Suppose you suddenly think “I am a fool”. Letters have come together to form words, the words have formed a sentence, the sentence has meaning, and the meaning creates an effect. When that thought crosses your mind, you feel pain. Suppose you think “I am beautiful”. You feel happiness.
The sages of Kashmir Shaivism said that the power that gives rise to all these letters and words is called matrkasakti, the power inherent in the alphabets. The Sanskrit word matrika means “letters”. Matrkasakti is a form of the universal consciousness, and it is this power that is responsible for all the agitation of the mind.
One who understands the play of matrkasakti knows that when his mind is agitated, it is not he who is agitated but that the turbulence is merely the play of matrka.
He identifies himself with the inner observer, the witness of the agitation, and simply watches the endless activities of matrka. He makes his mind steady and turns bad thoughts into good. With the help of the awakened kundalini, his mind turns within and becomes still. And then the Self reveals itself to him.