Originally posted by karoly aczel
Even if this was the case , one would still need to interpret their experience of Vedanta or any othe holy book correctly.
By "correctly" I mean that one must be truthful within oneself, to ones own conscience, and follow their internal dialogue to find their own dharma.
Clearly Vedanta is not the only authority, and I resent you using the word "au clearly it was the living example and not some dead text that had invigorated my "soul".
But Vedanta is the only authority and it covers all aspects of spirituality, even Buddhism, and the worship of Lord Siva....
Here is a little of the authoritative commentary about Lord Siva from Vedanta
"There are three things that are inconceivable: the position of Lord Siva, hladini sakti, and, yes, guru-tattva." (BR Sridhara Swami)
Siva ("Auspicious One", is one of the members of the trimurti (Brahma, Visnu and Siva). He is in charge of the material mode of ignorance (tamo-guna)connected with the destruction of the universe. "The personality of the destructive principle in the form of time has been identified with that of Sambhu by scriptural evidences that have been adduced in the commentary." (Brahma-samhita 5.45p. His position is between the living beings (jiva-tattva) and the Supreme Lord, Visnu (visnu-tattva, in the category of his own, siva-tattva.
Siva is usually depicted in painting and sculpture as white or ash-colored, with a blue neck (from holding in his throat the poison thrown up at the churning of the cosmic ocean, which threatened to destroy humankind, his hair arranged in a coil of matted locks (jatamakuta and adorned with the crescent moon and the Ganges (he allowed her to trickle through his hair. He has three eyes, the third eye bestowing inward vision but capable of burning destruction when focused outward. He wears a garland of skulls and a serpent around his neck and carries in his two (sometimes four hands a deerskin, a trident, a small hand drum, or a club with a skull at the end.
Siva is represented in a variety of forms: in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati and son Skanda, as the cosmic dancer (Natarada, as a naked ascetic, as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, and as the androgynous union of Siva and his consort in one body, half-male and half-female (Ardhanarisvara. Among his common epithets are Sambhu ("Benignant", Sankara ("Beneficent", Pasupati ("Lord of Beasts", Mahesa ("Great Lord", Mahadeva ("Great God", Rudra ("Crying", Asutosa ("Easily pacified", Bhutanatha ("Lord of Ghosts", Tripurari ("Victor over the three demoniac cities" etc.
Brahma, the original creature in the universe, is the father of Rudra who appeared from his forehead when Brahma became angry at his sons, four Kumaras. (Srimad-Bhagavatam - SB - 3.12.4-10.
So Vedanta is truly the authority on anything spiritual, and it has much detailed information about Lord Siva, who is worshipped and given great respect by Vedanta.
What can be said about Vedanta is.........That if anything is supported by Vedanta then it is clearly authentic.