Uploaded by selvam2010. Yoga Breathing Hand Chakra Arm. However, it looks like you listened to. Kriya Yoga Of Babaji 144 Techniques Pdf Creator. One harping only on the creation and the other the Creator. A Spiritual Teacher Conclusion Introduction Review Of Literature. A Spiritual Teacher. Jul 18, 2011 - 48 min - Uploaded by ManojTheYogiHari Aum, In this class for week 1 we covered: A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric.

2nd century CE coins with one side showing a deity with a bull. Some scholars consider the deity as Shiva because he holds a, is in state and next to bull his mount, as in Shaivism.

Others suggest him to be Zoroastrian, not Shiva. 's Mahābhasya, dated to the 2nd century BCE, mentions the term Shiva-bhagavata in section 5.2.76. Patanjali, while explaining Panini's rules of grammar, states that this term refers to a devotee clad in animal skins and carrying an ayah sulikah (iron spear, trident lance) as an icon representing his god.

The is another ancient Sanskrit text that mentions Shaiva ascetics, such as in chapters 4.13 and 13.140. Other evidence that is possibly linked to the importance of Shaivism in ancient times are in epigraphy and numismatics, such as in the form of prominent Shiva-like reliefs on era gold coins. However, this is controversial, as an alternate hypothesis for these reliefs is based on Oesho. According to Flood, coins dated to the ancient Greek, Saka and Parthian kings who ruled parts of the Indian subcontinent after the arrival of also show Shiva iconography, but this evidence is weak and subject to competing inferences.

The inscriptions found in the Himalayan region, such as those in the Kathmandu valley of suggest that Shaivism (particularly Pashupata monism) was established in this region during the Mauryas and the Guptas reign of the Indian subcontinent, by the 5th century. These inscriptions have been dated by modern techniques to between 466 and 645 CE. Puranic Shaivism [ ] During the (c. 320 - 500 CE) the genre of literature developed in India, and many of these Puranas contain extensive chapters on Shaivism – along with, Shaktism, of Brahmins and other topics – suggesting the importance of Shaivism by then. The most important Shaiva Puranas of this period include the and the. Shaiva icons and a Hindu woman praying in River Narmada,, Madhya Pradesh. In early 7th century the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim (Huen Tsang) visited India and wrote a memoir in Chinese that mentions the prevalence of Shiva temples all over North, including in the region such as.

Between the 5th and 11th century CE, major Shaiva temples had been built in central, southern and eastern regions of the subcontinent, including those at, Aihole,, (Kailasha, cave 16),, Bhuvaneshwara, Chidambaram, Madurai, Conjeevaram. Major scholars of competing Hindu traditions from the second half of the 1st millennium CE, such as of Advaita Vedanta and of Vaishnavism, mention several Shaiva sects, particularly the four groups: Pashupata, Lakulisha, tantric Shaiva and Kapalika. The description is conflicting, with some texts stating the tantric, puranic and Vedic traditions of Shaivism to be hostile to each other while others suggest them to be amicable sub-traditions.

Some texts state that Kapalikas reject the Vedas and are involved in extreme experimentation, while others state the Shaiva sub-traditions revere the Vedas but are non-Puranic. South India [ ] Shaivism was likely the predominant tradition in South India, co-existing with Buddhism and Jainism, before the Vaishnava launched the in the 7th-century and influential Vedanta scholars such as developed a philosophical and organizational framework that helped Vaishnava expand. Though both traditions of Hinduism have ancient roots, given their mention in the Epics such as the Mahabharata, Shaivism flourished in South India much earlier. The Mantramarga of Shaivism, according to Alexis Sanderson, provided a template for the later though independent and highly influential Pancaratrika treatises of Vaishnava. This is evidenced in Hindu texts such as the Isvarasamhita, Padmasamhita and Paramesvarasamhita. The 7th to 8th-century at Mahabalipuram is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It features thousands of Shaivism-related sculptures. Along with the Himalayan region stretching from Kashmir through Nepal, the Shaiva tradition in South India has been one of the largest sources of preserved Shaivism-related manuscripts from ancient and medieval India. The region was also the source of Hindu arts, temple architecture, and merchants who helped spread Shaivism into southeast Asia in early 1st millennium CE. There are tens of thousands of Hindu temples where Shiva is either the primary deity or reverentially included in anthropomorphic or aniconic form (lingam, or ).

Numerous historic Shaiva temples have survived in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Certain regions have a greater density of Shiva temples, such as in the region of, where numerous Shaiva temples were built during the empire era, between 800 and 1200 CE. [ ] is the oldest known lingam and has been dated to between 3rd to 1st-century BCE.

