1000 Names of the Great Mother, Primordial Goddess, Holy Spirit or Ruh of Allah

[Guest guest]

4) SRI CIDAGNI-KUNDA-SMABHUTA

 

— Born from the Pit of the Fire of Consciousness.

— Burns out ignorance and confers Immortality.

 

Sri Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Ass. Ad and Printers, 1989.)

 

 

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" The yogi realizes that the knower, the instrument of knowing and

the known are one, himself, the seer. Like a pure transparent jewel,

he reflects an unsullied purity.

 

With refinement, the consciousness becomes highly sensitive,

choiceless, stainless and pure. The perceiver, the instrument of

perception and the perceived object, clearly reflected, are nothing

but the seer. Like an object reflected flawlessly in a clean mirror,

the perceiver, the perceived and the instrument are reflected in

one. This transparent reflecting quality of consciousness is termed

samapatti, which means assumption of the original form of the seer.

 

Patanjali's description of samapatti underlines the subtle

distinction between yoga, samadhi and samapatti. Yoga is the

employment of the means to reach samadhi. Samadhi is profound

meditation, total absorption. Samapatti is the balanced state of

mind of the seer who, having attained samadhi, radiates his own pure

state. Yoga and samadhi, in other words, can be regarded as

practices; samapatti the state towards which they lead.

 

When all the fluctuations of mind's sattvic, rajasic and tamasic

nature reach an end, mind ceases to gather and transmit information,

and citta is like the still, clear water of a calm lake. It

transforms itself to the level of the seer, and reflects its purity

without refraction. Like a transparent jewel, it becomes at once the

knower, the instrument of knowing and the object known. Thus the

sadhaka experiences the true state of the soul. "

 

BKS Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 1996, p. 87-8

 

 

-------------

 

" Through repeated practice, Knowledge purifies the embodied soul

stained by ignorance, and then itself disappears, as the powder of

the kataka-nut disappears after it has cleansed muddy water. "

 

S. Nikhilananda, Self-Knowledge,

 

 

Repeated practice — Long and uninterrupted meditation on Brahman,

which firmly stamps a man's consciousness with the knowledge of

his true divine nature.

 

Knowledge — That is to say, Self-Knowledge, which makes man

realize that he is not a doer or an experiencer but the all-

pervading Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.

 

Purifies — Of such illusory ideas as birth and death, happiness

and unhappiness, which are falsely superimposed upon Self.

 

Embodied soul — The Self, through ignorance, seems to be

embodied.

 

Stained — As a result of ignorance such finite ideas as " I, "

" me, " and " mine " superimposed upon Self.

 

Ignorance — Maya, avidya, and ajnana are terms of Vedanta

philosophy usually translated by such words as ignorance, nescience,

and illusion. They generally denote the same thing. Through

ignorance, the Vedantic philosopher contends, the non-dual Brahman

appears to have become the manifold universe; the Absolute, the

relative. Ignorance has no absolute existence, for it disappears

when one attains the Knowledge of Brahman. But it is not non-

existent, like the son of a barren woman, for it is the cause of the

names and forms of the sense-perceived universe. It cannot be

described as either real or unreal, or both real and unreal; as one

with Brahman or other than Brahman; as either corporeal or

incorporeal, or as both corporeal and incorporeal. The real nature

of ignorance is inscrutable, since the mind through which one

understand it is itself a product of ignorance. It is without

beginning, for time itself is an effect of ignorance; but it has an

end, for it disappears when one attains Knowledge. It cannot be

either proved or disproved by reason, since human reasoning is

tainted by ignorance. Ignorance manifests itself in the relative

world through the three gunas, or attributes, known as sattva

(harmony), rajas (passion or activity), and tamas (inertia.)

 

Itself disappears — Thus there is no possibility of the existence

of a second entity besides the Self.

 

Kataka-nut — A nut used in India to purify water.

 

Muddy — Mud is a foreign element; it is not a natural ingredient

of water. Likewise, all finite ideas associated with the Self are

foreign to It.

