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CHAPTER XI THE MASTER AND THE DISCIPLE. The spiritual family. The master's characterization. The categories of disciples. The master's consecration. The vow of wisdom. The withdrawal of knowledge. variegated rules. The rite of projecting the path on the disciple's body. The relationship established between master anu disciple forms the ground on which the whole practice of Saiva tantra lays. It is the nucleus around which the tantric path gravitates. The success of initiatory practice depends on the strength of their mutual understanding. This reciprocity must reach the stage where their minus come into a perfect resonance, acting as 鉁� a single person. The period of initiation is the period when the disciple learns to behave like his guru, hence he identifies with his master who, in his turn, is tantamount to Siva. The accomplishment of the whole initiation depends upon this ability or the disciple to realize luentification with his preceptor, to meit his personality into the guru's totalizing self. This identification must pass from the external behaviour to a psycho-physiologic synchronization as it has been shown in connection with various rituals involving vital breaths, techniques of meditation and concentration etc. Certainly, such an intimate co-ordination would not be possible without the decisive part the master plays in the whole process of initiation,

215His sovereign will leads the disciple, step by step, until the final integration into universal consciousness. Thus the master is comparable with a bridge that the disciple crosses from the profane world to self-awareness. It is generally acknowledged that the personality of a great master irradiates an electrifying and fascinating charisma. This is very important for Saiva tantra because a good deal of its rites envisage techniques of persuasion, suggestion and hypnosis. This power of influence is the central and most intimate part of initiation which is nothing else but the insertion of the says Abhinavagupta master's illuminated consciousness into the non-illuminated self of the disciple. Only in this way the aspirant succeeds in merging into Siva. The master-disciple relationship is institutionalized through the "spiritual family". Its function as well as the central place the master occupies in the spiritual family were very clearly defined by Abhinavagupta: "Therefore, knowing that the notions of 'self' and others' are equally (unreal and) imaginary (kalpanika), the master forms a unique self with all those with whom he shines in unity, and hence he is called the 'perfect' (siddha) and the 'liberated' " (Tantraloka, I, 223). Qualities of a master are judged by the number of followers and their renown. It is said that, when somebody who takes part in a master's spiritual family (samtana) reaches freedom, the master has liberated his own self. So, they say that one who possesses true knowledge leads the whole spiritual family toward freedom (Tantraloka, I, 234-236). The group constituting the spiritual family may

- 216be composed of both a master's relatives for instance his wife, brothers children etc. and persons from outside. The twofold links which are established within it are based upon either consanguinity or knowledge; the second relationship is basic from the Saivite tantric point of view. The ideal case is to join both criteria, as it was pointed out in the foregoing pages. Consanguinity or "corporeal" continuum regards the persons that come directly or indirectly from the master's material body and consequently, who are his legal heirs. There is an implied supposition in the Saivite tantric milieus that occult knowledge is aimilar to a kind of property and it must remain especially in the bosom of the master's family, like other goods. This narrow meaning of the tantric family concerns the great-grandfather, the grandfather, the father, the man in the family who celebrates the pinda or the sraddha, viz. the post-mortem offerings, for the first three, the preceptor's brothers, his sons, the grand-sons and the great-grandsons, all of them belonging to the same patrilineage. They are called avibhaktadayasapinda, that is, equals to the hereditary transmission of the family's goods and to the celebration of sraddha. The quality of upakr beneficiary of the worldly goods within a family the right of being upakaraka and sevakadih, i.e. assistent, adjutory, devotee etc. of a tantric preceptor in the same family (P.V.KANE History of Dharmashastra, vol. IV, pp.265 seq.). viz. the bestows from itself Usually, a great master will broaden his spiritual family through the admitance of a good deal of other devotees with whom

