Post by Owain on Jul 17, 2023 14:17:58 GMT
Āṇavopāya
Āṇavopāya is concerned with aṇu, the individual soul. Āṇavopāya is that
upāya, which functions by the process of concentrating on uccāra (breathing),
karaṇa (organs of sensation), dhyāna (contemplation), and sthāna prakalpanā
(concentrating on a particular place).
The word uccāra 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 uccāra, concentration on the
breath. It can be either with sound or without sound.
Karaṇa means “organ” and, in particular, it means “sense organ.”
Concentrating on karaṇa means having and maintaining one-pointedness
through vision or any other sense organ. In karaṇa, the sense of sight is
predominant. For example, in concentrating on karaṇa 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 karaṇa through the sense of hearing, then you would listen to
some sound and continue listening and repeat that sound again and again. You
can also practice by concentrating on some taste or some particular sensation of
touch. In karaṇa, 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 karaṇa in āṇavopāya and, in the long run, this creates
one-pointedness.
The word dhyāna means “contemplation.” It is another mode in āṇavopāya.
Dhyāna is contemplation on some point. There are different forms of dhyāna.
For example, you are practicing dhyāna when you contemplate on the lotus in
your heart, or on the meaning of some mantra
3 such as the mantra “so’ham” or
the mantra “śiva.” This is a higher form of āṇavopāya because it is
contemplation without any shape, without any form. If you were to contemplate
on Lord Śiva as having a particular form, a particular shape, that is a lower form
of āṇavopāya. It is contemplation with form.
Therefore, any time in meditation that you have mantra, then you have
dhyāna. And along with dhyāna, you can also adjust karaṇa and uccāra, but not
in the beginning.
Sthāna prakalpanā means concentration on some particular place. The higher
form of sthāna prakalpanā, which is a practice in higher āṇavopāya, is that
practice where you discover where each aspect of reality is found in the span of
the breath. You see where the devas are residing, where the lokapālas 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 (sandhyā), 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 sthāna prakalpanā, and these are
the particular points you have to concentrate on, and discover in the course of
your breath.
4 The practice of sthāna prakalpanā is simply to see the vastness of
the universe in one breath.
The second and lower form of sthāna prakalpanā, which is a practice in lower
āṇavopāya, 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 (bhrūmadhya). The second place for
concentration is the pit of the throat (kaṇṭha kūpa). And the third place of
concentration is the heart (hṛidaya).
All of these processes, uccāra, karaṇa, dhyāna, and sthāna prakalpanā, are
called the upāyas of jīva, the means of the individual, and they exist in
āṇavopāya.
Āṇavopāya is the means found in the world of duality and is known as
bhedopāya. The means which exists in the world of mono-duality, in the world
where duality and nonduality exist together, is śāktopāya and is called
bhedābhedopāya. That means which exists in the world of pure monism
(abheda) is śāmbhavopāya and is called abhedopāya.
Íāmbhavopāya is also called icchopāya, as it is the means which exists in icchā
śakti. The means which exists in jñāna śakti is śāktopāya and is called
jñānopāya. Āṇavopāya is called kriyopāya because it is the means which is found
in kriyā śakti.
The difference between āṇavopāya, śāktopāya, and śāmbhavopāya is this. In
āṇavopāya, 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 śāktopāya, 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 śāktopāya, you begin with the center and then become
established there. In śāmbhavopāya, 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 upāyas, they all lead
you to the state of one transcendental consciousness. The difference in these
upāyas is that āṇavopāya will carry you in a long way, śāktopāya in a shorter
way, and śāmbhavopāya in the shortest way. Although the ways are different, the
point to be achieved is one.
Anupāya
Beyond these three upāyas, śāmbhavopāya, śāktopāya, and āṇavopāya, there is
another upāya. Although it is not actually an upāya, yet it is mentioned in
Kashmir Śaivism. This upāya is called anupāya. The word anupāya means “no
upāya.” Thoughtlessness is called śāmbhavopāya. One-pointedness is called
śāktopāya. Concentration on and with the support of mantra and breathing and
all other elements is called āṇavopāya. Above all of these is anupāya. In
anupāya, 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 anupāya. Anupāya is
attributed to ānanda śakti of Śiva and is also called ānandopāya.
1 akiṁciccintakasyaiva guruṇā pratibodhataḥ | jāyate yaḥ samāveśaḥ śāmbhavo 'sāvudīritaḥ | |
Mālinīvijayottaratantram; II; V23
2 “madhyaμ samāśrayet.”
Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra; Verse 61
3 All mantras have meaning.
4 In the practice of sthāna prakalpanā, there are points in the breath which you must concentrate on. In
the practice of uccāra, there is no need to concentrate on each and every point in the passage of the
breath. In this practice, you concentrate on only one point.
