Cosmic Tangible Union of Shiva and Parvati in Love !

Monday, March 07, 2016

Cosmic Tangible Union of Shiva and Parvati in Love !

Goddess Parvathi's legends are always related with Shiva, her husband. In Shaktha texts, which is goddess Shakthi oriented, she is said to transcend Shiva. She has been identified as the supreme being, Shiva is just the presiding deity of destruction and regeneration. The couple jointly symbloize the power of renuuciation and asceticism and the blessings of martial felicity.

Thus Parvathi symbolise different virtues which are all esteemed by the Hindu tradition: asceticism, devotion, fertility, martial felicity, power and the spouse. References in Saundaryalahari say that, She is the source of all the power in this universe, even Shiva gets all his powers from her.

In the perennial tension in Hinduism, Parvathi represents the household ideal, where as Shiva is represented as the household and ascetic ideal. The classical Hindu mythology claims the reason for the existence of Parvathi, and Sati is to lure Shiva into marriage so that get him into a wider circle of worldly affairs. Parvathi is supposed to civilize Shiva, who is a great unpredictable madman with her presence along with him. Is is said that, when Shiva does his violent and destructive dance, the thandava, Parvathi used to calm him by complementing his violence by slow, creative steps of her own Lysya dance. Many of the myths says: Parvathi is not as much jis complement as his rival, tricking, seducing or luring him away from his ascetic practices. Parvathi is said to subdue Shiva's immense sexual vitality. In supporting this context Shiva Purana says: 'The linga of Shiva, cursed by the sages, fell on the earth and burnt everything before it like fire. Parvathi took the form of a yoni and calmed it by holding the linga in her yoni.' The Padma Purana too tells the story of Parvathi assuming the form of yoni to receive lingam of Shiva. who was cursed by sage Bhrigu to be the form of the lingam.

There are three images, which are central to the mythology, iconography and philosophy of Parvathi:
1. The theme of Shiva-Shakthi
2. The image of Shiva as Ardhanarishvara(the lord who is half-man and half-woman)
3. The image of the linga and the yoni
All these images combine both the deities Shiva and Parvathi, which yield a vision of reconciliation, interdependence and harmony between the way of the ascetic and that of a household.

In Puranas the couple Shiva and Parvathi were often depicted as they were engaged in dalliance, seated on Mount Kailash or discussing abstract concepts in Hindu theology, some times they were depicted as quarreling. In the stories describing the birth of Karthikeya, the couple is described to as love-making, generating the seed of Shiva. Shiva and Parvathi's union is symbolized as the union of male and female in ecstasy and sexual bliss. In art, Parvathi is seated on Shiva's knee or standing beside him, the picture of this couple is referred to as Uma-maheshwara or Hara-Gauri or as Annapurna, the goddess of grain gives alms to Shiva.

Shaiva, the community of people who look Shiva a primary God approaches tend to look Parvathi as Shiva's submissive and obedient wife and helpmate. Where as Shakthas focus on Parvathi's equality or even Superiority to her consort. The story of the birth of ten Mahavidyas, wisdom goddess of Shaktha Tantrism explains this: When Shiva is living with Parvathi in her father's house, following an argument, Shiva attempts to walk out on her. Parvathi's rage manifests in the form of ten terrifying goddess block Shiva's every exit.

Scholar David Kinsley explains: 'The fact that Parvathi is able to physically restrain Shiva dramatically makes the point that she is superior in power. The theme of the superiority of the goddess over male deities is common in Shaktha textx, and so the story is stressing a central Shaktha theological principle... The fact that Shiva and Parvathi are living in her father's house in itself makes this point, as it is traditional in many parts of India for the wife to leave her father's home upon marriage and become a part of her husband's lineage and live in his home among his relatives. That Shiva dwells in Parvathi's house thus implies her priority in their relationship. Her priority is also demonstrated in her ability, through the Mahavidyas, to thwart Shiva's will and assert her own.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs7Kih10bUI

Brave New World;  It is a descriptive phrase that refers to a society of the future. Used by the English writer Aldous Huxley as the title of his novel, published in 1932. It was subsequently applied to negative aspects of modern life such as excessive bureaucracy. The book title owes its origin in turn to Miranda, the heroine of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest when she Says; “O brave new world/That has such people in’t!

Attic: In 18^th century England many classical-style buildings had a decorative panel, with flat pillars, above the main façade. The area behind it was called the ‘Attic Story’ later shortened to the ‘attic. The allusion is to the squarish style of classical Greek pillars-the Attic style that supposedly originated in Attica, the region around Athens.

