AUDIO: Light on Tantra of Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka Volume 3, Chapter Four

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Link to access free downloadable audio file(s) of original lectures by Swami Lakshmanjoo (total time 12 hours 44 min, MP3)

Book Description:

The Tantrāloka is a voluminous masterwork of the 10th century philosopher-saint, Abhinavagupta. It is a veritable encyclopedia of non-dual Shaivism, a spiritual treasure-trove containing a glorious synthesis of all the schools that make up Kashmir Shaivism, also known as Trika.
 
This third volume contains an English translation of the fourth āhnika (chapter) of the Tantrāloka, dealing with śaktopāya, the means (upāya) pertaining to knowledge (jñāna) or cognition (pramāṇa) for the attainment of Universal God Consciousness. The subtleties of this formidable, though accessible practice are clearly and forcefully presented by Swami Lakshmanjoo, the last accomplished exponent in the ancient line of Kashmir Shaiva masters.
 
In the accompanying audio, the sincere student can hear the words of a completely realized master who lived and breathed Kashmir Shaivism in its fullness.
 
Why was the Tantraloka written?

In answer to this question, Abhinavagupta tells us that, although in the schools of Kashmir Shaivism there are many wonderful and important ways and methods for attaining the supreme reality, yet in his time not even one was still existing. All of those ways and methods were lost. It is for this reason that he was requested by his colleagues and disciples to create a text that would illuminate and clarify all of these ways and methods of Kashmir Shaivism.
 
To accomplish this, Abhinavagupta composed the Tantraloka, a text, which he tells us is filled with the complete explanation of the ways and methods associated with Kashmir Shaivism. That is to say that the philosophical understanding on the level of the intellect might have been existing, but the actual practical means or methods to be used to attain the supreme reality – oneness with Universal Being – to which they all pointed was lost.
 
Abhinavagupta was intent, therefore, to revive the true understanding of these very important teachings, to make the practices that they embodied live again. For what is the use of a map if you have no way to reach the destination? Thus, Abhinavagupta gave us the Tantraloka to remedy this situation.