For the Love of Yoga with Nish the Fish
191 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 42 ratingsThe world of Yoga is wide and varied. In this podcast, yogi Nish the Fish shares the deeper dimensions of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra, asking the big questions: why do we practice? What is meditation? What is the purpose of a human life? What is Beauty? What is Death? Nishanth Selvalingam studied various South Asian philosophies with his Shaivite grandfather in an ashram in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and moved to Los Angeles to study philosophy, teach yoga and play guitar in a rock band. Join him and special guests as they explore Yoga, in all its splendours. For more episodes and instruction, and to support this humble offering of the heart, visit me on Patreon: patreon.com/yogawithnish
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Episodes
How To Enjoy Spiritual Life
July 17, 2024 07:00 - 2 hours - 87.3 MBSādhanā, spiritual practie is an expression of your innate freedom and not some desperate attempt to attain it! Many people have such a sour face when they are sitting for meditation. How strange! Are you not meditating on the Divine Effulgence within? Are you not meditating on Bliss Itself embodied as your Ishta Devī, your chosen form of God? Shouldn't your face then be beaming with joy?! For many, spiritual life is a bitter struggle but that's only because we often approach things in the w...
The Tantrik Gāyatrī Mantra
July 16, 2024 19:00 - 1 hour - 65.3 MBThis lecture was given on the exceedingly special day of Gāyatrī Jayanti, the day we celebrate not only the most important Goddess of the ancient Vedic tradition but also the most famous mantra to have ever come out of India. In this video, we make a few comments about caste in the Vedic world, the "twice-born" dīkshā into the Gāyatrī, the democratization and popularization of the mantra by reformers and of course gloss the mantra and its meaning along non-dual lines and make some Tantrik in...
How To Meditate on Kālī
July 10, 2024 19:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBThis morning I saw this little clip from the black and white Bengali movie "Sadhak Kamalakanta" on YouTube and it inspired me to say a few words on the Tantrik approach to meditation. Here is the mantra that was chanted in the video and that we used for the meditation: dhyānam oṁ krīṁ karālavadanāṁ ghorāṁ muktakeśīṁ caturbhujām। kālikāṁ dakṣiṇāṁ divyāṁ muṇḍamālāvibhūṣitām॥1॥ sadyaśchinnaśiraḥkhaḍgavāmādhordhvakarāmbujām। abhayaṁ varadaṁ caiva dakṣiṇordhvādhaḥ pāṇikām॥2॥ mahāmeghaprabhāṁ ...
Ramakrishna & Ma Bhavatārini Kālī at Dakshineshwar
July 08, 2024 15:00 - 2 hours - 85.8 MBThis is a very important discussion regarding our backstory as Kali worshippers in the West. How is it that we are all of us in this room right now, hearing this lecture and resonating with its ideas? How did we come to worship Kali and practice Tantra, especially those of us who grew up in the West? Isn't this a profound mystery and blessing that we find ourselves here in this place at this time? How did this strange and miraculous phenomena come to be? Who brought Kālī to us? In answering ...
Who is Mā Dhūmāvatī?
July 07, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 68.4 MBAbout a month ago, we celebrated Dhūmāvatī Jayanti. Of the 10 esoteric forms of Kālī known as the Daśamahavidyās, Dhūmāvati, the widow is perhaps the most mysterious, misunderstood and feared of all the Tantrik Goddesses. She bears a striking resemblance to the Morrigan and the Cailleach in Gaelic/Celtic traditions and her dhyāna mantra (presented below) might remind you of the (albeit often somewhat cartoonish) caricature of the "witch" you find at department stores around Hallowe'en. No c...
The Best Time and Place to Worship Mā Kālī
July 06, 2024 12:00 - 1 hour - 47.5 MBThe Ultimate Reality is beyond time, all pervasive, formless and inexpressible. And YET in the day to day practice of Tantra, there are certain times, places, forms and words (mantras) that are considered to be especially sacred. How is that? Is it not a paradox to say that the One Eternal Reality which is everywhere and all the time immediately available is "more" available at this or that time, in this or that place? In this very deep discussion (if I may say so), we talk about the bes...
