Podcasts about abhinavagupta

In this conversation, Jacob Kyle and James D. Reich discuss the concept of Rasa in Indian aesthetics and literary theory. They explore the idea that poetry and art can evoke a specific emotional experience in the audience, known as Rasa. They delve into the theories of Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta, who developed the concept of Rasa and its associated elements, such as Dhvani. They also discuss the relationship between aesthetics and theology in Abhinavagupta's work, highlighting how his understanding of Rasa is deeply rooted in his non-dualistic and monistic philosophy. The conversation touches on the ethical implications of Rasa and its potential to enhance our understanding of emotions and our connection to the divine.James D. Reich is the author of Save to Savor the Meaning: The Theology of Literary Emotions in Medieval Kashmir, a compelling exploration of the intellectual history of the region, focusing on the intersection of aesthetics and the philosophical theology of Kashmir Shaivism. His work engages deeply with religion in South Asia, including Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as Sanskrit literature, the theory of religious studies, and the interplay between literature and religion. ----- To learn about the comprehensive contemplative curriculum in Sādhana School, and to use coupon code CHITHEADS250 go here: https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/sadhana-school-list or learn more and enroll in the "Rasa Theory: Emotions and Imagination for Meditation & Self-Realization" Spring Sādhana only - https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/spring-2025-sadhana-school. Interested in the greater 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training? Learn more here: https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/ytt-2025.To deepen your knowledge of yoga philosophy, grab our Yoga Philosophy Reading List, a curated PDF of all the books that will give you a comprehensive overview of the yoga philosophical traditions. GET YOUR LIST HERE: https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/yp-list30-DAY SĀDHANA: 30 Days of Practices to help refine the nervous system, alleviate negative patterns, and foster a contemplative and spiritually-informed life.MANTRA Sādhana: https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/30-day-sadhanaCHAKRA Sādhana: https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/chakra-sadhanaWISDOM SCHOOL: Over 100 courses (1000+ hours) in yoga, meditation, somatics, and dharma studies for spiritual seekers, yoga teachers and, body workers, healers and therapists. Features:→ A new course every month on a variety of topics→ Learning pathways that help you digest the content→ Wisdom study emails→ Interactive member spaceStart your 7-Day Free Trial: enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/wisdom-school

This week's episode features a reading of six foundational articles on Shaivism, originally written for the Encyclopedia of Religion in the late 1980s. These are: Kashmir Shaivism, Krama Shaivism, Trika Shaivism, and Abhinavagupta by Alexis Sanderson, Pratyabhijñā by André Padoux, and Pāśupata by David Lorenzen.Together, they offer a concise yet profound overview of several key lineages within the Shaiva tradition. These short but potent articles explore the evolution of Shaiva metaphysics, ritual practice, the dynamics of tantric initiation, goddess worship, and the philosophical doctrines of recognition and liberation.The reading also highlights the role of Abhinavagupta as a pivotal figure who synthesized and transmitted these teachings in Kashmir and beyond. Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alessandro Orlandi"Poesie per Maia"Raniero GnoliLa Lepre Edizioniwww.lalepreedizioni.itOgni vero poeta, questo l'assunto da cui muove Raniero Gnoli, è ispirato dal Genius dei Latini e dal Daimon dei Greci. Le sue liriche, quindi, non dovrebbero essere ascritte a un individuo particolare, perché provengono da un luogo della coscienza situato al di là del tempo e dello spazio, dove abita un solo, unico Poeta. Anche la Musa a cui le poesie si rivolgono non è una donna particolare, ma lo stesso Eterno Femminino, una Dama “sempre giovane e bellissima” attraverso i secoli, da cui ogni amore e ogni poesia traggono ispirazione. Così la prosa disincantata e venata di sottile ironia di Gnoli ci guida in un viaggio attraverso la poesia nei secoli, in cui si alternano le opere di molti autori – da Petrarca ad Ariosto, da Metastasio a Carducci, da D'Annunzio all'Abate Parini, da Leopardi a Capuana, da Dante a Trilussa, da Gozzano a Guerrini, allo stesso Raniero Gnoli – tutte da attribuire idealmente a uno stesso Poeta. La Dama oggetto delle liriche ha ora sembianze nobili, ora vili, è ora evocata dall'entusiasmo, ora dalla disillusione, ora da uno slancio vitale, ora dal “dolce di morir desio”, è sfuggente come il riflesso della luna sulla superficie di un lago e cambia forma come le figure di un caleidoscopio. E attraverso ogni sua metamorfosi assolve sempre al suo compito fondamentale: ispirare il Poeta.Raniero Gnoli (Roma, 1930) antichista, orientalista, indologo, è uno dei massimi studiosi delle correnti filosofico-religiose indiane. Allievo di Giuseppe Tucci e Mario Praz, docente di indologia presso La Sapienza dal 1964 al 2000, è stato il primo a tradurre in una lingua occidentale alcuni fondamentali testi in sanscrito, tra i quali il Tantrasāra e il Tantrāloka di Abhinavagupta, e il commento alla Bhagavadgītā di Abhinavagupta. Ha anche tradotto le Madhyamaka Kārikā di Nāgārjuna, le Spandakārikāā di Vasugupta con il commento di Kallaṭa, la Jātakamālā di Ārya Śūra (1964), il Paramārthasaṇgraha di Nāropā. A Gnoli si deve anche il volume Marmora romana (La Nave di Teseo, 2019), importantissimo studio sui marmi e sulle pietre nel mondo antico, e sul loro reimpiego in età successive. Per la Lepre Edizioni ha curato Considerazioni sull'assoluto di Abhinavagupta (2016).Alessandro Orlani, è nato a Roma nel 1953. Laureato in matematica, ha un master in museologia scientifica, ha lavorato per il C.N.R. e ha insegnato matematica e fisica nelle scuole superiori. È stato per vent'anni curatore dell'ex Museo Kircheriano a Roma. Nel 2007 ha fondato la casa editrice La Lepre Edizioni. Da sempre interessato alla storia delle religioni, al simbolismo e alla Tradizione ermetica, ha pubblicato La Fonte e il Cuore – Cristianesimo e Iniziazione con Alberto Camici, (Appunti di Viaggio 1998); Le Sette teste del Drago, favola alchemica ispirata ai Misteri di Mitra (Irradiazioni, 2007 La Lepre 2015); L'Oro di Saturno (Mimesis, 2010); Dioniso nei frammenti dello specchio (Irradiazioni, 2003, La Lepre 2015) è stato pubblicato anche in Francia (Dionysos dans les éclats du miroir, Mimesis France 2013).IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarewww.ilpostodelleparole.itDiventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/il-posto-delle-parole--1487855/support.

This week's episode is an archival interview by J. Brown, originally aired on the Yoga Talks Podcast in 2016. In this conversation, we explore the art and science of translating Sanskrit, the influence of Tantra on modern yoga, the legacy of Abhinavagupta, and the subtle difference between speaking about nonduality and directly experiencing it. The episode touches on key themes such as the integration of awakening, the balance between intellectual understanding and embodied realization, and the importance of cultural context in spiritual transmission. We also reflect on how removing conceptual overlay and integrating transcendence reveals the inherent wonder and awe in life.Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is a conversation with accomplished artist and scholar-practitioner Christian de Vietri about his journey from the contemporary art world to the study and practice of Tantric sacred art. Christian, known for his large-scale public installations and fine art, shares how he came to know and practice non-dual Shaiva Tantra, how this transformed his approach to artistic expression, and how it led to the publication of his groundbreaking book, Trika Maṇḍala Prakāśa: Illuminating the Mandalas of Abhinavagupta's Tantrāloka—the first detailed and comprehensive study of all the mandalas presented and taught in Abhinavagupta's Tantrāloka. The conversation explores the process of reconstructing these mandalas, including the challenges of decoding encoded texts, the significance of mandalas in Tantric initiation, and the precise methodologies required to ensure their correct construction. Christian describes the artistic and spiritual insights that emerged through this work and reflects on the broader role of sacred art in preserving and transmitting the wisdom of the tradition.Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we continue the abridged reading of Alexis Sanderson's 1986 article, Mandala and Āgamic Identity in the Trika of Kashmir. Here Sanderson unveils the role of Kāīi-based practices within the Trika tradition, exploring how Abhinavagupta infused the tradition with the transformative energy of Kāīi worship, elevating the Goddess to a central role in tantric initiation and ritual. His analysis touches on cycles of deities, the interplay of purity and impurity, and the process by which practitioners dissolve into the ‘egoless ground' of consciousness.Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loriliai Biernacki is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her research interests include Hinduism, gender, New Materialism, and the interface between religion and science. Her first book, Renowned Goddess of Desire: Women, Sex and Speech in Tantra (2007) won the Kayden Award in 2008. She is co-editor of God's Body: Panentheism across the World's Religious Traditions (2013). Her most recent book is The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta's Panentheism and the New Materialism (2023). In this episode, Loriliai and Jacob spoke about:Artificial intelligence and whether or not AI can become conscious.How Abhinavagupta's work responds to the mind-body problem.What the modern understanding is of matter and how Abhinavagupta's matter is one that includes subjectivity, “I-ness”.How looking at Abhinavagupta's work as “religious” misunderstands the philosophical significance of his ideas.How the deities referenced throughout the Tantrik tradition are a way of understanding the different “voices” or “personalities” of consciousness manifest in our seemingly singular embodiment. The continental and analytic philosophy tradition, and why the continental tradition is a better home for Abhinavagupta.Links mentioned in the episode:CYBER MONDAY! https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/cyber-monday-2024Jacob's Substack, “Into the Void”: jacobkyle.comSādhana School: enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/sadhana-school-listWisdom School (Free Trial): enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/wisdom-school

When Abhinavagupta (fl. c. 975-1025 CE) argues for ‘absolute non-duality' (paramādvaita) as a fundamental principle of everything, what does he mean? This fundamental meta-category subsumes within itself both ‘duality' (dvaita or bheda) and ‘non-duality' (advaita or abheda) in a resolution that, on the surface, appears to be nothing more than an oxymoron. How can two mutually opposing categories be one? However, for Abhinavagupta, both ‘duality' and ‘non-duality' are the basic building blocks of an all-encompassing singular meta-category called ‘absolute non-duality' (paramādvaita). This version of non-duality argues for inclusivism, i.e., for any idea of binary to manifest, someone fundamentally recognises the distinction between, for instance, a ‘pot' (ghaṭaṭ ) and a ‘non-pot' (aghaṭaṭ ) and it is this distinction (dvaita or bheda) that unitarily brings a pot and a non-pot together (advaita or abheda). By saying this, Abhinavagupta is not suggesting that a pot is a non-pot and a non-pot is a pot. But they are singular manifestations in a plural form of and in a singular principle, i.e., non-dual consciousness (advaitasamvit). Using a more contemporary terminology, this form of non-duality may be called ‘pluralistic non-dualism' or ‘subjective pluralism,' understood in the sense that even two mutually opposing labels, such as ‘pluralistic idealism' or ‘idealistic realism', can be used. Bio note: Prof Mrinal Kaul teaches classical Indian Philosophy at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), Mumbai. His research focuses on the non-dual Śaiva philosophy, particularly the tenth-century philosopher Abhinavagupta. His recent publications include ‘A Preliminary Note on the Manuscripts of the Tantrāloka-viveka' in Verità e Bellezza-Essays in Honour of Raffaele Torella (Naples, Italy, 2022), ‘Is there a ‘South Asian Poetics'?' In A Cultural Poetics of Bhasha Literatures in Theory and Practice, edited by E.V. Ramakrishnan (Orient Blackswan, Hyderabad, 2024) and ‘Is Reflection Real according to Abhinavagupta? Dynamic Realism versus Naïve Realism? in Journal of Indian Philosophy (Springer) (2024). A volume titled Minor Works of Abhinavagupta, edited with Francesco Sferra, is about to be published from Naples in Italy, and a new edition and translation of the Śivasūtravimarśinī of Kṣeṣ marāja with Ben Williams is in preparation.

This episode concludes our reading of Chapter Five of Abhinavagupta's Tantrasāra. Here, we learn about The Rite of the Phonemes, or varṇa-uccāra (also known as varṇa-vidhi) in Sanskrit, exploring teachings on two of the most significant bīja mantras of the Trika lineage, the seed syllables of dissolution and creation. These mantras are uniquely powerful by virtue of their inherent vibrational potency which doesn't require their conceptual understanding. They are divinely revealed vibrations, the innate vibrancy of awareness itself, that transcend the need for conceptual representation by the mind.You can read the text in the related blog post here.Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Citações e trechos do texto “Anuttarāṣṭikā”, de Abhinavagupta. Abhinavagupta (950 - 1016), foi um filósofo, músico, poeta, dramaturgo e grande mestre da tradição do Shivaismo da Caxemira. Nascido na cidade de Caxemira (Índia), em uma família brâmane de estudiosos e místicos, Abhinavagupta estudou todas as escolas de filosofia e artes de seu tempo, sob a orientação de quinze professores e gurus. Assim, estudou assiduamente pelo menos até os trinta e cinco anos de idade. Pelo seu próprio testemunho, alcançou a libertação espiritual através da prática tântrica de Kaula, sob a orientação de seu mestre, Śambhunātha. Abinavagupta não se tornou um monge errante, nem assumiu os deveres regulares de um chefe de família, mas viveu sua vida como escritor e professor. Sua capacidade de esclarecer o significado de textos antigos através da aplicação da razão, da lógica e de sua experiência pessoal, ajudou a popularizar a tradição do Shivaismo da Caxemira, particularmente o sistema Trika, que enfatiza a unidade da alma individual (Atman) com a Consciência Universal (Shiva). Abhinavagupta ensinou que a Realidade Suprema é a Consciência pura e universal, conhecida como Parama Shiva, e que todos os fenômenos no universo são manifestações dessa Consciência. Ele escreveu extensivamente sobre a filosofia e o tantra, sendo suas obras mais notáveis ​​o “Abhinavabharati” e o “Tantrāloka”, um tratado abrangente sobre as práticas tântricas. Seus ensinamentos destacam a importância da realização interior e o poder transformador das práticas espirituais. “Neste mundo, a totalidade dos objetos aparece eternamente neste preciso momento, toda a atividade do universo não foi antes e não será depois. A ação diferenciada é uma ilusão baseada na perpetuação confusa e ilegítima de um estado intermediário que é irreal, transitório, fraudulento, como um acúmulo de aparências em um sonho. Fique além das imperfeições erroneamente fabricadas pelo estigma das dúvidas e desperte!” Abhinavagupta. “Os ciclos de criação e dissolução são inerentes à consciência, existindo como subdivisões de seu poder inato de liberdade, como expressões de sua verdadeira natureza. Dentro desses ciclos, existe uma infinita variedade de mundos dolorosos e prazerosos, superiores, inferiores e paralelos a este. O estado de ignorância sobre tudo isso é, em si, uma construção dessa liberdade. O fluxo cíclico desse ser autônomo é de fato aterrorizante para aqueles que estão inconscientes”. Abhinavagupta. “Na unidade do estado supremo de anuttara, que discurso pode haver e que caminho diferenciaria o adorado, o adorador e sua adoração? Na verdade, para quem e como se daria um progresso, ou mesmo quem penetraria o Ser por etapas? Ó Maravilha! Essa ilusão, embora diferenciada, não é outra senão a Consciência, o um sem segundo. Todas as coisas são apenas pura essência da experiência de seu próprio Ser! Assim, não crie preocupações inúteis”. Abhinavagupta. Música: CO.AG - Echoes in The Dark (   • Echoes in The Dark - Haunting Atmosph...  ) =======================================

