Blue Alien, White Bull

The Compassionate One. Father of Ganesh. Creator of Om. Master of Yoga.

Whether it is the mysteries of the cosmos that keep us in awe or the ever revealing health benefits that meditation and yoga can offer, the beautiful things we find in life can lead us to one name ‘Shiva’. Shiva means complete embodiment. Shiva in form is an extraterrestrial, blue in skin colour and bound by no religion. A figure the world has known of and turned towards for thousands of years. Shiva is most famously known for bringing the earth the knowledge of yoga and is often depicted in the midst of a cosmic dance which gives him the name Nataraja ‘Lord of the Dance’, or deep in meditation sitting crossed legged and eyes closed with his dear friend nearby, a white bull named ‘Nandi’.

"Nataraja - A cosmic dance of subatomic particles."

Shiva is a revered figure due to three prime influences that he is known to radiate. His cosmic nature, which brings us revelations in science. His psychological demands, which brings us knowledge of the self. Finally, his spiritual existence, which ultimately brings us deep enlightenment. In meditation, I began chanting Shiva’s mantras long before understanding his omnipotent and omnipresent position. The more I chanted the more my consciousness of his existence grew, and with that developed a deep-rooted understanding of how the numerous metaphors and symbols associated with Shiva along with his contradicting personalities could help shape my own life. Since childhood, Shiva has been my blue alien with a white bull. For a figure so ancient and revered, it was no surprise to learn that Shiva has 1008 names. Each name is attributed to his various forms and qualities.

In 2020 Roger Penrose, won the Nobel Prize in physics, claiming the universe goes through cycles of destruction and rebirth. Penrose said he discovered six warm sky points that leaked radiation. These are known as ‘Hawking Points’ which are all approximately eight times larger than the diameter of the Moon. The late Professor Stephen Hawking, whose name they bear, proposed that black holes leak radiation and would eventually evaporate. Penrose thinks that we are in fact, able to observe dead black holes left by previous universes. The physicist's 2020 paper, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, offers evidence of 'anomalous circular spots’ in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) that have raised temperatures. The data revealing the spots came from Planck 70 GHz satellite and was confirmed by up to 10,000 simulations. The physics involved with Penrose’s theory has been long known and discussed centuries ago in the Vedas.

We were first introduced to Shiva in the Vedas and it is Shiva that has been labelled responsible for maintaining the cycles of existence.

In 2004 CERN, the European Centre for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva unveiled a 2-meter tall statue of Shiva ‘Nataraja’. Shiva’s cosmic dance found its way from ancient history to modern physics. The dance known as the Tandeva dance is the dance of subatomic matter. Matter that is observed and analysed by CERN’s physicists. This dance represents ’Shakti’ and is performed when a universes cycle is coming to an end.

Encyclopaedias state Nataraja statues and Shiva temples have been discovered in various parts of the world such as Mexico, Colombia, Thailand, and India, dating as far back as the 8th century, however there have been claims that statues have been found that date back over twenty thousand years. The structures of some temples defy the laws of physics and are impossible to confirm by today's engineers how they could have been built, hinting at the use of advanced technology. An object in particular that is used to offer blessings to Shiva called a Shiva Linga is amongst the artefacts that continue to be discovered today. The Shiva Linga is constructed in three parts. A circular base, a middle pedestal, and a top elliptical part. Blessings are offered by pouring water over the top whilst chanting Shiva’s mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. In mythology, the Shiva Linga’s three parts represent Gods Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. In science, Molecules are known as the smallest part of all objects, which are made up of Atoms that consist of Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons. Vishnu represents a Proton with a positive electrical charge, Shiva a Neutron with no electrical charge, and Brahma an Electron with a negative electrical charge. Therefore the Shiva Linga represents an atomic structure. Portraits of the trinity display Brahma being attached to Vishnu by a stem of a lotus flower representing an electron being attracted to the proton because of the opposite electric charge, and Shiva separated as a neutron with no charge at all, signifying Shiva’s ability of being undisturbed in meditation.

It is observed that the actual ritual that takes place of the Shiva Linga is a renewal of energy. The way in which the Shiva Linga is constructed and the ritual performed means when water is poured on the Shiva Linga the subatomic particles behave in an organised manner creating a purification in the environment and in the person performing the ritual. With strong scientific, archaeological and historic evidence it is clear that an extraterrestrial that cares for the human race once gave us the knowledge of not just yoga but the knowledge of harnessing energy for our wellbeing.

Many concepts have been used to describe the numinous attributes of Shiva. Scholars from all eras have had great difficulty aligning on terminology to describe Shiva's essence. The difficulty in understanding Shiva comes from him not only having a cosmic nature but also psychological, and spiritual nature. The Sanskrit root of the term Shiva means pervasiveness and grace, the word also connotes benignity, benevolence, and kindness. In his forms, Shiva as an introvert spends great lengths of time in isolation deep in meditation. Withdrawn and detached from illusory energy, an aesthetic known for his role in re-creation of life as we know it. On the flip side extroverted Shiva is known as the destroyer, the hedonist with an untamed passion that maintains the universe's balance with both destruction and creation.

At any particular time, the stage in which humanity's consciousness has reached is the equivalent level of the spiritual enlightenment Shiva is able to offer you. The revelation is only shown in accordance with how much capacity we have to receive the light. In other words, truth is only shown to us in relation to our disposition to receive it.

“Truth is revealed in the same manner a flower unfolds towards the sun.”

Followers turn to Shiva for the deepest dimensions of enlightenment. Shiva's blue complexion represents pure cosmic consciousness and the white colour of his bull Nandi represents purity and devotion. In all the thousands of Shiva temples built around the world, Nandi is always placed facing the entrance showing his patience in a meditative state awaiting his master Shiva. Shiva is rarely depicted without Nandi. This special relationship reminds us that all animals deserve to be treated with love and allowed to evolve in their own natural ways.

Om Namah Shivaya.