Fostering High Quality Connections

How to deal with corrosive relationships at work , By Jane Dutton

You've sweated to prepare a grant report, working hard to make the case that your largest foundation backer should continue providing support. Your nonprofit desperately needs the grant renewal, but this time around, the competition is unusually stiff. You've put in late nights. Lots of coffee. You can't help but feel nervous as you enter a meeting with the foundation program officer.

The officer acknowledges you with a distracted nod. Seemingly preoccupied, he asks you to start your presentation. While you're talking, he barely makes eye contact. When you finish, he offers a perfunctory "Nice job" -- though you're not even sure he's heard you.

If these scene sounds familiar, you are not alone. For many organizations, disrespectful engagement such as this is the norm. The extent of incivility in the workplace is disturbing: 90 percent of respondents in one recent poll believed workplace incivility was a serious problem, and 75 percent of respondents in another survey said it was getting worse. According to another study, one-third of 600 nurses had been verbally abused during their previous five days at work.1

Often, the telltale signs that an organization is not a good place to work appear the moment a new employee takes a job. Consider the experience of an executive sales consultant, reported recently in the Wall Street Journal: "The day he hired on, his assigned mentor showed him his office and walked away without a word -- no tour of the office, no introductions to co-workers, 'in short, no information,' the consultant says. Later, in a meeting, a partner treated him like a piece of furniture. Pointing him out as a new hire, the partner said, 'I don't know if he's any good. Somebody try him out and let me know.'"2

Experiences like this are more than just unpleasant. Disrespectful engagement or nonengagement depletes energy, eating away at employee reserves of motivation and commitment, increasing burnout.

The key to transforming the workplace experience is to build and nurture what I call "high-quality connections" -- marked by mutual positive regard, trust, and active engagement on both sides. In a high-quality connection, people feel more open, competent, and alive.3

One of the best ways to foster these connections is by encouraging respectful engagement between coworkers. When co-workers engage each other respectfully, they create a sense of social dignity that confirms self-worth and reaffirms competence.4 Respectful engagement empowers and energizes, giving individuals a heightened sense of their abilities.5

There are five major strategies nonprofit leaders can employ to foster respect, and thus encourage quality connections, in the workplace: conveying presence, being genuine, communicating affirmation, effective listening, and supportive communication. Used in tandem, these tools can help eliminate the corrosive relationships that sap nonprofits of their creative zest.

Conveying Presence
Being present with another person means being psychologically available, turning one's attention to another. Attention is a precious commodity -- it is easily consumed, deflected, or distracted.
When individuals direct attention toward each other and away from distractions, they activate an energizing sense of mutual connection. "A five-minute conversation can make all the difference in the world if the parties participate actively," writes Edward Hallowell, psychiatrist and author of the book Connect: 12 Vital Ties That Open Your Heart, Lengthen Your Life, and Deepen Your Soul. "To make it work, you have to set aside what you're doing, put down the memo you were reading, disengage from your laptop, abandon your daydream, and bring your attention to bear upon the person you are with."6

When people converse at work, the positive emotion doesn't come from the talking. "The delight in conversation comes not from making sense," says social psychologist Joost Meerloo, "but from making contact."7

One organization that understands the value of conveying presence is the Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research. The Ann Arbor, Mich.- based institute, founded in 1998 with a National Institutes of Health grant, investigates alternative therapies for cardiovascular disease. When my daughter Cara arrived for her summer internship in 2002, she was greeted by an assigned "advocate," a personal organizational tutor of sorts, who was available to help her decipher the institutional culture. The advocate ensured that Cara would have access to interesting work, in part by introducing her to the "right" people. With the advocate at her side, each person Cara met encouraged her to provide input, and expressed interest in her as an individual, providing her with dozens of personal contact points.

Being Genuine
To engage respectfully, bosses and subordinates must remove "fronts" by speaking and reacting honestly -- in part because people are generally good "authenticity detectors."8
When people act nice by edict, it does not foster quality connection, no matter how well intentioned. At one Michigan hospital, for example, administrators implemented what they called the "five feet, ten feet rule": Employees were required to say "hello" to those within five feet, and to smile at all those who passed within 10 feet. Rather than foster mutual respect, the regulation bred disrespect and cynicism.9

Contrast this with the experience of employees at the Foote Hospital in Jackson, Mich. Several years ago, when a hospital employee lost three close relatives, her colleagues spontaneously banded together and lobbied to change personnel rules so that they could donate vacation and personal time. Administrators agreed, and eventually formalized a time donation program, allowing employees to give their vacation days to one another in times of need.
The program signaled that the hospital and its employees were genuinely caring. In organizations that have such programs, respectful engagement often thrives.

Communicating Affirmation
Organizations that affirm employee value are breeding grounds for high-quality connections. This means going beyond simply being present to searching for the "divine spark in another"10 -- that is, their positive core -- and recognizing it publicly.

