Hi, I'm Christopher, also known as Hareesh.

I wrote the book Tantra Illuminated, about the little-understood spiritual tradition of Tantric Shaivism. I recently finished my second book, The Recognition Sutras, in which I present my translation and explanation the 1,000-year-old spiritual masterpiece Pratyabhijna-hrdaya, “The Essence of the Recognition Philosophy.”

There's a new generation of professional scholars of the Yoga tradition who are also practitioners, and I'm proud to be part of that small but growing community. Here you'll find some of my writings, as well as my events calendar and biography. I teach around the world to yoga practitioners, and also write academically.

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Blogpage

The Direct Path (Tantrasaara Chapter 2)

Chapter Two of Abhinavagupta’s Tantrasaara teaches the (rare) possibility of spontaneous realization of the Truth without the need for any spiritual practice or method. This chapter contains one of Abhinava’s most powerful and direct pointing-out instructions! He puts the realization of ultimate Truth into the first person for you to savor.

The Modes of Realization (Tantrasaara chapter 1)

Tantrik philosophy in a nutshell! ~ Chapter One of Abhinavagupta’s “The Essence of the Tantras" in a fresh, readable translation.

The Essence of Tantra: Introduction

My first post translating ‘The Essence of the Tantras’ by Abhinavagupta, which I’ve been working on for sixteen years.

The Blossoming of Innate Awareness

This post introduces an unpublished text of the Mahārtha lineage, 'The Blossoming of your Awareness' aka 'A Bouquet of methods to manifest your Awakening', by the siddha master Vīranātha.

Expanding the Center

"The joy of awareness is discovered through the expansion of the Center." Discover what this powerful and intriguing sūtra means in this new post on one of The Recognition Sūtras.

Embodied Liberation: the goal of Tantrik Yoga

This extraordinary sutra teaches the goal of Tantrik Yoga—and of every nondual path—here called jīvanmukti or 'embodied liberation', and offers a beautiful definition of that goal: "jīvanmukti is defined as the natural freedom that arises for one who has recognized her own essence-nature when the entire mass of bondage melts away yet she continues to care for the prāṇas of the body."

Attaining Your Innate Power

This post features one of the most powerful teachings in The Recognition Sutras—on how to access the innate power of Awareness.

The Fire Within

Awareness, like a fire, ‘devours’ all things; that is to say, it is that inner space in which all experienced things converge, and in which all experiences are dissolved and ultimately resolved. Since all beings exhibit that capacity at least partially, we know that all beings are forms of that same divine Consciousness which has the capacity to 'devour' all things.

Finding the spacious ground within

This second reading of Sūtra Eight explores how the nature of awareness can be realized by careful reflection on the process of cognition—specifically, how thoughts, feelings, and perceptions arise and dissolve within awareness. Such profound self-reflection leads one beyond philosophy to a direct contemplation of the nature of fundamental Awareness itself. This contemplative process, if properly directed, results in awakening to your true nature.

The only real limitation is self-limitation

Chapter Twelve of The Recognition Sutras reveals how the state of bondage that most people live in is nothing other than the state of being deluded by and about the powers and potencies of one's very own consciousness. Learn how this delusion manifests as inhibition, and how the key to freedom lies in unraveling the misunderstandings you have about yourself.

The most intimate part of you

This post explores the most subtle of all The Recognition Sutras. Read it to understand why becoming more aware of awareness, and how it creates its experience of reality moment-to-moment, is the key to living a liberated life.

How to know that You are God

Chapter Ten of The Recognition Sutras explains how it makes sense to say that each and every human being is a manifestation of God. In what sense are we all constantly expressing our Divinity, whether we know it or not?

How to Be Happy

The Shaiva Tantrik tradition has a remarkable prescription for how to be happy, and it's not cute, superficial, fluffy, or easy. It's subtle, profound, challenging, and real. And it works. It's found in Chapter Nine of The Recognition Sutras.

What 'spiritual awakening' really means

This post clearly defines 'awakening' and documents the four uses of the term in spiritual literature and contemporary discourse.

Why spiritual growth does not lead to enlightenment

This post clearly outlines the nature of the spiritual path according to traditional Yoga. It challenges common misconceptions and dispels fundamental misunderstandings, bringing clarity to the question of what we're doing and why we're doing it.

Understanding energy leaks; or, Seven Ways to keep your Mojo

This eye-opening post addresses the seven main 'energy leaks' that cause depletion and inability to retain the energy generated in spiritual practice.

The real story on the Chakras

Six fundamental facts most yogis today don't know! Revised version of the controversial post which finally unveils the truth (from the traditional perspective, anyway) about the subtle energy centers called chakras.

The Pure Motive

Why do you practice? How do your subconscious assumptions about the purpose of practice influence the results you obtain? This post presents one of the most powerful teachings the path of original Tantra has to offer.

What You Really Want

This post, the product of years of contemplation, explores the dimensions and importance of desire on the spiritual path. To understand what you really want, and how it manifests naturally when you get out of your own way, you need to understand more about who you really are.

The power of subtle impressions (samskaara theory)

This post summarizes the essence of yogic psychology and the path to freedom. Warning: it may blow your mind!

What is Tantra?: Setting the record straight

Breakthroughs in recent scholarship are helping us clarify the importance of this spiritual movement and the many misunderstandings that have surrounded it. The truth is slowly getting out there!

Tantrik philosophy for the layman: what is the cause of liberation?

"Light on the Tantras" is one of the greatest masterworks of the Tantrik tradition. Here I attempt to translate and explain a few of its key verses in language accessible to all contemplative people. The topic? Only "what is the cause of spiritual liberation?"

Do we really have the power of choice? Part One.

One of the eternal questions -- is free will an illusion? -- receives a fresh look. Can we integrate what science and spirituality have to say about it? Part 1 of 2. 4min read.

The purpose of the spiritual life PART TWO

What does freedom from the mind-world look like? Is it really possible in our modern world, or is it only for Zen farmers? A powerful inquiry in a 5min read.

The purpose of the spiritual life (it ain't what ya think). Part One.

What are the two goals of the spiritual life according to original Tantra? How do these goals connect to the teaching that everything is consciousness? A powerful inquiry in a 5 minute read.

The 10-cakra system from "Jewel-mine of Music" - Part 2 of 2

The previously unknown (to the general public) 10-cakra system of 500+ year old "Jewel-Mine of Music".

A 10-cakra system from an 800-year-old text

This stunning description of a 10-cakra system is the only premodern source we know of that associates specific cakras with specific mental-emotional states. Part 1 of 2.

definition of the word TANTRA

"A tantra (i.e., tantric scripture) is so called because it expands on the topics of mantra and the principles of reality (tattvas), and because it saves us from the cycle of suffering."
In this blog I discuss the three ways of analyzing the meaning of a Sanskrit word.