Methods of Contemplation

Six Verses to Vishnu from the appendices of Śri Adi Shankaracharya's Atma Bodha.

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The Vijñānabhairava Tantra is a compendium of spiritual prompts to enter a state of complete absorption in the Absolute, while yet remaining with the power of creativity and fecundity. If any text could be synonymous with Methods of Contemplation, it's this one.

In the text, the primordial Goddess Bhairavi asks Bhairava, who is none other than her very Self - how to untangle the myriad of paths and admonitions of the tantras.

He responds by giving pointed instructions to winnow away the extroversion of the mind: complex ones, simple ones, ones you might already do.

The point being -

Reality itself is the door to Reality.

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In the spiritual process of recognition, because what we recognize is none other than our very Self, we re-cognize what we already have

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The Flight of the Garuda explores the essence of the Buddhist path of Dzogchen or the Great Perfection, revealing insights into the nature of mind, the illusory nature of existence, and the methods for transcending suffering.

The teachings are imbued with profound compassion and offer practical guidance for cultivating awareness, developing wisdom, and transforming one's perception of the world.

The text weaves together a rich tapestry of allegorical stories, metaphors, and teachings, all centered around the metaphor of the Garuda—a mythological bird known for its ability to soar fearlessly through the sky.

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The Song of the Goddess is a text dear to my heart.

Combining the piercing lucidity of Advaita Vedanta, with the Goddess centered devotion of the Śakta tantra traditions, the Devī Gita expounds on the nature of Brahman in a style reminiscent of the greater known Bhagavad Gita.

"The knot of the heart is itself untied when that Self is seen."

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Soundarya Lahari, or the Waves of Bliss is a poetic text of worship to the primordial Śakti or Goddess of the power of consciousness. Attributed to Adi Śankara, the towering giant of Advaita Vedanta, the text describes in vivid theological detail the nature of this supreme Goddess.

Contesting authorship aside, how could a proponent of uncompromising non-duality compose a devotional work like this? If reality is not-two, who is to be worshipped? And who is there to worship it?

This is only a question that can be answered from the perspective of the jivanmukta, the free while living. Before enlightenment, duality ensnares us in the mires of suffering.

But after liberation, duality conceived for the sake of love is even more sublime than non-duality.

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Another text of meditation, the Ribhu Gita is uncompromising in its repetition and its subtlety.

Forming the sixth section of the Siva Rahasyam, it is the instruction of Śiva in Mount Kailas to His devotee Ribhu.

In this chapter, the often overlooked and frequently misinterpreted epithet of Bliss or Ānanda is turned over and over, revealing its many-faceted nature like a gem dazzling in the light.

With each verse, the teaching becomes thinner and thinner, until it disappears completely.

Taking you with it.

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The Ashtavakra Gita is what is referred to as a nididhyāsana text in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta.

After hearing the truth from the mouth of a living teacher, and meditating on it by reading introductory texts and removing doubts, the seeker of liberation then rests in the experiential realization they have gained through continual and effortless meditation.

Texts like this one facilitate that meditation by providing prompts for sinking deeply into the ocean of contemplation that is our own self-knowledge.

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Atma Darshan, or the View of the Self is a lesser known text by the saint Śri Atmananda Krishnamenon.

Though his teachings long remained secret, he spoke very openly to anyone who desired to know their own self nature. A beacon of lucidity and subtlety, Krishnamenon weaves through the common doubts that we all have regarding who we truly are - pointing us to the freedom from seeking offered by the direct path of knowledge.

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Vivekachudamani, or the Crest Jewel of Discrimination, is what is referred to as a prakārana text. Meant to be a workbook for the diligent student of the yoga of Knowledge, it acts as a bridge between the guru and shishya.

This bridge is what enables the longing of the student for freedom and the devotion of the free to compassion to meet in the beautiful dance of being and becoming.

This dance itself leads to the end of all doubt.

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