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CA PER III THE SHAIVA TANTRIC MYSTIC The part that intuitive consciousness takes in. Grace as the subject's will and freedom; devotion, the only manifestation of man's free will. The ritual as the main tantric means for subiectivisation of the object. "The flowing together and dissolution of all things in the ultimate identity of non-duality can be attained in different ways: through the affective identity of universal suffering, through sympathy, and through the theoretical identity or the non-differentiation of subject and object" (Boris Vysheslawzeff - "Two Ways of Redemption" in "The Mystic Vision", editor Joseph Campbell, Princeton, 1968). Here are someways to define the mystical experience. The first way concerns obviously a religious experience as found in Buddhism, Christianity etc. The theoretical identity involves mainly a contemplative approach in a philosophical manner as in Sankhya, etc. In my opinion, the sympathetic or, more exactly, empathetic affects characterize the tantric mystic. And among tantras, Saiva tantra has a peculiar feature concerning the interaction between subject and object which is particularized here through a grace devotion relationship. In this relationship it is not sufficient for the follower to merely approach God who would then remain a spectator, but equally, the Lord acts on his own will bestowing grace on the mortal. The tantric struggles in order to obtain liberation from transmigration (samsara) which is dominated by the inexorable law

50 of karma. The process of liberation is in fact an individual psychic drama. Abstract and rational consciousness can not claim to solve it, but only to justify it. The rational concepts of thinking, language, power and so on, become tangible personifications in the mystic moment: Siva and his various hypostases as Rudra, 'the Terrible", "the WithoutSupport", the sundry powers, the Supreme, etc. Meditating and worshipping them, however, the disciple becomes aware that they are only creations of his own consciousness. Thus the abstract speculation and the mystical view are not two opposite realities excluding each other, but rather (ie. the reality) two faces of the same reality. Concepts and relations "create" it/in the philosophical moment, while symbols and images become manifest in the mystic universe both of these views are equally real and credible. The direct perceptions and judgements on which the speculative moment of the Ego is based, do not exclude an a priori "certitude", the intuitive ( sometimes quite instinctive) and pre-rational activity. The sacred Saivite scriptures are based upon this a priori certitude (prasiddhi) (Tantraloka, XXXV passim). Because the scriptures are the most important means of knowledge (Vakyapadiya, I, 40), therefore intuitive consciousness has preeminence for the Ego. The intuitive consciousness is rooted in the heart and it is able to yield sudden changes in one's life, as, for instance, in a devotee's spontaneous approach to a certain faith. In its hypostasis (J.Gonda of intuitive creativity or "suprime speech", it is known as pratibha The Vision of the Vedic Poets, The Hague, 1963, p.318-348). This non-discursive consciousness is all-pervasive and therefore omniscient in its highest point of achievement. It manifests afterwards in the form "I am all that" (tattvamasi) and everything is gathered inside

- 59 of this pure wisdom it subsists It suppresses also the differentiated thought which belongs to maya (Tantrasara, IV, p.21,22). The state of non-differentiated consciousness ( nirvikalpa ) is not an object for differentiated thinking. But certainty ( niscaya) arises from differentiated thinking (Tantraloka, V, 16a ) and therefore the intuitive consciousness can not be accepted theoretically by people that are not directly aware of it. However, intuition is not the prerogative of a select few but rather more or less in everybody. The rational understanding of intuition as well as the study of scriptures under the guidance of a qualified master lead to supra-rational cognition. Discussions with sages and long practice are also of great help for a quiring this ability. A vacillating intuition ( kampamanam ) can spontaneously become stabler for some people, while others need the help of judgement, a master's help, etc. The less accessory elements intuition employs for its development, the better. "In him who may acquire infinite knowledge about the others, Siva's nature ( sivata ) is nevertheless present very clearly in what he knows by intuition" (Tantraloka, XIII, 139). Those followers who pass the way of intuition need no variegated observances, no consecration ( abhisecanam ), no certain spiritual line, nor the vow of wisdom. Such a master is inspired directly by the greatest sage, the Lord. Multifarious purifying ceremonies ( the initiation and so on) are performed in order to achieve God's inspiration. In so far as the master has inherited it in his own nature, the observances are irrelevant for him. Such a worshipper led by Siva himself, is the God's disciple( Tantraloka, XIII, 140). Those whose intuition

