comparison

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Below is a comparison of Kashmir Shaivism and Shamkara Vedanta.

 

The true yogi sees all with equanimity.

 

The choice of which philosophical tools and tenants to apply are highly personal

and deserve the utmost respect by all.

 

This comparison of tenants is taken from pp. 24-26 of the Pratyabhijnahrydam.

 

Shamkara's philosophy is known as Shantabrahmavada or Kevaladvaitavada, or

sometimes as Maya-Vedanta-vada. The Shaiva philosophy of Kashmir is known as

Ishvaradvayavada or Pratyabhijna or Trika philosophy.

 

Shantabrahmavada Ishvaradvayavada

 

1. Chit or brahman is prakasha Chit is prkasha and

vimarsha

(light) or jnana (knowledge). (light and activity).

Therefore

It is niskriya (inactive). it has both

jnatrtva (know-

ledge) and

kartrtva (doer-

ship.

 

2. Activity belongs only to Maya Maheshvara has svatantrya

or avidya. Ishvara assumes (freewill). Therefore

activity

activity only when He is affected belongs to him. Maya is

not

by avidya or maya. something which

affects

Maheshvara

or Shiva. Maya

is his own

Shakti by which

he brings

about multiplicity

or

difference.

 

3. Maya is anirvachaniya (in- Maya being the shakti

definible). of the Divine

is real.

 

4. Maya being indefinable is Maya is Shiva-mayi or

loosely associated with chinmayi and is thus

Ishvara and is, in the last Shiva's own shakti. It

analysis, unreal. is not a seperate

principle.

 

5. In the case of the empirical In the case of jiva, the

five-

ego or jiva also, the atman is fold activity of Shiva

never

inactive. All activity belongs ceases.

buddhi, the product of prakrti.

 

6. The universe is mithya or unreal. The universe is Shiva-rupa

Manifestation os nama-rupa and and therfore real. It is a

cannot be regarded as real in the display of the glory of the

true sense. Divine. Abhasas

(manifes-

tations)

being the ideation

of Shiva

are not unreal.

 

7. In liberation, the universe is In liberation, the

universe

anulled. appears as a

form of

Shiva or

I-consciousness.

 

8. According to Shamkara Ve- According to Shaiva philo-

danta avidya (ignorance) is sophy, there are two

kinds

removed by vidya (pure know- of ajnana (ignorance), pau-

ledge), and when this happens, rusha ajnana which is in-

there is mukti or liberation. Vidya herent in the purusha,

and

is the result of shravana, manana, and bauddha ajnana, which

and nididhyasana. is intellectual. By

Vidya only

bauddha

ajnana can be re-

moved;

paurusha ajnana will

still

remain. Such a person

will be

landed only in blank

abstractions, he will not real-

ize

Shivatva or divinization.

Paurusha

ajnana has also to

be removed.

This can be re-

moved only

by shaktipata

which comes

about either by

the diksha

(initiation) imparted

by the guru

or by direct divine

grace.

 

This is comparison only; there are no encouragements to follow a specific

path of instruction and knowledge. This is individual, and by the use of this

term excludes the intervention of well meaning people. There is equanimity in

all things.

 

Nothing exists that is not Shiva.

 

Mahapremabhakti

M