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CHAPTER IV ON INITIATION Classification%;B etymologies. The dispersion 01 disciple's karma. Sambhavi-diksa; tantric diksa in Saivite Southern Schools. Homology of the sixfold path within the four "eggs". The initiation through padas. The greater part of the tantric followers are not the universa endowed with exceptional qualities as an expression of divine grace. They have to aquire these qualities as a consequence of initiation and long practice. Through initiation the disciple's body with its vital raythms and its external behaviours is "sanctioned" throughout life, i.e. its whole energy is destined to reach only one target the supreme self-realization. Initiation represents a systematic way of achieving the identity with Siva; it is a gradual approaching of consciousness. No doubt, it does not mean that it is the only possibility for acquiring the supreme knowledge, but it is the most metnouical. Initiation is connected with the accumulated experience in the past by generations and generations of practitioners. didactic character, requesting a master who is able to carry out the task by taking into account the disciple's abilities. However, initiation does not mean a passage through a definitive and established succession of rites, but it depends mainly on the way of how the master finds it more suitable for a certain disciple. The master employs only his intuition This is why it has a

- 72for chosing the initiatory proceeding. "In the same manner in which a big tree is found potentially in a seed of ficus indica, the whole world is found in the seed of the heart, containing all the movable or unmovable creatures. The one who knows truly this fact, he has the true initiation leading to nirvana, free of any incertitude, without lib ations or offerings of grains of rice and butter" (Paratrishika, 24-25). There are masterly pages written about the initiatory symbolism by M. Eliade in "Naissances mystiques" (Paris, 1959, pp. 218 seq.); S. Levi expounds the implications of initiation, particularly for the Vedic schools in "La doctrine du Sacrifice dans les Brahmanas" (Paris, 1966). The term diksa, "rite of devotion" or merely, "initiation", covers a good deal of initiatory rites corresponding to different levels of knowledge. On a deeper level, each rite or mantra constitutes an "initiation" inasmuch as it is imparted from the master's mouth directly to the disciple, increasing the latter's general state of mystic knowledge. But, as we have seen, the bulk of rites has been divided into several branches representing principal ritual actions in Saiva tantra, such as projections, fire-ritualism, expiatory ritualism, etc. All the rites of a branch are actually variants of the same archetypal action, thuswise, imparting to the disciple the device of er er = only one rite, it is understood that he would be able to generalize it to the whole class. Therefore, only the rites that are considered prototypes would constitute proper diksa. There is a larger interpretation of initiatory

- 73 son, rites which is closer to the didactic structure of transmitting the Saivite tantric teaching, respectively to the neophyte, the spiritual the adept (sadhaka) and lastly, the recognition of the disciple as an accomplished master. This is the most current use of diksa in Saiva tantric practice and it consists in imparting a mantra to the disciple at each stage of knowledge, in so far as the sound is pure energy and consequently, the essence of action. A last sense of diksa most general and the is the beginning of initiation, i.e. the first contact of the disciple with the tantric practice. This is also a mantra which will constitute the mystical body of the follower and his tantric nature. Etymologically, diksa would derive from the stem da- "to give the knowledge namely, and ksi- "to destroy" the karmic impressions (Mrigendra-tantra, Kriyapada, VIII, & Comm. p.119). Ksemendra suggests, perhaps irronically, a different etymology%; the term would come from the word dinara expenses, often enormous, dinar, and ksi to destroy, alluding to the that initiatory ceremonies entailed (Desopadesa, VIII, 3). Besides initiatory rites "endowed with seeds", which is a generic word for designation of the above-mentioned diksas, there is another category of initiation concerning the afflicted persons, invalids, dying men, the absentees and the dead, all of them unable to comply with a regular practice. I shall present in detail their initiation in the chapter on eschatology. not Actually, all the followers of the Saivite tantric path can reach the final emancipation and obtain freedom. Therefore, the master must take into consideration both their abilities and

