Upāya-s: The four means or methods
Non-dual Kashmir Shaivism is a philosophical system that comes from North India. It actually comes from God, but it is also true that the great masters were born and taught Trika (a short name for Non-dual Kashmir Shaivism) in Kashmir.
This system teaches four means or methods (upāya-s) for you to approach your essential nature. The word "upāya" is derived from the verbal root "upe = upa + i" (to approach, to draw near). Thus, "upāya" is a means or method by which you approach God.
Their names are as follows:
1. ANUPĀYA (AN + UPĀYA) : Lit. "without means or method."
2. ŚĀMBHAVOPĀYA (ŚĀMBHAVA + UPĀYA): The means or method of Śambhu (Śiva or God)
3. ŚĀKTOPĀYA (ŚĀKTA + UPĀYA): The means or method of Śakti (the dynamic power of Śiva or God).
4. ĀṆAVOPĀYA (ĀṆAVA + UPĀYA): The means or method that concerns the aṇu (the limited being).
Each of these upāya-s (means or methods) utilizes a particular aspect of you. Let us analyze them one by one:
Anupāya (lit. "without means or method")
This is not really a means or method but rather "the culmination of Śāmbhavopāya" (the next means or method). Anupāya is the direct perception of I AM ŚIVA, I AM THE SUPREME BEING. When you have this perception, You don't have to resort to any practice or method. Therefore, this is not really an Upāya, as I said before.
When you realize that YOU ARE THE SELF, that is Anupāya. However, it is referred to as "a kind of means or method" because on very rare occasions a very special disciple appears who only needs to receive from his Guru the revelation that he is really the Self in order to become immediately aware of his divine identity.
But certainly no means are performed, because the disciple instantly realizes that he is Śiva. Therefore Anupāya is mentioned as if it were a means, but at the same time it is certainly not a means. Hence its name, "without means." However, because such disciples who attain liberation immediately are very rare, sometimes this upāya is omitted and only the other three are mentioned.
Śāmbhavopāya (lit. "the means or method of Śambhu or Śiva")
The great master Abhinavagupta says:
मा किञ्चित्त्याज मा गृहाण।
विरम स्वस्थो यथावस्थितः॥
Mā kiñcittyāja mā gṛhāṇa|
Virama svastho yathāvasthitaḥ||
Do not (mā) abandon (tyāja) anything (kiñcid) , do not (mā) accept (gṛhāṇa) anything (kiñcid) ; stop (virama), remaining (avasthitaḥ) thus (yathā) in your own Self (svasthaḥ).
As Abhinavagupta said earlier, in this Upāya you do not have to give up or accept anything. The mind goes on thinking of this and that, but you do not try to control it and simultaneously you do not accept those thoughts either. You just remain a Witness to all of them. In Śāmbhavopāya there is no support. You remain a formless and timeless Witness to everything. This is the state of your essential Being: a formless and timeless Witness.
There are no thoughts in this upaya, that is, the great disciple, by the above attitude, removes all thoughts from his mind. Thereafter, he only awaits the Grace of the Great Lord, which will grant him Liberation. Here the Guru is more important than the disciple, because the latter only awaits the Grace of the former. The only effort the disciple makes is to attain a thoughtless state.
When Grace touches him, he crosses the last barrier and attains Liberation, which means "identity with one's own Self." Other names for "Self" are: "true essential nature," "spirit," "Self," "God," "Supreme Being," "Absolute," etc.
Śāktopāya (lit. "the means or method of Śakti")
Śakti is the Power of Śiva. Through Śakti, Śiva (You) can be aware of His own existence. Śakti is the "I Am" in the phrase, "I AM."
This same Śakti also appears as everything that surrounds You (the Witness or Śiva). And She is also the mind, which makes You go here and there. Therefore, when you practice Śāktopāya, you use the point of view of Śakti to search for your own essential nature. The main tool to be used is the Mantra "Aham" (I AM) and not sacred formulas such as Om̐ namaḥ śivāya, etc.
By concentration on "I AM" or the Central Reality, you will be able to realize your essential nature as Śiva. By constant concentration on the Central Reality or I AM, pure thought ("Śuddhavikalpa") arises.
A pure thought (Śuddhavikalpa) has two functions: a positive one and a negative one . The positive function can be divided into three parts: Mantraśakti (Power of Mantra), Sattarka (true reasoning or true logic) and Śuddhavidyā (Pure Knowledge).
In short, you concentrate on the Central Reality (I AM) that lies between two thoughts. With the arising of Śuddhavikalpa (a pure thought), you develop Sattarka or a continuous series of thoughts/ideas similar to Śuddhavikalpa, which leads to the arising of Śuddhavidyā (Pure Knowledge, and not tattva 5). Śuddhavidyā is divine in nature and will take you directly to the Śāmbhavopāya state, characterized by the absence of thoughts/ideas (vikalpa-s).
The negative function of a Śuddhavikalpa is this: a Śuddhavikalpa removes the sense of duality. You now feel different from others and from the entire universe, and also, you feel different from God. All this ignorance is removed by the Glory of a pure thought when it is properly utilized.
Āṇavopāya (lit. "the means or method relating to the aṇu -the limited being-")
In this Upāya (means or method of approach), you will be using the intellect, vital energy (prāṇa), physical body/senses and external objects to become aware of your essential nature. This is because the aṇu (conditioned being) considers himself to be his intellect, vital energy, physical body, etc. And he also feels attachment towards external objects and people.
Thus Āṇavopāya can be divided into five portions: Uccāra, Karaṇa, Dhyāna, Varṇa and Sthānakalpanā.
Uccāra: has to do with fixing attention on the various aspects of vital energy (prāṇa).
Karaṇa: uses the physical body/senses.
Dhyāna: is (in this case) contemplation.
Varna: It has to do with hearing the subtle sound anāhata (not produced by blow, without cause).
Sthānakalpanā: It has to do with fixing the mind in certain places.
With this simple table I summarize the teachings:
This has been a short and very condensed introduction. To learn more about these methods, please visit the following links:
Deepening into Śāmbhavopāya – The Path of Will
Deepening into Śāktopāya – The Path of Knowledge
Deepening into Āṇavopāya – The Path of Action
See you in the next post!