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The Yoga of Saints - Part 3 of 3
Kashmir Shaivism
5 Feb 2007
YOGA of SAINTS:
KASHMIR SHAIVISM
PART 3 of 3
Swami Devi Nostrumananda
"Dhyana mulam gurormurtih puja
mulam guroh padam mantra mulam
gurorvakyam moksha mulam guroh kripa"
Guru Gita
The root of meditation is the Guru's form; the root of worship
is the Guru's feet; the root of mantra is the Guru's word;
the root of liberation is the Guru's grace.
According to Kashmir Shaivism, Yoga can be said to be the work, or
the way of attaining God. Yogas' spiritual practices and disciplines
lead one to the constant experience of God, with God being both the
creator of mankind's ignorance, (or maya, illusion) of his True Self
and the destroyer of mankind's ego (Mind). In Kashmir Shaivism, God
actually has five functions or names, being the Creator, Sustainor
and Destoyer, the Creator of Illusion or Ignorance, as well as the
Illuminator, or Revealer of Truth. Each of the Demi Gods and
Goddesses in Indian Religion are actually just facets of each of
these five primordial natures of the one God, or SadGuru, the
Highest Guru. The nature of the universe and the purpose of
existence, therefore, is said to be simply the sport of God
recognizing Self, being the subject and the mirror unto Himself, and
all the manifest universe simply a mirrored projection. Could it be
that the sport of God is a sort of cosmological 'Peek-A-Boo' game,
where collapse of the universe into one great big Black Hole ends
one game and the Big Bang starts a new one?! In any case, with the
Individual merging into God-Consciousness, this rhythmic, infinite
vibratory dance of the cosmos is finally revealed; it is simply the
delight of Gods and Goddesses in the eternal play of Supreme
Consciousness.
There are many types of Yoga. One of the core sacred texts of
Kashmir Shaivism, a revelation from the Supreme God, Shiva, is the
Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, meaning 'divine consciousness through the
merging of male (Shiva) and female (Shakti) universal principles'.
This secret teaching explains no less than 112 yogas as a means to
realization of the ultimate reality, where the yogi is in fact, the
Shakti Kundalini, seeking to merge and reunite with her husband,
Shiva.
In PARTS 1 & 2, we established the true meaning, intent and goal of
Yoga. We explored the relationship of Yoga to the journey of
ascension to Self-Realization, or Sainthood. We learned what it
takes to practice this path safely and naturally and about the
difficulty and dangers to those un-initiated attempting Yoga without
Shaktipat and the Grace of the Guru, (God). And finally, we were
introduced to the Three Major Classifications of Yoga in the ancient
wisdom tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. In this third and final
excerpt in this series of Yoga of the Saints: Kashmir Shaivism, from
an upcoming book, we'll explore in more detail the cosmology of
Kashmir Shaivism, the various types of yoga within each of the 3
catagories and the systems or schools of Yoga that employ the Eight
Limbs of Yoga, such as Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
We continue now with a recap of these Three Major Classifications of
Yoga, or Upayas of Liberation, from the Kashmir Shaiva sacred text,
the Shiva Sutras, said to be written by God, Shiva, himself. It
says that, depending on one's strength of awareness, there are 3
basic levels of Yoga. In Sanskrit, the first one is called
Shambavopaya, the highest, fastest and most difficult means to
universal God Consciousness. The next one is Shaktopaya, the choice
for aspirants with medium strength of awareness and this takes
longer and is a little easier. The third is called Anavopaya,
regarded for inferior strength of awareness and this route takes the
longest to reach Liberation, however, it is the easiest.
Let's take a closer look at the type of techniques appropriate for
aspirants with each of these strengths of awareness.Remember that
with Shaktipat, the activation of Shakti Kundalini through the Grace
of the true Guru/Master Teacher, the Sadhaka (student), may
experience any of these Yogas naturally, easefully and spontanuously
without any premeditation. With those aspirants with the highest
ability, Shambavopaya is appropriate. This is where Samadhi, or
Niranjana, (mystical union with Shiva), is achieved purily by
universal `I' Consciousness awareness in God. In order to succeed,
the aspirant has only to maintian the thoughtless state,
nirvikalpa, continuously through willpower. With constant awareness
of this unity consciousness, the aspirants' individual consciousness
quickly vanishes and he/she merges into God-Consciousness. The
objective world melts into the subjective; the doer, doing and being
become one. One can say this is the ultimate goal of all
Transmediums, to not only channel God, but ultimately, to completely
dissolve and permanently disappear into God. This state of complete
freedom and absolute oneness is the state of Jagad Ananda, Universal
Bliss. Abhinavagupta, a great Kashmir Shaiva Siddha, (Saint), says
in the Bodhapancadasika, "My Master described Jagad Ananda as the
state that is completely unencumbered, where bliss is found shining,
where it is universally strengthened by the Supreme I-Consciousness
of God, where the Limbs of Yoga - bhavana,(virtues), dharana,
(concentration), dhyana,(meditation), pratyahara,(detachment), yoga
(postures) and samadhi,(mystical union with the divine) are no
longer used or required".
