In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism Swami Lakshmanjoo elaborates on the question “What gives you liberation and what gives you enjoyment of the world”.
DVD 3.1 (26:07)
सहयज्ञाः प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापतिः ।
अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥१०॥
sahayajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā purovāca prajāpatiḥ /
anena prasaviṣyadhvameṣa vo‘stviṣṭakāmadhuk //10//
Prajāpati means Brahmā. It is translated by all commentators of the Bhagavad Gī...
In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, chapter 16, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains that there are two kinds of glories in Kashmir Shaivism:
“Now, Lord Śiva (Lord Kṛṣṇa) says that there are two kinds of glories: one is divine glory, one is not divine glory. Divine glory shines in those who are blessed and the symptoms of divine glory are what He says now.”
Chapter 16
DVD 16 (00:01)
अभयः सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः ।
दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्याय...
This is Swami Lakshmanjoo’s translation of chapter 6, verses 21 to 24, of Abhinavagupta’s commentary of the Bhagavad Gita explaining the stages of mind and the joy of an appeased mind in Kashmir Shaivism.
In the summer of 1987 Swami Lakshmanjoo 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 e...
In this excerpt from his book Kashmir Shaivism – The Secret Supreme, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the Seven States of the Seven Perceivers (pramātṛis), and their respective energies (pramātṛi śaktis), a subject unique to Kashmir Shaivism.
Chapter Eight
The Seven States of the Seven Perceivers (Pramātṛin)
Now, let us discuss the seven states of the seven pramātṛins (perceivers) and their importance. The first state is called sakala. The sakala state is that state where perception takes place i...
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 pum...
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//
...
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 prote
...
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...
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 ...
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...
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-
pūrn...