217there are no blood links. This is based upon a wider understanding of the concept of spiritual family where the ego is identified not only with the "corporeal" continuum but mainly with the all-pervasive consciousness. Actually this is the foremost conception in Saiva tantra, making allowance for the knowledge-continuum. Supporting this point of view, Abhinavagupta shows that the corporeal continuum is based upon a material cause, while the self is beyond any kind of adulteration (vikara), being eternal and causeless. Therefore, the appropriate means for engendering the manifestation of the self that leads further to fruition and freedom, is to cultivate this knowledge-continuum. The spiritual continuum due to the same current of knowledge creates a psychic homogeneity among the members of the group (Tantraloka, XXVIII, 199-203). The homogeneous continuum which is devoid of category of time but still belongs to the phenomenal existence, develops further into another "continuum". This new current of consciousness within a spiritual family is similar to what the buddhists name the asrayaparavrtti or the "revolution of substratum" (Haracarita-cintamani, XXVIII, 201-204). The source of this supernal (udara) continuum of knowledge does not belong to the phenomenal existence. As a matter of fact, it is the master's consciousness that enters the other members' self (atmaga), unifying them all. It could be considered as the true material cause (upadana) of the new spiritual continuum insomuch as, like a material cause, it is inherent to its effect (Haracarita-cintamani, XXVIII, 205-205). The master's consciousness becomes the unifying ground where all the selves gather in spite of maintaining separated bodies; the unique self that passes through all the members has only the master's peculiar features (svavisesa). At this stage, the separation of bodies does not influence the continuum of knowledge, like a "corpse penetrated by a yogi's will"

218 where various functions of his pure knowledge which yield senses of view, of hearing etc. in the corpse (Haracarita-cintamani-) material cause (Tantraloka,XXVIII, 205-206). discharge the duties of a It results that the fellows forming a master's # we have discussed "continuum" are based in their endeavour on Siva's consciousness. The master embodies this consciousness, manifesting it through three components: the cause, the potential element and the effects. above the cause-component in the master's personality. His potential and co-operative element is his woman who represents the power-component or counterpart. Devoid of the feminine principle who must second him, the master looses his sacred qualities to celebrate the tantric rites. Certainly, there are masters who are gifted with an inner power of superconsciousness which can replace the outside power, i.e. the woman. The feminine principle is the indispensable exponent of any kind of creation. Inserving inwardly this principle, the Saivite tantrika is able to engender strange phenomena in the external world, like apparitions of new things etc., phenomena that are brought into being because the material world has ultimately a spiritual origin which is universal pure thinking. The feminine principle of actualizes the supreme consciousness into the material world. the power is the instrument that The whole "continuum" of the spiritual i amily is the produce or the effect of the preceptor's ability. The master's brothers and sisters are closest to him, because they have the same parents, hence the same source has brought them all into being. Naturally. those very closely related to his brothers, viz. their wives and sons,

219 as well as the master's wife and sons, enjoy certain privileges within the spiritual family. They are considered to form the foremost "continuum", the nucleus of the spiritual family when all of them are devoted to the Saiva tantric path (Tantraloka, XXVIII, 211-212). In his turn, the disciple is seen as the embodiment of the "inquiring" self-consciousness which is a phase in the evolution of phenomenalized thinking. He represents the moment when consciousness begins to be aware of its role in the universe. The disciple's state of mind therefore revolves upon the great existential problems. He is comprised (anunmilita) in the outside evolution whose sense he tries to discover (Tantraloka, I, 253-255). Thus, the disciple-master relationship could be characterized as the rapport between question and its answer (SVT, VIII, 31 b-32a). b Pure wisdom which guides the disciple by Paramesvara's will to find an answer to his own existence, becomes "good reason" in the disciple's mind. it helps him to follow the right way even though, by chance, he has met a bad master (Tantraloka, IV, 33-34). The disciple's desire for true knowledge is due to a diminishment of powers keeping him in bondage. "He who is penetrated by Rudra's power, desiring by Siva's will to go to a good master, is guided (by Him) in order to realize freedom and fruition" (Malinivijaya-tantra, I, 44). The "good reason" gives rise in the disciple to the ability of becoming aware in time of the true capacity of his master and, if the preceptor is not the one for whom he was looking, he will seek another. The master, like a tantric scripture, must be

