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...
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...
“Triple awareness carries one to God Consciousness!” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Shiva Sutras 3.35
35. mohapratisamhatastu karmatma //
The yogi whose God consciousness is destroyed...
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 Siva (Lord Krsna) 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 सततवसंशुदधिरजञानयोगवयवसथितिः ।
दानं दमशच यजञशच सवाध...
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...
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...
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)
मायापरिगरहवशाद
बोधो मलिनः पुमान पशुरभवति ।
काल-कला-नियतिवशाद
रागाविदयावशेन संबदधः ॥॥
maya...
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, maya (illusion) is really svatantrya (freedom).
Audio 4 (45:26)
यसयाः परापयेत परयनत-विशेषः कैरमनोरथैः ।
मायामेकनिमेषेण मुषणंसतां पातु नः शिवः ॥॥
yasyah prapyeta paryanta-visesah kairmanorathaih /
mayamekanimesena musnamstam patu nah sivah //73//
Let that Lord Siva protect us (pa...
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 ...
DVD 2.3 (28:32)
धयायतो विषयानपुंसः सङगसतेषूपजायते ।
सङगातसंजायते कामः कामातकरोधोऽभिजायते ॥॥
करोधादभवति संमोहः संमोहातसमृतिविभरमः ।
समृतिभरंशाटबुदधिनाशो बुदधिनाशातपरणशयति ॥॥
dhyayato visayanpumsah san...
Kashmir Shaivism is so rich and detailed in its theology and soteriology that it has been aptly described as “the mystical geography of awareness.”
It includes a highly developed system of spirituality that emphasizes not only the intellectual understanding of its philosophy but also the direct realization, the direct experience, of its truth.
For the Kashmir Shaiva, the very nature of truth, its defining characteristic, is that it is both limited and unlimited, atomic and...
“The light of Consciousness is not only pure Consciousness”, and Swami Lakshmanjoo explains why this is so in this excerpt from the book Self Realization in Kashmir Shaivism, The Oral Teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo. This is from Chapter Three; Entrance into the Supreme Reality.
This is a good book to understand some of the basics of Kashmir Shaivism, as well as learn about Swami Lakshmanjoo’s life.
Swami Lakshmanjoo teaching in Kashmir (sitting on the right side of...
