Religion
Mysticism
has remained a very potent factor in the spiritual
journey of people in Kashmir. Mysticism connotes
direct personal communion with the divine, devoid of
intellectual intervention. This experience though
not based on reason or earthly knowledge is achieved
through self-discipline, inward purity and 'effort'.
The 'effort' in the spiritual sense could be what we
call as 'Yoga'. Or in Indian tradition as 'Tantra'.
Tantra refers to actual spiritual practices which
open the gates of perception to divine reality
within and around us. Kashmir has throughout the
ages remained a great seat of Tantra practices.
Mysticism
being beyond religious denominations also attracted
adherents from Islam. They usually called themselves
as Sufis (or Rishis in Kashmir). On coming to
Kashmir, they found congenial atmosphere for these
practices and also established liaison with the
local mystics.
Since
mystic experiences do not lend themselves to
description through common language or empirical
knowledge, the adherents of this genre found their
own way of expression through poetry with its own
symbols and images. This is the reason that we have
had a lot of Sufi or mystic poets in Kashmir, both
Hindus and Muslims. No doubt Lalla Ded comes at the
top of this pack, but many like Nund Reshi, Shamas
Faqir, P.mp3anand, Wahab Khar, Swachha Kral, Krishen
Joo Razdan, Master Zinda Kaul, Ahad Zargar are but a
few of them.
The
Tantra practiced in Kashmir had strong links if not
basis in Kashmir Shaivism - most of it to Shakti
(the manifest divine). Thus worship of Shakti in the
f.mp3 of Devi is also connected with tantric
practices. The awakening of Kundalini i.e. the
Shakti factor in each person through its various
stages (from Muladhar to Sahastradal) has been part
of the Tantra folklore. The famous Kashmiri works
Panchastavi and Samudralahiri are in praise of Maa
Shakti but at the same time alluding to the rise of
Kundalini Shakti in the devotee. (Although the
authorship of Samudralahiri is attributed to Adi
Shankara on his visit to Kashmir, but it is not
conclusively proved.)
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