What is Shaivam?

 

What is Shaivam?

Shaivam is rooted in practicality, embracing the balance between spirituality and the tangible world. It teaches that scientific progress and spiritual progress are not separate pursuits. Both stem from the same quest for understanding the universe and the self, complementing one another. Science seeks to uncover the external world’s laws, while spirituality delves into the inner dimensions of consciousness. Together, they represent a holistic path to truth, where rational thought and spiritual awareness merge seamlessly.

Humans are recognized as independent thinkers, endowed with the capacity to reason and navigate their own lives. They live with equal authority, which signifies that every individual, regardless of external circumstances, holds within them the same divine essence and responsibility. This autonomy of thought and action is central to both personal growth and the collective evolution of humanity.

The concept of dual realities—where "everything changes" yet "nothing changes"—highlights a paradox. On one hand, the world is constantly in flux; life, nature, and even thoughts evolve. Yet on the other, the underlying truth or essence of existence remains unchanged. This duality represents the eternal vs. the temporal, where the surface of reality shifts (Parvathy), but the core essence (Eshwara) remains unaltered.

God is formless, beyond any physical manifestation. While God can be perceived in various ways, both perceivable and imperceivable, the divine remains ultimately beyond the confines of shape or image. This transcendent understanding acknowledges that God exists in all things and beyond all things, free from the limitations of form, yet accessible to those who seek with pure intent.

Shaivam teaches that while much of the universe can be understood through logic and reason, some aspects can only be felt. There are truths that go beyond intellectual comprehension and are accessible only through intuition, emotion, or spiritual experience. This emphasizes that not everything can be reduced to rationality; some elements of existence are known only through direct experience or deep emotional resonance.

Awareness is viewed as twofold: with feelings and emotions, and without them. Awareness with emotions encompasses the lived experience of love, fear, joy, and sorrow—elements that connect us to the material and emotional aspects of life. Awareness without emotions points toward a detached state of consciousness, one that transcends the pull of emotional responses and perceives reality in its purest form, often associated with higher spiritual states of being.

Finally, nothing is considered true reality if it lies beyond both understanding and feeling. True reality must be either comprehended intellectually or felt experientially. Anything outside these realms is not acknowledged as part of the tangible or spiritual universe. This suggests a belief in the interconnectedness of thought, feeling, and existence, where reality is something one can engage with fully, either through the mind or the heart.