Yoga of Synthesis in Kashmir Shaivam

Author(s): S S Toshkhani
Publisher: S S Toshkhani

Page 14

him suffer limitation, restricting his freedom of will, knowledge and action. He becomes, as Swami Shankarānanda calls him, "Shiva with amnesia". XXVI Still he is a finite symbol of the infinite and realization of his true identity can restore his Shivahood to him. And this is what the yoga of Kashmir Shaivism is all about -- it helps him abide in his true nature through a wide range of spiritual techniques and meditative practices it offers.
COSMIC MANIFESTATION
The drama of cosmic manifestation unfolds with pure undivided consciousness opening out and evolving spontaneously into the universe through a process of self-limitation or contraction. These stages or categories (tattvas), number 36 according to the Shaiva theory of cosmogenesis, ranging from the innermost states of subjectivity to the outermost objective forms of existence. The first five tattvas or categories are described as belonging to the realm of "pure creation" where there is still integration between the subject and the object. The highest among these are Shiva and Shakti, the Supreme Being and his Power of Self-awareness, both together representing the state of pure Iconsciousness and expressing the sense of abheda or total non-duality. In these two states there is no objectiveness, only the awareness of aham or "I am" prevails unfolding chit shakti or the power of consciousness and anandashakti or the power of joy. Then comes the category called Sadāshiva where the idea of idam or 'this' shows up for the first time. Yet 'l-consciousness' still prevails over 'this-consciousness' in this state with the dominant experience of the soul being aham-idam or 'I am this'. Here jnānashakti or the power of knowledge predominates. Paul E. Murphy compares it to "the desire of an artist as the inspiration to paint a canvas arises within him or to the faint outlining sketch on the canvas before the paint is applied. "XXVII The category of Ishvara comes next which corresponds to the awareness idam-aham or 'this I am'. Here the consciousness of this? submerges the consciousness of “I” and ichhāshakti or the power of will prevails. The subject and the object are both clearly discernible in a state of perfect balance in the category shuddhavidyā or 'Pure knowledge'. Here there is an equal stress on the awareness of aham-idam or 'I am this (universe)' and idam-aham or 'this (universe) am l' and kriyāshakti or the power of action is emphasized. With this the categories
14