The Indian Religion of the Goddess Shakti
Editor's Note: Although in some ways this article is dated, (which is
no wonder, as it was written in 1929), it does describe "Saktism"
quite well, especially as it parallels Western Religions, and many of
the doubts it raises have been covered elsewhere at IloveUlove.com,
so it's value is considerable. Enjoy!
The Indian Religion of the Goddess Shakti
DR. HANS KOESTER
THE JOURNAL OF THE SIAM SOCIETY
Vol.23, part 1 1929 July
During the three years which I spent in India, from 1925 to 1927, I had the good
fortune to travel in many different parts of that vast territory, both east,
north, west, and south, visiting in turn the Shan States in Burma, Kashmere, the
west coast of Bombay, and Southern India and Ceylon. There were two things which
from a spiritual point of view attracted my attention most, and these were the
type of Buddhism prevailing in Burma and Ceylon, and that special branch of
Indian religion and philosophy, almost unknown in its essence in Europe, called
the Religion of the Goddess Shakti, which flourishes in Bengal and Kashmere.
Personal contact with many Indian friends, whose acquaintance I had the pleasure
to make, gave me the chance of studying Indian spiritual thought more deeply
and, if I may say so, in a more live manner than it is possible to do from books
only, even if they are old Sanskrit texts. I was honoured by an invitation from
the President of the Mahabodi Society in Calcutta to speak before an audience of
well-known Buddhists on two anniversaries of the birthday of the Lord Buddha,
and I also had the opportunity to deliver lectures at meetings of the Indian
Philosophical Congress at Calcutta in 1925 and at Benares in 1926. There, while
staying for some time with Indian friends with whom I was in sympathy by reason
of a certain similarity in our spiritual-philosophical researches, I realised
the strength and depth of eastern spiritual thought.
I do not wish to speak about Buddhism ere in this country, where Buddhism plays
such an important role, before learned people from whom I would prefer to learn.
I have written a short article on "Living Buddhism" in the newly started
magazine of the Buddhist Society in Calcutta, which, I was glad to see, was
kindly received by its readers. My object to night is to give you a short
lecture on a particular branch of Indian spiritual thought, the religion of the
Goddess Shakti, which is still unknown in its true meaning in Europe and, I must
say, even in the greater part of India. What I have read about it in the
different books on Indian philosophy have been only simple and short allusions,
containing more often than not rather erroneous ideas. In that excellent work on
"Hinduism and Buddhism," by Sir Charles Eliot, there are only a few remarks on
Sakthism, as this religions is usually called, and these describe its deep
philosophy and ritualism in a way which cannot be regarded as altogether
impartial. The European attitude towards this religions system seems to me to be
much influenced by not particularly well-informed opponents of it, from whom, I
imagine, Sir Charles Eliot has gathered his information. That is understandable
because, as he himself remarks in a footnote, the new textbooks of Sakthism,
which have now been published by Arthur Avalon, were at that time not available
to him. These textbooks, which include introductions and philosophic foundation
to this religious system and throw an illuminating light on this very important
branch of human thought. I have the privilege to be personally acquainted with
and, I may add, to be a friend of that Indian personality, Arthur Avalon, the
editor of the textbooks of Sakthism,who from modesty, and following an old and
good Indian tradition, is hiding his personal name under the above pseudonym.
There are now, I believe, over twenty volumes, including the most important Maha
Nirvana Tantra, which means the Philosophy of the Great Liberation, published
under the patronage and with the financial assistance of the great Maharaja of
Mithita on the borders of Bengal. It is good to know that there are in India men
like this Maharaja, whom I had the pleasure to meet personally and who spends a
good part of his great fortune in furthering the revival of the spiritual
influence of Sakthism, to which he personally adheres. There has been founded by
him, for the purpose of enlightening the learned public on this subject, a
special society of which he is the founder-president. This society which, if
small in the number of its members, is important by reason of their
personalities, intends to dedicate a complete collection of all the published
books on Sakthism to His Majesty the King of Siam, who, as "the Upholder of the
Buddhist Faith," is regarded by them at the same time as the principal
stronghold and spiritual rock of eastern culture and thought.
