In the Vijñāna Bhairava, Bhairava sets out one hundred and twelve techniques of spiritual practice to be used by an aspirant eager to realize the divine universal reality. In this excerpt, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains practice on the thirty-six elements (tattvas).
This is Dhāraṇā 31, verse 54, of the one hundred and twelve techniques from the Manual for Self Realization: 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra.
Dhāraṇā 31
स्वदेहे जगतो वापि
सूक्ष्मसूक्ष्मतराणि च ।
तत्त्वानि यान्ति नि...
Abhinavagupta’s Bhairava Stotra is a unique hymn that is a part of the Sacred Verses for Sunday Puja. Swamiji revered these verses, as he did all of the works of Abhinavagupta. He would request his devotees to recite the Bhairava Stotra regularly, and it was always recited at the end of any major spiritual function at his ashram in Kashmir.
These verses encapsulate the entire philosophy and experience of Kashmir Shaivism, so we wanted to share them with everyone, as they are very uplifting, esp...
In the summer of 1987, Swamiji began compiling important verses from the various scriptures he had studied throughout his life. Each Sunday he would distribute one or two slokas to devotees, at the same time giving, in brief, their essential meaning. In all Swamiji revealed a total of eighty-five verses. The following year Swamiji traveled to Nepal where he spent a month with the Hughes family recording his revelation on those verses in the “Special Verses on Practice“.
When asked about the sou...
In his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Abhinavagupta shared a important verse he wrote about the supreme Goddess – Para Devi in Kashmir Shaivism, where he explained… Who is the supreme Devi and where does she exist?
Devī Stotra
Tathā ca mayaiva śivaśaktyavinābhāva stotre [Bhagavad Gita, chapter 15, comm. verse 19]. I, [Abhinavagupta], have also somewhere in the Śiva Śakti Avinābhāva Stotra, I have penned down ślokas for Devī.
Who is Devī?
JOHN: Svātantrya śakti.
SWAMIJI: Sv...
In this lecture from the Manual for Self Realization: 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, verses 24, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the correct way of meditation on breath with “so‘ham” mantra.
Dhāraṇā 1
श्रीभैरव उवाच
ऊर्ध्वे प्राणो ह्यधो जीवो
विसर्गात्मा परोच्चरेत् ।
उत्पत्तिद्वितयस्थाने,
भरणाद्भरिता स्थितिः ॥२४॥
śrī bhairava uvāca
ūrdhve prāṇo hyadho jīvo
visargātmā paroccaret /
utpattidvitayasthāne,
bharaṇādbharītā sthitiḥ // 24 //
Ūrdhve is from upwards, movement f...
In this excerpt, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals “Why Lord Shiva has created this universe, which is Shakti, His supreme energy?”
This lecture is from the Bodhapañcadaśikā [15 verses of wisdom], verse 5.
Bodhapañcadaśikā [15 verses of wisdom]
तस्यैवैषा परा देवी स्वरूपामर्शनोत्सुका ।
पूर्णत्वं सर्वभावेषु यस्या नाल्पं नचाधिकम् ॥५
tasyaivaiṣā parā devī svarūp-āmarśanotsukā /
pūrṇatvaṁ sarva-bhāveṣu yasya nālpaṁ na cādhikam // 5 //
Tasyaiva parā devī, this collective sta...
Swami Lakshmanjoo was very fond of the verses of Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, especially the 13th chapter, and often requested his devotees to sing these sacred hymns. Below is a brief translation revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo of the 13th Chapter. The complete audio/transcription of the Hymns to Shiva, Songs of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali is available with free downloadable audio. Listen to an excerpt from the 13th Chapter (verse 1-4) and read the transcript along...
From the book Kashmir Shaivism, The Secret Supreme, chapter 16, The Seven States of Turya.
“Between the three states of the individual subjective body, waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, there is a gap.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
The Seven States of Turya
The practical theory of the seven states of turya, also known as the seven states of ānanda (bliss), which I will now explain to you, was taught to the great Śaivite philosopher Abhinavagupta by his master Śaṁbhunātha.
Turya
Between the thr...
This is an extract from a video of Alice Christensen (Mother Alice) and Swami Lakshmanjoo discussing the correct and incorrect rise and awakening of Kundalini in Kashmir Shaivism.
Alice Christensen: Swamiji, there is so much discussion in the United States about kuṇḍalinī and the power of kuṇḍalinī, can you give us some of your personal insight and experiences on this mysterious subject. You must know a lot about it, and we’d really like to hear a little of the truth of the matter.
Sw...
Swami Lakshmanjoo explains a śāktopāya154 practice of supreme awareness of voidness, where one enters in the transcendental void state of Śiva.
This excerpt is from The Manual for Self Realization, 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava (verse 39), by Swami Lakshmanjoo.
Dhāraṇā 16
Now, he will explain another way of process which is āṇavopāya and sentenced to śāmbhavopāya. That is the thirty-ninth śloka.
प्रणवादिसमुच्चारात्
प्लुतान्ते शून्यभावनात् ।
शून्यया परया शक्त्या
शून्यतामेति भैरवि...
Swamiji reveals what is the real essence of mantra in Kashmir Shaivism, and how mantras are one with Mother (Kundalini), who is one with Lord Shiva, and how to awaken the divine mother.
3. vidyāśarīrasattā mantrarahasyam //
The secret essence of mant
...This is a lecture that explains the Aghora Mantra in detail. In the summer of 1989, John Hughes received a letter from Swami Lakshmanjoo writing to him about the Aghora Mantra and its importance, after having the darshan of Svachanda Bhairava. In the following excerpt from the Weekly Sangha, you will learn more about this mantra and its significance for Kashmir Shaivism and your own practice, and the whole world.
This is the first part in a two-part series. In part two we go deeper into what is...
