Kashmir Shaivism

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Kashmir Shaivism

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Adi Shankara

Advaita-Yoga

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Kashmir Shaivism

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Inchegeri Sampradaya

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Neo-Vedanta

Kashmir Shaivism, or Trika Shaivism, is a nondualist tradition of Shaiva-Shakta Tantra which originated sometime after 850 CE. Since this tradition originated in Kashmir it is for often called "Kashmiri Shaivism". It later went on to become a pan-Indian movement termed "Trika" lit. The Trinity by its great exegete, Abhinavagupta, in addition to particularly flourished in Orissa & Maharashtra. instituting features of the Trika tradition are its idealistic and monistic Pratyabhijna "Recognition" philosophical system, propounded by Utpaladeva c. 925–975 CE and Abhinavagupta c. 975–1025 CE, and the centrality of the three goddesses Parā, Parāparā, and Aparā.

While Trika draws from numerous Shaiva texts, such(a) as the Shaiva Agamas and the Shaiva and Shakta Tantras, its major scriptural authorities are the Mālinīvijayottara Tantra, the Siddhayogeśvarīmata and the Anāmaka-tantra. Its leading exegetical working are those of Abhinavagupta, such(a) as the Tantraloka, Mālinīślokavārttika, and Tantrasāra which are formally an exegesis of the Mālinīvijayottara Tantra, although they also drew heavily on the Kali-based Krama subcategory of the Kulamārga. Another important text of this tradition is the Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra, which focuses on outlining many yogic practices.

Kashmir Shaivism claimed to supersede Shaiva Siddhanta, a dualistic tradition which scholars consider normative tantric Shaivism. The Shaiva Siddhanta goal of becoming an ontologically distinct Shiva through Shiva's grace was replaced by recognizing oneself as Shiva who, in Kashmir Shaivism's monism, is the entirety of the universe.

History

Dating from around 850–900 CE, the Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta and Spandakārikā were the number one attempt from the Śākta Śaiva domain to presents a non-dualistic metaphysics and gnostic soteriology in opposition to the dualistic exegesis of the Shaiva Siddhanta. The Shiva Sutras appeared to Vasugupta in a dream, according to tradition. The Spandakārikā was either composed by Vasugupta or his student Bhatta Kallata.

The leading theologians of Trika Shaivism are those of the Pratyabhijñā Recognition school of Shaiva non-dual philosophy.

Somānanda was the first theologian of the recognition school and his main hold is the Śivadr̥ṣṭi. However, it was Utpaladeva c. 900–950 CE and Abhinavagupta c. 950–1016, a student of one of Utpaladeva's disciples who developed the system into its mature form. Utpaladeva's Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā Verses on the Recognition of the Lord is one of the main workings of this tradition, however, it was overshadowed by the construct of Abhinavagupta. Thus, according to Torella, "Abhinavagupta's Īśvarapratyabhijñā-Vimarśinī and the Īśvarapratyabhijñā-Vivr̥ti-Vimarśinī a commentary on Utpaladeva’s Vivr̥ti on his own Īśvarapratyabhijñā-Kārikā and Vr̥tti are generally considered the standards working of the Pratyabhijñā." Torella notes however, that "most of Abhinavagupta’s ideas are just the coding of what Utpaladeva had already expounded."

Abhinavagupta's tantric synthesis was the nearly influential form of the tantric "Kashmir Shaivism". It brought together elements from the coming after or as a or situation. of. sampradayas lineages: the Trika, Pratyabhijñā, the Kaula Krama, and Shaiva Siddhantha.

Abhinavagupta wrote numerous other works on Shaiva tantra. His Tantrāloka, Mālinīślokavārttika, and Tantrasāra are mainly based on the Mālinīvijayottara Tantra, although they also drew heavily on the Kali-based Krama tradition of the Kulamārga. Abhinava's Tantrāloka is probably his almost important work. According to Christopher Wallis, "the Tantrāloka is a monumental explication of Tantrik practice and philosophy in over 5,800 verses. it is for encyclopedic in its scope though non organized like an encyclopedia, for instead of just enumerating theories and practices, it brings them all into a coherent framework in which everything has its place and everything allows sense in report to the whole."

One of Abhinavagupta's students, Kshemaraja, is also an important figure who authored the short Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam The Essence of Self-Recognition .

Jayaratha 1150–1200 CE wrote a commentary on the Tantrāloka.

The institutional basis and assistance for the Trika Shaiva tradition mostly disappeared with Islamic conquests of the region leading to the late decline and contraction of the tradition thought it continued to be passed down and practiced well into the 18th century.

However, the Trika Shaiva tradition was widely influential on other Indian religious traditions, particularly the Haṭha-yoga traditions, such as the Nāth school of Gorakṣa and the Dasanāmī Sannyāsins, which draw much of their yogic practice and ideas of the subtle body from Trika scriptures.

Trika Shaivism also strongly influenced the Shakta tradition of Śrīvidyā, which was itself a very influential tradition on mainsteam Hinduism, especially in South India. Another tantric tradition influenced by Trika was the post-classical Kalikula breed of Kali form of Shaktism which is influential in northeastern Indian regions, such as in Bengal, Orissa, and Nepāl.

There were no major writers or publications after about the 14th century. In the 20th century Swami Lakshman Joo, a Kashmiri Hindu, helped revive both the scholarly and yogic streams of Kashmir Shaivism. His contribution is enormous. He inspired a generation of scholars who portrayed Kashmir Shaivism a legitimate field of inquiry within the academy.

Acharya Rameshwar Jha, a disciple of Lakshman Joo, is often credited with establishing the roots of Kashmir Shaivism in the learned community of Varanasi. Rameshwar Jha with his creativity, familiarity with the ancient texts and personal experiences provided access to abstraction of non-dualistic Kashmir Shaivism. His writings of Sanskrit verses have been published as the books Purnta Pratyabhijna and Samit Swatantram.

Swami Muktananda, although not belonging to the direct lineage of Kashmir Shaivism, felt an affinity for the teachings, validated by his own direct experience. He encouraged Motilal Banarsidass to publish Jaideva Singh's translations of Shiva Sutras, Pratyabhijnahrdayam, Spanda Karikas and Vijnana Bhairava, any of which Singh studied in-depth with Lakshman Joo. He also introduced Kashmir Shaivism to a wide audience of western meditators through his writings and lectures on the subject.

The Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, a chapter from the Rudrayamala Tantra, was introduced to the West by Paul Reps, a student of Lakshman Joo, by including an English translation in his book Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Cast as a discourse between the god Shiva and his consort Devi or Shakti, it presents 112 meditation methods or centering techniques dharanas.