What Reincarnates in the Non-Dual Trika Philosophy of Kashmir Śaivism

Abstract

Reincarnation is a central feature of the Indian religious landscape, yet the question of what actually continues from one life to another can be surprisingly vague. In the non-dual Trika philosophy of Kashmir Śaivism, the answer is considerably more nuanced than either the migration of an eternal soul or the complete denial of personal continuity. Drawing primarily upon Abhinavagupta's Tantrāloka and Utpaladeva's Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā, together with Mark S. G. Dyczkowski's translations and studies of the Trika tradition, this article brings these sources together within a single, focused account of what continues from one life to another. It argues that the tradition distinguishes between the ultimate identity of all beings as Śiva and the conventional continuity of the finite subject (jīva). Rebirth is mediated through the "city of eight" (puryaṣṭaka), the subtle body that carries karmic impressions, latent dispositions, and limited individuality beyond the death of the physical body. This framework explains how karmic continuity is preserved without requiring the permanent transmigration of an independent soul-substance. The paper further argues that initiation (dīkṣā) is not peripheral to this account. In the Tantrāloka, dīkṣā is one of the principal mechanisms through which karmic bondage is altered, purified, or rendered non-binding, and through which the post-mortem destiny of the finite subject is transformed. Rebirth therefore cannot be understood only as the automatic continuation of karmic traces through the subtle body. It must also be understood in relation to the initiatory processes by which the jīva’s connection to karma and the puryaṣṭaka is ritually and spiritually reconfigured. By presenting these ideas in an accessible form while remaining grounded in the primary sources, the article seeks to clarify one of the most frequently misunderstood aspects of non-dual Trika thought.