First and foremost, an announcement: Tantraloka Studies with Dr. Mark Dyczkowski is scheduled to start on 17th November on Karthik Purnima. The 10 day program will include two day outing to sacred Vindhyachal and Pancakrosha. We will also have a chance to listen to wonderful Sitar music by Mark to reinforce the teachings :). Now on to the blog..
“A very quick absorption is attained in a flash during the sound of this tune, because, being so close to pure Consciousness, it is quite akin to it” -Tantraloka, 3.239*
Masters of Tantric schools advocated a spiritual path that combined “bhukti” (attainment of enjoyment) and “mukti” (attainment of liberation). They considered both of them as objectives of human life.
Even before Shaivism and Shaktism, aesthetically pleasing elements were presented as aids to spiritual development in other branches as well. Song and dance were part of pre-vedic cultures and the melodic Samaveda is well known to all. Yajnavalkyasmriti considered the music of vina to be a powerful aid in realizing the highest truth. In the Vijyanabhairava, the pleasure aroused by song and music is accepted as a means to enter into the state of pure and blissful consciousness.
While Abhinava’s explanation of music and other objects pleasing to the senses in the context of self-realization will be a topic of a future blog, we know from Madhuraja that Abhinava sported a Vina by his side and played it occasionally. In this post, we present you a short bhajan by Dr. Dyczkowski to go with your Sadhana. Enjoy.
** Blog content adapted from “Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism” by B.N. Pandit.
Watching the Russian movie