I thought it might be interesting to discuss the Shiva sutras and what they state and imply relative to approach and what is possible. The sutras are sort of naturally broken into three sections and paths relative to one's "potential". I thought we might start with the "highest" one and see what everyone thought...
3.1. ātmā cittam
Individual being is the mind entangled in the wheel of repeated birth and death.
3.2. jñānaṁ bandhaḥ
(For this limited individual), all knowledge is bondage.
3.3. kalādīnāṁ tattvānāmaviveko māyā
Being unable to possess the undifferentiated knowledge of the thirty-one elements, you live in those elements, from kalā to pṛithvī (earth), which are the expansion of the energy of illusion (māyā śakti).
3.4. śarīre saṁhāraḥ kalānām
You must make all the circles (kalās) in your body enter one into the other from gross to subtle.
3.5. nāḍīsaṁhāra-bhūtajaya-bhūtakaivalya-
bhūtapṛithaktvāni
The merging of the movements of breathing, controlling the gross elements, diverting attention from all objective senses and directing it towards the center of the movement of the breath, and removing your consciousness from the grip of the elementary field, …
3.6. mohāvaraṇātsiddhih
… these powers are brought into existence when a yogi’s consciousness is covered by the energy of illusion (māyā).
3.7. mohajayād anantābhogāt sahajavidyājayaḥ
After conquering the field of illusion (māyā) by destroying its many impressions, one attains the victory of the pure knowledge of consciousness.
3.8. jāgratdvitīyakarah
The waking state is another formation of his real nature of consciousness.
3.9. nartaka ātmā
The dancer in this field of universal dance is his self of universal consciousness.
3.10. raṅgo’ntarātmā
The player is the internal soul.
3.11. prekṣakāṇīndriyāṇi
His own organs are spectators.
3.12. dhīvaśātsattvasiddhiḥ
By means of a supreme intellect filled with awareness of the self, this yogī experiences that he is actually acting.
3.13. siddhaḥ svatantrabhāvaḥ
The state of absolute independence is already achieved.
3.14. yathā tatra tathānyatra
This (absolute independence) is the same in the external world as it was in samādhi.
3.15. bījāvadhānam
Maintain breakless awareness on that supreme energy which is the seed of the universe.
3.16. āsanasthaḥ sukhaṁ hrade nimajjati
Seated in that real posture, he effortlessly dives in the ocean of nectar.
3.17. svamātrānirmāṇamāpādayati
Experiencing that this objective world is the product of his subjective consciousness, he can create anything he desires.
3.18. vidyā ‘vināśe janmavināśaḥ
When his knowledge of the Self is permanently established, then birth (and death) are gone forever.
3.19. kavargādiṣu māheśvaryādyāḥ paśumātaraḥ
In the world of letters, words and sentences, the eight energies of the Lord, who are the mothers of beasts (take control and hold him).
3.20. triṣu caturthaṁ tailavadāsecyam
The fourth state (turya) must be expanded like oil so that it pervades the other three: waking, dreaming and deep sleep.
3.21. magnaḥ svacittena praviśet
The yogī who is merged in his self must enter completely with his mind filled with great awareness.
3.22. prāṇasamācāre samadarśanam
When his breath begins to slowly move out toward the external state, then he also experiences the pervasion of God consciousness there.
3.23. madhye ‘varaprasavaḥ
He does not experience the state of God consciousness in the center of these three states.
3.24. mātrāsvapratyayasaṁdhāne naṣṭasya punarutthānam
When a yogī, in coming out from samādhi, also attempts to maintain awareness of God consciousness in the objective world, then, even though his real nature of self is destroyed by the inferior generation of self-consciousness, he again rises in that supreme nature of the self.
3.25. śivatulyo jāyate
He becomes just like Śiva.
3.26. śarīravṛittirvratam
His virtuous behavior is the maintenance of his body.
3.27. kathā japaḥ
Ordinary talk of life is the recitation of mantra.
3.28. dānamātmajñānam
His only purpose for remaining in his body is to impart knowledge to others.
3.29. yo’vipastho jñāhetuśca
The one who rules the wheel of energies becomes the cause of inserting knowledge in others.
3.30. śvaśaktipracayo’sya viśvam
For him, this universe is the embodiment of his collective energies.
3.31. sthitilayau
This universe is the expansion of his energy in objective impressions and in the dissolution of those impressions.
3.32. tatpravṛittāvapyanirāsaḥ saṁvettṛibhāvāt
Although he is determined in creating, protecting and destroying the universe, even then he is not separated from the real state of his subjectivity.
3.33. sukhaduḥkhayorbahirmananam
He experiences his joy and his sadness just like an object, with “this-consciousness” separate from his being.
3.34. tadvimuktastu kevalī
Separated from pleasure and pain, he is established in real seclusion.
3.35. mohapratisaṁhatastu karmātmā
The yogī whose God consciousness is destroyed by this state of illusion is dependent on his action.
3.36. bhedatiraskāre sargāntarakarmatvam
He drives away the field of differentiated perceptions and enters into a new world of God consciousness.
3.37. karaṇa śaktiḥ svato’nubhavāt
The power of creation is the experience of every individual.
3.38. tripadādyanuprāṇanam
Emerging from turya, insert the absolute bliss of that state into the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states and they will become one with that state of turya.
3.39. citta sthitivaccharīra karaṇabāhyeṣu
This awareness of God consciousness should not only be infused in that state where one’s mind is established in one-pointedness but it should also be infused in the establishment of his body, in his organic actions and in the external objective world.
3.40. abhilāṣādbahirgatiḥ saṁvāhyasya
Due to the insatiable and insistent desire to fill the gap (in his nature), his flow and movement are toward the objective world, not subjective consciousness, and so he is carried from one birth to another.
3.41. tadārūḍhapramitestatkṣayājjīva saṁkṣayaḥ
All desire vanishes in that fortunate person whose consciousness is established in his own real nature. For him the state of being a limited individual has ended.
3.42. bhūtakañcukī tadā vimukto bhūyaḥ patisamaḥ paraḥ
For him, the five elements are only coverings. At that very moment, he is absolutely liberated, supreme and just like Śiva.
The text raises many interesting thoughts and ramifications. Implying in 3.29 that one can "insert knowledge" in others. And things like the universe is his energies in 3.31. Also, he becomes just like God/Siva in 3.25.
Any thoughts?
