Saturday, March 28, 2009
Preface--The Radiance Sutras
Preface--The Radiance Sutras--Lorin Roche
One day
The Goddess sang to her lover Bhairava,
Beloved and radiant Lord of the space before birth,
Revealer of essence,
Slayer of the ignorance that binds us,
You, who in play have created this universe
and permeated all forms in it with never-ending truth.
I have been wondering . . .
I have been listening to the songs of creation,
I have heard the sacred sutras being sung,
and yet still I am curious.
What is this delight-filled universe
into which we find ourselves born?
What is this mysterious awareness
shimmering everywhere within it?
What are these instinctive energies
that undulate through our bodies,
moving us into action?
And this "matter" out of which our forms are made -
What are these dancing particles of condensed radiance,
Are they an illusionists' projection?
What is this power we call Life,
appearing as the play of flesh and breath?
How may I know this mystery
and enter it more deeply?
Beloved, my attention is ensnared
by a myriad of forms,
the innumerable individual entities everywhere.
Lead me into the wholeness
beyond all these parts.
You, who hold the mysteries in your hand -
of will, knowledge and action,
Reveal to me the path of illumined knowing.
Lead me into joyous union
with the life of the universe.
Teach me that I may know it fully,
realize it deeply,
and breathe in the truth of it.
The above is the first verse in the new translation of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra by Lorin Roche. As he explains on his web site, this sutra (teaching) "is a description of the vibratory intelligence that is guiding us at every moment of our lives. This text is loving –-a rare thing in the universe of yoga texts. The teaching emerges from the lovemaking of the Goddess and the God within our hearts."
Another interpretation might be that it presents the love between our deepest selves and the Supreme Being who is the source and continuing reality of the universe and all within it. In other words, Kundalini itself --as the ultimate vibratory consciousness. This then is the "Beloved Within," that which we encounter when the Kundalini energies enliven our bodies.
He also states: "This little book is the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, one of the early teachings on yoga and meditation. The name, loosely translated, means 'The terror and joy of realizing oneness with the Soul.' It is said to date back to the second millennium B.C. For most of that time, it was purely in the oral tradition, meaning that it was chanted and memorized. I say it is little because it is only about three thousand words in the original Sanskrit, perhaps half an hour of chanting. It is astonishing that in so few words it describes the essence of many of the world's meditation techniques. I call it The Radiance Sutras because it is so luminous."
See his site for more information on this and related topics:
