Kashmir Shaivism and Tantra: The Hidden Geography of Consciousness — George Barselaar Ep#13

*Introduction*
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Potential Paradigms. Today is a deep episode and we are going to be looking at the spiritual and philosophical tradition of  Kashmir. Shaivism often synonymous with tantra , and some even consider it the distillation of the various schools of philosophy of the Indian subcontinent.
Over the last few decades, Kashmir Shaivism has become quite popular in the West and perhaps over the globe, but this was not always the case.
The tradition of Kashmir Shaivism has been in hiding for the past few centuries because of the several invasions that happened in India. Because of this, it has been quite challenging for the scholars to weave together the intricate web of Kashmir Shaivism because several of the earlier manuscripts of this oral tradition became extinct.
Fortunately for the world luminary philosopher Sage,   by the name of Swami Lakshman Joo was around. Swami   was a   descendant in an unbroken chain of masters in the oral tradition of Kashmir Shaivism.  He took it upon himself to protect this tradition and freely distribute its knowledge across the world.
Over the last 30 years with the revival of Kashmir Shaivism, there is probably not a single book that does not mention his name, so it's with great delight that introduce our guest  today.


Guest Biography
George Barselaar, is an adept of Kashmir Shaivism and has been a long-term devotee of Swami  Lakshman Joo. He took a keen interest in yoga from an early age, which inspired him to learn Transcendental Meditation (TM). His association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who was a close friend of the Swami, eventually led George to the Valley of Kashmir,  where he spent nine years before  Swami Lakshmanjoo's passing in 1991.

Since then, along with his close friends John and Denise Hughes, George has been deeply involved in publishing the teachings of Swami Lakshman Joo in the form of  books, original transcripts and video presentations, which we will be  talking about in this interview.

Through his years with Swami Lakshman Joo George has gained a deep knowledge of Kashmir Shaivism, but at the same time there is an ordinariness about him, which made it a joy to spend some time with him.

This episode is perhaps a valuable  introduction to Tantra and Kashmir Shaivism. We discussed the history of this tradition and its many mystical aspects, including the secrets of breath awareness, the various Gods and Goddesses existing in the body, Kundalini Shakti, and the 118 worlds or realms which make up the known universe of Kashmir Shaivism, knowledge which has been handed down through the oral tradition the the lineage of masters.

And last but not the least, we also look at the various means and methods (upayas) that a seeker can use to realize the truth of their own reality.  So before you return/immerse yourself in . . . to this episode, I would like to request that you 'like this video' and subscribe to this channel. Also, let us know how you feel in the comments, or leave us a review at iTunes and Spotify.

*Links*
* Lakshman Joo Academy* : www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/
** Bookstore: https://www.universalshaivafellowship...
** Weekly Sangha Gathering: https://tinyurl.com/yckukfx7

*New Clips Channel*
   / @thepotentialparadigmsshowclips  
** Facebook Page
  / potentialparadigms  



*Chapters*
00:00 Introduction
04:32 Beginning with Sacred Invocation
06:43 The Philosopher Sage Swami Lakshman Joo
09:43 Revival of Kashmir Shaivism
14:56 Uniqueness of Kashmir Shaivism
19:15 Levels of Reality
23:54 Means to realize the Supreme Reality
28:56 Enlightenment in Kashmir Shaivism
31:43 Embrace of Shiva & Shakti
35:14 Sacredness of Creation
39:58 Purpose of Creation & Suffering in the world
49:05 Practice in Kashmir Shaivism
52:10 Chamatkara — The Intoxication of Realization
53:45 Breath of Enlightenment - Secret of Kashmir Shaivism
59:45 Breath & Gaps in Dreams & Deep Sleep
01:05:06 Behind Waking, Dreaming & Deep Sleep
01:10:08 Enlightenment & Samadhi in Shaivism
01:18:51 Oral transmission of Swami Lakshman Joo
01:24:47 Paradox of Practice & Neo Advaita
01:32:12 Freedom to Create (Svatantrya Shakti )
01:45:07 Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism
01:53:58 Hidden realized masters
01:57:50 The Power of Shakti - Kashmir Shaivism's Perspective
02:03:05 Mystery of Paramashiva - Beyond Shiva
02:04:29 The 118 Worlds - Cosmology of Kashmir Shaivism
02:06:31 The 118 Worlds
02:10:11 Breath & the unraveling of the Cosmos
02:14:26 Secret of Speech :Language Mysticism
02:27:40 Holographic Universe & The Goddess Within
02:35:24 The 12 Kali's
02:41:10 Karma Yoga : Meditation in Action
02:44:50 Cosmic Exploration :118 Worlds & Beings in Kashmir Shaivism
02:57:58 Types of Spiritual Aspirants
03:01:28 How to study Kashmir Shaivism?
03:05:13 Conclusion

#tantra #mantra #kundalini #consciousness #nonduality #kashmirshaivism