An extensive look at all the aspects of multi-natured Shiva
• Explores the shamanic roots of world spirituality as exemplified by this Hindu god who shares many of the attributes of the Norse Odin and the Celtic Cernunnos
• Looks at Shiva’s relation to contemporary culture, Tantra, and the dualistic religions of the West
To his devotees Shiva is the entire universe and the core of all beings. Hindu myth shows him appearing at the beginning of creation as a giant pillar of fire from which this world sprang forth. Yet he is also the most approachable of gods, for he is the lover of lovers and the devotee of his devotees. Of the 1,008 names of Shiva, Pashupati, Lord of Animals, is one of the most common. His special relation to animals along with his trickster nature reveal the deep connection of Shiva to shamanism and other gods such as the Norse Odin and the Celtic Cernunnos that came out of the Paleolithic traditions.
Ethnologist Wolf-Dieter Storl was first captivated by Shiva when he was in India as a visiting scholar at Benares Hindu University. In this book he invites readers to join in the lively and mythical world of Shiva, or Mahadev, God of All Gods. Shiva is a study in contrasts: As the lord of dance he loses himself in ecstatic abandon; with his consort Parvati he can make love for 10,000 years. Both men and women worship him for his ability to unite and balance masculine and feminine energies. But as the ascetic Shankar he sits in deep meditation, shunning women, and none dare disturb him lest he open his third eye and immolate the entire universe. Lord of intoxicants and poisons, he is the keeper of secret occult knowledge and powers, for which he is worshipped by yogis and demons alike. Shiva dances both the joy of being and the dance of doom--but in every aspect he breaks through the false ego to reveal the true self lying within. This is his true power.
By:
Wolf-Dieter Storl
Imprint: Inner Traditions Bear and Company
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 18mm
Weight: 451g
ISBN: 9781594770142
ISBN 10: 159477014X
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 14 September 2004
Audience:
General/trade
,
College/higher education
,
ELT Advanced
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: No Longer Our Product
Introduction Chapter 1--Journey to the Source of Time Chapter 2--Fire and Ice The Rock Water Kashi Karttikeya’s Strange Birth Chapter 3--The Shaman and His Black Dog The Old Huntsman Pashupati, Lord of the Animals The Noose The Black Dog The God of the Shades Bhairava Rudra and Odin- The Treacherous God Chapter 4--God’s Virile Member Lingam Yoni The Lingam Is Everywhere How Arjuna Won His Magic Arrows How Markandeya Became an Immortal The Phallic Symbol The Pillar of Fire Chapter 5--Shankar, The Yogi on the Mountain Shankara The Tears of Rudra The God Clothed in Air The Third Eye Three Lines of Ash The Blue Neck Shiva and Buddha The Trident and the”Bâton-de-Commandement” Chapter 6--The Goddess Devi Durga Kali Annapurna Ganga Chapter 7--The Dancer in the Flames Shiva’s Dances The Drum Chapter 8--The Ideal Family Karttikeya Ganesha Nandi the Bull Chapter 9--The Destruction of the Sacrifice The Aryan Background Daksha’s Great Sacrifice Shiva the Sinner Chapter 10--Shiva as the Devil Zarathustra The Earth Runs Well The Righteous Battle Chapter 11--Tantra: The Serpent’s Path The Heresy of the Agamas Overcoming the Ego Shakti The Pathway of the Kundalini Serpent Returning to Oneness Chapter 12--The Saint, the Hero, and the Beast The Rituals Tantric Influence Chapter 13--Pollen Dust and Ashes Lingam Puja Shiva’s Flower Garden Bel: Shiva’s Triune Leaf Bangeri Baba Shiva’s Garden of Madness Sacred Ashes The Shadow of the Night Chapter 14--Shiva’s Festivals and Holidays The Descent of the Goddess Festivals of the Hot Season and the Rainy Season Festivals of the Fall Season Festivals of Spring Kumbha Mela Notes Bibliography Index
Wolf-Dieter Storl, Ph.D., is a cultural anthropologist and ethnobotanist who has taught at Kent State University as well as in Vienna, Berne, and Benares. He is coauthor of Witchcraft Medicine and has written a number of books on indigenous culture and ethnobotany. He lives in Allgäu, Germany.
Reviews for Shiva: The Wild God of Power and Ecstasy
An intimate portrait of Shiva, that most complex of Hindu Gods. Reading this book is like finding an oasis in the desert of monotheism. * Claudia Mueller-Ebeling, Ph.D., and Christian Ratsch, Ph.D., coauthors of Shamanism and Tantra * Discusses the roots and the manifestations of Shiva, the original mystic, and his relevance to modern life in both the East and the West. This book will amuse, shock, and, most important, provoke readers to think about their own cherished conceptions of the world. * John R. Baker, professor of anthropology and translator of The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants, * An encyclopedic and highly inspiring account of Shiva. * Franz-Theo Gottwald, Ph.D., philosopher and Indologist * This thorough, academic book will interest students of comparative religions, Eastern philosophies. * Kathy Heckler, New Age Retailer, Trends 2005 Vol. 19, No. 3 * In Shiva, Storl creates a vibrant and comprehensive portrait of this omnipresent wild god. * Spirit of Change, July/August 2005 * Wolf-Dieter Storl expertly traces the history of the lore of Shiva through the influences of invading cultures and religions, and relates a wide variety of seemingly diverse influences to Shiva's story such as the Celtic Christian legend of the Holy Grail. As engaging and entertaining as he is informational, Storl opens the reader's eyes to Hindu culture and religion as though one is a tourist traveling the land for the first time. * Spirit of Change, July/August 2005 *