220 judged consonant with his possibility of diminishing the sciences, e power (saktivicitrata). Diminishments of power are divided into two main categories: superior (parama) and inferior (apara), which are in their turn, divided into nine subspecies. All diminishments of power transcend the karmic activity which operates in the may realm (Tantraloka, XIII, 254-257a). In the foregoing pages the classification of diminishing powers into threefold degrees was presented; violent, middle and weak. The violent-middle diminishment of power bestows intuitive consciousness (pratibham, to a master; thereby he will be called "instructed" (sista). The disciples (sisya) must look for such a master (Tantraloka, XIII, 134a) instructed in all who is named the "self-born" (svayambhu) because he has grasped the true meaning of the scriptures by his intuition; this is possible in so far as intuition is the main component of the scriptures. Some texts uphold that such an intuitive master would be especially Suitable for those aspiring to freedom. Disciples desiring propitiation would have to be guided by masters who have passed through multifarious rites of purification (samskrta) because fruition is produced by a complex of causes (samagri). In a certain tradition, only the master who was consacrated according to the rules (abhisikta) and who has observed the oatn of wisdom would be a preceptor worthy of being followed. Abhinavagupta and his masters impart another opinion. For their spiritual line the Malinivijayatantra is the foremost guide concerning the tantric procedure. Here, the Saivite master must first of all, know the particular reature of every category (Malinivijaya-tantra, II, Thereby it results that he will be continuously penetrated by Rudra's 10.

221power. The tokens of such a penetration are: 1. a firm devotion to kudra; 2. the realization or any desire by means of mantra, which is the peremptory proof of his ability; 3. domination of all the creatures; 4. a happy end of everything he undertakes; 5. the gift of poetry; 6. a perfect intuitive knowledge of all the scriptures (Malinivijaya-tantra, II, 13-16). Certainly, knowing the ritualistic behaviour makes a master fully accomplished. "Therefore, that master who is adorned by both kinds of purifications - intuitive and exterior -, being dependent on no one (or better "not having been formed by anyone" ananyopakaryatvat), is said to be (Bhairava) himself, the bestower of any boon" (Tantraloka, XIII, 158). The majority of the disciples are not aware of their psychic possibilities and their faculty of intuition is insufficiently developed. The arising of superconsciousness is engendered by three means; the master, sacred scriptures or by itself. Some disciples are suitable for following the path of pure knowledge in their initiation, while for others, the ritualistic discipline is more adequate (Kiranatantra, I, VI, 7-8). "Intuition becomes clear and brilliant with the help of masters and of scriptures, as a fire arises from under ashes (by the help of wind)" (Tantraloka, XIII, 175). When intuition appears by itself in the devotee, he could also find a good master in order to receive confirmation of his acquirement. The qualification of subjects in Saiva tantra is made in consonance with their diminishment of power. Those who have obtained only a part of Rudra's nature and acquire gradually identification with Siva by divine favour are called "neophytes" (samayin). The

- 222 disciples who are connected in a way with the pure world, achieving freedom either after death or still in this life, are named "spiritual sons" (putraka). The third category of disciples called "adepts" (sadhaka) aims at propitiation and they could obtain freedom either Z gradually during the life or after death. The last category of subjects is that of masters (acarya); they have reached self-awareness, being immersed in the divine nature which is expressed by the five supreme operations. In so far as they are tantamount to Siva, the masters have the ability to bestow fruition and freedom. The four degrees of diminishment of power analysed above in a certain succession could also be taken for independent manners in regarding the supreme freedom and the modality in which it is realized (Tantraloka, XIII, 296b-300a). Usually, in the Saivite tantric schools the qualification as a master is received after passing through three previous stages of the disciple. The master who misleads his disciple towards distorted knowledge must submit to recovery-rites (prayascittam) and he is deprived of any qualification (adhikara) in the Saivite schools. In his turn, the disciple who, desiring certain fruition, allows himself to be drawn on a wrong way, will be tortured in hell for the sin of following a mischief-making master (Tantraloka, XIII, 309-310). The encounter of a disciple with such a master is an effect of Siva's obscuration; a bad preceptor is not a token of diminishment of worldly power, but of obscuration. Becoming aware of the incapacity of the chosen master, the disciple must perform the rite of purloining the knowledge. He will abandon afterwards that preceptor, devoting himself to right knowledge.