- 60 is less firm have to make use of purifying rites, i.e. the prayer, asceticism ( tapah ), recitation etc, under the guidance of a master. The importance of the non-rational apprehension of the existent is perhaps pointed out by Patanjali, when he says: "Or, all knowledge through intuition" ( pratibhad va sarvam Yoga Sutra, III, 32). Somananda enlarged upon this idea deeming that the immediate knowledge ( samsiddhikam ) is the jewel which gives what is desired ( Para Trisika, 25)%; there is an initiate and a yogi also who has never he seen a mandala, but owns already the truth ( Paratrishika, 18b 19a). While for some people this intuition leads only to their own liberation, it rises in others the power to free from worldly bondage every kind of creatures according to their brightness : worm, a gem, a star, the moon, the sun (Tantraloka, XIII, 159). a glowAcquiring intuitive consciousness ( pratibham ), someone obtains the supreme diminishment of power which keeps him under the mayic reign. The intuition provides the state of "the isolated one" (kevalibhava), namely, regaining one's true nature who is an "isolate" is an isolate in the supreme reality, hence liberated. The Saiva ideology teaches us about the three entities: Man, Sakti and Siva. The man is tied up%3B the power is the instrument or this fastening and, at the same time, the bridge of connection between object and subject ( subject as the doer who is Siva). Man's problem is to cut his fetters and to cross the bridge in order to become subject from object, 1.e. to get identity with Siva. In this attempt, through intuition, the true being's fetters are cut off by

clusive 7 -8the sword of intuition( Tantraloka, XIII, 171). Intuition gets purified through meditation ( bhavanaonavita ), yoga, sacrifices and so on. Once the individual outains the intuitive knowledge, he must get rid of every sensorial knowledge ( ocular, auditory etc. ), in the same manner as in daylight one removes a lamp. The one who has obtained intuitive cognition of the reality, manifests extraordinary powers when in contact with the material world: the clairaudience, the penetration of different media oy means of mantra, illusive actions (i.e. the transmutation into another body Haracarita-cintamani, XIII, 174-175 ), the magnification ecc. The one who is fully aware of the twofold consciousness can periorm, after certain practice, even the highest operations, namely obscuration and grace. if the master is indifierent to the propitiation, he will we able to Iree himself and others. 2 latently as the The reality, the objectivity, does not arise unchangeably in front of us. It exists in the very cognitive process most profound part of consciousness, but it changes with time, space and events. The mystical intuition of Siva is realized along with particular experiences and it improves throughout life. man is free when he has succeeded in raising his real thinking and knowledge. This awarwness can be achieved only through transcendental intuition, which, when t t appears, makes great changes in man's life. saiva tantra is the product of transcendental intuition and, at the a shorter way to achieve this intuition. Such an apparently paradoxical statement could be understood only because "he (Siva) same time, manifests mimbell by his own will this way, as the author of scriptures,

- 62 as the disciple, as the awakener, as the follower of these scriptures and as Iruit OI the observance, av the same time" (SDg, LII, 75-7ba). as to W I have already stated that a particularity of Saiva tantra is the belief in divine grace. Man can obtain the absolute Ireedom only through God's blessing. Among the means of supreme selfrealization, the use of no particular means is the highest way. This cognition enlightens from itself and rests in the power of bliss. The state which is ultimately reached is called anuttara "without superior" or "without anser or reply", because it is not definable in any case. This is reminiscent of a Zen Buaduist story where a bodhisattva answers the question of a nun about the definition or the Absolute, bringing a linger in Iront or his lips only. The anupaya way is characterized by Abhinavagupta in the prhadvinimarsini (vol.iII, p.40) with the words: "Learning of it does not take place in Sankara is not well-dispose (Actually it is a quotation from Malinivijaya-tantra, XVIII, which is not available in the text already published). Grace is a corollary of the subject-object interaction in the Saiva thought; grace is bestowed by the supreme subjec who is Siva, by his free will, in order to liberate the object (i.e. the individual man, deprived of freedom. The more a man becomes free, the more ne denies his individuality and achieves the universal plane. Grace is a transfer of the Lord's nature (tadrupya -kramena) to the individual (Tantraloka, II, 40). A series of questions arises in connection with this state of grace. Thus, if there is a means of realisation "without means", how will it be possible to be proved, which

- 63 will be the condition of the graced person, and why is grace bestowed in different manners, i.e. for some adepts at the end of a long way of practice and for others rather suddenly, without a special effort? a multitude of aspects The fact that the supreme reality evolves into answers the question why one person emerges gradually into that reality while another will enter immediately, as a whole. The latter will immaculately reach the absolute bliss, only through devotion to his bhairavic consciousness. He needs no ritual actionin so far as the action arises from consciousness and not vice versa. In fact, all the means are employed as auxiliaries of consciousness and they can not thoroughly carry out all of its functions. Thus, the tantric way for instance, has a heuristic function only, and the way could be abandoned by the one who is able to master directly his consciousness. Sedulous meditations (bhavana) can not also replace other means in order to reach the supreme bhairavic feeling. One who dreams that meditation can be employed as direct means is similar to one who foolishly take a litle firefly (khadyotaka) for the sun (Tantraloka, II 13-14). (This association through contrast between the fire-fly and the sun is very common in the buddhist scriptures E. Lamotte, L'enseigneme de Vimalakirti, Louvain, 1962, p.161). The relation between means and grace is based upon the blue of the sky, colours, the universal light, Siva's own body pleasures; in fact the whole of existence is only light, Siva. On this 2 plane beyond duplicity, pain and pleasure, kindness and cruelty, captivity

