On “continual recollection” – I
“To the One who, although nothing but a mass of consciousness, is yet solidified in the form of the world, to the unborne One who is proficient in the play of concealing his own Self, glory to this Supreme Lord!”
Paramārthasāra of Abhinavagupta, verse 1
A few days ago, my friend Gregory Peters tweeted a verse from Abhinavagupta’s Tantrāloka:
“No lunar day nor asterism, no fasting is prescribed. He who is engrossed in every day life becomes a Perfected Being by means of continual recollection.”
(chapter 29/v65, transl. John Dupuche)
My initial interpretation of this verse was: “residing in wonder as the ground state of one’s being”.
A question was posed in respect to this verse – what does “continual recollection” mean in this particular context? I thought I’d take the opportunity to tackle this – not without some reservations, as though have been reading Abhinavagupta’s works for nigh on two decades, I still struggle to articulate my understanding of his luminous wisdom. But this is important for me. Ever since I came to realize how central the experience of wonder is to nondual tantra, I have been struggling to articulate what this means for me. I may say that I seek to open myself to wonder in the ordinary and every day, to find enchantment and presence in small moments and encounters, but that is somehow not enough. So I’m going to take this as an opportunity to say more about wonder in tantra, both as a beginning, a practice, and a goal. But’s that’s going to have to wait.
Before I look at the verse in detail, I want to provide some background context. Who was Abhinavagupta, and what are his teachings?
Abhinavagupta is widely regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of his age and beyond, producing many learned works on poetics, dramaturgy, aesthetics, music theory, and tantric Śaivism. The verse that concerns us here is from his great work Tantrāloka or The Illumination of the Tantras. During his life (950-1020) he studied under a wide variety of respected teachers (20 by some counts) who enabled him to become a master of logic, philosophy, aesthetics, yoga, ritual practice and poetics. His parents were distinguished scholars and devotees of Śiva, under the patronage of the royal court of Kashmir. Vaiṣṇavism and Buddhism were also well-established in Kashmir at that time, and like the Śaivas, attracted royal patronage. By his own account, he was conceived during a tantric sexual ritual and lost his mother at an early age. His father was his first teacher, instructing him in grammar, logic, and Sanskrit literature. Later, Abhinavagupta studied with Vaiṣṇava, Jain, Buddhist, and ācāryas (teachers or masters) from non-Śaiva lineages, as well as learned masters of the Kaula, Krama, and Trika lineages of Tantra. Indeed, in Tantrāloka Abhinavagupta likens himself to a bee, collecting the nectar of the different traditions and teachers, in order to distill them into sweet honey.
For more about Abhinavagupta, see the essays by Jeffrey Lidke and Christopher Wallis (links below).
Abhinavagupta’s writings emerge from the group of traditions which are often called “Kashmir Śaivism”. Whereas previous tantric traditions treated their texts as (anonymous) scriptural revelations from god or goddess, from around the ninth century, there arose a succession of learned masters producing exegetical texts which not only explained the scriptures but wove them into a highly sophisticated philosophy and theology which, despite its complexity, was firmly rooted in practice and the quest for liberation. In doing so, they reinterpreted much of the earlier material in quite radical ways and also generated new approaches to practice. One of the earliest of these teachers was Vasugupta, one of the founders of the Spanda lineage, author of the Śiva-sūtra (Aphorisms of Śiva) Spanda is usually translated as “vibration”. Vasugupta’s disciple, Kallaṭa, authored the Spanda-kārikās (Stanzas on Vibration). The Spanda tradition then flowed into the Pratyabhijñā (Recognition) lineage, it’s first great teacher being Somānanda, author of the Śiva-dṛṣṭi (Vision of Śiva). Somānanda’s disciple was Utpaladeva, author of many works and master of devotional hymns and poems. His most famous works are the Īśvara-pratyabhijñā- kārikās (The Stanzas on Recognition of Oneself as the Lord), and Śiva-stotrāvalī (Garland of Hymns to Śiva). Utpaladeva’s pupil was Lakṣmaṇagupta, although his work has been lost, his disciple was Abhinavagupta.