 

The knowledge which is the instrument disappears into Knowledge, the

Goal, the Self. "

 

S. Nikhilananda, Self-Knowledge, 1989, p. 122-23.

 

 

 

--------------

 

" The expression, Shaktism is derived from the word " Shakti. " The

word Shakti means " Power " both latent and manifest. When

personalised it means the Devi of Power; she is Devaa. The Devi

Shakti is the power aspect of the supreme spirit. The doctrines and

ritual of Shaktism are contained in a special branch of the holy

Scriptures of India, called Tantra Shastra, which acknowledges the

authority of the great Veda. " Veda " means the God inspired word

which has from the oldest times been the foundation of Indian

spiritual thought and culture; but it is not confined to what is

called the four Vedas. They are but parts of it and based on the one

Veda--for 'Vak' or 'Logos' is one.

 

Shaktism is an eminently practical religion. Practically the whole

content of its scriptures consists in rules and ritual by which the

higher realisation of the spiritual truth may be gained. This way of

personal spiritual attainment, or Yoga, which is known to all Indian

religions, is called in Shaktism, Sadhana. Very often the remark can

be found in the Tantrik texts that by merely pondering about the

husks of words nothing is done, i.e., mere book-knowledge is useless-

-but that only by practically touching the truth itself can

liberation, bliss and the highest consciousness be won.

 

This truth, to which Shaktism is devoted with all its energy, is

represented by the conception of the goddess Shakti. Such a

conception, that truth unveils itself spiritually in a female

aspect, can only be grasped with difficulty by the European mind.

The European mind is not accustomed to see differences between male

and female in the spiritual world, and finds them only as far as

physical sexual differences can still be discerned. But the idea of

a female quality of the spirit has always been known to the deeper

minds of humanity and stretches through the whole inner history of

culture. Leaving aside the cults of aboriginal tribes, animism,

etc., there may be mentioned, in addition to the Goddess Shakti of

Indian culture, the conception of Isis in the Egyptian religion, of

the figure Kwannon in China, the idea of Eve in Babylonian times and

many others leading up to that connected with the Madonna of the

Roman Catholic Church. Certainly there are very interesting and

important differences in all these great conception; but it would go

too far here to treat of this special subject. It is mentioned only

to show that female spirituality has always played an important role

in human thought.

 

The Goddess Shakti is the " power " which pervades the whole of the

universe, and from which the Universe has emanated. There is nothing

within the manifest world which is not Shakti in its essence. The

manifest world is mind and matter, that is to say, all that we call

our thought, will, imagination, etc. is mind, and all the realm of

nature is matter. She--in her highest aspect--is pure spirit or pure

consciousness -- as such she is called Chit-Shakti -- but her nature

and essence become apparent also in all that we are aware of through

our senses. So She is matter--substance too--and as such

 

She is called Maya-Shakti. Here is no antagonism between the

spiritual and the natural sides of the universe, since she is both

of them. In order to illustrate more clearly this important

principle of Shaktism. "

 

Dr. Hans Koester

The Indian Religion of the Goddess Shakti

 

 

--------------

 

" Today is the nineteenth Sahasrara Day, if you count the day the

Sahasrara was opened as the first. I have to tell you the story

about the Sahasrara Day, about which it was decided long time back,

before I incarnated. They had a big meeting in the heavens. All the

thirty-five crores of gods, the Deities, were there present to

decide what is to be done. This is the ultimate that we have to do

to human beings — to open their Sahasrara, to open their

awareness to the Spirit, to the real Knowledge of the Divine, to

remove the darkness of ignorance. And it had to be spontaneously

because it has to work the living force of God. Also it had to be

very quick.

 

So all the Gods requested that I, the Adi Shakti, has to take the

birth. They all tried their best. They did whatever was possible.