Λακσψμαξξοο
🇧🇾 ☯️ 🌊 ⚜️ ☘️ 🦢 ཞི་ཅིན་ཕེན་མཚོ་སྔོན་འཐུས་ཚབ་ཚོགས་Lakshmanjoo
Āṇavopāya is concerned with aṇu, the individual soul. Āṇavopāya is that
upāya, which functions by the process of concentrating on uccāra (breathing),
karaṇa (organs of sensation), dhyāna (contemplation), and sthāna prakalpanā
(concentrating on a particular place).
The word uccāra 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 uccāra, concentration on the
breath. It can be either with sound or without sound.
Karaṇa means “organ” and, in particular, it means “sense organ.”
Concentrating on karaṇa means having and maintaining one-pointedness
through vision or any other sense organ. In karaṇa, the sense of sight is
predominant. For example, in concentrating on karaṇa 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 karaṇa through the sense of hearing, then you would listen to
some sound and continue listening and repeat that sound again and again. You
can also practice by concentrating on some taste or some particular sensation of
touch. In karaṇa, 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 karaṇa in āṇavopāya and, in the long run, this creates
one-pointedness.
The word dhyāna means “contemplation.” It is another mode in āṇavopāya.
Dhyāna is contemplation on some point. There are different forms of dhyāna.
For example, you are practicing dhyāna when you contemplate on the lotus in
your heart, or on the meaning of some mantra
3 such as the mantra “so’ham” or
the mantra “śiva.” This is a higher form of āṇavopāya because it is
contemplation without any shape, without any form. If you were to contemplate
on Lord Śiva as having a particular form, a particular shape, that is a lower form
of āṇavopāya. It is contemplation with form.
Therefore, any time in meditation that you have mantra, then you have
dhyāna. And along with dhyāna, you can also adjust karaṇa and uccāra, but not
in the beginning.
Sthāna prakalpanā means concentration on some particular place. The higher
form of sthāna prakalpanā, which is a practice in higher āṇavopāya, is that
practice where you discover where each aspect of reality is found in the span of
the breath. You see where the devas are residing, where the lokapālas 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 (sandhyā), 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 sthāna prakalpanā, and these are
the particular points you have to concentrate on, and discover in the course of
your breath.
4 The practice of sthāna prakalpanā is simply to see the vastness of
the universe in one breath.
The second and lower form of sthāna prakalpanā, which is a practice in lower
āṇavopāya, 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 (bhrūmadhya). The second place for
concentration is the pit of the throat (kaṇṭha kūpa). And the third place of
concentration is the heart (hṛidaya).
All of these processes, uccāra, karaṇa, dhyāna, and sthāna prakalpanā, are
called the upāyas of jīva, the means of the individual, and they exist in
āṇavopāya.
Āṇavopāya is the means found in the world of duality and is known as
bhedopāya. The means which exists in the world of mono-duality, in the world
where duality and nonduality exist together, is śāktopāya and is called
bhedābhedopāya. That means which exists in the world of pure monism
(abheda) is śāmbhavopāya and is called abhedopāya.
Íāmbhavopāya is also called icchopāya, as it is the means which exists in icchā
śakti. The means which exists in jñāna śakti is śāktopāya and is called
jñānopāya. Āṇavopāya is called kriyopāya because it is the means which is found
in kriyā śakti.
The difference between āṇavopāya, śāktopāya, and śāmbhavopāya is this. In
āṇavopāya, 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 śāktopāya, 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 śāktopāya, you begin with the center and then become
established there. In śāmbhavopāya, 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 upāyas, they all lead
you to the state of one transcendental consciousness. The difference in these
upāyas is that āṇavopāya will carry you in a long way, śāktopāya in a shorter
way, and śāmbhavopāya in the shortest way. Although the ways are different, the
point to be achieved is one.
Anupāya
Beyond these three upāyas, śāmbhavopāya, śāktopāya, and āṇavopāya, there is
another upāya. Although it is not actually an upāya, yet it is mentioned in
Kashmir Śaivism. This upāya is called anupāya. The word anupāya means “no
upāya.” Thoughtlessness is called śāmbhavopāya. One-pointedness is called
śāktopāya. Concentration on and with the support of mantra and breathing and
all other elements is called āṇavopāya. Above all of these is anupāya. In
anupāya, 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 anupāya. Anupāya is
attributed to ānanda śakti of Śiva and is also called ānandopāya.
1 akiṁciccintakasyaiva guruṇā pratibodhataḥ | jāyate yaḥ samāveśaḥ śāmbhavo 'sāvudīritaḥ | |
Mālinīvijayottaratantram; II; V23
2 “madhyaμ samāśrayet.”
Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra; Verse 61
3 All mantras have meaning.
4 In the practice of sthāna prakalpanā, there are points in the breath which you must concentrate on. In
the practice of uccāra, there is no need to concentrate on each and every point in the passage of the
breath. In this practice, you concentrate on only one point.
Λακσψμαξξοο
🇧🇾 ☯️ 🌊 ⚜️ ☘️ 🦢 ཞི་ཅིན་ཕེན་མཚོ་སྔོན་འཐུས་ཚབ་ཚོགས་Lakshmanjoo