yajvan
30 November 2007, 04:10 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~
Namaste,
I thought to take a second look at some of the sutras and go a bit deeper if I may. We know that the Siva Sutras is made up of 3 Awakenings - or 3 chapters¹. With some additional posts, we can take a look at the insights and ah-haaa's! I hope, that are inherent in this wisdom.
These insights are Swami Laksmanjoo's teachings. I hope to do them justice and discuss them without blemishes³.
Sutra 1 Caitanyamatma
1. Universal Consciousness is one's own nature.
This as the first sutra caitanyamatma, makes perfect sense. The reality of everything is Supreme Consciousness. Note it starts at the highest level of Reality one could consider... no maya, or gunas, or birth-to-rebirth, and all that... just the pure fact that all THIS is THAT.
With other books the layout may be ' lets build up to the ultimate truth or idea, or suspense', if you will. With the Siva Sutras and the 3 chapters, they are ordered in such a way of the highest knowledge being first. Its based upon the 3 upayas² ( or means, techniques, methods) for the individual to have entry (samāvesa) into supreme consciousness.
The great sage of Kasmir Saivism, Abhinavagupta suggests that the sadhu should always try for the highest and best thing first. This is most wise, and practical. Why waste one second on other upayas if the sadhu is ready now, and can blossom into that Supreme State without much time or sffort. This first sutra then is modelled after the notion of of the highest-first principle being addressed.
So this caitanya चैतन्य we know as consciousness. From Swami Laksmanjoo's perspective, all knowledge and all action are united in this one consciousness. He says only Paramasiva possesses a completely independent level of Consciousness. It is this state that the Siva Sutras is commuincating with caitanya. If it were not then cetana चेतन meaning conscious , sentient , intelligent would have been used. So for this 1st sutra, this complete independence of consciousness is key, this is called svātantrya (independent, absolute freedom).
This complete independence of consciousness , says Swami Laksmanjoo is the SELF of everything. This is Swami's association to God Consciousness - that person that is possessed of the SELF, of this complete independence, svātantrya of consciousness, caitanya चैतन्य.
This sutra says this is one's ultimate nature. Here is then the impact of this - If all beings are filled with consciousness then where is the difference in these beings? There is none, and hence all beings are one Universal Being… it is this which we have forgotten. This is the ignorance of ones true nature.
Swami Laksmanjoo calls this ignorance, non-fullness of knowledge. To the ready sadhu, this one sutra can be the stimulant that brings that Universal Consciousness to his awareness to become That.
Sutra 2 Jnanam Bandhah
2. Knowing the individual consciousness as one's own nature
and not knowing the Universal Consciousness as one's own nature, is bondage.
This Jnanam Bandhah is the subject of HDF post and provides a reasonable commentary on this matter: Jnanam Bandhah and Mark Twain post (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2201&highlight=jnanam)
1. Why are there 3 sections ? see HDF post: The 3 Awakenings post (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=17379&postcount=28)
2. Upayas defined, see HDF Post: More On Upayas post (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=18339&postcount=4)
3. I am using the following reference books for this core knowledge - Siva Sutras, Vijana Bhairava Tantra, Kasmir Shaivism, Pratabhijnahrdaym, Spanda Karikas
ॐनमःिशवाय
pranams
~~~~~
Namaste,
I thought to take a second look at some of the sutras and go a bit deeper if I may. We know that the Siva Sutras is made up of 3 Awakenings - or 3 chapters¹. With some additional posts, we can take a look at the insights and ah-haaa's! I hope, that are inherent in this wisdom.
These insights are Swami Laksmanjoo's teachings. I hope to do them justice and discuss them without blemishes³.
Sutra 1 Caitanyamatma
1. Universal Consciousness is one's own nature.
This as the first sutra caitanyamatma, makes perfect sense. The reality of everything is Supreme Consciousness. Note it starts at the highest level of Reality one could consider... no maya, or gunas, or birth-to-rebirth, and all that... just the pure fact that all THIS is THAT.
With other books the layout may be ' lets build up to the ultimate truth or idea, or suspense', if you will. With the Siva Sutras and the 3 chapters, they are ordered in such a way of the highest knowledge being first. Its based upon the 3 upayas² ( or means, techniques, methods) for the individual to have entry (samāvesa) into supreme consciousness.
The great sage of Kasmir Saivism, Abhinavagupta suggests that the sadhu should always try for the highest and best thing first. This is most wise, and practical. Why waste one second on other upayas if the sadhu is ready now, and can blossom into that Supreme State without much time or sffort. This first sutra then is modelled after the notion of of the highest-first principle being addressed.
So this caitanya चैतन्य we know as consciousness. From Swami Laksmanjoo's perspective, all knowledge and all action are united in this one consciousness. He says only Paramasiva possesses a completely independent level of Consciousness. It is this state that the Siva Sutras is commuincating with caitanya. If it were not then cetana चेतन meaning conscious , sentient , intelligent would have been used. So for this 1st sutra, this complete independence of consciousness is key, this is called svātantrya (independent, absolute freedom).
This complete independence of consciousness , says Swami Laksmanjoo is the SELF of everything. This is Swami's association to God Consciousness - that person that is possessed of the SELF, of this complete independence, svātantrya of consciousness, caitanya चैतन्य.
This sutra says this is one's ultimate nature. Here is then the impact of this - If all beings are filled with consciousness then where is the difference in these beings? There is none, and hence all beings are one Universal Being… it is this which we have forgotten. This is the ignorance of ones true nature.
Swami Laksmanjoo calls this ignorance, non-fullness of knowledge. To the ready sadhu, this one sutra can be the stimulant that brings that Universal Consciousness to his awareness to become That.
Sutra 2 Jnanam Bandhah
2. Knowing the individual consciousness as one's own nature
and not knowing the Universal Consciousness as one's own nature, is bondage.
This Jnanam Bandhah is the subject of HDF post and provides a reasonable commentary on this matter: Jnanam Bandhah and Mark Twain post (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2201&highlight=jnanam)
1. Why are there 3 sections ? see HDF post: The 3 Awakenings post (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=17379&postcount=28)
2. Upayas defined, see HDF Post: More On Upayas post (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=18339&postcount=4)
3. I am using the following reference books for this core knowledge - Siva Sutras, Vijana Bhairava Tantra, Kasmir Shaivism, Pratabhijnahrdaym, Spanda Karikas
ॐनमःिशवाय
pranams