For most leaders, the notion of recognizing worthy employees is hardly groundbreaking. Yet, according to one study, more than half of North American workers say they are never recognized for a job well done. A similar percentage report they don't get any recognition -- even for outstanding performance.11

Organizations offer endless opportunities for genuine, transformative affirmation. One of the most creative I have seen took place recently at an Internet startup in Ann Arbor. Marty Johns, head of product development, took the occasion of a team's first meeting to have "introductions."12 But rather than having colleagues introduce themselves, he introduced each team member personally, offering his take on their unique talents, perspectives, and human qualities. He spoke about what he appreciated in each person, saying about one team member, "I brought Devon onto this team because of his deep insightfulness about our customers, as well as his quick wit and humor -- critical resources for us when we are on deadline." About another, he explained: "We are privileged to have Jocelyn on our team. Her standards are impeccable, her integrity a beacon to us all." The introductions took 20 minutes, and left several people visibly embarrassed, but it turned an ordinary routine into a foundation for respectful engagement.

Effective Listening
Listening is a form of respectful engagement, but effective listening requires effort -- especially at high-energy nonprofits, where distractions are the norm.

While people can comprehend an average of 600 spoken words per minute, speech usually flows at 100 to 150 words per minute. The gap is one of the reasons people at work have a hard time listening: Their minds search for other things to keep them busy.13 In addition, listeners too often focus on their own goals for a given conversation, instead of hearing what another person is saying. Many people listen as if waiting for an opportunity to make their own point.
Listening that engages respectfully has two features: It is empathetic and active. Empathetic listening is centered on the speaker, with the aim of learning about his or her point of view. Active listeners, meanwhile, are responsive listeners.

There are several ways to listen responsively. First, paraphrase -- expressing in your own words what you just heard someone say ("Are you saying that we are not going to meet our fundraising objectives this quarter?"). Second, summarize, or try to pull together the complicated flow of a conversation in a few "bulleted" points ("So you need more resources, more time, and more direction to finish the strategic plan?"). Third, clarify, asking questions and inquiring to ensure you understand the full picture ("What do you mean when you say you want to be more engaged in our programming?"). Finally, solicit feedback ("Do you get the sense I'm hearing you?").

Supportive Communication
Respectful engagement also depends on how we communicate -- what we say, how we say it, and how well we are understood. Supportive communicators express views and opinions while minimizing defensiveness and maximizing clarity.

Contrast that with unsupportive speech: sarcasm, negative comparisons, threats, dragging up the past, or framing debates as "win-lose" interactions. These forms of communication hinder a person's ability to tune in and understand a message.

One way to ensure that communication is supportive is to make requests, not demands. This can be tricky, because in the workplace, the goal of communication is often for one person to prompt another to complete a certain task. But when people make demands, they send the signal that blame or punishment will follow if the demand is not fulfilled. "Once you hear demands, your options are submission or rebellion," 14 writes Marshall Rosenberg, founder and director of educational services for the nonprofit Center for Nonviolent Communication.

Requests only work if you genuinely believe the other person can freely choose a response. Furthermore, requesters should employ positive language: Say what you want ("I'd like you to check with me once a week"), not what you don't want ("I don't need you to check with me so often"). Make requests specific, avoiding the hazards of misinterpretation ("I need updates from you on a weekly basis regarding our progress on fundraising goals" is more effective than "Keep me posted").

Another thing to look out for is evaluative judgment, which seeps easily into communications and undermines the possibility of respectful engagement, inviting defensiveness. The tendency to use judgmental language is a particular hazard for managers.

Supportive communication is descriptive, rather than evaluative. Consider these two statements: "You need to shape up in responding to client requests" versus "Three clients have complained to me this month that you have not responded to their requests."15 The first is a prejudgment; the second is a description of facts. Taking it a step further, supportive communication focuses on the impact of behavior, and is solution oriented ("It's not acceptable to have three complaints a month, because these clients are sure to go elsewhere. We need to win back their confidence. Let's do this by offering more than our contract calls for)."

Roger Nierenberg, conductor of the Stamford (Conn.) Symphony Orchestra, sees supportive communication as a vital part of his job. He uses direction, as opposed to criticism, to build trust and enable musicians to perform at their best. For example, instead of saying, "The percussion section is playing too loudly," which is a judgment, he issues descriptive direction: "The audience needs to hear the woodwinds."16

It's a subtle difference, but one that helps Nierenberg connect to his orchestra, and empowers the orchestra to connect as well -- to the audience.

