Lakshman Joo

Swami
Lakshman Joo
Native name لکشمان جو رینا‬
Born Lakshman Raina
(1907-05-09)9 May 1907
Srinagar, Kashmir and Jammu, British Indian Empire (modern-day Srinagar district, Jammu and Kashmir, India)
Died (1991-09-27)27 September 1991
Srinagar, Srinagar district, Jammu and Kashmir, India
School Kashmiri Shaivam

Swami Lakshman Joo Raina (9 May 1907 – 27 September 1991) was a mystic and scholar of Kashmiri Shaivam or Trika. He was known as Lal Sahib ("Friend of God") by followers.[1]

Biography

Lakshman Joo was born in the city of Srinagar, which is in the Kashmir region. He was the fifth child in a household of four boys and five girls. His father, Narayandas ("Nav Narayan") Raina, was the first person to have introduced houseboats in the Kashmir Valley.[2] His mother's name was Arnyamali Raina.

He was introduced to the path of spirituality and to the principles of Kashmiri Shaivam by his family priest, Pandit Ram Joo, and later by his disciple Mehtab Kak. At the age of 20, it is said, he experienced self-realisation. Shortly afterwards he left home, as he wrote, "in search of the Supreme" and moved to the famous ashram of Sadhamalyun (Sadhuganga) in Handwara. Persuaded by his father to return to Srinagar, he continued to study Sanskrit and Shaiva philosophy under the guidance of a scholar named Maheshwar Razdan.

In 1934-35, he moved to an isolated place above the village of Gupta Ganga near Nishat suburb of Srinagar where his parents built him a house. This was a place where Abhinavagupta had lived nine centuries before. In 1962 he moved down the hill to a place closer to the famous Dal Lake a few hundred metres from the Nishat Gardens.

Around the age of 30 he travelled in India, spending time on a Bombay beach and a short time with Mahatma Gandhi at Sevagram and then with Aurobindo at Pondicherry. From there he found his way to Tiruvannamalai to meet Ramana Maharshi. There he spent some weeks and later commented; "I felt those golden days were indeed divine".

He returned to Kashmir and lived and taught there until his death in 1991, giving weekly lectures on the mystical and philosophical texts of Kashmir Shaivism. Many of these lectures were audio recorded by John Hughes and later published. Lakshman Joo's interpretation of Kashmir Shavism attracted the attention of a number of western Indologists, and his visitors included a number of Sanskrit scholars, such as Lilian Silburn, André Padoux, Jaideva Singh, Acharya Rameshwar Jha, Jankinath Kaul "Kamal", Gherardo Gnoli, Alexis Sanderson and Mark Dyczkowski. His teachings also influenced Paul Reps, whose rendering of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, later used by Osho, brought the meditation methods of his school to international prominence.

In 1991 he travelled to the United States and established the Universal Shaiva Fellowship where he designated John Hughes and his wife Denise to continue publishing his teachings of Kashmir Shaivism. In India the teachings of Lakshman Joo are carried on by a local organisation Ishwar Ashram Trust which was founded by him.[3][4]

Selected publications

  • 1933 – Gitartha Samgraha (Abhinavagupta's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita)
  • 1943 – Hindi translation of Sambpanchashika
  • 1958 – Sri Kramanayadipika (Hindi) on the 12 Kali-s
  • 1964 – Hindi translation of Utpaladeva's Shivastotravali
  • 1982 – Lectures on practice and discipline in Kashmir Shaivism
  • 1985 – Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme, edited by John Hughes (the essence of the first fifteen chapters of Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka)
  • 1986 – Hindi commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo on Abhinavagupta's Bhagavad Gitartha Samgraha
  • 1987 – Hindi translation of Panchastavi

Posthumously:

  • 1994 – Self Realization in Kashmir Shaivism, Oral Teachings of Swami Lakshman Joo, edited by John Hughes
  • 2002 – English translation of Shiva Sutras, edited by John Hughes
  • 2002 – Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta along with original audio recordings
  • 2005 – Revelations on Grace and Spiritual Practice, original audio and DVD recordings
  • 2006 – Trika Rahasya Prakriya, Sanskrit verses with Hindi commentary
  • 2007 – Vijnana Bhairava, original audio and transcript, introduction by John Hughes
  • 2009 – Bhagavad Gitartha Samgraha of Abhinavagupta (Revisited), Chapters 1–6, translated by Swami Lakshman Joo, DVD
  • 2013 – Bhagavad Gītā in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, Chapters 1-18, translated by Swami Lakshman Joo, DVD

Kashmir Shaivism – Library

Over a period of nineteen years John Hughes recorded Lakshman Joo's translations of the following texts. Transcripts of these lectures are maintained in the Universal Shaiva Fellowship library.

