This follows on from a discussion on a previous thread ([link= http://www.healthypages.net/forum/tm.asp?m=269276&mpage=1&key=?? ]Devotion and Love in Hinduism[/link]).
ORIGINAL: Sacredstar
Is it not also true David that Shiva is also portrayed dancing? And one of his titles is Lord of Dance.
It is not also true that the Temple dancers were called devadasis ("servants of GOD"). They have emulated Shiva for thousands of years. In addition to dancing these women honour the dieties and convey the divine feminine energy to male worshippers through the sacred act of creation e.g. the cosmic dance of sexuality.Perhaps you and Cub could enlighten us further on this type of love and devotion in Hinduism.
Not sure what to say on the love and devotion bit, but Shiva is the Lord of the Dance. It however has a purpose. It is the dance of destruction. In the trinity of Creation (Bramha), Preservation (Vishnu) and Death (Shiva), Shiva always seems to have the last card to play, as without an end there could be a no new beginning. From that comes the idea of endless rebirth/renewal. For me, this has always cast a positive light on the idea of death - it's merely the end of a chapter. Along with the dance is an emphasis on rhythm. Shiva traditionally beats a drum. For me, this again harks back to the rhythm of life (and death), showing that it's a two sided coin.
There is a sexual element to the dance of destruction as He supposedly dances with such abandon and is naked. But I wonder how much of the interplay between men and women using dance over the centuries has been socially driven? I'm not sure that temple dancers were dancing exclusively for men - traditionally in some parts of India only men were allowed to dance, and dressed up as women.
Cub
RE: Heavenly dance
Dear Cub
Yes all is open to interpretation and depend on the judgement of the society of the day! How the joy of dance could ever be perceived as destructive beats me. However, I am sure that you will explain further so that we may appreciate the understanding of this philosophy.
I did post a short article here on the 'Cosmic Dance' that included mention of this paper that I found interesting, I would welcome your view and comments thereof.
Radha in the Erotic Play of the Universe paper by David Scott
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=146
being love
Kim xx
RE: Heavenly dance
Just saw this thread, and I already posted on the one it comes from.
I never thought of Shiva naked as being sexual... Shivites who emulate him (a form of yogi) live naked even in the towns. It's actually for them a renunciation that the body has any meaning, so why clothe it?
On dance and destruction, Kim, think of replacing "destruction" with "ending". Just as life has birth, life, and death - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Or even forget death. A better example would be that a carpenter builds a chair (birth), people use it for years (life) but the time comes when everything is decrepid and is best put into the fire or remade into something else. So Shiva partly represents that god and needed end of things. He "dances" on the "bodies" and crushes people under him. Hindu symbolism needs some understanding and isn't literal! :D- like Hanuman the monkey god or an elephant God, etc., etc.
V
RE: Heavenly dance
ORIGINAL: venetian
Hindu symbolism needs some understanding and isn't literal! 😀 - like Hanuman the monkey god or an elephant God, etc., etc.
V
Dear David
Thank you for the further explanation I do understand where you are coming from. I am looking at this from a very different perspective outside of the literals and how Hindu and other religious symbolism was interpreted. As interpretation usually comes from the perceptional consciousness, attitudes, prejudices etc of the day e.g. the Wrathful God came out of the Aeon of Aries the Ram. A wrathful consciousness created a wrathful GOD possibility!
Your analogy was a good one about the chair. However the soul is not dense like a chair, 😉 the soul and its consciousness is more like a flower that grows into the fullness of GOD's perfection. Being that there is no death and that we are immortal just like the flower it re-creates itself through re-seeding. The flower does not need destruction or anyone to dance upon it to kill it anymore than humanity needs destruction when we live by the universal natural laws. So was this philosophy of destruction coming from man's own consciousness?
The words reincarnation could be recreation. Creation being on-going with no ending and no beginning.
Is it not man's attachment to the physical realm that creates consciousness of destruction and endings? When life and consciousness is ever evolving or descending depending on whether man is fallen or corrupted.
being love
Kim xx
RE: Heavenly dance
PS
Is not also the belief (religious or otherwise) in destruction that helps to create it e.g the biology of belief and if people only believed in perfection they would create it mind, body and soul?
The heavenly state of being!
being love
Kim xx