alivingstillness

[alivingstillness]

In Kashmir Shaivism, a teacher is not defined solely by the gunas but by how much they embody and transmit divine consciousness (Chit-Shakti).

The gunas: tamas, rajas, and sattva are present in all beings as part of Siva's universal play (lilã). No teacher is entirely one or the other, as these qualities shift based on their awareness and the role they serve in the unfolding of divine grace (anugraha).

A tamasic teacher is bound by limitation (mayiya mala). Their knowledge is neither experiential nor transformative, yet they may present themselves as realized. This comes from ignorance (avidyã) rather than malice.

They rely on external methods, seek to expand their following, and often promise easy attainments. Still, even such a teacher plays a role in the divine order, as a discerning student (vivekin) will eventually outgrow them.

A rajasic teacher possesses knowledge and energy, since rajas is the force of movement, but their awareness remains outwardly directed. They may be charismatic, highly intellectual, and capable of articulating profound truths, yet they still see themselves as separate from the Absolute (ranu-darsana). This teacher attracts students through intellect and enthusiasm, but their attachment to recognition and their own system of teaching may keep them from fully surrendering to higher truth.

A sattvic teacher is no longer driven by egoic impulse. Their knowledge arises from direct experience (aparoksanubhava), and they do not seek followers.

They guide without effort, not through persuasion, but through the natural radiance of their being. They remain inwardly absorbed yet outwardly engaged, transmitting wisdom without concern for personal gain. This teacher embodies spanda, the pulsation of divine awareness, and their presence alone can awaken those who are receptive.

But perhaps true understanding does not come from rejecting tamas or rajas but from transmuting them. Tamas, when refined, provides stability. Rajas, when directed inward, becomes the force of spiritual intensity. Sattva arises naturally when the lower tendencies dissolve into higher awareness.

Through transmutation, a tamasic teacher may lead students through Kriyopaya, structured practices that help clear ignorance.

A more rajasic teacher often teaches through Saktopaya, using intellect and inquiry to refine perception.

A sattvic teacher aligns with Sambhavopaya, the effortless recognition of the Self.

Kashmir Shaivism reminds us that all movement, even ignorance, takes place within the field of divine play (Chiti Vilãsa).

In truth, there is only one Guru, Siva, who reveals Himself through all forms. The true teacher, regardless of their external qualities, is the one who awakens this recognition within us.

Spiritual realization is inseparable from an attitude of kindness and the absence of malice. In Kashmir Shaivism, every being is an expression of Siva, and the recognition of this truth naturally gives rise to compassion. One who truly understands the nature of the Self does not harbor ill will, as malice arises from the illusion of separation (bheda-darsana).

A teacher or seeker who acts with harshness, manipulation, or disregard for others reveals their own ignorance.

Even the pursuit of knowledge, when driven by ego, can reinforce bondage rather than liberation. True wisdom Viñãna) is always accompanied by a softness of heart, not as an imposed virtue but as a natural state of being.

Kindness in Kashmir Shaivism is not passive or sentimental; it is a reflection of awakened awareness (bodha).

Through realized awareness, one sees the suffering of others as their own, not out of pity but because they know all consciousness is one. This does not mean indiscriminate indulgence; sometimes guidance is firm-but it is always rooted in the impulse to uplift rather than dominate.

Just as Siva's grace flows effortlessly, the one who abides in Chit-Shakti moves without malice, seeing the world as an extension of their own Self.

[alivingstillness]

The most prominent difference between spiritual love and romance lies in the absence of attachment in desire. There is nothing transactional about it, and as soon as it becomes transactional, we are cast out from the dimension of such love. This love is not bound by the economy of give and take; it is a flame that burns without depletion. The more all-consuming our inner fire, the greater the boons bestowed upon us.

Whatever energy awakens within us carries the potential to deliver us to its ultimate shore.

Yet, where we direct our energy has it’s effect. Most often, it is scattered—divided between fleeting interests and endless distractions. When external stimuli become heightened and rapid, we may find ourselves swept into the orbit of the environment, entangled and consumed. The mental “foods” of media increasingly command our attention, offering both fleeting rewards and subtle forms of mental and emotional hijacking.

How, then, can we nourish our inward attention and sustain joy amidst the magnetic pull of outward distractions? Is it simply by creating another belief system, one that promises peace upon reaching its summit?

Or is it something entirely different –something that is itself the nourishment? Perhaps, at first, we are drawn by the image, by the hope that it might hold an ultimate truth. But without the passion revealed by the forgetting of image altogether, can we unite into its being?

