Lakshmanjoo Academy - Kashmir Shaivism - The oral Teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo

In this excerpt from the Tantraloka One, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains why the energy of action is not separate from the energy of knowledge. This is from The Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka, Volume One.Audio 5 – 38:24यतो नान्या क्रिया नाम ज्ञानमेव हि तत्तथा।रूढेर्योगान्ततां प्राप्तमिति श्रीगमशासने॥१४९॥yato nānyā kriyā nāma jñānameva hi tattathā /rūḍheryogāntatāṁ prāptamiti śrīgamaśāsane //149//It is explained in the Gama tantra that the energy of action is not separate from the energy of knowledge. In fact, the energy of knowledge has become the energy of action when that energy of knowledge has got entry in yoga, in the supreme limit of yoga, because yoga is action.Yoga is pertaining to the energy of action, jñāna is pertaining to the energy of knowledge, and icchā is pertaining to the energy of that reality of the point. Icchā is the start, knowledge is the center, and kriyā is the external limit.SCHOLAR: So, what exactly does he mean by “yoga” here?SWAMIJI: Yoga means, yogāntatām, when that knowledge has got entry in yoga. Yoga means, to extract your mind from external objects and divert it towards internal objects. That is yoga, and that is action. [Yoga] is action, though this action is an absolutely pure action, away from differentiated action.SCHOLAR: But then why does he say “yogāntatām”?SWAMIJI: Yogasya antatām–parākāṣṭha.SCHOLAR: Parākāṣṭhām . . . ?SWAMIJI: Parākāṣṭhām, antimam avasthām, the last state of yoga.SCHOLAR: And why is it kriyā only when it is at the last stage of yoga?SWAMIJI: That is kriyā because yoga is the last state of kriyā. [It is] “last” in the sense of when yoga is in its full bloom. When there is only a touch of yoga, that is not the last state of yoga. You have got some touches of yoga in śāktopāya also. You have got some touches of yoga in āṇavopāya. In the subtle sphere of āṇavopāya, you have got subtle touches of yoga, but in gross āṇavopāya, you have got gross touches of yoga, for instance, there is mantra also going, japa also going. That is yogasya antatām, and that is kriyā. So, in fact, kriyā has come out from the energy of knowledge, it is no other than knowledge (yato nānyā kriyā nāma, kriyā is not separate from knowledge). Jñānameva hi tat, that knowledge has become kriyā when it has entered in the uppermost limit of yoga. Knowledge has become kriyā.SCHOLAR: You say, “uppermost limit of knowledge”?SWAMIJI: Uppermost, topmost.SCHOLAR: But you said before (inaudible) the lowest limit.SWAMIJI: [For example], a topmost thief. First, when you are going on the path of theft, you are a very weak thief; you get afraid just in an instant. When you are a topmost thief, you don’t care. That is antatām, yogāntatām. In this sense you should take it. And that is kriyā, because kriyā is an external thing. When [knowledge] goes to the topmost action, then it is kriyā. When [knowledge] goes to [its] weak [i.e., subtle] state, it is not exactly kriyā [because] it is just attached with knowledge also, in the beginning.JOHN: So then the topmost state would be those grossest in terms of yajñas, pūjās, where action is being . . . ?SWAMIJI: Yes, that is kriyā.SCHOLAR: That is yogāntatāḥ.SWAMIJI: Yes, yogāntatāḥ.Yogo nānyaḥ . . . he reads now [from the] Gama tantra in the next [verse], the 150th śloka:Audio 5 – 43:14योगो नान्यः क्रिया नान्या तत्त्वारूढा हि या मतिः।स्वचित्तवासनाशान्तौ सा क्रियेत्यभिधीयते॥१५०॥yogo nānyaḥ kriyā nānyā tattvārūḍhā hi yā matiḥ /svacittavāsanāśāntau sā kriyetyabhidhīyate //150//Yoga is not separate from kriyā, and kriyā is not separate from yoga. And that knowledge (yā matiḥ, that knowledge), which is established on the essence of reality (tattvārūḍhā hi yā matiḥ, which has been established in the reality of nature) for the purpose of removing the various impressions in your mind (the various impressions of objects, objective impress-ions), that is kriyā. So, that kriyā is meant for removing those bad impressions in your mind. Those impressions are removed by yoga, and that is kriyā.JOHN: This topmost yoga, yogānta-, . . . SWAMIJI: Yogāntataḥ is the topmost [action].JOHN: Yes, that is really the lowest.SWAMIJI: Lowest, yes. The topmost is the lowest (laughs).SCHOLAR: So, yajña will purify the mind.SWAMIJI: Yajña purifies, yes. This [purification] is the topmost yoga.JOHN: Or the bottom-most.SWAMIJI: Yes. Source: The Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka, Volume One.All rights reserved, Copyright © John HughesThe post The energy of action is not separate from the energy of knowledge appeared first on Lakshmanjoo Academy, Kashmir Shaivism. ★ Support this podcast ★ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism Swami Lakshmanjoo makes clear that “Everybody can achieve Him with bhakti, devotion, love.” And he goes on to explain what is love really…Love is the answer and the key!DVD 8 (1:03:00)परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्यो व्यक्ताव्यक्तः सनातनः  ।यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति  ॥२०॥अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्  ।यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम  ॥२१॥पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया  ।यं प्राप्य न पुनर्जन्म लभन्ते योगिनोऽर्जुन  ॥२२॥यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि यत्र सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्  ।parastasmāttu bhāvo’nyo vyaktāvyaktaḥ sanātanaḥ  /yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati  //20//avyakto’kṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṁ gatim  /yaṁ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṁ mama  //21//puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā  /yaṁ prāpya na punarjanma labhante yogino’rjuna  //22//yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yatra sarvaṁ pratiṣṭhitam  /This para bhāva (para bhāva means Bhairava bhāva) is anyaḥ, absolutely different from all of these [individuals].284 Vyaktāvyaktaḥ sanātanaḥ, you may call it manifested or you may call it un-manifested. It is very ancient. Yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu, if the whole world is naśyatsu (destroyed), na vinaśyati, He is not destroyed. And this is the real state of His being; yaṁ prāpya na nivartante, taddhāma paramaṁ mama, that is the real residence of Mine. And that puruṣa (individual) who is residing in Parabhairava state285 . . . .  That can be achieved. That is not impossible for anybody to achieve. Everybody can achieve Him, but with what, with what element, with what weapon? Bhakti, devotion. If he undergoes intense devotion towards Parabhairava, he will reach in My nature.JOHN: So devotion is more important than jñāna or anything?SWAMIJI: Devotion, yes. Nothing is . . . jñāna is nothing before devotion. Yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yatra sarvaṁ pratiṣṭhitam [comm. vs. 22]. And this is the basis of all beings. What? The state of Parabhairava. And that state of Parabhairava can be achieved by anybody, any disgusted being, by bhakti, by devotion, by love. You know love? What is love?DEVOTEE: What is your definition of love? What is love from your point of view?SWAMIJI: Love is just one-pointed, love is always love, love cannot remain without love. You cannot remain without love. Love is . . . in waking state there is love, in sleeping state there is love, in walking state there is love. He can weep, at any moment he can weep, tears are always in his eyes, tears are always there when he is laughing in a dream, tears are always in him. He is filled with tears, everywhere. When he is urinating, he is filled with tears. You can’t imagine what is love. Oh, love is just blind! And he does not know what love is. He himself does not know what is love. Love is the greatest element which is created in the body of Parabhairava.DEVOTEE: You said that in that Practice and Discipline,286 “Love is the answer and the key.” SWAMIJI: And the tea?DEVOTEE: And the key.SWAMIJI: Yes.DEVOTEE: It is the answer and the key.SWAMIJI: Yes.DEVOTEE: It is both things.SWAMIJI: Yes.––––––––––––––––––––––––284  Why? “The reality of God, the reality of Śiva, is kāla-saṁkalanā-vivarjitaṁ, is beyond the circle of time.” Bhagavad Gītā (1978). 285  “Yaṁ prāpya, and once you achieve that supreme state of being, which is avyakta, which is un-manifested, na nivartante, you have not to come again; you will never leave that state again.” Ibid. 286  Swami Lakshmanjoo, Self Realization in Kashmir Shaivism, 2.49.(source: Chapter 8, Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo)All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.The post “Love is the answer and the key” – in Kashmir Shaivism appeared first on Lakshmanjoo Academy, Kashmir Shaivism. ★ Support this podcast ★ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this excerpt from the Essence of the Supreme Reality, Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara Swami Lakshmanjoo explains what is  Moksha (Liberation).PS DVD 3 (00:52:47)मोक्षस्य नैव किंचिद्धामास्ति, न चापिगमनमन्यत्र  ।अज्ञानग्रन्थिभिदास्वशक्त्यभिव्यक्तता मोक्षः  ॥६०॥mokṣasya naiva kiṁcid dhāmāsti, na cāpi-gamanam-anyatra /ajñāna-granthi-bhidā sva-śakty-abhivyaktatā mokṣaḥ //60//Actually, the liberation from repeated births and deaths and being centered in the Parabhairava state, that Parabhairava state is called “mokṣa”. And that mokṣa is not somewhere in the uppermost ākāśa (space), in śāntātīta kalā. Naiva kiṁcid dhāmāsti, it has not some particular place where one reaches and gets liberated from repeated births and deaths.Na cāpi gamanamanyatra, for mokṣa, for attaining mokṣa, you have not to tread from the state where you are already existing in the field of māyā. You are existing in the field of māyā and you have to get elevated by and by, by and by, by abhyasa.140 But you have not to tread. There is no journey to be covered.The starting point of the journey is the ending point of the journey!_____________140 Contemplative practice.(source: Essence of the Supreme Reality, Abhinavagupta’s ParamarthasaraRevealed by Swami LakshmanjooAlso available as video-on-demand.All Content is subject to Copyright © John HughesThe post Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals what liberation is – in Kashmir Shaivism appeared first on Lakshmanjoo Academy, Kashmir Shaivism. ★ Support this podcast ★ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo) he explains how to meditate and what should be our attitude . . .DVD 6.1 (10:28)आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते  ।योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते  ॥३॥