How To Get Started with Spiritual Life
June 25, 2024 21:00 - 2 hours - 99.6 MBWith the changing of the seasons, there is a particular kind of Prānā available. Usually in the summer, with longer days and freer schedules, and generally uplifted moods, many are now ready to plunge into deeper, more meaningful Sādhanā (spiritual practice). This is also true of the winter when there is more time indoors and all of nature seems to conspire with you for inward-ness, contemplation and reflection. And what to say of the monsoon seasons where the raw power of Mā Kālī dancing ...
Who is Abhinava Gupta?
June 18, 2024 19:00 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBToday is a personally special day for me: the birthday of Mahāmaheśvarācharya Rājānaka Abhinavaguptapada, the foremost Shaiva philosopher-saint of our Kaula Trika tradition! Abhinava Gupta is, in my opinion, the brightest mind and the biggest heart India has ever produced and the most brilliant philosopher the world has ever seen, on par with Shankara and the Buddha. Importantly, there are striking parallels between Abhinava Gupta's theistic, devotional non-dualism and that of Ramakrishna ...
Why Practice Aghora?
June 13, 2024 20:00 - 1 hour - 74.8 MBIn this lecture, we discuss one of the main purposes of Aghora Sādhana by referring to the “8 fetters” from the Pashupata Sutra to explain the cremation ground practices of the early Shaivas. I’m going to explain the value and meaning behind these practices which often get seen with disgust some circles and with a morbid fascination in others! Whether we are averse to this aspect of Tantra or attracted to it, that we are fascinated by it is undeniable. And as such: after having thoroughly in...
How To Worship Mā Kālī
June 05, 2024 22:00 - 1 hour - 41.6 MBToday's Amāvasyā (new moon) is exceedingly important because it is the Phalaharini Kali Puja! Since its such a special occasion, I'll spend a few moments reflecting on what this day means for devotees of Kālī and then as an offering to Her in the form of You, I'd like to share the guided meditation for Mānasa Pūja, the Mental Worship of Mā Kālī. Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after the lectures. It is free ...
The Very Heart of Tantra
June 04, 2024 18:00 - 2 hours - 82.5 MBToday is the monthly śivarātri (the day before the new moon) and the Wednesday Amāvasyā (new moon) features a very special celebration, the Phalaharini Kali Puja, one of the Big Three for Kali in the calendar year! Naturally, I wanted to do something special in this lecture to mark the occasion: I felt like we should discuss the very highest, the very essence, the very heart of the Tantrik tradition. And the best way to do this, I humbly propose, is to introduce you to one of the most im...
The Very Heart of Tantra | Introduction to Tantrasāra of Abhinava Gupta
June 04, 2024 18:00 - 2 hours - 82.5 MBToday is the monthly śivarātri (the day before the new moon) and the Wednesday Amāvasyā (new moon) features a very special celebration, the Phalaharini Kali Puja, one of the Big Three for Kali in the calendar year! Naturally, I wanted to do something special in this lecture to mark the occasion: I felt like we should discuss the very highest, the very essence, the very heart of the Tantrik tradition. And the best way to do this, I humbly propose, is to introduce you to one of the most im...
Kālī and the 5 Levels of Void
May 30, 2024 19:00 - 1 hour - 65.5 MBLast week, to mark the auspicious occasion of Cinnamastā Jayanti and also the Thrice Blessed Day, Buddha Pūrnimā, we gave a few talks on Tantrik Buddhism with an especial focus on Goddess worship within the context of Vajrayāna deity-yoga. We picked up the Cinnamunda Vajravārāhi Sādhanā, attributed to the mysterious Srī Matī (Laksmīnkarā Devī) who, like Cinnamunda herself, is said to have decapitated herself in act of yogic perfection (siddhi). This text (really, a paddathi or ritual manu...