1 Pearson, C.M.; Andersson, L.M.; and Porath, C.L. Assessing and Attacking Workplace Incivility, Organizational Dynamics (2000): 123-137.
2 Shellenbarger, S. From Our Readers: The Bosses That Drove Me to Quit My Job, The Wall Street Journal (Feb. 9, 2000): B1.
3 Dutton, J.E. and Heaphy, E.D. The Power of High-Quality Connections, in Positive Organizational Scholarship, ed. Kim Cameron, Jane Dutton, and Robert Quinn (San Francisco, CA: Berrett- Koehler, 2003).
4 Margolis, J.D. Responsibility in Organizational Context, Business Ethics Quarterly 11, no. 4 (October 2001): 431-454.
5 Miller, J.B. and Stiver, I.P. The Healing Connection: How Women Form Relationships in Therapy and in Life (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1997).
6 Hallowell, E.M. Connect: 12 Vital Ties That Open Your Heart, Lengthen Your Life, and Deepen Your Soul (New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1999).
7 Meerloo, J. Conversation and Communication, in The Human Dialogue: Perspectives on Communication, ed. Floyd W. Matson and Ashley Montagu (New York, NY: Free Press, 1967).
8 Harter, S. Authenticity, in Handbook of Positive Psychology, ed. C.R. Snyder and Shane J. Lopez (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2002).
9 Employees agreed to talk to me about their experiences on condition that the hospital not be named.
10 Remen, R.N. My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging (New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 2000).
11 Kepner-Tregoe, People and Their Jobs: What s Real, What s Rhetoric? cited in Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others, ed. James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1999).
12 Names used in this anecdote are pseudonyms.
13 Messmer, M. Improving Your Listening Skills, Management Accounting 79, no. 9 (1998).
14 Rosenberg, M. Keynote address to the 1999 National Conference of Montessori Educators, as cited in Rosenberg, M. Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion (Santa Cruz, CA: PuddleDancer Press, 1999).
15 Whetten, D.A. and Cameron, K.S. Developing Management Skills, 4th ed. (Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley, 1998).
16 Rosenfeld, J. Lead Softly, but Carry a Big Baton Fast Company (July 2001).

SOURCE: http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/fostering_high_quality_connections/

Asian Voice "e-paper" FREE

Popular asian weekly newspaper Asian Voice (previously part of the Gujarat Samachar) is available free to read and download online:

http://epaper.asian-voice.com/

Worth checking out!

Abdul Kalam at PwC London

On 10th June, PwC India Business Centre hosted a dinner with Dr. Abdul Kalam, a highly respected politician and visionary in India and around the world.

Introduced by PwC’s Chairman Kieran Poynter, Dr. Kalam was happy to acknowledge the growing realisation in the UK of the immense business opportunities in India. His speech, entitled 'Dynamics of Indian Economy' addressed the India Vision 2020 and India's journey to becoming a developed nation. He also recounted his experience in setting up a Pan African e-Network that connects 53 African states to address communication, healthcare and education needs which has evolved into his vision of a World Knowledge Platform.

He finished by defining key attributes of a creative leader, based on his experience, saying among other things that a leader must work with integrity and succeeds with integrity.
Please click on the pdf above to read the full transcript of Dr. Kalam's speech.

The evening continued with a presentation from Rachel Dwyer, Professor of India Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, on the influence of Bollywood in Indian culture.

Read in full Dr Kalam's speech. PwC Website.

I found the most useful part in the conclusion:

"My study indicates that the creative leadership is the most important component for attaining success in all missions. I would like to define based on my experiences:

1. Leader must have the vision.
2. Leader must have a passion to transform the vision into action.
3. Leader must be able to travel into an unexplored path.
4. Leader must know how to manage a success and failure.
5. Leader must have the courage to take decisions.
6. Leader should have Nobility in management.
7. Every action of the leader should be transparent.
8. Leader must work with integrity and succeed with integrity."

Good place to work... PwC!!

Ram & Hanuman - The Evidence

After receiving an email forward with photographic evidence of the events and people of the Ramayan, I thought I'do a bit of research and found the following. Zee TV apparently did a story on what evidence is out there and the results seem conclusive... (not that I had any doubts to begin with!) Hanuman made his impact in Lanka and Lord Rama truly went over and recovered Mata Sita.

See links below for full story and photos:

Mil Gaye Ram Part I
Mil Gaye Ram Part II
Mil Gaye Ram Part III

Proof of Ramayan Photographs

Gandhi’s Top 10 Fundamentals for Changing the World

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problem."

"If I had no sense of humour, I would long ago have committed suicide."

Mahatma Gandhi needs no long introduction. Everyone knows about the man who lead the Indian people to independence from British rule in 1947.

So let's just move on to some of my favourite tips from Mahatma Gandhi.

1. Change yourself.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves."

If you change yourself you will change your world. If you change how you think then you will change how you feel and what actions you take. And so the world around you will change. Not only because you are now viewing your environment through new lenses of thoughts and emotions but also because the change within can allow you to take action in ways you wouldn't have – or maybe even have thought about – while stuck in your old thought patterns.

And the problem with changing your outer world without changing yourself is that you will still be you when you reach that change you have strived for. You will still have your flaws, anger, negativity, self-sabotaging tendencies etc. intact.

And so in this new situation you will still not find what you hoped for since your mind is still seeping with that negative stuff. And if you get more without having some insight into and distance from your ego it may grow more powerful. Since your ego loves to divide things, to find enemies and to create separation it may start to try to create even more problems and conflicts in your life and world.

2. You are in control.

"Nobody can hurt me without my permission."

What you feel and how you react to something is always up to you. There may be a "normal" or a common way to react to different things. But that's mostly just all it is.

You can choose your own thoughts, reactions and emotions to pretty much everything. You don't have to freak out, overreact of even react in a negative way. Perhaps not every time or instantly. Sometimes a knee-jerk reaction just goes off. Or an old thought habit kicks in.

And as you realize that no-one outside of yourself can actually control how you feel you can start to incorporate this thinking into your daily life and develop it as a thought habit. A habit that you can grow stronger and stronger over time. Doing this makes life a whole lot easier and more pleasurable.