In this episode, we continue with the scriptural reading from Abhinavagupta's "Tantrasāra," specifically with the second part of Chapter Five, titled "Illumination of the Individual/Embodied Method (ānava-upāya)." Here the focus is on the practice of prāṇa-uccāra, the elevation of the life-force. In this chapter, Abhinavagupta presents some esoteric teachings in the form of homologies, associations, between the five prāṇa-vāyus, the five cakras, the five (or six) stages of bliss, and the five mystical experiences that one can experience in these yogic processes. These associations are elucidated with clarity in this blogpost. The episode includes a guided meditation to illustrate how to engage with these teachings, offering a practical application. Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features a scriptural reading from Chapter Five of Abhinavagupta's "Tantrasāra," The Essence of Tantra. In this chapter, titled “Illumination of the Individual/Embodied Method (ānava-upāya),” we receive specific practices that you can incorporate into your daily practice sessions. These practices engage the body-mind through imagination (buddhi) with powerful meditative visualization (dhyāna), movement of vital energy (prāṇa) in both subtle and less subtle forms, specific bodily poses (karaṇa), and ritual practices (pūjā). Each practice is designed to enable awakening to the true nature of reality. Notably, the first practice we share in this episode is a meditative visualization that, to our knowledge, is not publicly available elsewhere. We hope it enriches your practice.You can read Chapter Five (Part One) here. Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today is the monthly śivarātri (the day before the new moon) and the Wednesday Amāvasyā (new moon) features a very special celebration, the Phalaharini Kali Puja, one of the Big Three for Kali in the calendar year!  Naturally, I wanted to do something special in this lecture to mark the occasion: I felt like we should discuss the very highest, the very essence, the very heart of the Tantrik tradition.  And the best way to do this, I humbly propose, is to introduce you to one of the most important Tantrik texts ever composed: The Tantrasāra of Abhinavagupta. In this lecture, we discuss the four things that Abhinavagupta points out as the defining features of this tradition that make it so awesome. I want to share with you the central insight from this text which has the power and potential to totally liberate us in a single instant! Also we can talk a little about “Kashmir Shaivism” as the scholars are calling it these days, and discuss what it means to be part of this lineageविमलकलाश्रयाभिनवसृष्टिमहा जननी भरिततनुश्च पञ्चमुखगुप्तरुचिर्जनकः। तदुभययामलस्फुरितभावविसर्गमयं हृदयमनुत्तरामृतकुलं मम संस्फुरतात्॥१॥ विततस्तन्त्रालोको विगाहितुं नैव शक्यते सर्वैः। ऋजुवचनविरचितमिदं तु तन्त्रसारं ततः शृणुत॥२॥ श्रीशम्भुनाथभास्करचरणनिपातप्रभापगतसङ्कोचम्। अभिनवगुप्तहृदम्बुजमेतद्विचिनुत महेशपूजनहेतोः॥३॥ Vimalakalāśrayābhinavasṛṣṭimahā jananī bharitatanuśca pañcamukhaguptarucirjanakaḥ| Tadubhayayāmalasphuritabhāvavisargamayaṁ hṛdayamanuttarāmṛtakulaṁ mama saṁsphuratāt || 1 May my heart, filled with the nectar of the Embodied Absolute and pervaded by the emissions of the ecstatic union of my Mother who is the stainless ground of ever new creation, and my Father who is the five faced Shiva who in fullness is always delighting himself in that creation, shine forth!  Vitatastantrāloko vigāhituṁ naiva śakyate sarvaiḥ| Ṛjuvacanaviracitamidaṁ tu tantrasāraṁ tataḥ śṛṇuta || 2 Not everyone is capable of diving into the the oceanic Tantrāloka Therefore, listen, all of you, to this Tantrasāra which is written in simple language! Śrīśambhunāthabhāskaracaraṇanipātaprabhāpagatasaṅkocam | Abhinavaguptahṛdambujametadvicinuta maheśapūjanahetoḥ || 3 If you want to worship Śiva, please pick one by one these lotus petals of the the heart of Abhinavagupta in which contraction has been for ever ended, which has bloomed open through the touch of the rays from the feet of his guru, the revered Sun, Shambhunatha.Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST.  There's Q&A right after the lectures. It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815Our hatha yoga class is Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST via this same link also.For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the Show.

This episode concludes our reading of Chapter Four of Abhinavagupta's "Tantrasāra," which we started reading in Episode 16. This part of the śākta-upāya or “Illumination of the Empowered Method” is particularly esoteric, presenting some of the most significant and traditionally secretive teachings of the non-dual Shaiva Tantra tradition. Abhinavagupta explores the various names and aspects of the ultimate principle of reality, described as both transcendent and immanent. He also introduces the three Goddesses of the Trika system, describing how all these aspects are unified under one encompassing Goddess. Listen to this episode as a direct transmission, engaging with the text on a deeper level beyond intellectual explanation.You can read Chapter Fours (Part Two) in these two blogposts one, two. Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a scriptural reading and continues our exploration of Abhinavagupta's "Tantrasāra," focusing on Chapter Four, entitled “Illumination of the Empowered Method (śākta-upāya)”. The text is a magnificent description of the śākta-upāyas, the contemplative process that can refine one's understanding of reality, ultimately leading to the experiential realization of one's true nature. The ‘empowered' methods through which ignorance is dissolved are discernment (sat-tarka), teachings from an authentic tradition (sad-āgama), and guidance from a teacher (sad-guru).You can read Chapter Fours (Part One) in three distinct blogposts: blogpost one, two, and three. IMPORTANT NOTE: Abhinavagupta's argument here must be read in its wider context lest we misunderstand him. Clearly, he does believe that yogic practices can indeed support and foster the discerning insight that leads to liberation, for he teaches yogic practices in the very next chapter. But he suggests that those yogic practices must be conjoined with at least a provisional understanding of how they illustrate the nature of Reality.Additionally, in the Tantrāloka, he allows that even when yogic practice does not foster sat-tarka (accurate discernment), it still might be helpful to remove impediments on the path, such as doubt and fear. In Tantrāloka verse 4.98, he writes: “On the other hand, in our view, since [Consciousness] clearly consists of everything, including prāṇa, mind, and body, even practice which remains on those levels can successfully remove impediments [to liberation], just as one who wishes to leap must first overcome fear of falling.”Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we speak with Dr Ben Williams, an intellectual historian specializing in Indian religions and Shaiva Tantra. His academic focus has primarily been on Abhinavagupta. He holds extensive training in Indian philosophy, literature, and aesthetics, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Hinduism at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, where he also leads the newly launched MA in Yoga Studies. His doctoral thesis is on revelation and the figure of the tantric guru in Abhinavagupta's writings. Ben discusses his journey into this field, the distinction between a scholar-practitioner and a traditional scholar, and shares incredible insights into Kashmir Shaivism and Abhinavagupta's teachings and texts. Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's solo episode explores the teaching of the three stages of awakening, or three samāveśas, rooted in the 7th-century Mālinīvijayottaratantra and further elaborated by Abhinavagupta in Tantrasāra. This teaching, preserved both in the scriptures and through oral transmission, clarifies the multifaceted nature of spiritual awakening. Each of three samāveśas, which literally means 'immersion,' represents an immersion into a fundamental aspect of ultimate reality. This episode unpacks these stages to provide a clearer understanding of the spiritual awakening process, which, while not always linear, shares commonalities across different traditions and ways people experience it. Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we continue our journey through Abhinavagupta's "Tantrasāra," focusing on Chapter Three, entitled "Illumination of The Divine Method," or śāmbhava-upāya. This chapter wonderfully explains how spiritual realization—whether referred to as enlightenment, awakening, or liberation—can unfold through intuitive, non-conceptual insights, without reliance on conceptual understanding. Presented here is an abridged version of Abhinavagupta's detailed exploration into linguistic mysticism, in which he analyzes the fundamental structure and nature of reality through the phonemes of Sanskrit alphabet. Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is a solo episode about the understanding and practices necessary to actualize the goal of spiritual path, specifically focusing on the path that we call Nondual Shaiva Tantra. Recorded live during a satsang, this candid, off-the-cuff talk draws upon Abhinavagupta's teachings. My aim is to present the most coherent understanding of how spiritual practices function and their limitations, both universally and within the tantric tradition. Despite its raw and unrefined recording, this episode contains valuable insights. It wants to clarify the essence of the spiritual journey and address common misconceptions about its process.The original live satsang this excerpt is from is part of our library items available with a free membership. You can find it here.Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we delve into Chapter Two of 'Tantrasāra' by Abhinavagupta, titled 'Illumination of Spontaneous Realization.' The chapter explores the concept of spontaneous modes of realization without methods or practices, a rare but profound occurrence. Such immediate insight into the nature of reality can lead to permanent immersion in divinity, independent of formal spiritual practices.Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not only was it just Swami Vivekananda's birthday weekend but also at the time of this lecture it was the anniversary of the composition of Abhinavagupta's Bhairava Stava, one of my favorite non dual hymns of all time!As such we'll celebrate by exploring Swamiji's highest, edgiest most powerful non dual teachings and more importantly his advice on how to live them alongside a running commentary on the Bhairava Stava!Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST.  There's Q&A right after the lectures. It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM00:00:00 Opening Invocations00:00:35 Swamiji's Edgiest Teachings and Emphasis on Jñāna00:05:09 Swamiji's Central Message to the West: Religion is Realization00:08:00 Bhairava Stava of Abhinava Gupta which was composed on this day around 993 AD00:15:00 How Jñāna-Yoga, the "Direct Path", Works: Shankara Vedanta vs Ramanuja Vedanta vs Vivekananda Vedanta00:30:25 How Ramakrishna trained Vivekananda to be a Non-Dualist00:35:45 A Direct Path Teaching for Instant Awakening Here and Now: You Are God, Here's Proof.00:58:00 How To Practice Jñāna-Yoga: Hearing, Contemplating, Meditating and Stubornness!01:06:13 Vivekananda's Tantrik Non-Duality: The Power of Consciousness01:09:22 Real Devotion and Worshipping Kālī as Non-Dual practice.Support the show

This episode features a scriptural reading from Abhinavagupta's "Tantrasāra" ("The Essence of the Tantras" or “The Essence of Tantra”), titled "Illumination of the Modes of Realization." It is considered one of the most impactful works of tantrik philosophy and practice. Abhinavagupta distills his insights into the nature of consciousness, the inherent divinity within all beings, and the journey toward recognizing one's fundamental nature as the light of consciousness. These passages, carefully and precisely chosen by the great master, can be listened to again and again. I offer my translation, honed over almost two decades, sharing these incredible pointers to the nature of reality that can be used for contemplation and meditation.Discover a treasure trove of guided meditations, teachings, and courses at tantrailluminated.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Michael W. Taft speaks with Tantra scholar and teacher Christopher Wallis about the word “enlightenment” in English and the words in Sanskrit it is typically the translation for; the differences between awakening and liberation; karma, samskara, and the deep unconscious; Shiva-oriented practice and the importance of including Shakti, the teachings of Abhinavagupta, and the centrality of embodied awakening.Christopher Wallis, also known as Hareesh, is a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra with thirty years experience. He was initiated by a traditional Indian guru at the age of sixteen, and received education at yoga āshrams, both in India and the West. He holds several degrees including an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley. Hareesh is the author of several books including The Recognition Sutras, and a new book entitled Near Enemies of the Truth. Hareesh.org – Christopher Wallis' websiteCheck out his new book, Near Enemies of the TruthContribute to Michael's Patreon or directly to help fund the creation of more of these podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a selection of some key teachings of Abhinavagupta extracted from various sources and texts. Abhinavagupta (c. 950 – 1016 CE ) was a philosopher, mystic and aesthetician from Kashmir. He was also considered an influential musician, poet, dramatist, exegete, theologian, and logician – a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences on Indian culture. Abhinavagupta was born in a Brahmin family of scholars and mystics and studied all the schools of philosophy and art of his time under the guidance of as many as fifteen (or more) teachers and gurus.  In his long life he completed over 35 works, the largest and most famous of which is Tantrāloka, an encyclopedic treatise on all the philosophical and practical aspects of Kaula and Trika (known today as Kashmir Shaivism).

Join me on a journey through the life and poetry of Lal Ded, one of the most revered mystic poets of Kashmir. Lal Ded lived in the 14th century and her poetry has since inspired generations of people in the region and beyond. In this video, we explore Lal Ded's life, her poetry, and her impact on the culture of Kashmir.Sources/Suggested Reading:Dyczkowski, Mark S.G. (1987). "The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism". SUNY Press.Hoskote, Ranjit (Translated by) (2013). "I, Lalla: The Poems of Lal Ded". Penguin Classics.Marjanovic, Boris (Translated by) (2004). "Abhinavagupta's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita: Gitartha Samgraha". Indica Books.Muller-Ortega, Paul (1988). "The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir". SUNY Press.Singh, Jaideva (Translated by) (1990). "The Doctrine of Recognition: A Translation of the Pratyabhijnahrdayam with an Introduction and Notes, by Ksemaraja". SUNY Press.Swami Lakshmanjoo (2015). "Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme". CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.Torella, Raffaele & Bettina Bäumer (2016). "Utpaladeva: Philosopher of Recognition". D.K. Printworld.Torella, Rafaele (Translated by) (2013). "The Isvarapratyabhijnakarika of Utpaladeva: Critical edition and annoted translation". Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.#shaivism #mysticism #kashmir Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pratyabijñāhṛdayam of Rājānaka Kṣemarāja is an 11th century foundational text of Nondual Kashmir Shaivism. This ancient and profound 20-verse text reveals the direct non-path path to liberation. It explores how to achieve freedom from all limitations and unfolds the recognition that all things—you, me, and everything sentient and non-sentient are one, not separate. The Pratyabijñāhṛdayam is an essential text that holds immense significance when studying the teachings of Sāṁkhya-Patañjali Yoga, Advaita Vedanta, and the unqualified nondual teachings of Kashmir Shaivism. This profound scripture, written by the sage Kṣemarāja, serves as a bridge connecting these philosophical systems, offering profound insights, and deepening our understanding of the ultimate reality. Rajanaka Kṣemarāja (क्षेमराज) (late 10th to early 11th century) was a philosopher and brilliant disciple of Abhinavagupta, who was a peerless master of tantra, yoga, poetics, and dramaturgy.

In the early 11th century, the Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta proposed panentheism-seeing the divine as both immanent in the world and at the same time as transcendent--as a way to reclaim the material world as something real, something solid. His theology understood the world itself, with its manifold inhabitants--from gods to humans to insects down to the merest rock-as part of the unfolding of a single conscious reality, Siva. This conscious singularity-the word "god" here does not quite do it justice--with its capacity to choose and will, pervades all through, top to bottom; as Abhinavagupta writes, "even down to a worm -- when they do their own deeds, that which is to be done first stirs in the heart." His panentheism proposed an answer to a familiar conundrum, one we still grapple with today: Consciousness is so unlike matter. How does consciousness actually connect to the materiality of our world? To put this in more familar twenty-first-century terms, how does mind connect to body? These questions drive Loriliai Biernacki's The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta's Panentheism and New Materialism (Oxford UP, 2023), Biernacki draws on Abhinavagupta's thought--and particularly his yet-untranslated, philosophical magnum opus, the Isvara Pratyabhijña Vivrti Vimarsini--to think through contemporary issues such as the looming prospect of machine AI, ideas about information, and our ecological crises. She argues that Abhinavagupta's panentheism can help us understand our current world and can contribute to a New Materialist re-envisioning of the relationship that humans have with matter. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In the early 11th century, the Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta proposed panentheism-seeing the divine as both immanent in the world and at the same time as transcendent--as a way to reclaim the material world as something real, something solid. His theology understood the world itself, with its manifold inhabitants--from gods to humans to insects down to the merest rock-as part of the unfolding of a single conscious reality, Siva. This conscious singularity-the word "god" here does not quite do it justice--with its capacity to choose and will, pervades all through, top to bottom; as Abhinavagupta writes, "even down to a worm -- when they do their own deeds, that which is to be done first stirs in the heart." His panentheism proposed an answer to a familiar conundrum, one we still grapple with today: Consciousness is so unlike matter. How does consciousness actually connect to the materiality of our world? To put this in more familar twenty-first-century terms, how does mind connect to body? These questions drive Loriliai Biernacki's The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta's Panentheism and New Materialism (Oxford UP, 2023), Biernacki draws on Abhinavagupta's thought--and particularly his yet-untranslated, philosophical magnum opus, the Isvara Pratyabhijña Vivrti Vimarsini--to think through contemporary issues such as the looming prospect of machine AI, ideas about information, and our ecological crises. She argues that Abhinavagupta's panentheism can help us understand our current world and can contribute to a New Materialist re-envisioning of the relationship that humans have with matter. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

