God and the World - Part 4

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Dear All,

 

We concluded Part 3 with the following:

 

(P.154) " In the further schools of Nimbarka and Caitanya there arose the

doctrine of 'bheda-abheda'. 'Bheda' means difference and 'abheda' means

non-difference, so this suggestion is trying to solve the problem by saying that

the Lord is both different from the world and at the same time non-different.

This is a paradox, which in itself is perfectly legitimate. God is one with the

world and yet he is not one with the world. This difference in non-difference is

said to be 'acintya' - inexplicable - and that is where the matter was left in

the Vedanta. None of these systems it may be said is completely satisfactory and

yet each has its own unique insight. "

 

A New Vision of Reality (Western Science, Eastern Mysticism and

Christian Faith), Pg.154

Bede Griffiths

Templegate Publishers - Springfield, Illinois

ISBN 0-87243-180-0

 

Here now, is Part 4.

 

Enjoy,

 

violet

 

 

God and the World - Part 4

 

(P.156) With Tantrism the world of the mother, the earth, and 'shakti', the

divine energy, is introduced and with this the concept of two complementary

principles, Shiva and Shakti. Shiva is consciousness, pure consciousness, pure

spirit, and Shakti is the principle of energy. The universe comes into being

through the union of Shiva and Shakti. There are variations in teaching and

practice here, the Shaktas, for instance, having formed a separate sect. For the

Shaktas the mother is everything. She is both consciousness and energy, for she

is the whole. The more traditional form conceives Shiva as consciousness and

Shakti as energy. In Kundalini yoga the energy, the 'shakti', has to rise

through all the chakras, which are centres of energy, to the 'sahashrara', the

thousand-petalled lotus at the crown of the head where Shiva and Shakti are

united. (P.157) This symbolises the union of spirit and matter, consciousness

and the unconscious, and with that union the whole person is transformed. That

is all part of the new development of Tantra. It was expressed particularly in

the very remarkable system of Kashmir Shaivism, a study of which has been made

recently by Michael von Bruck and I owe a great deal to what he has

discovered.(3)

 

The great authority in Kashmir Shaivism was Abhinavagupta, who was more or less

contemporary with Shankara in the eighth century AD. His system is basically

'advaita', where the ultimate Reality is pure being, consciousness and bliss,

and it is experienced as total unity. But within that ultimate there are the two

poles of Shiva and Shakti, consciousness and energy. What seems to be

distinctive in Kashmir Shaivism is the conception of 'chitshakti', consciousness

force, not simply as a power of the mind but as a power of the will. The

universe comes from the 'shakti', the energy, which is organised by the mind. It

is held that between Shiva and Shakti, the two poles, there is a kind of stir, a

'spanda'. This stir of energy is a will, as it were. A will is, in fact,

conscious energy. Energy which is unconscious in nature is not a will, but in a

human being, where the energy becomes conscious, that is precisely what we call

will. So there is a will in the Absolute and the universe comes forth from the

will of the Absolute and expresses the Absolute in the whole universe.

 

Kashmir Shaivism is a very elaborate system and we will not go further into it,

but the important thing is that Hinduism at this point reached beyond the

Vedanta, beyond Shankara and all the others we have discussed, and discovered

this power, this 'shakti' within the Godhead, which gives validity to the

cosmos.

 

The problem in Hindu philosophy is that the relation between God and the

universe has never been finally resolved. In the advaitic tradition matter,

life, human persons and the personal God are regarded as ultimately unreal.

(P.158) The Absolute is 'saccidananda', being, knowledge and bliss beyond

everything, and to reach the Absolute it is necessary to negate all phenomena.

In other systems of Vedanta, as we have seen, the universe, the human person and

the personal God are recognised as real, but the relation of the universe to God

is not satisfactorily explained. Kashmir Shaivism seems on the other hand to

have introduced something which gives a meaning to the whole created universe.

It comes from the will of God. The Vedanta would say the universe is a 'lila', a

play, but it is a play which is ultimately without purpose. In Shaivism, by

contrast, it is the will which creates and which manifests God in creation. This

concept of 'chitshakti' seems to have been derived from tantric experience in

which the energy of matter and life is united with consciousness in a profound

mystical experience.

 

(3) Michael von Bruck, " Holistic Vision in Eastern Religions " , Indian

Theological Studies, 1985

 

A New Vision of Reality (Western Science, Eastern Mysticism and

Christian Faith), Pg.156-158

Bede Griffiths

Templegate Publishers - Springfield, Illinois

ISBN 0-87243-180-0

 

 

[iMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS]:

 

On the subject of Tantrism, Shri Mataji informed about the Tantrikas that came

but who did not know anything about the instrument of Kundalini ( " the Yantra " )

nor did they know anything about how the Kundalini works ( " the Tantra " ). That's

why they made the mistake of believing that 'Union with the Divine Within' was

somehow associated or connected to 'physical union with their partner'. They are

not at all connected, and such spiritual ignorance results in a very bad

outcome:

 

" Then came the Tantrikas who did not know anything about the Kundalini, the

instrument (Yantra), also did not know anything about how it works (Tantra).

They practised all black arts and indulged into immoral practices of violence

and sex. "

 

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

first small English book

Chapter 2 - Vishwa Nirmala Dharma