Shakti and Shâkta : essays and addresses on the Shâkta Tantrashâstra

SHAKT] AND SHAKTA

teacher’s doctrine and consciously identifying himself with the world-evil fell into Hell. In time he rose therefrom and incarnating at first in gross material forms he at length manifested as a great Rutra, the embodiment of all wickedness. The Tibetan Rutra here spoken of and the Indian Rudra seem to be etymologically the same but their meaning is different. Both are fierce and terrible Spirits ; but a Rutra as here depicted is essentially evil and neither the Lord of any sensual celestial paradise, nor the Cosmic Shakti which loosens forms. A Rutra is rather what in some secret circles is called (though in ungrammatical Sanskrit) an Adh&tm&, or a soul upon the lower and destructive path. It may be and in fact is the case that the general destructive energy (Sangh4ra-Shakti) uses for its purpose the disintegrating propensities of these forms. The evil which appears as Rutra is the expression of various kinds of Egoism. Thus Matam Rutra is Egoism as attached to the gross physical body. Again, all sentient worldly being gives expression to its feelings, saying “I am happy, unhappy, and so forth.’’ All this is here embodied in the speech of the Rutra and is called.Akar Rutra. Khatram Rutra is Egoism of the mind, as when it is said of any object “this is mine.” ‘ Black Salvation” became a Rutra of such terrific power that to save him and the world the Buddhas intervened. There are four methods by which they and the Bodhisattvas subdue and save sentient being, namely the Peaceful, the Grand or Attractive, the Fascinating which renders powerless (Vashikaranam), and the stern method of downright force. All forms of Egoism must be destroyed in order that the pure ‘‘ That Which Is” or formless Consciousness may be attained. Black Salvation incarnated as the Pride of Egoism in its most terrible form. And in order to subdue him the last two methods had to be employed. He was, through the Glorious One, redeemed by the suffering which attends allsin and became the “ Dark defender of the Faith”, which by his egoistic apostasy he had abjured, to 380