A presentation based on the book by René Guénon – Theosophy : History of a Pseudo-Religion. Including contextualising material bringing the story of Theosophy, it’s teachers, doctrines and influence into recent times. Music – The Spirit of Russian Love by…
http://somathread.ning.com/groups/yoga-and-tantra/forum/father-and-mother The quotes on the home page over the past few days were written more than 1500 years apart. The first is ascribed to the anonymous author(s) of the Chandogya Upanishad in the 8th century BC – ”We should…
These are my own observations. They may not hold for everyone. I am not an authority for anyone, except myself. But I thought to share these observations as they may be of benefit or interest to someone else. In my…
12th Century Poet. Married to a King when young, Akka Mahadevi rejected life in the palace and left to become a naked wandering mendicant. Her life was devoted to Shiva. I have fallen in love, O mother with the Beautiful…
Dattatreya was a mythological deity or sage. He was said to be an avadhoot, or complete renunciate, wandering naked in the world. He is usually represented with 3 heads as he is also said to be an incarnation of the…
Short extracts from an article available to read HERE. One of the most well-known cultural imports from India that has exerted an influence on Western thought is that of the Kali Yuga. The reason for the popularity of this subject in…
These are short edited extracts from a text by Daniel Odier available here. The extracts describe one view of emanation from Pure Consciousness (Shiva) to all we see around us. I use the word Emanation, meaning to ”flow out from”.…
One of the first things I saw this morning was the black cat hurling herself at a flock of swallows who were swooping over the back yard. The cat looked delighted and did not mind that she caught nothing. The…
“If the inner mind is tamed. The outer enemy cannot harm me.” ~ Atisha (As ever, these are just passing thoughts and sharing my experiences, and I make no claim for their being anything more than that.) Anger, like any…
Nyasa can mean… Imprinting Placing Consecration of parts of the body Charging To arouse consciousness in… Imbuing with mantras. It is a very old practice in Tantra. A variation of it has been used in modern times in Rotation of…
Vasana are the seeds of desires and inclinations, the vibrations in our being even before thought. They are the automatic tendencies that condition our behaviour and personality. They generate the habits that become stronger with repetition, and that weaken when…
When the Heart is free of stains and a light occurs which illuminates the Supreme plane, by immersion in this shining light, one obtains identity with the Supreme Siva, that is, with consciousness… ~ Abhinivagupta Some lines from Abhinavagupta‘s teachings as…
Hands down my favourite form of the Goddess – full description available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/53835690/Tattwa-Shuddhi from where I take the above screen shot and the following extracts……. ”In tattwa shuddhi, kundalini as prana shakti is symbolised as a beautiful goddess. This system…
Bholenath means the ”Innocent Lord” or ”kind hearted Lord”. We think of all aspects of Divinity as being sophisticated, as being akin to our crafty thinking minds, but the Bholenath archetype is that which is as unaffected as a child.…
A poetic way of appreciating the vastness of time…. The Shiva Puranas were first written down in 4-6th century, but are said to have been orally transmitted since ancient times. (There are some references in older Upanishads from 5 th…
The Throat Chakra. Vishuddhi includes the word shuddhi which means ”purification”. The Bija or seed mantra for Vishuddhi is HAM (the essential meaning of which is ”I Am”) (it is pronounced with a long drawl on the A, between awww and…
Purna is a Sanskrit word which means Wholeness, Complete, Full, Perfect. Fulfilled, Satisfied. INFINITE. There is a peace mantra – from the Isha Upanishad. (Isha is a lovely word, meaning Lord in the personal sense, a more intimate attitude than…
”Child, concepts are wild and stubborn, so remain mindful at all times.” ~Padampe Sangye (Indo-Tibetan yogi 12th century) Much of what is taught in Yoga classes nowadays are recently invented postures or ways of moving/contorting the body. This is fine…
you were born on earth as human why are you in slumber now? take care of yourself; yourself is what you have to Know ~ Kabir Sahaja means easy, naturalness, the gentle path, spontaneous. Don’t go off somewhere else! Kabir…