3. Forgive and let it go.

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

"An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

Fighting evil with evil won't help anyone. And as said in the previous tip, you always choose how to react to something. When you can incorporate such a thought habit more and more into your life then you can react in a way that is more useful to you and others.

You realize that forgiving and letting go of the past will do you and the people in your world a great service. And spending your time in some negative memory won't help you after you have learned the lessons you can learn from that experience. You'll probably just cause yourself more suffering and paralyze yourself from taking action in this present moment.

If you don't forgive then you let the past and another person to control how you feel. By forgiving you release yourself from those bonds. And then you can focus totally on, for instance, the next point.

4. Without action you aren't going anywhere.

"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."

Without taking action very little will be done. However, taking action can be hard and difficult. There can be much inner resistance.

And so you may resort to preaching, as Gandhi says. Or reading and studying endlessly. And feeling like you are moving forward. But getting little or no practical results in real life.

So, to really get where you want to go and to really understand yourself and your world you need to practice. Books can mostly just bring you knowledge. You have to take action and translate that knowledge into results and understanding.

You can check out a few effective tips to overcome this problem in How to Take More Action: 9 Powerful Tips. Or you can move on to the next point for more on the best tip for taking more action that I have found so far.

5. Take care of this moment.

"I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following."

The best way that I have found to overcome the inner resistance that often stops us from taking action is to stay in the present as much as possible and to be accepting.

Why? Well, when you are in the present moment you don't worry about the next moment that you can't control anyway. And the resistance to action that comes from you imagining negative future consequences - or reflecting on past failures - of your actions loses its power. And so it becomes easier to both take action and to keep your focus on this moment and perform better.

Have a look at 8 Ways to Return to the Present Moment for tips on how quickly step into the now. And remember that reconnecting with and staying in the now is a mental habit - a sort of muscle - that you grow. Over time it becomes more powerful and makes it easier to slip into the present moment.

6. Everyone is human.

"I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps."

"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."

When you start to make myths out of people – even though they may have produced extraordinary results – you run the risk of becoming disconnected from them. You can start to feel like you could never achieve similar things that they did because they are so very different. So it's important to keep in mind that everyone is just a human being no matter who they are.

And I think it's important to remember that we are all human and prone to make mistakes. Holding people to unreasonable standards will only create more unnecessary conflicts in your world and negativity within you.

It's also important to remember this to avoid falling into the pretty useless habit of beating yourself up over mistakes that you have made. And instead be able to see with clarity where you went wrong and what you can learn from your mistake. And then try again.

7. Persist.

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

Be persistent. In time the opposition around you will fade and fall away. And your inner resistance and self-sabotaging tendencies that want to hold you back and keep you like you have always been will grow weaker.

Find what you really like to do. Then you'll find the inner motivation to keep going, going and going. You can also find a lot of useful tips on how keep your motivation up in How to Get Out of a Motivational Slump and 25 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself.

One reason Gandhi was so successful with his method of non-violence was because he and his followers were so persistent. They just didn't give up.

Success or victory will seldom come as quickly as you would have liked it to. I think one of the reasons people don't get what they want is simply because they give up too soon. The time they think an achievement will require isn't the same amount of time it usually takes to achieve that goal. This faulty belief partly comes from the world we live in. A world full of magic pill solutions where advertising continually promises us that we can lose a lot of weight or earn a ton of money in just 30 days. You can read more about this in One Big Mistake a Whole Lot of People Make.

Finally, one useful tip to keep your persistence going is to listen to Gandhi's third quote in this article and keep a sense of humor. It can lighten things up at the toughest of times.

8. See the good in people and help them.

"I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won't presume to probe into the faults of others."

"Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men."

"I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people."

There is pretty much always something good in people. And things that may not be so good. But you can choose what things to focus on. And if you want improvement then focusing on the good in people is a useful choice. It also makes life easier for you as your world and relationships become more pleasant and positive.

And when you see the good in people it becomes easier to motivate yourself to be of service to them. By being of service to other people, by giving them value you not only make their lives better. Over time you tend to get what you give. And the people you help may feel more inclined to help other people. And so you, together, create an upward spiral of positive change that grows and becomes stronger.

By strengthening your social skills you can become a more influential person and make this upward spiral even stronger. A few articles that may provide you with useful advice in that department are Do You Make These 10 Mistakes in a Conversation? and Dale Carnegie's Top 10 Tips for Improving Your Social Skills. Or you can just move on to the next tip.

9. Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self.

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."

I think that one of the best tips for improving your social skills is to behave in a congruent manner and communicate in an authentic way. People seem to really like authentic communication. And there is much inner enjoyment to be found when your thoughts, words and actions are aligned. You feel powerful and good about yourself.

When words and thoughts are aligned then that shows through in your communication. Because now you have your voice tonality and body language – some say they are over 90 percent of communication – in alignment with your words.

With these channels in alignment people tend to really listen to what you're saying. You are communicating without incongruency, mixed messages or perhaps a sort of phoniness.

Also, if your actions aren't in alignment with what you're communicating then you start to hurt your own belief in what you can do. And other people's belief in you too.

10. Continue to grow and evolve.

"Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position."

You can pretty much always improve your skills, habits or re-evaluate your evaluations. You can gain deeper understanding of yourself and the world.

