Podcasts about Bhairava

Perhaps one of the most important and foundational lectures we've ever done, this talk features a broad overview of Tantrik non-duality in the beginning and then moves on to make a case for a Vedic lifestyle and basic devotion as important foundations for more dramatic, esoteric, non-dual and transgressive practices of Goddess-oriented tantra.We also study the Vedic (and pre-Vedic) roots of Tantra and look at a few of the early schools of our tradition such as the Mīmāmsa, Pāśupata, Lakulīśa, Nyāya & Vaiśeshika to derive from them some grounding ideas for practicing Tantra safely! This lecture was given just after Shiva Ratri and Sri Ramakrishna's birthday and so we attempt to map the historical progression of ideas in Shaivism unto the life of Sri Ramakrishna where we see all these ideas expressed! Books Referenced: 1. Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Nikhilananda, a translation of the Kathamrita by M. 2. Sri Ramakrishna and his Divine Play by Swami Chetanananda, a translation of Lilaprasangha by Swami Saradananada3. Sri Ramakrishna and His Disciples by Sister Deva Mata4. Ramakrishna and His Disciples by Christopher Isherwood 5. Sri Ramakrishna: A Prophet For The New Age by Richard Schiffman(if you're new to the literature, I would start with 3., 4. and 5. before moving on to 1. and 2. from the list above) ^You'll find a complete playlist of introductory lectures on Tantra in both theory and practice here. 00:00:00 Meditation on Lord Shiva 00:02:00 Tantrik Non-Duality in a Nutshell 00:08:40 Other Flavors of Tantra and the Progression of the Tradition00:10:36 (a digression on exegesis vs eisegesis) and "doxographical hierarchy"00:13:15 finding the foundations for Tantrik practice & the avatāra (incarnation of God) 00:19:10 our project: mapping the history of Shaivism/Tantra unto the life of Sri Ramakrishna to make a case for finding the foundations for Tantrik practice!00:20:39 The importance of Texts and accountability in teachers00:51:51 Staying Grounded as a Foundation for Esoteric Tantrik Practices 00:55:58 Why this PSA is especially relevant after Shiva Ratri 00:51:12 The importance of Veda and Vedic living, the true foundation of Tantra 01:13:00 Rta, living according to the Rhythm of Nature & Fulfilling the 5 Debts to Rsis, Gods (Forces of Nature), Ancestors, Community and Animals/Plants. 01:14:15 An Aside on Why Swami Vivekananda is Not On My Altar... 01:15:45 Sri Ramakrishna's Adherence to the Veda and Brahminical Codes of Conduct 01:20:02 Shaiva Tantras in the Vedas and "before" the Vedas: the History of our Tradition 01:26:00 Nyāya and Vaiśeshika are early Shaiva Schools! 01:28:50 Why Logic and Thinking Clearly are So Important! (lessons from Nyāya) 01:30:19 The Transgressive Practices of Early Shaivas (Lakulīśa Shaivism) and the Cult of Bhairava as a way of moving beyond the Veda in the name of Devotion! 01:35:45 the Shaiva Siddhānta as the foundation for all Tantra & Puja as the foundational Tantrik Practice Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.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/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

Nos apoyamos en el Sri Yantra para la práctica y aprendemos a viajar desde lo denso a lo sutil, de la forma al vacío, de la energía a la consciencia, y resolvemos las preguntas de los aspirantes. ¿Estás preparada para unirse al grupo de estudio de la Escuela? Haz el test de nuestra web: https://tantrashivaitaplicado.com/test-de-acceso/

Este podcast y el que viene nos vamos a centrar en la práctica. Leemos el comienzo del Vijñana Bhairava y practicamos con la espacialidad, para acercarnos a nuestra verdadera naturaleza y dejar atrás las ataduras del yo. ¿Estás preparada para unirse al grupo de estudio de la Escuela? Haz el test de nuestra web: https://tantrashivaitaplicado.com/test-de-acceso/

Many people are becoming increasingly familiar with Advaita Vedanta, the classical Non-Duality of Adi Shankaracharya but fewer people are aware that there are indeed other versions of Non-Dual spiritual philosophy and practice. In this video, we do a cursory introduction to my favorite form of Non-Duality: The Tantrik Non-Duality of Abhinava Gupta which is sometimes called The Kaula Trika, the Pratybhijñā Vada (Recognition School) or more commonly, just "Kashmir Shaivism". We start the  lesson by exploring the idea of "Bhairava", in his fierce (ugra) form and also in his more, esoteric formless aspect as pure Non-Dual Consciousness which is the interpretation Abhinava Gupta often has in mind when he uses the term "Bhairava". Then, we explore some of the drawbacks and delusions of Neo-Advaita/Direct Path Teachings and well as some of the difficulties of Bhakti with a reading from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna which teaches us how to realize the Formless God!Finally, we take up Verses 10 and 11 from the Non-Dual Tantrik introductory manual, Paramārthasāra of Abhinava Gupta to offer a teaching on the nature of the Highest Reality, the Supreme Principle in Non-Dual Shaivism which you can call Paramaśiva of which I tend to call "Kālī." And here are the Bhairava lectures we mention early in the talk:Secret Mantras for Bhairava and His 8 FormsThe Secret Teaching of BhairavaHow To Pray To Kāla BhairavaHere's the German compound word we mentioned in the lecture: Donau-dampfschiff-fahrts-gesellschaftLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.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/U8zKP8yMrMAnd if you feel moved to donate to support me and this work, you're welcome to here:https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jaimakaliSupport the show

Time to ask a very important question: what does Mā really want? Last week, we started discussing themes of sensuality and desire in Ma Kali's iconography alongside the equally controversial motifs of intoxication and madness. We introduced the concept of “yamala”, the sexual union of Shiva and Shakti! You can watch that lecture here: But besides sketching out a few practices from the Vijñāna-Bhairava and reading a few sections from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna that address sexuality and spirituality, we didn't really a get a chance to do a theological and philosophical treatment of the concept, especially with regards to a serious question: if God has desires, can She still be God? After all, isn't God whole and complete and perfect and doesn't desire imply some kind of lack or incompleteness or imperfection? Is there a different between "desiring FROM fullness" as opposed "desiring TO fullness?" And if she does have desires, what are they? And why are they often described in erotic terms? Ah, so much to explore! May all this be an offering. PS:This is the fourth lecture in the series on Mā's bhāva following the “Why is Kali drunk?” https://youtu.be/OAOxpwtjmtA?si=CzXDMdBfpY96_kHo and “Why is Kali Crazy”https://youtu.be/zXvggDB4fLQ?si=ZDjvOu2z1oAmcEVD  lectures! For more detailed instructions for how to perform Kālī pūjā, watch this playlist: https://www.patreon.com/collection/233799Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.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/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

For the auspicious occasion of the Kāla Bhairava Jayanti which also happens to be Mā Siddheśvarī Jayanti, we offer a  rather free and somewhat loose translation of the Kāla Bhairavashtakam, the 8 Verses Praising Bhairava attributed to Sri Shankaracharya to explore some of the non-dual implications of certain phrases in the hymn. We make a few observations of Rāga Bhairava and how this hymn is connected to Mahishasura Mardini and also to Ravana, the famed antagonist of the Ramayana. We make some passing remarks about Abhinava Gupta's Bhairava Stava and also Kshemarāja's verse to Bhairava in his commentary on the Vijñāna-Bhairava Tantra. But most importantly, we talk about what it means to "pray". All prayer, all approaches to God are wonderful and valid, suiting different devotees of different temperaments who are all equally great! Having said that, I make a case for "self-less prayer" that cares for neither worldly nor even spiritual reward which I argue, can be accomplished through chanting hymns like the Kālabhairavāshtakam with fervor! Here's the hymn:कालभैरवाष्टकम्To him whose holy feet is worshipped by the king of the GodsWho wears a serpent as a sacrificial thread and who is adorned with the crescent moon, who is the giver of graceWho is praised by a retinue of yogis and sages like NāradaTo Him who is the Supreme Lord of the city of Kāshi, I offer my praise!To Him who is resplendent with the radiance of innumerable suns! Who is transcendent and who rescues us from the ocean of worldliness!Whose throat is blue and who is quick grant all wishes!Who is imperishable, the Death of Death with lotus eyes who upholds the three worlds with His trident! To Him who is the Supreme Lord of the city of Kāshi, I offer my praise!To Him who holds in His hands the trident, axe, noose and club! Who is the Primordial Cause of the Universe!Who is the imperishable void that is prior to all the Gods! Who is the Terrifying Lord who delights in the strange Tandava dance! To Him who is the Supreme Lord of the city of Kāshi, I offer my praise!To Him who gives both worldly happiness and final liberation! Whose form is most auspicious!Who loves his devotees! Who is the immovable Lord of the Worlds!Who is adorned with shining jingling golden bells around his waist!To Him who is the Supreme Lord of the city of Kāshi, I offer my praise!To Him who  protects the bridge of Dharma and destroys the path of Adharma, Who destroys the fetters of Karma! Whose limbs are adorned with circles of golden serpents! To Him who is the Supreme Lord of the city of Kāshi, I offer my praise!To Him whose two feet are adorned with sandals studded with shining gemsWho is eternal, non-dual, who is the stainless and pure essence of all divinity!Who humbles death and liberates us! Who has terrifying fangs!To Him who is the Supreme Lord of the city of Kāshi, I offer my praise!To Him whose terrible laughter destroys the universe emanation forth from Brahma!Whose terrible glance rends asunder the net of illusion! Who bestows the eight occult powers, Who is garlanded in skulls!To Him who is the Supreme Lord of the city of Kāshi, I offer my praise!To Him who is the Lord of Ghosts! Who bestows great glory! Who frees all the residents of Kāshi from karmas good and bad!Who is the Lord of the Universe, the Ancient One and in the innermost guide in every being!To Him who is the Supreme Lord of the city of Kāshi, I offer my praise!Support the show

After we did our class on how to worship Bhairava (which you can watch here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/secret-mantras-8-116490016?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link) we hopped into this inspired discussion about the deeper meaning of the word "Bhairava" in the context of the subtlest non-dual Tantrik teaching. Then, after exploring a few nuances in the name itself, we then review a profound practice that Bhairava reveals secretly in the Vijñāna-Bhairava, a practice that we are all of us quite familiar with by now but that we can hopefully take up again with fresh perspective as a result of this evening's discussion! भैरव उवाच।Bhairava Uvācaऊर्ध्वे प्राणो ह्यधो जीवो विसर्गात्मा परोच्चरेत्।उत्पत्तिद्वितयस्थाने भरणाद् भरिता स्थितिः॥ २४॥ūrdhve prāṇo hy adho jīvo visargātmā paroccaret |utpatti-dvitaya-sthāne bharaṇād bharitā sthitiḥ: || 24 ||Bhairava said:Goddess Parā (Vāk, the Transcendent-Immanent Goddess) expresses Herself in a visarga as (the transcendence) of exhaling upwards (into spacious dissolution) and (the immanence) of inhaling downwards (into embodiment). Should one fix (one's attention) at the two places of their origin (i.e where the breath emerges), and fill them (with attention), one becomes established in fullness. For more detailed instructions for how to perform Tantrik pūjā, watch this playlist: https://www.patreon.com/collection/233799Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.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/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

Comenzamos a comentar el tercero de los Sutras que usamos en la escuela, el Spandakarika. Dentro de los 92 agamas que componen en Shivaismo Cachemir, este texto entra dentro de los Bhairava sutras, o textos no duales. Es un texto de cosmovisión y de práctica, y pretende ayudarte a conectar con esa energía del universo primordial, esa vibración que crea el resto de experiencias, antes de la dualidad.

