Siva Sutras - The Supreme Awakening

[jonesboy]

Sutra 1.3



3. yonivargah kalasariram //



becomes



3. yonivargah kalasariram bandhah // - for reading and understanding purposes the word 'bandhah' (bondage) gets inserted in the end of the sutra. This is a must as the author points out below.



Mayiyamala and karmamala are also bondage.



"Here, the word yonivarga means "differentiated knowledge." He is mine, he is not mine. This is beautiful, this is not beautiful. This is good, this is bad. All these statements are examples of the knowledge that is yonivarga. This kind of knowledge is the impurity known as mayiyamala.



The Sanskrit words kala sariram mean "the embodiment of action." This is done, this is to be done. This is half done, this is well done. These statements are examples of knowledge that is kala sarira. This kind of knowledge is the impurity known as karmamala. It is bondage and yonivarga, separated knowledge, is also bondage.



For understanding, the word bandhah (bondage) must be inserted in this sutra. The sutra would thus read, "yonivarga kala sariram bandhah," which gives the same meaning as above and adding "this is also bondage."



What is yonivarga? The word yonivarga comes from combining the two words yoni and varga. The word yoni means "the cause of the universe." The word varga means "class; your own class tha t is directly or indirectly attached to your body." The universe is the product of the energy of illusion and its class (varga).



There is your own class, which is directly attached to your body. This is good, this is bad. This is one finger, this is another finger. This is the knee. This is direct yonivarga. All these statements are examples of classes directly attached to your body. Indirect attachment is that which is referred to in statements such as: this is a wife, this is a disciple, this is a servant, this is a cook, this is rice, this is a plate. All these are indirect attachments.



These two classes, direct or indirect, are the cause of the rise of your body and your own separate individual world attached to your body. That body is yonivarga. That is to say, when you are limited in every way - limited in action and limited in knowing - that is yonivarga. You experience this limitation from kala to earth. Why? Because the manifestation of the differentiated world, maya, starts from the element kala. Above maya is found the pure element suddhavidya. So, from the element earth to the element kala is yonivarga and that is mayiyamala.



Now consider kala sarira, the embodiment of actions. When an action enters your body, your self in your knowledge, and your mind in your thought, and leaves an impression in you, that is kala sariram. This is karmamala. When a person thinks, "I am nothing, I am lost, I have lost my precious wife, I am no longer living, I am almost dead," this kind of thinking is the result of karmamala. It is also bondage."



Anavamala is the foundation of Karmamala and Mayiyamala



""The nature of limitation is located on the surface of anavamala. Whe n anavamala exists, th e other two malas, karmamala and mayimala, ar e also existing. Whe n anavamala ha s ceased to exist, the n these other two mala s will also vanish."

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"Karmamala and mayiyamala always reside in anavamala. It is the foundation of these two, which are no other than contracted particular knowledge. (Pratyabhijna Karika)"

[jonesboy]

This concept of maya (tattva) and the three impurities (malas) are unique to tantra based systems like Kashmir Shaivism and it sets them apart from the other Vedic Hindu systems. In this system, intellectual analysis or meditation is not enough to overcome the limitations imposed by the maya layer. Just doing neti neti, and saying this is not me and trying to intellectually solve the maya tattva is simply not possible. Reaching a silent state by meditation or mechanical practices alone will not reveal the truth.



The maya layer cannot be pierced without divine grace. This is a system based on guidance from the guru/master. This is made amply clear everywhere in KS, from the upayas (methods) we saw earlier to some of the sutras that we will see ahead.



This is also clearly stated by Krishna in the 7th chapter of Gita in the following verse. He calls the maya his divine energy and states it is impossible to penetrate and overcome this. In the same breath, Krishna goes on to state those who surrender to the divine can easily cross this. Abhinavagupta in his commentary for the following verse states this trick of illusion is a play by the divine. To overcome or undo that self imposed illusion, the play-trick done by the divine, it stands to reason that once again the divines act in anugraha (grace) in order to undo and set free. To think that maya is purely an intellectual puzzle is to completely underestimate the power of this divine energy maya.



daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te (gita 7-14)

"This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it."

[jonesboy]

Sutra 1.4



4. jnanadhisthanam matrika //

The Universal Mother commands this triple knowledge.