In making an attempt to describe to you Sakthism, my object to day is to present
you with a sketch of the metaphysical aspect of the religion as compared with
other systems of philosophical thought. It is not my intention here to dwell on
the ritual and ceremonial aspect of the religion, which would require a lecture
of its own. However, at the close I propose to give you a line of comparison
which may be drawn between one of the fundamental tenets of Sakthism, and a
certain aspect of Christianity and Northern Buddhism.
The expression Sakthism, is derived from the word "Shakti." The word Shakti
means "Power" both latent and manifest. When personalised it means the Devi of
Power; she is Devaa. The Devi Shakti is the power aspect of the supreme spirit.
The doctrines and ritual of Sakthism are contained in a special branch of the
Holy Scriptures of India, called Tantra Shastra, which acknowledges the
authority of the great Veda. "Veda" means the God inspired word, which has from
the oldest times been the foundation of Indian spiritual thought and culture;
but it is not confined to what is called the four Vedas. They are but parts of
it and based on the one Veda--for 'Vak' or 'Logos' is one.
Sakthism is an eminently practical religion. Practically the whole content of
its scriptures consists in rules and ritual by which the higher realisation of
the spiritual truth may be gained.
This way of personal spiritual attainment, or Yoga, which is known to all Indian
religions, is called in Sakthism, Sadhaana. Very often the remark can be found
in the Tantrik texts that by merely pondering about the husks of words nothing
is done, i.e., mere book-knowledge is useless--but that only by practically
touching the truth itself can liberation, bliss and the highest consciousness be
won. This truth, to which Sakthism is devoted with all its energy, is
represented by the conception of the goddess Shakti. Such a conception, that
truth unveils itself spiritually in a female aspect, can only be grasped with
difficulty by the European mind. The European mind is not accustomed to see
differences between male and female in the spiritual world, and finds them only
as far as physical sexual differences can still be discerned. But the idea of a
female quality of the spirit has always been known to the deeper minds of
humanity and stretches through the whole inner history of culture. Leaving aside
the cults of aboriginal tribes, animism, etc., there may be mentioned, in
addition to the Goddess Shakti of Indian culture, the conception of Isis in the
Egyptian religion, of the figure Kwannon in China, the idea of Eve in Babylonian
times and many others leading up to that connected with the Madonna of the Roman
Catholic Church. Certainly there are very interesting and important differences
in all these great conception; but it would go too far here to treat of this
special subject. It is mentioned only to show that female spirituality has
always played an important role in human thought.
The Goddess Shakti is the "power" which pervades the whole of the universe, and
from which the Universe has emanated. There is nothing within the manifest
world, which is not Shakti in its essence. The manifest world is mind and
matter, that is to say, all that we call our thought, will, imagination, etc. is
mind, and all the realm of nature is matter.
She--in her highest aspect--is pure spirit or pure consciousness --as such she
is called Chit-Shakti--but her nature and essence become apparent also in all
that we are aware of through our senses. So She is matter--substance too--and as
such She is called Maya-Shakti. Here is no antagonism between the spiritual and
the natural sides of the universe, since she is both of them. In order to
illustrate more clearly this important principle of Sakthism, I would like to
compare it with the structure of other philosophical systems in Europe or India.
It may be said that all the great and well-known philosophical expressions of
human thought are either monistic or dualistic, that is to say, have as their
basis one or two original eternal units. Let me show it in a diagrammatic way.
The dualistic view presupposes two basic units, Mind and Matter:
Both of these are absolute and ultimate, and everything can be derived from
either of them; whereas monism takes either mind or matter as the single
existing principle, of which the other is only an appearance, a different aspect
or a mere effect. Taking mind as such a principle, the expression is called
"Spiritual Monism", meaning that the Spirit is the ultimate true reality and all
the material world is an "illusion" or its effect, issuing from it (a downward
line would indicate this); on the other hand, regarding matter as the only basic
ultimate reality, mind and spirit have no substance of their own and are mere
products of matter, which could be shown by a line going upwards. Now Sakthism
is something quite different from the denominations of Monism and Dualism, in so
far as Shakti lies behind both mind and matter, without giving preponderance to
either of them. Mind and matter as represented by the created universe are
Shakti, and Shakti is bound up with Shiva, the male spiritual element whose
position in the system it is difficult to describe to the European mind, but who
may be taken to represent the inert Spirit lying apart from, and unconnected
with, the Universe, but whose touch is necessary to give to Shakti the impulse
to create. Both of them, female universal Power, Shakti, and the male
impulse-giver, Shiva, constitute therefore the spiritual background of the
Universe. Thus in terms of philosophical thought Sakthism is neither wholly
dualistic nor wholly monistic, but constitutes a monistic dualism or dualistic
monism, a "two in one" or "one in two".