Sure, you may look inconsistent or like you don't know what you are doing from time to time. You may have trouble to act congruently or to communicate authentically. But if you don't then you will, as Gandhi says, drive yourself into a false position. A place where you try to uphold or cling to your old views to appear consistent while you realise within that something is wrong. It's not a fun place to be. To choose to grow and evolve is a happier and more useful path to take

Source: http://www.positivityblog.com/

Shiva, Shivaa and Shivalingam - Fact, Fiction & Philosophy

Ask the Pandit: We go to the temple and worship Shiva-lingam with devotion to Lord Shiva but we hear at school that Shivalingam represents Shiva-phallus. Is this true? A British Hindu Teenager

Answer: No, Shivalingam is a characteristic symbol of the formless supreme being with explanation as hereunder. It was the European Indologists of the colonial era who inflicted this translation onto the Shaivite Hinduism whereas in South India you will find noble surnames ending with the word...lingham, to denote not a phallus but their peity to the indivisible God Shiva, Shivaa and Shivalingham.

Introduction

A view that Shivalinga represents phallus and Shiva bhakta (devotee) Hindus are phallus worshippers is increasingly gaining ground among the Indian intelligentsia. It has direct relationship with the spread of English education and corresponding erosion of knowledge of Sanskrit in India. Originally the Colonial Christian missionaries in the 19th century floated this idea to malign the Hindu religion altogether but of late, attempts have been made by the Hindu intelligensia to rationalise and even eulogise phallus worship due to their dependence now on the English language. Another fall-out of predominance of English language is that non-Hindus, Hindu apostates and anti-Hindu scholars, having sketchy knowledge of Hindu scriptures and no knowledge of Sanskrit are relied upon more than the true exponents of Hindu dharma (religion) or the genuine scholars of Hindu scriptures. Commonsense demands that in matters of a religious belief or practice, the ruling or interpretation of its teachers should have precedence. However, that is not so in the case of Hindu religion. The root cause of this blasphemous thought about the Shivalinga was the Christian missionaries but now is the English language rendering of the Sanskrit word, “linga”, as “penis’ or “phallus”.

Meaning of Shivalinga and Vedi

The oldest available Sanskrit text on the worship of Shivalinga is the Linga Purana, followed by the Shiva Mahapurana. Both were compiled, in the 'present' form, during the great Gupta period of Indian history, from 4th to 7th century AD (as additions continued to be made up to the 10th century).The very first shloka of Section 2 of the Linga Purana, Part I, says: “The non-characterized (formless) one is the root of the characterized, (well formed) world. The manifest, characterized world, is called Prakriti (Nature), while the non-characterized, formless, one is called Shiva. Thus, the characterized one, namely, Prakriti (Nature) must be seen as the “linga”, meaning mark, of Lord Shiva.”

1. Shlokas 8 and 9 thereof further explain the theme: “As earlier said, Brahma Himself is the universe personified. Though non-characterized, He is the supreme lord. He is the seed (beej); He is the Womb (Yoni). And, the source of both of them is non-characterized Nirbeejo (Shiva). Thus, the Supreme Lord is both seed and womb and also the universe”.
[Incidentally a Yoni stone has been discovered near Allahabad dating back to c.14000 years.]

2. [Incidentally, in certain publications, like the English translation of the Linga Purana, published by M/s. Motilal Banarsidas, Delhi-Varanasi-Patna, under the title, “Ancient India’s Traditions & Mythology”, Vol.V, Section 2 of Part I, is shown as Section 3, because they have treated the Index also as a separate section.]
The above simile of seed and womb is also used in the Bhagvatgeeta, chap.14/3-4, where Lord Krishna says: “My womb is the great Brahma (Eternal,Cosmos); in it, I place the germ; thence cometh the birth of all beings, O Bharata (Arjuna). In all the wombs, where mortals are produced, O Arjuna, their principal base womb is the great Brahma, and I am their generating father.”

3. The Maitryopanishad, Prapathak 4, shlokas 1-2, explain how the word “yoni” meant the “source”. It says, fire, that does not get fuel is exhausted in its place of origin (yoni), so does mind calm down in its place of origin, when its passions get exhausted (in the absence of outside support)”.

4. According to Sanskrit dictionary, (Medini Koshakar), “Linga” means sign, (mark or characteristic), conjecture, a kind of Lord Shiva’s image, and rarely penis: the word is a neuter gender. In Sanskrit, the specific word for penis, is ‘shishna’ In the entire Sanskrit literature, especially in works on religion or spirituality, the word ‘linga’ has been used in the sense of a sign, a symbol, characteristic of something, and ‘yoni’ as source of origin. For example, the Brahmasutra,(Vedanta Darshan) says: “Aakaashastallingat”, (1.1.22), cosmos is the ‘linga’ (sign) of Brahma (Eternity). The Vaisheshik Darshan, (2.2.6), says, “Aparasminnaparam yugpat chiram kshipramiti kaal lingaani”, meaning, time’s ‘lingani’ (characteristics) are, before, after, together, swift, slow, in relation to somebody or something. If ‘linga’ wereto mean ‘penis’, how could ‘kaal’ (time) have five ‘penis’?The Brahmasutra (Vedanta Darshan) has used the word ‘linga’ 12 times and the Vaisheshik Darshan has used it 29 times. Every time, they have used it in the sense of formless God or a characteristic. The Upanishadas too have used it in the same sense.