The saints were made by them but very few. They incarnated and

people made religions out of them which were perverted and brought

them a bad name. No Reality in those religions. These religions were

money oriented or power-oriented. There was no Divine Force working,

actually it was all anti-divine. How to now turn human beings away

from these superficial religions, these perverted paths of

destruction? How to tell them about all these established

organizations? For ages they have been ruling, making money, making

power.

 

It was a tremendous task; it had to be done with great patience and

Love. It was very delicate work also because they believed in those

religions, innocent people, simple people — to blast them that

this is all nonsense, they are not religions, they are against the

Incarnations, against all the prophets, against all the saints.

That's why all the real saints had to suffer. It's a powerful work

that was to be done, and that's why the Adi Shakti had to take birth

on this Earth. "

 

Shri Tamopaha Devi

Fregene, Italy — May 8, 1988

 

(Tamopaha (361st): Remover of Ignorance.)

[Guest guest]

shriadishakti , " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org> wrote:

>

> 4) SRI CIDAGNI-KUNDA-SMABHUTA

>

> — Born from the Pit of the Fire of Consciousness.

> — Burns out ignorance and confers Immortality.

>

> Sri Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Ass. Ad and Printers, 1989.)

>

> --------------

>

> " The expression, Shaktism is derived from the word " Shakti. " The

> word Shakti means " Power " both latent and manifest. When

> personalised it means the Devi of Power; she is Devaa. The Devi

> Shakti is the power aspect of the supreme spirit. The doctrines

> and ritual of Shaktism are contained in a special branch of the

> holy Scriptures of India, called Tantra Shastra, which

> acknowledges the authority of the great Veda. " Veda " means the God

> inspired word which has from the oldest times been the foundation

> of Indian spiritual thought and culture; but it is not confined to

> what is called the four Vedas. They are but parts of it and based

> on the one Veda--for 'Vak' or 'Logos' is one.

>

> Shaktism is an eminently practical religion. Practically the whole

> content of its scriptures consists in rules and ritual by which

> the higher realisation of the spiritual truth may be gained. This

> way of personal spiritual attainment, or Yoga, which is known to

> all Indian religions, is called in Shaktism, Sadhana. Very often

> the remark can be found in the Tantrik texts that by merely

> pondering about the husks of words nothing is done, i.e., mere

> book-knowledge is useless - but that only by practically touching

> the truth itself can liberation, bliss and the highest

> consciousness be won.

>

> This truth, to which Shaktism is devoted with all its energy, is

> represented by the conception of the goddess Shakti. Such a

> conception, that truth unveils itself spiritually in a female

> aspect, can only be grasped with difficulty by the European mind.

> The European mind is not accustomed to see differences between

> male and female in the spiritual world, and finds them only as far

> as physical sexual differences can still be discerned. But the

> idea of a female quality of the spirit has always been known to

> the deeper minds of humanity and stretches through the whole inner

> history of culture. Leaving aside the cults of aboriginal tribes,

> animism, etc., there may be mentioned, in addition to the Goddess

> Shakti of Indian culture, the conception of Isis in the Egyptian

> religion, of the figure Kwannon in China, the idea of Eve in

> Babylonian times and many others leading up to that connected with

> the Madonna of the Roman Catholic Church. Certainly there are very

> interesting and important differences in all these great

> conception; but it would go too far here to treat of this special

> subject. It is mentioned only to show that female spirituality has

> always played an important role in human thought.

>

> The Goddess Shakti is the " power " which pervades the whole of the

> universe, and from which the Universe has emanated. There is

> nothing within the manifest world which is not Shakti in its

> essence. The manifest world is mind and matter, that is to say,

> all that we call our thought, will, imagination, etc. is mind, and

> all the realm of nature is matter. She--in her highest aspect--is

> pure spirit or pure consciousness -- as such she is called Chit-

> Shakti -- but her nature and essence become apparent also in all

> that we are aware of through our senses. So She is matter--

> substance too--and as such

>

> She is called Maya-Shakti. Here is no antagonism between the

> spiritual and the natural sides of the universe, since she is both

> of them. In order to illustrate more clearly this important

> principle of Shaktism. . . . "