Shakti
The follower of Sakthism, the worshipper of Shakti, is called Shakta. His
conception of the Goddess is described in the Shakti Tantra Shastras, i.e., the
holy scriptures of Sakthism, often in a very poetical way. Whereas we speak of
Mother Nature only in a comparative manner, for the Shakta it is absolute
reality. Nature is Her body. Her presence is personally felt by him, when he is
standing on the fertile ground of the earth; he touches Her life in the blossoms
of the pure lotus-flower. She animates all living creatures. His own body is a
part of Her great body. Worshipping Her in all Her different forms, he will find
Her light, too, within his mind and consciousness. Thus, to the Shakta the whole
universe of mind and matter reveals itself in its unity; he see before him Her
great body which he adores; Her sacred feet, Her heart, Her mind.
It might be useful to describe this poetical view, which is at once physical and
transcendental, by means of another diagram. We may for this purpose represent
matter and mind by two circles , which intersect each other.
Where they intersect, there is Shakti, so to speak, in Herself. But Her
influence, Her being spreads into the whole realm of matter as well as that of
mind. Nowhere is She absent, but Her presence is less distinct, is somehow
veiled in those parts, which are further from the centre, where She is in
Herself. Thus, for the sake of linear explanation, the mineral world--the solid
matter--would have to be situated the furthest from Her, because there, as for
instance in stone, she--Life Herself--is, much veiled, stone to the ordinary
human view appearing to be dead. Nearer to Her is the realm of plants, where,
with their growing and blossoming, She already becomes more apparent. I need
hardly remind you of the well-known researches by Sir Jagadish Bhose of the
University of Calcutta, who is endeavouring to make visible the actual heartbeat
of plant life. Then, in due order with regard to Her would come the world of
animals, which being animated have within their life--although perhaps still
unconsciously--some access to Her. Lastly, within the highly developed organism
of man She, for the first time, is inherent in her essential being. There She
finds the possibility of being consciously awakened, so that she appears to him,
who is looking and striving for her, in Her true nature as Shakti herself. The
other side--the mind circle--comprises the mental faculties of man such as
consciousness, will, feeling and logical perception, which, with regard to their
aptitude for Her realisation, may be put in such order. The directions of
development therefore go in the matter-circle from left to right--from stone,
vegetable, animal to man, where Shakti will be realised; in the mind-circle,
from right to left---from mere logical thinking to feeling, will-power,
consciousness to man--where Shakti may be realised. Thus, as you can see from
this diagram, everywhere there is Shakti. She is inherent in everything and at
the same time transcends every thing; by meditation and religious ceremonies She
may be realized everywhere, being inherent in the whole physical universe as it
is given to us. And, moreover, above this we may touch Her in Her transcendental
aspect as well. When She appears in Her true nature, then there is no more mind
or matter, but only She Herself, in no sense bounded by such limitations. As
such a one She may well be represented by a circle, the universe in its true
aspect.
To the European it may perhaps at first sight appear to be a mere poetical
presentment and but little different from the theory of vitalism of modern
natural science or from ancient animism in the religious aspect. But with regard
to Vitalism, even if there be similarities the essential difference seems to me,
that the Vitalism of the natural sciences is based principally upon the
conception of a material world which is regarded as being animated by, for
instance, the "lan vitale" of Bergson. But Sakthism holds its standpoint
entirely on the spiritual side. She, the great mother, exists, and what in the
material world is vitalised or animated, certainly comes from Her, but is only a
veiled appearance of Her, who in Her true being can be experienced spiritually.
