Lord Shiva is the principle of Awareness in us. The Shivalinga represents Infinite Cosmic Consciousness which is beyond birth and death. Maha Shivaratri, the glorious festival of Lord Shiva is celebrated in the night to awaken the mind from its deep slumber of ignorance.

We perceive the world around us using a trained and conditional mind which distorts reality and disconnects us from the Divinity. We are pulled in different directions by our body, mind and intellect. So we are consumed by conflict. Our mind begins to gallop like a wild horse, it becomes like a lake that is ruffled by the wind. A mind that chatters constantly can never grasp reality or Divinity. Our mind should be like the serene waters of a still lake that reflects everything with complete clarity. A restless mind is a destructive mind. A still mind is a creative mind. Our body should be dynamically active, but our mind and intellect should be calm and tranquil. This leads to complete efficiency in all spheres of life. This is the internal union of Shiva who represents potential energy with Shakti, the dynamic energy. Shivaratri symbolically marks the wedding of Lord Shiva with His divine consort, Goddess Parvathi. By immersing ourselves in His worship tonight we receive the Grace necessary to still the mind and tune in to the Soul.

The Sages have told us "You have spent most of your life in grieving over trifles and sorrows. Illumine your life with the lamp of your Soul by adoring Lord Shiva tonight." The Shivalinga represents the awareness in our own Soul. So when we do the Abhisheka of the Linga, we are bathing our Soul with the water of devotion. The three leaved bilva sprig which is so auspicious for His worship symbolizes the qualities of faith, belief and surrender. It also reminds us that the Soul is ever pure, pristine and unblemished. All impurities exist only in the body, mind and intellect. The sacred mantra "Om Namah Shivâya" reinforces our vital life force and focuses our mind on Divinity, igniting our Awareness.

All impurities in our mind are generated by friction. When the mind is free from bad thoughts it becomes awake. Goddess Ganga who flows down Lord Shiva's matted locks constantly lubricates and purifies our total awareness of the divinity within. When we worship "Shiva" we will stop indulging in any of the six vices lust, anger, greed, attachment arrogance or envy as we become aware of the negativity they generate.

On this night our mind should cease all its outward wanderings and turn inwards. Then the blaze of awareness that is lit inside us reduces all impurities (negative thoughts and karma) to ashes. Lord Shiva draws all our imperfections into His own radiance, burns it and returns it to us as Vibhuti or holy ash. That's why He is named Bhasmadhâra or the "Ash Besmeared one." It is said that our destiny is written on our forehead. When we apply holy ash there, we are erasing all human limitations called Fate. This also activates the third eye located between our eyebrows.

When light dispels darkness inside us it is called Enlightenment. Centuries of darkness can be dispelled in a single moment. For some Souls just one Shivaratri may trigger this transformation. This could be our night of Enlightenment. Let us all light our inner lamps of Awareness on this glorious night of "Shivaratri."

"OM NAMAH SHIVAYA"

Let us go a little more deeply into this. What is the quality that prevents life from becoming mechanical? What is the ingredient that brings zeal and keeps boredom at bay? Awareness. If one is constantly aware, then life is always interesting. Everything inspires us. Awareness is not what we commonly call alertness. Alertness has an element of stress and tension. So it can't be sustained for a long time without adversely affecting the body and mind. Awareness may be defined as alertness without tension. When we are in this state of relaxed awareness, interest and zeal are spontaneous. With interest come memory and dedication. Nothing in life should be done mechanically. Even stirring a spoonful of sugar into a cup of coffee should be done with complete awareness. Then there is always a deep sense of joy and connectedness with Divinity.

All of us have several sets of clothes. We wear different clothes everyday. If somebody asks us what we wore last Monday or Tuesday, we are unable to remember. We are very selective in our functioning and do most things mechanically, which is why we can't remember such things. All this is due to lack of awareness. We may ask "Why do we need to remember details like what clothes we wore a week or ten days ago?" It is precisely because we lack this sense of constant awareness, that we are being born again and again. We are paying a very heavy price. We should be aware of what we are doing every second of our lives. You may say that this will produce a lot of tension. No. We are always aware of our name and family. Does this make us tense ? Awareness is a very relaxed state and eliminates tension from our lives.

