Q: Tell us the significance of 'Maha Shivaratri'.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Maha Shivaratri is the day when the Shiva Tattva touches the earth. The consciousness, the aura or the ethereal world which is always ten inches above the material ground, touches the earth element on the day of Maha Shivaratri. It is the wedding of the material with the spiritual. Shiva is the soul (of everything) – there is no difference between the soul and Shiva. Your true nature is Shiva, and Shiva is peace, infinity, beauty and the non-dual one. Ratri means 'to take refuge'. Shivaratri is taking refuge in Shiva (the soul). It is celebrating the Shiva Tatva within oneself. Ratri (which translates as night) is that which gives you rest, or peace. Three types of peace are needed:
Material peace
Mental peace and
Peace in the soul
If there is disturbance around you, you cannot be peaceful. You need peace in your environment. You also need peace in the body and mind, and you need peace in the soul. You may have peace in the atmosphere, you may enjoy good health, and you may have peace in the mind to a certain extent, but if the soul is restless, nothing can bring you comfort. So that peace is also essential. Only in the presence of all the three types of peace can there be complete peace. Without one, the other is incomplete.
Shivaratri is taking refuge in the divine consciousness which brings peace and solace to all layers of consciousness. So resting in the Shiva Tattva is Shivaratri. When the mind, intellect and ego rests in the divine that is the real rest, and the deepest rest (the complete peace). This is why it is very useful for people to meditate on this day.
Shivaratri is like a new year for a saadhak (seeker). It is considered as an auspicious day for spiritual growth and material attainment. The night on this day, when the constellations are in some particular position, is very auspicious for meditation. And so it is very useful for people to keep awake and meditate on Shivaratri. Take some fruits or some light easily digestible food and spend the day awake and meditate at night. You don't need to do meditation all night, just for some time.
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