Essence Of Kashmir Shaivism-Sham Misri

 

Essence Of Kashmir Shaivism

The great cultural drive of early Kashmir included several cults. Scholars classify them as “tantric,” including the linking Shaiva (Siva worshiping) and Shakta (Goddess worshiping) lineages the Vaishnava (a mysterious tradition centered around the worship of Visnu) and the Buddhist tradition.

Tantra deals with esoteric (mysterious, cryptic, occult) practices.

Tantra and Kashmiri Shaivism are spiritual traditions that focus on gaining power through unique practices. Tantra, often complex, is characterized by the activity of power, with Shakti as the essence of this power. Practitioners seek various manifestations of Shakti, from magical abilities to cosmic acts of God. In Kashmiri Shaivism, Shakti is not a separate goddess but is combined into supernatural, essence of Shiva.

Shiva is seen as the possessor or owner of Shakti. Shiva includes her in his androgynous (genderless, neutral) nature. According to the dominant Shaiva story, Shiva divides himself from Shakti and, through their union, controls the universe. This perspective (view) differs from Shākta tantrism, where Shakti is worshiped as the ultimate deity.

Basic Ritual Pattern of Kashmiri Shaivism:

The primary spiritual practice in Kashmiri Shaivism involves approaching Shiva through Shakti. The scripture Vijnāna-Bhairava emphasizes Shakti as the door to realizing identity with Shiva. Through marriage customs, individuals identify themselves as possessors of Shakti within their partners.

Domestication of Kashmiri Shaiva Thought:

Kashmir Shaivism is not a religion. It is a philosophy open to those who have the desire to understand it; hence for its study there are no restrictions of caste, creed or colour.

Starting in the ninth century, consolidation of monistic Shaivism, with core texts like Shiva Sūtra and Spanda Karika interpreting Shakti as "cosmic pulsation" (Spanda).

Monism points to oneness or singleness to a concept, such as to existence. This system deals with the three-fold principle of God, Soul, and Matter, it is called Trikasastra or simply Trika. This system of ideal Monism was founded by Vasugupta.

Kashmir Shaivism is known as the pure Trika System, the three-fold signs of man and his world. In the thought of “Trika”, there are three energies: Para (Supreme), Apara (Lowest) and Parapara (combination of the lowest and the highest. The grace of Lord Shiva is manifested through his five acts, creation, protection, destruction, concealing and revealing. Lord Shiva wanted to enlighten the universe by manifesting the existence of Tantras. To accomplish this, he manifested these Tantras through his five mouths.

Kashmir Shaivism derives its teachings from these sixty-four monistic tantras or Bhairav Tantras. The essence of these is called” Trika Shaivism”.

Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Swachandanatha in the beginning of Satyuga with five heads and eighteen arms.

Later in the beginning of Kaliyuga, this theory of the Bhairava Tantras was lost. Lord Shiva, therefore, reappeared at Mount Kailasa, not in the form of Svacchandanatha but in the form of Sri Kanthanatha and taught the theory of Bhairava Tantras to Sage Durvasa who passed on this philosophy from generation to generation by creating mind borne sons (siddhas).

After 15 generations of mind born sons, this tradition was carried out with elevated masters including Sangamaditya, Varshaditya, Ananda, Somanandanatha, Utpladeva, Lakshmangupta, Shambu natha, Abhinavagupta, Kshemaraja and Yogaraja.

Since its beginning the sacred lineage of Kashmir Shaiva Masters has remained unbroken, yet due to the rise and fall of Kashmir over the past 700 years, it had been practically hidden from public view.

Somānanda was the first theologist of the recognition school and his main work is the Śivadr̥ṣṭi. However, it was Utpaladeva (c. 900–950 CE) and Abhinavagupta (c. 950–1016, a student of one of Utpaladeva's disciples) who developed the system into its mature form. Somanand’s Sivadrishti sums up the vast philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism. Somananda says: Let Shiva, who has taken the form of my individual being offer salutations to his Universal Being Shiva for removal of obstacles which are also none other than Shiva.

The literature of Kashmir Shaivism can be broadly called Agama Sastra. The Agamas are a collection of several Tantric literature and scriptures of Hindu schools. The term literally means tradition or "that which has come down", and the Agama texts describe that.

The tantric philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism was taught by four great Masters in four great schools, Pratyabhijna school, karma school, kula school and spanda school.

Pratyabhijna system:

The Pratyabhijna system flourished in the beginning of Kaliyuga. As time passed, however, it became veiled due to misunderstanding. It wasn’t until the end of the 8th century AD that the Great Master Somananda reintroduced this system in Kashmir.

Pratyabhijna means to recognize, to realize your Self once again spontaneously. Here you have only to realize, you do not have to practice. There are no Upaya’s(means) in this system. You simply recognize who you are. Here, there is no practice, no concentration, and no meditation. By the grace of your Master, you realize it and you are there.

Kashmiri Shaivism, also called Pratyabhijna (Sanskrit: “Recognition”). It is a religious and philosophical system of India that worships the god Shiva as the supreme reality. The school is optimistic and monistic, as contrasted with the realistic and dualistic school of Shaiva-siddhanta. The most prominent theoretical practice of Hindu Tantra was the Pratyabhijna School of non-dual Kashmir Saivism. This was developed by Utpaladeva in c. 900.

Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta communicate the Pratyabhijna system, blending philosophical appeal with tantric ritual, aiming to lead students to direct identification with Shiva. They involve the concept of revealing Shakti, as the fundamental means of conveying Shiva-identity. The Pratyabhijna philosophers frame Shakti as the basis for the claim that "I am Shiva" in the quality of Shakti, the power to emanate and control the universe.

 The Pratyabhijna system seeks to engage students in the recognition of "I am Shiva" through ritual participation, demonstrating that all experiences express this self-recognition. The conclusion from the Kashmiri Shaivasm is monism, where everything is considered the same in essential nature.

The Pratyabhijna thinkers focus on prakāsha (bare subjective awareness) and vimarsha (recognitive fearfulness). They argue that awareness constitutes all objects, rejecting external causality and proposing a universal awareness shared by all sentient and insentient beings.

The Pratyabhijnā philosophical view highlights Shiva's action as the generator of relationships and universals. The thinkers employ Sanskrit language rules to explain Shiva's action, relating it to Vedic sacrificial commands. They interpret being as action and describe Shiva's mythic action through Shakti as constituting all experience and objects, aligning with ritual practices. The Pratyabhijnā theory claims that Shiva's mythic agency synthesizes and drives all causal processes and relationships in the universe, thus leading to salvation.

Kula system:

The kula system was introduced in Kashmir in the beginning of the 5th century AD by Sri Macchandanatha.The kula system teaches you how you can live in Universal consciousness, the Real nature of your Self in both the ascending and the descending act. This system therefore teaches you how you can live in totality.

Krama system:

Although the krama system existed in the beginning of Kaliyuga, having been introduced by the sage Durvasa, it was reintroduced at the end of 7th century AD in Kashmir by sage Eraka natha also known as Sivanandanatha. In the karma system, you must rise step by step in succession. This system teaches that step by step realization makes your realization firm. The karma school is grounded in space, time, and form. Its purpose is to develop such strength of awareness that one transcends the circle of time, space and form and thus becomes timeless, spaceless and formless, whereas in both Pratyabhijna system and Kula system, you are beyond space and time.

Spanda system:

The Spanda system was introduced in Kashmir in the beginning of 8th century AD by the Great Sage Vasugupta natha who himself got it from Lord Shiva through the Sutras engraved on the huge boulder named Shankar Pal in Kashmir. The word Spanda means movement or vibration and the Spanda school recognizes that nothing can exist without movement. This system directs the aspirant to concentrate on each movement of this world. There are 112 ways laid down in Vigyan Bhairavtantra through which an aspirant can attain the spanda state by meditating on the centre of any two acts, mental or physical.

The Kashmir Shaivism talks about Upaya’s.

Three Upaya’s in Kashmir Shaivism

The word Upaya in our Kashmir Shaivism is used to indicate the way and means to enter from individual consciousness into Universal God Consciousness. Kashmir Shaivism proclaims that there are three means for entering into Universal God Consciousness:

·       Shambhavopaya, the supreme means,

·       Shaktopaya, the medium means and

·       anavopaya, the inferior means.

In Shambhavopaya, the Sadhaka has only to develop his awareness of “I” consciousness. Individual “I” consciousness quickly vanishes, as it is united with God Consciousness, wherein the Sadhaka is one with this subjective energy and becomes jivanmukta (released in life). This path is meant for those seekers who reside at the highest level of ability.

Shaktopaya is that Upaya which is functioned by the means of energies. In shaktopaya, the yogi does not have to recite mantras or be aware using his breath or concentrate on any spot. He has only to see and concentrate on that Supreme Being that is found on two actions without actions.

Anavopaya is concerned with “anu” the individual’s soul. Anavopaya is that Upaya, in which a Sadhaka is endowed with an inferior capacity of mind and meditation, must develop God Consciousness by restoring to Meditation, to the practice of Pranayama, the citation of Mantras. 

In the eighteenth century, Swami Manakak was born. He was recognized as a great Master of Kashmir Shaivism. He initiated Swami Ram who became well versed in the secrets of Trika philosophy. Swami Ram’s chief disciple was Swami Mahatab Kak.  Swami Lakshman Joo was the disciple of Swami Mahatab Kak. Swami Lakshman Joo was therefore the last in this unbroken chain of Kashmir Shaivism.

References

Lawrence, David Peter. Rediscovering God with Transcendental Argument: A Contemporary Interpretation of Monistic Kashmiri Shaiva Philosophy. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1999.

The Triadic Heart of Shiva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989.

Pandey, K.C., trans. Īshvarapratyabhijnāvimarshinī of Abhinavagupta, Doctrine of Divine Recognition. Vol. 3. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1986.

Kashmir Shaivism-Sham Misri.

Singh, Jaideva, ed. and trans. Pratyabhijnāhridayam: The Secret of Self-Recognition. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1980.

A manual of basic principles of monistic Shaiva doctrine and practice in the light of Pratyabhijnā philosophy by Abhinavagupta’s disciple Kshemarāja.

Singh, Jaideva, ed. and trans. Shivasūtras: The Yoga of Supreme Identity; Text of the Sūtras and the Commentary Vimarshinī of Kshemarāja. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1979.

Kashmir Shaivism- An overview, By Daily Excelsior,05/11/2017