223- "In the same manner as a king firstly takes from a thief the extorted goods and afterwards punishes him, the wise will take the knowledge of Siva 鉁� which are impiously taught by) the master following Visnu etc. (and then he punishes him)" (Tantraloka, XIII, 313-314a). The master belonging to the superior schools is qualified by this very fact for these inferior schools. The Saivite master has a sacred duty to help the inferior schools to come into touch with the highest doctrine enlarging thus their outlook and possibilities. The follower of an inferior doctrine will approach spontaneously a Saivite master if his diminishment of power allows it; it is a necessary step in every individual evolution. The knowledge imparted by a Saiva master is of three kinds: erudition (srutam), reflection (cinta) and meditation (bhavana). From all of these, only the meditative realization (bhavana) is the cause of liberation. The master must extract the impure categories from the disciple and afterwards to unify him with Siva. Fruition, which is generally acquired by means of inferior categories, does not constitute a means for freedom. For bestowing liberation, the master needs "a well-trained knowledge" (Malinivijaya-tantra, IV, 40) which means that he is equal to Siva, being allowed to realize all kinds of propitiations and freedom as well. Such a preceptor is not easy to be found and therefore the disciple should be in a continous search for him. "When desiring the scent, a bee goes from flower to flower%3B thus a disciple desiring the knowledge goes from master to master. If he has a master devoid of power (saktihina), how will he be able to reach freedom and knowledge? The

224 roots of a tree being uprooted, o Goddess, where will flowers and fruit further come from?" (Tantraloka, XIII, 335-336). He who despite having the chance (laksmi) to follow a superior master, stops on a low plane, is punished by the sky (daivadagdhaka). For providing fruition, freedom and knowledge, the master must be skilful and an experienced yogi (yogasiddha). If it is difficult to find such an accomplished master, then a "knower" (jnanin) will have to be followed for achieving knowledge and liberation and a yogi for acquiring fruition. The knower must in any case be looked for sooner or later, because only he bestows final self-awareness. If the disciple is really stricken by a violent diminishment of power (Haracarita-cintamani, XIII, 342) he will surely find a master gifted with perfect knowledge. When the pure wisdom arises, the person will be called "spontaneous" (samsiddhika), understanding that the knowledge has aroused by itself. The manner of obtaining knowledge by means of a master is inferior both to that obtained through the scriptures and by itself; the last is the highest form (Kiranagama, I, 9-13b). "He in whom good reason manifests by itself, having aptitude for everything, is a consecrated (abhisikta), an initiate directly by the goddesses of his own consciousness. He is the foremost master of all of them. The other those 'trained' (kalpita), lose any fituess in his presence" (Tantraloka, IV, 42b-44a). In other words, it comes out that pure wisdom is able masters, to illuminate by itself. Masters are divided into two main classes: those who are "without support" (bhitti) and those "with support". The support

225ary can be total or partial and it may play a main or second' role in the master's formation. "He wno, de-pite the fact that he has never seeu a mandala, out Knows the truth, is an initiate (and) possessing yoga always benefits from any achievement" (Paratrishika, 18b-19a). Abhinava comments upon these two lines in his "Short commentary" as follows: "Without speaking or the other rites, the various rites which the master conveys generically called demonstration of the mandala in the the mantras stanza fice, - with beginning with the consecration upto the true and proper sacriare here useless. He who knows what was said and what will be said in accordance with the truth, beyond any doubt, will take part in two kinds of achievements, viz. freedom and fruition; he has acquired the true yoga which is characterized by interpenetration; and he has received the true initiation which bestows Siva's state and destroys the ties of multiplicity". Such a "spontaneous" or "non-formed" master has reached the knowledge of the scriptures through an inner realization (atmabhavana) and without resorting to a master. "Such a master can in fact use various means for acquiring the non-formed and noble consecration (abhiseka), namely realization, meditation, recitation, sleep, worship and sacrifice" (Tantraloka, IV, 53). When the disciple can not find a suitable master, he must proceed to the inner self-initiation by means of mantra. "He who performs the shown rites ceaselessly (i.e. the rites of propitiation of venerated goddess Rakta) becomes a neophyte in three and half days, a spiritual son in a week, an adept in fifteen days and a master in a month" (Tantraloka, IV, 63-64). Here, the goddess Rakta is in fact the guide of

226 initiation, thanks to the repetition of the mantra. Learning mantras from books is a vitiated procedure because, once written, a mantra becomes sterile in a way, lacking the fervour of direct and secret communication concerned in subconscious functions. If the practitioner succeeds in revitalizing the chosen mantra by his particular gift, there is no further impediment in using this method. Another reason that mantras different substances etc. are kept hidden, is to avoid the possibility of mischier-making by some people. The initiatory rites also play the role of a kind of test that qualifies psychically and morally the performers. Without these "tests" it is quite difficult to establish the real moral ability of an adept. It is an ascertained fact that common people and even beginners of occult practices would rather feel inclined to make evil than good. Even great initiates like Milarepa confessed that at the beginning of their mastery on occult powers they used to do a lot of harm to other people and only later on, reaching a higher level of understanding, changed their minds. The second possibility to reach the state of superconsciousness is by the help of the scriptures. it could be accomplished afterwards by a master, bestowing the ritualistic initiation on the disciple who will become in this way a "formeu" master in his turn; on the other hand, the mere contact with the scriptures could bring about the highest state and consequently, the follower will become a "formed-non-formed" master. Among these two parts making up his new personality, the perfection ( utkarsa) comes from the "non-formed" side by which pure wisdom manifests itself (Tantraloka, IV, 7ob-74a). "In the same

