The Human Predicament

In this paper a comparison is presented between the analyses of the human condition offered by Christianity in terms of sin, and by Saiva Siddhanta in . terms of anavam ( darkness, ignorance). Following a summary of the Saiva teaching on anavam, more detailed comparisons are made between the two religions in relation to particular issues in which the outworking of those doctrines is seen,. such as the nature of salvation, of the saviour and of the redeemed state, etc. Areas of difference and of common ground between the two religions are highlighted and discussed. TillS paper sets out to offer a comparison between the analyses of the human condition offered by Christianity in terms of sin, and by Saiva Siddhanta in terms of anavam. The latter is the system of religious philosophy that originated among the Tamil speaking people of South India, particularly from the thirteenth century CE onwards, through the work of such thinkers as Meykanta Tevar (c. 1221 CE), Arulnanti (c. 1253) and Umapati Sivam (c. 1306). It can be seen as the philosophical elaboration of the religious ideas implicit in the Saivite form of devotional Hinduism, which gained widespread popular support through the work of a succession of poet-saints in that region in the sixth to eighth centuries CEo Since readers may be less familiar with the Saiva Siddhanta system, we first shall give a summary of its teaching on anavam. 1 Anavam According to Saiva Siddhanta, there are three eternal entities, viz. God (Tamil and Sanskrit, pati), souls (Tamil and Sanskrit, pacu) and the three-fold bond (pacam; Skt. pasa). The constituent elements of the bond are anavam (darkness, ego-centricity; Skt, anava), karmam or vinai (deeds; Skt karma) and mayai (matter; Skt maya). It is the bondage of these three inlpurities that determines the human condition. Like God, souls exist from eternity and to eternity, and from eternity they are in the grip of this three-fold bond. No cause or reason is advanced for this: it just is so. Of the three impurities, anavam is basic. It is to deliver souls from anavam that God causes them to become involved in matter (mayai) by taking bodies, and thus to perform actions (vinai), with the ultimate .goal of attaining release. This embodiment of souls takes place in repeated cycles, as God creates, sustains and destroys succeeding worlds in order to give souls innumerable opportunities progressively to work their way towards release. Anavam is a power which is eternally attached to souls, and prevents them knowing the true nature of themselves, the world and God. It is compared with verdigris, which coexists with copper as long as copper exists. It is anavam which ,clouds or obscures the knowledge of the soul, and causes it to think in egoistic terms of "I" and "mine". So by the power of anavam the soul is deceived into thinking that it is not God but itself that is the agent of all its actions. Formerly a practicing Jungian analyst, since his retirement Alastair R. McGlashan has been visiting professor of pastoral care and counseling at Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, Madurai, Tamilnadu. His area of scholarly expertise is in New Testament theology, analytical psychology, and Tamil Saivism, with a general interest in Tamil religion and culture. His current projects include a psychological study of violent devotion in the Periya Puranam of Cekkilar and religious experience in contemporary Tamil Saivism. He has published books and papers on New Testament theology, analytical psychology, and Tamil studies, including: Introduction to the Grammar of New Testament Greek (in Tamil) and a full length English translation of the Periya Puranam of Cekkilar. Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies 22 (2009):25-31 1 McGlashan: The Human Predicament Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2009 26 Alasair R. McGlashan The Lord in his grace repeatedly brings the world of matter back into existence and directs the operation ofmayai and karmam. Thus souls become united with matter (mayai) and experience pleasure and pain in fulfilment of previous karmam. They also perform further actions, so that good and evil karmam may eventually become balanced~ Even doing good, if only for one's own benefit or in expectation of reward, is harmful because it simply expresses and reinforces egoism. "Moral demerit is like iron fetters and moral merit is like golden fetters. ,,2 So adhesive and pervasive is the power of anavam that souls cannot of themselves attain the knowledge that would save them from its grip. 3 They have some part in gaining release, in that they have to progress through certain defined stages of religious observance towards the attainment of maturity. But the point of maturity is only reached when ultimately the soul gives up trying, recognizes that all its supposed deeds are done not by itself but by the Lord acting within, and casts itself at the feet of the Lord. Then all deeds both good and bad are seen as being alike, and life is lived with no consideration of reward or punishment (iruvinaiyoppu, literally = "two (kinds of) deeds the same.,,4 That realization is itself the action and the gift of the Lord in grace. When the soul is ripe, the way that God reveals himself is through taking human form as a guru or teacher. The guru is not to be recognized by any unmistakeable outward sign or mark; his coming is incognito. Since the human condition can only be known from the inside, the guru lives as a human being alongside other humans. However, this form is in fact only a cloak, used to commend the guru and his teaching to the recipient. 7 Because God cannot become involved with matter (mayai), he cannot be so closely bound up with human flesh as to be born or die. 8 But to dispel the darkness of anavam, the Lord appears as the guru as often as, and in as many different guises as, is necessary for the enlightenment and release of souls. After enlightenment, there is still work for the soul to do. For worthless thoughts will still arise in the mind, particularly the idea that the soul is the agent of its deeds. The soul has to learn to overcome such vestigial effects of anavam until "the normative becomes the natural. ,,10 Insofar as this is achieved and all actions are seen as the Lord's, the soul is free from the obscuring effect of anavam. Then the soul enjoys the bliss of loving union with the Lord and longs for fmal release. 11 Seeing the suffering of unenlightened souls, it suffers with them and works for their release also.