All of these teachers and their works contributed to the formation of nondual or monistic Śaivism. The Pratyabhijñā (Recognition) lineage claims to offer an “easy path” to liberation, via the recognition that one’s identity is Śiva. The self encompasses all phenomena (interior and external, subjective and objective). By this recognition, one is liberated from the cycle of death and rebirth (saṃsarā). In this perspective, all that exists is one singular and infinite divine consciousness. One reality, called variously by numerous epithets such as the Supreme Lord (Parameśvara), Supreme Śiva (Paramaśiva), Supreme Consciousness (Parāsaṃvid) and the Self (Ātman). As this only reality, Śiva manifests simultaneously as the transcendent reality and as the universe with its infinite variety of limited subjects. Hence Śiva is both transcendent, and immanent. He does this through the operation of his divine Śakti (power), often referred to as svātantrya-śakti. This is not a separate aspect of Śiva, it is his nature. Abhinavagupta explains:
“There is always nondifference between Śakti and the possessor of Śakti [i.e. Śiva]. Since She is thus the possessor of His qualities, She is the Supreme [parā] Śakti of the Supreme Self [parātman]. [Similarly] the burning power [śakti] of fire is not considered to be different from fire. There is only this [the analysis of power and possessor of power] only as a beginning in entering into the state of knowledge.
If one who has entered into the condition of Śakti would meditate on their nondifference, he would come to have the nature of Śiva. Śiva’s consort [śaivī] is explained here to be the door. Dear, just as different places, etc., are cognized by means of the light of a lamp and the rays of the sun, so is Śiva [cognized] by means of Śakti.” 1
Although Śakti operates in a multitude of ways, there are five principal modes. As Cit śakti (the power expressing as consciousness) Śiva reveals himself, shining forth as the pure I (Aham). As Ānanda śakti (the power expressing as bliss) Śiva rests in himself, satisfied. As Icchā śakti (power expressed as will/desire) Śiva expresses the will to create. As Jñāna śakti (power expressed as knowledge) the multitudinous objects of the universe are made conscious. As Kriyā śakti (power expressed as action) Śiva makes manifest his intentions. From this perspective, the entire universe is the manifestation of Śiva. The modalities of Cognition (Jñāna śakti) and Action (Kriyā śakti) are particularly important. It is through Śakti, and the modalities of cognition and action, that Śiva can be known via ordinary experience, or more properly, that one can recognize/remember that one is Śiva.
Śiva is at once both transcendent and immanent, eternal, without beginning and end; he is both all sentient life and all the objects of their experience.
If this is so for Śiva, then equally, it is so for each individual. When Śiva (i.e. consciousness) veils himself, he descends and contracts, becoming the seemingly separate multitude of powers and objects. Eventually, this contraction gives rise to the erroneous identification of Self with the body, one’s ego, etc. This is not a fall into matter, but part of the play of the Lord.
From this perspective, an individual human is the product of a contraction of consciousness – a series of unfolding stages by which entities appear to become separated and distinct from each other (i.e. subjects and objects). But our ‘true’ nature is that of Śiva – light (prakāśaḥ) and reflective awareness (vimarśaḥ). The problem (insofar as there is one) is that the action of various cosmic powers prevents us from recognizing our identity as pure consciousness – we have “forgotten” that we are pure consciousness.
Liberation, in these terms, is the recollection of our essential nature, which has become obscured – the recognition of Śiva – consciousness – as one’s innermost identity.
Abhinavagupta uses a variety of hierarchical schemas, to account for how this obscuration occurs. One such schema is the five coverings (kañcukaḥ): particularised agency (kalā), limited knowledge (vidyā), attachment to the objects of the senses (rāgaḥ), time (kālaḥ) and restriction or exclusion (niyatiḥ). It is these forces that produce the empirical self – caught up in time and narrative. Indeed, they are necessary for the individual to experience the world. They are expressions of māyā – but not in the sense that māyā is often understood, as “illusion” – but more in the sense that they are limitations or contractions of consciousness, and are part of the play of Śiva. Māyā is the principle that gives rise to the multitudes of beings who are unaware of their nature as pure consciousness. In this view, all the contents of consciousness have sentience: not only humans and animals but also pots, stones, mountains, ballpoint pens, etc.
