Click to zoom. Folks going to Kali temple. They're carrying offerings of sprouted grains on their heads.

Zoomed out to show the traditional water catchment / reservoir (நடு முதலைக் குலம்) on outskirts of Madurai. The above procession is at the foot of the prominent rock hill in the distance; you can hardly make out without zooming in.

I caught this procession of folks in the distance, on the way back from a visiting a remote rural temple. They are going to the local Kali temple. Usually this is done on every powarnami (full moon day). But this one is special, as it comes right after Navaratri celebrations. They’re carrying mulai-paari (முளை பாரி; pots with sprouted grains; click on the photo to zoom in) on their heads, which after offering to the Goddess, they’ll let it float off in the water. It’s a way of propitiating the Goddess (a way of giving thanks and seeking blessings) for the fertility of the land and for the upcoming harvest cycle (which happens in Pongal time). Though this photo was taken in September end, the mulai-paari ritual is an important part of the monsoon festival, known as Aadi-Perukku which occurs on Aadi 18th (around August 2nd).

The above is a traditional water catchment, eco-friendly (as opposed to today’s trend of uprooting the local ecosystem by building dams). Stretches for a few kilometers. You can gauge how old it is from the name itself – “nadu muthalai kulam” (“நடு முதலைக் குலம்” – “lake where crocodiles are found in the middle”). There are no crocodiles today, nor do I think there were any even in the last 50 years. Considering that this season the monsoons have been meagre in Tamil Nadu, catchments like this are their (and our) life bread and butter.

While common society endows the title of “great warrior” on war heroes, these spiritual traditions recognized only those who had mastered themselves as the true warriors or conquerors. That is, not a conquest of lands and peoples, but the “conquest” and the mastery of one’s inner self. For these people, the pursuit of the Spirit, the spiritual path, was not for the weak, wavering, or faint-hearted, but required the stealth and determination of a warrior. They were also critical thinkers well beyond their time, even by today’s measure. I can only imagine how intense their meditations had to be considering the layers of conditionings we mortals would have to shed to reach such heights of self-realization. They took the most direct path, walking on the razors edge.

This is not limited to just the Mahaviras of the Samanars, but such direct paths can also be found in the traditions of the Siddhars, Aghoris, Nagas, the Native Americans (the spirit masters, medicine men/women, shamans, and naguals), the wiccans and pagans of pre-Christian Europe, the Aboriginals of Australia, Siberia, Mongolia, and so on.

The other parallel tradition and equally vigorous tradition that flourished in that time period was that of the Siddhars in Tamil Nadu. The Siddhars, aimed at the perfection of the body-spiritual. This is not “body” as in physical form, but in activating energy elements in the body (kundalini chakras), so as to merge the body-spiritual (not the body-material) with the Self or Atman. The idea was that the body-physical (and the material world) was no more not-material than the consciousness. It’s probably from this focus arose the tradition of Siddha medicine, including methods for extending youth and longevity, regeneration, healing

The one book that’s considered the crest of the peacock on the subject of kundalini is Thirumoolar’s Thirumanthiram. It’s a difficult read, I don’t understand most of it, but still doesn’t prevent me from revisiting it every few years. If anything, the exercise is maybe yet another way of getting us to churn our souls in different directions and get into the mode of critical thinking/meditation. Though the Siddha texts are written in current Tamil, it intentionally uses a mode of conveying things called sandhya basha (or “twilight language”), which unwinds or reveals itself only to those who ask the right critical questions (and not looking for the “right” answers).

Note: People sometimes put a spin on the meaning of Mahavira or Great Warrior as an inner battle of good vs evil. Which is far from the truth, as one of their first realizations (before they even embark on this path) is that the distinction between good vs evil are human conditions that need to be transcended. Opposing forces exist in Nature, but to apply “good vs evil” attributes, or even to call them “opposing” forces is because of human conditioning. There is no inner battle. As mentioned earlier, it has more to do with stealth and determination, than a battle between conflicting elements.

Books

• Shiva and the Primordial Tradition – Alain Danielou.
• Aghora – Robert E. Svoboda
• The Yoga of Siddha Boganathar – T. N. Ganapathy (poorly written, but informative and enlightening)
• Thirumantiram – Thirumoolar

A few months later, a friend called me for a walkabout tour of the area (being organized by the Archaeological Society of India, and guided by one retired professor of Arts & Humanities of Madurai Kamaraj University, Prof. Venkatraman).

Little did I know that there were so many gems like this all around the locality where I live. Searching the internet for more details came up with nothing. When I asked Prof. Venkatraman, even though he was walking treasure trove of knowledge on Samanars, he had not a single publication he could refer me to. Apparently like many teachers of previous generations, they transmitted knowledge in the oral tradition (I guess universities back then were free from pressures of “publish or perish”).

The great oral tradition of transmission of knowledge might be gone, but I guess replaced by internet! I’ve added these here as time permits.

FYI, Jainism (and Buddhism) flourished in Tamil Nadu and contributed greatly to its classical prose literature, but by around 7 CE Jainism (and the Samanar tradition) lost its following when they started becoming fundamentalist. For example, as humanistic as Jainism was it had its share of untouchability (against non-Jains). In fact even the “sound” of a Shaivite chanting his mantras entering the ears of a Jain would be considered as “pollution” and the Jain would undergo severe purgation rituals. As a result Jains created many Jain-only areas, resulting in resentment among the locals, nor did it gain following. As with any faith, when the faith becomes less tolerant, i.e. more fundamentalist, it loses its appeal (at least among intelligent sensible people/cultures :)). In fact Jainism started becoming so puritanical, that it resulted in severe conflicts with other faiths (particularly the other dominent faith at that time – that of Shaivism), that it even resulted in Jains being faced with brutal persecution.

Sites

• Site 1 (Vadapallanji)
• Site 2 (Keellakuyilakudi)
• Site 3 (Keellakuyilakudi)
• Site 4 (Oothukulli)
• Site 5
• Site 6

Late last night just before winding down to sleep, I thought I’d take on the challenge in drawing a Sri Chakra (and god knows why, as I’m totally artistically challenged, not even doodling!), and ended up doing just that. Constructed the outline using Inkscape, then color-filled, and texturized using Gimp. Color combination is not as good as I wanted it to be, but hey it’s my first version and came out better than I expected, just thought I’d put it out here to share.

The most part of the effort is in getting the Sri Chakra pattern itself right – in getting all those triangle to intersect correctly with minimal skew. Many complex techniques have been published to try to recreate a perfect Sri Chakra (links at end of this post). Amazing how the ancients in the past had possessed the technique to make perfect Sri Chakras. It seems some of the South Indian temples are designed with some of the elements of the Sri Chakra pattern as base.

Here’s the template I first created before color filling and texturizing. Another image.

The Sri Yantra

The Sri Chakra is also known as the Sri Yantra, as it is considered the “Mother of all Yantras”. It represents the holographic nature of the Universe. That is, the microcosm/quantum nature of the universe reflecting the macrocosm/cosmological of the universe. Yantras like this can be a very good meditational aid.

The Sri Chakra consists of 4 upright triangles (Siva or the masculine principle) and 5 inverted triangles (Sakthi or the feminine principle). The intersections of which make up the Sri Chakra, and represent the Cosmic Dance (the shiva tandavam), the interplay of energies that makes up the visible universe as it is.

