In Remembrance and Appreciation

by Charles Crenshaw


I remember moving from my early studies of Buddhism to the teachings of Dr. Usharbudh Arya (Swami Veda, for those too new to know that relationship) and Swami Rama. But the truth is I never made my way from anyplace to anyplace else. Here is what I mean, and it’s fascinating.

Long before I ever heard of a swami, I read a book called Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Now, before you stop reading and tell me this has nothing to do with the Himalayan Tradition, stay with me. There is a section in that book called Centering that contains some of the most fascinating and confounding statements I had ever encountered. I sensed they were filled with profound meaning, yet at the time they were completely beyond my understanding.

One of them read:

"With utmost devotion, center on the two junctions of breath and know the Knower..."

Wait for it! I imagine many of you would assume these words came from Swami Veda, since he often said things like this in his lectures. I certainly heard them from him. But they are far older than what I am relating. They come from the Vijnana Bhairava, of which Centering is a rendering.

Swami Rama taught us that the essence of our tradition is Sri Vidya. It can also be said that the philosophical roots of our tradition lie in Kashmir Shaivism. I was first introduced to Kashmir Shaivism in graduate school through the study of the Shiva Sutras—a text on which Swami Veda later taught portions of during retreats. Both the Shiva Sutras and the Vijnana Bhairava repeatedly referred to another work: the Tantrāloka. I assumed it must be an important text to study.

Later, while my wife and I were helping Swami Veda in his kutir at Sadhana Mandir Trust, I noticed several volumes of the Tantrāloka in his library. Much to my disappointment, the English title on the cover gave no hint that the text itself was, for the most part, in Sanskrit—or at least that is how I remember the episode.

So how does all of this relate to what Swami Veda taught us?

Take another careful look through Mantra and Meditation, by Swami Veda, you will find his description of three initiations. As I later discovered through my study of Kashmir Shaivite texts such as the Siva Sutras and the Vijnana Bhairava, he had been introducing us to foundational principles found in the Tantrāloka from the very beginning.

In Swami Veda's presentation, Śāmbhavopāya represents the highest initiation, Śāktopāya the intermediate, and Āṇavopāya the initiation for beginners.

Simply stated, the highest initiation, Śāmbhavopāya, recognizes that nothing exists outside the range of foundational consciousness—the all-pervading Reality. This is not something a novice can easily grasp or experience, but it becomes accessible to one who is prepared. As an aside, this ‘may’ correspond to samaya, the "I am with you" aspect of Sri Vidya.

The intermediate initiation, Śāktopāya, centers on a deep understanding of mantra, a cornerstone of our training in the tradition of Swami Rama and Swami Veda. This may be comparable to the miśra aspect of Sri Vidya.

The beginning level, Āṇavopāya, comparable to Sri Vidya’s kaula, concerns itself with manas (the sensory mind), buddhi (the discriminating mind), and ahaṃkāra (the "I-maker," or ego). Through breath awareness, mantra, and disciplined practice, these become the means by which we move toward our goal. Admittedly, this is a significant oversimplification, and I may be stretching some of these comparisons. Even so, I find the parallels fascinating.

All of this is to say that, if you didn't realize you were being introduced to Kashmir Shaivism and our tradition's connection to it, now you do.

And now, coming full circle back to Buddhism.

In Buddhism there is the concept of śūnyatā (emptiness, or the void), a theme that also appears in the Vijnana Bhairava, among other texts. The interconnections are fascinating, and I deeply appreciate that Swami Veda—though I didn't recognize it at the time—was quietly introducing me to these teachings during my formative years in the tradition.

I have always been especially fond of a verse I first encountered in Centering (aka the Vijnana Bhairava). I often quote one line from it, shown in bold below:

Since, in truth, bondage and freedom are relative, these words are only for those terrified of the universe. This universe is a reflection of minds. As you see many suns reflected in water from one sun, so see bondage and liberation.

"This universe is a reflection of minds."

That single line has stayed with me all these years.



 

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