What we call 'tantra' here is the 'technique'. Normally, technology is preceded by the theoretical postulations and construction of effective formulations-all products of 'buddhi', the Intellect. The famous formula of Einstein E=m.c2 explains the theory of Relativity, whereas, the theory of the Absolute, subjectivity aspect is not clear here! At the ground level, everything is concrete- gross in form like solid, liquid, gaseous,etc. However, the subtler aspects of these very gross substances are not visible to us and cannot grasp them even by theoretical studies. These are the limitations imposed by time, space and causality. However, nothing prevents us to tap the resources endowed to us in our transcendental meditative state to inquire in to the subtle aspects and realize the 'truth'. These subtler aspects are the 'silence', dynamics of states of primordial states- of absolute and relative silence, called atyantaabhava, anyonyaabhava, pradhvanshabhava, and pragabhava followed by emanation of subtler waves of sounds (nada and svara). All these are preceded by Consciousness or 'chit' (energy). These culminate in a point (bindu) called Shiva. Hence, 'Bindu' (Shiva) is the starting point here. This is also the center of the solar system and it refers to Sun. This includes the creation of the stars and galaxies, the planets and their satellites, the earth and all its paraphernalia of life. 'Everything is Shiva'. 'Everything is consciousness'.
'Energy' is said to be a constant, neither created nor destroyed; so also, is the 'solar constant'. All that exists here is in relation to the Sun, a star in the galaxy- 'Milky Way'. There are billions of stars in this galaxy, almost 700 billion and the radiant energy of all these stars are available to us however distant they may be. The electromagnetic waves that radiate from the Sun and other stars are found in space and only 0.2% of these reach the earth. These rays originating from the stars create, sustain and destroy everything on earth and this process continues simultaneously everywhere. The electromagnetic waves contain Energy (insolation), heat, light, actinic rays (life-force), colors (varna), and guna that is not merely a quality but include a permutation of tamas (black), rajas (red), sattva (white), and sound (svara/shabdha) and everything that is required to create and sustain life on earth (interacting with the air, soil, and water. This entire scheme of things is beautifully enshrined in the 'Divine plan' graphically presented here as the Sri Chakra. The theoretical postulations are presented as Srividya and the formulae are presented in the mantra of Srividya. There is the practical side of the study in the Srividya Yogashastra. Any sincere student of the Tantra School of Srividya may easily obtain the powers, siddhi, success in this science of 'Shakti'. What is stated here are in the Vedic tradition and there is nothing of the sort of 'vamachara' or prohibited cult here. It is indeed a pure science, shuddha vidya.
In the tantrik tradition, 'Creation' (srushti) is the function of Shiva as 'sat' or 'satyam'. The shadow (chhaya) of Shiva is called 'mahakaal'. It is this 'mahakaal' who projects or manifests the visible world in the time frame 'kaal' and creates an illusion, 'avidya' that binds the jiva. The first emanation of this creation is the "I-ness" ('aham-ta') and the "This-ness" ('idam-ta') combined in Shiva. There is no separation of the two- 'I' and 'This' as yet, in this first emanation. This becomes gradually clear as and when Shiva identifies or recognizes (abhijnyana) 'This' as his own 'shakti'. The two stands separate as Shiva ( the 'I' or 'aham' principle) and Shakti('This' or 'idam' principle) as soon as the avidya covers the 'sat', the undifferentiated "Oneness" principle. At this stage of evolution, Shiva is attributed with shakti, pervasive power (vyapakatva), omniscience (sarvajnyatva), contentedness (santruptata), omnipotence (sarva shakta), bliss (ananda), fullness or perfection (purnatva), and power inclination or desire (sadashiva). However, all these powers get diminished ( kanchka) later due to the veiling power of maya when Shiva assumes the form of jiva.
This identification or recognition of 'I', ahamta, as a separate entity from 'this', idamta ('an other') is the power of 'maya' (maayiya avarana shaki). In other words, Shiva obscures himself and manifests as individuated limited entity, the jiva and all his powers get shrunken and manifest in the jiva in a limited way. Thus Shiva manifests as jiva and jagat (the phenomenal trans-world). Here, again Shiva comes as a Guru comes to liberate the jiva from avidya and the consequent bondage with the help of mantra.