It is a carved five feet high stone lingam with an anthropomorphic image of Shiva on one side. This ancient lingam is in district of Andhra Pradesh. Southeast Asia [ ]. An image collage of 1st millennium CE Shaivism icons and temples from Southeast Asia (top left): Shiva in yoga pose, Nandi, temple, Yoni-Linga and layout. Shaivism arrived in a major way in southeast Asia from south India, and to much lesser extent into China and Tibet from the Himalayan region. It co-developed with Buddhism in this region, in many cases. For example, in the, a few caves include Shaivism ideas.

The epigraphical and cave arts evidence suggest that Shaiva Mahesvara and Mahayana Buddhism had arrived in Indo-China region in the period, that is in the first half of the 1st millennium CE. In Indonesia, temples at archaeological sites and numerous inscription evidence dated to the early period (400 to 700 CE), suggest that Shiva was the highest god. This co-existence of Shaivism and Buddhism in Indonesian islands continued through about 1500 CE when both Hinduism and Buddhism were replaced with Islam. The Shaivist and Buddhist traditions overlapped significantly in southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam between the 5th and the 15th-century. Shaivism and Shiva held the paramount position in ancient Java, Sumatra, Bali and neighboring islands, though the sub-tradition that developed creatively integrated more ancient beliefs that pre-existed. In the centuries that followed, the merchants and monks who arrived in southeast Asia, brought Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Buddhism, and these developed into a syncretic, mutually supporting form of traditions.

Beliefs and practices [ ] Shaivism centers around Shiva, but it has many sub-traditions whose theological beliefs and practices vary significantly. They range from dualistic devotional theism to monistic meditative discovery of Shiva within oneself. Within each of these theologies, there are two sub-groups. One sub-group is called Vedic-Puranic, who use the terms such as 'Shiva, Mahadeva, Maheshvara and others' synonymously, and they use iconography such as the,, (trident), as well as anthropomorphic statues of Shiva in temples to help focus their practices.

Another sub-group is called esoteric, which fuses it with abstract Sivata (feminine energy) or Sivatva (neuter abstraction), wherein the theology integrates the goddess (Shakti) and the god (Shiva) with Tantra practices and Agama teachings. There is a considerable overlap between these Shaivas and the Shakta Hindus. Vedic, puranic and esoteric Shavism [ ] Scholars such as Alexis Sanderson discuss Shaivism in three categories: vedic, puranic and non-puranic (esoteric, tantric).

They place Vedic and Puranic together given the significant overlap, while placing Non-Puranic esoteric sub-traditions as a separate category. Two female Shaiva ascetics (18th century painting) • Vedic-Puranic. The majority within Shaivism follow the Vedic-Puranic traditions.

They revere the Vedas, the Puranas and have beliefs that span dualistic theism style Shiva (devotionalism) to monistic non-theism dedicated to yoga and meditative lifestyle sometimes with renouncing householder life for monastic pursuits of spirituality. The Yoga practice is particularly pronounced in nondualistic Shaivism, with the practice refined into a methodology such as four-fold upaya: being pathless (anupaya, iccha-less, desire-less), being divine (sambhavopaya, jnana, knowledge-full), being energy (saktopaya, kriya, action-full) and being individual (anavopaya). • Non-Puranic. These are esoteric, minority sub-traditions wherein devotees are initiated ( dīkṣa) into a specific cult they prefer.

Their goals vary, ranging from liberation in current life ( mukti) to seeking pleasures in higher worlds ( bhukti). Their means also vary, ranging from meditative atimarga or 'outer higher path' versus those who means is recitation-driven mantras. The atimarga sub-traditions include Pashupatas and Lakula.

According to Sanderson, the Pashupatas have the oldest heritage, likely from the 2nd century CE, as evidenced by ancient Hindu texts such as the book of the epic. The tantric sub-tradition in this category is traceable to post-8th to post-11th century depending on the region of Indian subcontinent, paralleling the development of Buddhist and Jain tantra traditions in this period. Among these are the dualistic Saiva Siddhanta and Bhairava Shaivas (non-Saiddhantika), based on whether they recognize any value in vedic orthopraxy.

