Yifu: > Sri Chakra drawn by Ramana Maharshi... > It has already been established that SBS was a Sri Vidya adherent and that he meditated on the bija mantra of Saraswati and worshipped the Sri Chakra.
It has also been established that the Sri Yantra came from Kashmere Tantrism, as described in Svetasvtara Upanisad. The Adi Shankaracharya installed a Sri Yantra at Karnataka, South India, contrary to statements made by EmptyBill. Go figure.. Asking the important questions: So, where did the Adi get the Sri Yantra and the Saraswati bija mantra? From his guru, Gaudapadacharya? It is a fact that Gauda's teacher, Govinda Bhagavadpada, passed down to Shankara the Sound Arya Lahari. It is also a fact that Gauda compiled the Mandukhya Karika, the earliest extent systematic treatise on Advaita Vedanta. It is well known that Gaudapda adopted the doctrine that ultimate reality is pure consciousness (vijnapti-mitra) and "that the nature of the world is the four-cornered negation". These are all Buddhist doctrines from Kashmere and the Swat Valley. Apparently Shankara visited the Sharada Peeth in Kashmir which is now in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. "When one steadily examines and clearly sees a rope, the fear that it is a serpent is destroyed." 'Vivekachuudaamani' by Adi Shankaracharya translated by Mohini M Chatterji v. 12 Mahayana Sutra Lankara by Asanga Maitreyanatha: "Pure consciousness is the only Reality. By its nature, it is Self-luminous." (XIII, 13). "Thus shaking off duality, he directly percieves the Absolute which is the unity underlying phenomena (dharmadatu)" (VI, 7 Sharma, p. 112-113). "Kashmir has been one of the most important centres for the spread and development of Buddhism." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Kashmir "The Sri Chakra (called the Shri Yantra) is the symbol of Hindu tantra, which is based on the Hindu philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism. The Sri Yantra is the object of devotion in Sri Vidya." Works cited: Sri Yantra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Yantra 'The Philosophical Traditions of India' by P.T. Raju Motilal Banarsidass, 1992 p. 177-178 'A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy' C. Sharma Motilal Banarsidass, 1997 p. 239
