Online February 27 - May 7 2022
Livestream Classes - Online Course Materials - Private Sessions
The Shiva Sutra is a Tantric Text from the 9th Century revealed originally by a great Kashmiri sage called Vasugupta. It is comprised of 77 aphorisms or sutra. These Sanskrit sutra dive into the heart of deepest practice, revealing the nature of our consciousness, the nature of our bondage, and the path of liberation.
Unlike yogic texts like the Yoga Sutra, or the various Buddhist-derived liberation schools, the Tantric school known as Trika Shaivism is a path not for monks, but for "householder" practitioners, people like you and I who have families and rich lives in the world.
The Shiva Sutra online course is a course for people who want to go deep in their practice of meditation, learn to expand their "inner" experience of Divine Consciousness, and also experience that same depth and expansion in their "outer" lives.
यथा तत्र तथान्यत्र॥१४॥Yathā tatra tathānyatra ||3:14||
As it is here, so it is elsewhere.
The vision of the Shiva Sutra is a vision of a spirituality unbound. We learn to unbind our minds, our ways of being. We also learn to unbind our ways of living, serving, earning - creating - in the world.
This is not a college course. Our teacher is not a college professor. He is not a scholar or expert in Sanskrit or Religious Studies. The approach to the Shiva Sutra in this course is not a scholarly one, it's a practical, experiential approach. It is informal and personal and intimate. The perspectives and approaches shared are the collection of teachings and experiences Harshada has cultivated over his three decades of devoted practice and study with some of the greatest masters of our time. He has studied with scholars and consults with Sanskritists, but the heart of his teachings come from his own exploration and the directly transmitted teachings he's received from his teachers and Gurus over the years. While this is not a rigorous or exhaustive intellectual study of the Shiva Sutra, it doesn't exclude students who follow that approach. It could be a practical companion to people on the scholarly path, and direct infusion for people who wish to dive right in. The intention of the course is to infuse your path with the wisdom and energy that the Shiva Sutra transmit directly.
How does the Course Work?
The course is a an online course with an in-person feel. The course lasts for 9 weeks. Each week, Harshada teaches about a handful of sutras. There is a livestream class every Sunday which is recorded. Every week you are also encouraged or required to do practices that grant access to the experience of the sutras. Depending on which level you choose, you may also have a chance to discuss the course material with Harshada and have him guide you individually. Live classes and group discussions are done via Zoom. In the next section you can learn about the different levels of engagement.
Three Levels To Chose From
Harshada understands that no one level is right for everyone, so he's created three levels for the Shiva Sutra Course: Bhakta, Sadhaka, and Siddha.
The Bhakta Level is the most basic. The word Bhakta means the "devoted one". This level includes Harshada's rendering of the Shiva Sutra (via PDF) and access to the weekly classes where he comments on and "unpacks" each of the aphorisms. Links to the videos from each week's class will be emailed so you don't have to be there live. There are no practice requirements or prerequisites for the basic level.
The Sadhaka Level is more of a "teacher training". Sadhaka means "dedicated trainee". Considered a Level 2 Module of Big Heart Meditation Teacher training, people in the Sadhaka Level will have access to the livestream weekly classes, as well as weekly discussion-based interactive classes. Advanced Level students will be enrolled here in teachable where audio guided meditations, high resolution videos of the live classes, along with weekly class notes and written commentaries on the aphorisms will be posted. Along with this, everyone enrolled will also have two private sessions with Harshada. Students in the Advanced Level who want to get Level 2 certification will have practice, and study requirements. There are no absolute prerequisites, but there is application process. The Sadhaka Level is a deep training. After your application is reviewed and approved, you'll receive an email with signup instructions.
The Siddha Level is the deepest engagement. Siddha means "master" or "empowered one". People enrolled in this level will be in the Sadhaka group and will also have weekly private sessions with Harshada where he will personally guide you through the work in the course, guide you in practices based on the Shiva Sutra, and tailor the training to your specific needs. To enroll in the Siddha Level, you need to fill out the questionnaire and have a conversation with Harshada. There are limited spots available for this level training.
What is Shiva?
Shiva is a name for the Divine Mystery that comes from Indian mystical tradition. Hindus recognize Shiva as one of three primary functions of God. In the Hindu system, Shiva is the destructive power of the Divine, and is partnered with Brahma (the Creator) and Vishnu (the Sustainer). There are countless traditional stories and mythologies about Shiva as a divine personality or Hindu deity. This course is not about Shiva in that sense.
The non-dual Tantric tradition that the Shiva Sutra come from is not "Hindu" as such. It is not a religion, rather it is a system of mystical practice and wisdom teachings. The Tantric masters in Kashmir used the name Shiva to refer to the all-pervading, formless, non-dual Divine. So, the Shiva Sutra is a treatise on human liberation and the the realization of non-dual consciousness.
Who is this course for?
This course is for sincere seekers who wish to go deeper into the mystical path of meditation, freedom, and manifestation. You don't need to have years of experience on the path, but a basic orientation to meditation and inner practice is going to help you a lot.
This course is a must for keen teachers of meditation and yoga. The sutras reveal essential secrets to the spiritual path. Why meditation works, why mantra works, how our minds get lost and found on the path to liberation. Other kinds of helpers such as therapists, psychologists, and healers will also gain a tremendous benefit from the course.
Your Instructor
David Harshada Wagner has been teaching meditation and practical spirituality to all kinds of people since 1992. He has been classically trained in the Indian wisdom traditions of Vedanta, Yoga, Bhakti, and Tantric Shaivism, and works as a creative mindset consultant and sacred life strategist for people from all walks of life. To his close friends and students, he is known as Harshada - a Sanskrit name given to him by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda in 1996. He is the author of On the Field of Dharma - a modern practical application of the Bhagavad Gita, and is the founder of Big Heart Meditation.
Along with his teaching work, Harshada is also a visual artist and proud father of two. He currently lives in Ojai California.