These sub-traditions cherish secrecy, special symbolic formulae, initiation by a teacher and the pursuit of siddhi (special powers). Some of these traditions also incorporate theistic ideas, elaborate geometric yantra with embedded spiritual meaning, mantras and rituals. Shaivism versus other Hindu traditions [ ] Shaivism sub-traditions subscribe to various philosophies, are similar in some aspects and differ in others. Nepal and Himalayan region = 140,000 South India = 8,600 Others (Devanagiri) = 2,000 Bali and SE Asia = Many —Alexis Sanderson, The Saiva Literature Over its history, Shaivism has been nurtured by numerous texts ranging from scriptures to theological treatises.

These include the Vedas and Upanishads, the Agamas, and the. According to Gavin Flood – a professor at Oxford University specializing in Shaivism and phenomenology, Shaiva scholars developed a sophisticated theology, in its diverse traditions. Among the notable and influential commentaries by dvaita (dualistic) theistic Shaivism scholars were the 8th century Sadyajoti, the 10th century Ramakantha, 11th century Bhojadeva. The dualistic theology was challenged by the numerous scholars of advaita (nondualistic, monistic) Shaivism persuasion such as the 8th/9th century Vasugupta, the 10th century Abhinavagupta and 11th century Kshemaraja, particularly the scholars of the Pratyabhijna, Spanda and Kashmiri Shaivism schools of theologians. Vedas and Principal Upanishads [ ] The Vedas and Upanishads are shared scriptures of, while the Agamas are sacred texts of specific sub-traditions. The surviving Vedic literature can be traced to the 1st millennium BCE and earlier, while the surviving Agamas can be traced to 1st millennium of the common era.

The Vedic literature, in Shaivism, is primary and general, while Agamas are special treatise. In terms of philosophy and spiritual precepts, no Agama that goes against the Vedic literature, states Mariasusai Dhavamony, will be acceptable to the Shaivas. According to David Smith, 'a key feature of the Tamil Saiva Siddhanta, one might almost say its defining feature, is the claim that its source lies in the Vedas as well as the Agamas, in what it calls the Vedagamas'. This school's view can be summed as, The Veda is the cow, the true Agama its milk. — Umapati, Translated by David Smith The (400 - 200 BCE) is the earliest textual exposition of a systematic philosophy of Shaivism. Shaiva minor Upanishads [ ] Shaivism-inspired scholars authored 14 Shiva-focussed Upanishads that are called the Shaiva Upanishads.

These are considered part of 95 minor Upanishads in the Upanishadic corpus of Hindu literature. The earliest among these were likely composed in 1st millennium BCE, while the last ones in the late medieval era. The Shaiva Upanishads present diverse ideas, ranging from -style theistic dualism themes to a synthesis of Shaiva ideas with Advaitic (nondualism), Yoga, Vaishnava and Shakti themes. The horizontal three ash lines () with a red mark on forehead is a revered mark across Shaiva traditions symbolizing.

'Mantramārga' (: मन्त्रमार्ग, 'the path of mantras') has been the Shaiva tradition for both householders and monks. It grew from the Atimarga tradition. This tradition sought not just liberation from Dukkha (suffering, unsatisfactoriness), but special powers ( siddhi) and pleasures ( bhoga), both in this life and next.

The siddhi were particularly the pursuit of Mantramarga monks, and it is this sub-tradition that experimented with a great diversity of rites, deities, rituals, yogic techniques and mantras. Both the Mantramarga and Atimarga are ancient traditions, more ancient than the date of their texts that have survived, according to Sanderson. Mantramārga grew to become a dominant form of Shaivism in this period. It also spread outside of India into 's,, and.

The Mantramarga tradition created the and Shaiva tantra (technique) texts. This literature presented new forms of ritual, yoga and mantra. This literature was highly influential not just to Shaivism, but to all traditions of Hinduism, as well as to Buddhism and Jainism. Mantramarga had both theistic and monistic themes, which co-evolved and influenced each other. The tantra texts reflect this, where the collection contain both dualistic and non-dualistic theologies.

The theism in the tantra texts parallel those found in Vaishnavism and Shaktism. Shaiva Siddhanta is a major subtradition that emphasized dualism during much of its history. Shaivism has had strong nondualistic (advaita) sub-traditions.

Its central premise has been that the (soul, self) of every being is identical to Shiva, its various practices and pursuits directed at understanding and being one with the Shiva within. This monism is close but differs somewhat from the monism found in of Adi Shankara. Unlike Shankara's Advaita, Shaivism monist schools consider as Shakti, or energy and creative primordial power that explains and propels the existential diversity.

Srikantha, influenced by, formulated Shaiva. In this theology, Atman (soul) is not identical with, but shares with the Supreme all its qualities.

