5. The categorial system

The conception about the thirty-six principles or constitutes a nodal point both for the philosophical outlook and Saivite tantric practice. Philosophically, the whole reality is conceived as being structured of thirty-six entities, hence, they are a noetic scheme and an instrument of understanding the cosmic formation.

34 For the tantric point of view, the principles are d means 01 selfrealization in so lar as the whole symbolized by them can be projected on the tantrika's body through their agency. This way, the thirty-six principles prove the perfect isomorphism between outside world and its micro-model which is the human body. virtually, all these categories are founu permanently on the body, DUL the Saiva Lantra awards them Self-awarenes or their existence through a purificatory process. assumed The general structure of Saivite principles is from cosmological - 17/ with appropriate modifications now and then schemes of Sankhya which has only twenty-five principles. They begin with the live gross elements, viz. earth, water, air, fire and etner, and end with the five pure principles, which are found beyond maya. Those live pure principles precede the apparition of discursive thought and they are symbolized by some formulae: "I", "I am", "I (am) this", "this (is) I" and "this I". These formulae suggest the particular nature or Iunction or each pure principie%3B or instance, the first category, viz. Siva, 1s an "I" untouched by any determination; the second category, viz. Power, is characterized by affirmation o 1 this "I" as an active force: "I am". The third principle, sadasiva, appears when consciousness "imagines" the possibility or self-contemplation and starts reflecting itself. During this process, consciousness cleaves more and more, so that in the principle Isvara, the antithetic "this" will prevail upon "I". The firta category, Pure wisdom, represents a state of perfect balance where"this" is equal to "I". These five principles make up the so-called pure world.

- 35 - ? Kaucuka armons) The sixth principle is maya. While "this" existed rather as a noetic possibility within the pure world, consubstantial with "I", in the mayic realm "this" becomes an independent reality which opposes clearly to "I"%; they appear now as two different entities. The state of maya is that of a total obscuration surrounding the bright sphere of pure world; maya is like a sleep overcoming vivid thinking. Therefore, "I" is deprived of any consciousness and insensible in this state. The five following principles together with maya do not exert only obscuring function, but, reaching them from inferior principles, hey can help restore the initial omniscience and omnipotence of "I". That defending function made them be called "armours", which are beside of maya but not rash limiting?. English for kala? - to sit the the finishing efficiency, impure wisdom, attachment, time and necessity. The difierent principles from Siva to earth are peopled by knowing subjects of various kinds that may be divided who is the greatest of all subjects or endowed with sense-organs, living in the mayic realm; they 1: བ us, those subjects u excepting Siva into six categories. There are "enveloped" ✓ are particles (anu). There are knowing subjects separated from maya, i.e. obscuration%3B they are deprived of organs, from amava who live outside of mayic pusa (mall)? to the karma which wome _i.e. their knowledge does not depend on senses, being more subtile. There ✓ + ✓ is a third category of knowing subjects that are separated both from bjects are sand of mi six, the free and white, maya and karma; they are destinated to acquire true knowlwdge. the last ren I'll belong to ophiss karma as mayaka wrw?! Then, sapain imprisoned and three knowing subjects are Mantras, the Lords of Mantras and the Great Lords of Mantras. migrati vals Mantra's 7. The first category corresponds to imprisoned and transmigrating souls which are "particles" contaminated by three tarnishes:

- 36Dreshitthe anava male Brill cling to them? the so-called inborn ignorance which appears when the Ego has lost its liberty without being aware of it, karmic tarnish which is the action of karmic necessity and mayic tarnish which is the objectivation of the Ego, so that Ego's new elements seem to be something different not only from it, but also mutually different. For the next two groups of knowing subjects, mayic and respectively karmic tarnish vanish, one after the other. The other three knowing subjects, viz. Mantras, the Lords of Mantras and the Great Lords of Mantras, live in the pure world on the i planes corresponding to Pure Wisdom (Mantra), Isvara (Mantresvara) and Sadasiva (Mantra-mahesvara). They are characterized through a gradual annihilation of inborn ignorance that will thoroughly disappear only 1 A | in Siva. The highest two principles, i.e. Siva and Power, are imagined also to be peopled by two corresponding categories of subjects named "divine" and "powerful". In tantric practice the five knowing subjects living in the pure world are thought as some super-sensuous and super-natural beings corresponding to the five powers or attributes Mantra-mahesof Parama-Siva: cit Sambhava, ananda Saktiya, iccha vara, jnana - - when Mantresvara, kriya Mantra. The name of mantra is connected with the knowing subjects because these ritual formulae they are meditated upon and practiced successfully determine a plane of knowledge and henceforthward a particular knowing subject. I have showed that. at the Saiva tantra's fundamental statement is recognition of thinking as the essence of everything. Through the agency of mantra thinking hipostatises, taking a "shape" of a particular energetic entity which becomes a knowing subject.

Im Wie you not recouse a pure -impur (sudona s uddha) world between the poivre was on one hand and the info war's on the over? with you recognise not The tattvateta? Are they all means - 37The group of thirty-one principles that constitutes the impure world, i.e. from earth to maya, are highly individualized. It that each person embodies a special configuration of them such as only certain principles will play the most important part in one's general behaviour, while others will manifest themselves to a lesser degree. This different combination of principles in various bodies makes up what is called the personality of man. The last five principles h belong to the pure world, i.e. from Pure wisdom to Siva, are, on the contrary, trans-individual and identical for all numan beings. Therefore, there is a common Ego beyond maya, or, to employ a modern a collective consciousness that makes possible inter-individual term, free of anava-mala? lh briginal man communication still in this earthly world. This is why man tresvare mahamantresvara, be for of may anava-mala, int What about those who through, vadhana of Saiva tantra gives a great importance to collective rituals, where all the members a spiritual line must take part for instance in the so-called have ascended that character regions? - - "sacrifice of bodies", or during erotic sadhana that has an orgiastic with the purpose of exalting this common consciousness. For a better understanding of the path of principles, I shall add a synoptic table of Saivite categories.

world Ture World Siva Power (Sakti) Sadasiva Isvara THE THIRTY-SIX CATEGORIES Pure Wisdom (suddhavidya) Maya Force (kala) Impure Wisdom (asuddhavidya) Attachment (raga) Time (kala) Necessity (niyati) Matter (prakrti) (which has three elements): whiteness (sattva) - redness (rajah) darkness (tamah) How is manas shhry 'mental senses' and 'senses of action'? ma wia The Particle or Soul ( anu, purusa) f Inner feeling (manah) Mind (buddhi) Ego-awareness or self-consciousness (ahankara) (Subtle elements tanmatra) (Mental senses) (Senses of action) Sound Hearing Speaking Touch Touch Excretion/Evacuation Colour Sight Going Taste Taste Smell Taking Generating Smell (Grosified elements mahabhuta) Ether Air between matter and mind, made up of N.B. Another category can be imagined Fire three elements%; it is not in the state of Water Earth balanced tension like matter, but imbalanced. And, what is that? Maket?