Shakti as Maya

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devi_bhakta

 

This post builds on the foundation laid in the three "Back to Basics"

posts if left here yesterday; if you've not read them and aren't

familiar with the basic concepts of Tantric Shaktism, it would

definitely help to review those earlier posts before trying to make

sense out of this one!

 

Briefly, we begin with the understanding that everything in the

Universe is the One Shiva-Shakti -- God-Goddess, if you will. Shiva

--

the male principle, the right-hand side of the Ardhanarishvara --

represents Pure Consciousness, all-pervasive but inactive. Shakti --

the female principle, the Great Mother, the left-hand side of the

Ardhanarishvara -- is the active aspect of God, taking the form of

all

manifest creation. Devi Bhaktas (devotees of Devi, another name for

Shakti/Mother/Goddess/etc.) focus worship and devotion on Devi,

rather than Shiva or Vishnu, the two other principle devotional

strands of Hinduism. Devi bhaktas are therefore followers of Shakti

Sadhnaa, or Shaktism. Today, I will attempt to define "Maya" in the

context of Shaktism.

 

In the Macrocosm, the Universe, Pure Consciousness (Shiva) is infinite

and formless. Life, Mind and Matter (manifestations of Shakti) are

finite and have form. In the Microcosm, the human body, the soul

(atma) is unchanging and inactive. Its animating principle, Kundalini

Shakti, is active and changes in the form of both Mind and Matter.

 

Creation is the act of Mother apparently differentiating Herself from

Shiva and manifesting as the Universe. As for the question of "Why"

creation takes place, I'll attempt to address that in the next

installment, "Shakti as Prakriti" -- or better yet, perhaps other

members will share their wisdom and experience on this question! When

we everyone contributes, the energy here becomes greater than the sum

of its parts!

 

Suffice it to say for now that Creation occurs due to a cosmic

imbalance between the three qualities (Gunas) by which Mother gives

expression to Nature or Prakriti -- which is the creative power and

"finitizing" principle, synonymous with "Maya". As stated more

poetically in the "Kulacudamani" (Ch. I), with this imbalance of

Gunas, "Devi becomes desirous of creation, and covers Herself with

her own Maya."

 

The Ten Mahavidyas (Wisdom Goddesses) offer one excellent means

of symbolically explaining this process. Sir John Woodroffe, in "The

Serpent Power," elaborates: "Maya … is in fact constituted by the

Samskara [mental impressions] and Vaasanaa [tendencies] produced by

Karma accomplished in previously existing worlds. … They were

produced by desire for worldly enjoyment, and they themselves

produce

such desire. The worlds exist because they, in their totality, will

to exist. Each individual exists because [his or her] will desires

worldly life."

 

So Maya (from the Sanskrit verb root "ma," to measure, to limit, to

give form) is our sense of difference -- that power which makes us

see the Universe, and all things and persons in the Universe, as

different from ourselves, when in essence we and they are the One

Shiva-Shakti. To again quote Woodroffe, "Shakti veils consciousness

by negating in various degrees Herself as Consciousness."

 

Shaktas worship Mother and appeal to her to be their guide back to

Universal Consciousness. For Devi is not only the One who veils. She

is also the one who liberates. Woodroffe explains that the worship of

Devi is "Philosophically sound, for all that [human beings] know --

outside the ecstasy of Samadhi -- is the Mother in Her form as the

world. The Supreme Shakti, who is not different from Shiva, is

embodied in every order of thing."

 

This is probably a good place to point out an important theological

distinction between Shaktism and some other schools of Sanatana

Dharma (Hinduism) that interpret the term "Maya" as meaning

"illusion." For example, in Shankara's Vedantic interpretation, maya

is taken as pure illusion or unreality. For Shaktas and Saivites (and

most other nondualists), it is understood not as illusion but as

relative reality, in contrast to the unchanging Absolute Reality.

Everything around us in our finite world is real -- it simply isn't

the complete picture.

 

As stated by particle physicist Fritjof Capra in "The Tao of

Physics", "Maya does not mean that the world is an illusion, as is

often wrongly stated. The illusion merely lies in our point of view,

if we think that the shapes and structures, things and events,

around

us are realities of nature, instead of realizing that they are

concepts of our measuring and categorizing minds. Maya is the

illusion

of taking these concepts for reality, of confusing the map with

the territory."

 

Shakti in the form of Mind performs the positive task of allowing

humans to function in the finite Universe in which our physical

bodies exist. The downside of this phenomenon, however, is that we

then become entwined in this finite Universe, losing sight of the

Ultimate Reality due to our entrancement by Veiled Reality and its

attractions and distractions. Shakti Sadhana is a Path toward reunion

with the Ultimate Reality, a method by which we can exchange this

limited, worldly experience for Unlimited, Whole and Perfect Bliss.

 

 

dkSesh

 

Question about creation. why at all?

all that we have is a process. This explains how and what? perhaps

where and also when? But all these, how , what where and when are

relative to a starting point and this starting point is relative to

time.