-64and freedom, reason and insensibility are all synonyms. This is the reason why grace is bestowed irrationally, either at the end of a hard way of practice or upon sudden enlightenment. It explains also why even inanimate things could receive grace; there is nothing else but only light everywhere. The state of grace is a special condition which is not mixed up with the power ( i.e. the Great Goddess ) because this has no need of any support. Grace is not equal with Siva the possessor of power because it is not to be taken for a support. in that state of grace there is no distinction between subject and object in meditation or devotion. There is no discrimination between mantra, its objec (mantrya) and the subject who pronounces it, as well as between initiation, initiator and initiate. The state of grace rests on Mahesvara who is neither existent (sat), nor non-existent, and neither existent-cum-nonexistent, nor the negation of it. We can affirm that this mystic state is the "Without Superior" (anuttara). The person who has received this grace transcends the realm of words and is firmly established in the ineffable feeling. Such a person abandons all means of self-realization. He has dissolved the whole reality into Bhairava's fire of consciousness, viz. the supreme non-differentiated knowledge. The graced man appraises the mantra, devotion, meditation, etc, as mere errors, suitable for the states from neophyte to master, but not for him. He has overcome all the injunctions and observances established for the period afterinitiation up to the end of life. The only purpose of his phenomenal

- - 65 existence is to guide others. Such a person is the Lord's embodiment who is able to show others the right path and the purpose of life. Generally, man is confined by private problems; he has little concern for the benefit of others. The graced one, identical with Bhairava but still connected with the phenomenal existence, devotes his life solely to charity (Tantraloka, II, 59). mast The beneficiary of his charity/have a pure consciousness or otherwise, he has to purify himself by pursuing different ~ 21 means. The sage, although identical with Paramesvara, has only to continue his study, his listening to scriptures etc., in order to benefit others. All these observances do not diminish his freedom. Beings with an impure consciousness cannot be favoured without means (Shivadrishti, VII, 5,6;lolb). Among these means, three are very efficacious: the master's words, a purification (unmarjana) through a series of judgements and through trust in sacred writings (Tantraloka, II, 49). Arriving at this point of our discussion it is obvious that the only freedom of the common man (if it would be proper to call his fundamental bondage "freedom") is devotion (pujya) to God, the single alternative available to achieve self-realization. This way, the object is not totally passive but maniiests a certain activism in so far as it (i.e. the object as man) becomes aware of his veiled consciousness and desires nis nd desires own self- surpassing. The path of devotion as a continuous approach to God means a gradual alienation from the original condition, a gradual self-negation. The highest level of

- 66 this negation is to become the knowing subject instead of a mere object. The Saiva tantric mystic is especially concerned been with adoration of God as the supreme self-consciousness. The powers (of consciousness) play the main part in tantra inasmuch as the individual identifies, transforms or consubstantiates himself in these powers (or the Great Goddess ). Saiva tantra appraises the universe as evolving Irom Siva who exercises his power in this way. Here is the manner in which the Paratrisika describes the rite of adoration: "The seat 15 mentally created by means of flowers which have/blessed with the four conditions. The hero must sacrifice to the emission, from the top of her (delty's) head to her seat. Having held the emission this way, he has to perform the sacrifice, and totally sacrilicing to the goddess who has all mer limbs adorned, he blesses ner twentyseven times by means oi mantra. he is to venerate her as his own power, with parfumed flowers, to worship her with all devotion and to offer her his own self" (Paratrishika, 29-32a). The seat or the throne is in fact the base or the pedestal on which the divinity is placed. It symbolized the whole reality as support or upholder (adnara) of the worshipped divinity who 16 thus upheld (adheya). Logically, some questions arise: what does the whole signify for the tantric saivite worshipper and now has ne made 1rom the noetic whole a iunctional one, viz. which kind of heuristic methods has he elaborated in order to handle the identity between phenomenal and transcendental worlds (N.B. that are actually qualitative Levels of the great unity)?

