By Mangala Allen
In the beginning, was THAT. THAT was all there was, for THAT is existence itself. Everything that exists comes from THAT. There is nothing other than THAT.
In the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism, we call THAT by a more personal name, Shiva. Shiva has no beginning and has no end. Shiva is all-pervasive; Shiva permeates everyone and everything. There is nothing that exists that is not Shiva.
Another name for Shiva is Consciousness. Yoga says, Consciousness or Shiva is THAT which existed before the Big Bang. Shiva is indeed what banged.
Shiva moved within Shiva. This movement, energy, created the Big Bang. Ever since the Big Bang, energy is being everything that exists. Everything is made of the same stuff. The whole universe is made of the same energy. This energy, contracting into matter, creates everything — including you. You are made of Consciousness itself. You are THAT.
Swami Muktananda tells us, “Within the human heart dwells a shimmering effulgence, whose brilliance surpasses even that of the sun. This inner Consciousness is the same as that which creates and animates the entire universe.”
Life raises many questions like, “Who am I?” “Where did I come from?” and “Why am I here?” Fortunately, yoga addresses these mysteries. As Consciousness contracted to become you, the process obscured your ability to know your own true nature. Your very nature is Divine. As a human being, you have the capacity to discover the light of your own Divinity.
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Your Light, your Presence, your Beingness is hidden from you. You long to find your Self; yoga says you are here to discover who you really are. There is a way to uncover your inner light so it can shine through you and light up the world. There is a path to knowing your own Divinity. This path is well traveled by many before you. Knowledge has been passed through the generations, from teacher to student, from ancient times to the present day. There is a teacher who will help you find your way.
My Guru, Swami Nirmalananda says, “You are that light, that presence, that beingness. You are that which the ancient yogis called “THAT”.
She is teaching me that everything lies within me. She is revealing my Self to me. She guides my ability to become aware of the subtleties within me, as well as to strengthen my ability to perceive them. She helps me explore my own existence.
In the beginning it was scary. I was not sure what I might find. Once I understood she was uncovering the layers of who I thought I was, and revealing my inner light to me, the fear began falling away. Following the guidance of my Guru, I continue to explore. I leave old habits behind and develop practices to reveal my inner light to myself and to the world. With the help of such a Guru we can all discover the reality within us and know we are THAT.
OM svaroopa svasvabhava namo namah
To your Inherent Divinity again and again I bow.