The innermost point (the bindu) in the inner most triangle, represents the Source (Pure Awareness), from which all things arose and will eventually collapse/dissolve into. The cosmic vibration (pranava, in the form of the seed syllable ‘Om’) arose from the bindu. This vibration differentiated into more vibrations (bija – seed syllables), which interacted to give rise to various forms of energy (the intersecting lines forming the triangles), and finally the various levels of differentiation of matter – shapes and forms (the petals), and the four gates (the four sides) representing the outer or material world.

So beneath our underlying the “visible” outer world, is the dance of forces that make matter and energy. And beneath that, is Pure Awareness. While the Bindu represents the Source (Shiva, or Pure Awareness), the Sri Chakra as a whole represents the Matrix (Maya, or illusion; the quantum veil of the visible universe pulled over our eyes, that obscures the Source). One can approach the Sri Chakra from outside to inside or the reverse. That is, from grosser/material manifestation of the outer world, to the subtler manifestation of the inner world, and eventually into the bindu (the unmanifest state), the Source…. or the reverse.

The Mantra

The Sri Chakra is associated with the Sri Lalita Sahasranama. An excellent book is Sri Lalita Sahasranama from Mata Amritanandamayi Center (commentary by T. V. Narayana Menon, translated into English by Dr. M. N. Namboodiri).

Another powerful mantra used with the Sri Chakra is the Sri Shodashaksari mantra, but apparently it is a very inaccessible (or highly guarded) mantra — revealed to only a very few (either by a guru or by God). It is a short sixteen syllable mantra, but is said to be very powerful and not to be toyed with, as it is not as forgiving as the Sri Lalita Sahasranama.

It is important not to get obsessed by any particular mantra, yantra, etc. as being “superior” to all others. Just like it would be lame to debate which name/form of God, religion, or yoga is more superior (else your no more different than fundamentalist religions who claim their way as the “true/superior” way).

For those more inclined, and who want to dedicate themselves to the approach towards God (or Self-Realization) through the Sri Chakra, there is specific tantra path known as the Sri Vidya. Google it for more info.

Desert Yantra

When I was first into the Sri Chakra, while browsing the web I came across this picture of a huge Sri Chakra image drawn out in the desert floor. I excitedly called up a friend of mine (who had just joined a new company), and surprisingly he said his new boss, Bill Witherspoon was the man behind it. Coincidence?

Images/video of Oregon Sri Yantra are here: images and video. Note: I don’t share the views in those links. The Oregon Sri Yantra was drawn by Bill Witherspoon and his colleagues. They didn’t appear there supernaturally nor by aliens. The closest thing to anything “supernatural” about the Sri Yantra, would be the meditative insight by yogis, and the inherent energy-vibrational properties of it.

Also, it seems in an experiment consisting of a room with paintings — where some of the paintings had a Sri Chakra image hidden behind it, people gravitated towards the ones with the Sri Chakra though they were totally unaware of it. It is interesting, but I don’t take it too seriously unless it is conducted more rigorously/scientifically. A good test would be to use identical paintings next to each other, but with one of them having a Sri Chakra image hidden behind it, and see if people gravitate towards that. And if they do, switch the images a few times and again ask them to make the choice again. Even better experiment would be to put a huge Sri Chakra on a wall (the remaining three walls should plain) and see if blind-folded people gravitate towards the wall with the Sri Chakra. See also Sri Yantra Research.

How to Draw

A number of people have asked me how to draw the Sri Chakra, including step-by-step procedure. The thing is I don’t have any. I just drew it on the fly, trying to align the triangles and intersections. So there is no particular method that I can reproduce, but all is not lost :) — as I did find two articles on how to draw it: srishti-krama, sambara-krama. Hope that helps. Also, for those who’ve asked about the tools used, they are: InkScape and Gimp. Thanks for your interest, and happy drawing.

See Also

• Hindu Cosmology
• Yoga Journal – Paint a Yantra

I am told this is sung by the hero for his girl. But why not go for yet another kind of passionate love, the desire for God? This song can be treated as about one’s longing for God. In particular it reminds me of the Bengali saint, Ram Prasad’s mystical poetry – his longing and crying out to Kali. You just need to consider the singer of this poem, as singing out to Kali (or whatever your Ishta Devata is). Hence I’m capitalizing the word Girl in the translation below.

For those who haven’t read Ram Prasad’s bhakti poetry on Kali (or for that matter any bhakti poetry) here is an excerpt (from Lex Hixon’s translation, The Mother of the Universe), slightly paraphrased:

Mother of the Universe, you captivate the world by your mystic black radiance!
Your long hair streams as waves of cosmic energy.
Union with your transcendent blackness is sought by your lovers.
As naked truth, you dance on the battlefield of relativity,
Wielding the sword of knowledge, that cuts through all notions of objectivity and subjectivity.
Oh Wisdom Woman! I bow down to thee.

I think what makes this film song easily interpretable as a bhakti song is that it has depth and substance, like some of the main elements of bhakti: maya (illusion), disillusion, what is real, the fleeting of time, the longing for God. The music (as much as I can’t stand fusion, this isn’t too fusionistic) together with the bhakti meaning of this poem, makes it all the more mystical.

So, from bhakti perspective, I imagine this as a poet who sings this song laying half-dead on a shallow river-bed (I imagine half is face under water), imagining his death, after the cremation flames have died down, he still remains, hovering in the dry hot air above, asking Kali in the form of the morning mist to whisk him away. Time flows, eons/yugas roll by. Life ebbing away, memories fading, blanketed by maya (illusion), not knowing what is maya and what is Real. Stretching out his hands reaching for Kali, to awaken him from the maya, the jiva-atman longing to meet the Atman, who but Her, to guide him, lest he be lost.

Note: as I am not an expert in Tamil, there maybe mistakes in the translation. Please do let me know if you see any mistakes.

You can listen to the actual song here.

Translation

உயிரின் உயிரே
uyirin uyirae

உயிரின் உயிரே, உயிரின் உயிரே
நதியின் மடியில் காத்துக் கிடைக்கின்றேன்
ஈர அலைகல் நீரை வாரி முகத்தில் இறைத்தும்
முழுதும் வேர்க்கின்றேன் [1]

The life-essence of life, the life-essence of life,
In the river’s lap, I lay there awaiting,
rows of cool waves, parting its way through the water, splashing my face,
completely perspiring.

The title of this poem “uyirin uyirae” is in itself difficult to translate. Literally it would mean “life’s life”, but the actual Tamil meaning is closer to something like “the essence that sustains life”. The poet considers Kali as the life breath of life itself.

Note the symbolism of awaiting in the rivers lap. The often used illustration is that the world is like the turbulent ocean of samsara, where the soul is tossed and turned, until, finally exhausted or fed up, it wants to escape from the cycle; through yoga, in this case the yoga of despondency/dejection (vishad yoga) – and hence the questioning of what is Real.

நகரும் நெருப்பாய் கொழுந்து விட்டெரிந்தேன்
அணைந்த பின்பும், அனலின் மேலிருந்தேன்
காலைப் பனியாக என்னை வாரிகொண்டாய் [2]

By blades of flame, set ablaze and cast away [the body],
After [the flames] have died out, I hover on top of the hot air
In the form of the morning mist, You whisked/swept me away.

I believe the poet here is imagining his cremation. After the flames die out [in the morning mist], he remains hovering (on top of) the hot air. In the form of the morning mist You [Kali] whisk me away.