In the early 11th century, the Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta proposed panentheism-seeing the divine as both immanent in the world and at the same time as transcendent--as a way to reclaim the material world as something real, something solid. His theology understood the world itself, with its manifold inhabitants--from gods to humans to insects down to the merest rock-as part of the unfolding of a single conscious reality, Siva. This conscious singularity-the word "god" here does not quite do it justice--with its capacity to choose and will, pervades all through, top to bottom; as Abhinavagupta writes, "even down to a worm -- when they do their own deeds, that which is to be done first stirs in the heart." His panentheism proposed an answer to a familiar conundrum, one we still grapple with today: Consciousness is so unlike matter. How does consciousness actually connect to the materiality of our world? To put this in more familar twenty-first-century terms, how does mind connect to body? These questions drive Loriliai Biernacki's The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta's Panentheism and New Materialism (Oxford UP, 2023), Biernacki draws on Abhinavagupta's thought--and particularly his yet-untranslated, philosophical magnum opus, the Isvara Pratyabhijña Vivrti Vimarsini--to think through contemporary issues such as the looming prospect of machine AI, ideas about information, and our ecological crises. She argues that Abhinavagupta's panentheism can help us understand our current world and can contribute to a New Materialist re-envisioning of the relationship that humans have with matter. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

In the early 11th century, the Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta proposed panentheism-seeing the divine as both immanent in the world and at the same time as transcendent--as a way to reclaim the material world as something real, something solid. His theology understood the world itself, with its manifold inhabitants--from gods to humans to insects down to the merest rock-as part of the unfolding of a single conscious reality, Siva. This conscious singularity-the word "god" here does not quite do it justice--with its capacity to choose and will, pervades all through, top to bottom; as Abhinavagupta writes, "even down to a worm -- when they do their own deeds, that which is to be done first stirs in the heart." His panentheism proposed an answer to a familiar conundrum, one we still grapple with today: Consciousness is so unlike matter. How does consciousness actually connect to the materiality of our world? To put this in more familar twenty-first-century terms, how does mind connect to body? These questions drive Loriliai Biernacki's The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta's Panentheism and New Materialism (Oxford UP, 2023), Biernacki draws on Abhinavagupta's thought--and particularly his yet-untranslated, philosophical magnum opus, the Isvara Pratyabhijña Vivrti Vimarsini--to think through contemporary issues such as the looming prospect of machine AI, ideas about information, and our ecological crises. She argues that Abhinavagupta's panentheism can help us understand our current world and can contribute to a New Materialist re-envisioning of the relationship that humans have with matter. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

In the early 11th century, the Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta proposed panentheism-seeing the divine as both immanent in the world and at the same time as transcendent--as a way to reclaim the material world as something real, something solid. His theology understood the world itself, with its manifold inhabitants--from gods to humans to insects down to the merest rock-as part of the unfolding of a single conscious reality, Siva. This conscious singularity-the word "god" here does not quite do it justice--with its capacity to choose and will, pervades all through, top to bottom; as Abhinavagupta writes, "even down to a worm -- when they do their own deeds, that which is to be done first stirs in the heart." His panentheism proposed an answer to a familiar conundrum, one we still grapple with today: Consciousness is so unlike matter. How does consciousness actually connect to the materiality of our world? To put this in more familar twenty-first-century terms, how does mind connect to body? These questions drive Loriliai Biernacki's The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta's Panentheism and New Materialism (Oxford UP, 2023), Biernacki draws on Abhinavagupta's thought--and particularly his yet-untranslated, philosophical magnum opus, the Isvara Pratyabhijña Vivrti Vimarsini--to think through contemporary issues such as the looming prospect of machine AI, ideas about information, and our ecological crises. She argues that Abhinavagupta's panentheism can help us understand our current world and can contribute to a New Materialist re-envisioning of the relationship that humans have with matter. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

In the early 11th century, the Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta proposed panentheism-seeing the divine as both immanent in the world and at the same time as transcendent--as a way to reclaim the material world as something real, something solid. His theology understood the world itself, with its manifold inhabitants--from gods to humans to insects down to the merest rock-as part of the unfolding of a single conscious reality, Siva. This conscious singularity-the word "god" here does not quite do it justice--with its capacity to choose and will, pervades all through, top to bottom; as Abhinavagupta writes, "even down to a worm -- when they do their own deeds, that which is to be done first stirs in the heart." His panentheism proposed an answer to a familiar conundrum, one we still grapple with today: Consciousness is so unlike matter. How does consciousness actually connect to the materiality of our world? To put this in more familar twenty-first-century terms, how does mind connect to body? These questions drive Loriliai Biernacki's The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta's Panentheism and New Materialism (Oxford UP, 2023), Biernacki draws on Abhinavagupta's thought--and particularly his yet-untranslated, philosophical magnum opus, the Isvara Pratyabhijña Vivrti Vimarsini--to think through contemporary issues such as the looming prospect of machine AI, ideas about information, and our ecological crises. She argues that Abhinavagupta's panentheism can help us understand our current world and can contribute to a New Materialist re-envisioning of the relationship that humans have with matter. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 11th century, the Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta proposed panentheism-seeing the divine as both immanent in the world and at the same time as transcendent--as a way to reclaim the material world as something real, something solid. His theology understood the world itself, with its manifold inhabitants--from gods to humans to insects down to the merest rock-as part of the unfolding of a single conscious reality, Siva. This conscious singularity-the word "god" here does not quite do it justice--with its capacity to choose and will, pervades all through, top to bottom; as Abhinavagupta writes, "even down to a worm -- when they do their own deeds, that which is to be done first stirs in the heart." His panentheism proposed an answer to a familiar conundrum, one we still grapple with today: Consciousness is so unlike matter. How does consciousness actually connect to the materiality of our world? To put this in more familar twenty-first-century terms, how does mind connect to body? These questions drive Loriliai Biernacki's The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta's Panentheism and New Materialism (Oxford UP, 2023), Biernacki draws on Abhinavagupta's thought--and particularly his yet-untranslated, philosophical magnum opus, the Isvara Pratyabhijña Vivrti Vimarsini--to think through contemporary issues such as the looming prospect of machine AI, ideas about information, and our ecological crises. She argues that Abhinavagupta's panentheism can help us understand our current world and can contribute to a New Materialist re-envisioning of the relationship that humans have with matter. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com.

This book engages in a dialogue with Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (K.C. Bhattacharyya, KCB, 1875-1949) and opens a vista to contemporary Indian philosophy. KCB is one of the founding fathers of contemporary Indian philosophy, a distinct genre of philosophy that draws both on classical Indian philosophical sources and on Western materials, old and new. His work offers both a new and different reading of classical Indian texts, and a unique commentary of Kant and Hegel. The book (re)introduces KCB's philosophy, identifies the novelty of his thinking, and highlights different dimensions of his oeuvre, with special emphasis on freedom as a concept and striving, extending from the metaphysical to the political or the postcolonial. Our contributors aim to decipher KCB's distinct vocabulary (demand, feeling, alternation). They revisit his discussion of Rasa aesthetics, spotlight the place of the body in his phenomenological inquiry toward "the subject as freedom", situate him between classics (Abhinavagupta) and thinkers inspired by his thought (Daya Krishna), and discuss his lectures on Sāṃkhya and Yoga rather than projecting KCB as usual solely as a Vedānta scholar. Finally, the contributors seek to clarify if and how KCB's philosophical work is relevant to the discourse today, from the problem of other minds to freedoms in the social and political spheres. Elise Coquereau-Saouma and Daniel Raveh's The Making of Contemporary Indian Philosophy: Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (Routledge, 2022) will be of interest to academics studying Indian and comparative philosophy, philosophy of language and mind, phenomenology without borders, and political and postcolonial philosophy. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

This book engages in a dialogue with Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (K.C. Bhattacharyya, KCB, 1875-1949) and opens a vista to contemporary Indian philosophy. KCB is one of the founding fathers of contemporary Indian philosophy, a distinct genre of philosophy that draws both on classical Indian philosophical sources and on Western materials, old and new. His work offers both a new and different reading of classical Indian texts, and a unique commentary of Kant and Hegel. The book (re)introduces KCB's philosophy, identifies the novelty of his thinking, and highlights different dimensions of his oeuvre, with special emphasis on freedom as a concept and striving, extending from the metaphysical to the political or the postcolonial. Our contributors aim to decipher KCB's distinct vocabulary (demand, feeling, alternation). They revisit his discussion of Rasa aesthetics, spotlight the place of the body in his phenomenological inquiry toward "the subject as freedom", situate him between classics (Abhinavagupta) and thinkers inspired by his thought (Daya Krishna), and discuss his lectures on Sāṃkhya and Yoga rather than projecting KCB as usual solely as a Vedānta scholar. Finally, the contributors seek to clarify if and how KCB's philosophical work is relevant to the discourse today, from the problem of other minds to freedoms in the social and political spheres. Elise Coquereau-Saouma and Daniel Raveh's The Making of Contemporary Indian Philosophy: Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (Routledge, 2022) will be of interest to academics studying Indian and comparative philosophy, philosophy of language and mind, phenomenology without borders, and political and postcolonial philosophy. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

This book engages in a dialogue with Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (K.C. Bhattacharyya, KCB, 1875-1949) and opens a vista to contemporary Indian philosophy. KCB is one of the founding fathers of contemporary Indian philosophy, a distinct genre of philosophy that draws both on classical Indian philosophical sources and on Western materials, old and new. His work offers both a new and different reading of classical Indian texts, and a unique commentary of Kant and Hegel. The book (re)introduces KCB's philosophy, identifies the novelty of his thinking, and highlights different dimensions of his oeuvre, with special emphasis on freedom as a concept and striving, extending from the metaphysical to the political or the postcolonial. Our contributors aim to decipher KCB's distinct vocabulary (demand, feeling, alternation). They revisit his discussion of Rasa aesthetics, spotlight the place of the body in his phenomenological inquiry toward "the subject as freedom", situate him between classics (Abhinavagupta) and thinkers inspired by his thought (Daya Krishna), and discuss his lectures on Sāṃkhya and Yoga rather than projecting KCB as usual solely as a Vedānta scholar. Finally, the contributors seek to clarify if and how KCB's philosophical work is relevant to the discourse today, from the problem of other minds to freedoms in the social and political spheres. Elise Coquereau-Saouma and Daniel Raveh's The Making of Contemporary Indian Philosophy: Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (Routledge, 2022) will be of interest to academics studying Indian and comparative philosophy, philosophy of language and mind, phenomenology without borders, and political and postcolonial philosophy. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

This book engages in a dialogue with Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (K.C. Bhattacharyya, KCB, 1875-1949) and opens a vista to contemporary Indian philosophy. KCB is one of the founding fathers of contemporary Indian philosophy, a distinct genre of philosophy that draws both on classical Indian philosophical sources and on Western materials, old and new. His work offers both a new and different reading of classical Indian texts, and a unique commentary of Kant and Hegel. The book (re)introduces KCB's philosophy, identifies the novelty of his thinking, and highlights different dimensions of his oeuvre, with special emphasis on freedom as a concept and striving, extending from the metaphysical to the political or the postcolonial. Our contributors aim to decipher KCB's distinct vocabulary (demand, feeling, alternation). They revisit his discussion of Rasa aesthetics, spotlight the place of the body in his phenomenological inquiry toward "the subject as freedom", situate him between classics (Abhinavagupta) and thinkers inspired by his thought (Daya Krishna), and discuss his lectures on Sāṃkhya and Yoga rather than projecting KCB as usual solely as a Vedānta scholar. Finally, the contributors seek to clarify if and how KCB's philosophical work is relevant to the discourse today, from the problem of other minds to freedoms in the social and political spheres. Elise Coquereau-Saouma and Daniel Raveh's The Making of Contemporary Indian Philosophy: Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (Routledge, 2022) will be of interest to academics studying Indian and comparative philosophy, philosophy of language and mind, phenomenology without borders, and political and postcolonial philosophy. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Sanskrit narrative texts. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

Finally it is time to talk about the tantric tradition of non-dual Kashmir Shaivism, as well as some of its representatives like the great Abhinavagupta.Music by:Filip HolmBanaras Baba & Kolkata KidPawan KrishnaPalace on WheelsSources/Suggested Reading:Chakravarty, H.N. (Translated by) (2012). "Tantrasara of Abhinavagupta". Edited by Boris Marjanovic. Rudra Press.Dyczkowski, Mark S.G. (1987). "The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism". SUNY Press.Hoskote, Ranjit (Translated by) (2013). "I, Lalla: The Poems of Lal Ded". Penguin Classics.Marjanovic, Boris (Translated by) (2004). "Abhinavagupta's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita: Gitartha Samgraha". Indica Books.Muller-Ortega, Paul (1988). "The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir". SUNY Press.Singh, Jaideva (Translated by) (1990). "The Doctrine of Recognition: A Translation of the Pratyabhijnahrdayam with an Introduction and Notes, by Ksemaraja". SUNY Press.Swami Lakshmanjoo (2015). "Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme". CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Torella, Raffaele & Bettina Bäumer (2016). "Utpaladeva: Philosopher of Recognition". D.K. Printworld.Torella, Rafaele (Translated by) (2013). "The Isvarapratyabhijnakarika of Utpaladeva: Critical edition and annoted translation". Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.#hinduism #kashmir #mysticism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Easter satsang, Swamiji begins by talking briefly about Easter being a time to celebrate the immortality of the soul. He shares a quote from Abhinavagupta on Bhairava or higher consciousness. Swamiji then draws on a wonderful selection of questions and answers from Baba Muktananda's 1970 world tour. This podcast was recorded live at The Ashram in Mount Eliza on the 8th of April, 2023. Watch the full satsang program with Swamiji and Devi Ma at The Ashram with a weekly subscription to The Ashram Online! This subscription will give you access to a library of over 100 hours of Swamiji's talks, meditation and chanting programs, hatha yoga classes and more. Click here to learn more.  

