Vijnana Bhairava the Practice of Centering Awareness by Swami Lakshman Joo Book
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Vijnana Bhairava The Practice of Centering Awareness by Swami Lakshman Joo book Ebook Vijnana Bhairava The Practice of Centering Awareness currently available for review only, if you need complete ebook Vijnana Bhairava The Practice of Centering Awareness please fill out registration form to access in our databases Download here >> Paperback:::: 207 pages+++Publisher:::: Indica; 2002 edition (January 1, 2007)+++Language:::: English+++ISBN-10:::: 8186569359+++ISBN- 13:::: 978-8186569351+++Product Dimensions::::5.6 x 0.5 x 8.6 inches++++++ ISBN10 8186569359 ISBN13 978-8186569 Download here >> Description: It teaches 112 dharanas or ways of centring awareness and entering divine consciousness, which include ordinary and extraordinary experiences, as well as tantric methods of spiritual practice such as kundalini, mantra and mudra. This ancient text is of great relevance for a spirituality of our times which has to integrate all aspects of life. So far I have thoroughly read five books and parts of another interpretation pertaining to the text Vijnana Bhairava Tantra or Vijnanabhairava.1: Paul Reps very loose translation in his book Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. He learned the text from Swami Lakshmanjoo. I am hesitant to say that he learned it because it seems that it was more of a gift from Lakshmanjoo to Reps when he visited him in Kashmir. His translation fits with the style of his book, but it wanders far from its original home in the esoteric heart of Kashmir Shaivism. Instead of being a manual for the union of individual consciousness in universal consciousness, it was reduced to a laconic text resembling other traditions - i.e., generalizing the text to make it suitable for a wider audience. This is not a fault in itself but it proves to be a poor source of practical information and more a source of poetic inspiration. I have read that Lakshmanjoo was pleased to have it released in Reps book, so naturally it serves a wider purpose in that it will surely attract its readers to further explore the sophisticated philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism.2: Osho [Rajneesh, etc]s loose commentary, The Book Of Secrets, on the already loose translation provided by Paul Reps. It seems that Osho was a big fan of Reps book, and he mustve been introduced to the Vijnanabhairava [which he calls Vigyan Bhairav Tantra] through it. It is not clear whether he had read other works on Kashmir Shaivism and this particular text. His commentary certainly displays a massive ignorance as to the philosophical backing of the text and in the details of the processes enumerated therein. It is difficult to maintain this view, however, when one looks at various statements in his commentary and decades later in one particular video which I have seen. In the latter he says, vaguely, to one of his followers, that he has 112 techniques [obviously referencing The Book Of Secrets and the source text, Vijnanabhairava] and that each technique consists only of two lines. This is interesting, because it is only in the Sanskrit-including publications of the text where there are two lines per each technique. Reps translation is sometimes less and sometimes more. Does this mean Osho had access to a translation and commentary that was not Reps? I think this is likely. If this theory is accepted then one can understand his generalizations of the techniques to be a respectable effort on his part towards making the techniques available to all people. There is one major problem here: the text, Vijnanabhairava, is part of the Spanda School of Kashmir Shavism. This teaches three main means: superior means, medium means, and inferior means. The individual capable of only inferior means will fail in the realm of medium and superior means. This means that, in the absence of any clear distinction regarding which category each technique belongs to, the techniques are likely to be chosen due to personal affinity or aesthetic delight and not in light of what is actually most suitable for each individual. Thus many people will find them ineffective for anything but a very general sort of centering meditation practice. Something also worth noting - Oshos commentary on the Siva Sutras - another key text of Kashmir Shaivism - is absolutely poor and also displays much ignorance regarding the source philosophy. Was this, again, a necessary generalization? Or did Osho simply use ancient texts to form the basis of authority from the past to encode his own opinions in them? I think its a mix of both.3: Now we leave the realm of the poets and the posers and enter the world of the intellectual. Jaideva Singh - Vijnanabhairava or Divine Consciousness - a very scholarly, intellectual treatment of the original source text. Taught directly to him by Swami Lakshmanjoo, both in the meaning