நேரம் கூட எதிரி ஆகிவிட,
யுகங்களாக வேதம் [வேடம்] மாறிவிட,
அணைத்து கொன்டாயே, பின்பு ஏனோ சென்றாய் [3]

Time passes by, flowing against me
yugas pass by, the Vedas change
Took hold of me, only to later abandoned me, for whatever reason.

The poet talks of eons passing by, reflected by the change in Vedas. In Satya Yuga when people where highly evolved the Vedas were one, then the Vedas become four in the Treta Yuga, then they become many in the Dvapara Yuga. That is, to convey the same Truth it takes many lines as man is no longer as evolved or connected with the Truth/Self. In the Kali Yuga the Vedas/Knowledge is spread across innumerable books – and there is confusion on what is true and not true.

சுவாசம் இன்றி தவக்கிறேனே,
உனது மூச்சில் பிழைக்கிறேனே
இதழ்களை இதழ்களால் நிரப்பிட வா பெண்ணே [4]

I quiver/struggle as the prana ebbs away
Only by your breath I survive/sustain
Your lips fill my lips, come Girl!

The author feels his life force (svAsam) ebb away, and calls out to Kali that only through Her breath (mUchu) he is sustained, wishing Her lips to fill his lips. idhaL also means petals. This sort of rich symbolism is used profusely in Tamil love poetry and bhakti poetry.

நினைவு எங்கோ நீந்திச் செல்ல
கனவு வந்து கண்ணைக் கிள்ள
நிழல் எது? நிஜம் எது? குழம்பினேன் வா பெண்ணே [5]

Memories going away, fading/swimming out of me,
[Wake me] out of my dream, pinch my cheek.
What is shadow? what is real? I am confused, come Girl!

At the time of death our prana and our memories leave. Our entire personality is built upon the collection of all our memories (including learned responses, short/long-term memory). Our memories is what gives us an identity. Once our memories leave, our personality ceases (it doesn’t have a foundation to build an identity upon). The poet feels his life force and memories fade away. He calls on Kali to pinch him, wake him from this reverie/maya. What is maya (shadow/illusion)? what is Real (real/truth)?

காற்றில் எந்தன் கைகள் இரண்டும்
உன்னை அன்றி யாரைத் தேடும்
விலகிப் போகாதே, தொலைந்து போவேனே,
நான்…நான்…நான் [6]

In the wind my two hands [reach out]
who else besides you it looks for [to behold]?
Don’t pass by without noticing me! I will be lost!
thyself… thyself… thyself…

The poet reaches out his hand, asking who else but Kali to come get him, his only Guide, to take him out of the ocean of samsara, lest he be lost in it.

இரவின் போர்வை என்னை சூழ்ந்து
மெல்ல மெல்ல மூடும் தாழ்ந்து
விடியலைத் தேடினேன் உன்னிடம் வா பெண்ணே [7]

The blanket of night surrounds (covers) me,
little by little closes in low [on me]
In the dark I searched, come Girl!

The veil of maya (illusion) blankets him. The attachment to maya hides him from his True nature as the unchanging, infinite, and transcendent reality, the Atman. In this darkness he searches, calls out to Her…

பாதம் எங்கும் சாவின் ரணங்கள்
நரகம் ஆகும் காதல் கணங்கள்
ஒருமுறை மடியிலே உறங்குவேன் வா பெண்ணே [8]

Footprints everywhere of Death {Death’s wounds}
Into ash/hell, the harbingers/demons of desire
Just once let me sleep in your lap, come Girl!

The poet implies destroying delusion. Also, what is the final resting place of the soul (after it gets frustrated, fed up, tired with rebirth after another; that is, when one breaks through the thicket of delusion)? It is in the lap of Narayana (ref. Thiruppaavai).

தாமதிக்கும் ஒவொரு கணமும்
தவணை முறையில் மரணம் நிகழும்
அருகில் வாராயோ விரல்கள் தாரயோ [9]

I envision (acknowledge/respect) you in every second/instance
in that way death closes in {?}
Won’t you come close, won’t you give your hand/fingers?

The poet says She is there in every instance, and as death approaches, he asks Her to be there to give him Her hand (the beauty is when Death itself reveals itself to be Her only in disguise, knowable only to those who truly love Her!)

See Also

• Hindu Philosophy / Metaphysics

**PLEASE VOTE (at n7w)** There are only six weeks to January 1, 2006 when the 21 finalists will be announced for the New “Seven Wonders of the World”. Right now Meenakshi Temple is at #24 on the list of nominees.

One of the most beautiful of the ancient temples of India is the Madurai Meenakshi temple. The temple is a huge temple complex that lies right in the heart of Madurai. Madurai Meenakshi temple is also known as Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple, and by Madurai natives more commonly known as Meenakshi-Amman Kovil.

The temple measures 254m by 217m (covering almost 6 hectares). It has 12 gopurams, of which the four outer gopurams tower over the city and can be seen from a distance as you approach the city. Each gopuram contains over 700 figures; the largest gopuram is 51m high. The entire temple (floors, pillars, ceiling, walls) is built of solid granite. It is said that there are 33 million carvings in the temple.

The oldest part of the Meenakshi temple, the garbha graha, dates back to 1600 BCE, with successive structures added over the next 900 years. The first major additions where built in the 13th century. In the 14th century the temple was damaged by the Muslim invader Malik Kafur. The temple city of Madurai was under Muslim siege for almost fifty years during that period. Reconstruction began in 1560, with major additions added in the 16th century.

Over 10,000 people visit the temple every day just to “see” (i.e. have darshan of) Sri Meenakshi and Sri Sundareswarar. The temple is also known for the Golden Lotus Tank (this tank has a historic significance, in that it was the meeting place of the great Tamil Sangams), the Thousand Pillar Hall (in which each pillar is sculptured), the Musical Pillar Hall (in which each pillar is tuned to produce a specific musical note when struck).

The temple houses two deities Shiva (as Sundareswarar) and Shakthi (as Meenakshi). It is said that the divine wedding of the masculine and feminine cosmic principles of the universe, Shiva and Shakthi took place here on Earth, in Madurai, and this temple encloses the spot were the wedding took place. Normally one enters a temple through the main gopuram (usually the East Gopuram) leading to the main deity (here that would be Sundareswarar). In the case of the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple it is customary to first enter through another entrance that leads directly to the shrine of the Goddess Meenakshi.

The temple is particularly dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi. The legend has it that the king of the Pandya kingdom was childless for a long time, and so he performed a yajna (here meaning fire ritual). To everyone’s astonishment from the fire emerged a three year old girl. The king heard a voice from the heavens that commanded she be brought up like a prince, and trained in the art of war. Sri Meenakshi grew up to be a beautiful and valorous young princess winning great combats. She vowed that she will marry only the person who will defeat her in combat. Many suitors came and were defeated. Finally Lord Shiva himself disguised as Sundareswarar came and defeated her. The temple walls and the pillar sculptures illustrate the birth and life story of Sri Meenakshi, as well as the thiruvilayaadals (divine plays) of Shiva.

