Shiva

EASTERN PHILOSOPHY / HINDUISM "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 in the Himalayas and Witchcraft Medicine "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, Marijuana Medicine, and Plants of Love "An encyclopedic and highly inspiring account of Shiva." --Franz-Theo Gottwald, Ph.D., philosopher and Indologist 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. Ethnologist Wolf-Dieter Storl was first captivated by Shiva when he was in India as a visiting scholar at Benares Hindu University. In Shiva: The Wild God of Power and Ecstasy he reveals the mythical world of Shiva as a study in contrasts: As the lord of dance Shiva looses 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, Shiva 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, Storl demonstrates through numerous stories and myths, is Shiva's true power. In addition, Storl explores the relationship of this multidimensional god to contemporary culture, Tantra, and the dualistic religions of the West. 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 Allgau, Germany.