In his well documented research work, Bharatiya Pratik Vidya, (Hindi), published by the Bihar Rashtrabhasha Parishad Patna, 1959, Dr. Janardan Misra has explained in great detail as to how, in their study of phallus worship, European scholars found out that in many countries of ancient Europe, (including England, Ireland, Greece), Egypt and Japan, certain people practiced witchcraft before the image of phallus: how some of them concluded that OSIRIS as God and ISIS as Goddess, worshipped by ancient Egyptians, were the corrupt forms of Hindus’ “ISHWAR” (God) and “ISHWARI” (Goddess): how two of the scholars assumed that the Hindus worshipped male and female sex organs. The question is, even if Shivalinga was mistaken as symbolising penis, following the vulgar meaning of ‘linga’, how the European (and even Indian) scholars got ‘vagina’ out of ‘vedi’ (pedestal) of Shivalinga. The only answer can be that once Shivalinga was assumed to mean Lord Shiva’s penis, the ‘vedi’ (pedestal) was automatically presumed to be vagina, being complementary to each other. It is noteworthy that in South India, the word ‘linga’ still continues to mean a mark or an indicator. Hence, many people there have their names like Ramalingam, Bhoothalingam, Mahalingam, or so. The Shivopanishad, 124, says: “Let it be understood that heart is the best abode of Lord Shiva. Hence, the Linga represents Him, that is ‘Omkar’, and the Vedi (Pedestal) represents the lotus like heart.”

Origin and philosophy

In the Shiva Mahapurana, chapter 5, shloka 10-11 of the first (Vidyeswari) Samhita, sage Suta tells a gathering of other sages: “(Lord) Shiva is the supreme God. So, He is called formless, nishkala (non-characterized), but at times He also takes form, so He is also called characterized”.6
In support, sage Nandikeshwara narrates the following episode: In the ancient (pre-historic) period, (Shvet Varah Kalpa), when the earth was submerged in water, a fierce fight ensued between Brahman and Vishnu on the question as to who of the two was superior.
To teach them a lesson, the Supreme God (Lord Shiva) appeared between them in the form of a burning column (Shlokas, 27-28/Ibid).7 Emerging from the ocean, it rose on to go into the sky. A symbolic replica of that burning column is called Shivalinga, a mark of the formless God, Lord Shiva.
A similar account is given in chapter 17, Part I of the Ling Purana. Seeing this huge burning column, both Brahma and Vishnu exclaimed with astonishment: “What is this most wonderful fiery column, imperceptible to senses? What is there below it and above it? Let us first find it out”, (chap. 7, shloka 13-14/Ibid).8 Thus, Brahma went upwards and Vishnu went downwards into the ocean to find out the reality of the new phenomenon. After long years, both of them returned to their original place.
While Vishnu admitted his failure, Brahma falsely claimed that he had reached the summit. But, an Aaakashvani (celestial voice) exposed his lie for which he had to suffer the curse of Lord Shiva. Now, Brahma and Vishnu together prayed to the fiery column to reveal itself to them. In response, there was a big sound of ‘A U M’ – ‘A U M’. A little later, Vishnu saw AUM’s first syllable ‘A’ on the south of the column, syllable ‘U’ on the north, and syllable ‘M’ in the middle, denoting Brahma (god of creation), Rudra/Shiva (god of death or dissolution and regeneration) and Vishnu (god of maintenance, who keeps the world going), respectively.This very episode is narrated in greater detail by Brahma to his Manas (Intellectual) son, Narada, in chapters 6 to 10 of the 2nd (Rudra) Samhita’s first (Srishti) Khand, of the Shiva Mahapurana, relating to Creation. After first appearing in a non-characterized form of a fiery column, Lord Shiva assumed a characterised form and explained to Brahma and Vishnu how He Himself functions under three heads, namely, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra, (chap.9, shloka 28). 9 Accordingly, Lord Shiva distributes the work of creation to Brahma, of sustenance of the world to Vishnu and of dissolution to Rudra. He also lets the Saraswati (Knowledge) part of His power (Uma) go to Brahma, the Lakshmi (beauty and wealth) part to Vishnu, and the Kali (strength) part to Rudra. Lastly, Lord Shiva directs Vishnu to always protect and remove the sufferings of the world, created by Brahma. He then directs both to work in close cooperation. Interestingly, Lord Shiva warns that, if a devotee of Rudra denigrates Vishnu, all his pious deeds shall go to waste. Having said so, Lord Shiva vanishes, (chap.10/shloka 36 Ibid).10 Soon after this, Brahma adds that “Vedi” (Pedestal) symbolises “Mahadevi”, meaning Uma or Parvati, (consort of Lord Shiva) and the “Linga” thereon symbolises Lord Shiva. It is called “Linga” because, after pralaya (total annihilation), the whole world gets absorbed in it, as the word ‘leen’ (in Sanskrit) means ‘absorption’, (chap. 10, Shloka 38/Ibid).11 ‘Vedi’, symbolising Mahadevi or Uma is obviously a later addition.

Concept of Ardhanareeshwara, (half-male, half-female god).

