Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 41

Thread: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

  1. #11
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Vijnana Bhairava: Better Understanding

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~
    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post

    In Kasmir Shaivism there are 3 upayas for taking individual consciousness to that of Fullness of Being, To Brahman, to God Consciousness. They are the following:
    • Sambhavopaya [Sambhava - upaya] - this is considered the highest means
    • Saktopaya - this is considered the middle means
    • Anavopaya - this is considered entry level

    namaste,

    I thought to share this on śāmbhavopāya, known as the supreme means; for the sadhu that has that continunity of thoughtlessness and by the gace of ones master, that person enters the transcendental state. That person is defined thus:

    A lightening bug shines only for himself; jewels shine not only for themselves but for a few others also. The stars shine for even more, the moon, even more also. Yet the sun shines for the whole universe. In this same way he who is established in the śāmbhavopāya state shines like the mid-day sun for the whole universe.

    ॐनमःिशवाय


    pranams
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  2. #12
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~

    Namaste

    Bhairava says in karika (kArikA कारिका ) 138 of the Vijnana Bhairava the following:

    mānasaṃ cetanā śaktir ātmā ceti catustayam |
    yadā priye pariksīnaṃ tadā tad bhairavaṃ vapuḥ ||

    ( O Dear One, Parvati) when the mind (mānasaṃ), the individual consciousness (cetanā) the vital energy (śaktir) and the limited self (ātmā) these 4 (catustayam ) have disappeared ( or when you leave these aside) then the nature of Bhairava appears.

    So , if we look at this it is very profound. It suggests that these 4 things need to be dropped or dissolved if you will. For me it means they need to be transcended, gone beyond. But the implications are thus, if you pursue the removal of these 4 items WITH these 4 items, you continue to engage them again and again, tightening their knot on the asperant (sadhu).

    What is one to do then? Technique... a technique to be able to engage in a upaya (upAya) that allows it to be cast aside once the goal is attained. The wise say it is like using a thorn in one hand to remove the thorn embedded in the other. Like that, the upayas can be considered as such.

    I mention this as karika 138 is the last sloka Bharirava mentions to Sri Devi (Parvati) after offering the 112 upayas reviewed in this great work.


    ॐनमःिशवाय

    pranams
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  3. #13
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~

    Namaste,

    I thought to add this karika ( kArikA कारिका) that I Have been delighted with over the past few days.

    kArikA 130
    bhayā sarvaṃ ravayati sarvago-vyāpak’khile |
    iti bhairava śabdasya santatoccāraṇācchivaḥ ||

    Swami Laksmanjoo's translation says,
    Bhairava is the one who with fear (bhayā) makes everythng resound (ravayati), and who pervades the entrire universe. He who utters this word Bhairava unceasingly becomes śiva.
    • Now this fear bhI is "to fear" or "to be afraid or anxious" - Kasmir Shaivism's orientation is Bhairava liberates beings from the fear. Fear of what? samsara.
    • And he illumines everything with His bhA - bhA means "to shine" or "to be bright or luminous", "to shine forth or appear", "to be splendid or beautiful or eminent", "to show, exhibit, or manifest", or "to be or exist" - per sarabhanga.
    • rava (from ru) is "a roar, yell, cry, howl, song, hum, clamour, or outcry", "thunder" or "talk" or "any noise or sound (e.g. the ringing of a bell, etc.)" - per sarabhanga
    • Yet 'va' by itself is auspiciousness, strong , powerful, it is also the ocean , water.
    Swamiji says , when you become Bhairava what is there to fear?

    We see some of Bhairava's characteristics: He is all pervading (vyāpakatva), He liberates us from fear (bhayā) of samsara or birth-after-birth and illumines everything with his light bhā. His inherent nature is aham, I Consciousness that is the core of us.¹

    ॐनमःिशवाय

    pranams

    1. From the Tantraloka 1.96 - Bhairva syllables are defined. At the end of this explaination of Bhairava, the author Jayaratha quotes kArikA 130, the one from above, as an authority on this knowledge. The Vijnana Bhairava is one of the basic agamas for Kasmir Saivism and is considered the essence of the Rudrayamala Tantra. The great Abhinavagupta calls Vijnana Bhairava the Sivavijnanopanisad.
    2. . Vijnana Bhairava - The Practice of Centering Awareness - this is the notes and teachings of Svami Laksmanjoo given to his sisya Prabha Devi in 1991; Then turned into publication in 2002 [ISBN 81-86569-35-9]; I am a better person for finding this book.


