.
p.1
During the three years which I spent in India,
from 1925 to 1927, I had the good fortune to tarvel
in many different parts of that vast territory, both
east, north, west, and south, visiting in turn the
Shan States in Burma, Kashmere, the west coast of
Bombay, and Southern India and Ceylon. There were two
things which from a spiritual point of view attracted
my attention most, and these were the type of
Buddhism prevailing in Burma and Ceylon, and that
special branch of Indian religion and philosophy,
almost unknown in its essence in Europe, called the
Religion of the Goddess Shakti, which flourishes in
Bengal and Kashmere. Personal contact with many
Indian friends, whose acquaintance I had the pleasure
to make, gave me the chance of studying Indian
spiritual thought more deeply and, if I may say so,
in a more live manner than it is possible to do from
books only, even if they are old Sanskrit texts. I
was honoured by an invitation from the President of
the Mahabodi Society in Calcutta to speak before an
audience of well-known Buddhists on two anniversaries
of the birthday of the Lord Buddha, and I also had
the opportunity to deliver lectures at meetings of
the Indian Philosophical Congress at Calcutta in 1925
and at Benares in 1926. There, while staying for some
time with Indian friends with whom I was in sympathy
by reason of a certain similarity in our
spiritual-philosophical researches, I realised the
strength and depth of eastern spiritual thougth.
I do not wish to speak about Buddhism ere in this
country, where Buddhism plays such an important role,
before learned people from whom I would prefer to
learn. I have written a short article on "Living
Buddhism" in the newly
p.2
started magazine of the Buddhist Society in Caleutta
which, I was gald to see, was kindly received by its
readers. My object to-night is to give you a short
lecture on a particular branch of Indian spiritual
thought, the religion of the Goddess Shakti, which is
still unknown in its true meaning in Europe and, I
must say, even in the greater part of India. What I
have read about it in the different books on Indian
philosophy have been only simple and short allusions,
containing more often than not rather erroneous
ideas. In that excellent work on "Hinduism and
Buddhism," by Sir Charles Eliot, there are only a
few remarks on Shaktism, as this religions is usually
called, and these describe its deep philosophy and
retualism in a way which cannot be regarded as
altogether impartial. The European attitude towards
this religions system seems to me to be much
influenced by not particularly well informed
opponents of it, from whom, I imagine, Sir Charles
Eliot has gathered his information. That is
understandable because, as he himself remarks in a
footnote, the new text books of Shaktism, whiich have
now been published by Arthur Avalon, were at that
time not available to him. These text books, which
include in troductions and philosophic foundation to
this religious system and throw an illuminating light
on this very important branch of human thought. I
have the privilege to be personally acquainted with
and, I may add, to be a friend of that Indian
personality, Arthur Avalon, the editor of the text
books of Shaktism, who from modesty, and following an
old and good Indian tradition, is hiding his personal
name under the above pseudonym. There are now, I
believe, over twenty volumes, including the most
important Maha Nirvana Tantra, which means the
Phiosophy of the Great Liberation, published under
the patronage and with the financial assistance of
the great Maharaja of Mithita on the borders of
Bengal. It is good to know that there are in India
men like this Maharaja, whom I had the pleasure to
meet personally and who spends a good part of his
great fortune in furthering the revival of the
spiritual influence of Shaktism, to which he
personally adheres. There has been founded by him,
for
p.3
the purpose of enlightening the learned public on
this subject, a special society of which he is the
founder-president. This society which, if small in
the number of its members, is important by reason of
their personalities, intends to dedicate a complete
collection of all the published books on Shaktism to
His Majesty the King of Siam, who, as "the Upholder
of the Buddhist Faith," is regarded by them at the
same time as the principal stronghold and spiritual
rock of eastern of eastern culture and thounght.
In making an attempt to describe to you Shaktism,
my object to-day is to present you with a sketch of
the meatphysical aspect of the religion as compared
with other systems of philosophical thought. It is
not my intention here to dwell on the ritual and
ceremonial aspect of the religion which would require
a lecture of its own. However, at the close I propose
to give you a line of comparison which may be drawn
between one of the fundamental tenets of Shaktism,
and a certain aspect of Christianity and Northern
Buddhism.
