See the explanation for Sri Vidya Sadhana on this website: http://srividyasadhana.com.
1 See Yogananda, from “The Yogi-Christ of Modern India,” in Autobiography of a Yogi. Known as the immortal yogi of the Himalayas, Babaji is said to be omniscient, revealing himself to those who long for his teachings in their visions, dreams, thoughts, and other subtle interactions.
2 See Goode, from Standing as Awareness: The Direct Path.
3 See Shankaranarayanan, from The Ten Great Cosmic Powers. This book is my go-to source for its depth of wisdom and research. The iconographies described therein brought the Mahavidyas alive for me, forming lush and dynamic visions for my contemplations.
4 See Chinmayananda, from “Eliminating Vasanas—the Method,” in A Manual of Self-Unfoldment.
5 “Divine” in this book refers to Shiva-Shakti together, and can also be referred to as God, All That Is, the Transcendent, or the Ground of Being.
6 See Satchidananda, from “Book Two,” in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Although there are numerous commentaries on the Yoga Sutras, I chose this one because of Swami Satchidananda’s clarity and simplicity of language in this work. Please see the resources section in this book for other commentaries on the Yoga Sutras.
7 See Chinmayananda, from “The Fit Student,” verses 14–17, and “The Four Qualifications,” verses 18–30, in A Manual of Self-Unfoldment. Vedanta sets out several qualifications for liberation that are progressively cultivated. In this text, Sri Shankaracharya describes four main prerequisites for non-dual inquiry. These are discrimination (the ability to discriminate between the real and the unreal), dispassion (non-attachment to the fruit of action), six virtues (control over the mind and emotions, control over senses, righteous behavior, equanimity, faith in the teaching or guru, and one-pointedness), and a burning desire for liberation.
8 See Kempton, from Doorways to the Infinite: The Art and Practice of Tantric Meditation.
9 See Goode, from “Part I, The World,” in The Direct Path: A User Guide. This is the book I would heartily recommend to any student of the Direct Path. If we can perform the experiments as laid out in this book, we will arrive at Self-knowledge through direct experience.
10 See Satchidananda, from “Book Two,” in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
11 This is one of the 112 meditation techniques in Lakshmanjoo, Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization.
12 See Goode, from “Part I, The World,” in The Direct Path: A User Guide.
13 Mudras are hand gestures or positions that convey particular meanings in sacred imagery. For instance, a palm turned toward the onlooker with fingers facing down conveys fearlessness, while that with fingers pointing up confers blessings.
14 Also known as “third eye,” this denotes wakefulness from the dream of creation, explained further in this chapter.
15 See Kali, from “The Slaying of Raktabija,” in In Praise of the Goddess: The Devimahatmaya and Its Meaning.
16 See Madhusudandasji, from Shakti: An Introduction to Kundalini Maha Yoga.
17 See Easwaran, from The Mantram Handbook: A Practical Guide to Choosing Your Mantram and Calming Your Mind.
18 See Ashley-Farrand, from “The Basics: Chakras, Sanskrit, and Shakti,” in Shakti Mantras: Tapping into the Great Goddess Energy Within.
19 For details on dosha and self-healing, see Lad, from Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing: A Practical Guide.
20 See Trungpa, from “Spiritual Materialism,” in Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism.
21 See Shankaranarayanan, from “Inner Worship,” in Sri Chakra.
22 See Chinmayananda, from “Matter-Sheaths Veil the Spirit,” in A Manual of Self-Unfoldment.
23 See Weber, from http://happinessbeyondthought.blogspot.com/2014/10/blah-blah-understanding-its-content-and.html?q=dmn. Gary Weber is a scientist and spiritual teacher.
24 See Trungpa, from “Spiritual Materialism,” in Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism.
25 See Advanced Yoga Practices at http://www.aypsite.org.
26 See Shankaranarayanan, from The Ten Great Cosmic Powers. This book is my go-to source for its depth of wisdom and research. The iconographies described therein brought the Mahavidyas alive for me, forming lush and dynamic visions for my contemplations.
27 See Goode, from “The Language of Joyful Irony,” in After Awareness: The End of the Path. This chapter describes the non-referentiality of language and the sense of freedom that arises from this realization.
28 >This is one of the 112 meditation techniques in Lakshmanjoo, Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization.
29 See Masters at http://robertmasters.com/writings/spiritual-bypassing.
30 See “Introduction” under “The Three Temperaments,” in Woodroffe, J. G., from Tantra of the Great Liberation. Although dense, this excellent book has detailed descriptions of the gunas, the five sheaths, ashrama, varna, and other concepts discussed in this book.
31 See Goode and Sander, from “The Fruition: Joyful Irony,” in Emptiness and Joyful Freedom. Although this book is about the realization of emptiness from the Buddhist and Western perspectives, the language of joyful irony is relevant to that of the direct path.
32 See Goode and Sander, from “The Fruition: Joyful Irony,” in Emptiness and Joyful Freedom. Although this book is about the realization of emptiness from the Buddhist and Western perspectives, the language of joyful irony is relevant to that of the direct path.