At this level, there is nothing to do, and nowhere to go. Yoga here
can bearly be called such and any Yoga hereonto practiced is
essentially completed. There is actually, no process, but simply
being and knowing, or recognizing. We are at the very threshold to
realizing God, and crossing it with the highest Maha Yoga of
Samadhi, or Laya Yoga; the complete absorption of identification
with the object of meditation; meditative union with the Absolute.
This Yoga is in the subtle, energetic realm, in the deepest
stillness and silence possible. Energetically, this level is at the
Third Knot, which is an Indian Scriptural term of the uppermost
complex of energy channels and Chakras in the head that must be
pierced in order for Shakti Kundalini to flow through unimpeded.
Opening of the Third Knot associated with the fourth through 9th
chakras, brings about the shift from Witness-Consciousness to Unity-
Consciousness. Once Kundalini has passed through a Knot, it will
never descend below again, so the opening of a Knot is a very
significant milestone in the ascension process to Sainthood. At the
Shambavopaya level, the Shakti Kundalini is uniting with Shiva at
the crown of the head, affecting the ears and eyes. Therefore, the
two primary threshold objects of meditative union of God are the
hearing of Nada, or 'unstruck sounds' emitting through the Spanda,
or Kundalini-filled Sushumna,( energetic central channel the
Kundalini travels up through), and the visual absorption of
the 'Blue Pearl', coined by Jnaneshwara, another great Kashmir
Shaiva Siddha.
This Blue Pearl is the actual light of God and the portal into the
Infinite. The Nada sounds are very specific, being documented
clearly in the Hamsa Upanishad and Sarvajnanottara Agama sacred
texts, and are the sounds of the bell, a conch, the vina, cymbals,
the flute, the mrdang, the kettledrum and roaring thunder.The
aspirant remains in a state of non-action/no-mind and does not use
any of the 'Limbs of Yoga', essentially techniques such as thought
or contemplation, (dhyana), breathing techniques, (pranayama),
mantras, (varna), yoga postures (asana) or scriptural immersion
(niyama). Even moral behavior and sexual moderation, (yama), will
not help here. All these are considered to be worthy and fruitful
bodies of Yoga in their own right at the lowest, Anavopaya Level.
One can say all 'work' of Shambavopaya is at the most highest and
subtlest quantum energetic level, and is the most direct, quickest
and shortest path to God, but surely the most difficult to master.
If Shambavopaya is not your cup of tea,(yet), let's go on to the
next level down, Shaktopaya. The modern day Kashmir Shaiva Siddha,
Lakshman Joo Maharaj says, "Shaktopaya is the means in which the
aspirant or seeker has to develop concentration upon God-
Consciousness by means of some particular spiritual thought bestowed
by the Master". This level is meant for those aspirants who have
medium-strength of awareness whose limited egoic consciousness is
nevertheless spiritually oriented already, unlike the lowerst level,
Anavopaya, which is not. Here, again, there is no use for the Yogas
of the lower level of Anavopaya, so yoga postures like Hatha Yoga
and mudras, pranic breathing or pranayama yoga, moderation and
virtuous attitudes of yama and niyama yoga all have no place here.
We do, however, focus only and completely on a singular thought,
such as 'Shiva'.
In verse 17 of the Shiva Sutras, it says, `Of this, Yogi, the
unwavering awareness that I am Shiva, the Self of the universe,
constitutes the knowledge of Self'. The same idea also expressed in
the Vijnana Bharivara, "The Highest Lord is omniscient, omnipotent
and omnipresent. As I have the characteristic of Shiva, I am that
very Shiva. Wth this strong conviction, one becomes Shiva Himself".
To truly know anything, one must become it, hence 'unity awareness'.
To truly know the nature of the universe and reality, one must
become it. To know universal bliss and liberation from suffering,
one must be Bliss and Liberty. So here, as well as with all yogas,
there is a requirement of transformation and transcendence, of
paradigm shifts and transfigurations through recognition of Truth,
and the perceptions of beingness and knowingness of Truth.
Jnana Yoga,(knowledge), Mantra Yoga, (mantra repetition) and Dhyana
Yoga,(meditation), are the predominant disciplines at this strength
of awareness.
