Eastern Mysticism

Shiva is one of the 3 main Hindu gods. They believe there are about 330 million gods and that Shiva is both destroyer and reproducer. He causes death and destruction and also enables growth and rebirth. He is represented as having one or five faces and 4 arms. His hair carries the goddess of the river Ganges. He is also worshipped when represented by a linga (stone phallus). His consort is Parvati, the beautiful, who also appears as Devi, Durga and Kali. Durga is represented as having ten hands and rides a tiger; Kali wears a skull necklace. People pray to Shiva but also fear bothering him too much because of his hot temper. In many restaurants and hotels in India you will see idols of Ganesh the elephant god who poses or removes obstacles and represents prosperity and wisdom. His father Shiva came home from a long trip and found a boy guarding Parvati. He didn't realize it was their son and chopped off his head by mistake. He had to replace it with an elephant head. When people pray before idols and give them gifts of incense, fruit, flowers etc. they concentrate their devotion so they can "see" their god and the god can "see" them.

The Kullu valley where Manali is has about three hundred special gods. Manali means the "home of Manu" and is regarded as the place where he stepped on the earth after the great flood.

Manali is also home to different types of Buddhist groups. It was especially touching to meet some of the Tibetans who have been refugees since the Chinese takeover of Tibet. They long for Tibet to be free again and had several candle-lit parades while I was there. Buddhism actually began in Northern India about 500 BCE. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) founded it. Born a prince, Buddha left his wealth and family and became a wandering holy man, meditating and fasting till he was practically a skeleton. He realized that neither life was satisfying and developed a middle path. He taught that people suffer because they desire physical and mental things and believe in themselves and their existence as individuals. These are only fleeting illusions and people should end suffering by not desiring anything. Buddha died about 480 BCE reputedly from eating poison mushrooms. Buddha kept the Hindu teaching of rebirth and karma but rejected Hinduism's concept of how the soul reincarnates and all of Hinduism's gods and rituals and the caste system. Hindus regard Buddha as another incarnation of one of their main gods, Vishnu, but obviously do not believe all his teachings.

I believe God came to be with us as Emmanuel (Hebrew for God with us). He came as His only son Jesus. Jesus lived the perfect life we never could and died for us. He rose from the dead in a new type of body and is in heaven caring about us. God's Holy Spirit can give life to our spirits and make us new from the inside out.