The Dark Side of Tantra
May 28, 2024 18:00 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBOne of my favorite things about the Tantrik tradition is how vast it is. On one hand, you have the most refined non-dual philosophy wedded to aesthetically heightened and exceedingly subtle systems of practice for the attainment of the highest liberation in life. And on the other hand, you have midnight ghastly rituals in cremation grounds to hex your enemies, take control of spirits, amass wealth and get people to fall in love with you… Such range! And my favorite thing about Tantra?: as ...
Is Cinnamastā a Fierce Goddess?
May 27, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBTo mark the auspicious occasion of Cinnamastā Jayanti which we celebrated earlier this week, here are a few words on the mysterious and profound Self-Decapatating Goddess, Vajravairochinī. May this be a prayer to Her and to you, who are the Goddess embodied! Pratyālīddhāpadām sadaiva dadhātīm cinnam śirah:karttrkām Digvastrām svakabandhashonitasudhādhārām pibantīm mudā Nagābaddhashīromanim trinayanām hrdyutpalālangkrtām Ratyāsaktamanobhavopari drddhām Dhyāyejjapāsannibhām Whose left foo...
An Invitation to Tantra | Tae Lee's Art Show at Wonzimer Gallery
May 26, 2024 20:00 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBHere's a slightly different episode for you on this auspicious Sunday, on the third day of the waning moon in the month of Vaiśakh: Last night, I did a Kālī Pūjā at my beloved friend Tae's art show. It was his intention to feature a Kālī Pūjā at the celebration alongside his favorite musical artists. Here is a little excerpt from the evening's worship which features a few opening remarks regarding just what Tantra is and what it can be for you followed by Priti's incredible bhajans (devotion...
The Buddha and Why You Should Learn Tantra
May 24, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 47 MBTonight on Buddha Pūrnimā, by way of celebration, we did a talk on Tantrik Buddhism: specifically, the worship of Chinnamastā/Chinnamunda in the Vajrayāna context. (I'll upload this talk soonest!) But before we plunged into that topic, I was moved to say a few general things about the Buddha and his legacy and how that applies to us in this day and age who are studying and practicing the up-until-now very esoteric traditions of Śakta Tantra or Goddess Tantra. You see: both the Buddha and V...
Bagalā and Black Magick in Tantra
May 21, 2024 17:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBToday is Chinnamastā Jayanti and last week we had Bagalāmukhī Jayanti. Since both of these are fierce and very esoteric forms of Kālī, I thought I would take this occasion to discuss some of the "darker" aspects of our Tantrik heritage since both of these deities, as well as many of the other Daśamahāvidyās are associated with magical practices of um, let's say, a less than savory nature according to the views of some more right-leaning practitioners. And Bagalā Devī especially has a strong...
Mātangī and the Daśamahāvidyās
May 19, 2024 16:00 - 1 hour - 44.3 MBThe day that we gave this lecture was an exceedingly important day: Akshaya Tritiya! Because the sun and moon are in very exalted positions and because of the association of this day to a series of auspicious events in Puranic Hinduism (the day Mā Ganga came down into the earth from the heavens, the day Vyāsa began dictating the Mahābhārata to Ganesh, the day Yudishthira received his unlimited food bowl, the day that Parvati appeared as Annapurna to feed everyone among other things), today i...
Akshaya Tritiya, Mātangi Jayanti and The Highest Non Dual Shaiva Teaching
May 10, 2024 21:00 - 1 hour - 52.6 MBToday is an exceedingly important day: Akshaya Tritiya! Because the sun and moon are in very exalted positions and because of the association of this day to a series of auspicious events in Puranic Hinduism (the day Mā Ganga came down into the earth from the heavens, the day Vyāsa began dictating the Mahābhārata to Ganesh, the day Yudishthira received his unlimited food bowl, the day that Parvati appeared as Annapurna to feed everyone among other things), today is typically regarded as a gre...
