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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
 Posted - May 15 2009 : 8:17:50 PM
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Hey All,
Per my comments on the 3 graduated Ways (or "Means", or "Awakenings") in this thread:
Spiritual Polyamory Thread
... to enlightenment, in the Trika Yoga / Kashmir Shaivism system, I wanted to offer a link to more information, for anyone who may be interested:
Explanation of the 3 "Means" or Awakening Levels of Kashmir Shaivism
Overview of the Shiva Sutras - "The Supreme Awakening"
The overviews are from Swami Lakshmanjoo -- one of the best, most respected and clearest-teaching gurus of the 20th century.
Recently, I've posted quite a bit about Kabbalah ... and the value of teachings from all mystical/yogic paths ... yet the most influential and powerful set of philosophical/jnana-oriented teachings (out of formal religious or philosophical systems), has easily been Kashmir Shaivism.
However (*very* important however) ... Kashmir Shaivism basically "picks up" ... at least in terms of a lot of the teachings you don't need to learn Sanskrit to access ..... where AYP leaves off (currently/kinda-sorta ... I'll explain) ....
.... and the foundation provided by a couple of solid years of AYP (as well as whatever value my meditation and yoga practices prior to AYP held for me ... which basically boils down to: unknown, but not remarkable) --- the foundation provided by a couple of solid years of AYP (<-repeated for empahasis) .... was *essential* to my ability to incorporate the practices of the Shaktopaya (Mind/Inquiry) & Shambhavopaya (Clear Awareness/Thought-Free Awareness/ Awareness Unattached to Thought) teachings and practices offered by Kashmir Shaivism.
And Kashmir Shaivism *has* been very important in my own life ... though AYP is easily just as important, if not more so (not easy to quantify, not pertinent to quantify ... ).
Basically: AYP has created // is creating the foundation in body-mind to supporting the knowing-living of a higher awareness (than the "thought-me I thought I was") - which includes the intuition available from Inner Silence/Inner Guru.)
Clear Intuition/Inner Silence/Inner Guru guided me to Kashmir Shaivism ... some of the practices of which, and teachings of which, I've incorporated alongside daily AYP practices.
And, this happened prior to much in the way of Self-Inquiry teachings from AYP -- and prior to the Self-Inquiry book; AYP is evolving to include more of the Inquiry/Jnana realm. That doesn't mean I wouldn't have found the same value in Kashmir Shaivism .... I'm just trying to help make the comparisons clear.
Until not long ago, AYP consisted of primarily Anavopaya - "Individual Means" in Kashmir Shaivism; AYP now incorporates more in the way of the "Empowered Means" of Kashmir Shaivism - which is basically that system's term for inquiry/mind-based practices.
I've found great value in both systems.
Does that mean you should, too?
Not necessarily.
I'm just letting you know: Kashmir Shaivism was/is *very* valuable for me to learn about .... and so, wanted to offer info on it here, as AUM - Another Useful Map!
Another great resource for learning about Kashmir Shaivism in a "21st Century Friendly" format ... are the video lectures of Paramahamsa Nithyananda:
Deep Understandings from the Teachings of Shiva.
The 3 Main Texts of Kashmir Shaivism are:
The Shiva Sutras
The Vijnanbhairava Tantra
The Yoga Spandakarika
(More on those later, most likely -- in the meantime, I wanted to offer the titles in the meantime, in case anyone wants to do their own Googling/research.)
If you want to dig deep, check out anything by respected Varanasi (Benares) based scholar, Mark Dyckowski:
Excerpt from the Doctrine of Vibration.
Aum Namah Shivaya Shivaya Namah Aum,
Kirtanman
PS- By the way, Paramahamsa Nithyananda is from South India; and he's not formally a Kashmiri Shaivite -- he's a Paramahamsa --- he's effectively his own system. However, if you want to get the *essence* of what Kashmir Shaivism teaches .... you can get it from him. If you want to get enlightened, you can get it from him, too.
PPS- It may seem as if I throw the term "enlightenment" out loosely - I actually don't. It's more that I didn't post for a long time ... and during that time of non-posting, I was doing a LOT of research on the best teachers, systems and resources, while continuing to practice AYP daily.
