Significance of Shivratri: A Note and Inspired Quintains

 Significance of Shivratri: A Note and Inspired Quintains

Short Note

Shivratri is a time to meditate and think about how all feelings, emotions, sensations, expectations, and desires are temporary. Anger comes and goes; love rises and fades, and fear shows up and then vanishes. The night of Shiva is for self-observation and self-reflection to understand that no emotion, desire, or worry lasts forever. With this understanding of the temporary nature of thoughts and feelings through a night of contemplation, a sense of dispassion and detachment or transcendence will naturally arise.

When we grasp the temporary nature of the world, our expectations of time lessen. We no longer wait for time to heal our wounds. The confused mind, once in sorrow, cried and hoped time would mend things, but now realizes that immediate release from feelings and thoughts is possible, leading to a Shiva-like transcendence or unity with Mahakala.

Inspired Quintains

Feelings, a quick, fleeting show,

Come bubbling up, then ebb and flow.

Anger's hot blast,

Fear is wrong forecast,

All pass, as we deeply well know.

Our thoughts, a quick river's fast flow,

And feelings, they come and they go.

When this truth we embrace,

Find freedom and space,

From wanting things always just so.

Dark mind once in sorrow did weep,

Said, "Time's balm is buried so deep!"

But now, understanding,

Knows instant disbanding,

Shiva's transcendence, no secrets to keep.