14their desires, in bestowing the diksa. A lot of disciples can only obtain a certain fruition and, at the end of their life, they will go to a higher spiritual world than the laymen, or they will merge into a chosen principie. in Saiva tantra, diksadoes not mean only bestowal of a particular mantra, but the master has to burn out the disciple's past karma and its future implications. The master will do it with the help of Vagisvari, the goddess of speech. Consequently, ne mas conjure her up, mentally. he will think of now this goddess pervades all the fourteen species of beings. Then, the master makes his disciple merge into vagisvari, and, through her agency, further, into the fourteen species of existing creatures representing all the possible reincarnations. This way, the disciple is born simultaneously certainly, without being aware of it - as a representative of all the realms of being. to This simultaneous birth and karmic dispersion is realized by the master through four eucharists with particular mantras. These eucharists concerning the disciple are: the conception (garbhadhana and the birth (janana, within the respective species; qualification (adnikara) of those bodies such as they will be able to behave in conformity with their nature engendering Iurther fruition and the immersion (laya) into this fruition for a certain time%3B the total extinguishment of this Iruition (niskrti). Getting rid in this way of his karma, the tantrika can merge into the desired plane (Mrigendra-tantra, II, 86 seq; SVT, IV, 107seq%;B Netra-tantra, IV, passim; Tantraloka, XI, 85b-86a). ies One of the foremost ceremony of initiation is the purification of the Path that creates a pure body for the mystic

- 75 practice. The Path is understood as the whole that nas to De covered like a way irom the beginning to the end. This path is a datum which is found within the tantrika's existence in its sixfold aspects or particula "paths" the path of the powers of contexture, the path of principles, the path of worlds, the path of letters (phonemes), the path of mantras and the path of padas. The purification of the path is made by projecting different elements of the particular path one by one, on the disciple's body in accordance with his abilities. we have seen that any particular path contains all the others inside of it%3B the selection of other purificatory way depends upon the disciple's capacity of "assimilating it. Thus, for instance, 11 he is not endowed with special possibilities of mina, the master WILL chose the way of a hundred eightee worlds that requires more time to be covered. The master will purify each of these worlds by means of suitable mantras and touching with nis " one or the mands each place where a particular worlu must be projected on the disciple's body. in the case or other neophyte who is able to receive. a snorter initiation, instead of dividing the whole into a hundred eighteen parts, the master will project and purify only thirty-six principles which cover also the way of the worlds. If the disciple proves special spiritual elevation, he will enjoy even a faster initiation, and the master will purify the so-called six compages, that contain in their turn, the thirty-six principles. As we have seen, the generic type of initiation practiced in Saiva tantra is the jnana-diksa, i.e. an initiation leading

- - 76 to intuitive knowledge, which is usually a mantra of a particular deity istadevata who will help the tantrika to create, a mystic body. The highest expression of diksa for Saivites is the Sambhavi-diksa, i.e. "diksa given (directly) by Siva" that bestows access to the highest plane of meditative praxis. This notion seems to arise from the presence of persons who satisfy all the phenomenological criteria of a siddha, or who have spontaneously achieved a spiritual status which can otherwise be reached only through the prescribed process: through the diksa to the practice of mantra and consequently, fruition of the mantra. Regarding the above-mentioned case, Siva himself is said to have given the mantra to the person in question. There is the Siva-Tiksai, a Tamil term for sanskrit Sivadiksa, in Tamilnad. It is a ceremony whereby a person is made fit to worship Siva in accordance with the rules laid down by the Saiva-Agama texts. These texts divide Saivites into four groups: those who have received Camaya (sanskrit Samaya) or occasional diksa; those who have received visesa or special diksa%;B those who have received Nirvana - or "emancipation"-diksa (identical probably with the jnanadiksa of the northern schools); and "acarigay", i.e. "preceptor's diksa" which includes the anoinment as an acariyar or preceptor capable of bestowing any of the other diksas. Such a person must be an "Aticaivar" (sanskrit Adisaiva), in order to have the adhikara for such exalted functions; he must be descendent fromthe gotras (patriclans) of the five rsis (seers) who were born from the five faces of Siva, i.e. Kausika. Bharadvaja, Kasyapa, Gautama and Agastya (Kamikagama, preface of Sanmuka

- 77 Suntarar; Gopinatha Rao - "Elements of Hindu Iconography" II, 1-loff, in 4 vols., Madras, 1914-16). approBasavacarya founded a Saivite tantric sect called Virasaiva in Mysore, in the fourteenth century; the followers are strictly dualistic monotheists and deny the element of Sakti altogether, which opposes them to other southern Saivites who proclaim the total identity of the Siva and Sakti principles. The Virasaivites are given diksa at least twice in their life; Siva, who resides in the disciple is "extracted" by the guru and returned to him, together with the priate mantra, in the shape of a linga which he carries round his neck and which he henceforth will worship in his dayly observance (Vd. Nandinath, A Handbook of Virasaivism, 66ff). There is also a kind of temporary diksa in the same sect, during which, the initiate is "bound", because diksa contains the tying of kappu or kankanam strings of darbhagrass around the follower's wrist or neck. When this special period, marking the impact with a new mystic level, comes to an end, the kappu is removed through a new initiatory rite called "tiksai nivarti" in Tamil, which is diksa nivrtti, which means that the previous obligations are rescinded. In Sri Parartta Nittiya Pujaviti, I, by Akoracivacariyar, it is said that the worship of Siva is twofold, viz. atmartham and parartham. Atmartham is worship to receive benefit for one's own self and parartham is worship on behalf of and for the benefit of others. Atmartham may be performed by anyone who has received diksa and has its object of contemplation the linga received from the guru during

