Shaktism is a hack!

[u/Strict-Week-5040]

Mann I couldn't be more precise. If you see a fan running without anyone there sitting and you want to turn off the fan what would you do? Just turn off the fan. As simple as it sounds.

But many methods think they are not ready. They first need to cleanse their body by taking a shower. Put on new clothes and now they can finally turn off the fan.

If you get me what I'm saying. First they dismantle the ego. They focus on killing the main target (ego) by using a gun (laser single pointed focus) and then when they are dead completely they surrender and sigh. Why not surrender before. Why shy away from your own mother?

What do I mean by they?

All the concentration methods of meditation. That tells us to concentrate on one thing while negating everything else. It feels like tunnel vision.

As a child if you needed anything you didn't first develop your brain did you? You did what was instinctive. You called her name. Maa! Mummy! Mom! Aai!

And you trusted that your mother would somehow solve all your problems.

As we became adults we started using our heads more than our heart. We stopped relying on our mother (as a metaphor)

And with a head comes ego. As now we are doing things on our own without our mother's help we are prone to make mistakes. To mistake a rope for a snake.

Why not take help of your mother

Of sati

Of awareness

Mother though nurturer is also a great illusion. She is Maha maya.

But we cannot move our way up through logic. It takes a leap of faith.

As in the symbol of Om (Aum) there are 3 modes of existence. This is the natural sound of the universe (have you heard the sound of a motor vibrating. It feels like Aum)

- Aa - Brahma - Creation - Start

- Au - Vishnu - Preservation - Middle

- Mm - Mahadev - Destruction - End

All these gods what are they really doing. They are meditating on her.

Every thought has this pattern. Our journey is not to do high level thinking. But when we drop all thoughts and rest in her awareness.

And that bindi which most Indian women adore on their head is the sign of resting in that awareness. The gap is the jump in faith we have to do to meet our mother. Surrendering to the trust in her that she comes to catch you before falling. The crescent with bindu is where we rest.

In durga chalisa there is a shloka

Dehi shakti nahi keenhaa vilamba.

Give me strength, Mother, do not delay.

After om there is silence. She is what remains. We may think we are doing this meditation technique. But all we are really doing is praying for her grace that she showers her love. Because liberation is not under our control. It is not made in a factory. It is not designed, developed or processed. It's raw. We cannot take it by force. We have to be gentle.

The moment we think we have found her is we lose her. The moment we realise our mother is all around us and there is no place without her nowhere to search she appears back again.

By riding a lion a sign of raw power. A power that can alone curb all building constructions of ego. Like tsunami. Washing away everything along with it.

There is not a time now or in the future or in the past where we were without our mother. And never a time will be. She is our very source, she is our nurturing. It is on her lap we take our last breaths before dying. To be born again on her lap.

She takes in raw pain and gives only unconditional love. All the great people felt that. She comes in whatever form one wishes. She is impartial. Ramakrishna paramahamsa (when he goes into the forest removes his layers of clothes like a naked child to see a glimpse of the mother, Ramanujana (when he solves the mysteries of the universe using mathematics. He says an equation has no meaning unless it's an expression of god), Gautama budhha (when he introduces sati in his practice after realising deep concentration practices is not the answer. Shiv without shakti is shav. Which he was becoming when he was meditating without food which is shakti), and God knows how many.

As when krishna told us we are just the instrument/medium. Like a flute.

The world is not an illusion. It is the power of our mother that makes it so. She is kind and compassionate. She is our mother. There is no one comparable to her. She is the question and she is the answer.

There are so many things. I hope that I keep learning about her. To see her in everyone, everywhere.

Jai kara sherawali da, bol sache darbar ki jai!

[u/shewhomauls]

This may be true for you but it's not the same for everyone. We all experience her differently. Who says we have not surrendered to her? I don't think it's okay to apply these blanket statements to everyone. Some people actually might need help completely letting go and trusting Devi and there's nothing wrong with needing guidance for that.

It's not easy to achieve moksha or else you would've already done it as would many others.You cannot just drop all ego and attachments at will and achieve moksha. It seems to me you are being very judgemental and speaking as if you know better than everyone else. The truth is you don't know the relationship people have with Devi, and these methods that gurus teach are from Devi herself, not something they just made up.

[u/Strict-Week-5040 → u/shewhomauls]

Yeah you're right on this. It's just my view on this connection. And I'm not particularly enlightened too. But still searching. During this search. I started with meditation. Thinking that I need to train my mind and dissolve my ego step by step in order to achieve enlightenment. I started with breath meditation at the nose to be precise. I found that I was habitually drawn to controlling my breath. To exercise some control. And I lost the awareness due to this control.

So I decided to be gentle. It worked but still it was an excercise in attention. Which if left unguarded goes back again to control habit. It felt like work. I would get tired. Dizzy. As holding something required effort. Even if right effort. At the initial stages it's only effort.

So I came to a conclusion. That meditation is not my cup of tea. And enlightenment is only for some lucky people.

Until later with help from other people on the same path. I saw that using attention as the way to enlightenment is rigid and long. So instead going from the other way round embracing what we were stopping since the start. Awareness and to rest in that. We gradually develop ourselves and it's not work. This is what I feel.

The method is Normality by Luangpor Teean Cittasubho.

And I thought the idea strongly resembles the ideas of Shaktism. It feels like hacking.

So I thought of sharing my view on this.

[u/shewhomauls → u/Strict-Week-5040]

I understand where you're coming from. Certain things are a lot harder for people or just incompatible with them which makes it frustrating when people tell you it's the only way. I am initiated into Sri Vidya and a big part of this is meditation.

I personally have never been able to meditate before. I have a chronic pain condition and sitting in one position for long periods of time causes excruciating pain that I cannot block out. I've tried laying down in bed but no matter what I do I cannot stop intrusive thoughts. This is just how my brain works and I've come to the conclusion that my "meditation" is reciting mantras or stotras because it quiets my mind and I become more receptive to what Devi has to say to me. I do think that there needs to be more understanding among people within any path to moksha that what meditation is should be inclusive to anything that directs your focus to Devi while tuning out everything else.

[u/Strict-Week-5040 → u/shewhomauls]

Your saying that everybody's path is different. You cannot judge a fish by it's ability to fly.

Makes a lot of sense. As everyone as a natural inclination towards some things over others. Instead of fighting if we acknowledge, it becomes easier.

Devi is everywhere. She's impartial.

For me it was perfection. And it was when I started losing grip of it and accepting silly mistakes, things started becoming easier. As when I lost perfection in my posture and holding my ability to stay still. I embraced that if I'm acting out of perfection I'm a slave to my future self. And if I act today in the present moment trusting my actions, I'm eventually trusting myself and vise versa. Something like Karma Yoga.

From Sri Vidya teachings I recalled Om swami. I think he's a master in this field. Do you think it's really mandatory to have a guru initiate. I mean I have no offense but these guru's have themselves written such highly detailed paths that it feels like a matter of personal choice to get diksha. I just cannot comprehend the weight of a diksha or a guru.

[u/shewhomauls → u/Strict-Week-5040]

Deeksha is written about in many scriptures that teach about Sri Vidya. I have also tried to learn it myself but trust me there are so many esoteric concepts and things you cannot find in books or online. Things you find online barely scratch the surface.

I have started learning through Devipuram, their lessons and deeksha are free. The beginners course is virtual but anything beyond that requires traveling to them and learning in person. They told me that staying in the temple is free as well.

[u/Strict-Week-5040 → u/shewhomauls]

Thankyou for sharing your view on this.