I found that AYP is every bit as good, or better, than anything else available -- and often "better", *purely* because of its simplicity, and its focus on "easy lessons for ecstatic living" <- possibly the most under-stated marketing tagline *ever*.
And - I found that there are a handful of exceptional other teachers and systems available - and Paramahamsa Nithyananda is one of them, in my experience.
And so, I'm referring AYPers to them, purely in case they might be helpful to someone, someday.
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Edited by - Kirtanman on May 15 2009 8:30:03 PM |
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stevenbhow
Japan
352 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 10:11:24 PM
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Thanks for this thread Kirtman. You must have read my mind. I was planning on opening a thread about Kashmir Shaivism. I'm currently reading The Yoga of Kashmir Shaivism by my Guru Swami Shankarananda. An excellent and easy to understand book on the topic for anyone interested. Swami Shankrananda is connected to Bhagawan Nityanada through Swami Muktanada, though there apparently is a lot of controversy surrounding this as well as SYDA Yoga itself. Swami Shankarananda has an ashram in Melbourne and teaches meditation techniques he calls the Shiva Process.
I'm really interested in the links to Tibetan Buddhism that Konchok brought up in his thread called Dharma. I hope this thread takes off, because I'm sure I'll learn a lot once again. |
Edited by - stevenbhow on May 16 2009 01:52:23 AM |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2009 : 10:13:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by stevenbhow
Thanks for this thread Kirtman. You must have read my mind. I was planning on opening a thread about Kashmir Shaivism. I'm currently reading The Yoga of Kashmir Shaivism by my Guru Swami Shankarananda. An excellent and easy to understand book on the topic for anyone interested. Swami Shankrananda is connected to Bhagawan Nityanada through Swami Muktanada, though there apparently is a lot of controversy surrounding this as well as SYDA Yoga itself. Swami Shankarananda has an ashram in Melbourne and teaches meditation techniques he calls the Shiva Process.
I'm really interested in the links to Tibetan Buddhism that Konchok brought up in his thread called Dharma. I hope this thread takes off, because I'm sure I'll learn a lot once again.
Thanks for these comments - I download a free sample chapter of Swami Shankarananda's book Consciousness is Everything - and am positively impressed with his writing (I have never heard of him before your post).
http://shivayoga.org/html/consciousness.html
I haven't read Konchok's comments, but Kashmir Shaivism is the source of Vajrayana Buddhism, Ch'an Buddhism in China, and Zen in Japan.
Kashmir Shaivism, and its non-dual Shaivite counterparts in southern India, is the original Tantra -- some scholars feel that these philosophies actual pre-date mainstream Hinduism, and therefore, may well be the oldest philosophical-spiritual system in the world.
Many people don't know this, but Ch'an and Zen are just renderings of the Sanskrit word Tantra in Mandarin Chinese and in Japanese, respectively.
Vajrayana is "Buddhified" Kashmir Shaivism, down to some of the smallest specifics of the rituals and practices (I doubt that many practitioners of Vajrayana Buddhism will agree, and I have no vested interest in making the statement -- as more documents have surfaced in India, Nepal and China in recent decades, the fact of this has become virtually indisputable.)
This isn't said to promote Kashmir Shaivism per se - but to point out how deeply influential its philosophical underpinnings have been.
And, as I said in another thread, there's substantial evidence that Kashmir Shaivism and Kabbalah having a common origin, with Kashmir Shaivism being the originating school.
Why would a single philosophical school have such influence?
Two words:
It works.
Why?
One word:
Abhinavagupta.
I'll leave you with that for now.
Intending Awakening for All,
Kirtanman
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Edited by - Kirtanman on May 16 2009 10:34:53 PM |
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Suryakant
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2009 : 11:36:13 PM
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stevenbhow
Japan
352 Posts |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 8:04:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by stevenbhow
Here is the link to Konchok's thread about Kashmir Shaivism. Very good info http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....Terms=Dharma
Thanks Much - and I agree; excellent thread!
I was actually going to make a comment or two over there ... but decided to keep it over "here" -- a more logical place to find Kashmir Shaivism info, for anyone interested.
However, I do recommend reading the Dharma thread, as well; it's only a couple of pages (of thread/discussion) ... and has some good background, vis a vis this discussion - as far as the tie-ins between Kashmir Shaivism and Buddhism.
