Kaula defined, sort of:

[Guest guest]

below is an excerpt from this site. i'm not going to post anymore on this cuz

i don't know anything about it, and this explanation seems sufficient:

 

http://www.tantra-texas.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&

sid=7

 

Our current society thinks of Paganism or anything that is opposite the

normal way of thinking or acting to be of the left-hand path. Under that

definition, one could say that Tantra in itself is left-handed as compared to

Christian

Theology. Wicca, Paganism, Energy Psychology, etc........ would also fall

under that definition.

 

But Tantra is very specific when it comes to what the left-hand path means.

Kula-Arnava-Tantra teaches seven codes of conduct or types of conduct in the

tantric path of enlightenment.

 

1. veda-acara - the Vedic or orthodox way of life.

2. vaishnava-acara - one who follows Vishnu worship.

3. shaiva-acara - one who worships Shiva.

4. dakshina-acara - the right-hand approach which follows the orthodox

teachings of the five faces of Shiva.

5. vama-acara - the left hand path which involves sacred sexual ceremonies

and philosophies that are far removed from the mainstream Hindu belief system.

6. siddhanta-acara - the Siddhanta way of life which is considered to be a

higher form of the left-hand path of Tantra.

7. kaula-acara - the Kaula approach which is considered the highest for of

spiritual practice. It combines both the left and right-hand paths of tantra in

perfect balance.

 

The Kaula approach has been considered to be the highest form of Tantra or

the apex. Many of it's teachings and schools were lost and therefore current

knowledge of all practices are not well known. One of the great Kula Tantric

Masters was Masyendra Natha who taught Goraksha Natha, the creator of Hatha

Yoga.

Kaula's greatest addition to the Tantra movement was the power of the serpent

Kundalini-shakti. Kundalini being the snake at the base of the spine and when

woken, rises through the chakras and out through the head. When this occurs

enlightenment is achieved.

 

According to the Kula-Arnava-Tantra, there is nothing higher or more superior

than Kula or Kaula. One texts states

 

"O Goddess! The kula is the most secret of secrets, the essence of essence,

the highest of high, given directly by Shiva, and transmitted from ear to ear

(from spoken word)."

 

Perhaps in the context of this website we can achieve through knowledge,

practice, and action the ultimate "KAULA".

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Perhaps these short excerpts from J.R Dupuche's Kula ritual might

help:

 

"Abhinava(Gupta) gives two sources for the origins of the Kula

tradition. Firstly, in TA 1.7, he praises Macchanda as the source of

his own doctrine, ...Secondly, in Ta 1.8 Abhinava goes on immediately

to prais eTryambaka without explaining this latter's connection

withMacchanda. It has already been noted ...that the daughter of

Tryambaka is the source of the Kula tradition.

The word *kula* refers to the family or grouping of the yoginis and

the mothers. It also means the corporeal body, the body of power, th

ecosmic body, th etotality of things so that by entering into

a "family" a *kula*, the worshipper enters into the totality of

cosmoc powers, the kula. He himself, in his own body, is the

embodiment of the 'Mothers' and of the whole of reality. By being

initiated into a 'Mother' he also enters into one or another level of

his own body and becomes master of the powers identified with it. By

piercing all the circles of his body he is master of the totality and

attains the central deity which is identified with the true self of

th eworshipper, his 'blissful inner conciousness' of whom the

eight 'Mothers' are projections."

 

He further differentiates between the kula anmd the kaula and

following Sanderson says that "The Kula tradition...belongs to

ascetics who are close to the Kapalika and preserve a connection with

the cremation ground and wear various insignia. Contrary to this, the

Kaula tradition is a reformed version which makes allowance for the

householder."

"...the kaula developed four transmissions, each withits own set of

deities, mantra, mandala....etc....."

 

"Jayaratha reports that Abhinava considerd the Kula to be

superior ...."

{the hierarchy according to AbhinavaisVeda,Siddhanta, vama, dakshina,

mata, kula, kaula and trika. Veda being the lowest and trika being

the highest.)

"At the apex of that hierarchy stands the Tika, surpassing both the

Kula and Kaula....kulat parataram trika where the word "Trika" refers

to SAUH and not to rituals and manadala etc. associated with Trika.

This inner knowledge of the singl mantra SauH surpasses in

simplicity and effectiveness all other mantras, rituals and

traditons, even those of the Kula.