Human beings adorn. Scientists now say that the earliest adornments date back over 160,000 years. Why is adornment so universal? It is easy to see adornment as simply an indication of status, wealth, and identity. But adornment is also more than this. The word 'adorn' and 'ornament' relate directly to the word 'order,' to the pattern of the cosmos. And so to adorn has also been associated with aligning to a greater pattern, a pattern evident in the harmonic structures of nature and expressed in the aesthetics of culture and ritual. So in many traditions, to adorn is to directly enhance and pattern consciousness. To assume the boar-tooth mask or the macaw-feather crown is to bring consciousness into greater unification with the pattern of nature — to both heighten perception and to defend against unwanted forces. So adornment plays a key role in the shamanic navigation of the cosmos. In Tantric traditions, deep, loving, attention is paid to adornments. Hymns are sung to the goddess's adornments. The entire universe itself is seen as the adornment of the primal mother power, and practices of invocation and imaginal architecting deliberately adorn the consciousness of the practitioner. Such meticulous adornment has been foundational in many animist traditions. Yet in a world of decontextualized spirituality, the architecting and adorning of consciousness through ritual patterning is often discarded in favor of spiritualities that put all the emphasis on ridding the mind of constructs rather than deliberately patterning it.  Perhaps in a post-modern, post-structuralist world, modern minds need deliberate patterning. Like the Sumerian goddess Innana, we need to adorn... for survival. Featuring music from Sidibe, harpist Andy Aquarius, and Nivedita Gunturi and drawing on the work of Tantric scholar Sthaneswar Timalsina, this episode is a patterned journey through that which shines, shimmers, jingles, defends, and aligns... listen on a good sound system, at a time when you can devote your full attention. Support the show

WARNING: This episode contains depictions of violence, references to sexual acts and mild nudity.In this episode, we explore the often misunderstood tradition of Tantra or Tantrism.Sources/Suggested Reading:Bharati, Agehananda (1965). "The Tantric Tradition". B.I. Publications.Bhattacharyya, N.N. (2005). "History of the Tantric Religion". Second Revised Edition. Manohar.Dyczkowski, Mark S.G. (1987). "The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism". State University of New York Press.Einoo, Shingo (ed.) (2009). "Genesis and Development of Tantrism". University of Tokyo.Harper, Katherine Anne & Robert L. Brown (2002). "The Roots of Tantra". State University of New York Press.Muller-Ortega, Paul Eduardo (1989). "The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir". State University of New York Press.Wallis, Christopher D. (2013). "Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History and Practice of a Timeless Tradition". Mattamayura.White, David Gordon (2000). "Tantra in Practice". Princeton University Press.#Tantra #Shaivism #Buddhism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sri Abhinavagupta:One of Bharat's Greatest Civilizational Exponents|Prof Rajnish Mishra|#sangamtalks SrijanTalks

Our guests are the legendary Raqs Media Collective, formed in New Delhi in 1992, by Monica Narula, Jeebesh Bagchi and Shuddhabrata Sengupta. I like to call them intellectuals-at-large, but their production ranges from artistic to curatorial projects, from theoretical to educational works. The collective also co-founded Sarai—the inter-disciplinary and incubatory space at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.You'll hear their unique blend of thinking on technologies and media, from surveillance to bureaucratic interfaces as deeply embedded in societal dynamics; and we'll get to explore together how they have been producing knowledge as artists. The tidal changes in image cultures; how digital technologies are intertwined with urban infrastructures; how the poetic is also the political; and ultimately the significance of languages are a few of the things that are lingering in my mind and provoking further thoughts after this conversation.EPISODE NOTES & LINKSBased in New Delhi, Raqs Media Collective comprises three practitioners: Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula, and Shuddhabrata Sengupta. For the past three decades, the Collective has been concerned with urbanism, epistemology, technology, globalization, and the experience of time. Drawing upon critical theory and political philosophy, their work is marked by active inquiry, double-meanings, pluralism, and entanglement. https://www.raqsmediacollective.net/Sarai is among South Asia's most prominent and productive platforms for research and reflection on the transformation of urban space and contemporary realities, especially with regard to cities, data and information, law, and media infrastructures. https://sarai.net/about/Initiated by Ankur: Society for Alternatives in Education, Delhi, and Sarai-CSDS, Delhi in the year 2001 Cybermohalla is a network of dispersed labs for experimentation and exploration among young working-class individuals https://sarai.net/projects/cybermohalla/.The first Cybermohalla took place in LNJP (Lok Nayak Jarai Prakash), an informal settlement in Central Delhi.Parda-darii is a noun in Hindu meaning play of the veil, removing the veil, revealing the truth, and revealment of secrets.Can has written on the design of Cybermohalla Hub, in relation to his ‘Setting a Setting' idea.https://www.academia.edu/5980837/_Setting_and_Remaking_in_Cybermohalla_Hub_eds_Hirsch_N_and_S_Sarda_Berlin_Sternberg_Press_2012Curated by Raqs Media Collective “In the Open or In Stealth” was a group exhibition that has taken place at MACBA in 2018-2019 about the concept of a future in which multiple histories and geographies were placed in dialogue. https://www.macba.cat/en/exhibitions-activities/exhibitions/open-or-stealthThe Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. https://walkerart.org/visitEstablished by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima in Tokyo, Atelier Bow-Wow is an architecture firm. http://www.bow-wow.jp/Taken place in Walker Art center in 2003, How Latitudes Become Forms: Art in a Global Age was an exhibition about ways that globalization, or the “new internationalism in art” is affecting visual culture. https://walkerart.org/calendar/2003/how-latitudes-become-forms-art-in-a-global-agHow Latitudes Become Forms has a vintage website that constitutes substantial archival material about the project. http://latitudes.walkerart.org/overview/index.htmlFatwa is a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority.Abhinavagupta (c. 950 – 1016 CE) was a philosopher, mystic, and aesthetician from Kashmir. He was also considered an influential musician, poet, dramatist, exegete, theologian, and logician – a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences on Indian culture. William Shakespeare used more than 20,000 words in his plays and poems, and his works provide the first recorded use of over 1,700 words in the English language. https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-words/Submitted by Rohana Khattak, a sixteen-year-old reader of the New York Times from, Islamabad, Pakistan to the newspaper's Invent a Word Challenge, “Oblivionnaire” refers to a billionaire who chooses to be blind to the disparity and inequality that his or her wealth is creating.“Khullja Sim Sim” translates as “Open Sesame” in English, and “Açıl Susam Açıl” in Turkish. It is a magical phrase in the story of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" and in Antoine Galland's version of One Thousand and One Nights. It opens the mouth of a cave in which forty thieves have hidden a treasure.Nishastagah is a Hindu word referring to a place not (yet, ever) inhabited by memory. In response to the passage of the Citizenship Act on 11 December 2019 and the ensuing police intervention against students at Jamia Millia Islamia who were opposing the Amendment, the Shaheen Bagh protest was a peaceful sit-in protest in Delhi, India, that began on 15 December 2019 and lasted until 24 March 2020.The permanently lost 16mm film, “Half the Night left, and the Universe to Comprehend” is Raqs Media Collective's first work. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata, Ashwatthama was a Maharathi warrior who became a Chiranjivi (immortal) due to a curse given to him by the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love, Krishna.In the essay titled dictionary of war by Raqs Media Collective Ashwatthama is described both as an omnipresent immaterial entity that acts as a propagator of war while tracing his essence within the essence of human subjectivity. http://dictionaryofwar.org/node/894Mahendra Raj (1924 - 2022) was a structural engineer and designer who contributed to the structural design of many buildings in India including the Hall of Nations at the Pragati Maidan in Delhi.Opened in 1972, the Hall of Nations was a building designed by architect Raj Rewal, and structurally engineered by Mahendra Raj. The structure was demolished in April 2017 to make way for a new complex.The essay that Jabeesh mentions while referring to Mahendra Raj is titled Living with the Future in South Asia by Chris Moffat. https://www.publicbooks.org/modernist-architecture-heritage-south-asia-pragati-maidan/This season of Ahali Conversations is supported by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. The Graham provides project-based grants to foster the development and exchange of diverse and challenging ideas about architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society. This episode was also supported by a Moon & Stars Project Grant from the American Turkish Society.This episode was recorded on Zoom on May 17th, 2022. Interview by Can Altay. Produced by Aslı Altay & Sarp Renk Özer. Music by Grup Ses.

Rev. Dr. Michelle Voss Roberts is professor of theology and past principal at Emmanuel College, a multireligious theological school in the Toronto School of Theology and University of Toronto. She is a comparative theologian who works in Christian and Hindu traditions, as well as an ordained minister in relation to the United Church of Canada and the United Church of Christ. Her teaching and research invite others to imagine themselves in relation to diverse religious worlds, in which particularities of embodiment—such as gender, gender identity, and sexuality, racialization, dis/ability, and culture—matter. Dr. Voss Roberts' book-length works in comparative theology include Dualities: A Theology of Difference (Westminster John Knox, 2010), which centers medieval women theologians; and Tastes of the Divine: Hindu and Christian Theologies of Emotion (Fordham University Press, 2014), an exploration of rasa theory and theological aesthetics, which received the Award for Excellence from the American Academy of Religion. More recently, Body Parts: A Theological Anthropology (Fortress Press, 2017) reimagines the Christian teaching that human beings are created in the image of God through the prism of the tattvas in nondual Saiva thought. Voss Roberts is also the editor of a volume that brings interreligious comparison to the introductory study of theology, Comparative Theology: Insights for Systematic Theological Reflection (Fordham University Press, 2016), as well as the Routledge Handbook of Hindu-Christian Relations, which was published last year. In this episode, we discuss: Finding liberation within tradition. What it's like to be a Christian Theologian. Defining theology - faith seeking understanding. How we seek to understand this orientation towards the world. The concept of the image of God from Christian theology. Using the work of Abhinavagupta and his Śaiva teachings on the 36 tattvas to illuminate and expound upon the notion of the image of God in a more inclusive and expansive way. Broadening the scope of theology and our understanding of the divine. Why does comparative theology matter for our contemporary world? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abhinavagupta's Bhairava Stotra is a unique hymn that is a part of the Sacred Verses for Sunday Puja. Swamiji revered these verses, as he did all of the works of... The post Abhinavagupta's Bhairava Stotra appeared first on Lakshmanjoo Academy, Kashmir Shaivism.

The anuttarāṣṭikā is a hymn of eight (aṣṭikā) verses by Abhinavagupta, on the method of anupāya (no method) in the light of the highest reality/supreme –anuttara. The teaching on anupāya, as elaborated in this hymn, have been revered by Kashmir Shaiva Pandits since their inception by Shaiva Master Abhinavagupta, who devoted the second chapter of his magnum opus – Tantrāloka – to the method (upāya) known as anupāya, which literally means ‘no method'. Abhinavagupta (c. 950 – 1016 ) was a philosopher, mystic and aesthetician from Kashmir. He was also considered an influential musician, poet, dramatist, exegete, theologian, and logician – a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences on Indian culture.

We have been studying some very interesting parts from Abhinavagupta's Bhagavad Gita, in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo in our Weekly Sangha. This particular part from... The post Whatever happens in this world – He is never lost! appeared first on Lakshmanjoo Academy, Kashmir Shaivism.

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About the Tantraloka Abhinavagupta says the following: "This Tantrāloka is the manifestation of the three and a half streams of divine nectar which encompass the essence of all spiritual wisdom. With its broad sweep, it embodies in its exposition the quintessence of the Trika school of thought.  (Tantrāloka 36.15) In this excerpt from the Light on the Tantra of Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka, Volume One Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the real cause of liberation. https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/TL1_liberation-knowledge.mp3 Audio 9 - 05:30 क्रिया हि नाम विज्ञानान्नान्यद्वस्तु क्रमात्मताम् । उपायवशतः प्राप्तं तत्क्रियेति पुरोदितम् ॥२३१॥ kriyā hi nāma vijñānānnānyadvastu kramātmatām / upāyavaśataḥ prāptaṁ tatkriyeti puroditam //231// This kriyopāya,617 which is called āṇavopāya, which is one with āṇavopāya, is not other than vijñānopāya.618 This upāya, this means, is also residing in the field of knowledge; this means of action is also residing in the field of knowledge. This is also one with vijñāna (nānyat vastu). Kramātmatam upāyavaśataḥ prāptaṁ, knowledge residing in the field of succession is called jñāna śakti. Knowledge residing above the field of succession is called icchā śakti. Knowledge residing below the field of succession is called kriyā śakti. Knowledge is the thing. Knowledge is upwards and downwards. Knowledge residing above the field of succession, . . . JOHN: That’s in icchā śakti. SWAMIJI: . . . that is icchā śakti. JOHN: Then knowledge residing in succession . . . SWAMIJI: In succession is jñāna śakti. Knowledge residing below succession [is kriyā śakti]. JOHN: But what is “below succession”? What does it mean, “below succession”? SWAMIJI: When there is no touch of knowledge in action. JOHN: When it is just action. SWAMIJI: When it is just action–pūjā, worship, [when there is] no awareness. SCHOLAR: Yogāntatām. SWAMIJI: Yogāntatām, prāptaṁ tatkriyeti puroditam,619 that is kriyā śakti. DEVOTEE: (inaudible) pāyavaśataḥ prāptaṁ tat kriya. SWAMIJI: That is kriyā. So, in fact, kriyā, jñāna, and icchā are one. SCHOLAR: Triśūla. SWAMIJI: Audio 9 - 07:22 सम्यग्ज्ञानं च मुक्त्येककारणं स्वपरस्थितम् । यतो हि कल्पनामात्रं स्वपरादिविभूतयः ॥२३२॥ samyagjñānaṁ ca muktyekakāraṇaṁ svaparasthitam / yato hi kalpanāmātraṁ svaparādivibhūtayaḥ //232// The cause of liberation, the cause of getting liberation, is not the master, is not the effort of the disciple, is not the effort of the master. The real cause of liberation is just where there is knowledge. Where there is knowledge, the appearance of knowledge, [that] is the cause of liberation. Svaparasthitam, it may reside in the master, it may be residing in the disciple, we don’t stress on that, we stress on knowledge. That perfect knowledge of Self is the cause of liberation. It may be residing in the master or it may be residing in the disciple. Yato hi kalpanāmātraṁ svaparādi vibhūtayaḥ, “This is the master,” “This is the disciple,” what does that [matter]? There is no difference! You may perceive that supreme knowledge in your master, [then] you are liberated! It doesn’t matter if [supreme knowledge] is not residing in you! Wherever it is residing, you are liberated. It may reside in the master, it may reside in you (in the disciple). Because, yato hi kalpanāmātraṁ svaparādo vibhūtayaḥ, “This is the master,” “This is the disciple,” this is all the ignorant way of understanding, the incorrect way of understanding. The correct way of understanding is, wherever there is knowledge, that is liberation. It may be residing in Lord Śiva, it may be residing in you. If you once perceive that it is residing in Lord Śiva, you are liberated. You may not perceive that it is residing in me.620 So there is faith: if you believe that your master is filled with the glory of awareness, [then] you are filled with the glory of awareness...

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"Now there is one trick, O Arjuna, I will tell you a trick of how you can subside māyā." In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo (chapter 7 verse 14) Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the trick how to subside māyā (illusion). view on YouTube or listen to audio below... https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/BGita-ch7maya.mp3 DVD 7 (38:09) दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया । मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामतितरन्ति ते ॥१४॥ daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā । māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmatitaranti te ॥ 14 ॥ This guṇamayi, guṇamayi is filled with sattvoguṇa, rajoguṇa, [and tamoguṇa]–the three gunas–it is māyā. And it is duratyayā, nobody has conquered this, nobody has won [over] this māyā. Now there is one trick, O Arjuna, I will tell you a trick of how you can subside māyā. Māmeva ye prapadyante . . . Other commentators have commentated upon this verse [in the following way]: “those who take refuge in Me, they [conquer] māya.” It is the commentary, which is done by other commentators [other] than Abhinavagupta. Abhinavagupta has [explained], māmeva ye prapadyante, those persons, those elevated souls who think, “māmeva ye prapadyante, māyā is me, māmeva, māyā is the reality of Brahman.” [This is thought by] those who attribute māyā in their own nature. [When they feel] “I am māyā–māyā is Parabhairava”, then they are free from māyā. You should know that māyā is not other than Parabhairava, then you will succeed. Otherwise, there is no hope of getting rid of māyā, because this is guṇamayī daivī.1 tena sattvādīnāṁ vastutaḥ saṁvinmātraparabrahmān-atiriktatāyāmapi yattadatiriktatāvagamanaṁ tadeva guṇatvaṁ–bhoktṛitattvapāratantrayaṁ bhogyatvam / tacca bhedātmakaṁ-rūpaṁ saṁsāribhiranirvācyatayā, tān prati māyārūpam And they are caught by that māyā . . . ato ye paramārtha brahma prakāśa vida . . . [comm. verse 14] Those, on the contrary, who are situated in the supreme state of Parabhairava, tad-anatiriktaṁ viśvaṁ paśyanto, they realize that this whole universe, which is created by the māyā of Lord Śiva, is not separate from the Parabhairava state; for them, there is no māyā. They have conquered māyā. ____________ 1 “Daivī is divine. Divine mean devaḥ krīḍākaraḥ, devaḥ means who is always playful, Lord Śiva is always playful. Māyā and not māyā, illusion and not illusion, consciousness and unconsciousness–this is all His play.” Swami Lakshmanjoo, Bhagavad Gītā audio, Lakshmanjoo Academy Archives. (source: Chapter 7, of the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo), this video is also available as a series for rent and purchase on-demand. All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.

