परमार्थसार (महामाहेश्वर अभिनवगुप्त - त्रिक-दर्शन, अद्वैत शैव साधना एवं सान्वय सटीक)

6 Paramārthasāra of Abhinavagupta
attainable through other paths like those of Buddhists, Jains, Vaiṣ-
ṇavas and Vedāntins was taken by them as a thinner bondage of
various types. Most of such states of animation were recognized
by them as different sub-states of life in its sleeping state called
suṣupti. The path of such Śaiva teachers is the path of Siddhas or
perfect saints. The methods of sādhanā advocated by them are
Tāntric in character. Such methods are very often quick and
unfailing in results and yield absolute unity, tasteful through the
blissfulness of the absolute, infinite and ever playful divine poten-
cy realized as one's own basic nature. The goal of the life prescri-
bed by these Śaivas is the recognition and direct realization of
absolute Godhead as one's own basic nature. It is called Pratya-
bhijñā and can be attained even while one is yet living in a mortal
form. These Śaiva philosophers did not prescribe any hard austeri-
ties for the purification of the self, nor did they advocate any
torturing practices in Haṭhayoga. The suppression of emotions
and instincts, forcible control of mind and starvation of senses and
organs have been taken by them as harmful. They advocate some
such easy and spontaneous practices in Tantric yoga through which
a practitioner realizes intuitively his pure and divine nature and
recognizes finally himself as none other than the Almighty God
having playfully taken up the role of a bonded soul. Besides, they
taught a monistic philosophy establishing theistic absolutism.
Their view has always been pantheistic in character but they
advocate absolutism as well and thus their philosophy is different
from the pantheism of the West which does not see God as an
absolute reality, lying beyond all phenomena. Their practical path
of theology brought about a compromise between the household
religion and spiritual sādhanā, so that both went on harmoniously.
Their sādhanā was a beautiful combination of jñāna (knowledge)
yoga and bhakti. Unlike Vaiṣṇavas, their bhakti did not aim only
at a union between God and soul, but also such a perfect unity
where God is felt as one's real self by a devotee and where He is
seen by him as all phenomena. That is the difference between
union and unity. Union is a lower state of spiritual progress and
perfect unity is its final state.
The Śaivas of Kashmir did not form any special religious sect,
as did the Vīraśaivas of Karnāṭaka. They did not at all disturb
the traditional religion taught By Smṛtis. They advised to follow
one's religion and to practise Śaivayoga, side by side. They did