The Kula School
The Kula school is one of the oldest and most important streams of Kashmir Shaivism . The term Kula means a family , a clan or a grouping , but actually refers to ultimate reality in its dynamic feminine aspect of 'Shakti 'which manifests itself as the Universe . In contrast , Shiva , who transcends the world is called Akula . Kula can also be taken to mean the totality of cosmic entities with everything even the smallest unit of this manifested reality ..the whole universe , the corporeal body , the individual person , all objects forming a part of it. Anyone who enters the family therefore, becomes a part of it.
The highest goal for the human individual , according to the Kula system is to achieve the thought free state and experience the bliss of Shiva and Shakti , Kula and Akula. Its main emphasis is on remaining always attuned to totality. If Shiva (Akula) is the 'Absolute totality' , Kula is a term that can be applied to any emergent manifestation from that totality.
The Kula tradition accords great importance to the human body as an instrument of enlightenment . Equating the body with the whole cosmos , it teaches that all divinities , all the powerful forces reside in it. These divinities within the body can be perceived through mantras. By this Kula method of bodily enlightenment ,the practitioner can master the divinities , the powerful cosmic forces operation within.
Kula worship is characterised sometimes by offering of meat , fish and wine to the deity and indulgence in ritual sex. The ultimate purpose of these group rituals is achievement of full freedom and expansion of consciousness to the maximum possible extent. Overpowering the opposition between pure and impure, sacred and non sacred , body and spirit , enjoyment and liberation, the Kaula practitioner aims at recognising his real nature 'blissful inner consciousness ' rather than pursuing only sensual pleasure or uncontrolled gratification of senses.
Ananda is it's key concept , which is an experience of many meaning and many levels , the highest of it being
Jagadananda or universal bliss in which all things finally submerge. Bliss is experienced in the union of Shiva and Shakti.
The Spanda School
The Spanda school derives its name from the Spanda Karika which was written in 9th century by Vasugupta or his desciple Kallata Bhatta.
The term Spanda refers to the ever present , spontaneous vibration or pulsation of universal consciousness and is perceived as a subtle movement within the fundamental core of the Absolute or Shiva. It is a movement outside time and space , but it points to the internal dynamism of the supreme reality itself which gives rise to the emergence of the universe , its maintenance , withdrawal.
The Spandkarika uses the terms unmesha (unfolding) and nimesha (enfolding) to explain this pulsating movement of consciousness from inner to the outer state of reality and back . The universe, it says, comes into existence when Shiva opens his eyes to see it, and is dissolved when he closes his eyes as it were to see his own nature.
According to Spanda doctrine , by experiencing the vibration of universal consciousness within his own self , the yogi realises his own essential nature as Shiva . He then learns to recognise his own Spanda energy in the outer world , which flows in all its perceptions and activities. And thus, through his perception of totality of existence in his mind, he enjoys the bliss of undifferentiated awareness free of any thought .
The yogi finds that the Spanda energy , which he is trying to experience has another name, and that name is Shiva's creative freedom ( Savatantraya ).
Shiva manifests himself as the phenomenal world or dissolves it according to his free will. It is all his divine play ' Lila '.
The Pratyabhijna School
The Pratyabhijna or self recognition school represents the highest point in the development of non dual philosophical thought of Kashmir Shaiva tradition. It was Somanand's desciple Utpal deva's path breaking work , the Ishwara Pratyabhijna Karika , which is a profound text that systematically and logically present the Pratyabhijna philosophy . It is from this work that Pratyabhijna school derives its name.
Abinavgupta synthesized the Spanda or vibration and Pratyabhijna or self recognition doctrines to present an authentic version of non-dualist Shaiva thought.
The term Pratyabhijna is generally taken to mean recognition or self recognition . It also emphasises the non duality of Shiva as 'Absolute ' consciousness .
The core concept of Pratyabhijna philosophy is that liberation consists of the ultimate recognition of one's true identity as Shiva though self awareness.
Its importance lies in the fact that it encompasses all the fundamental features common to different schools of non dual Kashmir Shaivism and presents them as a coherent system of philosophy and theology.
No comments:
Post a Comment