- 227manner as in the dualistic Saiva schools the liberated Sivas are inferior to the original Siva, so the masters who have acquired their knowledge from others are inferior for us to those masters who have achieved such knowledge spontaneously. The former are devoid of any authority in the latter's presence - as it happens with the liberated Sivas (in front of Siva himself) and they (i.e. the "formed" masters) remain silent, retraining from any action%; for making some (tantric practices) they comply with the actions (of spontaneous masters) 3" (Tantraloka, IV, 74b-76a). The non-formed master who submits himself to others' purificatory rites in order to confirm his own convinctions is really Bhairava himseli" (Tantraloka, IV, 76b). The Airanatantra presents saivite masters as having different inclinations for the method of teaching: some of them lay stress upon knowledge, others on yoga and the third category on initiatory rites%; their efficacity decreases in the same order (Kiranat., I, p.14). The master must examine the disciple's abilities (sisyaucityapariksa) in order to find certain mutual affinities. When the master is ready to start the rite of propitiation, he will ask the disciple about the nature of the desired achievement (Sivagrayogindrajnanasivacarya's Saivaparibhasa, Mysore, 1950, pp. 135-137). The achievement that constitutes the object of the rite (sadhya) depends both on mantra, mudra, substances for oblation etc. and mental dispositions of the performers. While the first components remain always the same, mental dispositions of the master and disciple determine the fulfilment of the rite in so far as they differ from person to person.

- 228 The adept (sadhaka) is technically a devotee who does not teach, but who "gives fruit to himself" (phaladah svasmai Kshemaraja, Netratantra, XVI, 48 & Comm.), hence he is mainly looking for propitiation. A spiritual son (putraka) aims especially at final freedom. Sadhakas are divided further into two subcategories, namely "extraordinary" (sivadharmin) who are alien to the common mundane activity and "ordinary" (lokadharmin) who are fond of fruition%3B this second type is concerned with gathering good actions and avoiding evil. The spiritual sons aspiring to freedom are divided also into two subcategories in accordance with the "seeds" (or the "semen" -bija) which are the rules to be observed after initiation. There are 'semenless' (nirbija) aspirants who are spared from observing the rules (samaya), viz. children, cripples, old persons, invalids etc. and spiritual sons who are endowed with semen' (sabija), viz. they are normal beings who should perform further post-initiatory rites (Tantraloka, XV, 23-26). These "seeds" must be deeply implanted in them becoming subconscious patterns. The master must accurately cancel the past and future karma of a spiritual son aspiring to freedom and thereby, having no further interest (nirapeksa) in mundane propitiation. He must not cancel the present karma which brings about fruition for the purpose of supreme self-realization. As concerning sadhakas, the master must cancel their past and future karma in the same manner, in order to allow the development of a new "being" in the future (bhutyartham) (Tantraloka, XV, 27-28). Ksemaraja expresses a slightly different opinion on the point: "As concerning those who desire fruition, the master must refrain from

