Vira - Shivaismus
Der Vira - Shivaismus ist eine Schule des Shakti-Vishista-Advaita, die vom südindischen Brahmanen Shri Basavanna (1105-1167) gegründet wurde.
Die Vira('Heldenhaft') - Shivaiten sind auch als Sivasharanas und Lingayats('Träger des Linga') bekannt. Alle Mitglieder tragen ständig einen Linga in einem Anhänger um den Hals, der so die Seele mit der Allgegenwart Shivas verbinden soll. Die Lingayat - Bewegung rebellierte gegen das brahmanische Kastensystem der sozialen Ungleichheit und der Ausstoßung von Menschen als verschmutzt(Harijans).
Sie wiesen die Autorität der Veden, die Kastenhierarchie, das vedantische System der vier Ashrams, eine Vielheit von Göttern, die rituellen (und selbstverherrlichende) Priesterschaft, Tieropfer, karmische Knechtschaft, die Existenz der inneren Welten, Dualität von Gott und Seele, Tempeldienst und die Tradition der rituellen Reinheit-Verschmutzung zurück.
Basavanna
Nach der Vira Saiva - Tradition war Basavanna ein reflektierender und trotziger Jugendlicher, der viel von dem zu seiner Zeit praktizieretn Shivaismus ablehnte. Er zerriss im Alter von 16 seine heilige Schnur(yajnopavita) und floh nach Sangama in Karnataka, wo er Unterstützung von Ishanya Guru, a shivaistischen Brahmanen der Kalamukha Sekte erhielt. Unter ihm studierte er im Klostertempel für 12 Jahre und verehrte Shiva als Gott Kudalasangama('Gott der sich treffenden Flüsse')."
At age 28 erlangte er die Einsicht, daß die personalisierte Gottheit in Form des Ishtalinga ("gewählter oder persönlicher Linga") die Menschheit verbrüdere und der menschliche Körper der Tempel Gottes sein solle und daher in einem zustand der Reinheit und Erhabenheit zu halten sei.
Er zog nach Bijjala in Mangalavede und wurde und stieg zum Amtsleiter der königlichen Schatzkammer auf, wodurch er seine religiöse Botschaft verbreiten konnte.
Basavanna heiratete zwei Frauen und übernahm das Dharma eines Haushaltsvorstandes zur Bestärkung seiner Lehre, das nicht nur Entsagende ein heiliges Leben führen können.
Er gab für 20 Jahre abends Diskurse(Sivanubhava Mandapa), in denen er die Kastenhierarchie, magische Praktiken, Astrologie, und Tempelbau denunzierte, bedrängt von wachsenden Massen von Zuhörern, denen er riet, rational zu denken und Shiva als den Gott in sich zu verehren. Mit 48 zog er zu König Bijjala nach Kalyana, wo er zusammen mit Allama Prabhu 14 Jahre verbrachte.
opposition
Through the years, opposition to his egalitarian community grew strong among more conventional citizens. Tensions came to a head in 1167 when a brahmin and shudra, both Lingayats, married. Outraged citizens appealed to King Bijjala, who took ruthless action and executed them both.
The unstable political situation further disintegrated, and the King was shortly thereafter murdered by political opponents or possibly by Lingayat radicals. Riots erupted and the Lingayats were scattered far and wide. Basavanna, feeling his mission in the capital had come to an end, left for Sangama, and shortly thereafter died, at the age of 62. Leaders and followers transferred the institutional resources created in the urban Kalyana to the rural villages of Karnataka.
In spite of persecution, successful spiritual leadership left a legacy of sainthood, including many women saints. If Basavanna was the faith's intellectual and social architect, Allama Prabhu was its austerely mystical powerhouse.
The doctrines of these two founders are contained in their Vachanas, or prose lyrics. Vira Saiva spiritual authority derives from the life and writings of these two knowers of Siva and of numerous other Sivasharanas, "those surrendered to God." Roughly 450 writers of these scriptures have been identified.
The Vachanas, "what is said," scorn the Vedas, mock ritual, and reject the legends of Gods and Goddesses. The authors of these verses saw formal religions as the "establishment," static institutions that promise man security and predictability, whereas they knew that religion must be dynamic, spontaneous, freed of bargains extracted in exchange for salvation.
These scriptures reject "doing good" so one may go to heaven. Allama wrote, "Feed the poor, tell the truth, make water places for the thirsty and build tanks for a town. You may go to heaven after death, but you'll be nowhere near the truth of our Lord. And the man who knows our Lord, he gets no results."
The Vachanas are incandescent poetry, full of humor, ridicule and the white heat of Truth-seeking, bristling with monotheism, commanding devotees to enter the awesome realm of personal spirituality. These poems, written in the Kannada language, are central in the religious life of Lingayats. Here are some samples.
Ganachara wrote, "They say I have been born, but I have no birth, Lord! They say I have died, but I have no death, O Lord!" Basavanna exclaimed, "Lord, the brahmin priest does not act as he speaks. How is that? He goes one way, while the official code goes the other!" Allama Prabhu said, "Then, when there was neither beginning nor nonbeginning, when there was no conceit or arrogance, when there was neither peace nor peacelessness, when there was neither nothingness nor nonnothingness, when everything remained uncreated and raw, you, Guheshvara, were alone, all by yourself, present yet absent."
