SHIVITE DOCTRINE SHIVITE.TXT *********************************************************************** Meykandadevar's Commentary of Shivaite Doctrine; written in Tamil, a commentary upon the Sanskrit sutras called Saivasiddhanta, or the way to enlightenment through Lord Shiva. Meykandadevar wrote his commentary approximately 13th century, for Shivadassas of Southern India. THE TRUE ShivaITE DOCTRINE, ACCORDING TO MEYDANDADEVAR: Because the world exists in three forms; male, female, and neuter, it is seen as an effect; therefore there must be an Agent. He after having dissolved it creates it; therefore Rudra is Lord. (*Rudra being the androgynous aspect of Shiva, also the form of Shiva associated with celestial fire, the destruction of evil. He seems to refer to both the fact that male and female unite in the form of Rudra, and that Rudra both destroys and transcends.*) Although the Agent is other than souls, He is not other by reason of pervasion. Through the Power which is inseparable with Him, He causes transcendence for human beings in conformity with their deeds. (*The Agent being Shiva. Shiva is not simply Atman, individual soul, but truly within each soul; thus the seeming contradiction of other/not other is resolved. Shiva's Power is that of pure Consciousness; with that he transcends. The 'deeds' refer not just to Karma, but to the seeking of union with Shiva by the Atman, causing a kind of Shiva/Jiva effect. Jiva being an enlightened individual soul.*) There exists a subtle body within the body, because there is something which is not this nor That, because of the excess of I/mine, because of the awakening and the stopping of the eye, because of the absence of enjoyment of the senses in sleep, because there is an agent of perception in perception. (*Reference to the subtle body, chakras, river, etc., within, a traditional belief. It exists because it is neither purely of the body nor of the spirit, but the merger of both; it must exist to transcend the natural human condition of duality, and the non-physical seeing of the Third Eye chakra is evoked and then abandoned by humanity; something which perceives causes perception.*) Although the soul is different from the inner organs, it is associated with it like a king with his counsellors, and must exist in the five states, with the function of its own seeing obstructed by impurity. (*The subtle body and physical body are connected, as is a king with his advisers. The five states are the five senses; the subtle body is clouded by the ignorance of the physical body of it duality and non-duality.*) The eyes perceive the objects of human sense, not of themselves, but by the Soul. The Soul knows by the help of Sambhu. If one should say Shiva is then subject to change, the answer would be Nay, He draws him as magnet the iron. If he were imperceptible, He would be non-existent. If He were perceptible, He would be insentient matter. Therefore the wise understand that the form of Sambhu is knowable because it is different from this. (*eyes, in this case, refers to all the five senses: they are perceived, or understood, by the Atman and not by the body. Sambhu is a form of Shiva which takes the aspect of Isvara, or individual god. The commentary infers that Shiva allows himself to be understood by human beings through taking the form of an individual god; but he is not 'this.' He allows the frailty of human mind to seek to understand Him through this invocation of Himself as Isvara, rather than pure consciousness, which is beyond human comprehension; until the state of enlightenment is achieved. Since it cannot be achieved without the pure consciousness of Shiva, he gives mortal human beings the ability to seek through the Isvara state.*) In the presence of the Conscious, there is _no_ non-Conscious. Yet they are twain, but do not know each other. The knower of the world and of Shiva is the knower's soul, which is different from both. (*The enlightened soul knows both the physical realm and Shiva, which is different from both. The enlightened soul is able to transcend the duality of Conscious/non Conscious.*) When the blessed soul, after having dwelt together with the hunters, is instructed by a guru 'Thou knowest not Thyself,' then having given up these hunters, being not other than Shiva, he reaches His feet. (*This is a rather ironic paragraph, which I like. ;) The hunters refer to the senses. The guru is maligned a bit, having puffed himself up, tells the blessed, or enlightened soul that he needs didactic instruction of the sort that gurus give. The enlightened soul realizes the cosmic illusion and his true Self, his unity with Shiva. Shiva Himself is quoted as commenting on the falsity of most gurus, the true Gurus being the truly realized Souls, Tantric Yogis and Yoginis who assist others without ego, toward enlightenment.*) Through spiritual vision having seen the Lord in his soul, and having abandoned the mirage of the physical senses' activity, and having grasped the shadow of Shiva's feet, the sage should meditate upon the Five Letters. (*The Five Letters are mystical glyphs for the five senses. The original 5 vowels of the Sanskrit alphabet, having been expanded into 15 vowels, which are but extended forms of the original 5. The vowels/letters/senses originate from the primordial waters, expressing cosmic contraction; as the Sanskrit consonants originate from primordial fire, expressing cosmic expansion.*) So the Jiva, who has attained union with Shiva, being dependent upon Him has His activity; being untouched by Maya, has His experience. (*A short but important paragraph. Jiva, or enlightened individual soul, is untouched by Maya, or illusion, and has the activities and experiences of Shiva, being in union with Him.*) The Soul makes the eyes to see; and Shiva is the maker of the Soul's seeing. Therefore, one should pay great bhakti to Him who is the helper of the Soul. (*Pretty self-explanatory; the enlightened soul sees truth without illusion; Shiva enlightens the soul, so the Enlightened Soul should be devoted and faithful to Shiva, who enabled this enlightenment.*) For the sake of release, having approached the righteous, one should offer devotion to their habit and the dwelling-place of Shiva; and thus understand the settled doctrines of Saivism in the Shivanandobham. (*Release from the bondage of confinement to the physical realm. The habit and dwelling-place of Shiva are within, as the enlightened soul has realized.*) AUM BWUR SWA SWAHI.