Hinduism believes in a world of devatas who live in various strata of the visible atmosphere, the lower Kshudra devatas who reside closer to earth to the Uccha Devatas who live in higher planes. The vedas tell us how to live right and well so that we can ascend this ladder and move to higher levels in our own spirital progress post death if we are lucky. While leading our earthly existance these lower deities bless us with cheap wishes and so called benefits that we may look for but then we miss the real matter, the cardinal deities who are of higher spiritual discipline who actually help us in our progress and are not just mere wish fulfilling lower deities. In order to get the right direction, move towards the supreme higher deities and achieve Brahman as described in the Upanishads one must take the help of the Brahma Vidhyas, a spiritual discipline that leads up to this superior existance. Brahma Vidhyas are better known as Siddha vidhyas or Dasamahavidhyas are ten great disciplines that enable a person to progress spiritually. They are represented pictorially as ten great Goddesses/mothers whose worship and realization takes the aspirant to the next level. As an introduction, they are ten outstanding personalities of the divine mother and are represented in the following forms: Kali Tara Tripurasundari Bhuvaneshwari Tripura Bhairavi Chinnamasta Dhumavati Bagalamukhi Matangi Kamalatmika Each of these Goddess describes a principle of life that we need to know, digest, accept, realize and fulfill in order to move on in our spiritual progress. Now the big question maybe what do each of these great mothers represent. This moved into the sphere of abstraction where we define a few things for our own understanding. The supreme energy is all enveloping, all encompassing and stitched into the process of creation. With this is born the idea of time and space. Space is vast and can be understood by bringing in divisions. Hence as an entity, as a sadhaka we need to understand and realize that the space is defined by the 8 directions that surround us - North, North East, East, South East, South, South West, West, North West, above and below. Time is defined by every breath we take during our life time. In order to understand and realize this knowledge we have been given ten senses to realize the true potential with our consciousness - Skin, eyes, ears, tongue, nose, mouth, foot, hands, anus and genitals. Its this combination of time, space, sense that we attribute to the dasa mahavidhyas at the beginning of our spiritual progress. All of these attributes that we are familiar with bring us closer to our own consciousness and sharpen it ten fold to reach a higher realm. While our initial journey may not be in the direction of attain supreme salvation and our sadhana may be tuned towards just one of the ten mahavidhyas, as we progress in this path, it opens our mind to the other great Vidhyas in this path. As the sadhaka keeps worshipping the great Mother and leaves all his worldly problems in her hands, this relationship between the aspirant and the divine mother grows, so much so that the aspirant depends and believes in the Divine Mother for solutions to every one of their problems, even the trivial ones. This leads to an intimate relationship between the seeker and the Goddess so much so that they forget the goal they originally started off with. The seeker realizes the presence of the Goddess, their attitude changes and its visible to everyone around them. This journey leads us to higher realms that the mind understands and digests. And the real truth lies in the fact that it cannot be explained to anyone, it can only be realized by one self. This is the fun in spiritualism, the real intoxication that keeps us going disconnecting us from our present birth and all its attractions. All the mind starts working on is how to go from one strata to the next and progress to reach the supreme with the blessings of the divine mother and not about how to get petty wishes coming true during our earthly life. Photo cortesy: http://kamakhyamandir.org
Mysticism is an ocean of unexplainable phenomenon... well what can I say about it, except that the ingredients are different, the rules are different, the results are different and the acceptance of it makes the world look very different.
Rahasya is a beautiful word. It describes the law of the divine system of the Gods, and the inner meaning and powers and the benefits there of. The power of the Sri Chakra is one such rahasya. Puja is a beautiful system which defines the rules of adoration with the elements of sound, divine geometry that is interwoven with the very being of the worshiper. The art of Yantra Puja, brings a balance between the energies that surround the outer world around the devotee and that of the inner world within them.
Once the association of the devotee starts with the Sri Chakra, the central Bindu of the Yantra maps with the center of the devotee's own inner being. The center of the Universe that are centered around this mandala represent the energies of the psycho physical constitution of the devotee concentrated within. This is the journey of all the forces that are currently diffused to be concentrated towards the center of the being. From here on, with little or no attachment they begin their journey to the center of their own universe. This universe is defined by the same concept that pronounces the journey one makes from the entrance of the temple right up to its main sanctum in its structure, or the movement from the outskirts of a great ancient kingdom to its inner palaces or from the outside world of Maya to the inner realm that lies dormant within oneself.
In this realm, two things play a strong role, that of consciousness and that of energy, both of which are available to the devotee in abundance. Consciousness is the "Shiva" element within the mind of the devotee while energy is the "Shakti" element. When a devotee settles down to Yantra Puja, and gets into the state of divine dialog with the Sri Chakra, they begin to give up the external world around them and start to drift towards the realm of the inside. From here on, what appears to the outside world as "peace of mind" actually is the starting of a whole new life that is defined by the very Yantra that they worship, within which divinity has been brought to reside.
The Yantra is the very nature of the worshiper and breathes life giving energy into the realm of the worshiper thereby bringing harmony and wealth and prosperity as perceived by the outer world. But in the mind of the devotee what matters is the mysterious world of which they have now become a part. Here the rules are different. There is no transaction, there is just divine love, faith, surrender, cause and effect. Here there are just states to be in and each state has its own characteristics. Here society and order have no room. This is the inner realm of the being, of the self where only divine reality matters.
In this world, the Yantra becomes and active player, the life giving source of all energy and with every passing worship it makes the devotee stronger in their zest for life and for death. Life and death appear like two parts of the same reality, life being one state that transits into another that is death. The mind experiences a lot more magic, unexplained and yet spectacular. The signs are all over the devotee's mind. Its a moment of awakening when the devotee realizes that ancient symbolism was not really a creation of man's imagination, it was a gift of the Gods that got left behind as visual proof, the source and logic of which is still being rediscovered. In this state Lord Shiva and Goddess Tripura Sundari are more real that the people who are part of one's external reality.
The Sri Chakra begins to breathe life into the devotee's world. The gates to heaven open in all the four cardinal directions, the 16 petals of time bloom and all the stars begin to let go their clutches, their influence on the devotee's life. The great guardians open their inner gates and the attendant yoginis come alive to dance and worship the great goddess within. The inner world awakens, each divine being in their respective Koshas, display the extravaganza of their nature, waking up this inner world, of beauty and divinity to the devotee. This is the divine realm, of silence and pure sound, of light and powerful energy that awaken within the physical mass of the human mind. At last, the inner world comes into divine reality, the four great pillars of life, of direction signified by Brahma[North East], Vishnu [South East], Rudra [South West] and Isana [North West].
This journey is powerful, different and once its started there is no going back. In the language of spiritualism this is termed as realization, an irreversible process within the mind. At the center of this experience is the Anugraha form of the Goddess, that of Sadashiva and Kameshwari represented by the color white and that of color red. This is believed to be at the peak of Mount Meru, at the sacred uppermost peak within the human being at the Sahasrara Chakra. This world is illumined by the subtle beauty of the crescent moon, by the brilliance of the sun and by the burning desire of agni within the mind of the devotee. This is divine union a smaller representation of which in the outer world is the miracle of child birth in our reality.
To the divine parent I pray Who reside on my fore Who awaken the crescent moon of my being Who are at the epicenter of my Bindu Who breathe life into me And produce the sacred sounds of divine life at the Nada I pray to you, O divine parent, Bless me with a life Complete with my earthly duties fulfilled And lead me back home To the divine realm of your world In this hope I continue to live To catch a glimpse of thee From within the limits of my finite self.
In the definition of Kundalini, this is the source of creation, represented by the dot or Bindu in the center of the Sri Chakra. The Bindu means the drop or the point, or literally Bindu Visarga which is the falling of the drop. This is represented by the crescent moon and a white drop which is the nectar that is dripping down from the Vishuddhi chakra. It is the ultimate source of immortality, that state which is called bliss when this chakra is activated through sadhana.
"From that Bindu came ether, air, fire, water, earth and the letters of the alphabet" - Kama Kala Vilasa
The Bindu is connected with the Vishuddhi Chakra and its seat is at the back of the head, typically where brahmins leave a tuft of hair growing. It is believed during sandhya, the brahmin ties this tuft of hair tighter, and while he practices mantra, he develops a powerful and continuing awareness of this Bindu point. This is one of the traditional methods of accessing the Bindu Visarga consciously.
In Tantra, Bindu is depicted by the crescent moon on a moonlit night. The Bindu is closely related to the kalas, that is the waxing and waning of the moon. The Bindu gives a hint towards the vast void beyond, the Sahasrara. It is said when the Bindu is awakened, the sound of OM is heard within the self. It is also believed that this Bindu, or the moon, produces a very intoxicating secretion, which is nectar or ambrosia or amrita or soma. At this point, the bhakta enters the state of complete bliss and is no longer dependent on the world for sustenance.
Other explanations to the same Bindu define this as the red and the white Bindu, where the red represents the Goddess, alias blood of menstruation. White represents the sperm or shukla. The red Bindu is established as the sun and the white Bindu as the moon, representing the ida and the pingala. There are various interpretations to what the Bindu really is, but what strikes out most is that which is depicted on the crown of Goddess Tripura Sundari or that of the great Lord Kameshwara.
This is a phenomenon that renders the bhakta immortal, supreme and one with the divine. Great sages have made this secret phenomenon understandable to the masses by simple depiction. Simple depiction that hides within itself a supreme phenomenon unknown until contemplated upon.
This is embedded in the depiction, in the music, in the verses, in the songs to the great Goddess Kamakshi, Tripura Sundari. Quoting...
Tripurasundari Vijaya Sthava [Ode of Victory to Tripurasundari]
Victory to the Goddess who resides in the center of the Sri Chakra, who lives among those hearts drenched in devotion towards her. She resides in the realm of happiness among those good. She wears the crescent moon on her crown and is the consort of Lord Shiva in her all pervasive form. She consoles those who seek protection in her, who is true knowledge, who is wisdom, who is Bindu, who is bliss all within the self.
Victory to the Goddess Rajarajeshwari who resides at the center of the Sri Chakra, who is invoked by the great chant in the three hreem, who is in the sacred offerings, moon, air, fire, water, earth, sun and sky. Who is worshiped by great yogis who look upon her in the divine form of Hamsa Soham.
Tripura Thilakam [The Ornament to the Tripurasundari]
My heart depends on the Goddess Tripura Sundari who is the greatest treasure of Lord Shiva, who is beauty described in her dense crown of hair which is embellished by the crescent moon she wears, that is surrounded by the very stars of the night sky. This appears like a fully opened flower of the Kalpaga tree. Among her blue locks of hair that gently flow down her crown, and frame her half open eyes that are like lilies blooming in the full moon night.
My mind remains awake towards the Goddess Tripura Sundari, who is beauty personified within the lotus face she has, growing like that of a million moons, and has teeth like the bow of a sugarcane of the God of love, who reduces the effect of all bad acts done, whose blessings is the greatest gift gotten from the worship of Lord Shiva.
The realm of the Goddess, the awakening of the Bindu is a drop of moonlight that descends into the consciousness of the Bhakta awakening him into the Sahasrara, the path to the realization of the void, of the universe beyond. The experience of this is probably far, but the very thought that the moon makes a poetic drop of elixir, brings intrigue and mystery into the subtlety of this great phenomenon, represented by a silver glow of the crescent moon on the face of the Goddess.
References: Kundalini Tantra: Swamy Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar school of Yoga Vedanta Spiritual Library.
The elixir of life The divine rays of the moon The soft reflection of cool light In the water of the stream that flows
The sounds of the ripples Awakens the primordial sound Bringing alive the subtle world As I immerse my being in this flow
The universe brightens The night sky all clear The chill in the air sweeps by In the pure breath that dives within
I am jeeva, I am life I am this phenomenon present now The shimmering waters cover my soul Opening the channels of life within my breath
I drink this elixir of life This wholesome breath enriches my soul My body submerged in these divine ripples I hear the primordial sound in my ears
I rise out of the waters Tiny silvery droplets cover me I wear this shimmering cloak Moon droplets cover my being
The night has set in, the moon rises high as I step into this ocean of peace. The waters are silent shimmering in the moon light bathe me in this heavenly theater. I breathe, taking in this silent intoxication as I wake up to the shining rays of the moon defined by Kaala that brings energy of a different kind that needs to be consciously experienced during the pattern of regular breathing.
In the pleasant silence under the night sky shimmering with stars and other heavenly celestial bodies, my mind drifts into the wholesome breath that fills my lungs. Cool breeze in steady flow, pass through one nostril as I hold my breath to feel the chill in the air. The calm in the air brings alive the moment of lull, the equilibrium that knows no time, no kaala, no breath but just this cool sensation that begins to grow within myself. The breath gets slower, the exhalation lesser and the air turns into this growing elixir that stays on longer, bringing the senses to a halt.
The body relaxed, the senses settled, the mind at rest is the definition of this equilibrium. The night is quiet and all have slept leaving its beauty ready to be experienced by inner vision. The full moon glows, the light penetrates the space, the air settles and the magical world of the celestials comes alive. They have come too, to worship the supreme, to appreciate the untouched beauty of divine creation while the world rests in deep slumber.
As the moon waxes the kaalas expand, the rays become stronger and brighten this world, and as the moon wanes they contract fading into the darkness slowly. Every night I visit this stream, I breathe and experience this beauty that appears in my mind, this world that awakens within my consciousness. This is the world of Kundalini, as it rises from the Muladhara to the Sahasrara. This is the heat, this is the fire, and this is the Agni Kundalini that arises from the Muladhara to the Anahata as it awakens me at every point, as the lotus of my consciousness blooms. I rise from the Anahata, the Kundalini now glows as bright as the sun, bringing alive the surya mandala that has been lying dormant in me. This awakening is silent, in the moon lit night as the energy rises up towards Susumna. My breath is rhythmic, the nadis open, I breathe in wholesome and rise to Chandra Kundalini. Here the Kundalini resides at Sahasrara, here my energy converges into the divine as Turiya Kundalini.
With every rise of Kundalini I hear my heart resound, I hear the beat of creation as the rhythm of subtle life is ignited with every breath that flows through me. I am the self sustaining, I am one with the divine, and I am life that lives a thousand years. I stand here under the starry sky, as I feel the celestials arrive, blessing me in their divine light, that bathes me in the silence of this moonlit night. This is the world of the divine - of the devas, of the gandharvas and of the greater Gods, who bless me - as the Sun glows in his splendor blowing his conch and awakens the celestial world, welcoming me home.
This is pure consciousness, this is “chit”, this is the moment of truth, and in this silent moon lit night, I hear the divine couple play this beautiful game of dice. This is another world so far removed from the noise of maya that I have been sucked into. This is the pure sound of the pranava mantra, the sound of creation, the sound of OM. As the divine dice roll on, it is a small play of love, of union between Lord Shiva and his consort, Tripurasundari. This is the world of Lord Shiva and Tripurasundari, their beauty overwhelming as the Mother blesses me with her half opened eyes that bloom like water lilies in the night sky. This is pure elixir, this is pure amrita, this is somaskanda, that bring me to witness the divine couple within my mind, awakening my soul to new renewed undying consciousness.
