Ra-Hoor-Khuit Network's
Magickal Library

Yoga

 

SHIVA-'SHAKTI'

Tools-for-Tantra-c.-1986
by-Harish-Johari

People often think of tantra as a "Mother worshipping" cult. This is not strictly accurate, altough Tantra might be called a Shakti worshipping cult. Shakti is the universal priciple of energy, power of creativity. This energy is personified as feminine, as Shakti, the universal mother. She is inseparate from the one who holds her the Shaktimon ( power holder ), the masculine principle or universal father. Shatimon is called Brahmon by the writers of the upanishands. In the Tantric tradition he is called Shiva.
The universe is in fact a product of this pair of opposites one static ( Shaktiman ) and the other dynamic ( Shakti ). The external part of everything is the creative aspect of the dynamic force, and inside every dynamic creation is the static force, which is the nucleus of phenomenal existence. The play of Shakti has no beginning or end. Although it is restless the energy does move in an orderly cycle alternating periods of motion and rest.
During this period of motion through permutations and various combinations, the energy undergoes many changes ( Vikriti ) and gets distorted. It re organises it self during the period of rest, and thus a continuous process of creation, preservation, and destruction re organization and re creation goes on forever.
Tantra beleives that as long as the phenomenal world exists, it is the universal mother who is the creator, preserver and destroyer.
Thus she should be wooshipped as an aspect of the Divine.
What is the motivating force behind this eternal play that creates the illusory world of phenomena ? It is the power of desire ( Ishahaskti ). This desire is present in the one who is without attributes, the nameless and formless aspect of the divine ( Brahman ), Tantra performs the unique work of studying this principle of desire.

 

This page last updated: 02/27/2018