Recently, I’ve had a profound realization or perhaps a "revealing of the truth" about a deity who sits at the heart of Sanatana Dharma: Lord Shiva.

Before I encountered the Law, I would have bowed down to Shiva as an entity separate from myself. But after applying Neville’s approach in the same way he decoded the Bible, I began to look at Dharma (the world’s oldest philosophy) through a new lens. I realized that Lord Shiva is not a distant god but He is our own wonderful Human Consciousness.

The Infinite "I AM"

In Sanskrit, Shiva is described as Aadi Anant, meaning "beginningless and endless" - infinite. He represents the I AM, the unconditioned consciousness often depicted in deep meditation.

He is also called Mahadev, meaning the Supreme or Ultimate. This isn't a suggestion of polytheism, as many mistakenly believe. Rather, it implies that the I AM has no ceiling. It is absolute, limitless, and the source of all that is.

The Divine Destroyer

One of Shiva’s primary roles is The Destroyer. He simultaneously creates and destroys. In our own lives, we see this concept in action because consciousness cannot occupy two states at once. To enter a new state or the Wish Fulfilled, we must destroy the old one. We must die to our old concept of self to live in the new.

The Symbolism of the Nataraja

The most intricate representation of this philosophy is the Nataraja - Shiva performing the cosmic dance of the universe.

• The Ring of Fire: Shiva dances within a ring of flames representing Maya, or the illusion of the physical, external world. He is in the world of Maya, but not of it, reminding us that the 3D world is merely a reflection of the dance within.
• The Drum (Damaru): In his upper right hand, he holds the drum that beats the first rhythms of creation. This is our Imaginative Power, the vibration that starts the movement from assumption to form.
• The Fire (Agni): In his upper left hand, he holds the fire of destruction. This is the simultaneous burning away of the "Old Man" and the old state. To create, you must be willing to let the old version of you burn.
• Abhaya Mudra (Fearlessness): His second right hand is held up in a gesture that says, "Do not be afraid." When you remember that you are Shiva, the creator of your reality, there is nothing in the world of shadows to fear.
• The Elephant Trunk (Gaja Hasta): His second left hand stretches across his body, symbolizing the removal of obstacles. It is the surety that the path to your manifestation is already paved, the reflection of the Self will always prevail.

The Feet of Liberation

Perhaps the most essential aspect of the Nataraja is the placement of the feet:

• The Right Foot: He is shown crushing a dwarf-like creature called Apasmara. This dwarf represents ignorance and forgetfulness, the act of forgetting that the power of Shiva exists within us. The realized Self crushes this ignorance into the ground.
• The Left Foot: While the right foot stays grounded, the left foot is uplifted. This is the ultimate acceptance of liberation (Moksha). It is the physical representation of detaching from your physical senses and rising into the feeling of your desired state.

When we look at Shiva, we are looking into a mirror. We are not separate from the dance but the dancers of our own reality. The fire of Maya burns around us, but as long as we maintain the rhythm of fulfillment in our imagination, we remain the unshakable center of the universe.