    Last edited by yajvan; 17 May 2008 at 12:07 PM. Reason: spelling - ooooops!
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  4. #14
    Join Date
    December 2007
    Age
    63
    Posts
    3,218
    Rep Power
    4728

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    Thanks a lot for this thread, yajvanji !

    Regards
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

  5. #15
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~~

    I Have been reading and re-reading this kArikA:


    38th kArikA from Vijnana Bhairava
    anāhate pātra-karṇe bhagna- śabde sarvid-drute |
    śabda-brahmaṇi niṣṇātaḥ paraṃ brahmādhigacchati ||


    It says (per Svami Laksmanjoo) He attains the supreme Brahman who is deeply merged in the brahman that is sound (śabda-brahmaṇi) which is vibrating within; whithout striking (anāhate) and is perceived by the ear; this sound is un-interrupted like that of a waterfall.


    This Ahata or अनाहत - which is unbeaten ( hence unstruck), unwounded , intact; also considered new and unbleached (as cloth).
    It is a sound (śabda) that continues in ones mind, and is seemly heard, or perceived by the ear, yet is internal to the sadhu.

    This realtes nicley to the Mandukya Upanishad, the last sloka where it calls out the that which has no parts , the 4th, turiya. It is the 4th part of Omkara. A U M __. This is called amAtrA¹ or without measure, like being unstruck anāhate, from kArikA 38 above.


    In these instances we are pointing to the SELF, the 4th, to sounds that are unstuck, and to the silence that becomes experinced via these approaches.


    And what of this Silence? Silence is an expression of akasha (ākāśa , my favorite). Akāśa an expression of Kham bija vibration (from ख kha) and that , the expression of Brahman, of Om; And what of that? the unstruck sound of AUM, called amAtrA², the 4th, turiya - being more available to the sadhu.


    In both cases, a vehicle to the 4th, to Brahman... a beautiful( to me) confluence of ideas that support each other.


    So , I was wondering , has anyone had the opportunity to hear this sound?

    ॐनमःिशवाय

    pranams


    1. mAtrA or मात्रा is a measure (of any kind) , quantity , size , duration , number , degree ; a unit of time, etc
    1a. ALso मात्र mAtra - the full or simple measure of anything , the whole or totality
    Then a-mAtrA or is then without measure , boundless.
    2. Also reviewed with this HDF post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...87&postcount=8
    Last edited by yajvan; 28 March 2008 at 07:39 PM. Reason: spelling - ooops!~
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  6. #16
    Join Date
    March 2006
    Location
    Guru-mandala
    Age
    44
    Posts
    742
    Rep Power
    71

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    Anahata-nada in Kaula texts has a technical meaning which is referred to in commentary to the 3rd Ahnika of Tantraloka (if i remember it properly). That is the sound of visarga in samghatta.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~
    Quote Originally Posted by Arjuna View Post
    Anahata-nada in Kaula texts has a technical meaning which is referred to in commentary to the 3rd Ahnika of Tantraloka (if i remember it properly). That is the sound of visarga in samghatta.
    Namaste Arjuna.
    Can you perhaps offer the sloka?

    pranams
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  8. #18
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~
    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post


    Bhairava says in karika (kArikA कारिका ) 138 of the Vijnana Bhairava the following:

    mānasaṃ cetanā śaktir ātmā ceti catustayam |
    yadā priye pariksīnaṃ tadā tad bhairavaṃ vapuḥ ||

    ( O Dear One, Parvati) when the mind (mānasaṃ), the individual consciousness (cetanā) the vital energy (śaktir) and the limited self (ātmā) these 4 (catustayam ) have disappeared ( or when you leave these aside) then the nature of Bhairava appears.

    If we look at this it is very profound...What is one to do then? Use a technique... a technique to be able to engage in a upaya (upAya) that allows it to be cast aside once the goal is attained. The wise say it is like using a thorn in one hand to remove the thorn embedded in the other. Like that, the upayas can be considered as such.
    Namaste

    Kaśmir śaivism is very much interested in madhya¹ - the middle, the central condition of Consciousness. This is considered the home of turiya. It is the general wisdom that the Ultimate (anuttara) pervades everything, there is no place, time, space, that it is not. So it is omnipresent. Yet just as this anuttara is everywhere, our awareness gets pulled everywhere to various objects.