228 The adept (sadhaka) is technically a devotee who does not teach, but who "gives fruit to himself" (phaladah svasmai Kshemaraja, Netratantra, XVI, 48 & Comm.), hence he is mainly looking for propitiation. A spiritual son (putraka) aims especially at final freedom. Sadhakas are divided further into two subcategories, namely "extraordinary" (sivadharmin) who are alien to the common mundane activity and "ordinary" (lokadharmin) who are fond of fruition; this second type is concerned with gathering good actions and avoiding evil. The spiritual sons aspiring to freedom are divided also into two subcategories in accordance with the "seeds" (or the "semen" -bija) which are the rules to be observed after initiation There are 'semenless' (nirbija) aspirants who are spared from observing the rules (samaya), viz. children, cripples, old persons, invalids etc. and spiritual sons who are endowed 'with semen' (sabija), viz. they are normal beings who should perform further post-initiatory rites (Tantraloka, XV, 23-26). These "seeds" must be deeply implanted in them becoming subconscious patterns. The master must accurately cancel the past and future karma of a spiritual son aspiring to freedom and thereby, having no further interest (nirapeksa) in mundane propitiation. He must not cancel the present karma which brings about fruition for the purpose of supreme self-realization. As concerning sadhakas, the master must cancel their past and future karma in the same manner, in order to allow the development of a new "being" in the future (bhutyartham) (Tantraloka, XV, 27-28). Ksemaraja expresses a slightly different opinion on the point: "As concerning those who desire fruition, the master must refrain from

- 229cancelling (the karma) that which is a spring of thriving, but must - confine himself to cancel only the past (karma and from this) only a certain type (namely the bad asubha karma)" (sadhakasya tu bhutyartham prakkarmaikam tu sodhayet SVT, IV, 142a). This is the "extraordinary" initiation (sivadharmini) which removes the lay habits of the sadhaka. The "ordinary" initiation (lokadharmini) concerns only the gathering of good karma, without special practices as recitation of particular mantras and so on (Kshemaraja, SVT, IV, 85). By "ordinary" initiation only the bad karmic residua from the past and future karma are cancelled, but everything good will remain. In this way, after the dissolution of the material body, the disciple will cull the friction of his deeds, reaching thus a higher plane from where the master will make him merge into Siva. In the "semenless" initiation, the master must cancel various ties of the rules that one has usually to observe. Freedom is brought on here by initiation and devotion to God and Master only. It suddenly bestows nirvana, removing the three bonds of past, present and future karma. Having achieved this initiatory rite, the disciple is purified and he will go to the supreme abode at the point of death (SVT, IV, 147b-149). As regards the initiation "supplied with semen", the adep must observe the prescribed rules, or otherwise, he will pass through bad feelings after death (SVT, IV, 146). Having tested the aspirant's frame of mind (vasana) and finding his diminishment of power, the master should be welldisposed to initiate him. A master who rejects such an aspirant will go to hell after death and in this world will suffer from a lot of ill-

- 230 nesses (Tantraloka, XXIII, 29-30). "This is Siva's express desire. If the disciple is poor, the master will have personally to cover (the expenses) of initiation ; when the master is also poor, he will offer at least a drink of water and the durva grass" (Tantraloka, XV, 36). From the condition of "spiritual son", the qualification of "adept" or "master" can be reached in accordance with the aspirant's state of mind. Reaching the state of "well-exercised knowledge the disciple is suitable to become a master and to pass through the rites of consecration. All the texts underline that the quality of "master comes out as a consequence of superior knowledge and not of consecrating rites alone. All the other features that enrich the master's personality as: compassion, knowledge of grammer (pada), of orthodox speculation (vakya) and of logic (pramana), devotion to Siva, profound knowledge of the Saivite scriptures, are not even worth a "self-bora" (svayambhuh master possessing true knowledge. Also, the refusal of being a master because the aspirant strews his head with ashes, wears emblems or is the son of an ascetic, a wanton, a widow, or born from an adultery, is not accepted in Saiva tantra (Tantraloka, XXIII, 7-10). 嘟� The master must proceed in accordance with the scripture which he follows. Formal injunctions - as to avoid the blind, refers to "operant" masters who are the masters from Kancii land etc. connected with the ritual actions and they do not envisage the "knowers". "The master who consecrates other master must choose a fellow of full and perfect knowledge, without taking into account any characteristic depending on place, family, benaviour or body" (Tantraloka, XXIII, 16b-17a).

