How To Receive God's Grace | Śaktipāta in Kashmir Shaivism

There are few theories regarding God's grace in Indian philosophy:
1. It is earned through good works (karma)
2. It is earned through devotion (bhakti)
3. It is earned through renunciation (tyāga)
4. It comes as a result of two equally strong samskaras bubbling up at the same time and checking one and another, thus artificially stalling all future karmas from fructifying (karmasāmya) Using some arguments from Abinava Gupta's commentary on the Mālinīvijaya Tantra, we'll show why all of these are absolutely wrong.  

We'll demonstrate how:
(a) grace comes from the independent, playful will of Divine Mother.  
(b) since all this is verily śiva, God is really ever gracing Herself.
We will also, Mā willing, respond to a few objections regarding grace:
1. If there is such a thing as grace, then, surely God is partial to some and not to others? Why would she keep some in bondage and liberate only a few?
2. If God is playfully enacting her will a bondage and liberation, then, why bother? Why go through the trouble of bondage at all?
3. If God's grace is the only operant factor in a person's liberation and if God's grace cannot be earned through spiritual practice, why bother to engage in practice at all?

Naturally, we'll review the 9 grades of śaktipāta (grace) in Abinava Gupta's classification. This will help us gauge what level of spirituality we are currently at so that we can better enjoy our time as aspirants!

Also, we get to talk a little about enjoyment and renunciation in spiritual life and why renunciation is an absolutely natural, easeful and effortless process, like we started talking about last week! (anādara virakti).

And finally, if there's time, I want to share some quotes from Utpala Deva's Shivastoravali to show how Devotion is the highest attainment in Kashmir Shaivism (i.e. bhakti is the total ripening of jnana, which is itself synonymous with liberation itself) thereby linking it so Sri Ramakrishna's views on the same!  

The 9 Levels of Śaktipāt:

1. Tīvra tīvra = Intensely intense = videha mukti
2. Madhya tīvra = Moderately intense = jīvanmukti
3. Manda tīvra = Weakly Intense = jīvanmutki

4. Tīvra madhya = intensely moderate = krama mukti
5. Madya madya = Moderately moderate = krama mukti
6. Manda madhya = Weakly moderate = krama mukti

7. Tīvra manda = Weak but Intense
8. Madya manda = Moderately weak
9. Manda manda = Weakly weak

Quotes from Abinava Gupta's Paramarthasara

ādarśe malarahite yadvad vadanaṃ vibhāti tadvad ayam |
śiva - śaktipātavimale dhītattve bhāti bhārūpaḥ  ( 9 )  

As a face shines forth in a spotlessly clean mirror, in the same way the supreme Lord who is of the nature of illumination shines forth in the buddhi (intellect) tattva that has been purified following the descent of divine grace by the Lord.   

paramaṃ yat svātantryaṃ durghaṭasaṃpādanaṃ maheśasya devī māyāśaktiḥ svātmāvaraṇaṃ śivasyaitat  ( 15 )  

The supreme Lord's great freedom, which is capable of accomplishing the most difficult task, is called the Goddess Maya-sakti. It serves Paramasiva as a veil to hide Himself.

kambukamiva taṇḍulakaṇa - viniviṣṭaṃ bhinnamapyabhidā |
bhajate tattu viśuddhiṃ śivamārgaunmukhyayogena  (18)

The husk existing on a grain of rice, though existing separately, appears insepara

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