The Ferocious Consciousness: Spirit Subjugation and the Dissolution of Otherness in the Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra
This essay investigates the text Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra, examining a philosophical tension: “How does a tantra so deeply embedded in ritual coercion reconcile itself with the language of liberation?” The analysis of this issue is conducted through the central deity, Krodha Bhairava, interpreted as Ferocious Consciousness—an expression of Consciousness that subjugates not only spirits but also the fundamental structure of ‘otherness’ within awareness. An examination of the key practices described in the text, viewed through the lens of Trika doctrine, suggests that an effort is made to establish non-contradiction to non-dual liberation through the fierce realisation of Consciousness.