The Serpent Power. Arthur Avalon

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СКАЧАТЬ particulars called Tanmātra. When Shakti has entered the last and grossest Tattva (“earth”)—that is, solid matter—there is nothing further for Her to do. Her creative activity then ceases, and She rests. She rests in Her last emanation, the “earth” principle. She is again coiled and sleeps. She is now Kundalī Shakti, whose abode in the human body is the earth center or Mūlādhāra Chakra. As in the supreme state She lay coiled as the Mahākundalī round the Supreme Shiva, so here She coils round the Svayambhu Lingga in the Mūlādhāra.

      The Mantra evolution is set forth with great clarity in the Shāradā Tilaka, wherein it is said that from the Sakala Shiva (Shiva Tattva), who is Sat-Chit-Ānanda, issued Shakti (Shakti Tattva); from the latter Nāda (Sadākhya Tattva); and from Nāda evolved Bindu (Īshvara Tattva),{157} which, to distinguish it from the Bindu which follows, is called the Supreme Bindu (Para-Bindu). Nāda and Bindu are, like all else, aspects of Shakti, being those states of Her which are the proper conditions for (Upayogāvasthā) and in which She is prone to (Uchchhanāvasthā) creation. In those Tattvas the germ of action (Kriyā Shakti) sprouts towards its full manifestation.

      The Tantras, in so far as they are Mantra Shāstras, are concerned with Shabda or “sound,” a term later explained. Mantra is manifested Shabda. Nāda, which also literally means sound, is the first of the produced intermediate causal bodies of Shabda. Bindu, which has previously been explained, is described as the state of the letter Ma before manifestation, consisting of the Shiva-Shakti Tattva enveloped by Māyā or Parama Kundalī. It implies both the void (Shūnya)—that is, the Brahman state (Brahmapada)—in the empty space within the circle of the Bindu; as also the Gunas which are implicitly contained in it, since it is in indissoluble union with Shakti, in whom the Gunas or factors constituting the material source of all things are contained.{158} The Parabindu is called the Ghanāvasthā state of Shakti. It is Chidghana or massive consciousness—that is, Chit associated with undifferentiated (that is, Chidrūpinī) Shakti, in which lie potentially in a mass (Ghana), though undistinguishable the one from the other, all the worlds and beings to be created. This is Parama Shiva, in whom are all the Devatās. It is this Bindu who is the Lord (Īshvara) whom some Pauranikas call Mahāvishnu and others the Brahmapurusha.{159} As the Commentator says, it does not matter what He is called. He is the Lord (Īshvara) who is worshipped in secret by all Devas,{160} and is pointed to in different phases of the Chandrabindu, or Nāda, Bindu, Shakti, and Shānta of the Om and other Bīja Mantras. Its abode is Satyaloka, which within the human body exists in the pericarp of the thousand-petalled lotus (Sahasrāra) in the highest cerebral center. The Shāradā{161} then says that this Parabindu, whose substance is Supreme Shakti, divides itself into three—that is, appears under a threefold aspect. There are thus three Bindus, the first of which is called Bindu,{162} and the others Nāda and Bīja. Bindu is in the nature of Shiva and Bīja of Shakti. Nāda is Shiva-Shakti—that is, their mutual relation or interaction (Mithah samavāyah){163} or Yoga (union), as the Prayogasāra calls it.{164} The threefold Bindu (Tribindu) is supreme (Para), subtle (Sūkshma), and gross (Sthūla).{165} Nāda is thus the union of these two in creation. As the text says (v. 40), it is by this division of Shiva and Shakti that there arises creative ideation (Srishti-Kalpanā). The causal Bindu is from the Shakti aspect undifferentiated Shakti (Abhedarūpā Shakti) with all powers (Sarvashaktimaya); from the Prakriti aspect Trigunamayī Mūlaprakriti; from the Devatā aspect the unmanifest (Avyakta); from the Devī aspect Shāntā. The three Bindus separately indicate the operations of the three powers of will (Ichchhā), knowledge (Jnāna), and action (Kriyā), and the three Gunas (Rajas, Sattva, Tamas); also the manifestation of the three Devīs (Vāmā, Jyeshthā, Raudrī) and the three Devatās (Brahmā, Vishnu, Rudra) who spring from them.{166} It is said in the Prayogasāra and Shāradā that Raudrī issued from Bindu, Jyesthā from Nāda, and Vāmā from Bīja. From these came Rudra, Vishnu, Brahmā, which are in the nature of Jnāna, Kriyā, Ichchhā, and Moon, Sun, and Fire.{167} The three Bindus are known as Sun (Ravi), Moon (Chandra), and Fire (Agni), terms constantly appearing in the works here translated.