- 78 the diksa ceremony. Parartha is worship of other lingas in temples and other sacred places. The two terms, however, do not stand for different sets of rites, for atmartha as well as parartha is performed bilaterally at home and in the temples; but both types of worship are confined to persons who are qualified to officiate through diksa. in the tantric texts, the more general term samskara, very frequently has the same chotation as diksa. The most important and ubiquitous samskara is the investiture with the sacred thread, the upanayana, that could be classed as a diksa without any hesitation. The brahmacarin (initiated) used to reside and board in the guru's house and render many personal services such as "tending the fire and the cows" of the teacher. Saiva tantra as it was revealed in Kashmir, has suffered a good deal of influences from Vajrayana in whose texts copious instructions about diksa are round. Anangavajra's Prajnaopayaviniscayasiddni (Gaekwad oriental Series, Baroda, p.3) advocates diksa which involves left-handed rites. It says here that the preceptor should be approached by the disciple accompanied by the Mahamudra, the great female co-adept, who represents a conscious hypostasy and identification of the cosmic female principle. Her description recalls of similar vision in the Kashmirian Saivite literature; she appears "charming the sight and she is profusely decked with ornaments". The disciple worships the preceptor and requests the latter to bestow diksa upon him so that ne may forthwith be regarded as belonging to the kula, 1.e. the spiritual Iamlly, as its true offspring. After having ascertained the spiritual qualification

79 - ( adara) of the postulant, the guru grants the requisite diksa arter associating the disciple carnally with the mahamudra, in the presence of the Kula-assembly. Finally, the guru imparts the rive mantras of the ahyani-buddhas to the neo-initiate and instructs him on samvara, the restraint imposed on all Bodhisativas not to enter Nirvana themselves, but to continue taking birth and guiding mankind. In this point, which is crucial for buddhism, Saiva tantra differes plainly from Vajrayana, whereas ac ring freedom is the main target for the Saivite. The Buddhist tantric u injunction would seem rather paradoxal for the latter because masteringthis world means achievement or the true knowLeuge which is equal to liberation. The state or non-differentiated knowledge implies freedom and the status of beying beyond the earthly world, despite the fact Spas the condition of the supreme Siva still evolves phenomenal levels of consciousness. "He who knows the neart in accordance with the truth as we have expounded it, that is, who knows most assuredly, beyona any doubt, he has a true and real initiation, which bestows the nirvana as its iruit. This initiation is undoubted, 1.e. it is an immediate datum oi one s own consciousness and it takes place at the very moment when the proper nature of this near is obtained" (Paratrishika, 25). The whole existence and the divine world reside inside of the heart;B gate towards liberation, signifying a uescent this is the in the deep zones of one s own mind, where only pure thinking 16 found. Actually, aiksa is the result of a double process; the active element is not only the master who bestows this way the divine

80 grace, but also the disciple who has come to the preceptor as a consequence of a "diminution of power" keeping him tied in worldly existence and ignorance. This active role of the follower in his endeavour of obtaining redemption is often stressed upon by the Saivite texts. The new power, i.e. "Rudra's power", manifests with the disciple through signs such as: a firm devotion to Rudra, a realization of mantras, a compassion towards all beings, a gift of poetry and a clear understanding of scriptures. In conformity with his "diminishment of power", these sign s may manifest altogether or in part; some of them are especially worthy for getting freedom such as devotion -, while others are important for fruition (Malinivijaya-tantra, II, 13-16; Haracarita-cintamani & Tantraloka, XIII, 214-216). A special form of initiation is that of immediately bestowing nirvana through the renunciation of life. This initiation is performed by the master with the help of particular procedures of vital breathing, the so-called " method of network" or "application" (yukti), the penetration (vedha) into another's body, the impulse (ghattana) which takes the vital breath out from the disciple's body (Haracarita-cintamani, XIII,235) te fixation (rodha) of vital breating in the middle canal (Haracarita-cintamani, XIII,255), the oblation, the power of special mantras, i.e. the so-called kalaratri, the method of cutting the ties (Tantraloka, XVII, 65 seq.). This diksa is performed in special cases, when karma in the way of fructifying can not be purified (Tantraloka, XIII,236). I shall dedicate a whole chapter to this particular initiation, whereas it represents a typical feature of Saiva tantric practice, as it was revealed in the classical texts. = "Initiation, discipline and yoga concern those

