Re: The formless truth of Lord Shiva
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
A few ideas for your kind consideration…
We know ( are told by the wise) that śiva and śakti are one. We are told there are 2 so we can comprehend,
reflect, get a hold on the idea. This one is parama-śiva. Yet for us we use 2 , for understanding. It is like a flame –
the light and its heat are one and the same , but we separate the two to compare-and-contrast,
yet there is one. So, lets click down one more level.
This śiva is considered prakāśa ( light, luster ) – pure Being, some call pure Awareness; śakti is called vimarśa.
Vimarśa means the ability to inspect, examine, to perceive one’s own Being (śiva being Self-aware). So śiva in-and-of-Himself has Self-Awareness;
the ability to examine be aware of pure Awareness or itSelf. Being, parama-śiva, is aware of Itself. It is Pure Consciousness this is lively ( spanda).
Let’s look at one part of your question. You mention,
When Shiva and Shakti are separated into a duality
Who could possibly do such a thing? How is this even possible? The only one that could do this is none other than the Supreme by his
own will, this is called svatantra śakti – completely independent will of energy of His own Being. This will is none other than a form of His own śakti.
So, it is He that throttles down into this field of things. In fact, this is not the proper way of saying it with precision. Everything occurs within this Being,
nothing is outside of the Supreme. That is why the wise always associate wholeness to this Being… it is so full so complete, nothing is outside of it.
It is impossible to think of any process, thing, idea, action or non-action out side of this Being as all things are contained in Him.
We think there is some ‘creative’ process that occurred outside of Being, that some dual thing occurred – the Supreme and His/Her creation, yet
this is not the final fact. Being outside of this parama-śiva – it looks like it no doubt, yet it all occurs within Being or the Supreme. This takes some time,
and multiple ways of saying it, understanding it, but it comes with time and attention to the knowledge.
So, for us to comprehend the world and universe around us , we learn there are 36 tattva-s to this whole level of everything seen and unseen.
Some schools count less than 36 and that is fine; Yet it starts with perfect Being, perfect pure awareness and then descends ( by His own free will)
all the way down ( really into) earth ( prithvī) that is part of the 5 mahābhuta-s we see around us – earth, water ( fluid), fire , air, and space (ākāśa).
Yet these things are not separate from the Supreme, they are just the Supreme throttled down into boundaries. Yet all this occurs within Him
not outside ( This too is corroborated in the bhāgavad gītā¹).
Getting these ideas squared away in one’s mind is a good place then to address your question in full.
iti śivaṁ
1. bhāgavad gītā , chapter 9 , 8th śloka:
prakṛtim svām avastabhya
visrjami punaḥ punaḥ |
bhūta-grāmam imaṁ kṛtsnam
avaśaṁ prakṛter vaśāt || 8
This says, curving back (leaning, resting-upon or avaṣṭabhya) onto my SELF (svām) I create (visṛjāmi) again and again (punaḥ punaḥ).
All this (kṛtsnam) which exists ( manifestation and variety bhūta-grāmam) , that comes into creation (prakṛti) is done by my authority or command (vaśāt).
ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasāstāmasāśca ye|
mattaḥ eveti tānviddhi na tvahaṁ teṣu te mayi||12
This says,
All those states of being, states of existence (bhāvā) ( the 3 guṇa-s) sāttvikā, rājasās & tāmasāśca
know that (tānviddhi) they truly, in this manner (eveti) come from me (mattaḥ);
they are in me but I not in them (na tvahaṁ teṣu te mayi).
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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