In this special lecture, we will answer the question, are the upāyas a means/practice or a state?
(extract from unpublished interviews with Swamiji, audio archives of the Lakshmanjoo Academy, recorded by John Hughes). All content Copyright © John Hughes.
For more information on the Upayas see the online course https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/112-meditations-course In this online course we will analyze the unique ‘means’ (upāyas) of meditation used in Kashmir Shaivism, and experience meditat...
![You have to elevate yourself by yourself. There is no other element, which will help you to push up. You have to push [yourself up] with all of your might, because you have got that power, but that power you have ignored. Invoke that power within [yourself]! Find out that power that you have got!](https://kajabi-storefronts-production.kajabi-cdn.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/file-uploads/blogs/2147511598/images/a83b3a0-c7a5-a2b2-72e5-ca61e88ffb4_elevateYourself1_cleanup.jpg)
In this empowering excerpt, Swami Lakshmanjoo encourages us to find out that power within [ourselves].
“You have to elevate yourself by yourself. There is no other element, which will help you to push up. You have to push [yourself up] with all of your might, because you have got that power, but that power you have ignored. Invoke that power within [yourself]! Find out that power that you have got! You have to rise with your own might. You should not kick yourself in the depth of ignorance.”
T...
Excerpt of verse nine from the third awakening of the Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening, by Swami Lakshmanjoo. This is a transcript of the audio not the text from the book.
idṛiśaścāyaṁ sarvadā svasvarūpa vimarśāviṣṭaḥ-
Such a yogī is always sitting and residing in his own nature, in his own real nature svasvarūpa vimarśa āviṣṭaḥ, in the consciousness of his nature. He is always residing in his consciousness of his nature.
For him . . .
nartaka ātmā // 9 //
. . . the dancer in thi
...
In this excerpt from the Essence of the Supreme Reality, Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara Swami Lakshmanjoo explains what is Moksha (Liberation) is and why 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 //6...
The Shiva Sutras, by Vasugupta, are divided into three parts. According to Kshemaraja, the three parts correspond to the three means (upayas) for the attainment of liberation (moksha), as revealed by Kashmir Shaivism. The three upayas for traveling from individual limited consciousness to universal God consciousness are shambhavopaya, shaktopaya, and anavopaya.
- The first and highest means is called shambavopaya.
- The second means, for aspirants of medium qualifications, is calle ...
The festival of Maha Shivaratri, the ‘Night of Shiva’, is celebrated throughout India and the world by sincere devotees of Shiva.
In Oregon/Pacific Coast time we will privately celebrate Maha Shivaratri on Tuesday, February 25th, a day earlier than the Vedic calendar, according to Kashmir Shaiva philosophy. Swamiji suggested spending the night meditating as long as one wishes, followed by a light meal before retiring to bed.
Wishing you a Happy
Maha Shivaratri!
Swami Lakshmanjoo gives us a...
Swamiji describes how the actual state of God Concsiousness rises in meditation. This is an excerpt from the “Special Verses on Practice" now called The Wisdom of Kashmir Shaivism. He says, "They are for your daily recitation. Maybe sometime you will experience these stages.”
Special Verses-882 (04:30)
prakāśamāne paramārthabhānau
naśyatyavidyātimire samaste /
tadā budhā nirmaladṛiṣtayo’pi
kiñcit na paśyanti bhavaprapañcam // 3
This is the way you should recite t...
This is a continuation of the first part of the excerpt from the book Kashmir Shaivism, The Secret Supreme, by Swami Lakshmanjoo. Chapter Six, The Theory of Speech: Vāk. Swamiji answers the question of “what really happens when you speak.”
These three states of speech are, respectively, called subtlest, subtle, and gross.
- Gross speech is vaikharī vāk,
- subtle speech is madhyamā vāk, and
- subtlest speech is paśyantī vāk.
Each state of speech is itself also
- gross (sthūlā),
- subtle ( ...
This is an excerpt from the book Kashmir Shaivism, The Secret Supreme, by Swami Lakshmanjoo. Chapter Six, The Theory of Speech: Vāk, when the aspirant resides in the śāmbhava state, in complete universal I-ness (pūrṇāhantā).
When the aspirant resides in the śāmbhava state, in complete universal I-ness (pūrṇāhantā), he is traveling in the kingdom of vāk, “speech.” Here, he resides in the principal and supreme speech, which is called parāvāk. And not only does this aspirant reside in th...
Dhāraṇā 23
तनूदेशे शून्यतैव
क्षणमात्रं विभावयेत् ।
निर्विकल्पं निर्विकल्पो
निर्विकल्पस्वरूपभाक् ॥४६॥
tanūdeśe śūnyataiva
kṣaṇamātraṁ vibhāvayet /
nirvikalpaṁ nirvikalpo
nirvikalpasvarūpabhāk // 46 //
Actually samādhi is where there is no mind, when mind does not work. The functioning of mind is just to think of things...
“You must understand, you’ll know that unperishable state of God consciousness is residing in each and every being. In that way, you won’t hate anybody. If you hate anybody, it means you don’t find the state of God consciousness in that person. If you ever found that the state of God consciousness is in that person, you’d never hate him.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
A very important point of Kashmir Shaivism, a monistic school of thought, is exposed in this excerpt from the Essence of the Supreme Re...
In this excerpt, from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, Swamiji takes us to the heart of Utpaladeva, as the author gives Lord Shiva the choice to bless him now or have it done automatically because “I will be blessed because I am craving for that (blessing)!” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Chapter 4 (13:07)
शिव शिव शम्भो शङ्कर
शरणागतवत्सलाशु कुरु करुणाम्।
तव चरणकमलयुगल-
स्मरणपरस्य हि सम्पदोऽदूरे ॥४॥
śiva śiva śambho śaṅkara
śaraṇāgatavatsalāśu kuru karuṇām /
tava caraṇakamalay...
