Kashmiri Shaivism

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The triangle, symbol and yantra of Parama Shiva, with the triangular energies of para , para-apara and apara shakti

The Kashmiri Shaivism is a monistic school and a further development of the Hindu Saivism in Kashmir , in the religious texts ( Agamas ) as a direct expression of the supreme god Shiva are considered. This form of Shaivaism is also called the Trika school ( triad ), while other forms of Shaivaism in Kashmir can also refer to schools such as Shaiva-Siddhanta , Shrividya (Holy Knowledge) or certain forms of Shiva such as Svaccandabhairava .

Origin and Origin

Kashmir Shaivism emerged in Kashmir during the 8th or 9th century AD and further differentiated itself both philosophically and theologically by the end of the 12th century. In many areas it is similar to Hindu Tantra . One of the most important representatives of this development is represented by Abhinavagupta , who succeeds in synthesizing various Tantra schools and the influences from the Bhagavad-Gita . Both have the Shri - Yantra as a symbol.

In the Kashmiri school of Shaivism, Shiva is considered the uncreated absolute, the highest self, principle of infinite light. In this theology the universe is thought of as a projection of Shiva, so that it is filled with divine consciousness. Shiva's reflection in Shakti contains the universe as a reflection of this reflection. The creation takes place through 36 hypostases or categories ( Tattvas ), from the pure spirit (Shivatattva) to the earth element. Spanda is considered to be Shiva's pulsating energy that causes the universe to periodically expand and contract again and again.

Cit ( Sanskrit : consciousness) is considered divine and omnipresent consciousness and the only reality in this school. After that, matter is not separated from consciousness. In Kashmiri Shaivism it is believed that there is in truth no gap between God and the world. The world does not present itself here as an illusion ( Maya ) as in Advaita- Vedanta , but the perception of duality is viewed as the illusion. Overcoming the earthly world is the goal of the spiritual endeavors.

Although there is an identity of all beings with Shiva, these are impure and influenced by Maya, so that the true identity with Shiva is not realized. For this reason there are spiritual practices in Kashmiri Shaivism for the perception of this oneness with Shiva. The perception of identity with Shiva then takes place in an act of direct intuition in relation to true reality.

In both Hindu Shaivism and Kashmiri Shaivism, Shiva has a terrible or dynamic ( Shivasutra ) aspect in the form of Bhairava . In Hinduism, the Trimurti is the Parabrahman or the Satyalola. Abhinavagupta detailed this in four further levels or tattwas up to the paramshiva.

"Kashmiri Shaivism has developed into a deep, living body of thought where different streams of human wisdom unite in a luminous synthesis." - Rabindranath Tagore (May 9, 1861 - August 7, 1941) Nobel Prize in Literature (1913).

Diksha , initiation by the Guru, is of central importance in Kashmiri Shaivism, because it leads to Sadhana , spiritual practice and Anugraha, divine grace. The goal of sadhana is liberation in life, jivanmukti .

The mythological origin of Kashmir Shaivism

Since the philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism deep in the Tantra is rooted tradition starts with Shiva himself. According to tradition, Shiva took the form of Srikanthanath at (mountain Kailasa ), since the knowledge of Tantra in the time of Kali Yuga lost was where he fully initiated Durvasa into all forms of tantric knowledge, including abheda (without distinction), bhedabheda (with and without distinction), and bheda (distinctive), as in the Bhairava Tantras , the Rudra Tantras , and the Shiva Tantras is described. Durvasa meditated intensely in the hope of finding a suitable student for initiation, but was unsuccessful. Instead, he created three spiritually created sons and fully initiated the first son, Tryambaka, into the monistic abheda philosophy of Bhairava Tantra , known as Kashmir Shaivism.

Concepts of Kashmir Shaivism

Anuttara, the highest

Anuttara is the highest principle in Kashmir Shaivism , and as such it is the fundamental reality underlying the whole universe . Among the many interpretations of Anuttara are: "Most High", "Above All" and "Unsurpassed Reality".

In the Sanskrit alphabet, Anuttara is connected to the first letter 'A'. As the very highest principle, Anuttara is identified with Shiva and with Shakti , since Shakti is identical with Shiva , as the highest consciousness ( Cit ), as uncreated light ( prakasa ), highest object ( aham ) and timeless vibration ( spanda ).

The practitioner who has achieved anuttara (cit consciousness) does not need any further practice as he is in possession of instant realization and complete freedom ( svatantrya ). Anuttara differs from the term transcendence in that although it stands above everything, it does not represent a state of separation from the universe. A anuttarayoga is also known in Buddhism.