means (upāya), anupāya, superior means (shambavopaya),   This is an excerpt from Swami Lakshmanjoo's newest publication: Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism - Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka Volume 2 Chapters Two & Three. Tantrāloka is the voluminous masterwork of the 10th-century philosopher-saint Abhinavagupta. It is a veritable encyclopedia of non-dual Shaivism, a spiritual treasure trove containing a glorious synthesis of all the schools that make up Kashmir Shaivism. This second volume includes chapters two and three, dealing with Anupāya, the means (upāya) where there is nothing to be done for attaining oneness with Universal Being, and Śāmbhavopāya, the means requiring supreme awareness.   Coming from the direct line of Abhinavagupta, in his translation and commentary Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the true meaning of this otherwise difficult text. In the accompanying free audio, the sincere student can hear the words of a master who lived and breathed Kashmir Shaivism in its fullness. The Tantraloka is composed of thirty-seven chapters (ahnikas). Each chapter has its own distinct topic. A summary of each chapter is contained in the previously published, Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism - Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka Volume 1 Chapter One. Here are some of the topics Abhinavagupta examines in the second and third chapter: Second Chapter – anupāya:  The means where there is nothing to be done. What constitutes the initiation of this elevated aspirant. Third Chapter – śāmbhavopāya: Pratibimbavada: how the universe is reflected in the mirror of God-consciousness. Mātṛkācakra: the unfolding of the wheel of energies of the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, that make up the subjective nature of the world of manifestation. Ahaṁ-parāmarśa: how the supreme state of I-consciousness (aham) flows out into the world of manifestation. You can order a copy of the book here...  "Upāyas (fourfold means) are the nature of God consciousness." ~Swami Lakshmanjoo   https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/13-TA_2verse4-6.mp3 TĀ 2 Audio 13 (07:30) यच्चतुर्धोदितं रूपं विज्ञानस्य विभोरसौ । स्वभाव एव मन्तव्यः स हि नित्योदितो विभुः ॥४॥ yaccaturdhoditaṁ rūpaṁ vijñānasya vibhorasau / svabhāva eva mantavyaḥ sa hi nityodito vibhuḥ // 4 // There are four sections of the means (caturdhā, fourfold). One is anupāya, the next is śāmbhavopāya, the third is śāktopāya, and the fourth is āṇavopāya. In fact, these fourfold means are the nature of God consciousness; svabhāva eṣa1 vibho mantavyaḥ, [these upāyas are] the nature of God consciousness. Sa hi nityodito vibhuḥ, and that state of God consciousness is shining everywhere–in āṇavopāya, in śāktopāya, in śāmbhavopāya, and in anupāya, too.2 TĀ 2 Audio 13 (08:22) एतावद्भिरसंख्यातैः स्वभावैर्यत्प्रकाशते । केऽप्यंशांशिकया तेन विशन्त्यन्ये निरंशतः ॥५॥ etāvadbhirasaṁkhyātaiḥ svabhāvairyatprakāśate / ke’pyaṁśāṁśikayā tena viśantyanye niraṁśataḥ // 5 // These are fourfold means, from anupāya to āṇavopāya, and there are other adjusted means also which are numberless (asāṁkhyātair). For instance, anupāya is one (in prasaja pratiṣedha, anupāya is only one). In paryudāsa pratiṣedha, anupāya will go variously. For instance, siddha darśanam.3 Siddha darśana will be anupāya, but in the paryudāsa way, not in the reality of anupāya.4 When you just get a divine touch of your master, that is anupāya [in the paryudāsa way], and you get entry in your God consciousness; or just a glance of your master, this is the second way of anupāya,5 and you are established in that God consciousness–at once, without doing anything, without adopting means or anything. And there are various means in that way. In śāmbhavopāya also, there are various means; in śāktopāya also, there are also various means; and in āṇavopāya also. JOHN: So that is the means of anupāya.

Le Tantra est un ensemble de textes de sagesse anciens parfois incompris en Occident. Ce mot qui signifie « méthode », « trame », « fil » est un courant qui considère, entre autres choses, les sens et le corps comme des outils de déploiement spirituel. Son expression originelle et son objectif de connexion au divin se brouillent pourtant à travers la mode du néo-tantrisme ou du sexe tantrique. Qu’est-ce que le Tantra ? D’où vient ce courant ? Est-ce une pratique sexuelle ? Qu’est-ce qu’il nous enseigne ? Comment peut-il être une voie d’épanouissement personnel et spirituel ? Invitée : Colette Poggi ------------------- Colette Poggi, indianiste, sanskritiste, docteure en Philosophie comparée (Paris IV-Sorbonne), enseigne le sanskrit ainsi que la pensée religieuse et philosophique de l’Inde dans divers centres universitaires et écoles de formation des professeurs de yoga. Parmi ses publications : Les œuvres de vie selon Maître Eckhart et Abhinavagupta, 2000 ; Le sanskrit, souffle et lumière, langue sacrée, langue de connaissance, 2012 ; La Bhagavad Gîtâ ou l’art d’agir, 2020. Livres : http://bit.ly/livres-colette-poggi --- Gwenaëlle Batard est praticienne en médecine ayurvédique, auteure et conférencière. Spécialiste en plantes médicinales (herbaliste), ethnobotanique et pensée positive, elle est la fondatrice de Mihira Ayurveda et de l’Ayurveda Sourire. Livre : http://bit.ly/livre-ayurveda_sourire-fnac Livre audio : http://bit.ly/ayurveda-sourire-gwenaelle-batard-audible Site internet : https://www.mihira-ayurveda.com/ Page Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/MihiraAyurveda/ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mihira.ayurveda/ Chaine You Tube : http://bit.ly/youtube-mihira

Transcript from the Bhagavad Gita Sangha #44 Chapter 6 verse 1-3. In this excerpt, Swamiji elaborates on the practical aspects of the Bhagavad Gītā, practice (abhyasa) of karma sannyas and karma yoga. Audio only... https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/BGitaSangha44.mp3     John Hughes: Good morning everyone. Here we are. Shanna Hughes: Hi Welcome. Welcome to our Bhagavad Gita Sangha. Please tell us where you're joining from. Oh, John showed up this morning. Good morning, John. And Vivian, and Hi, good morning Jatinder Ji. And we have Rudra Das and Lee. Hi, Lee. And we have Raj and Ranju, good morning, and Paul from England, and Vijay Ji. And we have Kurt, hi, Kurt. And it's going really fast. I'm going to pull it back up... Caroline, and Bruce and Robert, and good morning Tom and Caroline, and Ivy and Kate... Hi, Annie from Fresno. And Claudia, Hi, Claudia. We have Erika from Mexico, Good morning. And Ellen and Maria and Arjuna and Guillermo from Guatemala. And Hi John from New Mexico. And Isabel from France, and Alba, Hi Alba, and Bill. Good morning Bill from Colorado, and Denise in Istanbul, and Ager. Hi Ager, Good morning from Iceland. And Brenda.   All these names are becoming familiar now from last year. And good morning Padma, Namaste Ji,  and we have Eileen from France, and Prasad in London, Paul, Julie Devi, and we have Anita Ji, and we have Moti Lal Raina, and Lalita Ji, and Shawn and Eden, Hey Eden. Basu, Karen Weiss, Good morning, and Josephine from Spain and Roxana, Carlos, Romo Guillermo, and we have Jennifer from Canada.   Welcome, everyone. Please join us for the Aghora mantra...                     ॐ अघोरेभ्योऽथ घोरेभ्यो घोरघोरतरीभ्यश्च। सर्वतः शर्व! सर्वेभ्यो नमस्ते रुद्ररूपेभ्यः॥ aghorebhyo tha ghorebhyo ghora ghoratarī bhyash cha 
 sarvatah sharva! sarvebhyo namaste rudra rūpebhyah   O Lord Shiva! You alone transform yourself into all forms, into the forms of the powers of Rudra as Aghorā, the enlightening and uplifting energy, Ghoratarī, the frightful darkening energy which pushes one down, and Ghorā, the energy which keeps one fixed, neither rising or falling. These forms, embodied in Rudra Shiva, are helpful to aspirants while they are aware, and frightful for the ones who are ignorant, pushing them down and down. Shanna Hughes [addressing Denise]: Would you like to take us through the meditation? Time (4:06) Denise Hughes: Yes. Now lengthen the spine. Bring your attention to your breath. Follow your breath in and follow your breath out. And now slowly inhale the breath. Take your awareness between the two eyebrows and exhale the breath. At the end of the exhale, observe the pause at the end of the exhale. Inhale... ...awareness between the two eyebrows. And then exhale the breath. At the end of the exhale, observe the natural pause. And continue with your meditation. Inhaling and observing the pause between the two eyebrows, and exhaling observing the pause at the end of the exhale.  Please continue with your meditation...  [10 min SILENT MEDITATION ENDING WITH A GONG!] ...just a little while observe how you're feeling in this moment. When you're ready, allow your eyes to begin to open.  Time (16:25) Shanna: What are you smiling about George? George: What am I smiling about? The neverending search for spectacles? Shanna: I know that one now, just in the last six months.  George: Good.  Shanna: We are going into chapter six now, right? George: We are going to play a short synopsis or short summary of this chapter. It might be nice to put this in context too. Abhinavagupta's Bhagavad Gita is unique. You have to think that he wrote this or he did the commentary on the Bhagavad Gita more than a 1000 years ago, in an environment, which was very much feeling that the only way to get enlightened or to get spirituality was through rituals, basically, that you had to do rituals and you had to do all of ...

https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/No-matter-what-happens-go-on-remembering-God-and-he-will-carry-you..mp3 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 paramārthe yathā-tathāpi prayatanīyam //103// “So, O my devotees,” Abhinavagupta says to everybody, “O my devotees, asmin sanmārge, on this path of Parabhairava, the achievement of Parabhairava, whoever has taken a step with pure desire, no matter if that desire is slow or if that desire is intense or whatever it is, who has taken this step, who has tread on this step, . . .” It does not matter if he is a brahmin, if he is a wattal (sweeper), if he is an outcast, if he is anybody, it does not matter for that. “. . . nirato yaḥ kaścid eti sa śivatam, he becomes one with Parabhairava. Iti matvā, this way you should take in your mind, yathātathāpi prayatanīyam, whatever happens, whatever may come, go on doing practice, go on doing practice. That practice may be the lowest practice, that practice may be medium practice, that practice may be intense practice, go on doing something, yathātathāpi, whatever comes.” "If you are trodden down, go on doing, go on remembering God, go on remembering God. This is the way in which[ever] way you will remember [Him], bas, He will carry you, He will carry you. Because that remembrance is [the way]. It may be medium; it may be low, it may be very low, it may be the lowest, it may be intense, it may be very intense, that does not matter. Go on, another step, another step." (source: Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara (The Essence of the Highest Reality), Revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.

This is an excerpt from the Weekly Sangha, a free online study of Abhinavagupta's Bhagavad Gita revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo, offered by the Lakshmanjoo Academy every Saturday. This study is based on the video recordings along with the transcript. For more information join us here. When all doubts are clarified, then this nectar works. Nectar means the state of Bhairava–it shines everywhere. And this nectar of the Parabhairava state is possible to those, tad gata buddhi manasāṁ, who are always bent upon finding out the state of Bhairava in each and every respect. "The state of Bhairava shines everywhere to those who are always bent upon finding out the state of Bhairava in each and every respect." ~Swami Lakshmanjoo [Lord Kṛṣṇa] says: DVD 5.2 (04:31) तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः  । गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धौतकल्मषाः  ॥१७॥ tadbuddhayastadātmānastanniṣṭhāstatparāyaṇāḥ / gacchantyapunarāvṛttiṁ jñānanirdhautakalmaṣāḥ //17//   Tad buddhaya, whatever intellectual process they have, tad ātmāna, their mind is always diverted towards that God consciousness. Tad niṣṭhā, their position [i.e., attention] is also diverted towards God consciousness. Tat parāyaṇāḥ, they are bent upon finding out God consciousness. And tad niṣṭhāḥ, tat parāyaṇāḥ, and they are always bent upon holding [on to] it with all [their] might. Gacchantyapunarāvṛttiṁ, they actually are sentenced to that supreme Parabhairava state where there is no hope to return [to ignorance]. They are always amidst that glamour of Parabhairava state. Jñānanirdhauta-kalmaṣāḥ, by that knowledge everything is washed. Whatever is and whatever is not, that is all washed. “Washed” means that [everything becomes] clarified [with the real knowledge of Parabhairava] and it has that whitewash of Parabhairava everywhere. Good, bad, disgusting, whatever it is, it is all divine. DVD 5.2 (06:35) स्मरन्तोऽपि मुहुस्त्वेतत्स्पृशन्तोऽपि स्वकर्मणि  । सक्ता अपि न सज्जन्ति पङ्के रविकरा इव  ॥१८॥ smaranto’pi muhustvetatspṛśanto’pi svakarmaṇī / saktā api na sajjanti paṅke ravikarā iva //18// [not recited or translated]   “Although they think about and they enjoy those worldly pleasures, and they are attached to those senses, but they are not attached, they are absolutely away from that, absolutely free from those actions. How? Just like the rays of sun, although they have sunk in mud, but they have nothing to do with mud; mud does not stick to them.” This part is from the Bhagavad Gītā (1978). Source: Abhinavagupta's Bhagavad Gita: In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo available as video on demand Copyright © John Hughes    

In this excerpt from The Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka, Volume One, Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the nature of liberation (mokṣa). You can pre-order the second volume and read more details here. https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Tantraloka01v31-35liberation.mp3 B) The nature of Liberation - Mokṣa (31–35) Now the thirty-first [śloka]: Audio 2 - 0:02 स्वतन्त्रात्मातिरिक्तस्तु तुच्छोऽतुच्छोऽपि कश्चन। न मोक्षो नाम तन्नास्य पृथङ्नामापि गृह्यते॥३१॥ svatantrātmātiriktastu tuccho’tuccho’pi kaścana / na mokṣo nāma tannāsya pṛthaṅnāmāpi gṛhyate //31// Now, he explains in this śloka, the thirty-first śloka, what is really liberation (mokṣa). Mokṣa, he explains, mokṣa is only svatantrātma, when your being becomes absolutely independent from all sides. That is mokṣa, that is liberation, then you are liberated. Without that absolute independence, whatever is existing in this world, if it is tuccha or if it is atuccha, if it is empty (worthless) or if it is worthy, . . .   JOHN: Valuable. SWAMIJI: . . . whatever it is, that is not mokṣa. So, there is nothing separately explained as mokṣa except svatantrātma. The thirty-second [śloka]: Audio 2 - 01:23 यत्तु ज्ञेयसतत्त्वस्य पूर्णपूर्णप्रथात्मकम्। तदुत्तरोत्तरं ज्ञानं तत्तत्संसारशान्तिदम्॥३२॥ yattu jñeyasatattvasya pūrṇapūrṇaprathātmakam / taduttarottaraṁ jñānaṁ tattatsaṁsāraśāntidam //32// The essence that we have to perceive [of that which is] worth perceiving, that essence [of that] which is to be perceived (that is, Lord Śiva), and that perception, as long as it becomes full by-and-by, in succession, as much as it is full, you are near mokṣa. If it is not full, if it is incomplete, you are away from mokṣa. So, that [incomplete] fullness is differentiated fullness. For some masters of some other schools, they consider that full, but in other systems it is not, it is incomplete. So that complete fullness lies only in Shaivism, although they77 are liberated from that saṁsāra of their own (tattat saṁsāra śāntidam78). Now he explains the same in the thirty-third śloka: Audio 2 - 03:01 रागाद्यकलुषोऽस्म्यन्तःशून्योऽहं कर्तृतोज्झितः। इत्थं समासव्यासाभ्यां ज्ञानं मुञ्चति तावतः॥३३॥ rāgādyakaluṣo’smyantaḥśūnyo’haṁ kartṛtojjhitaḥ / itthaṁ samāsavyāsābhyāṁ jñānaṁ muñcati tāvataḥ //33// [not recited] Some masters of [other] schools say that, “rāgādi akuluṣo asmi,” the reality of the Self is [realized] when you are absolutely away from the bondage of rāga (attachment), kāma (desire), krodha (wrath), etcetera (rāgādi akaluṣo asmi). SCHOLAR: Free of kleśāvaraṇa–the Yogācāras.79 SWAMIJI: Yes, it is for Yogācāras. Another school of thought explains that the reality of the Self is just to become deprived or away from all substance. When you are an absolute void, [when] you become an absolute void, you are free. Absolute voidness is freedom. SCHOLAR: Śūnya svabhāvako’ham. SWAMIJI: Yes, śūnya svabhāvako’ham. JOHN: Which school is this? SCHOLAR: Mādhyamikā.80 SWAMIJI: Mādhyamikā. And another school explains that the reality of the Self is when the Self becomes absolutely away from kartṛ bhāva (action). JOHN: This would be Sāṁkhya? SWAMIJI: It is Sāṁkhya.81 SCHOLAR: And Patañjali yoga. SWAMIJI: Patañjali yoga also.82 So this way (itthaṁ), samāsavyāsābhyāṁ jñānaṁ, this knowledge, this perception, relieves them from that bondage of their own, collectively83 or separately.84 Some become aware and that jñāna (knowledge) removes the bondage of those people collectively, . . . SCHOLAR: Up to that point. SWAMIJI: Up to that point.85 . . . and to some, one-by-one (vyāsābhyām). SCHOLAR: What does that mean? SWAMIJI: That means, some people are freed from māyīyamala, some people are freed from kārmamala, and some are freed from all these malas. Those who are freed from all these malas, it is samāsena.86