(1520–1592), an Advaita scholar, proposed pure monism, and his ideas influenced Shaiva in the region. His Shaiva Advaita doctrine is inscribed on the walls of Kalakanthesvara temple in Adaiyappalam (). Shaiva Siddhanta [ ]. Nayanmars Shaiva poet-saints are credited with in Shaivism.

It included three women saints, such as the 6th-century. By the 7th century, the, a tradition of poet-saints in the bhakti tradition developed in with a focus on Shiva, comparable to that of the Vaisnava Alvars.

The devotional poems of the Nayanmars are divided into eleven collections together known as 'Thirumurai', along with a called the 'Perilya puranam'. The first seven collections are known as the and are regarded by Tamils as equivalent to the. They were composed in the 7th century by,, and.

(also spelled Tirumūlār or Tirumūlar), the author of the Tirumantiram (also spelled Tirumandiram) is considered by Tattwananda to be the earliest exponent of Shaivism in Tamil areas. Tirumular is dated as 7th or 8th century by Maurice Winternitz.

The Tirumantiram is a primary source for the system of Shaiva Siddhanta, being the tenth book of its canon. The by is an important collection of hymns.

Tantra Diksha traditions [ ] The main element of all Shaiva Tantra is the practice of, a ceremonial initiation in which divinely revealed are given to the initiate by a. A notable feature of some 'left tantra' ascetics was their pursuit of (supernatural abilities) and bala (powers), such as averting danger ( santih) and the ability to harm enemies ( abhicarah)., ritual feasts, would sometimes be held in cemeteries and cremation grounds and featured possession by powerful female deities called. The cult of Yoginis aimed to gain special powers through esoteric worship of the Shakti or the feminine aspects of the divine. The groups included sisterhoods that participated in the rites. Some traditions defined the special powers differently.

For example, the Kashmiri tantrics explain the powers as anima (awareness than one is present in everything), laghima (lightness, be free from presumed diversity or differences), mahima (heaviness, realize one's limit is beyond one's own consciousness), prapti (attain, be restful and at peace with one's own nature), prakamya (forebearance, grasp and accept cosmic diversity), vasita (control, realize that one always has power to do whatever one wants), isitva (self lordship, a yogi is always free). More broadly, the tantric sub-traditions sought nondual knowledge and enlightening liberation by abandoning all rituals, and with the help of reasoning ( yuktih), scriptures ( sastras) and the initiating Guru. Kashmir Shaivism [ ]. A 3rd century Nandi statue from Kashmir. Is an influential tradition within Shaivism that emerged in Kashmir in the 1st millennium CE and thrived in early centuries of the 2nd millennium before the region was overwhelmed by the Islamic invasions from the region.

The Kashmir Shaivism traditions became nearly extinct except for their preservation by Kashmiri Pandits. Kashmir Shaivism has been a nondualistic school, and is distinct from the dualistic Shaiva Siddhānta tradition that also existed in medieval Kashmir. A notable philosophy of monistic Kashmiri Shaivism has been the ideas, particularly those by the 10th century scholar and 11th century and.

Their extensive texts established the Shaiva theology and philosophy in an () framework. The Siva Sutras of 9th century and his ideas about Spanda have also been influential to this and other Shaiva sub-traditions, but it is probable that much older Shaiva texts once existed. A notable feature of Kashmir Shaivism was its openness and integration of ideas from, and Vajrayana. For example, one sub-tradition of Kashmir Shaivism adopts Goddess worship (Shaktism) by stating that the approach to god Shiva is through goddess Shakti. This tradition combined monistic ideas with tantric practices. Another idea of this school was Trika, or modal triads of Shakti and cosmology as developed by Somananda in early 10th century.

Founded the Nath Shaiva monastic movement.: a Shaiva subtradition that emerged from a much older Siddha tradition based on. The Nath consider Shiva as 'Adinatha' or the first guru, and it has been a small but notable and influential movement in whose devotees were called 'Yogi or Jogi', given their monastic unconventional ways and emphasis on Yoga.

Nath theology integrated philosophy from and traditions. Download Overlay. Their unconventional ways challenged all orthodox premises, exploring dark and shunned practices of society as a means to understanding theology and gaining inner powers. The tradition traces itself to 9th or 10th century and to ideas and organization developed.

They combined both theistic practices such as worshipping goddesses and their historic in temples, as well monistic goals of achieving liberation or while alive, by reaching the perfect ( siddha) state of realizing oneness of self and everything with Shiva. They formed monastic organisations, and some of them metamorphosed into warrior ascetics to resist persecution during the Islamic rule of the Indian subcontinent. Lingayatism [ ].

