About Us

Trika Institute is a center for the study and practice of Kasmiri Shaivite Tantra. Kashmiri Shaivite Tantra is a philospophy of Absolutism, wherein we believe that everything is Pure Consciousness – with no exceptions. We refer to this Pure Consciousness as Siva.

Kasmiri Shaivism was founded circa 850 by Vasugupta, and codified by Abhinavagupta in the early 11th century. Kashmiri Shaivism provides an extremely rich and detailed understanding of the human psyche and a clear and distinct path to self-realization. As Kasmiri Shaivite Tantrikas, we are concerned less with worshipping a personal, separate god than with attaining the state of Siva consciousness. This Siva consciousness is the state of pure, unconditioned, conscious awareness that is our Natural State. Sadhana, or personal spiritual practice, including meditation, teachings, chanting of mantra, visualization, health cultivation, and yoga, leads to the assimilation of the object (world) in the subject (I) until the Self (Siva) stands revealed as one with the universe.

Kasmiri Shaivism uses Sanskrit as its language and the standard ritual formats and deities associated with Hinduism. Hatha yoga and meditation are an integral part of our practices, and Ayurveda forms the basis of self-care within the system. Kasmiri Shaivite Tantra differs from orthodox Hinduism in that, in its historical development, it took whatever was useful from the surrounding traditions including the Bon philosophy and practice of Tibet (pre-dating Buddhism), Vajrayana, or Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, and Dzogchen, and created a synthesis over the last 2,000 years, giving birth to a very powerful, progressive, and all-encompassing religious system of spiritual philosophy and practice.