>

>

 

The follower of Shaktism, the worshipper of Shakti, is called

Shakta. His conception of the Goddess is described in the Shakti

Tantra Shastras, i.e., the holy scriptures of Shaktism, often in a

very poetical way. Whereas we speak of Mother Nature only in a

comparative manner, for the Shakta it is absolute reality. Nature is

Her body. Her presence is personally felt by him, when he is

standing on the fertile ground of the earth; he touches Her life in

the blossoms of the pure lotus-flower. She animates all living

creatures. His own body is a part of Her great body. Worshipping Her

in all Her different forms, he will find Her light, too, within his

mind and consciousness. Thus, to the Shakta the whole universe of

mind and matter reveals itself in its unity; he see before him Her

great body which he adores; Her sacred feet, Her heart, Her mind.

 

It might be useful to describe this poetical view, which is at once

physical and transcendental, by means of another diagram. We may for

this purpose represent matter and mind by two circles which

intersect each other like this:

 

Where they intersect, there is Shakti, so to speak, in Herself. But

Her influence, Her being spreads into the whole realm of matter as

well as that of mind. Nowhere is She absent, but Her presence is

less distinct, is somehow veiled in those parts which are further

from the centre, where She is in Herself. Thus, for the sake of

linear explanation, the mineral world--the solid matter--would have

to be situated the furthest from Her, because there, as for

instance in stone, she--Life Herself--is, much veiled, stone to

the ordinary human view appearing to be dead. Nearer to Her is the

realm of plants, where, with their growing and blossming, She

already becomes more apparent. I need hardly remind you of the well-

known researches by Sir Jagadis Bhose of the University of Calcutta,

who is endeavouring to make visible the actual heart-beat of plant

life. Then, in due order with regard to Her would come the world of

animals, which being animated have within their life--although

perhaps still unconsciously--some access to Her.

 

Lastly, within the highly developed organism of man She, for the

first time, is inherent in her essential being. There She finds the

possibility of being consciously awakened, so that she appears to

him, who is looking and striving for her, in Her true nature as

Shakti herself. The other side--the mind circle--comprises the

mental faculties of man such as consciousness, will, feeling and

logical perception, which, with regard to their aptitude for Her

realisation, may be put in such order. The directions of development

therefore go in the matter-circle from left to right--from stone,

vegetable, animal to man, where Shakti will be realised; in the mind-

circle, from right to left--from mere logical thinking to feeling,

will-power, consciousness to man--where Shakti may be realised.

Thus, as you can see from this diagram, everywhere there is Shakti.

She is inherent in everything and at the same time transcends

every thing; by meditation and religious ceremonies She may be

realized everywhere, being inherent in the whole physical universe

as it is given to us. And, moreover, above this we may touch Her in

Her transcendtal aspect as well. When She appears in Her true

nature, then there is no more mind or matter, but only She Herself,

in no sense bounded by such limitations. As such a one She may well

be represented by a circle, the universe in its true aspect.

 

To the European it may perhaps at first sight appear to be a mere

poetical presentment and but little different from the theory of

vitalism of modern natural science or from ancient animism in the

religious aspect. But with regard to Vitalism, even if there be

similarities the essential difference seems to me, that the Vitalism

of the natural sciences is based principally upon the conception of

a material world which is regarded as being animated by, for

instance, the " ‚lan vitale " of Bergson. But Shatism holds its

standpoint entirely on the spiritual side. She, the great mother,

exists, and what in the material world is vitalised or animated,

certainly comes from Her, but is only a veiled appearance of Her,

who in Her true being can be experienced spiritually. And Shaktism

is also not animism, if by animism may be understood the primitive

idea of everything being ghost-like, being animated by " Phi " or

spirits, resulting in as many ghostly spirits as there are different

things. Shaktism represents a spiritual unity, all different things

being united within Her always greater aspect.

