Shakti Sadhana: An Obligation to the World

[Guest guest]

I've been asked before why I occasionally post on "societal issues"

in this Group, when it is supposed to be dedicated to "spiritual"

issues. And today, again, I was asked about my earlier post on

attempts to clean up the Ganga River -- I received an e-mail to the

effect that this is all very interesting, but that if people wanted

to hear about environmental issues, they'd join an environmentalism

group, not a Hinduism group.

 

So let me answer that publicly. In my opinion (and I invite

disagreement, if anyone thinks I'm incorrect on this) -- Shakti

Sadhana, as a school of Hinduism, is distinguished by its

*engagement* of the world rather than its *denial* of the world. To

put it simply (perhaps over-simply), Shaktas understand Devi, the

Goddess, as all that there is in the three worlds. She not only

grounds and transcends the material Universe, She not only creates

and destroys that Universe; in Her form as Maya, She also *is* that

Universe.

 

The Shakta, however, does not see Maya as an entirely negative or

false phenomenon, as many Hindu sects tend to. Maya -- the tangible

world and its attachments and desires -- is not simply a force to be

avoided, denied, ignored and eventually overcome. It is the

legitimate and true body of the Goddess, and as such Maya too (i.e.,

the Universe and its contents) is a legitimate object of worship and

devotion. (I'd refer you to purushaz's recent post #5413 for a brief

and interesting restatement of this idea.)

 

The most sensational applications of this rule -- i.e., the

ritualized worship of a human woman as a manifestation of Devi; the

5M's of Tantra, the more extreme Aghora practices -- get most of the

attention; but in fact, to care for the earth and the people in it;

to give of your time and labor and money -- in addition to your

prayers -- is, in effect, to take your sadhana out of the pooja room

and into the street. That's not to discount the importance of prayer,

japa, meditation; all the traditional. "strictly spiritual"

components of sadhana. And certainly, many religions advocate and

sponsor work for the good of society in this world. Shaktism,

however, is the only religion that asserts that this world too is

your deity -- and it must be treated with the same veneration,

respect and reverence as more "traditional" representations of the

Goddess or God of your choice.

 

It's a tough requirement to live up to; but if you can do it -- or

even if you sincerely *try* to do it, you will soon find that the

rewards are greater, and the spiritual dividends more profound, than

you might ever have imagined.

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe