Continued-----
A synthesis was effected. New connotational ranges emerged in recital and actional processes and as is natural Buddhism lost some of its transcendental glory. It became more earthy and Tantra Cult took a big leap. The concept of Bodhisattva appeared to be more plausibile to the thinkers of the time as it could accommodate many a claim of divine lineage. In one of the Sadhanas, Vadiraja-Manjusri sadhana,the devotee becomes Bodhisattva, Manjusri, looks upon the world with wisdom and compassion and renews his vow to liberate all being. But the severities of weather and uncertainties of life made. It necessary to offer short term solutions as liberation needed a long wait and was of illusory nature to common mind. The world seemed peopled with capricious and hostile spirits. The spells, miracles and Siddhis, therefore, had to be woven in the matrix of abstract thought. The deep meanings were meant for superior brains. In common terms anyone who could bend the course of nature and do something bordering on the miraculous was a Siddha and an expert in Tantra. This concept is still in vague among a vast mass of humanity in India. Since Buddhismitself was a kind of down to earth approach in comparison to post vedic sophistication and elitism of Brahamnic traditions the Tantra Sastra opened its door to all sections of the populace and tended to be unbrahamnicin academic slant. Nagarjuna's pupil Sabra-Pa was a hunter. He too attained siddhahood and it was he who introduced Kurukulla Sadhana ,a ritual concerning the mountain goodess of the jungle tribes. This goodess had trans-Himalayan antecedents and in due course she got identifird with Tara. Sabra-Pa's disciple Lui-Pa became a legendary Siddha and was known as saint Matsyendra Nath who is said to be the founder of Nath cult in the entire North East region. It is widely held that Asanga was the originator of Vajrayana but certain scholars hold that Guhiya Samaj Tantra was mainly either the work of Saraha or of Nagarjuna. The Nath cult with a saivite bias and the Siddha cult with wider deity framework worked out numerous points of contact and a kind of synthesis was effected to be a Siddha it was immaterial to which sect one belonged. Those who worked towards the realization of Samaya Mudra were equally eligible for Siddhahood. Some of the great Siddhas,besides the ones mentioned above , are Kauba-Pa, Darika-pada, Vajraghanta, Kukkuri Pada, Gambhir Vajra Pito Pada ,Taila Pada and Nada Pada. This brings us to Guhya SamajTantra, a reference work for Vajrayana Tantric subtleties the adjective guhya stands for things secretive, for bidden and ignoble. In the text there is an explanation of the title itself. The samaj assembly is a gathering of Bodhisattvas, Thathagatas and enlightened ones and guhya refers to the three-fold entity of body ,speech and mind. In the ordinary run of life these entities lead to work at cross purposes but tamed and trained they can be interlocked. The vajra Mudra' leads to supreme bliss-the release of infinite spiritual energy. So the adjective guhya has sublime connotational range and has to be understood in the Tantric context. Now, while talking of Siddhas it was mentioned that there were different varieties of them. There were Natha Siddhas, Rasa Siddhas, Mahesvara Siddhas, Saiva Siddhas and Sangata Siddhas. The last variety had a very pronounced Buddhist slant and worked very hard for adamantine integration of body speech and mind. So its appears that guhya samaj is a work belonging to Sangati group and it was meant for samveta Gana-collective singing. In the post-vedic period India India had developed the tradition of expounding philosophies after posing a question-on the nature of cosmic causations kenopanishad , for example ,starts with Kana'By whom'? meaning there by what is the supreme spirit ? and then goes on to tell 'The supreme spirit is that by which the mind thinks,it is not one of the concepts that can be conceived by the mind, but it is that by which ,indeed, one is able to think through his mind. It is that which enables the eyes to see, the ear to hear,the breath to move. These functions themselves depend on Brahaman ,and therefore, are these senses and the mind unable to comprehend the Brahaman. Do not take this body that one has to feed and look after for the soul. Life is not the aggregate of the functions of the body but a function of the Highest Spirit , in as much as not a thought or a breath or a glance is possible without the Supreme Agent-------
( Continued in next issue)
