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Writer's pictureparabhairavayoga
Oct 17

The Four Means of Trika

In Trika Shaivism there are four means or methods (upāya-s) that are used as paths to Liberation:


  1. Anupāya

  2. Śāmbhavopāya

  3. Śāktopāya

  4. Āṇavopāya


When choosing an upāya for the disciple, the Trika Guru will always start with the highest means. If the highest level does not work for the disciple, he will have to work his way down the upāya-s until he finds the most suitable one for him.



FIRST HALF


So in the beginning, in Anupāya, the disciple must instantly understand his identity with Paramaśiva by the Revelation of the Guru.


The Guru will tell the disciple, "You are Śiva. You have nothing to do but enjoy your True Nature. You are universal. Give up your individuality."


After these words of the Guru, the disciple receives instant enlightenment and never returns to the state of bondage of the limited individual.


In Anupāya there are no practices. For example, in this medium the Guru is not going to tell the disciple, "Go and practice this Praṇāyāma." No. He will simply tell him, "You are Śiva."


But most people behind these words cannot experience instant Final Liberation. They will say that they can understand these words in theory, but they do not "feel the experience" in practice.


Then the Guru will give that person Śāmbhavopāya.



SECOND HALF YEAR


If Anupāya is not possible, the second method is Śāmbhavopāya.


In this upāya, the disciple should stop his mind and remain in a thought-free state, waiting for Divine Grace to reveal Its Essential Nature to him.


There should be no more vikalpa-s (thoughts) and no more desires of any kind (whether these desires are worldly or spiritual). The disciple should remain mindless. Nothing else should be done. Just remain thoughtless and await His revelation, without any expectations.


In Śāmbhavopāya there is no support, that is, the disciple should not concentrate on any point. He should leave his mind empty of all support and just rest in his Essential Nature free from thoughts.



THIRD HALF YEAR


If the disciple cannot remain without thoughts for long, he is given the third means: Śāktopāya.


In this upāya, the disciple should concentrate on the root of the mantra, namely, on "Aham" - "I Am".


In this medium, the Guru will give the disciple a mantra, for example, the mantra, "Om̐ namaḥ śivāya," but he will not give it to him in order that the disciple spend the whole day repeating this mantra, but in order that he repeat it only once and be able to concentrate on the root of the mantra, that is, on the source from which the mantra emerges and merges. Because the real mantra is not "Om̐ namaḥ śivāya," the real mantra is the consciousness of Being itself, this "Aham" or "I Am."


So in Śāktopāya the disciple concentrates on one point only, on this Aham or I Am, until he can empty his mind completely and move towards Śambhavopāya, and finally attain Liberation.



FOURTH GRADE


Finally, if this is still not possible, the Guru will give the disciple the means of Āṇavopāya, which involves a variety of techniques such as: meditation with visualization (Dhyāna), meditation on the vital energy (Uccāra), meditation on Haṁsa (Varṇa), practice of mudrā-s (Karaṇa, not used in Parabhairavayoga), fixing attention on some point - for example, on the cakra-s, parts of the body, etc. (Sthānakalpana).


The disciple may practice Āṇavopāya techniques for many years until he is ready to advance to the higher upāya-s, and ultimately attain Liberation.



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This has been just a summary. For more information on the means or upāya-s of Trika Shaivism, you can visit the following links:



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