- 81who are not able to resort to knowledge. These methods are surpassed by knowledge and consequently, the 'knower' (jnanin) is the most elevated of all" (Tantraloka, XV, 11). Initiation is a direct means of realization (svayam upayah) for the common "adepts" and "spiritual sons". Initiation becomes an indirect means for those endowed with extraordinary qualities of spirit; diksa has for the "knower" a purificatory function only(Tantraloka, XV, 12-15). When a divine inclination (yogyata) manifests in the disciple or in the master thanks to the Lord's grace, initiation has no take place for them (Tantraloka, XV, 14). reason to Now, when initiation is thought as a purificatory way mainly, the different paths will be projected on the tantrika. But even in the projection of one of the sixfold aspects of the path there are some variants. For instance, the path of principles consists in four mannres or groups that have to be purified, i.e. taking into account all the thirty-six principles, one by one, = or reducing their bulk to groups of five, three or even one category, conformable to the disciple's mental power (Tantraloka, XVI, 165). An interesting view of initiation is expressed through the tantric outlook on the whole which is conceived to be made up of four eggs. This conception has deep roots in the Indian vision of the whole universe as brahma's egg. Saiva tantra conceives this egg as containing three other successive eggs inside which are ruled by Isvara, Rudra and Visnu respectively. "Inasmuch as the whole universe, pure and impure, is born from brahma's egg, when Brahma's subordinate eggs are purified, everything is purified" (Malinivijaya-tantra, II, 58). I shall render the manner in which the six paths

- 82are each homologized to the others in the structure of the four eggs. The first egg represents the earth and it is pervaded by the "supportingforce" (dharika), containing only one principle; the phoneme ks corresponds to the way of phonemes, mantras and padas; sixteen worlds, from kalagni to Virabhada, are also included inside. The second egg representing matter, is pervaded by the "supplying force" (apyayini) which is tantamount to twenty-three principles, from water to matter, to which twenty-three phonemes correspond, from a to T, two padas and two mantras which are respectively of four syllables hasasasa, valaraya -, three padas and three mantras of five syllables representing the labial, dental and cerebral classes; this egg includes firty-six worlds. The third egg representing maya, is pervaded by a "re-vitalizing (bodnini), and it contains twenty-eight worlds, seven principles, i.e. the sound, live "armours" and maya, seven phonemes -n, jh, j, ch, c, n, ghtwo mantras and two padas of live and two syllables each nagha 鈥� Iicatory force" najhajachaca, The fourth egg is that of power which is pervaded by the "puriforce" (utpuyini), three principles siva three phonemes - Wisdom, Isvara and Sadag, kh, k, -, a mantra and a pada gakhaka -, and eighteen worlds. Beyond the Iour eggs Siva is found; this principle is characterized by the force "bestowing the space" (avakasada); there are also sixteen phonemes, a pada and a mantra made up of all the sixteen vowels (Malinivijaya-tantra, 11, 48-60). The four eggs are thought of, from ten different points of view, i.e. as only one egg eggs, one insiue the other, and as five levels, where the Siva is adued Branma's egg-, as four successive to the four eggs; hence 1orth 1+4+5=1o. in their turn, these ten aspects

83 of the whole can with the Je purified or projected on the tantrika's body consonant three orders of Para, Apara and Parapara, representing the three stages of knowledge, viz. differentiated, differentiated-nondifferentiated and non-differentiated (Tantraloka, XVI, 164-165). There are two thousand and one hundred species if of initiation, when various aspects of mantras that purify what is to be purified are taken into consideration. When only the purificatory mantras belonging to a pure world where there is nothing to be purified are considered, there are two thousand and one hundred initiations more. the two other components, viz. action and knowledge, are taken into account, the number of initiations through mantras doubles to eight five hundred and forty. All of these mantras become either a source of fruition or liberation in consonance with the follower's mental disposals (vasana) (Haracarita-cintamani & Tantraloka, XVI, 165-168). thousand this case, Fruition in its turn, depends upon purifying the good or bad karma. Thus, the initiation will have seven different aspects in accordance with the good karma that has to be purified; in one of the following seven possibilities may occur that are based upon temporal connections of that good karma: with the past, with the present, with the future, with the past and present, with the past and future, with the present and future and with the three moments simultaneously, viz. past, present and future (Tantraloka,XVI, 169-170a).The initiation depends also on the thought of both the master and the disciple. In the initiation where the disciple is present (pratyaksadiksane), the fruit will be