Navarātri is never quite complete until we all get together and chant the Mahiṣāsura-Mardinī Stotram! This hymn is sometimes attributed to Adi Shankarācharya (as many, many hymns in the Sanskrit tradition tend to be) but it is also sometimes attributed to Rāvana, the antagonist of the Ramāyana! I like the second account much better for reasons I get into in the beginning of this discussion! After discussing the "bhāva" of this song (and making a case for "rajas in the service of sattva" while we're at it), we discuss Rāga Bhairava and some music theory before taking a stab and singing the hymn together. I made many, many mistakes and my rendition: I hope you can forgive me! Also, I made a mistake in saying Raga Bhairavi is a "night time rāga". Actually it's considered the "queen of the morning rāgas" but since I worship Mā usually at night and since I hear it most around then and also since it is sometimes used to close out a musical performance (which for me usually ends at night), I somehow made the association between this Rāga and the nighttime. Whoops, pardon the misinformation!All my mistakes are entirely mine and everything that I have said that is helpful is by the Grace of Guru! Jai Guru Kripa Ki Jai!For more detailed Kali puja instructions, watch this playlist:https://www.patreon.com/collection/233799Here's the chanting document:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N1pEDmWZWdJq5Q27dGiZb9DQFrr1Ouq2FC85jIwQ66c/edit?usp=sharingLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.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/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

Last week, we went over an abridged ritual worship of the Goddess Kālī with some detail (watch that here) and we also suggested some wonderful resources to help you get started with your pūjā, or Tantrik ritual practice like Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati's "Simple Kali Puja" book which you can find here.Now, we go in with some finer brush strokes! You'll recall that after the worship of Mā Kālī, and right before the worship of Mahākāla Bhairava, in our ritual manual, there's a section on "worshipping the auxiliariy/attendant deities" (āvaranadevatā pūjā). Well, interestingly, this section actually refers to the Kali Yantra, the sacred geometric pattern of Consciousness that corresponds to Kālī and her various emanations! In this class, we talk a little bit about the parivāra (the family of deities) which is a very Tantrik concept and after listing them and offering their worship mantras, we discuss how to map them on to the yantra going from inside out (srsthi krama) for the purposes of your meditation and worship. PS: there are technical difficulties at 00:26:38 forgive me! The internet dropped. The content resumes around 00:33:10The mantras can all be found in written form here.For more detailed puja instructions, watch this playlist.Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.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/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

der „stinknormale“ Hund - WIE KOMMT der EIGENTLICH als Tier in die exotische Welt der yogāsanas und der Mythologie? Mit welchem "berühmten" Gott ist er verbunden und am Ende der Folge werde ich auch etwas zur Aussprache der beiden Hunde auf Sanskrit sagen, denn es sind auch ein zwei tricky Stellen dabei, also probiert das gerne aus, wenn Ihr Lust habt!

Why is a dog the vehicle of Bhairava, Śiva's embodied wrath? What does Yudhiṣṭhira insist on a dog accompanying him to heaven? Invoking ferocity and friendship alike, learn the wide range of canine associations in Indic thought. This story is embodied in the yoga poses ūrdhva mukha śvānāsana (upward facing dog) and adho mukha śvānāsana (downward facing dog). Hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a Sanskrit scholar, seasoned storyteller and spiritual lineage holder. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at The Indian Wisdom School. He is also the author of "The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology that Inspired 50 Yoga Postures” and runs a thriving one-on-one spiritual guidance practice. Personal Website: https://rajbalkaran.com Courses (Get a 14-day free trial): https://indianwisdomschool.com Podcast: https://indianwisdompodcast.com

#kaalbhairavashtakam #kalbhairav #harharmahadev कालभैरवाष्टकम् हिन्दी अर्थ के साथ | Sacred Chants of Kala Bhairava Stotram #rudra #mahadev #sadhna #bhakti #bhajan #hindi #spiritual #shiva #kaalbhairavashtakamwithmeaning kaal bhairav ashtakam meaning in hindi kaal bhairav ashtakam likhit mei kaala bhairava ashtakam meaning kaal bhairav ashtakam Hindi meaning kaal bhairav ashtakam ka hindi arth

In our latest episode, we explore the intricate relationship between energy centers within our bodies and their interplay between the masculine and feminine aspects. We delve into the concept of the central channel, the Sashumna Nadi, and the Ida and Pingala that traverse the left and right sides of our being, respectively. This discussion illuminates how these energies, much like threads in a rope, weave together to create the strength and form of our existence. We take time to appreciate the thousands of muscles and neural pathways that define us, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of our bodies. The episode also features readings from the Radiance Sutras, a translation of the Vijñāna-Bhairava-tantra, capturing the spiritual dialogue between a goddess and her lover, which speaks to the mysteries of life and existence. These passages invite listeners to tune into the presence of life's power and the mysterious awareness that permeates everything. The text encourages us to explore the wholeness beyond individual parts, and the interplay of form and formlessness, urging us to rest in the embrace of wisdom and truth.Listeners are guided to take a moment to recognize their own unique existence and power, acknowledging the stories, failures, and wisdom that make up their current being. The episode reinforces the idea that each person's presence is not accidental but a unique manifestation of life's vitality. This recognition is aimed at catalyzing self-awareness and inspiring listeners to weave love into their lives and surroundings. The session concludes with a meditation centering on the affirmation of life's purpose and the essential nature of love. Listeners are encouraged to view their physical form not as a burden, but as a vessel for manifesting strength, power, and love. The meditation serves as a reminder that everyone has come to this life with significant intent and potential. The closing thoughts of the episode revisit the themes of power and vulnerability, discussing how confronting fear with presence and consciousness can lead us to embody our true nature. The episode underscores the importance of embodying love and authenticity in our daily lives, especially in a world where superficial conversations often overshadow genuine actions. Ultimately, the podcast invites listeners to play in the field of power and love, embracing their authentic selves and fostering a more aligned and vibrant existence for themselves and others.

Join Rajarshi Nandy on the TJD Podcast as he delves deep into the enigmatic world of Kaal Bhairava, Tantra, and the revered Kamakhya Devi. In this captivating episode, uncover the ancient secrets and profound spiritual practices of Tantra that have been shrouded in mystery for centuries. Whether you're a spiritual seeker or simply curious about the mystical aspects of Indian spirituality, this episode offers valuable insights and a deeper understanding of the hidden dimensions of Tantra.

Can wrath be righteous? Can decapitation be divine? Hear the tale of when Śiva decapitates the Creator himself in order to teach him an important lesson. Hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a Sanskrit scholar, seasoned storyteller and spiritual lineage holder. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at The Indian Wisdom School. He is also the author of "The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology that Inspired 50 Yoga Postures” and runs a thriving one-on-one spiritual guidance practice. Personal Website: https://rajbalkaran.com Courses (Get a 14-day free trial): https://indianwisdomschool.com Podcast: https://indianwisdompodcast.com

Hablamos del yoga emocional y el trabajo con las emociones difíciles, o consideradas de "baja vibración" por los triste-espirituales. También hablamos de contemplar la magia de la creación para hacernos uno con el mago, Shiva.

Today is a personally special day for me: the birthday of Mahāmaheśvarācharya Rājānaka Abhinavaguptapada, the foremost Shaiva philosopher-saint of our Kaula Trika tradition!Abhinava Gupta is, in my opinion, the brightest mind and the biggest heart India has ever produced and the most brilliant philosopher the world has ever seen, on par with Shankara and the Buddha. Importantly, there are striking parallels between  Abhinava Gupta's theistic, devotional non-dualism and that of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. In this lecture, we do a brief biographical sketch of this great master and point out some of the things that make him so admirable and important and above all, relevant for the needs of modern day spiritual aspirants. May this be an offering placed lovingly at his feet, he who is Bhairava incarnate. विमलकलाश्रयाभिनवसृष्टिमहा जननी भरिततनुश्च पञ्चमुखगुप्तरुचिर्जनकः।तदुभययामलस्फुरितभावविसर्गमयं हृदयमनुत्तरामृतकुलं मम संस्फुरतात्॥१॥Vimala-kalāśrāyabhinava-srsti-mahājananīBharita-tanuś ca pañca-mukha-gupta-rucir janakahTad-ubhaya-yāmala-sphurita-bhāva-visarga-mayamhrdayam anuttarāmrta-kulam mama samsphuratāt  (1)May my heart, filled with the nectar of the embodied Absolute, which has emerged from the ecstatic union of the Mother who is the radiant and pure ground of ever new creation and the Father who is the five faced Shiva ever expressing and delighting Himself in that creation shine forth! 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 Monday 5pm PST with Amrita and Wednesdays at 11am PST and again at Friday 5pm PST with me 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.

Hacia el final del Vijñana Bhairava Tantra nos encontramos con las prácticas más profundas y místicas de todo el sutra. Son prácticas contemplativas que te ayudan a dar el paso de la consciencia contractada individual a la consciencia universal todo-inclusiva. Aquí te explicamos un par de estos dharanas.

Prabhas stars in the highly anticipated sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD, directed by Nag Ashwin, set for a June release. The film's new sneak peek features Prabhas as Bhairava, teaming up with Bujji, a witty, futuristic car. Their dynamic resembles the banter between Marvel's Tony Stark and Jarvis. Inspired by Hindu mythology, the story is set in a dystopian world where Bhairava, seen as the prophesied saviour, battles corrupt establishments. The film promises humour, action, and a fresh take on the legend of Kalki, the final incarnation of Lord Vishnu, destined to save mankind.

This week is rest week for the main feed, but I've got a really good episode for you over on Patreon! Think confirmation bias, new age conflation and the difference a one-degree change in navigation can make to a lifetime journey. And all through the lens of the VBT. It'll cost you $5 to listen, and you'l get loads of other goodies for your contribution. Unconvinced? Well, here's the first twenty minutes to check for yourself!Support the show by making a monthly $5 contribution here: www.patreon.com/AmyMcDonald

Full Essay with Quotes: Babaji often tells the story of his meeting with Swami Muktananda in which Muktananda told him that many meditation traditions teach that one meditates to experience the void, but that beyond the void is Shiva. In the current Dharana, we see the same teaching— when we use our practice to detach from the infinite manifestations of the mind and senses, we are able to attain mindful separation, which is like a void, and that sustaining that state brings us into union with our true nature, here named Bhairava, which is the same way of saying Shiva. Shiva exists beyond the void. In this Dharana our mind and senses are described as a type of five-fold mandala, smell, touch, taste, sight and sound working as one to inform us of our physical reality. These senses are likened to a peacocks feathers, which when fanned behind them create a dizzying experience much like the mind and senses can become. Our task as yogis is to witness the mind and senses, but not to multiply them with our energy. One method for this, given by Swami Lakshmanjoo, is to see the senses themselves as voids. “You must concentrate simultaneously on [the void while experiencing each of] these five, that it is nothing, it is only a void and nothing else. Then, you have to forcibly concentrate that these are nothing, [that] these objects are nothing–“What I see is nothing, what appears to me is nothing, what I hear is nothing, what I touch and what I get [as] the sensation of smell, it is nothing, it is only śūnya.” It is only seeing as energy–just seeing only, hearing only, not to analyze that…There it ends. And when I feel smelling, there ends that. At the time of that sensation of smelling, you must end it there. You must not go further, You must not go beyond that so that you will [avoid being] entangled in the world of the senses.”This is one of the many underlying teachings of the Tattvas, the yogic map of manifestation. In the tattvas we see that Shiva and Shakti's dance creates all of manifestation. As we expand further from Shiva we are covered by maya, illusion, meaning as our awareness moves further from our own center we identify less and less with our true nature. This outward expansion from center takes a particular path that is helpful in understanding this Dharana. We see in tattvas 17-21, the power of the physical senses are developed— there are called the Jnana Idriyas, which is referred to in the text by Swami Lakshmanjoo as well. This is considered the source of the senses, described as the ‘power of seeing' the ‘power of smelling' and so on. This source gives rise to the sensations themselves, tattvas 27-31, called the subtle elements. This would be the capacity for sense itself, but not of any particular scent. The capacity for sight, but not necessarily a particular sight, etc. And eventually the power and capacity for the senses gives rise to the actual gross elements themselves, tattvas 32-36, the final and most externalized of manifestation. Interesting enough, all three of these capacity's arise simultaneously, we see the object, but often miss the deeper mechanism happening within us. Intro to Kashmir Shaivism: “The moment the senses of perception are produced, the five tanmatras or subtle elements of perception also come into manifestation from the same Ahamkara, because the indriyas can have no meaning or existence whatsoever with​out the objects with which they are inseparably correlated. For instance, the indriya of hearing has no meaning without something to hear, that is, without sound. Similarly, the indriyas of feeling-by-touch, tasting, and smelling have no meaning without a simultaneous reference to something to feel, taste, and smell. Therefore, the moment Manas arises as desire, Ahamkara takes a triple form: I - (1) de​sire - (2) to see - (3) some color.” (Note: the ahamkara is the self that is doing or the personality associated with this individual body. It refers to the sense of being an individual separate from everything else.)This means that behind every color is a deeper understanding if we are willing to surrender it. This experience of surrender is something we have been given by Swami Rudrananda, but keep in mind that this word does not come up very often in the text as we have read it. Therefore the act of surrender is a way of describing a very paradoxical yet essential reality we must learn to participate within— if we can let go of the sense object in front of us, which appears to mean we are left with nothing, we are actually brought to a much vaster experience. Beyond the void is Shiva, this is an essentially another way of teaching us the nature of surrender. When we let go we begin to receive. Let go of the color, receive the source of the color. To the mind we have lost something, but to the heart we have gained. As Jai Deva Singh teaches at the end of his commentary on this Dharana: The Absolute void is Bhairava who is beyond the senses and the mind, beyond al the categories of these instruments. From the point of view of the human mind, Shiva is most void.From the point of view of Reality, Shiva is most full, for Shiva is the source of al manifestation.Which brings us to the translation and practice of Dharana 9. Paul Reps wording is very much on the positive side, instead of letting go or getting less, he focuses on melting within and receiving more. Instead of rejecting outer form, we see that our goal is to absorb it. We find the source by letting ourselves really open up to it. In sight we see that once we surrender the object of our focus, we receive the object of our wishes. “Or, imagine the five-colored circles of the peacock tail to be your five senses in illimitable space. Now let their beauty melt within. Similarly, at any point in space or on a wall—until the point dissolves. Then your wish for another comes true.”