Mā Kālī & Tantrik Puja | Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati
May 07, 2024 15:00 - 2 hours - 86 MBIn this special satsangh, we host our mentor and dear friend Pujya Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati of the Kali Mandir, the foremost authority here on the West Coast and perhaps in the world on all things Kali, Tantra and Puja. Some years ago, I asked Pujya Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati at the Kali Mandir in Laguna a beach: “why is it that some people say worshipping Kālī is dangerous?” He said in his characteristic warmth and humor something to the effect of: “worshipping Kali is like mac and ...
Who is Lalitā Devī? | Lalitā Jayanti Lecture
April 26, 2024 18:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBToday on this auspicious Friday (Fridays are very sacred to Tripura Devī) I'd like to offer you who are the embodiment of Devī these reflections on Lalitā and the Lalitā Sahasranāma. We gave this talk on a Friday on Lalitā Jayanti earlier this year as a sort of preamble before our Paramārthasāra lecture. May it inspire you to chant the thousand names of Beauty and Power Personified! Jai Tripura Devī Ki Jai! Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Frida...
The Tantrik Hanuman
April 24, 2024 01:00 - 2 hours - 84.1 MBOn the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti today, we say a few words about Tapasvī Rāja from a Tantrik point of view. Since Hanuman, the Son of the Wind, is Prāna embodied, we say a few words about the Five Faced Hanuman with regards to the five types of prāna. Then, we talk about siddhis, yogic powers and how Hanuman embodies the proper use and place of siddhis in genuine spiritual life. Most of all, we discuss our ideal of Bhakti: devotion from a place of strength and fullness and not f...
Is God Formless or With Form?
April 23, 2024 06:00 - 52 minutes - 35.9 MBWhy does God look like a lion riding woman with ten arms holding various weapons slaying a buffalo demon on the field of battle? Why does God look like a ash besmeared yogi on the tiger-skin mat telling his beads in the highest reaches of the Himālayas? Why does look like a flute playing mischievous boy who steals the hearts of cowherd-girls? Or does God "look" like anything at all? Some schools of Indian philosophy insist that God is formless and impersonal (Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism etc.)...
Art and Aesthetics in Tantra
April 05, 2024 19:00 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBChaitra Navaratri (the Spring Goddess Festival) is about to come up in only a few days! To usher in these coming 9 nights of the Goddess, I wanted to upload this throwback to the Fall Goddess Festival last year when we had a wonderful discussion on the intersection between art and spirituality, and specifically, on the role of aesthetics (poetry, music, dance, theatre, sculpture, visual art etc.) in the very refined and rich world of Tantrik spirituality. When I was cleaning out. my hard dri...
Sensuality and Sexuality in Non-Dual Tantra | Kaula Aesthetics
April 04, 2024 22:00 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBOne of the central questions we ask in spiritual life is, "what about sexuality?" On one side of the spectrum you have world-negative traditions (which seem to be in the majority in classical times and whose effects can still be felt today) which reject sexuality wholesale and on the other side of that same spectrum you have world-affirming traditions that often get abused as a license for hedonism, mitigating greatly their spiritual value. This second type seems to be on the rise in today...
Reflections on Ramakrishna and My Grandfather
March 14, 2024 19:00 - 1 hour - 52.4 MBWe haven't missed a single Monday night satsangh since we started in 2020. That's a four year streak for our community? Isn't that wonderful? Thank you all for your continued support over the years! Anyway, we had a bit of a close call the other day since due to some circumstances, I was not able to start the lecture until 11:30pm that Monday night! Here is the late night "after hours" lecture that saved our streak: This talk was given on special day, a day that marks the anniversary of my...
The Most Important Shiva Mantra | Shiva Panchakshara
March 14, 2024 18:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBOn the occasion of Maha Shiva Ratri 2024, the great night of Shiva, we say a few words about the central mantra of Shaivism known as the Panchakshara. First, we explain the mystical significance of "akshara", phonemes (Sanskrit letters) and then we consider the esoteric significance of the number 5 in Shaivism, in a few different ways. Then, we put this all together to explain the hidden meaning of the Panchakshara mantra and conclude by commenting upon and ultimately rocking out to the Panc...