The expression, Shaktism is derived from the word
"Shakti." The word Shakti means "Power" both latent
and manifest. When personalised it means the Devi of
Power; she is Devaa. The Devi Shakti is the power
aspect of the supreme spirit. The doctrines and
ritual of Shaktism are contained in a special branch
of the holy Scriptures of India, called Tantra
Shastra, which acknowledges the authority of the
great Veda. "Veda" means the God inspired word which
has from the oldest times been the foundation of
Indian spiritual thought and culture; but it is not
confined to what is called the four Vedas. They are
but parts of it and based on the one Veda--for 'Vak'
or 'Logos' is one.
Shaktism is an eminently practical religion.
Practically the whole content of its sciptures
consists in rules and ritual by which the higher
realisation of the spiritual truth may be gained.
This way of personal spiritual attainment, or Yoga,
which is known to all
p.4
Indian religions, is called in Shaktism, Sadhana.
Very often the remark can be found in the Tantrik
texts that by merely pondering about the husks of
words nothing is done, i.e., mere book-knowledge is
useless--but that only by practically touching the
truth itself can liberation, bliss and the highest
consciousness be won.
This truth, to which Shaktism is devoted with all
its energy, is represented by the conception of the
goddess Shakti. Such a conception, that truth unveils
itself spiritually in a female aspect, can only be
grasped with difficulty by the European mind. The
European mind is not accustomed to see differences
between male and female in the spiritual world, and
finds them only as far as physical sexual differences
can still be discerned. But the idea of a female
quality of the spirit has always been known to the
deeper minds of humanity and stretches through the
whole inner history of culture. Leaving aside the
cults of aboriginal tribes, animism, etc., there may
be mentioned, in addition to the Goddess Shakti of
Indian culture, the conception of Isis in the
Egyptian religion, of the figure Kwannon in China,
the idea of Eve in Babylonian times and many others
leading up to that connected with the Madonna of the
Roman Catholic Church. Certainly there are very
interesting and important differences in all these
great conception; but it would go too far here to
treat of this special subject. It is mentioned only
to show that female spirituality has always played an
important role in human thought.
The Goddess Shakti is the "power" which pervades
the whole of the universe, and from which the
Universe has emanated. There is nothing within the
manifest world which is not Shakti in its essence.
The manifest world is mind and matter, that is to
say, all that we call our thought, will, imagination,
etc. is mind, and all the realm of nature is matter.
She--in her highest aspect--is pure spirit or pure
consciousness --as such she is called
Chit-Shakti--but her nature and essence become
apparent also in all that we are aware of through our
senses. So She is matter--substance too--and as such
p.5
She is called Maya-Shakti. Here is no antagonism
between the spiritual and the natural sides of the
universe, since she is both of them.
In order to illustrate more clearly this
important principle of Shaktism. I would like to
compare it with the structure of other philosophical
systems in Europe or India. It may be said that all
the great and well-known philophical expressions of
human thought are either monistic or dualistic, that
is to say, have as their basis one or two original
eternal units. Let me show it in a diagrammatic way.
The dualistic view presupposes two basic units, Mind
and Matter:
Both of these are absolute and ultimate, and
everything can be derived from either of them;
whereas monism takes either mind or matter as the
single existing principle, of which the other is only
an appearance, a different aspect or a mere effect.
Taking mind as
p.6
such a principle, the expression is called "Spititual
Monism", meaning that the Spirit is the ultimate true
reality and all the material world is an "illusion"
or its effect, issuing from it (a downward line would
indicate this); on the other hand, regarding matter
as the only basic ultimate reality, mind and spirit
have no substance of their own and are mere products
of matter, which could be shown by a line going
upwards. Now Shaktism is something quite different
from the denominations of Monism and Dualism, in so
far as Shakti lies behind both mind and matter,
without giving preponderance to either of them. Mind
and matter as represented by the created universe are
Shakti, and Shakti is bound up with Shiva, the male
spiritual element whose position in the system it is
difficult to describe to the European mind, but who
may be taken to represent the inert Spirit lying
apart from, and unconnected with, the Universe, but
whose touch is necessary to give to Shaakti the
impulse to create. Both of them, female universal
Power, Shakti, and the male impulse-giver, Shiva,
constitute therefore the spiritual background of the
Universe. Thus in terms of philosophical thougth
Shaktism is neither wholly dualistic nor wholly
monistic, but constitutes a monistic dualism or
dualistic monism, a "two in one" or "one in two".
