Prolegomena to my study of Abhinavagupta and Advaya Kashmir S?aivism book 1 identity and participation (Abhima?na and Sa?dhana?) /

by 1977- Miller, Bryan Temples

This work is the prolegomena to my study of Abhinavagupta and Non-dual (Advaya) Kashmir ?aivism. In this work, I will be introducing and discussing four themes of AKS studies: history, cosmology, perception, and ritual. The first chapter deals with the historical identity of AKS through a discussion of its roots and one of its primary proponents, the founder of the Trika school, Abhinavagupta. The second chapter discusses identity from a metaphysical and cosmological point of view. This chapter looks at the event of self-identification as synonymous with the event of liberation; that is, the identity that is sought is identity of oneself qua Bhairava. The third chapter, a brief treatise on perception, acts as the conjunctive factor in the relation of participation and identity. Finally, the fourth Chapter consists of what a number of scholars have said about ritual practice in ?aivism, and specifically what the Trika gurus have said, specifically Abhinava’s views on ritual (Kriy?).