Creosote: Now a wood preserver, this extract of wood tar was originally used as an antiseptic in medicine. Its name was borrowed from German in about 1835, but devices ultimately from the Greek Kreas ‘Flesh’, and ‘soter’ ’savior’

Cut the Gordian Knot:

Cutting the Gordian knot implies taking deceive action to resolve a problem. According to Greek legend, Gordious was peasant who, when he was chosen as king of Phrygia, dedicated his wagon to the god Zeus. He secured the vehicle to a tree with a knot that defied all attempts to undo it. In about 331 BC, during his conquest of the Persian empire, Alexander the Great supposedly came across the knot in Gordium, in modern day Turkey, He was told that whoever undid it would rule the Asian empire, but he simply sliced through the knot with his sword. Courtesy wisdom

Practice in life whatever you pray for, and God will give it to you more abundantly.

Quote from the True charm and Power of Vedanta

Karma Yoga

Shri Krishna teaches in the Gita, Karma Yoga for the desirous. What kind of Karma is it? We want to know how those who are desirous can perform work without attachment. Of course their actins are prompted by desires, but that does not by itself make their actions tainted . if those actins are prohibited by the scriptures, if they are sinful, then alone are they blameworthy. Those whose minds are attached to enjoyment, cannot but perform actions prompted by desires, for the satisfaction of those desires. If they are asked to perform work without any motive, they cannot understand that teaching at all. That is why the scripture have prescribed for them action with desires. The Gita does into reach merely work without attachment. But also work for the fulfillment of desires.  “Prajapati having in the beginning created mankind together with Yajna. Said ‘By this shall ye multiply; this shall be the milch cow of your desires” Scriptures hold out different ideals to different people according to their capacity. Each selects accordingly to his own fitness, one from out of these teachings, adheres to tit with Shraddha and attain prosperity. That is why the Lord says “Devoted each to his own duty, amn attains the highest perfection . one has to perform the duty for which one is fit and thus increase the Sattva in him-that is the teaching of the scriptures. He who has strong desires must be given some scope for enjoyment. You cannot by mere instruction forcibly turn him away from enjoyment. But then there should be enjoyment with discrimination for there can never be satisfaction of desires by enjoyment. It goes on ever increasing like fire into which ghee in pored. That is hwy enjoyment should be regulated by discrimination. Then only will there be any chance of one’s realizing the situation as was the case with king Yayati . work without attachment should be the aim, the goal, but it cannot be realized by mere talk. In fact the can be nothing like work without attachment, for without illumination one cannot be truly free from attachment. Work without attachment before realization is work done for realizing the Lord work done for realizing the Lord is “no work”

The desire for devotion is no desire, i.e no cause of bondage. Thus if work is done for His sake, it is said to be done without attachment. Otherwise strictly speaking the Jannis (enlightened ones) alone can perform work without attachment. For due to knowledge all their desire are burnt down . Except the jannis none else ahs the poser to do work wiout attachment. it is difficult to understand the true nature of work is impenetrable (Gita 4.17); “Even sages are bewildered as to what are action and inaction courtesy Religion and its practice

Hindu Images have always been striking in nature to the Western eye. When one thinks of a Hindu image one pictures many-armed gods, exotic looking figures with blue skin, and sometimes images with sexual overtones, such as gods in each others embrace. What do these images mean? In this paper it is my aim to explore the meaning of the lingam and the yoni images throughout the mediums of painting, drawing, sculpture and natural sites[1] within Hindu art. My goal is to examine the nature of these images, how these images are used, how they have progressed through history, and to try and understand what the total theology is behind the images within a Hindu context.

In art, iconography is the term is often used to describe complex imagery and representative art. The dictionary defines iconography as: The art or representation by pictures or images; the description or study of portraiture or representation.[2] Using iconography a researcher can try and understand elements, messages, and ideologies which are being communicated through the art. Contrary to popular depiction in media people who study iconography do not do so without a related discipline. The most recent misnomer was the "Symbology" Professor in the Da Vinci Code. There is no such science. The most closely related field is semiology, which is the study of signs. Symbolism and iconography, conversely, are used often within academic fields such as Art History, Religious Studies, or Archeology. Unlike abstract art, all of the Hindu imagery being examined in this paper is not designed out of an artistic whimsy; instead the images are designed with the intent of delivering a theological message.

