Swami Lakshmanjoo – författare

In this multimedia study set, Swami Lakshmanjoo, the fully realized philosopher saint of the long concealed and secret tradition known as Kashmir Shaivism, translates and illuminates Abhinavagupta's Paramarthasara. Originally a work of Patanjali, Abhinavagupta chose to revise and update this revered treatise in order to reveal the profundities of the Trika Shaivite doctrine. In the conclusion of the Paramarthasara Abhinavagupta tells us, "I have kept this Paramårthasåra, in brief words, in one hundred verses. But although it is only one hundred verses in body, in the volume of knowledge it is more than ten million verses." Abhinavagupta's Paramårthasåra encapsulates the essential teachings of the more difficult and challenging Kashmiri Shaiva works such as his voluminous Tantråloka and Utpaladeva's Ishvarapratyabijna. Unlike these treatises, however, Abhinavagupta's Paramarthasara does not indulge in exacting dialectic or concise logical argumentation. Rather, it is a straightforward piece intended primarily for novices and yet it is highly beneficial even for the more advanced Shaivite practitioner. Abhinavagupta reveals Kashmir Shaivism's unique understanding of the One and the Many and prescribes highly advanced and effective means for recognizing our true identity as the One. Swami Lakshmanjoo chose to reveal the Paramarthasara because, as Abhinavagupta tells us, the Paramarthasara contains the complete essence of the teachings of Kashmir Shaivism. In this direct and clear-cut explanation, Swamiji reveals and clarifies the essential teachings of this profound philosophical and practical tradition.

This treasure of knowledge was one of the last works by Swami Lakshmanjoo. He said, "It was a new revelation of the supreme secrets, hidden in the Kashmiri recension of the Bhagavad Gita." Based on Abhinavagupta's commentary of the Gitarthasamgraha, "The Essence of the Gita", Swamiji declared that, "this revelation was initiated by his direct experience of the state of Universal God Consciousness. Here Swamiji reveals the unique and liberating teaching of Kashmir Shaivism which proclaims; "Freedom from all our miseries, as Abhinavagupta boldly declares, can neither be obtained through renunciation of the world, nor by hatred of the world, but by experiencing the presence of God everywhere." At last, the secret and profound meaning of the Bhagavad Gita "The Lord's Song" is being made available for the spiritual illumination of all humankind.

The chapters of this book, Kashmir Shaivism–The Secret Supreme, are based on the most essential teachings of Abhinvagupta’s magnum opus Tantrāloka. Here, the twentieth century's great philosopher saint Swami Lakshmanjoo, presents a systematic unfolding of the Tantric teachings of the ancient tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. This profound tradition, long enshrouded in secrecy, is so rich and detailed in its descriptions of the ascent of individual consciousness to universal God Consciousness, that it has been characterized as ‘a mystical geography of awareness’. Here lies the key that unlocks the secrets of the oral tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, and provides the reader with the necessary tools to venture into this wondrous landscape.

The enchanting verses that comprise our newest publication, Festival of Devotion & Praise were born on Kashmir Valley's picturesque Dal Lake as an inspirational outpouring of devotion from the heart of the medieval Kashmiri spiritual master and mystic Utpaladeva. These hymns are so profound they have the power to free the devoted reader from the restrictions of their intellect and instantaneously elevate them to the experience of oneness with the very nature of their own divine consciousness.
When commenting on this text Swami Lakshmanjoo would tell his devotees that, as Utpaladeva continually teaches us through these beautiful hymns, "devotion, or passion for God consciousness is everything". The reader will personally witness this for themselves when they experience Swami Lakshmanjoo's narrative as he, himself, becomes filled with emotion and longing for God.

This book, Kashmir Shaivism: the Secret Supreme, by the twentieth century's great philosopher saint Swami Lakshmanjoo, presents a systematic unfolding of the Tantric teachings of the ancient tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. This profound tradition, long enshrouded in secrecy, is so rich and detailed in its descriptions of what it reveals as the ascent of individual consciousness to universal God Consciousness that it has been characterized as 'a mystical geography of awareness'. Within the pages of this book is found the key of the oral tradition which unlocks its secrets and provides the reader with the tools necessary to venture into this wondrous landscape.

The Shiva Sutras, gifted by God to the sage Vasugupta for the upliftment of humanity, is one of Kashmir Shaivism's most important and revered texts. Swami Lakshmanjoo gives the reader a penetrating vision of the glorious journey of the Supreme Awakening; the traveling from limited individuality to absolute oneness with God. Basing his rendering on the esoteric commentary of Abhinavagupta's chief disciple Kshemaraja and drawing on his own experience, Swami Lakshmanjoo shows us the way home.