In this nondual tradition, the world and its objects are real. It is through reflective awareness (vimarśaḥ) that consciousness appears as the differentiated reality of everyday experience; in the ability to fuse or blur the boundaries of that differentiated reality through ecstatic or aesthetic experience, and the nondual expansion of consciousness that is liberation. Consciousness is dynamic, contracting and expanding, as do the pulsations of the heart.
How does the body figure in all this? The human body is the locus wherein all the powers and potentialities unite. Unlike some systems of Indian thought, here, consciousness and embodiment are not opposed categories. The body is the result of the contraction of consciousness – it is consciousness made solid. Changes in awareness and the very process of liberation is enacted through the body.
That’s enough philosophy for the moment. There will be more later. One of the most accessible and eloquent accounts of nondual tantra can be found in Christopher Wallis’ excellent book, Tantra Illuminated (reviewed here).
So back to the verse (65 of chapter 29, Tantrāloka)
“No lunar day nor asterism, no fasting is prescribed. He who is engrossed in everyday life becomes a Perfected Being by means of continual recollection.”
Here is 29/65 in Devanagari:
na tithir-na ca nakṣatraṃ na-upavāso vidhīyate|
grāmya-dharma-rataḥ siddhyet-sarvadā smaraṇena hi ||
Hence we might translate this verse as:
“No [na] lunar day [tithir] No lunar asterism [na ca nakṣatraṃ] no fasting [na-upavāso] is prescribed [vidhīyate]
He who is engrossed in everyday life [grāmya-dharma-rataḥ] becomes a Perfected Being [siddhyet] by means of constant recollection [sarvadā smaraṇena] (indeed [hi]).
The first line of the verse seems at first glance to be a not untypical injunction against adherence to orthopractic ritual (there’s probably more to it though). But the second line gives some pause for thought.
The compound grāmya-dharma-rataḥ could be translated as “he who delights in his villager’s duties” which in itself is interesting, as the term grāmyadharma has associations with vulgar conduct or licentious behavior. It is also a euphemism for sexual intercourse (i.e. a villager’s duty, as opposed to that of a renunciate). Abhinavagupta is of course well-known for using complex metaphors and puns throughout his work. It also gives us a completely different understanding of the verse. 2
So the second line of the verse could be read as: “He who delights in sexual intercourse achieves success by means of constant recollection.”
But this does not get us any closer to understanding the phrase “constant recollection” and what it points to. Perhaps the previous verse (29/64) will help shed light on the matter:
Nāh-am-asmi na cānyo’sti kevalāḥ śaktayastvaham|
Ityevaṁvāsanāṁ kuryāt-sarvadā smṛti-mātrataḥ
“I am not, neither does another exist; I am only powers (or “energies”).’ He should, in every circumstance, as a result simply of recollection, maintain that attitude of mind.”
So there we have recollection again. So what is this recollection, and how does it operate, and how might it relate to wonder? Those questions will have to wait for the next part of this essay.
Sources
Lyne Bansat-Boudon and Kamaleshadatta Tripathi (transl. etc) An Introduction to Tantric Philosophy: Paramārthasāra of Abhinavagupta with the Commentary of Yogarāja (Routledge, 2011)
John R. Dupuche, Abhinavagupta: The Kula Ritual As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka (Motilal Banarsidass, 2006)
Mark Dyczkowski, The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism (Motilal, 1989)
David Peter Lawrence, Rediscovering God with Transcendental Argument: A Contemporary Interpretation of Monistic Kashmiri Śaiva Philosophy (State University of New York Press, 1999)
Christopher Wallis, Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History and Practice of a Timeless Tradition (Mattamayūra Press, 2013)
Online
Jeffrey Lidke A Thousand Years of Abhinavagupta
Christopher Wallis Who was Abhinavagupta?
Notes:
