Vishnu information here as well as vishnu yoga spiritual healing resources
Vishnu information here as well as vishnu yoga spiritual healing resources
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Vishnu
Lord Vishnu is the God of preservation of the universe. He is depicted as having four hands. Symbolizing omnipotence and mastery over the whole universe each hand symbolizing a different direction, North – South – East - West. The first hand holds a conch shell in which is heard the eternal "Om" of creation. Another hand holds a discus, which is both a weapon that when tossed can sever a body or a limb and is also a reminder of the wheel of time, perpetually spinning. In another hand there is a lotus which is an example of the beautiful and glorious creation and peaceful state that is our true nature. And the last hand holds a mace indicating the duress and ardor in living an undisciplined life that is not in accordance with our highest dharma and values. He rests on the coiled serpent, Seshanag who represents the sleeping universe within as expressed through the kundalini, the dormant energy at the base of the spine. The universe is the divine dream of Lord Vishnu. The whole physical universe is under the domain of Lord Vishnu’s power and his Shakti, Mother Lakshmi. It is their love that preserves all of creation. Lord Vishnu himself is known as Narayan, who is the Supreme and almighty creator. The term Narayan itself means “one who has his abode in the water,” this cosmic ocean is the abode of Lord Vishnu. He is also portrayed as Hari – which means “that of divine manifestation.” His essence is that of Peace and Love, for it is those qualities that preserve life and their opposites that destroy it. All Avatars are incarnations of Vishnu. Avatars are God embodied, like ancient sages such as Lord Krishna, Lord Rama and modern ones like Paramahansa Yogananda, Mata Amritanda Mayi, (Ammachi) Swami Sivananda and Ramakrishna. Sages from other religions are also recognized as Avatars like Lord Jesus and Lord Buddha. Lord Vishnu sends Avatars to Earth to help show humanity that realization of our God consciousness is possible in this embodied form. Lord Vishnu keeps appearing over and over and has been throughout the Great Yugas of time. Even before human life evolved on this planet Lord Vishnu incarnated as sub human species to push us toward conscious evolution. Below are the main incarnations of Lord Vishnu. 1. Matsya (fish) - Saves the life of Sage Manu from the great floods and recovers the Vedas from demons. 2. Kurma (tortoise)- Supports the Earth on his back while the churning of the milk ocean takes place. 3. Varaha (boar) – retrieves the Earth from the bottom of the ocean where it had been dragged down by the demon Hiranyaksha. Varaha also kills the demon. 4. Narasimha (man / lion) - kills King Hiranyakashipu, who was planning to kill his son, a devotee of Lord Vishnu. 5. Vamana (dwarf) - The first human incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He killed the demon King Mahabhali, who had deprived the gods of their possessions. 6. Parasurama (the warrior with an axe) - saves Brahmins from the tyranny of the arrogant Kshatriyas. 7. Lord Rama - Kills the evil King Ravana of Lanka, who stole his wife Sita. The story is told in the epic, “The Ramayana.” . 8. Lord Krishna – The main Hindu diety, so beloved and revered. He taught Yoga to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. 9. Buddha – Considered an Avatar by Hindus, yet he is not directly worshipped by them. . 10. Kalkin - Yet to come. Said to be on a white horse. His arrival will mark the end of all evil in the world.
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