Since the beginning of time there are philosophies that have come and gone. However, one philosophy or way of life is the Kashmir Shaivism. It is a very popular philosophy. In this article we will discuss about the basic philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism.

It originally developed between the eighth and twelfth centuries the Christian era. It is a more realistic and logical way of life. This approach to life is pragmatic and explains the very essence of life. Lord Shiva is the prime controller of tantras in Indian mythology. It is said that he has five mouths these also represent the five basic energies and elements that the universe is made up of. When these five elements combine they create the sixty four Bhairavtantras. This approach is basically explained in the Kashmir Shaivism that we are now going to discuss the same in details now. This is also known as Tarika philosophy.

The various pioneers and followers of Kashmir Shaivism are as mentioned below. Acharya Abhinavagupta was a great scholar and Shaiva teacher. He had a great number of followers in the Kashmir region and his teachings kept inspiring his followers. His decedents have continued to preach his teachings. Utpaladeva was another very popular saint under Kashmir Shaivism. He too lived in Srinagar. Very little tough is known about him. He was a married man and had a family. However, he still did a lot to promote the philosophies of Kashmir Shaivism during his life time. He was a highly intellectual being and had written many books that are still regarded very highly.

Lal ded was a very renowned poet. Her poems are still a part of Kashmiri culture.  She was considered as an Avatar, a saint and a woman of great power. She had many followers at her time. The locals called her Mother Lalla. She was married at an early age. Her mother in law would treat her very badly. This is exactly why she finally got so tired of the worldly life that she decided to leave everything and become a preacher. She became a follower of Sidh Sarikanth. She excelled him in spirituality. She was a great follower of Lord Shiva. Her teachings mostly taught people to love and respect each other. She would be nude all the time as a significance of the fact that she had renowned worldly pleasures. Some people respected her for this where as others insulted her. However, the vakyas that she had recited are now a part of Kashmir’s folklore. The idioms and proverbs that people use are still very highly inspired by what she would teach. She is also known as the mira bai of Kashmir.

The next prominent leader of Kashmir Shaivism that we are going to discuss now is Rupa Bhawani. She too is considered as a mystic saint.  Her poetries made the Kashmiri culture and literature more rich and deep. Her poetries were of universal approach and are still considered as very powerful. It is said that her father was a great devotee of goddess Durga. She was very happy with his worship and prayers and said that she will come as his daughter.

This is why Rupa Bhawani is considered as goddess Durga herself. Her life was filled with stories of miracles and impossible incidents. Her father got her married but her in laws were very rude to her. Her husband even suspected her fidelity. She was so upset with all this that she finally decided to leave the house and follow religion. She did deep spiritual practice and was later considered as Bhavani. She was considered as a very strong power and had a lot of followers. Her brother had a son named Bal. He was illiterate. Her brother requested her to teach his son. She gave the lad a paper and pen.

Astonishingly he started to write each and every word that she would say. He was the one who had recorded her spiritual teachings also called vakhs. These are now an integral part of Kashmir Shaivism. When she died the devotees could not trace her body after a while. Only her locks were found these are still worshipped. Bhagwan Gopinathji and Krishna Joo Razdan are also some prominent leaders of Kashmir Shaivism. They too made significant contribution to this philosophy of life. Their teachings are still followed. Razdan’s poetries’ are of very high quality. Bhagwan Gopinathji was considered as god himself as he would attain a define self and reply to the queries of his followers and later come back to his original self. They both preached universal brotherhood and peace to their followers.

Kashmir Shaivism tells its followers to make their mind absolutely free of all thoughts. When the mind is empty and deprived of all thoughts, which is exactly the point when one can attain peace and spirituality. By doing this one can move from individual consciousness to universal consciousness. You can feel the supreme power. The way of attaining this is high level of meditation. All that you need to do is take samadhi or else meditate and concentrate your energies on a single point. You can also concentrate your attention on a single deity. There are different types of sadhna or meditation that you can do in order to attain this state of mind. It is a state when all your consciousness just ceases to exist. You can learn these by following the Guru and his teachings. This will help you to attain a lot of mental peace and happiness.

This is all that can be explained about Kashmir Shaivism. The philosophy is definitely an interesting one and holds a very significant place in our religion. This way of life can definitely give you a whole new approach of living life. The concept behind Kashmir Shaivism is quite simple. In case you want to learn more about this philosophy or you want to follow the same then do contact a well educated guru on the same. He is the only factor who can guide you and ensure that you attain divine peace.