Art has always had the ability to transmit information in this way, and this method of communication can be considered a superior way of transmitting information when contrasted with other mediums. One of these reasons is that art is able to transcend time, since it is a fixed image. While texts, written history and stories can change, once a specific image is made and preserved it does not change but remains frozen in time. Information that is outside of temporal evolution is extremely helpful for understanding history. Art is also able to transcend many learning barriers, such as literacy. This is of major importance, especially for Hindus, because the majority of Indians are still not literate.[3] Anyone can learn from these images, even children, as long as they are taught the iconography of the image. The third major reason why art is important as an information source, and to the Hindu people, is because images can be made of the Gods and Goddeses and used as devotional images. These images are used to meditate on, as a place to focus ones attention; these images are called icons.

If a Hindu practitioner has an icon of Vishnu then they can make a connection to Vishnu through this image. This method of connecting is called darshan. Darshan means seeing, but can sometimes be translated as the auspicious sight of the divine (Eck: 127). The divine sees the devotee through this image just as the devotee sees the god within the image, and they exchange darshan; this magical glance which transmits each others essence. In this respect, the idol is animated and the divine is thought to live within this icon where it gives the darshan to the person while they simultaneously receive it. In Hinduism the sacred is seen as present in the visible world (Eck:129). A western mindset may find this practice odd, but its best to summarize the concept by realizing that the icon, once made, gathers a life-force of its own; gaining the ability to make a spiritual connection with the devotee. Its important to note that the God or Goddess does not live in the icon as if it were trapped inside the image, but through the icon. The icon becomes one of the many manifestations of the God or Goddess. (Eck: 127-30)

These animated and living icons have two main forms or classes, aniconic and iconic. Iconic images are images which have a form. This form may be human, anthropomorphic or theriomorphic.[4] Aniconic images are those which do not take a form; this might be the aniconic instance of a rock or a cave.(Eck: 136-9) The image of the lingam is typically depicted as aniconic, as well as the many images of the yoni, although sometimes the yoni and lingam are depicted as attached to a God or Goddess and then they become iconic because they take a form.

The lingam is a representation of the phallus. Lingam, (occasionally referred to as linga) according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, comes from the Sanskrit root and means sign or distinguishing symbol. The lingam represents the Hindu god Shiva in almost every instance of the image[5]. The yoni is a stylized vagina, which (according to Britannica) means holder. The word yoni has many etymological connections in Sanskrit, relating to the words source, origin and lair. Its derived from the root yu, which is to join or to harness. Interestingly enough, the word yoni comes from the same root as yoga, signifying yogas tie to the feminine principle. The depiction of the yoni commonly signifies the Goddess in many forms of the Devi, and also Shakti, Shivas lover.

There are many common forms of the lingam and yoni. Lingams are sometimes shown with a single face, other times four or five faces. Each of these heads is presumed to convey a particular characteristic of the deity such as wrath, beauty, ascetic power etc. (Blurton: 78-9). However the lingam is usually fashioned as a plain standing pillar which is circular. They are usually carved of stone, but can be made of almost any material, such as large rock formations, stalagmites or other natural features. Sometimes the lingam can even be made temporarily, such as out of sand on a shore (Blurton: 94-8). The simplest example of the yoni is the downward pointing triangle, and the lingam at its simplest form is the upward pointing triangle. This specific image has been used conjoined as well as in a hexagram to represent the everlasting sexual conjunction between Shiva and his Shakti. Their sexual union is thought to maintain the existence of the Universe. (E.R.) The most common depiction of the yoni is as a round base in which the lingam cylinder sits, projecting outward and upward from it, not penetrating it. Another Hindu image which relates to the yoni is the yantra. Yantras are geometric designs which are used by some in the worship of the Goddess and they are often made of rock or crystal. They are the visual versions of aural mantras and are thought to embody supernatural power. The symbols on them are generally a series of circles, most commonly two, surrounding a triangle with the triangle inside representating the vulva (Blurton: 97-106). These icons can be dressed with garlands and flowers, and are sometimes bathed in sweet things such as milk and honey.