 

Time is truthfully not definable for it is not really

comprehensible by the mind about the begining and the end of time for

there cannot be any such thing. For a begin and end supposes there

was

something before and after that and this again falls back on the

dependency of time.

 

One reason why God is also called Time.

 

Despite all these, why at all? why all these things at all?

 

devi_bhakta

 

Hi Seshadri:

About the fact of Creation, you ask: "why at all?"

That's as big as questions get, isn't it? I guess I'd begin the

discussion at least by saying it is in the nature of things. The

saying goes, "Nothing is permanent but change."

 

That is reflected in the Tantric concept of Shiva-Shakti (or

Shakti-Shiva, as you prefer!) ... Shiva, the static ground of

Shakti's

Energy represents the eternal urge toward inertia; Shakti is the

eternal urge toward activity.

 

The balance, or stasis, between these urges is both the starting

point and the ending point of Creation. The Unity of Shiva-Shakti is

stasis; the three gunas are in balance . However, it cannot remain so

--it is not in the nature of things. The essence of existence is in

movement, change -- and so eventually, after seconds or eons we

cannot know, the gunas begin to fall out of balance again, and

creation rains down.Or -- to put it "scientifically," another Big

Bang

happens -- energy becames matter, matter expands and differentiates,

life emerges and evolves, matter contracts, matter becomes energy and

once again stasis is achieved.

 

The answer to the "Why?" of Creation is Desire. Shakti's Desire.

She is the Ultimate Material Girl: When She has Unity, Her desire

builds for the opposite -- to go off and do Her own thing. When She

finally gets her independence, all She desires is Unity again. It is

this dynamic flux and tension that -- quite literally -- makes the

world go 'round.

 

My two cents, at least.

Aum Maatangyai Namaha

 

adi_shakthi16

 

dear db, the question keeps coming up during discussions as to who

is superior, shiva or shakti? the greatest worshipper of shakti is

shiva and the greatest devotee of shiva is shakti herself , at least

that is what scriptural texts say. they are complementary to each

other as is evident from the sculpture of ardha-nareeshwara as well

as from the 'shiva-linga' for the symbol of shiva linga also includes

yoni. (purusha and prakriti principle) in the famous dakshineshwer

temple in calcutta which houses the divine mother aa 'bhavatarini' ,

we have also the twelve jyothirlingas of lord shiva. in the gospel

of

sree ramakrishna also we find many refrences to shiva stotras ! so

the great sree ramakrishna himself worshipped the divine consort of

the divine mother! in sree lalita sahasaranama, the devi is

described

as SRI SAMANADHIKA-VARJITA supreme, none to equal or excel her

 

"thou art the Supreme Sakti, Infinite, Supreme Ruler, devoid of all

differences, And destroyer of all difference. . . . Some ignorant

persons say there is a difference between Sakti, And the possessor of

it (Siva), But those Yogins who meditate on reality,

recognize non-separateness."

 

thekurma puranas

 

so, the whole point is there is 'unity' in duality and 'duality'

in 'unity' because the ultimate reality is neither wholly static nor

wholly dynamic . it is both. for shiva is 'prakasa' aspect of

reality

- pure self or consciousness - illuminating thought , impersonal,

inactive and devoid of any relativity.

 

shakthi is the 'vimarsha' aspect of the same reality- that is the

inherent activity of thought.

 

so, shiva is -thought

shakti- is activity.

sakthi is the 'power' behind shiva's 'consciousness'

that is why the devi is called "siva-prakasa-vimarsha rupini"

 

AND IN THE SAHASARA-KAMALAM OR THE THOUSAND

PETALLED LOTUS IS CALLED THE SEAT OF SIVA-SHAKT!

 

just my 2cents! please forgive me ! having been born into a

shaivite family and also being married into a vaishnavite family and

having been introduced to mother worship by my gurudeva, this is how

i try to reconcile my views!

 

maa

 

dkSesh

That's as big as questions get, isn't it? I guess I'd begin the

discussion at least by saying it is in the nature of things. The

saying goes, "Nothing is permanent but change."

 

I would say that this looks so because we tend to perceive things as

seen my the mind and its intrepretation. So the mind can't usually

live without a state and its attributes. To say nothing is permanent

would mean that attributes and methods that act on the attributes

also

change. My question is why even these? Hence the question - why at

all? really encompasing all and including - at all? why the leela at

all? Couldn't it have been possible without it? If shiva is a

version

without it and shakthi is a version of with it, then why the + & -

at

all? Because + & - are attributes themselves. So what will it look

like to transcendthem, to see why at all?

 

May be why Upanishads say that one who says he knows does not and one

who says he may not know and experiences it knows. Its a question

which if asked for every answer until there is a situation where we

can't ask it?

 

I was looking to see if the Tantra and the Shakthi saadhakas have

an answer to it. Any help appreciated.

 

That is reflected in the Tantric concept of Shiva-Shakti (or

Shakti-Shiva, as you prefer!) ... Shiva, the static ground of

Shakti's

Energy represents the eternal urge toward inertia; Shakti is the

eternal urge toward activity.