Full Essay with Quotes: Babaji often tells the story of his meeting with Swami Muktananda in which Muktananda told him that many meditation traditions teach that one meditates to experience the void, but that beyond the void is Shiva. In the current Dharana, we see the same teaching— when we use our practice to detach from the infinite manifestations of the mind and senses, we are able to attain mindful separation, which is like a void, and that sustaining that state brings us into union with our true nature, here named Bhairava, which is the same way of saying Shiva. Shiva exists beyond the void. In this Dharana our mind and senses are described as a type of five-fold mandala, smell, touch, taste, sight and sound working as one to inform us of our physical reality. These senses are likened to a peacocks feathers, which when fanned behind them create a dizzying experience much like the mind and senses can become. Our task as yogis is to witness the mind and senses, but not to multiply them with our energy. One method for this, given by Swami Lakshmanjoo, is to see the senses themselves as voids. “You must concentrate simultaneously on [the void while experiencing each of] these five, that it is nothing, it is only a void and nothing else. Then, you have to forcibly concentrate that these are nothing, [that] these objects are nothing–“What I see is nothing, what appears to me is nothing, what I hear is nothing, what I touch and what I get [as] the sensation of smell, it is nothing, it is only śūnya.” It is only seeing as energy–just seeing only, hearing only, not to analyze that…There it ends. And when I feel smelling, there ends that. At the time of that sensation of smelling, you must end it there. You must not go further, You must not go beyond that so that you will [avoid being] entangled in the world of the senses.”This is one of the many underlying teachings of the Tattvas, the yogic map of manifestation. In the tattvas we see that Shiva and Shakti's dance creates all of manifestation. As we expand further from Shiva we are covered by maya, illusion, meaning as our awareness moves further from our own center we identify less and less with our true nature. This outward expansion from center takes a particular path that is helpful in understanding this Dharana. We see in tattvas 17-21, the power of the physical senses are developed— there are called the Jnana Idriyas, which is referred to in the text by Swami Lakshmanjoo as well. This is considered the source of the senses, described as the ‘power of seeing' the ‘power of smelling' and so on. This source gives rise to the sensations themselves, tattvas 27-31, called the subtle elements. This would be the capacity for sense itself, but not of any particular scent. The capacity for sight, but not necessarily a particular sight, etc. And eventually the power and capacity for the senses gives rise to the actual gross elements themselves, tattvas 32-36, the final and most externalized of manifestation. Interesting enough, all three of these capacity's arise simultaneously, we see the object, but often miss the deeper mechanism happening within us. Intro to Kashmir Shaivism: “The moment the senses of perception are produced, the five tanmatras or subtle elements of perception also come into manifestation from the same Ahamkara, because the indriyas can have no meaning or existence whatsoever with​out the objects with which they are inseparably correlated. For instance, the indriya of hearing has no meaning without something to hear, that is, without sound. Similarly, the indriyas of feeling-by-touch, tasting, and smelling have no meaning without a simultaneous reference to something to feel, taste, and smell. Therefore, the moment Manas arises as desire, Ahamkara takes a triple form: I - (1) de​sire - (2) to see - (3) some color.” (Note: the ahamkara is the self that is doing or the personality associated with this individual body. It refers to the sense of being an individual separate from everything else.)This means that behind every color is a deeper understanding if we are willing to surrender it. This experience of surrender is something we have been given by Swami Rudrananda, but keep in mind that this word does not come up very often in the text as we have read it. Therefore the act of surrender is a way of describing a very paradoxical yet essential reality we must learn to participate within— if we can let go of the sense object in front of us, which appears to mean we are left with nothing, we are actually brought to a much vaster experience. Beyond the void is Shiva, this is an essentially another way of teaching us the nature of surrender. When we let go we begin to receive. Let go of the color, receive the source of the color. To the mind we have lost something, but to the heart we have gained. As Jai Deva Singh teaches at the end of his commentary on this Dharana: The Absolute void is Bhairava who is beyond the senses and the mind, beyond al the categories of these instruments. From the point of view of the human mind, Shiva is most void.From the point of view of Reality, Shiva is most full, for Shiva is the source of al manifestation.Which brings us to the translation and practice of Dharana 9. Paul Reps wording is very much on the positive side, instead of letting go or getting less, he focuses on melting within and receiving more. Instead of rejecting outer form, we see that our goal is to absorb it. We find the source by letting ourselves really open up to it. In sight we see that once we surrender the object of our focus, we receive the object of our wishes. “Or, imagine the five-colored circles of the peacock tail to be your five senses in illimitable space. Now let their beauty melt within. Similarly, at any point in space or on a wall—until the point dissolves. Then your wish for another comes true.”

Gurunatha Moksha is a guru and rishi from the Natha lineage of Himalayan Trika Yoga. He has been working relentlessly in the conflict zones of Kashmir. Through his organisation Rishikula Foundation, he is working to restore dilapidated Bhairava temples in the country. In his purvashrama, Gurunatha Moksha as Dr. Manish Mokshagundam has been in the mass media industry in various capacities for 22 years. He is an avant-garde filmmaker, documentary maker, journalist and author. He is embarking on a yatra 'Bharatyana' across three countries - Sri Lanka, Bharat & Nepal with the ain to install Shri Ram Rajya in the country.

In this lecture, we discuss “Tantrik Christianity”, that is, elements of Tantra like1. guruparamparā (lineage based transmission), 2. ritual worship (pūjā)3. emphasis on mantra repetition (japa)4. profileration of deities/icons5. emphasis on direct, personal experience of the Divine6. the Immanence of God etc. that are also present in Christianity to make the case that Tantra is a spiritual approach not exclusive to any one cultural but is founded upon universal spiritual principles that are equally present in every tradition! I also want to point out how Jesus Christ as an Incarntion is murti/vigraha, the Tantrik term for the embodied, immanent aspect of the Transcendent Divine which can be used as a doorway to the Absolute, who is in-and-of-itsef, that same Absolute manifest. Since December is a time when in our community we turn or fervor towards Shakti in the form of Christ and Mother Mary, I pray this lecture will delight you! 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/U8zKP8yMrMOM Tat SatSupport the show

Prior to our Hallowe'en lecture on ghosts in the Tantrik world, we recite a few hymns and poems to Mahākāla Bhairava and Mā Bhairavi (Abhinava Gupta's Bhairava Stava and the two Kālī poems by Swami Vivekananda) that feature similar macabre elements to make a point about radical acceptance, non-duality and overcoming fear. Art by Vijayā (http://www.birthlessdeathless.com/) 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 Different Types of Ghosts in the Tantrik World 00:03:34 Poetic Meters in Sanskrit Spiritual Literature 00:12:20 A Tribute to Swami Lakshman Joo  00:18:55 Bhairava Stava of Abhinava Gupta  00:30:20 Brief Commentary on the Bhairava Stava  00:31:00 Introduction to Swami Vivekananda's poems to Kali  00:32:07 "Kali, The Mother" by Swami Vivekananda 00:33:30 Commentary on "Kali, The Mother" 00:40:33 And Let Syāmā Dance There (Swamijis Bengali Poem to Kālī) 00:49:20 Commentary on "And Let Syāmā Dance There"Support the show

Subconscious Realms Episode 220 - Tantric Pantheon PT6 - Ferocious Time-Lord (Daath) - Mahakala-Bhairava - Jin The Ninja. Ladies & Gentlemen on this Episode of Subconscious Realms we welcome back Jin The Ninja for Tantric Pantheon PT6 - Ferocious Time-Lord (Daath) - Mahakala-Bhairava, Hayagriva. Matangi & The Ashtabhairavs. As expected Jin doesn't hold back with yet another addition of Mind-Blowing Episode's to this beyond fascinating Series. Absolute Killer Episode

This class reflects further on Vijnana Bhairava Dharana 5 through discussion, free writing, and meditation.

This pressure or density is not only natural, but good for us. When diving underwater in the physical world, our body recognizes the pressure and slows down our heart rate, shifting our nervous system down towards a more restful and rejuvenating state. The pressure is also good for our lungs. In our subtle bodies when meditating there is a very similar experience, when we go inside our heart rate slows down and our nervous system down shifts. And similar to the water, there is a natural tendency to bob like a buoy in our heads all day long, staying at the surface, and it takes a certain kind of work to actually go deep within ourselves. And like water, we do this in small sessions— we don't need to live underwater, we just need to practice going there over and over again. In fact, it is teh repetition that is the source of our depth, “Inserting the spark of awareness and letting it fade” as Shiva Sutra —- teaches. It is Effort over time, as Rudi teaches, that yields real growth. The pressure of this dive within ourselves is unique, subtle. I hope that by discussing this pressure it does not lead to any expectations of pressure and thus doership. Instead I hope that by discussion this subtle pressure that we feel when we go inside it helps us actually feel our experience more clearly, and interact with it more personally. Because, as Babaji has been teaching steadfastly for quite a while, we so often get attached to the technique and artificial goals in our practice, such as “how deep we are diving”, or “how long we can hold our breath” to keep with the analogy, and we not only miss the point of our practice, but we miss the experience, and thus also miss the growth. Technique is here to guide us to the present, to our direct experience, to our state of being— that is what I hope this discussion does for you. Because it doesn't matter how deep you dive within yourself— its the pressure itself that is beneficial, the actual experience of going inside and working with that experience— and when you can shift your awareness from the ‘depth' to the ‘experience', every depth becomes more beneficial, sustainable and interactive. We are diving into the heart to interact with the experience, not to be done with the experience. As teh Sutras say, it is a subjective experience, not objective— meaning it is meant to be happening to you in the state you are in today, within the context of your life right now. We are each meant to really experience the process of going inside every time we do it, not to simply go through the motions like watching a TV show while you walk 3 miles on a treadmill. This is why it is beneficial to pay attention to the experience rather than focus on the destination— the experience is where the growth is. The subtle pressure that exists within us, that we slowly but surely breathe through, is the source of the healing— it doesn't matter the depth or the time spent underwater/inside, it matters how much you are absorbing and participating in the experience. It Which brings us to the second half of the Dharana, the rising up. Diving down is the work, rising up is the serenity. In the water, diving down is effort, you not only have to actively swim against the natural buoyancy of the ocean, you have to stop every few kicks to actively clear your ears, and this process continues every few feet. At a certain point you stop and allow yourself to rise up slowly. There is no need to kick here, or even clear your ears, you simply rise up and expand to the surface. In our practice it is the same. The work of going inside takes time and effort, we work with the experience directly and gradually, and let it work on us. And eventually there comes a time to allow ourselves to rise up and expand naturally. In the big picture one could say this is the moment of our Kundalini rising up the spine to the crown chakra. If we zoom out even further, this could be said to be the description of enlightenment itself, a gradual rising up that takes place over liftetimes of Sadhana. From a more zoomed in perspective, this could also be referring to the latter half of the circular breath, wherein our attention rises up the spine. Or in an even more localized way, and the way we have been instructed to work more and more these days by our teacher, this is referring to the subtle expansion that takes place in the heart on each exhale. For the past year or so, Babaji has been emphasizing the practice of bringing our attention to the heart with our inhale, and then allowing the heart to expand with the exhale. The expansion that takes place in the heart is subtle, and happens gradually. When letting one's self rise up from a decent depth underwater, it can often feel slow, or even impreceptible, compared to the effort one expels to dive down. But again, if we pay attention to the experience itself as we did when we dove down into the heart, there will be plenty to feel. For me, I was expelling too much effort in the expansion of the heart and missing the experience altogether— but when I thought of it like rising up from under water, I let go and actually felt what was happening. So this analogy was a bit of a breakthrough for my personal practice, helping me use a natural physical experience to better understand a natural subtle experience. From where you're sitting, let your eyes close and turn your attention within. This initial turn already initiates the healing process, and you can feel the subtle shift. This is almost like the shift of being in water versus being on land, there's a buoyancy in side, an ebb and flow like rising and falling currents. Breathe in through the third eye, and towards the base of the throat. Feel this slight shift in internal pressure, there's a density being approached, like the density of water just a few feet under the surface. Instead of trying to go past the density you encounter, feel it. Absorb that healing pressure, let it do its work. Swallow to relieve the pressure in the throat, almost like cleaning your ears, and feel the path to the heart open up. This is the practice we have been working on with Babaji for a while now. The path to the heart. Notice the experience of getting to the heart with your breath— feel the subtle density that you encounter and work with it. That density is why we are meditating, it is literally what we are breathing through. With each inhale we can bring our awareness towards the heart, embracing the subtle hug of pressure that may exist there, and as we exhale we expand our experience in the heart in a different way.