The follower of Shaktism, the worshipper of
Shakti, is called Shakta. His conception of the
Goddess is described in the Shakti Tantra Shastras,
i.e., the holy scriptures of Shaktism, often in a
very poetical way. Whereas we speak of Mother Nature
only in a comparative manner, for the Shakta it is
absolute reality. Nature is Her body. Her presence is
personally felt by him, when he is standing on the
fertile ground of the earth; he touches Her life
in the blossoms of the pure lotus-flower. She
animates all living ereatures. His own body is a part
of Her great body. Worshipping Her in all Her
different forms, he will find Her light, too, within
his mind and consciousness. Thus, to the Shakta the
whole universe of mind and matter reveals itself in
its unity; he see before him Her great body which he
adores; Her sacred feet, Her heart, Her mind.
p.7
It might be useful to describe this poetical
view, which is at once physical and transcendental,
by means of another diagram. We may for this purpose
represent matter and mind by two circles which
intersect each other like this:
Where they intersect, there is Shakti, so to
speak, in Herself. But Her influence, Her being
spreads into the whole realm of matter as well as
that of mind. Nowhere is She absent, but Her presence
is less distinct, is somehow veiled in those parts
which are further from the centre, where She is in
Herself. Thus, for the sake of linear explanation,
the mineral world--the solid matter--would have to be
situated the furthest from Her, because there, as for
instance in stone, she--Life Herself--is, much
veiled, stone to the ordinary human view appearing to
be dead. Nearer to Her is the realm of plants, where,
with their growing and blossming, She already becomes
more apparent. I need hardly remind you of the
well-known researches by Sir Jagadis Bhose of the
University of Calcutta, who is endeavouring to make
visible the actual
p.8
heart-beat of plant life. Then, in due order with
regard to Her would come the world of animals, which
being animated have within their life--although
perhaps still unconsciously--some access to Her.
Lastly, within the highly developed organism of man
She, for the first time, is inherent in her essential
being. There She finds the possibility of being
consciously awakened, so that she appears to him, who
is looking and striving for her, in Her true nature
as Shakti herself. The other side--the mind
circle--comprises the mental faculties of man such as
consciousness, will, feeling and logical perception,
which, with regard to their aptitude for Her
realisation, may be put in such order. The directions
of development therefore go in the matter-circle from
left to right--from stone, vegetable, animal to man,
where Shakti will be realised; in the mind-circle,
from right to left--from mere logical thinking to
feeling, will-power, consciousness to man--where
Shakti may be realised. Thus, as you can see from
this diagram, everywhere there is Shakti. She is
inherent in everything and at the same time
transcends every thing; by meditation and religious
ceremonies She may be realized everywhere, being
inherent in the whole physical universe as it is
given to us. And, moreover, above this we may touch
Her in Her transcendtal aspect as well. When She
appears in Her true nature, then there is no more
mind or matter, but only She Herself, in no sense
bounded by such limitations. As such a one She may
well be represented by a circle, the universe in its
true aspect.
To the European it may perhaps at first sight
appear to be a mere poetical presentment and but
little different from the theory of vitalism of
modern natural science or from ancient animism in the
religious aspect. But with regard to Vitalism, even
if there be similarities the essential difference
seems to me, that the Vitalism of the natural
sciences is based principally upon the conception of
a material world which is regarded as being animated
by, for instance, the "‚lan vitale" of Bergson.
