This is a beautiful devotional excerpt from Chapter 1 of the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo, highlighting the need to achieve God in the activity of the universe, not by shunning it.
“So, you should find out the way to achieve God in the activity of the universe, not by shunning it. This is Shaivism. The real way of perceiving You is to perceive You in each and every action of life.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
शिवो भूत्वा यजेतेति भक्तो भूत्वेति कथ्यते ।
...
In this excerpt from the Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening, Swamiji explains the 6th sloka. “Now, in the next sūtra, the author explains how, by the intensity of meditation (parāmarśa), the external state of dualistic consciousness is absorbed in non-dualistic consciousness.”…
“By establishing and meditating on the wheel of energies, the differentiated universe comes to an end.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
This verse from the Svacchanda Tantra appears in Kṣemarāja’s commentary on the last verse (109) of chapter nine. Similar in meaning is this verse #108 from The Magical Jewel of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism – Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa’s Stava Cintāmaṇī (scroll down).
Listen to the audio (Kashmiri) by Swami Lakshmanjoo explaining the verse below and/or read the English translation below…
iti | ca evārthe, bhāvitātmaiva prayuñjītetyarthaḥ | pāṭalikī
saṅgatiradūra eva —-
“kālāgnirnarakāścaiva...
In this excerpt, from the weekly Sangha, Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, Swamiji gives a unique and new explanation of a well-known verse from the Bhagavad Gita, calling for moderation in using the senses. Here, in this amendment of the verse, he explains how to put the Trick of Yoga in all Activities of your Life. The recording includes questions and answers and further discussion of the subject.
You are welcome to join us for the free weekly Sangha, Bhagavad Gita in the Light ...
This is an instruction to The Manual for Self Realization, 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava, and how to approach it, by Swami Lakshmanjoo.
Vijñāna Bhairava is one chapter in Rudrayāmala Tantra. And another chapter in Rudrayāmala Tantra is Parātriṁśikā. This chapter1 is from the Bhairava point of view. These are not Rudra śāstras nor Śiva śāstras.2 These are Bhairava śāstras–monistic, pure monistic.
You already know there are three upāyas, three means. One is superior, the other is mediu...
Here Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals that bondage and liberation are not separate from the reality of Lord Śiva. And why this theory of Shaivism is misunderstood.
Bondage and Liberation are not separate from the reality of Lord Shiva. ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
एतौ बनधविमोक्षौ च परमेशस्वरूपतः ।
न भिद्येते न भेदो हि तत्त्वतः परमेश्वरे ॥१४
etau bandha-vimokṣau ca parameśa-svarūpataḥ /
na bhidyete na bhedo hi tattvataḥ parameśvare // 14 //
But in fact these two cycles of bondage ...
Swamiji explains why:
“Yogis understand that it is only a trick, there is no time.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
This is the 12th and 13th verse of the Bodhapañcadaśikā by Abhinavagupta, who wrote the [15 Verses of Wisdom] for ‘those dear devotees who are not intellectually inclined”.
तत्प्रासादरसादेव गुर्वागमत एव वा ।
शास्त्राद्वा परमेशस्य यस्मात्कस्मादुपागतम् ॥१२
tat-prāsāda-rasādeva gurvāgamata eva vā /
śāstrādvā parameśasya yasmāt kasmad-upāgatam // 12 //
Tat prāsāda, now ...
A central theme of the philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism is the highly esoteric principle known as spanda which means vibrationless/vibration or established stable movement. In Shaivism there are two texts that deal specifically with the spanda principal. The Spanda Karika (precise philosophical statements) on the Spanda theory and the Spanda Sandoha (exposition) of the spanda principle.
The theory of spanda was hidden in the body of the Tantras and was extracted by Vasugupta and given to us in th...
Swamiji explains to us how and why Lord Shiva disconnects Himself from His energy and yet is never disconnected from it at the same time.
This is from the Bodhapañcadaśikā by Abhinavagupta, who wrote the “15 verses of wisdom” for ‘those dear devotees who are not intellectually inclined”.
This part starts with verses 6 - 8.
एष देवोऽनया देव्या नित्यं क्रीडारसोत्सुकः ।
विचित्रान् सृष्टिसंहारान् विधत्ते युगपद्विभुः ॥६
eṣa devo’nayā devyā nityaṁ krīḍāras-otsukaḥ /
vici...
Swami Lakshmanjoo explains what is initiation and what is its most important feature. This excerpt is from the book, Kashmir Shaivism The Secret Supreme by Swami Lakshmanjoo, Chapter Twelve.
The Fivefold Contacts of Masters and Disciples
In this universe from time immemorial, the initiation of masters has taken place from Lord Śiva up to the mortal beings. This contact of the master with the disciple takes place in five different ways. The highest contact of the master with the disciple is c...
“Triple awareness carries one to God Consciousness!” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Shiva Sutras 3.35
35. mohapratisaṁhatastu karmātmā //
The yogī whose God consciousness is destroyed by this state of illusion
is dependen...
In this excerpt from the Manual for Self Realization: 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, Dharana 28, verse 51, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals how "one is born anew in days, not in months." His advice is one of the major practices of Kashmir Shaivism.
Dhāraṇā 28
यथा तथा यत्र तत्र
द्वादशान्ते मनः क्षिपेत् ।
प्रतिक्षणं क्षीणवृत्ते-
र्वैलक्षण्यं दिनैर्भवेत् ॥५१॥
yathā tathā yatra tatra
dvādaśānte manaḥ kṣipet /
pratikṣaṇaṁ kṣīṇavṛtter-
vailakṣaṇyaṁ dinairb...
