You must judge for yourself if this is true or not.

It is said that each of the four ages has its own type of scripture to lead each individual to higher awareness if he has the aspiration. The tantric scriptures are regarded as ideal for the present Kali Yuga. In the Kularnava Tantra it states: "In the Satya Yuga the form of scripture is revelation (shruti). In the Treta Yuga, memorized scriptures (smriti) are to be followed. The scriptures of the Dwapara Yuga are the puranas (scriptures in the form of myths), while the agama (tantra) is the most suitable for the Kali Yuga."

Actually the scripture of the Satya Age does not lie in any book - it is the direct revela-tionary experience by the individual. Books would not be necessary whether in the Satya Yuga of the universe or the Satya Yuga of an individual's life - the point in one's life when one begins to tune in with higher spheres is the Satya Yuga for each of us. Under these conditions there is no need for any scriptures, there is no need to rely on other people's words, for one will have direct experience of the meaning of all scriptures for oneself. This is the meaning of shruti, the scripture of the age of truth.

In the Treta Yuga, people are said to be less able to comprehend, experience and appreciate the higher realms of knowledge and awareness. For this reason, it is necessary that the experiences of seers be written down as scriptures and remembered. This will act as guidance for any spiritual aspirant and people in general. The scriptures include all the scriptures that have been written down by every religion. In India, these type of scriptures are called smriti (remembered knowledge). They are secondhand knowledge as opposed to direct personal spiritual experience. These texts would include the Koran, the Bible, the Upanishads, the Dhammapada and many other traditional texts.

Thus tantra has fully realized that different periods of time require different methods of spiritual instruction and practice to attain enlightenment. Furthermore, the explanations and presentations of specific texts are suitable only for a particular era, after which the texts must be presented in another form. Of course, the final aim of cosmic realization is the same, but the techniques and concepts must be

taught in a way that is acceptable and most easily understood in the prevailing social rules and conditions. Tantra has never said that any of its texts is the final statement on spiritual life. It has always said that the texts are only suitable for a certain time, after which they become redundant. As far as we know, no other spiritual system has ever said this. The tantras realize that the attitudes of man and environmental conditions change with time. Therefore, they realize the obvious: that the instructions and methods in spiritual texts must also change. It is in this way that they will help man not hinder him. The means is different, but the aim is the same.

New tantric texts have arisen throughout the ages and new tantric texts will continue to appear as the present Kali Yuga proceeds. These texts will be recorded as seers have intuitional insights into the changing needs of man.

Unity of Shiva and Shakti In the following discussion we are specifically talking about the shakta and shaivite sects, with the emphasis on the shaktas.

Shiva represents the unmanifest and Shakti the manifest. Shiva is the formless and Shakti is the formed. Shiva is consciousness and Shakti is energy, not only in the cosmos as a whole, but in each and every individual. Shiva is the supreme consciousness pervading each indivi-dual and Shakti is the power that manifests the potential contained within the consciousness in different manifested centres within man and the universe. The roots of Shakti are in Shiva. Though one is manifested and the other unmanifested, they are in the ultimate sense one and the same. One is the principle of changelessness and the other is the principle of change. Shakti is change within changeless-ness and Shiva is changelessness as the root of change. This relationship seems contradictory in logical terms, yet the experience of perfect oneness and unity of the changeless and the changeable, the dissolution of duality, is the aim of tantra as well as yoga. There is ultimately no difference between Shiva and Shakti, but this is not realizable except in states of higher awareness. And this realization transforms life into a source of wonder and joy.

Everything that you see a round you, everything that is physical, psychic, mental or

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