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.All is Consciousness.In the world of gross matter they seem to disappear, being almost suppressed by the veil of Maya-Sakti's Tamoguna.As however ascent is made, they are less and less veiled, and True Consciousness is at length realized in Samadhi and Moksha.Cit-Shakti and Maya-Shakti exist inseparable throughout the whole universe.There is therefore according to the principles of the Shakta Shastra not a particle of matter which is without life and consciousness variously displaced or concealed though they be.Manifest Maya-Shakti is the universe in which Cit-Shakti is the changeless Spirit.Unmanifest Maya-Shakti is Consciousness (Cidrupini).There are many persons who think that they have disposed of a doctrine when they have given it an opprobrious, or what they think to be an opprobrious, name.And so they dub all this "Animism," which the reader of Census Reports associates with primitive and savage tribes.There are some people who are frightened by names.It is not names but facts which should touch us.Certainly "Animism" is in some respects an incorrect and childlike way of putting the matter.It is, however, an imperfect presentment of a central truth which has been held by some of the profoundest thinkers in the world, even in an age in which we are apt to think to be superior to all others.Primitive man in his simplicity made the discovery of several such truths.And so it has been well said that the simple savage and the child who regard all existence as akin to their own, living and feeling like himself, have, notwithstanding their errors, more truly felt the pulse of being, than the civilized man of culture.http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/sas/sas15.htm (17 of 23)07/03/2005 16:03:15Chapter Fifteen: Maya-Shakti (The Psycho-Physical Aspect of the Universe) How essentially stupid some of the latter can be needs no proof.For the process of civilization being one of abstraction, they are less removed from the concrete fact than he is.Hence their errors which seem the more contorted due to the mass of useless verbiage in which they are expressed.And yet, as extremes meet, so having passed through our present condition, we may regain the truths perceived by the simple, not only through formal worship but by that which consists of the pursuit of all knowledge and science, when once the husk of all material thinking is cast aside.For him, who sees the Mother in all things, all scientific research is wonder and worship.So Gratry said that the calculus of Newton and Leibnitz was a supralogical procedure, and that geometric induction is essentially a process of prayer, by which he evidently meant an appeal from the finite mind to the Infinite, for light on finite concerns.The seeker looks upon not mere mechanical movements of so-called "dead" matter, but the wondrous play of Her Whose form all matter is.As She thus reveals Herself She induces in him a passionate exaltation and that sense of security which is only gained as approach is made to the Central Heart of things.For, as the Upanishad says, "He only fears who sees duality".Some day may be, when one who unites in himself the scientific ardor of the West and the all-embracing religious feeling of India will create another and a modern Candi, with its multiple salutations to the sovereign World-Mother (Namastasyai namo namah).Such an one, seeing the changing marvels of Her world-play, will exclaim with the Yoginihridaya Tantra, "I salute Her the Samvid Kala who shines in the form of Space, Time and all Objects therein."Deshakalapadarthatma yad yad vastu yatha yatha,Tattadrupena ya bhati tam shraye samvidam kalamThis is, however, not mere Nature-worship as it is generally understood in the West, or the worship of Force as Keshub Chunder Sen took the Shakta doctrine to be.All things exist in the Supreme who in Itself infinitely transcends all finite forms.It is the worship of God as the Mother-Creatrix who manifests in the form of all things which are, as it were, but an atom of dust on the Feet of Her who is Infinite Being (Sat), Experience (Cit), Love (Ananda) and Power (Shakti).As Philibert Commerson said: "La vie d'un naturaliste est, je L'ose dire, une adoration presque perpétuelle."I have in my paper Shakti and Maya (here reprinted from the Indian Philosophical Review, 1918, No.2) contrasted the three different concepts of the Primal Energy as Prakriti, Maya and Shakti of Samkhya, Vedanta and the Agama respectively.I will not, therefore, repeat myself but will only summarize conclusions here.In the first place, there are features common to all three concepts.Hitherto, greater pains have been taken to show the differences between the Darshanas than to co-ordinate them systematically, by regarding their points of agreement or as regard apparent disagreement, their viewpoint.It has been said that Truth cannot be found in such a country as India, in which, there are six systems of philosophy disputing with one another, and where even in one system alone, there is a conflict between Dvaita, Vishishtadvaita and Advaita.One might suppose from such a criticism that all in Europe were of one mind, or that al least the Christian Community was agreed, instead of being split up, as it is, into hundreds of sects.An American humorist observed with truth that there was a good deal of human nature in man everywhere.http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/sas/sas15.htm (18 of 23)07/03/2005 16:03:15Chapter Fifteen: Maya-Shakti (The Psycho-Physical Aspect of the Universe) Of course there is difference which, as the Radd-ul-Muhtar says, is also the gift of God.This is not to deny that Truth is only one.It is merely to recognize that whilst Truth is one, the nature and capacities of those who seek it, or claim to possess it, vary.To use a common metaphor, the same white light which passes through varicolored glass takes on its various colors.All cannot apprehend the truth to the same extent or in the same way.Hence the sensible Indian doctrine of competency or Adhikara.In the Christian Gospel it is also said, "Throw not your pearls before swine lest they trample upon them and then rend you." What can be given to any man is only what he can receive.The Six Philosophies represent differing standards according to the manner and to the extent to which the one Truth may be apprehended.Each standard goes a step beyond the last, sharing, however, with it certain notions in common.As regards the present matter, all these systems start with the fact that there is Spirit and Mind, Matter, Consciousness and Unconsciousness, apparent or real.Samkhya, Vedanta and the Shakta Agama called the first Purusha, Brahman, Shiva; and the second Prakriti, Maya, Shakti respectively.All agree that it is from the association together of these two Principles that the universe arises and that such association is the universe.All, again, agree that one Principle, namely, the first, is infinite, formless consciousness, and the second is a finitizing principle which makes forms [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]