For the Love of Yoga with Nish the Fish

Latest Episodes:

What is the Sound of Absolute Silence? | Bagalā Jayanti May 17, 2025

Show notes

Last year we gave this talk on Mā Bagalā, on the auspicious occasion of her Jayanti: Bagalā and Black Magick in Tantra

and this year, we gave two talks to celebrate the same occasion. The first one is: How To Worship Mā Bagalāmukhī where we went over one of the tantras for Her worship (which you can find here. It's a work in progress!) and this is the second one, approaching Mā Bagalā in a slightly more oblique and thematic way, by discussing the nature of Absolute Silence. I make a claim that even in silence there is articulation "I am", which is called Parā-Vāc, supreme speech which always inheres in the Absolute and is never attenuated!

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Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

How To Decapitate Yourself | Chinnamastā Jayanti May 15, 2025

Show notes

Because Buddha Purnima (the full moon celebrating the birth, death and enlightenment of the Shakyamuni Buddha) is so close to Chinnamastā Jayanti, when we celebrate the self-decapitating form of Mā, this year I decided to combine the two themes into one lecture.
Having already explained the symbology of Mā Chinnamastā in last year's talk to some extent, this year I want to focus on the theme of "decapitation" that we often see with forms of Mā. What does it really mean to be "decapitated"? But first, to lead up into our idea of decapitation, we present a few radical and thrilling ideas from the most idealistic, non-dual traditions of India: Vasubandhu's Yogācara Buddhism and Gaudapada's Ajāta Vāda as a kind of nod to the dizzying flights of Buddhist and Advaitic metaphysics!
May this be an offering at the lotus feet of the Buddha, the sanest man who ever lived.
May this be an offering to Mā Chinnamastā!

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Hindu Tantra and Buddhist Tantra and Why They Are The Same | Buddha Purnima Q&A May 15, 2025

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In this Q&A discussion right after our Buddha Purnima lecture, we first discuss the art of letting go with Rajeevji. What spiritual practices can I do to help let go of attachment and learn to surrender to the situation? Then we inquire the way spiritual practices can cheer us up and strengthen us with an appeal the the three gunas of Sāmkhya. Then, we compare Tantrik Buddhism to Tantrik Hinduism: can they both be practiced together? We discuss a syncretic approach to Buddhism and Hinduism with Adiji who was tuning in from Dharamsala. We discuss the Candi a little bit with Lekha Ma and take up the question of: should I worship one deity with one mantra or many deities with many mantras echoing the sentiments from this lecture. Then we discuss something very, very important: how to stay inspired in spiritual life to have a sustainable, life-long practice!

You can watch the video version of this Q&A discussion here.
This one is for Jaanam Devī!
Here is a playlist of all our Q&A sessions over the years.

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Conversations on Buddhism, the Problem of Evil and the Value of Philosophy | Q&A May 13, 2025

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One of my favorite questions & answers discussions so far!
After our God, World and the Self | A Comparative Approach class, we pluge into this wonderful discussion! Carl opens our discussion with a profound inquiry into the true teaching of Buddhism and the value of philosophy in spiritual life. And then we think about wholesome philosophy vs unwholesome philosophical wrangling and what makes the difference between the two. Then, Carl asks and even more important question: what does it mean for God to accept "hate" and "evil" as a valid offering of devotion? Also, how do people overcome "bad" actions by not considering them as bad and thus overcoming shame and guilt? Then, we discuss the inner workings of japa practice with Natalie: is quantity the main priority in japa? Should I chant quickly to say the mantra more or slowly to say the mantra more meaningfully? Then, we have a delightful discussion with Natalie regarding evil: How Do You Know What You're Doing Is Good? What if you think you're good but you are actually evil? Using this idea, we can understand how to forgive everyone and how to still protect your boundaries while forgiving everyone. Finally, we discuss ethics and absolute morality with Lāllā! We close with a reading of some of Tim's comments about Buddhism.

00:00:00 Why Do Philosophy
00:13:46 Can Philosophy be Unwholesome?
00:20:08 Why Does God Accept Evil?
00:29:14 Should I Do My Mantra Quickly or Slowly?
00:35:00 How Do You Know You Aren't Evil?
00:52:58 How To Forgive Everyone
01:07:16 Is there A Universal Good? "Pagan" Ethics.
01:16:19 Is There An Absolute Ethics?
01:29:37 Some reflections on Buddhism.
Here is a playlist of all our Q&A sessions over the years.

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Reflections on Swami Lakshman Joo and Kashmir May 09, 2025

Show notes

Today, on the auspicious occasion of Swami Lakshman Joo's birth anniversary, we say a few things about why Kashmir and its philosophers are so important in the Non-Dual Tantrik tradition.

Here is a playlist of lectures on Abhinava Gupta's Paramārthasāra, which is a wonderful introduction to the metaphysical and theological system of Tantra known as "Kashmir Shaivism"

Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.
Use this link and I will see you there:
https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815
For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:
https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish
To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

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Proof for God May 08, 2025

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Perhaps one of our finest discussions so far! We cover quite a lot of ground here:
"If there is a God, I must see him. If I have a soul, I must feel myself as that."
This was Swami Vivekananda's intuition about spirituality: it is about direct, personal experience and not belief! While tangible experience of God is the best proof for God, there are some other proofs offered by our Tantra to
(a) define God and
(b) prove God's existence on logical grounds!
We take up some responses from the materialist an evolutionary biologists and make a defense for theism in light of those!

