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O Lord, You are the nature of Everybody ~Swami Lakshmanjoo

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Below is an example from Swami Lakshmanjoo’s Teaching highlighting the superior means (śāmbhavopāya) from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali. Here the devotee “experiences You, in the very action of the universe. In the very activities of daily life, in the agitation of the objective and the subjective world, they experience the nature of God-consciousness.

 

Chapter 1 (12:06)

नाथ वेद्यक्षये केन न दृश्योऽस्येककः स्थितः  ।

वेद्यवेदकसंक्षोभेऽप्यसि भक्तैः सुदर्शनः  ॥८॥

nātha vedyakṣaye kena na dṛśyo’syekakaḥ sthitaḥ /

vedyavedakasaṁkṣobhe’pyasi bhaktaiḥ sudarśanaḥ //8//

O my Master, it is a fact that You are achieved when [one] shuns all worldly activities. After shunning each and every worldly activity, You are achieved. This is a fact. You are not achieved till then, unless you shun all of these outward, worldly matters. But, when by shunning these outward worldly matters You are achieved, what greatness is there in achieving [You in] this way? There is no greatness in achieving this way, achieving You this way.

Greatness lies, vedya [vedaka saṁkṣobhe], in those devotees who achieve You, who experience You, in the very action of the universe. In the very activities of daily life, those who experience You, they really know and experience You in the real sense. Vedya vedaka saṁkṣobhe, in the agitation of vedya and vedaka, in the objective and the subjective world, they experience the nature of God-consciousness; and very easily, without adopting any means (upāyas). To achieve You after the adoption of means, and sādhanā, and meditation, and yoga, and everything, it is all humbug. Those who achieve You in the very action of the universe while doing all other works, they achieve You, and very easily, without doing anything.

JOHN: Is this śāmbhavopāya?6

SWAMIJI: Yes.

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6 “The difference between āṇavopāya, śāktopāya, and śāmbhavo-pāya is this. In āṇavopāya, the strength of your awareness is such that you have to take the support of everything as an aid to maintaining and strengthening your awareness. In śāktopāya, your awareness is strengthened to the extent that only one point is needed as a support for your concentration and that point is the center. In śāmbhavop̄ya, the strength of your awareness is such that no support is needed. You are already residing in the meant. There is nowhere to go, just reside at your own point. The rest is automatic.

“It is important to realize that though there are different upāyas, all lead you to the state of one transcendental consciousness. The difference in these upāyas is that āṇavopāya will carry you in a long way, śāktopāya in a shorter way, and śāmbhavopāya in the shortest way. Although the ways are different, the point to be achieved is one.” Kashmir Shaivism, The Secret Supreme 5.39-40.

 

Source: Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo
All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.

 

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