When we explore the ways the different world religions go about their business, one thing becomes clear as far as the Agamic Hinduism is concerned.
The notion of Sathana is central to Agamic Hinduism and along with it the various rituals. The agamic Hindus, appear to be more Metaphysical.(Correct me if I wrong in making such a sweeping statement) And because of this the TEMPLE becomes also very central.
There are hundreds of books devoted to this and some of them are really outstanding.
The most fascinating are those of the Siddhas who have developed this science of rituals as a scientific field of inquiry that I have termed Hermeneutic Semiotics. It is a science concerned with ENLARGING and DEEPENING the understanding of man and through that DEVELOP his personality. So for them rituals have a special significance here: they are the kind of human activities that OPEN UP the Metaphysical eyes and through that MAKE THEM SEE for themselves, the metaphysical world , the world where reside the deities. And this world of the deities is the Heaven (what else can it be?) and each time someone enters a Temple and gets fully absorbed into the world modelled by it, he gains a vision into the heavenly world of the gods and comes back refreshed, regenerated.
The activities are classified into Sariyai, Kiriyai, Yokam and Jnanam depending upon how CLOSE they take the person to BEING
The famous Siddha Agattiyar in his " Paripaasaith Thiraddu-500" has inquired into the LOGIC of it and in this article I will explain it and add here and there my own ideas. Here he uses the technical vocabulary of Tamil Logic in a totally new way that appears to be quite bold and perhaps true to their original meaning. (The relevant verses are given below corrected for printing errors)
57.
பேசவே பிரமாணம் அறிந்தோன் சித்தன்
பிரமவுப்பைக் கண்டவனே குணசிரேட்டன்
வாசிதனை ஓடாமல் மறித்தோன் சித்தன்
மாயைதனை விட்டவனே மவுனமுத்தன்
பூசைதனை அறிந்தவனே கிரியை பெற்றோன்
பூவுலகத்தோடு இருந்தோன் சரியை மார்க்கன்
ஊசரத்தின் நீர் பிரித்தோன் தீட்சை பெற்றோன்
ஓகோகோ ஞாலமெலாம் உலகுதானே
peecavee piramaaNam aRintoon cittan
piramavuppaik kaNdvanee kuNacireettan
vaacitanai oodaamal maRitton cittan
maayaitanai viddavanee mavunamuttan
puucaitanai aRintavanee kiriyai peRRoon
puuvulakattoodu iruntoon cariyai maarkkan
uucarattin niir piritton tiidcai peRRoon
ookookoo njanamaelaam ulakutaanee
Only those who understand the logical axioms are the genuine Siddhas; and among these only those who have managed to SEE the Inner Radiance the most excellent. The Siddha is also who has installed the breathing processes as a permanent feature of his living. The genuine Muktas are those who have got rid off all illusions and delusions and having transcended TIME gets absorbed in the Deep Silence. Those individuals still tied to earthly existence are the practitioners of Sariyai while those who understand the real import of Pujaas is the practitioner of Kiriyai. Those who have attained real diksas are those who have succeeded in separating the heavenly waters (the Ganges) from the earthly. And you should know all these are in the world, in the Metaphysical Depths covered up by the physical world.
58
உலகுமுதற் சரியையோ அருத்தாற்பத்தி
உற்று நின்ற கிரியை ஐதீகமாகும்
பெலமான யோகம் வாதம் இரண்டும்
பேசுவார் உபமானப் பிரமாணத்தால்
நலமான ஞானமதே யதார்த்தமாகும்
நாங்கும் இந்த பிரம கற்பத்தாலே யல்லால்
பலபல யோசனை செய்து மயங்கவேண்டாம்
பரமசித்தர் மறைவாகப் பாடு நூலே
ulakukutaR cariyaiyoo aruttaaRpatti
uRRu ninRa kiriyai aitiikamaakum
pelamaana yookam vaatam iraNdum
peecuvaar upamaanap piramaaNattaal
nalamaana njaanamatee yataarttamaakum
naangkum inta pirma kaRpattaalee yallaal
palapala yoosnai ceytu mayangkaveeNdaam
paramacittar maRaivaakap paadu nuulee
The movement of understanding of Sariyai, the rituals of those still tied to the earthly existence is Aruttap Patti-- seeing the associated or the implicated; that of Kiriyai Aithiikam i.e. that in which the traditionally handed down is seen as valid. The Logic of Yoga and Alchemy is that of Analogy or Imitation while that of Njanam is Yathaarththam, seeing TRUTH as it is in itself. The many treatise of the Siddhas speak of these matters only in a hidden way and hence don't waste your time thinking variously about their meanings. All these four means for genuine understanding are ultimately the products of PiramakaRpam, the Inner Radiance.
59.
