5 minutes
How Siva helps
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Siva gives the soul a body, a world and a life, not as a trap but as a school. All five of His acts serve one purpose: to free the soul.
If the soul is bound, why doesn't Siva simply untie it at once? Siddhanta answers: the bond must ripen before it can fall away. So Siva, through His power, , builds a school for the soul, the world, and keeps it running for as long as the soul needs it.
The five acts
- 1
Creation
He brings forth bodies and worlds from Mayai, so souls can act and learn.
- 2
Preservation
He keeps them in being for as long as each soul needs its experience.
- 3
Dissolution
He withdraws them, giving souls rest, as night gives rest after a day's work.
- 4
Veiling
He holds back full knowledge until the soul is ready for it: .
- 5
Grace
He reveals Himself and frees the ripe soul: .
These are not five moods of Siva. They are one love, working in five ways.
Karma and the Lord
Siva does not make our karma; we make it. But karma is blind: a deed cannot find its own fruit. Siva, knowing all, joins each soul with the fruits of its own deeds at the right time and place, so that nothing is lost and nothing is unjust.
Check your understanding3 questions on this teaching. Answer them to light its lamp on the hill.
Words from this teaching
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