8.6DHASA KARIAM :தசகாரியம் (THE TEN STEPS TO GOD WITHIN)

 In the journey of the soul towards the higher states ten stages occur. These stages are classified by the saiva-agama philosophers. Each stage has certain characters and from each stage with the help of the guru the soul progress to the complete union with the absolute.

Dhasa kariam is an important book in the pandara text series and as much as three pontiffs of thiruvavaduthurai have written a book each on the same topic.

1.TATHVA ROOPAM: in this stage the soul learns about the 36 tathvas of the world. The tathvas of the world are indhriya, thanmathra, nadis, vayus, boothas, the skin, suddha tathvas, vidhya thathvas, ahangara, sathva,sookumai,vak, manas……etc.  the soul learns about the thathva worlds and its genesis and nemesis. The soul senses  the  differences from this worldly tathvas.

2.THATHVA DHARSANAM:  The soul learns to dissociate from the tatvas . The gift of the knowledge it learns from this process is tathva darsanam.

3.THATHVA SUDDHI: From the complete separation from the worldly thathvas the soul becomes clean. This happens only by the divine grace.

4.ANMA ROOPAM: the soul learns itself as separate from the life experience and learns it is the consciousness  that matters.

5.ANMA DHARSANAM: It is through the divine grace the soul gets the consciousness and the actions. The soul learns the divine grace.

6.ANMA SUDDHI: The soul learns that it cannot do anything by itself. Hence it learns to stay  without actions  and joins itself with lord Siva’s actions.

7.SIVAROOPAM: The soul learns that it is completely under the control of the divine and it learns it through the guru. It also learns the divine grace is in its inside and act through him from within.

8.SIVA DHRSANAM: The soul loses its identity and possession completely merges with Siva

9.SIVA YOHAM: The soul learns that from within and without the divine Siva’s grace is controlling him. It loses all its mala influence. It is  completely  submerged into the grace of Siva

10.SIVA BOHAM: The soul has lost itself altogether. It ceases to exist. It is one and one with the union in the bliss of the Siva.

The initial stage of the dhasakariam the person is introduces to the wordly knowledge. Then the person is taught about ht mind. Then he is taken further into the depths of the mind where he learns the deeper dynamics of the psychic functions. He gets control over the defence mechanisms and clears the maladaptive ones. Then he matures himself into a person with absolute insight into himself. When he knows that his self is with siva he is merges with it.

These stages are by and large analoguos to the classical psycho-dynamic psychotherapy. Such eastern methods are now used by western psychotherapy scholars also.[i]-[ii]

 

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[i] Depth psychology states that psyche is a process that is partly conscious and partly unconscious and partly semi-conscious. The unconscious in turn contains repressed experiences and other personal-level issues in its "upper" layers and "transpersonal" (e.g. collective, non-I, archetypal) forces in its depths. The semi-conscious contains or is, an aware pattern of personality, including everything in a spectrum from individual vanity to the personality of the workplace.The psyche spontaneously generates mythico-religious symbolism or themes, and is therefore spiritual or metaphysical, as well as instinctive, in nature. An implication of this is that the choice of whether to be a spiritual person may be beyond the individual, whether and how we apply it, including to nonspiritual aspirations.All minds, all lives, are ultimately embedded in some sort of myth-making in the form of themes or patterns. Mythology is therefore not a series of old explanations for natural events, but rather the richness and wonder of humanity played out in a symbolical, thematic, and patterned storytelling.Most psychodynamic approaches are centered around the concept that some maladaptive functioning is in play, and that this maladaption is, at least in part, unconscious. The presumed maladaption develops early in life and eventually causes dissonance in day to day life. Psychodynamic therapies focus on revealing and resolving these unconscious conflicts that are driving their symptoms. The psychodynamic therapist first intervenes to treat the discomfort associated with the poorly formed function, then helps the client acknowledge the existence of the maladaption, while working with the client to develop strategies for change. Major techniques used by psychodynamic therapists include free association, recognizing resistance and transference, working through painful memories and difficult issues, catharsis, and building a strong therapeutic alliance.Although psychodynamic psychotherapy can take many forms, commonalities include:An emphasis on the centrality of intrapsychic and unconscious conflicts, and their relation to development.Seeing defenses as developing in internal psychic structures in order to avoid unpleasant consequences of conflict.

Brenner, Charles (1954). An Elementary Textbook of Psychoanalysis.

Elliott, Anthony (2002). Psychoanalytic Theory: An Introduction, Second Edition, Duke University Press.
An introduction that explains psychoanalytic theory with interpretations of major theorists.

Fine, Reuben (1990). The History of Psychoanalysis. New Expanded Edition. Northvale: Jason Aronson. ISBN 0-8264-0452-9

[ii]  Metapsychiatry:At once eclectic and unique in its entirety, borrowing as it does from Judeo-Christian, Zen Buddhist, and Taoist religious traditions, along with theistic existentialist philosophy and phenomenology, it is characterized and perhaps distinguished by its unusually clear and precise definitions of psychological terms and conditions, and what it calls “spiritual reality.”Its iconoclastic style and world-view originate with its assertion that “the meaning and purpose of life are to come to know reality.” It defines Reality as the underlying benevolent intentionality of the universe; also as “God” or “Love-Intelligence” or “Infinite Mind.”To assist individuals in the process of discovering this essential characteristic of the nature of life, and, given its emphasis on knowing rather than merely believing (it calls itself “an epistemological method of truth realization”), Metapsychiatry offers what it labels “the two intelligent questions” as the principal tools by which truth can be sought and realized:What is the meaning of what seems to be? Or What is the meaning of my experience? (known in philosophy as the phenomenological question)What is what really is? (known in philosophy as the ontological question)The first of these questions is intended to help the student recognize and understand the discordant values held in consciousness that are responsible for one’s problems in life. It is based on the notion, of ancient provenance, that experiences in life are not random occurrences, but emanate from the values cherished in consciousness. It directs seekers to identify and scrutinize their secretly held world views and “mode of being-in- the-world” to assess their existential legitimacy.

When there is acknowledgement of and regret for attachment to troublesome values, the second question redirects attention toward existentially valid values the appreciation of which leads to harmony with reality. The qualities of peace, assurance, gratitude and love  are cited as indicating when that state of blissful equanimity has been attained, and are used as criteria by which to evaluate the viability of possible courses of action.Criticisms of Metapsychiatry tend to focus on its attribution of what it calls “existentially invalid thoughts” as the sole source of all problems in life, basing that assessment on one of its categorical principles that states that “Nothing comes into experience uninvited.” It is also questioned about its sometimes condescending tone, as in “Compassion is understanding the lack of understanding” or in “Do what you must do until you know what you must know.” Further, it is sometimes indicted for failing to acknowledge its debt or similarity to Christian Science, Transcendentalism and New Thought teachings. http://www.pagl.org/foundation.html