Aham, the heart of Shiva

Aham ( Sanskrit : I) is the concept of the highest reality as such. It is viewed as a nondualistic inner space of Shiva and as a support for all creation, as the highest mantra and as identical to the Shakti . But it is also reflected individually below the Kanchukas in the area of ​​the Anthakarana.

Kula, the spiritual group

Kula (also Kaula ) is translated as family or group . Such structures exist on different levels and are made up of many, also complementary, connected parts. They are called families to emphasize the common unifying bond that is the most supreme God; H. Shiva . The practices of the kula are considered mystical and the emphasis is less on philosophical discussion and more on instant experience. In its essence, kula is a form of physical alchemy where the lower aspects of the person are resolved into higher ones as they are all viewed as a form of a unified group, a kula based on Shiva .

The Shiva Sutras

The first great initiate in the history of this spiritual path was Vasugupta (around 875–925). Vasugupta was the first to formulate the principles and main tenets of this system in writing. The Shiva sutras traditionally associated with Vasugupta are a fundamental work of Shaivism .

According to mythology, Vasugupta had a dream in which Shiva ordered him to go to the nearby Mahadeva Mountain in Kashmir. On this mountain he is said to have found verses engraved in a rock, the Shiva Sutras, which paraphrase the teachings of Shiva Monism. They are one of the main sources of Kashmir Shaivism. The book is a collection of aphorisms. The sutras set out a purely nondual metaphysics as in Advaita- Vedanta . These sutras are the type of Hindu scriptures known as agamas , and they are also known as the Shiva Upanishad Samgraha or Shivarahasyagama Samgraha . In Hinduism, other Puranas dedicated to Shiva are known such as the Shiva- or Vayupurana, the Lingapurana, the Skandapurana, the Agni-Purana, the Matsyapurana and the Kurmapurana.

Classification of the written tradition

The first Kashmiri Shiva texts were written in the early ninth century AD. written. As a monistic Tantra system or Trika Shivaism, as it is also known, it takes teachings from the Shrutis , such as the monistic Bhairava Tantras , the Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta, and also a special version of the Bhagavad Gita which is also used as a commentary of Abhinavagupta is known as Gitartha Samgraha . Teachings from Tantraloka are also used, the main work of Abhinavagupta, which stands out from the Smritis used in Kashmir Shaivism . In general, the whole written tradition of Shaivism can be divided into three main parts: Agama Shastra , Spanda Shastra and Pratyabhijña Shastra .

  1. Agama Shastra are those scriptures that are considered to be the direct revelation of Shiva. These writings were first handed down orally from the master to the worthy student. They include essential works such as the for this school Malinivijaya Tantra , the Svacchanda Tantra , the Vijnanabhairava Tantra , the Netra Tantra , the Magendra Tantra , the Rudrayamala Tantra , the Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta and others. There are innumerable commentaries on these works, most of them on the Shivasutra .
  1. The Spanda Shastra , the main work of which is the Spanda Karika by Bhatta Kallata, a disciple of Vasugupta , with its many comments. Of these, two are of greater importance: Spanda Sandoha (this commentary is only about the first verses of Spanda Karika ), and the Spanda Nirnaya (which is a commentary on the whole text). The Spanda Karika is about a cosmology in which the universe emerges through a vibration (Spanda) in the highest consciousness (Shiva). This vibration is caused by Shakti, Shiva's energy, which is the manifestation of the cosmos and from the One unfolds everything, and yet is not separated from Shiva's transcendence. This non-dualism is characteristic of the Trika school
  1. Pratyabhijña Shastra are those scriptures that have mainly a metaphysical content. Because of the assumption that these scriptures are of extraordinarily high spiritual and intellectual level, this part of the written tradition of Shaivism is the one that is least accessible to the uninitiated. Even so, this part of the scriptures refers to the simplest and most direct form of spiritual self-realization. Pratyabhijña means "perception" and refers to the spontaneous perception of the divine nature that is hidden in every human being, the Atman . The most important works in this category are: Ishvara Pratyabhijña , the fundamental work of Utpaladeva and Pratyabhijña Vimarsini , a commentary on Ishvara Pratyabhijña .

Ishvara Pratyabhijña means the direct perception of the deity Ishvara as identical with one's own heart. Before Utpaladeva , his master Somananda wrote the Siva Drsti ( The Vision of Siva ), a devotional poem with many levels of meaning.

