An Introduction to The Siva Puranas and Merging with Siva Consciousness

Detail of  Shiva Linga Located at Shiva Mandir

The Siva Purana is one of a set of 18 surviving Maha Puranas. The Puranas are stories with certain revelations in them that have been handed down through the ages via oral tradition and by way of the rishis. Traditionally, the Puranas deal with five subjects, or panchalakshana. 

The Siva Purana tells how Siva created the Universe and came to form during different times in order to do his work. This is all told in story form and is meant to inspire devotees and seekers to practice yoga in an ongoing way in order to obtain oneness with Siva Consciousness. Some of these yoga practices are very simple. For example, one of the processes to merging with the Divine Siva Consciousness lies in chanting the mantra, "Om Namah Sivayah."

Siva is not one who makes us reach outward but instead draws us inwards into the silence and calm within our own selves. He brings us to the sweet inner bliss, wherein he is always living. According to the texts, Siva is always in bliss because he knows that turning in towards the inner silence is the pathway to pure potentiality and creation.

There is another mantra, even more simple than, "Om Namah Sivayah," that takes us directly into the silence. We know it well. It is the Pranava OM (!):

Pranava OM

Siva said, "to know the meaning of Pranava [OM] is to know me. Pranava is the seed of all lore. It is small like the banyan seed, but bears within itself a mighty eternal tree. It is the original mantra and the essence of the Vedas. I am Siva, who pervades everything, yet, I dwell only in the mantra of one syllable. In the beginning, I create the universe by saying AUM. Siva is Pranava and Pranava is Siva. Pranava is the vital breath of all living beings, from Brahma, down. 

 --from Siva: The Siva Purana Retold by Ramesh Menon (intro to Chapter 20)

Resources used in this article: 

Siva: The Siva Purana Retold by Ramesh Menon
http://userwebs.theriver.com/innerguide/sivaPurana/introduction.html