But Shatism holds its standpoint entirely on the
spiritual side. She, the great mother, exists, and
what in the material world is vitalised or animated,
certainly comes
p.9
from Her, but is only a veiled appearance of Her, who
in Her true being can be experienced spiritually. And
Shaktism is also not animism, if by animism may be
understood the primitive idea of everything being
ghost-like, being animated by "Phi" or spirits,
resulting in as many ghostly spirits as there are
different things. Shaktism represents a spiritual
unity, all different things being united within Her
always greater aspect.
The principal doctrine of "Shaktism", that the
whole Universe of mind and matter is created by Her,
the Powerful Goddess Shakti, is described in full
detail, with Indian accuracy in spiritual matters, in
the Cosmogony of Shaktism. It must be understood that
every great Indian philosophical system has its own
Cosmo-Genesis, that is, its special conception of the
evolution of the world and its begining. As a matter
of fact, every conception of life and the Universe
requires such a foundation to give it the necessary
firm hold. For Shaktism this source, out of which the
Universe as mind and matter has evolved, is the
female spiritual Power, Shakti, who is the Great
Mother of the Universe. In Her most concentrated
form, when Her Power is just ready to expand, She is
represented by a point called Bindu. This Bindu Point
is mere Spirit. Everything manifested and created in
this Universe has Spirit. Everything manifested and
created in this Universe has Spirit as its source and
essence. In the Christian Cosmo-Genesis of the Gospel
of St. John it is called "logos" or "the word". By
expansion the Spiritual Power Shakti becomes, going
through many different stages, Mind, Life, and
Matter. She--the Goddess--is contained, in all the
manifestations of the universe, but She remains, so
to speak, unexhausted by being the material cause of
the Universe. She in Her essence remains unaffected
and greater than all the created world.
In a diagrammatic way this cosmogenetic evolution
can be represented like this. The active, most
concentrated Point Bindu is red, the colour of
activity. From this point the lines of evolution
p.10
expand through the stages of mind and life towards
matter, the mineral world. So the material world
stands not first but last in the evolution of the
Universe.
According to the general doctrine of Indian
metaphysics, this whole created universe is not
everlasting but will one day be dissolved. The life
or appearance of the universe lasts, as it is
figuratively expressed, one day of Brahma, the
Almighty, that is, millions and millions of years.
After that the whole expansion contracts again in the
opposite direction; first, matter will be dissolved,
then life and mind will disappear till it reaches the
state of the beginning, the spiritual Point, Bindu,
where it will find its rest; until the dawn of a new
day of Brahma, when a new creation will start. This
Bindu Point is the great Goddess, the universal
mother--womb--yoni--the creator and receiver of the
Universe, which, as Shakti, is worshipped by the
followers of Shaktism.
So the whole created world has as its creative
Power Shakti, the goddess, just as in this world the
female element is constantly
p.11
maintaining it. But She, the creative Goddess, can do
nothing without Him, the God, Shiva, just as no woman
can bear fruit without the co-operation of the male
element. The relation of Shakti to Shiva, is of a
very subtle, spiritual nature. He, Shiva is in
contrast to all creation, be it mind or matter. He is
the underlying pure consciousness which is
independent of, and superior to, all creation. In a
very famous picture of Shaktism the goddess Shakti
stands black-coloured on the white-coloured Shiva who
lies inert. The symbolism is this. Shiva is white to
represent a colourless form, since all colours belong
to the created world, which is the domain of Shakti.
He lies at absolute rest, since movement and activity
belong to the created world, which is dependent on
him, but not he on it, She, the Goddess, is
black-coloured because, compared with the light of
the spiritual world unmixed with any objective
realisation, she is dark as the night; in all
creation she is veiled in darkness, both her face and
her raiment.
I have mentioned already that there can be found
traces of Shakti in the conception of the Madonna of
the Catholic Christian Church. As some of you may
know, there exists in Czenstochau in Poland the
famous sculpture of the so-called Black Madonna, who
is much adored by the population. Why is she black?
