Lakṣmī Tantra Chapter 14—The True Nature of Śakti
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2020-12-03

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Viśuddhi-cakra
Śrī: “God, Vāsudeva is the absolute Brahman. In essence He is higher knowledge; undifferentiated with regard to space, time etc.; devoid of the three guṇas, and pure. His nature is bliss, He is ever immutable, possesses six divine attributes, is undecaying and everlasting. I am His supreme Śakti, His I-hood. I am eternal, constant and immutable. My vyāpāra-śakti (power of action) is characterized by sisṛkṣā, My urge to create. With a billionth fraction of Myself I voluntarily embark on creation by differentiating Myself into two separate energies, one of which is cetana (conscious) and the other is cetya, the object of its knowledge. Of these two, cetana is My cit-śakti. In fact consciousness, consisting of Myself, evolves into both sentient and insentient objects. Absolutely pure and sovereign consciousness is, indeed, My real form.” [14.1–5]
“Like boiling sugarcane juice, this consciousness becomes grosser through contact with material objects. Hence it is that in the process of cognizing material objects, the latter acquire the nature of consciousness. Just as fuel, when kindled, becomes engulfed by fire, so do perceptible material objects pervaded by consciousness adopt its nature. Polarized thinking, aware of objects such as blue, yellow, happiness, sorrow etc., distinguishes undifferentiated pure consciousness by its variegated wealth of limiting conditions. Polarized thought is also one of My forms voluntarily created by Myself whereby, viewed from an internal or external angle, perceptible material objects become classified as subject and object.” [14.6–9]
“Neither the external object nor the internal cognition constitutes the essence of My absolute consciousness. My Selfhood splits itself into two components: the subjects who do the knowing, and the objects capable of being known. That Self of Mine, which is beyond all polarized knowledge, free from the taint of words, and unaffected by any limiting condition, undergoes evolution in the form of perceptible material objects. When the mind is free of polarized thought, those perceptible material objects that attain the madhyama-vṛtti (middle mode) become identified with consciousness.” [14.10–12]
“Just as the form existing in the eye is seen as being the form belonging to a particular external object, so also the form existing in the knowledge observed by the knower appears to belong to the thing known. Just as a burning piece of wood looks like fire, so perceptible material objects pervaded by consciousness also are perceived as consciousness. When the object is related to cognition by the knower (cognizer) and he reflects upon it, it is then Myself, consisting of knowledge and ever revealed, who is in fact perceived as that object. I-hood is the essential characteristic of knowledge, distinguishing it from the object perceived; it is salakṣaṇa (unique), and that is My own Self. Hence I, consisting of pure consciousness, am all-pervading.” [14.13–16]
“When in the ocean of consciousness the only foothold left on the flooded island is the term connoting idaṁpada (‘this’) and perceptible material objects are almost submerged, I then provide them with a support to hold on to. Those whose vāsanā (impressions) have all been washed away, removed by the nectar-like flow of meditation upon Me, realize Me, who am pure consciousness engulfing the multitudinous variety of objects, as identical with themselves. People are of the opinion that, since I consist of knowledge alone, My function of revealing objects of knowledge (cognition) is an effect of avidyā, about which I have spoken before.” [14.17–19]
“According to My true nature, I am neither tranquil (inert), nor creatively active, nor do I follow the middle course between these. I manifest Myself as such (in the true presentation of My Self) to those who are able to discern Me with a calm mind devoid of polarized experience even in the waking state. But even when perceived by those who seek to know Me while still influenced by polarization, I make them forget Me. Just as an object, though lying right in front of a person, does not appear in his mind when preoccupied, so also am I not realized by those whose minds are afflicted by impressions. Blurred by impressions left by the experience of mundane affairs, the mind fails to reflect truth.” [14.20–22]

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