ārurukṣormuneryogaṁ karma kāraṇamucyate /yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate //3//Ārurukṣormuner. Munir, that yogi who is ārurukṣoḥ, who wants to rise step by step; who wants to rise step by step and meditates by successive meditation. Successive meditation does not mean that you meditate one hour in the morning, one hour in the evening–no, it is not that. [You should] go on meditating day and night. Don’t forget your meditation of thinking of the Lord with breath. Go on watching your breath, day and night. Try with all your might to watch it.If sometime you miss [a breath], that doesn’t matter, but it does not mean that you meditate only one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, and in the remaining period, you will do activities [such as] gupshup (idle conversation) and bakwas (nonsense) and everything. Because that impression [of worldly activity] will be stronger, that impression will subside your abhyāsa (practice). Do you understand? So you should not work in that way. Abhyāsa is to start [watching your breath] just like in chain form [i.e., continuously]. Try your best [to practice] that way.ārurukṣormuneryogaṁ karma kāraṇamucyate /yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate //3//Ārurukṣormuneryogaṁ. Yogam ārurukṣor muner, the one who is trying to reside in yoga abhyāsa, for how long [should he practice]? Day and night. According to his capacity, he should [practice] day and night. But the balance should be of abhyās, i.e., [abhyās should be] more in weight than the daily activities of your worldly affairs. Worldly affairs should be less in balance [in] scale. Worldly activities [should be much] less, just four anas (16 cents) in one rupee, even two annas (8 cents) in one rupee. The [remaining] period of your time must be devoted to abhyāsa, to meditation.That is yogam ārurukṣor muni, one who wants to rise in yoga, who wants to step into yoga. Karma kāraṇam ucyate. Karma kāraṇam ucyate, karma, abhyāsa in action. You should not sit idle, you should go on walking [etc., while] practicing yoga. And it is kāraṇam, these [worldly activities] are the means (upāyas) for him. Abhinavagupta has, in a unique way, translated in two ways kāraṇam and kāraṇam. There are in two places kāraṇ and kāraṇ.JOHN: What is this sūtra sir?SWAMIJI: I will show you.ārurukṣormuneryogaṁ karma kāraṇamucyate / There is kāraṇam first.yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate //3//This is another kāraṇ, which has another meaning [than] the first kāraṇ, which has some other meaning. The first kāraṇa, for that beginner of yoga, [signifies] the means (upāya). And next [kāraṇ is] for yogārūḍha, [the one] who is established in yoga. [For him], kāraṇam means lakṣaṇam, these are the symptoms of a yogi. The symptoms of a yogi is that he is appeased. Kāraṇam atra lakṣaṇam and kāraṇam atra upāya.No other commentator has commentated upon these two words, i.e., these separate [meanings] of [kāraṇam]. They couldn’t understand what is the meaning of the first kāraṇa and what is the meaning of the second kāraṇa. Second kāraṇa is for that [person] who is established in yoga; first kāraṇa is for that [person] who wants to become established in yoga, who is a beginner. For a beginner, it is the means (upāya) and for the one who is established in yoga, these are the symptoms (lakṣaṇam) and these are his qualifications.[ārurukṣormuneryogaṁ karma] kāraṇamucyate /yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate //3//Śamaḥ, he is appeased; he has no other thoughts. He is just like a king; he becomes just like a king, i.e., the other one who is established in yoga. The one who is not established in yoga, he has got these means (upāya), i.e., the way how to proceed for a beginner. And for that yogi who has achieved the highest state, for that it is . . .JONATHAN: Symptoms.SWAMIJI: Symptoms.DVD 6.1 (17:22)यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जति  ।सर्वसंकल्पसंन्यासी योगारूढस्तदोच्यते  ॥४॥yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasvanuṣajjati /sarvasaṁkalpasaṁnyāsī yogārūḍhastadocyate //4//Na indriyārtheṣu na karmasvanuṣajjati. He will neither get involved in worldly pleasures and na karmasu, nor worldly actions. When he is not (audio missing!) involved in worldly actions, he will get rid of all withalwuy. Withalwuy [means to think], “what shall I do and what shall I not do? What can I do, what can I do? How will I achieve, how will I achieve?” This srethasreth; srethasreth means this trembling way of being.DENISE: Insecurity.SWAMIJI: Huh?DENISE: Insecurity.SWAMIJI: Insecurity. “How I can . . . I want to become God!” You told me many times, “I want to see God.” You should not get disturbed because you are yourself God. Then yogārūḍha, this is yogārūḍha, the yogi who is not trembling, who thinks that I am established already in this.JOHN: What was that number, Sir?SWAMIJI: Number is 4th. Asyāṁ ca buddhāvavaśyamevāvadheyam [comm.]. In this intellectual way of being, avaśyam āvadheyam, you should be alert in finding out this way for [yourself]. If you don’t find it out, it will be lost to you. Find out! With all of your might, find this out.(source: Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo)All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.The post How to rise step by step – in the light of Kashmir Shaivism appeared first on Lakshmanjoo Academy, Kashmir Shaivism. ★ Support this podcast ★ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.