Hard Light: Shivaratri All Night Meditation

[Trunk]

Ok, another Mark Griffin - Hard Light video / discussion thread / event promo.

 

Hard Light will be having an all night Shivaratri meditation event from Sunday Feb 19th, 7:30p (Pacific Time) through dawn Monday Feb 20th. The event will be held in the Los Angeles area (Pacific Palisades) and is also available over the via live streaming audio. Details available at Hard Light's Shivaratri event page. Mark Griffin is an enlightened meditation master and his forte is transmission.

 

We’re going to be celebrating the Great Night of Shiva. ... On Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva, Shiva descends down through the planes, from the seventh plane all the way down and touches the earth. In the old days of kings and emperors, there was a practice called peregrination, where the ruling principle of a kingdom, or an empire, who was rarely seen by the people, would make a peregrination through the streets, and show himself ...

This video is from a Hard Light Shivaratri event in the mid-1990's:

 

[konchog uma]

Thanks for bringing it to our attention! I'm considering staying up all night.

 

Too bad hardlight's one-time streaming charge is $95.

 

but i don't need it... i'll just watch the shivaratri videos from mid-90s and use my imagination!!

[Rishi Das]

Thank you for the heads up Trunk, much appreciated brother.

 

Will definitely be staying up all night.

Edited February 14, 2012 by don_vedo

[Trunk]

Thanks for bringing it to our attention! I'm considering staying up all night.

Cool.

 

Too bad hardlight's one-time streaming charge is $95.

Just to be clear,

That gets a month of HL meetings streaming, including the event.

[konchog uma]

Just to be clear,

That gets a month of HL meetings streaming, including the event.

 

aw its more that i just don't have it than that i think its unreasonable.

 

but i'm glad you cleared that up, cause the way i wrote it was misleading. thanks!

[Sahaj Nath]

Good lookin' out, Trunk!

 

 

and for those who live in the area or who might be interested in going, the event is only $35. pretty damn cool, and SO worth the visit!

[Trunk]

part 2

 

[Trunk]

part 3

 

[konchog uma]

Shivaratri in Varanasi pt 1 of 4

 

[konchog uma]

part two

 

 

om namah shivaya

[Trunk]

The first time I participated in a Hard Light yagna (fire ceremony, including brahmins chanting), I had zero interest in ritual. My preconception was that ritual was hollow, without juice, but I went along and participated in the prep work and the ritual because, hey, I was studying w/ Mark and that's what we were doing. Turned out to be one of the most, if not the most bone rattlingly powerful, Lightning driven experiences I've ever participated in. I was thinking some months back that it was the most magnificent thing that I'd done in my life, and that I wanted to finish up some personal projects so that I could get back into dharma study hard core. Since those first yagnas, HL has established a permanent retreat site in India and they go there once a year (this year in Dec-Jan) and do yagnas, meditation obviously, and they have charity projects (clean water, for one) for the surrounding area.

[konchog uma]

The first time I participated in a Hard Light yagna (fire ceremony, including brahmins chanting), I had zero interest in ritual. My preconception was that ritual was hollow, without juice, but I went along and participated in the prep work and the ritual because, hey, I was studying w/ Mark and that's what we were doing. Turned out to be one of the most, if not the most bone rattlingly powerful, Lightning driven experiences I've ever participated in. I was thinking some months back that it was the most magnificent thing that I'd done in my life, and that I wanted to finish up some personal projects so that I could get back into dharma study hard core. Since those first yagnas, HL has established a permanent retreat site in India and they go there once a year (this year in Dec-Jan) and do yagnas, meditation obviously, and they have charity projects (clean water, for one) for the surrounding area.

 

cool stuff trunk!

 

when i first saw mark, i was like "uh really?"... not only was he "too big", it was the shades and the california cadence to his voice. I listened to a couple vids really skeptically thinking "i'm gonna debunk this guy" but as i did, what he was actually saying washed over me, and i realized that my thinking was shallow and that this guy was the real deal. I just signed up for his Deepen Your Practice program, i really get a lot out of his talks!!

[konchog uma]

part 3

 

[Trunk]

.. but as i did, what he was actually saying washed over me, and i realized that my thinking was shallow and that this guy was the real deal. I just signed up for his Deepen Your Practice program, i really get a lot out of his talks!!

Cool.

 

I studied with him back in the 90s and, while there were certainly talks and they were interesting, HL & MG hadn't developed as much of a structured method presentation as they have now. Partly because of my timing in showing up, my experience was that his main offering was/is transmission - which he is phenomenally, unbelievably, good at. Partly also I just hadn't sorted theory in my own process. In my time away (for reasons in my own life) from HL I've spent a lot of time digging around theory, principle, and method ... and I'm encouraged about how that is integrating as I step back into the transmission field. And curious about HL's set of methods in view of what I've learned in the mean-time. Basic principles are the same everywhere, across traditions. We're all human. I think that the more I can learn basic principles, the better I can absorb what is being presented where ever I'm studying.

 

My impression is that a lot of HL students get their physical and semi-physical practices (yoga, qi gong, etc) from whatever sources suit them and then sit w/ MG for Deep Sea diving.

 

... not only was he "too big"

I've seen this consideration come up repeatedly. It's always seemed apples and oak trees to me. If you want an aerobics teacher, go to an aerobics teacher. No one, not even enlightened teachers, is good at everything. I'm betting that I can beat Mark at basketball (primarily by virtue of genetics).

 

Mark's forte is extremely high end meditation transmission.

 

 

It's like if physics was someone's life path and passion, but they also liked to look stylish. And Einstein invited, "drop by once a week, hang out for a few hours and I'll give you the best I've got. Beginners, no worries. Open door, come and go as you please, no worries" and the aspiring physicist responded, "maybe I would, if you'd comb your hair"!!! Hey, if both are important to you: see a stylist on the side and study with Einstein for physics. To confuse the two and miss the rare and open-door opportunity at that level??? .. for that??? It's just extremely naive, uninformed, inexperienced, unseeing in assessing the situation, imo. Lacks perspective.

 

not a hair stylist:

[konchog uma]

yes totally lacks perspective trunk, i admit, an idiotic way of thinking. Getting into Mark's teachings has been a great lesson in my own prejudices and expectations. I remain essentially skeptical, but i am much less inclined to judge a book by its cover

 

part 4

 

[Trunk]

I remain essentially skeptical, ..

Healthy, I think (in balance with curiosity and diligence).

I'm not one for blind faith.

 

~ later edit ~

"Discernment" is mentioned over & over in classic texts.

 

Also, part of what we are lacking in sizing up teachers is cultural background that prepares us (at least somewhat) for these sorts of relationships. Almost entirely lacking in western cultures (and maybe over-done in eastern). We don't even know what to look for. So, what to do? Participate, gain experience ~ it adds up.

[konchog uma]

Happy Shivaratri everyone! Bless you all

 

Aum Asato mā sad gamaya

Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya

Mtyormā amtam gamaya

Aum śānti śānti śānti

 

From ignorance, lead me to truth;

From darkness, lead me to light;

From death, lead me to immortality

Aum peace, peace, peace

 

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA