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.Shiva is the Power-Holder, who is Being-Consciousness-Bliss, and Shakti isPower and the Becoming.She, in the alogical state, is also Being-Consciousness-Bliss.Without ceasingto be in Herself what She ever was, is, and will be, She is now the Power of Shiva as efficient andmaterial cause of the Universe and the Universe itself.Whilst Shiva represents the Consciousness aspectof the Real, She is its aspect as Mind, Life, and Matter.He is the Liberation (Moksha) aspect of the Real.S4>e is in the form of the Universe or Samsara.As Shiva-Shakti are in themselves one, so Moksha andSamsara are at root one.Shiva, in the Kularnava Tantra, says that His doctrine is neither non-dualist nor dualist, but beyond both.We have here a non-dualistic system as regards its teaching concerning the Alogical Whole, in whichShiva-Shakti are fused in one.We have again a kind of Duo-Monotheism.It is Monotheistic becauseShiva and Shakti are two aspects of one and the same Reality.It is dual because, these two aspects areworshipped as two Persons, from whose union as Being and Power the Universe evolves.The experience of this state, relative to the Alogical Whole, is a disruption of unitary alogicalexperience.I say "relative" because the Whole is always the Whole.Such disruption is the work ofPower.She, as it were, disengages Herself as Power, from the embrace in which Power-Holder andPower are fused in one, and then represents Herself to Him.On this representation, Consciousness-Power assumes certain postures (Mudra) preparatory to the going forth as Universe, and then, whenPower is fully concentrated, manifests as the World.The term Consciousness, which is inadequate to describe the alogical state, is here approximatelyappropriate, for the experience of this state is that of an "I" and "This".But it is to be distinguished fromman's Consciousness.For the experiencer as man is a limited (and not, as here, a Supreme Self ) and theobject is experienced as separate from, and outside, the Self (and not, as in the case of the Lord andMother, as one with the experiencing Self).The experience of Shiva as the Supreme Self, viewing theUniverse is, "All this, I am".As contrasted with the alogical, all-diffusive, Spiritual Ether, the symbol of the second aspect of Shiva-Shakti, as the Supreme Self and Cause of the Universe is the metaphysical Point (Bindu) or Power as aPoint.What, then is the meaning of the latter term? In Being-Power about to evolve there is a stressingof Power which gathers itself together to expand again as Universe.When it has become concentratedand condensed (Ghanibhuta Shakti) it is ready to evolve.Bindu, or the Point, is, therefore, Power in thatConcentrated state in which it is ready and about to evolve the Universe.Though infinitely small, as theAbsolute Little, when compared with the Absolute Great or Spiritual Ether, it is yet a source of infiniteenergy as (to borrow an example from modern science) the relatively Little or Atom, or other unit ofmatter, existing in the relatively Great or the physical Ether, is said to be a source of tremendous energy.Just as, again, the relative point or atom is as a fact in the relative Ether, so the Absolute Point isconceived to be in the Absolute Ether.I say "conceived," because, as both Spiritual Point and SpiritualEther are each absolute, it is only figuratively that the one can be said to be "within" the other.The "Isleof Gems" (Manidvipa) in the "Ocean of Nectar" (Amritarnava) is another symbol of this state.http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/sas/sas20.htm (4 of 14)07/03/2005 16:03:46 Chapter Twenty: The Indian Magna MaterThere is a painting that exhibits both the Alogical Immense and the Point of Power or Bindu "in" it.Theformer is here symbolized by the shoreless "Ocean of Nectar" (Amritarnava) -- that is, Immortality.Thissymbol of all-diffusive Consciousness is similar to that of the all-spreading Ether.In the blue, tranquilWaters of Eternal Life (Amritarnava) is set the Isle of Gems (Manidvipa).This Island is the Bindu ormetaphysical Point of Power.The Island is shown as a golden circular figure.The shores of the Islandare made of powdered gems.It is forested with blooming and fragrant trees -- Nipa, Malati, Champaka,Parijata, and Kadamba.There, too is the Kalpa tree laden with flower and fruit.In its leaves the blackbees hum, and the Koel birds make love.Its four branches are the four Vedas.In the center there is ahouse made of Cintamani stone which grants all desires.In it is a jeweled Mandapa or awning.Under itand on a gemmed and golden throne there is the Mother Mahatripurasundari as the Deity of the Bindu,which as shown later, becomes the three Bindus or Puras.Hence Her name "Three Puras" or Tripura.She is red, for red is the active color, and She is here creative as Vimarsha Shakti, or, the "This" of theSupreme Experiencer, which through Maya becomes the Universe.What man calls Matter is firstexperienced by mindless Consciousness as a "This," which is yet though the "Other" one with the Self.Then, by the operation of Maya, the "This" is experienced by mind as separate and different from andoutside the Self, as complete "otherness".She holds in Her four hands, bows and arrows, noose andgoad, which are explained later.She sits on two inert male figures which lie on a six-sided throne.Theupper figure is Shiva (Sakala), who is awake, because, he is associated with his Power as efficient andmaterial cause.On His head is the crescent Digit of the Moon, called Nada, the name for a state ofstressing Power, His Shakti being now creative.He lies inert, for He is Immutable Being.He is whitebecause he is Consciousness and Illumination (Prakasha).Consciousness illuminates and makesmanifest the forms evolved by its Power, which in its turn by supplying the form (as object unconscious)helps Shiva to display Himself as the Universe which is both Being and Becoming.Under him is anothermale figure, darker in color, to represent colorlessness (vivarna), with closed eyes.This mysteriousfigure (Nishkala Shiva) is called Shava or the Corpse.It illustrates the doctrine that Shiva without hisPower or Shakti can do and is, so far as the manifested is concerned, nothing.There is profundity in thedoctrine of which this Corpse is a symbol.To those who have understood it a real insight is given intothe Kaula Shakta system.This representation of Shiva and Shakti as of the same size, but the former lying inert, is perhapspeculiar to the Kaula Shaktas, and is the antithesis of the well-known "Dancing Shiva"
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