And Sakthism is also not animism, if by animism may be understood the primitive
idea of everything being ghost-like, being animated by "Phi" or spirits,
resulting in as many ghostly spirits as there are different things. Sakthism
represents a spiritual unity, all different things being united within Her
always-greater aspect.
Shiva-Shakti
The principal doctrine of "Sakthism", that the whole Universe of mind and matter
is created by Her, the Powerful Goddess Shakti, is described in full detail,
with Indian accuracy in spiritual matters, in the Cosmogony of Sakthism. It must
be understood that every great Indian philosophical system has its own
Cosmo-Genesis, that is, its special conception of the evolution of the world and
its beginning. As a matter of fact, every conception of life and the Universe
requires such a foundation to give it the necessary firm hold. For Sakthism this
source, out of which the Universe as mind and matter has evolved, is the female
spiritual Power, Shakti, who is the Great Mother of the Universe. In Her most
concentrated form, when Her Power is just ready to expand, She is represented by
a point called Bindu. This Bindu Point is mere Spirit. Everything manifested and
created in this Universe has Spirit. Everything manifested and created in this
Universe has Spirit as its source and essence. In the Christian Cosmo-Genesis of
the Gospel of St. John it is called "logos" or "the word". By expansion the
Spiritual Power Shakti becomes, going through many different stages, Mind, Life,
and Matter. She--the Goddess--is contained, in all the manifestations of the
universe, but She remains, so to speak, unexhausted by being the material cause
of the Universe. She in Her essence remains unaffected and greater than all the
created world.
In a diagrammatic way this cosmogenetic evolution can be represented like this.
The active, most concentrated Point Bindu is red, the colour of activity. From
this point the lines of evolution expand through the stages of mind and life
towards matter, the mineral world. So the material world stands not first but
last in the evolution of the Universe.
According to the general doctrine of Indian metaphysics, this whole created
universe is not everlasting but will one day be dissolved. The life or
appearance of the universe lasts, as it is figuratively expressed, one day of
Brahma, the Almighty, that is, millions and millions of years. After that the
whole expansion contracts again in the opposite direction; first, matter will be
dissolved, then life and mind will disappear till it reaches the state of the
beginning, the spiritual Point, Bindu, where it will find its rest; until the
dawn of a new day of Brahma, when a new creation will start. This Bindu Point is
the great Goddess, the universal mother--womb--yoni--the creator and receiver of
the Universe, which, as Shakti, is worshipped by the followers of Sakthism.
So the whole created world has as its creative Power Shakti, the goddess, just
as in this world the female element is constantly maintaining it. But She, the
creative Goddess, can do nothing without Him, the God, Shiva, just as no woman
can bear fruit without the co-operation of the male element. The relation of
Shakti to Shiva, is of a very subtle, spiritual nature. He, Shiva is in contrast
to all creation, be it mind or matter. He is the underlying pure consciousness ,
which is independent of, and superior to, all creation. In a very famous picture
of Sakthism the goddess Shakti stands black-coloured on the white-coloured Shiva
who lies inert. The symbolism is this. Shiva is white to represent a colourless
form, since all colours belong to the created world, which is the domain of
Shakti. He lies at absolute rest, since movement and activity belong to the
created world, which is dependent on him, but not he on it, She, the Goddess, is
black-coloured because, compared with the light of the spiritual world unmixed
with any objective realisation, she is dark as the night; in all creation she is
veiled in darkness, both her face and her raiment.
I have mentioned already that there can be found traces of Shakti in the
conception of the Madonna of the Catholic Christian Church. As some of you may
know, there exists in Czenstochau in Poland the famous sculpture of the
so-called Black Madonna, who is much adored by the population. Why is she black?
Well whatever kind of outer-influence may have taken place, the spiritual reason
must be the same as in Sakthism. She, the Madonna, the creatrix femina, is dark,
is spiritually veiled in darkness during the process of creation. She is the
deep and creative night. Darkness, compared with the light of day, has always
been regarded spiritually as the deeper element. The darkness of the body is
intended to show that the personality belongs to the spiritual world as the
creative background of all physical appearance. It is very remarkable, too, that
near Barcelona in Spain, on Mount Serrat, a black Madonna with the Christ child
on her knees is worshipped by the Catholic Church. This famous sculpture, is
said to have been on this holy mountain for over a thousand years. Her throne
shows an uncommon shape. She holds in her right hand a globe, representing the
Universe. Thus here, too, the conception seems to be that She, the
Goddess-Madonna, is the Creator and Upholder of the whole Universe. In my
opinion these figures--in their spiritual meaning--show the very deep
connection, which exists spiritually between East and West. And Sakthism may
help to bring an understanding between East and West, the importance of which is
always becoming more apparent.