Why are these sexual organs depicted in Hindu art as objects of worship? Are Hindus worshipping sexuality? These are questions that many people asked when confronted with Indian art. Actually, many people throughout history have found these sexual images offensive. We have written records of the Aryan invaders complaining that the Indus Valley gods has a penis.(E.R.) More recently, the British invaded India in 1498 for resources, and occupied it for many centuries. During this time the European-Western mindset of sexuality conflicted with the Hindus depiction of the yoni and lingam, and the British found these depictions obscene.(E.R.) The British invaders were not able to perceive these images without finding them shocking, likely because of their religious background of Christianity. The Christian religion has a split between the spiritual and the body, regarding the body as unholy; while Hinduism does not immediately view the body as unholy. In fact in some traditions within Hinduism the body is incorporated into religious practices in order to reach the divine. Although it is exceedingly difficult to generalize on sexual views within an entire religion or country, especially Hinduism, given its diverse nature, I feel its fair to say that the majority of Hindu traditions have a less repressed and more liberal view of sexuality than British Christians of that time. However, the real question is not how tolerant Indian society is of overt sexuality, but rather can sexuality in an image represent something other than itself? There is a tendency within the human being to associate the symbolic phallus with the physical phallus, as well with the symbolic vagina to the physical vagina, but maybe they are not just mere representations of our organs.

Hinduism is not alone in its representation of sexual symbolism. Sexual organs, especially the phallus, have had religious significance throughout many different traditions. An example of this would be the Greek mythos such as when Chronos castrated his father and threw the phallus into the sea, resulting in the birth of Aphrodite. Another example is with the Egyptian myth of Set destroying Osiris. He cut up Osiriss body and Osiriss allies were able to find all the pieces to put him back together, except for his phallus, which was eaten by a fish. He couldnt be brought back to life until Isis made him a new phallus out of clay and gave it life through magical incantations. Only then was his power renewed. Much of this religious sexual imagery may be simply be referring to base level sexuality, such as reproduction, fertility, and prowess but perhaps there is another level to it. Within the Greek and Egyptian myths the phallus functions as a creative source of life and spiritual creative power. Is this what the lingam and yoni mean within Hinduism?

Before I further investigate these sexual symbols however, a context needs to be formed. An understanding of an images historical progression is a central factor to consider when interpreting context. Jitendra Nath Banerjea, a scholar on iconography states Iconography doesnt just mean the mechanical description and identification of an image but also requires a study of the various processes, mental and social, which lead to the growth of a cult or of a particular iconic type. So, in this paper I will try and examine the historical growth of the yoni and the lingam through time in order to frame them properly and understand their meaning more correctly.

Indian society has its roots in the Indus Valley Civilization, which occurred c.2500bce to 1500bce. Scholars say that elements of Hinduism may be traced back to this period (Flood: 256). although just which elements is a highly debated topic.(Lec.) The Indus Valley civilization was an agriculturally based society and has been called a Goddess-centric society by theories based on speculation from the remains. One of the most well-known artifacts is the seal of the seated Shiva-prototype which features a figure who is in a yogic-looking posture with an erect penis. There were also stone replicas of the phallus about two feet in length, ringstones which were round rings depicting the yoni, and other artifacts such as the many terracotta mother Goddess figures. Some researchers think that these artifacts are prototypes for Devi and Shiva but the language which the Dravidians used is mute so it is not certain specifically what these figures may mean for certain. (Lec.)

Around 1500bce the Indus Valley civilization declined and an Aryan civilization rose in its place which gave rise to the Vedic period which lasted until 500bce. With the Vedic period much more information is known about Hindu culture because the Vedas provide written records of Hindu society (Flood: 300). There were no temples during the Vedic period (E.R.) so any instance of yoni or lingam in a temple dates to after this period. Within my own research I didnt find information about the yoni or lingam for this time period. It is likely that the worship of the yoni or lingam was discouraged by Brahmanical powers at this point in time.

Although there may not be many instances of yonis and lingams at this time, a timeless image of the yoni is the cave. The beginnings of yoni worship in a cave might have been practiced during the Vedic period as practices could be kept more discreet given the secluded nature of caves. A famous instance of a cave being representative of the yoni is in the area of Assam, at the shrine of Kamakhya Devi where there is a natural cleft in the rock that is said to menstruate once a year. This period of menstruation coincides with the primary festival of the Goddess.

After the Vedic period, the next period in Indian history was the Epic and Puranic period. This was from the time of c.500bce to 500ce in which the Epics, Puranas, Shaivism and Shaktism arose (Flood: 284). This is one of the most important periods of time for the development of the icons of the yoni and the lingam because Shiva became intensely associated with the lingam, while his Shakti, and the Devi in general, was associated with the yoni. An interesting point is that until this time the yoni and the lingam were depicted individually, but at (and after) this period the yoni and lingam were almost always worshipped together as representative of Shiva and his Shakti.(Lec.)