நூலதினில் பெரியோர் சொல் அருத்தாற்பத்தி
நோக்கமில்லாது இருந்தக்கால் சரியையாகும்
மால்செய்யும் மரந்தனிலே பேய் உண்டென்று
மனத்து உதித்தால் ஐதீகமாகும்
மேல் உவமை மரை பசுப்போல் என்றல், யோகம்
விசாரனையால் பிரியும் ரசவாதவேலை
காலகரு வெனக் காண்டல் பிரத்தியட்சம்
கதிகரு மெய்ஞ்ஞானம் எனக் காணலாமே
nuulatanil periyoorkaL col aruttaapatti
nookkamillaatu iruntakkaal cariyaiyaakum
maalceyyum marantanilee peey uNdenRu
manattu utittaal aitiikamaakum
meel uvamai marai pacupool enRal, yookam
visaaranaiyaal piriyum rasavaataveelai
kaalakaru venek kaaNdal pirattiyadcam
katitaru meynjnaanam enak kaaNalaamee
Among the scriptures, if the utterances of the wise when noted with respect to their genuine intentions then it is Aruttapatti and if such an orientation is not available then the study is simply a Sariyai. Within this when there is some disturbance or annoyance, getting clear of it through seeking the interpretations traditionally handed down is Aitiikam. When the meaning is sought through similitude in different scriptures then Analogy is used as the measure just like saying : the unseen wild deer "marai" is said to be something known i.e. the cow.
Yoga comes when understanding through philosophical thinking separates itself from the earthly ties and fuses itself into metaphysical. The alchemical thinking begins when it is realized all the mental productivity is related Temporality. The Prattiyatcam, the SEEING that breeds apodeitic certainty issues forth when the mysterious BEING that generates all is seen in its essence i.e. TRUTH
60
aakumee pukaiyatanaik kandu veyya
akkini uNdu enpatuvee anumaanataan
pookum inta piramaanattu anubavattaip
pukalukiReen pulattiyanee puttiyaak keeL
cookamillaa akkiniyee nakaara ruupam
tuulamee anumaanamaakum piNda
teekamee pukaiyaanaal pukaiyai
tiikkaaddam angkenRu terintu koLLee
ஆகுமே புகையதனைக் கண்டு வெய்ய
அக்கினி உண்டு என்பதுவே அனுமானந்தான்
போகும் இந்தப் பிரமாணத்து அனுபவத்தைப்
புகலுகிறேன் புலத்தியனே புத்தியாக் கேள்
சோகமில்லா அக்கினியே நகார ரூபந்
தூலமே அனுமானமாகும் பிண்ட
தேகமே புகையானால் புகையை ஈன்ற
தீக்காட்டம் அங்கென்றே தெரிந்து கொள்ளே
Furthermore the inductive reasoning available is something like concluding the reality of fire as the real cause of smoke that is seen. Now Pulattiya listen carefully! I will expand a bit on this . Inducting is going from the visible to the invisible but which is there as the cause of the visible. In this manner if you take the body as the smoke certainly there must be the FIRE as that hidden in wood as the REAL CAUSE of the bodily structure. This metaphysical fire stands there always as the mantra-type Nakaaram.
====================
He goes on to explicate further. But the above verses are enough to make some conclusions. He deals with TWO kinds of rituals-- the various kinds of acts of worship and that of scriptural studies. He sees the same kind of Logic in both.
Let us see what he says about the practical rituals.
The sariyai are the ritual praxis of the concrete type and are the rituals of those who cannot tear themselves away totally from worldly physical concerns and get ABSORBED into the realms of the Metaphysical . However the rituals they practice gives them an INTUITION of the metaphysical. The acts themselves through some kind IMPLICATION , an associated linkage initiates ENTRY into metaphysical. What they attain is Salookam-- being somehow at least for a few moments in the heavenly world of the gods.
However when they are better able to extricate themselves from the earthly and manage to get absorbed in the heavenly world and attach themselves to a Deity there , then begins Kiriyai , the recitation of mantras and so forth directed at a Deity or deities. The metaphysical world becomes something close by-- samiipiyam, something more intimate; something they understand better.
Then begins Yoga and the Alchemical where attempts are made to fuse with the Deity and for that reason dissociate themselves from the worldly concerns, at least during those moments of prayer. It is total ABSORPTION into Deity-form so that the deity within emerges to the fore and takes hold of the individual's Being in the world, begins to LIVE as the one who is that deity itself. This is something like Upamaanam, an Analogy, a similitude, trying to be something like the Deity one worships through imitatio and with that effect self-purification self -transformation etc. It is fusion into the image of the Deity worshipped that is Yoga, the self- transformations that results makes it also alchemical. For this reason it also called Saruuppiyam-- becoming the same as the Deity in Form.
The Jnaanam is said to be Yataarttam , a term not available in Indian Logic. However it is the Sayucciyam , the highest state that one can attain only through seeing TRUTH absolved of the mythical and metaphorical clothing. BEING is seen as it is itself and which is possible only through intense Metaphysical Thinking , the kind of thinking that seeks to UNDERSTAND BEING. Philosophical discourse becomes the main activity with prayer worship , the study of scriptures and so forth transcended; they are rituals internalized as the mental.
Most of the Hindus are trapped in the Sariyai and perhaps in the Kiriyai. A few here and there on Yoga but hardly any on Alchemical path i.e., worshipping intensively in order to bring about self transformation. Almost non existent is Njanam the philosophical, intensively reflective or meditative.
What can we do to rectify the situation?
Loganathan @ Ullaganar
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