By the way: when I mentioned above that many who practice Vajrayana Buddhism might not accept the Kashmir Shaivism origins of their path - I am referring to those who do not yet experience/understand non-duality, and therefore who think in terms of "different" paths.
Basically, the "way it went down" it that after Tantric thought "migrated" to Buddhism (without leaving Tantra/Hinduism) in the form of Vajrayana, *very* slight editing was performed on the Vajrayana scriptures - which basically changed them from "Shiva wins" to "the Buddha wins" (i.e. a Hindu Tantra has a story of Buddhism being invented to delude demons, or some such, and either as part of that same tale, or another one, Shiva ends up dancing on the bodies of the lower gods, including the Buddha, etc. -- and a Buddhist Tantra has the Buddha dancing on the bodies of the defeated, lower gods, including Shiva, etc.)
When it's understood that Shiva Consciousness & Buddha Consciousness - in the non-dual Tantric traditions of both Hinduism and Buddhism, at least ... are referring to the same thing - the same state - the same One Clear Awareness - it all becomes much simpler.
And, on the one hand, those stories are so much partisan silliness - but it's also a matter of: if you live a thousand miles from Kashmir, and your whole world is Buddhist - a scripture teaching "Buddha wins" may be helpful; likewise "Shiva wins" in the at-the-time Hindu-centric world of far Northern India.
It's not about what you call it; it's about knowing your Self.
Intending the Awakening of All,
Kirtanman |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 8:08:00 PM
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Link to Wikipedia article on Kashmir Shaivism, with some good background and "Google-worthy" search terms:
Kashmir Shaivism Article on Wikipedia.
Aum Namah Shivaya,
Kirtanman
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Edited by - Kirtanman on May 17 2009 8:08:52 PM |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 8:34:12 PM
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Powerful video of Paramahamsa Nithyananda speaking from non-dual Shiva consciousness, on non-dual Shiva Consciousness.
VIDEO:
Enter The Space That Can Never Die.
Aum Namah Shivaya,
Kirtanman
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 10:11:42 PM
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A few words on Kashmir Shaivism, AYP, and Enlightenment.
The key reason that you're seeing a lot from me these days on systems such as Kabbalah and Kashmir Shaivism is that they both address the full range of consciousness.
Until recently, AYP didn't directly address the specifics of some of the shifts that happen in awareness, self-identification, etc. as deeper realization unfolds - though this has changed recently, and very usefully, with the advent of the Self-Inquiry book and lessons, and related forum discussions.
It doesn't make a lot of sense to explore the "true nature of mind" without a foundation of inner silence -- foundation meaning ... well .... foundation.
As long as the true nature of mind is primarily a *concept*, it is best left alone - because the practitioner has no reference point; no way to accurately understand what is being said.
How to gain sufficient silence?
AYP.
Before the self inquiry book, I would say that all AYP practices (though not some of the deeper results of practices ... for instance the pure bliss consciousness that can open up via khechari, samyama/cosmic samyama, and the like) fell into the Individual Means/Action Path of Kashmir Shaivism.
With the Self-Inquiry book, lessons and discussions, AYP is evolving into inclusion of the Empowered Means/Mind Path of Kashmir Shaivism.
I would guess that AYP may be offering equivalent lessons and topics connected with the Divine Means/Awareness Path of Kashmir Shaivism before too long ... we seem to be evolving in that direction (more discussions regarding "thoughtless awareness"/clear awareness, etc.).
Essentially, the Individual Means involves using bodily practices (including mantras, mudras, pranayama, etc.) in order to establish a foundation of inner silence.
The Empowered Means involves, as Abhinavagupta described it "clarifying the cognitive layer" - recognizing that the same inner silence we experience in meditation occurs between every perception, and every state of consciousness - that it can literally be experienced as a gap between any two thoughts or perceptions (see the Shiva Sutras, the Yoga Spandkarika, and/or the Vijnanabhairava Tantra for details). Self-Inquiry helps to put attention on original, clear awareness as well -- until this silence expands to be recognized as our very self.
The Divine Means involves "re-awakening", holding and re-generating the state of original, clear mind - which Abhinavagupta refers to as Undifferentiated Consciousness - or Nirvikalpa (Vikalpa is "thought construct", Nirvikalpa is "without thought construct").
