Here Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals that bondage and liberation are not separate from the reality of Lord Siva. And why this theory of Shaivism is misunderstood.
Bondage and Liberation are not separate from the reality of Lord Shiva. ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
एतौ बनधविमोकषौ च परमेशसवरूपतः ।
न भिदयेते न भेदो हि तततवतः परमेशवरे ॥
etau bandha-vimoksau ca paramesa-svarupatah /
na bhidyete na bhedo hi tattvatah paramesvare // 14 //
But in fact these two cycles of...
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”.
ततपरासादरसादेव गुरवागमत एव वा ।
शासतरादवा परमेशसय यसमातकसमादुपागतम ॥
tat-prasada-rasadeva gurvagamata eva va /
sastradva paramesasya yasmat kasmad-upagatam // 12 //...
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...
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 देवया नितयं करीडारसोतसुकः ।
विचितरान सृषटिसंहारान विधतते युगपदविभुः ॥
esa devo’naya devya nityam...
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 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.
Dharana 28
यथा तथा यतर ततर
दवादशानते मनः कषिपेत ।
परतिकषणं कषीणवृतते-
रवैलकषणयं दिनैरभवेत ॥॥
yatha tatha yatra tatra
dvadasante manah ksipet /
pratiksanam ksinavrtter-
vailaksanyam dinairbhavet //...
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)
सहयजञाः परजाः सृषटवा पुरोवाच परजापतिः ।
अनेन परसविषयधवमेष वोऽसतविषटकामधुक ॥॥
sahayajñah prajah srstva purovaca prajapatih /
anena prasavisyadhvamesa vo‘stvistakamadhuk //10//
Prajāpati means Brahmā. It is translated by all commentators of the ...
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...