Conclusion
निर्वहणम्
Nirvahaṇam
LL THAT IS ELUCIDATED IN LIVING WITH ŚIVA IS THE TRADITIONAL PATH OF DHARMA FOLLOWED NOT ONLY BY HINDUS BUT, IN LARGE PART, BY ALL ASIAN PEOPLES. IT SHOWS THE WAY OF WISDOM, PAINTS A PICTURE OF AN IDEAL, CULTURED LIFE TO be lived when the spiritual nature illumines the intellect and dispels ignorance, when the mind holds the instincts in check and overcomes brutality, when striving for perfection brings the soul to realization of the Self within. Śaivite Hinduism is the greatest religion in the world. It has the Vedas. It has the Āgamas. It has the Devarams. It has the mystical knowledge of yoga, methods and techniques to help everyone find God within themselves. It has the wisdom of its swāmīs, āchāryas and ṛishis of yore, from the Himalayas to the South of India. It has Nirguṇa Brahman and Saguṇa Brahman, transcendent God and immanent, personal God. It has the world’s oldest and largest active temples, the liturgy and science of invoking the Gods to enter the inner sanctum, and it has the great aadheenam tradition of venerable masters to sustain the temples, the pandits, the scriptures and populace. It has happy festivals and holy sacraments. It has mantra and tantra and yantra. It has charyā, kriyā, yoga and jñāna, in that order, the order of the progression of the soul. It has karma and reincarnation. It humbles itself by recognizing and honoring all other paths as part and parcel of the human experience toward God. All this and more make Śaivism exceedingly great. It makes us humble to be a small part of so great a spiritual tradition, to have the joy and privilege of living with Śiva. We end with the conclusive words of my satguru, Sage Yogaswami:§
When your body and mind become attuned to the spiritual laws, your soul will be freed to contemplate on the blissful Self. Vedānta and Siddhānta are not separate paths, but are essential facets of the Luminous One.§