How To Worship Shiva
March 09, 2024 00:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBIn this talk on the occasion of mahashivaratri 2024, we say a few words about the Tantra in general, the Vijñāna-Bhairava Tantra in particular and Shiva puja in theory and practice. What do we do on shivaratri and why do we do it? We discuss the unique and wonderful features of Shiva Puja. May this be my offering to you, you who are Shiva embodied. OM Namah Shivayah! Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right after th...
How to Jñāna Like Vivekananda
February 29, 2024 19:00 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBNot only was it just Swami Vivekananda’s birthday weekend but also at the time of this lecture it was the anniversary of the composition of Abhinavagupta’s Bhairava Stava, one of my favorite non dual hymns of all time! As such we’ll celebrate by exploring Swamiji’s highest, edgiest most powerful non dual teachings and more importantly his advice on how to live them alongside a running commentary on the Bhairava Stava! Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST...
The Three Most Important Things to Understand in Spirituality | Vivekananda's Message to the West
February 18, 2024 00:00 - 1 hour - 47.1 MBAs Buddha had a message for the East, so too did Swami Vivekananda have a message for the West, if not for the whole world. What was that message? While it is of course a very multifaceted, variegated and nuanced message, three core principles stand out; we explore them in the course of this lecture, as part of our Vivekananda Jayanti celebrations earlier this month. These principles are: 1. Religion is a matter of Direct Experience, not dogma. Inspired by his teacher Ramakrishna who dail...
Swami Vivekananda's Highest Non-Dual Teaching
February 06, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBI have quite the treat for you: we’re going to be looking at Swami Vivekananda’s highest teachings from a series of lectures he gave in San Francisco. I thought of calling the talk “Swami Vivekananda in San Francisco”, to reference the series of three talks that Swami Ashokananda gave in 1946 and 1949 at the Old Temple and 1965 in the New Temple on the subject. I wanted to say a little about what kind of person the Swami especially while he was here in California and also reflect a bit on hi...
Sārada Devī as Tantrik Guru
February 01, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBLast week, we attempted to ask the question "Who is Sarada Devi?" and we ended up with the answer, "who knows?" Svārupam tvadīyam na vindanti devah! Even the Gods do not know your true nature, Mother! In any case, in that previous lecture (which you can watch here), we attempted a sketch of the early years of this great life and today, we're going to go in for a second pass at this most inscrutable and yet most intimately accessible of lives but this time we're going to pay particular attent...
Who is Holy Mother Sārada Devī?
January 17, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBWho knows? Who could ever know? As Shankara put it in his Kalikāshtakam: "svarūpam tvadīyam na vindanti devah: not even the Gods know your true nature!" With this in mind, humbled and awed, we approach this profound mystery of the Divine Mother of the Universe who is at once inscrutable and yet easy of access to us. She is at once Kali, the Mistress of Maya who confounds the Universe as well as our very own Mother, appearing in the form of a very nondescript, traditional Brahmin housewife....
Mary Magdalena, the Śakti of Christ
January 04, 2024 23:00 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBThis discussion is a long time coming: Who is Mary of Magdala and what is she to the Christ? Is simply Christ's foremost and most advanced disciple? Is she fallen woman who was redeemed through the Christ as Pope Gregory claimed in the late 6th CE? Or was she much, much more? I want to make the case in this lecture for Mary as being the Shakti of Christ, the power by which the Incarnation and His holy Gospel was properly understood and spread, the power by which he is able to do what he does...
A Prayer to the Goddess | The Four Hymns of the Candi In Sanskrit and Translation
January 03, 2024 22:00 - 1 hour - 47.7 MBToday on Sārada Devī Jayanti, the auspicious emergence of Holy Mother, I'd like to offer this recitation of the four hymns of the Candi at your feet, you who are Mā embodied. Before each hymn is chanted in Sanskrit and translation, we make a few preliminary remarks about the hymn to contextualize it in the wider narrative of the Candi or Devi Māhātmyam. These hymns are very powerful. They are charged with unimaginable mantric force! To even listen to them is to affect a profound transformat...