- 231 The rite of consecration of a new master follows the worship-rites and oblation. Then, the master will sprinkle the disciple with water from sixty-four bowls at the beginning and, at the end, he will purify him with water from a single bowl, representing the supreme unity of knowledge. The water has been previously purified and impregnated with magical qualities by mantras. Sprinkling the disciple to for the consecration, the master must impart him the main outy of a Saivite master: "Thou must rain thy favour on disciples in whom Siva's power nas aroused" (Tantraloka, XXIII, 2oa). The master is considered the "root of knowledge" and must make blossom his seven attributes: initiation, explanation, pity, friendship, the study of scriptures, unity with Siva and generosity (Tantraloka, XXIII, 22-23a). He must not make any differentiation when imparting initiation, but only when bestowing knowledge. During the rite of consecration, the master will entrust various instruments of worship - - the chalk, the knife etc. to the future master. The latter, receiving consecration, will give a certain retribution to the master, in accordance with his material conditions. The "operant" master, i.e. devoid of true knowledge , should not exert his duties concerning initiation of other disciples without previous approval of his master. On the other hand, the knowing master in thoroughly free in his actions; the only injunction he should obey concerns the conveyal of his knowledge to some followers before he retires (Tantrasara, p.173, 1.4-7). Receiving the consecration, the master devotes himself for the next six months to the identification with mantra in

- 232order to obtain the necessary power (viryam) to cut the bonds. A Saivite tantric master will concentrate on the recitation of mantras of the three Goddesses, the four Bhairavas, the eight Aghoras etc. (Haracarita-cintamani, XXIII, 31). This procedure aiming at stretneming the mantric force creates new faculties for the subtle body which act in the same way in which the sense organs do for the material body (SpK, II, 1). This method is called the "vow of wisdom" (tadvratam) and technically it consists in a unification of mantra with the power of vital breath along seventeen wheels of the subtle body, from the "root" upto the supreme wheel of the self. The application of mantras on cakras can be made separately, viz. insisting on a single wheel, or passing through all the wheels one by one; also, a certain mantra can be applied simultaneously to all the cakras. Such a proceeding bestows supreme self-awareness. to The "vow of wisdom" is the last step toward the master's accomplishment inasmuch as it is the final procedure or a thorough interiority of the world. From now on, the master may celebrate all the rites mentally (Tantraloka, XXIII, 44a). Further, he must take care bestow the knowledge, the mastery, occult powers and the sense of sacred scriptures only to suitable disciples and after examining them for a long time. The mere desire which arises sometimes proach the hidden meaning of existence can not be taken always for a firm diminishment of power, as it could be like the passing desire of an inveterate sinner not to sin further (Tantraloka, XXIII, 48-49). in a person to apWhen the master ascertains that he has imparted the knowledge to an unsuitable person, he will proceed to the "purloining

233 ' of knowledge" (haranam maten). For this purpose firstly he concentrates on his forehead which is visualized shining like the sun or the moon. Afterwards he imagines that, from the sky of his superconsciousness concentrated in the lotus of his heart, the malevolent and boding (vana) power of the Lord springs out auring the process of dissolution and enters the disciple. The dark power growing foggy as the demon Rahu will devour the disciple's light%3B consequently, the knowledge, mantras, viayas etc. which have been imparted to him by mistake will act against his desire (Malinivijaya-tantra, XVIII, 58-66). The purloining of knowledge is possible in so far as the master is equal with Siva Siva and able to engender the five operations. This procedure is used only if the worst comes to the worst, because the master, being the Lord himself and possessing perfect Knowledge, must not benave angrily against a person who is naturally darkened. The main function of a master is always to bestow lavour and relief to his fellow-man. "Let's suppose that somebouy, being aroused by the Lord's will, wants to put a rope around his neck; maybe the master will have to help him hang? In fact, although the master is inseparable from Siva (i.e. able to exert all the five operations), he is intrinsic and devoted mainly to the Lord's power of grace, understanding thereby to favour his neighbour in any manner. The purloining of knowledge which is expounded in the Malinivijaya order to show the absolute freedom of the master and it is not to be has been mentioned in practiced. He who is going to fall down needs rather to be lent a helping hand (and) not to be given a push" (Tantraloka, XXIII, 66-68). The master will better purify the darkened