A necklace with pendant containing linga symbol of Shiva are worn by Lingayats., also known as Vira Shaivism: is a distinct Shaivite religious tradition in. It was founded by the 12th-century philosopher and statesman and spread by his followers, called. Lingayatism emphasizes and (loving devotion) to Shiva, with philosophical foundations similar to those of the 11th–12th-century South Indian philosopher. Its worship is notable for the iconographic form of Ishtalinga, which the adherents wear. Large communities of Lingayats are found in the south Indian state of Karnataka and nearby regions. Lingayatism has its own theological literature with sophisticated theoretical sub-traditions. They were influential in the Hindu that reversed the territorial gains of Muslim rulers, after the invasions of the Deccan region first by and later other Sultanates.

Langayats consider their scripture to be, which was completed in 1369 during the reign of Vijayanagara ruler. Lingayat (Veerashaiva) thinkers rejected the custodial hold of Brahmins over the and the, but they did not outright reject the Vedic knowledge. The 13th-century Telugu Virashaiva poet, the author of the scripture of Lingayatism, for example asserted, 'Virashaivism fully conformed to the and the shastras.' Demography [ ] There is no census data available on demographic history or trends for Shaivism or other traditions within Hinduism. Estimates vary on the relative number of adherents in Shaivism compared to other traditions of Hinduism. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, the Shaivism tradition is the second largest group with 252 million or 26.6% of Hindus.

In contrast, according to Jones and Ryan, Shaivism is the largest tradition of Hinduism. Shaivism and Buddhism have co-developed in many regions. Above a syncretic image of Yoni-Linga with four reliefs of the in a Vajrayana temple. According to Galvin Flood, that Shaivism and Shaktism traditions are difficult to separate, as many Shaiva Hindus revere the goddess Shakti regularly.

The denominations of Hinduism, states Julius Lipner, are unlike those found in major religions of the world, because Hindu denominations are fuzzy with individuals revering gods and goddesses, with many Shaiva and Vaishnava adherents recognizing Sri (Lakshmi), Parvati, Saraswati and other aspects of the goddess Devi. Similarly, Shakta Hindus revere Shiva and goddesses such as Parvati (such as Durga, Radha, Sita and others) and Saraswati important in Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions. Influence [ ] Shiva is a pan-Hindu god and Shaivism ideas on and as the god of performance arts () have been influential on all traditions of Hinduism. Shaivism was highly influential in southeast Asia from the late 6th century onwards, particularly the Khmer and Cham kingdoms of Indo-China, and across the major islands of Indonesia such as Sumatra, Java and Bali.

This influence on classical, and continued when Mahayana Buddhism arrived with the same Indians. In Shaivism of Indonesia, the popular name for Shiva has been Bhattara Guru, which is derived from Sanskrit Bhattaraka which means “noble lord'.

He is conceptualized as a kind spiritual teacher, the first of all in Indonesian Hindu texts, mirroring the Dakshinamurti aspect of Shiva in the Indian subcontinent. However, the Bhattara Guru has more aspects than the Indian Shiva, as the Indonesian Hindus blended their spirits and heroes with him.

Bhattara Guru's wife in southeast Asia is the same Hindu deity Durga, who has been popular since ancient times, and she too has a complex character with benevolent and fierce manifestations, each visualized with different names such as Uma, Sri, Kali and others. Shiva has been called Sadasiva, Paramasiva, Mahadeva in benevolent forms, and Kala, Bhairava, Mahakala in his fierce forms.

The Indonesian Hindu texts present the same philosophical diversity of Shaivism traditions found on the subcontinent. However, among the texts that have survived into the contemporary era, the more common are of those of Shaiva Siddhanta (locally also called Siwa Siddhanta, Sridanta). As ideas spread in the south India, Shaivite devotionalism became a potent movement in and. Shaivism was adopted by several ruling Hindu dynasties as the state religion (though other Hindu traditions, Buddhism and Jainism continued in parallel), including the and the.

A similar trend was witnessed in early medieval Indonesia with the empire and pre-Islamic. In the Himalayan Hindu kingdom of Nepal, Shaivism remained a popular form of Hinduism and co-evolved with Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. A seated Ardhanarishvara symbolically presenting the feminine Shakti as inseparable part of masculine Shiva. Shaktism [ ] The goddess tradition of Hinduism called is closely related to Shaivism. In many regions of India, not only did the ideas of Shaivism influence the evolution of Shaktism, Shaivism itself got influenced by it and progressively subsumed the reverence for the divine feminine (Devi) as an equal and essential partner of divine masculine (Shiva).

