Action: The Fifth Shakti

This fall we’re diving into Tantric Yoga philosophy as applied to modern life. Even if you’re not a “yoga person” you may find that this philosophy has something to offer… come along for the ride. Five weeks ago we started our discussion of the five shaktis - innate powers we all have. We continue this week.

“If you don’t come home dirty, you didn’t have a good day” 

- my ten year old son reflecting on what makes a good day at school.

He implies a very active approach to education.  My son isn’t sitting motionless in a boring classroom.  He’s knee deep in mud in the forest, up to his elbows in water in the science lab, shaking his groove thing in dance classes, and creating a complete society in humanities.  The children in his school are not sitting idly by as adults pour knowledge into their heads.  They are active participants in learning.  Most days he does come home sweaty, dirty, and smelling of something I can’t identify.

Kriya Shakti

This is Kriya Shakti - the power of action.

Kriya Shakti takes hopes, dreams, intentions, desires and all the knowledge accumulated over lifetimes and makes the whole world.  Literally.

Everything in existence exists because life has the power to act.  Life creates, blossoms forth, and dies away.  Life acts on impulse and conditions to continue living.   And on a human level, the power of action created the pyramids, the mars rover, your favorite song, the best meal you ever ate, and every single other object or experience you’ve ever touched.

Action is an incredible Shakti… 

Dreams becomes visible because you act upon them  (Iccha Shakti)

Knowledge takes form because of your power to act on it.  (Jñana Shakti)

At the same time, action is a great responsibility.  In the face of fear or danger there are moments when action is required.  There are times when we’d rather not show up.  There are times when inaction is more socially acceptable or just more comfortable.  There are dreams or desires that feel too big, too audacious to even consider acting on.  In all of these times and in so many more, your power to take action is the one you need to draw upon.

Tantra isn’t Passive

Non-Dual Shiava Tantra NST isn’t a yoga of submission.  It’s not a yoga of simply receiving the world and leaving it be.  NST is a yoga of co-creation with the Shaktis.  Tantra invites wild, free, expressive, use of your great power.  To act upon your joy (Ananda) or your awareness (Cit) is to embody your powers.   Kriya Shakti how you do that.  It’s an invitation to expand all the other powers and your physicality to the limit.  To find out what’s worth it in your life and to take it as far as you dare.  Shakti implores you to dare to go far.

Tantra encourages: You’re in one body, with your unique desires and knowledge… Do Something.

Your Actions to take

Remember this isn’t about Western ideals of productivity, consumption, achievement, or earning the trophy.  Not unless your Shakti truly moves in that way.  This is about taking action in the way that feels guided by your insights, joy, desire and knowledge, by your interior powers. Your expression of Kriya Shakti, like all the other Shaktis, will be most life-affirming when it comes from your deep soul, not from outside forces.

So, if the action you want to take is to write songs and sing them until you become the next Taylor Swift or Beyoncé then please do that. The world needs you.

But, it can be so simple.  Tending your garden, walking a child home from school, speaking beautiful words to a pained friend, knitting an incredible sweater, cooking a nourishing meal - all are expressions of your Kriya Shakti.

The Action not the Outcome

Remember too that Kriya Shakti is action taken for action’s sake.  It’s not taken for the outcome, it’s taken just to take it.  If your heart longs to sing then it does’t matter if you become Beyoncé.  If you value making nourishing food, then it doesn’t matter if everyone at the table likes it.  The point isn’t the outcome, it’s the action.  

Kriya shakti doesn’t guarantee results.  As a human, that could be frustrating unless you see it as part of a bigger unfolding process.  You always get a result from your action, it just might not be the one you want.  So if you don’t like what happened then you get to lean back into your Shaktis and try again.  Maybe you find out that your intention, your iccha, wasn’t as clear as you thought so you refine it.  Maybe you discover that you need more information so you use jñana shakti to learn.   And then, kriya shakti appears again. You act again and again.  

Expand, Expand, Expand

Tantra is often translated to mean something about expansion - a technology of expansion.  When you fully engage your Shaktis, that’s exactly what happens.   No part of you can remain small when you wield your innate powers.   If you really go for it, you’ll come home dirty like my son.  Exhausted but satisfied.  Used up but full-hearted.  I bet there’ll be a sparkle in your eyes. 

You have the innumerable Shaktis of the entire Universe: ACT ON THEM.

(Have you enjoyed the Shaktis? Next week explore WHY we don’t always know we have the Shaktis… and after that we’ll get into the ways that they become veiled in our lives..I hope you’re having fun, I am)