இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)

7வது சைவ மாநாடு இலண்டன் 2004 Kasi Vishwanatha at Varanasi, and many brave icy conditions to have darshans at Siva shrines at such places as Kedarnath and Amarnath. Throughout India are the Jyothrlinga Sthalams. Now Saivism is spreading in western countreis, and is thriving wherever Hindus from the Indian Sub-Continent have settled down as a diaspora. Adi Sankara, who regenerated Advaita Vedanta, recognized "Ishta Devata" system of Saivam, Saktam, Vaishnavam, Ganapatyam, Gowmaram. In Advaita Vedanta there is no difference between Siva and Vishnu. God is formless (Nirguna) and is simultaneously with form (Saguna) for the purpose of facilitating worship. Siva Nataraja is Rup-Arupam- with and without form. That is the "Chidambara Rahasyam" - of Akasha Lingam. Nataraja is worshipped as Rupam and Akasha as Arupam. In the Tirumantiram Tirumular says Brahma, Vishnu, Siva all are Siva. In the Bhagavad Gita when giving the Viswa Rupa Darshan to Arjuna Krishna says "All these forms are me". Advaita Vedantis do not get involved in petty arguments as to who is superior Siva or Vishnu. As Tirumular himself said all are the same One. What is necessary is to experience the essence of Siva within which is timeless, formless, so near yet aloof - the eternal Self. When one performs Siva puja, he is not really doing puja to Siva but to the concept of Siva which he has in his mind according to his spiritual advancement and karmic condition. The object of advanced yoga is to experience that Divine Essence within. At the same time we continue to observe external worship of Siva in his Saguna manifestation as part of Bhakti Yoga, correlating to Charya and Kriya in Saiva Siddhanta. Let us also, as Swami 30 Vivekananda said, see Siva in every heart and spread love and do service to humanity. God is one where one calls him Siva, Vishnu, Paramatman, Supreme Brahman,... etc. Therefore as Hindus we see God equally in every heart and spread love among all mankind. Nonetheless, this does not mean we should say all religions are true. Philosophy of a permanent hell, denial of reincarnation only one saviour or messenger, permission of cow slaughter etc. as expounded in Semitic religions cannot be called Sanatana Dharma. While respecting these religious systems, we cannot follow them or say they are "true". The Vedas said "Truth is One, the sages call it by different names". But this does not mean we should say all paths are true. The statement "As so many rivers all reach the sea, so many paths all reach the same One God" pertains to paths of Hindu Dharma existent in India at that time. It does not pertain to doctrines which appeared thousands of years later or for all time to come. Similarly Tirumular has said "Onre Kulam Oruvane Deivan" but his Tirumantiram was 3000 slokas on Siva Gnanam and Siva Bhakti only. He never said all religions are true. Hinduism is a vast ocean. In different areas of India in vernacular languages is a vast devotional literature. In the Marahtha Desha is the "Mahabhakta Vijayam” of the saints Gnaneshwar, Tukaram, Ramas, Narsimmehta etc. In Bengali, the kirtans devotional hymns to Krishna, particularly of Chaitanya. In Hindi Tulsida, etc. In South Thirumurais, Tiruppukąļ, Divyaprandham, etc. and In recent years Siva temples have spring up all over Europe, Malaysia, America, etc. Vast numbers from many different races now can worship Siva in temples. It can be