of the text itself and its traditional commentary by Ksemaraja and Sivopadhyaya. Here we have the Sanskrit, a transliteration, an English translations, copious notes, etc. Singh is already an established author on Kashmir Shaivisms rich philosophy and practice, and his profound understanding is quite clear. His translation is technical, meaning that it often sides with accuracy rather than poetic beauty [the original source text blends both], and can be difficult to get used to at first, especially if one is coming from Reps translation. The introduction to the book is excellent and filled with knowledge. This is probably the best one to get if you are looking for a highly technical and comprehensive translation and commentary of the text..............Now we go to the source. Swami Lakshmanjoo. Evidently a mystic and a saint, a yogi and a scholar, and apparently the last great master in Kashmir Shaivism. The text would not be available without him, as it seems every author relied on him in elucidating the text in light of his profound understanding and own experience. This system emphasis both sides of the coin - the fullness of ones own realization and also the intellectual understanding that accompanies it. The former is given more importance but never to the exclusion of the latter. So with Lakshmanjoo we are dealing with two things at once - a mystic and a scholar. One minute hes correcting minute errors in Sanskrit manuscripts and the next he is speaking about the Transcendental Voidness of God-Consciousness and such things.There are two main books which directly utilize his exposition and commentary on the text.4: Vijnana Bhairava - The Manual For Self-Realization. This is an expensive edition brought about by the Universal Shaiva Fellowship. It is the wonderful child of John Hughes efforts. Decades ago he began recording Lakshmanjoos lectures in order to preserve the teachings. A faithful scribe. At present it is only available as a large manual and 7-CD set. Its over $100 but considering the profoundness and importance of the work it seems worth millions. There is a very special feature about this work. The manual is a direct transcript of the audio recordings. Nothing has been altered. Sometimes Lakshmanjoos disciples and students ask for clarification and he gives it. That is all here. This adds greatly to ones understanding of the text because many of the questions are essential to our understanding. In contrast with Singhs translation and commentary, Lakshmanjoo is more concerned with the practical aspect of the text and does not dwell long on abstruse technical points unless it is entirely necessary or asked of him. And unlike Osho, his commentary bears the mark of a lifetime of immersion in Kashmir Shaivism, both in its philosophy and practice. He does not generalize the techniques or the outcome of the techniques. He does not waste words and yet nothing feels lacking.5: Vijnana Bhairava - The Practice of Centring Awareness. This is the page were on here. One reviewer gave it a 1 star review and I also agreed with him in the comment section. I have since had a change in perspective. The main problem with this edition is that it is a heavily edited version of the previous manuscript. John Hughes in his preface to The Manual For Self-Realization raises some claims about his work being published hastily and without his permission, etc. Obviously his claims are legitimate and come from a good place - i.e., his work as a scribe is to be as faithful to the masters word as possible, not taking the liberty of editing it where he sees fit. And yet, complaints aside, this edition is actually quite useful. It is printed nicely, and in a smaller [regular] book format. It IS heavily edited, various words have been changed to help the flow for English readers, others entirely omitted, and the question-answer segments which are featured in the original recordings and manuscript are blended within Lakshmanjoos overall commentary. An example would be if I said the first ten letters of the alphabet, then you asked what the next ten were, then I said them, and the conversation was edited to seem as if I said ten successively without being questioned to do so. This is not a big thing in itself, and it helps the flow and compactness of the work significantly. It is only a problem when you consider which Lakshmanjoo wouldve preferred. As to the errors, they seem mostly insignificant. one reviewer mentioned the mistake of writing right foot instead of left foot [which Lakshmanjoo clearly said] in a certain verse. Yet Jaideva Singh also makes the same mistake. It may be that it is no mistake and the right and left feet are interchangeable in the practice outlined in that verse. If youre looking for Lakshmanjoos commentary on the text and cant afford the John Hughes edition, or only want the book and not the audio recordings of Lakshmanjoo speaking, then it would not be a mistake to get this edition.