We hope you arrived well in the New Year of 2021. May it bring us all many Blessings and many spiritual insights. What a better subject to study than Pratibimbavada (the theory of reflection) in Kashmir Shaivism. Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals Kashmir Shaivism's theory of reflection to explain how the world of diversity, though absolutely one with Parabhairava seems to be separate just like the images in a mirror seem to be separate from the mirror. Pratibimbavada (the theory of reflection) is one of the main concepts of Kashmir Shaivism: "How is the actual state of Parabhairava existing?" Swami Lakshmanjoo explains this very essential concept with an example in this excerpt from the Essence of the Supreme Reality: Abhinavagupta's Paramarthasara. Watch the whole video series on demand here... click to view on youtube दर्पणबिम्बे यद्वन् नगरग्रामादि चित्रमविभागि । भाति विभागेनैव च परस्परं दर्पणादपि च ॥१२॥ विमलतमपरमभैरव- बोधात् तद्वद् विभागशून्यमपि अन्योन्यं च ततोऽपि च विभक्तमाभाति जगदेतत् ॥१३॥ darpaṇabimbe yadvan nagaragrāmādi citramavibhāgi / bhāti vibhāgenaiva ca parasparaṁ darpaṇādapi ca // 12 // vimalatamaparamabhairava- bodhāt tatvad vibhāgaśūnyamapi / anyonyaṁ ca tato ‘pi ca vibhaktamābhāti jagadetat // 13 //   How is the actual state of Parabhairava existing? And for this, he gives an example. Darpaṇa bimbe yadvat, take outside mirror, keep mirror in your room here, darpaṇa bimbe, and see, but keep this well-cleaned mirror; nagaragrāmādi citram avibhāgi, nagaragrām, whatever is reflected in it, you see everything is reflected in the mirror which is only two feet by two feet, two feet length and two feet height . . . bas, only this much. And in this, you will feel the reflection of this house, the reflection of that house, the reflection of those trees, big trees, reflection of everything, whatever it is reflected on this. Citram: citram means it is not put in one ball there, because the dimension of this mirror is only two feet by two feet. It can’t come in two feet by two feet; it seems separate. Bhāti vibhāgenaiva ca, and it seems separate. nacaya etat dharmanasya prasyato yujyate / You can’t [understand], after investigation, what has happened to this, how these trees seem to exist away from the space of mirror, back. But after investigating what is in the back, there is nothing. There is nothing. Only distance is seen, distance is observed. And at the same time, there is no weight also in this. For instance, a big tree trunk has reflected in the mirror. If the weight of mirror was one kilo, after the reflection of this tree, which weighs 100 kilos, it does not create . . . the end of the JONATHAN: Extra weight. SWAMIJI: . . . extra weight. It is the same weight. You couldn’t move it. Then you couldn’t move it . . . dharmaṇo ’pi achālasyat He has said, Abhinavagupta has said, dharmaṇo ’pi achālasyat, you could not move it. In weight also, it is the same weight; it is only one kilo. So this is the glamour of reflection. It is separate from each other and separate from the mirror also, what is reflected in this. This is an example. Now the main thing which is to be understood. In the same way . . . vimalatamaparamabhairava- bodhāt tatvad vibhāgaśūnyamapi / 13a (repeated)   In the same way, that which is absolutely most pure, purest element–Parabhairava (Parabhairava is the purest element of the supreme mirror)–and in that supreme mirror, which is the purest element of Bhairava, in that Bhairava, vibhaktama jagad etat, from Śiva to pṛithvī, all this universe, it seems, you perceive that universe, absolutely separate from Bhairava, from that mirror, from Parabhairava. It is absolutely separate from Parabhairava. And not only that, it is separate from each other. Pṛithvī [earth] is separated from jala [water], jala is separated from agni [fire], agni is separated from vayu [wind], vayu is separate, ākāśa [ether] is separate, antaḥkaraṇas [mind,

Works of art are made by people who have tasted one or more of the nine juices of life and they want you to taste the juice, too. This was the belief of a teacher who lived in India 2,000 years ago. His thoughts were chronicled in the Natya Shastra of the Hindus. According to that teacher*, these are the Nine Juices of Life: Love heals pain and frees the ego. Your appreciation of beauty (gratitude) connects you to the source of love. Joy is expressed in laughter, contentment, and happiness. But if you pursue these things directly, they will evade you.Laughter, contentment and happiness are experienced only as a consequence of love. Wonder is the result of becoming fascinated with life. Playfulness and curiosity allow us to journey into mysteries that end in magical awe. Courage is the energy that comes when you call upon the Warrior within you. Courage manifests itself as bravery, confidence, and pride. Sadness allows you to experience compassion, that precious emotion that allows us to relate more deeply to one another. Grief is another expression of sadness, an inescapable part of healing. Anger is fire, heat and light. If anger is not acknowledged and respected, it becomes irritation, hatred, and violence. Feel your anger, but do not let it guide you. Actions taken in anger can destroy a lifetime of good. Fear is most commonly expressed as worry, doubt, and insecurity. When we hide beneath it, we shut down completely. Disgust is revulsion and rejection of something considered offensive, distasteful, or unpleasant. Disgust turned inward is self-pity and self-loathing. This cannot be healed except through love. Peace is not external, but within. It is that deep, relaxing calm that occurs when you become so full that you are empty. Five hundred and seven years ago, Giovanni Giocondo wrote about this kind of peace in a Christmas letter to a friend. “No peace lies in the future that is not hidden in this present little instant. Take peace!” If our Hindu teacher was right, every actor, musician, storyteller, painter, poet, dancer, sculptor, photographer, novelist and playwright is trying to express one or more of those nine feelings: Love, Joy, Wonder, Courage, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Peace. I'm not a Hindu, but I think the idea of the nine rasas is one worth contemplating. It has always been my conviction that interesting perspectives and ancient wisdom can be found in religions that are not your own. But even so, I am always unsettled when a person says, “All religions teach basically the same thing.” If a moral code is all you seek, then yes, most religions teach a similar moral code. But the laughter and joy of a reckless faith is an altogether different thing. Roy H. Williams * The theory of rasa is attributed to Bharata, a sage-priest who may have lived sometime between the 1st century BCE and the 3rd century CE. It was fully developed in about the year 1000 by the rhetorician and philosopher Abhinavagupta.

For many Indian philosophers, language is inextricably tied up with conceptualization. In Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self (Routledge, 2020), Marco Ferrante shows how a set of tenth century philosophers living in Kashmir argue for the existence of a self on the basis of the interrelationship between linguistic concepts and mental experience, against the criticism of Buddhists. In his examination of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, famous for their membership in the "school of Recognition" or Pratyabhijñā, Ferrante traces connections not only back in time to the Sanskrit grammarian and philosopher Bhartṛhari, but forward in time to contemporary analytic philosophy of language and mind. He argues that these thinkers took first-person subjectivity seriously in their reasoning about our mental lives, bringing together commitments which today might be characterized as a higher-order theory of consciousness, a belief in the existence of qualia, a form of panpsychism, and a kind of lingualism (the dependence of thought on language). The book engages in both textual analysis of important Sanskrit texts, as well as philosophical evaluation of the arguments contained therein, with an eye towards their relevance for philosophy understood broadly. Malcolm Keating is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Yale-NUS College. His research focuses on Sanskrit philosophy of language and epistemology. He is the author of Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy (Bloomsbury Press, 2019) and host of the podcast Sutras (and stuff). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many Indian philosophers, language is inextricably tied up with conceptualization. In Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self (Routledge, 2020), Marco Ferrante shows how a set of tenth century philosophers living in Kashmir argue for the existence of a self on the basis of the interrelationship between linguistic concepts and mental experience, against the criticism of Buddhists. In his examination of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, famous for their membership in the "school of Recognition" or Pratyabhijñā, Ferrante traces connections not only back in time to the Sanskrit grammarian and philosopher Bhartṛhari, but forward in time to contemporary analytic philosophy of language and mind. He argues that these thinkers took first-person subjectivity seriously in their reasoning about our mental lives, bringing together commitments which today might be characterized as a higher-order theory of consciousness, a belief in the existence of qualia, a form of panpsychism, and a kind of lingualism (the dependence of thought on language). The book engages in both textual analysis of important Sanskrit texts, as well as philosophical evaluation of the arguments contained therein, with an eye towards their relevance for philosophy understood broadly. Malcolm Keating is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Yale-NUS College. His research focuses on Sanskrit philosophy of language and epistemology. He is the author of Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy (Bloomsbury Press, 2019) and host of the podcast Sutras (and stuff). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many Indian philosophers, language is inextricably tied up with conceptualization. In Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self (Routledge, 2020), Marco Ferrante shows how a set of tenth century philosophers living in Kashmir argue for the existence of a self on the basis of the interrelationship between linguistic concepts and mental experience, against the criticism of Buddhists. In his examination of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, famous for their membership in the "school of Recognition" or Pratyabhijñā, Ferrante traces connections not only back in time to the Sanskrit grammarian and philosopher Bhartṛhari, but forward in time to contemporary analytic philosophy of language and mind. He argues that these thinkers took first-person subjectivity seriously in their reasoning about our mental lives, bringing together commitments which today might be characterized as a higher-order theory of consciousness, a belief in the existence of qualia, a form of panpsychism, and a kind of lingualism (the dependence of thought on language). The book engages in both textual analysis of important Sanskrit texts, as well as philosophical evaluation of the arguments contained therein, with an eye towards their relevance for philosophy understood broadly. Malcolm Keating is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Yale-NUS College. His research focuses on Sanskrit philosophy of language and epistemology. He is the author of Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy (Bloomsbury Press, 2019) and host of the podcast Sutras (and stuff). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many Indian philosophers, language is inextricably tied up with conceptualization. In Indian Perspectives on Consciousness, Language and Self (Routledge, 2020), Marco Ferrante shows how a set of tenth century philosophers living in Kashmir argue for the existence of a self on the basis of the interrelationship between linguistic concepts and mental experience, against the criticism of Buddhists. In his examination of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, famous for their membership in the "school of Recognition" or Pratyabhijñā, Ferrante traces connections not only back in time to the Sanskrit grammarian and philosopher Bhartṛhari, but forward in time to contemporary analytic philosophy of language and mind. He argues that these thinkers took first-person subjectivity seriously in their reasoning about our mental lives, bringing together commitments which today might be characterized as a higher-order theory of consciousness, a belief in the existence of qualia, a form of panpsychism, and a kind of lingualism (the dependence of thought on language). The book engages in both textual analysis of important Sanskrit texts, as well as philosophical evaluation of the arguments contained therein, with an eye towards their relevance for philosophy understood broadly. Malcolm Keating is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Yale-NUS College. His research focuses on Sanskrit philosophy of language and epistemology. He is the author of Language, Meaning, and Use in Indian Philosophy (Bloomsbury Press, 2019) and host of the podcast Sutras (and stuff). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shambhavi explains the core View of the nature of diversity and our relationships to it based on a teaching of Abhinavagupta. A podcast from Satsang with Shambhavi Curious to find out more about spiritual life, Trika Shaivism, and Shambhavi? Want to know how you can attend live teachings or get started practicing? Visit jayakula.org for lots more media, instruction in mantra and meditation, and a full calendar of IRL teachings with Shambhavi. You can also find us on FB and instagram @jayakula And if you’d like to support these teachings, please rate and review this podcast as it helps others find us. You can also make a donation at jayakula.org/giving Thanks for listening! And much love to you, wherever and however you are. 

Swami Lakshmanjoo explains how one should act in this world so that impressions do not remain in one's mind - Kashmir Shaivism This is an excerpt from Chapter Chapter 3, Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo). Also, check out our free weekly sangha studying Abhinavagupta's Bhagavad Gita.     Now, who is the best one? The best yogi is that person . . . DVD 3.1 (18:09) यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन  । कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते  ॥७॥ yastvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate’rjuna / karmendriyaiḥ karmayogamasaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate //7// The one who is always walking, talking, and fully aware of God consciousness while walking, while talking, while doing gup-shup (idle conversation), and seeing, shaking hands, karmendriyaiḥ karma yogam asaktaḥ, without being attached to all of these. He sees. . . he [walks] on the pathway for a change, but he does not know where he went and wherefrom he returned. Because, it is just like rathyaṁ grāmaṇe tṛṇaparṇādivat. When you walk on the roadside, you will see [objects] on the roadside here and there. When you go in motorcar, in motorcar ride, you see leaves and everything on the right side and on the left side of your car, but those impressions of leaves do not remain in your mind; it is just nirvikalpa.63 Like that you should act in this world. DVD 3.1 (19:54) नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः  । शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः  ॥८॥ niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hyakaramaṇaḥ / śarīrayātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyedakarmaṇaḥ //8// [Lord Kṛṣṇa]: So you should do action, always do action with God consciousness. Karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ. Karma is, action is very superior, most superior, more superior than discarding actions. Śarīrayātrāpi ca te. Śarīrayātrā means this bodily existence also is dependent to karma. Without karma, bodily existence . . . the body won’t exist, the body won’t live, it will be shattered to pieces. DVD 3.1 (20:55) यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्र लोकोऽयं कर्मबन्धनः  । तदर्थं कर्म कौन्तेय मुक्तसङ्गः समाचर  ॥९॥ yajñārthātkarmaṇo’nyatra loko’yaṁ karmabandhanaḥ / tadarthaṁ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara //9// O Arjuna, you should do actions, yajñārthāt, you should do actions, leave actions in God consciousness, bas! Don’t crave for its fruit, [then] all your actions will bear no fruit. And when they bear no fruit, what is remaining in the background of fruit? The knowledge of Parabhairava. The supreme Bhairava state will shine automatically. JOHN: What does it mean [when] he says it won’t bear fruit, these actions will bear no fruit? I mean, it bears some fruit . . . what does it mean? SWAMIJI: No, these actions will bear fruit [only] when you ask for them, when you ask for fruits. When you do actions and remain in God consciousness, always be introverted and do all actions, then there will be no fruit from that. And that fruit will be, automatically, the knowledge of Parabhairava. JOHN: So what is it when some fruit comes? I mean in other words, you do something and some result comes from that. That is not the same kind of fruit? SWAMIJI: No, that fruit should not come, that is the wrong way of action. JOHN: No, I agree with that, but . . . SWAMIJI: Wrong way of action is to pray for this karma (action), e.g., “this karma (action) should be successful. Any karma, any action which I do, it must be successful, it must remain successful, it must not remain undone, it must have some fruit. It is worthwhile to have some fruit from my actions.” This you should not have! As long as you have this idea, this desire that, “I want some good action from this fruit [i.e., some good fruit from this action],” you are away from God consciousness. You go on doing your work, you go on serving Viresh whole-heartedly [and feel], “it is my duty to serve Viresh. Viresh is my own self [so] I must serve him, I must see that he is alright.