"Matrika, the Universal Mother, is the master director of the triple knowledge consisting of anavamala, mayiyamala and karmamala. Here, the word matrika means ajnata mata. Ajnata mata is the state where universal energy is known in the wrong way. When universal energy is known in a correct way, it is simple svatantrya sakti. When it is known in the wrong way, it is energy of illusion and it is called maya sakti. So matrika is both. Matrika means ajnata mata when universal energy is not known correctly and svatantrya when it is known correctly. This means that svatantrya controls the three instruments of bondage. Svatantrya is your own will! If you bind yourself or if you free yourself, both are under your control."





When universal energy resides in the field of maya:



"When universal energy, residing in the field of maya, possesses differentiated and constricted knowledge, she appears to be limited, and thinks such thoughts as, "I am not full," "I am weak," "I am stout," "I am the only fortunate person in the world," or "I am a great master," "I have so many disciples," "I am a world renowned teacher."By these words, these letters and these objects, she is sometimes filled with grief, sometimes with wonder, sometimes with joy, sometimes with anger, and sometimes with attachment. And so what finally happens to this victim? This mother (matrika) does something terrible. She makes this victim her plaything."





Keep objective world (vacya) and the subjective world (vacaka) separate:



"And the way he becomes the victim of pleasure and pain is by the words that he hears. For example, he will hear the words "our business has decreased," even though it has not decreased. When he hears that his business is ruined, he will be the victim of grief. And when, on occasion, he hears that his business is doing well, he will be the victim of pleasure. In both cases, he is played by matrika. He becomes the victim of grief, the victim of pleasure, the victim of sex or the victim of enjoyment. These are the good and bad things we face in our daily lives. But the one who is player, he will never be sad. All these things will be enjoyed by him. He is aware of his nature. He will never be bound.



The objective world (vacya) is the world that is named. The subjective world are the names (vacaka) of those objects. When you unite the objective and the subjective states, that is bondage. When they are kept separate, then there is no bondage."

[jonesboy]

Sutra 1.5



5. udyamo bhairavah //



That effort - the flashing forth of active awareness - that instantaneously makes universal consciousness shine, is Bhairava.



"Active effort is elevating . It is effort that, when it flows out in active consciousness, makes one's universal consciousness shine instantaneously. Active effort is bhairava because it carries one to the state of bhairava.



And active effort that takes you abruptly, in one flight, to your consciousness and causes the supreme knowledge of being (pratibha) to radiate is bhairava, because all energies are diluted and digested in one energy, svatantrya sakti. It is also bhairava because the whole universe is filled with svatantrya, and because here all differentiated perception ends.



Active effort is called bhairava because it becomes the means of carrying you toward the state of bhairava. This kind of effort is found in real devotees whose consciousness is always introverted in the awareness of God consciousness. This is the meaning of this sutra. It is also said in Malinivijaya Tantra:



The penetrative inescapable state of trance, which absorbs your individual being, is called sambhava samavesa. Because of the elevating infusion of power from the master, this sambhava samavesa is experienced by one who is capable of keeping away all thoughts and impressions. (Malinivijaya Tantra 2.23)



Our masters explain this verse in this way. When you are capable, then your master will uplift you. If you are not capable, he will not be successful in carrying you there. This means you must be capable of absorbing this kind of awareness.



In Svacchanda Tantra it is also said:

Oh Parvati, all mantras are successful for the one who contemplates on his own self as one with bhairava because he is always one with that awareness of consciousness (samavesa). (Svacchanda Tantra)"

[jonesboy]

Sutra 1.6



6. sakticakrasamdhane visvasamharah //

By establishing and meditating on the wheel of energies, the differentiated universe comes to an end.



"Bhairava, which has already been explained, carries you to the highest summit of active consciousness and is found together with svatantrya sakti. How is svatantrya sakti found as one with Bhairava? You will find Her as one with Bhairava by keeping your organs in action, and then by establishing yourself inside, observing the action within. This is Bhairava mudra. The supreme energy of Bhairava holds both the successive movement and nonsuccessive movement of the collective totality of energies. But in fact, here there is neither a successive way or a nonsuccessive way of meditation. Why? Because, both nonsuccessive and successive ways of meditation require something to meditate on. Here there is nothing to meditate on."



Anupaya - Beyond the 3 upayas, the way does not exist at all:



"So, in the state of svatantrya sakti, there is no meditation. It is not the means (upaya) of sambhava, or sakta, or anava. It is anupaya and beyond anupaya. Supreme energy excludes sambhava, sakta and anava upayas and, at the same time, they are all included. The state of svatantrya Sakti excludes everything and also includes everything. This is the state of svatantrya sakti. Why would they be excluded? They would be excluded because the way does not exist at all. There is no way to go, there is no traveling. From the point you start, that is what is to be held. You have to hold that starting point and that is all. Although this svatantrya sakti is both successive and nonsuccessive, it is above that. Why? Because it is the supreme energy of Lord Siva, which is absolutely independent awareness."