Cosmology

South Indian Hindu temple architecture is laid out on a rectangular foundation, with concentric prakarams (boundaries) representing the various states of differentiation of the universe: the outermost being the material world to the innermost being Pure Consciousness. Thus the outermost structures, the gopurams, are the most complex, often ornate with granite statues expressing the full range of human emotions. In stark contrast, the innermost, the garbha graha (the womb [of the universe]) at the center is void of decorations; it is plain, simple, tranquil, ancient, eternal, dimly lit by oil lamps. It conveys emptying of the mind, and opening up to God. The garbha graha houses the murti of the temple deity. The murti is not just a statue, nor is it considered God Him/Herself, but is considered a porthole to God.

Hindus believe that by puja (chanting and rituals; i.e. mantra and tantra; the key element being devotion – focus and sincerity) God places Him/Herself accessible through the murti. Or looking at it another way, through constant puja the murtis are energized and act as a cosmic porthole into a higher/subtler dimension, through which we are made closer to God. In the garbha graha, our very consciousness occupies the same mind space, devoid of the attachments of worldly life.

Hindus believe God is present everywhere but unless you are really high up there on the spiritual ladder (which comes with years of practice) only one in a million attain the darshan or vision of God. So God makes Her/Himself accessible through a murti.

Hindus believe that everything is Pure Consciousness, and that matter and energy are nothing but grosser and subtler differentiation of the cosmic vibration, pranava. First starting off as one singular cosmic vibration, Om, originating from a cosmic singularity (bindu), then differentiating into seed vibrations (bija), then these bijas interacting and coalescing to form grosser and grosser vibrations, and finally forming energy, and these energies coalescing to form grosser and grosser forms of matter. See also Hindu Cosmology.

According to western scientists: Matter is nothing but condensed Energy (E=mc²). Yogis take it one step further: Matter is condensed Energy, and Energy is condensed Consciousness. Thus everything is pure consciousness.

Everything is manifested consciousness, and stars represent a pure, almost unmanifested aspect of the conscious realm, very little tainted by conditioning (as you go higher and higher up the different stratas or lokas). It is a window into another sphere or loka, higher realms of consciousness (as in the seven lokas – bhuh, bhuvaha, swaha, maha, janaha, tapaha, satyam). It’s likely that spiritually enlightened sages could directly see the Kritikkas, not as stars, but in their full form as divine beings, in Pure Consciousness form, the Kritikka dieties.

In material/physical terms the stars maybe light-years away from us, but once one acknowledges that time and space are relative phenomena, distance is irrelevant. In the spiritual realm, the Krittikas are not far away, but within, and directly accessible. Thought waves pass through them, just as all thought waves pass through Pure Consciousness; as in when Krishna makes the statement in the Gita, “all thoughts pass through Me”.

Not just stars

Today modern science tells us that stars are a porthole connecting one universe to another (in particular stars of particular type exhibit this more strongly, such as black holes and neutron stars). Theory of multiple and parallel universes may be hard to swallow for people, but the numbers/results are doing the talking. It forms the basis for Hindu philosophical thought. Mass is condensed energy, energy is condensed conscious.

The same can be said about other heavenly bodies, such as planets and moons. The planet Saturn for example is not just a dense ball of matter floating in space. It is said to represent Shani Conscious, visible as it is projected into our limited three dimensional view of the world.

The same with the Moon. Science can explain away moonlight as light from the Sun reflected. In reality, what science considers as “reflection of light from the Sun” may well be an apparent manifestation of a higher dimensional play. In fact, gravity was found to have nothing much to do with Newtons Law of Gravity, but higher dimensional bending of space-time fabric of the universe that causes what appears to be gravitational “attraction” in our dimension.

The Moon represents Siva Conscious and the Sun represents Narayana Conscious. The cool liquid light, the Soma energy from the Moon works on our intuition and manas, while the bright energy light from the Sun works on our buddhi and actions. In tantra, the left-hand and right-hand currents (ida and pingala) of the Kundalini are treated as the Lunar and Solar currents. The Ida current rules over our nerves, hormones, emotions, intuition, and the Pingala current rules over our circulatory system, heart, intellect.

The Matrix Trilogy is a beautiful, almost divinely inspired, film. It is the epic spiritual journey of one individual (that of Neo) all the way to his enlightenment (Self-Realization). The Trilogy borrows a lot from Hinduism, but nevertheless it’s got so much originality, it holds its ground as Purana in its own right, for the newer generation/culture. The first movie, The Matrix, I think is an illustration of the assertions made in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita; it is about the initial awakening and awareness that there is something beyond to what you perceive as you, and what you perceive as reality. In the third, Matrix Revolutions, one becomes conscious, self-aware, of the spiritual awakening within, the kundalini sakthi, and tantra – putting theory into practise. Below is a review of Matrix Revolutions. For review of The Matrix please see Metaphysics.

Matrix Revolutions

The first time I saw the Matrix Trilogy, I admired the Hindu concepts weaved into it, but it was only in my second viewing (of Matrix Revolutions) that it really opened my eyes to many other details.

If you’re into spirituality, then please watch the film a second time before reading further! You will definitely find it an inspiration and even enlightening to see it as it unfolds before your eyes. Everyone has their own unique perspective. It may even be entertaining to compare notes!

Rather than writing a sort of film review, I’ll just give a narrative of how the next half hour of what I saw (starting at chapter 27, then working backward to chapter 23), unfolded the film into something most beautiful!

#1: Walking the razors edge…

I didn’t feel like watching the whole film from the beginning, so I went directly to my favorite scene – the Agent Smith-Neo fight scene. Chapter 27 (because of its similarity to a scene in Skanda Puruna). No sooner than did the scene commence with Neo walking the thin line, between the rows of Agent Smiths on either side, with Sanskrit mantra embedded in the spectacular accompanying music score!… Whoa! it hit me; it all came together so profoundly! Ramakrishna Paramahansa’s saying flashed across my mind, that as you approach closer to the Truth, the spiritual journey becomes toughest, like walking on a razors edge. Also passed through my mind was Don Juan’s saying, the path of the spiritual seeker (especially one who takes the most direct path) is that of a warrior. That one needs stealth, focus, and perseverance.

You can see Neo’s expression is perfectly that of a person who is determined, detached, and with almost with no ego (because he doesn’t even know what he is seeking – he is just simply seeking; he knows he just has to do what he has to do).

#2: Thought waves restrained…

But in order to walk the razors edge, it requires disciplining the mind…. Which means that these Agent Smiths on either side represent thought waves!! – completely disciplined and controlled by Neo. Whoa! Also simply delightful is the scene where one of the Agent Smiths (this particular Agent Smith I see as the dark blue hued Sri Krishna) standing among the rows of Agent Smiths gives a slight nod and smile to Neo just as he walks down the aisle. A beautiful and simple gesture of grace, acquiescence, encouragement, “yes, keep going, you’re almost there”.

#3: The mantras…

And now the chanting of the mantras in the background as Neo is walking the razors edge, the thin line, between the two rows of disciplined thoughts – now makes complete sense! The very concept of the mantra is to discipline all the thought waves, to steady the mind, to have focus.

It’s difficult to catch the mantras being chanted during the fight scene: asato maa sad gamaya, tamaso maa jyotir gamaya, mrityor maa amritam gamaya (“[lead me] from Untruth to Truth, Darkness to Light, from Death to Bliss”); as well as a host of other messages from the Upanishads. I missed it in my first viewing. It helps to first listen to the same music in the closing credits, then you can see the fight scene.

Neo is essentially focused and having all his thoughts restraining by chanting the mantra, as he walks the thin line. But where is he chanting… in his head? what head? where are these thought waves (rows of Agent Smiths)?

