Shiva, the great ascetic Yogi, is said to reside on Mountain Kailash in the Himalaya. This is highly symbolical. The state of meditation is the peak of human consciousness and enlightenment is the culmination point where meditator and meditation merge with God. And Pure Consciousness is Shivam or Shiva. Hence, Shiva in Kailash means that one experiences Shiva at the highest level of consciousness. Most pictures of Shiva depict him in a meditative posture. Shiva’s closed eyes symbolize that God sees nothing but Itself. It is also an invitation for man to turn his gaze inwards. Indeed, by simply turning the gaze inwards, we can merge into the infinite ocean of love, freedom, power and bliss. Swami Paramananda leads us to discover the lofty truths that the images of Shiva, the Shiva Lingam and Ardhanareswar represent. He explains the profound esoteric significance of the Maha Shivaratri festival, which is celebrated by Hindus in honor of Shiva, and the symbolism of each rite involved. He reminds us that the pilgrimage and the rituals all point towards the inner pilgrimage and the realization that we are all Shiva in potential, for Shiva means nothing but pure consciousness. Any individual who has experienced his true self as pure consciousness or Shiva is an ocean of peace, bliss, freedom and love. He lives in unity with the whole existence and is a lamp to both himself and the world. We need many such lamps to bring about the greatest revolution possible, the global mind transformation. Now, imagine how the world will be if we all meditate! That will be the greatest revolution of all times.