Introduction The Shiva Sutras 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 called shaktopaya. The third means, called anavopaya, is regarded as inferior. Abhinavagupta, drawing from the Malinivijaya Tantra, defines shambavopaya as the upaya wherein the aspirant achieves entry (samavesha) into supreme consciousness just by the grace of his master, without adopting any process. He does not use thought (dhyana), mantra, or any other aid to meditation. Shaktopaya is defined as the upaya where the aspirant achieves mystical entry (samavesha) through contemplation of the mental object that cannot be spoken or recited. Anavopaya is defined as the upaya where mystical entry takes place through concentration on parts of the body (sthanaprakalpana), contemplation (dhyana), recitation (varna), taking the support of the breath (uccara), and mantras. The means of traveling from limited consciousness to universal consciousness depends on the ability of the aspirant. Abhinavagupta tells us in the Tantraloka that the aspirant should always try for the highest and best thing first. Failing that, he should try for the next best, and so on. Thus, in his Tantraloka, he has defined and elaborated the highest upaya, Shambavopaya, first. His descriptions of shaktopaya and anavopaya follow. And so it is that the Shiva Sutras also start with the highest and most refined means. The first awakening explains the highest upaya, shambhavopaya; the second awakening explains shaktopaya, and the third awakening explains anavopaya. [This is an excerpt from the Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening, revealed by Swami Lakshmajoo, third awakening 3.16] https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Sutra3.16Track08.mp3 Then, when such a yogī acts in this way: 16. āsanasthaḥ sukhaṁ hrade nimajjati  // Seated in that real posture, he effortlessly dives in the ocean of nectar. Actually, the postures (āsanas) explained in the yogadarśana are not really āsanas at all. Śivayoga is the only posture that must be understood when you are seeking to understand the real posture for such a yogī. This real posture is the supreme energy of awareness. You are seated in that posture when you hold and possess the supreme energy of awareness. Then in each and every act of your life you are aware, you are seated in that posture. This is the real āsana. The physical postures called āsanas are not actually āsanas. These so-called āsanas are only imitations of the real āsana. They are only imagination. The real āsana actually exists when you are truly residing in the state of absolute awareness, the awareness of self. The yogī who, leaving aside the effort of āsana (yogic exercises), prāṇāyāma (breathing exercises), dhyāna (contemplation), and dhāraṇā (meditation), simply remains in that posture with nothing left to do, aware of what he actually is. This is why the author has used the word sukham in the sūtra because “effortlessly” means that without exerting any effort in respect to breathing or yogic exercise, contemplation or meditation, he remains seated in that posture. So in an internal, not external, way he perceives the reality of his embodiment of awareness18 and without any effort finally immerses himself in the ocean from which the universe rises and expands. He dives and enters for good in that ocean, which is filled with real nectar. What does diving mean? In diving into the ocean of nectar, he lets the impressions of the body (deha), of the breath (prāṇa), of the eight constituents (puryaṣṭaka) and of the void ...

In this excerpt, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the difference between initiation and automatic knowledge (breakless awareness - prātibhā knowledge). "Gurvāyattā tu sā dīkṣā this [inferior] initiation is dependent to master. But if once you maintain that prātibhā knowledge (prātibha knowledge means if you have command on awareness, when you have full command on awareness, don’t let anything creep in), and that awareness will carry you to that greatest power of maintaining oneness with Lord Śiva, and without any other support."  And further down he clarifies what awareness really is... This is from Abhinavagupta's Tantrāloka, 13th āhnika (chapter) verse 167-172, which is part of the Grace and Spiritual Practice, a collection of Video and Audio recordings of the revelations on the subjects of Grace and Spiritual Practice by Swami Lakshmanjoo). nanu prāgdīkṣayā mokṣo- ‘dhunā tu prātibhātkatham // 167 // Nanu (it is a question of Pārvatī), prāk dīkṣyā mokṣāḥ, previously you have told that liberation comes forth by being initiated by a master, i.e. when you are initiated by a master you are liberated. Now you say by your own automatic knowledge [prātibha] you get liberation. What is the right thing then? I am confused! iti devyā kṛite praśne prāvartata vibhorvacaḥ / 168a On this question of Pārvatī prāvartata vibhorvacaḥ, Lord Śiva explains again. dīkṣayā mucyate jantuḥ prātibhena tathā priye // 168 // Priye, O Dear, dikṣaya mucyate jantuḥ by initiation also one gets liberated, [and] by pratibhā also one gets liberated. This is the main thing. By being initiated you get liberated, and with your own automatic knowledge, you get liberated. Now there is a difference between automatic knowledge [prātibha] and initiation [dīkṣa]. gurvāyattā tu sā dikṣā badhyabandhanamokṣaṇe / prātibho’sya svabhāvastu kevalībhāvasiddhidaḥ // 169 // That initiation is depending on your master, i.e. initiation will be done by your master, initiation won’t happen automatically. When you are initiated by your master then you are initiated; you can’t initiate yourself by your own self. So it is dependent to master, i.e. this [inferior] initiation. For what purpose he is being initiated? Badhya bandhana mokṣaṇe. Badhya is who is already entangled in ignorance, in the field of ignorance, in the world of ignorance. The person who is entangled in ignorance, he is badhya. And bandhana is this chain; the chain of ignorance by which he is bound in this universal field. Just to unchain that, for that, initiation is being done. Prātibho’sya svabhāvastu but this automatic knowledge [prātibhā] which I have explained here, it is just automatic. He has not to depend on meditation, he has not to depend on anything, just awareness. If he is once aware . . . You see if you do practice with awareness, with real awareness (I don’t mean this so-called awareness), . . . DEVOTEES:  (laughter) SWAMIJI:  . . . with real awareness, with real awareness, if you practice after one hour you will get samādhi; in one hours practice you’ll get samādhi, you’ll get trance. There is no doubt about it. JOHN:  What does real awareness mean, break-less awareness? SWAMIJI:  Break-less awareness, and scattering all other opposite agencies of thought. JOHN:  Which means, those things which would take you away from your awareness. SWAMIJI:  For instance, you are aware, you maintain awareness on that point. On that point of awareness, just this thought will creep there, this leakage that, “this awareness is very nice . . . this awareness is very nice.” He will make friendship with you. That enemy will make friendship with you just to creep in your mind, just to tell you that “awareness is best.” And this “awareness is best” this also is an obstacle. This will create another series of thoughts. “This is very nice . . . I am so happy . . . and I am one-pointed now . . . I am one-pointed!

There are three types of spiritual joy (sukha) in Kashmir Shaivism: sāttvic sukha, rājas sukha, and tāmas sukha. In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo, chapter 18, verse 36-37, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains sukha of sāttvic [kind] and how this joy seems poisonous in the beginning. Chapter 18 Part 2 SWAMIJI: DVD 18b (00:01) सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु मे भरतर्षभ  । अभ्यासाद्रमते यत्र दुःखान्तं च नियच्छति  ॥३६॥ sukhaṁ tvidānīṁ trividhaṁ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha  / abhyāsādramate yatra duḥkhāntaṁ ca niyacchati  //36//   I will tell you now sukha, what is sukha. Sukha is also three fold: sāttvic sukha, rājas sukha, and tāmas sukha. I mean happiness, joy. Now the 37th śloka is explaining sukha of sāttvic [kind]. DVD 18b (00:39) यत्तदात्वे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम्  । तत्सुखं सात्त्विकं विद्यादात्मबुद्धिप्रसादजम्  ॥३७॥ yattadātve viṣamiva pariṇāme’mṛtopamam  / tatsukhaṁ sāttvikaṁ vidyādātmabuddhiprasādajam  //37   Yattadātve, that sukha (joy) which, in the beginning, seems to be viṣamiva, just like poison; in the beginning, it seems just poisonous. For instance, when mother wakes him, wakes Viresh up with force, and asks Viresh (after [all], Viresh is also in my circle, he has come into my circle) that, “Swamiji is calling you. He wants that you should sit for meditation.” At first, he thinks viṣamiva, it is very dreadful . . . DENISE: [laughs] SWAMIJI: . . . it is very dreadful to wake up [early to meditate]. And when once he is awake, at that time, at the time of doing practice afterwards when he is [meditating] in front of me, pariṇāme amṛta upamam, at that time he feels the blissful state, at that time. That sukha is sāttvic sukha, you should understand that is sāttvic sukha. In the first beginning, [abhyāsa] seems very dreadful, it seems poisonous. JOHN: Sāttvic sukha? SWAMIJI: Sāttvic sukha. At first, it seems poisonous, but when he has conducted this sāttvic sukha of abhyāsa and meditation, he feels just blissful. DENISE: Why is that? Is that because he feels so much sweetness within himself that he doesn’t want to go out and get some other sweetness? SWAMIJI: No. It is just an examination for him, if he wakes up or not. DENISE: Aha! SWAMIJI: If you are fortunate, you’ll wake up; you will wake up and you will throw [the bedding off] just like it’s shikas (rubbish), and [you will] be situated in God consciousness, and you will remain blissful. That is sāttvic sukha. JOHN: So, in the first instance, spirituality seems to be really . . . SWAMIJI: Yes, really not good. DENISE: Undesirable. SWAMIJI: Undesirable. It is very painful. DENISE: Painful. SWAMIJI: Painful. JOHN: Frightening also? SWAMIJI: Yes. That is sāttvic sukha (joy). DENISE: So Swamiji, you’re talking about spiritual joy? You’re not talking about pleasures in the world? You’re talking about spiritual joy? SWAMIJI: Yes, spiritual joy. Tadātve means abhyāsakāle [comm. verse 37], at that time, [abhyāsa] seems very fearful.512 kṣurasya dhārā viṣamā duratyayā  । durgaṁpadhastat kavayo vadanti [Abhinavagupta] has given [this] example in his commentary. Kṣurasya dhārā viṣamā duratyayā, this pathway of spiritual bliss, blissful pathway, is to tread on the sword's edge; to walk [the spiritual path], this is viṣamā duratyayā, it is not easily conducted. Durgaṁ paddhas tat kavayo,it is very difficult to tread on, but once you are on it, then it is filled with spiritual joy. _______________ 512 “For instance, I am meditating, I meditate for half an hour. After half an hours time, I want to lean, I want to lean and meditate. After half an hours time I will sit in easy chair and meditate. It means it is poisonous. It [feels] like poison to you. At the time it [feels like] poison, not leaning against a wall or not relaxing in easy chair is poisonous for you. You don’t want to sit [erect].

In this excerpt from the book Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka, Chapter One, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the nature of ignorance in Kashmir Shaivism. https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Tantraloka01v22-24.mp3 General Introduction A) The nature of Ignorance (22–30) Audio 1 - 42:04 इह तावत्समस्तेषु शास्त्रेषु परिगीयते। अज्ञानं संसृतेर्हेतुर्ज्ञानं मोक्षैककारणम्॥२२॥ iha tāvatsamasteṣu śāstreṣu parigīyate / ajñānaṁ saṁsṛterheturjñānaṁ mokṣaikakāraṇam //22// In this world of spirituality, everywhere, in each and every śāstra, it is sung that ignorance is the cause of repeated births and deaths and knowledge is the cause of liberation from it. This I have not explained from my mind. It is explained by Śiva in tantra. For this he explains this twenty-third śloka: Audio 1 - 43:01 मलमज्ञानमिच्छन्ति संसाराङ्कुरकारणम्। इति प्रोक्तं तथा च श्रीमालिनीविजयोत्तरे॥२३॥ malamajñānamicchanti saṁsārāṅkurakāraṇam / iti proktaṁ tathā ca śrīmālinīvijayottare //23// [not recited in full] Mala is ignorance. Mala is not some dirt.57 Mala is called [literally] “dirt,” but that dirt is ignorance, and that ignorance becomes the cause of māyīyamala and kārmamala. Malam is called āṇavamala. Āṇavamala is called ajñāna (ignorance) and that ajñāna is the cause of māyīyamala and kārmamala.58 This is explained by Lord Śiva in the Mālinīvijayottara [tantra].59 Audio 1 - 43:50 विशेषणेन बुद्धिस्थे संसारोत्तरकालिके। संभावनां निरस्यैतदभावे मोक्षमब्रवीत्॥२४॥ viśeṣaṇena buddhisthe saṁsārottarakālike / saṁbhāvanāṁ nirasyaitadabhāve mokṣamabravīt //24//   Lord Śiva has explained, told, that Mokṣa (liberation) will only come into being, into existence, by the depriving of the ajñāna (ignorance) of puruṣa (being).60 [Now], this ajñāna has got two qualifications, this ignorance has got two qualifications: one ignorance is attached to the intellect61 and another ignorance is attached to puruṣa.62 But if we would say that that ajñāna, [which is explained] there in Mālinīvijaya, [if it] is explained as that ignorance which is attached to the intellect, [then] that cannot be [said to be the cause of puruṣa’s bondage] because the intellect has come out into existence after the world was created. When the world was created, after the creation of the world, the intellect took place, the intellect was created. How, by removing the intellectual ignorance, can you get liberation? There is still saṁsāra yet. SCHOLAR: When you say that it is created after saṁsāra . . . SWAMIJI: It is created after saṁsāra. SCHOLAR: . . . you don’t mean in the sense of time but in the sense of that āṇavamala, nirvikalpa [thoughtless-ness], precedes ideation always. SWAMIJI: Yes, after āṇavamala it was created; the intellect was created after saṁsāra. So, how can that intellectual knowledge be the cause of the removal of ignorance? Because [the intellect] is saṁsāra uttara kālike, it has come into existence after saṁsāra was created.63 SCHOLAR: It presupposes saṁsāra. SWAMIJI: Yes. So, saṁbhāvanāṁ nirasya, this saṁ-bhāvanā64 you should put away, you should cast this saṁbhāvanā aside. Etat abhāve [means], pauruṣa ajñāna abhāve, when pauruṣa ajñāna65 is destroyed, mokṣam abravīt, mokṣa66 is likely to happen. JOHN: It is not certain that mokṣa will happen, it’s only likely. SWAMIJI: No, no, it is certain. Abravīt, He has told that mokṣa will take place, not likely [take place]. _________ 57 “The malas are just the absence of knowledge and not something substantial.” Tantrāloka 9.75 (LJA archive). 58 See Appendix 6 (p385) for detailed explanation of the malas. See also Kashmir Shaivism–The Secret Supreme, 7.47-49. 59 The first line of verse 23 is a direct quote from the Mālinīvijaya tantra 1.23cd. 60 The individual soul. 61 Bauddha ajñāna. 62 Pauruṣa ajñāna. 63 Swamiji tells us that,

Join Mukunda as he speaks to Professor Sthaneshwar Timalsina, Professor of Religious Studies at San Diego State University. He is also a qualified Acharya and has been trained in Sanskrit and Shastras since he was a child. He is an expert on Tantra and Abhinavagupta, a 10th century polymath genius who worked on philosophy, drama, math, music, aesthetics, and other areas. Acharya Sthaneshwar is also Founder of the Vimarsha Foundation, a 501c(3) non-profit that engages in expounding and maintaining the Kashmiri Shaivism tradition.

In episode 9 of India Booked, Ayushi Mona and bestselling author Vikram Chandra discuss his non fiction debut, Mirrored Mind: My Life in Letters and Code. The podcast expounds on the connections between the worlds of art and technology. Is elegance the domain only of writers and artists? What about Coders also obsessed with the same but how can we ascribe beauty to the craft of writing code? Listen to this podcast to explore varied topics discussed in the book such as logic gates and literary modernism, the machismo of tech geeks, the omnipresence of an “Indian Mafia” in Silicon Valley, and the writings of the eleventh-century Kashmiri thinker Abhinavagupta, This episode much like the book is engrossing, original, and heady book of sweeping ideas.

In episode 9 of India Booked, Ayushi Mona and bestselling author Vikram Chandra discuss his non fiction debut, Mirrored Mind: My Life in Letters and Code. The podcast expounds on the connections between the worlds of art and technology. Is elegance the domain only of writers and artists? What about Coders also obsessed with the same but how can we ascribe beauty to the craft of writing code? Listen to this podcast to explore varied topics discussed in the book such as logic gates and literary modernism, the machismo of tech geeks, the omnipresence of an “Indian Mafia” in Silicon Valley, and the writings of the eleventh-century Kashmiri thinker Abhinavagupta,  This episode much like the book is engrossing, original, and heady book of sweeping ideas.

