{"id":1037,"date":"2025-03-14T10:12:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T10:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/?p=1037"},"modified":"2025-03-14T10:14:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T10:14:54","slug":"displaced-and-forgotten-elements-of-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/?p=1037","title":{"rendered":"Displaced and forgotten elements of practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Apparently, similar reformations have taken place in many traditions of India and South-East Asia over the last 150 years, mostly related to the marginalisation of the most esoteric practices. In many ways, this trend was influenced by the realities of colonization. From talking to the bearers of the Southern tradition of Siddhars, I learned that it was initially a very independent tradition. But for a time, when certain rulers came, they tried to bring as many people as possible to their faith. Sometimes this took violent forms, so the Siddhars<\/em> merged with \u015aaivism<\/em>, then with Vaishnavism, etc. And now, despite the fact that they are quite independent, there is a fusion of Shaivite elements in their practices, for example, in such practices as V\u0101si-yoga<\/em> (\u0bb5\u0bbe\u0b9a\u0bbf \u0baf\u0bcb\u0b95\u0bae\u0bcd), sometimes \u015aakta<\/em> elements, or the mention of \u015ar\u012b-yantra<\/em> by Tirum\u016blar<\/em>, Bhogar<\/em>, etc. And it was also unexpected for me to learn, although familiar, that they influenced the \u015arama\u1e47ic<\/em> traditions, such as the \u0100j\u012bvikas<\/em>, Jains<\/em>, early Buddhism. Apparently, in the South it was a tradition of yoga masters who led a solitary life, to whom people came for blessings, sometimes instructions, which exists to this day. This is very similar to how it is in the Northern N\u0101th<\/em> Tradition, many Siddha-purushas<\/em>, such as Gorak\u1e63an\u0101th<\/em> (Gorakkar<\/em> \u2013 \u0b95\u0bcb\u0bb0\u0b95\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bb0\u0bcd in the south), Matsyendran\u0101th<\/em> (Ma\u0441chamuni<\/em>  \u0bae\u0b9a\u0bcd\u0b9a\u0bae\u0bc1\u0ba9\u0bbf \u2013 in the south), etc., they are actually the same gurus<\/em>. Of course, in the south they have their own versions of their stories, but in many ways they coincide with the northern versions.

Not long ago I reread Dr. Kate Crosby’s research on Esoteric Theravada, specifically the tradition of “bor\u0101n kamma\u1e6d\u1e6dh\u0101na<\/em>“, which can be translated as “ancient place for doing” (performing spiritual practice). The name itself is very reminiscent of the Tamil \u0101<\/em>\u015bivagam<\/em> (\u0b86\u0b9a\u0bc0\u0bb5\u0b95\u0bae\u0bcd \u2013\u2013 place for spiritual practice), it can be both a place for s\u0101<\/em><\/em>dhana<\/em> and the body of the practitioner. This researcher describes in great detail how, under the influence of colonial factors, over the course of a little less than a couple of centuries, this traditional practice of Buddhism was replaced by the cultivation of intellectualism, etc. Although there was a deep connection with medicine, oriented towards Ayurveda. Also, in the process of practice given by the master, the student experiences signs of nimitta<\/em>, in the form of some pure states of consciousness. After which, through the energy channels in the nostrils, they are inhaled into the embryo of Buddha, which the practitioner forms in his body, in the womb area (garbha<\/em>). Thus, similar to how in Taoist practices the practitioner grows the embryo of immortality “ling tai<\/em>” in the area of d\u0101nti\u00e1n<\/em>, in the same way in this tradition the practitioner grows Buddha in himself. The Siddhars<\/em> have the same thing with the practices of internal alchemy, with the union of the seed of \u015aiva<\/em> and rajas<\/em> of \u015aakti<\/em>, \u015aiva-svar\u016bpa<\/em> is reborn inside the practitioner’s body. The lower center in the area of the “kanda<\/em>” is considered as a crucible alchemical furnace, perhaps the names of some ha\u1e6dha-yoga<\/em> practices, such as bhastrik\u0101-pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101y\u0101ma<\/em> (bellows pr\u0101\u1e47\u0101y\u0101ma<\/em>) and others are symbolically connected. Abhinavagupta in the Tantr\u0101loka<\/em> called this internal birth “yogin\u012bbh\u016b<\/em>“. The Akulav\u012bratantra<\/em>, attributed to Mah\u0101siddha<\/em> Matsyendran\u0101th<\/em>, begins with the following verse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0936\u094d\u0930\u0940\u092e\u091a\u094d\u091b\u0928\u094d\u0926\u092a\u093e\u0926\u0915\u0947\u092d\u094d\u092f\u094b \u0928\u092e\u0903 \u0964
\u0936\u094d\u0930\u0940\u092e\u0940\u0928\u0938\u0939\u091c\u0928\u0928\u094d\u0926\u0902 \u0938\u094d\u0935\u0915\u0940\u092f\u093e\u0919\u094d\u0917\u0938\u092e\u0941\u0926\u094d\u092d\u0935\u092e\u094d \u0964
\u0938\u0930\u094d\u0935\u092e\u093e\u0927\u093e\u0930\u0917\u092e\u094d\u092d\u0940\u0930\u092e\u091a\u0932\u0902 \u0935\u094d\u092f\u092a\u0915\u0902 \u092a\u0930\u092e\u094d \u0964<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salutations to the feet of \u015ar\u012b Macchanda!