The play of creation, protection and destruction:



"The play of creation, protection, and destruction is the recreation of svatantrya sakti. Where? In the ground of her own nature (svarupa). Right from the element earth (prithvi) up to the state of the supreme perceiver (para pramatri). When the heroic yogi meditates with continuous contemplation on that collective class of energies of Siva (Sakti cakra), which is found in only one energy, svatantrya sakti, he destroys this dualistic universe right from kalagni rudra up to santatita kala. You must understand though, destruction does not mean that it is destroyed. Although it is individually found, externally found, or found in his own awareness, the heroic yogi feels that the entire universe has become one with the fire of supreme consciousness."

[jonesboy]

The wheel of energy mentioned in this sutra (1.6) basically refers to the 36 tattvas or the principles of KS as shown below. The kalagni rudra mentioned above is rests in the prithvi tattva (Earth principle) in the bottom of the image below and the santatita kala is the abode of Shiva (Siva principle) at the top.



The heroic yogi is said to engage in continuous contemplation of this collective class of energies (earth to siva tattva) until the dualistic universe is destroyed. In other words, the yogi realizes all of these are one with the supreme consciousness.

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...93&postcount=1

[jonesboy]

The next few sutras deal with the waking state (jagrat), dream state (swapna), deep sleep state (sushupti) and the 4th state turiya -- the successful yogi experiences -- that transcends all the other 3 states and is ever present.



Sutra 1.7

7. jagratsvapnasusuptabhede turyabhogasambhava //



Such a heroic yogi experiences the expansive

state of turya in the differentiated states of

waking, dreaming and deep sleep.



"When that aspirant, who is a hero in meditation, through the flashing forth of active awareness instantaneously makes universal consciousness shine (udyamo bhairavah), then for him the expansive state of turya occurs in all states, waking (jagrat), dreaming (svapna) and deep sleep (susupti). For this yogi, all the states of experience, waking, dreaming and deep sleep, are one with turya. He does not experience any difference between this world and the state of samadhi. This happens to that yogi who is a great yogi, with advanced development of awareness.



In the Spanda Karika, it is explained in this verse:

In the differentiated states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep, that supreme consciousness of turya is found as one. (Spanda Karika1.3)"



Sutra 1.8

8. jnanam jagrat //

External organic knowledge constitutes

the waking state.



"External organic knowledge (jnanam) is not knowledge of the self; it is dualistic knowledge."



Sutra 1.9

9. svapno vikalpah //

Internal perceptions and thoughts compose

the dreaming state.



"The Sanskrit word vikalpah means "internal perceptions." If internal perceptions are found in the waking state, it is also dreaming (svapna)."



Sutra 1.10

10. aviveko mayasausuptam //

Forgetfulness and the negation of awareness is the

dreamless state or maya .


"That which is the object of everyone because it is from the external organic world comprises the waking state (jagrat).

Those objects which are created in one's own mind and become perceptions of only one individual constitute the dreaming state. In the dreaming state, thought is predominant.



And when you are absolutely unaware, unable to differentiate your being - not being present where you are - this ignorance, this negation, is the state of deep sleep. This state is one with maya. It makes you absolutely deluded about your nature. So, although it is the dreamless state (susupti) that is explained here, you must understand that the state of maya, which must be discarded, has the same explanation."

[jonesboy]

In the commentary for this sutra 1.10, the author points out each of these 3 states (waking, dream & deep sleep) in turn contain 3 more states within themselves. We are not always wakeful in the waking state. Mostly we spend the waking state (day) dreaming or in the ignorance of deep sleep. There are totally 9 states as explained below and 3 more for yogis in meditative state.



Wakefulness in waking state (jagrat in jagrat): "You must know that in the waking state, whenever you find that there is external organic knowledge, that is wakefulness in the waking state."

Dreamness in waking state (swapna in jagrat): "When there are only thoughts in the waking state, that is dreaming in the waking state"

Deep sleep in waking state (sushupti in jagrat): "When there is unawareness (moha), the negation of your self, in the waking state that is deep sleep in the waking state"

Wakefulness in dream state (jagrat in swapna): "When, while dreaming, there is some subjective knowledge and you are conscious of dreaming, feeling that you are dreaming a dream, that dreaming state is called wakefulness in the dreaming state"

Dreamness in dream state (swapna in swapna): "When, while dreaming, you are given completely to perception without any awareness of that subjective consciousness, that is the dream state within a dream."