#4: The rain and lightening,…

The electrical storm represents that this is all inside the brain (the brain being millions of neurons firing flashes of electrical signals). The rain represents how arduous the path is. The spiritual seeker has such focus that he is oblivious to the rain. Siddhars (hard-core yogis; spiritual seekers like Neo) go through such arduous conditions (just like a soldier on his goal, they cannot afford even the slightest distraction; one slight thought can cause ripples). Also, Hindus consider bathing and even a splash of water on the head (as is they do in temples) as sacred and purifying. So, the rain might also represent the last but final darshan/blessing, or in the case of Neo, the final, penultimate grace from God, in the form of a challenge (an initiation to the next level) – the final encounter with the one last thought wave, Agent Smith.

Why the challenge? how else can one come close to the humility required to fathom the depths of the Source; and merge in Siva? Exams are tough, but by no means cruel nor a torture. Just as a teacher checks to make sure if you’re ready for it. Because, if you’re not ready for it, it’ll be right in front of you, and you’ll miss it. (as one Tamil song lyric goes, ஏன் சோதிக்கவேண்டும்? பரம்பொருள் லீலையை யார் அறிவார்… அவர் பக்தரக்கு சோதனை தான் தருவார்!) Maybe one can easily turn this into a bhakti film for the common Hindus in India, by just introducing some such bhakti hymnodies in each scene!

#5: Murugan – the Final Test

Now… (ok, we’re still at the beginning of the same scene!, chapter 27)… as Neo walks the thin line between the rows of Agent Smiths, one Agent Smith gracefully slowly, smilingly, walks forward out of the line towards the center of the street. Murugan himself, in all his loving radiance and beauty, to offer the final challenge-and-pull to Neo.

Lord Murugan is the guide that will take you to the Source (and he also the Source). He is the one who graces as well as puts obstacles to test and reinforce your resolve (recollect the number of times Agent Smith examines Neo with blunt questions on the pathetic nature of the human condition; the prithvi-narayanan principle). A line from Tamil spiritual literature on Murugan goes through my mind each time I see last Smith-Neo battle scene, something like: ஈர்த்து என்னை ஆட்க்கொண்டு…ஜீவனை சிவன் ஆக்கிடுவார் (it means something like: one who pulls me, the jiva-atman, to the Source/Siva).

That one Agent Smith represents the one last thought wave. The intellect will be there with you till the very end, like a cobra’s hood safeguarding your meditation from the rain and storm. That one thought wave, will always be there to challenge you, grace you, and help you through in your spiritual journey. Neo knows that he must at the end confront this very last thought wave – the Intellect (with a capital “I”). This single thought wave, Agent Smith, poses him the final challenge – it also represents the last reminiscence of the ego, and the challenge is to make terms with it, to merge with it; it is the one thing that is holding Neo down in The Matrix, the final thread.

Of all the things in The Matrix and Matrix Revolutions together, this 60 second scene from where Neo starts the walk between rows of Agent Smith and the one Agent Smith/Murugan stepping forward from the crowd, is the most beautiful scene of all, to me it was the climax… ending with direct meet with Murugan, with both of them knowing what is to happen is to happen!

In the Skanda Puruna(? – check), Murugan confronts Soorapadma. Soorapadama represents the jiva-atman that has become aware that it is in the Matrix and has attained powers (like Neo did in towards the end of the first movie, The Matrix). The Murugan-Soorapadma battle scene is enacted during the Kandar Shasti festival that occurs in Thirchendoor around every November. In this battle they both slam into each other, fall back, then slam into each other again. The fight between Agent Smith and Neo reminded me of that. Prior to the battle, Murugan/Agent Smith meets his Mother, Sakthi (the Oracle) who imparts Herself to him in the form of the divine sakthi energy – Vel. After a couple of rounds of battle, Murugan succeeds. Using the Vel (Sakthi/Oracle) splits open Soorapadma (who, btw had morphed into a tree, by now, but you can’t hide that from Murugan), and the divine Inner Self comes out with all its radiance and abides in the presence of Murugan ever faithfully (in the form of the peacock and cock). With a difference, in the case of the Matrix, Neo become conscious of the Self, and he understood his reconciliation with Murugan/Agent Smith as his ticket to the Source. Neo was seeking the Source, Soorapadma wasn’t – he was still delusioned in power.

#6: The Lifting of the Matrix and Enlightenment

In the final moments of battle (in the crater), Smith no longer calls Neo by his “Matrix” name – Mr. Anderson, but calls him by his name “Neo” (and that Neo means new). I think that is the first indication of the lifting of the veil. Notice that the lifting of the Matrix coincides with Neo merging with Agent Smith.

Notice the spectacular white explosion of the rain city — which accompanies the golden bright radiance around Neo in the Machine City. The outer world white explosion is the destruction of the illusion/the Matrix. The inner world golden light is that Neo has Realized his True nature, merged in Siva. The sweeping white destruction of the Matrix city is spectacular; the dazzling sparks of light is as beautiful as the Sri Chakra (the Sri Chakra in Hindu symbolism represents The Matrix itself). Finally… notice that Oracle/Sakthi is left laying in the crater after the Matrix is destroyed (in Hindu symbolism, Sakthi is the Veil/Maya, i.e. the Matrix itself = the Sri Chakra).

Now coming to the scene towards the end of the fight which I appreciated in my first viewing as the all but final stage to Self-Realization, merging with the Source. But what I missed – which I saw in the second viewing, is that the brilliant yellow radiance of light that encompasses what’s left of Neo as he is pulled away by that lobster-like machine is actually in the shape of brilliant radiant golden lotus with many petals. The Thousand Petalled Lotus – the final chakra in the Kundalini. Whoa!

#7: The Three Power Lines… Kundalini Currents

Ok, next I rewind from Chapter 27 to the chapter which starts the journey to the Machine City (that’s around the end of Chapter 23)…When I saw the three power lines and the Logos zipping along the middle power line… towards the power center… it reinforced my previous thought (of the thousand petalled lotus) so clearly – kundalini.

Kundalini is the cosmic energy that lies coiled at the base of your spine, waiting to be unwound. When the time is right, it awakens, as kundalini sakthi, and travels up the spinal axis towards the head, until reaching the destination – the thousand petalled lotus (upon which one attains Self-Realization). In the process of travelling upward, it activates each of seven major chakras (cosmic energy centers) in succession. One’s spiritual journey can be directly mapped/correlated to the level of kundalini awakening.

The kundalini current is composed of three currents that run along the spinal axis right to the brain – the Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The middle current is the Sushumna. During spiritual progress of the individual, the Ida and Pingala currents (the left and right currents in the spine) join unified as the Sushumna current, and travel up the spine. There are plenty of studies on kundalini. Google it for more info.

Also couldn’t help but noticing, that those twisted networks of metal in the Machine City look like ganglia (nerve bundles/junctions along the spinal cord).

#8: Logos

Note also, the name of the ship used to transport them in this final phase is “Logos”, literally meaning “word”. In Hinduism, first was the word (the concept, nama) then came the manifestation of the word (manifestation of the concept, rupa), the dual often referred to as nama-rupa (name & form, or concept/thought & its subsequent manifestation). It can also be primordial sound “Om” (i.e. the cosmic vibration that this first word represents).

