In this excerpt from the book Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals who Lord Shiva is meditating on.
Chapter 3 (35:56)
मत्परं नास्ति तत्रापि जापकोऽस्मि तदैक्यतः ।
तत्त्वेन जप इत्यक्षमालया दिशसि क्वचित् ॥१७॥
matparaṁ nāsti tatrāpi jāpako’smi tadaikyataḥ /
tattvena japa ityakṣamālayā diśasi kvacit //17//
O Lord, there is one painting of Your form available in the market.
You have seen that [image] where the Lord is seated with crossed legs, eyes clos...
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(extract from unpublished interviews with Swamiji, audio archives of the Lakshmanjoo Academy, recorded by John Hughes).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...
In this excerpt from the Shiva Sutras – The Supreme Awakening, third awakening, Verse 4) Swami Lakshmanjoo explains how “You must do this kind of practice for subsiding the power of ignorance, the power of illusion.”
ataśca etatpraśamāya
So etat praśamāya, for subsiding this limitation of life, limitation of being . . .
śarīre saṁhāraḥ kalānām // 4 //
You must make all the circles (kalās) in your body enter one into the other from gross to subtle.
. . . you have to do that in your o...
In this excerpt from the end of chapter 7 and the concluding verse of the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the importance of meditation during your life in Kashmir Shaivism. We are presenting two translations by Swamiji, recorded at different times of his life. The first is a video recording made in Swamiji’s later years, and the second is an audio lecture recorded earlier.
DVD 7 (1:16:40)
साध...
Swami Lakshmanjoo explains to us what aiming means in the context of meditation in this excerpt from the Shiva Sutras, The Supreme Awakening. The Shiva Sutras is a pure monistic text. It was revealed to Vasugupta by Lord Shiva directly, in verses written under a giant rock in Kashmir. This is from the first awakening, verse 16.
16. śuddha-tattva-saṁdhānādvā’paśuśaktiḥ //
By aiming at the pure element of Śiva, he possesses Śiva’s unlimited energy.
In the sūtra, “the pure element” (śuddha ...
SWAMIJI: No, go on meditating and go in giving training, treatment, to your mind for gaining onepointedness. That is all. You have to gain onepointedness with this treatment. And when once you hav...
This lecture is an excerpt from the Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization by Swami Lakshmanjoo).
Introduction by John Hughes: “The narrative begins with Bhairavī, feigning ignorance, telling Bhairava that, even though She has heard all the various theories and explanations of the nature of reality, She still has doubts and is not completely satisfied. She implores Bhairava, “What is the real essence of the way we have to tread? Please, O Lord, remove My doubts entirely.”
Bhairava a...
In this excerpt from the Essence of the Supreme Reality: Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara, Swami Lakshmanjoo reminds us that “No matter what happens, go on remembering God and He will carry you.”
PS DVD 5 (00:42:39)
तस्मात् सन्मार्गेऽस्मिन्
निरतो यः कश्चिदेति स शिवत्वम् ।
इति मत्वा परमार्थे
यथातथापि प्रयतनीयम् ॥१०३॥
tasmāt sanmārge’smin
nirato yaḥ kaścideti sa śivatvam /
iti matvā pa...
In this excerpt, Swamiji explains what meditation really is.
This is from Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka 9th Ahnika, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo, from the audio archives of the Lakshmanjoo Academy Copyright © John Hughes
QUESTION: What kind of action is meditating?
SWAMIJI: It is not action, it is knowledge, it is cognition. Meditating is recitation of breath, it is just knowledge.
JOHN: That rest in jnanendriya or where? Or in manas [mind], buddhi [intellect] and ahamkara [ego], this med...
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 the development...
In this excerpt from the Manual for Self Realization: 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, verses 155 – 156, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals what japa (repetition of a sacred word) really means and how to do it successfully.
“Japa is automatic recitation of breath. It is available to everybody, 24 hours a day.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Listen to the audio below and read along with the transcript to learn more…
सकारेण बहिर्याति
हकारेण विशेत्पुनः ।
हंसहंसेत्यमुं मन्त्रं
जीवो जपति नित्...