Well whatever kind of outer-influence may have taken
place, the spiritual reason must be the same as in
Shaktism. She, the Madonna, the creatrix femina, is
dark, is spiritually veiled in darkness during the
process of creation. She is the deep and creative
night. Darkness, compared with the light of day, has
always been regarded spiritually as the deeper
element. The darkness of the body is intended to show
that the personality belongs to the spiritual world
as the creative background of all physical
appearance. It is very remarkable, too, that near
Barcelona in Spain, on Mount Serrat, a black Madonna
with the Christ child on her knees is worshipped by
the Catholic Church. This famous sculpture, is said
to have been on this holy mountain for over a
thousand years. Her throne shows an uncommon shape.
She holds in her right hand a globe,
p.12
representing the Universe. Thus here, too, the
conception seems to be that She, the Goddess-Madonna,
is the Creator and Upholder of the whole Universe. In
my opinion these figures--in their spiritual
meaning--show the very deep connection which exists
spiritually between East and West. And Shaktism may
help to bring an understanding between East and West,
the importance of which is always becoming more
apparents.
One of the deepest secrets of Shaktism is the
union of the highest spiritual male conciousness,
Shiva, with the all-prevading female power, Shakti.
As I have already mentioned, the all-powerful Shakti
would not be able to create the universe out of
Herself; She needs the touch of Shiva. This union of
Shiva and Shakti takes place in the highest spiritual
regions before anything has been created, so to
speak, in the night of Brahma. Out of this union the
Universe is born--Shakti evolves as mind and matter,
whereas Shiva remains as the underlying background,
unaltered, This highest spiritual state of union is
inexpressible by words; but it is approximately
circumscribed by the Sanskrit words;
Sat--Chit--Ananda. Sat means Being; Chit means
Consciousness, and when these are united with one
another, there Ananda--Bliss--the highest spirtitual
bliss, is the issue. For the Shakta, as for the Hindu
generally, the essence of the world is joy, bliss,
ananda. Whenever truth, living truth, is approached
or touched by man, then he feels that bliss of the
union of Shiva and Shakti which is the origin of all
life. The highest state of consiousness or liberation
(Mukti) in Shaktism is the attainment, the spiritual
realisation, of the highest, unchanging, eternal,
absolute union of Shiva and Shakti within himself,
into which his being is to be ultimately absorbed.
The man who has realised this and transplanted
himself into it is in his lifetime called Jivanmukta
(liberated though living) . In this union is
everything essential contained.
But within space and time, within the world of
separate things and forms,--in this world of limited
experience in which we
p.13
are living--this highest union is interrupted.
Shakti, being separated from Him, is, so to speak, in
Her actual body distributed among all objective
experience.
There is a deep and striking picture, a story of
Indian mythology, which tells how the body of Shakti
has been dismembered and has fallen in pieces into
this world. Wherever any part of Her holy body is
supposed to be lying, there an Indian temple has been
built; to a certain extent comparable to the Stupas
which are erected by Buddhists for the relies of the
sacred body of Gautama. Everything in the objective
appearance is individual on account of its being
separated from that union, and its material substance
or embodiment can be measured by the interval of that
separation; the further away from the union, the more
its spiritual essence is veiled.
It follows consequently that in every individual
being, which to a certain extent becomes conscious of
itself, there must be living a tendency to become
liberated from this separation, to come back to this
primordial union. "Back to the mother", it may be
said, is the shortest expression for the spiritual
aim of the whole of Indian culture and especially of
Shaktism. A deeply--felt longing prevails within the
religious mind of India; a longing like that of a
child for its mother. It is important to note this,
since it is this longing which gives the impulse to
the means by which the aim of coming back to the
Mother may be attained. These means are called the
Yoga of Shaktism, i.e., Sadhana. The principles of
Yoga are almost the same in all the different Indian
systems, of which they form an essential part. By
urging concentration of thought upon certain
important ideas, they aim at giving to these ideas
more strength and clearness than they usually have.