- 234 disciple with atoning rites, making him look again for the divine path. If the disciple has been tarnished by a certain master, nobody else can enlighten him but that master (Malinivijaya-tantra, XVIII, 66b-67a). The purloining of knowledge is used especially when a disciple abandons a superior doctrine and starts to follow an inferior school. The separation between master and disciple occurs when there is a certain discrepancy between them. It may come from the master's part, consisting in lack of knowledge, an incapacity of conveying the knowledge or an inappropriate conveyance; the main flaw of the disciple is the lack of trust in the master's knowledge. The only defect for which the master could be blamed is lack of supreme knowledge; anything else is of no importance. "The disciple must not examine his (i.e. the master's) conduct in life or whether he is virtuous or not. He (the preceptor) alone knows what is convenient and what inconvenient. When he does things that should not be done, i.e. thefts and murders, the good disciple would have to try respectfully to dissuade him. If, in spite of (the disciple's) attempt to dissuade him, (the master) does not cease his bad actions, it would be proper that the disciple goes somewhere else, meditating and collecting his thoughts upon Siva " (Malinivijaya-tantra, XVIII, 7ob-73a). The preceptor is followed by those who are stricken by a weak or middle diminishment of power. The violent diminishment of power leads to an inner illumination without the help of a master. Generally, the disciple must pay attention to behave in a certain manner in front of his master. He must not irritate him, manifesting continuously obedience. When the master is present, the disciple must stop any activity, being ready to carry out only the

-235former's requests. The adept must not employ anything belonging to the master, viz. his couch, cloths, seat, wife etc. being objects of permanent veneration (Tantraloka, XV, 538-540). The master remains the foremost source of knowledge; "a mere conversation with him is already a spring of sudden elevation for us. Therefore, the master must be satisfied" (Tantraloka, XV, 545). On any day of divine service, a particular rite of worship for the preceptor's benefit is to be performed. The names of the master, the scriptures and the Goddesses are inner mantras and they must be pronounced during the worship-rites only. Once evocating such a mantra, it must be immediately satisfied and propitiated, otherwise it will ravish half of the performer's body (Tantraloka, XV, 561-562). The master's name is to be pronounced preceded by the syllable sri and making an offering at the same time. The master's shadow must not be passed over (Tantraloka, XV, 564). The house that has received the visit of the preceptor's family, will afterwards celebrate a particular ceremony. The disciple must not talk about the scripture he follows or the other initiates with heterodox fellows. Any remark a disciple makes on his master must not be accompanied by bad feelings (Tantraloka, XV,568- 569). Even after obtaining the supreme knowledge, the disciple must behave in the same manner with his master. "Having acquired the knowledge, he who is not pervaded by veneration for his master has not firm trust in his knowledge and is actually lost" (Tantraloka, XV, 585-586a). Consequently the preceptor is assimilated to the profoundest part of one's consciousness, being an instrument of interpenetration between subconscious functions and the waking state of mind.

236In this endeavour the master has the foremost task of projecting the path along which he intends to carry out the initiatory process on the disciple's body. For this purpose, the spiritual son is worshipped with flowers if he personally takes part in the rite, or by the agency of an image made up of kusa grass, when he is absent. The path which is to be projected on the disciple's body, will guide him through the necessary purificatory flight towards the supreme awareness. The chosen path is considered the main means for the respective disciple, because it is the most suitable for him and unifies in it all the other paths. Having been tantamount to Siva by a previous rite, the master will project the karmic tarnish onto the disciple's arms, the mayic tarnish onto his throat and the subtle tarnish onto his hair-tuft. He imagines all these points as being knots on a threefold thread. The three homologous knots will be tied on a real thread symbolizing the universal tarnish, which will be handed to the disciple to wear (SVT, III, 163). on The whole path is based on the vital breaths joining together in the dvadasanta which is the supreme target%;B the tuft symbolizes it. During various rituals, the "fixation of the tuft" means, according to Jayaratha "nothing else but a continuous meditation upon the power of breathing, which is carried out by a steadfast attention the beginning, the middle point and on the end of every respiratory act" (Haracarita-cintamani, VI, 22-24). The tuit (sikha) is worshipped with a special mantra (Tantraloka, XXX, lob-lla) and symbolizes the supreme awareness of the self. The pure vital breathing materializes on the lower levels as action (kriya) and body (murti), which together compose

237the spatiotemporality. "The Lord manifests the spatial succession by the variety of manifestations of bodies (murtivaicitrya) and temporal succession by manifestations of actions (kriyavaicitrya)" (Utpaladeva Pratyabhijna-karika, II, 1, 5). The arms which is the maya's knot are the residence of action and the throat - is representative of this bodily existence, being patronized by Visnu ."The thread is tied thrice threefold (tristrigunam) forming knots in order to signify the multiple forms the triad Man-Power-Siva assumes" (Tantraloka, XVII, 50-ba). This threau will be the spiritual son's main distinctive mark reminding him for the rest life of the initiatory discipline and its supreme target as taught by his saivite master. of his