Philosophical & Practical Aspects of Kasmira Saivism
Study of Trika Thought & Practice

By Moti Lal Pandit
ISBN: 9788121512329
November 2012
Munshiram
Distributed by Coronet Books
227pages
$59.50 Hardcover

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The philosophical thought of Trika Saivism of Kashmir adumbrates a new dawn in the religious as well as philosophical history of India. It is so rich in its metaphysical thought as to be universal on account of it being open-minded and synthetic. It recognizes the validity of philosophical thought of every school to the extent that the truth is apprehended and recognized. It is because of this synthetic approach that Trika Saivism has successfully wedded realism with idealism. It is idealistic to the extent that it maintains that the world is nothing but the emanation of consciousness. It is realistic to the measure that it concludes that the emanation of the objective world is real.

It rejects the Vedantic view of the Absolute as being mere light of consciousness. Instead, it speaks of the Absolute as being both the light of consciousness as well as cognitive self-awareness. It is on the basis of this philosophical thought that the Trika thinkers have equated the Absolute with absolute Freedom. Thus, the Absolute of the Trika is not an inactive or impersonal principle, but it is as active as the God of theism. It is an absolutism that has theistic orientation characterized by Freedom. Above all, it gave birth to a new school of philosophy, namely, the Pratyabhijna School.

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