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Who Are You, Really? | According To Tantra May 07, 2025

Show notes

Recently we've been giving a series of talks on some foundational Tantrik concepts starting with the concept of the "self". Is there such a thing and if so, what is its nature? We asked What is the Self in Tantra? and then we looked at the The 6 Layers of the Self in Tantra of the virūpāska-pancāśika, a foundational Tantrik model for nested embodiment. Now, we continue the discussion, recapping some of the stuff we uncovered in those previous classes and concluding with a verse from the Vijñāna-Bhairava Tantra:
चिद्धर्मा सर्वदेहेषु विशेषो नास्ति कुत्रचित्।
अतश्च तन्मयं सर्वम् भावयन् भवजिज् जनः॥ १००॥

ciddharmā sarvadeheṣu viśeṣo nāsti kutracit|
ataśca tanmayaṁ sarvam bhāvayan bhavajij janaḥ || 100 ||

“There is [One Reality] whose essential nature is Consciousness and this is in every body; there is no special consciousness anywhere!” And thus, a person who contemplates that the entire world is pervaded [by that Reality, consciousness] conquers the world!"

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How To Worship Mā Bagalāmukhī May 04, 2025

Show notes

Today is the holy day of Bagalāmukhī Jayanti, celebrating one of the fierce forms of Mā! We've been discussing the Mahāvidyās quite a lot over the years (here's a playlist of talks on them) but we haven't yet looked at the tantras together that prescribe their method of worship. As such, in this class, we look over the Bagalā Tantra from the Bengali compilation, Shaktapramodah (The Delight of Shaktas). But first, since this talk was given on May 1st, the anniversary day when Belur Math was founded at Balaram Bose's house in 1897, we first say a few things about that and talk about our mission to make that which is only known to a few available to all for the upliftment of all humanity!
Here is the document we referenced in the class. It's a work in progress! Much editing and proof-reading awaits!

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The Tantrik Shankara May 03, 2025

Show notes

On the fifth day of the waxing fortnight of the month Vaiśakh, we celebrated one of India's greatest and most celebrated philosopher-mystics of all time, Adi Shankaracharya. While many feel that Advaita Vedanta is juxtaposed to Tantrik philosophy since it features a "Brahman only without Shakti" model. However, there are at least 4 things that make Shankara an out and out Shakta Tantrika in my book. In this talk, as an offering at the lotus feet of the great master, we go over these four "Tantrik" elements in Sri Sri Shankaracharya's life and teaching!
May this be an offering to Sri Shankara and the lineage.
May it be an offering to Mā Ganga (today is Ganga Saptami) and the unceasing stream of wisdom that has flowed in India sine time immemorial!

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How To Meditate on Mātangī May 01, 2025

Show notes

In this talk, we discuss the Matangī meditation mantra and present a simple worship of Matangi since the day before yesterday was her Jayanti (birthday).

We were all of us recovering from our Atlanta adventure so I didn't get to write to you yesterday and wish you all a happy Akshaya Trititya; you were all in my heart!

Akshaya Trititya is such an auspicious day combining so many important events that I think I'll say a few things about it in class today also before our practice.

On this day:

1. The day the first naga sadhu, Rishabha was fed

2. Treta Yuga began

3. Parashurama, the axe-wielding, angry avatar of Vishnu was born

4. Ganga Mā first flowed down from heaven

5. Shiva appointed Kubera the ruler of material prosperity

6. Vyāsa begin composing the Mahabharata (with Ganesh taking dictation)

7. Yudishtira received the Infinite Bowl (Akshaya patra)

8. Parvati took the form of Annapurna

And of course it's also the auspicious Jayanti of Matangī Mā!

Worship of Mātangī

Draw a red downward pointing triangle in the North-East and then chant the Matangī meditation mantra:

śavopari–samāsīnāṁ raktāmbaraparicchadām।

raktālaṅkāra saṁyuktāṁ guñjāhāra vibhūṣitāma॥

ṣoḍaśābdāṁ ca yuvatīṁ pīnonnatapayodharām।

kapālakartṛkāhastāṁ paramajyotirūpiṇīm॥

vāmadakṣiṇa yogena dhyāyenmantraviduttamam।

īṣathāsya samāyuktāṁ nīlamegha samaprabhām॥

Translation:

The highest knower of the mantra (i.e the Tantrik adept) should meditate on this Goddess through the yoga of the Left and Right as follows:

Seated on a corpse, dressed in red, adorned with red ornaments, garlanded in poisonous flowers/seeds, a young woman of sixteen with comely breasts, holding a sword and skull-bowl, whose form is the supreme light (of consciousness), endowed with a subtle smile, radiant like a storm cloud.

Meditate on Mā, perform mental worship and then offer an already offered flower saying,

OM jyeṣṭhamātaṅgi namāmi ucchiṣṭacaṇḍālini trailokyavaśaṅkari svāhā

idaṁ nirmālyapuṣpādikam ucchiṣṭacaṇḍālinyai namaḥ ।

Translation:

To the eldest Mātaṅgī, I bow.

To the fierce Ucchiṣṭa Caṇḍālinī—

the outcaste goddess who sanctifies impurity,

who enchants and subjugates the three worlds—

I offer myself with these leftover flowers and all their fragrance.

Svāhā!

All this is offered to You, O Ucchiṣṭa Caṇḍālinī—salutations!"

and then place some offered food on mandala saying:

oṁ lehyacoṣyānnapānādi tāmbūlamanulepanam।

nirmālyaṁ bhojanaṁ tubhyaṁ dadāmi śrīśivājñayā॥

These foods and drinks as well as the tambulam and fragrant pastes that have already been touched by the tongue, this leftover (sullied) food I offer to you by the command of Lord Shiva!

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