The Vijñānabhairava Tantra is a compendium of spiritual prompts to enter a state of complete absorption in the Absolute, while yet remaining with the power of creativity and fecundity. If any text could be synonymous with Methods of Contemplation, it's this one. In the text, the primordial Goddess Bhairavi asks Bhairava, who is none other than her very Self - how to untangle the myriad of paths and admonitions of the tantras. He responds by giving pointed instructions to winnow away the extroversion of the mind: complex ones, simple ones, ones you might already do. The point being - Reality itself is the door to Reality. Connect with me on instagram @methodsofcontemplation Work with me one-on-one: https://calendly.com/methodsofcontemplation/spiritual-direction --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/methods/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/methods/support

Dharana 4 concludes the breath and pause specific teachings in this portion of the Vijnana Bhairava, and is our focal point for tonight. In this Dharana we begin to lean into the pause skillfully, feeling for the moment when we are ‘all out' or ‘all in', and allowing ourselves to be absorbed in a space where our ‘small self vanishes'. Before we unpack it, we can sit for a minute with the dharana itself and let it speak to you directly:“When breath is all out (up) and stopped of itself, or all in (down) and stopped—in such universal pause, one's small self vanishes. This is difficult only for the impure.”The breath itself is a ‘ceaseless pulsation' of life force, a throb of Shakti described as Spanda. When the breath pauses, as we saw in the last Dharana, there is a moment of where the ceaseless pulsation of life fuses into stillness— this stillness is not separate from reality, but a unique experience within it— a moment when the surface of the water becomes absolutely still before the wave pool of the breath begins again. This moment comes and goes in a flash for most of us most of the time— yet it seems to be a Holy Grail of meditative experience. Holding the pause with the will misses the point— we only end up feeling our will, not the peace of the pause— so what other options are there? As Muktananda teaches in his text “I Am That”, if we want to expand the pause, we have to expand our experience of the breath itself: “The state of stillnesswhich occurs when the syllables merge inside and outsideis natural kumbhaka.You don't have to make a deliberate effort to hold your breath,because as you practice hamsa,the time of the suspension of breath begins to expand.The duration of the kumbhaka increases naturally.”To expand our experience of the breath overall, we can slow down our breath, this guarantees that we will stay connected to the flow, while also taking ourselves towards the subtle destination of the pause. Of course this must be within reason and not create tension, but once the breath is slower, your mind slows down too and you can begin to work through the impurities that the Dharana alludes to. Because who are the impure that have trouble feeling the pause and slowing down? All of us, most of the time. As study after study concludes, our overstimulated nervous systems are stuck in a subtle state of fight and flight. And as we know about the sympathetic nervous system, when we are ‘fighting and flighting'— which is to say thinking, planning and scheming— the maintenance aspects of our biology go on hold. Our digestion slows down, our cellular repair and maintenance slows down, everything goes on pause so we can get through this or that struggle. Its like being in a hurry all morning and leaving the toothbrush open on the counter, throwing a towel on an unmade bed and leaving breakfast dishes in the sink. It helps us get to work on time this time, but studies are showing us that these biological dishes are just piling up inside, as a 2018 article from the University of Colorado health and medical center describes it— “When you check your phone or hear an alert, you activate your sympathetic nervous system, the part of your body that's always scanning the environment. It gives you a little shot of adrenaline for every interaction. That adrenaline, which is meant to trigger your body to pay attention, sets off a cascade of chemicals that increases heart rate, pulse and muscle tension, and shunts energy from the brain to the muscles. It will take five to 30 minutes for your body to get back to baseline after every one of these alarms…Which is a problem in a world where cell phones rarely stop. Essentially, people don't ever come back down to baseline…We have one stress after another after another. All that stress wreaks havoc on the body and mind, causing or contributing to a range of diseases, from heart disease and depression, to sleep deprivation and chronic fatigue” (https://www.uchealth.org/today/the-hidden-stress-of-cell-phones/)These are the impurities to which the Dharana alludes— when we are in this neurological state, it is hard to meditate. The solution… s-l-o-w…d-o-w-n… Slow it all down, and start to feel again. When we can start to feel again, then we can start to relax and release, we can start cleaning up the debris, and eventually we can even begin to experience something beyond it.A Student once asked Babaji, “I have been very bothered lately by tightness in my heart. Can you suggest a way for me to release that tension?” To which he responded, “Try to breathe slowly and feel your navel. As you exhale relax deeply. Don't focus on an area where the congestion is. Focus below it, or beyond it. You have to draw the energy down. Your type of experience usually has to do with the energy coming back up the chakras. You have to breathe very slowly and deeply below the tightness and into the navel, and then relax and release. It is helpful to inhale slowly to a count of one, two, three. Then exhale to the same count. Sometimes students inhale and then exhale too quickly.” (SP, 29)As Babaji says here, when we slow down we can begin to feel, relax and release. Slowing down opens the door to feeling, and feeling allows us to feel what needs to be released. When we are stuck in an over-stimulated loop, this can be hard to do— which is why the Yogic tradition teaches us to work our way there layer by layer, through the Koshas. One of the reasons we have incorporated yoga into our Thursday night class schedule is because Babaji wants people to start slowing down and consciously figuring out how to relax and release— and the body is the most tactile place to start this process. As Anju talked about a few months ago, her asana practice, and slowing down in her asana practice, was the key to breaking through seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her meditation practice. Many people have resistance to Asana because it doesn't seem to work with the mind and heart as directly as meditation. But what's better— running really fast in circles or taking slower conscious steps towards relief? I know we all feel that we can just drop our tensions with a breath, and maybe we can occasionally, but slowing down on the physical level helps us slow down on the pranic level, which helps us slow down on the subtler levels of the heart and mind. And the act of slowing down really just means open up. Every aspect of our tradition tells us this, so I thought we could work with it more directly in tonights guided practice.

“Whenever inbreath and out breath fuse, at this instant touch the energyless energy-filled center.”When considering the pause between the breath, it is almost automatic to approach it from the outside in— meaning, to watch your breath and feel for the pause to occur. This, we are told, was the practice given in Dharana 2, which taught us to watch the breath ‘turn, turn turn'. As Swami Lakshmanjoo begins his translation of Dharana 3, though, “now, [we are entering] a more subtle process”. The subtle teaching at the heart of this Dharana is that we can experience the pause between our breaths more fully through the internal gaze of the Shambhavi Mudra, described in the commentary as Bhairavi Mudra. The Shambhavi Mudra is the practice of keeping the senses open but bringing your awareness inside to the heart, as you continue to experience your life. This is an advanced practice because it asks you to hold your awareness inside with no external object per se, such as a mantra or pranayama. It is simply, and not so simply, the practice of keeping your attention “inside” while you live your life “outside”. This practice, we are taught in this Dharana, will naturally draw the pause between the breaths to us. In fact, the deeper inside we go inside, the bigger the experience of the pause between the breaths will become for us. The experience of this pause gives rise to spiritual energy described in the Dharana as “Nirvikalpakataya”, which refers specifically to the energy of the central vein, the Shushumna. The Dharana continues that when this practice is truly accomplished, “the energy of breath neither goes out nor enters in (na vrajet na viśet)”, meaning that the inbreath and out breath pause momentarily of their own accord. And here, in this space between the breaths, “one becomes one with Bhairava,” as Lakshmanjoo translates, “Bhairavarüpatà”.When the inbreath and out breath “fuse”, as Paul Reps teaches it, we have fused inner and outer realities, the essence of the Shambhavi Mudra. Which is perhaps why Reps describes the experience as an “energyless, energy-filled, center”— when inside and outside merge, empty and full become interchangeable terms— all that's left is energy. Which brings us back to the illumination of the central channel at the heart of this Dharana, Nirvikalpakataya, which as Swami Lakshmanjoo comments, “is already illuminated”. So we aren't filling ourselves with light, we are unveiling the light that's already there. As we sit with this Dharana, we don't start at the top, we work our way there. We can begin by focusing on establishing a natural breath flow, smoothing out the breath and using our mantra, like we did in Dharana 2. Once this is established, we can open the eyes softly, and start to use less and less effort to guide our breath, approaching Dharana 3. This opens the door to a deeper dive into the Shambhavi Mudra, as we start to witness our senses, and exert less and less effort towards them with each breath. We can explore the depths of this Dharana as we explore our capacity for the Shambhavi Mudra. As our attention truly does sink inside, while our awareness on the breath and senses remain open, what happens to the space between the breaths? Does it come to you? Does it expand? Is it easier to feel— how would you describe that ease?

The pause between the breath gives us an anchor of stillness amidst the constant fluctuations of mind and karma. Because the breath is as ceaseless as manifestation is infinite— and flowing with our breath, like flowing with our karma, takes practice and surrender. This is why the pause between the breath is such a resource helping us find and unite with this flow. The pause between the breath isn't separate from the breath, but it is what unites the inhale and exhale into a fluid experience. The Shiva Sutras describe this as a type of “Triple Awareness”, awareness that goes beyond just the inhale and exhale, beyond duality, and encompasses the in-between space. “When you fix your awareness not only in two, but in three, you are carried to God consciousness and you become one with Svacchanda.32 (Svacchanda Tantra) What is the meaning of “triple awareness”? The verse tells us there must be triple awareness, not just awareness of two. Awareness of two is the awareness of two actions, such as inhaling and exhaling. Triple awareness includes the junction, the gap, between any two actions, between inhaling and exhaling and between exhaling and inhaling. It is the junction between one step and another step, between one thought and another thought, between one sensation and another sensation, etc. When you are aware of the three centers, then you are carried to Svacchanda, to God-consciousness.” Feeling the space between the breath is actually a means of feeling the breath itself— because triple awareness doens't mean awareness of three, it means awareness of one. Duality is awareness of two, of inhale and exhale as separate, of like and dislike, accepting and rejecting. Non-duality posits a third option, that of surrender— this is what allows us to feel the breath as a flow, instead of just separate parts. The reason it is called ‘triple awareness' is because this experience of surrender always exists within the realm of duality—duality is what we are surrendering in order to feel unity. So the pause between our breaths isn't a separate practice, but a deeper practice, of breath awareness. The pause, though, is elusive. If you think of our breath as a swinging pendulum, inhaling as it swings one way, exhaling as it swings the other way— the still point is almost mathematically impossible to calculate. This is because as the pendulum swings to one side, its distance towards that end point keeps getting exponentially smaller— Like slicing a cake in half, then fourths, then eighths, then sixteenths, then thirty-seconds, and so on— when will the cake slices become so small they disappear? When does the inhale become the exhale? Math and the mind can't tell us exactly, but of course with a little practice we can all experience it for ourself. Meditation lets us directly experience a reality that our mind simply can't comprehend. To support our path to the pause between the breath, this triple awareness that yields an experience of one-ness and unity, we are taught to watch the breath turn, to watch it taper down and taper up around this infinitely small yet existent pause. In this way we allow the pause to arrive within us, which is the only way to fully experience it. On our meditation cushion this would look like watching the exhale dissolve into stillness, and then watching the inhale spring up from that same stillness. Then watching the inhale almost levitate into a pause, and then the exhale rains down like a fine mist. When we pay attention to the tapering edges of our breath, the pause comes to us vibrantly. In our daily life this is possible too, as each experience of our day has a creation, maintenance and dissolution phase. In Sanskrit the dissolving phase is called a Nimesha, and the arising phase is called an Unmesha. When we watch the tapering edges of a situation beginning or ending, we naturally become more present during the activity, and the space between the activities. We do this for kids all the time, telling them that we'll be leaving the playground in 10 minutes, then five minutes, then another five minutes, then ‘this is the last thing', then another ‘last thing', then the playground is dissolved fully as we drive home. It's not easy for kids and its not easy for us, but its not only possible, but essential for our health, consciousness and bliss. We unconsciously relate to the space between breaths and events in our life as a void, which makes it sound empty, but when that void is described by lineage texts and teachings it is anything but, which is why the Vijnana bhairava teaches that “This [liminal] state, which is absolutely pure and filled with universal consciousness, fills the whole universe with bliss. (Vijñānabhairava Tantra 15)”Further, when we can maintain our awareness on the two ‘voids', there is an ‘upsurge' of energy in our Shushumna, which then causes 'the formation of Bhairava [to be] revealed', meaning that awareness of this liminal space causes a rise in spiritual energy and an awareness of our true nature. Paul Reps once wrote that when we pause we overflow like a well from within— which is a vivid description of this ancient process. So we see that the space between our breaths and our activities is not empty, it is actually the potential energy into which the entire universe both dissolves and from which it rises.

