- Awakening the Mind: Substance Abuse Challenges
Across the world, young people today face increasing pressure: academic expectations, social comparison, emotional stress, and uncertainty about the future. In moments of difficulty, some may feel tempted to seek escape rather than solutions. Ancient wisdom offers a powerful reminder that strength lies not in avoidance, but in awareness. The philosophy of Lord Shiva provides a meaningful lens through which we can reflect on the issue of drug use and the importance of inner discipline.
In Hindu tradition, Shiva is revered not only as a deity but also as the embodiment of consciousness, self-mastery, and transformation. One of his most significant titles is Neelkanth, meaning “the blue-throated one.” According to legend, during the cosmic churning of the ocean, a deadly poison emerged that threatened to destroy the world. Shiva consumed the poison to protect creation, but instead of letting it spread through his body, he held it in his throat, containing its power.
Symbolically, this story teaches an important life lesson: we cannot always prevent negativity, pain, or temptation from appearing in our lives, but we can choose how we respond to it. Shiva does not represent surrender to harmful influences; he represents control over them. Drugs promise temporary escape, but they do not solve problems. Instead, they cloud judgment, weaken resilience, and distance individuals from their true potential.
One of the most widely known mantras dedicated to Shiva is Om Namah Shivaya, which translates to “I bow to the divine consciousness within.” This chant is not merely a religious phrase; it is a call to return to clarity, to reconnect with the strength and calm already present within each person. Repetition of the mantra is said to quiet the mind, encourage reflection, and build emotional balance; qualities that help individuals face challenges rather than run from them.
As communities continue to address the challenges of substance abuse, cultural and spiritual teachings can play a vital role in guiding youth. The message of Shiva is timeless: do not allow life’s ‘poisons’ to control you.
In choosing clarity over escape, young people do not just avoid harm; they discover their own strength. That discovery is the beginning of true freedom.
Calm in the Storm:
Self-Control in the Modern World
In an age defined by speed and constant reaction, staying calm has become one of the greatest challenges of modern life. News travels instantly, opinions collide on social media, and daily pressures, from school to work to relationships, can easily provoke frustration or anger. However, long before our digital era, ancient wisdom offered guidance on mastering exactly these emotions. The teachings associated with Lord Shiva remind us that true strength lies not in reacting, but in remaining centred.
Shiva is often depicted seated in deep meditation upon Mount Kailash, surrounded by silence despite the cosmic activity around him. The ashes on his body symbolises the impermanence of ego and desire.
This image is profoundly symbolic. It shows that peace is not found by escaping the world, but by learning to remain steady within it. Shiva represents awareness, patience, and control over the self; qualities that are urgently needed today.
A Vedic prayer to Rudra (an early form of Shiva) from the Yajurveda, often recited for peace and emotional balance, expresses this beautifully:
Om Sham No Rudrah Sham No Astu
Sham Nah Kṣemāya Sham Nah Shāntaye
(“May Rudra bless us with peace.
May there be well-being, protection, and inner calm.”)
This mantra is a call for śam; a Sanskrit word meaning peace, calmness, and well-being. It invokes Rudra not as a fierce force, but as a guide who brings tranquillity, protection, and inner harmony. The repetition of śam reminds us that peace must be cultivated deliberately, especially when emotions threaten to take control.
Anger often arises when we feel unheard, stressed, or overwhelmed. In modern society, where everything demands immediate response, we are rarely taught the value of pause. Shiva’s philosophy teaches the opposite: between impulse and action, there must be awareness. Self-control is not suppression; it is understanding our emotions without allowing them to dominate us.
Shiva’s stillness also symbolises balance. He carries both the energy of transformation and the discipline of restraint. This balance is what modern life demands from us: the ability to be active without becoming agitated, expressive without becoming aggressive, and ambitious without losing inner peace.
In a world that often celebrates loudness and immediacy, Shiva’s message is a quiet revolution. It tells us that mastery of the self is greater than mastery of circumstances. Technology may change, societies may evolve, but the human need for patience, self-discipline, and calm remains constant.
