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Chapter 5
The Explanation of the Means - Upayas
The meaning of the Sanskrit word upaya is “means.” The
word upaya in Kashmir Shaivism is used to indicate the means to
enter into Universal God Consciousness from individual consciousness.
Our Shaivism proclaims that there are three means for entering into
Universal God Consciousness: shambhavopaya,
the supreme means; shaktopaya,
the medium means; and anavopaya,
the inferior means.
Shambhavopaya
Shambhavopaya functions in matrikacakra, pratyahara, and pratibimbavada.
"The definition, given in the Malini
Vijaya Tantra for shambhavopaya is – “the one who preserves
thoughtlessness.”
Preserving thoughtlessness means not having thoughts and maintaining
the continuity of that thoughtlessness. By the grace of the Master,
one enters into that transcendental consciousness where he finds
that this whole universe has come out from sentences and sentences
from words and words from letters and letters from that real “I”
which is Parama Shiva. Here, one finds that this whole universe
is reflected in ones own consciousness and that it is reflected
from within rather than from without.
Shambhavopaya is called icchopaya because it originates from iccha
shakti (the energy of will), and because it is that means which
exists in the state of the meant.
"In shambhavopaya, there are no
means to travel upon. It is the meant. There is nowhere to go.
You must reside only in the meant."
The rest is automatic. Here, only the grace of your Master is necessary.
It must be realized, however, that you yourself must come to this
point where you reside in the meant, and this you do by maintaining
the continuity of thoughtlessness. Up to this point, therefore,
there is still something to be done. When you reside only in the
meant, it is then the grace of your Master that carries you. You
must reach that state where only your Master shines for you. This
means that you must merge in your Master’s consciousness. In
this state, you do not exist; only your Master exists. Masters select
disciples for this upaya who are highly developed in awareness.
Until then, they will not be accepted by the Master for this upaya.
In this upaya, the Master functions more than does the disciple.
In our Kashmir Shaivism, we say,
"A lightning bug shines only for himself, jewels shine not
only for themselves but for a few others also, the stars shine for
even more, the moon shines for still more, and the sun shines for
the whole universe. In the same way, he who is established in the
shambhavopaya state shines like the midday sun for the whole universe.”
As the lightning bug has sufficient light to show his own body,
there are those yogins that are sufficient only for themselves;
they cannot help anybody else. There are also yogins, who like jewels,
shine so that their light illumines those that are near. Those yogins
that shine like stars illuminate even more with their light. Those
that shine like the moon illumine still more. But the Shaivaite
yogi, established in shambhavopaya, is just like the sun—he
lights the whole universe.
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Shaktopaya
Shaktopaya is that upaya which functions by the means of energies.
Shaktopaya is called jnanopaya, because it is the means which originates
from jnana shakti, the energy of knowledge. Here, the aspirant is
more important than the Master because he must make himself capable
of receiving the Master’s grace. He must work to develop great
velocity of awareness until he reaches the “feet of the Master.”
By this I do not mean the Master’s physical feet. “Being
at the feet of the Master,” means reaching that state where
the aspirant is capable of receiving the grace of the Master. Those
that reach that state are said to be at the feet of the Master.
"In shaktopaya, the yogi does not
have to recite mantras or use his breath to be aware, or concentrate
on any particular spot. He has only to see and concentrate on
that Supreme Being that is found in two actions without actions.
In the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra this is called centering."
In shaktopaya, centering can be practiced between any and all actions
and or thoughts. In centering, the yogi must develop great velocity
of awareness. Great velocity means firmness of awareness. Awareness
must not become loose. If the yogi’s awareness becomes loose,
he will be forced out of shaktopaya into the lowest upaya, anavopaya.
He will lose the right to tread on the path of shaktopaya. In his
practice, there must be continuity in the cycle of his awareness.
Only by maintaining an unbroken chain of awareness will he be able
to discover the reality between any two thoughts or actions. The
practice of centering is meant to function between any two actions
or any two thoughts. He can center between any two thoughts or any
two movements; between one thought and another thought, between
waking and dreaming, between one step and the next step, between
one breath and the next breath. All actions and all thought’s
are the proper framework for the practice of shaktopaya. The shaktopaya
yogi must simply insert continuous awareness in the center of any
two actions or thoughts. If his awareness is faulty and is not breakless,
then he falls and enters into the lowest upaya, anavopaya.
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Anavopaya
Anavopaya is concerned with anu, the individual soul. Anavopaya
is that upaya, which functions by the process of concentrating on
uccara (breathing), karana (organs of sensation), dhyana (contemplation),
and sthana prakalpana (concentrating on a particular place).
The word uccara means “breathing,” actually concentration
on the breath. Concentration on the breath is the essential element
of the practice of cakrodaya. In practicing cakrodaya you have to
continue breathing deeply and find the point, the center between
the two breaths, the incoming breath and the outgoing breath. This
is the ending point, the beginning point, and also the center of
the span of the breath. In cakrodaya, however, the beginning and
ending points of the span of the breath are predominant. This is
uccara, concentration on the breath. It can be either with sound
or without sound.