  • Bhagavad Gitartha Samgraha of Abhinavagupta, translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 28 Nov. 1978 to 3 June 80).
  • Bodhapancadashika of Abhinavagupta, translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 18 to 22 Oct 1980).
  • Dehastadevatacakra of Abhinavagupta, translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 25 Oct to 12 Nov 1980).
  • Interviews with Swami Lakshman Joo: Questions by John Hughes, Alexis Sanderson, Alice Christenson, original audio recordings (July 1974).
  • Janma Marana Vicara: translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, May 1975).
  • Kashmir Shaivism, The Secret Supreme (Lectures in English), Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 1972).
  • Kashmiri Lectures on Practice and Discipline, Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 1980).
  • Paramarthasara (Abhinavagupta’s commentary): Swami Lakshman Joo’s comments on John Hughes’ reading, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 26 April to 6 Sept 1972).
  • Parapraveshika of Kshemaraja: translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 12 to 15 Nov 1980).
  • Pratyabhijna Hridayam of Kshemaraja: Swami Lakshman Joo’s answers John Hughes questions: original audio recordings (Kashmir, 26 April 1972).
  • Paratrishika Laghuvritti of Abhinavagupta: translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 25 May 1974 to 6 July 1974)
  • Paratrishika Vivarana of Abhinavagupta, translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 26 May 1982 to 24 Aug 1985).
  • Revelations on Grace and Practice: A collection of Swami Lakshman Joo’s original audio recordings plus transcript, ed. John Hughes (USA, 9 May 2005).
  • Shivastotravali of Utpaladeva: translation by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, June 1976 to Sept 1978).
  • Shiva Sutra Vimarshini of Vasugupta: translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 7 June 1975).
  • Spanda Karika of Vasugupta: translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 5 Aug to 26 Aug 1981).
  • Spanda Samdoha of Kshemaraja: translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 29 Aug to 9 Oct 1981).
  • Special Verses on Practice Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Nepal, 1988).
  • Stavacintamani of Bhatta Narayana: translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 26 Nov 1980 to 17 July 1981).
  • Tantraloka of Abhinavagupta (Chapters 1–18): translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 1976 to 1981).
  • Vatulanath Sutras of Kshemaraja: Swami Lakshman joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 1975).
  • Vijnana Bhairava: translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, 1975).
  • Vijnana Bhairava Questions: Swami Lakshman Joo, original audio recordings (Kashmir, July 1985).

Audio recordings in Kashmiri language

  • Kalika Stotra of Shivanandanatha, Recitation by Swami Lakshman Joo and devotees (Kashmir, 1977).
  • Maharthamanjari of Maheshvarananda, translated by Swami Lakshman Joo (Kashmir, 1977).
  • Paratrishika Vivarana, translated by Swami Lakshman Joo (Kashmir, 1982–83).
  • Shiva Sutra Vimarshini of Vasugupta, translated by Swami Lakshman Joo (Kashmir, 1978).
  • Shiva Stotravali of Utpaladeva with Kshemaraja’s commentary, translated by Swami Lakshman Joo (Kashmir, 1975–85).
  • Stuti Kushmanjali, translated by Swami Lakshman Joo (Kashmir, 1977).
  • Tantraloka of Abhinavagupta (selected chapters), translated by Swami Lakshman Joo (Kashmir, 1975–85).

DVD recordings in English

  • Bhagavadgitarthasamgraha of Abhinavagupta, translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original video recordings (Nepal, 1990)
  • Paramarthasara of Abhinavagupta, translation and commentary by Swami Lakshman Joo, original video recording (Nepal, 1990)
  • Revelations on Grace and Spiritual Practice, Selections from translations and commentaries on Bhagavadgitarthasamgrah (video), Paramarthasara (video), and Tantraloka (audio). (Los Angeles, 2006)
  • Special Verses on Practice by Swami Lakshman Joo, original video recordings (Nepal, 1988).

References

  1. ↑ "Swami Lakshmanjoo". Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  2. ↑ Razdan, Vinayak (10 October 2010). "Search Kashmir - in bits and pieces". Origin of Kashmir. Search Kashmir. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Swami Lakshmanjoo's birth centenary". One India. 27 October 2006. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "International seminar on Kashmir Shaivism in Srinagar". Webindia123.com. 25 September 2006. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
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