One of the deepest secrets of Sakthism is the union of the highest spiritual
male consciousness, Shiva, with the all-pervading female power, Shakti. As I
have already mentioned, the all-powerful Shakti would not be able to create the
universe out of Herself; She needs the touch of Shiva. This union of Shiva and
Shakti takes place in the highest spiritual regions before anything has been
created, so to speak, in the night of Brahma. Out of this union the Universe is
born--Shakti evolves as mind and matter, whereas Shiva remains as the underlying
background, unaltered, This highest spiritual state of union is inexpressible by
words; but it is approximately circumscribed by the Sanskrit words;
Sat--Chit--Ananda. Sat means Being; Chit means Consciousness, and when these are
united with one another, there Ananda--Bliss--the highest spiritual bliss, is
the issue. For the Shakta, as for the Hindu generally, the essence of the world
is joy, bliss, ananda. Whenever truth, living truth, is approached or touched by
man, then he feels that bliss of the union of Shiva and Shakti, which is the
origin of all life. The highest state of consciousness or liberation (Mukthi) in
Sakthism is the attainment, the spiritual realisation, of the highest,
unchanging, eternal, absolute union of Shiva and Shakti within himself, into
which his being is to be ultimately absorbed. The man who has realised this and
transplanted himself into it is in his lifetime called Jivanmukta (liberated
though living). In this union is everything essential contained. But within
space and time, within the world of separate things and forms,--in this world of
limited experience in which we are living--this highest union is interrupted.
Shakti, being separated from Him, is, so to speak, in Her actual body
distributed among all objective experience.
Shiva & Shakti merged into one
There is a deep and striking picture, a story of Indian mythology, which tells
how the body of Shakti has been dismembered and has fallen in pieces into this
world. Wherever any part of Her holy body is supposed to be lying, there an
Indian temple has been built; to a certain extent comparable to the Stupas which
are erected by Buddhists for the relics of the sacred body of Gautama.
Everything in the objective appearance is individual on account of its being
separated from that union, and its material substance or embodiment can be
measured by the interval of that separation; the further away from the union,
the more its spiritual essence is veiled.
It follows consequently that in every individual being, which to a certain
extent becomes conscious of itself, there must be living a tendency to become
liberated from this separation, to come back to this primordial union. "Back to
the mother", it may be said, is the shortest expression for the spiritual aim of
the whole of Indian culture and especially of Sakthism. A deeply--felt longing
prevails within the religious mind of India; a longing like that of a child for
its mother. It is important to note this, since it is this longing, which gives
the impulse to the means by which the aim of coming back to the Mother may be
attained. These means are called the Yoga of Sakthism, i.e., Sadhaana. The
principles of Yoga are almost the same in all the different Indian systems, of
which they form an essential part. By urging concentration of thought upon
certain important ideas, they aim at giving to these ideas more strength and
clearness than they usually have.
The meditator excludes himself from all outer influences, in order to bring his
mind into direct contact with the spiritual world. In the end he will eventually
realise what his Scriptures have taught him, that his essence is Spirit, and his
mind and body its manifestations. I may mention here that a modern "western" way
of "Yoga" has been introduced into Europe by the spiritual system,
"Anthroposophy", of Dr. Rudolf Steiner. In all ages such kinds of spiritual
endeavour have been practised. If man succeeds in actually realising the inner
meaning of metaphysics, he becomes, as it is called, "initiated", that is, he
becomes a citizen of the spiritual world, just as he is a citizen of the natural
world by his physical birth. The Yoga of Sakthism specializes in conceptions of
the Goddess Shakti. If She appears to the Shakta, as She is in Herself, the
highest realisation, the Union with the mother is attained. Then the Shakta
says: She I am, and feels himself full of the greatest spiritual bliss.