Deep sleep in dream state (sushupti in swapna): "And when these dreams are not remembered at all, that is the deep sleep state within a dream"

Wakefulness in deep sleep state (jagrat in sushupti): "Where can wakefulness be found in the deep sleep state? Where can wakefulness exist when there is the absolute negation of thoughts and awareness? Although thought does not exist in the state of deep sleep, there is a point before entering the state of deep sleep where one feels that he is going to get complete rest. This is wakefulness in the deep sleep state"

Dreamness in deep sleep state (swapna in sushupti): "When the impressions of the deep sleep state remain, causing one to think upon waking that he was sleeping and does not know anything, this is dreaming in the state of deep sleep"

Deep sleep in deep sleep state (sushupti in sushupti): "In the dreaming state of deep sleep, there are impressions and there are thoughts of these impressions, but these are not gross thoughts. Rather, these are thoughts held in a subtle way. They are thoughts in the state of impressions. The completely thoughtless state is deep sleep in the state of deep sleep"
The above states are for normal people. For the yogis 3 more states are described in meditation.

Wakefulness in meditation: "When a yogi is completely one-pointed in meditation (dharana), that is the waking state. Here the yogi is aware at the beginning of meditation that he is meditating and he is one-pointed about meditating. This is active, not passive meditation (In passive meditation, when you sit for meditation you may sit and think of someone else. When you sit for meditation, you must sit with consciousness. That is active meditation). For yogis, the state of meditation is called wakefulness because here the yogi is given to one-pointedness."

Dreamness in meditation: "When one-pointedness is breaklessly maintained as the continuity of one thought, that, for the yogi, is the dreaming state. For the yogi, this state of dreaming is higher than wakefulness."

Deep sleep in meditation: "And, for yogis, higher still is the state known as deep sleep. This state exists when both the state of objectivity and the state of subjectivity instantly vanish. This is samadhi, the thoughtless state of consciousness, and it is deep sleep for yogis."

[jonesboy]

Recap sutra 1-10.



1. caitanyamatma

The independent state of supreme consciousness is the reality of everything.



2. jnanam bandhah

Knowing differentiatedly is bondage and not knowing undifferentiatedly is bondage.



3. yonivargah kalasariram // becomes 3. yonivargah kalasariram bandhah //

Mayiyamala and karmamala are also bondage.



4. jnanadhisthanam matrika //

The Universal Mother commands this triple knowledge.



5. udyamo bhairavah //

That effort - the flashing forth of active awareness - that instantaneously makes universal consciousness shine, is Bhairava.



6. sakticakrasamdhane visvasamharah //

By establishing and meditating on the wheel of energies, the differentiated universe comes to an end.



7. jagratsvapnasusuptabhede turyabhogasambhava //

Such a heroic yogi experiences the expansive state of turya in the differentiated states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep.



8. jnanam jagrat //

External organic knowledge constitutes the waking state.



9. svapno vikalpah //

Internal perceptions and thoughts compose the dreaming state.



10. aviveko mayasausuptam //

Forgetfulness and the negation of awareness is the dreamless state or maya .

[jonesboy]

Sutra 1.11



11. tritayabhokta viresah //



The one who enjoys in the oneness of awareness all of the

three states - waking, dreaming, and deep sleep -

becomes the master of all organic energies.



"When this yogi, through meditating on the wheel of energies (sakticakra), apprehends the threefold state of waking, dreaming and deep sleep as absolutely free from all dualistic thoughts, filled with the nectar of bliss (ananda rasa) and completely mixed with turya, then this yogi has truly relished these three states in the oneness of awareness. He is one who, enjoying the oneness of these three states in turya, becomes viresah, the master of all active organic energies.



This heroic yogi is simultaneously aware of where objectivity and where subjectivity exist in the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep and is never stained by them. This kind of yogi enjoys the unrivaled kingdom of the universal self. He is filled with supreme bliss and becomes master of heroes (viras) who are dedicated to digesting the sense of difference in the universe. He is said to be one with Manthana Bhairava, which is Bhairava who churns everything, all objectivity, all cognition and all subjectivity, into one consciousness, producing a supreme undifferentiated mixture of universal consciousness. This is how it is explained in very rare Tantras."