Shiva means the good hearted or the kind (O Flaherty:312 ). He is one of the three main gods of the Hindu pantheon; the others being Vishnu and Brahma. Shiva is the god of destruction of those who are ignorant and of what is impure. He can also be an infinite beneficial force as he often removes avidya, the shroud of ignorance which produces sufferance (OFlaherty: 312). Shiva is the god of yogis and renunciants who wish to transcend samsara and achieve moksha. He lives as an acsetic hermit in the Himalayas and is often depicted when not in the lingam form as sitting on a tiger skin with snakes coiled around his neck with a crescent moon in his hair. Although he can take on this iconic form, the form of Shiva most commonly seen is the aniconic lingam. The lingayats, a Shaiva sect, acknowledge no human icon of Shiva and instead carry a linga in an amulet box with is hung around the neck (Blurton: 84). In a temple it is common to find a single linga although sometimes there are rows of them, especially in groups of 108, which is a number that is sacred to Shiva (Blurton:85).

Shiva is not an all-powerful God without his counterpart. His counterpart, Shakti, is sometimes attributed to different Goddesses. Sometimes to Kali, sometimes Parvati who is his wife, but most commonly to Devi, which is a wide term that just means mother Goddess which includes all Goddesses.(E.R.) This variation of attribution of the specific Shakti comes with different branches of Hindu thought. Shivas Shakti constitutes half of his body. He is thought to be powerless without his Shakti. In the Saundaryalahari[6] it says, "Only when Shiva is united with Shakti does he have the power to create." Shiva is thought to be the unchanging consciousness called nirguna, that which has no form or shape. This unchanging consciousness becomes saguna, with form, when his Shakti joins with him. So the yoni, Shakti, manifests the intangible power of Shiva, the lingam, grounding it and giving it to the adherents of Shiva.

Devi is the great mother Goddess, who is worshiped under many forms. Any female deity can be brought under the fold of Devi. The lingam is depicted as rising up out of the yoni, not penetrating it; and the yoni is seen as symbolic of the divine womb which is associated with the Earth. In the Earth the seed transforms into fruit or grain; in the cave/womb of the earth death transforms itself into life and in the womb of a woman the male and female sexual fluids transform into a human being.(E.R.) The Hindu conception of the womb is commonly thought of as the originator of life and death and this concept is elucidated with the Hindu saying, Again birth, again death, again sleep in the mothers womb.(E.R.)

Moving along to the medieval period of Hinduism, c.500ce to 1500ce, the development of the lingam and yoni became even more expansive. This is mainly because of the birth of the Bhakti movements of Shiva, Devi, and Shakti. Much devotional poetry was written during this time period. It was also the beginnings of Tantra. Some examples of the yoni at this time were in seventh and eight century temple sites, such as the one at Alampur. Here sculptures of the goddess in partly-human form are shown with her thighs widely spread and displaying her genitals.

This sculpture is thought to be symbolic of fertility which is emphasized by her head being replaced with a lotus blossom another symbol of fertility. People would make long pilgrimages just to touch this idol in order to try and gain some of her fertility (Blurton: 162). The Bhakti movement within Hinduism emphasized personal relationships with dieties and encouraged people to petition dieties for help with their common problems such as health, fertility, or good fortune.(E.R.)

The Bhakti movement was a radical movement which became wide spread throughout India. Its emphasis was on individual dedication and love to a chosen God or Goddess. Its first appearance was in the Bhagavad Gita when Krishna had a personal relationship with Arjuna. It resulted in individuals being able to officiate their own religious practices, as opposed to the previous era when religious practices were determined by the Brahmanical upper class. This movement was open to all castes and gave birth to multitudes of devotional hymns and poetry which were written in the vernacular, therefore being approachable by more people. Through this movement, deities became more sagunic where they had previously been nirgunic.(Lec.) Bhakti gave birth to the growth of public temples, many of which featured lingams and yonis as well as altars in homes that featured many instances of the yoni and lingam.

The Tantric movement also arose during this time period. Tantras aim was to extend knowledge beyond the restrictive teachings of the Vedas, which ended up subverting the Brahmanical social order. Some Tantric adherents used sexuality as a means to attain liberation,(Lec.) and this is where the imagery of the lingam and yoni become most literal. Tantra has never been a mainstream Hindu practice, but a movement where some people employed these practices. In mainstream Hinduism the adherent to Shiva or Shakti would not hold a literal view of the lingam or yoni. Instead most would see the lingam and yoni as a representation of Shiva and Shakti (Blurton:164 ). Blurton outlines this best:

"For the many the upright standing pillar is not a sexually charged image. The reverse does, though, appear to have been the case originally. For instance an enshrined linga today will be lovingly garlanded and attended by young women and elderly matrons alike, but without any overt suggestions of sexuality. In traditional Indian society, the linga is rather seen as a symbol of the energy and potentiality of the God. (Blurton: 164).