 

The principal doctrine of " Shaktism " , that the whole Universe of

mind and matter is created by Her, the Powerful Goddess Shakti, is

described in full detail, with Indian accuracy in spiritual matters,

in the Cosmogony of Shaktism. It must be understood that every great

Indian philosophical system has its own Cosmo-Genesis, that is, its

special conception of the evolution of the world and its begining.

As a matter of fact, every conception of life and the Universe

requires such a foundation to give it the necessary firm hold. For

Shaktism this source, out of which the Universe as mind and matter

has evolved, is the female spiritual Power, Shakti, who is the Great

Mother of the Universe. In Her most concentrated form, when Her

Power is just ready to expand, She is represented by a point called

Bindu. This Bindu Point is mere Spirit. Everything manifested and

created in this Universe has Spirit. Everything manifested and

created in this Universe has Spirit as its source and essence. In

the Christian Cosmo-Genesis of the Gospel of St. John it is

called " logos " or " the word " . By expansion the Spiritual Power

Shakti becomes, going through many different stages, Mind, Life,

and Matter. She--the Goddess--is contained, in all the

manifestations of the universe, but She remains, so to speak,

unexhausted by being the material cause of the Universe. She in Her

essence remains unaffected and greater than all the created world.

 

In a diagrammatic way this cosmogenetic evolution can be represented

like this. The active, most concentrated Point Bindu is red, the

colour of activity. From this point the lines of evolution expand

through the stages of mind and life towards matter, the mineral

world. So the material world stands not first but last in the

evolution of the Universe.

 

According to the general doctrine of Indian metaphysics, this whole

created universe is not everlasting but will one day be dissolved.

The life or appearance of the universe lasts, as it is figuratively

expressed, one day of Brahma, the Almighty, that is, millions and

millions of years After that the whole expansion contracts again in

the opposite direction; first, matter will be dissolved, then life

and mind will disappear till it reaches the state of the beginning,

the spiritual Point, Bindu, where it will find its rest; until the

dawn of a new day of Brahma, when a new creation will start. This

Bindu Point is the great Goddess, the universal mother--womb--yoni--

the creator and receiver of the Universe, which, as Shakti, is

worshipped by the followers of Shaktism.

 

So the whole created world has as its creative Power Shakti, the

goddess, just as in this world the female element is constantly

maintaining it. But She, the creative Goddess, can do nothing

without Him, the God, Shiva, just as no woman can bear fruit without

the co-operation of the male element. The relation of Shakti to

Shiva, is of a very subtle, spiritual nature. He, Shiva is in

contrast to all creation, be it mind or matter. He is the

underlying pure consciousness which is independent of, and

superior to, all creation. In a very famous picture of Shaktism the

goddess Shakti stands black-coloured on the white-coloured Shiva who

lies inert. The symbolism is this. Shiva is white to represent a

colourless form, since all colours belong to the created world,

which is the domain of Shakti. He lies at absolute rest, since

movement and activity belong to the created world, which is

dependent on him, but not he on it, She, the Goddess, is black-

coloured because, compared with the light of the spiritual world

unmixed with any objective realisation, she is dark as the night; in

all creation she is veiled in darkness, both her face and her

raiment.

 

I have mentioned already that there can be found traces of Shakti in

the conception of the Madonna of the Catholic Christian Church. As

some of you may know, there exists in Czenstochau in Poland the

famous sculpture of the so-called Black Madonna, who is much adored

by the population. Why is she black? Well whatever kind of outer-

influence may have taken place, the spiritual reason must be the

same as in Shaktism. She, the Madonna, the creatrix femina, is dark,

is spiritually veiled in darkness during the process of creation.

She is the deep and creative night. Darkness, compared with the

light of day, has always been regarded spiritually as the deeper

element. The darkness of the body is intended to show that the

personality belongs to the spiritual world as the creative

background of all physical appearance. It is very remarkable, too,

that near Barcelona in Spain, on Mount Serrat, a black Madonna with

the Christ child on her knees is worshipped by the Catholic Church.

