INTRODUCTION TO KASHMIRI SHAIVISM

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Kashmiri Shaivism is considered the highest, most exclusive, and most transcendent Yoga, wherein the first steps are already advanced. It represents a fundamental outlook on the Universe, allowing students to understand the true nature of Agama’s Tantric tradition. In this workshop, Swami Vivekananda provides extensive theoretical explanation as well as practical initiations in a rare and accessible presentation of Kashmiri Shaivism – core teachings which actually form the foundation of all subsequent teachings of Agama Yoga.

This workshop involves a great deal of spiritual transmission and initiation. Practical initiations in the esoteric meditation methods of the Kashmiri Shaivas include the original Tantric Vipassana, use of mentalization and emotions (bhavana), the fundamental monistic meditation (“I am”), initiation in the mandela of the trident, and many others not distinctly spelled out here. Some of these meditations are regularly included in our various retreats such as, for example, the New Year’s Retreat, which once annually follows this workshop directly.

Agama is very fortunate to have in Swami Vivekananda not only a minor Sanskritologist who has done many of his own translations and thoroughly understands these teachings, but also one of the few remaining experts in this system, one of the world’s spiritual treasures. Just a reading (svadhyaya) of these very intellectual texts creates an incredible spiritual resonance, a meditation opening sahasrara, the crown chakra. This is a totally non-dualistic philosophy that proposes a very quick spiritual evolution for the aspirant, and differentiates many states of higher consciousness and samadhi, or void.

Due to the complexity of the material, our First Level Intensive Course is recommended for Introduction to Kashmiri Shaivism, since the participant will benefit more from this workshop by familiarity with the general principles of Yoga and this lineage of teachings.