Prominent saints of Kashmir Shaivism

All four branches of the Kashmir Shaivism tradition were put together by the great philosopher Abhinavagupta (around 950-1020). The most important of his significant works is the Tantraloka , the verse of which is a majestic synthesis of the whole tradition of Shivaite monism . Abhinavagupta successfully smoothed out any existing differences and inequalities that existed among the various branches and schools of Kashmiri Shaivism before him. He offers a uniform, coherent and complete vision of this system. Because of the extraordinary length of 5859 verses of the Tantraloka , Abhinavagupta himself created a shorter version than prose called Tantrasara ("The Essence of Tantra").

Another important Kashmir Shivait is Jayaratha (1150–1200), who added his commentary on Tantraloka, a lifelong task of great difficulty, without which some passages of the Tantraloka could not be understood today.

A well-known modern guru was Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji, who died in 1995.

The four main schools of Kashmir Shaivism

Krama

The term 'krama' means 'progress', 'gradation' or 'succession' in the meaning of 'spiritual gradation' or 'gradual improvement of the mental process' ( vikalpa ), or 'gradual development at the highest level', in the highest consciousness ( Cit ). Even if the Krama School is an integral part of Kashmir Shaivism, it is an independent system, both philosophically and historically. Krama is meaningful as a synthesis of Tantra and Shaktic traditions on the basis of Shivaitic monism , as a tantric and Shakti-oriented system with a mysticistic influence. Krama resembles the Spanda in some ways in that they both focus on the activity of the Shakti, and they also have a Tantric approach similar to the Kula . Within the Kashmir Shaivism family , the Pratyabhijña school differs most from the Krama . The most pronounced characteristic of Krama is its monistic-dualistic ( bhedabhedopaya ) discipline in the preliminary stages of spiritual realization. Even if Kashmir Shaivism is an idealistic-monistic system as a preliminary stage of the spiritual path. So the Krama system is supposed to use dualistic and non-dualistic methods, but remain non-dualistic in the underlying philosophy. Krama has a positive epistemological basis, with the aim of a synthesis of joy ( bhoga ) and enlightenment ( moksha ).

Kula

Another very important school of Kashmir Shaivism is Kula or Kaula , which means something like 'family' or 'wholeness' in Sanskrit. It is a prime example of a school of the tantric left path , and here the Shakti has a paramount role. Kaulika , as a form of Shakti, is the binding force of the Kula. It is an energy of both spirit and matter which it bridges, and it creates the path of evolution from the ego to the spiritual for consciousness.

The teachings of the Kula are a basic framework of the Tantraloka and Tantrasara .
Kula should not be confused with ' red tantra '. The practices revolve around the transformation of the sexual force and the lower forces under competent initiated guidance. The goal and climax of the spiritual evolution here is an extroverted all- inclusive samadhi , the Bhairavi mudra, jagadananda or bhava samadhi. In the Kula system, mantra meditation is a common practice. Special mantras in the form of a group of phonemes are also used. The 50 phonemes (varṇa) of the Sanskrit alphabet are considered to be seed syllables or seed mantras. As representatives of various aspects of consciousness (cit) and energy (śakti), they contain a complete description of reality, i.e. H. from the lowest level ('earth') to the highest Shiva consciousness. The Tantraloka includes a number of ritual practices. It can be the construction of a mandala, the visualization of a goddess or a group of goddesses (Shakti), recitations (japa) which are performed in a state of "calm of a creative consciousness" (camatkāra), and also of offerings Fire and its internalized version and the burning of objects and means of knowledge in the "fire of non-dual consciousness" (parāmarśa) act.

Spanda

The Spanda system introduced by Vasugupta (c. 860-925) is commonly described as "vibration / movement of consciousness". Abhinavagupta uses the expression "some kind of movement" to emphasize the difference to physical movement; it is rather a vibration or a sound within the Divine (Shabda), a pulsation. The essence of this vibration is ecstatic self-centered awareness.

The central tenet of this system is that everything is Spanda , both objective external reality and the subjective world. Nothing exists without movement, but the highest movement does not take place within space and time, but within the highest consciousness Cit . Hence this is a cycle of internalization and externalization of consciousness itself in relation to the highest level of creation.

To describe the scope of the meaning of the Spanda concept, a number of equivalent concepts are enumerated such as: self- centered consciousness ( vimarsa ), unimpeded will of the highest consciousness ( (Cit), svatantrya ), highest creative energy ( Visarga ), heart of the divine ( Hrdaya ) and Ocean of Light Awareness ( cidananda ).

The most important texts of the system are the Shiva Sutras by Vasugupta, the Spanda Karika and the Vijñana Bhairava Tantra .