To live with self-control today is not to withdraw from life; it is to engage with it wisely. By embracing stillness amid chaos, we do not lose power; we discover it.
Beauty in Simplicity:
A Lesson from Lord Shiva
Some of life’s most profound truths are found not in complexity, but in stillness. Lord Shiva, the ascetic yogi seated on Mount Kailash, clothed in ash, untouched by luxury, is perhaps the greatest symbol of this timeless wisdom: beauty lies in simplicity.
Unlike many divine forms adorned with jewels and gold, Shiva’s presence is deliberately minimal. A tiger skin, a serpent, the Ganga flowing through matted locks, each element reflects harmony with nature rather than dominance over it. Shiva teaches that fulfilment is not found in accumulation, but in awareness.
Another mantra from the Yajurveda beautifully captures this essence:
Namah Shambhavaya cha Mayobhavaya cha
Namah Shankaraya cha Mayaskaraya cha.
(O Almighty God. Thou art the supreme source of all worldly and divine pleasures. Thou art the impeller of our physical and spiritual advancement. O supreme Father! We pay our humble obeisance to Thee)
This mantra offers salutations to Shiva as the source of both auspiciousness (Shambhu) and inner joy (Mayobhava). It reminds us that true happiness is not external decoration, but an inner state cultivated through balance, humility, and gratitude. During the Maha Shivaratree pilgrimage, thousands walk to Ganga Talao to bring back the sacred water. Others share offerings generously throughout the island, reflecting conscious devotion. Ordinary actions hence create extraordinary societal ripples.
In embracing simplicity, we do not lose the world; we gain the ability to truly experience it. And in that quiet awareness, we find the sacred, just as Shiva intended.
Relearning Reverence for our Elders and the Earth
Respect is often spoken about, yet rarely practised in its deepest sense; respect for our elders, and respect for the environment that sustains us. Interestingly, this wisdom is not new. It has always been part of our sacred traditions, especially in the teachings associated with Lord Shiva, the great ascetic who lives in perfect harmony with all existence.
As per a verse from the Sri Rudram of the Yajurveda, we are reminded of this interconnected reverence:
Namah Jyeshthaya cha Kanishthaya cha,
Namo Vrikshabhyo Harikeshebhyah.
(Salutations to that (Shiva Tattva) which is the greatest and the smallest; That which nurtures and That which destroys and dissolves everything – is also the Shiva Tattva.)
It offers salutations to the eldest and the youngest, and bows to the trees, symbolising nature itself.
This mantra is remarkable because it places young people, elders and the environment within the same circle of respect. All are sources of life, wisdom, and continuity. Shiva, often seen seated beneath trees or amidst mountains, teaches us that growth, whether human or ecological, must be honoured, not exploited.
We see simple yet powerful examples of this every day.
In many Mauritian homes, grandparents still begin the morning by lighting a diya (lamp) and watering the tulsi plant. A child watching this may think it is routine, but it is actually a living lesson: care for what gives you life. The elder preserves tradition; the plant preserves breath. Both are sacred. Similarly, when a family chooses to clean their yard rather than litter the roadside, or when students greet their teachers with sincerity rather than haste, they unknowingly practise this Vedic teaching. Modern society often separates generations and distances us from nature. We replace conversations with screens and shade with concrete.
Shiva’s message is clear: wisdom flows downward like the Ganga, from the heights of experience to nourish the present. If we cut ourselves off from elders, we lose guidance. If we disregard our youth, we lose perspective. If we neglect the environment, we lose balance. To bow, as the mantra says, is not merely to bend physically, but to acknowledge value.
When we pause to listen to an elder’s story, plant a tree, or protect a river, we are not performing small acts. We are aligning ourselves with an ancient consciousness, one that sees divinity in continuity. And responsibility becomes sacred.
Bhawna Atmaram
