In the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, enlightenment or liberation can be said to have been attained when a yogi has attained the intensity of the supreme state of God consciousness and feels that everywhere the oneness of Shiva exists. In the sacred text Shiva Sutras, Lord Shiva tells us that when this state is attained while in the body, then this yogi becomes just like Shiva. He does not become one with Shiva; he becomes just like Shiva.
Why?
Because he remains in his body, his physical fram...
Article from “The Speaking Tree” by John Hughes…..
Swami Lakshmanjoo, of the Kashmir Shaivism tradition, says you too can experience bliss
Are you asking whether sambhava samavesa, the mystical absorption in the state of Shiva, is equivalent to moksha, liberation? In fact, it is not. It certainly must exist if moksha is to occur, but it is not its defining characteristic. Philosopher and aesthetician Abhinavagupta tells us in his Tantraloka that “Moksha only exists when your being becomes...
In this excerpt from the earlier Bhagavad Gita audio recordings (compare to the later video recordings), Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the importance of prakṛti (nature) in Kashmir Shaivism.
“Through prakṛti you’ll rise. It is prakṛti through which you will fall.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkte . . . (verse 22 Chapter 13)
prakṛtiriti kāryakāraṇabhave hetuḥ / (comm. verse 21)
Prakṛti is the cause of kārya and kāraṇa, cause and effect. The field of cause and effect is created...
In this section from the Light on the Tantra of Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka, Chapter One Swami Lakshmanjoo is explaining two different types of knowledge that are important in Kashmir Shaivism.
Intellectual knowledge is nourished by that pauruṣa jñāna and pauruṣa jñāna is nourished by that intellectual knowledge, side-by-side. ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Audio 2 – 13:11
अहमित्थमिदं वेद्मीत्येवमध्यवसायिनी।
षट्कञ्चुकाबिलाणूत्थप्रतिबिम्बनतो यदा॥३९॥
धीर्जायते तदा तादृग्ज्ञानमज्ञा
...
There is only one difference between the one who is residing in the state of God Consciousness (Parabhairava state) and the other one who is residing in his limited cycle of being.
Here, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the essence of Kashmir Shaivism while translating the Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism.
DVD 3.2 (16:46)
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि भागशः ।
अहंकारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥२७॥
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः ।
गुणा गुणार्थे वर्तन्ते इति मत्वा न ...
Excerpt from the 10th chapter [Grace] from Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo. In this lecture, Swamiji explains the acts of Lord Shiva versa the actions of individuals – the will of god versa acting according to our ego.
(The text below is the transcript of the original audio and not the text of the book)
JOHN: This is the seventh lecture to be given by Swami Lakshmanjoo on December 22nd, at his ashram in Srinagar, Kashmir, 2:30 pm.
SWAMIJI: It is going ...
![So this is one’s own consciousness that puts a question and it is one’s own consciousness that gets its reply in the state of the master and the disciple. And the state of the master and the disciple, too, are incorrect states, because dehabhedo hyatāttvikaḥ, the [distinction between the] body of the master and the body of the disciple is not real.](https://kajabi-storefronts-production.kajabi-cdn.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/file-uploads/blogs/2147511598/images/3caa6b-f87-a0d-563b-65cf620437cf_master-disciple_fb-1536x864_cleanup.jpg)
In this excerpt from The Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka, Volume One verses 252-257. Swami Lakshmanjoo explains “the real state of the master and the disciple”.
तथानुद्घाटिताकारभावप्रसरवर्त्मना ।
प्रसरन्ती स्वसंवित्तिः प्रष्ट्री शिष्यात्मतां गता ॥२५२॥
tathānudghāṭitākārabhāvaprasaravartmanā /
prasarantī svasaṁvittiḥ praṣṭrī śiṣyātmatāṁ gatā //252//
And that consciousness of one’s self, when that consciousness travels on the path without knowing how it
...
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...
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...
“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...