This famous sculpture, is said to have been on this holy mountain

for over a thousand years. Her throne shows an uncommon shape. She

holds in her right hand a globe, representing the Universe. Thus

here, too, the conception seems to be that She, the Goddess-Madonna,

is the Creator and Upholder of the whole Universe. In my opinion

these figures--in their spiritual meaning--show the very deep

connection which exists spiritually between East and West. And

Shaktism may help to bring an understanding between East and West,

the importance of which is always becoming more apparents.

 

One of the deepest secrets of Shaktism is the union of the highest

spiritual male conciousness, Shiva, with the all-prevading female

power, Shakti. As I have already mentioned, the all-powerful Shakti

would not be able to create the universe out of Herself; She needs

the touch of Shiva. This union of Shiva and Shakti takes place in

the highest spiritual regions before anything has been created, so

to speak, in the night of Brahma. Out of this union the Universe is

born--Shakti evolves as mind and matter, whereas Shiva remains as

the underlying background, unaltered, This highest spiritual state

of union is inexpressible by words; but it is approximately

circumscribed by the Sanskrit words; Sat--Chit--Ananda. Sat means

Being; Chit means Consciousness, and when these are united with one

another, there Ananda--Bliss--the highest spirtitual bliss, is the

issue. For the Shakta, as for the Hindu generally, the essence of

the world is joy, bliss, ananda. Whenever truth, living truth, is

approached or touched by man, then he feels that bliss of the union

of Shiva and Shakti which is the origin of all life. The highest

state of consiousness or liberation (Mukti) in Shaktism is the

attainment, the spiritual realisation, of the highest, unchanging,

eternal, absolute union of Shiva and Shakti within himself, into

which his being is to be ultimately absorbed. The man who has

realised this and transplanted himself into it is in his lifetime

called Jivanmukta (liberated though living) . In this union is

everything essential contained.

 

But within space and time, within the world of separate things and

forms,--in this world of limited experience in which we are living--

this highest union is interrupted. Shakti, being separated from Him,

is, so to speak, in Her actual body distributed among all objective

experience.

 

There is a deep and striking picture, a story of Indian mythology,

which tells how the body of Shakti has been dismembered and has

fallen in pieces into this world. Wherever any part of Her holy body

is supposed to be lying, there an Indian temple has been built; to a

certain extent comparable to the Stupas which are erected by

Buddhists for the relies of the sacred body of Gautama. Everything

in the objective appearance is individual on account of its being

separated from that union, and its material substance or embodiment

can be measured by the interval of that separation; the further away

from the union, the more its spiritual essence is veiled.

 

It follows consequently that in every individual being, which to a

certain extent becomes conscious of itself, there must be living a

tendency to become liberated from this separation, to come back to

this primordial union. " Back to the mother " , it may be said, is the

shortest expression for the spiritual aim of the whole of Indian

culture and especially of Shaktism. A deeply--felt longing prevails

within the religious mind of India; a longing like that of a child

for its mother. It is important to note this, since it is this

longing which gives the impulse to the means by which the aim of

coming back to the Mother may be attained. These means are called

the Yoga of Shaktism, i.e., Sadhana. The principles of Yoga are

almost the same in all the different Indian systems, of which they

form an essential part. By urging concentration of thought upon

certain important ideas, they aim at giving to these ideas more

strength and clearness than they usually have. The meditator

excludes himself from all outer influences, in order to bring his

mind into direct contact with the spiritual world. In the end he

will eventually realise what his Scriptures have taught him, that

his essence is Spirit, and his mind and body its manifestations. I

may mention here that a modern " western " way of " Yoga " has been

introduced into Europe by the spiritual system, " Anthroposophy " , of

Dr.Rudolf Steiner. In all ages such kinds of spiritual endeavour

have been practised. If man succeeds in actually realising the inner

meaning of metaphysics, he becomes, as it is called, " initiated " ,

that is, he becomes a citizen of the spiritual world, just as he is

a citizen of the natural world by his physical birth. The Yoga of

Shaktism specializes in conceptions of the Goddess Shakti. If She

appears to the Shaka, as She is in Herself, the highest realisation,

the Union with the mother is attained. Then the Shakta says: She I

am, and feels himself full of the greatest spiritual bliss.