How To Be In The World As a Spiritual Aspirant | Cārya Pada (Tantrik Code of Conduct)
January 01, 2024 00:00 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBAs you know, a tantra is often divided into four parts: 1. jñāna-pada, the philosophical transmission, 2. Yoga-pada, the section of esoteric practices like meditation and mantra repetition 3. Kriyā-pada, the manual for pūjā or ritualistic worship 4. Cārya-pada, the section on how to live your life in the world as a practitioner! Having discussed the first three parts quite extensively it’s now time to turn the next question: “how do we move about in this world as a genuine spiritual aspira...
What is an Avatar?
December 26, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 70.3 MBGod is inscrutable and mysterious for the most part. What then to say of the Incarnation, that is, the appearance of God as a specific person in history?! Perhaps the mystery of the Avatar, the Incarnation of God is one of the deepest mysteries of religion and it is by no means unique to Christianity. Long before the Christ, we find in the Bhagavad Gita the following, which represents the first articulation of the notion of Divine Incarnations by Sri Krishna, one of the first Incarnations to...
What is Prayer?
December 26, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBUsually when we think of prayer, we picture kneeling by the bedside with hands clasped and being thoroughly disappointed. Usually, we feel prayer as some kind of contrived, forced, inauthentic attempt to connect with a barely articulated idea of "God" and often to be met with silence and a feeling of being kind of silly. Is prayer talking to God? What do you even say in a conversation that often feels so one-sided? What do you pray "for", if anything? How does prayer compare to other spiritu...
Mā Kālī and Mother Mary
December 23, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 56 MBAt last week’s satsangh we had a wonderful conversation about the Tantrik principles in Christianity: guru paramparā (lineage based transmission), dīksha (initiation rituals), mantra japa (repetition of sacred words), pūjā (ritual worship) and vigraha (the immanent and embodied aspect of God). In this lecture, I intend to discuss the relations up between Mother Mary and Mā Kālī not just in matters of iconography and history (I.e Sara La Kali/Black Madonna etc.) but also with regards of prac...
Tantrik Christianity and The Bhairava Nature of Jesus Christ
December 14, 2023 20:00 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBIn this lecture, we discuss “Tantrik Christianity”, that is, elements of Tantra like 1. guruparamparā (lineage based transmission), 2. ritual worship (pūjā) 3. emphasis on mantra repetition (japa) 4. profileration of deities/icons 5. emphasis on direct, personal experience of the Divine 6. the Immanence of God etc. that are also present in Christianity to make the case that Tantra is a spiritual approach not exclusive to any one cultural but is founded upon universal spiritual principles ...
Mā Kālī in Other Cultures
December 12, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBIn this lecture, we take a comparative look at the Divine Feminine as it is worshipped in the Mesopotamian, Aztec, Spanish, Celtic, Gaelic and Hellenistic cultures to show that Mā Kālī is not confined to any one culture or religion. Though Her worship and veneration is perhaps most articulated and most visibly extant in Hinduism, She is indeed the Primordial Power that was worshipped by all peoples in all places as perhaps the first religious intuition/revelation of the human race in all its...
Ramprasad Sen, Mā Kālī's Mystic Poet
December 08, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBLast month, we celebrated my favorite time of the year, Kālī Pūjā! The pūjā itself was on Sunday the 12th of November, the new moon night but on the Friday just before I couldn't at all contain my excitement and felt inspired to do a special class on Ramprasad, the great mystic and saint of Mother Kālī. His story is a truly remarkable tale of the highest devotion, of the most reckless absorption, of the most unparalleled intoxication in Mā, replete with wonderful legends of mystical visi...
