Kashmir Shaivism

Kashmir Shaivism is a nondual Shaiva tradition that identifies consciousness with Shiva and understands the universe as the manifestation of Shiva’s dynamic power, Shakti.

Pratyabhijna: A Kashmir Shaiva philosophical school that teaches liberation as recognition of one’s identity with Shiva. It gives the tradition’s central account of liberation as recognizing consciousness already present as Shiva.
Shaktipat: The transmission of spiritual power from a teacher or deity to a practitioner. Kashmir Shaiva texts describe grace as awakening the recognition that practice seeks.
Vasugupta: A ninth-century Shaiva teacher traditionally credited with revealing the Shiva Sutras. His attributed aphorisms became a foundational source for Kashmir Shaiva philosophy.
Advaita Vedanta: A nondual Vedanta school that identifies ultimate reality with Brahman and treats liberation as knowledge of that identity. Both are nondual, but Kashmir Shaivism affirms manifestation as Shiva’s real power rather than illusion.
Spanda: The doctrine that ultimate reality is dynamic, pulsing consciousness rather than inert being. It names the subtle dynamism through which Shiva manifests the world.
Upaya: A means or method of spiritual practice in Kashmir Shaivism. The four upayas classify paths to recognition according to the practitioner’s capacity.
Shiva Sutras: A concise collection of aphorisms central to the Trika tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. They provide a compact early statement of its path and view of consciousness.
Shaiva Siddhanta: A Shaiva tradition that distinguishes Lord, souls, and bonds while teaching liberation through Shiva’s grace. Its enduring distinction between Shiva and souls contrasts with Kashmir Shaivism’s nondual identity.
Shakti: The divine power through which reality acts, manifests, and transforms. Kashmir Shaivism treats Shakti as inseparable from Shiva and as the source of manifestation.
Shambhavopaya: A Kashmir Shaiva method centered on direct awareness and the will of Shiva. It is the most immediate of the tradition’s graded means to recognition.

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