Pratyabhijnahridayam

[Guest guest]

Thanks Marcus for putting forth and discussing the classical

literature in Kashmir Shaivism. It deserves a wider audience and I

will periodically pass on the postings on "PRATYABHIJNAHRIDAYAM" to

a and NondualitySalon. Again, this is a wonderful

service you are providing in that interested people have access to

one of the richest traditions of yoga and tantra.

 

Harsha

 

PRATYABHIJNAHRIDAYAM

 

THE SECRET OF SELF-RECOGNITION

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

Upaayas

 

Grace is not the outcome of caprice. It has to be earned by moral

and spiritual discipline. The means of earning grace have been

divided under four broad heads: Aanavopaaya, Shaaktopaaya,

Shaambhavopaaya, and Anupaaya. These upaayas are recommend to get rid

of the malas so that one may become fit for receiving grace.

 

Aanavopaaya is the means whereby the individual utilizes his own

karanas or instruments as a means for his transformation for

Self-realization. It includes disciplines concerning the regulation

of praana, rituals, concentration on one's chosen deity, etc...

Ultimately, it brings about Self-realization by the unfolding of

madhya-dhaama or sushumnaa. It is also known as kriyopaaya, because

Kriyaa--such as repetition of a mantra and the practice of rituals,

etc...plays an important part in it. This is also known as

bhedopaaya, because this discipline starts with a sense of bheda or

difference.

 

Shaaktopaaya is concerned with those psychological practices which

transform the inner forces, and bring about in the individual

samaavesha or immersion of the individual consciousness in the

Divine. In this mostly mantra shakti comes into play by which the

individual acquires praatibha jnaana or true knowledge; gradually his

feeling of duality gets less and less and his consciousness merges in

paraa-samvid. In this discipline one has to meditate something like

this: "I am Shiva, the whole universe is only an expansion of my true

nature."

 

In aanavopaaya the senses, praana and manas are pressed into

service; in shaaktopaaya, it is manas only that functions actively.

It is also known as jnaanopaaya, because mental activities play an

important role in it. It is also known as bhedaabheda-upaaya becuase

it is based both on difference and identity. By this, the kundalini

rises up from mulaadhaara without much effort for the control of

praana and brings about Self-realization.

 

Shaambhavopaaya is meant for advanced aspirants who by meditating

on Shivatattva attain to His Consciousness. This is the path of

'constant awareness.' One starts with the analysis of pancha-kritya

(the five-fold activity of Shiva), the saadhanaa of vikalpa-kshaya

(thoughtless state), and the practice of the consciousness that the

universe is only a reflection of Chit, but later even these have to

be given up. This leads easily to pure I-Consciousness.

Shaambhavopaaya is also known as icchopaya.

 

Anupaaya can hardly be called an upaaya. This depends entirely on

anugraha or grace. This grace may come through one word of the guru

(spiritual director) and light may dawn upon the aspirant and thus he

may acquire an experience of the real Self in a trice, that is to say,

Divine grace may be showered on him directly and he may instantly

realize his Self. The prefix 'an' in anupaaya has been explained by

some in the sense of ishat or very little. In this sense anupaaya

means very little or nominal effort on the part of the aspirant. In

both cases, anupaaya connotes realization solely through very intense

grace (tivratama shaktipaata). Sometimes by the very sight of a person

who has acquired Self-realization an aspirant receives illumination

and is transformed.

 

Anupaaya is generally designated as aanandopaaya.

 

Kshemaraaja says that by the develpment of the madhya or center,

one attains chidaananda or bliss of the Supreme Consciousness. This

madhya is to be conceived in three separate ways from the three

points of view of the upaayas. From the point of view of the

aanavopaaya, madhya is the sushumnaa naadi between the idaa and

pingalaa that has to be unfolded. From the point of view of

shaaktopaaya, madhya is the paraa-samvid that has to be reached. From

the point of view of shaambhavopaaya it is akritrima aham or the pure

I-consciousness that is the madhya or center of everything. It is the

madhya that has to be attained by one of the above means.

 

For the unfoldment of madhya, Kshemaraaja recommends

vikalpa-kshaya, shakti-sankocha, shakti-vikaasa, vaaha-ccheda, and

the practice of aadyanta-koti.

 

Note:

vikalpa-kshaya=thoughtless state

shakti-sankocha=withdrawing the senses and turning inwards.

shakti-vikaasa=inward concentration though the senses are open

to their respective objects.

vaaha-ccheda=stilling of prana by means such as tracing mantra

back to its source.

aadyanta-koti=the center between the in-going and out-going

breaths.~M

 

Of these, vikalpa-kshaya is shaambhavopaaya.

 

shakti-sankocha and vikaasa are shaaktopaaya.

 

vaaha-ccheda and aadyanta-koti are aanavopaaya.

 

Tommorrow: we finish the lengthy introduction by expounding on

vikalpa-kshaya (thoughtless state) and pancha-kritya (five-fold

activity of Shiva).

 

Gurubhakti M