A clear and unique explanation of the much-discussed term “maya” (illusion) in the light of Kashmir Shaivism as Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals to us how we have become limited being.
This is an excerpt from Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara: The Essence of the Highest Reality.
View on YouTube or listen to the audio below…
PS DVD 1 (00:55:10)
मायापरिग्रहवशाद्
बोधो मलिनः पुमान् पशुर्भवति ।
काल-कला-नियतिवशाद्
रागाविद्यावशेन संबद्धः ॥१६॥
māyāparigrahavaśād
bodho malinaḥ pumān pa...
In this excerpt from the Essence of the Supreme Reality, Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara Swami Lakshmanjoo explains why in order to attain Moksha (Liberation) the starting point of the journey is the ending point.
PS DVD 3 (00:52:47)
मोक्षस्य नैव किंचिद्
धामास्ति, न चापिगमनमन्यत्र ।
अज्ञानग्रन्थिभिदा
स्वशक्त्यभिव्यक्तता मोक्षः ॥६०॥
mokṣasya naiva kiṁcid
dhāmāsti, na cāpi-gamanam-anyatra /
ajñāna-granthi-bhidā
sva-śakty-abhivyaktatā mokṣaḥ //60//
Actually, t...
In this important excerpt from The Magical Jewel of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism – Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa’s Stava Cintamani, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains why, in Kashmir Shaivism, māyā (illusion) is really svātantrya (freedom).
Audio 4 (45:26)
यस्याः प्राप्येत पर्यन्त-विशेषः कैर्मनोरथैः ।
मायामेकनिमेषेण मुष्णंस्तां पातु नः शिवः ॥७३॥
yasyāḥ prāpyeta paryanta-viśeṣaḥ kairmanorathaiḥ /
māyāmekanimeṣeṇa muṣṇaṁstāṁ pātu naḥ śivaḥ //73//
Let that Lord Śiva protect us (pātu naḥ śiva; na...
An excerpt from Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka, 8th Āhnika, about the highest point—bindu—and it’s meaning in Kashmir Shaivism. The contents of this blog post are copyright protect and may not be used without the written permission of the owner.
Painting by Claudia Dose, used with permission of the artist.
ūrdhve bindvāvṛitirdīptā
tatra padmaṁ śaśiprabham /
śāntyatītaḥ śivastatra
tacchaktyutsaṅgabhūṣitaḥ // 377 //
Ūrdhve bindvāvṛitirdīptā, above Sadāśiva, above the element of Sadāśiva there
...
In this excerpt from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals how to not be disturbed by your mind.
Chapter 12 (56:13)
मनसि स्वरसेन यत्र तत्र
प्रचरत्यप्यहमस्य गोचरेषु ।
प्रसृतोऽप्यविलोल एव युष्मत्-
परिचर्याचतुरः सदा भवेयम् ॥२५॥
manasi svarasena yatra tatra
pracaratyapyahamasya gocareṣu /
prasṛto’pyavilola eva yuṣmat-
paricaryācaturaḥ sadā bhaveyam //25//
There is one problem: I don’t want to control my mind because the mind is so swift, you canno...
In today’s excerpt, Swamiji explains the most important ingredient to meditation. This is from Tantraloka Chapter 11 verse 81, from the Archives of the Lakshmanjoo Academy, recorded by John Hughes. All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.
taduktaṁ varadena śrīsiddhayogīsvarīmate // 81 //
tena guptena guptāste śeṣā varṇāstviti sphuṭam /
This is why Bhagavan Bhairava, Lord Śiva, has explained in Mālinīvijaya tantra that when meditation, or any practice, is done without the development...
An interesting śāktopāya practice from the Vijnana Bhairava – How to make your mind rest in-between.
Dhāraṇā 45
वह्नेर्विषस्य मध्ये तु
चित्तं सुखमयं क्षिपेत् ।
केवलं वायुपूर्णं वा
स्मरानन्देन युज्यते ॥६८॥
vahnerviṣasya madhye tu
cittaṁ sukhamayaṁ kṣipet /
kevalaṁ vāyupūrṇaṁ vā
smarānandena yujyate // 68 //
Now He puts another process. It is śāktopāya.*
Make your mind rest between the energy of will and knowledge. Give your mind rest between the energy of will and knowledge (icch...
Swami Lakshmanjoo explains what “causes” grace in Kashmir Shaivism and what are the “signs” by which you can understand that grace is there.
This is an excerpt from Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka 13th anika, which we discussed during the online course “Grace on the Spiritual Path“.
vairāgyaṁ bhogavairasyaṁ
dharmaḥ ko’pi vivekitā /
satsaṅgaḥ parameśāna-
pūjādyabhyāsanityatā // 98 //
āpatprāptistannirīkṣā
dehe kiṁcicca lakṣaṇam /
śāstrasevā bhogasaṁgha-
pūrṇatā jñānamaiśvaram // 99 /...
In this excerpt from the Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization Swami Lakshmanjoo explains a śāktopāya technique for revealing the formation of the nature of Bhairava by means of Bhairavī (Bhairavī means, uninterrupted awareness). How to maintain uninterrupted awareness?
Dhāraṇā 2
Now next.
मरुतोऽन्तर्बहिर्वापि
वियद्युग्मानिवर्तनात् ।
भैरव्या भैरवस्येत्थं
भैरवि व्यज्यते वपुः ॥२५॥
maruto’ntarbahirvāpi
viyadyugmānuvartanāt /70
bhairavyā bhairavasyetthaṁ
bhairavi vyajyate v...
DVD 2.3 (28:32)
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।
सङ्गात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥६४॥
क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाट्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥६५॥
dhyāyato viṣayānpu...
![By producing some vision of pleasure, [the ego] gives rise [to the enemy] inside.](https://kajabi-storefronts-production.kajabi-cdn.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/file-uploads/blogs/2147511598/images/c012e71-4081-b534-5cfa-b4d8cd772821_enemy-inside_fb_cleanup.jpg)
In this excerpt from Chapter Three of the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism Swami Lakshmanjoo explains: Who is this enemy inside of our consciousness, how does it appear, and how does it rise? As those three questions of Arjuna are being answered by Lord Kṛṣṇa in this unique version of the Bhagavad Gita by Abhinavagupta.
Now Arjuna places his question for this.
DVD 3.2 (35:49)
भवत्येष कथं कृष्ण कथं चैव विवर्धते ।
किमात्मकः किमाचारस्तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः ॥३८॥
bhavatyeṣā kat...
An important excerpt from the fifth verse of the Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization by Swami Lakshmanjoo, reveals the reality of supreme consciousness-the essence of all Tantra
Image by Antonio López from Pixabay
This is the question of Devī.
परापरायाः सकलम्
अपरायाश्च वा पुनः ।
पराया यदि तद्वत्स्यात्
परत्वं तद्विरुध्यते ॥५॥
parāparāyāḥ sakalam
aparāyāśca vā punaḥ /
parāyā yadi tadvatsyāt
paratvaṁ tadvirudhyate // 5 //
There are three energies. In fact, these śa...