The goddess Shakti in eastern states of India is considered as the inseparable partner of god Shiva. According to Galvin Flood, the closeness between Shaivism and Shaktism traditions is such that these traditions of Hinduism are at times difficult to separate.

Some Shaiva worship in Shiva and Shakti temples. Smarta Tradition [ ] Shiva is a part of the, sometimes referred to as Smartism, another tradition of Hinduism. The Smarta Hindus are associated with the theology, and their practices include an interim step that incorporates simultaneous reverence for five deities, which includes Shiva along with Vishnu, Surya, Devi and Ganesha. This is called the.

The Smartas thus accept the primary deity of Shaivism as a means to their spiritual goals. Philosophically, the Smarta tradition emphasizes that all idols () are icons of saguna, a means to realizing the abstract Ultimate Reality called nirguna Brahman. The five or six icons are seen by as multiple representations of the one (i.e., a personal God with form), rather than as distinct beings. The ultimate goal in this practice is to transition past the use of icons, then follow a philosophical and meditative path to understanding the oneness of Atman (soul, self) and Brahman (metaphysical reality) – as 'That art Thou'. Panchayatana puja that incorporates Shiva became popular in medieval India and is attributed to 8th century, but archaeological evidence suggests that this practice long predates the birth of Adi Shankara.

Many Panchayatana mandalas and temples have been uncovered that are from the period, and one Panchayatana set from the village of Nand (about 24 kilometers from ) has been dated to belong to the era (pre-300 CE). According to James Harle, major Hindu temples from 1st millennium CE commonly embedded the pancayatana architecture, from to to. Large temples often present multiple deities in the same temple complex, while some explicitly include fusion deities such as (half Shiva, half Vishnu). Vaishnavism [ ]. Shaivism iconography in, at river site.

As in India, the site also co-features Vaishnavism-related iconography. Vaishnava texts reverentially mention Shiva. For example, the primarily focuses on the theology of Hindu god and his such as, but it praises and Shiva and asserts that they are one with Vishnu. The Vishnu Sahasranama in the Mahabharata list a thousand attributes and epithets of Vishnu. The list identifies Shiva with Vishnu. Reverential inclusion of Shaiva ideas and iconography are very common in major Vaishnava temples, such as Dakshinamurti symbolism of Shaiva thought is often enshrined on the southern wall of the main temple of major Vaishnava temples in peninsular India.

Temples in and outside the Indian subcontinent have historically combined Shiva and Vishnu, such as at the Lingaraj Mahaprabhu temple in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. According to Julius Lipner, Vaishnavism traditions such as embrace Shiva, Ganesha and others, not as distinct deities of polytheism, but as polymorphic manifestation of the same supreme divine principle, providing the devotee a polycentric access to the spiritual. Similarly, Shaiva traditions have reverentially embraced other gods and goddesses as manifestation of the same divine. The, for example in section 6.254.100 states, 'He who is Shiva is Vishnu, he who is Vishnu is Sadashiva'. Sauraism (Sun deity) [ ] The sun god called is an ancient deity of Hinduism, and several ancient Hindu kingdoms particularly in the northwest and eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent revered Surya.

These devotees called Sauras once had a large corpus of theological texts, and Shaivism literature reverentially acknowledges these. For example, the Shaiva text Srikanthiyasamhita mentions eighty five Saura texts, almost all of which are believed to have been lost during the Indo-Islamic invasion and rule period, except for large excerpts found embedded in Shaiva manuscripts discovered in the Himalayan mountains. Shaivism incorporated Saura ideas, and the surviving Saura manuscripts such as Saurasamhita acknowledge the influence of Shaivism, according to Alexis Sanderson, assigning 'itself to the canon of Shaiva text Vathula-Kalottara. Yoga movements [ ].

Many Shaiva temples present Shiva in yoga pose. Yoga and meditation has been an integral part of Shaivism, and it has been a major innovator of techniques such as those of Hatha Yoga. Many major Shiva temples and Shaiva tritha (pilgrimage) centers depict anthropomorphic iconography of Shiva as a giant statue wherein Shiva is a loner yogi meditating, as do Shaiva texts. In several Shaiva traditions such as the Kashmir Shaivism, anyone who seeks personal understanding and spiritual growth has been called a. The Shiva (aphorisms) of Shaivism teach yoga in many forms. According to Mark Dyczkowski, yoga – which literally means 'union' – to this tradition has meant the 'realisation of our true inherent nature which is inherently greater than our thoughts can ever conceive', and that the goal of yoga is to be the 'free, eternal, blissful, perfect, infinite spiritually conscious' one is. Many Yoga-emphasizing Shaiva traditions emerged in medieval India, who refined yoga methods such as by introducing techniques.

