1000 years ago, in Winter Solstice of 1015 A.D., the tremendously brilliant spiritual master, prolific writer and sheer cultural genius, Abhinavagupta, wrote for the last time. The influence and vast intellect of Abhinavagupta cannot be overstated: he is to South Asia what Plato or Aristotle is to Western civilization. As both a celebration and invocation of his stunning contributions and vision, here are some quotes of his:
Where all splendors are in the light
And all darknesses in the dark
Brilliant light and gloomy darkness!
I praise that transcendent supreme light.
Always new, hidden,
Yet old and apparent to all,
The Heart, the Ultimate
Shines alone with the brilliance of the Supreme.
~
For there is no practice for entering into and remaining in the pervading Bhairava (the Ultimate reality) who is without duality, as both entering and remaining are dependent on duality.
Therefore all the efforts made by teacher and students serve only to remove the inhibition caused by all the duality they imagine. It is for this reason that everything taught in (scriptures) is unfolded by supposing duality again and again.
~
Spiritual experience is what we call it when that Divine Reality which we long for spontaneously unfolds within, without a thought-process, suddenly subordinating who you thought you were--which turns out to be a mere reflection in the 'mirror' of your real nature--and continuously revealing ever greater degrees of its glory within the abundant purity of your sacred Heart.
~
Abhinavagupta, namo namah!
Here's a wonderful blog explaining the significance of Abhinavagupta - by public intellectual and scholar of Tantra, Dr. Christopher Wallis: http://www.tantrikstudies.org/blog/2015/12/20/who-was-abhinava-gupta