The Vijnana Bhairava is a ceaseless pulsation, and the first practices of the Vijnana Bhairava take us through a progressive training of awareness in order to use that pulsation to reveal our true nature. Dharana one teaches us to focus on the pulsation itself in the form of Ham and Sah, Dharana two introduces the turning point of our breath, a moment of pauseless presence. Dharana three dives deeper into that pause, and Dharana four leans into it. It should always be noted that the pause between the breath should feel as natural as breathing itself— anything less and we're missing the point. Pranayama is no more about controlling our breath than Hatha yoga is about controlling our body. It is a means by which we enter the flow of the breath, just like Hatha yoga is how we start to move more harmoniously with our body. This means that our work with the pauses should always feel natural, and if it doesn't, each of us has to be open to taking a step back in order to find a sustainable path forward. Dharana 2: Reps: “As breath turns from down to up, and again as breath curves from up to down—through both these turns, realize.”So as we see here, we begin to explore the pause not by seeking a pause, but by watching it turn. You can imagine a pendulum swinging in one direction, and if you watch it closely enough, it slows and turns and begins to swing in the other direction, did it stop? When did it stop? The math of this moment proves to be quite complex— as it approaches the end of the swing the speed gets slower and slower, the movement smaller and smaller, and the pause that takes place before it turns around is almost imperceptible, and mathematically almost impossible to predict. It would be like slicing a cake in Half, then quarter, then eighths, then sixteenths, then thirty-seconds, and sixty fourths, and so on, the slices of movement getting smaller and smaller as the pendulum approaches the end, almost infinitely. Which is why watching this turn can give us a glimpse of the infinite. Jai Deva Singh comments on the Sutra that at this point the inhale and exhale cease, and what occurs is an upsurge of energy in the Shushumna: “By the anusandhāna or one-pointed awareness of these two pauses, the mind becomes introverted, and the activity of both prâna and apâna ceases, and there is the upsurge of madhya dasa i.e. the path of the madhya nadi or shushumna becomes open.”But this is not a state we can grasp with our minds, or our bodies— as the math showed us. This is a state that arrives as we watch the turn with pauseless effort, or “Uninterrupted awareness”, as Swami Lakshmanjoo described it— meaning that we must be pauselessly present in order to actually feel this turn take place, and in that pauseless presence we perceive our True nature, “When you maintain uninterrupted awareness of these two voids, by this way of treading on this process the formation of Bhairava is revealed.”This is why the Dharana teaches us to focus on the turning, the slowing, the changing, as a way of cultivating pauseless presence. It can be very productive to approach this concept progressively, first in body, then in breath. To help us really notice the ‘turn' we can incorporate Robin's breath, and work physically to make the end of each movement come to an almost invisible end before turning in the opposite direction. After a few repetitions with the arms, we can continue with the same pranayama, using a little effort to keep our breath long and smooth, like it was with robins breath, allowing us to hone in on the imperceptible ‘turn' of the breath. Homework: Taking this Dharana into your life means noticing the ‘turns' of your day— all the in between moments when you are going in one direction with one activity, and then as that comes to an end, are going in a new direction with another activity. The spaces between the breaths are like the spaces between the activities of our life. In Sanskrit, these turns are described as Unmesha and Nimesha. It can be easiest to understand these by looking at the seasons. Summer and Winter represent the inhale and exhale, the two phases that we oscillate between. In between these two polar opposites are transitional turns we call fall and spring. Fall is the turn that takes summer into winter, and Spring is the turn that takes us from winter into summer. Paying attention to these turns can help us arrive more consciously in the experience that is either coming our way, or fading away. On a practical level, this means paying more attention to the turns of your day, between your activities. Such as the space after this class, and before whatever is next for you. The turn that is your morning commute, for example, how do you engage your awareness there so that you truly arrive when you arrive? Or the turn on your way back from work, so that when you get home you can be totally present? Waking up is a turn from sleeping to waking life, and going to bed is also another turn in our schedule. What we bring to these turns usually indicates what our next activity will be like for us. What are your turns throughout the day? How do you use your practice to engage your awareness in them naturally and effectively? We will revisit this as a writing prompt next week for our Creative Consciousness Class, but it will only make your work next week more fruitful if you take time to bring this practice into your life, as well as your cushion, leading up to that class.

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.  

Jai Deva Sing notes at the end of Dharana 1 that there is an important interpretation of the Dharana still to be considered- that this is the essential teaching of the breath meditation practice “Ham Sah”. The recitation of Ham Sah is an exploration of the ceaseless pulsation of the Goddess Shakti in our lives, a way of observing the pulsation of reality. The meaning of the mantra can only be discovered by listening, by letting the breath move naturally as Shambhavananda and Muktananda teach, which we are taught is the path itself of this practice.Jai Deva Singh (commentary on Dharana 1): “There is another important interpretation of this dhärana.In inhalation, the sound of ha is produced; in exhalation, thesound sah is produced; at the junction point in the centre thesound of m is added. So the whole formula becomes 'Hamsah'.The paradevi goes on sounding this formula or mantra ceaselesslyin every living being.”Swami Lakshmanjoo commentary on Dharana 1:When you take your breath inside, the recitation of ‘ha' will end in ‘ṁ'. When you take it out, [the recitation of ‘sa'] will end in visarga–‘saḥ'. And, in these two starting points, if you concentrate, you will become one with Bhairava because of its fullness.”Swami Muktananda from his book “I am That “This is what we also need to understand. Hamsa is not a mantra that you merely repeat. What you have to do is become established in the awareness of the mantra going on inside you, in the goal of the mantra, in the pulsation which exists in the space where the syllables arise and subside…”Sri ShambhavAnanda on the practice of breath awareness: “Instead of forcibly trying to control your breath, develop the ability to experience and witness it. Follow your natural breath flow and attach it to the mantra “Ham Sah”. A person breathes approximately 26,000 times a day. If you can be aware of your inhalation and exhalation, you will make progress in meditation. When you can control your breath, you can control your mind. But first you have to become aware of the breath. Don't use any forceful practices. Make friends with your breath and be aware of what it is doing in different situations. When you have a certain experience such as fear, anger, or bliss, you will find that your breath will concentrate in a certain area. If you start to pay attention, you will gain some wisdom.”

In our previous class we took time to introduce the concept of Dharana as a method of concentration, as well as to reiterate that this focal point is meant to merge us with a state of being that is beyond the focus of our eyes or mind. Each dharana is a stepping stone to our state of being. We took time to sit with Paul Reps' translation of the first Dharana, which is always so succinct and useful for meditation. His translation seemed to emphasize the practice of keeping our focus in the heart as we noticed the inhale come down and in, and then the exhale go up and out. Radiant one, this experience may dawn between two breaths. After breath comes in (down) and just before turning up (out)—the beneficence.”Let's practice that now for a moment…We will continue to work with each of Paul Reps' translations of the Dharanas, but there is also rich soil to uncover in the less abridged translations of Jai Deva Singh, as well as the commentary's of Swami Lakshmanjoo. These translations showed opened the door to a few subtle details to the text— for example, that the visarga, the “:” notation in Sanskrit that indicates the addition of breath after a vowel sound, actually represents the two focal points of our breath, the heart and the dvadashanta. The point the exhale ends is specifically called the dvadashanta, an invisible point in space meant to represent the distance your breath travels outside of you. You can find this point, the text tells us, by measuring 12 finger widths from the tip of the nose. Be sure to measure with the angle of your nose, slightly downward, and you'll find that this point is 8 or so inches in front of our physical heart. When you breathe out with a little bit of force, you can easily feel this as the end point of your exhale. As the breath moves back and forth between these points, life is projected and created, which is why the word Visarga means projection or creation. As Shakti is literally the projected or created universe, this verse describes the nature of Shakti as the same as Visarga, as an ceaseless oscillation between these two points, specifically in the form of the inhale and exhale. “Para devi or Highest Sakti who is of the nature of visarga goes on (ceaselessly) expressing herself upward (ürdhve), from the centre of the body to dvdasanta (or a distance of twelve fingers), in the form of exhalation (präna) and downward (adhah), from dvadasanta to the centre of the body, in the form of inhalation (jiva or apâna).By steady fixation of the mind (bharanat) at the two places of their origin (the center of the body in the case of prāna, and dvadasänta in the case of apâna) there is the situation of plenitude (bharitästhitih which is the state of parasakti or nature of Bhairava).”Let's try that practice now for a moment…We will continue to explore this practice today, and describe its relationship to our breath meditation practice, Ham Sah. It should be noted that Swami Lakshmanjoo and Paul Reps were contemporaries, and that Jai Deva Singh was Swami Lakshmanjoo's student. As the Zen saying goes, each one is best. Paul Reps, of course, was a dear friend of Sri Shambahvananda, our living teacher. Sri Shambhavananda also met with Swami Lakshmanjoo in India, and speaks highly of him as well. I mention this because it is so special to be able to study these texts and know that they are tied to the fabric of our lineage in a way— and that they are approved by Sri Shambhavananda for study. Today, this is a commonly overlooked aspect of spiritual practice, but for Shambhavananda Yogis, it is important to know the yogi behind the words you are reading. We open our hearts in this class, and trust these individuals in a very deep and subtle way— being able to trust the text is of paramount importance for my own work. “The outgoing breath is called prana,and the incoming breath is called apana. Apana is also called jiva, the individual soul, because only when the apana enters the body can it be said that the soul is in the body. If the prana goes out and the apana doesn't come back in, then the body is nothing but a corpse.” (I Am That)The Dharana continues: By steady fixation of the mind at the two places of their origin (viz., centre of the body in the case of prāna and dvadasänta in the case of apâna) there is the situation of plenitude.It can be misleading to think of these as two separate points, though, as if one were the beginning and the other the end. For the Yogi, inside and outside, Shiva and Shakti, are simultaneous, as light and a flame are simultaneous. We may begin our practice by moving back and forth between these two points, but the teachings of this lineage point to a another stage in the practice where the two points merge into one— an experience of the pulsation of our very being. As Swami Muktananda describes it:As you watch the breathcoming in and going out,you will become aware that when it comes in, it comes in to a distance of twelve fingersand merges.The place where it mergesis called hridaya, the heart.The breath merges here,and then it arises againand goes out to a distance of twelve fingersand merges in the space outside.That outer spaceis called dvadashanta, the external heart.Here, the heart does not mean the physical organ. The heart is the place where the breath merges, inside and outside.In reality, these two places are one.But as we have seen in the preface, this experience takes practice— only when the inside and outside dissolve can “a sense of non-dualism” dawn in us. So we watch the inhale, then we watch the exhale, back and forth, trying to keep our awareness surrendered in order to feel these “two places as one”, to experience the greater pulsation that is occurring between them.

