Shakti Rising: Embracing Shadow and Light on the Goddess Path to Wholeness

196 Pages·2017·3 MB·English

by  Kavitha M. Chinnaiyan, Greg Goode

“Shakti Rising exposes in a deep way the practices of the Mahavidyas as an
ensemble to arouse and balance the energy of the Shakti in us. Kavitha
Chinnaiyan underlines the constant cosmic play of the ten goddesses as if they
were dancing in our unconscious, to unify and bring out the balance between
light and darkness. This guide of self-discovery, based on a profound
comprehension of yoga, Advaita, and tantra, is also very practical, and the
exercises proposed are efficient. The images of the Mahavidyas will make the
primal energy of the Shakti shine and manifest in front of your eyes. The reading
itself is a sadhana. A precious book!”
—Daniel Odier, author of Tantric Kali, Tantric Quest, and Desire: The
Tantric Path to Awakening “Kavitha Chinnaiyan is a gifted and insightful
scholar-practitioner. Her book is original, practical, and rooted in her deep
understanding of the yoga and tantric traditions. Kavitha brings new wisdom to
the mystery of the Mahavidyas, the feminine energies of transformation. Highly
recommended.”
—Sally Kempton, author of Awakening Shakti
“A remarkable journey along a path whose pavestones are the ten
Mahavidyas, the creative forces of existence that are energetic doorways to
either suffering or freedom. Read Shakti Rising in order to understand how the
swirling energies of life have meaning for you, how you may transform their
shadow qualities into light qualities, and how to go beyond and see that what
you truly are is awareness itself. You will emerge from this reading as you
unwittingly entered: free and joyous.”
—Jerry Katz, editor of One: Essential Writings on Nonduality, and founder
of www.nonduality.org “Finally, and just in time, we are waking up to the vital
need to honor the deep feminine. Kavitha’s wise writing on the great wisdom
goddesses shows how to respect and understand the feminine powers of life that
have been maligned and suppressed for so long. Her timely book is the perfect
interweaving of goddess awareness within a structure of practices that deepen
wisdom and help us to live a fuller, deeper life, embracing feminine
consciousness through the ten great wisdom goddesses. Read this book, and
awaken to the power of the feminine resurgence in your life.”
—Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, author of Yoni Shakti
“With the charming combination of personal insights gained through ardent
spiritual practice, research, and study, Kavitha brings the Mahavidyas to life,
where they become portals to inner beauty, joy, and fulfillment. I recommend
Shakti Rising highly.”
—Shri Param Eswaran, father of ParaTan Inner Sakthi Yoga, and founder
of the Mahavidya Temple in Tamil Nadu, India, and Mahavidya Inner Health in
Seremban, Malaysia “This book is filled with marvelous paradoxes—it unites
both progressive and direct spiritual paths, and although rooted in rich and
arcane Vedic imagery, it remains perfectly accessible and simple to apply.
Above all, Kavitha has somehow captured the quintessence of a timeless wisdom
and brought it down from the mountaintops for us all to learn from. I bow to
both the author and the teaching.”
—Richard Rudd, author of Gene Keys, and founder of www.genekeys.com
“With the deft use of everyday examples that all readers can relate to, and an
engaging, conversational writing style, Kavitha Chinnaiyan brings the
Mahavidyas down from their lofty mystical perches so that they may tease our
imaginations, sport with us, inspire us, and eventually lead us from the shadows
to the light. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever wished to delve
deeper into the subject, and of course, for anyone seeking to access and unlock
the divine energy that resides within all of us.”
—Roopa Pai, author of the award-winning The Gita: For Children “Shakti
Rising is my favorite kind of book. In our overly busy, twenty-first-century
lifestyles, many of us ‘seekers’ find ourselves with more desire than time to
explore topics that pique our interest. Through her extensive breadth of
knowledge, practice, and experience, Kavitha distills the Mahavidyas in an
extremely digestible way for those of us who might fantasize about becoming
renunciates, but have unavoidable things like jobs, families, bills, and
responsibilities to tend to, to create a useful work we can integrate into daily
spiritual practice and inquiry.”
—Elizabeth DiAlto, author of Untame Yourself, and host of the Untame the
Wild Soul podcast “In Shakti Rising, Kavitha Chinnaiyan presents an in-depth
look at the Mahavidyas, ten aspects of the divine mother. Although there are a
few books in English out there on this subject, she gives a deeper meaning to
each goddess, which has helped me gain more clarity on their aspects. I really
liked the practical meditations, creating a deeper and personal connection to the
dark and light side of the goddess. I look forward to using this book with my
students.”
—Mavis Gewant, sacred artist
Publisher’s Note This publication is designed to provide accurate and
authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with
the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological,
financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling
is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2017 by Kavitha Chinnaiyan
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup; Interior illustrations by Jane Adams; Acquired
