We are constantly bombarded by a stream of media coming at us from our phones, our televisions and now even our watches! Corporations clamouring for our attention through the latest digital tech and hoping to acquire our custom and loyalty. And to support their aggressive ambitions, advertisements, events and other soft power to influence us and condition our tastes to be more conducive to what they’re trying to market to us.
Protecting Our Essence in a World of Distractions
This sensory overload threatens to dilute our true essence and warp our taste, likes and dislikes and even values to be more in line with the norm. We might pride our sense of free will, but we quite happily relinquish control of our destinies through oversharing data with social media corporations, which makes it easier for the selling machines to segment and manipulate us into doing their bidding, whether it's a narrative, a social cause or a commercial product. And AI is only going to make this threat more potent than ever.
In a world with so many distractions, it's vitally important that we find a way to protect our own essence by spending time with ourselves and engaging in practices which reinforce our sense of self and ground us. As the winter holidays approach, this could be travelling to new destinations and finding a way to weave in some spiritual experiences by visiting energy centres located in some of our most famous temples, besides regular practices like yoga and meditation.
Connecting with Kal Bhairava on Jayanti for Self-Discovery
It’s incredibly important to stay in touch with your unadulterated self, free from social media conditioning, and having an intuitive understanding of what it is that truly makes you happy. Kal Bhairava is one such unconditioned form of Shiva, often called the terrifying one, and true to his primordial energy. There are several stories surrounding his appearance, but one that is popular is his appearance to rid Brahma of his ego. Kal Bhairava then established himself in Kashi, where he is still called the Kotwal, or the Guardian, and visitors generally pay their respects to him before worshipping at the famous Vishwanath temple.
We celebrate Kal Bhairav Jayanti on Tuesday, which is dedicated to this fearsome form, who is often pictured with a shaggy black dog. Despite his uncouth appearance, one of the most profound spiritual texts, the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra emerged from a discourse between Bhairav and his consort Bhairavi, and gives us 112 mystical meditation techniques, which give us glimpses into how we can centre ourselves and transcend our human limitations. It’s a great day to contribute towards the welfare of our furry friends. And if you’re ready, to take those first steps towards unlearning, unconditioning, diving deeper and coming undone…