A synthesis was effected. New connotational ranges emerged in recital and actional processes and as is natural Buddhism lost some of its transcendental glory. It became more earthy and Tantra Cult took a big leap. The concept of Bodhisattva appeared to be more plausibile to the thinkers of the time as it could accommodate many a claim of divine lineage. In one of the Sadhanas, Vadiraja-Manjusri sadhana,the devotee becomes Bodhisattva, Manjusri, looks upon the world with wisdom and compassion and renews his vow to liberate all being. But the severities of weather and uncertainties of life made. It necessary to offer short term solutions as liberation needed a long wait and was of illusory nature to common mind. The world seemed peopled with capricious and hostile spirits. The spells, miracles and Siddhis, therefore, had to be woven in the matrix of abstract thought. The deep meanings were meant for superior brains. In common terms anyone who could bend the course of nature and do something bordering on the miraculous was a Siddha and an expert in Tantra. This concept is still in vague among a vast mass of humanity in India. Since Buddhismitself was a kind of down to earth approach in comparison to post vedic sophistication and elitism of Brahamnic traditions the Tantra Sastra opened its door to all sections of the populace and tended to be unbrahamnicin academic slant. Nagarjuna's pupil Sabra-Pa was a hunter. He too attained siddhahood and it was he who introduced Kurukulla Sadhana ,a ritual concerning the mountain goodess of the jungle tribes. This goodess had trans-Himalayan antecedents and in due course she got identifird with Tara. Sabra-Pa's disciple Lui-Pa became a legendary Siddha and was known as saint Matsyendra Nath who is said to be the founder of Nath cult in the entire North East region. It is widely held that Asanga was the originator of Vajrayana but certain scholars hold that Guhiya Samaj Tantra was mainly either the work of Saraha or of Nagarjuna. The Nath cult with a saivite bias and the Siddha cult with wider deity framework worked out numerous points of contact and a kind of synthesis was effected to be a Siddha it was immaterial to which sect one belonged. Those who worked towards the realization of Samaya Mudra were equally eligible for Siddhahood. Some of the great Siddhas,besides the ones mentioned above , are Kauba-Pa, Darika-pada, Vajraghanta, Kukkuri Pada, Gambhir Vajra Pito Pada ,Taila Pada and Nada Pada. This brings us to Guhya SamajTantra, a reference work for Vajrayana Tantric subtleties the adjective guhya stands for things secretive, for bidden and ignoble. In the text there is an explanation of the title itself. The samaj assembly is a gathering of Bodhisattvas, Thathagatas and enlightened ones and guhya refers to the three-fold entity of body ,speech and mind. In the ordinary run of life these entities lead to work at cross purposes but tamed and trained they can be interlocked. The vajra Mudra' leads to supreme bliss-the release of infinite spiritual energy. So the adjective guhya has sublime connotational range and has to be understood in the Tantric context. Now, while talking of Siddhas it was mentioned that there were different varieties of them. There were Natha Siddhas, Rasa Siddhas, Mahesvara Siddhas, Saiva Siddhas and Sangata Siddhas. The last variety had a very pronounced Buddhist slant and worked very hard for adamantine integration of body speech and mind. So its appears that guhya samaj is a work belonging to Sangati group and it was meant for samveta Gana-collective singing. In the post-vedic period India India had developed the tradition of expounding philosophies after posing a question-on the nature of cosmic causations kenopanishad , for example ,starts with Kana'By whom'? meaning there by what is the supreme spirit ? and then goes on to tell 'The supreme spirit is that by which the mind thinks,it is not one of the concepts that can be conceived by the mind, but it is that by which ,indeed, one is able to think through his mind. It is that which enables the eyes to see, the ear to hear,the breath to move. These functions themselves depend on Brahaman ,and therefore, are these senses and the mind unable to comprehend the Brahaman. Do not take this body that one has to feed and look after for the soul. Life is not the aggregate of the functions of the body but a function of the Highest Spirit , in as much as not a thought or a breath or a glance is possible without the Supreme Agent-------
( Continued in next issue)
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