In 1990, while commenting on Abhinavagupta’s rendering of the Bhagavad Gita, Swami Lakshmanjoo made a statement regarding initiation. At that time he was asked how will people be initiated after he was gone from this world? "Through viewing this!" he replied, and he pointed at the camera.
It is well known that the great masters of Kashmir Shaivism were not restricted to their bodies. Like the masters before him, Swamiji was a Universal Being existing everywhere, free from any limitation...
In this excerpt from Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains what Malas (Impurities) really are in Kashmir Shaivism.
“This mala is very subtle. . . . Mala is neither formless nor with form.
It is just ignorance . . . It doesn’t allow knowledge to function, knowledge is stopped. Mala is absence of knowledge. Mala is not something substantial.
So this absence of knowledge takes place only by ignorance, and that...
Chapter Seven
The Three Impurities
Malas
In our Saiva system, there are three males or impurities. These malas reside in maya. They do not reside in svatantrya sakti. Even though svatantrya sakti and maya are one, yet they are different in the sense that svatantrya sakti is that state of energy which can produce the power of going down and coming up again, both at will, whereas maya will only give you the strength of going down and not the ability of rising up again. Once you have come down,...
“Lord Shiva is the essence of all beings, His existence is nature, everybody’s nature. Lord Shiva is found in the absence of Lord Shiva also.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
This is a continuation of blog posts on the Bodhapañcadaśikā by Abhinavagupta, who wrote the [15 verses of wisdom] for ‘those dear devotees who are not intellectually inclined”. In this final part Swamiji is explaining the 15th and 16th, which are the ending verses.
इतथमिचछाकलाज...
“This is my new commentary on this Bhagavad Gita.” Swami Lakshmanjoo exclaims as he tells us what we should do when eating and while experiencing sabda (sound), sparsa (touch), rupa (form) . . . all of the sensual pleasures.
In sensual pleasures, what should you do?
DVD 6.2 (23:22)
Chapter 6, verse 18
युकताहारविहारसय युकतचेषटसय करमसु ।
युकतसवपनावबोधसय योगो भवति दुःखहा ॥॥
yuktaharaviharasya yuktacestasya karmasu /
yuktasvapnavabodhasya yogo...
In this unique lecture about “The Sixfold Path of the Universe,” Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the most important points for entering into Kashmir Shaivism.
The combination of all of these six adhvans (paths), the three objective adhvans and the three subjective adhvans is called ṣaḍadhvan, the six fold adhvans (The Sixfold Path of the Universe). This is the explanation of this whole universe, both subjective and objective.
This excerpt is from the book Kashmir Shaivism, The...
In this excerpt, Swami Lakshmanjoo exposes to us his trick and secret of Kashmir Shaivism, where “He [Krishna/Lord Shiva] puts forth the reality of His being in each and every object of this world”. This is from the 9th chapter verses 5-7 of the Weekly Sangha – Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism. The Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism is available as online course or as hardcover and softcover book and ebook in our store.
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In this excerpt from The Magical Jewel of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism – Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa’s Stava Cintamani, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the traditional Gayatri mantra very differently.
Stava cintāmaṇi is the work of Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa. Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa is one of the most important Shaivite masters. He was one century elder to Abhinavagupta.
In this blog excerpt from the Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the definition of our Self in three ways. He says “There is a difference in these three explanations of the Self…
In the first awakening, in the first sūtra of the first awakening, is the definition of your own Self. And in the second awakening, in this first sūtra of the second awakening also he has defined the reality of the Self. And in third also he explains the reality of the...
Abhinavagupta tells us that there is a war going on between our senses. In the senses there is joy, and joy fights with sadness, sadness fights with joy. In this excerpt, we will learn what a yogi must do in this internal battle.
This video snippet is part one of the Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, as composed by the renowned 10th-century CE philosopher/saint Abhinavagupta. There are eighteen sangraha slokas, which are based on Abhinavagupta’s illuminating and original commentary, known...
This talk on shaktipata [grace] was given by Swamiji in July 1978 on Shankarpal Rock, in Dachigam Forest, near the village of Harvan (just a few miles from Swamiji’s Ashram). This is also known as Shiva Rock, where the Sacred Shiva Sutras were revealed to Vasugupta, in the 8th century, AD.
Here, Swamiji explains grace in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism. To learn more about this subject check out our webinar “Grace on the Spiritual Path” which is extensively...
