A note on Kashmir Shaivism
Kashmir Shaivism, a philosophical system known as the Trika system, revolves around the concept of “Trika,” which means threefold.
In this philosophy, there is a Trinity Aspect :
- Shiva : The Supreme Consciousness
- Shakti: The Supreme Creative Energy present in all of creation
- Jiva (Anu): The Spiritual Atom, representing the limited individual consciousness
A bit about Jiva
Jiva or limited individual is a microcosm (a complete replica - on a reduced scale), of the macrocosm (Supreme Consciousness/Universe), and in complete resonance on multiple levels with the macrocosm.
“God created man in his own image” : Genesis 1:27, Bible
The resonance (link) between the microcosm and the macrocosm is Shakti, the only one who can help Jiva recover his lost knowledge — that he is one with Shiva. This is all possible because of the completely free will of Siva — Svatantrya Shakti.(स्वतन्त्र शक्ति)
Further, Kashmir Shaivism also discusses the three states of consciousness or energies of Shiva, The Shakti trinity —
- Apara shakti (inferior energy) — Associated with “dualistic” states of wakefulness (jagrat) and dreaming (svapna)
- Parapara shakti (medium energy) — Associated with the state of deep sleep (susupti)
- Para shakti (supreme energy) — the supreme energy, found in the fourth (turya) state of transcendence
These three primary energies govern all activities in the world, be they spiritual, physical, or worldly. Trika Shaivism posits that the entire universe and its actions exist within the framework of these three energies.
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