One such movement had been the Yogis, a Shaivism sub-tradition that integrated philosophy from and traditions. It was founded by and further developed. The texts of these Yoga emphasizing Hindu traditions present their ideas in Shaiva context. Dancing Shiva Nataraja at the 6th century Badami cave temples. Hindu performance arts [ ] Shiva is the lord of dance and dramatic arts in Hinduism. This is celebrated in Shaiva temples as, which typically shows Shiva dancing in one of the poses in the ancient Hindu text on performance arts called the.

Dancing Shiva as a metaphor for celebrating life and arts is very common in ancient and medieval Hindu temples. For example, it is found in,,, and others. The Shaiva link to the performance arts is celebrated in such as and. Buddhism [ ] Buddhism and Shaivism have interacted and influenced each other since ancient times, in both South Asia and Southeast Asia. Their Siddhas and esoteric traditions, in particular, have overlapped to an extent where Buddhists and Hindus would worship in the same temple such as in the. In southeast Asia, the two traditions were not presented in competitive or polemical terms, rather as two alternate paths that lead to the same goals of liberation, with theologians disagreeing which of these is faster and simpler. Scholars disagree whether a syncretic tradition emerged from Buddhism and Shaivism, or it was a coalition with free borrowing of ideas, but they agree that the two traditions co-existed peacefully.

The earliest evidence of a close relationship between Shaivism and Buddhism comes from the archaeological sites and damaged sculptures from the northwest Indian subcontinent, such as Gandhara. These are dated to about the 1st-century CE, with Shiva depicted in Buddhist arts.

The Buddhist Avalokiteshvara is linked to Shiva in many of these arts, but in others Shiva is linked to Bodhisattva Maitreya with he shown as carrying his own water pot like Vedic priests. According to Richard Blurton, the ancient works show that the Bodhisattva of Compassion in Buddhism has many features in common with Shiva in Shaivism. The Shaiva Hindu and Buddhist syncretism continues in the contemporary era in the island of Bali, Indonesia. In Central Asian Buddhism, and its historic arts, syncretism and a shared expression of Shaivism, Buddhism and Tantra themes has been common.

The syncretism between Buddhism and Shaivism was particularly marked in southeast Asia, but this was not unique, rather it was a common phenomenon also observed in the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, the south and the Himalayan regions. This tradition continues in predominantly Hindu Bali Indonesia in the modern era, where Buddha is considered the younger brother of Shiva. In the pre-Islamic Java, Shaivism and Buddhism were considered very close and allied religions, though not identical religions. This idea is also found in the sculptures and temples in the eastern states of India and the Himalayan region. For example, Hindu temples in these regions show (half Shiva, half Vishnu) flanked by a standing on its right and a standing (Hindu Sun god) on left. On major festivals of Bali Hindus, such as the – a 'festival of silence', the observations are officiated by both Buddhist and Shaiva priests. Jainism [ ] Jainism co-existed with Shaiva culture since ancient times, particularly in western and southern India where it received royal support from Hindu kings of Chaulukya, Ganga and Rashtrakuta dynasties.

In late 1st millennium CE, Jainism too developed a Shaiva-like tantric ritual culture with Mantra-goddesses. These Jain rituals were aimed at mundane benefits using japas (mantra recitation) and making offerings into fire. According to Alexis Sanderson, the link and development of Shaiva goddesses into Jaina goddess is more transparent than a similar connection between Shaivism and Buddhism. The 11th-century Jain text ‘’Bhairavapadmavatikalpa’’, for example, equates Padmavati of Jainism with Tripura-bhairavi of Shaivism and Shaktism.

Among the major goddesses of Jainism that are rooted in Hindu pantheon, particularly Shaiva, include Lakshmi and Vagishvari (Sarasvati) of the higher world in Jain cosmology, Vidyadevis of the middle world, and Yakshis such as Ambika, Cakreshvari, Padmavati and Jvalamalini of the lower world according to Jainism. Shaiva-Shakti iconography is found in major Jain temples. For example, the Osian temple of Jainism near Jodhpur features Chamunda, Durga, Sitala and a naked Bhairava. While Shaiva and Jain practices had considerable overlap, the interaction between Jain community and Shaiva community differed on the acceptance of ritual animal sacrifices before goddesses.

