if trikas really do believe God is never at rest (static) even when the universe is dissolved and that God needs to vibrate in some way (subtly or grossly) to recognize Himself, i disagree. energy is moving consciousness, but consciousness isnt inherently energetic. but maybe reading source texts would persuade me otherwise. probably not, because "it moves--yet it moves not" is in the isha upanishad and i take the isha upanishad as absolutely divine. and God is called unmoving in other places in the upanishads as well.

anyway, i think i see where the trikas are coming from. if God knowing Himself is the universe and this process of self-understanding (called vimarsa) involves spanda inherently, then why wouldnt God knowing Himself involve spanda when the universe ceases? a trika would presumably say, consciousness inherently manifests as spanda, like shiva manifesting as shakti, but you know, oh well. it moves not! to me spanda is less an inherent vibration of self-knowledge, the heartbeat of consciousness, and more the deliberate creative vibration that vibrates and thus contracts consciousness, creating apparent limitations and diversity. to me it is mahamaya Herself.

a synthesis between monism of the vedantins and the tantrics would be very useful here! must i become such an acharya? right now my ideas are so half-baked... who knows... maybe God will talk to me more...

also, doesnt movement imply time as well as causation?