by Catharine Meyers; Edited by Gretel Hakanson All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Chinnaiyan, Kavitha M., author.
Title: Shakti rising : embracing shadow and light on the goddess path to wholeness / Kavitha M. Chinnaiyan ; foreword by Greg
Goode.
Description: Oakland, CA : NonDuality, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017015521 (print) | LCCN 2017037951 (ebook) | ISBN 9781626259119 (PDF e-book) | ISBN 9781626259126
(ePub) | ISBN 9781626259102 (paperback) Subjects: LCSH: ?Sakti (Hindu deity) | Shaktism. | Mind and body. | BISAC: BODY,
MIND & SPIRIT / Spirituality Divine Mother, The Goddess, Quan Yin. | SELF-HELP Spiritual. | RELIGION Hinduism Theology. |
BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Inspiration & Personal Growth.
Classification: LCC BL1225.S18 (ebook) | LCC BL1225.S18 C45 2017 (print) |
DDC 294.5/2114--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017015521
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017015521
Contents
FOREWORD V
1. THE HIDDEN PATH 1
2. THE PATH OF THE DIVINE FEMININE 13
3. KALI 27
4. TARA 47
5. TRIPURA SUNDARI 65
6. BHUVANESHWARI 85
7. TRIPURA BHAIRAVI 103
8. CHINNAMASTA 121
9. DHUMAVATI 141
10. BAGALAMUKHI 159
11. MATANGI 179
12. KAMALATMIKA 199
13. THE DYNAMIC SHAKTI IN OUR LIFE 217
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 227
RESOURCES 229
NOTES 233
GLOSSARY OF SANSKRIT TERMS 237
BIBLIOGRAPHY 245
Foreword
In Shakti Rising, Kavitha Chinnaiyan presents something new—a path that
combines the fierce beauty of the divine feminine with the radical clarity of non-
dual investigation. It’s a natural combination, because many people find non-
duality by itself to be rather distant and masculine.
Kavitha calls this the path of the Mahavidyas. Its primary influences are
tantra and non-dual self-inquiry, but it also includes elements from traditional
Vedanta, Yoga, and Kashmir Shaivism.
What are the Mahavidyas? According to tantric philosophy, the Mahavidyas
are ten aspects of the divine feminine that manifest as distinct cosmic
personalities or wisdom goddesses. Each Mahavidya has different character
attributes and different ways of guiding us to liberation. The Mahavidyas can be
seen as creative forces, devotional deities, psychological metaphors, guides to
our deep inner work—or better yet, all of the above.
Since there are ten Mahavidyas, the question may arise, “Which one do I
work with?” The answer itself feels liberating, and Kavitha presents it in
fascinating detail. In short, all of the Mahavidyas have something to teach us.
They teach us to love ourselves and work with the hidden parts that might be
holding us back from freedom.
A Mahavidya is a complex persona and a ray of divine light. She has a
certain look, which may or may not be pleasant. She also has a strong,
uncompromising personality. Her psychophysical and energetic attributes serve
as her teaching tools. And each Mahavidya is so detailed and complex that most
students can find something to relate to. For example, Kali is shocking and
scary, yet she also teaches us the ways of nonviolence. Tripura Sundari looks
beautiful and enchanting, yet she teaches us how to realize freedom from
attachment. Dhumavati appears uncouth and filthy, yet she teaches us the
reflective path to Self-knowledge. And there are seven more! We are not
obligated to work with just one Mahavidya. The path of the Mahavidyas is a
matter of “both/and,” not “either/or.” The path is as varied as the richness of our
own personality.
As I mentioned above, this path involves both tantra and non-dual inquiry.
Each of these spiritual activities contributes a unique element not found in the
other. For example, tantra encourages us to see all of phenomenality as divine.
Everything is worthy of our spiritual attention, not just the things that irritate us
right now.
When we add tantra to non-dual inquiry, we open up vast new areas for
investigation, such as the energy currents in our body and the painful,
unacknowledged parts of our personality. These phenomena may not be seen
when we use non-dual inquiry on its own. Because tantra helps us work with the
deeper facets of our personality, we become less prone to spiritual bypassing. All
in all, tantra provides a healthy, holistic new terrain within which we can do our
inquiry.
On the other hand, non-dual inquiry brings something helpful to tantra.
Inquiry can help reduce our sense of separation from aspects of the world, body,
and mind. With less felt separation, we find our hearts and minds to be more
open. We become less likely to see the Mahavidyas as separate from us.
Non-dual inquiry also gives us greater freedom to engage tantra in a way not
limited by literal interpretation. We’re able to understand the Mahavidyas in new
ways that go beyond their official verbal descriptions. This freedom from
literalism is crucial, because tantra requires us to see things in terms of other
things. For example, in chapter 1, Kavitha says, “In tantra, we see everything in
existence as a manifestation of Shakti and learn to see her beauty even in her
most depraved or heinous forms.”
The ability to see beauty in heinous forms requires a generous kind of
nonliteral seeing. It requires flexibility and creativity. These qualities emerge
from non-dual inquiry, which includes inquiry into language, meaning, and truth.
The path of the Mahavidyas is an auspicious blend of powerful spiritual
methods. Tantra brings depth and excitement to the mix. Non-dual inquiry
brings clarity and flexibility to the mix. I recommended the path highly.
—GREG GOODE