Due to the Mahasamadhi Celebrations and Fall Retreat, we will take a break from posting the weekly excerpts. We hope you can join us for these events. In this excerpt, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains why YOU are really Parabhairava (supreme state of God Consciousness). This is from the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, chapter 8 by Swami Lakshmanjoo. View on YouTube Oṁ. Oṁ means: antarālīnatattvaughaṁ cidānandaghanaṁ mahat / yattattvaṁ śaivadhāmākhyaṁ tadomityabhidhīyate //271 Antarālīna tattvaughaṁ, where all of these differentiated thirty-six elements and one hundred and eighteen worlds are consumed inside (antarālīna tattvaughaṁ). And that state which is cid-ānanda-ghanaṁ, filled with all consciousness and all bliss. Yat-tattvaṁ śaivadhāmākhyaṁ, which is the reality, the abode and residence of Lord Śiva. Tad-om-ityabhidhīyate, that is [the meaning of] oṁ. And that oṁ you should recite inside.272 “Recite” means you should live in that oṁ. And māmanusmaran, at the same time, you should live in that oṁ and see that oṁ is Parabhairava; the body of Parabhairava is oṁ.273 Yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṁ [verse 13], at that time [one] who shatters this physical body at the time of death, sa yāti paramāṁ gatim, he is sentenced to that supreme state of Parabhairava.274 अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः  । तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः  ॥१४॥ ananyacetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ  / tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārthanityayuktasya yoginaḥ  //14// Pārtha, Hey Arjuna, O Arjuna, who in this way, ananyacetāḥ, being one-pointed and one-pointedly remembers Me who is Parabhairava, and remembers Me always, in each and every activity of his daily routine of life in his lifetime, tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha, for him, I am at his disposal, nitya yuktasya yoginaḥ, because that yogi is always a yogi. He has not accepted any other activity besides this yoga. It is said somewhere [in a Shaivite text], he gives reference: vyāpinyāṁ śivasattāyāmutkrāntirnāma niṣphalā  । avyāpini śive nāma notkrāntiḥ śivadāyinī  ॥ If Parabhairava is all-pervading, what is the meaning of throwing ones own body and entering into God consciousness? It is useless. What has he to throw and where has he to go? Wherefrom he has to go, that is Parabhairava! To which point he has to go, that is Parabhairava! That utkrāntiḥ means to jump. How will he jump? From which point will he jump? And to which point will he enter? It is just a joke, it is baseless. It makes ones own self laugh. Utkrāntiḥ has no meaning.275 Avyāpini śive tattve, [even] if Śiva is not all-pervading, still then utkrāntiḥ has no meaning.276 And Bhaṭṭanārāyaṇa, in his [Stava] Cintāmaṇi (he was a Shaivite master, one of the ancient Shaivite masters), his reference also Abhinavagupta puts in his commentary: nimeṣamapi yadyekaṁ kṣīṇadoṣe kariṣyasi  । padaṁ citte tadā śaṁbho kiṁ na saṁpādayiṣyasi  ॥ [Stava Cintāmaṇi, śloka 115] If, in the period of one twinkling of the eye, You make somebody, some fortunate soul blissful by fixing him in the state of Parabhairava, kim na saṁpādayiṣyasi, then what more could You do? You have done everything for him.277 So whatever is being done in one twinkling of an eye, that is all [that is needed].278 There is no effort, there is no [need] to insert effort. There, tīvra tīvra śaktipāta279 is found and that is under your control, not under the control of Parabhairava. That tīvra tīvra śaktipāta is under your own control! This is the Shaivite Philosophy. JOHN: How is it under your control? How? SWAMIJI: How? JOHN: You said tīvra tīvra śaktipāta is under your own control. SWAMIJI: Because you are Parabhairava. You have to produce śaktipāta for yourself. When you don’t like, then don’t produce it, still you are great. When you don’t like, as somebody does not like to have śaktipāta,...

Swami Lakshmanjoo explains what happens when differentiated perception is totally destroyed, His spanda overflows and He creates this world again. This is an excerpt from Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara, The Essence of the Highest Reality, by Swami Lakshmanjoo. Now also available as video on demand. Watch on YouTube द्रष्टा श्रोता घ्राता देहेन्द्रियवर्जितोऽप्यकर्तापि  । सिद्धान्तागमतर्कां श्चित्रानहमेव रचयामि  ॥५०॥ draṣṭā śrotā ghrātā dehendriya-varjito’py-akartāpi / siddhāntāgama-tarkāṁś citrān-aham-eva racayāmi //50// [verse not recited or translated]130   इत्थं द्वैतविकल्पे गलिते प्रविलङ्घ्य मोहनीं मायाम्  । सलिले सलिलं क्षीरे क्षीरमिव ब्रह्मणि लयी स्यात्  ॥५१॥ itthaṁ dvaita-vikalpe galite pravilaṅghya mohanīṁ māyām / salile salilaṁ kṣīre kṣīram-iva brahmaṇi layī syāt //51// In this way, dvaita vikalpe galite, when differentiated perception–and the threat of differentiated perception–the threat of differentiated perception is galite, is finished, is totally destroyed, pravilaṅghya mohanīṁ māyām, and mohanīṁ māyā also(i.e., ignorance, misunderstanding), and [when you know that] this [ignorance] is not the actual position, then salile salilaṁ, just as water is diluted in water [or] milk is diluted in milk, in the same way, this whole universe will be diluted in Parabhairava. इत्थं तत्त्वसमूहे भावनया शिवमयत्वमभियाते  । कः शोकः को मोहः सर्वं ब्रह्मावलोकयतः  ॥५२॥ itthaṁ tattva-samūhe bhāvanayā śiva-mayatvam-abhiyāte / kaḥ śokaḥ ko mohaḥ sarvaṁ brahmāvalokayataḥ //52// [not recited or translated]131   कर्मफलं शुभमशुभं मिथ्याज्ञानेन संगमादेव  । विषमो हि सङ्गदोष- स्तस्करयोगोऽप्यतस्करस्येव  ॥५३॥ karma-phalaṁ śubham-aśubhaṁ mithyājñānena saṁgamād-eva / viṣamo hi saṅga-doṣas- taskara-yogo’py-ataskarasyeva //53//   This is the theory of karma, the theory of actions, which bear fruit (karma phalam). It is good and bad; it is always good and bad. Actions, all actions, [that] are being done, they are always bearing good fruit and bad fruit. But it is because of association with brutes, when Parabhairava is associated with brutes, with rākṣasas (demons). He has made friendship with rākṣasas because of His own choice. Viṣamo hi saṅgadoṣa, Parabhairava is a devil! Parabhairava has become a devil in the market. Parabhairava is to be shot down–this Parabhairava. And that also is observed by Parabhairava in the upper level. Not [only] in that upper level [but] in the lower level also. JOHN: So Parabhairava is shooting Parabhairava? SWAMIJI: Yes, shooting-Parabhairava and shot-Parabhairava, at the same time. JOHN: And the means of shooting also. SWAMIJI: The means of shooting and . . . JOHN: Pramāṇa, prameya, pramātṛ . . . SWAMIJI: Yes. JOHN: . . . and pramiti.132 SWAMIJI: लोकव्यवहारकृतां ये इहाविद्यामुपासते मूढाः  । ते यान्ति जन्ममृत्यू धर्माधर्मार्गलाबद्धाः  ॥५४॥ loka-vyavahāra-kṛtāṁ ye ihāvidyām-upāsate mūḍhāḥ / te yānti janma-mṛtyū dharmādharmārgalā-baddhāḥ //54// Those brutes who treat with respect, with great behavior, ignorance, dull ignorance–those people who respect and behave faithfully with attachment [to] this ignorance, those brutes are sentenced to fearful hells, dirty hells. Those are sentenced to [those hells and then they cry], “Aaaaah, aaaaah! Who will uplift me here? Who will take me out [of here]? I am gone! Aaaaa-aaaaaah!” And Parabhairava is also enjoying that! This is what happens in this world. It is their own way of doing. Nobody is responsible. He is responsible. Parabhairava is responsible. What then [if He is] responsible? Who will put Him to task? Who will investigate Him? Nobody! He is Himself the investigator of all. He is not to be investigated. Nobody has the guts to investigate Him because there is no one [other] than Parabhairava...

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ben Williams (Naropa University) about his story of growing up in spiritual community, the scholar-practitioner, the scriptures and world of non-dual Śaiva Tantra, the Kashmiri exegete Abhinavagupta and his concept of the guru, the view of Aṣṭāṅgayoga within tantra, the new MA program in Yoga Studies at Naropa University, and more. Speaker BioBen Williams is an intellectual historian focused on Indian religions and the history of Śaiva tantra. He has received extensive training in Indian philosophy, literature, and aesthetics in Sanskrit sources. Ben received a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Vermont, a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and completed his PhD in the Department of South Asian Studies at Harvard University. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Hinduism at Naropa University, where he has recently co-created a low-residency MA program in Yoga Studies that will launch in fall 2020. Ben also serves on the academic advisory council of the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute, which is dedicated to the preservation of scriptural and philosophical texts of classical India.  Ben's doctoral thesis is on revelation and the figure of the tantric guru in the writings of Abhinavagupta, an eminent intellectual figure of medieval Kashmir. Building upon this study, one of his current research projects is charting the transmission of tantric traditions to South India that are indebted to non-dual Śaiva teachings and lineages that originally flourished in Kashmir.LinksYS 107 | Yoga and Śaiva Tantra: An Uncharted History"Abhinavagupta's Portrait of a Guru: Revelation and Religious Authority in Kashmir" (Williams 2017)Yoga Studies Master of Arts Program, Naropa Universityhttps://www.patreon.com/closereadings

Binge-watching. You sit down, popcorn and soda at the ready, and before you know it, three hours have gone by and Netflix pops up with a message: “Are you still watching?” While binge-watching is a fairly new English phrase (attested by the OED back to 1998 in verb form) in the sense of “overindulgence,” binging goes back to the 19th century, associated with gluttony. While binging on television may be a particularly modern phenomenon, the connection between gluttony and aesthetic taste is not. Today on Sutras (and Stuff) we'll look at the Sanskrit thinker Abhinavagupta on aesthetic gluttony. Would he binge-watch the Tiger King or even the Ramayana on Netflix? Sources Locana commentary on Anandavardhana's Dhvanyaloka, Jeffrey Moussaeiff Masson, M.V. Patwardhan, Daniel H.H. Ingalls, Harvard University Press, 1990. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674202788 Śāntarasa and Abhinavagupta's Philosophy of Aesthetics, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, J. L. Masson, M. V. Patwardhan, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1969. On Amazon. The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir, Paul E. Muller-Ortega, State University of New York Press, 2010. https://www.sunypress.edu/p-857-the-triadic-heart-of-siva.aspx For further listening & reading: History of Philosophy podcast about rasa more generally: https://historyofphilosophy.net/node/764 This episode's sounds are from Sandpiper tweeting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_sandpiper Spotted sandpiper alarm call: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdqpvJ7FO4w Sideways Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBzJR4Emxvo Community Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWRuxQyzFcM Theme music from Ramayana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJJTPXLlWDU --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/malcolm-keating/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/malcolm-keating/support

Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D., is one of the world’s most highly respected scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. He is the founder of Blue Throat Yoga, which teaches the Svatantra philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism, along with the practice of Neelakantha Meditation. For nearly fifty years, Paul has been a pioneer in the technology of Consciousness, lecturing and teaching about meditation and Indian philosophy to hundreds of thousands in North and South America, Europe, and India. Through his books, articles, essays, commentaries, and translations, he has earned a reputation for a remarkable capacity to convey esoteric truths and teachings in an accessible and relevant way. Paul is the author of The Triadic Heart of Shiva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta on the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir, as well as numerous scholarly articles. Now retired from twenty-five years teaching at Michigan State and the University of Rochester, Paul teaches how to abide in the heart of Consciousness, a journey that is inspiring, life changing and enlightening. Learn more about Paul Muller-Ortega here. http://www.bluethroatyoga.com/about/about-paul/

Shambhavi Sarasvati riffs on the nature of God, drawing on her own experience and the siddhas of the Trika tradition. "He is a God because he plays without concern for what is to be obtained or rejected." -Abhinavagupta.

SynTalk thinks about the interrelationships between wholes and parts in natural and conceptual systems, and wonders whether the part is inferred from the whole. Does a part (somehow) imply or expect the whole? The concepts are derived off / from Abhinavagupta, Newton, Kepler, Boltzmann, Boyle, Saussure, Turing, Manfred Eigen, P. W. Anderson, Chomsky, & Morris Halle, among others. In interactions between words, fundamental particles, molecules, cells, & phonemes, why are most combinations void? How do a finite number of parts create a dizzying array of wholes, and links with concepts such as historical contingency, surplus, entropy, sequencing, emergentism, & auto-catalysis? Why are transitions in biological, physical, ecological, social, and linguistic systems so tentative and statistical? Has the physics of the material world achieved a special kind of climax in the biological unit of life, & how the cell is not simply a bagful of chemicals. How the cell is both a part and a whole, & the context of cell division. Which is the most fundamental living part? How entropy comes about ‘only’ in systems of ‘many’ interacting particles. At what point can we start defining concepts such as pressure, volume, & temperature? Why certain molecular complexes self-emerge into functioning self sustaining evolving systems? Why literature does not simply describe the world, and how the non-existent also often make sense? In our daily linguistic behaviour, do we (fundamentally) use phonemes or words or sentences? How a word is a meaningful sequence of phonemes, and the similarities with gene sequencing; the difference between: ‘John killed the tiger’, & ‘the tiger killed John’. The sound patterns of language, & how any sound cannot come after one sound. Can one syllable be a whole in itself (bijakshara)? How a large chunk of the genome performs mundane functions, & discrimination results only from a handful of genes. Are carbon atoms in graphite and diamond identical in every single way, or do the atoms become something different? The links between rabbit’s horn, bureaucracy, multiverses, Lego toys, universal physical constants, Mesopotamian civilization, zebra, sky flower, existence, and time. The implications of an animal (whole) repeatedly developing into an animal (whole). How non linearity (in both deterministic and stochastic systems) is crucial for any emergent phenomena. Is the long term future of existence non local (a la ‘the ant colony as an organism’) and (potentially) altruistic? The intriguing prospect of new emergence as a result of the unprecedented ongoing meta-interactions, where parts (human beings) increasingly understand the emergent design of the whole? The SynTalkrs are: Dr. Rajnish K. Mishra (linguistics, philosophy, JNU, Delhi), Prof. B.J. Rao (biology, TIFR, Mumbai), & Prof. Sitabhra Sinha (physics, IMSc, Chennai).

SynTalk thinks about collective sentiments and its antipode, Reason, and constantly wonders if this historically naturalised dichotomy is perhaps at the root of the phenomenon of ‘hurt sentiments’. We simultaneously wonder if the realm of sentiments and affect have somehow been pathologised. The concepts are derived off / from Abhinavagupta, Plato, Descartes, Hume, Dayanand Saraswati, Marx, Gandhi, Ambedkar, Samuel Huntington, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, & Woody Allen (off Emily Dickinson), among others. Is it possible to create spaces for dialogue and ‘ruthless criticism of everything existing’? Is sentiment ever hurt spontaneously, or is it always constructed, and how do sentiments get their collective force? Where do sentiments and cultural common sense begin to develop, and what are the linkages with childhood, neighborhood, family, religion, media, vigilantism, capitalism, & the State. Which is a better path: tolerance, or dialogical curiosity? Why is reason never hurt? How there are many ways of describing everything. The special status of religious sentiments, given the claim of sanctity from a transcendental source (beyond rationality & argumentation), and their ability to articulate aggressive sentiments. Is every religion also a social and political power structure? Why (paradoxically) the UK Government could not prosecute Salman Rushdie (for Satanic Verses) for blasphemy. How the sanctity of the human life is above any hurt sentiment. Is offence for offence fine, and is offence a part of the right of expression? Is the realm of creative expression characteristically different? How the pogroms, riots, & ‘women being pulled by their hair out of a pub’ become mediatized events, & the sometimes-cynical-sometimes-critical-sometimes-partial role played by the media. Can / should the State act as a buffer zone between opposing sentiments? The need to listen fearlessly. Should diversity be seen as a universal human value? Is there a need for renegotiated and renewed sense of universal human values. The need for laws which can be critiqued and rejected or accepted in the public sphere. Is the future bleak for the spirit of negation and questioning? Is a different future dependent on a different political order? What is the future of nationalistic sentiments. The need for “Hope” (the thing with feathers), which needs no reason. The SynTalkrs are: Prof. Purushottam Agrawal (cultural history, literature, ex-JNU, Delhi), Prof. Anjali Monteiro (media studies, documentary film making, TISS, Mumbai), & Geeta Seshu (journalism, The Hoot, Mumbai).