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.. stuff deleted ..
Kunal Singh (nnyxsi@swap31-236.ny.ubs.com) wrote:
Kunal:
In your opinion, is Shavism only Gyana Yoga. Or does
it also has a Bhakti dimension to it.
In many places in Shiva Purana, the emphasis of its advocates is made
fairly clear.
Shaivism firstly emphasizes Raja Yoga, due to Raja Yoga's ability to
prove experientially the tenets of Shaivism. Accomplished yogis are
held in the highest esteem in Shaivism, above all adherents of Gyana
Yoga for obvious reasons. They can venture by experience into
territory which has not yet been understood by philosophers. After
yogic experience, Shaivism then emphasizes gyana (knowledge) yoga.
It understands that all people would possess some magnitudes of each
characteristic. Certainly, faith can aid in achieving understanding,
as it may allow one to spend more time pondering what seems at first
to be the rantings and ravings of some ancient lunatics. However,
Shaivism does not believe in endless, unverified faith. It believes
that faith has some value, but in Shaivism faith is not an end in
itself. Understanding is considered higher than faith, and yogic
experience -- I emphasize YOGIC experience as it is deemd the most
unbiased interpretation of human experience -- is considered higher
than understanding.
This also has parallels in the yogic chakras. The first three are
considered quite normal to all individuals. The sixth yogic chakra is
that of buddhi (agna chakra or Shiva's third eye). The seventh is
that of merging into superconsciousness. Thus the Shaivite viewpoint
should be apparent to all.
It is not by accident that Shaivism is full of sexual metaphors and
violence. For it is apparent to all that Vaishnavism portrays its
philosophy in a much more socially acceptable manner. Shaivism is
described in the manner which it is becase it demands a "pure" mind.
A pure mind in Shaivism is a pure mind by the yogic definition, one
free of attachments and personal preferences. The last thing ancient
Shaivites wanted was to have their conclusions colored by the
preferences of its future adherents -- personally pleasing
interpretations, that of a gentle Shiva, a non-violent Shiva, a
socially nice Shiva etc..
If you are disturbed by the fact that the shivalinga represents the
Brahman using images of a penis and a yoni, then you are not ready for
Shaivism. The use of a penis and yoni is quite deliberate and stirred
trouble even in ancient times. If the violent images of the deities
bothers you, you are not ready for Shaivism. If you are disturbed by
the grotesque images which the Shaivites were fond of using --
portraying Shiva as uncouth, usually accompanied by snakes and other
less than socially acceptable figures -- then you can't see beyond
social norms and the Brahman surely exists even beyond social norms.
Thus those who pay homage to Shiva, must free their thinking from such
attachments instilled in them by their social upbringing. Otherwise
they will fail to understand Shiva. And therein lies the biggest
apparent difference between Shaivism and Vaishnavism.
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