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Contemplations from the 14 th lesson on the Shiva Sutras. Sutra 13: GURURUPAYAH The Guru is the means/the way/the path. In this sutra Shiva is saying, in an unequivocally firm but caressingly gentle way, if you want to have success on the path to spiritual liberation/self-realisation/enlightenment; if you truly seek to free yourself from all mental limitations and constrictions; if you wish to embody your blissful, authentic, unbound Self; knowing and experiencing your truth beyond separation, narrowness and ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘mine’… then in no uncertain terms you will HAVE to follow the Guru. This, says Shiva the true Teacher, is non-negotiable. It’s as intrinsic an aspect of spiritual growth as sunlight is of a flower’s blooming. Herein the questions arise: Who or what is the Guru, and if we are supposed to follow this Guru along the path, where do we find said Guru in the first instance so that we might begin to follow it along the way? So simply put, the Guru is the guid...

Contemplations from the 13 th lesson on the Shiva Sutras. Sutra 12:   CHITTAM MANTRAH Let your mind become the mantra…retrain your mind to liberate itself from its self- imposed contraction. YOGA SANCTUARY DISCLAIMER:   This Sutra is for universal consumption, by all earnest aspirants. No experience of mantra is required. We repeat, no previous experience of working with mantra is necessary for the application of this Sutra or for enjoying any and all benefits which may ensue… smiley So mantra means a device which liberates the mind from its own contraction. Mantra sets the mind free, allowing it to open from its self-imposed tightness and expand accordingly. It’s often a syllabic combination or stream of words ( OM NAMAH SHIVAYA, OM GAM GANAPATAYI NAMAHA or I AM, for example ) that is designed to open and liberate your mind. Why though is Shiva saying, ‘Let your mind become the mantra’ ?? In the early days of travelling the path to sp...

Contemplations from the 12th lesson on the Shiva Sutras. SUTRA 11:   LOKANANDA SAMADHI SUKHAM Be established in your own true nature, and the bliss you find there will be a gift to the world. Here Shiva tells us that only one who is truly grounded in the peace and happiness of their truest, highest self (the Self or God Consciousness), can hope to bring peace and happiness out into the world.  So the degree to which we are established and connected to this blissful nature is in direct proportion to the level of happiness we are able to emit to the world outside ourselves. He's telling us, as Mahatma Gandhi later echoed, to "Be the change we wish to see in the world" and take responsibility for our own energetic output as a microcosmic reflection of all existence. At the same time Shiva reminds us that we can't give what we don't have; so if we wish to be a beacon of love and consciousness for all beings to benefit from, then first we must find an ab...

Contemplations from the 11 th lesson on the Shiva Sutras Sutra 10:     Svapadam Shaktihi We already have everything we need, inbuilt within ourselves, to deal with whatever our lives might bring. Everything we are seeking is already here. We are not lacking anything and there is nothing missing from us. We are abundantly endowed with everything we need to fulfill our lives. We need only look to our Self. If you are in any doubt of this, play the following little game…… When someone dear to you appears after a long absence and you experience a surge of joy, where are you experiencing that joy? - in the other person or within yourself? When someone speaks some inspiring words and you feel a surge of new strength to face a challenging situation in your life, where do you experience that new strength? When someone shares some wisdom with you, and a light bulb goes on for you, in whom does that light bulb turn on, in the other or in you? Wh...