    Most if not all of the Vijñāna Bhairava is interested in bring the native ( the experient) to this level of awareness - to allow one's fractured awareness to rest in this madhya . As one reads and re-reads, it becomes clear that many of the kārikā-s are offered with this in mind. That is, to direct one's awareness to the middle state, madhya, the in-between. It is here that one can experience turiya. Not as an object to be inspected, but as the core of one's Being.

    How could one inspect this anyway for IT is the inspector, IT is the Consciousness used for inspection. So what does one experience? In a word nirvikalpa¹. If our lives are filled with diversity, this is the condition of no diversity, a condition of Unity that allows the diversity to play out.

    We have used this following analogy before i.e. this nirvikalpa, turiya is like the movie screen , pure white, no boundaries, that allows the 'show' (life) to play out on it. In this case this nirvikalpa is infinite in size, without boundaries, with no constraints what so ever, the nature of Bhairava.

    This is the subject at hand - of Śrī Devī's conversation with Bhairava within the 112 kārikā-s offered in the Vijñāna Bhairava. To discuss an inform in very terse format how one may be able to experience the middle, madhya.


    pranams


    words
    • madhya मध्य - middle most middlemost , intermediate , standing between two , impartial , neutral
    • nirvikalpa निर्विकल्प - free from change or differences; admitting no doubt , not wavering
    Last edited by yajvan; 08 July 2008 at 09:58 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  9. #19
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~

    Namaste,
    I thought I might add one additional piece of information on the Vijñāna Bhairava kārikā-s.

    According to Svāmi Laksmanjoo, a complete Śaivāgama (Śiva + āgama) consists of the following pāda or parts (pāda is a foot, and also a quarter , a fourth part):
    • ritual or kriyā
    • way of living life or charyā
    • knowledge, wisdom, philosophy or vidyā
    • and that of of spirtual pratice sādhana or yoga

    The Vijñāna Bhairava is only focused on spiritual practice - sādhana¹ or yoga. Through the kārikā-s offered , the intent is quite straight forward. The kārikā-s are offered as bhāvanā¹, infusion of the Divine into the sādhaka¹.

    This is why many rejoice in reading the kārikā-s. To advance ones understanding and practice to the center or madhya, which encourages pratiprasava¹.

    The 20th kārikā suggests the following: śaivīmukham ihocyate. That is śaivī+mukham and ihocyate is ucyate¹ or uc + yate.
    Śaivī is śakti or Śrī Devī + mukham¹ is mukha - mouth, opening or aperature. And ucyate is moving, connected or joined.

    So this is saying, Śakti is the entrance, the suitable way to join with Śiva. Or another way of viewing it is Śrī Devī (śakti) is the delightful (uc) entrance (mukha) to Śiva.
    At that moment the bhāvanā of the sādhaka becomes one with Śiva or as it says in the śloka, tadāsau Śivarūpī syāt.

    pranams

    words used
    • ucyate = yat यत् to seek to join one's self with going , moving, connected with + uc उच् to be suitable , suit , fit ; to take pleasure in , delight in , be fond of.
    • mukha मुख- opening aperture , entrance into or egress out of ; the mouth , face.
    • bhāvanā भावना- reflection , contemplation ; finding by combination or composition ; saturating any powder with fluid , steeping , infusion
    • sādhaka साधक- effective , efficient , productive of, accomplishing , fulfilling , completing , perfecting , finishing i.e.
      the person practicing sādhana leading straight to a goal , guiding well , establishing Reality; worship, adoration
    • pratiprasava प्रतिप्रसव- return to the original state
    Last edited by yajvan; 06 August 2016 at 07:43 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  10. #20
    Join Date
    June 2008
    Location
    Unmatta Ashrama
    Age
    37
    Posts
    18
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: Practical Wisdom of Vijnana Bhairava

    For me personally Vigyana Bhairava was very difficult to grasp, it was only with the aid of the Malinivijayaottara that I began to understand some elements of its teachings. Somadeva's partial translation of the Malinivijayottara is a must in its study.

    For those interested:

    Somadeva Vasudeva. 2004. The Yoga of the Malinivijayottaratantra.institut Francais de Pondicherry [Collection Indologie -97]. Pondicherry.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •