A Formless Form

In प्रकृति (Nature), everything has a form. A tree, an animal, a fish, an inanimate object, a man, a woman everything has a form. The form of an object defines its existence in the nature. Each of these forms are limited by space and time. A form requires energy for its sustenance. This energy comes from the natural sources. The source of energy is feeding. But everything in nature is mortal so the form is. One form has to ensure that it gives some other forms to the nature before it dies. To create other forms, one has to procreate. Procreation requires the union of the energies from two counter forces. These counter forces come from material energy of the body taken from nature by feeding. So, we take the energy from nature and give it back another form( which, in turn, repeats the process ). This ensures the cyclical rhythm of nature. Eventually all forms are destroyed and replaced by new forms. So, the nature has a predictable cycles of forms. Every form in the nature acts, reacts, senses.


But what if we imagine a world without form, a formless world. Yes, we can imagine such a world where no rules of the nature get applied: a world without forms, a wold without limitations of space and time, a world where there is no need of action, a world where there is no obligation to experience the reaction of an action, a world where there is no need of procreation hence no need of feeding, where nothing is created, where nothing is destroyed, a world where everything is immortal, permanent and still, a world where no energy is utilized  rather restored, a world where there is no need to sense external stimuli, a world where everything is erect without external stimuli. In other worlds, humans can imagine a world beyond nature. Hence comes the concept of God.

Following story from shiva purana deciphers the above  discription of the world:

One day Brahma and Vishnu were contesting each other's superiority. Brahama claimed,"I created the world. I am superior to you. I must be God.". Vishnu said, "You seek validation of your existence. You can't be God.". Then who is God?
At the same time, a pillar of fire emerged between them. It had no beginning or end. It stretched up beyond the dome of the sky and down below the foundation of the earth. It was infinite in size. The fire seemed to be burning without any fuel defying the law of the nature.
Both Brahma and Vishnu decided to look for the ends of the pillar of fire. Brahma took the form of a swan and flew up to find its top. Vishnu took the form of a boar( Varaha ) and dug his way down. Brahama flew

for months and years but could not found any sign of the top of the pillar. Vishnu dug for months and years but could not find the base of the fiery pillar. Finally exhausted, the two returned to the earth.
Vishnu admitted, "There is no base of this pillar of fire. It is endless and infinite."  Brahma lied, "I found the top of the pillar. I have done what you could not do. I am superior to you. I must be God."

As soon as Brahma lied, the pillar of fire burst open and came out another god who looked like a hermit, smeared with ash and wrapped in animal skins. He pointed to Brahma, "You lied so that you can delude the world so as to dominate everyone and feel powerful. You are not God. You will never by worshipped by humans." Since that day, Brahama is not worshipped. Even there is no temple dedicated to Brahma. He then turned to Vishnu and said, "You are humble enough to accept your limitations. You're curious to know what lied beyond the horizons. You are in the process of becoming the God." Then Brahma and Vishnu asked the hermit man of his identity. The hermit identified himself, " If the formless can be given a form then I am he. I am God. I am Shiva."

Since that day the stone pillar or linga is worshipped by all as a reminder of the pillar of fire that appeared between Brahma and Vishnu.

In nature, everything is finite and has a form. Everything has a tangible beginning and end. In nature one action leads to another action. Fire needs fuel. The idea of a pillar with no beginning or end , made of fire that needs no fuel, can exist only in the imagination. Hence this pillar represents the formless transcendental reality existing beyond the senses. Hence the formless is given a form.

A form exists only when an observer observes it. If we close our eyes, no form exists. So in nature, existence depends on observation. Shiva is shown in images as an hermit whose eyes are shut and phallus is erect. Is it possible in nature that a man's genitalia arouses without sensing anything from the external world?
In Hinduism, male body is used to represent the mind. This is because male genitalia unlike the female genitalia, shows dramatic visual transformation between the states of non-arousal and arousal. Our mind can experience dramatic changes in imaginations. A flaccid penis represents an unmoved or unstirred mind. An erect penis represents a stirred mind. Eyes represent the senses. When the man's eyes are shut, his penis is flaccid because mind refuses to submit to external stimuli. But the eyes of Shiva are shut and penis is erect. It indicates the arousal of mind by an internal stimulus. Shiva's erection is not the production of sensation of external world as he has closed or blocked out all external stimuli. The response of Shiva's linga is not dependent on a cause, it is causeless; it is not a reaction to something. Hence Shivalinga is considered as self-created or Swayambhu. Shiva who does accept the boundaries of nature is best represented by a formless pillar, Shivalinga. Hence the formless is given a form.

The self erected phallus( Shivalinga ) is, indeed, a physical represantion of an abstract concept known as Sat-Chitta-Ananda which means ananda or bliss that follows when the Chitta or mind  discovers the Satya (truth of nature).

What the fire without fuel represents in the story?  The body's energy is utilised whenever the mind engages with the material world. To get this energy back, we need  food, water. However, when the mind withdraws from material reality, it doesn't depend on nature. It does not need to be fed. It generates heat without fuel. This heat is known as Tapa, spiritual fire that does not need fuel.

Why the male body is used to represent the unstirred mind or rejection from nature? In nature, every being is bound by nature to mate and procreate. Humans are the only creation for whom reproduction is a choice. A male hermit represents the rejection of that choice as he can not be forced to make a woman pregnant. Women can be hermits and also refuse to bear children but they can be forced to bear a child. That's why male body is used to represent voluntary mind and female body is used to represent involuntary nature. In Tantrik philosophy, men are said to have white seed( sperms in semen ) and women red seed (ovum in menstrual blood). The two seeds fuse to create a child.
The downward flow of seed represents natural mortality and releases energy. Tantrik focuses on upward flow of seed representing immortality. In nature, water (symbol of rasa)  flows downwards or southwards. To be a Tapasvi and arousal without external stimuli, one needs to go to northwards towards Kailash, abode of Shiva where everything is still nothing moves. Everything becomes Shunya( nothing ) and  Infinity( everything ) both. In nature, if an object has a form of Shunya, it means it
doesn't exist; if an object has a form of infinity, it also means it doesn't exist. But Shivalinga represents both Shunya and Ananta,  a perfect symbol to represent the imagination beyond the boundaries of space and time in nature.