Jnana means knowledge in the sense of intuitive and whole-body 'I'-
Consciousness imbibement, not the sterile intellectualism of the
individual which is ultimately circular tail-chasing. In Jnana yoga,
inner divine knowldge arises spontaneously through continous
contemplation, philosophical speculation and self-inquiry. A
Chaitanya-bestowed Mantra from a true Guru/Spiritual Master is a
short phrase or word that is en-livened with God-consciousness and
Bliss, Chaitanya. At this level, the aspirant is to merge with the
God-Consciousness embodied in the mantra through zealous mental
concentration and awareness through meditation. Energetically, this
means that the individuals gross and subtle bodies extend and re-
identify themselves as 'I'-Consciousness, having recognized that
this is it's own real Self, it is Liberated. Mind you, mindless
repetition of mantras does not belong here. With the perfection of
mantra yoga, the vibration of the caitanya-filled words ignites the
body and leads the aspirant to mahabhava, or Samadhi by attainment
of total identity or oneness' with the object of awareness, the
Self. There is a very real physical phenomeona experienced with the
completion of this yoga, (as with all yogas), that activates and
transforms the entire Chakra system and especially the second, third
and fourth Chakras, hence opening up and stablizing the Second Knot
as well as the Third Knot. In Shaktopaya type Yoga, aspirants may
find that Shakti Kundalini moves them on to the next level up in
strength of awareness and they spontaneously and often concurrently
begin Shambavopanya level work.
This brings us to the final level of Anavopaya strength of
awareness. We have seen that in the highest level, Shambavopaya, no
support is needed for the aspirant, since they can achieve union
with Self simply through willpower. In Shaktopaya, the aspirants'
strength of awareness is such that only one point is needed to
support his/her concentration, being the identification with their
center. In Anavopaya, they need help from all sides to build focus,
and maintain and strengthen their power of awareness. Anavopaya
stage of spiritual development is noteworthy for the enormous amount
of clearing, repair and healing work done energetically by the
Shakti Kundalini and is worthy of extended discussion at the later
point. Most of the energetic activity of this level is focused on
the first three Chakras of Individual Consciousness at the root,
navel and solar-plexus, and the transendence to the next level,
Witness Consciousness centered from the heart to the third eye.
The principle yoga of this level, Pranayama, is the concentration on
the breath. Students focus on the 'gap' between inhalations with
full and one-pointed awareness. This may be done solo or in
combination with Asana postures, as with Hatha Yoga, Dhyana,
meditation with mantra repetition, Pratyahara, detachment, or
Dharana, visual concentration on a fixed point. They are all
called 'Limbs of Yoga'. Most schools of Yoga employ either six or
eight of these 'limbs', including Yama and Niyama, which are similar
to the Christian 10 Commandments. Yama is the practice of five moral
restraints: nonviolence, abstention from untruth, abstention from
stealing, noncovetousness, and abstention from sexual indulgences.
Niyama is the practice of five observances: purity, contentment,
self discipline, study of scriptures and surrender.Laya Yoga is the
highest 'limb' of yoga and can be done solo. Aspirants initiated
through Shaktipat will often experience many of these yogas
concurrently in a very dynamic way, no one day being the same.
Progress of Kundalini from root to crown is also often relatively
rapid, taking only a number of years versus lifetimes for the un-
initiated. The various yogas also roughly follow the sequence of
Chakras from root to crown, with the Yama and Niyama being root and
Laya of the crown. Various schools of Yoga combine the 'limbs' or
concentrate on one of the Three Major Levels discussed above. Raja
Yoga, for example, used in the Sarasvati Order of Siddha Yoga
founded by Baghavan Muktananda, utilizes all of 8 'limbs' of Yoga,
but concentrates on the final three, being mental concentration on a
fixed point, dharana, meditation, dhyana, and laya the attainment of
Samadhi, mystical union with God.
Other than the 'Limbs of Yoga', Jnana Yoga and Hatha Yoga already
mentioned, there are two other bodies of Yoga worth mentioning as
they are very popular and effective means of spiritual pathwork. One
is called Bhakti Joga, the yoga of devotion, and Karma Yoga, the
joga of action. Bhakti Yoga utilizes chanting, song, dance, hymns
and ritual worship. These awaken spontanous devotional feelings of
love, bliss and compassion, often with tearing. Karma Yoga is the
spiritual path of selfless service to God and often seen in and
around ashrams and temples. It is a way for the aspirant to learn
non-attachment to the fruits of action and work. Bhakti and Karma
Yoga are considered yogas of the Anavopaya level of awareness. At
higher levels, these particular yogas become a natural part of the
aspirant and not considered a 'practice' per see. Love, compassion,
selfless service, spontaneous divine guidance and self-healing
become natural Grace-bestowed aspects of the aspirants' life.
~ Devi Nostrumananda
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Devi Nostrumananda
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