- 67 As it was already snow, the self-consciousness is the Absolute, the Siva. unfortunately, it is not immediately recognized as such. antra is designed to provide a shorter way to realize tantric Saivite conceivestne whole awareness of this identity. The multiplicity as contained in sde Iirst two phonemes 0 the mantra of the heart SAUH. First two phonemes (SAU) embrace all the thirty-six categories. The worshipped divinity that signifies the consciousness, the power of emission (srsti) as well as ireedom and divine creativity which are expressed along the various sounds of the alphabet the - is the the sacrifice third phoneme of above-mentioned mantra, i.e. H. This way, consists in contemplation and adoration of the consciousness or the emission (AH) in that place i.e. in the upholder or the seat which Symbolizes the whole (AU). Afterwards, the Lantric will worship inversely, contemplating and adoring the upholder (the whole, AU) through he agency of consciousness or the emission AH. Consciousness was upd (adeya, at the beginning; it has become upholder (auhara) through this procedure. The containment" of in a racher lacetious manner Che incapsulation" (samputikaranam) of the consciousness signifies that consciousness 15 contained in the variegated aspects of the whole (Paratrishika-vivarana, p.262). when consciousness changes from what is upheld to an upholder of the whole by means already shown, the phenomenal universe will be incapsulated into consciousness (Tantrasara, p.200). This is the tantric vision of the above-uiscussed problem concerning the subjec tivization bi the object. The meditation and ucvotion, according to

- 60 Abhinavagupta, strengthen lays in the whole and it 18 --the idea that our ego, the consciousness, substantiated DJ the whole. At the same time, adoration envisages that the whole springs Irom and rests on consciousnes (Malinivijaya-varttika, 1, yoseq.). The same view is expressed in the Bhagavadgita when it says: "He who sees me in all the things and the whole in me, ne is not lost for me (and) I am not lost for him" (BhG, VI, 31). Only after this process of devotion and meditation can the performer start sacrificing to the divinity. A higher step on the devotional path is the "meditative realization" (bhavana) which is "a true cow that complies with all our desires" (Tantraloka, IV, 14). It is actually a process of paranormal auto-suggestion which is realized at the end of a devotional practice. be they real or unreal The contemplated things appear in front of the yogi as real and perceptible. "All that is real or unreal and comes meditatively to be realized with great intensity, appears clearly to the yogi on the summit of this process, fulfilling his desires" (Dharmakirti, Pramanavarttikam, II, 285/ = Pramanaviniscaya, I, 31/). Such an achievement is realizable only starting from the mystical premise of spiritual pre-eminence on the phenomenal world. The tantric devotion has, from an external and formal point of view, a hedonic aspect. The great bliss could be reached starting with the beatitude of sensorial perception. "Everything that cheers the mind up, indifferently through which canal of senses, (and) is disclosed as residing in the beautiful abode of the brahman, is a true instrument of worship" (Tantraloka, IV, 12ob-121). Pleasure as well as repugnance +

- 69are mystical tools in tantra for the negation of what is common and multiple; hence, inasmuch as pleasure and repugnance have the same functional value, they are identical experiences in order to pierce the realm of immediate reality and to reach transcendency. An important role in tantric mysticism is played by the concept of "pervasion" (or, according to the case, "quality "power" etc.) vyapti, typical for the Saivite speculation. This refers to the ability of an entity to influence another (material or spiritual) entity. Every mantra, mudra, every state of consciousness has its own power, its sphere of pervasion beyond which it cannot exercise its action any more. The body of practitioner is seen as the place where all the paths interfere and the center of all the spatiotemporal movements. The body is thus the mystic headquarters of all divinities%3B these gods have created the individual body as their abode. Consequently, the human frame must be continuously the object of worship, contemplation and rites of satisfaction. ne who penetrates the body's plane of pure consciousness finds freedom (Tantraloka, XII, 6-8). (pujya) Devotion (pujya) consists in offering everything to the consciousness, looking for identity with it. The true oblation symbolizes the burning of sacrificial offerings in the fire of one's own consciousness, i.e. the supreme identity between the sacrificer and what is sacrified. This perfect identity achieved through the periormance of worship, recitation, oblation and devotion is called "total collectedness", samadni (Netra-tantra, VIII, 8). According to Abhinavagupta, devotion arises from

- 70 its own good-will that is a state of lucidity (nirmalibhava) and full- = ness. The difference between the follower of other tantric branches and the Saivite is that the first worships a particular form of Siva ( Visnu, etc.) who is dependent upon karma, while the Saivite is a devotee of the supreme and immaculate Siva (Tantraloka, XLII, 285-289). A reality without differentiated thinking can not become object of devotion. There are a lot of attributes of Siva. The attribute that embraces all the others (viz. the light) is what stands above everything; the others are inferior to it. The ritual is bridging the gap between the individual endeavour and the supreme freedom and will, namely, between devotion and grace. It is also the lowest form of knowledge and characterizes the means of particles (anavopaya). The ritual action is based upon the fundamental isomorphism between transcendence and immanence, and it leads to the overcoming of duplicity. Saiva tantra is mainly concerned with such soteriologique practices.