84initiatory rice will not acquired, 11 the preceptor and 115 10llower have a single thought. when a diverging thought (visamvada, occurs between 4802 of them, the be successfully performed (Tantraloka, XVI, 17ob-171). During the initiation of an absent or dead disciple, the thought (anusamdhi) belongs only to the master who will guide the subject onto the desired plane. By purifying the disciple's karma through an initiatory procedure, it It must be known that neither ritual action nor knowledge vary; but both are only a function of thought (anusamdhi) which determines the other components. Therefore, through the same initiatory rite, different fruits are obtained as a consequence of the mental dispositions of master and disciple (SVT, IV, 82). The purificatory initiation in Saiva tantra employs projections of particular padas which are formulae constituted by one or more phonemes; any pada pervades a certain number of principles, worlds etc., as we have seen. These formulae are divised into three different orders which belong to the Goddesses Parapara, Aparaand Para. "In initiaft the convenient order is that of dissolution (i.e. Parapara) because, (ie. the goddesses) although in the scriptures (the lists, etc.) they/are mentioned according to the order of creation, the projection must be performed in the abovesaid order (i.c. the order of dissolution)" (Haracarita-cintamani, XVI, 213). The dissoluti concerns mainly the tantric path, whereas this path aims to reach the total absorption into the Absolute. When Parapara's order of padas is projected, it implies the other homologous paths, like principles, worlds, etc. Thus, there are three padas which are imparted during the initiation, when the earth is projected: PHAT, HAH, HUM; there are five

five padas - 85PHAT, RARA, RVRV, HE, PIBA - which constitute the initiation of the principles from water to the ego-sense, pervading forty equivalent worlds; there are three padas -VAMA, BHISANE, BHIMA which are imparted during the projection of three principles, viz. mind, matter and soul, the last principle containing also the attachment, there is the pada GHORAMUKHI in the initiation and projection of the principles of impure wisdom and time; there is also a pada NAN accompaing paning the initiation of the necessity%; the pada GHORARUPE projects the principles of "force" employed five padas HUM, PARAMAGHORE, HRIM, and maya and there are AGHORE, OM for the corresponding principles called the Pure Wisdom, Isvara, Sadasiva, Sakti and Siva. Therefore, the initiation of Parapara's order is performed through ninteen padas (Tantraloka, XVI, 213-216a) which are imparted to the disciple. The initiation of Apara'a order consists in the pada PHAT representing the principles up to matter, the pada MRI, i.e. maya's seed, and the emission H, hence HRIH for the principles up to maya, and the catuskala HUM for the principles up to the power (Tantraloka, XVI, 218b-219a). The initiation of Para's order is made by imparting to the follower the phoneme S representing the principles up to maya, the vowel AU covering the principles up to the power and H that represents here the supreme emission of Siva in his transcendental aspect; the pada will be SAUH (Tantraloka, XVI, 219b-220a). When the procedure of dispersion the disciple's karma is not performed, the master will work in the initiation only with abstract essence embodied by the neophyte. Consequently, the preceptor

- 86must think that he extracts the disciple's essence from a certain principle which manifests this way in a human shape. When the disciple is to be initiated through purificatory mantras only, the precepter will first disperse the neophyte's Karma through the method of simultaneous birth within all the species of beings, as I have described above. In the case of projecting purificatory mantras, the neophyte will not be assimilated to a certain principle. The purificatory mantra which is imparted in this initiation, contains the neophyte's name introduced in the middle of the mantra. The initiation associated with ritual actions, i.e., the libation of butter, grains of sesame or rice, etc., is accompanied of appropriate mantras which are imparted to the neophyte. During the initiation based on knowledge (vijnanadiksa), the master will carry it out by the force of "logos" (samjalpah) which is contained in the purificatory mantras, until a state of non-differentiated thinking (avikalpaka) is obtained (Tantraloka, XVI, 245-249). ' Those aspiring to frution must be purified of their bad actions (Karman) in the past, present and future, but not of their good actions whose karmic implications will remain. The disciple who has abandoned any ordinary desire for fruition, aming only to freedom, must have purified also his good actions, so that total extinction can be brought about. This purification of karma is the result of mental act ( Samani anusandhi) which is performed by the master. When only the bad karma is removed, "the individual obtains further various fruition until the dissolution of maya, irrespective of the place where he is within the path found/and so he does not enter a new body which is the source of - 310a). Reaching the moment of final suffering" (Tantraloka, XVI, 209b dissolution of maya, that adapt merges into Siva.