Take a photo of a barcode or cover
sauris 's review for:
Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme
by Lakshmanjoo
My first introduction to Kashmir Shaivism was through Swami Sarvapriyananda in a discussion with a Shaivism scholar about its differences from Advaita Vedanta. I picked this up because, while I understand that both traditions are similar and effective in their paths toward realization and their metaphysics differ only slightly, I wanted to see if one tradition could be considered superior to the other. I think there's nothing more counterproductive than getting caught up in these distinctions because all paths lead to the same Truth and are just different ways of saying the same thing. So it's really just a preference at the end of the day. Advaita focuses more on jnana and negation, while I found Kashmir Shaivism to be more life-affirming (though I believe the logical conclusion of Advaita is also life-affirming, not renunciatory at all) and focuses more on kriya, tantra, along with jnana, making it more experiential and potentially more appealing.
Most of my understanding of Advaita comes from metaphors and parables like the Ashtavakra Gita, which I found easier to grasp. However, this proved to be very helpful in understanding both traditions. It builds its metaphysical framework systematically, with each chapter logically leading to the next in a straightforward way. It's an excellent starting point.
Most of my understanding of Advaita comes from metaphors and parables like the Ashtavakra Gita, which I found easier to grasp. However, this proved to be very helpful in understanding both traditions. It builds its metaphysical framework systematically, with each chapter logically leading to the next in a straightforward way. It's an excellent starting point.