[Bow to] \u015ar\u012b M\u012bna [n\u0101th], the sahaj\u0101nanda, born from his own body, the Whole, the Deepest Root, the Immovable, the All-pervading, the Supreme!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is, Matsyendran\u0101th<\/em>, through his inner birth and spiritual growth, realised his new spiritual body, through which he influenced the physical one. We can say the same about Gorak\u1e63an\u0101th<\/em> and many other Mah\u0101siddhas<\/em>. And when we speak of “sahaja<\/em> bliss”, the term “sahaja<\/em>” can mean that which is born (i.e. with the body). Something spiritual is revealed inside the body, and then, together with the body, psychophysical transformations occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here is how Siddhar Bogar<\/em> from the tradition of South Indian siddhas<\/em> speaks about it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0b95\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0bb5\u0bc6\u0ba9\u0bcd\u0ba9  \u0b9a\u0bc8\u0baf\u0bcb\u0b95\u0b99\u0bcd  \u0b95\u0bbe\u0bae\u0bb5\u0bbf\u0ba4\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0bc8
\u0b95\u0bbe\u0ba3\u0bbe\u0bb0\u0bcd\u0b95 \u0bb3\u0bc2\u0bb2\u0b95\u0b95\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0bbf\u0bb1\u0bcd \u0b95\u0ba9\u0bcd\u0bae\u0baa\u0bca\u0b95\u0bbf 
\u0b89\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0bb5\u0bc6\u0ba9\u0bcd\u0ba9  \u0b95\u0bbe\u0bb2\u0bcd\u0bb5\u0bc7\u0bb3\u0bc8 \u0baf\u0bc1\u0ba3\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bcb\u0ba4\u0bc1
\u0b93\u0b99\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bbe\u0bb0\u0bae\u0bcd  \u0ba8\u0bbf\u0ba9\u0bcd\u200c\u0bb1\u0bbf\u0b9f\u0ba4\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0bc7   \u0bb5\u0bbf\u0ba4\u0bcd\u0ba9\u0ba4\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bbe\u0b9a\u0bcd\u0b95
\u0bb5\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0bb5\u0bc6\u0ba9\u0bcd\u0ba9  \u0bb5\u0bbe\u0bb5\u0bc6\u0ba9\u0bcd\u0bb1\u0bc1 \u0bb5\u0bbe\u0b99\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bbf\u0b95\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bca\u0ba3\u0bcd\u0b9f\u0bc1
\u0bb5\u0bbe\u0baf\u0bcd\u0baa\u0bc7\u0b9a\u0bbe \u0bae\u0bc2\u0bb2\u0ba4\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0bc7 \u0bae\u0ba9\u0ba4\u0bc8\u0bb5\u0ba4\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0bc1
\u0b95\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0bb5\u0bc6\u0ba3\u0bcd\u0ba9\u0bcd  \u0ba8\u0bc0\u0baf\u0bc6\u0ba9\u0bcd\u0ba9 \u0bae\u0bbf\u0bb0\u0ba3\u0bcd\u0b9f\u0bc1\u0bae\u0bca\u0ba9\u0bcd\u0bb1\u0bc1
\u0ba4\u0b9f\u0bc8\u0baf\u0bbe\u0bb1\u0bb5\u0bc7 \u0b95\u0bc7\u0b9f\u0bcd\u0b9f\u0ba4\u0bc6\u0bb2\u0bcd\u0bb2\u0bbe\u0ba8\u0bcd  \u0ba4\u0bb0\u0bc1\u0b95\u0bc1\u0ba8\u0bcd\u0ba4\u0bbe\u0ba9\u0bc7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe creation of the embryo, called k\u0101ya-yoga<\/em>, is the art of controlling the seed;
Worldly people do not understand the masters who have mastered the art of action,
who contemplate the said embryo of form with the duration of breathing.
In that place, where the eternal AUM<\/em> sounds sublimate the vital force (seed),
performing [for this] a pulsating breath directed upward;
And, remaining in silence, concentrate your mind on the m\u016bla-mantra.
The embryo is you and you both are one; all barriers will disappear at their core and
what is destined will be granted”…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although, we encounter similar principles not only in the mentioned traditions, but, to one degree or another, in others. For example, in Vedism<\/em>, the first sacred cord is considered to be the umbilical cord, which connects the fetus with the mother. This is the first birth, and the second is a spiritual birth, when you are physically separated from your mother and the sacred cord is given to you. The Goddess S\u0101vitr\u012b<\/em> becomes your Mother, you receive her mantra<\/em>, which has the g\u0101yatr\u012b<\/em> metric size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In \u015ar\u012b Vidy\u0101<\/em> we find a similar transmission, first in the form of the mantra of the young eight-year-old Goddess B\u0101l\u0101<\/em>. Then she “grows” (the power of the awakening Ku\u1e47\u1e0dalini<\/em> \u015aakti<\/em> grows), she becomes fifteen years old with the blossoming power of K\u0101ma<\/em> (K\u0101me\u015bvar\u012b<\/em>), known as Pa\u00f1cada\u015b\u012b<\/em>. Then, she becomes Mah\u0101\u1e63o\u1e0da\u015b\u012b<\/em>. Guru ji Rameshchandra Sharma told me that once the syllables of Pa\u00f1cada\u015b\u012b<\/em> were alchemical formulas, but at the moment few people deeply understand their meaning.