Further when one traces any single thread of thought, to the root of the very origin of thought one reaches the Source (as in where does this thought come from? who is doing this questioning? what is this “I” in “I am”?). A powerful metaphysical concept. It is one of the main aims of yoga (Sanskrit, meaning union with [God]). By silencing the subtlest motions of the mind one finds something that pre-dates thought and all of creation, something that is like Pure Consciousness – eternal, infinite, and blissful.

So it is apt, that towards the end of ones spiritual journey, “the word” is the final vehicle of the material world to be let go, before one releases oneself into Pure Consciousness.

In Christianity also you find similar concept: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1

#9: The Sky Experience

As they travel along the kundalini power lines, Neo encounters a barrage of Sentinals/thoughts. He says “there’s too many… I can’t beat them”. When Trinity (who is driving the Logos) asks Neo on what to do, he says to “Go up, over them”… “The sky… it’s the only way”. When you can’t fight such a barrage of thought waves, the easiest way is to approach through the heart – bhakti. The thoughts/Sentinels all fall off, die down, then they can return back on their path; in the process they are spiritually evolving ever so closer to the Source.

The amount of ideas they’ve packed into this film is astounding! Their first glimpse of the beautiful bright sky and first glimpse of the Sun, sort of gives us an idea of what darkness we are living in and what we are missing – Siva’s unfathomable beauty (notice also the crescent moon of Siva in the sky :) ).

At the same time I also see it from the kundalini yoga perspective, the sky experience as the experience of awakening of one of the intermediate chakras.

#10: Trinity – the Kundalini Sakthi

I got this idea upon observing that Trinity is the one who drives the Logos along the kundalini currents (power lines), while Neo directs her. After she reaches the destination, the penultimate chakra, at the top of the spinal axis, her job is done – to transport the Neo, the jiva-atman, to its destination, now it is for Neo to take the last step – to merge in Siva, the Divine Consciousness.

That is why she cannot go any further. The Logos crashes into the power center after the sky experience, and she dies in the crash. Just before she dies she tells Neo, “I can’t come with you, Neo. I’ve gone as far as I can”, and “It’s all right. It’s time. I’ve done all that I could do. Now you have to do the rest. You have to finish it.”

Just some thoughts: Maybe there is a physiological correlation, because physically the spinal cord does not connect to the brain. It stops barely short of connecting to the brain, at the base of the brain, in a sort of bulb-like junction filled with fluid, a giant electrical synapse, where millions of electrical/neural signals are exchanged with the brain. Maybe the leap of the cosmic-self, the jiva-atman, in the microcosm takes place here, and that the sky experience in the film is the jump across this synaptic junction.

#11: Pushing Away the Machines

That scene when Neo and Trinity are heading toward the Machine City, where Neo literally pushes away (destroys) the approaching sentinels with his hands is beautiful in its simplicity. Those machines represent thought waves. As you progress in your spiritual evolution, you are encountered by zillions of thought waves created by years of conditioning, some of them age old calcified thought patterns – those big giant beast of a machines bordering the Machine City which shoot forth zillions of smaller thought waves (much like Mahishasura that Kali fights). Neo just pushes them away – with his hands, destroys them. I like to see this gesture as Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles, paving way through the attack of all these thought-waves, clearing the path for Neo. Reminds me of a verse in Sri Lalita Sahsranama where Ganesha, does the same against the onslaught of demons. That gesture (abhaya mudra) is so powerful, that I’ve started doing it to silence my mind of spurious thoughts.

#12: The Siva Linga

Did any of you spot the Siva Lingam? And if you look close enough, you’ll see it even has the cobras hood. If you really want to know, drop me an email :-)

The Purunas

The Matrix Trilogy borrows a lot of its main characters from the Purunas.

Morpheus – Krishna
Throughout the The Matrix, Morpheus plays the role of Krishna, and all his instructions are literally quoting from the Bhagavad Gita every time, as in Krishna engaging Arjuna/Neo on questions of what is real and not real. See Metaphysics. Morpheus possesses the same disinterested/detached but loving calm nature of Krishna as you would read in the purana stories. Towards the very end when Neo leaves for the Machine City, Morpheus/Krishna says to him – “No, the honor is mine”. Basically, His job is done (successfully!, for Neo now knows what to do).

Agent Smith – Murugan
See above, “Murugan – the Final Test”

Neo – Spiritual Seeker
Neo is the spiritual seeker in various phases. For example: In the first of the trilogy, The Matrix, he plays the role of Arjuna, receiving his instructions from Morpheus/Krishna. In the end of the first The Matrix, when Neo realizes his full potential, he abuses it by dwelling in his new found potential (hinted by him flying from phone booth). In that context Neo is Soorapadma. In the meet with Oracle, he is the humble receiver, and She gently addresses his confusion.

Trinity – the Kundalini Sakthi
See above, “Trinity – the Kundalini Sakthi”

Oracle – Sakthi
Sakthi, when placed with her consort Siva, represents the feminine principle, the kinetic, Manifested aspect of the universe. In that regard She is the Matrix itself. She is also the Source (to know the Matrix, is to know the Source).

BTW, what’s with the cookie thing? she’s always baking and giving away cookies; some sort of prasaadam?

(Oracle’s kitchen)
Oracle: That’s it. That’s the secret. You’ve got to use your hands.
Sati: Why?
Oracle: Cookies need love like everything does.

Beautiful concept here. She means love, with realization that everything is One, as in Being One with the Whole. That is, Whole as in Wholesome. At the same time she also means exactly what she means… food prepared with love.

Architect – Siva
Siva, when placed with His consort Sakthi, represents the masculine principle, the potential, Absolute/Transcendent aspect of the universe. In His most popular image, He is depicted as the Yogi, sitting cross-legged in meditation, omniscient, omnipresent. He is also the Source (and to know the Absolute/Transcendent state, is to know the Source).

Siva-Sakthi together form the Cosmic Dance of the Universe, through their play everything comes and goes. Siva as the Architect and Sakthi as the Oracle is pretty clear, when Oracle says to Neo:

Oracle: *rolls eyes* Please… You and I may not be able to see beyond our own choices, but that man can’t see past any choices.

Neo: Why not?

Oracle: He doesn’t understand them – He can’t. To Him they are variables in an equation. One at a time each variable must be solved and countered. That’s His purpose: to balance an equation.

Neo: What’s your purpose?

Oracle: To unbalance it.

Trainman – Yama
Trainman: “You don’t get it. I built this place. Down here I make the rules. Down here I make the threats. Down here, I’m God.”. Yama is the Lord of Death, and rules over the yama kandam, which is the lower world where people end up in in proportion to how badly blinded by ignorance, attachments, etc. They remain there until Yama decides their karma is sufficiently loosened up to give them their next try, next life. The train in the film is used to transport people in and out of the yama kandam. As Rama-Kandra explains to Neo, both Sati and Neo end up there because of the choices they made, enamoured by love. In the story of Sati (in the Siva Purana), she self-combusts in a fit of rage over not being able to bear the barrage of insults by her father over her husband Siva. For that decision (due to a fit of passion, anger), she ends up in exile in yama kanda – to learn her mistake (they seem to imply that in Matrix Revolutions). Incidentally the scene where Neo runs along the track, and finds himself returning to the same spot – is like the nature of our universe (in current cosmology theory); if we start to go on a straight line all the way to the “edge” of the universe, we’ll find ourself returning right back where we started.