“It is an ancient teaching, copied and recopied countless times, and from it Lakshmanjoo has made the beginnings of an English version. I transcribe it eleven more times to get it into the form given here.”Shiva first chanted it to his consort Devi in a language of love we have yet to learn. It is about the immanent experience. It presents 112 ways to open the invisible door of consciousness. I see Lakshmanjoo gives his life to its practicing. Some of the ways may appear redundant, yet each differs from any other. Some may seem simple, yet any one requires constant dedication even to test it. Machines, ledgers, dancers, athletes balance. Just as centering or balance augments various skills, so it may awareness. As an experiment, try standing equally on both feet; then imagine you are shifting your balance slightly from foot to foot: just as balance centers, do you.”A Dharana is a focal point, a method of practice. We use a dharana to find our center, but our center is not in the dharana, our center is in our own state of being. That's why the preface to the Vijnana Bhairava took so much time explain that techniques are just the doorway, not the destination. It may be helpful to look at Patanjali's explanation of the word Dharana as well, to see the transition we make from focal point to experience:3.1-3.4Dharana, or concentration, is the act of fixing the mind on one thing. Here there is a perceived separation between the object and the practitioner. Dhyana, or meditation, is when the focus of dharana becomes a steady, uninterrupted flow of attention. Here the separation between the practitioner and the object dissolves. Samadhi is when, in the practice of dhyana, both the practitioner and the object of focus dissolve into the Self. Then there is no such thing as practitioner or object, only absorption in the Self. These three limbs are grouped together because the difference between them is very slight, they may not all happen in a clear sequence, and they may intermingle. Together they comprise a practice called sanyama (integration). So once again we see the path we must tread, from an outer object of focus, to an uninterrupted flow of awareness, to our state of being. This recalls the original question from Shakti/Devi at the start of the preface, what is the path we must tread to our enlightenment? And after 8 classes together, Shiva answers quite simply— Energy is the path we must tread. These techniques are ways of helping us work with energy— they may begin on the horizontal level, but ultimately they exist to guide us on a vertical plane. With this we can begin the Dharanas themselves, via Paul Reps translation:“DEVI SAYS: O Shiva, what is your reality? What is this wonder-filled universe? What constitutes seed? Who centers the universal wheel? What is this life beyond form pervading forms? How may we enter it fully, above space and time, names and descriptions? Let my doubts be cleared! SHIVA REPLIES: (Devi, though already enlightened, has asked the foregoing questions so others through the universe might receive Shiva's instructions. Now follow Shiva's reply, giving the 112 ways.) 1. Radiant one, this experience may dawn between two breaths. After breath comes in (down) and just before turning up (out)—the beneficence.”Para devi or Highest Sakti who is of the nature of visargagoes on (ceaselessly) expressing herself upward (ürdhve) (from the centre of the body to dvdasanta, or a distance of twelve fingers, in the form of exhalation (präna) and downward (adhah) (from dvadasanta to the centre of the body) in the form of inhalation (jiva or apâna). By steady fixation of the mind (bharanat) at the two places of their origin (viz., centre of the body in the case of prāna and dvadasänta in the case of apâna, there is the situation of plenitude (bharitästhitih which is the state of parasakti or nature of Bhairava).This Dharana has points that we will unpack together:Shakti is the nature of Visarga and expresses herself in two points, the center of the body and the dvadashantaBy steady fixation on these two points there is an experience of plentitudeThis practice is known as Ham SahPara devi or Highest Sakti who is of the nature of visarga goes on (ceaselessly) expressing herself upward (ürdhve) (from the centre of the body to dvdasanta, or a distance of twelve fingers, in the form of exhalation (präna) and downward (adhah) (from dvadasanta to the centre of the body) in the form of inhalation (jiva or apâna). We begin by seeing a term that may be new to you, ‘visarga' which is used in the Dharana to describe the nature of Shakti, of manifestation, as well as the movement of our inhale and exhale. Visarga is a Sanskrit sounds, a breath that is inserted after certain vowels and before certain consonants. For example, when we repeat the mantra Om Namah Shivaya, you've probably been taught or have noticed that there is a breath after the Namah, which I sometimes pronounced Nam-aha. That breath is an example of a Visarga sound.In Devanagari, this is represented by two dots, like a colon. These two dots are more than just a method of writing, but actually refer to the energetic destination points of the inhale and the exhale in our physical and subtle bodies. Yet another reason Sanskrit is such a profound language— it is born from the practice. The bottom dot represents the inhale, known as Apana, because it ends in the heart. The upper dot represents the exhale, known as Prana, because it ends outside the body, slightly above the heart.

RamDev dives into the Tantra of delight, wonder, and astonishment to help us surrender with love into our sacred fundamental nature.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow"In this crazy 21st century in which we're living, for me, the most available and exciting practice is this notion of Tantra—of being able to be with anything and immediately go to its fundamental nature." – RamDev Dale BorglumIn this episode RamDev Dale Borglum explores:Wisdom from classic books Zen Flesh Zen Bones by Paul Reps, and The Yoga of Delight, Wonder, and Astonishment, translated by Jai Deva Singh, both on ancient Vijñāna Bhairava—the 112 instructions from Shiva to the Goddess on how to immediately awakenThe connection within Tantra between love, emptiness, self, devotion, and compassionMaharajji's statement that "the best form to worship God is every from" and how everything is graceTantra, the Divine Mother, and devouring and digesting emotionsYoga versus TantraEmbodied mindfulness for transmuting emotion into the sacredGuru Yoga and identifying oneself with God/Deity and mantraSurrendering into love through non-graspingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Though there are many forms of fire, from a cooking flame to a heating element, from lightening to the light of your room, all of these forms of fire belong to the same energy of fire— in the same way all the different forms of Shakti that we see around us are all forms of Shiva, they are non-different from Shiva. The analogy becomes even more profound, though, when Shiva teaches that the purpose of all these different forms is to ‘enter into that state of fire', or to enter into the state of Shiva. We use a cooking flame to heat a kettle, or a light to illuminate a room— we don't just sit there and look at the flame or light on its own— in this same way, Shiva suggests, we use meditation techniques to enter into the state of our true nature, not to just look at it or think about it. We took time at the end of class to consider times in our life when we simply don't believe that ‘this too is Shiva'— when a crazy driver cuts you off, for instance, or when you are so tired in the morning and don't have the energy to practice. Hopefully the study of this verse gave you the inspiration you needed to grow through that challenge— and perhaps you had an experience of discovering that ‘indeed, this too is Shiva.'[Time for sharing and discussion]The teachings of “this too is Shiva” continue with us into Verse 20 where we see a new analogy helping us to understand the non-dualistic possibility of “all this indeed being Shiva”…Verse 20: “When in one who enters the state of Shakti (i.e. who is identi-fied with Shakti), there ensues the feeling of non-distinction (bet-ween Shakti and Shiva), then that yogi acquires the state of Shiva, (for) inthe agamas (iha), she (Sakti) is declared as the door of entrance(into Shiva) (Lit., Shakti is like Shiva's face)'”When we sit with a murti, we are practicing uniting Shakti and shiva. The murti is an external object, yet as practitioners we know it is also a doorway to an inner experience. So we look softly externally while feeling softly internally. It's not automatic, it takes practice to see both, but as the text says, when you can feel shiva while perceiving Shakti, you acquire the state of your true nature. To help visualize this we can consider the principles of Prakasha and vimarhsa, which are fundamental aspects of Kashmir Shaivism. As the intro do Kashmir Shaivism teaches, “Kashmir Shaivism constructs a pure monism which assumes a single Reality with two aspects, Prakasha (lit. light, the principle of self-revelation) and Vimarsha (lit. experience, the self-consciousness which brings about the world process).” p. 3Prakasha is the light of awareness that emanates from us, like the light that emanates from the sun. Vimarsha is the reflection of that light off of an external object back to us— the power of self reflection. In physics we know that when we shine light on an object, it is the light that reflects back to us that we see. For example, when driving on a rainy night it can be hard to see the road in front of you because the light bounces forward on the shiney wet surface, instead of reflecting back to you— sometimes you even wonder if your headlights are even on at all. Shiva without Shakti is like that— light shining out without anything to reflect it back within. Shakti, Manifestation, is what makes it possible to recognize Shiva, our true nature. But only if you apply your practice, the practice of seeing shakti while feeling shiva.

Shakti is the face of Shiva, ie. we can only recognize Shiva by using our practice in the face of manifestation. When we feel a non-difference between these two, we acquire a state of Shiva, we enter the door of our true nature. “When in one who enters the state of Shakti, there ensues the feeling of non-distinction (bet-ween Shakti and Shiva), then that yogi acquires the state of Shiva, for inthe agamas, she (Sakti) is declared as the door of entrance (into Shiva) (Lit., Shakti is like Shiva's face)'”We work on our cushions, with our techniques, as preparation for our work in the face of manifestation, Shakti. We spend time looking inside so that we can look inside while we live outside. And vice versa, we go out into our lives in order to grow inside. Technique alone, meditation in a cave setting, or samsara alone, just going through the motions of life, are both missing the union of shiva and shakti, and it is in this union where growth happens. It is like a cooking flame and a kettle, they need each other to achieve their purpose. Together, they cook down our karma and extract the nourishment and growth. And it is this Union that is at the heart of this text, it is its title and its purpose. Shiva concludes the preface with an additional take on the metaphor given earlier, teaching that there is no shiva or shakti apart from one another, they are one in the same— “Just as by means of the light of a lamp, and the rays of the Sun, portions of space, etc, are known even so, Oh dear one, by means of Shakti is Shiva (one's own essential Self) cognized (i.e. re-cognized).”Jai Deva Singh helps us interpret this last line by looking at it from a few different perspectives:“There are three points suggested by this simile (1) Just as the flame of the lamp is not different from its light; just as the rays of the sun are not different from the sun, even so Shakti is not different from Siva…”This seems like an easy point to agree with and understand, but I feel there is a lot of work required for true recognition. When we are describing inert things like light, it is easy to agree that ‘this too is shiva', but when you have a misunderstanding with someone at work, and there is a lot of emotion, then it becomes much harder to find Shiva, a state of perfection, within what would otherwise feel very imperfect. This is because the ability to recognize Shiva within manifestation takes surrender, takes practice. When we apply our practice to all the various circumstances of our lives, only then, it seems, do we start to see all these circumstances as Shiva. As Swami Rudrananda teaches: “We must come to understand that everything is part of perfection and must be taken in in a state of surrender; it must be digested and transcended. Life must be consumed whole— with all its tensions, pain and joy. Only by surmounting a situation can we achieve the understanding, the nourishment, that that situation offers…My spirit grew by eating that which encompassed me.”(2) Just as through the lamp or the sun, objects of the world are perceived, even so through Shakti the universe is known. Point Two : This reiterates the earlier point that we recognize Shiva through SHaktik that Shakti is Shiva's face. The cooking flame needs the kettle, the kettle needs the cooking flame, they are two sides of one coin— the coin of digesting our karma and growing from it. (3) Just as to perceive the light of the lamp, another lamp is not required; just as to perceive the sun, another sun is not required; they are known by their own light. Even so, shiva is known by his Shakti who is not different from him.”The path of our practice, the path to the heart, is already within us. As Babaji said at the end of one of his satsang answers, “I am not giving you anything you do not already have. I am just making you aware of what is already there.” This path is more than personal, its our true nature. And it is the light of our own awareness that eventually illuminates this inner landscape— when the light of our awareness, which usually shines out, also shines back in. The Sutras and the lineage can point the way, can provide examples and direction, but the lights of this path are motion activated— only the footsteps of our practice can turn them on. We will eventually become enlightened not by someone else's work, but by our own work.

The maxim, “Don't miss the forest for the trees” reminds us not to forget the big picture while we move through life's details, and has been a prevailing message in the preface to the Vijnana Bhairava— don't get too caught up in the technique, the path, and forget the goal. And the opposite also holds true— don't miss the trees for the forest— meaning, don't get so caught up in your study of the forest that you stop taking hikes and enjoying the forest. Don't get so star struck by the goal of meditation that you stop participating and growing through your life's karmic equation. Shiva and Shakti are these two inseparable sides of the same coin, Shiva is the ‘forest' you could say, a static concept that pervades our life fully, yet is not itself a physical aspect. And Shakti is the ‘trees', the infinite ways that the forest manifests all around us. Our goal, as yogis, is not to miss the forest or the trees, to participate in our lives fully while maintaining awareness of the goal in our hearts. Yoga means union, and this experience of union is the work of our practice. The Rudramalaya Tantra, the text in which the Vijnana Bhairava is situated, can be literally translated as ‘the union between shiva and Shakti', and this union is at the heart of the teachings in this preface. This union we seek is a dynamic experience, beyond the realm of thought yet directly experienceable in the form of our practice.For example, the breath is moving in and out of all the time. This is an example of Shakti, the movement of our life force. If we walk this path of Shakti skillfully, we will simultaneously experience the path and the destination— we will feel the breath (the path), and the present (the destination), together in unity. So even in the simplest practice of watching our breath do we have a direct experience of the unity of non-difference “dawning upon us” as JDS described it in the last section. As we move into quotes and the text, try to feel this union within you. You are listening and learning, yet simultaneously you are feeling your heart and the breath in the present. You are whole, and yet you are studying the parts and learning how to be ‘more whole', at the same time. You are on the path and destination simultaneously. Verse 17: “this state of Bhairava, which is sung in the Tantras, is really the supreme state of the Goddess, Pārvatī. But is there any difference of supremacy? Is there a difference of supreme-ness between Lord Śiva and Pārvatī?”Intro to KS: “[Shiva and Shakti] are consciousness and the power of consciousness. They appear simultaneously and are eternally related…The subject and object must be considered separately for the purpose of explanation, but it should always be remembered that both are present simultaneously. One is always predominant in the same way that a coin has two sides which can be seen, but only one at a time. These two factors are the first two tattvas in the process of cosmic evolution and are technically called the Shiva Tattva and the Shakti Tattva.”Verse 18: Since there is always non-difference between Sakti and possessor of sakti (Saktimän) therefore being endowed with His attributes Sakti becomes the bearer of the same attributes. Therefore being non-different from para (the highest i.e. Bhairava) she is known as para (the highest i.e. Bhairavi). “Because, for instance, when there is fire, its energy can be for burning, cooking, or lighting a room. All these energies are owned by fire, but those energies– lightening, giving light, burning, heating— but these energies are undifferentiated with fire. These energies are not different from fire…It is just to enter in that state of fire, i.e., to put a kettle on it…So, [in the same way], [the path of shakti] is to enter in the state of Lord Śiva.”Guru Gita Verse 97: Idam Eva Shivam, Tvidam Eva Shivam, Tvidam Eva Shivam, Tvidam Eva Shivam. Mama Shasanato, Mama Shasanato, Mama Shasanato, Mama ShasanataIndeed, this is Shiva. Indeed, this too, is Shiva. Indeed, this too, is Shiva. Indeed, this too, is Shiva. This is my teaching. This is my teaching. This is my teaching. This is my teaching. Journal Prompt: When do you need help remembering that “This too is Shiva in your day and practice?”

