Shakti is the sustainer of the universe, the power of consciousness. Shakti is everywhere, she has billions of forms. She is dynamic, the movement and force behind every aspect of nature – sometimes active, sometimes dormant, but potentially existent within all. Shakti is the force of life and without her nothing exists. At different times she is found either searching for her lord or in union with him.
Shakti is the means by which we can raise our consciousness to the higher levels of awareness; she alone can take us to the gate of pure consciousness. Therefore it is the aim of human life to awaken her, to develop her power. When we begin to feel her current, we must always flow with her and not against her, for she is pure, loving and wise. She purifies and uplifts the heart and mind of those aspirants who seek her. Her need to serve is everlasting, and even Shiva, the lord of lords, doesn’t care to live without her.
When Shakti awakens she travels through many worlds in order to merge with her beloved. On her journey she sees all the deepest aspects of nature, the colours of the coloured, the felicity of happiness, the sorrow of sadness, the flight of inspiration, the difficulty of realisation, the battles between good and evil, perfection and imperfection. After much coming and going Shakti begins to feel an intense longing to reach her beloved’s chamber and no longer desires to wander around in her own nature.
Little by little as she exhausts her need to experience, she begins to reach the higher levels of her being where everything is more expansive. Then her need and desire to unite with her lord become so great that she goes faster and faster in order to meet him. As soon as she joins her beloved, the purpose of her power is fulfilled, her wandering nature is consumed by cosmic consciousness and she becomes whole.
The wisdom aspect of Shakti leads us to this higher path. If we can develop this shakti power within us, it will be the glory of our life. When Shakti comes to us with her gifts of love, wisdom and understanding, a new dimension unfolds within us. Shakti gives us the power to awaken in full. Pray to her, dream of her darshan. Meanwhile continue to work until she comes in the form of wisdom and shows the way to die and live again.
~ Swami Gyanashakti Saraswati