The above account, based on the original sources of the Linga Purana and the Shiva Mahapurana, shows a gradual march from the non-characterised (formless) God to three characterised functional gods, as off-shoots of the Supreme Lord (Shiva), namely, Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra (also called Shiva). With the passage of time, we find the emergence of the concept of Ardhnareeshwara (half-male and half-female god). The origin of this concept seems to be Brahma’s above mentioned assertion that the ‘Linga’ represented Shiva and the Vedi represented Mahadevi (female Deity).
The connected story is given in chapters 2-3 of the Triteeya (Third) Shatarudra Samhita. It explains how, following Lord Shiva’s directive, Brahma started creating various subjects (through his mental faculty), in his own male form. But, he was sad to see that they did not multiply. He felt that there must be some way to make his creation multiply by itself, to be self-sustaining. In the process, he thought of procreation through a male-female combination, called “Maithuni Srishti”, (procreation through sexual co-habitation). The question arose, how to get the female partner? For it, Brahma needed help from the Supreme Lord, Shiva. Brahma did deep meditation (tapasya). Now, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a half-male and half-female body. Granting Brahma’s wish, the Lord separated His female part, the Supreme Power, called Uma or Shivaa. Brahma made his submission to goddess Shivaaa, “I have been creating all beings, but they are not multiplying, because I am unable to create the female partner: kindly help me. Please, be the daughter of my (intellectual) son, Daksha. Goddess Shivaa created another female body through the middle of her eye brows. On behest of Lord Shiva, this new female body (Jagdambika) agreed to become daughter of Daksha. Thus started the process of sexual procreation, (Maithuni Srishti). How Brahma directed his (intellectual) son Daksha to marry a beautiful girl and to start procreation, do tapasya (meditative sacrifice) to get Jagadamba as his daughter Sati, married her to Rudra (Shiva), etc., are narrated in other chapters. Incidentally, according to Rudra Samhita (Second), Shrishti Khand, chap.16, Brahma divided himself into two parts – half- male and half-female. The male part became Brahma’s son, named “Manu” and the female part became Brahma’s daughter named “Shatroopaa”. The two got married and started the process of procreation of the human race. So, Manu is considered the original father of mankind and the first law-giver. Both the above versions, (Lord Shiva’s appearance of Ardhanareeshwara and Brahma himself creating Manu and Shatroopa), are repeated in the Seventh, (Vayaveeya), Samhita, part I, chapters 15-17. All these episodes make it clear that the basic purpose is to narrate, in allegorical form, various theories relating to the creation of the universe, origin and evolution of life on earth, of the human race since its beginning as a unisexual body and its later development into bisexual one. These theories of evolution and development seem to have simultaneously given rise to poetic imagination of seeing every god with a female consort, namely, Brahma with Saraswati, Vishnu with Lakshmi, and Rudra (Shiva) with Parvati. This phenomenon also brought with it, multiplication of gods and goddesses.The common Hindu prayer to God is, “Twameva Mata cha Pita Twameva…” (You are the Mother, You are the Father…)

Conclusion

Coming back to the subject of origin of the concept of Shivalinga, let us recall that the burning column, as the first mark of the formless God, had arisen from the ocean. The ‘Vedi’ (Pedestal) of the image of that burning column, (Shivalinga), must necessarily be the mark, symbol or ‘Linga’ of the ocean. To call it Lord Shiva’s consort, Mahadevi (Uma or Parvati) is illogical. To say or think that the Shivalinga and the Vedi represent the male and female sex organs, respectively, is all the more absurd. Here is what the renowned (late) Swami Sivananda, founder of the famous ‘Divine Life Society’, has said in his book, “All About Hinduism”, (p.270): “Linga represents the formless Shiva – Shivalinga speaks to you in the unmistakable language of silence, ‘I am one without a second. I am formless….’ A Curious, passionate, impure foreigner of little understanding or intelligence says sarcastically, ‘Oh, the Hindus worship the phallus or sex-organ, ….’ Linga is only the outward symbol of the formless being, Lord Shiva, who is the indivisible, all-pervading, eternal, auspicious, ever-pure, immortal essence of this vast universe, who is the undying soul seated in the chamber of your heart, who is your Indweller, innermost Self or Atman and who is identical with the Supreme Brahman.”

[Incidentally, the Mahasivapurana is a huge compilation of seven Sections, called ‘Samhitas’. Each Samhita has 20 to 55 chapters. Some Samhitas are divided into Parts, called ‘Khandas’. There is a lot of repetition. With slight variation, the same episodes are repeated in other chapters or another Samhita. Many episodes describing the origin of minor ‘Lingas’ defy the very philosophy of the Shivalinga. Such episodes abound in later Samhitas. The European Indologists had their own ideas of the European paganism and Greek mythology which corrupted the original meaning into sometimes base translations. The Colonial Christian missionaries used the base translations to malign the heart of Hindu Dharma and as a result the confusion has become almost endemic at its core. Its removal is a gigantic task. Perhaps an apex Hindu religious body, adequately funded by rich Hindu religious endowments and donations from others, can undertake it by engaging true scholars on this work.]