Pratyabhijña

The Pratyabhijña School, whose Sanskrit name literally means "spontaneous perception", is a unique school. It does not use upayas (means) and there are no practical exercises. The only action to be taken is contemplating who you are. This remedy is also known as anupaya , Sanskrit for "without means". The Kashmiri master Somananda revived the school in the eighth century AD.

The 36 tattwas

The worldview of Kashmiri Shaivism distinguishes 36 tattvas or energy levels that were generated by Paramshiva. Through the activity of Abhinavagupta it differs from Hinduism only in the structure of the Tattvas above the Ishvara-Tattvas (Hindu this corresponds to the [trimurti)]. Paramshiva goes far beyond Hinduism, which may still know Parambrahma.

  • Five Pure Tattvas, starting with the Shiva-Tattva
  • Seven pure and impure Shuddhashuddha Tattvas - here there is already a mixture with the Maya
  • 24 Impure Tattvas beginning with the Prakriti , where Maya predominates

Practices

A well-known practice is the Aham heart meditation with the support of the Kechadri mudra . On the other hand, the focus is on the tantric system of the chakras .

The time cycles

The time cycles of Kashmir Shaivism are similar to the Yugas of Hinduism.

Qliphoth

In the Kashmiri Shaivism of the path to the right hand there is a similar model to that in Kabbalah . Qliphoth are the shards of the inner six Sephiroth vessels, which could not withstand the flow of the infinite light of En Sof and therefore broke. However, they persisted in creation. They appear in the descending order "order of evolution" ('Seder hischtalschelus' Heb. סדר השתלשלות) through Tzimtzum (God's self-contraction from his own midst) for the purpose of creating the world. Divinity in Judaism means the revelation of the holy one-only reality of God. Qlīpōt, however, cover them up like bowls cover the contained fruit. Qliphoth are therefore synonymous with idolatry ( idolatry ) and Sitra Achra (סטרא אחרא "other side"). Qliphoth as metaphorically veiled bowls also have good properties. Just as peels protect the fruit, so do they prevent the metaphysical divine light emanation from being scattered. Like the Sephiroth, they send out sparks ( niṣōṣōt ) which mix with the sparks of the Sephiroth and immigrate into the souls, so that each soul has an individual mix of good and bad parts. Compare: Ishvara emits (according to En Sof) the Sadvidya- Tattva (light), which in interaction with the Maya-Tattva (darkness, anger) creates five envelopes (Kanchukas) around the Purusha ( Shuddhashuddha Tattvas ), the precursors of the other five Elements of the mental plane, which are also positive and negative. The spirit sparks are referred to here as tma-anu.

literature

  • AL Basham, Kenneth Zysk (Eds.): The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism . Oxford University Press, New York 1989, ISBN 0-19-507349-5 .
  • Mark SG Dyczkowski: The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism . State University of New York Press, Albany, New York 1987, ISBN 0-88706-432-9 .
  • Gavin Flood: An Introduction to Hinduism . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1996, ISBN 0-521-43878-0 .
  • Swami Lakshmanjoo: Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme . 1st Books Library, 2003, ISBN 1-58721-505-5 .
  • John Hughes: Self Realization In Kashmir Shaivism. The Oral Teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo . State University of New York Press, 1994
  • Denise Cush, Catherine Robinson, Michael York (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Hinduism . London (et al.), Routledge 2008
  • Abhinavagupta: The Kula ritual: As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantraloka. (Volume 5 of the Tantra Series, translated by John R. Dupuche) Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi 2003
  • Paul Eduardo Muller-Ortega: Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir. (Suny Series, Shaiva Traditions of Kashmir) State University of New York, 1988
  • Bettina Bäumer: Trika. Basic themes of Kashmiri Šivaism . (Salzburg Theological Studies 21) Tyrolia, Innsbruck 2003, ISBN 3-7022-2511-0