[alivingstillness]

In this episode, we explore Mauna, a Sanskrit word for inner silence. Mauna is more than just the absence of sound, it is the doorway to a deeper connection with ourselves. Together, we reflect on how silence dissolves the barriers of separation, allowing love, awareness, and connection to arise naturally. Through personal insights and reflections, we’ll uncover the discomfort and beauty that come with embracing stillness in a world that often prioritizes noise.

[alivingstillness]

Tantric science contains recognition and utilization of the vital giving of life through the ebbs and flows, the moving and the stillness of each moment.

By recognizing the gifts that life births, from earthly abundance to subtle insights, we move from states of contraction to living relaxation. We open body and mind in resting with the vital energies that life brings, which naturally changes our vibration to a field of increased trust and gratitude.

The seeds of wisdom which lies hidden in our suffering are fertilized by mindful subjectivity while embodiment of practice sprout a spontaneous path before us. We ourselves become the greatest catalyst for transformation. This inner alchemy and constant awakening is the essence of tantra.

[alivingstillness]

Our existence is a continuous search for lasting love, peace, and self-awareness. We are propelled by a desire to avoid discomfort and pain, seeking ever-higher states of well-being. In our relentless pursuit of desires, we try to find fulfillment by unconsciously using others, objects, or ideas for our own gain, hoping to diminish our feelings of incompleteness and alienation.

But what we truly seek is not in the objects or people themselves. It is the inner feelings and experiences they evoke within us. The essence of what we search for in the external world lies within us. The source of fulfillment is always with us, following us everywhere, and can be realized through direct experience.

This presence of wholeness is felt when the mind is free from thoughts, free from the mentation of desires.

No external action can grant this inner state of being. When the mind is liberated, even for a moment, consciousness expands boundlessly, encompassing the entire cosmos as it was, is, and will be.

[alivingstillness]

We arose with the morning sun. Brief is our mark in time. Soon we shall vanish into no-beginnings, where the end has not yet come.

[alivingstillness]

In the realm of human existence, we find ourselves entangled in the threads of separation—be it through affiliations, beliefs, or desires.

We cast our eyes upon the tumultuous deeds of warlords and the agendas of politics, questioning the origin of such actions. How is it that some children grow up harboring hatred, and why do individuals bear the burden of animosity?

Do we not, in essence, reduce ourselves to mere physical identifications adorned with labels, preferences, and memories? Or is there a dimension beyond these transient attributes?

As we introspect upon our lives, we discern that the consciousness that binds humanity is uniform across individuals.

While experiences may vary, every soul, man or woman, acquaints itself with desire. Whether the aspiration is for a healthy body, emulation of an admired image, communion with the divine, security, fame, relationships, or the array of sensations encompassing adrenaline, victory, and momentary peace—all are but manifestations of desire.

In such instances, there is also an inherent longing for security.

Recognizing this common thread weaving through the tapestries of humanity, is there a correct path to navigate? How do we engage with the collective consciousness that shapes society's narrative and its morbid intricacies?

Suppose we harbor a desire to transform society, to rectify faults perceived in others, nations, and ourselves. How do we embark on this journey of change? What is the role we play in this vast interconnected web?

I think there is value in first acknowledging the shared essence, the oneness within consciousness.

To transform the collective, we must confront the inseparability of our consciousness from that of others.

Is it possible to halt the descent into degeneration? What actions must we take?

What is then, action? Merely adhering to a prescribed formula is no action at all, but repetition.

Action, rooted in past knowledge and memories, is it not a mere rehearsal.

What then is genuine action? How do we act, realizing our identity as the whole of humanity?

Is there an action devoid of past or future—a timeless expression free from the shackles of repetition?

Is society truly in action, or does it mechanically replicate patterns dictated by ideologies?

Can we conceive of an action not tethered to the past or constricted by future expectations—Or is every conceivable action already captured, confined?

That action which is bound, ensnared by hope, ideology, and hatred—Is inevitably bound by locality or time. So is there then an action which is not of time, which by itself transcends time?

If we can conceive that one seeks security, and has sought it for ages in desired experiences, can we discern if there really exists such a thing as security in experience?

The repetitive actions that provide the sense of security— are they not bound to conformed patterns, to desires, attachments, and therefore pain, sorrow, righteousness?