Ironically, in the centuries following these days of reform, Vira Saivism gradually reabsorbed much of what Basavanna had rejected.
Thus emerged temple worship, certain traditions of ritual purity, giving gifts to gurus, and the stratification of society, headed up by two large hierarchical orders of jangamas-resulting in the institutionalization of the crucial guru-disciple relationship, which by Vira Saiva precept should be very personal. Efforts were made to derive Vira Saiva theology from traditional Hindu scriptures such as Agamas and Sutras-a need rejected by the early sharanas.
To this day, by rejecting the Vedas, Lingayats continue to put themselves outside the fold of mainstream Hinduism, but in their acceptance of certain Saiva Agamas, align themselves with the other Saiva sects. Vira Saivites generally regard their faith as a distinct and independent religion.
The original ideals, however, remain embedded in Lingayat scripture, which is of three types: 1) the Vachanas, 2) historical narratives and biographies in verse and 3) specialized works on doctrine and theology. Among the most central texts are Basavanna's Vachanas, Allama Prabhu's Mantra Gopya, Chennabasavanna's Karana Hasuge, and the collected work called Shunya Sampadane. The monistic-theistic doctrine of Vira Saivism is called Shakti Vishishtadvaita-a version of qualified nondualism which accepts both difference and nondifference between soul and God, like rays are to the sun. In brief, Siva and the cosmic force, or existence, are one ("Siva are you; you shall return to Siva"). Yet, Siva is beyond His creation, which is real, not illusory. God is both efficient and material cause. The soul in its liberated state attains undifferentiated union with Siva. The Vira Saiva saint Renukacharya said, "Like water placed in water, fire in fire, the soul that becomes mingled in the Supreme Brahman is not seen as distinct." True union and identity of Siva (Linga) and soul (anga) is life's goal, described as shunya, or nothingness, which is not an empty void. One merges with Siva by shatsthala, a progressive six-stage path of devotion and surrender: bhakti (devotion), mahesha (selfless service), prasada (earnestly seeking Siva's grace), pranalinga (experience of all as Siva), sharana (egoless refuge in Siva), and aikya (oneness with Siva). Each phase brings the seeker closer, until soul and God are fused in a final state of perpetual Siva consciousness, as rivers merging in the ocean. Vira Saivism's means of attainment depends on the panchachara (five codes of conduct) and ashtavarana (eight shields) to protect the body as the abode of the Lord.
The five codes are Lingachara (daily worship of the Sivalinga), sadachara (attention to vocation and duty), Sivachara (acknowledging Siva as the one God and equality among members), bhrityachara (humility towards all creatures) and ganachara (defense of the community and its tenets). The eight shields are guru, Linga, jangama (wandering monk), paduka (water from bathing the Linga or guru's feet), prasada (sacred offering), vibhuti (holy ash), rudraksha (holy beads) and mantra (Namah Sivaya). One enters the Vira Saiva religion through formal initiation called Linga Diksha, a rite for both boys and girls which replaces the sacred thread ceremony and enjoins the devotee to worship the personal Sivalinga daily.
Lingayats place great emphasis on this life, on equality of all members (regardless of caste, education, sex, etc.), on intense social involvement and service to the community. Their faith stresses free will, affirms a purposeful world and avows a pure monotheism. Today Vira Saivism is a vibrant faith, particularly strong in its religious homeland of Karnataka, South-Central India. Roughly forty millionpeople live here, of which perhaps 25% are members of the Vira Saiva religion. There is hardly a village in the state without a jangama and a matha (monastery). On the occasion of birth in a Lingayat family, the child is entered into the faith that same day by a visiting jangama, who bestows a small Sivalinga encased in a pendant tied to a thread. This same Linga is to be worn throughout life.[1]
Lehren
Die Anhänger des Hauptstromes des Vira Shivaismus lehnen die Autorität der Veden ab. Die Saiva Agamas, die Zitate(vachanas) erleuchteter Meister der Bewegung und einiger bekannter Shivaistischer Heiliger anderer Gruppen sind die Basis der lehren des Vira Shivaismusses.
- Basavanna's Hauptwerke
- Allmma Prabhu's Mantra Gopya
- Chennabasavanna's Karana Hasuge
- Shivagna Prasadi Mahadevayya's Shunya Sampadane
- Singiraja's Singirajapurana,
- Mallanarya's Veerasaivamrita, Bhavachintaratna and Satyendra Cholakathe,
- Lakkana Dandesa's Shivatatwa Chintamani,
- Chamarasa's Prabhulinga Leele,
- Jakkanarya's Nurondushthala.
- Bhimakavi's Basavapurana.
- Tontada Siddesvara's Shatsthalajnanamrita
- Virakta Tontadarya's Siddhesvarapurana
- Nijagunashivayogi's Sivayogapradipika und Vivekacintamani.
- Virabhadraraja's fünf Satakas
- Sarvajnamurti's Sarvajnapadagalu.