Web links

References and comments

  1. ^ Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme, Swami Lakshman Jee, 103
  2. ↑ The Trika Saivism of Kashmir, Moti Lal Pandit
  3. ^ Mark SG Dyczkowski: The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism. P. 51
  4. ↑ http://www.spiritwiki.de/Sri_Vidya
  5. ↑ Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme, by Lakshman Jee
  6. ↑ On the emergence of Kashmir Shaivism in the 9th century: Basham, p. 110.
  7. ↑ The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism by Mark SG Dyczkowski, p. 4
  8. ↑ The Trika Saivism of Kashmir, Moti Lal Pandit, p. 1
  9. ^ Encyclopedia of Hinduism, p. 417.
  10. ^ Encyclopedia of Hinduism, p. 417.
  11. ↑ Sri Yuktesvar Giri: The Sacred Science
  12. ↑ http://veda.wikidot.com/loka 7 Lokas
  13. ↑ http://shaivism.net/lakshmanjoo/1.html
  14. ^ Encyclopedia of Hinduism. P. 418.
  15. ↑ Lakshmanjoo, pp. 87-93.
  16. ↑ Para-trisika Vivarana, Jaideva Singh, S. 20-27
  17. ↑ The Triadic Heart of Shiva, Paul Muller-Ortega, p 88
  18. ↑ Para-trisika Vivara? A , Jaideva Singh, page 194
  19. ↑ Para-trisika Vivara? A , Jaideva Singh, S. 180
  20. ↑ Para-trisika Vivara? A , Jaideva Singh, S. 127
  21. ↑ The Triadic Heart of Shiva, Paul Muller-Ortega, p 102
  22. ↑ The Triadic Heart of Shiva, Paul Muller-Ortega, page 60
  23. ↑ Abhinavagupta: The Kula ritual. after chapter 29 of the Tantraloka, p. 87
  24. ↑ On the dating of Vasugupta see: Flood, p. 167
  25. ↑ Traditionally, these sutras are viewed as a revelation from Shiva to Vasugupta. For basic research on the Shiva sutras and their classification as agama and the belief that these are the revealed scriptures, see: Tattwananda, p. 54
  26. ↑ A summary of the dream that led to the discovery of the Shiva Sutras and their importance as a key source: Flood (1996), p. 167.
  27. ↑ To characterize the content as pure Advaita metaphysics, see: Tattwananda, p. 54
  28. ↑ For alternative names and classification as agama, see: Tattwananda, p. 54
  29. ↑ Dyczkowski, p. 4.
  30. ↑ Sivasutra, German translation based on SC Kak ( Memento of the original from June 8, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.universal-path.org
  31. ↑ The Trika Saivism of Kashmir, Moti Lal Pandit, p. X
  32. ↑ The Trika Saivism of Kashmir, Moti Lal Pandit, p. X
  33. ^ Encyclopedia of Hinduism p. 416
  34. ↑ The Trika Saivism of Kashmir, Moti Lal Pandit, S. XI
  35. ↑ Triadic Mysticism, Paul E. Murphy, S. 12
  36. ^ Tantric Studies in Memory of Hélène Brunner, Alexis Sanderson, page 371
  37. ↑ Introduction to the Tantraloka, Navijan Rastogi, p. 92
  38. ↑ Introduction to the Tantraloka, Navijan Rastogi, p. 102
  39. ↑ http://www.gurusfeet.com/guru/shri-kumarswamiji
  40. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, page 6
  41. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, page 7
  42. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, S. 12
  43. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, page 2 f
  44. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, page 3
  45. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, page 5
  46. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, p. 4 f
  47. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, p. 5
  48. ↑ The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir, Navijan Rastogi, page 5
  49. ↑ [Abhinavagupta: the Kula ritual, based on Chapter 29 of Tantraloka, Volume 5 of Tantra Series, authors John R. Dupuche, Abhinavagupta (Rajanaka.), Jayaratha, translated by John R. Dupuche, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 2003]
  50. ^ Muller-Ortega, Paul (1989), The Triadic Heart of Siva, Albany: State University of New York Press, ISBN 0-88706-787-5
  51. ^ Spanda-Karikas, The Divine Creative Pulsation, Jaideva Singh, page XVI
  52. ^ Spanda-Karikas, The Divine Creative Pulsation, Jaideva Singh, page XVII
  53. ↑ The Triadic Heart of Shiva, Paul Muller-Ortega, page 118
  54. ^ Kashmir Shaivism, The Secret Supreme, Swami Lakshman Joo, page 136
  55. ↑ The Triadic Heart of Shiva, Paul Muller-Ortega, page 119
  56. ↑ The Triadic Heart of Shiva, Paul Muller-Ortega, p 146
  57. ↑ Kashmir Shaivism, The Secret Supreme, Swami Lakshman Joo, p. 137
  58. ↑ Lakshmanjoo, pp. 130-131.
  59. ^ [Gnosticism and Path of Knowledge, Hermann Kloss, p. 200]
  60. ↑ Sri Yuktesvar Giri: The Sacred Science. 1894
  61. ↑ Maya as a lack of insight into the principles of transformation ( Memento from June 8, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  62. ↑ Delusion of Maya and Samsara