Right now, if we look at our own lives. Looking inside our own minds, can we discern the grasping, the righteousness, the attachments to ideas, to people, to beauty, and sorrow? Surely I perceive these patterns within myself, within the society I inhabit, and within this country. As far as I am willing to observe outwardly from the point of myself, I discern attachments and identifications, that normally dictate one’s actions. Is there within these patterns anything new? Anything free?

Can profound change manifest in humanity, when our actions are already dictated by attachments, aversions, memories, and ideals? Is change even an achievable pursuit?

True meditation, free from prescribed formulas, religions, or sects, invariably involves observation or witnessing. If we can witness the manyfold patterns, the grasping within ourselves, without even the slightest movement of judgment, of conclusion-making, is that witnessing not itself something new, something untouched by conformity. Is that act of unblemished seeing that which transcends the shackles of the seen?

What actions will then outwardly arise from such seeing, from such inner transparency? If we dare to confront the ugliness within ourselves, can that seeing transform into the very perception of beauty?

What is Love? Is it the yearning for change, the desire for something to be what it is not? Or can love exist in the absence of desire altogether?

If love is bound in any way, is it love at all?

Seeing, or observing without condition, without giving reason—is that not the beginning of freedom, the very embodiment of love’s energy? Can this beginning in ourselves be the initial outward movement that is not rooted in confusion, from which we may begin the work that we call change?

[alivingstillness]

When one is burnt by boiling water, it is not the water that burns, but the heat carried within the water.

[alivingstillness]

In a moment, it is outer spaciousness, or the glare of sunlight sipping through some opening, that invites peace to surface in our internal environment. In another moment it is the busy and the loud, the noiseful drama that merge in movement itself. In a moment all streams become as one. In a moment solidity loosens, and solitude shines independent of another. In the moment it is just that, the moment which is.

[alivingstillness]

It is explained in Kashmir Shaivism that between two actions, supreme consciousness shines through. There is a methodical approach, by which the flashing forth of undifferentiated awareness appears to be an outcome. There is entering.

Yet that supreme awareness is without support, without entering. Through Trika means, we seed the ground, fertilize and strengthen courage to be without support, to fully meet what is. Fire has no substance by itself, but clings to a burning object and light appears.

[alivingstillness]

Om Namah Shivaya!

Hear it vibrating beneath all sound,

Om Namah Shivaya!

Feel it shine even through the objects of this world,

Om Namah Shivaya!

Drink from that which has no limit, or risk of running low,

All that is done with even a slight feeling of your love is done in complete strength and affection,

Om Namah Shivaya!

You carry all our actions by your grace,

Not even the wicked are cast out from your dwelling place,

Om Namah Shivaya!, is itself The Heart

The great un-tier of all knots,

We do not carry your mantra, For it is mantra that carry us,

Om Namah Shivaya!

Basking in the inner sun, I honor and rejoice in you.

[alivingstillness]

As we redirect our focus from the tangible world to the subtle realm, a profound realization dawns upon us: the nature of experience transcends the limitations of the senses. This awakening to subtler perceptions sets us on a profound journey, igniting a quest to uncover our true essence and inner nature.

[alivingstillness]

We live within the confines of our minds. We tend to perceive and interpret the world according to our desires, memories, and biases. To attain a deeper understanding of truth, it becomes essential to transcend the limitations of our mind.

For us to experience the purity of awareness, it requires the willingness to release, and deeply look upon our mental constructs, allowing us to better perceive the world as it is, unburdened by preconceived notions and labels. It is in this pursuit, which is called yoga sadhana, that we embark on a journey towards a more profound freedom of reality, unshackled by the confines of our own mind.

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Prana, "that which moves," is simply Spanda dancing as a self-intelligent life force. United with consciousness, it weaves its essence through the tapestry of the universe.

When this celestial symphony unfolds within the body, it branches into five major winds, or pattern-unfolding forces residing within every single cell.

The primordial essence, born from the first throb, brings forth all the myriad forces of nature in which the universe finds its breath and vitality.

Mauna

[alivingstillness]

The yogi contains the seed which is that great principle, Mahat-Tattva (or sum total of all material energy). For as the manifesting power has brought him to this point of fully experiencing the effulgence of that power in his maya, he begins to rise above avidya (ignorance). Just by turning around towards himself, he makes that great principle flow towards its summit in the process which is called involution.

[alivingstillness]

The moment we define ourselves, we freeze ourselves in the moment of definition.

If we seek such a thing as truth, we should ask ourselves if we are open to going behind any form of definition.