Karana means “organ” and, in particular, it means “sense
organ.” Concentrating on karana means having and maintaining
one-pointedness through vision or any other sense organ. In karana,
the sense of sight is predominant. For example, in concentrating
on karana through the sense of sight, you have to look at a particular
thing. You must go on looking without blinking your eyes. You should
go on seeing that one point with unbroken awareness. And when that
point vanishes, and it should and will vanish when you enter into
that vastness of the center, that is the end. If you were to practice
concentrating on karana through the sense of hearing, then you would
listen to some sound and continue listening and repeating that sound
again and again. You can also practice by concentrating on some
taste or some particular sensation of touch. In karana, you can
employ all the five organs of sensation, however; with the senses
other than sight, you must remain aware of where the sensation first
arises. This is the way of karana in anavopaya and, in the long
run, this creates one-pointedness.
The word dhyana means “contemplation.” It is another
mode in anavopaya. Dhyana is contemplation on some point. There
are different forms of dhyana. For example, you are practicing dhyana
when you contemplate on the lotus in your heart, or on the meaning
of some mantra such as the mantra “so’ham” or the
mantra “Shiva.” This is a higher form of anavopaya because
it is contemplation without any shape, without any form. If you
were to contemplate on Lord Shiva as having a particular form, a
particular shape, that is a lower form of anavopaya. It is contemplation
with form.
Therefore, any time in meditation that you have mantra, then you
have dhyana. And along with dhyana, you can also adjust karana and
uccara, but not in the beginning.
Sthana prakalpana means concentration on some particular place.
The higher form of sthana prakalpana, which is a practice in higher
anavopaya, is that practice where you discover where each aspect
of reality is found in the span of the breath. You see where the
devas (gods) are residing, where the lokapalas (worlds) are residing;
where is the location of dawn, where is the location of morning,
where is the location of midday, where is the location of sunset
(sandhya), where is the location of midnight; where is that location
which is the time when the sun moves toward the northern side, and
where is that location which is the time when the sun moves to the
south. These are all sthana prakalpana, and these are the particular
points you have to concentrate on, to discover in the course of
your breath. The practice of sthana prakalpana is simply to see
the vastness of universe in one breath.
The second and lower form of sthana prakalpana, which is a practice
in lower anavopaya, is where you concentrate on different points
in the body. These particular places for concentration are divided
into three. One place for concentration is between the two eyebrows
(bhrumadhya). The second place for concentration is the pit of the
throat (kantha kupa). And the third place of concentration is the
heart (hridaya).
All of these processes, uccara, karana, dhyana, and sthana prakalpana,
are called the upayas of jiva, the means of the individual, and
are the means which exist in anavopaya.
Anavopaya is the means found in the world of duality and is known
as bhedopaya. The means that exists in the world of mono-duality,
in the world where duality and nonduality exist together, is shaktopaya
and this is called bhedabhedopaya. That means which exists in the
world of pure monism (abheda) is shambhavopaya and is called abhedopaya.
Shambhavopaya is also called icchopaya, as it is the means which
exists in iccha shakti. The means which exists in jnana shakti is
shaktopaya and is called jnanopaya. Anavopaya is called kriyopaya
because it is the means which is found in kriya shakti.
The difference between anavopaya, shaktopaya, and shambhavopaya
is this. In anavopaya, the strength of your awareness is such that
you have to take the support of everything as an aid to maintaining
and strengthening your awareness. Though you concentrate on the
center, you must take the support of two things for concentrating
on that center. In shaktopaya, your awareness is strengthened to
the extent that only one point is needed as a support for your concentration
and that point is the center. In shaktopaya, you begin with the
center and then become established there. In shambhavopaya, the
strength of your awareness is such that no support is needed. You
are already residing in the meant. There is nowhere to go, just
reside at your own point. The rest is automatic.
"It is important to realize that
though there are different upayas, yet all lead you to the state
of one transcendental consciousness. The difference in these upayas
is that anavopaya will carry you in a long way, shaktopaya in
a shorter way, and shambhavopaya in the shortest way. Although
the ways are different, the point to be achieved is one."
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Anupaya
Beyond these three upayas, shambhavopaya, shaktopaya, and anavopaya,
there is another upaya. Although it is not actually an upaya, yet
it is mentioned in Kashmir Shaivism. This upaya is called anupaya.
The word anupaya means “no upaya.” Thoughtlessness is
called shambhavopaya. One-pointedness is called shaktopaya. Concentration
on and with the support of mantra and breathing and all other elements
is called anavopaya. Above all of these is anupaya. In anupaya,
the aspirant has only to observe that nothing is to be done. Be
as you are. If you are talking, go on talking. If you are sitting,
go on sitting. Do not do anything, only reside in your being. This
is the nature of anupaya. Anupaya is attributed to ananda shakti
of Shiva and is called anandopaya.
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Copyright © 2012 Universal
Shaiva Fellowship (USF), John Hughes
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Secret Supreme
contents
chapter 01
chapter 04
chapter 05
chapter 10
chapter 14
chapter 16
chapter 17
chapter 19
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