Jain remained strictly vegetarian and avoided animal sacrifice, while Shaiva accepted the practice. Temples and pilgrimage [ ]. • Along with,, and • Kapalikas are alleged to smear their body with ashes from the cremation ground, revered the fierce Bhairava form of Shiva, engage in rituals with blood, meat, alcohol, and sexual fluids. However, states David Lorenzen, there is a paucity of primary sources on Kapalikas, and historical information about them is available from fictional works and other traditions who disparage them. • The Dunhuang caves in north China built from 4th century onwards are predominantly about the Buddha, but some caves show the meditating Buddha with Hindu deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha and Indra. • There is an overlap in this approach with those found in non-puranic tantric rituals. • Pashupatas have both Vedic-Puranic and non-Puranic sub-traditions.

• Vasugupta is claimed by two (Monistic) Shaivism sub-traditions to be their spiritual founder. • For example. [It will] be impossible to accomplish one's functions unless one is a master of oneself. Therefore strive for self-mastery, seeking to win the way upwards. To have self-mastery is to be a yogin (yogitvam). 1-2] [.] Whatever reality he reaches through the Yoga whose sequence I have just explained, he realizes there a state of consciousness whose object is all that that pervades.

Leaving aside what remains outside he should use his vision to penetrate all [within]. Then once he has transcended all lower realities, he should seek the Shiva level. 51-53] [.] How can a person whose awareness is overwhelmed by sensual experience stabilize his mind? Answer: Shiva did not teach this discipline (sādhanam) for individuals who are not [already] disaffected.

For 3 free meditation given by Yogiraj, click here - Meet Yogiraj Live: Mahavatar Babaji 's Kriya Yoga Meditation and Kundalini Yoga Alchemy Visit Yogiraj's website to see his tour schedule and for lots of articles, and streaming radio interview, mantras, and exclusive video of him. *** Kriya Yoga is the alchemy of total transformation and the blessing of Mahavatar Babaji for speedy evolution of consciousness of humanity at large. The precious jewel of eternity and the nectar and elixir of life is being wasted in the desert sands of idleism.

Learn, become empowered and teach this divine technique to the spiritually parched souls of the Earth. Rachelle Ferrell Rachelle Ferrell 1992 Rare here. Become a server of Humanity. Humble your ego. May you be blessed by the Divine. *** Yogiraj is considered an illumined living master and solar seer, and helps sincere practitioners of yogic meditation awaken to higher levels of consciousness through chakra awakening/activation and esoteric practices of Himalayan yoga of Mahavatar Babaji. Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath was born on May 10, 1944 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.

He has been meditating since the age of 3, and spent his early years in the Himalayas amongst the HamsaNath yogis, in whose presence he was transformed. The divine transformation flowered after his deep and personal experiences in 1961 and 1967 with the yogi-christ Mahavatar Babaji (Shiv-Goraksha Babaji ), the same spiritual master described in Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. He has a wife of 30+ years, Gurumata Shivangani, with whom he built by hand the Hamsa Yoga Sangh Ashram (Spiritual Retreat) outside the city of Pune, near Bombay, India. They have two sons, and two grandchildren. Yogiraj teaches yogic meditation for the evolution of human consciousness. These perennial practices of yoga are the most ancient closely guarded sacred practices of the Himalayan yogis and masters from time immemorial. They help the practitioner gradually transform him/herself into the likeness of his/her own divinity.

This ancient art and science has been a way of life for rare yogis and ascetics of India and abroad who have sacrificed everything in the search for their own inner Truth, their inner Godessence. Today, Yogiraj demonstrates in his own life and livingness, that powerful spiritual practice can be integrated with family life and a career.

By the blessings of Babaji, Yogiraj teaches these techniques, which he collectively calls 'The Alchemy of Total Transformation' to sincere seekers throughout the world, who wish to integrate these practices into their daily life, without the necessity of giving up worldly pursuits. These techniques are called: 1. Mahavatar Babaji's Kriya Yoga (N.B., the exact same kundalini kriya originally given to Lahiri Mahasaya in the 19th century) 2. Siddhanath Surya Yoga - A dynamic osmosis of solar healing.

Pranic self-healing with solar power. Siddhanath Hamsa Yoga - The Way of the White Swan. If earth peace is to herald the dawn of the new age, let us all realize that: Humanity is one's only religion, Breath one's only prayer, and Consciousness one's only God.