Episode Note: When we bring our attention inside, do we miss out on what's happening around us? When we draw our awareness within, do we become reclusive or do we become inclusive?Take a moment to pull your awareness within, picture a single point in the center of your chest. Let your awareness be guided there with each breath in, and let that space gently expand with each breath out. The inhale pulls your awareness inside to that single point in the heart, and as you exhale you keep your attention there and allow that single point to expand. Now try to keep your awareness there as you read/listen to this story:No Loving-KindnessTHERE WAS an old woman in China who had supported a monk for over twenty years. She had built a little hut for him and fed him while he was meditating. Finally she wondered just what progress he had made in all this time.To find out, she obtained the help of a girl rich in desire. “Go and embrace him,” she told her, “and then ask him suddenly: ‘What now?'”The girl called upon the monk and without much ado caressed him, asking him what he was going to do about it. “An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter,” replied the monk somewhat poetically. “Nowhere is there any warmth.”The girl returned and related what he had said.“To think I fed that fellow for twenty years!” exclaimed the old woman in anger. “He showed no consideration for your need, no disposition to explain your condition. He need not have responded to passion, but at least he should have evidenced some compassion.”She at once went to the hut of the monk and burned it down.In the story we saw that meditation should not make you reclusive or exclusive, but deeply inclusive. It should not make you dispassionate, but compassionate. And if your meditation practice is not making you more open, warmer, and inclusive, then watch out! Because the universe might have to wake you up like this old woman in China did for her meditating friend. And we can check in with ourselves— how's it going with having your attention inside while listening to the story, or to this portion of the talk? Are you missing anything, or are you gaining so much more? For me, having my attention inside in these classes is how we turn water into wine, so to speak. Sure, there is amazing benefits from the philosophy on paper, but when you use the philosophy to open up inside, what you taste is real nectar. So the inside not only doesn't cut you off from the outside, it makes the outside blissful, as we will see in the following sections from the VB. We know this as the Shambhavi Mudra, the ability to have our attention inside while navigate our external lives. But its not enough to say that we simply navigate our lives better through meditation, that meditation helps us survive— although it does— but really its what enables us to thrive, and to find joy on our journey as we live it. It makes life both fun and functional. As Sri Shambhavananda teaches, “A truly spiritual person is loving and compassionate and can function very well in just about any situation. People who have those qualities don't need anything special to find happiness. They have found it in themselves, and they share it freely and gladly with anyone who comes around.”Verse 15: “That state of Bhairava which is full of the bliss of non-difference from the entire universe (bharitākära) is alone Bhairava or Sakti of Bhairava.”Verse 16: “That should, in verity, be known as Bhairava's essential nature,immaculate (vimalam) and inclusive of the entire universe (visvapuranam).”Verse 16 commentary, JDS: Ksemaraja says in his commentary that Bhairava's essential nature has been characterized as vimala (immaculate) because though it manifests the universe on its own screen, ti is not veiled by itVerse 16 cont.: “Such being the state of Reality, who can be the object of worship, who is to be satisfied with worship.”Verse 16 commentary, JDS: “When the essential nature of Bhairava is recognized as our own inmost self, the distinction between the worshipper and the worshipped disappears and there dawns a sense of non-dualism.”

A recent holiday movie began with the question, “Do people really change? Like real lasting positive change? I hope so, because we are in the business of change.” In classic holiday theme, an angelic character seeks to change a Scrooge for good. But the twist occurs when we see that the only way for the angel to change scrooge is if the angel also changes themself. And as the story progresses we see that this internal change on the Angel's behalf is ultimately the only thing that touches the heart of our Scrooge. Inner change, we see, is the only path to lasting change. As New Years approaches, we are all in the midst of making a resolution or two, hoping to change this or that aspect of ourselves or our lives. Studies show, though, that only 9-12% of people keep their New Years Resolutions. At first this might seem depressing, but I actually find it amazing— 1 out of every 10 people change an aspect of themselves for good? Wow, that's amazing! Because Yogi's are in the business of change, it's at the very root of all we do in our practice— growth is change. Essentially we Practice in order to change our small self into our Highest Self, the Inner Self. And for anyone who has put time into their daily practice, they know that change takes a lot of work. It's sort of like in baseball where if someone strikes out 6 out of every 10 at bats, they are actually considered an MVP, hitting 400 percent of the time. Change is difficult, change is powerful, and change is what we are here to do. Even the simplest step of spiritual growth changes our lives dramatically— sitting 1-2 times per day isn't a matter of adding another item to your calendar, it's about changing your entire calendar— ie. to get up earlier you have to go to bed earlier, to have a productive evening sit you have to adjust your evening activities, and so on. And when you finally do arrive on the cushion, we see that even the simplest level of change— that of redirecting our awareness from a pesky thought to a sacred mantra—requires a deep internal and sustained effort. Every aspect of our practice requires that we interact directly with change. And for that reason, yogis tend to view change with reverence and awe. The Guru Gita gives us a glimpse of the yogic perspective of change— change is nothing short of a transformation, like that of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, or a larva into a bee. The Guru Gita writes, “Just as a larva transforms into a bee, similarly, through meditation, one is transformed into that state in which one may abide anywhere.” (118) Change takes place at an atomic level, when we grow everything grows, it's an experience that goes beyond the mind and senses. This is why the Vijnana Bhairava takes so much time to teach us that change can't come from the mind, because what we are changing into is “beyond the limitation of space, time, and formation. It has no space, It has no time, It has no form–It is beyond that, beyond these three…this state is, in fact, indescribable, It can't be described.” The mind can describe and anticipate change, but the mind itself cannot comprehend the growth and transformation associated with change. The Vijnana Bhairava teaches “That state [Our True Nature] is not the object of vikalpas, It can't be perceived by vikalpas (thoughts). You can't perceive It through the mind…[Bhairavī] has gone above [becoming] the object of thoughts.” Thoughts, vikalpas, are inherently limited— they know reality by breaking up reality into parts, but all these parts are not equal to the whole, ie. We can't know the experience of the whole from its disparate parts. Try driving a car by putting all the parts in a room, or eating a pie separated into its ingredients on a counter— the parts do not equal the whole, there is a chemical change that must take place. As Jai Deva Singh comments in his exposition notes, “It is when we cling to the part that we miss the whole, that is [the moment] when we stumble” (Note 3). Or as Patanjali teaches in his Yoga Sutras, “Through self-enquiry the practitioner gains insight, but eventually all mental logic must come to an end in bliss. Following that is the comprehension that all is the Self (yoga).” (1.17) The mind can point us towards change, but change and growth themself are something beyond the mind. So the question is then asked of Shiva, how can we change if it's impossible to know what and how to change? How does a larva know how to change into a bee or butterfly? Shiva responds that if we calm our mind, then our true nature, Bhairava, will rise effortlessly to the surface. Just like when the surface of the ocean becomes calm, and you suddenly see the fish and coral beneath the surface. Or, Shiva continues, you can focus on releasing the attachments of your ego, the likes and dislikes we cling to with every waking breath from dawn to dusk. This will also lead us to lasting transformation. The more the caterpillar gets out of the way, the easier its natural transformation becomes.And then Shiva concludes that the experience of transformation, the experience of change, is specifically a direct experience, a ‘state of being'. As the text writes it, “That state of Bhairava, [the state of being] which is full of the bliss of non-difference from the entire universe, [that state] is alone Bhairavi, of Shakti of Bhairava.” (JDS translation, emphasis added in brackets). Swami Lakshmanjoo takes extra time in his commentary to emphasize the value of this teaching. “In other words…you can't find out [what is the real state of Bhairava] because the real state of Bhairava is, in fact, the real state of the knower. It can't be found [because] It is the [finder]. The real state of Bhairava is the perceiver, It is not perceived. You can't perceive that state…when there is a desire in you to perceive It. You can perceive It [only] when It comes down in the state of Bhairavī.” We will never be able to change from the outside in, we have to ‘become the change we wish to see in the world' as Gandhi put it. This is the state of being we seek in meditation— a state that goes beyond technique and into direct experience. As JDS comments, “This is Shambhava Yoga: Though the highest state of Bhairava cannot be described, it can be experienced.” (P.16, exposition, note 2)So this New Years let yourself consider this slightly more subtle approach to change and transformation. Instead of getting too wrapped up in a list of external items you wish to change, let yourself use that same time and energy to feel inwardly and participate directly with the spirit of transformation itself. When you breath reaches your heart your halfway there, the other half is beginning to make room for the metamorphosis to unfurl.

