| Bart speaks about Eastern philosophies and nondual wisdom. Would you please give some background? |
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One of the inspirations for Bart’s teaching is Kashmir Shaivism, a philosophical tradition that seems to have had its genesis in northern India between the eighth and twelfth centuries AD. It addresses with remarkable vision the age-old questions, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What is the purpose of my life?” “How was this universe created?” “How should I live my life?” Kashmir Shaivism was revealed by divine inspiration, initially to Vasagupta, who was followed by a lineage of sages. This philosophy, like many Buddhist schools, acknowledges that this world of ceaseless change is empirically real, and yet unlike Buddhism, bases that reality on a transcendent consciousness that is simultaneously static and dynamic, that is above these categories and yet also their foundation. All of the great teachers of Kashmir Shaivism were themselves disciples. Its knowledge arises from active participation in the rigorous experiential process initiated by an enlightened master. Kashmir Shaivism accepts the reality of the world as it is, with all its happiness and pain, beauty and ugliness. Shaivism views the world not as an illusion, but as the creative manifestation of Parama Shiva. The entire universe comes forth out of the Svatantrya, or the perfect freedom, of the Lord. The world is a joyful expression of the Shakti, the power of consciousness of Parama Shiva. She eternally projects the world, unfolding it upon Herself as upon a screen. All forms of artistic expression whether dance, poetry, drama, or music, were created by Shiva and Shakti. If understood correctly, every moment of life can be an occasion for coming into contact with the artist of creation, a way to touch the source of joy and ecstasy that underlies the entire universe. The unique quality of the Shaiva system is its radical nondualism. Rejecting the Vedantic view that the material world is illusory or an empty dream, the sages of Kashmir Shaivism saw all forms of the universe as manifestations of Shakti, the divine creative energy or dynamic female principle. They worshiped Shakti in themselves, in the earth, and in every substantial and insubstantial thing, and they looked for the pulsing heart of divine bliss within all domains of experience. The crucial insight of Shaivism is its recognition that when human consciousness lets go of its identification with the body and reflects back on itself, it is revealed as a perfect, if limited form of the supreme “I,” which is God. By expanding their I-consciousness beyond its limits and its tendency to cling to narrow definitions of itself, yogis of the Shaivite path experienced God as themselves. Because they saw the world as divine, the Shaivite yogis of Kashmir had no difficultly enjoying life in all of its flavours. Shaivism was not a traditional renunciant’s path. Abhinavagupta, the pre-eminent genius of the tradition, was not only a philosopher and a widely revered Guru, but also an aesthetician, an artist and musician, and the center of a circle where sensory experience—including art, music, and drama—was constantly being transmuted into yoga. From Kashmir Shaivaism by J.C. Chatterji Bart also refers to the Upanishads The Upanishads are the earliest record of mankind’s attempt to define God, discover the Self, and inquire into the meaning of life. These philosophical texts of wisdom constitute the concluding parts of the most ancient scriptures of India—the Vedas. Veda means wisdom. The Vedas are a vast collection of spiritual hymns and rituals, and also the principles which underlie them. Like the scriptures of other religions, Vedas are believed to be direct revelations from the divine. However, the Vedas preceded other holy scriptures by centuries, even millennia, and the enlightened sages to whom they were revealed have remained anonymous. The Vedas are four in number: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda. They were taught in Vedic schools called Shakhas. More than 5,000 years ago, a sage named Krishna Dvaipayana compiled the works of as many as 1131 Shakhas. However, most of his compilations were destroyed during repeated foreign invasions. At present, works of only about a dozen Shakhas are available. The word Upanishad literally means knowledge received sitting close to the teacher, not just physically, but also mentally (up means near, ni means down, shad means sit). As a subject becomes more deep and subtle, it becomes difficult to explain it in words. Sitting close to the teacher helps in grasping the subject through facial expression and body language. Another meaning given to the word Upanishad is “that which shatters ignorance.” The Upanishads are high-wisdom texts, which are not easy to comprehend. Unlike other scriptures, they are not widely known. Even in India - the country of their origin - they were considered a threat to the tradition of ritualism and classified as “secret teachings” for nearly 2000 years. They came out of obscurity in the ninth century when Sri Sankara (788-820AD) wrote scholarly commentaries on the Principal Upanishads and made them accessible to a wider audience. The original texts, as well as the commentary by Sri Sankara, are in Sanskrit. The first translation of the Upanishads was from Sanskrit to Persian. The first English translation of the principal Upanishads appeared in 1879 as Volume 1 of F. Max Muller’s Sacred Books of the East. How many Upanishads once existed is unknown. One hundred and eight have been preserved, ranging in length from a few hundred to many thousands of words - some prose, some in verse, some part one, part the other. Another important characteristic of the Upanishads arises from the fact that they are the work of saints and seers. Their authors were concerned with reporting insights which came to them in thought or vision, not with making these insights superficially coherent. They were recorders of experiences. The Upanishads are not based on theological reasoning, but on experience of spiritual life. Moreover, the Upanishads do not present the experience of any one great individual, but of a great age of enlightenment. The real study, say the Upanishads, is not the study of them but study of that “by which we realize the changeless”. In other words, the real study in religion is first-hand experience of God. From Ten Upanishads of four Vedas by Ram K. Piparaiya
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