The meditator excludes himself from all outer
influences, in order to bring his mind into direct
contact with the spiritual world. In the end he will
eventually realise what his Scriptures have taught
him, that his essence is Spirit, and his mind and
body its manifestations. I may
p.14
mention here that a modern "western" way of "Yoga"
has been introduced into Europe by the spiritual
system, "Anthroposophy", of Dr.Rudolf Steiner. In all
ages such kinds of spiritual endeavour have been
practised. If man succeeds in actually realising the
inner meaning of metaphysics, he becomes, as it is
called, "initiated", that is, he becomes a citizen of
the spiritual world, just as he is a citizen of the
natural world by his physical birth. The Yoga of
Shaktism specializes in conceptions of the Goddess
Shakti. If She appears to the Shaka, as She is in
Herself, the highest realisation, the Union with the
mother is attained. Then the Shakta says: She I am,
and feels himself full of the greatest spiritual
bliss.
As I have already mentioned, Shaktism is an
eminently practical Religion. It attempts an
immediate realisation of truth by the practical
methods of "Yoga" and has an abunddance of rites and
ceremonies. These vary according to the competency of
the Shakta. The ritual has been rightly called the
Art of Religion. The worshipper follows certain
prescribed rules in his adoration, which give him the
right direction. Every Religion knows the value of
ritual--Buddhism as well as Christianity and
Shaktism. I may mention here only a few special
points, which distinguish the rites from all other
similar cults in India.
It is well known what an important role the
caste-system has always played in India. Even now the
distinctions of the different castes are much
observed, especially in the case of marriage.
Principally the Brahmins, as the caste of
priests--now there are Brahmins who are doctors of
medicine, barristers, watchmen, etc., --would never
mix with other castes in their ritual worship. The
Shakta, however, the worshipper of Shakti, does not
pay any regard to these caste distinctions. The
Brahma Shakta has no objection to worshipping the
Goddess even with the Shudra outcast, the Pariah.
Such a non-Indian uncommon attitude shows that the
rites of Shaktism may have their source from abroad;
it is not yet quite certain, but it is probable that
the special rites of Shaktism have come to India from
China through Tibet.
p.15
This would explain, too, the other striking
feature of the Shakta-worship, which is also
non-Indian--that during the ritual worship of Shakti
it is allowed to eat meat and to drink wine. Everyone
knows how the Hindus abhor the slaughter of animals;
how the adoration of the cow is an essential part of
their religion, which has been again and again
emphasised, especially by Gandhi himself. The Shakta,
however, eats meat and drinks wine during his worship
of the Goddess Shakti. He feels himself spiritually
above this custom. As in his view everything is
She--the Goddess--there can be made no exception with
regard to the offerings to Her.
The third unique quality of the Shakti-worship is
the active participation of women in the ceremonies.
Ordinarily women are always kept apart in India.
Everyone has heard of the Purdah system, which holds
in some parts of India the women-folk life-long in
their houses. But the Shakta treats them as
altogether equal; even more. She, his Wife, is
regarded by him as his Shakti Goddess; She, the
mother of his children, represents to him the Great
Mother. Such an attitude is naturally reflected in
the daily life of Shakti Hindu families, where the
mother--quite contrary to Miss Mayo's statements in
"Mother India"--is much venerated. There is the
so-called Panchatattva Ritual--the most important
ritual of Shaktism, which is still nowadays performed
in Bengal. The name "Panchatattva" is derived from
the words "Pancha", five, and "Tattva", elements. The
five elements of this ritual are Wine, Meat, Fish,
Parched Corn and Sexual Union. Men and women meet as
equal partners. They sit together--the man beside the
women--in a circle, called Chakra. Following
elaborate rites, they offer to the Goddess wine,
meat, fish and corn. After that they take their meal,
which consists these four elements; the idea being
that they unite themselves with Shakti in these
products and fruits. The highest presentment of the
Goddess for the Shakta is the women who is sitting by
his side. By uniting with her--according to the
Maithuna rites--he experiences the bliss of the great
union of Shiva and Shakti. Pro-
p.16
creation is the individual counterpart of Cosmic
Creation. It must be understood that the purpose of
the physical union of the Shakta with his Shakti in
this ritual is not saticfaction of his physical
senses but the spiritual realisation of the highest
union of the individual with the Goddess, the
Cosmic-Whole. It may be mentioned that, as far as I
have heard, during the ceremonies in Bengal the last
mentioned Maithuna rites are not actually performed
but are only indicated, as for example by bowing to
the woman sitting at his side in the Chakra. Nothing
is wrong or forbidden according to Shaktism, if it is
done with a pure heart and spiritual feeling.