The well-known \u015aivasa\u1e43hit\u0101<\/em> prescribes contemplation of the b\u012bjas<\/em>, the mantras<\/em> of Tripurasundar\u012b<\/em> in the area of the three granthis<\/em> with the purpose of passing Ku\u1e47\u1e0dalini<\/em> through them. In the area of m\u016bl\u0101dh\u0101ra<\/em>–b\u012bja<\/em> (\u0910\u0902 ai\u1e43), as the Newari Guru ji Kedarraj Rajapadhyaya explained to me earlier, there she is represented in the form of Kubjik\u0101<\/em> (a coiled Goddess), many know her as Kulaku\u1e47\u1e0dalin\u012b<\/em>. Further, in the an\u0101hata<\/em> region, it is K\u0101me\u015bvar\u012b<\/em> in the form of K\u0101ma-b\u012bja<\/em> (\u0915\u094d\u0932\u0940\u0902 kl\u012b\u1e43) and in the rudra-granthi<\/em> region \u2013 \u015aakti-b\u012bja<\/em> (\u0938\u094c\u0903 sau\u1e25) (Par\u0101-b\u012bja<\/em> in Kashmir \u015aaivism<\/em>).

The \u015ar\u012b Vidy\u0101<\/em> texts give a more “mature version” of this mantra<\/em> in the form of Pa\u00f1cada\u015b\u012b<\/em>, also distributing its three k\u016b\u1e6das<\/em> (accumulations of b\u012bjas<\/em>) to the same areas. Thus, we get the first bliss of vag-bh\u0101va<\/em> in the manifestation of speech on the physical level. Further, bliss (param\u0101nanda<\/em>) revealed in the form of different forms of k\u0101ma<\/em> with the overcoming of the boundaries between subject and object. The bliss of renunciation, in the form of the power of renunciation (viram\u0101nanda<\/em>), when we overcome the constant tendencies to get stuck in the phenomena of prapa\u00f1ca<\/em>. And ultimately we realise the innate bliss of sahaj\u0101nanda<\/em>, which is symbolised by Mah\u0101\u1e63o\u1e0da\u015b\u012b<\/em> in \u015ar\u012b Vidy\u0101 s\u0101<\/em>dhana<\/em>. You realise the essence of \u015a\u016bnyat\u0101<\/em> and P\u016br\u1e47at\u0101<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems that many yogic<\/em> and tantric<\/em> practices have been curtailed and greatly simplified, sometimes modified to serve completely opposite purposes. During the colonial period, for example, the British considered yogis<\/em> and tantrikas<\/em> to be very dangerous elements wandering around India, not amenable to conversion to puritanical Christianity. But when Western researchers themselves began to study Sanskrit and texts that contained many \u201cwild elements,\u201d the Indians themselves began to create a \u201cgood kind of Indian spirituality\u201d for Westerners. Around the same time, we see the emergence of many modern yoga<\/em> schools in India, some new forms of the \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a<\/em> consciousness movement\u201d and the study of tantra<\/em> by a variety of European researchers. We see how the esoteric forms of Theravada are beginning to be supplanted by those that divide the psyche and somatics, giving preference to the former. This is all very similar to how it exists in the Abrahamic cults. Of course, you can also find esoteric traditions such as Sufism, Kabbalah, Hesychasm and others, less known, however, Christian preachers mainly carried an extremely dualistic approach.

I think that these important historical factors should be known, not to underestimate their influence, in order to fully understand many methods of yoga<\/em> and tantra<\/em>. Only in a full-fledged form can they be an effective psychophysical transformation. Of course, someone will say that he is not interested in politics, but only in spiritual practice. However, you could see in the above-mentioned examples how politics can influence various spiritual institutions and reformat them. In my opinion, it is important to know these factors and those modern influences to which people are generally exposed now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Apparently, similar reformations have taken place in many traditions of India and South-East Asia over the last 150 years, mostly related to the marginalisation of the most esoteric practices. In many ways, this trend was influenced by the realities of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[362],"tags":[367,368,304,326,364,363,369,36,366,365,31],"class_list":["post-1037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-traditions-reformation","tag-bhogar","tag-mahasiddhas","tag-natha-2","tag-sahaja","tag-siddhars","tag-siddhas","tag-sri-vidya","tag-tantra","tag-tirumular","tag-vasi-yoga","tag-yoga"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1037"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1039,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037\/revisions\/1039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matsyendranatha.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}