Shiva Sutras 3.44 & 3.45 – This Universe exists only as congealed foam in the Ocean of Consciousness & The Conclusion

Shiva Sutra 3.44

Nasika-antarmadhya-samyamat, kimatra, savyapasavya-sau-sumnesu

Sutra 3.44 describes the difference between the enlightened yogi and ordinary people. The enlightened are always established “in the center of that internal consciousness and in the center of that central breath.” [SLJ]

“This person is established in, and glorified by, that supreme Samadhi where for him, there is no external state of dualistic consciousness.” [SLJ]

Differentiated perception has disappeared for the enlightened yogi. Everywhere he looks, he only sees the Oneness taking various appearances as waves forming and subsiding on the Ocean of consciousness. The feeling of separate ‘thing-ness’ has no reality. All objects and other sense perceptions are waveforms emerging and subsiding, contracting and expanding, coagulating and dissolving on the Ocean of consciousness.

Beneath all and every ‘appearance’ is the One, God consciousness, Parabhairava state. The enlightened move through the remaining days of life immersed in such awareness, in God consciousness, their real nature.

Vijnanabhairava 106: “Subjective knowledge (the subject, the knower) and objective knowledge (the objects, the known) are the same for all living beings, except there is one difference for yogis. In both ways of knowing, yogis always remain aware.”

Shiva Sutra 3.45

Bhuyah syatpratimilanam

“This yogi simultaneously and repeatedly experiences the revealing state and the concealing state of the objective world.” [SLJ]

We were never anything other than God consciousness. Beneath all temporal ‘appearances’ of differentiated perception, there is nothing that is not God consciousness. The enlightened ones return to their Real state of being, their own nature, that which we have always been. So this return feels familiar. God consciousness is not ‘fresh or new’ for the fortunate yogi.

The whole world enters into his own nature and he experiences the world as if it has risen inside him. He experiences the ‘concealing’ aspect of his own nature. Then he experiences the ‘revealing’ aspect of his own God consciousness and the world “again merges in his own self. And this happens over and over again, not once, not twice, but repeatedly.” [SLJ]

Perhaps as the enlightened walk and talk in an ordinary way, they are actually experiencing the emergence and subsiding of the externally manifest world. However for them the experience of the two, the concealing and revealing of the objective world, is simultaneous. Even though they are in their physical body, in consciousness they are out of the reach of Time.

In Svacchanda Tantra 10.371, the yogi’s state is compared to fire. Just as the fire which “has risen from wood, has become absolutely pure, filled with glamour and shining with flames” does not again enter into the wood, so the liberated yogi does not fall back into differentiated perception. [SLJ]

We are Home!

Conclusion by Kshemaraja

This commentary on the Shiva Sutras is the work of Kshemaraja, the student of Abhinavagupta. In his conclusion, Kshemaraja says that he has written his commentary for the “sake of destroying the differentiated perception of this universe.”

Kshemaraja says that his commentary has “the power to generate curiosity to realize Shaivism in the minds that have no curiosity.” The study of this text will expand and generate great change in our intellect. “By merely tasting this nectar, the fear of birth, old age, and death is removed.”

When “that rare soul realizes that this universe is only existing as congealed foam in the ocean of nectar of universal consciousness, then he has become one with Lord Shiva (the Oneness).”

The Shiva Sutras will “cause you to quickly overcome differentiate universal perception.”

I agree!

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Swami Lakshmanjoo

http://www.universalshaivafellowship.org/

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Swami Lakshmanjoo: Shiva Sutras, The Supreme Awakening, With the Commentary of Kshemaraja, Revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo, and edited by John Hughes; Universal Shaiva Fellowship, 2002.

Jaideva Singh: Siva Sutras, The Yoga of Supreme Identity, Text of the Sutras and the Commentary Vimarsini of Kshemaraja Translated into English with Introduction, Notes, Running Exposition, Glossary and Index; Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi, 1979 and reprints.

Vijnana Bhairava, The Manual for Self Realization, Revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo, edited by John Hughes; Universal Shaiva Fellowship, 2007.