The Reality Sutras: Seeking the Heart of Trika Shaivism

by Shambhavi Sarasvati

37 sutras about the nature of the self and waking upThe Reality Sutras is a handbook of teachings about the nature of the self and reality from the perspective of Trika Shaivism. Trika Shaivism, also known as Shaiva Tantra and Kashmir Shaivism, is a direct realization tradition from Northwest India. It shares with Dzogchen, Daoism, and Chan Buddhism an emphasis on direct, embodied experience and on uncontrived naturalness as the fruit of spiritual practice.The Reality Sutras is a traditionally structured offering with short, sutra-style teachings followed by commentary. The sutras are intended to inform, to guide, and to serve as a source of contemplative material for practitioners.

Genres: Hinduism

132 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2018

About the author

Shambhavi is the spiritual director of Jaya Kula. She emphasizes the more explicitly devotional teachings and practices of Trika Shaivism and Dzogchen and direct knowing through encounters with the wisdom of the heart. She is also known for making complex teachings about the nature of the self and reality understandable, practical, and always relatable to everyday experience. Her teachings are grounded in her more than thirty-five years of personal practice and personal retreats.

Shambhavi holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Mills College and a Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University. She is the author of six books about spiritual life and practice.

SHAMBHAVI’S BOOKS
Shambhavi is the author of Nine Poisons, Nine Medicines, Nine Fruits (2017), Tantra: the Play of Awakening (2012), Pilgrims to Opennness: Direct Realization Tantra in Everyday Life (2009), Returning (2015), and No Retreat: Poems on the Way to Waking Up (2016). In addition, she published an academic book, Avatar Bodies: a Tantra for Posthumanism.

Reviews

[Nimish · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Trika Shaivism, the spiritual path is a loop — you already are where you want to be, you just have to learn that. Sounds great in theory but how can you get that idea across? What does that mean? What does that translate out to in a day-to-day experience of the world?

That’s basically what this book shows…how it actually feels holding those views and understanding. What a great title for that as well.

[Mark Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise and effective give teaching of Trika Shaivism

This is a beautifully and concise book written about this amazing school of tantra. Shambhavi distills the practice and View with approachable clarity and accessible wisdom. This has so e so much to deepen my practice🙏