Foreword
In Shakti Rising, Kavitha Chinnaiyan presents something new—a path that combines the fierce beauty of the divine feminine with the radical clarity of non-dual investigation. It’s a natural combination, because many people find non-duality by itself to be rather distant and masculine.
Kavitha calls this the path of the Mahavidyas. Its primary influences are tantra and non-dual self-inquiry, but it also includes elements from traditional Vedanta, Yoga, and Kashmir Shaivism.
What are the Mahavidyas? According to tantric philosophy, the Mahavidyas are ten aspects of the divine feminine that manifest as distinct cosmic personalities or wisdom goddesses. Each Mahavidya has different character attributes and different ways of guiding us to liberation. The Mahavidyas can be seen as creative forces, devotional deities, psychological metaphors, guides to our deep inner work—or better yet, all of the above.
Since there are ten Mahavidyas, the question may arise, “Which one do I work with?” The answer itself feels liberating, and Kavitha presents it in fascinating detail. In short, all of the Mahavidyas have something to teach us. They teach us to love ourselves and work with the hidden parts that might be holding us back from freedom.
A Mahavidya is a complex persona and a ray of divine light. She has a certain look, which may or may not be pleasant. She also has a strong, uncompromising personality. Her psychophysical and energetic attributes serve as her teaching tools. And each Mahavidya is so detailed and complex that most students can find something to relate to. For example, Kali is shocking and scary, yet she also teaches us the ways of nonviolence. Tripura Sundari looks beautiful and enchanting, yet she teaches us how to realize freedom from attachment. Dhumavati appears uncouth and filthy, yet she teaches us the reflective path to Self-knowledge. And there are seven more! We are not obligated to work with just one Mahavidya. The path of the Mahavidyas is a matter of “both/and,” not “either/or.” The path is as varied as the richness of our own personality.
As I mentioned above, this path involves both tantra and non-dual inquiry. Each of these spiritual activities contributes a unique element not found in the other. For example, tantra encourages us to see all of phenomenality as divine. Everything is worthy of our spiritual attention, not just the things that irritate us right now.
When we add tantra to non-dual inquiry, we open up vast new areas for investigation, such as the energy currents in our body and the painful, unacknowledged parts of our personality. These phenomena may not be seen when we use non-dual inquiry on its own. Because tantra helps us work with the deeper facets of our personality, we become less prone to spiritual bypassing. All in all, tantra provides a healthy, holistic new terrain within which we can do our inquiry.
On the other hand, non-dual inquiry brings something helpful to tantra. Inquiry can help reduce our sense of separation from aspects of the world, body, and mind. With less felt separation, we find our hearts and minds to be more open. We become less likely to see the Mahavidyas as separate from us.
Non-dual inquiry also gives us greater freedom to engage tantra in a way not limited by literal interpretation. We’re able to understand the Mahavidyas in new ways that go beyond their official verbal descriptions. This freedom from literalism is crucial, because tantra requires us to see things in terms of other things. For example, in chapter 1, Kavitha says, “In tantra, we see everything in existence as a manifestation of Shakti and learn to see her beauty even in her most depraved or heinous forms.”
The ability to see beauty in heinous forms requires a generous kind of nonliteral seeing. It requires flexibility and creativity. These qualities emerge from non-dual inquiry, which includes inquiry into language, meaning, and truth.
The path of the Mahavidyas is an auspicious blend of powerful spiritual methods. Tantra brings depth and excitement to the mix. Non-dual inquiry brings clarity and flexibility to the mix. I recommended the path highly.