The Frenchman – Indra
The Frenchman (the Merovingian), like Indra, decides who goes and doesn’t go to the deva loka (or conversely to the yama kandam). Just like Indra he is surrounded by a court of entertainers. He represents everything that is sensory stimulation (the word indriya means sense organs), material pleasures (a connoisseur of sorts; seems like a friendly pun on French people, The Frenchman!). In purana films Indra is always shown seated on a throne with his consort, both lavishly bedecked and surrounded by entertainment. In the Matrix whenever you see the Frenchman is seated with Persephanie at his side, surrounded by all sort of sensory pleasures. The five senses represent the five gates to “heaven” – moksha/liberation/enlightenment, that must be overcome. A person who has fully mastered his senses, is ready to be on his way to liberation.

Agent Smiths (plural) – Devas
These are the vritti (thought-waves) that take you to the Source, your true nature (as the Matrix itself), your fullest potential.

Sentinels/Machines – Asuras
These are the vritti (thought-waves) that keep you in the Matrix, bound in maya and suffering.

Zion People – Manas
Note the spectrum of characters in the Zion people – each one is a unique personality. It represents the mind (not the intellect, but the heart); feelings, emotions, etc. Zion, the Machine City, Sentinels, Power Lines, etc. all represent the inner world – the body spiritual – the microcosm as a reflection of the macrocosm. Thus following the same architecture as the Puranas – i.e. using metaphors like Devas, Asuras, Indira, Siva, Sakthi,… to represent scientific concepts such as – manas, buddhi, indriya, ahamkara, kundalini, etc. Am I saying Siva and Sakthi are just metaphors? No, no more than you would think you are a metaphor. These “metaphors” are as real as you consider yourself to be… which leads us back to the question what is the real you? or what is real?

In Conclusion

In conclusion, it is as if the Cosmic Conscious, itself is speaking out to us. As if the final word from the Machine Head (after Neos self-realization) – “It is done”, was meant to mean this movie. That is, the Cosmic Conscious saying “the message has been delivered”. It is for us to use it and enlighten ourselves or go about our ways trapped in the maya of this world.

Coincidently, just less than a week after writing this article, I received a circular from The Murugan Temple of Washington, D.C. I was happy to read in it of the connection between Murugan and Kundalini Yoga, since the two were central in my viewing of the Matrix! In it was the question and answer:

“What is the Nature of Lord Karttikeya? Lord Karttikeya, Murugan, first guru and Pleiadean master of kundalini yoga, was born of God Siva’s mind. His dynamic power awakens spiritual cognition to propel souls onward in their evolution to Siva’s feet. Om Namah Sivaya.”

Further Reading

• Lyrics behind the final fight scene are from the Upanishads. You can find them at: Don Davis
• Asatoma Sadgamaya

The picture above is the base of the vimanam of Periya kovil, the people in the picture give you an idea of the relative size of the temple and also the detail of artwork.

Periya kovil (also known as Brihadeswara Temple), is located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The temple was built around 1000 CE by Raja Raja Cholan (who was noted to be the greatest of Chola kings; he is known also for recovering and restoring the Thevaram – one of the most important Shaivite compositions). An aspect about this temple that is notably different from other South Indian temples is that the central vimanam towers over the surrounding gopurams (in most South Indian temple architecture, the central vimanam is very modest, while the gopurams are of soaring heights). Also the domelike crown on top of the vimanam was built from one monolithic block of granite weighing 81 tons. It really boggles the mind how they accomplished the feat of raising and placing it on the top back then.

Periya means “big” in Tamil, and I can see why, they just about super-sized everything (that is, for that period). The vimanam which stands 60m tall houses a massive Siva Lingam (the largest Siva Lingam in any temple). I couldn’t take a picture inside, but the huge 25 ton Nandi sitting outside, in focussed meditation on Siva, will give you an idea of the relative scale of the Siva Lingam inside. Should have had someone standing in front of it just to show scale, but believe me it’s huge, one big Nandhi – the second largest; note the way its tongue is licking up the butter and its row of teeth; the sight is a real treat for little kids).The kovil prakaram (perimeter/courtyard) is lined with rows of Siva Lingams – hundreds of them. It seems my grandfather did abeshakam for each and every one of them at a stretch.

In Hinduism, the Siva Linga represents Siva seated as Pure Awareness. It is also symbolically the masculine aspect (linga; the slender pillar-like top part) seated/merged in the feminine aspect (yoni; the large circular base) of the Universe. Also, the linga is marked by a small dot – the bindu (see Hindu Cosmology), which is depicted as Siva’s third eye, and represents the projection of maya (the construct/matrix/veil that we all see and experience as the visible universe); and at the end of the cosmic cycle everything (all of existance) will get withdrawn into it, the Source. According to yogis, the macrocosm and the microcosm being just reflections of each other, and this “lifting of the veil” can be accomplished by yoga. The Source is described by yogi’s as Sat-Cit-Ananda (Existance-Consciousness-Bliss).

Related to maya is the prithvi-naryana principle, i.e. the self-limiting principle that makes us think we are the just the “body” and that mind is confined to the small space inside our head. Yoga is the act transcending the self-limiting conditioning and to realize our true nature, true potential, our true Self.

Click here for a full view of the temple.

This is not about males becoming female or vice versa. It is about just allowing the evolution of the masculine and feminine principles in each of us. Like Amarananda Bhairvan mentions in his Kali’s Odiyya, as well as the Yaqui Indian shaman Don Juan: sexual identity is so strong that people cling to it as if their lives depended on it.

One perspective is that Reality is not in some “higher plane”, but it is here and now, such that the experience of Reality is really more about acceptance or awareness (or understanding). You cannot experience the substance or essence of life in its fullness when you’ve got an entire other half of traits that are very underdeveloped. The very act of acknowledging it and the desire for it automatically paves the way for it and opens the doors greatly for it to take root and grow.

Society

It is not only important to one’s own evolution, but for society as well. Like contemporary bhakti saint Mata Amritanandamayi said (paraphrased): there are so many conflicts in the world (ranging from bad governance, to wars, to broken families, and high crime) because of the imbalance between masculine and feminine powers. In particular, being dominated by the masculine. Over ninety percent of the worlds crimes are committed by men — and yet men have been traditionally considered as the wiser and stronger (in terms of more self-controlled). This shows a serious flaw in our reasoning.

In the past, in many of the native spiritual cultures spanning continents, it is the women who were the great spiritual masters and leaders. This is probably because for women the kundalini is active right from birth, whereas in men it is dormant. Probably also matriarchy itself is about cooperation and synergy, as opposed to the divisive and competitive power based structure of patriarchy. And also like anything which offers freedom (like democracy), it can be taken advantage of by those who want power and have no regard for equality and fairness. But the need for the balance will all come back… catalysed every now and then by leaders who propel the issue. All driven by necessity (man is too preoccupied in greedy pursuits to be awakened by anything other than necessity, the great harbinger that brings about change).

Genetics

It’s all just too easy to observe how girls play with dolls, and boys with mechanical things. How girls cooperate and compromise, and boys compete for winner-take-all. And so on. Just how much of masculinity/femininity is really tied into one’s gender (or genetics for that matter)?