Certainly it is possible that, weak as man's nature
is, abuses of this special rite have taken place--and
it would be wrong to deny that they are in fact
happening. But my intention here is to show its
spiritual meaning and intention; which, in my
opinion, cannot be affected by abuse in its
interpretation; and the principle of the rite is
sound, grand and spiritual.
All the rites of Shaktism, of which I have here
mentioned only one, tend in such a direction as to
awaken within him the spiritual and aesthetically
productive forces of man. As soon as these usually
slumbering forces are awakened, the Shakta knows and
feels himself as being born again within the
spiritual world. The Shakta says, "As I am born in my
physical body from my mother, so I must be
spiritually born again from my spiritual mother, the
Goddess Shakti." By the grace of Shakti the Shakta
himself becomes Brahma. As a matter of fact, every
spiritual man strives for the attainment of such a
state, of being reborn in the spiritual sense. Only
the expressions are different and the means and ways
vary. In Shaktism it is striking to notice with what
absoluteness and how independently of all other
systems of religion the physical appearance and the
highest spiritual realisation are combined together.
If Shakti is everywhere, then she is, too, in the
bodily appearance of the women and there, however
veiled, in her fullest essence. So he makes use of
her for the greatest spiritual aim of man, namely to
be reborn by the grace of Shakti.
p.17
Now I have said that this aim of being reborn
within the spiritual motherhood is known to almost
every religion, and, althought Buddhism in its
fundamental basis at first seems to be utterly
different from Shaktism, yet Northern Buddhism knows
well what is meant by Shakti. Mahayana Buddhism, as
it is prevalent in Tibet, by which country Shaktism
too has been much influenced, has introduced into its
system during its development the Goddess Tara. She
represents what Shakti is for Shaktism. She is the
embodiment of all that within the spiritual
realisation is distinctly female; and it is a very
secret saying in esoteric Northern Buddhism that man,
by being reborn from Tara, will become a Buddha, that
is, will attain the highest spiritual state of life
to which man is destined and for which he is
striving. Within esoteric Christianity there is the
picture of Jesus Christ lying in the stable-manger as
the new-born child before the immaculate Virgin Mary.
It is intended to portray not only the story of the
historical birth of Jesus, but at the same time a
representation of the historical birth of Jesus, but
at the same time a representation of the idea that we
all have to be reborn as such a Christ-child of the
Virgin Mary, the Shakti of Christianity.
You see, there can be discovered, within so
widely-differing religious systems as Shaktism,
Northern Buddhism and Christianity, the same
important idea as that of being reborn by the grace
of Shakti as Brahma, of being reborn by Tara as a
Buddha, and of being reborn by Madonna as a Christ.
As a matter of fact, the female spiritual element as
it is venerated by Shaktism, being a living truth,
can to a certain extent become a combining factor to
embrace the great cultural outlook both of the East
and the West. Humanity is one over all the earth, and
Womanhood is its essential part. In Shaktism the idea
of the spiritual creative force of Womanhood finds
its most absolute and exclusive espression. For this
reason this system is so interesting and striking for
anyone who takes the trouble to go more deeply into
it. Shakti, as she is pleased to reveal herself
to-day, is present, too, within the depths of
European culture. It would take me too far afield to
prove
p.18
it by further details. I would only mention that
Goethe concludes his great poem, "Faust", with the
words: "The eternal female is raising us". Certainly,
Goethe had no knowledge of the system of Shaktism and
of those texts which we are now privileged to study.
But by his poetical inspiration he touched by himself
the truth which we find so clearly expressed in the
system of Shaktism. If one would try to express the
deepest meaning which Shaktism may have for us in our
days, it cannot be done better than by those words
which the mystical chorus sings at the end of this
great poem: Das Ewig Weibliche zieht uns hinan. "The
eternal female is raising us".