The second manifestation of Shiva is the 'Shakti', hitherto hidden in the first principle of evolution of Shiva as the 'Bindu'. This point of condensate (the God-particle 'boson')- of all subtle forces, in a nutshell expand into a 'triangle' (trikona); it is the 'triad' of the second principle of creation- Ichha, Jnyana, and Kriya shakti. These three powers assume the form of three devis- lakshmi, saraswati, and durga parameshvari- each one with arms, ornaments, mudra, and mantra.
Then comes the third level of creation with gross elements of pancha mahabhuta, tanmatra, indriya, antahkarana, (manas, chitta, etc). These can be well related to the vital airs, breath, origin of sound, vernaculars (alphabets), sacred words or mantra, etc. These can be put in scientific way as stated in the theories of waves and vibrations, light, heat, magnetism, gravity, etc as in physics, or oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, etc in chemistry, or the cells, DNA and RNA, genetics, etc in biology, or information technology, biotechnology, etc. too. Since knowledge ('vid'/ vidya) is the same there is nothing wrong in speaking in different dialects. Moreover, as already clarified earlier, the level of consciousness attained by the jiva during its lifetime is important. Jnyan only exists when all other names, forms and functions are discarded.
Thus we have pure consciousness (shuudha vidya), impure or blemished aspects of consciousness colored by gunas, and mixed ones (ashuddha vidya), and shuddhasuddhaa vidya. Accordingly, the creation manifest in subtler, gross, and mixed forms .
In the tantrik tradition, 'Creation' (srushti) is the function of Shiva as 'sat' or 'satyam'. The shadow (chhaya) of Shiva is called 'mahakaal'. It is this 'mahakaal' who projects or manifests the visible world in the time frame 'kaal' and creates an illusion, 'avidya' that binds the jiva. The first emanation of this creation is the "I-ness" ('aham-ta') and the "This-ness" ('idam-ta') combined in Shiva. There is no separation of the two- 'I' and 'This' as yet, in this first emanation. This becomes gradually clear as and when Shiva identifies or recognizes (abhijnyana) 'This' as his own 'shakti'. The two stands separate as Shiva ( the 'I' or 'aham' principle) and Shakti('This' or 'idam' principle) as soon as the avidya covers the 'sat', the undifferentiated "Oneness" principle. At this stage of evolution, Shiva is attributed with shakti, pervasive power (vyapakatva), omniscience (sarvajnyatva), contentedness (santruptata), omnipotence (sarva shakta), bliss (ananda), fullness or perfection (purnatva), and power inclination or desire (sadashiva). However, all these powers get diminished ( kanchka) later due to the veiling power of maya when Shiva assumes the form of jiva.
This identification or recognition of 'I', ahamta, as a separate entity from 'this', idamta ('an other') is the power of 'maya' (maayiya avarana shaki). In other words, Shiva obscures himself and manifests as individuated limited entity, the jiva and all his powers get shrunken and manifest in the jiva in a limited way. Thus Shiva manifests as jiva and jagat (the phenomenal trans-world). Here, again Shiva comes as a Guru comes to liberate the jiva from avidya and the consequent bondage with the help of mantra.
The second manifestation of Shiva is the 'Shakti', hitherto hidden in the first principle of evolution of Shiva as the 'Bindu'. This point of condensate (the God-particle 'boson')- of all subtle forces, in a nutshell expand into a 'triangle' (trikona); it is the 'triad' of the second principle of creation- Ichha, Jnyana, and Kriya shakti. These three powers assume the form of three devis- lakshmi, saraswati, and durga parameshvari- each one with arms, ornaments, mudra, and mantra.
Then comes the third level of creation with gross elements of pancha mahabhuta, tanmatra, indriya, antahkarana, (manas, chitta, etc). These can be well related to the vital airs, breath, origin of sound, vernaculars (alphabets), sacred words or mantra, etc. These can be put in scientific way as stated in the theories of waves and vibrations, light, heat, magnetism, gravity, etc as in physics, or oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, etc in chemistry, or the cells, DNA and RNA, genetics, etc in biology, or information technology, biotechnology, etc. too. Since knowledge ('vid'/ vidya) is the same there is nothing wrong in speaking in different dialects. Moreover, as already clarified earlier, the level of consciousness attained by the jiva during its lifetime is important. Jnyan only exists when all other names, forms and functions are discarded.
Thus we have pure consciousness (shuudha vidya), impure or blemished aspects of consciousness colored by gunas, and mixed ones (ashuddha vidya), and shuddhasuddhaa vidya. Accordingly, the creation manifest in subtler, gross, and mixed forms .
No comments:
Post a Comment