It's easy to feel stress around the holidays, to get caught up in all the particulars of getting the right presents for everyone, cooking the best meal, and even spending enough time with loved ones. It's true, we have to do a little extra during the holidays, or a lot extra, but we shouldn't limit the ‘extra' to our ‘to do lists', instead we should remind ourselves that the real ‘extra' of the holidays is the extra awareness it takes to feel the ‘spirit' of the season. Tonight's teachings remind us that we have to quiet the mind if we want to open the heart and feel the spirit of the season, and that the real spirit we seek to experience is the Bliss of our own hearts.For tonight's discussion, we can consider Shiva/Bhairvava to be the spirit of the holiday season.Verse 14: “This state of Bhairava is beyond the limitation of space, time, and formation. It has no space, It has no time, It has no form–It is beyond that, beyond these three…this state is, in fact, indescribable, It can't be described. Akathyā paramārthataḥ, in reality, It can't be told. Antaḥ, internally It happens; It is filled with your own ecstasy, your own ānanda. It is beyond the apprehension of vikalpa (vikalpa unmukta gocara), beyond thought…That state is not the object of vikalpas, It can't be perceived by vikalpas (thoughts). You can't perceive It through the mind…[Bhairavī] has gone above [becoming] the object of thoughts.”We see here that the experience of Bhairva cannot be found with a map, at a particular time, or in a particular form. The spirit of the season can't be described exactly, or even precisely told to you. It is a personal experience of your own heart opening. This holiday spirit is beyond all thought, above all thoughts, and can't be comprehended by the mind.JDS: “Vikalpa is a thought-construct. Vikalpas are various mentalcounters through which people carry on the business of life.Vikalpas may refer to various things of the external world like tree, flower, river, ect. or various images, fancies, ect. of the mind. In vikalpa, mind sets a limit to one particular thing or idea, and differentiates it from the rest; mind constructs a 'particular' by means of thought which it marks of from the rest of the world or from other ideas. Each vikalpa has two aspects; the positive aspect consists of the idea that is selected, and the negative consists of the rest that are set aside or rejected. [Which is why we say that] Vikalpas are concerned with particulars. Secondly, vikalpas are relational i.e. there is always a subject-object relationship in vikalpas. Reality is non-relational, there is no object outside Reality. Therefore vikalpas are unable to grasp Reality. There is, however, one suddha or pure vikalpa, viz., the thought that I am Siva'.”Shiva tells us that it is the nature of the mind to dissect— to differentiate, and that this is essential for daily life, as it allows us to tell one street from the next, one plant from the next, etc. But this method can never truly describe the experience of unity at the heart of the yogic tradition. It can say “unity”, but the mind itself can't experience it. So how do we ever know the experience of Unity, of Shiva, of our true nature, Parvati asks for the benefit of all…Verse 15: One can be aware of that only when one is completely free ofal thought-constructs (vikalponmukta-gocarä). One can have an experience of that bliss in his own inmost self (when one is completely rid of the ego, and is established in pürnahanta i.e. in the plenitude of the divine I-consciousness).That state of Bhairava which is full of the bliss of non-difference from the entire universe (bharitākära) is alone Bhairava or Sakti of Bhairava.Here we see three descriptions of the path to our true nature. First we are told that when we calm our mind, our awareness of our true nature naturally rises up. This is also the first 3 sutras of Patanjali's text, like the surface of the water calming and instantly revealing the life within it. Second we are told that we can rid ourselves of the ego in order to experience it— this is the active processes of yoga that we are familiar with, the practice of surrender, of tapasya, our daily sadhana. Of course these are both sides of the same coin— the practice of surrender is how we calm our mind. And last in this verse we are told of a very unique aspect of this experience— something that Babaji teaches us often. THat the experience we seek is not of the mind, but is a ‘state of being', a ‘state of Bhairava' as its written in the text. The taste of honey can be described to you, but the experience of honey can only be alluded to— the experience of Shiva is different than the description of Shiva, and as practitioners we must remember that it is the experience we seek, not the description. This means that at the heart of our journey is the necessity of going beyond the limitations of the mind. As Patanjali put it so eloquently: Through self-enquiry the practitioner gains insight, but eventually all mental logic must come to an end in bliss. Following that is the comprehension that all is the Self (yoga). And this is the leap we all must take— we open a door and then we walk through it. Ask for help and it is given. Knock on the door of your heart and let it open. As Faith teaches, we repeat Tara's mantra, and then we receive the energy— we don't just keep knocking and knocking. The holidays are a time that we say to each other, ‘magic does indeed exist'. It might not exist in the way the movies portray it, but for a yogi we have the tools to make the most of such a season— and even more importantly, we have a practice that keeps this door open all year long. No matter what tradition we might have grown up in, or how we have merged them in our lives, the path is the same— as can be seen in the old zen story that shows the similarities between followers of Jesus with the teachings of Buddha. The story begins with a university student visiting his mediation teacher, Gasan. THe student asked him: “Have you ever read the Christian Bible?” “No, read it to me,” said Gasan. The student opened the Bible and read from St. Matthew: “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these....Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” Gasan said: “Whoever uttered those words I consider an enlightened man.” The student continued reading: “Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” Gasan remarked: “That is excellent. Whoever said that is not far from Buddha-hood.”

The Vijnana Bhairava begins with a timeless question as Parvati asks Shiva, ‘which is the path we must tread to our enlightenment? There are so many techniques, please clarify this process for our listeners.'Shiva replies that this is indeed the question of questions, the ultimate question. (I personally wonder why this is the the question of questions— is this the fundamental challenge we all face when trying to meditate? Is this the same question as ‘am I doing this right?' That haunts so many of us?) Shiva first says that what he is about to say should be kept secret. (Why should it be a secret? In my experience, telling this to people who are not ready makes them angry, upset, or depressed. Unless you have put in the time to actually practice, you cannot comprehend anything beyond technique. This is giving a nickel when a nickel is asked for.) Shiva then states “pithily”, as Jai Deva Singh writes, that all techniques whether they divide or unites, (meaning no matter their method), are all bogus, without essence, delusion, even deceptive. They are expansion of Maya, illusion, and are like cities in the sky. This is the shocking answer of Shiva. But why then do we have so many techniques, Parvati asks for the benefit of us all. Technique does serve a purpose, Shiva tells us. Technique focuses a scattered mind. Technique is good for people who can only think in terms of a to-do list, who are always ‘getting things done'. Also, rules and techniques help keep us out of trouble when we are young, when we are not capable of understanding a bigger picture. (My mind goes to the 10 commandments here). And perhaps an even more important level of this discussion is that technique is not the problem, its the misuse of technique— when technique over shadows the goal itself. When technique becomes the goal it leads to imbalance. For example, the Guru Gita says that when our pranayama becomes “long and windy” it “brings disease” instead of heals disease. In this particular verse, the Gita recommends allowing the breath to be stilled by its own accord, naturally, which is to say, to use technique but also let it be natural. In Shiva Sutra 2.2 we see a similar point, Akrita, sincere effort, is defined as intense desire, but is also defined as completely natural and emanating from the center of the heart. Effort and technique are always kept in balance by our ability to let them go and dive into our natural experience. The story of Banzo's sword spoke to this point. In this story we saw that a young man wanted to become a swordsman, but was rebuked for having many of the previously stated qualities— he was a ‘doozer', meaning that he expected that if he wanted to become a swordsman he simply should be able to do so when he chose to become it. He was picky about his growth, meaning that he wanted only to be a swordsman and thought there were no other paths that might support him in that regard. He was also in a hurry, saying that he thought it should be able to determine how long it would take if he worked hard enough. The more he insisted, the longer the teacher, Banzo, said it would take him. Eventually the student relented and said that he would learn in whatever method the teacher chose, and would take as long as the teacher told him. So the student was put on dish duty, and worked in the garden. He greeted guests, set up the temple and closed it. Cleaned the chicken coop, watered the cacao. Helped with online marketing for teacher trainings, and weeded the bamboo. In short, he moved in to the ashram. After three years he started to worry that he would never learn how to wield a sword, and the next day, while doing the dishes, his teacher Banzo jumped out at him with a wooden sword and struck a hard blow. The student was caught off guard for sure. The next day, while taking out the trash, Banzo jumped out from a bush and smacked him again with the wooden sword. And from that day forward the student had to learn how to find his center in any and every activity so that he would not have to taste Banzo's sword. This student showed us that technique is not the problem, its the attachment to technique that is the problem, as Shiva told us. His teacher took all swordsman ‘techniques' away from him, but in reality replaced it with many other techniques that the student would not get lost in— such as dish washing technique, and gardening techniques, etc. The student used these other techniques as they were meant to be used, to clean a dish and grow a garden, and so these techniques served him in many ways, as they serve us in the ashram. This class is one of those many techniques— philosophy can be a technique that serves you or a technique that binds you, as Shiva Sutra 1.2 states, Jnanam Bhanda. In this story, as in the ashram, the techniques of living a simple and positive lifestyle served him— they focused his busy mind, they relinquished his attachment to ‘doership', and they kept him out of trouble long enough to grow. So it seems that Shiva's teachings are two fold, as so much of non-dualistic philosophy is— use technique, but don't become bound by it. Ultimately, we are taught, Bhairava (our true nature), the path to self-realization, is not just a path of technique. That path is something else, something more. Technique is like the sugar coating on a medicine— it helps you take the medicine, but if taken alone is simply sugar, like junk food. We need technique to take the medicine of our growth, but technique itself is not the path. So the question is asked here— how do you experience the difference between the sugar coating and the medicine in your practice? When you recite a mantra, gaze upon a murti, visualize your heart opening, balance your breathing with pranayama, or center your body through asana— how do you tell the difference between the sugar coating and the medicine? And perhaps more importantly, how does knowing this difference serve your practice? Because to know the difference is to become the difference— ie. to know the sugar is to know the medicine. So how does this process, of differentiating technique from its goal, serve your practice?

The Vijnana Bhairava begins with a shock from Shiva: “Whatever form of meditation technique you find in the tantras, whatever mantra or form, are all Bogus!…They are deception, they are delusion, they are cities in the sky.” Whoa, let's take a moment to let that settle! Parvati then responds with a question we would all want to ask— Ho could this be when the Vijnana Bhairava itself, as well as so many of the ancient texts of the yogic tradition, are literally filled with countless meditation techniques? And how can we meditate without a technique? To this Shiva responds that technique is helpful as we begin our practice— it points us in the right direction when we are young, it keep us on the path when we are lost, focuses the mind when we are stressed. They also give us goals to strive towards, and help sweeten our practice in order to digest the challenges of our life. We need technique to begin our meditation, but it can't end there. Because technique alone eventually leads to doership. As the Guru Gita teaches, “long, windy pranayamas are difficult and brings disease…[one should instead] attain that spontaneous natural state, where the powerful breath rises and is stilled immediately, of its own accord.” (Verse 53). This isn't to say that pranayama leads to disease, just the opposite of course, but when we work too strongly with the technique and forget the natural state of being we are seeking, then yes, it does lead to imbalance. We need technique to find our center, but it is just as important to be able to also loosen our grip on technique when we arrive at center. As usual in yoga, it's a dynamism, a dance of effortless effort. As Lineage teacher Bhagavan Nityananda so concisely taught, “The heart is the hub of all holy places, go there and Roam In It.” Ie. Use your practice to find the heart, and then do something different, roam in it. And it is precisely this ‘roaming' in the heart that Shiva's Shocking Answer seeks to teach us, so that we use the 112 ‘techniques' of the Vijnana Bhairava to truly Roam, and not just wander.

Bhairava in Indian spiritual iconography is often depicted as somewhat of a marginal figure who lives far beyond the pale of society. He dwells in the cremation grounds, wearing nothing but ash, garlanded in skulls and snakes. His companions, much like him, are outcastes: a black dog that nobody wants, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, banshees and of course, a flock of yogis who are his devout disciples. Naturally, he is the perfect figure to discuss in our Halloween Special! After all, Bhairava is not just a mythological bad boy: his name is also synonymous with the highest non-dual teachings of Tantrik Shaivism and stands for no less than Sat-Chid-Ananda Shiva, Consciouss-Bliss Absolute which is already your very own essence nature beyond body-mind-ego! There is so much we can discuss here but today we decided to focus on the "fear" aspect embodied by Bhairava. We take up Kshemaraja's invocatory verse from his commentary on the Tantrik masterpiece, Vijnana-Bhairava Tantra to see why Bhairava is the "fear of remaining in the dream-state", the one whose roar is the death of death and the one who is the master of the flock of yogis desiring Moksha, liberation. Essentially, we ask the question: "what role does fear play in spiritual life?"00:00:00 Who is Lord Bhairava? + Lecture Outline00:03:12 Mā Kāli's Gayatri Mantra00:08:50 Kshemaraja's Invocation of Lord Bhairava00:22:06 Opening Invocation: Aghora Mantra 00:24:27 Why This World Is So Terrifying00:31:05 Why Suicide is Not An Escape00:38:06 Why The Net Total Evil in the World Is The Same Always00:40:03 The Fanatics of the New Age00:42:19 Why Fear Is The Start of Genuine Spirituality 00:47:09 How To Deal With The Suffering in the World 00:51:40 Why Spirituality Cannot Be About Physical and Mental Longevity00:55:36 Why You Need To Meditate NOW. Like, RIGHT NOW. Go. Seriously. 01:01:25 The Hidden Meaning of Cremation Ground Rituals in Tantra01:12:44 Becoming Bhairava01:15:26 Yogi Ghost Stories01:27:10 Utpala Deva's Graveyard Dance Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST.  There's Q&A from 8-10pm PST right after.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 librSupport the show

Nandikeśvara said, “Mahādeva then created a wonderful person named Bhairava from the middle of His brows to quell the pride of Brahmā. This Bhairava knelt before the Lord in the battlefield and said, ‘O Lord, what shall I do? Please give me Your directive quickly.' Śiva said sarcastically, ‘Dear, here is Brahmā, the first deity of the universe. Worship him with your sharp-pointed quick-moving sword.' Immediately Bhairava caught hold of the śikhā of Brahmā's fifth head that was guilty of haughtily uttering a falsehood, and furiously shook his sword to cut it off. Your father trembled like a plantain tree in a whirlwind, with his ornaments scattered here and there, his cloth ruffled and loosened, garland displaced, the upper cloth hanging loose and the glossy śikhā dishevelled, and fell at the feet of Bhairava.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/shivadyuti/message

Sally Kempton is a former Swami who Elizabeth Gilbert calls "one of the best meditation teachers in the world" who "manages to fearlessly explore the outer reaches of the universe without ever losing the voice of your dear friend from just around the block." We'll be exploring meditation with the Vijnana Bhairava - but don't let the name intimidate you! Sally makes this mystical tantric practice incredibly approachable and engaging. Listen in and learn how every human experience can become a portal to the infinite as we explore this approach which uses body, breath, and even emotions and sensory pleasure to take us into meditation.