Maybe a lot of the feminine/masculine traits are inherited over 6 million years of human evolution, and far more if you include our evolution from the animal kingdom. But the question is, is it immutable, or can it reprogrammed, de-conditioned, or unlearned (or conversely, balanced so as to become whole)? I’d say yes it can be unlearned/learned. As unlike the other animals, human beings are beings capable of reflection and self-analysis — meaning we can make the choice to evolve to something more than what we are born with. When we integrate the feminine and masculine principles within us, is when we really move beyond animals, to the Rama, Krishna, or Buddha. In the process of striving for that goal, the Atman, we grow into more evolved sentient beings, and a better society.

I don’t think a man can acquire feminine traits in total (and vice versa), as still there is the factor of prakriti – the material constituent and the intelligence/driving-force of the universe and all beings in it (which includes chemicals, genetics, what we eat, what we breath, etc.), which will drive us each differently. But there is a tremendous gap to be filled, and it can be filled.

I look at it as (not really the best example I can think of for now) not much different than the choice of becoming vegetarian. If people (from cold/frigid climates who have been driven to meat based diet for thousands of years) can make conscious spot-choices that can make them change counter to what they’ve been programmed [to eat], then why not in the other traits as well? Non-vegetarians could argue that it is part of our nature to be meat-eaters. But the very fact that we can make a conscious choice (to evolve, unlike lower animals), only goes to show that it is not “in our nature”.

Shiva-Shakthi / Radha-Krishna

I believe one of the things necessary for spiritual growth is for men to develop femininity, and for women to develop masculinity, so that in the end they are “complete”, and exhibit the traits of the Atman (or a divine manifestation of the Atman, like Krishna).

In most cases, the development of femininity occurs naturally with sincere spiritual practice. However there are small number of esoteric spiritual traditions which had an approach where they would bring out the femininity in the males very explicitly. For example, the spirit master would strive to bring the femininity out of the man through all sort of rigor such as: live among women, acting like them, dressing like them, engaging in feminine activities, and acquire feminine (not female) traits like: receptivity, compassion, integration, acceptance, compromise, uninhibited expression (as opposed to repression) of feelings (of love, happiness, pain) through many means (singing, dancing, crying, nurturing ones artistic talents – painting, music, poetry, story writing).

The purpose of the exercise was not in as much to transcend gender conditionings, but to transcend any conditioning in general. A constant unlearning, in preparation for seeking or “stalking the spirit”. Because of its rigor, directness, and the mental stamina it needed it, it was reserved for only a few, and called the “left-hand” path of God. But I feel the time for it is coming… to become the “right-hand” path of God. Necessity will be calling out for it sooner or later… just as it called out for yoga to be revived and spread.

Probably femininity and masculinity studies should even be part of high school curriculum. I’m talking about some serious treatment of the subject which will cause each gender to reflect on themselves. One doesn’t even have to study these differences (given the hectic pace of life), but even a basic acknowledgement is a major step in allowing those missing traits to take root in oneself.

Take a look at the two adjacent pictures — of Krishna and his brother Balaram, one can see a certain degree of femininity in the way Hindus portray God in male form. Spirituality is about attaining that level of internal gender balance (and by the way, before anyone gets any ideas… just because I’m addressing the need for femininity in males (and vice versa), I’m not gay; this has nothing to do with sexual orientation).

Women often say “that’s what makes us women”, to be compassionate. Compassion is often hidden and understated. My point is, as long as man does not give his share, he’s not going to give it to the world either, and the world power structure being dominated by men, will cause the world to remain in its present state of imbalance for a while. This will change when women start challenging this, requiring men to reciprocate their share as well. Femininity having a tolerance and compassion is one thing, but to have it taken for granted  is another matter. Note, to emphasize again, this is not about men vs women, but about men/women each seeking balance. That is, evolving by moving towards the genderless Atman (as idealized in the above pictures), else any sort of worship is a feeble attempt at most (and hypocritic for the serious spiritual aspirant).

Hindu ithasas and puranas are not immune from gender stereotypes either. At the same time I feel what they contribute in terms of restoring balance far outweighs the stereotypes they introduce. For example, just take a close look at the pictures on this page. Three out of four of these pictures reflect a type of almost genderless feminine-masculine principle that society lacks and can really benefit from. Even the image on the below, of Lakshmi rubbing the feet of Ananda-Padmanabha Vishnu, is in itself nothing wrong — as long as it is counterbalanced by at least some images of the reverse. If we dig hard enough we should be able to find one or two pictures like that, but not enough. In general it shows just how entrenched and unchallenged gender stereotypes are even in our spiritual literature that strives to transcend the very same.

Liberated men and women should seek to balance the errors they see with creative opposing images, instead of “throwing out the baby with the bath water”. Hinduism is not fixed by anything, it evolves. It is not a thing you destroy nor can destroy. Like the Gita says, that which has no beginning, has no end, and so how can it be destroyed. I’m sure it will happen, with things like yoga, as man awakens to femininity, and women more liberated.

As a side note, I always found it amusing to watch some colleagues, especially from heavily patriarchal (and women-subjugating) religions, cringe when they see pictures like that on the right (I had a small Kali photo in my office). In the picture on the right, God (in female form, as Durga) slays the shape-shifting Mahishasura demon (representing the irrational and power-hungry ego).

One final note: It doesn’t really matter how these images came into being. In the tradition of the itihasas (“thus verily it came to be”), “what is is, is”. That is, whatever has come to be has come to be because we caused it to be. Trying to analyze their origins would be useless. It simply is. But we do have the ability to creatively add to it (regardless of what past baggage it has), making the next “thus verily it came to be”.

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.”
– Buddha

Multivalency

Here comes my favorite word again :). Multivalency. At one time I used to believe that the Atman is not necessarily genderless or androgynous, nor male or female — but all at the same time. That is, the Atman exists in the dual state of a Masculine-Feminine (Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Shakti) cosmic dance, not much different from the wave function or wave-particle duality of physics. But then when you think about, this duality was created by us, by creating one set of characters and calling it masculine and another set as feminine, modelled close to mirror our sexual identities, and our desire to understand the universe as the work of opposing forces. Or for that in order for desire itself to manifest.

Final Thoughts

My big question is how is it that such an important subject as this has not been treated more explicitly in spirituality, and is almost just left to the sidelines. After all, spiritual literature does indicate its awareness on the matter (in it’s images, symbolism, dance forms, poetry, etc.), just that it hasn’t become an explicit treatment. Maybe there just were not that many people who got to the maturity level that this path demands. I guess that’s why it’s the “left-hand” path of God, and that these left-hand paths happened to be matriarchal or gender-agnostic is no surprise. For example, in the [past] culture of Kerala, you’d find as many Aghorinis as you’d find Aghoris who moved about freely among each other without gender differentiation. Even the fact that Aghorinis turned out more often to be superior in their spiritual mastery, it was still gender-agnostic (it is only we who look at them as “matriarchs”), recognized for their value rather than the potential carried by their gender.

Exploring our selves along these lines will be very revealing and will expose wide open our holes, weaknesses, strengths, etc. Or maybe that itself is the reason why the sages deflected away from this — that too much reflection might result in one being preoccupied in the details, as opposed just striving to elevate the heart and mind via some form of less critical yoga, and letting it just happen, i.e. in the process of moving towards the genderless Atman. But how many people do this genuinely and sincerely? and how many more people to suffer while we evolve “slowly”? A catalyst will likely come — maybe through a resurgence of women spiritual leaders (like in those once matriarchal societies).

See Also

• Evolution