[Shaivism] sutras...

[Guest guest]

> Harsha: Madhya, the whole post is beautiful, compelling, and sparkles like

clear water falling over the mountains. I will take the liberty to

> post it on a few lists interested in nonduality.

>

> MadhyaNandi MadhyaNandi wrote:

>

> > "MadhyaNandi MadhyaNandi" <madhyanandi

> >

> > Hello Friends;

> >

> > Very busy at work. Must wait until evening to play.

> >

> > Allow me to offer Sw. Lakshmanjoo's renderings of our two Sutras:

> >

> > 1. Universal Consciousness is one's own nature.

> >

> > 2. Knowing the individual consciousness as one's own nature and not

> > knowing the Universal Consciousness as one's own nature, is bondage.

> >

> > Mark Dyczkowski translates:

> >

> > 1. Consciousness is the Self.

> >

> > 2. Knowledge is bondage.

> >

> > I like the simplicity: knowledge is bondage. Mind and body, words and

> > opinions, feelings and emotions--these are bondage. All that is

> > perceived by a consciousness that encourages the perspective that I am

> > the thinker of these thoughts, the possessor of this body, the holder of

> > these memories, ambitions, abilities, is knowledge. What the light

> > illumines is not itself the light. Therefore, the light alone can know

> > itself as light. Words may speak of the light, of the nature and

> > experience of the light, but words are only hypostatic reflections of

> > that light.

> >

> > How then, does one recognize the light? Abhinavagupta teaches that

> > consciousness is not something that can be escaped. One does not

> > perceive the light outside of the light. So, how does the light reveal

> > itself, as Light? By what means does the awakened recognize being

> > awake?

> >

> > What I believe for certain, is that one cannot get to the light of pure

> > awareness without losing the sense of owning one's own thoughts,

> > emotional states and so forth. All of these come to be experienced

> > alongside all other perceptions and relations and be experienced not as

> > 'me' over against 'you', but 'I', aware of all of these goings on, not

> > attached to any voice more than another, to any particular perception as

> > 'mine' or 'yours'. Sound astonishing! I think so.

> >

> > I recall reading a statement by Shri Anandamayi. She said that one can

> > reach a place where one so identifies with the serene,

> > non-differentiated One that it feels as though all phenomenal

> > occurence-no matter the origin--appears as if at a distance from one's

> > fundamental seatedness as the blissful 'I'. (forgive me for

> > paraphrasing from memory).

> >

> > I recall words offered by the Mother of my intuition: I am for nothing

> > but bliss, You say, and You are for everything else! The 'ego' sense

> > has no real function than to watch and enjoy. The wheel of Goddesses,

> > the Mahavidyas, the twelve Kalis of the Krama school, Mother Kundalini

> > is the author of all manifestation.

> >

> > The Kashmiri Shaivite saint Lalleshwara writes:

> >

> > Gently, gently, I trained my mind

> > to suspend its processes and thoughts.

> > Then (in the windless calm), the flame of the Lamp,

> > shining steady and bright,

> > Revealed my true nature unto me.

> > In the dark recesses of my soul

> > I seized upon Him and held Him fast.

> > Then I diffused the inner light,

> > (and within, without, all was Light).

> >

> > and,

> >

> > Here there is neither thou and I,

> > No "postured thought", nothing to contemplate,

> > Even the All-Creator is forgot.

> > The ignorant blind cannot see

> > the Ineffable Supreme hard to know.

> > But the pure, the wise, having seen,

> > merge in the Supreme.

> >

> > and finally,

> >

> > The citta, the mind, is ever new,

> > The ever-changing moon is new,

> > And ever new the shoreless expanse

> > of waters that I have seen.

> > Since I, Lalla, have scoured my body and mind,

> > (emptied it of dead yesterdays

> > and tomorrows unborn),

> > I live in the ever-present Now,

> > (and all things always are to me)

> > for ever new and new.

> >

> > The poetry of Lalla is available at www.koausa.org/LalDed/VAkhs

> > and in Coleman Barks' far more poetic renderings thana the above in his

> > book of translations entitled Naked Song.

> >

> > In devotion,

> >

> > Madhya

> >

> > ------

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> > ------

> > "Om. That is perfect. This is perfect. From the perfect springs the perfect.

If the perfect is taken from the perfect, the perfect remains."