 

As I have already mentioned, Shaktism is an eminently practical

Religion. It attempts an immediate realisation of truth by the

practical methods of " Yoga " and has an abunddance of rites and

ceremonies. These vary according to the competency of the Shakta.

The ritual has been rightly called the Art of Religion. The

worshipper follows certain prescribed rules in his adoration, which

give him the right direction. Every Religion knows the value of

ritual--Buddhism as well as Christianity and Shaktism. I may mention

here only a few special points, which distinguish the rites from all

other similar cults in India.

 

It is well known what an important role the caste-system has always

played in India. Even now the distinctions of the different castes

are much observed, especially in the case of marriage. Principally

the Brahmins, as the caste of priests--now there are Brahmins who

are doctors of medicine, barristers, watchmen, etc., --would never

mix with other castes in their ritual worship. The Shakta, however,

the worshipper of Shakti, does not pay any regard to these caste

distinctions. The Brahma Shakta has no objection to worshipping the

Goddess even with the Shudra outcast, the Pariah. Such a non-Indian

uncommon attitude shows that the rites of Shaktism may have their

source from abroad; it is not yet quite certain, but it is probable

that the special rites of Shaktism have come to India from China

through Tibet.

 

This would explain, too, the other striking feature of the Shakta-

worship, which is also non-Indian--that during the ritual worship of

Shakti it is allowed to eat meat and to drink wine. Everyone knows

how the Hindus abhor the slaughter of animals; how the adoration of

the cow is an essential part of their religion, which has been again

and again emphasised, especially by Gandhi himself. The Shakta,

however, eats meat and drinks wine during his worship of the Goddess

Shakti. He feels himself spiritually above this custom. As in his

view everything is She--the Goddess--there can be made no exception

with regard to the offerings to Her.

 

The third unique quality of the Shakti-worship is the active

participation of women in the ceremonies. Ordinarily women are

always kept apart in India. Everyone has heard of the Purdah system,

which holds in some parts of India the women-folk life-long in their

houses. But the Shakta treats them as altogether equal; even more.

She, his Wife, is regarded by him as his Shakti Goddess; She, the

mother of his children, represents to him the Great Mother. Such an

attitude is naturally reflected in the daily life of Shakti Hindu

families, where the mother--quite contrary to Miss Mayo's statements

in " Mother India " --is much venerated. There is the so-called

Panchatattva Ritual--the most important ritual of Shaktism, which is

still nowadays performed in Bengal. The name " Panchatattva " is

derived from the words " Pancha " , five, and " Tattva " , elements. The

five elements of this ritual are Wine, Meat, Fish, Parched Corn and

Sexual Union. Men and women meet as equal partners. They sit

together--the man beside the women--in a circle, called Chakra.

Following elaborate rites, they offer to the Goddess wine, meat,

fish and corn. After that they take their meal, which consists these

four elements; the idea being that they unite themselves with Shakti

in these products and fruits. The highest presentment of the Goddess

for the Shakta is the women who is sitting by his side. By uniting

with her--according to the Maithuna rites--he experiences the bliss

of the great union of Shiva and Shakti. Pro-creation is the

individual counterpart of Cosmic Creation. It must be understood

that the purpose of the physical union of the Shakta with his Shakti

in this ritual is not saticfaction of his physical senses but the

spiritual realisation of the highest union of the individual with

the Goddess, the Cosmic-Whole. It may be mentioned that, as far as I

have heard, during the ceremonies in Bengal the last mentioned

Maithuna rites are not actually performed but are only indicated, as

for example by bowing to the woman sitting at his side in the

Chakra. Nothing is wrong or forbidden according to Shaktism, if it

is done with a pure heart and spiritual feeling. Certainly it is

possible that, weak as man's nature is, abuses of this special rite

have taken place--and it would be wrong to deny that they are in

fact happening. But my intention here is to show its spiritual

meaning and intention; which, in my opinion, cannot be affected by

abuse in its interpretation; and the principle of the rite is sound,

grand and spiritual.

