Excerpt from the 10th chapter [Grace] from Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo. In this lecture, Swamiji explains the acts of Lord Shiva versa the actions of individuals – the will of god versa acting according to our ego.
(The text below is the transcript of the original audio and not the text of the book)
JOHN: This is the seventh lecture to be given by Swami Lakshmanjoo on December 22nd, at his ashram in Srinagar, Kashmir, 2:30 pm.
SWAMIJI: It is going on now?
JOHN: Yes.
SWAMIJI: Today I want to explain to you five great acts of Lord Shiva.
JOHN: The five great acts.
SWAMIJI: These five great acts are called:
1. srishti, creative act – srishti, first; 2. protective act – sthiti; 3. destructive act [– samhara]; 4. act of enfolding his nature . . .
JOHN: Concealment you mean?
SWAMIJI: Enfolding.
JOHN: Enfolding.
SWAMIJI: . . . and act of unfolding his nature, the fifth one [anugraha]. Do you understand?
JOHN: So enfolding of nature means to conceal his nature.
SWAMIJI: Conceal his nature.
JOHN: And unfolding means his grace, anugraha, to unfold himself.
SWAMIJI: Although these are functioned by individual soul also . . .
JOHN: Each act?
SWAMIJI: Each act.
. . . but this act is not called act, it is called action because this kind of act is dependent to the will of God, not to the will of individual being. Individual being does not act according to his will. He cannot. So he is dependent to the will of God, Lord Shiva. So this kind of act is called action, not act.
JOHN: In other words it is just a reaction in a sense.
SWAMIJI: A reaction?
JOHN: He doesn’t, the individual soul doesn’t . . .
SWAMIJI: . . . he acts but dependently.
JOHN: He depends on God. God acts thru him and he acts.
SWAMIJI: Yes.
JOHN: As a chain, in one of the members of a chain. And this means that a man really has no freedom of action?
SWAMIJI: No.
JOHN: Like the Gita says that there is no freedom.
SWAMIJI: No freedom.
JOHN: That everything is of the three gunas.
SWAMIJI: Yes. But on the contrary, when this is functioned by Lord Shiva there is no kind of dependence.
JOHN: He is free in functioning.
SWAMIJI: He is free in functioning. So this kind of action is called act. So there is difference between action and act. Action is attributed to individual soul and act is attributed to Lord Shiva.
JOHN: Only Lord Shiva. Only Lord Shiva acts.
SWAMIJI: Yes. Only Lord Shiva.
JOHN: What if . . . but then if man has no freedom, if all action is from Lord Shiva then he is responsible for his actions?
SWAMIJI: He is responsible for his actions. There is ego also.
JOHN: There is.
SWAMIJI: There is ego. Ego. He feels that he is acting himself.
JOHN: He feels, so that is the responsibility, when you feel you are acting yourself then you are responsible for your actions. If you feel that Lord Shiva is acting through you then you are not responsible.
But then you could do no wrong.
SWAMIJI: Then you can do no wrong.
JOHN: There is no right and wrong on that level then.
Continue next week with “How Lord Shiva creates masters and disciples in Kashmir Shaivism“…
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Source: Chapter 10 [Grace] Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme,
revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo
You can find out more about “GRACE ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH” in this 4-part online course consisting of an in-depth study of the concept of grace in Kashmir Shaivism with many audio examples of lectures given by Swami Lakshmanjoo to John and Denise Hughes. Together with George Barselaar, a close disciple of Swami Lakshmanjoo, they elaborate and discuss the subject of grace on the spiritual path.
All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.