(Ram Gopal)(Author can be contacted at e-mail : ramgopal_94@yahoo.com )

References:
1. Alingo lingamoolam tu avyaktam lingamuchyate. Alingah Shiva ityukto lingo Shaivamiti smritam.(1). (Linga Purana, Part I, Section 2).
2. Yathavatkathitaashchaiva tasmaad-Brahma swayamjagat: Alingi Bhagvan Beeji, sa eva Parmeshwarah.(8) Beejam yonishcha nirbeejam, nirbeejo beejamuchyate; Beejyoni pradhananamatmakhya vartate twiha. (9). ( Ibid).
3. Mam yoni-r-mahad-Brahma tasmingarbham dadhamyaham: Sambhavah sarvabhootanam tato bhavati Bharata.(3) Sarvayonishu Kaunteya moortayah sambhavanti yah; Taasaam Brahma mahadyoni-r-aham beejpradah Pita.(4). (Geeta, chapter 14).
4. Yatha nireendano vanhi swa-yonishu-upshamyati; Tatha vrittikshaya chitta swa-yonishu-upshamyati. (Matraiyopanishad, Pra. 4, Shlokas 1-2)
5. Hridyantahkarnam jnyeyam Shivasyaayatanam param ; Hritpadmam vedica tatra Lingamonkaramishyate. (Shivopanishad , Shloka 124).
6. ShivaikoBrahmaroopatvannishkalahparikirtitah.(10).Roopitvaatsakalaastadvattasmaatasakanishkalah: Nishkalatvaanniraakaram lingam tasya samaagatam. (11). (Shiva Mahapurana, First (Vidyeshwari) Samhita, chap. 5)
7. Puraa Kaaley mahaakaaley prapanney lokavishrutey: Ayudhyatam mahaatmaanau Brahmaa-Vishnu parasparam. (27) Tayormaanam niraakartum tanmadyey Parmeshwarah, Nishkalastambharoopen swaroopam samdarshyat. (28). (Ibid)
8. Kimetad-adbhud-aakaaram-ityooscha parasparam;/ Ateendriyamidam stambham-agniroopam kimutthitam. (13) Asyordhvamapi cha-adhascha aavayorlakshmeya hi .(14). (Ibid, chap. 7 ).
9. Tridhaa bhinno hiam Vishno ! Brahma-Vishnu-Harakhyaya;/Sargrakshaalayagunair-nishkalo-aham sadaa Hare. (28). (Ibid, Second, (Rudra), Samhita, First, (Srishti), Khand, chap. 9 ).
10. Tatah sa Bhagwan-Shambhuh kripya Bhaktvatsalah: /Drishtya sampashyatoh sheeghram tattraivantardheeyat. (36). (Ibid, chap. 10)
11. Lingavedirmahaadevee lingam saakshaat-Maheshwarah :/ Layanaallingamityukta tattraiva nikhilam jagat. (38). (Ibid)

Source: http://www.hinducounciluk.org/newsite/circulardet.asp?rec=80

Ego and Spirit

Imagine this scene if you will.

Two babies are in utero confined to the wall of their mother's womb, and they are having a conversation. For the sake of clarity we'll call these twins Ego and Spirit.

Spirit says to Ego, "I know you are going to find
this difficult to accept, but I truly believe there is
life after birth."

Ego responds, "Don't be ridiculous. Look around you. This is all there is. Why must you always be thinking about something beyond this reality?

Accept your lot in life. Make yourself comfortable and forget about
all this life-after-birth nonsense."
Spirit quiets down for a while, but her inner voice
won't allow her to remain silent any longer. "Ego, now
don't get mad, but I have something else to say. I
also believe that there is a Mother."

"A Mother!" Ego guffaws. "How can you be so absurd?
Youv'e never seen a Mother. Why can't you accept that
this is all there is? The idea of a Mother is crazy.
You are here alone with me. This is your reality. Now
grab hold of that cord. Go into your corner and stop
being so silly. Trust me, there is no Mother."

Spirit reluctantly stops her conversation with Ego,
but her restlessness soon gets the better of her.
"Ego," she implores, "please listen without rejecting
my idea. Somehow I think that those constant pressures
we both feel, those movements that make us so
uncomfortable at times, that continual repositioning
and all of that closing in that seems to be taking
place as we keep growing, is getting us ready for a
place of glowing light, and we will experience it very
soon."

"Now I know you are absolutely insane," replies
Ego. "All you've ever known is darkness. Youv'e never
seen the light. How can you even contemplate such an
idea? Those movements and pressures you feel are your
reality. You are a distinct separate being. This is
your journey and you're on your own. Darkness and
pressures and a closed-in feeling is what life is all
about. You'll have to fight it as long as you live.
Now grab your cord and please stay still.
Spirit relaxes for a while, but finally she can
contain herself no longer. "Ego, I have only one more
thing to say, and then I'll never bother you again."
"Go ahead," Ego responds impatiently.

"I believe all of these pressures and all of this
discomfort is not only going to bring us to a new
celestial light, but when we experience it, we are
going to meet Mother face-to-face and know an ecstasy
that is beyond anything we have ever experienced up
until now."

"You really are crazy, Spirit. Now I'm truly
convinced of it."

-by Dr. Wayne Dyer in his book "Your Sacred Self"