Bhakti Yoga and imagined place in the worship of Devi

[Guest guest]

Kindly allow me some questions about Bhakti Yoga and the worship of Devi.

In the Bengal Vaisnava tradition there is a practice where a serious

practitioner is given an esoteric identity within the realm of Vrindavana by his

or her guru. This includes the following details: age, colour of skin, what kind

of clothes you wear, etc. The practitioner memorises maps of Vrindavana, where

he or she lives, where he or she sports with Krishna, etc. Usually the identity

is that of a manjari, a young girl who assists in the play of Radha and Krishna,

but it could also be a friend of Krsna. This new identity is called the

siddha-deha, the perfected body. It is considered to be the practitioners true

identity. In meditation the practitioner enters this "reality" and the goal is

to enter permanently into it at one point. This "imaginary" world is considered

to be the highest reality, the cosmic drama, the eternal spiritual play of Radha

and Krishna.

Does such kind of practice also exist in the Shakta tradition? Can Devi be

worshiped in a similar way?

If not, does such a practice exist in the Shaiva tradition in connection with

Parvati and Shiva ?

I beg everyone who has information or an opinion to send a mail.

 

Kind regards

OM SHANTI,

Alexandra

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Alexandra,

 

You describe an interesting praxes. I read about it when I was much younger,

but have not heard about it since then. I have not heard of anything similar

in the Shaivite tradition, at least the Kashmiri sect, and doubt that such

exists for reasons I will explain. (Vaisnavs do not see things this way, of

course!)

 

> This new identity is called the siddha-deha,

> the perfected body. It is considered to be

> the practitioners true identity.

 

For a Shaivite, one's true identity is Shiva. The body you have now is

already a perfected body, there is no need for another.

 

> In meditation the practitioner enters this

> "reality" and the goal is to enter

> permanently into it at one point. This

> "imaginary" world is considered to be the

> highest reality, the cosmic drama, the

> eternal spiritual play of Radha and Krishna.

 

This other world would be no more and no less imaginary than this one. You

cannot "enter" that reality because you are already there: nothing exists

that is not Shiva. He is the only reality.

 

> Does such kind of practice also exist in the

> Shakta tradition? Can Devi be worshiped in a

> similar way?

 

Not that I know of, though actually I wouldn't be surprised. The practice

that you describe bears a strong resemblance to certain Western occult

practices that I am familiar with, which have a connection to Shaktism. I

can try to dig up some references for you, if you wish, but I doubt that is

what you are looking for.

 

> If it does not exist in the Shakta tradition,

> does such a practice exist in the Shaiva

> tradition in connection with Parvati and

> Shiva?

 

No, or at least not in Kashmiri Shaivism and I doubt any other forms either.

It is a strongly non-dualistic philosophy, so the idea of there being "Shiva"

on the one hand and "you," who is not Shiva, on the other would be entirely

missing the point. The "yoga of supreme identity," as Jaideva Singh called

it, is the realization that the Self and Shiva are identical. One of the

mantras that I learned and use a great deal is "shivohum" ... "I am Shiva."

 

Hope that helps.

 

-- Davyd