As I have already mentioned, Sakthism is an eminently practical Religion. It
attempts an immediate realisation of truth by the practical methods of "Yoga"
and has an abundance of rites and ceremonies. These vary according to the
competency of the Shakta. The ritual has been rightly called the Art of
Religion. The worshipper follows certain prescribed rules in his adoration,
which give him the right direction. Every Religion knows the value of
ritual--Buddhism as well as Christianity and Sakthism. I may mention here only a
few special points, which distinguish the rites from all other similar cults in
India.
It is well known what an important role the caste-system has always played in
India. Even now the distinctions of the different castes are much observed,
especially in the case of marriage. Principally the Brahmins, as the caste of
priests--now there are Brahmins who are doctors of medicine, barristers,
watchmen, etc.,--would never mix with other castes in their ritual worship. The
Shakta, however, the worshipper of Shakti, does not pay any regard to these
caste distinctions. The Brahma Shakta has no objection to worshipping the
Goddess even with the Shudra outcast, the Pariah. Such a non-Indian uncommon
attitude shows that the rites of Sakthism may have their source from abroad; it
is not yet quite certain, but it is probable that the special rites of Sakthism
have come to India from China through Tibet.
This would explain, too, the other striking feature of the Shakta-worship, which
is also non-Indian--that during the ritual worship of Shakti it is allowed to
eat meat and to drink wine. Everyone knows how the Hindus abhor the slaughter of
animals; how the adoration of the cow is an essential part of their religion,
which has been again and again emphasised, especially by Gandhi himself. The
Shakta, however, eats meat and drinks wine during his worship of the Goddess
Shakti. He feels himself spiritually above this custom. As in his view
everything is She--the Goddess--there can be made no exception with regard to
the offerings to Her.
The third unique quality of the Shakti-worship is the active participation of
women in the ceremonies. Ordinarily women are always kept apart in India.
Everyone has heard of the Purdah system, which holds in some parts of India the
women-folk life-long in their houses. But the Shakta treats them as altogether
equal; even more. She, his Wife, is regarded by him as his Shakti Goddess; She,
the mother of his children, represents to him the Great Mother. Such an attitude
is naturally reflected in the daily life of Shakti Hindu families, where the
mother--quite contrary to Miss Mayo's statements in "Mother India"--is much
venerated. There is the so-called Panchatattva Ritual--the most important ritual
of Sakthism, which is still nowadays performed in Bengal. The name
"Panchatattva" is derived from the words "Pancha", five, and "Tattva", elements.
The five elements of this ritual are Wine, Meat, Fish, Parched Corn and Sexual
Union. Men and women meet as equal partners. They sit together--the man beside
the women--in a circle, called Chakra. Following elaborate rites, they offer to
the Goddess wine, meat, fish and corn. After that they take their meal, which
consists these four elements; the idea being that they unite themselves with
Shakti in these products and fruits. The highest presentment of the Goddess for
the Shakta is the women who is sitting by his side. By uniting with
her--according to the Maithuna rites--he experiences the bliss of the great
union of Shiva and Shakti. Pro-creation is the individual counterpart of Cosmic
Creation. It must be understood that the purpose of the physical union of the
Shakta with his Shakti in this ritual is not satisfaction of his physical senses
but the spiritual realisation of the highest union of the individual with the
Goddess, the Cosmic-Whole. It may be mentioned that, as far as I have heard,
during the ceremonies in Bengal the last mentioned Maithuna rites are not
actually performed but are only indicated, as for example by bowing to the woman
sitting at his side in the Chakra. Nothing is wrong or forbidden according to
Sakthism, if it is done with a pure heart and spiritual feeling.
Certainly it is possible that, weak as man's nature is, abuses of this special
rite have taken place--and it would be wrong to deny that they are in fact
happening. But my intention here is to show its spiritual meaning and intention;
which, in my opinion, cannot be affected by abuse in its interpretation; and the
principle of the rite is sound, grand and spiritual.
Here Devi is shown as Sarvambikesha or the Complete Goddess. This title is made
up of three Sanskrit terms -- sarva (complete), ambika (mother), isha (god);
thus identifying Her as the Complete Deity from whom both Feminine and Masculine
forms of divinity arise.
