Some time ago, I presided over the Pūrṇābhiṣēka ritual of a gentleman. While I have performed and witnessed several Homas, Navāvaraṇādi pūjā, etc. in the United States, this was the first time I ever heard of a Pūrṇadīkṣā ceremony and my curiosity peaked. So when they requested me to preside over as the Mahāsāmayika, I accepted. The lineage of this gentleman is from the Kaula Sampradāya and from Gujarat. His aged Guru, a radiant and accomplished gentleman with a compassionate and powerful presence, flew in from Gujarat along with his wife, who happens to be the kindest lady I have met in a long time. On account of his age, the actual dīkṣā was carried out by another disciple of the Guru. During the dīkṣā, there was no siddhānta-śravaṇa and this bothered me greatly. But as an outsider, I chose to remain silent.
After the dīkṣā, the elderly couple graced my home to discuss some of their own personal troubles and issues and when away from the crowd, the Guru confided that he was rather unhappy that dīkṣā lately had become a matter of symbolic ritual and even the cursory reading of the siddhānta had ceased. He lamented the current day trend where one is advised to ‘simply practice’ and not bother about anything else. One needs to carefully examine if the true practice is possible at all without śāstra-jñāna. It is very crucial to remind upāsakas that śrīvidyā is not “just recite mantra x, y z”.
Siddhānta śravaṇa during dīkṣā, though symbolic in the immediate context, indicates the need for the one acquiring dīkṣā to study the śāstra, understand the siddhānta and perform upāsanā aided by this knowledge. In the absence of this sequence, how can the upāsanā be skillful? These days, most upāsakas have little to no understanding of the philosophical basis of śrīkula, and those that do, especially in Southern India, seem to conflate it with Kēvalādvaita, Neo-Advaita, various Bhakti cults or even worse, other noxious new-age theories which have no basis in Tantra śāstra.
If one’s upāsanā it is not skillful, then it does not classify as an upāya. Rāmēśvara, while commenting on Paraśurāma Kalpasūtra, quotes Abhinavaguptapāda thus:
दीक्षया गलितेऽप्यन्तरज्ञाने पौरुषात्मनि |
धीगतस्यानिवृत्तत्वाद्विकल्पोऽपि हि संभवेत् ||
देहान्त एव मोक्षः स्यात् पौरुषाज्ञानहानितः |
बौद्धाज्ञाननिवृत्तौ तु विकल्पोन्मूलनात् ध्रुवम् |
तदैव मोक्ष इत्युक्तं धात्रा श्रीमन्निशाटने ||
Jñāna is of two kinds – Pauruṣa (svasvarūpātmaka) and Bauddha (related to tattvajñāna which is caramavr̥ttirūpaka). Corresponding to these two are Pauruṣa and Bauddha ajñāna. Pauruṣa ajñāna leads to one being unaware of the true nature of oneself. Bauddha ajñāna is intellectual in nature and leads to bheda-buddhi or a sense of duality. Dīkṣā destroys, further aided by upāsanā, only the Pauruṣa ajñāna. However, without śāstra-jñāna, Bauddha-mala cannot be destroyed. While Pauruṣa jñāna is attained through Dīkṣa (most often through dīkṣā combined with practice), Bauddha jñāna is attained only through the intellect which involves the study of the śāstras. Even the highest kind of grace or śaktipāta can only grant Pauruṣa jñāna. Let me add here that attaining Pauruṣa jñāna alone can result in liberation, but only after the mortal body is dropped. However, when Pauruṣa jñāna is combined with Bauddha jñāna, Jīvanmukti becomes possible.
Now, it is simply a matter of hypothesis that one with Pauruṣa jñāna can always attain mōkṣa after physical death. When analyzed practically, this seldom happens as Pauruṣa jñāna is subject to waning and can decrease and fade before the final step of nirvāṇa is accomplished. Only when accompanied by Bauddha jñāna can Pauruṣa jñāna stay firmly established. On account of this, though not capable of directly granting liberation, Bauddha jñāna is considered superior by several luminaries.
Hence comes this recommendation from Abhinavagupta: Find a master who has attained both Pauruṣa and Bauddha jñāna. If such a master is not to be found, find one with Bauddha jñāna for he will lead you to both Bauddha and Pauruṣa jñāna. On the other hand, one residing only in Pauruṣa jñāna, though a Siddha himself, may not be successful in leading his disciple towards Siddhi.
To summarize, the study of śāstra is not only important but is an absolute necessity.