      In Sun there are Fire and Moon.{168} It is known as Mishra Bindu, and in the form of such is not different from Paramashiva, and is Kāmakalā.{169} Kāmakalā is the triangle of divine desire formed by the three Bindus—that is, their collectivity (Samashtirūpā).{170} This Kāmakalā is the root (Mūla) of all Mantra. Moon (Soma, Chandra) is Shiva Bindu, and white (Sita Bindu); Fire (Agni) is Shaktibindu, and red (Shonabindu); Sun is a mixture of the two. Fire, Moon, and Sun are the Ichchhā, Jnāna, Kriyā Shaktis (will, knowledge, action) manifesting in the Mūlādhāra (head and heart). On the material plane the white Bindu assumes the form of semen (Shukra), and the red Bindu of menstrual fluid (Rajasphala, Shonita). Mahābindu is the state before the manifestation of Prakriti.{171} All three Bindus—that is, the Kāmakalā—are Shakti, though one may indicate predominantly the Shiva, the other the Shakti aspect. Sometimes Mishra Bindu is called Shakti Tattva, to denote the supremacy of Shakti, and sometimes Shiva Tattva, to denote the supremacy of the possessor of power (Shaktimān). It is of coupled form (Yāmalarūpa). There is no Shiva without Shakti, nor Shakti without Shiva.{172} To separate{173} them is as impossible as to separate the moving wind from the steadfast ether in which it blows. In the one Shiva-Shakti there is a union (Maithuna),{174} the thrill of which is Nāda, whence Mahābindu is born, which itself becomes threefold (Tribindu), which is Kāmakalā.{175} It is said in the Shāradā-Tilaka that on the “bursting” or differentiation of the Supreme Bindu there was unmanifested “sound” (Shabda).{176} This manifested Shabda is through action (Kriyā Shakti) the source of the manifested Shabda and Artha described later.{177} The Brahman as the source of language (Shabda) and ideas on one hand, and the objects (Artha) they denote on the other, is called Shabdabrahman, or the Logos.{178} From this differentiating Bindu in the form of Prakriti are evolved the Tattvas of mind and matter in all their various forms, as also the Lords of the Tattvas (Tattvesha)—that is, their directing intelligences—Shambhu,{179} the presiding Devatā over the Ājnā Chakra, the center of the mental faculties; and Sadāshiva, Īsha, Rudra, Vishnu, Brahmā, the Devatās of the five forms of matter, concluding with Prithivī (“earth”) in the Mūlādhāra center, wherein the creative Shakti, having finished Her work, again rests, and is called Kundalinī.

      Just as the atom consists of a static center round which moving forces revolve, so in the human body Kundalī in the earth Chakra is the static center (Kendra) round which She in kinetic aspect as the forces of the body works. The whole body as Shakti is in ceaseless movement. Kundalī Shakti is the immobile support of all these operations. When She is aroused and Herself moves upwards, She withdraws with and into Herself these moving Shaktis, and then unites with Shiva in the Sahasrāra lotus. The process upward (evolution) is the reverse of the involution above described.

      Before proceeding to a description of the Chakras it is, firstly, necessary to describe more fully the constituents of the body—that is, the Tattvas—mentioned, extending from Prakriti to Prithivī. It is of these Tattvas that the Chakras are centers. Secondly, an explanation is required of the doctrine of “sound” (Shabda), which exists in the body in the three inner states (Parā, Pashyantī, Madhyamā), and is expressed in uttered speech (Vaikharī) This will help the reader to an understanding of the meaning of Mantra or manifested Shabda, and of the “Garland of Letters” which is distributed throughout the six bodily centers.

      III. EMBODIED CONSCIOUSNESS (JĪVĀTMĀ)

      The transcendental consciousness is called the Supreme Ātmā. The consciousness which is either in fact embodied or liable to be embodied is the Jīvātmā. These are but names for differing aspects of the same Self or Ātmā. In the first case consciousness is liberated from, and in the second it is with, form. As Consciousness is in itself formless, form is derivable from its power (Shakti). This power evolves itself into Prakriti Shakti—that is, the immediate source and the constituent of mind and matter. The corresponding consciousness aspect of the same power is called Purusha. This term is sometimes applied to the Supreme, as in the name Brahmapurusha.{180} Here is meant a limited consciousness—limited by the associated Prakriti and Her products of mind and matter. In this sense СКАЧАТЬ