 

All the rites of Shaktism, of which I have here mentioned only one,

tend in such a direction as to awaken within him the spiritual and

aesthetically productive forces of man. As soon as these usually

slumbering forces are awakened, the Shakta knows and feels himself

as being born again within the spiritual world. The Shakta says, " As

I am born in my physical body from my mother, so I must be

spiritually born again from my spiritual mother, the Goddess

Shakti. " By the grace of Shakti the Shakta himself becomes Brahma.

As a matter of fact, every spiritual man strives for the attainment

of such a state, of being reborn in the spiritual sense. Only the

expressions are different and the means and ways vary. In Shaktism

it is striking to notice with what absoluteness and how

independently of all other systems of religion the physical

appearance and the highest spiritual realisation are combined

together. If Shakti is everywhere, then she is, too, in the bodily

appearance of the women and there, however veiled, in her fullest

essence. So he makes use of her for the greatest spiritual aim of

man, namely to be reborn by the grace of Shakti.

 

Now I have said that this aim of being reborn within the spiritual

motherhood is known to almost every religion, and, althought

Buddhism in its fundamental basis at first seems to be utterly

different from Shaktism, yet Northern Buddhism knows well what is

meant by Shakti. Mahayana Buddhism, as it is prevalent in Tibet, by

which country Shaktism too has been much influenced, has introduced

into its system during its development the Goddess Tara. She

represents what Shakti is for Shaktism. She is the embodiment of all

that within the spiritual realisation is distinctly female; and it

is a very secret saying in esoteric Northern Buddhism that man, by

being reborn from Tara, will become a Buddha, that is, will attain

the highest spiritual state of life to which man is destined and for

which he is striving. Within esoteric Christianity there is the

picture of Jesus Christ lying in the stable-manger as the new-born

child before the immaculate Virgin Mary. It is intended to portray

not only the story of the historical birth of Jesus, but at the same

time a representation of the historical birth of Jesus, but at the

same time a representation of the idea that we all have to be reborn

as such a Christ-child of the Virgin Mary, the Shakti of

Christianity.

 

You see, there can be discovered, within so widely-differing

religious systems as Shaktism, Northern Buddhism and Christianity,

the same important idea as that of being reborn by the grace of

Shakti as Brahma, of being reborn by Tara as a Buddha, and of being

reborn by Madonna as a Christ. As a matter of fact, the female

spiritual element as it is venerated by Shaktism, being a living

truth, can to a certain extent become a combining factor to embrace

the great cultural outlook both of the East and the West. Humanity

is one over all the earth, and Womanhood is its essential part. In

Shaktism the idea of the spiritual creative force of Womanhood finds

its most absolute and exclusive espression. For this reason this

system is so interesting and striking for anyone who takes the

trouble to go more deeply into it. Shakti, as she is pleased to

reveal herself to-day, is present, too, within the depths of

European culture. It would take me too far afield to prove it by

further details. I would only mention that Goethe concludes his

great poem, " Faust " , with the words: " The eternal female is raising

us " . Certainly, Goethe had no knowledge of the system of Shaktism

and of those texts which we are now privileged to study. But by his

poetical inspiration he touched by himself the truth which we find

so clearly expressed in the system of Shaktism. If one would try to

express the deepest meaning which Shaktism may have for us in our

days, it cannot be done better than by those words which the

mystical chorus sings at the end of this great poem: Das Ewig

Weibliche zieht uns hinan. " The eternal female is raising us " .

 

 

Dr. Hans Koester

The Indian Religion of the Goddess Shakti

 

http://sino-sv3.sino.uni-heidelberg.de/FULLTEXT/JR-JSS/shakti.htm