How To Be A Shakta 101
November 27, 2023 14:00 - 52 minutes - 35.8 MBWe start our evening's Q&A with some book recommendations for the study and practice of Tantrik Shaktism, that is, devotion to the Divine Mother. (00:00-07:00) Then we discuss some precautions around the Devī Māhātmyam sādhanā with regards to "fierce grace" with an excursus on the Power of Mantra/the Power of the Written Word. (07:00-16:00) But to soften that, we then talk about Mā's non-dual nature as ultimately compassionate, even towards supposed "demons"! At 19:00 we discuss the import...
Mā Kālī's Non Dual Aspect & Tantrik Sādhanās to Attain It
November 27, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBAfter two back-to-back Kālī pūjās and a few all nighters, we plunge into a discussion of Mā Kālī's non-dual aspect, to commemorate the Shyama Kali Puja of 2023. My idea was to explore the role of the ferocious iconography around Mā, a few verses of the Candi indicated Her non-dual nature as Pure Consciousness and some similar iconography and motifs from other world spiritual traditions to present the idea that Mā is more than a Goddess in a pantheon but rather the Principle of Creative Power...
Songs to Bhairava and Bhairavi | Macabre Elements in Tantrik Iconography as Non-Dual Sādhanā
November 27, 2023 03:00 - 50 minutes - 35 MBPrior to our Hallowe'en lecture on ghosts in the Tantrik world, we recite a few hymns and poems to Mahākāla Bhairava and Mā Bhairavi (Abhinava Gupta's Bhairava Stava and the two Kālī poems by Swami Vivekananda) that feature similar macabre elements to make a point about radical acceptance, non-duality and overcoming fear. Art by Vijayā (http://www.birthlessdeathless.com/) Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST. There's Q&A right af...
Ghosts, Ghouls and Goblins in Tantrik Spirituality | Hallowe'en Special
October 31, 2023 15:00 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBTonight’s lecture is a Hallowe’en special! After all, Śaiva and Śakta Tantra is chock full of ghoulish mortuary iconography: Mā Kālī’s garland of skulls, Lord Śiva’s garland of snakes, their retinue of ghosts, goblins and vampires, their home in the cremation grounds (ghat), fierce fanged dākinī and yoginīs and so much more. It’s no wonder Hallowe’en is my favorite holiday! Tonight, to celebrate, let's discuss Tantrik demonology and the role of mortuary and gory iconography in texts like ...
Instant Enlightenment | Anupaya in Kashmir Shaivism
October 12, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 58 MBWe'll explore how it might be possible for a person to be instantly free here and now, as suddenly and as effortlessly and easily as one "falls from a tree after losing one's footing". Naturally, this will take us into a discussion on anupaya, the notorious "no path path" of instant liberation and jīvanmukti, the somewhat paradoxical doctrine of being free of the world/body while remaining in it! Some schools of spirituality, dualistic theistic traditions foremost amongst them, wholehea...
How To Receive God's Grace | Śaktipāta in Kashmir Shaivism
September 25, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 77.6 MBThere are few theories regarding God's grace in Indian philosophy: 1. It is earned through good works (karma) 2. It is earned through devotion (bhakti) 3. It is earned through renunciation (tyāga) 4. It comes as a result of two equally strong samskaras bubbling up at the same time and checking one and another, thus artificially stalling all future karmas from fructifying (karmasāmya) Using some arguments from Abinava Gupta's commentary on the Mālinīvijaya Tantra, we'll show why all of these ...
Life as Yoga | The Tantrik Approach to Spirituality
September 08, 2023 00:00 - 1 hour - 69.4 MBWe have an exciting series of lectures ahead of us: How To Practice Kashmir Shaivism We've been discussing the theory of Kaula Trika non-duality for some time now, which is, in and of itself, a type of practice. However, it's time now to discuss practice proper! In this lecture, I'm going to 1. make a case for why so-called "worldliness" is itself a very noble kind of spiritual practice, echoing Chapter I of the Bhagavad Gita (vishadayoga). 2. Discuss a graded approach to spiritual life (...