All the rites of Sakthism, of which I have here mentioned only one, tend in such
a direction as to awaken within him the spiritual and aesthetically productive
forces of man. As soon as these usually slumbering forces are awakened, the
Shakta knows and feels himself as being born again within the spiritual world.
The Shakta says, "As I am born in my physical body from my mother, so I must be
spiritually born again from my spiritual mother, the Goddess Shakti." By the
grace of Shakti the Shakta himself becomes Brahma. As a matter of fact, every
spiritual man strives for the attainment of such a state, of being reborn in the
spiritual sense. Only the expressions are different and the means and ways vary.
In Sakthism it is striking to notice with what absoluteness and how
independently of all other systems of religion the physical appearance and the
highest spiritual realisation are combined together. If Shakti is everywhere,
then she is, too, in the bodily appearance of the women and there, however
veiled, in her fullest essence. So he makes use of her for the greatest
spiritual aim of man, namely to be reborn by the grace of Shakti.
Now I have said that this aim of being reborn within the spiritual motherhood is
known to almost every religion, and, although Buddhism in its fundamental basis
at first seems to be utterly different from Sakthism, yet Northern Buddhism
knows well what is meant by Shakti. Mahayana Buddhism, as it is prevalent in
Tibet, by which country Sakthism too has been much influenced, has introduced
into its system during its development the Goddess Tara. She represents what
Shakti is for Sakthism. She is the embodiment of all that within the spiritual
realisation is distinctly female; and it is a very secret saying in esoteric
Northern Buddhism that man, by being reborn from Tara, will become a Buddha,
that is, will attain the highest spiritual state of life to which man is
destined and for which he is striving. Within esoteric Christianity there is the
picture of Jesus Christ lying in the stable-manger as the new-born child before
the immaculate Virgin Mary. It is intended to portray not only the story of the
historical birth of Jesus, but at the same time a representation of the idea
that we all have to be reborn as such a Christ-child of the Virgin Mary, the
Shakti of Christianity.
You see, there can be discovered, within so widely differing religious systems
as Sakthism, Northern Buddhism and Christianity, the same important idea as that
of being reborn by the grace of Shakti as Brahma, of being reborn by Tara as a
Buddha, and of being reborn by Madonna as a Christian. As a matter of fact, the
female spiritual element as it is venerated by Sakthism, being a living truth,
can to a certain extent become a combining factor to embrace the great cultural
outlook both of the East and the West. Humanity is one over all the earth, and
Womanhood is its essential part. In Sakthism the idea of the spiritual creative
force of Womanhood finds its most absolute and exclusive expression. For this
reason this system is so interesting and striking for anyone who takes the
trouble to go more deeply into it. Shakti, as she is pleased to reveal herself
today, is present, too, within the depths of European culture. It would take me
too far a field to prove it by further details. I would only mention that Goethe
concludes his great poem, "Faust", with the words: "The eternal female is
raising us". Certainly, Goethe had no knowledge of the system of Sakthism and of
those texts, which we are now privileged to study. But by his poetical
inspiration he touched by himself the truth, which we find so clearly expressed
in the system of Sakthism. If one would try to express the deepest meaning which
Sakthism may have for us in our days, it cannot be done better than by those
words which the mystical chorus sings at the end of this great poem: Das Ewig
Weibliche zieht uns hinan. "The eternal female is raising us".
http://www.iloveulove.com/spirituality/hindu/indianshakti.htm
NOTE: If this page was accessed during a web search you may wish to browse the sites listed below where this topic or related issues are discussed in detail to promote global peace, religious harmony, and spiritual development of humanity:
www.adishakti.org/www.al-qiyamah.org/
www.adi-shakti.org/ ' Divine Feminine (Hinduism)
www.holyspirit-shekinah.org/ ' Divine Feminine (Christianity)
www.ruach-elohim.org/ ' Divine Feminine (Judaism)
www.ruh-allah.org/ ' Divine Feminine (Islam)
www.tao-mother.org/ ' Divine Feminine (Taoism)
www.prajnaaparamita.org/ ' Divine Feminine (Buddhism)
www.aykaa-mayee.org/ ' Divine Feminine (Sikhism)