Tantra centers on the concept of the union of Shiva and his Shakti, or the union of the lingam and the yoni. This union may be taken symbolic or literal. Sexuality is seen as a powerful union within tantric philosophy, and this union is seen to be the creative energy that sustains and destroys the Universe. Tantric ritual seeks to harness and use this power, as a means to spiritual liberation as well as a means to worldly benefits like wealth, and supernatural abilities. Sexual union is utilized in some traditions as one method to awaken and harness this power; but it is not the only way to harness the power. (E.R.)

Some may find the imagery of an erotic ascetic as contradictory. The ideals of an ascetic are typically those of restraint and denial of comfort. But the Tantric sees sex as a cure for desire (OFlaherty: 312). The reason for utilizing sexual practices was to remove the conflict between sexual and ascetic behavior by equating them, and using sexuality in a yogic way. In stories Shiva is known for having an insatiable lust, which he quelled by partaking in sexuality in a controlled form. The solution for Shivas sexuality is to satisfy him instead of imposing chastity on him (OFlaherty:314-18). This information can be translated to our study of the lingam and yoni as symbols. Lingam and yoni worship is a way that Tantric Hindus can unite with their sexuality so as to not be consumed by it, and utilize its power in a transformative way.

The modern period from c.1500ce to present day sees the origin of India as a nation unto-itself and it also sees the Hindu renaissance. Hinduism as a global religion developed as a reaction to colonialism and Christianity, which tries to discover its ancient origins and reformulate Hinduism (Flood: 285). This reaction is partially characterized by the rejection of icon worship that is regarded by Christians to be idolatry (Flood: 287). The rejection of the icon within Global Hinduism is an immense loss as it excludes and rejects thousands of years of cultural and spiritual evolution. However, icon worship is still heavily practiced in personal homes and in temples, through India and in North America and Europe. With the lingam and the yoni in particular, attempts have been made to de-sexualize the images, although the West seems to want to sexualize Hinduism, specifically with Tantra, more than Hindus themselves do (OFlaherty: 289-93).

Since Shiva and Devi do not function simply as fertility gods, the icons of the lingam and yoni must not be solely used to depict sexuality, or fertility. Blurton outlines this point by saying, This [fertility or sexual interpretation] is by no means necessarily the case, for in Shaiva doctrine concerned with yoga, great emphasis is laid on the importance of chastity and the retention of seminal fluid, rather than its expulsion. The lingam and yoni then symbolize the denial of purely sexual energy, and the transmutation of this sexual energy into a divine energy. Blurton goes on to say, In traditional Indian society, the linga and yoni are rather seen as symbols of the energy and potentiality of the God.

In summary, the lingam and yoni represent creativity on many levels. In the Indus Valley Civilizations artifacts, the focus is thought to be more associated with fertility. Later on the symbols of the lingam and yoni melded into representing Shiva and Shakti in their sexual union. Some took this imagery literally using the image of the lingam and yoni and sexuality as a means to liberation, while other saw the lingam and yonis union as symbolic of divine creation and destruction. Still other Hindus feel that the lingam and yoni in conjunction function as being apotropaic (warding of evil) and are placed on the exteriors of temples to protect the temple and its people, (Blurton: 81-4) in this protective instance they are thought of as creating a sacred space for the people. The lingam and yoni in conjunction have also been seen as having the power to confer blessings of fertility or wealth. The lingam and yoni stand for [many forms of] creativity biological, psychological, and cosmic. They are symbols of the creative seed which flow into creation that can be restrained, transmuted and absorbed.(E.R.)

Although most Hindus would agree with the meaning of the lingam and yoni as being creativity on many levels, Hinduism has no one specific direction or belief system. There is no one way to do or perceive anything within Hinduism and this diversity, inherent within Hinduism, gives many diverse meanings attributed to the icons of the lingam and the yoni. The meaning of the yoni and lingam has transcended and evolved through history and will continue to evolve; functioning as repositories of human knowledge and ideas transmitting their information for many generations to come

But, if He exists? 

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

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