When we go on tîrtha yâtrâs like this one, we can develop a heightened sense of awareness if we are always conscious of our purpose. Most of us here have gone to Arunachala before. However, each time we go there, transformation takes place at a different level. A very important thing that all of us should remember is that everything we do has an impact on the inner core of the mind. So if we are always conscious of this effect, our transformation can be very swift.

If we are constantly aware, there is no scope for cravings to take possession of us. For instance, even the act of drinking a cup of tea can be done with complete awareness so that we savour every sip completely. Here, the tea is enjoyed not just by the body and the senses, but also by the mind. So there is complete satisfaction and therefore no craving. When we fulfil a desire mechanically, the deeper levels of our being are not satisfied and an obsessive craving for that particular object develops within us. Lack of awareness also generates indifference and a lack of concern for others. If you are in a hurry to reach your destination because you're late, you are likely to lose your sense of awareness and become impatient with the traffic and pedestrians who obstruct you. You will rave at them either internally or externally. In either case your peace of mind is shattered. So give yourself a cushion of time wherever possible, in order to be punctual. Organise your life so that you can avoid being late. In spite of all these precautions if you're late for an appointment, don't give false excuses. Initially the awareness of Divinity in you is very fragile and must be carefully protected and fostered. Without this we are not open to receive Divine Grace. God says "When you are making no attempt to base your life on awareness, how can My Grace flow to you ?"

Therefore, be conscious of the purpose of your life and abide in a state of heightened awareness. Then you will be interested in every action that you perform. You may be under the impression that you are working to earn money for your family. You may want to accumulate property so that it may be passed on to the future generations. You feel that you will be fondly remembered because of this, long after you die. Physical property may be lost, misused or frittered away. It can cause dissatisfaction, misery, strife and litigation. It can break up families instead of uniting them. We see all this happening around us. So the best legacy that you can leave behind is awareness, wisdom and Dharma (Righteousness). This is what great beings like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi and many others like them did. We still remember them with great reverence. Such Mahâtmas are remembered not for the clothes they wore or the property that they amassed, but for the principles with which they lived. Swa-Dharma ( Principles that define one's transactional role) and Âtma Dharma (Principles of Spiritual Conduct that nurture the Soul) should be followed without a second thought. Then God's Grace flows through you and envelopes you constantly.

To cook a special dessert don't you combine many ingredients ? Likewise you must combine divine thoughts to make your life sweet, blissful, ever-joyous and interesting. The outer world is constantly changing. The cars that were so fashionable ten years ago are considered contemptible today. The cars that are today's status symbols will be tomorrow's eye sores. All material things lose their value sometime or the other. However, Divinity never changes. God is ever the same. He was the same during the time of your great grandfather and He will be the same when your great grand child is born. Divinity transcends time and space and is therefore unaffected by them. On the contrary, time and space are completely under God's control. When you realise this truth, you will automatically re-assign the values in your life. When your mind is turned to such thoughts, your awareness of Divinity is heightened and you spontaneously receive many insights into Truth.

Enjoy each situation and every minute of your life. Live life fully from the innermost core of your being. If the train you're travelling by breaks down, don't waste your time and energy in complaining. Get down, take a walk, meditate, watch nature.... Enjoy it. Don't think "This is so boring. Now everything will be delayed. How long must I wait ...?" etc Where are you going anyway ? Since the moment of our birth the body has only one certain destination death. Awareness of Divinity takes you to the only state that is worthwhile eternal bliss that is independent of your bodily existence. Spiritual sâdhana helps us to transcend body consciousness. Then Awareness blossoms. Whatever life brings you enjoy it.

DO EVERYTHING WITH A FLOURISH,

THEN EACH MOMENT YOU WILL CHERISH,

ALL GROUSES AND GRIEVANCES VANISH,

STRESS AND TENSION ARE BANISHED.

Savour every moment. Surrender to the divine tempo. Don't impose your own conditions on life. Then God will take over your responsibilities and remove all obstacles so that they are discharged smoothly. Life is a feast of bliss. Revel in it, treasure every moment and relish every bit of it. May the mantle of the Divine Mother's Grace envelope each one of you. May you be established in Bliss.

Jai Mâtha. Om Tat Sat