Uncreated

(Quotations from Abhinavagupta)

The uncreated conceived as:

Conceived as the Lord Shiva

Shiva cannot be imprisoned in the castle of transcendence. Within Shiva there always occurs an overflowing, a surging vibration that leads the infinity of Shiva continuously to surpass itself. Any boundary that might be set for Shiva, any limit that one might attempt to impose in order to contain Shiva will, by the very definition of Shiva as freedom, be overthown. The boundary will be destroyed and the unbounded freedom of Shiva will assert itself. In fact, this process of self-transcendence is self-referential: when we define Shiva as unbounded freedom, he immediately goes beyond this definition and plays the game of hide-and-seek, by manifesting the boundaries of the finite self and the limited experience of the visible world. He thus transcends unbounded freedom by becoming bound and not free...

... As soon as the process of manifestation of boundaries occurs, Shiva initiates the process by which it may overflow these boundaries which he has imposed on himself. He structures the path of return traversed by himself, in the guise of the ignorant, finite self.
(pp. 138-139)

Even as Shiva creates the very real game of breaking himself into parts which suffer transformation, division, extinction and emptiness, he is nevertheless able to maintain himself free of the game and intact as Shiva, all the while taking on the roles required by the game.
(p. 101)

... Shiva, the infinite consciousness, is spoken of as being beyond any distinctions. He is always the "third" element that transcends, undercuts, and in the end, unifies all possible oppositions.
(p. 94)

Conceived as Shakti who is the Goddess, the Power in the Heart

... the power which abides in the Heart is, above all, formed of an undivided self-referential consciousness.
(pp. 90-91, quoting Abhinavagupta)

Free and spontaneous self-apprehension (vimarsha) is the very nature of the light of consciousness. For otherwise, although reflections of external objects might fall upon it, it would be no better than an insentient crystal. Because the Self is different from the insentient: therefore it is spoken of as pure consciousness (caitanya), the implied sense of which is conscious activity or freedom with respect to conscious activities.

Self-apprehending consciousness is the very self of consciousness. It is the supreme word (para vak) which always manifests itself by itself. It is freedom (svatantrya). It is the supreme power of the highest self.

This consciousness is vibratory light (sphuratta). It is absolute reality (mahasatta) which is beyond spatial and temporal distinctions. This consciousness being the universal essence is called the Heart of the Lord.
(p. 79, quoting Abhinavagupta)

... this power in the Heart, which is the Goddess, is at once {an outward motion} emmisional and expansive, as well as {an inward motion} absorptive and unitive {hence there is a vibration caused by this outward and inward motion}. {The inward motion} of the Goddess resides in man as the kundalini energy that impels one back to the source and center of one's being in a completely natural and spontaneous way.
(p. 83)

Editor's note: A description of the Goddess as the Supreme Word can be found under the topic: Invoking that reality.

The loving union of Shiva and Shakti within the Heart

The blessed Lord is in fact eternally vibrating within himself. In him is the central power {i.e. Shakti} which is full of the abundance of all beings. He is beautiful with a cosmic bliss that arises naturally from his own fully willed agitation.

He throbs eternally beautiful with the elixir of this completely full Emission. That union of Shiva and Shakti is called love.
(p. 135, quoting Abhinavagupta)

The Heart, says Abhinavagupta, is the very Self of Shiva ... and of the ... Goddess who is inseparable from Shiva. Indeed the Heart is the site of their union (yamala), of their embrace (samghatta). This abode is pure consciousness (caitanya) as well as unlimited bliss (ananda). As consciousness the Heart is the unbounded, infinite light (prakasha) as well as the freedom (svatantrya) and spontaneity (vimarsha) of that light to appear in a multitude and variety of forms.
(p. 82)

The Heart is the Ultimate (annuttara) which is both utterly transcendent to (visvottirna) and yet totally immanent in (visvamaya) all created things. It is the ultimate essence (sara). Thus, the Heart embodies the pradoxical nature of Shiva and is therefore a place of astonishment (camatkara), sheer wonder (vismaya), and ineffable mystery. The Heart is the fullness of the unboundedness of Shiva (purnatva), the plenum of being that overflows continuously into manifestation. At the same time, it is also an inconceivable emptiness (shunyatishunya) The Heart is the unbounded universal Self (purnahanta).

The Heart of Shiva is not a static or inert absolute, however. In fact the non-dual Kashmir Shaiva tradition considers it to be in a state of perpetual movement, a state of vibration (spanda) in which it ic continuously contracting and expanding (samkoca-vikasha), opening and closing (unmesha-nimesha), trembling (ullasita), quivering (sphurita), throbbing, waving, and sparkling (ucchalata). The intensity and speed of this movement is such that paradoxically it is simultaneously a perfect dynamic stillness.
(pp. 82-83)

... the Ultimate, formed of consciousness, is always present everywhere, and is devoid of spatial or temporal dimensions, of prior and subsequent; it is undeniable and unconcealed. What then can be said of it?
(p. 90, quoting Abhinavagupta)

The Ultimate is spanda: it vibrates, it expands and contracts; it manifests and reabsorbs; it is full of waves and waveless; it is full of bliss and yet suffering occurs; it plays a game of hide-and-seek with itself in which ignorance alternates with knowledge, and in which enjoyment and liberation can coincide.
(p. 121)

©1999 by Deb Platt

* Select a new topic, or explore this topic further within Hinduism or across religions. * Browse additional quotations from Abhinavagupta. * Refer to bibliography. * Go to home page.