As Clear Mind/Self - there is recognition that nothing that moves, nothing that can die, is Self (or, if you prefer, Non-Self) ... not even thoughts; not even sense of self ... it's all display of diversity, requiring non-diversity ... unitive awareness, to exist.
Unitive awareness is clear.
Utterly clear.
Instead of "me" in the "world" .... experience is of all things ... including all formerly mistaken "self-consciousness" to be objective display, arising and subsiding in the clear-sea ... the clear-seeing ... of all this.
Is their contraction into focus on bagging groceries, or stopping by the local burrito place?
Apparently so.
... but that happens in clear-awareness, too - it can't not.
Shiva-nature, Buddha-nature ... is *all* things ---- save the delusion that we're limited to the ideas of limitation we were conditioned to have about our "self" via the Maya - the measuring -- made possible by the artificial world created by diversity-describing language and ideas.
Aum Namah Shivaya,
Kirtanman |
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stevenbhow
Japan
352 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 10:48:16 PM
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| Thanks again for more great info Kirtanman. Another question, I've read that Hinduism considers the Buddha the 9th avatar. Where did this belief come from? |
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grihastha
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2009 : 12:21:15 PM
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Fantastic thread, Kirtanman - thank you. It gave me a bit of a cosmic slap: I've been finding that my practice has been leading me gently but firmly back to KS recently. I read The Secret Supreme a while ago and much of it is now falling into place. As a Shakta, I'm more interested in the Krama system, formulated by Abhinavagupta, which is essentially 'Kashmir Kali-ism' - there's a thumbnail overview on p.85 of 'Kali: The Feminine Force' by Ajit Mookerjee, but I want to investigate further.
Re the connection between KS and Vajrayana, there's a lot of interesting discussion on this Tribe thread (with an unlikely subject - ignore the Osho stuff and scroll down): http://tantra.tribe.net/thread/3175...a45463d692f7. Kulavadhuta Satpurananda has some interesting things to say about it, though the conversation ends up as a bit of a slagging-match, unfortunately.
I'm fascinated by the similarities between Chod practice and Aghori, for instance, Chod, to me anyway, seeming like Aghori practice turned into metaphor through a Tantric lens. And both Padmasambhava and the yidam Chadrasamvara plainly have attributes of Shiva. And so it goes. |
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AirSandFire
Slovenia
1 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2015 : 07:45:50 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Kirtanman
I haven't read Konchok's comments, but Kashmir Shaivism is the source of Vajrayana Buddhism, Ch'an Buddhism in China, and Zen in Japan.
Kashmir Shaivism, and its non-dual Shaivite counterparts in southern India, is the original Tantra -- some scholars feel that these philosophies actual pre-date mainstream Hinduism, and therefore, may well be the oldest philosophical-spiritual system in the world.
Many people don't know this, but Ch'an and Zen are just renderings of the Sanskrit word Tantra in Mandarin Chinese and in Japanese, respectively.
Vajrayana is "Buddhified" Kashmir Shaivism, down to some of the smallest specifics of the rituals and practices (I doubt that many practitioners of Vajrayana Buddhism will agree, and I have no vested interest in making the statement -- as more documents have surfaced in India, Nepal and China in recent decades, the fact of this has become virtually indisputable.)
This isn't said to promote Kashmir Shaivism per se - but to point out how deeply influential its philosophical underpinnings have been.
And, as I said in another thread, there's substantial evidence that Kashmir Shaivism and Kabbalah having a common origin, with Kashmir Shaivism being the originating school.
I apologize for resuscitating a 6 year old thread from the netherworld but I had to point out this post contains many untruths. Japanese Zen and Chinese Ch'an are a sinification of the word Dhyana, not Tantra!
Vajrayana is Tantric, but it's not Kashmir Shaivism that is its source. They both belong to the same Tantric family, like a bear and a cat are both animals, but one isn't the ancestor of the other. Vajrayana is actually older than Kashmir Shaivism.
Kashmir Shaivism appeared in 9th century CE, Vajrayana in 3th! |
Edited by - AirSandFire on Jul 17 2015 07:53:38 AM |
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Kashmir Shaivism: Means to Enlightenment