   A central theme of the philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism is the highly esoteric principal known as spanda. Swami Lakshmanjoo tells us that the word ‘spanda’ means established stable movement. That is, it is movementless-movement, vibrationless-vibration. It is this secret, mysterious and yet essential principle that Swami Lakshmanjoo clarifies and elucidates in his revelation of the two texts dealing specifically with this principle, the Spanda Karika and the Spanda Sandoha.    The theory of spanda is not new. It was hidden in the body of the Tantras and extracted by Vasugupta, founder of the Shiva Sutras, and initiator of monistic Shaivism in the valley of Kashmir. Vasugupta composed the Spanda Karika, a text filled with the fundamentalprecepts (karikas) regarding spanda and the philosophy surrounding it.     Kṣhemaraja, the chief disciple of the very important and central figure in the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta, is the author of the second pivotal text regarding spanda, the Spanda Sandoha. This text is an extensive exposition (sandoha) on the first verse of the Spanda Karika.

This profound text is concerned with the philosophy and practice known as Kashmir Shaivism. On account of its size and scope it is a veritable encyclopedia of non-dual Shaivism.

Why was the Tantraloka written? In answer to this question Abhinavagupta tells us that, although in the schools of Kashmir Shaivism there are many wonderful and important ways and methods for attaining the supreme reality, yet in his time not even one was still existing. All of those ways and methods were lost. It is for this reason that he was requested by his colleagues and disciples to create a text that would illuminate and clarify all of these ways and methods of Kashmir Shaivism. To accomplish this, Abhinavagupta composed the Tantraloka, a text, which he tells us is filled with the complete explanation of the ways and methods associated with Kashmir Shaivism. That is to say that the philosophical understanding on the level of the intellect might have been existing, but the actual practical means or methods to be used to attain the supreme reality – oneness with Universal Being – to which they all pointed was lost. Abhinavagupta was intent, therefore, to revive the true understanding of these very important teachings, to make the practices that they embodied live again. For what is the use of a map if you have no way to reach the destination? Thus, Abhinavagupta gave us the Tantraloka to remedy this situation.

The Tantraloka is composed of thirty seven chapters (ahnikas). Each chapter has it’s own distinct topic. In this present volume – chapter one – Abhinavagupta lays the groundwork for the rest of his Tantraloka.

Here are some of the topics Abhinavagupta examines in the first chapter:

•    The important Masters of the schools of Kashmir Shaivism. 

•    The differentiated perception of all the means and methods (upayas). 

•    The difference between knowledge, ignorance and liberation. 

•    The essence of what is to be recognized, i.e., the real object to be known. 

•    The oneness of Shiva and His energy (Shakti). 

•    Introduction to the means and methods (upāya) for attaining full and pure knowledge where you perceive your nature as one with the universe. 

•    True liberation in Kashmir Shaivism. 

•    A discussion of the four states of means (upayas).

•    Three variations of absorption or trance (samavesha) as mentioned in the Malinivijaya Tantra. 

•    The contents of each of the thirty seven chapters of Tantraloka.

“Even if you are already drowned in the cycle of the ocean of repeated births and deaths, when you once find attachment (love) and devotion for Lord Shiva, then you have found that Cintamani jewel.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo

“The Magical Jewel of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism - Stava Cintamani” as revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo, is a sublime and unique hymn addressed to ‘Lord Shiva’, whom the author, Bhatta Narayana, clearly holds as the Supreme Reality. Though these hymns are both practical and deeply philosophical, the constant theme that runs like a thread through the one hundred and twenty verses is that love and devotion towards Lord Shiva is everything.

That Bhatta Narayana composed his hymn with the intention of introducing his audience to the richness of the path of non-dual Kashmir Shaivism is clearly visible in his unique interpretation of the ancient and highly revered Gayatri mantra: 

“I don’t care to possess that effulgent light (tat savitur varenyam) of the three worlds (bhuh, bhuvah and svah), and I don’t need my intellect elevated to the state of universal understanding (dhiyo yo nah pracodayat); I want only for that effulgent light to direct me on the path of Shaivism – that is all I long for – and that is the only favor I ask of Gayatri.”

In this book Swami Lakshmanjoo shares with us the secrets gleaned from the ancient masters of the oral tradition of Kashmir Shaivism.