Lal Ded of Kashmir

Scholars from all parts of the world have taken note, while myriad individuals have also become admirers of Lalleshuri (Lal Ded) of Kashmir for her poetic works referred to as Vaakhs. These works are spontaneity expressed by an awakened Yogi, who produced exceptional works of poetry with a considerable philosophical depth, while at the same time sharing her insights into her own spiritual path with the reader. Many of her poems express her direct spiritual experiences through simple and easy-to-understand formats, as well as giving concise examples of Yoga principles that can be related to in day-to-day life. Lalleshuri provided access to her timeless spiritual wisdom in the language of everyday people through oral speaking; the impact of her oral expression carried on through the ages and was transmitted orally to future generations with virtually no change in the language or meaning of her works.

Lalleshuri's Vaakhs are a comprehensive representation of the literary talent of a highly perceptive Shaivite yogini and religious philosopher; the expressions of her thoughts regarding the futility of worldly existence and the means to achieve liberation through the practice of Yoga have been recognized and will continue to be understood in this way. She was a wandering ascetic who had completely severed her ties to the material world and was considered by many to be frighteningly naked in her appearance since she had become so detached from worldly concerns. Her poems were committed to memory almost immediately upon being recited, and many of her devotees would sing her poems as songs of praise and gratitude for God for forgiveness of their sins. As a highly evolved soul, yugpurusha or divine embodiment of Lord Shiva, she also provided the average person with practical guidance to attain self-awareness through the scriptures; she criticized the tendency of people to accumulate possessions rather than focusing on spiritual enrichment, which is ultimately the only thing that can provide them with protection while they experience the temporary nature of this world. She expressed her astonishment regarding how many people are enjoying the false glamour of this world and how eagerly she desires to see humanity abandon their desire for the seductions of this world. Time after time she preached, like a master orator of old, that people must not confuse what is real with what seems real. People were ignorant and therefore attached to falsehood, wasting valuable time that could be spent for greater good.

Lalleshuri was very much dedicated to her Guru. While expressing her gratitude to her Guru in guiding her in all her progress she says that her Guru is both father and mother to her, who made her blind eyes capable to see, her bare body able to wear the celestial garments and thereby discriminate between falsehood and the truth. Lalleshuri has repeatedly described the importance of a teacher in the way to self realization. She says one who develops full faith in his Guru and follows religiously his directions, is able to control all five senses with the help of Gyan Yoga and succeeds in overcoming the sea of ignorance. He is lifted above the gross material world and all worldly events, joys and sorrows, sound immaterial to him. Lalla says in one popular Vaakh--- she asked her GURU a thousand times who was the one who was nameless and beyond comprehension but she didn't get a reply. When she got tired by asking repeatedly and hence helpless she was suddenly satisfied without an answer and understood the truth of life and its creator who was responsible for all creation and still beyond comprehension. The purpose here is to bring home to the seeker that the Guru guides his disciple in all circumstances and the seeker doesn't fall short of guidance in association with him. Lalla says she has washed her body with the Gangajal (water of the sacred Ganges) of the Gura-Shabda (word of her Guru) and thus attained pure salvation while living the same material body

Lalleshuri has put forth many ideas and insights regarding the ability to interpret and understand the sound of Aum or Om within a person's mental focus and thus enable them to achieve higher states of meditative consciousness through their control of Pranayama, which involves controlling the breath and learning to control the mind more effectively. Lalleshuri also states that anyone who can master the recitation of the divine word Aum with the connection and coordination of their breath to the rhythmic timing of the sound of Aum will be able to easily form a bridge between their individual consciousness and the universal consciousness of creation. Additionally, Lalleshuri describes how over a period of time she learned to master the recitation of Aum in such a way that while it was being recited in time with the breath, she experienced a feeling of something like "strangeness" and at that point in time she completely lost touch with her own self-image (her ego) and therefore became enlightened and free of worldly attachments. At that point in time, as Lalleshuri explains it, she had completely closed the doors of her body (i.e., she had controlled all of her physical senses) and had taken on the activity of reciting Aum to her heartbeats which allowed her to achieve the higher levels of consciousness.

In this section, Lalleshuri advises the seeker of truth to practice inhalation and exhalation in slow, even rhythm until completion. It is crucial that throughout this process, nothing distract the seeker from their ultimate truth, and at no time can they stop progressing toward that truth. There will be many distractions during the process, but they will be the most intense temptations; Lalleshuri cautions against succumbing to them. As the seeker is progressing toward completion, there will be a time when they reach a place of perfect self-control over their five sense organs (senses). At this time, the physical world will no longer be visible; the seeker has separated from the material body and the physical universe (therefore, this is liberation). Lalleshuri uses her personal journey as an example of the progress a seeker must make before becoming one with their true essence (the divine). After reaching her state of perfection through the practice of yoga and a deep understanding of the truth of existence and universal bliss, Lalleshuri experienced the presence of God everywhere. Thus, she lost her individuality and became the embodiment of the infinite. With the complete achievement of a yogi's full potential, the ultimate goal of true practice is reached, like Lalla describes, when the ultimate purpose of yoga has been fulfilled and there are no material bonds preventing the practitioner from experiencing ultimate liberation.

Lalleshuri experiences extraordinary ecstatic joy from her connection to the Supreme. She uses her tears of joy to wash the divine feet, but at the same time feels that the divine is above her on her head; this implies that she achieved the Yogi's ultimate success. In Lalleshuri's view, there is only one worthy of worship; the Lord as the 'Nucleus of Everything' (i.e., the universe) has no name, form, shape, caste, or creed. Thus, the Lord can be found everywhere, and Lalleshuri thinks of the Lord as 'everywhere,' so she can hear the Lord speaking to her through everything but about herself as Lalla. The influence of the Lord (Shiva) is everywhere; as a result, the only way for people to be able to obtain it during their lifetimes is with their minds. Human life is the only time, while living, for any being to achieve perfection in becoming one with the Supreme. When the human mind becomes distracted by worldly affairs, it loses its capacity to hear or connect with the divine; however, when the human mind is free of its interest in material accomplishments and all egos during meditation turns back inward, the human mind is then sensitive to the divine and its vibrations.