 

The balance, or stasis, between these urges is both the starting

point and the ending point of Creation. The Unity of Shiva-Shakti is

stasis; the three gunas are in balance .However, it cannot remain so

-- it is not in the nature of things. The essence of existence is in

movement, change -- and so eventually, after seconds or eons we

cannot know, the gunas begin to fall out of balance again, and

creation rains down.

 

Or -- to put it "scientifically," another Big Bang happens --

energy becames matter, matter expands and differentiates, life

emerges

and evolves, matter contracts, matter becomes energy and once again

stasis is achieved.

 

This is the process. The How, where, when and what kind of stuffs.

The answer to the "Why?" of Creation is Desire. Shakti's Desire. She

is the Ultimate Material Girl: When She has Unity, Her desire builds

for the opposite -- to go off and do Her own thing. When She finally

gets her independence, all She desires is Unity again. It is this

dynamic flux and tension that -- quite literally -- makes the world

go

'round.

 

The union form of shiva shakthi or ardhanaarishwara is the complete

state.Apparently that is what the nirvikalpa samaadhi is all about.

The complete consciousness as opposed to the sadguna or the nirguna

which are the attributes again.

 

But I have not been able to recognise an answer to my question -

why at all in shakthi worship. Advaitha has an answer which has a

fantastic resonance in shakthi worship. But in shakthi worship, is

there any transending beyond the shiva-shakthi status, a more true

intrepretation of the ardhanareeshwara as a single entity rather than

a joining of two entities?

 

Any help appreciated.

- Seshadri.

 

devi_bhakta

Hi Seshadri ...

Thanks for your observations. I don't know that I can go any

further in my interpretation -- although I'd be very interested to

see

where others might go with the fascinating question of "Why?"

 

Perhaps you're right -- because we live in the manifest universe,

it's hard for our minds to stretch beyond it. In the same way I have

trouble envisioning a non-carbon-based life form, I have trouble

picturing a universe without opposites.

 

If Shiva is Eternal Non-Change, and Shakti is Eternal Change, that

creates a "circuit" in my conception -- a completion and wholeness

that makes sense. And it fits with the Shakta idea that, without

denying the all-pervasiveness of Shiva, we focus our worship on

Shakti, because She is all we can ever really know so long as we are

embodied in thisuniverse -- that's why I called Her the "Material

Girl"

 

You ask about whether we can consider "Ardhanareeshwara as a

single entity rather than a joining of two entities?" I think they

are a single entity, as are we all. To call them "a joining of two

entities" is like saying that a negative and a positive electric

current are two "seperate entities," which, when joined, create a

"single entity"; the circuit. That's inaccurate, because we are

dealing with not matter alone, but phenomena. Shiva and Shakti are

not

merely two "entities," although the can legitimately be perceived

that

way.

 

They are more than that -- they are two complementary phenomena.

Their differing aspects (comparable, for simplicity's sake, to the

positive vs. negative current) are what make them "different" from

one

another, but they are also the very nature of what makes them a

single

whole.

 

Why this leela, this play? Because "play" is not a wholly accurate

term for it -- if the microcosm truly relects the Macrocosm -- then

we

can safely assume that we are dealing with the elemental push and

pull

flux that creates the dynamic existence of all that is.

 

I know -- it's a circular answer, not a concrete one, to your

question. But in my understanding it must be so, because the answer

is

a circle!

 

Aum Maatangyai Namaha

 

adi_shakthi16

 

dear sesh once sri ramana maharishi was asked what was the

difference between shakti and shakta? sri ramana replied- " That

depends upon your attitude. There is only one Truth. Looking at the

movement, one calls it Shakti, Power. Another, settling himself in

the

support of the movement, calls it Achala(unmoving). If the former is

activity, the latter is the ground,

support or substance. Force (Shakti) and substance (Vastu) are

inseparable, are indeed two aspects of one and the same Truth. Only,

without the movement of the power the real substance is not

apprehended. (See, Ramana Gita 12:20).

 

sesh, one more thing on maya....

 

sri ramana on maya....

 

Of all the aspects of Advaita philosophy that of Maya is the most

difficult to understand, still more to explain. Some interpret it

as ignorance, others as dream, others still as illusion, and nothing

but experience can explain it satisfactorily. In the meantime

considerable misunderstanding is created by explanations - the more

it

is explained, the more obscure it becomes.

 

question - It is hard to conceive of God, the formless, giving rise

to form.

 

sri ramana . - Why hard? Does not your mind remain formless when you

do not perceive or think, say, in deep sleep, in samadhi, or in a

swoon? And does it not create space and relationship when it thinks

and impels your body to act? Just as your mind devises and your

body executes in one homogeneous, automatic act, so automatic, in

fact, that most people are not aware of the process, so does the

Divine Intelligence devise and plan and His Energy automatically and

spontaneously acts - the thought and the act are one integral

whole. This Creative Energy which is implicit in Pure Intelligence is

called by various names, one of which is Maya or Shakti, the Creator

of forms or images.

 

sesh, enjoy! now focus on your upcoming wedding in the new year, give

advaita a 'rest' and focus on your'shakti'!!!! (lotus power)

lol!!!